Build Injection (4)
"There they are!"
After a short while, Atsbal, who had rushed ahead, spotted three Stone Orcs.
- Kuwek! Kuweeeek!
These Stone Orcs looked noticeably different from the ones Pamela and I had encountered before. Anyone could see they were rampaging.
"Adelia, your information was spot on."
"As expected, the Chaos Cult's influence has reached here too..."
- Kuweeeek!
Their senses sharpened by the rampage, the Stone Orcs immediately noticed us and charged, pounding the ground with heavy thuds.
"Protection Talisman!"
Yeon-hwa instantly deployed her Protection Talisman, raising a barrier.
"Adelia Laden! Get on with it!"
"Understood. Blessing of Water Record!"
At Atsbal's urging to unleash powerful magic quickly, Adelia activated the Blessing of Water Record. A formation radiating blue light spread outward from her.
"You have to attack from inside the formation for the effect to work!"
"Hahaha! I heard you! Here I go! Punishment's Thunder Prison!"
Zzzzzap!
A sphere of crackling blue lightning crashed into the center of the Stone Orcs. Empowered threefold by the Blessing of Water Record, the Punishment's Thunder Prison proved too much even for the corrupted Stone Orcs, and they collapsed lifelessly.
"Ooh, ooooh! Ooooooh!"
Atsbal trembled as he stared at the fallen Stone Orcs and the overwhelming power of his enhanced spell.
"This is my magic, three times stronger! Blessing of Water Record... What an incredible skill!"
"Of course. It is a secret art passed down through the royal family."
"The royal family's exclusive skill combined with my magic. Hmph! It could never be anything less than devastating!"
"Atsbal looks like he's having the time of his life."
"I-It definitely seemed like the skill's power was much stronger than usual."
Yeon-hwa and Pamela watched Atsbal with the same pleased expressions they had worn while gazing at the fluttering photograph earlier.
But it didn't take long for both of them to become just as excited as Atsbal.
"Hyaaah!"
- Kuweeeek!
"Oh my! To be taken down so easily in a single hit! This is...!"
"Shattering Nails!"
Thud thud thud!
- Kuooook!
"E-Eh!? The Stone Orc fell from just the Shattering Nails?!"
Once they each tasted the damage boost granted by the Blessing of Water Record, Yeon-hwa and Pamela grew just as fired up, racing to be the first to fell every Stone Orc they saw.
"Hey! It's my turn this time!"
"Ohohohoho! Taste my flashy kicks!"
"I-If my attacks become this strong, I can actually help more. Hehe, hehehe..."
The members of Portis grew more energetic with every Stone Orc they defeated. Adelia watched the three of them with a subtle gaze.
"It's good that everyone is enjoying themselves. That's a relief, but..."
Adelia had been casting the Blessing of Water Record every time a new Stone Orc appeared. Until now she had conserved the skill and fought on the front lines herself, so standing back and only supporting must have felt complicated.
"Don't worry, Adelia. It's only because these opponents are Stone Orcs. Once we face stronger enemies, your help will be needed far more than simply ending fights with the Blessing of Water Record."
"I know that. It's just frustrating to watch others fight from behind like this."
In other words, her body was itching to join the fray.
"You're not stepping in?"
"The others are already handling it. And if I jumped in now, I'd just ruin their fun."
"You care deeply for your comrades."
"Even so, I'm still the vice-leader."
I took a mana potion Pamela had made from my inventory and handed it to Adelia.
"Drink. Mana potion."
She had used the Blessing of Water Record repeatedly, and each time she had stepped outside the formation to locate the next target. Adelia must have burned through a considerable amount of mana.
"Thank you."
Adelia accepted the potion without complaint and downed it in one go.
Gulp gulp gulp...
I quietly admired her profile as she drank. Among Portis, Yeon-hwa currently wore the most revealing outfit, but Adelia's attire was also quite bold. Her side breasts were clearly visible, and while her lower garment covered most of her hips, her thighs were almost entirely exposed. The high-leg design connected to the chest area had no visible panty straps, creating an imaginative, almost commando-like effect. The new thigh band she had equipped today only made her thighs look even more alluring. In short, it was the kind of outfit that made you want to spend money.
"...? Is something wrong?"
"I was just thinking it suits you well."
"Suits me? Ah. You mean this?"
Adelia looked down at the band wrapped around her thigh.
"Yeah. It suits you perfectly."
Praise Resistance Penetrated
With the notification sound, Adelia scratched her cheek.
"D-Do you really think so? I'm glad it looks good on me. I've been so focused on training that I'm rather clueless about fashion."
One of the best things about the Penetration Mouth Technique was that even a character as dignified and proper as Adelia in the game would show the shy, delighted expression of a child receiving their first compliment.
"Since the base is already excellent, adding an accessory only enhances it."
"The base is excellent... Ahem. Were you always this flattering, Si-han?"
"It's not flattery. I'm simply stating what I see."
"Ugh...!"
Adelia's face flushed slightly. Heh. This was exactly it.
"Adelia! Si-han! Let's go hunt the next Stone Orc!"
"Strip the magic stones and move out!"
"Si-han! This time too! I-I took it down in one hit!"
"Got it. Let's go right away."
***
Afterward, we continued defeating the rampaging Stone Orcs one after another, collecting magic stones and corpses. When Adelia asked how I could carry so many bodies, I simply replied that I had obtained a very spacious subspace ring by chance.
"No, but does such a subspace ring even exist?"
"I have it right here. That's proof enough."
Doubt Penetrated
"Hmm. I suppose that settles it."
I had used the Penetration Mouth Technique midway through, but it passed without issue. Adelia didn't rely solely on the Blessing of Water Record either; she changed her fighting style to test the strength of Yeon-hwa's Protection Talisman.
"Shattering Sword!"
Slash!
Adelia calmly unleashed her skill without concern for the monster's attacks and finished it off.
"I didn't expect it to be this effective. To remain completely unfazed by the monster's attack and counter in the middle of it... I had heard the Shu family's talismans were remarkable, but this is truly incredible."
"Ohohohoho! There's a reason for the nickname 'Iron Wall'!"
We kept hunting Stone Orcs, yet there was still no sign of the Water Sacred Beast.
"We've defeated so many rampaging orcs, but there's no trace of the Water Sacred Beast at all."
"It may no longer be in this area."
"W-What do we do now?"
"Hmm... Hunting any more Stone Orcs seems pointless. Sorry for dragging you all the way out here."
"Ohohohoho! It's perfectly fine! Even if we couldn't find the Water Sacred Beast, the fact that we cooperated with Adelia today is what truly matters!"
"I got to witness just how powerful the Blessing of Water Record really is!"
"A-Adelia's skill was truly amazing!"
"I-Is that so? Well, of course. It is a secret art passed down through the Laden royal family. Being impressive is only natural."
Adelia looked even more pleased than when she had first received praise. Judging that we would find no further traces of the Water Sacred Beast, we turned back toward the waiting carriage. Along the way—
- Kuweeeeeek!
"There!"
We spotted a Stone Orc twice the size of a normal one. Its face bore red lines resembling tattoos against its usual gray skin. This was one of the monsters commonly hunted in the early stages of Lupon—the bandit leader variant of the Stone Orc.
"S-Stone Orc Champion!"
It was a Stone Orc Champion.
"Protection Talisman!"
"Blessing of Water Record!"
Yeon-hwa immediately raised her Protection Talisman while Adelia activated the Blessing of Water Record.
"Hmph! You've come to become my prey, Stone Orc Champion! Excellent! I shall demonstrate my flashy ultimate technique right here and now!"
Having savored the damage boost from the Blessing of Water Record all day, Atsbal showed no signs of tiring and prepared to cast again. I placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.
"Wait, Atsbal."
"Huh? What is it?"
"You've had your fill today. I'll handle this one."
"What! But that's a Stone Orc Champion! You intend to face that massive beast alone? Are you trying to hog all the fun for yourself? You haven't even... No, you haven't defeated a single one today. You only did the dismantling."
"Yeah. So let me have the last one."
"Urgh!"
Atsbal wore an expression of pure frustration, yet he turned his head away.
"I'll make a special exception today! Go taste how refreshing the power boost from the Blessing of Water Record feels!"
"Thanks."
Atsbal truly cared for his comrades. Seeing his disappointed face stirred a bit of pity, but this was unavoidable.
'Because I can't resist the points.'
A leader-class Stone Orc encountered for the first time. I couldn't miss the chance to earn new skill points. Thud! Thud! The Stone Orc Champion approached with heavy footsteps befitting its enormous frame.
"S-Si-han! I'll apply Shattering Nails!"
"No. Just watch quietly."
Within the Blessing of Water Record's range, I activated my only active skill toward the approaching Stone Orc Champion.
"Absolute Spear."
A colossal spear plummeted from the sky straight at the Stone Orc Champion.
KABOOOOOM!
Corrupted Stone Orc Champion Penetrated
The shockwave, stronger than usual, spread far enough to reach us despite the distance. Thanks to Yeon-hwa's Protection Talisman, however, we remained steady. The giant spear embedded itself in the ground, leaving a small crater from the impact.
Achievement: Defeated the Corrupted Stone Orc Champion.
Achievement Reward: 8 Points. 10 Fame.
A satisfying amount of points and fame rolled in.