Deep in the snowy forests near Kerajtul, a mid-sized village in the northern high-risk zone suited for Rank C-B adventurers, danger loomed. This snow-covered village, nestled close to a mining area, boasted a bustling market selling high-quality weapons and armor crafted from fine stone and iron. It also offered top-notch medical facilities and hearty meals, all managed by the guild to keep every adventurer's belly full.
Blacksmiths flocked to Kerajtul to hone their craft, drawn by the cheap, abundant ore. Normally, this perilous zone was protected by sturdy walls and a layer of magical barriers, strong enough to keep Rank C-B monsters at bay.
But then, the unthinkable happened. Monsters that usually lurked deep in the forest started creeping dangerously close to the village. Unwary foragers venturing into the woods suffered heavy losses… and among the gravely injured was a master swordsmith, who lost an arm. This very smith had been mentoring May, a young hero learning the art of swordsmithing in Kerajtul.
CLANG! SLASH! SWOOSH!
"Come on, you filthy demons! Come at me! COME AT MEEE!"
"SSSSAAA!"
"May!! I know you're pissed, but don't rush in like that—it's too dangerous!"
"YAAARGH! Die! DIE! DIIIEEE!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
"SSSSAAA!"
The frenzied sounds of battle echoed as a young woman, about 20 years old, fought with reckless abandon. May was decently pretty, but her flat chest, flat hips, and average 160cm frame made her look painfully ordinary. Yet here she was, charging headlong into a pack of five Ice Vipes—high-level, ice-scaled snake monsters that belonged deep in the forest, not this close to the village. Despite her measly Level 89, she was taking on these Level 150+ beasts.
Her sword struck their bodies again and again, while the Ice Vipes' counterattacks missed her completely.
"DIE!"
SLASH!
"DIE!!"
CLANG!
"DIIIEEE!!!"
SWOOSH!
"SSSSAAA!"
CRACK! CRUNCH…
But as May fought with blind fury, the ground behind her began to tremble.
"May!! BEHIND YOU!!!"
"Huh?!"
RUMBLE! ROOOOAR!
Three Ice Drakwoms—ice-scaled, worm-lizard hybrids that should've been in the forest's heart—burst from the ground. Like the Vipes, they had no business being here.
"Eight of them…?! No way I can dodge all that!"
May, driven by rage, paled as she realized she was surrounded by Level 140+ enemies. Her reckless fighting stemmed from her [Perfect Dodge] skill, which let her automatically evade nearly all physical attacks. The skill grew with her level: at LV.1, she could dodge one enemy perfectly, gaining one extra dodge every 20 levels. At Level 89, she could perfectly dodge up to five enemies at once—but no more.
"GRRIIIIZZZ!"
"MAY!! Damn it! [We'll Stand Together]!"
CLANK! CLANG!
"W-What?! Milk?!"
"Finally snapped out of it, you lunatic… Urgh! Cough cough!"
Enter Milk, stepping up to the plate. A sly-looking woman with scarred features, squinting eyes, a crooked smirk, and long, radiant blonde hair, standing about 165cm tall. Clad in full armor and wielding a massive shield, she'd been watching May's chaotic fight from a distance. Now, she unleashed her protective skill, blocking every Ice Drakwom attack—though it left her badly wounded.
"S-Sorry…"
"SSSSAAA!"
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! May grabbed Milk and, with [Perfect Dodge], evaded the remaining Ice Vipes' strikes.
"Milk, I'm so sorry!"
"I get it, you lunatic! Take the money and use your trump card already! One more round, and I'm done for!"
"Got it!! Their HP shouldn't be over 5000 each, so…"
"You idiot, quit calculating HP now! We're out of time! Hit 'em with an Area attack, go!! [Defender]!"
"GRRIIIIZZZ!" x3
"SSSSAAA!" x5
"RAAAGH!"
Right after grabbing the money pouch, May followed Milk's advice, unleashing another of her blessed skills to wipe out every monster around her.
"[Pay2Win Area]! [ZenTrade] 50,000 zen!"
The moment she spoke, a blinding flash erupted. The money in the pouch vanished, replaced by a golden wave that tore through the air, slamming into every enemy in the area with 5000 damage!
BOOOOOOM!
"GRRIIIIZZZ!" x3
"SSSSAAA!" x5
The monsters' bodies disintegrated almost instantly. Another of May's skills kicked in, causing a shower of items—normally requiring careful carving or butchering—to drop from the defeated foes.
THUD! THUD! CLATTER! CLANG…
Ice Vipe EXP: 3750 x 5
Ice Drakwom EXP: 3500 x 3
[May gained 14,625 EXP, 14,625 SkillXP]
[May LV UP: LV.89 > LV.90]
[May SLV UP: LV.65 > LV.66]
[Milk gained 14,625 EXP, 14,625 SkillXP]
[Milk LV UP: LV.115 > LV.116]
When the dust settled, Hero May threw herself into my arms, overwhelmed with joy and guilt.
"W-We're safe… We made it… Sob Milk… I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!"
"Ugh, don't go all berserk like that again, got it?! Your master wouldn't be thrilled to know you went on a revenge spree only to end up a corpse!"
"Sniff Milk… I messed up…"
"Forget it. Just pay back the 50,000 zen you used from the party funds, alright?"
"Eek…"
"No 'eek'-ing your way out of this!!"
Whoops, did I just call Milk "me"? Yup, you guessed it—Milk is me. Your boy, Geng, And why am I, as Milk, helping Hero May like this? Well, there's a story behind it. I'll spill the details another time. For now, I guess I'd better take this reckless girl out to celebrate and de-stress. Sigh.
End of Chapter 21
May and Milk