The Real Monster 13 Losing Important People II

After dealing with the ambushers, we continued on our way towards Moribor and they found the signs of battle that happened after we passed that point. The three did not ask and just kept quiet. Even their families kept their heads straight and did not allow their eyes to swim around the scene. What did these three tell their family about me anyway?

After three days of travel we arrived at the base of the mountain that was supposed to be home to lots of dangerous monsters. Of course, right now I want to challenge the monsters here to check how far my strength has grown. My current stats tell me it's in the Mythical level, which tells me, is kind of pretty strong now, however, I feel this is still not enough. I need to further research and see how far my physical body takes me to.

*flick* *flick* *flick*

"Set up camp here today. Hunt for food and set up a defensive fence to deter smaller beasts and monsters away from us. Build two watch towers on each opposing corner of the camp and see to it that relaying signals will not be obstructed! Go, go, go!!" I ordered the camp to be built and this time, we're going to stay here for a while. I need to make these guys realize just how weak they are and how much stronger they can become under me. I flicked three rings – one for each of them – for training. Of course I had to explain my intention so they'd understand. "Right now, you will be wearing that ring until you can at least wear five of these rings on your fingers, starting today. You will adjust the strength to the very minimum first and when you feel your body getting used to it then immediately adjust it to an increase.

You will certainly suffer pain that would – for some – be very tear-inducing. You three are going to be my main people and I don't want you to be weaklings that would be beat up by small fries in life. However, before you slip it on your finger, let me prepare some pots for you."

The pots available to me are all handmade actually. Sometime, between our arrival to Hanerton and our plan to meet up back there, I went to Glosier and there I actually fully embraced my calling, cheesy lines to introduce my Alchemy Master practice right? I dabbled with the Alchemy Master ability and the results were awesome. When I was looking around in the forests one day I stumbled upon the ordinary looking herbs around and took a closer look with the intent to inspect and so the Alchemy Master's built-in skill to inspect herbs was triggered and gave me all the information I can about the herb. What I got in front of me first was the main component of making healing potions. In this world they are used to make salves or ointments to apply on wounds, however, with my ability I could mix it up with some other herbs to actually create pots, it doesn't end there, because I can actually create pills that would have a much more concentrated effect than that of pots. I tried making a pot with the herb that I first got my hand on and it turned into liquid in my hands with the help of ample of heat. With that discovery I started a frenzy of collecting herbs. With my Alchemy Master Ability comes the knowledge of also taking care of herbs and growing them, so I also knew that picking up herbs in the wild without leaving some for replenishing itself would be bad. As other alchemists would say, "if there's a stalk of 5, pick 3…" or something along those lines. Alchemy here doesn't mean "equivalent trade" shit, so yea, but I can also transmute metal so I guess it's also that shit?

I got tons of herbs, pots, and pills in my storage right now, they are ready to be used and it doesn't rot in my storage as time does not flow inside. Plus, I can also replant them with the help of the three's family. I have plans for them to be self-sufficient you see, I can't be taking care of them all the time, that's foolish and troublesome. I want them to take care of me, not the other way around. Fufufu

So I handed them pots and three pills each. The effect of these pills would reproduce my own regeneration but a bit more slow, however if they're the ones using it and observe they will surely see it as a miracle or something. "You can use these pills only if you feel that you are in immediate danger you hear me? The pots are for gradual recovery for before you go to sleep each day. When you run low on pots, come to me and I will give you more."

"From today onwards, you will train and we will work our way up to the top until you yourselves are able to take down the beasts and monsters you said are very strong yourselves. Understood?" They had gaping mouths on them and I don't know if it's about the training or the pots, so whatever.

[[[We shall do our best!]]] The three of them shouted with voices filled with enthusiasm and vigor. However, when they started to move they were robotic. Blood rising to their heads from the sheer amount of effort they had to exert just to get their feet up for a step. I can see why this is used for criminals now; they really can't run with this on now can they?

"Ladies, gather up!" I commanded all the ladies to gather up except the children playing around the place while the men were busy setting up the perimeter. And then told them my plan for them, "I want some of the younger ones to learn alchemy from me so those interested will become my pupils and those who are not will help in taking care of the workers' needs like food and water. Those who have affinity with Fire and Water will definitely be my pupil; those who aren't can help the elders instead.

"So divide yourselves according to your affinity." I said so and only those who already knew their affinities moved and formed groups while the rest were standing there not knowing what to do, with faces of confusion and anxiousness. "No need to be nervous, if you don't know your affinities come to me and recite these basic spells so we know your affinity. Each person will test their affinity once every 5 minutes to recover the mana used." So I handed them paper with the basic spells separately in it. They proceeded to reciting each and after about 2 hours, we were all done testing all affinities and I found two people who had affinity with space which is awesome. The rest were Elementals, let's call them from now on in our domain. HAHA! There were close to twenty of them who are Elementalists add the Spatialist – nah, that's too stuffy to call them with – so the Elementalists and those with Space affinity would all come to 20. Plus all those who already knew their affinity they would all count to 30, so that means, the men are only 6 to 7 and the women are 13 to 14? The men are too little to form a unit to protect all of us, damn. For now I should focus on the alchemists and then let the three, train these men. The children are exempted from the count since I can't use them for anything, they should just play like the children they are. At least until they grow to be able to help with whatever already.

"With that done, I want all the Fire and Water Elementalists to come with me to the forest. Men! If you spot trouble shout like your life depended on it, do you understand?"

[Yes, sire!] An immediate answer, I like it. This must be one of Caltec's families, he has training. So I went to the forest just outside of the still-in-construction perimeter. The moment we stepped out, the girls who came with me immediately huddled up behind me. They're afraid of being outside, I understand that but, "Hey, I need you to be alert and look for herbs like these or these that grow abundantly in this place, okay? So take a close look and memorize it." I need to gather the herbs that are like these, because I want them to specialize in making pots for themselves and let them discover other combinations of these herbs after they master creating pots. Plus, I can teach them magic the way I use it, not with the chanting and stupid sounding spells.

You see, at that same month when I finally embraced alchemy, I also discovered or it is more accurate to say that I forced my logic into this world's logic and used magic without chanting. Since I really did not want to hear myself using chants that would make me want to dig a hole to hide in. First I tried it with fire as it was the easiest to imagine. That's right; I just used my imagination to light a steady blue flame like that of a burner's emission on the tip of my finger. I was surprised that it worked but also not surprised at the same time, this is fantasy after all. So from then on I practiced using magic the way I forced it to. So this is what I'm going to teach these people.

After they seemingly memorized the looks of the herbs, I had them go around in an area not too far from me as the center to gather herbs and I would judge if they got the correct one when they came back, "Go and pick up herbs that you think is the same with the herb I showed you. You can each take one as an example, here, to make sure. Come back after you feel you've gathered enough already and don't worry, I will right here to protect you." With that reassurance, they timidly went their ways.

I can hear a lot of monster cries in the distance but they won't be coming towards us as long as I'm here, emitting Overpower and designating monsters or beasts as enemies. My influence goes a long way after all. If I put it into numbers now it would be 2 to 3 miles in diameter now, and to me, that's already long range. Although it becomes weaker the farther the distance away from me, it would still make you shiver and get some cold sweat I think. So I'm pretty confident that we'll be safe, unless a strong monster comes and bravely enters my range.

After a few hours of picking up herbs, the ladies came back with smiles on their faces as they brought with them stalks and stalks of wild herbs in their hands and some even folded their skirts just to bring the herbs with them. It made me chuckle and so I checked their harvest and it turns out that most of what they picked were the right herb and the rest were grass that have no use other than to repel mosquitos, so I also took them to burn later on or plant all around the place to avoid mosquito related illnesses. "You've all done well. From now on, you will gather these herbs on a daily basis so that you can help our little community to thrive okay?" I smilingly said that and they went [Kya}. They're not crushing on me are they?

We came back to the perimeter which was still being made. They really are short on people huh? Let's not be in a hurry. We have magic and I am fast and strong but that doesn't mean I want to use this for use menial tasks. I have pride too you know.

Later that day, Caltec, Jon and Mor came back with pale faces. According to my estimation, they should have already gotten used to the gravity by now if they really were doing their training menu deligently. My training menu for them composed of running upwards in the mountains and then running again downslope towards the camp; rinse and repeat until they can feel their body no more. Looking at their faces, which must mean they are exhausted as fuck and want to rest already. Well, not yet.

"Good, you are back. Get ready you will be sparring with me 3 on 1 now. Are you ready? Here I come." They wanted to complain with the looks on their faces but I did not give them time. I released a very suppressed punch towards Caltec first to check his reaction and as expected of a veteran, he immediately responded by ducking and giving his own counter-punch, an uppercut. I avoided that by leaning towards the left and his elbow grazed my collarbone. That's good, really, since I'm a total amateur when it comes to fighting. I only rely on my enhanced reflexes to fight unlike them who have training. But that's also the reason why I'm having a sparring with them, so that they'll get used to my speed and they'll be able to catch me without getting flustered when I disappear from their sights for a second, plus, I'll be able to learn; two birds with one stone.

I pushed Caltec away after his attack and then turned to Jon's fist coming straight towards my face. I avoided that as well but an attack came for me from behind by Mor so I had to dodge instead of counter attacking. It's really good they have this kind of coordination. What if they had their rings off? They move so well already after being exposed to the gravity for a whole day while running. I wonder if criminals can also get used to it, nah, they tend to think that they will not be able to move so they just stay in one place until the bands are taken off of them which would not allow them to train. It may not even just take a day for their body to get used to the gravity since they only sit around with it, so I think these three are the exception for now.

I had to distance myself for a bit to avoid all three strikes and then a question came to me with a shocked and quite perplexed voice, [This… Sire, don't tell me that you have never been into a fight or something in your life? The way you avoided our strikes is superb, but I think you are just using your speed for that, while even if we did not have that kind of speed, we would have been able to easily dodge or parry those attacks.] Caltec said as he opened his mouth agape after.

"Yeah, I've never had that opportunity in my life as I lived in peace. However, to survive this world, I need to fight and fight, I will. First I have to learn to though, so you'll be helping me with that, you three. At the same time, you will be trained by my speed so that you can catch me even when I'm using my speed. I may not have experience in fighting but my training method that I gave you will definitely work and will result in a massive boost in your strengths just you wait."

I said that to them and continued our sparring then ended the day with a meal. Today, nothing in particular happened. So we await another day.

Chapter end