We eat while the blood drains from the blood bears. At this point, I’m used to seeing blood drain from monsters. When you consider how only looking at it made me sick at first, it’s really frightening how people get used to things.
“So what caused it in the first place?”
“Why were they so riled up, you mean?”
Asks Chris, and I nod.
I don’t know what goes on in monsters’ minds, so I guess it goes without saying that I don’t know why they were like that either.
Judging by how they were already bloodied up, I assumed they fought something before they found us and that got them all worked up, but they don’t seem to have any external wounds.
“We should just rest for now, and then think about what to do about the minotaurs.”
Sera is right. We had to move as we fought the blood bears, and now I see multiple reactions in the outer circumference when I check Map. Judging by their positions, I assume it’s the minotaurs.
I think I could find out more if I advanced a little, but the problem is their numbers. How many are there?
“Do you think they can be taken down with magic?”
“It might be difficult, because minotaurs are resistant to it. And we have to consider where we will be fighting as well, because of the laurel trees.”
I agree with Chris. We have to avoid collateral damage.
Then again, those are trees inside a dungeon, so how does that work? Do they grow just like trees outside?
In Majolica’s dungeon, they reset when the dungeon changes, but apparently this place is different.
People farm and grow vegetables, so do they really grow naturally? If that’s the case… Should we report the terrible spectacle around us when we go back?
By the way, we chopped the trees that were brought down into smaller pieces, and I stored them in the Item Box. Trees are valuable commodities, used for all sorts of things.
Although with our party, it’s probably going to be related to food.
“It would be great if we could gauge our enemy’s power first. I wish we could ask that guy that fought a minotaur in Majolica.”
“Gabin, was it? Considering his strength, we should be able to fight them too.”
“I don’t think it’s that simple. You’re stronger than a minotaur, Sera, but you’re not going to be fighting them one on one. We might end up fighting multiple minotaurs.”
Rurika has a point, especially considering that parties that go to the lower floors tend to have a lot of party members.
There’s also the labyrinth nature of that dungeon… Basically, depending on the wideness of the passages, I think it’s possible to avoid fighting many enemies at once there.
We really should follow the original plan, where I check their levels first.
“I’ll check their levels with Appraisal. How about we talk again after that?”
“I think that’s our best option.”
And so, we get on it right away.
Moving with a lot of people increases the risk of being spotted, so we advance a little more, and when we decide on a place to be our base, I go with only Hikari.
I can’t go alone, and Hikari is the most suited person to come with me because she’s good at hiding her presence.
We can see minotaurs even from the outer edge of the forest, and since it’s just the two of us, we can get relatively close.
I climb a tree, and look down. I’ve never actually climbed a tree before, but with my stats and Hikari’s guidance, I don’t do so badly.
“Can you do it, master?”
She asks, and I cast Appraisal.
Name – (…) / Race – (Minotaur) / Level – (83) / Condition – (None)
Name – (…) / Race – (Minotaur) / Level – (87) / Condition – (None)
Their levels are higher than Sera’s, and I guess they’re not all the same.
“Hikari, let’s go back for now.”
I think she understands, so she nods, and jumps to a tree next to this one. And then I jump down.
Ah… Solid ground makes me feel a lot more safe. But it’s not like I’m afraid of heights, or anything like that.
Hikari then jumps down too.
“So?”
Asks Rurika after we go back.
“They’re stronger than even Sera.”
Ah, Mia’s face is turning pale.
“Having high levels doesn’t necessarily mean they’re strong.”
I say to try to reassure her, but it’s no good.
Of course, people can be stronger or weaker depending on their experience, but she knows that monsters know how to fight from the moment they’re born.
That means that even freshly born monsters can fight like any other, and experience just makes them even stronger. Basically, monsters are strong.
Of course, there are weak monsters too, like goblins and slime.
But what about minotaurs? Apparently they’re strong. Their overall physical abilities are good, but more importantly, the problem is their high stamina.
Magic doesn’t work too well on them, and while I’m pretty sure my mithril weapon will work, I still have to be careful.
“The biggest problem is that we have confirmed nine minotaurs. To be honest, I can’t imagine it will be easy to fight them with those levels and those numbers.”
“The ideal scenario would be to crush them one at a time.”
Yes, Sera. If we can’t finish them all at once, we have to take our time and lead them on to take them down one at a time.
“Let’s plan how we’re going to fight them.”
I say, and we all put our heads together and throw out suggestions.
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Thanks for the treat.
Seems to be next week will be attacking minotaurs and strategy for it I wonder if they will get the help of city with how bad it’s got. Didn’t expect their levels to be so high