Whack!

I cringed when I heard a loud thump. But my flinch wasn’t in concern or fear for Ryder; it was from being grossed out by how violently the troll smashed into an invisible barrier I didn’t know existed.

The monster fell backward, the shape of its front skull looking smooshed. It also looked like one of its arms was broken because it was bent in an awkward direction. However, the unexpected barrier looked perfectly intact without even a tiniest crack. My guess was that it had to be as powerful as the one Gomi created inside the test floor many weeks ago.

It certainly wasn’t me who formed it, and I doubted it was Gomi who did it. Not that she wanted Ryder to die, but she made it clear that she wasn’t a big fan of him. But even without this little fact, there was no doubt it was Ryder Reece who made that shield to protect himself. He had to be very certain that his barrier was going to hold because he formed it only a few inches away from his body.

“Phew! That was exhilarating, huh? You were right, Nowey. Your barrier sucked just now.”

The stupid boy grinned at me like he was just talking about a ball game. I have to admit that I was both annoyed and amused at the same time. But I didn’t want to encourage him, so my heart pumping wildly still, I made an effort to hide my smirk.

“Was that really necessary?” I asked in monotone. Just in a few days, I learned that Ryder liked to show off. He certainly had the power and the skills to be proud of himself, but I was surprised that he still liked to flaunt in front of an audience of one. It wasn’t like he lacked fans oohing and aahing at him, and no one except me was watching him now. So what did he get out of this show?

Ryder beamed at me. “I really thought you might put more into your shield if you thought I was in danger. Guess I overestimated my importance.”

He sure did. The troll could have been charing toward my own sister and I still wouldn’t have managed to form a barrier like his. I couldn’t help what I didn’t have.

“But you’re getting better.” He shrugged. “Guess we’ll just keep going at it.”

The troll must have fainted because although it wasn’t moving, the familiar glow didn’t appear over it to turn it into a gem. Ryder took out his dagger from his ankle and stabbed the monster’s neck. It was then that with a faint glow, the troll finally evaporated and left a gem behind it.

I quietly walked up and put it in my bag. Ryder gave me an unimpressed look, but I ignored him. It made a quiet rattle as it hit the other gems, and I felt richer for it.

He has been teaching me all day, and we have already gone through several trolls. I was beginning to realize what it must feel like to be hunting in pairs.

We had a set routine now. Every time we spotted a monster, he stood ahead of me and asked for support as he did just now. He tried his best not to kill the trolls while my job was to protect him. He wanted me to practice barrier formation over and over again.

Though I didn’t say anything, I couldn’t help feeling embarrassed at how inept I was in my defense skills. I have been so engrossed in getting better at attacking that I had completely neglected my support ability. This was my first time using my defense power at all since I was marked. If Ryder hadn’t shown up and I continued the way I did, I would have made the worst Support ever.

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And which Lead would ever want to partner with a weak Support with zero defense capability?

I saw him glancing at my bag bulging with our booties of the day. I knew it bothered him that I collected these gems, and I had no idea why. It wasn’t like this bag was heavy enough to slow me down, and I wasn’t hurting anyone by making a little money. This was how many Rhombics made money, so what was his problem?

Just as I expected, Ryder muttered, “Are you going to keep carrying those rocks around? I told you they’re worthless.”

I gave him a derisive snort. “And I told you they are worth it to me. Stop nagging me, Grandpa.”

From the very beginning, Ryder made it quite clear that he didn’t approve of me collecting these gems. When we first made a kill, I saw that he didn’t even bother to pick it up. I, on the other hand, wasn’t some rich snob who was going to throw away perfectly good gems.

Ryder seemed genuinely surprised and curious.

“Why are you picking them up? They’re not even fully orange, and they’re tiny. You won’t find any decent gems until you’re well past the 10th floor. They are not worth your time.”

Ugh, this rich boy and his fancy way.

“They’re worth it to me. I need everything I can get, so don’t mind me.”

“Oh, I see. Whatever.” He became quiet as if he was thinking. I wasn’t sure if he thought I was strange, or if he pitied me.

Goddess, how nice it must be not to have to hunt for money, right?

I thought that was the end of this conversation, but from time to time, he still commented on my bag. Ryder Reece had a real knack for annoying me.

But I had to admit, not to him but to myself, that he was a decent teacher.

Based on what I saw of Ryder Reece, I figured he could probably annihilate this entire floor on his own in a day. He was that good. But he didn’t hunt actively while he was teaching me. He made bare minimum attacks while I practiced forming barriers, and when the monster seemed too tired or too wounded to fight well, he killed it and moved on.

He was efficient and quick, so even though our goal was never to collect gems, we always managed to obtain plenty of them at the end of the day. I knew he didn’t approve of me taking these “cheap” gems, but who was he to tell me what to do?

I was happy that I ended up with a fair number of them every day. Though I regretted accepting his offer whenever he opened his mouth, all the gems I collected at the end of the day kept me happy enough. That and my barriers becoming stronger, of course.

One aspect that hugely disappointed me was how little Gomi was able to help me with my defense skills. I remembered her incredible barrier that knocked out the giant goblin in the test chamber, and I thought she could do that for me all the time.

When we were alone, I asked her about it.

“But I have been already buffing your barriers. Couldn’t you tell?”

Yes, I could feel her mana enforce my own, but not to the extent of what I expected her to be her true power.

“Sorta, but nothing like what you did inside the test chamber.”

We were alone sitting in an isolated and wooded area. In her baby form, still wearing her pink monster outfit, Gomi apologized, “Sorry, hon. But I don’t think I can do that all the time. I’ve been trying, but it’s not working.”

Was it just a fluke that she was able to do what she did in the test chamber?

“No need to apologize.” I patted her head, a little ashamed that perhaps I counted on her too much.

I reminded myself that I am supposed to become an independent woman. It was just pure luck that I got Gomi, and I should feel grateful for whatever she could add to my meager power. And besides, it was this little creature that was allowing me to grow stronger.