50 - one's first battle at last

As we proceeded downstream, the meandering of the river became slower and slower, and the number of riverbanks decreased little by little, leaving more distance between us and the river.

Thor and the others kept on walking, with the tents of the previous campers by their sides.

It was about an hour after we had left the office when we reached an empty riverbank.

"Whew, we finally found an open spot. Good night, Thor.

"No, we're going to be busier now. Help me spread out my stuff.

"Tor-chan, can I go grab some rocks?"

"Stay away from the river. You rest, Mr. Euril.

"I also ......, help ............"

No, no, take it easy. You look a little pale.

Even the whitest skin is so pale that you can almost see the blood beneath the skin.

Although Yuril was strong in terms of magic, his physical strength seemed to be below that of a normal person.

Thor hurriedly unloaded his luggage and took out a small wooden folding chair.

He spread it out and covered it with fur, then pushed Yuril's thin shoulders and forced him to sit down.

He sat down easily and exhaled quietly, as if he was aware of what he was doing.

"......I'm sorry, it was so long ago I forgot about it. I didn't realize how weak I was."

"If you don't feel well again, please let me know anytime and I will fix you up."

"Yes,......, I will take your word for it and rest a bit."

Without using the backrest and without breaking his legs, Ulille smiles at him.

Thor was again impressed by his elegant attitude, even though he was tired.

"Thor, is this the right place?

"I'll be right back. If it's too tight, call me right away."

"Oh, Mr. Thor. You shouldn't put your tent on the bank. ......"

"I was thinking of doing the same thing, since we were all on the riverbanks before we came here. Is there something wrong with that?"

"That brown grass. That's sucking grass. I don't recommend you get too close."

Is this it? He is well known in the rumor mill, but this is the first time I've seen him in person.

Sucking grass is a plant that has been modified by a miasma and tries to absorb nutrients and life from everything around it.

It is a terrible grass that causes the land to quickly become thin and other living creatures to become inaccessible because of its strong reproductive power.

It seems that Yuril's poor health was partly due to the fact that he had passed by the bank several times on his way here.

Following Yuril's suggestion, Thor and the others decided to pitch their tents at the edge of the riverbank.

First, they put together wooden poles to form a large triangular frame.

Then they covered it with a water-repellent cloth soaked in slime.

Large stones are placed on top to hold the cloth in place, and boar pelts are placed on the roof.

After removing as many square stones as possible, the fur should be placed on the ground as well.

The front and back of the hut are completely empty, but this is not a problem if you just want to sleep.

Two are already set up, one for two women and the other for Thor and the child.　

Next to the tent are four folding chairs.

A table was not possible, but there is a small heating board on which hot water can be prepared.

This magical stone tool was also a gift from Dadan.

Yuril, who is feeling better now, boils some water and makes a pot of tea infused with aromatic herbs.

The tea is ready, ladies and gentlemen.

"Thank you, Mr. Yuril. Wow, it smells good.

"Hey, take a break, Moe."

"Wait a minute, Tor-chan. All right, that's perfect!

Moo, who has dexterously piled up stones as high as his waist, comes running up to Thor.

Then, for some reason, he suddenly turned around and threw a stone in his hand.

The pile of stones rattles and crumbles with the impact.

The child, who had destroyed his masterpiece with his own hands, giggles with a blank expression on his face.

By the time Thor and the others had finished taking a breather, it was already past three o'clock in the afternoon.

The group, having finished their preparations, changed their minds, and challenged themselves to their first battle in the bloody river.

"I'll go in front of you, and Sora will assist you as soon as he sees an opening. Mu will observe after doing his usual chattering. Yuril, please move freely.

"Wait for me, Thor."

"Rairai!"

"Um, yes, okay."

Although there are many places where detailed instructions are decided in advance, the roles of Sora and Mu are almost fixed in Thor's party, so there is no way to specify them.

This is not an easy task since there is not much we can do yet.

And since Thor is the only one in the vanguard, there is no need to worry about coordination or positioning.

The party was very easy to play for the rear guard because of its single-pointed focus.

Thor, clad in and , stepped thumpingly close to the water's edge.

This is what the other party had done on the way here.

He continued for a minute or so.

Suddenly, the reddish-black surface of the water shimmered, and a series of black lumps came out of the water.

The height of the body reaches up to Thor's knees.

The rounded back is black with red spots scattered in an eerie pattern.

Long, folded limbs.

Eyeballs protruding and a large mouth that takes up half of the face.

Emerging from the river are a group of four frogs.

Behind Thor, who quickly jumped back and kept his distance from them, a cheerful prayer echoed.

"Sleep fast, sleep well....

The red poison frogs came to the shore, emitting an eerie croaking sound, and stopped moving at once.

The girls, seeing the monsters forced to sleep for the first time, let out a startled cry.

"What, did you just do that, Yuril?"

"You're good, Grandma! Mu can't lose either!　Sola-ne-chan has already lost, though."

"Well, that's true, but... But you promised not to say that.

"Oh, dear, you'll wake him up if you make too much noise."

In the case of a normal , it only disturbs the monster's concentration by inducing a mild drowsiness.

It is the most popular skill in the lower branches of ice magic, and is even nicknamed "snooze-user".

However, the power of Yuril's was not such a simple thing.

The effect alone is as follows.

Level 9 / Usable number of times: 10 times per hour / Trigger: Small / Effect: Large / Duration: 15 seconds / Range: within 15 steps

However, Thor, who was often helped, knew firsthand that this, when combined with and , would have a terrifying effect.

Activation: Active / Effect: Decrease / Range: Up to 20 targets

- increases the effectiveness of magic by draining more magic power.

Effect: Up to 6 times / Range: Self

If the target is dispersed, the effect of some magic techniques will be considerably reduced.

This is compensated for by a characteristic that can increase it several times.

Moreover, , which is a higher level characteristic of , ensures that the magic power will not run out easily.

Realizing the strength of the perfectly cultivated ice spirit tree, Thor maximizes the sharpness of his iron sword.

As its name suggests, the red poison frog has poison on its body surface, and it can cause paralysis if it is touched accidentally.

Its body is covered with mucous membrane, which makes it difficult for blades to penetrate, and it is also quick and evasive.

It has claw-like bones hidden in its fingertips that can be moved in and out at will, and its bite is so strong that it can easily bite off the end of its jaws.

But that is only if they are moving.

Staggering up, Thor cut off the heads of three of the animals without hesitation.

He dares to kick the fourth one away and signals to Sora.

"Here, practice, Sola!"　

"Uh-huh!"

Forced to take the opportunity, the girl hurriedly the monster, who raised his staff and tried to jump on Thor.

However, the attack, mixed with impatience, resulted in a big twist of the red poison frog's body in mid-air.

With an eerie cry, the monster sprays its bodily fluids all around.

Thor quickly drops back and raises his blue-striped cloak to catch the flying venom.

Then, stepping back, he instantly lunges forward and swings his blade down.

Without a cry of despair, the monster, its torso cut in two, falls to the ground.

"I'm sorry, Thor."

"Don't let your guard down until the battle is over. And don't rely too much on others."

"...... Yeah. I'll be careful."

Thus ended easily the first battle of the bloody river for Thor and his friends.

It was a good start, but the hard part was yet to come.