"Why did you do that?"

Aerin questioned me.

"You gave all the XP potions to Iris. You made her invest all her attributes points into strength. Why?"

In Fantasy Survival, the priestess learns a skill called [Holy Arrow]. She creates a bow and arrow using her [Faith]. The resulting attack has short range, but extreme accuracy. It tracks enemies. It has low damage. Its range and damage output are affected by the hero's strength.

My skill, [Innovative Self-Torture], was going to let me take a shortcut. Accelerate everyone's growth using XP potions, teach to party members skills they normally couldn't get, and more. It was a chance I couldn't give up. Without it, our chances of survival were slim.

To get ability points, I needed to be innovative. And I needed to make things difficult for myself.

But I couldn't just make terrible choices (and call them innovative) because we'd become too weak to survive. Playing it safe even worse, since, without ability points, this F-Rank party was doomed.

An all-strength priestess.

This was my best answer.

Gob, Alex, and Iris had gotten stronger, but everyone else, including myself, was the same.

Would we be able to make it through night two and three?

※※※

"Holy Arrow!"

Iris created a bow and arrow using her holy energy. Pulled hard on the bowstring and let go of the shining light.

The arrow disappeared in the air before it reached the tree.

"Okay, so this is too far."

We were practicing.

"What are you doing?"

Twish.

An arrow from behind flew by my side and hit the tree we were aiming for.

It was Aerin.

Without saying much, she had taken out her bow and arrow and shot at the same tree, but from significantly farther away.

"If you just needed someone capable of range attacks, you could have asked me."

Here's something she didn't know.

One. The effects of [Innovative Self-Torture].

I'll let her know soon enough.

Two. Holy Arrow has many minor benefits. Not limited by your supply of arrows. Low faith cost. Ignores most defensive resistances─especially strong against the undead and demons.

As for Iris, we needed a solution for her terribly low mobility. She couldn't run around very fast. She was slower than me with my shield.

I was now practicing carrying her around on my back.

She was small and light, but even then, I wasn't used to lifting an adult human around. It was hard on my legs.

"You know. Complaining isn't going to change anything," I said to Aerin.

"Well then, what will?"

"Nothing. Unless you have some awesome plan which I don't know about, we'll have to go with mine. I'll explain the details later. I promise I have a plan."

"I just don't get why you didn't level me up. I guess I can understand why you would leave out the Succubus. She can't do much damage."

Aerin, Lili, and I were the only members of the party who didn't level up.

"I have my bow and arrow. I could have been of use tonight."

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Aerin will support Gob tonight, along with Lili and Alex.

Iris will be healing and buffing everyone, but especially Gob.

What if a monster gets too close?

I'd protect her with my shield. That's the first step.

Last night, if Gob and Aerin were preoccupied, I had to hold off the monster until he was available. However starting tonight, Iris could take them out herself using [Holy Arrow]. Even if it takes a while.

If that took too long, I'll have to carry her around while she takes additional shots at the monster.

If she fails to finish them off, and the monster makes its way to us, it wouldn't end pretty for us.

Still then, I had a feeling this plan would work.

※※※

"Slimes and now mushrooms."

The second night introduced a new monster.

Large monster mushrooms.

Practically speaking, they were upgraded versions of slimes. They bounced their way around. They attacked you by slamming into you.

But they were stronger, more durable, and bouncier.

Even then, the second night was easier than the first as expected.

Gob had grown very quickly.

Not only were the slimes easy-kill for him, but the mushrooms were no match either.

This was something you could do in the original Fantasy Survival. Letting a decent melee character─a barbarian, for example─horde all the XP in the earlier rounds.

It leaves the rest of your party weak and vulnerable, but having one strong member is a lot more efficient in early game compared to having a bunch of neither-here-nor-theres.

"Cracken! A mushroom on your way!" Aerin said as she aimed her bow and arrow at the monster.

A mushroom had completely bypass Gob by jumping over him.

"Don't worry about it! Focus your attention on supporting Gob!"

"Tsk."

Aerin and Lili had been told to refrain from getting kills. Aerin wasn't happy with that.

I had my shield out, but I didn't plan on colliding with the mushroom directly. After all, I was still a Lv. 1. I'd end up on the ground in an instant.

"Iris, keep using Holy Arrow as we move away from it.

"Yes. As you say."

Iris nodded.

"Holy Arrow."

An arrow of light left her hand made its way to the mushroom. It was in the air, in the middle of a jump, but the arrow had no trouble finding its target.

The arrow hit and slowed down the mushroom.

We needed to move away, to buy time, but slowly enough that we wouldn't be out of range for [Holy Arrow].

"Holy Arrow!"

Iris was focused and ruthless

The first night, she was gentle and pure, trying desperately to heal our wounds and support us. Almost too gentle for this world.

Now, there was focus in our eyes. Ready to hunt down monsters with her own hands.

"Feel the wrath of the gods! Holy Arrow!"

Oh wow. Now she had cool lines to taunt them, abusing them verbally.

"Holy Arrow!!"

With her screaming in my ear from behind, I started to wonder whether I'd really made the right decision by turning Iris into a "holy archer."

We'd see soon─the second night ended up being a breeze.

Now there was more leveling up to do.