[Nightmare]

Helix woke up at 4:50 as he always did.

He carefully pulled Marie and Charlotte's hands away.

The two had claimed him, and poor Riley slept on the other side of Marie.

Helix resolved that he would make them share.

However, he didn't know which one to start with.

Charlotte would get prissy, and Marie would get subconscious.

As for Riley, she was a mind-bending sweetheart.

She was just happy to share the same bed with the three.

There wasn't a single ounce of envy in her.

She was sleeping with a satisfied expression.

That was the quality he loved about her, and his heart melted seeing it so close to him.

After successfully freeing himself and making it to the floor without waking them up, he pulled out a battle disc.

It was the Circle of Silence.

After activating it, he quickly tidied the room, got dressed in his gear, and left notes for them to meet him at breakfast.

No matter how loud he was, none of them had heard a sound.

It was unnaturally quiet, and that was something very beneficial.

Outside the house, he moved over to study in the caravan.

It was a small trailer near his old home.

He unlocked the magic circle and stepped inside.

Hundreds of magic circles lined the walls, floors, and desks.

"Hoh? You're up so early?" Tilo teased.

Helix chuckled bitterly.

"We're going on a monster hunt today with Master Tyrene.

I'm planning to protect the women if I have to.

Knowing Tyrene, she'll make that part of the lesson.

I learned to treat expeditions real since I got this."

Helix lifted his sleeve and showed off the fashionable four-claw scar from the Liken Wolf.

"Ah. That's a good point." Tilo chuckled while stroking his chin.

"So, what are you creating today?"

The man looked at Helix with interest in his eyes.

"I'm perfecting this." He pointed out.

Tilo studied the magic circle and its [accessory].

"This is new…. You said perfecting it.

Does that mean you've been working on it for a while?" He asked while narrowing his eyes at the circle.

"Yes. I created it two weeks ago and have been training when I can." Helix replied.

Tilo's eyes widened.

"Really? This?" He asked.

Helix nodded.

"Would you like to see how it works?" He asked.

Tilo's eyes glittered strangely.

"If you're willing to show me your work, I have high expectations." He chuckled.

"Well, I hope I don't prove them unfounded." Helix chuckled with a slight smile.

—

"I know you girls want to oooooh and ahhhhh at the specialty cakes he bought you for breakfast, but he should've considered how fast you'll throw them up!" Tyrene roared.

The glowing women shivered when they heard Tyrene's declaration.

Helix gave Tyrene a wry smile, but she ignored it.

"Helix. Can you tell these girls what a monster hunt with me is going to be like?" She ordered.

"Tyrene's training policy states that saving your life has nothing to do with your appearance." Helix sighed.

"So if she has to save you, expect to come out disfigured."

The women shuttered.

"Ex~actly! That's the face I want to see on you women!" Tyrene yelled.

"The beautiful ones fraught with terror.

Not hideous faces fraught with terror.

Now let's move out!"

Helix chuckled with a confusing mix of emotions.

—

"I can't wait to show Hellie how powerful I've become!" Charlotte exclaimed under her breath.

"Me too! I can't wait till he sees [Shatter]." Marie replied enthusiastically.

"Do you think he'll like [Cyclone]?" Riley asked.

"Well, yeah, dummy. Just because he hasn't seen it doesn't mean he doesn't know how cool it is." Charlotte replied.

Helix listened to the gossip with a cringing expression.

"Master… should I try to reign them in?" He whispered.

"No. If you want to save them, you'll have to let them learn the hard way." Tyrene replied softly.

"I…."

"It's worked out for you, hasn't it?" She asked with a serious tone.

"Yes." He replied in a defeated tone.

"Besides. You're here to save those girls if they need it, right?" She asked.

"Yes."

The young women chatted merrily and took sneak glances at Helix with rosy faces.

The group was [running] through the forest at 15-mph.

Everyone's agility stats were high enough to sustain the speed while chatting.

Helix's expression was grave when he realized where they were heading too.

"Look alive, ladies! We're approaching our hunting grounds!" Tyrene called out.

The woman ran out in front in a flash and stopped a few hundred meters away.

Everyone stopped when they got in front of her.

"T-This…." Marie shuttered with fear in her eyes.

Charlotte looked around and got the same feeling.

Riley's eyes trembled as well.

They were in the middle of a heavily forested area covered in dry trees.

Behind Tyrene was a large cliff, overseeing a valley 400-feet below them.

Their faces paled as they examined the area more seriously.

Helix cringed at their pained expressions and closed his eyes.

"Looks like this kid has an eye for smart women!" Tyrene announced with a smile.

The young women looked at her with pitiful expressions.

"Marie, tell me why you look so pale right now." She ordered.

Marie averted her gaze and spoke hesitantly.

"It's because… on a cliff, if I use [Shatter], the ground will collapse, and we'll die." She whispered.

"Ding ding ding! We have a winner!" Tyrene announced.

Marie gritted her teeth in anger and helplessness.

"Charlotte. Tell me why [your] face is so anxious." She continued.

"We're in a dead forest. No matter how skillfully I control [Exodus Blaze], the smallest spark will light this entire area on fire.

Then we'd all die." Charlotte grimaced.

"Ex~actly! And you, Riley. Why are you so anxious?" Tyrene asked.

Riley gave her a hesitant expression.

"It's a dry area on shaky ground. Water and wind pressure can break up the soil and cause a flood or a collapse." She whispered.

"Very good! You've officially survived by running away." Tyrene announced.

Helix took a deep breath.

Watching his loved ones get ridiculed was difficult.

However, he had to endure it because the lesson was important.

"Quick question. There are three of you with the same weakness.

If you're in a situation where you couldn't run, which one of you has skill sets suitable for fighting monsters in this environment?" She asked with steeled eyes.

Silence filled the area.

"I see. Who's confident in fighting with conventional weapons in this environment?" Tyrene continued."

When Charlotte went to raise her hand, she pulled it back sharply.

"Hmmm? Why did you pull back?" Tyrene asked with a bemused voice.

"It's… because I don't know what level of monsters are out here." She answered bitterly.

"Ding! Right answer. Helix, sum up the lesson that I'm trying to get across."

Helix looked at the women with a remorseful expression.

"We Earthians have overpowered Nightmares we rely upon too heavily." He sighed.

"She's trying to teach you the value of conventional fighting, suppressing the output of your power, and researching your opponents."

Tyrene nodded and then gazed at three with her sharp, crystal-blue eyes.

"Luckily, you're in a group and have strong gear.

We're going to be practicing group coordination today." She announced.

The women nodded with bitter eyes.

Ten minutes into their journey, the group stopped moving.

Boom.

"Master…."

Boom.

"No."

Boom.

Boom.

"Master, this is…."

Boom.

Boom.

"I said no."

Boom.

Boom.

Boom!

Boom!

"W-What is—"

Boom!

Boom!

"I don't know!"

Boom! Boom!

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

"RHHHAAAAAAAAHRRR!"

"I-I can't even see the level of this thing!?" Charlotte cried in fear.

"M-Master! How are—"

BOOM!

A shockwave exploded from their location and sent the three girls flying away from each other.

Helix gritted his teeth in anger and gripped his sword.

However, he did not dare make a move.

The beast he was looking at was 15-feet tall and 20-feet in length.

It looked like a silverback gorilla walking on its fists regarding its movement patterns.

However, its face and fur were similar to a brown bear, and it had jaws to match.

—

[Query: Balkan Bear]

[Species: Bear]

[Threat Level: Intermediate]

[General Characteristics:

~2-4 metric tons.

Dark black fur with reddish highlights.

~10-20 feet tall and has a long body that can easily move from a four-legged position to two.]

[Description: A large beast that uses its arms as a primary means of battle.

It can stand on its back legs to attack higher but typically stays on its four limbs to run faster.

The beasts are aggressive and extremely territorial.

They will attack humans upon sight.

Indigenous to the following regions…]

[Known Weaknesses:

Losing a back leg reduces more than half of their mobility because they cannot attack with their arms.

Have poor senses and are easily fooled.

…

Fear the following beasts…

Weak to the following elements…

….]

[Known strategies for fighting them…]

[Research]

[New query]

—

Charlotte groaned as she pushed herself up.

She saw Helix in the same position he was originally standing in.

His hand gripped his sword and stared at the beast with bloodlust oozing from their pores.

She was taken aback by how sharp his presence was.

He was scanning the area to access the situation, and Tyrene's hand on his shoulder spoke volumes about the situation.

It was clear to her that the person that was once protected was the protector in this situation.

"Charlotte. Regroup with the women so you can devise a battle strategy!" Helix yelled.

She snapped out of her trance.

Charlotte blasted from her position and scooped Riley up from her position in a flash.

Tyrene was shocked to see how fast she moved to follow the basic order.

She expected the young woman to unsheath her sword.

However, she kept barehanded and used agility to fulfill the regrouping command.

"Marie, move back! We'll regroup there!" Charlotte called out.

Marie complied and jumped backward.

"Riley! You're the best with a sword.

What do we need to do? We can't just cut this thing!" Charlotte growled.

Riley nodded and jumped out of Charlotte's arms.

"We need to focus on cutting one of its legs off." She replied calmly.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Move!"

BOOOOOOOM!

The Balken Bear had clasped its hands together, lifted its body 30-feet in the air, and slammed its fists down.

Riley threw her arms around Charlotte's waist and jumped high as she could.

They barely missed the shockwave of the attack, but the air pressure sent them rolling away.

"RHHHAAAAAAAAHRRR!"

—

[A/N: Roar. Rawr. ROAR! RAWR! Consider alternatives before you clown me. Lol.]

—

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