Erins Gorge in the eastern part of the Alpharion Empire.
Monsters living in the gorge terrain are mostly flying types. The giant flying monsters that form nests are very tricky enemies for adventurers.
Especially when climbing up a cliff edge path with a precipice on one side.
Screech-!!
In the sky above, a huge flap of wings cut through the wind with a terrible cry. The eyes of the raptors, sharp enough to be eerie, had spotted their targets and were scanning the surroundings.
A flock of griffons.
The rulers of the gorge with fluffy lion bodies, sturdy hawk forelegs, and eagle heads.
Chris clung to the edge of the cliff and called out to me.
"Uwaaah! ...Huk! It's completely pitch black below...! Rain, be careful! Don't worry about me!"
"Don't worry! Take care of yourself first, unnie!"
Swoosh!
Clang!
My sword flew towards a griffon approaching Chris. The griffon knocked away the sword with its claws and glared at me with a terrible cry.
I was drawing their attention through 'Flying Sword Technique' to keep the griffon flock's gaze from going to Chris.
The griffons waited for the perfect moment like experienced hunters. If they all came at once, I could cut them all down with 'Starlight Sword Energy', but they seem to be careful after two griffons that rashly approached Chris were cut in half by my sword energy.
I can't spam Starlight Sword Energy either. The cooldown is long, and the number of cooldown resets is limited.
They seemed to have made a plan to deal with me first, as I was an immediate threat to them. If Chris gathered herself and came up, they would probably target Chris first since she can use unlimited ranged attacks, but it seemed they recognized that I was the one who could harm them right now. Are they smart or stupid? Bird brain is usually used as an expression for being stupid, but...
Flap, flap, screech!
One of the griffons circling around screeched and flew at me.
Clang! As I blocked its terrible claws, light flashed from the sword at my waist. Flash!
Screeech!
"Tch."
A bit shallow. The griffon received a long wound on its body but didn't fall and rejoined their flock. And another griffon flew in to replace the retreating one.
Clang, clang!
[Level 55 Griffon Leader]
[HP 5,000,000 / 5,000,000 (100%)]
[Level 53 Griffon]
[HP 1,274,007 / 2,500,000 (51%)]
...
The battle area is not good. Their HP itself is on the low side, but green magic protects their bodies, giving them high defense. Even for me now, it's impossible to take down one with a single normal skill. The Griffon Leader is positioned in the center. Is this some kind of field boss group? Anyway, the monsters affected by the magic permeating this new expansion pack area 'Erins Gorge' were all powerful.
My eyes quickly scanned the griffons.
To deal with these guys who take tricky attack methods while flying in the sky, an innovative approach is needed.
What's the spacing of the flock? How are they arranged when they swoop in in a wheel formation? Falling off the cliff would surely mean death. But if I use both 'cooldown reset' functions of Astaroth and 'Hammer and Anvil Bracelet', there's a method worth trying.
Tap tap tap tap!
Having made a plan, I started running along the cliff edge path. The griffons began flying at me one by one towards my exposed back.
Swoosh!
Keep running.
Don't look back.
The griffon that's come close.
Just before it digs its claws into my back.
Swish.
Only then did I turn my body.
And.
Tap.
I lightly launched my body, stepping on the back of the griffon that had reached in front of me and jumped.
Screech--!?
The first griffon that became my foothold let out a screech that sounded very bewildered.
Tap, tap, tap!
I continued to dash through the air along the path formed by the griffons. Light kept flashing from my sword around me. Taking advantage of the moment when the wounded griffons couldn't gather their wits, I approached the Griffon Leader.
Tap!
And with the final jump, my body that had leapt up finally faced the Griffon Leader head-on.
Screeech-!!
Flap.
Whoosh!
"Kuh!?"
As the Griffon Leader flapped its wings once, a strong gust carrying green energy struck my entire body. My light body felt like it would fly away at any moment. But in that powerful wind, I kept my eyes wide open and, while still floating in the air, moved my sword to my waist.
Swish.
The distance to the Griffon Leader is 12 meters.
Inside the range.
I activated Flash Slash just like that.
Flash!
My body, turned into a flash of light, cut through the Griffon Leader's wing joint. Blood spurting from there splashed on my face. The color is red. There was a time when this looked like milk, but.
Screeech!
Having arrived in the air behind the Griffon Leader, who was screaming with a big wound, I turned my body again. And activated Astaroth's cooldown reset function.
Flash!
Second Flash Slash.
Screeeeech!!
Poor Mr. Leader. You must feel bad for being attacked after just watching haughtily.
Still, it didn't fall easily. Its defense is really amazing. But it seemed like one more Flash Slash would do something. However, if I use a third Flash Slash outwards, I won't be able to return.
Flap, roar!
It steadied its tattered wing and shot a wind filled with powerful magic at me.
Can't dodge.
If I can't use Flash Slash, it's Starlight Sword Energy.
In the same posture floating in the air, I mercilessly sprayed sword energy towards the front.
Slash slash slash!
Not enough. Use the bracelet's cooldown function too. And one more time.
Slash slash slash!
Thwack thwack thwack!
The wounded Griffon Leader couldn't evade in time and was hit by all of my sword energy bursts.
Screeech---
"Bye-bye, Mr. Griffon Leader."
I winked at the Griffon Leader falling with a screech.
Having lost their leader, the other griffons soon scattered in all directions in a panic.
Without delay, I activated Backward Evasion towards the cliff. Swoosh! I stretched out my hand. Can't reach. I was just slightly short of the cliff edge path.
Falling. Down the cliff.
"Eck."
Ah, is this how I die?
To think that I, a hero who single-handedly cleared a raid dungeon, would die from falling after just killing a field boss. Still, I can come back after reviving, right? Which will be faster, these guys respawning or me arriving again?
"Rain...!"
Whoosh!
A round sphere was caught in my hand that I thought had grasped empty air. It's Chris's yin-yang orb.
Tap!
Chris, who soon approached, reached out her hand and grasped my small hands in her grasp.
Dangle dangle.
Chris sighed towards me, hanging from her hands, with a very tearful expression.
"Haah, thank goodness. Just what reckless thing did you do...! Do you want to see unnie die from worry!?"
"Heh."
I looked up at Chris and smiled brightly.
"Oh."
"Wow...!"
Finally reaching the summit area of 'Erins Gorge', we exclaimed in admiration at the magnificent view of the huge gorge spread out below our feet.
Looking down, the vast land stretching endlessly is truly a spectacular sight. The shadows created by the deep and steep gorge could be called the wrinkles of the earth. The rocks formed by the accumulation of ancient strata shone in various colors like red and orange, revealing traces of nature showing the passage of time.
In front of such a natural terrain formed over millions of years, the thousand years I was away from this world would be a time short enough to call 'just'.
"Unnie has seen something similar before."
"Really?"
I was surprised. Chris has seen such terrain on Earth too?
"Huhu, you know unnie is from America, right? There's something called the Grand Canyon there too."
"Ah. I've heard of it."
Come to think of it, I heard there are vast canyon areas on Earth too.
Overwhelming nature that makes people humble exists equally in this world and on Earth.
"Yawn."
While I was blankly appreciating the spectacular view of Erins Gorge, Chris yawned while rubbing her sleepy eyes.
Come to think of it, it's gotten quite late. She must be tired since she's playing the game after work today too.
"Unnie, you go to sleep first."
"Isn't Rain going to sleep?"
"I'll sleep after looking around a bit more."
"Umm..."
Chris dawdled.
I giggled. Because I know why she's acting like that. Chris seems to have gotten a taste for sleeping together with me lately.
I stuck close to Chris's side, stood on my tiptoes, and whispered in her ear.
"I'll come to unnie's room later."
Then I twisted my body and gave a slight eye smile.
"Let's sleep together today too."
"Kughh!"
Chris clutched her chest.
You can climb up to the gorge from anywhere in the eastern wilderness area, but there aren't many places where people can actually set foot. In some cases of bad luck, you even have to endure attacks from griffon flocks inhabiting various parts of the cliffs. Perhaps because of that, there didn't seem to be many users who had entered this gorge at this point. The vast majority of users would still be hunting in the wilderness.
"As expected, there's no one here."
Stomp stomp.
Having become alone, I walked along the edge of the gorge.
Somewhere in this vast gorge, there must be an elite dungeon. And in the raid dungeon, a Army Commander must be crouching.
Should I be the first to discover this elite dungeon and raid dungeon too?
"Huh?"
As I looked around the vast gorge, a person suddenly caught my eye.
So there was another user who reached the upper part of the gorge.
My social skills have improved a lot now. I can even do the great deed of approaching and talking first.
I approached the user looking down at the bottom of the gorge.
But.
"Oh."
It's a woman.
And her side profile is somehow familiar.
Light brown straight hair. A magician's robe fluttering in the wind blowing up from the bottom of the gorge. A beautiful woman with a sharp impression that exudes charisma.
It's Ms. Skada, the raid leader of 'Skada Raid', isn't it.