That night, Rei and Zakat naturally fell short of reaching the Forest of Magic, making camp along the way.
Since Rei had never expected to arrive at the Forest of Magic in a single day to begin with, this stop was right on schedule, but...
(Maybe it would've been better to fly on Set's back after all. If we had, we probably would have made it to the Forest of Magic today.)
The thought crossed Rei's mind as he ate.
"I'm jealous you can eat like this while camping."
The dinner menu consisted of a hearty vegetable soup, freshly baked bread, and a dish of stir-fried meat and vegetables topped with a tangy sauce.
Skewers had also been prepared.
Seeing most of them pulled fresh from the Misty Ring, still hot and ready to eat, it was only natural for Zakat to be envious.
Zakat possessed a simplified Item Box, but being a simplified version, it lacked the time-stopping effect of the Misty Ring. Even if he stored warm food inside, it would naturally grow cold over time.
Rei figured Zakat could just store food that tasted good even cold — and he probably did exactly that — but there was no denying that food was always best fresh.
"Well, it's just the Item Box. If you dove into a Dungeon or something, don't you think you'd have a chance of finding one?"
"A Dungeon, huh... It wouldn't be some shallow Dungeon nearby. You'd need to go quite deep to have a shot at finding an Item Box."
"Can't argue with that."
Magic Items could be obtained from Dungeons, but naturally, it wasn't easy. The more precious or powerful the Magic Item, the deeper into the Dungeon one had to delve to find it.
"But you're an A-Rank Adventurer, Zakat, and your party members are all comparably skilled, right? Couldn't you explore Dungeons?"
"If you're asking whether I can, then probably. But I've only explored Dungeons a handful of times, and only shallow ones at that. If I were to seriously explore one, I'd need far more preparation."
Zakat's demeanor made it clear he had no intention of delving into Dungeons seriously.
(Even diving into a Dungeon doesn't guarantee you'll find a Magic Item, so I suppose that's natural.)
Even adventurers who specialized in Dungeon exploration couldn't easily obtain Magic Items. Luck played a major role. Even if they managed to find one, there was no guarantee it would be something they actually wanted. In that sense, it was undeniably a harsh prospect.
Of course, not getting what you were aiming for also meant there was a chance of finding something even better — but that possibility did little to change the overall reality.
All things considered, success required more than just raw ability. For Zakat, challenging a Dungeon that amounted to a gamble simply didn't appeal to him.
"The aptitudes required for Dungeon adventurers and regular adventurers are subtly different, too. In that sense, it might be better not to tackle one carelessly."
"True. But you went to Exil, right, Rei? What was it like? I hear the Dungeon there is pretty brutal if you just dive in normally."
"Well, it was definitely tough. Some of the floors were deserts and the like."
Fortunately, Rei had his Dragon Robe, so the desert heat hadn't gotten to him. But deserts were naturally hard to traverse, and the sun — though obviously not real — was blinding. Given that, an ordinary adventurer would struggle to clear a desert floor. Especially one unfamiliar with deserts.
"A desert... a desert, huh. That sounds awful. Freezing at night, roasting during the day."
"Huh? Have you been to a desert?"
That explanation could only come from someone who had actually experienced a desert. Judging it as such, Rei shot Zakat a surprised look.
"Yeah. Once you become a High-Rank Adventurer, there are requests you simply can't refuse, and the high-difficulty ones become more frequent."
"I can understand that."
Having completed his fair share of high-difficulty requests, Rei fully grasped what Zakat meant. He understood perfectly well that the Guild maintained ranks based on ability and achievements precisely so they could assign High-Rank Adventurers to difficult requests.
Even so, reflecting on the countless requests he had completed, it was an undeniable fact that he had complicated feelings about the system.
"I get what you're saying, Zakat, but it's also true that high-difficulty requests come with excellent rewards."
"Can't deny that."
Requests taken on by High-Rank Adventurers naturally came with correspondingly high payouts. For a Nomination Request targeting an A-Rank Adventurer, depending on the individual, Gold Coins alone often wouldn't be enough. Platinum Coins — or even Light Gold Coins for some people — wouldn't be out of the question.
And so, Rei and Zakat continued their discussion about High-Rank Adventurers as the night wore on.
"Rei, look!"
It was the second day since departing from Gilm.
Rei, scanning the surroundings from atop Set's back, was suddenly hailed by Zakat.
It wasn't a casual call — his voice was taut with tension.
Hearing that tone, Rei followed Zakat's outstretched arm from atop the horse.
In that direction, a bull monster larger than Set was locked in combat with a tiger monster.
A bull and a tiger. Ordinarily, the tiger would be the stronger of the two, and the bull would be nothing more than prey.
But what Rei saw was the horn jutting from the bull's temple punching clean through the tiger's face, shattering its skull and destroying its brain entirely.
By any normal reasoning, it was a sight impossible to comprehend. Yet there was no denying that it was unfolding right before their eyes.
"Do you... know that monster?"
"Grrr."
At Rei's words, Set also turned toward Zakat, as if wanting to know the answer himself.
At the very least, Rei had no memory of seeing such a monster when traveling from the Forest of Magic to Gilm. Of course, Rei and Set had only passed through this area once. The fact that they hadn't spotted one that time didn't mean the creatures didn't exist here.
"No, I don't know it either. I don't remember seeing one when I went to the Forest of Magic before, either. But this is the frontier... and near the Forest of Magic at that. Given that, it wouldn't be strange for there to be plenty of monsters you've never seen before."
Zakat's reasoning was perfectly sound to Rei. They were approaching the Forest of Magic, so unknown monsters were to be expected. This was the frontier, after all — that alone made it perfectly natural to encounter creatures they had never seen.
"Maybe so. So... what do we do? It's an unknown monster, and I'd like to take it down if possible."
The tiger monster had been killed by the bull, so its Magic Stone couldn't be used to learn a Skill through Beast Magic. But the bull monster that had slain it was a different story.
(Besides, it's a bull. The meat should be delicious.)
Orc meat was tasty, but in Rei's experience, its texture was closer to pork. Of course, that pork was incomparably better than anything he'd eaten in Japan. The meat of that bull monster — likely higher rank than an Orc — could very well surpass even the beef he remembered from Japan.
"Yeah. Better to take it down. ...Hey, look. I know it's a monster, so maybe this is obvious, but..."
Rei followed Zakat's gaze and saw the bull monster crunching through the tiger's corpse.
The sight of a bull — a creature that should have been an herbivore — tearing mouthfuls of flesh from the tiger's carcass carried an eerie intensity.
"Well, it is a monster," Rei remarked, echoing Zakat's sentiment.
He had seen herbivores turn carnivorous upon becoming monsters several times before. Given that, such a creature existing near the Forest of Magic was hardly unusual.
"Set, let's take it down."
"Gruu!"
At Rei's command, Set purred and advanced toward the bull still gorging itself on the tiger's remains.
"Rei, what should I do? You need backup?"
Still mounted on his horse, Zakat called out to the retreating Rei.
"No, keep watch on our surroundings! Other monsters could show up!"
At Rei's shout, Zakat waved broadly to signal he understood.
They were near the Forest of Magic, after all. Such a place was naturally teeming with monsters. There was no guarantee that others wouldn't be drawn by the commotion. That was exactly why someone needed to stand watch — and Zakat, understanding this, complied without hesitation.
Having visited the Forest of Magic once before, he was well versed in how to handle situations like this.
Leaving Zakat behind on watch, Rei and Set closed in on the bull monster.
(Since it's an unknown monster, I should assume it's reasonably high-ranked. ...No holding back, then.)
Atop Set's back, Rei drew the Death Scythe and Twilight Spear from his Misty Ring.
Naturally, the bull monster noticed them approaching.
"BUUUUMOOOOOOOO!"
Its mouth still slick with the tiger's blood and viscera, the bull monster let out a sound that was less a cry and more a roar. In that moment, Rei caught a clear glimpse of sharp fangs within its gaping maw.
Which meant the bull monster was undeniably carnivorous.
"Flying Slash!"
Rei opened with the Flying Slash — one of the most reliable Skills in the Death Scythe's arsenal, and since its level had surpassed five, its power had increased considerably.
But the blade that streaked straight forward struck the bull's skin and failed to inflict any meaningful damage whatsoever.
"Seriously?"
He hadn't expected to kill it in one blow, nor had he assumed it would deal a fatal wound. But a complete no-sell was something even Rei found hard to believe.
That said, the Flying Slash failing didn't mean he was giving up. If it didn't work, he simply needed to hit harder.
"Grrrrru!"
Set let out a cry at the bull monster barreling toward him, and four Water Balls roughly a meter in diameter materialized around him. They shot straight at the charging beast.
Four Water Balls, each packing enough force to shatter rock. Under normal circumstances, that would be more than enough to kill a monster.
But...
"BUMOHH!"
The bull took the hits and stumbled, losing its balance — yet the Water Balls only managed to slightly tear its skin.
However... for Rei and Set, that loss of balance was more than enough.
"HAAAAH!"
As Set's speed carried them in close, Rei swung the Death Scythe in his right hand and the Twilight Spear in his left simultaneously.
The magic-infused blade of the Death Scythe cleaved through the bull monster's torso — larger than even Set — as it swept past its flank, while the Twilight Spear drove clean through its neck.
"Bumo..."
Under normal circumstances, the bull monster could have attacked with its horns, torn flesh with its fangs, or crushed its prey beneath its massive bulk. But Set's Water Balls had stolen its balance, and before it could launch a single attack, it was struck down.
The result spoke for itself. The bull monster died without ever getting the chance to demonstrate its true strength.