You defeated [Ostrich Corniferous - Lv - 34]. Experience was gained.
You defeated [Ostrich Corniferous - Lv - 38]. Experience was gained.
You defeated [Ostrich Corniferous - Lv - 31]. Experience was gained.
You defeated [Ostrich Corniferous - Lv - 27]. Experience was gained.
You leveled up from [39] -> [40] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.
Somehow, I managed to level up twice just by killing these monsters. I probably would've leveled up even more if I had taken them all out by myself, but since Ellen and Noelle were with me, the experience was split between us for the monsters we killed together, while the rest was individual.
From my perspective, this outcome wasn't bad at all. More precisely, being in a group with Ellen and Noelle, their strength becomes mine too. The stronger they become, the stronger I'll be as well.
With that thought in mind, I climbed down from the tree I was on and rejoined Ellen and Noelle, who were waiting for me among the monster corpses. No matter where we looked, there were dozens of creatures lying on the ground, probably around 40 to 50 of them.
"We did it" I commented as I approached them.
"Yeah, somehow everything went smoothly. Using Noelle's power to make the ground muddy and prevent the monsters from fleeing was a smart strategy" Ellen replied with a smirk.
Noelle, on the other hand, seemed reserved, although she occasionally glanced in my direction. Even though I didn't fully understand the significance, I placed my hand on her head and congratulated her, eliciting a small, shy smile from her.
Noelle wasn't much of a talker, but that didn't bother me. After all, I couldn't judge her, as I was practically the same as her when I was younger.
Putting that aside, I activated my Status window and focused my attention on the section where my main and sub-missions were listed.
Missions
[Main Mission] - Race Against Time (Hunt as many monsters as you can before time runs out, those who don't meet the quota will be eliminated)
Quota: 12/150
Time: 2:23:39:03
Rewards: Skill upgrade card/ Enchanted item of your choice.
[Sub-Mission] - Hunt the Golden Boar.
Rewards: Passive skill of your choice.
The first thing that caught my attention were the two new tabs that appeared below the main mission and just above the reward. The quota number had changed, reflecting the amount of monsters I remembered killing, and the time was also ticking down. Currently, we had about 2 days and 24 hours to complete the mission.
We still had plenty of time ahead, if you ask me. At least enough to defeat all the monsters and return home. Despite the prospect of taking the lives of creatures by hunting them, I prefer to avoid thinking too much about it. This is the kind of environment we're in. Just as everyone wishes to return alive, I share the same desire, and I won't compromise on that, for anyone.
"By the way, how many of them did you manage to take down?"
While I was distracted, Ellen's words caught my attention. As I turned to her, both Ellen and Noelle were staring at me. They seemed curious about it, though I didn't know the reason.
"Currently, my quota is at 12 out of 150. And you two?"
Upon hearing my words, Ellen initially seemed surprised, but as quickly as that expression surfaced, a smile lit up her lips. It made me raise an eyebrow as I couldn't quite grasp the exact reason for her happiness.
"My quota is at 18 out of 150. Seems like I ended up getting more than you" replied Ellen, smiling.
"... okay ... and you, Noelle?" I asked, meeting her gentle gaze.
"I got 26" Noelle murmured with a sad look.
I guess killing those monsters really shook her up a bit. Honestly, I hoped she wouldn't be traumatized because of it. Anyway, considering what I managed along with Ellen and Noelle, there were a total of 56 of those monsters around here.
Still, I'm curious about how exactly credit for the kills was distributed just now. Technically, the only ones who carried out the kills were Ellen and me, yet Noelle accumulated more in her quota. Maybe this takes into account each person's individual contribution? It's true that without her, some monsters probably would have escaped, so that makes sense.
"And now, what's the plan? Are we going to hunt more monsters?"
Upon hearing Ellen's words, I paused to reflect on the matter. Personally, I thought it was still early. I wasn't sure if it got dark here, but it seemed unlikely to happen in the next few hours. So, I didn't see a reason for us to rest just yet unless they were both tired, but that didn't seem to be the case either.
If possible, my goal was to ensure that the three of us got about 80 to 150 kills still today. That would allow us to take it a bit easier tomorrow, avoiding us having to run around like crazy chasing more monsters. With that goal in mind, I shared my thoughts with Ellen and Noelle.
"Let's move on for a few more hours. If we can, I want us to reach at least 80 kills out of the 150 planned for today. That way, we can move forward more calmly tomorrow. What do you think?" I asked, alternating my gaze between them.
Upon hearing my words, Ellen glanced at Noelle. It seemed to me she wasn't particularly against my idea. Noelle, noticing her sister's look, simply nodded.
"I'm okay with it, let's go with what big bro says" replied Noelle.
With everything settled, we prepared to move on. However, just before we proceeded, Ellen and Noelle directed their gazes to a specific spot - more precisely, to my back. Quickly, I turned and prepared to fight, but it wasn't monsters that were there.
"What happened here? Are they all dead?"
Suddenly, a group of eight people appeared where we were. They all seemed to have the same questions as the previous individual, but as their gazes settled on me, Ellen, and Noelle, I realized a complicated situation was about to unfold.