READ NOVEL ONLINE chapter 27 - Mii-chan continued to sleep peacefully, unaffected by the chaos around
27 :Mii-chan continued to sleep peacefully, unaffected by the chaos around.
Nero, thanks to his new throwing skill, managed to take down several goblins. Just then, another transparent panel appeared before him.
With some time to spare, Nero decided to choose another skill. Among the available options was “Atmosphere.” He hesitated, but given his previous thoughts about its potential, he decided to go for it.
Nero wanted to test the new skill and, seeing no goblins nearby, focused on a distant bonfire. By concentrating on drawing oxygen to the flames, he caused the fire to flare up. When he imagined reducing the air around the fire, it briefly flickered out before reigniting.
The experience was draining, leaving him feeling weak and sweaty. Drinking mineral water from his bag helped only slightly. It seemed this skill used a different kind of energy, possibly akin to magic points in games, though not directly measurable through his appraisal abilities. Perhaps with more experience, he could better understand this mysterious resource.
As Nero pondered this, two massive figures appeared—goblin leaders, one on each side. Unlike the previous night, these leaders were more strategic, ensuring the goblins didn’t retreat. The situation turned dire as the hunters with shields and spears struggled to hold their ground. The goblin leaders’ swords, likely poisoned, were causing havoc; even a scratch from these weapons resulted in serious harm.
Determined to try his new skill, Nero approached the fire-wielding hunter and requested her cooperation. His plan involved using the atmosphere skill to enhance her attack, hoping to deal significant damage to the goblin leaders. Nero’s intuition told him it could work.
“When you give the signal, I’ll shoot flames at its face, right?” she confirmed.
“Yes. If it works, that’ll take them down easily.”
“Got it. Anyway, I can only do this one more time, so I’ll go along with your plan.”
With the plan set, it was time to act. Nero vaguely remembered from high school that increasing the hydrogen concentration in the air and igniting it could cause an explosion. He wasn’t sure about the exact concentration but decided that fifty percent, with some extra oxygen, should be sufficient. As he focused on this, he felt a draining sensation, like his energy was being sapped.
He raised his hand to signal the hunter.
“Roger!”
A fireball shot from the nearby bonfire towards the goblin leader’s face. As the goblin leader raised its shield to block the fireball, a massive explosion occurred with a resounding boom, creating a mushroom-shaped flame burst around the goblin leader’s head.
Everyone, allies and enemies alike, froze at the sight. Nero, the fire-wielding hunter, and everyone around were stunned.
The goblin leader’s headless body collapsed, and the hunters snapped out of their daze, resuming their attacks. The goblins on the side where the leader fell began to flee. Only the goblins and leaders on the other side remained.
“W-What was that?! It went boom! Just boom!”
“Please, calm down! I-I’m at my limit here…”
Nero could barely stand and had to sit down on the cart. The outcome had exceeded his expectations, feeling a bit overdone, but the result was positive. He laughed weakly, acknowledging the successful outcome, even if it was a bit overwhelming.
With one of the goblin leaders down, the hunters were able to focus on the remaining leaders, who were quickly overwhelmed and beaten down. Nero felt relieved, but utterly exhausted.
Shortly after, the last goblin leader also fell. Just as he thought it was over, the hunters began a mopping-up operation. Nero knew he couldn’t join in; he was completely spent.
He climbed down from the cart and went to the girl holding Mii-chan, who was peacefully asleep in her arms. Unlike last night, the atmosphere was calm, which must have made Mii-chan feel safe enough to sleep through all the commotion. Mii-chan truly was a special cat to sleep so soundly in such a situation.
Nero patted the girl on the head and took Mii-chan from her.
The men in the village had already started preparing to repair the gates, and the merchants were leaving their carts where they were and heading back to their tents.
“We’ll be departing as planned tomorrow. I know it will be tough, but please be ready,” Zeff told everyone.
Nero decided it was time to get some rest; he was beyond exhausted.
“Wait a minute! You haven’t explained what happened earlier!” the fire-wielding hunter demanded.
“We’re leaving early in the morning, so can we discuss it later?” Nero suggested, hoping for a reprieve.
“No way! I won’t be able to sleep without knowing!” she insisted.
Nero sighed, realizing he had no choice but to explain.
“I have the same Air skill as that hunter over there,” Nero said.
“Eh? Me?”
“But the Air skill isn’t very useful, is it?” the fire-skilled hunter responded.
Is that so? The fire-skilled hunter, as well as the remaining hunters around them, nodded in agreement.
“Alright, please watch closely,” Nero instructed.
He focused on a nearby torch, intensifying the flames and then slightly obstructing the air around it to weaken the fire.
“What did you just do?!” the fire-skilled hunter exclaimed.
Now, how should I explain this? It’s based on science I learned in school, but it’s difficult to explain invisible concepts in this world where science isn’t very advanced.
“Think of there being an invisible substance in the surrounding air that has the property of fueling fire. Since it’s invisible and hard to understand, just accept that such a substance exists. Focus on gathering it around the fire.”
The air-skilled hunter directed her hand towards the torch and concentrated. The fire seemed to grow slightly stronger.
“Wow, it worked…”
“Now, focus on removing the substances that fuel the fire from around it.”
The hunter extended her hand again and focused. The torch’s flame weakened.
“This is incredible, I didn’t know such a thing was possible…”
“But! What about the explosion?”
“The principle is the same. Instead of fueling the fire, you gather substances that cause explosions. But it’s dangerous, so don’t try it right now. Mii-chan might wake up.”
“But on my own, I can’t do much…”
“Really? There are various methods. For example, using fire arrows could be an effective attack method even if you’re alone.”
“I’ll start archery training!”
“Good luck. I’m going to sleep now…”
Nero envied how soundly Mii-chan was sleeping.
“Zzz…”