Chapter 31: Awareness (2)

"Don't cry, Odin. You did well. Really well," Jake whispered while stroking Odin's head.

That didn't stop Odin from weeping in his master's arms. His cries sliced Jake's heart.

It wasn't that difficult to imagine what Odin had gone through.

Jake had never summoned him to an important battle before. Their enemies were always common wolves that Jake alone could defeat, so Odin had never felt a great sense of fulfillment before.

He wanted to call Odin in one of his battles against the wolf boss, but he had given up on the wolf boss after receiving Richard's lecture. In fact, Jake's fourth style, in which he aimed to defeat the wolf boss, was actually fighting along with his pet.

Which unfortunately hadn't happened.

After that, Jake and Odin casually practiced and spent time together. Odin received much care, training, and food from Jake, so he saw him as more than just a master. They had become good friends.

That said, Odin was a legendary summon and a wolf.

Fighting and hunting were in his blood, so he wanted to reciprocate his master's kindness in precisely those areas. Therefore, when Jake died against the eagle—the first serious opponent that required his help—Odin's heart shattered, and his self-impression crumbled.

He didn't feel worthy of being Jake's friend, pet, or even slave.

The name he received from his master—Odin, a strong name—was wasted on him.

Those were the thoughts that the puppy struggled with.

And that was who he was—a puppy.

Jake understood it and strained to improve Odin's mood as much as he could in those short five minutes.

Beside him, Richard paid attention to Jake's solution to Odin's tears.

That stubborn man, who would relentlessly throw himself at the wolf boss with one style to squeeze the most experience from him, had just given up on his path for his friend.

It could have been argued that Odin was a part of Jake's strength. While that much was true, Jake was a type that studied anything he was serious about to the core, with him being the main factor, so he'd never make Odin an essential core of his style.

'So he can sacrifice himself for others,' Richard smiled.

Jake had grown familiar with Odin and genuinely thought of him as his friend. He wanted him to grow strong so as to Odin would never become a forgotten low-level summon replaced by someone else.

Which meant that Jake wanted Odin to have his own style as well.

"I'm proud of you, Archer," Richard said.

"Odin's my friend... that's as much as I could do... I don't know if I did well, but I'm sure Odin isn't that dejected anymore and eager to improve, so that's for better," Jake smiled. "If I am correct, there are wild bears and monkeys past the area of wolves. Could you tell me more about them?"

"Odin is my friend as well," Richard broadly smiled, "I will do anything to help him feel better. Open your minimap."

Once Jake turned on his game system and made his minimap float before him like a small window, Richard stood beside him and looked at it. He could see it because Jake allowed him to.

The map had Jake's route to the wolf boss marked and the areas he scouted on his own while hunting wolves to hone himself into a better archer. Everything else unexplored was black.

Richard told Jake to mark two areas with entrances to the higher-level zones. "Now, a short explanation. I often advise those impatient players to fight monkeys to level up to ten before going to the mainland. You must have felt it yourself that the wolf boss and common wolves no longer give enough EXP, right? Monkeys are annoying but much easier monsters to deal with.

That's why I guide people with no real passion or abundant impatience there.

"The area next to the monkey zone is the bear area. Those are stronger and more difficult opponents. Everyone who has conquered The Unconquerable Mountain went through them and their boss. You could say that real players, talents, or just crazy dudes go through the bear zone. For Odin's sake, I think it's best to clear monkeys.

I'm sure you would eventually fight them and their boss so you can use them to build Odin's confidence. Their fighting style is also good practice for him against Ender."

Richard concluded his advice.

Jake nodded, "Fine. We'll go for monkeys."