ALL NOVEL Chapter 24: Rapthalia improving
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Jason led Raphtalia back to the grassland outside the city. Although the Mushroom Monsters in the forest were stronger, he decided it was best for her to start with fewer challenges. He wanted her to get accustomed to the experience of killing monsters so that she wouldn't be overwhelmed with fear.
After a leisurely stroll through the grasslands, a Balloon Monster suddenly appeared, bouncing out from the grass. However, the moment it spotted Jason, it turned tail and tried to escape. It appeared that even a simple-minded creature like the Balloon Monster had learned to fear him after witnessing his prowess.
But with its speed, running away was a futile move against Jason. Within a few strides, he caught up to the Balloon Monster and grabbed it in his hand.
"Alright, use the dagger you have to pierce this thing," Jason instructed, holding the struggling Balloon Monster out toward Raphtalia.
The Balloon Monster squirmed in a fit of desperation, its ferocious demeanor making it seem almost pitiful in that moment. Raphtalia grasped the dagger, her hands trembling slightly.
It was one thing to speak bravely but another to actually commit to the act.
"Why hesitate? You're determined to become stronger and become a fighter who protects everyone, right? Can't you manage this?"
Jason's voice cut through her doubt, urging her on.
"I want to become stronger, and I can do it! I want to protect you and everyone else, Brother Jason!" Raphtalia murmured, determination slowly building within her. Summoning her courage, she took a deep breath and stepped forward. With all her might, she plunged the dagger into the Balloon Monster.
Boom!
The Balloon Monster exploded into fragments, akin to a burst balloon.
At that moment, Jason saw "EXP1" flash in his field of vision. It seemed that just like in most online games, if teammates killed monsters, they too would receive experience points.
However, he noticed something peculiar: the individual experience remained unchanged despite fighting as a team.
"It must be because the Balloon Monster offers so little experience; 'EXP1' is likely the cap," he reasoned but didn't dwell on it. He reached out to pat Raphtalia on the head. "Good job!"
"Um."
With Jason's encouragement, Raphtalia's confidence began to blossom. As the saying goes, once there is a first time, a second follows.
Now that she had experienced victory, she was more emboldened. With Jason's guidance, she began to take down more Balloon Monsters. As the hours passed, she even managed to defeat a Red Balloon Monster, which indicated her progress.
It didn't take long for Raphtalia to reach LV2.
Seeing that she was making great strides, Jason decided it was time to move towards the forest. After all, if even the Red Balloon Monster was only giving out "EXP1," their leveling speed was too slow.
Thus began their fray with the Mushroom Monsters once again.
While it started off a bit cumbersome—Jason would engage the monsters and guide Raphtalia to stab them—the efficiency wasn't as rapid as it had been when he fought alone. With every fight, he had to ensure that Raphtalia was in the right position to strike. However, as they continued battling, Raphtalia grew more skilled and gradually learned to tackle 2 or 3 Mushroom Monsters on her own without requiring Jason's immediate assistance.
Over time, it became clear that Raphtalia was adapting well and had the potential to be a strong fighter.
As day transitioned into night, they set up camp. Jason had reached LV7 and was on the cusp of leveling up again, while Raphtalia had just hit LV5. Her lower level allowed her to progress more quickly.
"Brother Jason, I killed 31 Mushroom Monsters all by myself today!"
Sitting in front of the campfire as she ate dinner, there was an undeniable glimmer of pride in Raphtalia's eyes.
While 31 might not sound like an impressive number to some, for her, it was a significant achievement. It had taken her just over an hour to take them down independently.
"Mmm, Raphtalia is amazing!"
Jason stuffed a meatball into his mouth. These were convenient food items he had bought in the city, simply requiring roasting over the fire to be ready.
"Thank you, Brother Jason! By the way… how many Mushroom Monsters did you kill?"
Raphtalia's anticipation was evident as she smiled brightly.
"I'm not sure; I lost track," Jason replied after contemplating, realizing he genuinely couldn't keep count.
"Show me!"
Raphtalia pouted playfully, looking quite cute.
"Alright, alright. I guess I can't refuse you. Ugh..."
With a resigned sigh, Jason activated the storage shield on his wrist and poured out a mountain of materials gathered from the Mushroom Monsters, high enough to tower over Raphtalia.
"Woah! That's so many! One… two… three… I can't even count!"
Raphtalia stared, her excitement dulled slightly by the sheer impossibility of counting them all, quickly brightening again. "Brother Jason is incredible, but I will catch up!"
"I'll be waiting for you! Don't let me down!" Jason laughed.
"Of course!"
As if believing that eating more could make her stronger, Raphtalia attacked her dinner with determination. After finishing her meal, exhaustion overtook her. Perhaps it was the fatigue from the day's events, but she quickly lay down on the sleeping bag that Jason had prepared for her and fell into a deep sleep.
Meanwhile, Jason remained awake, taking the opportunity to examine his current attributes.
[Jason]: Human.
[LV]: Level 6 → Level 7
[HP]: 1510 → 1520
[SP]: 365 → 370
[Strength]: 70 → 70 (Ordinary person 5)
[Agility]: 63 → 64 (+3)
[Defense]: 133 → 136 (+5)
[Spirit]: 40 → 41 (+1)
[Lucky]: XX
Jason noted that without the bonus from the Garp template, his attribute increases were indeed slow.
Next, he opened the weapon manual in his weapon bar, which detailed the skills he had learned so far and listed the types of shields that had been liberated.
[Small Shield]: Ability released, defense increased by 3.[Small Orange Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: defense power 2.[Small Yellow Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: defense power 2.[Leaf Small Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: collection skill 1.[Mushroom Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: plant identification 1.[Blue Mushroom Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: simple blending prescription 1.[Green Mushroom Shield]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: trainee blending.
These represented the shield skills he had obtained after absorbing the materials dropped by the Balloon Monsters and Mushroom Monsters.
However, one entry caught Jason's eye more than the others—it was the special shield skill he had earned through experiential combat.
[Storage Shield] LV1: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: Stores 10 cubic items.[Shield of Resistance]: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: Resistance 5.[Shield of Will] LV7: Ability not released; equipment bonus effect: Increases all resistances by 57%.
Jason recalled that before, the [Shield of Will] had only been at level 1, with all resistances increased by just 50%.
"It's actually upgraded!" Jason said to himself, a feeling of excitement brewing within him.
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