We take some distance from the orc settlement, and watch for a few minutes. The smoke swells, and one monster comes out at a time.
‘Pugi!’
‘Fugogo!’
“Three meter tall orcs? Uu…!?”
I immediately cover my face. It’s an instinctual reaction.
These are real monsters. And I’m not talking about their appearance or strength. The moment they spawn, an almost unbearable stench fills the air.
“It stinks!”
“What is this…!”
“I’m about to rip my nose off, darling!”
It’s like tens of times the potency of a ditch or sewage. Our bodies instantly reject it and we hesitate to even breathe.
They’re about thirty meters away, but the girls cower even from this distance, and I start stepping back. It’s to the point where retreating is an option on the table.
But running away would put shame to the name Rare Monster Hunter. I have to take them out fast. Thankfully, Enki doesn’t have a nose, so it’s fine, and while Aira is grimacing, she can take it. They’re really reliable.
But everyone else is having a rough time, and I don’t want to get closer either…
＊＊＊＊＊
Name：Orc King
Agility：220
Intelligence：70
Luck：None
Boost skills: Iron Wall II, Rampart II. Adamantine Body II
Passive skills: Libido Boost Lv3
Arts skills: War Cry II
Magic skills: Duststorm Control Lv2
Special skills: Stench
Equipment: Orc King sword, orc plate armor II
Drops: Orc marbled meat, golden pill
Magic stone: Extra large magic stone
＊＊＊＊＊
Stench.
Is this the skill that’s causing this awful feeling? And are they spreading it with Duststorm Lv2? This is a terrible monster.
“Enki, we don’t need to gauge their strength. I’m going at them to take them down, so buy some time.”
‘Goh!’
Enki dashes forward, and the monsters notice us. But they’re looking right through Enki, and focusing on the girls covering their faces behind me.
Then they howl like they’re happy they found them.
‘Pugyogyo!’
‘Fugo, fugogo!’
They start breathing heavily, pitch forward, and run. Their appetite is clear on their faces, and it’s clear they’re plotting nothing good.
‘Goh Gogo!!’
They see Enki as nothing more than an obstacle, and split left and right to run past it.
But despite Enki looking like a big rock, it’s a dear family member with a mind of its own. It sticks to my command and makes some big moves to stop them in their tracks.
‘Gosyah!’
It controls earth around it and blocks them.
The Orc Kings feel the ground below them suddenly shake, and are stopped by the rocks that suddenly protrude. And Enki swiftly pushes them back with its shields.
‘Pugyo!? Pugigi!!’
‘Fuh! Bufug!!’
Even after being stopped, their eyes are glued on the girls, and they’re still trying to reach out towards them.
Everyone trembles at this sight.
“Eeek.”
“T-these things are giving me goose bumps! And the smell is getting worse!!”
“Darling! Hurry! Hurry up and finish them!”
“Yes! Thunder Arrow! Stack Attack!”
I might be overkill, but I don’t care. I want them out of my sight not a moment too soon.
“Scatter!”
Woosh!
It rips through the air straight towards the Orc Kings, and catches part of Enki’s shield as it destroys them.
【Level up】
【Leveled up from sixty-two to a hundred and two】
‘Gogo…’
Both turn into smoke that immediately disperses, and Enki raises a voice like it’s sad.
It doesn’t look like a rare III is coming. And there are dropped items all around.
“Ah, sorry Enki. Did I hit you?”
‘Gogo. Gogo!’
The bottom half of its shield was blown away cleanly, but thankfully, it didn’t hit its body.
“Damn, I was too focused on taking those things down.”
‘Gogo. Goh’
“Ah, sorry Enki. Stay there for a bit.”
‘Goh?’
I tell it to stay put as it’s about to run out.
Aira collects the items with that grimace still on her face, and returns.
“I’m sorry to say, but their smell lingers on the meat they dropped.”
“So there’s a chance the marbled meat will go to waste…”
“Perhaps it is because of the pills that dropped at the same time. And suffice to say, Enki also smells, since it held them back directly.”
“…I see. If we come across them again, we need to take them out as they spawn.”
‘Gogo…’
Enki stands a little far away sounding lonely.
I haven’t told it directly, but it knows it can’t get close because of the smell. What should I do…
“Darling, Water Ball!”
“Ah, yes. Big Water Ball!”
I call forth a water ball that’s about two meters in diameter, and break it above Enki. It’s like I turned over a huge bucket, like a simple shower.
After doing it a few more times, the smell gets weaker until we don’t smell anything even if we get close.
Enki is dripping wet, but it looks like it felt kind of nice.
‘Gogo~.’
“I wonder if we smell too.”
“I don’t know. We weren’t at the epicenter, so the effect should be minimal…”
Everyone starts sniffing themselves, but generally speaking, people can’t smell themselves. Not to mention that our sense of smell might be dull after experiencing that stench.
If we do smell and can’t notice it, worst case scenario, we might show up in front of people and they will unjustly say that the girls smell.
I want to at least avoid that.
“Everyone, stand in a line.”
I hold each one at a time and smell them, but I only smell a little sweat.
They look embarrassed, but it’s for your own good, so bear with me.
“Hm… I think you’re all fine.”
Probably…
“Ahh…”
“How embarrassing…”
“You’re fine too, darling!”
“Thanks. But I’m surprised that Aira is fine. They were gone, but she did collect the items at the epicenter.”
“Of course, I protected myself.”
I’m not surprised that Aira had countermeasures.
“By using Bubble Armor, I shielded myself from the smell.”
“So that’s a thing.”
“Geez, you could have told us.”
“Magic and skills have many uses. Even if it was in the spur of the moment, if you cannot think of it yourselves, you will not grow.”
““Mu…””
I’m sure she would have said it if anyone’s life was in danger, but that’s creative power.
It’s not the same as Intelligence, so unless you have it to begin with, Mind Haste won’t help you.
…Wait, so why was she grimacing? Was she acting?
Ahh, I need to keep up.
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Thanks for the treat.