Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 192

 "Huh! ... Did that cover everything?"

It has been about an hour since this battle started.

Among the monsters, there are those that, like serpents, are sensitive to magic and will target healers and support roles first.

Since it’s still unclear how the "Prayer" system works, its use had been prohibited until a full understanding of the monster swarm could be achieved.

Though the scouts sent into the forest have not yet returned, the type of monsters and their fighting styles were assessed, and the go-ahead for using the "Prayer" was given.

If the boss were a demon type, ogres and orcs would usually charge in as the main force, but this time that wasn’t the case, so they were excluded.

Goblins wouldn’t care about that but fight differently. If it were goblins, they’d swarm in like a cloud.

On the other hand, herbivores, while they might show themselves on the outskirts of the forest to drive people away, wouldn’t attack a town. Because they are herbivores, after all.

Similarly, omnivores exhibit similar behavior, narrowing it down to carnivores.

If it were wolves, they wouldn’t sacrifice their kind so recklessly, so they were ruled out too.

Given the strength required to gather such a large number of monsters, it was concluded that the boss must be a bear.

They were cautious, knowing that if they launched an attack and the boss escaped, it could regroup and cause the same trouble again. However, if the boss was a large bear, it would be easier to track, even if it escaped.

Size can be a significant disadvantage!

"Take this!"

Diving down, the shadow sword pierced the head of the target before pulling away immediately.

While scattering the "Prayer" and delivering potions to support, I also took the opportunity to actively eliminate any monsters that strayed from the group. There's no need to worry about processing; just defeating them is enough.

It's been a while since I went hunting, so I might as well earn some points!

However, for some reason, I often find myself slightly away from the main battle. What is that... slacking off?

Taking a breather, I heard the sound of a whistle mixed with the battle noises.

"Huh!? ... This time it’s medicine."

Where is it?

◇

"Huh?"

As I searched the sky for the source of the whistle, I noticed a group of about ten people fighting. They were overwhelmed by a large number of monsters, regardless of their roles as shield bearers or attackers. A little distance away, a woman lay on the ground. It must be her call.

The battle ended quickly, and she was the only one injured.

When I approached the man leading the group, he noticed me too.

"You’re here! A potion, please..."

It’s Marcus, of all people. So, he was involved too.

"Alright, alright."

I handed over the potion and checked on the woman myself, noticing something strange. Although the injuries seemed to be on her head and legs, her torso was covered in blood despite having no visible wounds.

"What happened?"

"There was an isolated goblin. She approached it, but suddenly it threw a nearby monster corpse at her. We weren’t expecting that since they never did that before. She couldn’t dodge and got hit directly, and then they targeted her."

"Wow..."

That’s surprising.

In this battlefield, goblins usually don’t have stones or branches to throw, so I thought they’d only use blunt force. Given that, even with their enhanced physical abilities, they wouldn’t stand a chance against our skilled fighters.

I could easily swoop down and safely take them out, treating them like bonus targets... But could they be switching up their tactics for better coordination among the monsters?

Did the increasing number of corpses as we pressed the attack change their behavior, or is their fighting style evolving independently of that?

I might need to report this.

However, Marcus... despite never needing medicine before and facing new tactics, managed to coordinate and overcome it. He’s doing quite well. Maybe I should report this to Celiana and Riesel and have his evaluation updated.

"!? "

While I was impressed, the whistle sounded three short blasts in quick succession.

In this operation, the whistle codes are distinct. One blast means a rescue request, two blasts call for reinforcements.

And three blasts mean the boss has been found.