Chapter 77: Chapter 77
This was Lin Mo's second time entering the deep forest area of Roland Forest.
The previous time was to pursue the Cursed Pattern Cat Demon, which was followed by an encounter with a goblin tribe's encirclement, leading him into a secret realm by chance.
Although the final gains were substantial, the dangers during the process were something Lin Mo remembered clearly to this day.
Fortunately, the strength of the current team was far greater than before, so even if they encountered those goblins again...
No, they probably wouldn't be that unlucky.
Lin Mo shook his head. Although he really wanted to grind skill proficiency, compared to that, he preferred to complete the mission steadily.
With his proficiency panel, becoming stronger was only a matter of time; there was no need to rush for quick results and constantly put himself in dangerous situations.
The magical creatures in the deep forest area were much denser than in the outer area, which should be the normal phenomenon.
Along the way, they encountered two groups of goblins in total. One group was led by a juvenile mutated goblin. As they continued deeper, they also encountered a juvenile bloodthirsty wolf.
The team had six people in total, and each person carried a large backpack, so for this trip, they didn't have to only collect the most expensive materials from the monsters. Instead, they could take all the valuable things, including the wolf skin, wolf fangs, and wolf claws.
The value of these materials was also worth one or two gold coins.
The process of searching for the Earth Bear was not smooth. Unconsciously, the time reached noon.
"Let's rest for a while."
Alden called a temporary halt to the journey.
The temperature at noon in summer was simply too high. Even professionals found it difficult to be completely unaffected. Factors like fatigue and heat that could easily affect judgment should be avoided as much as possible during adventures.
"The Earth Bear is a diurnal magical creature. If there were no results during the morning period, then it's best to encounter it near evening. At that time, after being active all day, its stamina won't be as abundant."
This was all knowledge that should be remembered. Lin Mo took out his charcoal pen and noted it down in his booklet.
His magical creature illustrated guide was the beginner-oriented "Complete Illustrated Guide to Magical Creatures in the Outer Area of Roland Forest" and did not include content about the deep forest area.
Next time he goes to the Association, he should ask Lena if there's an upgraded version of the beginner adventurer guide complete set.
Lin Mo opened his panel to check his current information.
【Class】: Warrior Level 1
Except for the Spirit attribute, his other attributes were already quite high, each approaching the level of a professional. The panel could be described as luxurious.
As for proficiency...
Slacking Off Lv5 (max)
Shield Bash Lv1 (0/10)
Concealment Lv4 (80/100)
Cross Slash Lv4 (33/100) Check latest chapters at novel~fire~net
These were all of Lin Mo's current skills.
During the recent skirmish, he tested the characteristics of the 【Fortitude】 skill again.
First, his previous idea that "collision" didn't necessarily mean being hit was correct, but in practice, not every collision increased proficiency.
Collisions with low-tier magical creatures like ordinary goblins required about ten collisions to increase 1 point of proficiency, meaning using the skill five times was completely not cost-effective.
Engaging with a juvenile mutated goblin resulted in gaining 1 point of proficiency every two clashes, meaning using the skill once precisely increased proficiency by 1 point.
As for adult elite-level magical creatures, it was tested yesterday that every engagement granted proficiency.
After a series of tests, the proficiency of 【Fortitude】 had already reached 8/10 and was about to level up for the first time.
As a green excellent-grade skill, it should, like Concealment and Cross Slash, grant another Constitution increase upon reaching level 3.
As his strength increased, the speed of training skills became faster and faster. Presumably, that day wouldn't be too far away.
After resting properly for a period of time, it was still around 3 PM when the team set off again.
After traveling through the forest for a while and searching for over an hour, everyone noticed that the frequency of magical creatures, including ordinary beasts, appearing had significantly decreased.
"It's been over half an hour since we last encountered a magical creature, right?"
After continuing to feel their way forward in the forest for a while longer, Solan suddenly spoke up.
Alden gripped his weapon tightly, already entering a combat-ready state: "We have likely entered the territory of a powerful magical creature."
As for whether it was the Earth Bear or not, that remained unknown for now.
The distribution locations of magical creatures were only roughly divided and couldn't accurately help them find and identify their target.
Ellie suddenly stopped walking and approached a tree not far away.
She leaned close to the tree, twitching her nose, keenly capturing key information from the scents lingering in the air and on the bark.
"It is indeed the Earth Bear!"
Because she had encountered a juvenile Earth Bear during past adventures, Ellie had some memory of this creature's scent. The territory-marking behavior of the master of this area allowed Ellie to confirm its identity.
"According to the Earth Bear's habits, around this time, it should be about to return from hunting. Everyone, prepare for battle!"
Shortly after Alden's voice rang out, a thunderous roar came from the forest not far away.
Clearly, the Earth Bear returning from hunting had discovered the uninvited guests intruding into its territory.
Without needing to say more, the team members adjusted their positions within an extremely short time. Solan moved to the very back of the group, drawing his bow and nocking an arrow, while Carson hid in the bushes, waiting for an opportunity to ambush.
On the front line of the group, Rick and Alden stood side by side, while on their flanks were Ellie and Lin Mo.
Everything was ready, and the Earth Bear also appeared before everyone with heavy, plodding steps.
The Earth Bear before them had a shoulder height of nearly three meters, a body length exceeding six meters, and its weight was conservatively estimated at six or seven tons. Its gaping maw was large enough to swallow a human head whole, and its neatly arranged sharp teeth were like a row of sharp daggers.
The most striking feature was the layer of earthy yellow fur covering its body. Its hair was long and thick, like a heavy layer of armor draped over it.
This was precisely the Earth Bear's greatest characteristic—thick, coarse skin and flesh, granting it very high defense.
Without a doubt, this was the greatest challenge of their current adventure.
Seeing the intruders before it, the Earth Bear let out an angry roar. The next moment, it charged towards the group with heavy, thundering steps.
Its massive frame was like a small mountain, exerting an extremely strong sense of pressure!