Chapter 137: level 44

Of monsters, there were only six. The adventurers could manage. As usual. Well, I didn't count "six," but sure. My adventurers didn't see what I saw, but there were actually a good dozen of goblins hiding in the bushes and trees around.

With spooky bony spears, bows, and rotten swords, the little team of hideous-green fellows was ready to jump at my humans' throats. I say "my humans," but that included me, I guess.

The dark forest? It was theirs. The monsters'. And they waited. They only did that. As patiently and sneakily as could be. All scattered around this area, ready to screech in rage and jump at us.

Goblins.

In the dark forest, everything was theirs. Even the pack of gray-claw wolves, which the humans mistook for their own, was the goblins' propriety. And still, the monster-hunters had gone and taunted it. They assaulted the pack and wronged it.

"Mmm... <Provoke>!" shouted the sloppy tank. As he opened the way with his two shoulders and massive sword, his power fell right onto the earth, pounding it, leveling it.

Every wolf fell under his shadow... and couldn't help but attack him with all they had. "Mmm... Ha!" the tank groaned again before he responded to the pack's claws with an even bigger attack. Concentrating his strength into his arms... "Mmm... <Earth Shock>!"

"Oh! Is that—"

"A new skill, heh!"

The gray-claw wolves all whined in surprise when that blow went down. They weren't all so damaged, but the attack of just now was no mean feat to pull off, for the weakest adventurers.

Of six mobs, three stuck to the tank to focus their attack on him, so the tank had to redo his provocation skill, and only then did the party leader and damage dealer join in with their tank.

The leader focused on the offensive, following along with the damage dealer—they attacked to the right, danced to the left, and assaulted in front, effectively hunting.

From behind the front they skillfully formed, I was proud of my boys, somehow. I mean, they sure weren't that weak in terms of experience, for what it's worth, but unfortunately for them, the fact remained that, in terms of innate talent, they were lacking a lot. Still, their experience was getting them forward in life, I could see that.

And the priestess healed, and the sorceress supported. All party members served a purpose. And the fight was going well. Only so far, however. Because there were still the dozen goblins surrounding them, ready to launch their secret attack.

The Party didn't notice, but I did. Though, well, was a porter's job to handle that kind of threat? I did know for sure, and no, it wasn't. A word from me could scare the monsters away, but I was curious about something. There were other reasons why I didn't act, but mostly, it was an impressive sight, so I might have wanted to allow my guests to surprise me more.

Goblins were usually so loudly screeching like braindead half-grown freaks who didn't know their right from left and who also were equipped with rotten daggers... but presently, they weren't?

Did that mean that there were other monsters like me out there? Others who could think, establish a strategy, and deal with threats best? From day one, it was only a vague feeling, but I remember longing for that. Since (human) people detested me, I should just go and monster-type-people or something if I wanted a place to belong. I was way past that feeling, today, but I still wanted to know. What if I had my own people out there in the world?

"<Iron Skin>! ...Followed by... <Whirlwind>...!"

And look at them go! I sure as hell didn't want to spoil their little party. My adventurers were actively going out of their way to make progress and gain experience on the field. Like I could go and interrupt all that.

The tank was the star of the party, today. Along with him, the damage dealer and leader also actively cried out their skill names as they used all sorts of different abilities and stuff, but the tank, man, he was the loudest.

Seizing the flow of the battle was what he tried to do then: Lowering his guard, he breathed in, bulging veins running across his arms, and started to spin around with his bastard sword. The two other attackers had to dart backward for a second... But hey, the adventurers looked really funny when the wolves evaded in the same way.

One of the monster's eyes darted at my grinning face, and glared at me—I gave the wolf back its glare—then briefly glanced down in defeat, and rather targeted the priestess by my side.

And thus the fight went on. Threats were dealt with. I chuckled a great deal with amusement. And at some point, the beasts proved tenacious as they showed even they had skills they could use: A gray wolf howled, its muzzle pointing up, and chanted. The damage dealer saw an opening in that and the wolf was slain right away, but the AR displays of the System let me know there was more to what just happened.

❮ The Player has been protected from Negative Status Effect "Run!" ❯ Another notification let me know that it was thanks to both my high-level and high "Sense Stats" or some stuff and that it protected the entire party. In bad news (for the adventurers), I still noted that the monster-type's - "Gray-claw wolf, Canine, level 14" - skill could still call in for help and summon more monster-types around.

Everything seemed to be going well: All of this fighting around left only one gray-claw wolf to exterminate, and the tank was dealing with it with the knight-class leader. Soon, the damage dealer fell back to the front and stole the easy last kill, and the battle was... not over.

With no time to rejoice, new gray-claw wolves already sprung into action, and the damage dealer suffered a severe wound to the leg. "B-B-B-B-Behind you...!" cried out the sluggish tank, too late, or maybe stammering too much.

"Shi— Aaargh! Shitty shitting shits! Off of my leg! Pah!"

"S-Shut it," the leader called out to the damage dealer, rushing to him like an arrow, "<Sword Dance>!" his blade was doubled by another, and just like wind cutting through, the gray-claw wolf—no, that one was labeled "Saber Wolf" had to back off. "C'mere!"

"Don't need none of your help!"

"<Double Blow>! <Double Blow>! ...<Double Blow>! ...Gimme your hand! ...We still got this!" The leader called the tank's name, "snap out of it!"

"U-Ugh... yes!"

"We still got this! "C'n'you walk?!"

"Man! Hurts like a bitch!"

I was impressed. Skillfully, the damage dealer was made to retreat, and the party leader flashed back to the frontline to join the destabilized tank again. The priestess wasn't slow to heal any kind of wounds; now was no different. Before she finished giving a mana shield to her friends at the front, she silently uttered a prayer, anxious, her lips pale. As the wound closed, the reckless party member's complaints ceased. Eyeing these two, the sorceress' strained eyes were now filled with relief, and she swore an oath of confidence.

"We push," she said, "we push! And we push again! We're getting better at it! We shall best any foe the world throws at us!" That seemed surprisingly childish and said in a particularly cute voice coming from her distant, aloof character.

To her words, I harrumphed: Goblins still here? ...Yeah, they are. I can count... hold on a sec, hm... still nine, ten, eleven, twelve, oh, and the thirteenth guy's returned.

When would they actually stop observing and come playing with my humans? And... should I let them or not?

"Oh...ho!" From lying down, the damage dealer jumped up. That surprised me. "Yup! All fixed! Thanks 'stess!"

"'Thank you, priestess, ma'am' is how you properly thank me—"

"You keep dreamin' on's what'cha do! Off I go!"

"Right," sighed the priestess, "and be careful!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

They still had a long way to go, but they were sure on the right path: Having fun was the way.

❮ The Player has reached level 44! ❯ That was unexpected, but the System did say the experience was shared among individuals of the same party.