Waking up in the morning, it is already 4am. It is still cold outside so Stevanius went to make a fire.
The horse seems to be awaken by the commotion, Stevanius bringing the horse closer to the campfire so it also get warmer. He was planning to continue the journey half a hour later afterall.
As for what Stevanius do yesterday night inside Dimension Travel are still the same, killing surrounding monster to train his skills. The only slight difference probably are just the weapon he use.
Stevanius are usually using his longsword, but this time. He was using double ax [Solomon ax], this was for Stevanius identity.
He decided to use the ax after little bit of consideration, Stevanius are actually, getting his hand on [Close quarter combat] Skills from the opening of 57 odd relic from before, the skill was one out of 7 skill that he got.
This skill was pretty impressive, but he decided to go against it. Why?
Because it was too gory when used on low levels monster, even for monster at the same levels, the carcass are hardly recognisable.
There also the fact that Stevanius body will look like he was showering using a blood.
Actually, Stevanius also wanted to use a spear. Since he was already having a spearsmanship skills, but the problems are there no suitable weapon.
He take a look around his storage and stopped at the ax that he got from defeating his first boss monster.
He remembered clearly that this ax have a abilities that can help someone using it even if they didn't know anything about the correct usage during the battle.
The abilities are 'Heavy weapon mastery' on the top of that, it was at beginner level 5.
One must know that skill like these are starting from tutorial → beginner → intermediate → advanced → master.
You see, it is has been a more than month already since Stevanius gotten into his hand a [Imperial Swordsmanship] but he always stuck on tutorial levels, only after he can't levelled up anymore (stuck at airship) and finally he trained for 'real' this time. The stuck Swordsmanship finally showed a progress.
After practicing day and night for almost 20 days, the [Imperial Swordsmanship] are still at level 3 Beginner.
Stevanius knew that he was just average and not a talented person, even if he had second brain help to analyse himself everytime during the 'training' session. His speed of advancement are just so-so.
If someone with talent being given the similar 'privilege' as Stevanius, they probably will reach master levels within a month.
Speaking a which, that was just level 5 beginner level of 'Heavy weapon mastery' that came from never upgraded Relic, literally it is just the basic attribute and already so powerful!
Hehe...
After being upgraded, the attribute jumped out instantly went all the way to intermediate level 1.
Just by handling the ax using his hand, Stevanius feel the sense of familiarity with the weapon, he also feels like he became really proficient with using the ax. It is not like a technique or knowledge being sent into his brain, but it feel like everything being carved directly into his muscles, becoming the muscle memory.
That really explain a lot as why Stevanius fell become pro and sense of familiarity with the weapon.
Unfortunately the skills are coming from weapon, the skills are for Heavy weapon type afterall, there so much range of use for this skill.
.
An half of hours quickly passed, Stevanius already packed the tent during those time. He went into the campfire and directly pouring water above it, so the fire quickly died down.
After making sure that there no source of fire left, Stevanius went to the back of the horses.
Stevanius didn't directly make the horse run, the horse are needed some warming up for his muscles. Even though the horse already getting warmer by staying near the campfire during these half of a hours, that was just body temperature.
Stevanius didn't wanted to for the horse getting injured, it is will take a lot of effort bringing injured horse back to the Calpheon. And Stevanius doesn't have that kind of patience.
At the 10 in the morning, Stevanius arrived at the destination.
"let's the massacre begin!"
As level 10, Stevanius can easily kill single kobold without too much effort. The kobold are just levels 8 afterall.
Stevanius didn't plan to use sneak attack tactics this time, it is unlike the Stevanius style at all. He portrayed the image of Stevanius as a violent and leave no mercy person at the battlefield.
Besides, Stevanius doesn't worry at all even if he being surrounded by hundred or so kobold.
That all thanks to the [Solomon ax] abilities which was, 'Spirit of battlefield'. It makes the user received boost in stats the more enemies are, "The merrier the better!"
Not only living enemies are count, the dead ones also being counted. For example, if there 100 enemies corpse that recently being killed and there upcoming another 100 enemies, the amount will be 200 enemies.
On the top of everything, every dead enemies also slightly recovered the user stamina.
It can be said that [Solomon ax] was perfect 'tools' for a war.
After spending slightly no more than two hours, Stevanius finally cleaned 150 or so kobold at the small settlement.
He burned everything after getting the valuable thing.
Stevanius doesn't feel he getting closer to levelled up,
"Seems like I need to wiped out more settlement before I can levelled up "
"Sigh...after getting level 10, it is feel like getting harder "
That wasn't illusion or just Stevanius hypothesis. In fact, the levelling progress after Lvl10 are getting more and more harder.
Take a look at level one to 9 for example, image to get level 1, one needs 100 experience point, the amount will doubled everytime someone levelled up, lvl2 are 200, lvl3 are 300 and so on... Reaching to the point of lvl9 900 experience point.
So the to reach Lvl10 will be 1000 experience point, seems normal right?
But the pain of trying to level up are just began!
To reach Lvl11, one needs 10,000 experience point! Yes! That was ten times of experience needed to reach Lvl10!
Starting from there, the number will also multiplying again! Lvl12 are 20,000 experience point, Lvl13 are 30,000 experience point and so on...
There really a reason as for why Stevanius didn't levelled up after wiping out single settlement.
He was fighting the monster under his level afterall, these monster didn't not provide Stevanius enough experience. Even if He killed thousands of them, of course Stevanius doesn't know this fact yet.
Spending 3 more hours to clear out one monster small settlement and one low levelled monster nest. Stevanius finally realized something.
"I don't even have feel of levelling up even after killing more than 600 monster "
"it is feel like that the experience that I received from this low level monster aren't enough?"
"According to game logic, it high likely the case. I will getting less experience from the monster that lower than myself, and only higher levelled monster can provide enough experience for me to level-up "
"I also get the feeling that the experience requirement are increasing by leaps bound "
Looking at the map, Stevanius went looking into slightly stronger levelled monster nearby.
"Hmm? Its seems like my luck was good, there are Gnoll settlement nearby"
Stevanius doesn't know what the Gnoll levels are since he didn't encountered one.
But looking at the creatures description, it said that the Gnoll liking into hunt a weaker monster than him. And the kobold are one of few Gnoll prey in this area, it could be said that the kobold are their 'favourite'.
If Gnoll like to hunt kobolds, then the Gnoll probably around levels 10 to 13, using the ax Stevanius can handle lvl15 monster. (It must be taken note that this was head on fight. Before, when fighting the lvl15 Goblin, that was just sneak attack, so the treats are on completely different levels)
Stevanius looked at the map, he also looking the times.
"Hmmm... It is already 3pm right now, it probably takes a hour to get into this location."
Stevanius quickly moved out without wasting anymore times.
Stevanius purpose aren't after the Gnoll settlement yet, his purpose are to look at the Gnoll levels, he need to test the water.
He camped out 20 kilometres away from Gnoll area and trying his luck to find some lone Gnoll to kill.
Just as Stevanius preparing to hunt the Gnoll, the creature in question are comes knocking his door.
This hyena looking creature are standing with its two feet, they ware another humanoid creatures just like kobold.
Kobold size are just 2 to 3 feet tall, when Gnolls at other hand, they can reach 4 to 5 feet tall. By the size alone, kobold really had a great disadvantages from the Gnolls.
There are two Gnoll ambushing Stevanius, but he didn't get rid of the possibility for the the third ones. The two Gnoll that attacking Stevanius are using small wooden shield with an ax, and the other are using spear.
"They ware really cleaver " commented Stevanius when seeing the weapon of the attacker.
The one with the shield and ax roles are fighting at close range with Stevanius, the roles are to attract the agro. As for the one with the spear, this guy can attack in long range and the roles are damage dealer.
Stevanius went into high alert after seeing this composition, he was extremely sure that there will be an archer hiding in the forest behind the tree. He doesn't know how many the Gnoll that ambushing him are,
"I hope it is just small team"
It will be good for Stevanius if the ones that ambushing him are just small team that only consisted of three to four creatures.
If the one that he faced are normal sized team, they will be more than 5 creature.
Even though that was hardly the case, the possibility are not that slim. Take a look for the goblins for example, they will hunt at normal group which was more than 5 goblin inside, they always use the number for advantage, because they knew they're weak.
And just as Stevanius predicted, there an arrow that close enough to hit him.
"They even know how to coordinate their attack, it is really scary to think the fact that the method are coming from monster"
It is all thanks to the another [Solomon ax] abilities Stevanius can survive the arrow, even though he was on full alert, he probably getting hit by the arrow under normal circumstances.
The sense enchantment that came from [Solomon ax] really helped a lot during that attack just now.
That's how good this creature with their teamwork are!
Stevanius nearly died!
"I need to break their teamwork "
Stevanius knew that he was, in fact' having higher stats than these Gnolls by little bit. But unfortunately for him, even if he had higher stats, the teamwork are just too good.
"I don't wanted to use this, but I have no choice..."
Helpless, Stevanius decided to use his cards, he doesn't wanted to die afterall, forget about the acting.
Stevanius secretly pulling out the needle box from his storage and tasked his second brain to control them using telekinetic thread.
Stevanius are already determined the attacker direction, he leave this task to the second brain, that is some easy multitasking.
He was just hoping that these Gnoll archer aren't that smart enough to keep moving after the each attack.
And unfortunately for Stevanius, the Gnoll are really that smart. But he also fortunate because he react quickly after the first arrow attack, the Gnoll location aren't moving too far from the estimated position.
Stevanius quickly scanned the area after getting the Gnoll archer taken care, He was just too panicked when getting ambushed and forgot the fact that he was wearing the [Ghost Spectacle].
Fortunately for Stevanius, after switching the spectacle mode, there are only three green light that can be seen at the surrounding.
Two are the Gnolls in front of him and the last one should be the Gnoll archer.
After getting the archer being dealt with, Stevanius are at ease, he now can focus all of his attention to the current battle.
It didn't takes long for him to finished off the two Gnolls.
Actually, in the middle of fight, the two Gnoll seems realized something was amiss when they ware not seeing the support that came from their kin that hiding behind the tree, they called for their teammates and received no response.
The Gnoll realized that they are miscalculated the human prey that they ambushed for. Their teammates are probably died, the two Gnoll doesn't know how the Archer Gnoll dies.
But they ware doesn't care! The fact that their teammates dies all of sudden without sending a sign or a warning to them when being attacked already proven the threats.
The two Gnoll are decided to make a retreat, but who knows that the Human prey knew their plan.
They can't escape at all, and getting killed instead.