Poor Noble Nord’s Adventure

14.1. Gemstone Adventurers

The blazing fire engulfed the Rockwolves within its range. The Rockwolves, caught in the flames, screamed in panic, running wildly until they fell one by one in the fire. Some managed to escape the flames, but with their bodies still ablaze, they were swiftly cut down by Nord and Elsa.

The Rockwolves’ armor felt softer than it had during previous battles. Their armor, now resembling burning rocks, easily allowed the steel blades to penetrate.

“Ah, what a waste…”

“You know, it’s all about survival…”

The Rockwolves’ armor was thick and impenetrable by ordinary blades. But it was weak to fire, and once it started burning, it quickly lost its hardness. This was why Rockwolves were only designated for the rank-up quests of Gemstone Adventurers—those at the second-lowest adventurer tier could still defeat them.

An adventurer’s strength isn’t measured solely by their skill with swords or spears. What matters is whether they can take the necessary actions to achieve their goals. Some monsters, for instance, are completely immune to physical attacks—neither blunt strikes nor slashes work on them. However, such creatures are often highly vulnerable to magic attacks. When faced with such enemies, an adventurer who blindly charges into battle isn’t suitable for the quest at hand. What’s required of adventurers beyond the Gemstone is the ability to avoid unnecessary fights, choose strategies that work, and gather information beforehand.

For this reason, the rank-up quests to become Gemstone Adventurers are designed so that brute force leads to struggles, but proper research makes the monster easy to defeat.

Still,

“Ahh… Rockwolf pelts fetch a decent price…”

In the case of the Rockwolves, using fire, their weakness, causes their armor-coated pelts—the materials you’d want to harvest—to burn up. No one would want charred wolf pelts, and thus the potential profit from selling the materials is lost.

The Rockwolves’ armor, while weak to fire when untreated, could be made somewhat fire-resistant with special processing, making it a sought-after material for armor. Nord had once seen a soldier of a nobleman—his father’s colleague—wearing armor made from Rockwolf hide.

Though it was considered a cheap armor, and the pelts didn’t sell for much, collecting enough of them would still make a profit. The number of burning Rockwolves in front of them was roughly the same as the ones Nord and his group had harvested earlier. If they could gather all those pelts, they would likely make more than what a single Slate quest would reward.

“So, Nord, did you really think you could win against that many? I sure didn’t.”

“…………”

Nord had no retort to that. You can’t make money without staying alive, and Nord couldn’t afford to get seriously injured, so a guaranteed victory was necessary.

That’s why, even if it meant a potential loss, Nord had prepared a trap—one that would engulf the pack of wolves in fire, ensuring they completed the quest and returned alive.

He had bought several barrels of alchemical oil, connected them to a fire-triggering magical tool, and buried them in the ground. The Rockwolves’ armor was hardened by sebum from their fur, making it highly flammable. Although the vast amount of alchemical oil required to create such a widespread fire was expensive, Nord had managed to prepare it by mixing in regular oil to stretch his funds.

He had hoped that, working in tandem with Elsa, they could defeat the wolves without resorting to the trap, but reality wasn’t that kind. Still, Nord decided it was good enough that he’d forged a connection with Elsa, a skilled adventurer, and had successfully advanced to the Gemstone.

“…Nord?”

“Yeah, I know.”

Elsa spoke with a tone that seemed to say, “Are you sure you’re okay?” But Nord didn’t need her to spell it out to understand.

The alchemical fire was weakening, about to burn out. Most of the Rockwolves had been incinerated, but not all had been taken down.

Before them stood a few Rockwolves that had been lucky enough to escape the fire and an Armorwolf, still fighting, even as its armor burned.

“Let’s do this.”

“Right, I’m with you.”

The battle was nearing its finale.

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The Rockwolf pack was nearly wiped out. There were only four remaining Rockwolves and the wounded Armorwolf. The Armorwolf still had much of its armor intact. It seemed to have a higher resistance to fire than the Rockwolves. However, its body was charred in places, and its breathing was labored. It was clear that most of its HP was already depleted.

Yet, despite this, it continued to face Nord and his group—proof that it was indeed the leader of the Rockwolves.

Nord steeled himself and initiated the final battle.

He attacked first. With his shield firmly raised, he made a minimal movement to feint an attack. Seeing an opening, the Armorwolf and one of the Rockwolves targeted Nord. A thudding impact, as if he had collided with a raging bull, struck Nord. Even after being burned by that fire, the Armorwolf’s power was still formidable. However, Nord had planned for this. His slash had been a feint, and his stance had been one of defense with his shield. As intended, the Armorwolf’s charge was blocked by the shield. The other Rockwolf was kept at bay with his sword.

During this, Elsa swiftly took down one of the remaining Rockwolves. Only three left.

Realizing its mistake, the Armorwolf tried to rejoin the other Rockwolves, but Nord slashed again to stop it. The Armorwolf was forced to face Nord once more. Whether it decided to take him down first, Nord couldn’t tell, but the Armorwolf launched another attack at him.

This time, the Armorwolf initiated the attack, coordinating with the remaining Rockwolves, and landed a solid blow on Nord.

“…Guhh!”

The Armorwolf charged again, and at the same time, a Rockwolf went for a bite. The sudden impact delayed Nord’s movements for a moment. Seizing the opportunity, the Rockwolf aimed its vicious fangs at Nord’s throat. Nord had no choice but to shield his neck with his arm. The Rockwolf’s fangs sank into his sword arm. It must have been a seasoned creature because its powerful jaws pierced the hardened leather armor Nord wore. The pain almost made Nord drop his sword, but he endured it. He flexed his muscles, pushing back against the fangs with sheer strength, and swung his arm wildly.

As the shield’s path neared the Armorwolf, the Rockwolf let go of its bite just in time, changing the shield’s trajectory.

And instead—

“Yipe!?”

The Rockwolf was skewered by a spike as it tumbled in midair.

“Nord, are you okay?”

“Guh… Yeah, it’s not broken. The chainmail stopped it.”

Elsa had saved him by taking down the separated Rockwolf. Now, no more minions remained. Thankful for the glimmer of metal beneath his broken gauntlet, Nord flexed his arm to check its condition and nodded. He was fine. He could still grip his sword.

“All right… Are you ready?”

The Armorwolf was now in the crosshairs of two determined adventurers.

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