Because I had the inventory of the very much dead elven scout, I knew there were 10 B ranks and now 5 C ranks.
And that made me feel confident.
Yes confident.
Because they're not B ranks and C-ranks by feats, but by strength.
This may seem to be a weird distinction, but it is a very important one.
To be ranked by strength is in essence a false measurement, everyone who analyzes the ranking of the adventurer's guild realizes that.
To be labelled B rank by strength means to meet a certain minimum of strength that a B-rank should have.
But to be ranked by feats leaves far more ambiguity.
Because chances are, many B-rank adventurers are hiding a few aces up their sleeves.
If one were to go by minimum strength, chances are half of all B-ranks are more like minimum A-ranks, and A-ranks are more like S rank.
Even though the guy I killed should be C rank, he'd probably scale more of a D-rank by feat.
So how do I know this is the case and they're not B-rank by feats?
Because the guy wrote it all down.
No seriously, he did. What kind of scout does that?
Admittedly, it's his journal, so I guess he didn't expect to die, this did seem to be a basic enough mission.
Whatever the case is, I have to thank him, because he's made planning so much easier.
----------------------------------------
Even if they're all basically C and D ranks in reality, that doesn't mean I'm going to underestimate them.
They probably all know death is expecting them, so they'll be a little irrational right now, take a few more risks. They'll be rash.
They're also B and C ranks, so a forest where the strongest creature is generally on the low end of D rank they're bound to let their guard down.
Perfect.
First off, I'll need a skill to produce bombs, because traps are a commander's best friend.
[Well... We have a few, but I suspect not that many will be to your taste.]
That's fine Stolidus. Just show me what's within price range. I'm at level 5 right now right? So I have around 15 skill points, so show me a skill within that budget.
[Alrighty then. We have:]
[turtle poppers]
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
[minion charge]
[potato mine]
[fruit fall]
Ok, so, afraid to ask but I guess I have to. Turtle bombs?
[Turtle poppers]
[Generate eggs from which your spawn will hatch. These "turtle poppers" will move at your command, and at your command, deto-]
Stop!
Nope,
Nope,
Not at all. I'm not using kid bombers.
Next!
[Minion charge]
[Generate minions from the grass who will charge forward with no regard for their life and exp-]
Next!
[Oh come on, they're not baby turtles this time so it's clearly not as bad.]
Next.
[Fine. Picky]
[Potato mine]
[Generate a potato which will explode upon impact/command.]
[better?]
Yes.
Let's see the last one.
[Fruit fall]
[Generate fruit that with a good shake will explode on contact with enemies.]
...
Potato mine it is I guess, since it is the only one that fulfills my needs.
How much?
[7 points]
Alright then.
----------------------------------------
Why does it have eyes?
Earl sighed, giving up on the notion that he could have not alive weapons of self destruction.
It's not sapient at least right?
[Yeah, they come into existence wanting to explode so its fine. Don't worry about it.]
Alright I guess that'll have to do.
I also ended up buying a cherry producing skill for 3 points to keep the little girl distracted.
Apparently, these potato bombs have a higher explosive potential the more mana is put into them.
Sadly, I couldn't put too much energy into these, but that's fine. These are meant more to slow them down and distract than anything else.
The ones with real punch will have to be underground.
It's true B-rank adventurers are strong, but even they can die from suffocation.
And without a scout, they're less likely to pick out traps than usual.
That's why I've chosen the rabbit den as my choice of battlegrounds.
It's dark and cramped, ill fit for a tall race like elves who are used to being out in the open.
All the better to hide traps and filled with dangers elven folk aren't used to.
This does have its downs of course, because what's good for the goose is good for the gander, so chances are I could end up suffocating myself this way, but it's better than just simply standing out in the open or attempting to camouflage.
So lets prep, shall we?
----------------------------------------
I create multiple fake shelters, each positioned near or on top of the rabbit hole. And near each of them, I place a potato mine, in which I poured into each about 10 mana points. Appetizers
Me and the kid? We go into the tunnels, into which I leave a few unpleasant surprises.
Not all bombs sure, but unstable tunnels, pitfalls, stakes and more are sure to cause trouble, and most of it just requires a little effort, though do feel the pain of lacking resources.
How much easier would this be if I had some actual resources.
On the bright side, apparently the potato mine eyes are for more than just creeping people out; they act as surveillance for me, allowing me to see through them, so I planted a few on the roof of the cave so I can use them to keep track of all scouts.
That should be it.
After setting myself up to play the long haul I bunker down.
Let's see if I'm still competent.
----------------------------------------
"Tch" the scout flinched as he pushed himself to his knees.
His feet were bloodied from the explosion.
It wasn't bad enough to do any more damage beyond the feet, but his feet were definitely not in a good situation. His feet failed him whenever he tried to get up.
Could a child set up something this nasty?
He might've even thought someone else had set this trap up for him, which was suspicious to him.
Unease settled in, but nothing could be done about it. He was already dead. He has nothing to lose.
Drinking the last few drops of the potion he had been holding onto, he grabbed his bow to steady himself as he walked into the tunnel.
Whatever the case was he would not be fooled again.
On guard, he walked into the tunnel, confident he would take out the target.
Confidence, one of the greatest weaknesses of adventurers.
Confidence is what 3 B-ranks and 1 C-rank entered the tunnel with.
But did you know?
Confidence often blurs with arrogance,
and confidence is often the rotten leg in the plan that'll crumble