Chapter 52 - Battle Practice With Orcs
The next day after Sophie join our party, we went outside the city to subjugate monsters. We didn't take any request and just training to improve our teamwork and skills.
Sophie is doing well. She adapt very well on the team although it's her first day after joining. Or maybe Angela and Kayla already trained her hard during my leave? I feel like I'm the one being left out.
Victoria too, as we keep defeating monsters and go deeper into the forest, she choose to come out on her own. After being a slime for thousands of years, she must be really lonely. That's why she enjoy being able to have friends and doesn't want to be left out.
I need to improve my summoning element so she can enjoy it more. It's the best gift I can think of for her for teaching me many things. Other than phrases and words from other world.
After coming out, whenever she talks to me, she would keep saying 'damn riajuu'. I can be sure that it means I'm popular or something. Why is she so jealous about me being popular? No. I don't think it's jealousy. I think it was just her wanting to say that. Seriously, what does everyone in other world have to do with popular people? Do they say similar thing like Victoria?
Doesn't matter. Today we're here to test our compatibility with the new member, Sophie. Other world is not important right now.
Sophie is doing well. She used lightning magic 'Chain Lightning' to kill multiple goblins at once. Since all of us are still in beginner level, killing multiple goblins with one magic is already a great achievement. Of course all of us helped her.
I'm at the vanguard with my self-repair spear together with Victoria, grabbed the monsters' attention to us and make sure no attack targets the girls.
Now since Victoria started to fight as well, I decided to have spear as my main weapon. Although I want to keep having a transforming weapon as my main, letting Victoria fight on her own is more beneficial since I can just sit back and watch the fight instead of getting involved in battle.
Although I think that way, I still get involved if there are any danger. And even though Victoria used to be an Aura user in the past, she can't use her Aura anymore since she became a slime. So when she fought, she often made mistake thinking that she can use her Aura and misjudge the strength needed to one shot the enemy. That's why we need her to get used to fight with only her physical strength and skill.
And her skill is much better than mine. It's annoying that I lost every time we spar. But since I improved as well, it's fine.
We're doing fine on our hunt, and this is the last monsters we decided to fight before we return.
Orcs. Five orcs.
I find it weird that there are five orcs gathering together. Usually, they only gather in two or three. Never more than that. Unless there's an orc settlement nearby.
"Alright, we will defeat those five orcs and return back to the guild to inform about possibility of an orc settlement. It is rare to find five orcs together. So, how will we do it? One on one or a group battle? Or maybe you're crazy enough to fight one on five?"
"One on one."
"Agreed."
"Anything is fine with me."
"I will try my best!"
Although Sophie has the strongest firepower with her lightning element, she's still anxious to fight an orc one on one. Even Kayla who has the weakest firepower feels confident about the fight.
"Then I'll take one on the right."
"I'll take the left one."
Of course the first to react is me and Victoria. We decided to take the one farthest from the group for a battle.
This is a good partner for my Air Cannon practice. I almost forget that I have this skill. But since Victoria isn't here to be the weapon (she called it rifle), I will try to improvise.
I try to gain its attention by slashing my spear lightly to its face. It worked well and it chased after me leaving the group of orcs behind.
I took a distance from it and grabbed a fist sized rock. How will I shoot it if I can't hold the stone with my hand? Since the air pressure will damage my hand if I hold the stone.
The answer is by throwing the stone before I shoot it.
First I prepare compressing air in a certain spot. For now it's two meter in front of me. Then I will throw the stone to that spot. As soon as the stone passed through that spot, I will burst the compressed air. If my throw is accurate, the stone will fly forward in a high speed.
I was right. The stone flew forward to the orc, it pierced its eye and killed it instantly.
What I didn't consider is the fact that the burst from the compressed air reached me. Although it's just a wind to me, if any other people nearby, they will be blown away. I need to consider the distance where I prepared my magic. Also if there are other people near me or not. But still, the result is I killed the orc in one shot.
But the stone I shot is stuck in the orc's head. I guess that's show how strong their skull is.
Next is Victoria. She's easily dodged the orc's attack and keep targeting at the orc's vital point. She finished her side by beheading the orc's head. I guess she changed her own mass to be stronger than the orc. That's why she can easily cut down its neck.
As for Angela, she's doing well. She used variant type of magic to defeat the orc she's facing. She used her magic in rotation. Fire magic, then ice, then wind, then earth, and then she used fire again. It makes the orc confused. Neither Victoria nor I have taught her to fight like that. No wonder they called her a genius.
Then it's Kayla and Sophie. They took their time and it was Sophie who finished first.
Sophie is nervous during the battle. But I hope when she realize how strong she is, she can feel confident about her own strength. That's just how powerful lightning mage is.
Sophie has two elements. Lightning element and light element. One has powerful strength the other has powerful defense. Although barrier from light magic is still weaker than earth element, it is useful because the barrier is invisible. But it is only efficient when one reach intermediate level. During beginner stage, the magic consumption for using light barrier is too much. That's why Kayla who also has light element choose to use earth wall.
Back to the battle, Sophie used light magic 'Blinding Light', to blind the orc. Then she used Lightning Bolt to attack it. She keeps repeating it over and over until the orc died. Now she will realize how strong she is even at beginner level.
Last one is Kayla. The one who has the weakest attack power. Her battle is the longest one.
To cover for her weal attack power, she tried to improve her melee battle skill with using rapier made from earth magic Ground Spike. If she want more power, she would have chosen a spear and make a longer spike. But she chose agility over strength after we had practice in both weapon. It was also Victoria's advice to let her use rapier.
Most mage used hand gesture when they use magic. Although it's unnecessary, Victoria did it as well. That's why it's much better if she had a weapon in one hand, and the other is for casting magic. That's rapier is better than spear for her.
Kayla used earth magic 'Pitfall' to trap the orc. Then she used Ground Spike to stab the orc from multiple places while it's still trapped. But Ground Spike is not enough to pierce the thick muscle of an orc. That's why she used her rapier to attack the vital spot of the orc. The eyes, nose holes, ears, and its body where its internal organ located.
When she's tired or injured, she would use healing magic on herself, then keep on attacking the orc. It took her one hour until she defeated the orc. The others are already finished their part and choose to watch over Kayla.
Kayla must have practice everyday for her to be so agile with rapier. I think it was just over one month ago when she decided to use the weapon. And now she's already so good at it. If Kayla and I fight with using rapier, with only skills and technique, she's already better than me. And Victoria said it will be soon until Kayla is more skilled than her. Kayla must be a genius.
It's a shame that she hasn't able to learn Aura yet. Victoria also doubtful if Kayla can learn Aura. But for Kayla herself, she doesn't care if she can learn it or not. She said that if she can learn it, it's good. But if she can't that's, fine as well. Since the person herself doesn't care, we no longer persuade her to learn Aura.
Since all the orcs has been defeated, we decided to return to the city after taking their fangs as proof of subjugation. We need to inform the guild about the appearance of five orcs at the same time.