All that trouble… all that harassment, for… this?

Mana Truffle (Epic)

A rare plant painstakingly infused with high amounts of MP over the course of weeks. This particular specimen does not grow naturally anywhere, and the recipe is kept firmly under wraps, produced in only a few specific locations.

While to normal people this may taste bitter and unappealing, to monsters it inexplicably becomes a delicacy, easily drawing them in when left exposed. Especially so for any monster with enhanced olfactory senses.

Grants +0.5 mana when consumed by a monster, permanently.

Heh… all that for… what, five MP? No increase too small I suppose. Perhaps I’ll find myself a kindred spirit in this Screech! If they put in that much effort for a mere 1.5 mana, then I suppose this might not be nearly as difficult as I first imagined. Given they seem to be willing to do just about anything for it…

Well, that’s if they come to find me anyways.

Here I sit, Jasper not at my side, and the box in my hands wide open. The description didn’t say anything about a short shelf life, so holding it open isn’t much of a concern for me. I just need it to do its job and attract monsters. For that matter, I might actually keep one of them to act as an incense or something, farm monsters faster and what not…

Well, those are concerns for later! For now, I’m keeping an eye out. Can’t have Jasper out here with me, cause even she’s drooling over the wide open box, but otherwise I’m having an alright time!

I gave it a moment when I stole the thing, waited for it to stop raining. If the Screech was tracking the wagon through scent, then it’d obviously lose the trail in the middle of a rainstorm. It’d be unreasonable to expect it to find me through that, so I gave it time. And now… ironically enough, here we are again, waiting under the night sky.

“How long do you think this is gonna take?”

I turn my attention to Jasper for a moment, whispering her a question through the silence. I know she’s the quiet type, can go for hours without doing anything, real laze around kind of cat… but I’m not, teehee! I need some form of engagement here, you know. Stabbing monsters earlier was what gave me that, but now I’m just kind of… sitting here.

So, be a good girl and entertain me, will you?

“...Mm.”

“Not long, why’s that?”

“...”

“What? Why the long face?”

“Hhhhmmm…”

That was distinctly facepalm-y territory if you ask me, so what could have Jasper exasperated in this instant, hmmmm… Maybe sh-

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

…

I’m gonna throttle both Jasper and Screech.

You know, if this weren’t a game, I’m pretty sure my eardrums would’ve hemorrhaged or something by now. But, there is one saving grace here…

Holding the box up to the night sky, I expose the three truffles to the open air, waiting patiently until I hear a shrill noise up in the air, something carving its way through the winds to get to us… and then I close it! Snapping it shut, I quickly place the box back into my inventory, turning to face Screech as they recover from the dive. Their wings flapped madly as they righted themself from their previous position on the ground, having crashed into it when their downwards dive turned upside down.

I didn’t expect them to go so fast that they crashed into the floor when their flight path was disrupted, but I suppose that just serves to show that these truffles are quite the incentive, hm?

Right, anyways then, time to get talking! Diplomacy is obviously the superior option when it comes to taming, if Jerry and Jasper are anything to go by. I mean come on, one’s my ace in the hole god tier summon, the other is… Jerry. Traumatized Jerry. Very sad, so sad indeed.

“Hm-hm-hm-hm!” I announce out loud as I clear my throat, giving slight pause to Screech whom had already been raising their wings for another assault. “You hear me loud and clearly, yes?”

Just about on schedule, Screech tilts their head at me at an almost comedic angle. Frankly I feel a little silly not trying this one in our last encounter, but what’s done is done! I’ve tested since then and, yes Monster Tamer is indeed a versatile class. Communication was a skill to allow speaking with monsters that you tamed, yes, but it also very specifically specifies in the skill “as well as wild monsters.”

What does that mean? How would one speak to them? Well, there were plenty of hordes to test out the wording on that one. And frankly, it’s rather simple! The words you speak just… simply seem to translate for a monster, or maybe they already know the language and are just more willing to listen to you specifically.

Could be either or, but either way, it doesn’t matter. What does matter is the ability to convince and or manipulate a monster into working with you. And with how desperate Screech seems to be to get their talons on these three supposed delights… I’ve got some pretty good leverage he-

But of course, nothing ever goes according to plan, and a moment later, I’m once again defending myself from another nearly blinding assault.

2!

But this time, it really is just a glancing blow, claws scraping against my tunic as my raised guard deflects the attack. I wouldn’t say I’m a “changed man” from our last fight or anything, but…

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Agility-40

That is ten more points than the last time. Wait, wait wait wait, ten!? I hear the invisible audience asking, but as to you of the more astute variety, you may have noticed a simple little fact! My quest, was completed, no?

I never took that into account, that it could be possible to finish the quest and still have a shot at fighting Screech, so I never took that into account… but lo and behold!

100/1055

I was r-oops wrong display, zeha!

LO AND BEHOLD!

Level 9

My speed from the previous fight has significantly increased, so it is with GREAT BOUGHS OF JOY, that when the next attack from Screech comes, I evade it entirely. Their talons almost scratched my throat, but pulling my head back just in time, for the first time, I completely evaded a blow from them in melee distance.

I also understand the point of dexterity a little better now. Definitely there for a reason… when I leveled up, it felt like the world moved just a little slower when I started running or doing something similar. It literally improves your perception of time when moving faster it would seem, which is… mildly important to say the least. So, might consider investing in that soon enough.

Why does that matter right now you ask? Because, silly goober, that extra point in dexterity, while not all that much, is actually kind of important! It’s a major change from our last fight, I Was barely keeping up with Screech beforehand, but like… ugh, let’s do some math! If my reaction speed is, let’s say, 1, and Screech’s attack speed is 0.99, 1-0.99 is a mere 0.01! 0.01 left to react and do something. That’s almost no time at all! But, let’s say, my reaction time isn’t 1, and is instead 1.1. That’s now ten times more time for me to react! Or well, just about ten times.

So, when Screech goes flying by, they touch down on the ground to reset and or reorient their momentum, this time it’s something I can actually see. Something I can react to, for realsies. And it’s not an opportunity I’ll simply let slip by.

[Summon]!

Screech’s talons sink into the earth as they touch down, their form shuddering at the sudden presence of something diabolical, diabolical indeed. The presence of a [Wild Hunt’s Mark] coming crunching down on their form.

In a burst of even more speed, they push away from the ground, but not before Jasper’s claws can at least nick them.

72!

I frown, given that’s quite the low number compared to previous Mark nukes, but either way it still sends Screech crashing back down, their body twisting as even the offhanded force of the blow knocks their sense of balance off kilter.

And just like clockwork, their form expands and changes, once again just about doubling in size.

[Recall]

Locking eyes with the bird, I can’t help the grin that breaks out as they raise a wing towards me, given it’s exactly what I’d expected them to do.

Right after the motion is completed, a fireball manifests itself from thin air and rockets towards me. It’s fast, incredibly so, but without the element of surprise it previously held it’s also not nearly as difficult to avoid. One blasts towards me, and is cleanly dodged as I leap away from the point of impact. Another comes flying straight for my head, and I cartwheel around it for extra style points.

All the while my eyes stay locked on Screech, fishing for the intent of any more incoming attacks… but… I find nothing. They’re not moving for some reason, but a fireball a day seems to be their plan to keep the Koth away. Well, they can certainly keep ME away. But I’m not sure if I can say the same for Jasper.

[Summon]

“Don’t hit them too hard, I’m not sure about their HP.”

“Mmm… Mm.”

With raw blunt force, Jasper slams her paw into Screech’s prone form-54!-, earning a squawk of indignation that’s clearly audible even like… the ten meters away that I currently am.

She doesn’t even try to hit it again, merely watching with curiosity as it scrambles to its talons (noticeably slower than before as well mind you), and… starts to take off.

…Huh. You know, having a set pattern like this really makes it too easy.

Well, I’ve got one last little gift from my friends on the wagon. Unlike the truffles, this one was given freely! As an actual gift, in fact! All for one express purpose.

Pulling it from my inventory, I begin to spin around and build up power, I’ll only have one shot at this, so… really don’t wanna miss!

Around, and around, and around, and… NOW!

Chucking the Nufri Rope, I watch as the bundle expands mid-air, rising to meet Screech as their head snaps towards the incoming projectile in pure shock.

Perhaps if they were smaller or whatever, or bigger, they’d have been capable of avoiding it, in fact, I have no doubt they can’t get out of there with their transformation or whatever the heck it is entirely on their own, but I only need a moment!

With another cry, Screech comes crashing down to earth, bound in a half dozen green fibers.

All according to cake.