Hellbents
Chapter 39: Roasted Frog

"We'd better save some energy, I think there's some monsters we'll meet later."

Ib understood Ava's intentions. Facing one banderhobbs had already spent a fifth of what he had. So even though showering the frog monster with fireballs is a powerful way, they both have to be smarter in completing how many more banderhobbs are roaming around. Moreover, there was no guarantee that there would only be one type of monster infiltrating this ship. Besides, there's more important. "Our priority is to save the kidnapped victims."

Ava actually prefers to look for River, but going alone will only harm her. "Aren't you supposed to protect your sponsoring nobility?"

Ava could see Ib's hardened lip line, his eyebrows twitching. "They are also lost, so I am looking for them. And when I wanted to enlist the ship's captain's help, since my sponsor was a noble, I met you in front of the staff room. You're also alone looking for your friends, aren't you?"

Ib who was suddenly defensive did not escape Ava's observation, inexplicably the man felt he had to justify his actions. That is, there are things that Ava can dig deeper than here.

"Our candle is running out, so I intend to ask the ship's staff, but it turns out everyone disappeared, even though the four of us were fine in the room."

"So your friends just disappeared after you left?"

"Yes." Yeah." It's time to attack Ib with the question, "Then how can your sponsor disappear?"

For a moment Ib's steps widened to the point that Ava could only look at the man's back, "They also disappeared as I walked out of the room," Ib finally murmured.

But Ava believes there is something bigger than that. "When what's out? The upstairs room I remember had a private bathroom, different from the one downstairs. Besides, we just had dinner."

"They ...." If Ava's five senses were insensitive, she would have missed Ib's stiffened shoulders, her hands clenching hard, her knuckles even turning white. "They told me to get out."

Ava smells conflict.

Ib's relationship with his sponsors looks unequal. Although the man was a ranker who had a level of more than a hundred, if his sponsor who was in fact noble status forced Ib to sign a blood agreement or a contract bound by magic, he said, then the position of Ib is nothing more than a slave. Seeing all this time how the beastman race got great discrimination, it would be very strange if there was no one to connect Ib with the lion tribe, his original figure. So Ava assumed that the ranker's sponsor made Ib fake his identity. Though in the book he read, members of the lion tribe very high end self-esteem. Then willingly covering up the dignity that should be upheld, Ava was almost sure the process was not smooth.

Not yet had time to pry more, I eat frogs again sounding tight from the end of the hallway.

Another banderhobbs was found.

This time Ava took two masks that she had changed her filter, giving one of them to Ib. Ava actually refrained from using the sleeping powder due to Ako's presence, but the cat was useless when fighting frogs larger than humans. Perhaps recognizing Ava as a good acquaintance of River, Ako according to when the girl ordered her to retreat behind them. Now, at least the cat doesn't bother.

As before, the bipedal frog was lost in the shadows. Ava reflexively throws a poisonous dagger at one dark corner of the passenger aisle. The monster immediately revealed loudly, Ava had to cover her ears that were throbbing pain.

Unfortunately, the creatures they were facing were more aggressive than the ones before.

The wooden floor shook and creaked, the large and tall body that looked filled with fat and mucus was soaring then right in front of them with just one jump.

"Dodge!"

Ava jumped back, but her body was staggering as it was still overwhelmed by the stimulation her senses received. He also threw an anesthetic ball, which immediately broke into the green frog's chest, a moment off the target.

But the banderhobbs are still agile, meaning that the effectiveness of the anesthetic powder decreases due to the high level of monsters, they have to wait for the effect longer than usual.

Race: Banderhobbs

Level 54

Abnormality: Drugged (Speed reduced by 5%), poisoned (HP reduced by 5 points every second)

No wonder, the level is over 50.

But how can those fat frogs reach such high levels in the middle of the ocean when their native habitat is in fresh water? The most plausible explanation is the outbreak. The gate that was unkempt within the ocean, only became the entrance for high-leveled monsters the longer it was left.

The world needs an ocean.

The frog's tongue is elongated, quickly leading to Ava's position, fortunately the girl is sprightly, Ava avoids an attack that almost managed to break the wooden floor.

Danger too.

On the other hand, Ib had taken out a two-bladed sword from his inventory, which was instantly enveloped in flames once the mana flowed. He decided to fight at close range.

His sword swung, successfully scraping the right side of the frog's stomach until it matured and dried on the wound. Realizing a new danger, the monster leapt back, hiding under the dark side of the ship.

But Ava once again pelt the creature's position with a poisonous dagger, which immediately roared loudly, hurting Ava's ears.

Ib unceremoniously aimed at the frog's neck right after he came out of hiding. The banderhobbs parried with his tongue, unaware of the consequences that came, one third of the tip of his tongue was cut off, momentarily squirming due to reflex nerves.

The monster was drugged, poisoned, and bleeding. More and more wounds appeared on his half-dry skin. HP has drastically decreased. Until finally, 980 points left.

The impact of Ava drugs is also increasingly visible, a 15% cut of speed is very large. Every second, 30 HP is lost due to poison and open incisions.

Just waiting for the monster to fall.

Intending to show off with striking techniques, Ib ended the fight by splitting the two head banderhobbs they defeated, charred to black.

"I told you, we'd better save some energy."

"Just calm down, my stamina is still a lot, I get a level of over 100 not just by sitting."

Ava thinks he has a point. "But just remember, I don't want to carry a load of more than 100 levels if there is danger later."

With a small laugh, Ib replied, "If such a thing does happen, you may leave me."

Ava just whimpered.

Continuing the search, the two of them were faced with a forked hallway. But before Ava and Ib discuss, Ako first run to the right side of the road.

"Eh, don't go far!" Ava shocked herself, her voice more jarring in her sensitive ears.

This problem must also be addressed immediately.