Chapter 15: Chapter 015
Though it was his first time in actual combat, Leon felt more excited than scared. The monster he targetted, resembling a 3.5m tall dead tree with jack-o-lanterns hanging from its branches, didn't even react to him as he moved around to flank it, allowing him to distract it as he stabbed one of the jack-o-lanterns in the side.
Taking advantage of the opening Leon had created by drawing the monster's, known as a Pumpkin Tree, attention to him, Shouichi stabbed its trunk from the opposite side with his dagger but failed to pierce more than a few centimeters.
"Damn! These things are as tough as actual trees...!" shouted Shouichi, bending backward and rolling away as the Pumpkin Tree swiped at him with its branch-like claws.
"Then leave those types to Presea! We can always come back later with heavy weapons if we need the kill rewards...!" shouted Wil, evading the spittle and smashing the head of a large, multi-colored caterpillar known as a Tropical Worm. His preferred weapon, an oversized single-handed maul, wasn't ideal for slicing things, but it was exceptional when it came to crushing them.
"Roger that...!" replied Shouichi, breaking away from the relatively slow-moving Pumpkin Tree to engage one of the three Boxer Irises attempting to encircle them. In his stead, Presea came rushing in with an axe nearly as large as her torso. Then, much like Mordred, she let the weight of the axe do most of the work, swinging it in a broad, downward arc while using her body as a counterweight and her shoulder as a fulcrum.
Though it raised one of its wrangled branches to try and block Presea's attack, the Pumpkin Tree was nearly divided into two halves by the force of her blow. The telegraphed nature of Presea's attack left her open, but Leon was able to step in and stab the eye of the Boxer Iris that attempted to flank her.
[Congratulations on defeating your first monster! As a reward, your Spirit has increased by 10!]
[Congratulations on defeating your first Boxer Iris! As a reward, your Luck has increased by 5!]
'I guess it makes sense that I also have stats, but how do I check them?' Leon wondered. At the same time, he guarded Presea's back, asking, "You good...?" as she yanked her axe from the ground and regained her footing.
"Nn...this enemy has been defeated. Onto the next..." replied Presea, her pastel-blue eyes locking onto the remaining Pumpkin Trees before hefting her axe and charging at the one nearest to them.
'She's pretty reckless...' thought Leon, taking a moment to see how Wil and Shouichi were faring. Wil's battle sense and positioning were on par with Mordred's. Shouichi, on the other hand, lacked experience, but he seemed to be enjoying himself quite a bit as he danced around monsters, dodging their attacks by a hair's breadth.
*THUMP*
While Leon was looking away, the sound of a heavy impact drew him to the sight of Presea being smacked by one of the Pumpkin Tree's jack-o-lanterns. Her petite body was sent flying several meters into a tree, but she didn't appear to be harmed as she climbed to her feet and charged at the same monster without a change in expression.
Since Wil and Shouichi seemed to be holding their own, Leon moved in to stab the Pumpkin Tree that Presea was fighting from behind. It shuddered in response and tried sweeping one of its branches backward, but while Leon felt a sensation similar to whiplash as his phantom body was pulled in the direction of the branch's movement, there was no pain or feeling of being hit.
"Tooooooo-!"
Taking advantage of the opening that Leon had created, Presea sliced off one of the Pumpkin Tree's branch-like arms, causing the jack-o-lantern on its remaining limb to wail. It then swung its jack-o-lantern at her, but she was prepared this time, intercepting the pumpkin with her fist and causing it to explode.
"Finish it...!" exclaimed Presea, catching Leon by surprise as he had just backed away to give her space.
Instead of asking questions, Leon stepped in, stabbing the Pumpkin Tree in its trunk. The attack failed to finish it off, but once Presea cut off its last limb, all it could do was move around or try to flee.
Seeing Presea run off after crippling the Pumpkin Tree, it didn't take a genius-level intellect for Leon to realize she had set him up to receive the reward for killing it. Fortunately, it didn't appear that she was giving him special attention, as her next target was a Pumpkin Tree near Shouichi, who, in response to something she said in passing, shouted, "Right on...!" before joining her in taking it down...
...
..
.
"How curious," mused Wil, inspecting what looked like an ordinary onion dropped from one of the felled Pumpkin Trees.
"What's up...?" asked Leon.
"Well, according to the description, this onion is able to detoxify various poisons," explained Wil, handing it to Leon as he added, "It also says that if it's used as the main ingredient in a dish, it can increase the consumer's poison resistance for upwards of half an hour."
"Man, Souma's going to have a field day," said Shouichi, taking a bite out of a bright red apple dropped from a Tropical Worm.
"Indeed..." said Wil, passing his gaze over the pile of fruit and vegetables that had dropped from the slain monsters. There was also a tiny spool of rainbow-colored thread and a tiny spherical of gelatin called a Yellow Gel, but more than half the slain monsters had dropped produce.
"More importantly, we're seventeen crystals closer to summoning a new ally," stated Leon. "When the time comes, I'd like one of you to lend me a hand. The crystal is supposed to summon those from the user's memory, so there's a good chance we can call your allies or people you're familiar with."
"How does that work?" asked Shouichi, looking skeptical as he added, "I mean, there's no way someone like Momo kicked the bucket, and I doubt my friends are involved in anything that would jeopardize their lives."
"That's why I asked each of you what the last thing you remembered was," explained Leon. "I'm still not sure how summoning works, and, not to scare you or anything, but since you were all fictional characters back in my world, I'm honestly not sure any of you is real. That's why, even if the summoning process ultimately kills the target and extracts them from their original world, I'd appreciate your help..."
Though Shouichi was taken aback and Presea was completely silent, Wil didn't hesitate to respond, "I'll volunteer. Considering the circumstances of my death, there's a good chance my wife and allies were poisoned or died attempting to avenge me. Either way, they'd be happier and safer here, at least outside the Tower. Then, once we reach the top, I hope to find a way back. After all, if there's a path to get here, there must be one to return."
"If there is, I'll do everything in my power to ensure you and your friends can return," said Leon. "And that's a promise."
"What's going on here...?"
Appearing, seemingly out of thin air, Mordred approached the group with her visibly used greatsword resting on her shoulder.
"We encountered a group of seventeen monsters while you were gone," replied Leon. "Judging by appearances, I'm assuming you encountered a few of your own...?"
"Yeah. I didn't keep count, but there were a few dozen of them," replied Mordred, digging into the pouch at her waist as she added, "Most of the loot is still littered across the ground, but I picked up as many summoning crystal fragments as I could find. Thirty-seven by my count."
"As dependable as ever," said Leon, causing Mordred's smile to become marginally more prominent as he placed the crystals from her pouch into his Storage. Then, as it was arguably more important, he asked, "How are you feeling? Your stats should have increased significantly after defeating such a large number of monsters."
"I certainly feel stronger," replied Mordred, balling her right hand into a fist as she added, "But, unlike my Lord, I can't check a person's strength directly. At the risk of sounding impertinent, could I petition you to check for me...?"
"Of course," replied Leon, opening Mordred's Status via his console. "But, before that, there's something I wanted to talk about."
Though he had planned to wait until they were alone, Leon said, "From now on, when we're traveling in a small group like this, you can dismiss with things like formalities and calling me your Lord. Everyone here will likely become a pillar of our future administration, so you should regard them as friends or allies of similar status."
Inhaling a deep breath, Mordred closed her eyes, her left brow twitching ever so slightly as she answered, "I will comply if that is my Lord's orders, but as your Adjutant, I would be derelict in my duty if I didn't point out the insensibility of such a recommendation..."
Opening her eyes, Mordred passed her gaze over everyone present as she added, "Master Wilfred is a capable individual who will, as you said, become a pillar of our administration. But I'm afraid the same cannot be said for Shouichi Kazama or Presea Combatir. I understand your desire to be close to those you summon, but as our numbers grow, you will need to be more...selective regarding those you keep close to you. Not simply for your sake, but theirs..."
"I understand what you're getting at, Mordred, but I'm not yet a King or a Lord," asserted Leon. "I know you want to prepare me for when I become one, but that might not be months or even years from now. Also..."
Though she couldn't see it, Leon adopted a serious expression, his tone weighty as he stated, "What you believe a King to be isn't necessarily how all Kings 'should' be. If I'm going to rule over people one day, I want to do it my way. I may have to pay a heavy price as a result, but I'd rather grow into being a ruler than fill a mold created by someone else..."
'Let's hope all that rehearsal paid off...' thought Leon, feeling increasingly anxious as Mordred crossed her arms and stared back at him in prolonged silence. Then, after nearly a full minute, she smiled and teased, "I've said it before, but I'll go ahead and say it again. You're the one in charge, Leon. As long as we're able to ascend the Tower and I'm able to attain my wish, I don't care how we get there. You must have been given that console for a reason, so just do what you think is best. And if anyone inhibits or tries to cause problems for you, I'll cut them down. Simple as that."
Not expecting such a...pragmatic response, Leon found himself at a loss for words. Fortunately, they happened to be in the middle of a monster-infested forest, as, shortly after Mordred finished speaking, two Pumpkin Trees, a Boxer Iris, and a Tropical Worm appeared, lumbering, hobbling, and inching toward them with murderous intent...
...
..
.
[Back at Camp]
Holding her slightly bulging stomach, Mordred groaned, "You can call me a pheasant, because I—am—stuffed..." before exhaling a short burp.
"Yeah, Souma really outdid himself tonight. It's a shame I wasn't able to try it myself..." said Leon, following behind Mordred as they entered their twice-upgraded cabin, now possessing three rooms, a bathroom, and a large wooden bath with a shelf that could be sat on, much like a hot tub.
"Mmm...just another thing to look forward to once you get a body..." said Mordred, spreading her arms and waiting patiently. Leon noticed this, so after a moment of hesitation, he approached her from behind, wrapped his hands around her body, and undid the metal clasp keeping her top in place. He expected them to talk about what happened that afternoon, but as he wasn't really sure what to say, he decided to exhibit his appreciation via his actions...
...
..
.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone