"No," Nate shook his head dismissively. "I mean, yes. We should, just... not now."
His voice trailed off as his eyes locked onto the battlefield.
The Bow Storm was enraged. Arrows flew at the party as the girls scrambled for cover while Vulcan stood like a giant boulder.
Arthur tried to intercept the attacks, but the fresh wound on his shoulder interfered with his plan.
Nate didn't even blink.
He just watched, noting their weak points.
'We must talk once they finish it,' Nate thought.
He nodded, admitting that training them properly would have been much better than throwing them into battle.
'But on the other hand, it's good to sharpen their instincts,' he retorted.
Although Nate couldn't hear them from this distance, he knew they weren't acting passive.
They were busy chatting, or rather, discussing a plan.
Suddenly, Ivy crafted another potion.
However, it wasn't the usual blue ones they used for mana.
It was deep orange, dense, and its container was a little smaller than the mana potion.
'Speed Potion, a good choice,' Nate thought, imagining what's about to happen.
Arthur whispered something to Vulcan, then took the potion.
He popped it open, then drank it before charging at the raging bow storm.
Boosted by the potion, Arthur dodged the arrows and closed the distance.
He didn't shout, he only raised his axe high before chopping down.
One attack, three arms.
The monster howled in pain, turning around, swinging an arrow at Arthur.
Arthur grinned and raised his middle fingers in sheer satisfaction.
He jumped back, distancing himself as Vulcan's stomps grew louder.
The monster noticed Vulcan, turning in the opposite direction from the fear.
Vulcan was slow, but Ivy didn't give it the chance.
She rushed to the blood fang and picked it.
Charging from behind, she raised the sword high.
She swung at the monster's legs, cutting through them like butter.
A small amount of its blood flew, forming a stream before entering the blood fang.
The bow storm crashed, falling headfirst to the ground.
Ivy licked her lips, feeling an odd sensation wash over her.
'More! Stronger!' A voice roared inside her head. She stared at the sword, watching it absorb the blood.
She frowned. 'Is that normal?' She rubbed her hair.
She wasn't certain where it came from, and she didn't wish someone else to influence her.
'I've to ask Nate,' She nodded firmly.
'No... I decide,' Ivy responded, solidifying her will.
'Wow, that's something,' Nate thought, surprised Vulcan's use was minimal.
He saw Ivy's behavior, guessing what was happening inside her head.
"Growth weapons are troublesome," Nate commented.
Each was unique, and dealing with them required patience.
They were equal to monsters, acting solely on instinct.
The blood fang fed on blood to level up, and it came with risks.
The growth weapons could easily take over their wielders' minds if they weren't careful enough, and what Ivy experienced were the initial signs.
'How would you've handled it?' Nate asked himself, glancing at Oliver. 'You were so lucky you didn't have to go through that.'
Although it whispered to Ivy, it wasn't any sort of intentional malice.
It just wanted blood.
Naturally, he could assist her, but for now, it was much better for her to face it.
'If she takes full control of the sword, then she will become great.'
Arthur kicked the monster, flipping it over to face them.
"Your turn, Alice. Finish it off,' he said.
It was clear they wanted it to be fully satisfactory to Nate.
Alice nodded.
She stood beside the monster, pointing her staff's pointy edge at its remaining gem.
The Bow Storm roared, aiming a bow at her.
It refused to surrender peacefully.
Then it froze in realization.
Shooting was impossible. There were no arms to support it.
The only free arm it had was on the same side.
It was completely useless.
Alice grinned; it was her long-awaited moment.
She lifted her right leg high, then stomped the monster's upper arm with her foot.
It growled in pain, feeling its bones creaking.
Alice's grin grew deeper, preparing to end the monster's life.
However, Ivy intervened.
She rushed forward, swinging her sword down, severing the monster's remaining arms.
"Just shut up!" she shouted, her pupils gleaming in crimson.
She felt another surge of power and the blood fang roared in joy.
Mindless and hungry, it didn't care who wielded it; all it wanted was blood.
Alice's grin faltered.
Her eyes narrowed, caught between shock and annoyance.
Her fingers tightened around the staff.
'It's still alive,' she thought, holding herself from scolding Ivy.
She didn't take it deeply since the monster was alive.
Alice frowned, saying, "That won't silence it."
"I will show you how," she added, thrusting the staff's edge into the monster's mouth.
The monster thrashed, trying to roll itself far from them.
"Oh well, you're still alive.." Alice said, denying it any kind of mercy.
She pulled her staff and then began stabbing it over and over.
The damage numbers appeared before her, announcing the monster's imminent demise.
-30! -50! -60! -45!
[You've killed a bow storm(Lv.18) - +160 Exp!]
Alice collapsed on the ground, completely devoid of energy.
She rubbed her eyes with her trembling hands, then she let go, lying flat on the ground.
Ivy fell, dropping the blood fang. She wasn't as tired as Alice due to the blood fang feeding her with strength.
Arthur stood beside them, supporting himself by leaning against the axe.
He stared at Nate, curious about his reaction. But it seemed like Nate was busier than they were.
'Well, he must have leveled up,' Arthur thought, aware that all of them were a little ahead of Nate due to entering Infernum earlier.
"I hope this guy's useful," he said, diverting his attention to the bow storm.
He prayed the gems weren't the only useful items inside its body, but the fact that it was physically weak gave him so little hope to hold onto.
Suddenly, Ivy yawned, bringing their attention.
Her face was grim, seemingly concerned with something else.
"No, we should focus on achievements for now," Ivy said. "You've seen the time notification."
"You are right, but we don't get to decide that," Arthur answered, waiting for Nate and Oliver's arrival.
He was sure both saw the same notification, meaning all of them were on the same page.
A few minutes passed as the party sat in silence.
Eventually, the footsteps reached their ears as Oliver and Nate approached them.
"Will you stay for another day or two?" Nate asked.
He believed they held the same judgment as he did, but what he had in mind was extremely hard work.
No rest, no food, no water.
No messing around.
Just continues grinding until the day comes to an end.
"Why not? We're in a hurry. But more importantly, why did the day suddenly end?" Arthur asked. "I've been keeping track of time on my phone. We've only spent 12 hours."
Nate smiled knowingly. It was the same mistake he had made before.
Nate had given it enough thought while they fought the monster.
He debated whether it was really a miscalculation or not.
In the end, he concluded.
"Because this is not Earth. Time runs way faster here, and it affects our perceptions," he replied.
Arthur grimaced. He felt too helpless.
There was nothing he could do here, except get used to it over time.
"I will take that as a yes," Nate said, having met no objections from them.
But it was clear that they needed a rest, so he chose to give them a break.
A full hour.
But he couldn't allow the previous mistake to repeat itself.
So he depended on the system's clock, ensuring that they were back up on time.