Chapter 16: Strange Grief Wants to Retire ~ The Weakest Hunterâs Hero Dream Chapter 16 \n16 çœçŒăźć·Łâą White Wolves Den 3\n
Phantoms were in no way unbeatable apparitions of chaos.
Like Relics that were based onăitems that once existedăstored in the worldâs memory, Phantoms were also created based on onceăliving thingsă.
So it would appear those towering giants as well as their blades had existed at some time and place.
Gilbert used both hands to grip his sword and stop the blade swinging down from overhead. His arms creaked from the tremendous force, and his knees barely endured collapsing.
Wolf Knight â what was decided to call the weapon wielding werewolves for ease of convenience. They had different weapons, but they all shared fearsome strength and stamina, and their giant bodies moved around with unbelievably light movements.
They had only fought a few, but their strength exceeded Gilbertâs who held pride in his power, and their speed was a match for Ruda, with confidence in her agility.
Their physical strength and stamina was far higher than Tino and the others that were human.
To receive an attack from them would result in serious injury. Putting Tino aside, for Gilbert and Ruda that would only enter Shrines where they could battle with some extra leeway, these opponents were several steps up.
They were truly formidable enemies, but fortunately there was a sole aspect through which Tino and the others could gain victory. That was â teamwork.
In the lapse when Gilbert caught a blade with his own, Greg stepped in with his long sword aimed at an arm joint â piercing through a crevice at the forearm. In the instant the force slackened, Gilbert took the huge burden bearing down on him and pushed it to the left.
The large sharpened edge fell down next to Gilbert. The Wolf Knight growled, and looked down on Gilbert and Greg with eyes wet with murder.
Then, the huge body shook violently and collapsed with itâs eyes wide open.
Tino had crept up from behind, springing high into the air and putting her blade into the back of its neck.
The dark red short sword held in both hands was something luckily left behind by a a Wolf Knight upon entering theăWhite Wolves Denă.
The blade used her body weight cutting through thick fur, muscle, and bone, biting halfway into the neck. It couldnât sever the head, but it delivered a fatal blow upon which the Wolf Knight dissolved into the air without so much as a scream.
Tinoâs feet landed on the ground.
Gilbert was looking over for a moment, but then his shoulders loosened and he breathed a sigh of relief. There was some slight fatigue showing on his face.
âhaa, haa, âŠdid we do it?.â
âThis really is a request that doesnât pay isnât it?â
Greg frowned at the touch of the fur that remained.\n
It was better than metal armour. The wolf knights fur was considerably hard, and it was difficult to leave a fatal wound even if you put in all of your strength.
As Tino expected, the interior of the den was not fit for the large size of the wolf knights.
The ceiling in particular was just barely the height of the knights. They didnât have to fear overhead attacks like the ones from the first surprise attack. But the feeling of tension facing the large beasts in dim confined spaces gradually shaved away at the parties willpower.
Tino, who had used a weapon she had only just picked up to deal a fatal blow, spoke without changing expression.
âAs expected, taking them down with four people isnât that difficult. No matter how strong they are, they have no notion of cooperation.â
That was the Wolf Knights largest weak point.
They are strong individually, but there is no combination at all.
Even when one of their own is dying right in front of them, they place no priority on helping them. For example even if there were several wolf knights, and Tino with the most margin for error lead all but one of them away â the strategy of attacking the remaining one with three members was a solid one.
Of course there was some danger in that plan, but it was an effective tactic when surrounded by strong enemies.
âI also now have this weapon.â
âIt would be nice if one more would drop.â
One of Tinoâs strong points was bare handed attacks, but she was at a disadvantage when facing against the wolf knights. She usually carried a dagger with her, but it was just a substitute weapon. It was fortunate to obtain a weapon that could bring down a wolf knight in one strike.
After vigilantly watching the surroundings from start to finish, Ruda took a breather.
Despite the tension and fatigue, the Shrine exploration was going well.
With two thieves in the party there was a surplus in enemy detection. There was no fear of being preempted.
It seemed that the wolf knights often acted on their own. Inside the burrow that weaved freely it wasnât difficult to avoid them while advancing. Even if it came to fighting, they could manage with some impromptu teamwork.
Like at the Footprints meeting, Gilbertâs strength that he boasted about was fairly high and Greg had abundant experience, the members were able to match each other skilfully. If someone stopped the enemies movement, Tino would finish them off. Conversely, if Tino attracted the attention, the other three could do it.
Ruda didnât actively stand out, but it wasnât because she was weak. If Tino wasnât a thief, her role in enemy detection would be indispensable.
It would be a problem if one of them sustained an injury, but they had endured so far.
Everything had already been calculated.\nMaybe even the weapon that dropped was something expected. If someone else heard that they might think it was laughable.
âAfter all Master is right. Master is god.â
ââŠO-Oh. Right.â
To Tino muttering as if to assure herself, Gregâs expression was twitching.
Clan masters and party leaders were naturally charismatic, but Tinoâs faith in her Master looked like it went a little too far.
Above all from what Greg saw, Cry didnât feel very charismatic.
As a long time Hunter with an eye for discernment, there wasnât anything present similar to the attraction of a powerful Hunter.
At the assembly hall when he found out Cryâs true identity, he had thought it was a joke. Even now he couldnât believe he was Infinite Variety, everything was said to be calculated but it all seemed like a mistake.
If it was said he had reached Level 8 through his connections he would believe it, yet this superior Hunter Tino showed genuine trust.
He didnât intend to cause any conflict while inside the party. He had a lot of things he wanted to say but he could postpone them.
There would be a chance to do say it once he was ensured to return alive. Right now he needed to do whatever it took to survive in this abnormal Shrine.
To Greg sheathing his large sword on his waist, Tino shook him on the shoulder once and spoke with a serious voice.
âBut, there is still something more to come. Masters trials arenât usually like this.â
ââŠHah? What the hell are you saying?â
Gilbert spoke out Gregâs inner thoughts in a shocked voice.
Even in the current situation a normal Hunter would without a doubt choose to escape.
With a Shrine with no information on it, unexpected events with the appearance of Phantoms put it at a state of emergency.
For Ruda, Greg, and also Gilbert, a trial further than this was unimaginable.
ââŠFirstly, lets advance carefully towards the center. There were no signs around the entrance. No corpses. The rescue target should be somewhere deeper in.â
§\n\nIf there was a single thing to complain about, that would be â
âHaaa⊠I wish the purgatory sword had mana.â
He looked down at the purgatory sword in his hands and sighed.
At the moment the sword had lost its power as a relic. The mana needed to fill it was too much for Gilbert. It was the same for the other members.
If the power of the sword could be displayed, the Wolf Knights would be much easier to defeat. Even if he couldnât imitate Infinite Variety, it would be possible to burn the wolf knightâs swords in flame. The exploration would have gone much smoother.
To Gilbert leaking out a regrettable voice, Tino spoke in amazement.
âRelics are too early for Gilbert. If you rely on them your skill will get rusty. Thatâs why I donât have one yet.â
ââŠYou, you still donât carry a Relic?â
He was already used to the self important words from the little leader.
Without anger, Gilbert stared back in wonder at the unexpected words.
Speaking of which, there hadnât been a situation yet where Tino had used a Relic.
Regardless of what it was, it was expected that a Level 4 would have discovered one or two Relics while they were exploring Shrines. To say nothing of also being part of a large clan, where it should be possible to inherit one from your friends.
Receiving the incredulous look from Gilbert, Tino continued on while tapping her arm.
âIn the end Relics are trump cards. You shouldnât use them in ordinary battles, or use them to fight enemies that you couldnât win against without them. This should be what Master is intentionally trying to teach you from this request. Thereâs no doubt. It is. He didnât deplete the Mana in the sword to harass you.â
ââŠunthinkable meddling.â
Something unbelievable. However, because the information is coming from Tino who didnât use a Relic, authenticity was added to her words. Certainly, in the test of ability, without using a Relic Gilbert couldnât land a hand or foot on Tino.
Tino added on as Gilbert gave another look down at the purgatory sword, frowning.
âThatâs why when I find a Relic in a Shrine it gets passed over to Master through onee-sama. If Master examines it and finds it to be good, he takes me out to get ice-cream. In other words Master is God.â
ââŠIsnât that just being exploited out of convenience?â
Gregâs eyelid was twitching in convulsions while he looked at Tino.
âThatâs not the case. Master isnât good with sweet food and he keeps me company. In other words Master is God.â
If pushed to say, Gilbert was of the same opinion as Greg. But looking at the serious expression on Tino he couldnât make a interjection.