“Please shoot the rabbit, Ati.”
I sighed as Ati fired an arrow at the [Abyssal Rabbit] chasing Jezibel as she ran away screaming.
The five of us had traveled to the Unfathomable Abyss’s first layer to get the other three to the next rank without the use of weapons and magic that are related to their classes. That meant no melee weapons for Nisos, no arcane magic or beast summons for Jezibel, and no archery for Ati. Since Ati was already at rank E, we were getting the other two to the next rank by making them kill rank F monsters on the first layer; interfering when anything stronger or multiple opponents show up.
“This isn’t working. We need to approach this with a new angle.” The noble said, and I nodded.
Why is this so difficult for them?
“Well, may I ask how the two of you got your ranks up past the first ranks? It might help here.” Nisos said, and the two of us quieted down for a bit.
“Okay. I have an idea.”
Jezibel shuddered as I smiled at her.
***
“This is stupid. Gods, this is stupid.” Jezibel grumbled as she hid behind a rock, stalking another rank F [Abyssal Rabbit].
The noble looked to me with skepticism in her eyes.
“Are you sure this is going to work?”
“Of course. How do you think I got to rank C in the first place?” I said, continuing to look at Jezibel, who was sneaking behind the rabbit with a dagger in hand.
I was trying to get her and Nisos the [Sneak] and [Ambush] skills, so that they can kill stronger monsters with one strike and avoid relying on their classes. If we’re lucky, they might even be able to kill higher ranked monsters with the same strategy. But we’ll take this one step at a time.
Jezibel accidentally kicked a rock, nearly spooking the rabbit. After looking around for a while, the rabbit went back to eating critters on the obsidian floor while Jezibel looked at me with resentment.
I was just about to tell her to go before her eyes widened for a moment, then she turned around and started sneaking away from the boulder she hid behind and towards the rabbit.
“What is she doing? I thought we told her to shadow the rabbit without attacking it until she gets the sneak skill you were talking about.” Nisos said.
“I think she already got it. Watch!” Ati said, readying his bow just in case.
It turned out to be unnecessary as Jezibel ran her dagger through the back of the rabbit’s skull, ending it in an instant! She nearly dashed back, but stopped where she stood, then she turned to us with her first grin today and gave us a thumbs up! Ati put down his bow as Nisos and I high fived in celebration. Even the noble cracked a smile at the first sign of real progress.
A few rabbits later, I stopped Jezibel and Nisos for a moment.
“Can you guys stop for a second?” I said, and everyone turned to me.
“If you guys keep killing rabbits, then I am sure you’ll get to rank E in no time, but I’d like to make sure you guys get a good rarity on your next rank.”
Jezibel and Nisos looked to each other, then back to me.
“What do you suggest we do to ensure that then?” Jezibel asked.
“She’s saying you guys need to kill a higher ranked monster. Many ranks of higher rarities require killing superior foes. Of course, you’ll have to do that without the aid of your classes.” The noble answered for me, and they frowned.
“The rank E and above monsters aren’t going to get killed with one lazy strike with a dagger from Jezibel or an arrow from me. Those things are going to kill us before we do the same to them.”
“You don’t need to pull it off alone. I know the experience gain from fights with a numbers advantage sharply reduces the experience income, but we’re not doing this for the experience gain. You’ll still get the feat unlocked regardless.” I retorted.
“You can also try to use my method in combination with that. Traps are a pretty good way to hinder the monsters and make it easier to kill them, if not outright do your job for you. Give me that dagger.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
The noble took the dagger from Jezibel as she went to one of the rabbits and began to cut away its hide in a practiced motion.
***
Jezibel and Nisos stood on opposite sides of their prey, a Rank E [Abyssal Wolf]. The noble summoned her mana bow, Ati nocked his own bow, and I readied a mana blade just in case things went wrong or another monster intervened.
In their hands, bolas made from obsidian rocks and the pelts of monsters we killed were at the ready. Practice at throwing them at obsidian stalactites even earned them the throwing skill. In their off-hand were makeshift spears made from longer bones from monsters I killed nearby, with the daggers attached to them with the same rabbit hide strips the noble had cut.
Nisos began by throwing his bola at the monster’s front legs, and they struck true, tying them together as the monster yelped in surprise. It turned to growl at Nisos and struggled in the bola as Jezibel threw her own and tied up its hind legs.
Unable to support its own weight, the wolf fell to the floor, growling ferociously at the two of them, who ran towards it spear first. The wolf tried to bite at them, but it couldn’t attack them both at the same time since they flanked it, and their spears put them out of the monster’s range anyway. Helpless and unable to resist, the monster was finished in no time, and the two breathed a sigh of relief.
I turned to the noble.
“Higher ranked monsters’ hides on the first layer are usually tougher, right?”
She frowned.
“Yes, they should be. Why?”
I grinned again.
***
We prowled the first layer in search of a particular monster – the rank D [Abyssal Hyena]. The thing was as dumb as rocks and had nothing to offer but sharp claws and teeth, making it the perfect target for our next hunt. We made new and improved bolas from the hide of a rank D [Abyssal Bear], and I even had Ati join in on this hunt.
The three of them stalked the hyena as the noble and I prepared to ensure nothing goes wrong. I must’ve underestimated the hyena, as it sniffed Jezibel and ran towards her, laughing in the eerie manner their kind usually do. It must’ve spooked her as she threw her bola and missed. The monster growled loudly and Jezibel’s hands shook as she braced her spear.
I was about to intervene when Nisos and Ati threw their own bolas at its legs successfully, tripping up the monster before it could reach Jezibel. It tried to bite at her instead of the bolas, which we had counted on before the three of them fell upon it and stabbed it to death.
The noble and I approached the three of them, as Nisos and Jezibel smiled at us.
“I unlocked my first evolution!”
“My evolution is ready!”
Jezibel and Nisos said respectively, the two of them bouncing on their feet with excitement.
“Congratulations.” Ati said, wiping the sweat off his brow.
“Let’s find somewhere safe before you two trigger your evolutions.” The noble said, as I agreed.
***
We found a hidden cave in one of the side tunnels, and Jezibel summoned her tiger and her owl to serve as lookouts.
“Okay. Tell us what options you have and discuss them with us before you pick one.” I said, eager to see what they got.
“You can go first, Jezibel.” Nisos said, excited to see what she got.
“Ooooh, I can’t wait! I can’t believe it was this easy to rank up. Why doesn’t everyone do what we just did?”
“That’s because people who climb up usually pull the ladder up with them. Even if you wanted to spread around this information, those who want to stay at the top will do everything they can to silence you. And that’s if you can pick them out among all the other braindead methods the rumors suggest.” The noble said with a surprisingly bitter tone.
“Using these methods quietly with people who are close to you isn’t an issue though, so go ahead and rank up. Just don’t go telling people how we did it.”
Jezibel’s excitement visibly faded, giving way to her trademark anxiety.
“Oh shush, you damn buzzkill. Anyone who gives Jezi trouble is going to answer to my fist! Now tell me what you got, Jezibel!”
Jezibel’s expression was still pale, but there were also hints of gratitude as she began to list her options.
[Observant Human]
Rank E creature. Sapient race. The standard evolution of the versatile human race, it provides a more extensive experience gain bonus, as well as boosted attributes and an increased lifespan.
[Soulbound Human]
Secret Evolution Requirement:
* Is a human.
* Is a rank F creature.
* Bonded to at least three monsters.
* Killed a rank E creature.
Rank E creature. Sapient race. Soulbound Humans share their experience gain bonus with their bonded monsters. Members of this species gain a higher-than-normal limit on the number of bonded monsters as well as an improved connection to them. The monsters bonded with a human are no longer separate entities, and the loss of a soulbound monster will result in permanent, irreversible damage to the soul.
[Shadow Human]
Secret Evolution Requirement:
* Is a human.
* Is a rank F creature.
* Assassinated a higher ranked creature.
Rank E creature. Sapient race. Shadow Humans cannot be born naturally; humans can only become one through evolution. Members of this race have their attribute changed to the Atypical – Shadow attribute and gain strong bonuses to stealth and assassination skills. The sun is the mortal enemy of shadow humans, cursing them with 5 HP/s of damage when exposed to sunlight.
[Beast-Whisperer Human]
Secret Evolution Requirement:
* Is a human.
* Killed a higher ranked creature with a two-rank disparity or more.
* Possesses a love for animals.
* Befriended a non-human sapient being.
Rank E creature. Sapient race. The Beast-Whisperer Human is a kind and gentle soul whose affection can soothe even the unruliest of beasts. They can instinctively communicate with their animal companions and heal their physical, mental, and spiritual injuries at the cost of mana. Once a day, you and a tamed beast or monster may share your senses and emotions with each other for a period of five minutes.