The thirty-meter-long Poison Salamander swung its long neck, sending the Adventurers fighting in the front line flying effortlessly.
“Hey! Get a grip!”
“It’s no use; he’s already gone…”
The male Priest looked down in despair at the bloodied body of the Swordfighter, twisted in unnatural angles. The Poison Salamander mercilessly targeted the rear guard of Priests and Archers.
“I won’t let you! Double Shot!”
【Keith Level: 13 Class: Archer C-Rank】
【Keith unleashed a Double Shot!】
Two arrows were fired in quick succession, striking the creature squarely in the head. However, the arrows seemed to bounce off as the monster shook its head, falling harmlessly to the ground.
【Dealt 11 damage to the Poison Salamander!】
【Poison Salamander HP 1509/1520】
The Poison Salamander glared menacingly at Keith.
“Tch! What the hell is this monster?!”
“We need to retreat! The damage on our side is insane! At this rate, we’ll be wiped out!”
The surviving Keith and the male Priest barely managed to escape from the Strange Plains. The Poison Salamander roared triumphantly, raising its neck to the sky.
Roel and I hurried towards the Guild amidst the morning commotion. The Guild was even more crowded than yesterday.
“Emergency mission! A Poison Salamander, which should have been residing in the Bear Forest, has wandered into the Strange Plains! We need B-Rank or higher for the extermination team! C-Rank or lower can volunteer for rescue!”
The bespectacled Guild staff member announced loudly. The Guild was in an uproar. Normally, the ferocious monsters from the Bear Forest wouldn’t venture outside, so it was unusual for one to appear in the Danger Level 6 Strange Plains.
“Roel, let’s take that mission!”
“But, but we can’t take on the extermination. We’re D-Rank!”
“Doesn’t matter; we should just sign up.”
Pulling a hesitant Roel along, I volunteered as a rescue team member. According to the explanation, the rescue team’s role was to deliver medicine to injured Adventurers in the Strange Plains and provide protection. However, we were repeatedly warned not to engage the Poison Salamander. The reward was 2000 G. Alright, let’s do this!
“These shorts Roel passed down to me are really easy to move in.”
“They’re from when I aimed to be a Fighter long ago, so I’m glad they didn’t go to waste.”
I wore a tank top with a light jacket over it. Thanks to that, I transformed from looking like a rag into a proper Adventurer. I even received underwear from Roel, so I wouldn’t have to worry about being stared at. Well, the underwear didn’t really matter. Given the perfect fit, it seemed Roel was about the same age as me. But with the ten-year gap in my memories, I wasn’t sure of my actual age anymore.
“Alright, everyone’s gathered.”
The leader, an Uncle, clapped his hands to quiet the commotion. He was the same person who had argued with the Spearman yesterday.
“I apologize for being so presumptuous, but I, Gantetsu, will be in charge here! For those I don’t know, nice to meet you!”
【Gantetsu Level: 31 Class: Warrior A-Rank】
“Gantetsu-san, having an A-Rank Adventurer here is reassuring. But you could handle this alone, right? Do we really need this many people?”
Keith, the Archer, surveyed the ten Adventurers present and asked.
“I’ll be fighting alongside B-Rank Priest Etram. The rest of you will handle the rescue.”
“If I support from the rear, our chances of winning will skyrocket. I’m not doubting Gantetsu-san’s abilities, but it’s better to be cautious.”
【Etram Level: 22 Class: Priest B-Rank】
The rescue team consisted of eight members, including Roel and me. I was told repeatedly not to rush since the number of rescued wouldn’t change the reward. So, it seemed we would get 2000 G just for coming back alive. Gantetsu would draw the Poison Salamander’s attention, and we would simply rescue the injured. I wondered how strong the Poison Salamander really was. I was curious, but I wasn’t supposed to fight it.
We left town and headed towards the Strange Plains. At the entrance of the plains, there was a small hut where a person was checking entries and exits. A tall fence extended from the hut, making it difficult to cross easily. Following Gantetsu’s lead, we stepped into the plains.
“It’s so vast.”
Roel gazed curiously at the green expanse that stretched as far as the eye could see. There were small hills scattered throughout, creating narrow paths in between. I had imagined a flat grassy plain, but those paths seemed like potential traps. Once cornered by a monster there, the surrounding high hills would act as walls, creating blind spots where no one would notice the danger. I thought that if we were attacked by the Poison Salamander in such a place, we wouldn’t stand a chance. From this position, I couldn’t see the Poison Salamander. That meant it could be lurking in one of those blind spots.
“I’ll go ahead; everyone stay back and follow at a distance. Once I spot the Poison Salamander, I’ll lure it away.”
Gantetsu began to stride forward confidently. We followed him at a distance of about ten meters.
“Roel, you seemed curious earlier. Is this your first time here?”
“Yeah, I thought it would be dangerous since it’s Danger Level 6 and I’m only Level 2.”
“Tch, why do I have to be stuck doing this silly little game and picking up trash?”
The one who grumbled was the Spearman who had argued with Gantetsu yesterday.
“I was swayed by alcohol yesterday, but today I’ll show you the power of this noble Ord!”
【Ord Level: 3 Class: Lancer D-Rank】
“The Poison Salamander’s weakness is ice… ice… ice… mumble, mumble.”
【Truppo Level: 13 Class: Magician C-Rank】
This guy seemed a bit scary, so I decided to keep my distance. He had been repeating the same thing for a while now.
“Hey! It’s Gantetsu’s signal! They’ve spotted the Poison Salamander! Fall back!”
Keith quietly urged everyone. We all retreated at once, each searching for injured Adventurers.
The first person we discovered was a man, gasping for breath and bleeding behind a rock. Roel cast a healing spell.
“Thank you…”
“This is only a temporary fix. What should we do, Rua-chan?”
“We just need to get him back to town. I’ll go.”
“Wait, wait?”
Leaving a bewildered Roel behind, I hoisted the man onto my back and leaped over the hill, running towards town. When I returned after about three minutes, Roel was still there, looking stunned.
“Rua-chan?”
“I got him safely transported. Now, let’s move on.”
Ignoring Roel’s disbelief, we continued to find more injured Adventurers. Some were already dead. Their skulls were crushed, and brains were exposed. The armor they wore had failed to protect them, shattered along with their bodies.
“Ugh…”
Roel covered her mouth with both hands.
“Are you okay?”
I gently rubbed Roel’s back. With tears welling in her eyes, she nodded, signaling that she was fine.
“By the way, we haven’t seen any monsters around here.”
Roel changed the subject, trying not to worry me.
“They probably ran away, scared of the Poison Salamander.”
That was the only explanation I could think of. There was a time when monsters had fled towards us from deeper underground, only for a massive four-headed dog to emerge. I had no chance against that and had to run away.
“With a monster out of place, it could disrupt the ecosystem around here. We have to exterminate it no matter what.”
Before I knew it, Ord was standing behind us.
Next time: Episode 6 – Courage and Recklessness