Side Story: Testing the Waters

"If that's the case, we've probably stumbled upon the location of that unknown monster by accident, and it sensed the approaching danger, which is why it attacked us."

Seeing the curious expressions on the faces of the others, Galan went on to share his conjecture.

If the group hadn't made the other creature feel uneasy by getting close, it's unlikely that the other would have taken the initiative to attack, thus alerting it.

However, from another perspective, this monster is much easier to deal with than the Copy of each of them.

Judging from the attack just now, it was launched when everyone was completely unprepared, yet Clinton still managed to defend against it in time. This shows that the monster's stats are quite average, at least within the range that the group can handle.

"But why hasn't it taken any further action yet...?"

Seeing that there was no more movement around, Lia, who was hiding beside Galan, couldn't resist watching the excitement and asked curiously, "Is it because it's brewing some terrifying attack?" Pass offered his guess.

"That's possible... but I think it's afraid we'll be able to deduce its exact location through its attacks."

Galan stroked his chin and gave his conclusion.

"Use its attacks... to find its location?"

Although Galan felt he had made himself perfectly clear, Pass seemed unable to grasp the intricacies of the situation.

"In that case, I also think Galan's idea makes a lot of sense."

Clinton, who had been on guard there, also joined the discussion.

"If we continue to probe like this, and get closer to it, it will inevitably attack us again, but that also means we are on the right track."

Galan and Lucina both nodded in agreement with his statement. This time, with a clear understanding, Pass also opened his mouth in sudden realization and gave Clinton a thumbs up.

"But what if the other side deliberately uses this approach to lead us to some dead end?"

Although now that I have a general understanding of the other party's background, the fog is not as terrifying as it was at the beginning.

But Galan was still somewhat uneasy.

If the opponent is a highly intelligent monster, it can easily lead the group into a trap.

"It shouldn't be that exaggerated. These monsters aren't that intelligent. Anyway, there's no need to worry so much." Understanding his concerns, Lucina quickly offered an explanation, putting Galan at ease.

After learning the method, the group didn't waste any more time. They immediately formed a formation and began probing the "mastermind."

They explored every direction, from east to west and north to south, taking small steps and gradually expanding their probing area from their initial position, trying to lure the other side into making a move again.

However, after the initial attack, the opponent refused to make another move. From this point of view, it is clear that the group had underestimated the opponent's intelligence.

It seems the other side also knew that their attack risked revealing their position, and dared not make any further moves.

However, its only misstep was that very first strike.

Seeing that the other party remained patient and unmoved no matter what, Galan decided to take a gamble and head in the direction where it had initially attacked them.

He felt that the other party must be in that location, since their initial move was most likely just a reactive response to a potential threat, and the possibility of it being a trap was very small.

So, on Galan's advice, the group followed that road, determined not to turn back until they hit a wall, and walked straight for a long time.

My steps grew heavier and heavier, as if something was pressing down on me.

It wasn't just Galan who felt this way; the others did too, which only strengthened their resolve to continue.

The more unusual the phenomenon, the more it proves that they are on the right path.

Although the other party did not directly attack, it was clear that they were trying to exert pressure on them by changing the surrounding environment, hoping to force them to stop and leave.

But this level of threat alone is not enough to stop them.

After confirming that the road was correct, they quickened their pace, eager to find the culprit behind the Dense Fog.

Whoosh!!

Just as they quickened their pace, the fog surrounding them suddenly receded, revealing a large open space.

The receding mist then coalesced, transforming into a colossal Fog Giant, several meters tall, which looked incredibly imposing.

"It seems the other side finally couldn't sit still any longer."

Seeing that the target had finally made his move, Galan smiled with relief.

I'm not afraid of what tricks he might play with the others, I'm just afraid he'll stay huddled in some corner and not dare to utter a sound.

After all, if that were the case, they really wouldn't have any way to deal with it.

Is this its true form?

"No.

2

Lucina raised her Staff at the Fog Giant before her and used a detection spell of unknown name. "This is just one of its summoned entities; it probably intends to use this to eliminate us."

"Hey! You think you can rely on this big oaf? He doesn't seem as intimidating as someone who beats me up."

Pass simply smiled at the sight, clearly not taking the giant seriously.

It seemed that the reunion of the group gave him a lot of confidence. "Stop standing there just bragging, get to work!"

Clinton, the team's forward, noticed that the Fog Giant in front of him had not yet fully coalesced, so he wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to strike first and catch it off guard.

With a sudden burst of force, he kicked out a deep crater in the ground, and almost instantly his body flashed to the feet of the Fog Giant, his longsword slashing horizontally across.

"[Inflammation]!"

With a slight thought from Clinton, flames spontaneously ignited on his longsword. This was a special magic imbued into his weapon during its forging; only a tiny amount of Mana was needed to activate it in battle, causing unexpected damage to the enemy.

The reason this move wasn't used against its own Copy before was because both sides knew the other would use this tactic, so there was no need to try it again.

But now that we're facing a monster we're encountering for the first time, this move really shows its usefulness.