NOVEL NEXT Chapter 30: Pain in the...
"Great, now I've received a mission." Vonn's tone sounded bland, but he was deeply pleased. The reason this place was a jackpot for him was all because of missions.
A certain character in the novel had been lucky enough to receive and successfully complete a mission. Because of that, their role and power increased significantly—a situation Vonn was now hoping to replicate.
To become a key supporting character, he needed the kind of luck that could change one's fate. He wasn't expecting to gain it so soon, but fate seemed to have worked in his favor.
Now, with the preparation complete, he was ready for the mission. If he succeeded, he would receive a substantial amount of Blessing.
The Biennial Dimension was home to various monsters. While he had killed small fry since arriving here, he hadn't yet encountered any larger or more challenging ones.
Using Frain's knowledge of magic to sense monsters' weakness and Noire's exorcist powers, he had been making progress. Though far from mastering the skills of either previous life, he felt he was doing decently from his perspective.
Leaving the village so soon after arriving didn't feel right to him. He had thought he'd stay longer, but the mission required immediate action. With the rampant monster appearing every night—or during the constant darkness of this land—he had to act quickly.
This monster wasn't one he'd heard of or read about before. It would be entirely different from his usual routine of relying on the novel's knowledge. This was the first time he'd face something entirely unknown.
But simplicity and ease weren't what mattered to him. He knew he would inevitably face challenges he hadn't expected.
'It's not that bad,' he thought. 'Receiving a mission, even one I didn't anticipate, will still benefit me. In the future, everything will change and won't follow the original storyline.'
Clicking his tongue, he set up a camp at a vantage point where he could see the village clearly. He unpacked some items he'd brought with him.
Among them were weapons—various ones Cassie had prepared for him. He hadn't used them yet, relying heavily on his exorcist powers.
'My soul grows stronger the more I use my espera, but it's depleting at an alarming rate. If I don't create my artificial Mana Heart soon, I'll be forced to regulate my powers to the point where having them will be pointless.'
Espera in this world was scarce and difficult to replenish. In Noire's world, there had been pills and resources to easily restore lost espera, but in this dimension, such resources weren't readily available. This scarcity posed a significant disadvantage.
He needed to rush the creation of his artificial Mana Heart since his Esperic Storage was functioning well in terms of absorption, storage, and its analyzing capabilities.
However, he knew that wouldn't be enough. Earning Blessings was also a potential way to unlock a natural Mana Heart, albeit slim, considering that Blessings were mysterious and often unexplainable in many ways.
He exhaled steadily as he waited for nighttime. When it finally arrived, he was ready for some hunting.
Since he didn't have any experience fighting larger monsters, he decided to observe first. But if he focused on observation, what would happen to the locals?
'Wait a minute… that's not the case… I can still complete the mission while observing the monster from afar,' he thought.
Almost forgetting that his exorcist powers granted him a wide range, he grabbed a dagger from his side.
'Get out now, monster.'
As the temperature dropped with the arrival of night, a sense of looming danger filled the air. When the monster finally appeared, Vonn's heart skipped a beat.
From a distance, a humanoid giant emerged. Its grotesque, filthy appearance and drooling, slimy mouth made it horrifying to look at. It resembled other humanoid monsters, but with a key difference—this one had six awful, human-like eyes instead of the usual two.
Its bulky frame demanded caution, and its wingspan was nearly double its height. Considering its towering figure was already visible above the trees near the village, the monster had a frighteningly wide reach.
Its skin was gray, and its heavy footsteps sent tremors through the ground with every step.
Vonn couldn't understand how such a monster had gone unnoticed earlier. It seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. But that didn't matter now—this creature was ready to wreak havoc on the village.
Hissing and shaking his head, Vonn threw his dagger, enhanced by wind he had prepared beforehand. By limiting his use of espera, he successfully distracted the monster, delaying its attack on the village.
This tactic worked to his advantage. Keeping the monster away from the village, Vonn targeted different parts of its body, searching for weak spots.
'Just like any other humanoid creatures, the joints are likely weak. But this monster isn't so simple that a weak attack could take it down,' he thought.
Devising a different use for his espera, he injected weight into it, causing each accelerated throw to grow stronger.
From the moment the monster appeared, he had focused on protecting the village and observing its weak spots. Before the monster could detect his location, Vonn slipped beneath it and targeted the area he assumed to be the weakest.
'Joints are weak spots, but if I were pierced from below, I'd definitely cry.'
An evil smile crossed his face as he conjured a massive spear from earthen materials. Using wind to propel it upward, the spear struck the monster from below, eliciting a piercing scream of pain.
Chuckling, Vonn covered his ears and ran as the monster writhed in agony. It thrashed as though infested with worms, eventually collapsing to the ground and rolling in uncontrollable distress.
He had successfully weakened the monster. Now it was time for the final phase of the attack.
'Should I always aim below first when dealing with giant monsters?' he wondered with a smirk.