Chapter 21: Playing with the summons

After hanging on, frantically hunting like that for two days, her level went up by another 4, bringing her to 24. Her combat-only skills, Sword Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Combat went up considerably and were now at Intermediate as well. With that, the two skills combined, and a new message information window popped up.

[Sword Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Combat have reached the maturity of an expert. Accordingly, the two techniques have combined to allow you to register Sword-Hand Combat as a legal skill.

Note, if Sword-Hand Combat is registered as a legal skill, Sword Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Combat will be automatically deleted.]

[Sword-Hand Combat (Beginner, Passive): The technique that experts of Sword Mastery and Hand-to-Hand Combat use.

Although you cannot equip a shield along with it, it is an advanced combat technique that thoroughly combines deftness and keenness. It grants you additional attack power with all types of swords and knuckle-related weapons, and your evasion and critical hit rate will increase rapidly. General attack power is increased by 20%. Sword-Hand Combat's effect dissolves shield equipping.]

[A new stat has formed. Flexibility (+10): Your body becomes more flexible, allowing you to perform difficult movements skillfully.

Your evasion is heightened and you receive extra points if your attack hits the mark. However, if you equip iron armor, a certain amount of the worn equipment's effect will drop.

Stat distribution is impossible, and if you succeed in performing evasion movements of difficult techniques, it will increase automatically.]

Jana's eyes lit up.

With the level and skill growth, she could definitely feel herself getting stronger. Hand-to-Hand Combat was a skill especially well suited to Jana's fighting style.

Jana's tactic of leaving enough space, discharge attacks, and delivering the finishing blow at the chance were all techniques she'd learned from Moggie. If she packed the sensation directly into her sword, she would undoubtedly scored a critical hit.

With the skill 'Eyes of the Cat' included, it made her critical hit rate even higher. And because of that, a frenzied battle with exploding critical hits wildly unfurled.

Defeating a monster took less than just 1 minute. Although she was bent on believing that she was a Warrior-type, her fighting style, which measured space and watched for gaps rather than blindly throwing herself in, was closer to a Thief's.

"Alright, I think I can proceed deeper in now."

Jana's eyes looked towards the inner depths of the forest.

To ensure one's safety when soloing, one was bound to hunt monsters at a lower level than oneself. Jana had done so until now, but this area's monsters didn't give her the proper amount of experience now. Jana moved forward to find stronger monsters.

However, moving her hunting ground without prior information was a mistake.

As soon as she stepped into the forest depths, she heard a menacing cry. As she raised her head reflexively, Jana's face hardened.

In the dark, she saw five wolves prowling about with their gleaming scarlet eyes.

They had enormous bull-like bodies, black fur like the pitch-black darkness, and knife-like sharp canines. They were Dire Wolves.

'5 Dire Wolves…!'

Dire Wolves were incomparably more powerful than normal Wolves. On top of that, it was now nighttime. The nocturnal Dire Wolf's ability went up by 30 percent. They were such formidable opponents that it wasn't certain if a level 24 would be able to handle two or three of them. Jana's whole body stiffened rigidly with tension.

'Damn, I was too careless. It's too late to run away now.'

Her Moggie-trained body judged the situation faster than her mind and moved.

The first move meant victory! It was a method used in kung fu, wrestling, and everywhere else.

Jana reduced the distance rapidly as she swung her sword landing a critical hit, with one Wolf falling back. However, the wolves were also beasts that were proficient at pack hunting. A Wolf ran in and avenged its companion with the same critical hit to her back, which she'd left neglected as she focused on attacking.

Her consciousness reeled.

[You have been critically hit! Damage 50.

You have been inflicted with Bleed. Until the battle is over, you will receive 2 damage every 10 seconds.]

'So it's an insult to injury. Since I'm like this, I'll die after I kill just one more!'

Jana faced the Wolf throng as she unleashed Sword-Hand Combat. She swung his sword wildly and clawed with her Cat Paws. She even rolled on the ground, sprang up, and whipped out kicks.

After 10 minutes of the bloody battle, three wolves collapsed. But Jana, who was inflicted with Bleed, also had to pay a price.

'Huff huff huff, only 20 percent of my Health is left.'

"Eyes of the Cat."

As she used the skill, Jana's eyes turned into golden cat eyes. Their halved Healths appeared above the wolves' heads.

'If it goes well, I might even be able to win.'

Just when jana had momentarily released her tension, a Wolf who had been watching for its chance didn't miss the opportunity and rushed in.

As it flashed in front of her eyes, her Health plummeted. Jana's body became awash in red. She'd fallen into the critical state. At the same time, message windows popped up continuously.

Indomitable Will and Indomitable Body, which shone more brightly in a crisis, were invoked. Attack power, critical hit, and evasion rate skyrocketed!

'It's a chance!'

Her eyes flashed as she thrust her sword.

Clang, clang! As two critical hits landed in succession, the wolves collapsed.

Then, the remaining one lunged towards her side and charged in. Jana hastily turned her body as she swung her sword. However, fortune and misfortune were a just hair apart.

[Your critical hit attack has been missed!]

If it was a normal attack, there wouldn't have been any reason for it to miss. However, because of her skills triggering automatically when in a critical state, she was in a condition where her critical hit rate was abnormally high. That actually acted negatively. As much as a critical hit gave 2 times the damage, the miss rate was also that heightened.

"Ah, no! If I die now the stats…. SUMMON DEMON! This useless scarecrow. Just do something!"

With her heart clutching at straws, jana summoned the scarecrow, grabbed it, and threw it.

The scarecrow went flying and clamped onto the Wolf's ankle. Although the damage was just 1, it succeeded in stopping the movements of the Wolf that had rushed in with its bared fangs. It was a chance she'd never even dreamed of.

Jana closed the space in one burst as she thrust her sword, and a flash exploded out.

[You have landed a critical hit.

As a co-op bonus with the Scarecrow, 30% of the damage has been added.]

Woohoo!

The Wolf howled its death throes as it collapsed.

It was a miracle-like victory. Jana, who realized that she'd narrowly won, checked and saw that her remaining health was a mere 3. If the battle had dragged on for just 20 more seconds, she would've collapsed from the Bleed. The Bleed had stopped with the end of the battle, but her heart was still thumping violently as it pumped hot blood through her veins.

Jana rushed to a safe place as soon as possible. After recovering her Stamina with a simple snack, he barely managed to calm down.

Jana stared at the Scarecrow with surprised eyes.

Like a puppy begging for praise, the Scarecrow was rolling over and over around him. It was the same Scarecrow that she decided not to summon again because of its disappointing appearance.

It seemed like it wouldn't be any help, and since it would even suck Mana from her during battle, there wasn't really any reason to pull it out. However, her life was saved thanks to the Scarecrow, and her opinion of it had changed.

'At least it's better than nothing.'

"Anyways, I survived thanks to you, Scare."

Clack clack clack.

The Scarecrow nodded as if it understood his words.

For the last few days, Jana had been engrossed in hunting. Besides the occasional times when returned to the castle, she was always alone. She hadn't felt it until now because she'd been absorbed in hunting, but she realized yet again that the forest felt unusually broad and desolate.

"You, I'm really pleased with you."

For one thing, it seemed like she wasn't going to be bored if she was with the Scarecrow. Additionally, if it could be helped like the way she'd used it just now, it was perfectly satisfactory. It would consume Mana in battle, but as long as she doesn't use Spirit of the Cat, he didn't particularly need the Mana either.

"Alright, since it's a skill that I've learned, should I try using it properly?"

Jana went ahead and summoned the Bat pig too.

Once he decided to use them, the Familiars had many unexpected uses.

The Bat pig excelled in scouting the area. If he sent the Bat pig before she moved in, she could reduce the chances of her being suddenly hemmed in by Wolves. It was also useful for surveying the general terrain.

The Scarecrow and Bat pig also played a part in the battle.

"Go!"

As Jana extended her hand, the Scarecrow and Bat pig flew towards the Yeti.

The Scarecrow sliced the Yeti's ankle to slow its movement, and the Bat pig covered its eyes to impede its vision.

Jana leisurely studied the situation and flung her sword. Then, a critical hit burst out with a considerably high rate. On top of that, the co-op attack bonus with the Familiars was added!

Just like that, she would start fighting with the monsters and cut down their health by nearly 20 percent. After getting used to this method, it was now difficult to even imagine a fight without the Familiars.

"Wahahaha, this is as useful as expected!"

Although she still hadn't been able to figure out the Egg's purpose, with just the Scarecrow and the Bat pig, Jana's hunting speed accelerated. Of course, they weren't that helpful when she was fighting a strong monster. They were crushed even before she went to the nearby area and even dealt [indirect] damage to jana Health.

If the Familiar was destroyed, Jana Health was also decreased by up to 50% of its Health. But the Familiar's Health was just 50, it wasn't fatal damage, and a destroyed Familiar could also be called forth again any time she wanted after 24 hours.

As she went deeper into the forest, Jana shouted valiantly, "Forward, forward! Let's take down everything!"