(The moment to witness the results of the experiment has arrived…!)
Tyler had conducted experiments in Sunny Town using the “Fir Treant’s severed roots.” The wooden nature of the treants could indeed be ignited; now that it was combined with oil, a flammable substance, there was no reason it shouldn’t catch fire.
Under the moonlight, Tyler took out a flint and ignited the first arrow.
Hardly any wind tonight, and the terrain was open with clear visibility. The enemies obediently stayed motionless within range, making them perfect live targets.
—『Combat occupation skill ‘Heart of Focus – Lv2’ has been activated and remains in effect…』
Tyler shot the first arrow, its flame drawing a beautiful trajectory in the night sky before landing on the Fir Treant’s crown.
(That’s a hit!)
Strangely, the flame flickered for a moment before extinguishing.
Surprised, Tyler fired another three flaming arrows, this time genuinely igniting the treant’s crown.
But just as Tyler thought he had succeeded, the fire burned for a short while only to gradually die out.
(How odd. Is there too much moisture in the leaves and branches?)
Tyler deemed this unlikely, given the wasteland’s dry environment and the treant’s lack of green leaves and cracked branches.
Instead, the unnatural fluctuations in the treant’s magic energy aroused Tyler’s suspicion.
(Why would the treant’s magic energy decrease without any actions…?)
Tyler clearly saw that whenever he ignited the treant’s crown, its magic energy decreased, but its life energy remained unaffected.
(Could it be…?)
Tyler fired another three arrows to ignite the treant, then immediately fired new ones to rekindle the flame whenever it started to weaken.
In this relentless arson relay, the treant’s magic energy was depleted in just two minutes! Soon after, the treant was engulfed in raging flames!
—『Combat occupation skill ‘Heart of Focus – Lv2’ has been deactivated.』
(So that’s how it is!)
Without magic energy, the treant’s life energy dropped rapidly. Unable to endure the searing pain of the flames, the treant could no longer masquerade as a withered tree. It uprooted itself, crawling and rolling on the ground in a futile attempt to extinguish the fire.
Regrettably, its efforts were in vain. Before long, the ferocious fire consumed the treant’s life energy, leaving only its burning corpse.
“Successfully defeated ‘Fir Treant – Lv43,’ occupation experience +0, current experience 4200/4200.”
Upon witnessing their comrade being burned alive, the other Fir Treants ceased hiding, simultaneously uprooting themselves and moving about.
Tyler watched from a distance, taking in every detail of the treants’ movements.
The remaining three Fir Treants attempted to flee or fight Tyler, but with their sluggish speed comparable to that of an ordinary person, their fate was sealed.
“Let’s go, Moto-chan!”
Tyler spurred his horse into a gallop, keeping the treants at bay with the steed’s swiftness until…untill they were all reduced to charred remains.
“Successfully defeated ‘Fir Treant – Lv41,’ occupation experience +0, current experience 4200/4200.”
“Successfully defeated ‘Fir Treant – Lv39,’ occupation experience +0, current experience 4200/4200.”
“Successfully defeated ‘Fir Treant – Lv42,’ occupation experience +0, current experience 4200/4200.”
With all four Fir Treants vanquished, Tyler finally breathed a sigh of relief.
This encounter may have seemed like a one-sided slaughter, but even a slight misstep could have turned the tide against Tyler.
Since his combat occupation experience was already maxed out, the experience gained from defeating the four Fir Treants went to waste.
However, Tyler was unfazed, as he gained something far more valuable on that night: real combat experience, which was far more important than a mere numerical level.
Tonight, Tyler overcame insurmountable odds, and the thrill of victory filled his heart.
It had been a long time since he last felt this way, back when he challenged the “MALENIA BLADE OF MIQUELLA” in “Elden Ring” as an “Wretch.”
Reflecting on his past gaming experiences, he realized the protagonists always triumphed against overwhelming odds.
However, Tyler’s predicament was far more perilous than that of any game character.
While game characters could restart upon death and practice countless times against bosses, Tyler wouldn’t have had a second chance if he lost his life.
Through this battle, Tyler realized the importance of mobility, as the key to triumphing over a stronger adversary lies in unparalleled evasive capabilities.
In extreme cases, even if one cannot defeat the enemy, they can still choose to flee.
However, apart from his steed Moto-chan, Tyler lacks any exceptional means of movement, a shortcoming he desperately needs to address. 𝒐𝗏𝑙ℯxt.𝐜𝑜𝔪
“Thank you for your hard work, Moto-chan.”
Tyler dismounted and allowed Moto-chan to graze and rest for a while.
As a warhorse, Moto-chan’s abilities are indeed extraordinary.
Its composure remained unshaken even when faced with demons, making it a reliable partner.
Among the remains of the Fir Treants, Tyler excavated four intact magic cores that had not been destroyed by the fierce flames.
Additionally, he found two thick branches that had not been burned, which seem to be the essence of the Fir Treants.
He took them with him, thinking they might be useful for crafting a new hunting bow at a weapons shop.
During the cleanup, a pack of striped hyenas was attracted to the firelight, growling and looking to make Tyler and Moto-chan their midnight snack.
Tyler showed no mercy, using his last three fire arrows to eliminate two of them, effortlessly driving the rest of the pack away.
–“Successfully killed ‘Striped Hyena’, occupation experience +100, current experience 650/600.”
–“Upgrade conditions satisfied, ‘Hunter – Lv2’ automatically upgraded to ‘Hunter – Lv3’.”
With this, Tyler’s night hunt comes to an end.
.
The following day, Tyler arrived at the Quest Guild around ten in the morning, having slept in to recover his magic energy.
Many bounty hunters was still discussing the Treant quest in the hall, unaware that Tyler had already slain the creatures overnight.
“Hey, don’t bother, when my brother Nassar returns, he’ll be able to handle this sort of thing in no time.”
“Yeah, if Nassar hadn’t gone to the Gudetown, the Treants wouldn’t have lasted so long in the Wasteland.”
“I’d really like to learn some monster hunting skills from Nassar someday…”
The bounty hunters had all been talking about a man named “Nassar,” but Tyler paid no mind. Carrying the Fir Treant magic cores, he went straight to the front desk, unexpectedly noticing that Emilia seemed quite interested in this Nassar person as well.
“Emilia.”
Tyler placed a cloth bag on the reception desk and made a “shush” gesture to Emilia.
“Don’t let anyone know it was me. Also, pass a message to the branch chief for me: meet in the usual place in an hour.”
Emilia’s face revealed a rare expression of confusion.
She wanted to ask Banning what was going on, but he had already left without looking back.
After Emilia checked the contents of the cloth bag, her surprise prompted her to immediately run and fetch the branch chief.