Chapter 36 Aptitude (4)

pan,da n<0,>v,el "I was looking for an item that would turn you into someone less useless," Jake shrugged.

They would need to try a bit harder to see Jake like that. His comeback made Lana's poker face break. Nevertheless, Jake understood that they also came to the same conclusion, Lana needed more skills and while she didn't have enough mana or recovery to use so many, she at least could learn a new one and they came to check the items that would help with that.

"I guess we can divide the costs among ourselves," Jake said. "Each one of us can pay 3333 coins."

"I thought you were a cheapskate… in a scale from one to one thousand, I suppose my evaluation of you increased by one point," Lana said.

"Still, what kind of skill would be better for her right now?" Louise asked.

"Odin's Blessing is probably the best option," Jake replied. "By using that, she will increase your magic power, and then you can decrease the number of enemies even before I can reach them."

"Wouldn't be better if she were to increase your strength?" Louise asked. "It would be more efficient since you attack much more than us."

"Nah, I am fine," Jake said.

"He is too prideful to receive any more help than he already is," Lana shrugged.

Jake ignored all the attempts to make him lose his cool. After paying for a ring that would grant her new skill, Lana looked toward it while it was on her fingers. It seemed pretty stylish since it was crimson and had a small gem in the middle of it.

After they finished their business, they headed toward the crystal server once again. Usually, the best option would be to strengthen themselves in the Deadly Forest since Jake already knew how to find the center of the forest where they would find the boss. However, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to leave the second map behind. If they do it, later on, the rewards of finishing the mission would become pretty useless.

"Let's see… burned down area, creepy forest, dense jungle, and scorching desert…" Lana said. "I can't wait to see what we will find on the next map."

"Well… I would bet on that snow-covered land," Louise said. "The level of the monsters scaling with each mission, so it would make sense that would be the case."

Jake agreed… fighting in that region will be a pain, but finding the dungeon should be easier. Nevertheless, they selected the second map and also the mission to defeat the boss. They didn't have many supplies left, but the group had the experience of clearing a dungeon and they were itching for another challenge like that one.

Thanks to Lana's new support skill, Louise could kill the bats with a single Ice Arrow. However, the group soon found a problem… the bats don't use mana. So, she couldn't steal their energy and enhance her spells.

"… This is bad, isn't it?" Louise asked nervously.

"It certainly is a problem, but we will manage," Jake said. "Let's hurry up to find the exit of the forest and then head toward the dungeon, we can solve the problem there."

The girls had to use Dash to keep up with Jake's speed. Now he could even kill the Giant Bats before they could scratch him.

Congratulations! The class Gladiator has leveled up.

Your health and strength increased by four points, and your mana, stamina, endurance, and speed increased by two points.

"Hey, Jake! We are mages! Remember?" Lana asked as her and Louise were trying to keep up.

"Just use stamina potions and do your best, I will clean the path," Jake said once again.

The bats were even easier to kill since than the slimes since they could only fight up-close. Jake didn't even have to use skills to defeat. Simple basic attacks were enough… such was the level of his strength. Still, he didn't get carried away since he knew that the Deadly Forest still would be difficult for him since the monsters could fly and use long-ranged attacks. As for the Hellish Desert, the monsters were pretty sturdy and had even more troublesome long-ranged attacks. The difficulty of each map compared with the previous one truly increased exponentially.

Nevertheless, the group found one of the exits of the dungeon after ten minutes. At least Jake did it, the girls will need a few extra minutes to reach the place. Fortunately, Jake ran while shouting and attracted all the nearby Giant Bats.

"Shit… I can't see the dungeon," Jake muttered.

It seemed that spot was pretty far away from the dungeon. To make matters worse, Jake didn't know which side he should go from that point onward. If he chooses the right side, he made shorten the traveling time quite a bit, but if he is unlucky and chooses the wrong side… he will waste several hours just running around the forest.

"Oh, man…" Lana arrived alongside Louise gasping for air. "I should have learned Hermes' Blessing…"

"Maybe we should try to learn the Fly spell next… it should solve the problem of mage mobility," Louise said.

"Good luck finding that, if it exists, it will cost tons," Jake said. "Anyway, we are moving. If we want to clear the dungeon before we run out of time, we will have to give you two some time to level up Meditation. We can gain strength and give you that chance in front of the dungeon."

"Oh! That makes sense…" Lana nodded excitedly. "Still, more running, huh…"

That party worked well because each of the members had specific roles. Since they play from a distance, Lana and Louise didn't need speed. Moreover, Jake never let the monsters get close to them, only in very specific and special conditions did she suffers any damage. Nevertheless, those two finally started to think that they need to focus on the status instead of just the aesthetics of their items.