Chapter 69: A Casual Quest (6)
What Jake did was unbecoming of an archer.
He left the safe zone given to him by Robert's tank class and entered the monster tide's first offensive line as though he were a melee.
It was quite risky, considering that archers were vulnerable like the rest of the range classes. Most monsters in this forest also wielded level twenty strength, so Jake's feeble level ten defenses shouldn't have prompted him to join the melee range.
Of course, Jake didn't come that close to the monsters.
With his trained acrobatics and maneuvers honed on the monkeys and the trees of the tutorial island, Jake was apt in breezing between the trees and using their frames to his advantage.
Since Medusa's Venom required Jake to hit a critical strike, he first perched himself on the tree from which he could see a cluster of Leavie Bears coming in on Mary.
He poisoned the highest-level bear with Medusa's poison and helped her by taking his health points with two more heavy arrows before switching to the rest. The highest level bear was left to Medusa.
Meanwhile, Wukong hopped from one branch to another. He wore a broad smile since he was now like a fish in the water. It was his environment that sparked his youthfulness and joy.
Given his task, which was simple and cool, Wukong was feeling great!
Ender remained on the watch, the skies belonging to him. No one would think this way, though, as he was a baby eagle that could perch on an adult's index finger.
'The crux of this challenge is not to let Leavie Bears get close to Mary and Robert,' Jake thought. For now, Mary and Robert were close to each other, with the latter keeping the silver sanctuary up.
Mary ran around to take down monsters from various angles, so she had all the means to turn up the difficulty of the challenge by weaving herself between the monsters.
Jake had a hunch she would go for it soon.
'I can't let her dictate the rules any longer,' Jake said.
[Call Of The Venomous has ended.]
[Medusa has entered a one-hour cooldown.]
'Well done, my lady,' Jake patted his left chest on which the tattoo of Medusa throbbed a little. She had done a great job by evolving and leveling up.
Though it could have been anyone from his summons to enable the new feature to Jake's archery, Jake praised Medusa all the same. He couldn't imagine putting Odin or Wukong on an arrow, even though he promised to try it with Wukong back in Viktor's workplace.
Only Ender could perch himself on an arrow.
Because of Medusa's form, Jake got this odd idea, which now evolved into something he'd explore with all his heart and passion. She deserved all praises, and every summon liked them anyway.
Jake drew his bowstring taut, 'Time to run around! Bears have many vulnerable points, and I can't waste any angle!'
As mentioned before, Jake had an experience fighting in the forest.
Joker Form held the crown here by facilitating his acrobatics. Jake, however, was compelled to utilize half-forms as well. When he moved in the Joker Form, he would leave the top of his body to Master Form to attack from various angles, which was crucial in this environment.
Besides the forest and its branches, barring Jake's trajectories, other monsters that weren't his targets kept charging at Mary and Robert.
Those were obstacles as well.
He couldn't wait for them to pass Leavie Bears, so half-form combinations were essential here.
The main problem with half-forms was that Jake couldn't properly add strength and weight to his arrows. It was a price he had to pay for getting angles no normal archer could see.
He made up for that loss with Death's Lock.
It was enough to deal with Leavie Bears coming in on Mary and Robert. But if Leavie Bears were more demanding monsters, Jake's stamina and resources probably wouldn't be able to keep up with his style.
'Mana also wouldn't have been a problem had I not had those mana potions… but why does it taste so bland? Can't they add some flavor?' Jake thought, with the potion lid popping off by his thumb. He stuffed his lips with the glass cylinder's tip from which the blue liquid entered his mouth.
He tickled his throat with the raw mana.
It was an oral mana intake, famous at early levels and up to one hundred and fifty. Potions couldn't survive on higher levels because drinking them during leveling up or fighting was uncomfortable.
Only potions with lasting effects were still popular on the highest levels. Players would drink them before the battle, leaving the health and mana regeneration to other more convenient means.
'Alright, mana's back. Death's Lock's up,' Jake broadly smiled as he could return to the battle. He was so focused on himself and the new experience that he hadn't noticed Robert and Mary getting surprised by his prowess.
Jake's sister had been blaming herself for telling him about the weakest class—Archer. If it weren't for this slip of the tongue, Jake would have tested other classes and perhaps picked something better.
There was a chance he would go for an archer class anyway, but Mary was still worried about him, even though she refused to show that to him…
Jake, however, had shown her that his archery was a real deal and that he could keep up with her challenge without getting lost.
He even went so far as to come close to the first offensive line and dance around monsters that could change their aggression toward him at any moment!
Robert's voice filled her ears, "Jake's as talented as his sister. I have a feeling he will become the second most famous archer after Grin Grid. She also has a solo player disposition and was alone when we met her. If these two meet each other in a few months and form a team, I can see more than a few players trying archery. These two could become a menace that any guild would vie for.
Aren't you glad?"
"What glad? I thought he would be much better! He still has a lot to prove!" Mary replied, her voice flustered.
Robert grinned, "Yeah, he could be better!"
Mary nodded, "Right!"
Robert laughed. He knew that Mary wanted Jake to pursue a gaming career since he was so invested in it. No person without a passion for the game would be able to last on the tutorial island for a long time.
She was also a top player and already made a lot of money to be able to live alone with her boyfriend. If it weren't for the conveniences provided by living under the parent's roof and the gaming reality helmet, Mary would have already moved with Robert to a comfy apartment.
Jake could be the same, but there were a few problems… and those problems were the source of his passion and strength.
"How can he monetize his gameplay… steaming? No one's gonna watch a man cutting down trees for a day!" Mary's attitude went through one eighty degrees as she got pissed at her brother's circumstances, shouting at her boyfriend through voice chat.
Her lips moved, but no one could hear her because of it—voice chat saved the ears of countless Mary's companions!
Robert appeased her, "Give him some time. He can fend for himself pretty well. I can tell that knowing him only for so little."
"Hmph," Mary reacted just like Robert thought she would. "I'll increase the level of this challenge, then!"
That was when the third party voice tore through the monster tide, reaching Mary's side, "MARY JUNE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! WHERE IS THE RESPECT FOR LOW-LEVEL PLAYERS?!"
Mary turned around and stared at the group of high-level players steamrolling through the tide of monsters. "It's so rare for me to smile at your appearance, Raven Clowns! So you want to fight me!"
"What fight?! We're cleaning up the mess you and your boyfriend caused! You can't come in and monopolize the entire low-level leveling ground!" the representative of the group protecting Maria entered the scene, screaming back at Mary.
Her nickname was Violette Black.
Mary smirked, "Who says I can't take over this forest? You? Empire? If you have problems, then come at me! Forest, grassland, shore, lake? I can dance with you anywhere you want!
Just like I can monopolize this forest! Hah! Like I have time and empathy to care about low-level players. If you care that much about this low-level chick in your team, then you should do the same."
Robert took Mary's front, standing like her white knight.
He'd go along with her every whim.
A heated and long argument erupted between Mary and Violette Black. A few heavy curses that were censored by the system could only ring in the ears of those who were adults—that was how dangerous this argument became.
Jake, however, didn't listen to them.
He used this chance to defeat all Leavie Bears.
[You have leveled up.]
[You have leveled up.]
[You have…]