In the game, no matter how long you walk around, the character doesn’t get tired. Well, of course! If the character got tired just from walking, it would be super annoying for players.
If a character who has been wandering for an hour can’t move unless they take a break every ten minutes, that would be a critical flaw in a genre like JRPG where playtime matters!
Besides, there aren’t even big restrictions on running in these games. Unless it’s an action RPG, having a stamina limit doesn’t really impact gameplay much. After all, the battle mode switches every time you fight a monster, so there’s really no reason to restrict fast travel and frustrate players.
The problem is, that only applies in games!
Huff… Huff… Huff…
I heard heavy breathing behind me.
The place where the Elemental Bear was located was deep in the forest. It wasn’t without paths, but it wasn’t exactly rugged mountains either; compared to the sturdy roads of the village, it was a tiring little trail.
Naturally, if you walk on such a path for dozens of minutes without rest, you’re bound to encounter some stamina issues.
…
At least I had done some minimal training. While I might not have superhuman strength like other protagonists, my stamina wasn’t the worst.
The real issue was Mia Crowfield, who didn’t seem to have anything to do with exercise at all.
“Are you okay?”
While I was gritting my teeth to maintain my expression, Claire looked worriedly at Mia Crowfield, who was struggling to keep up behind me.
Huff, I-I’m okay…
“No, you don’t look okay at all,” Alice chimed in.
“Let’s just rest here for a bit. It’s better for both Miss Crowfield and us to meet our quarry in optimal condition after all.”
“True enough. Let’s take a short break here.”
The sun was starting to rise in the sky.
We had woken up at four in the morning and left after breakfast, but everyone seemed to realize how foolish it was to enter the forest at such midnight. However, we hadn’t been idle; we reviewed the quest details again and double-checked our supplies before heading into the woods.
No matter how hard I played the game, this forest didn’t look exactly like it does in the Empire’s paths. The layout of the village looked like a carbon copy of the game, but… there’s no way they could replicate a forest of this size exactly as it appears in the game.
Haa…
Mia Crowfield sat down on the ground and exhaled.
…
I pulled out the flask that was strapped to my waist and handed it to Mia Crowfield. I had boiled water in the morning, put it into the flask, and stored it in a leather pouch at my waist, so it still had some warmth left.
Ah…
Mia looked a bit surprised that I handed her the flask, her eyes widening as she glanced up at me.
Th-Thank you…
But perhaps due to the gazes around us, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse the flask.
Mia, after receiving the still-warm flask, cautiously took a sip and sighed, Hoo…
I might not be able to complete some of the quests…
Jake made a pretty cold remark.
However, at the same time, I had to agree with Jake. Leaving Mia aside, even I had my stamina limits. Others might see me as some sort of iron man, but no matter how hard I trained, aside from Mia Crowfield, I couldn’t beat anyone here in strength or stamina.
…
The problem is, what happens to the game’s story in that case?
It’s fine if a few side quests can be skipped with a character missing, but the main quest has fixed party members. Well, even now, it was already quite different from the game. In the game, only four party members could join a fight at a time.
The fact that several people were wandering around together like this was already a significant deviation from the game.
But then…
What happens if the characters playing important roles in the main quest get exhausted, hurt, or collapse?
As I sunk into serious thought, Mia Crowfield, possibly a bit scared from my gaze, handed the flask back to me again.
I took it without a word and took a sip from the flask.
The warm water trickled down my throat, warming me up a bit.
…Well, considering the story is still in its early stages, it’s not too late to observe a bit more before making a judgment.
And, well…
This quest was chosen by Charlotte, and Leo and Claire agreed on it.
The three of them had determined they could definitely take down the Elemental Bear, and the guide, upon hearing the name of Grace’s Estate, nodded along as if it were only natural, so it should be alright somehow.
How could anyone get seriously hurt in a mere side quest?
*
The Elemental Bear was about the same size as a wolf.
But its physical abilities were probably no different from a wolf’s. It was said to possess Marmaros, but that didn’t mean it was strong enough to deflect bullets.
Then again, think about it; that beast was a monster you encounter in the first battle of the story.
Naturally, it couldn’t be a monster that was incredibly strong here.
GROOOAR!
But that ‘Crimson Claw’ howled wildly, and its aura was different.
…So, this time we were supposed to hunt a ‘bear.’ A bear whose skin and bones sometimes deflected bullets.
But it also possessed fire-attribute Marmaros and instinctively used magic as a bear.
Its size was double that of polar bears I had seen at the zoo, and I’d have to tilt my head back fully just to look up at its head.
Usually, bears might seem a bit cute if they just sat there with their mouths closed, but the Elemental Bear exuded a savage aura even while remaining still.
“Alright, I’m going in!”
Leo said that as Claire nodded.
GROOOOAR!
The Elemental Bear swung its arm, and Leo deftly dodged. He jumped to the side while Claire ducked her head. I felt a shiver just watching Claire’s hair, tied back, get slightly cut by the sharp claws.
“We’re going together, Princess!”
…Just call me Charlotte.
Jake and Charlotte dashed next. The two turned around the back of the Elemental Bear to swing their swords. Of course, with its thick skin, it didn’t seem like it would fall easily.
Claire distracted the Elemental Bear with her whip-like sword while Leo dove in from the front to swing his sword. Although he couldn’t deal a fatal blow in one go, he was certainly cutting its stamina down.
As the bear would turn to Jake and Charlotte behind, the two in front would attack again to keep its attention redirected ahead. The combat flowed well with Grace’s estate’s heavy-hitting swordsmanship and Charlotte’s triple sword usage, featuring Jake’s fast hit-and-run tactics.
“Then, it’s my turn.”
Alice, gripping her sword tightly, declared.
“Cover my back!”
“Yes.”
I nodded, and Alice darted forward.
Royal swordmanship placed great weight on each attack. It was slower than the swordsmanship of Grace’s estate, which used the same two-handed swords, but simultaneously, each hit carried immense power. The sword energy was strong enough to crack the ground!
In the game, Alice was a melee dealer whose attacks were powerful but slow.
Alice charged straight towards the Elemental Bear through the gaps created between Leo and Claire, swinging her sword, and the bear’s belly began to rip open, spraying blood everywhere.
GRAAAAAAH!
A painful roar echoed, sounding very different from just moments before, ringing in our ears. Thud! Thud! The enraged Elemental Bear slammed the ground, sending dry leaves, thick with dust, flying everywhere.
“Eek!”
Mia Crowfield shrieked at the scene.
“We’ll stick to the plan.”
I calmly told Mia Crowfield.
While the scene felt much more vibrant and… brutal than in the game, I had already witnessed bloody scenes and gunned down wolves before. There was no reason to be shocked by such sights now.
“Prepare for water magic. I’ll position myself a bit away and get ready to shoot.”
At my words, Mia nodded her head repeatedly.
I saw Mia Crowfield, slightly hunched, move to a position somewhat removed from the battle, staff in hand, preparing her spell, and I also took my position.
If time had allowed, I might have climbed a tree, but there didn’t seem to be any time for that now.
I climbed onto a nearby large rock, knelt down, and aimed my gun at the head of the Elemental Bear.
Even though the head was quite large, it was quite hard to aim at a crazed bear charging toward Leo and the others.
But I had several chances.
I placed my finger on the trigger and pulled. The solid metal felt like it was forcefully pushing my finger back, but it eventually relented to my strength and shot backward.
BANG!
The sound echoed, possibly louder than any gunfire I had ever heard in the military.
It was sheer luck that I could hit the bear in the head in one shot without rewinding time.
GRAAAAAAH!
However, the prey didn’t drop with one hit. Despite blood gushing from one eye, it straightened up, fierce and imposing, looking a bit intimidating.
Meanwhile, injuries had continued to pile up on the Elemental Bear, yet it seemed uninterested in those.
Pure rage.
If the bear could express emotions, that’s how it would feel now.
As I aimed through the scope, I watched blood and some sort of transparent fluid ooze from the bear’s right eye, and I gripped the bolt, pulling it back.
Click! The satisfying and delightful sound of firearm components settling came, and simultaneously, a casing ejected with a ting sound.
As I pushed my hand forward again…
…
Flames began to erupt from the bear’s back.
Even I, who couldn’t feel the instinctive dread or danger, found the bear’s form to be extremely unnatural.
“Get back!”
Leo shouted at the sight, and everyone close to the Elemental Bear instantly fell back.
Yet amidst all this, the Elemental Bear chose not to chase the humans surrounding it.
Fwoosh—
A sound like a kettle boiling echoed, and the massive bear head slowly opened its mouth.
That gaping maw was directed straight at me.
…Ah.
Right.
I had completely overlooked it, but in the Chronicles of Aetherna, even the minor mobs could use magic without difficulty.
And it was the same type of effect that humans used for magic.
I had always been curious how humans could cast spells without uttering incantations.
Flames ignited deep in the bear’s mouth, and I could see it through the scope.
It was coming directly from its body?
In a panic, I pulled the trigger.
BANG, the sound reverberated, and the kick of the firearm shot through my shoulder entirely. As I fired the gun, my scope lifted from the recoil, so I couldn’t see the bullet pierce through the bear’s cheek.
At the same moment, Mia Crowfield’s previously prepared magic activated.
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