"Why, why! Everything was supposed to go according to my script!" Hearing Takeru's words, Jesby roared.
A magic staff appeared in her hand. She quickly summoned a small wyvern, which landed beside her. She swiftly jumped onto it.
"Do you still think you can escape now?" Looking at her actions, Takeru gently shook his head.
"Secreta·Aqua·Visidon, Fragmentum·Stella·Imperium! Monsters, hear my command!" Hearing Takeru's words, Jesby, on the wyvern's back, quickly cast a special spell. With the purple glow from her staff, everyone felt the ground tremble.
Through his Observation Haki, Takeru sensed monsters in the vicinity rapidly converging on their location.
"Still giving us a parting gift?" Looking at Jesby, Takeru smiled.
Hearing Takeru's words, Jesby instinctively sensed something wrong. She nervously looked at Takeru.
The moment her eyes met his, she seemed to suffer some attack and fell directly from the wyvern's back. Takeru caught her with telekinesis and placed her gently on the grass.
Everyone else watched Jesby suddenly fall, somewhat bewildered.
"Master, it seems many monsters are approaching!" At this moment, Yusuke Yotsuya spoke tensely.
Due to the commotion, Mio, Hachiman, Iu, and the others had also arrived.
"Yes. This is a wealth of experience and an excellent trial. All of you, engage. Slay every last one of these monsters." Looking at them, Takeru said calmly.
"A trial? I understand!" Hearing Takeru's words, the others, though somewhat nervous, gripped their weapons tightly.
"Watch me!" Keita, ever the most enthusiastic, charged directly at a goblin and pierced its neck with a single spear thrust, killing it instantly.
This time was different. Although the goblin's threat remained D, Keita was unaffected by gravity and at peak physical condition. Instantly killing a goblin was perfectly normal.
"You stay here. Nothing will happen. We still have many questions for you later." Looking at the nervous man, Takeru directly spoke.
"Y-yes, Hero!" Hearing Takeru's words, the man quickly nodded. Takeru appeared the calmest, and everyone seemed to follow his lead. Clearly, Takeru was their leader.
"We're going too. Can't let Keita hog all the glory!" At this moment, Yusuke materialized his longsword and charged into the monster horde.
"Glenda!"
"What? Master?" Glenda, who was also preparing to advance, paused upon hearing Takeru.
"Take this." Saying this, Takeru handed her a longsword. In the real world, Takeru had trained her with the longsword. Compared to an axe, she could better utilize a sword.
"Thank you, Master." Receiving the sword, Glenda quickly swung it. Finding it very comfortable, she then charged into the monster horde.
Soon, Yusuke and the others collided with the massive monster horde.
Although the monsters were numerous and enhanced, Yusuke and the others had been completely transformed. They held their ground without falling behind. Countless monsters fell at their hands. Even the large woodland spirits were no match.
"Takeru, what's wrong with Jesby?" After observing the battle for a moment, Mio curiously looked at the unconscious Jesby and the fallen wyvern beside her.
"Jesby seems to be a Dragon Bishop. This annihilation crisis of Zagros Village may primarily originate from her." Hearing Mio's words, Takeru said calmly.
"Eh, she's the mastermind?" Hearing Takeru's words, Mio was deeply shocked.
"So, if we deal with her, this crisis is resolved? Our mission is complete?" Hearing Takeru's words, Hachiman said with surprise.
Although equally shocked that Jesby was the mastermind, he was more curious if their mission could be directly completed.
"Perhaps. But she may have other companions. Also, the crisis facing Zagros Village may not be limited to this." Hearing his words, Takeru gently shook his head.
"I see. Then what do you plan to do next?" Hearing Takeru's words, Hachiman inquired further.
"Naturally, have her confess everything she knows." Hearing Hachiman's question, Takeru said with a smile.
Seeing Takeru's confident expression, Hachiman nodded. Wisely, he didn't ask how Takeru would accomplish this. Judging by Takeru's demeanor, he had long formulated a plan.
While Takeru and the others conversed, Yusuke and the others, facing the numerical disparity, saw Iu, Kusue, and Keita die twice. Yuka, focused on spellcasting, was ambushed and died once.
Only Yusuke and Glenda remained calm, relying on their skills. Though wounded, neither had died yet.
Watching the growing pile of corpses, Takeru directly manifested an alloy container and used telekinesis to deposit the slain monsters inside.
With the corpses removed, Yusuke and the others could fight more freely, their pace accelerating.
"Do you two want to join?" Looking at Hachiman and Mio, Takeru directly inquired.
"Yes." Hearing Takeru's words, Hachiman nodded. Seeing this, Mio took out her staff.
The two charged toward the monsters. With two simple punches infused with Armament Haki, Hachiman easily crushed the heads of two woodland spirits.
"Shadow Bind Noose, Ice Arrow!" Compared to Hachiman, Mio's magical harvest was even faster.
With Hachiman and Mio's addition, Yusuke and the others felt the pressure ease. Watching their swift actions, they wondered how long it would take to reach such a level.
In less than thirty minutes, the monsters Jesby had summoned were completely annihilated. Takeru collected three large alloy containers full of materials.
Besides the standard goblins, kobolds, woodland spirits, and scorpion monsters, there was also a leader-class monster resembling a serpent. Its body was red, its underbelly green, its head somewhat draconic. Approximately twenty meters long. Yet it failed to cause any disturbance before Mio slew it.
"Haah, haah." After thirty minutes of intense combat, Yusuke and the others were visibly exhausted.
The moment it ended, everyone sat on the ground, gasping heavily. But the arduous battle was worthwhile. With all monsters slain, everyone changed class once or twice, gaining considerable improvement.
The man who had watched the entire battle was dumbfounded. Takeru and the others' strength far exceeded his imagination. He had thought he might not survive.
"By the way, you're from Zagros Village, correct? What's your name?" Seeing Jesby still unconscious, Takeru looked at the man.
"Hero, I am Bein. I was once a villager of Zagros Village." Hearing Takeru's inquiry, the man quickly nodded.
"I see. Can you tell me about Zagros Village? And what do you mean by 'once was'?" Hearing the man's words, Takeru inquired curiously.
"Ah, yes. Zagros Village is inside there. Due to the terrain, arable land is limited, yet the population continues to grow. The village chief, based on legends of New Eden, had some elderly villagers embark on a journey to find it."
"But such an elusive legend was impossible to find. Those who left never returned. Dan and I went to argue with the village chief and were expelled ourselves, ordered to find Eden. After separating from Dan, I settled here."
"In the end, I met Jesby. But Jesby frequently asked me about Zagros Village and seemed very interested in New Eden. While I was puzzled, I lost consciousness." Hearing Takeru's words, Bein recounted everything he knew.