Chapter 70: Leaving the Fighting to Them

Watching the two dependable girls, I extended my left hand and activated a certain skill.

“Support.”

When I used the skill I’d stolen from Kane, green light enveloped Lilina, Alisha, and me.

Realizing that their strength had increased, they looked back at me for an instant.

I gave them a loose smile.

“Lilina, Alisha, I’m counting on you. It seems all I can do is literally support you.”

“”Yes!””

They answered energetically and faced the monsters again. The large white bat-like monster had begun breathing out white vapor.

The white fog gradually spread, thickening the mist we’d just cleared.

Lilina lowered her stance and glanced sideways at Alisha.

“Alisha, can I charge the huge bat?”

“Leave the covering fire to me.”

Alisha nodded, raised her bow, and fixed a serious gaze on the enemy.

At her answer, Lilina vanished.

She had probably used Shadow Hiding, a skill that made her presence difficult to notice even while she was visible. Combined with the speed granted by Support, she truly seemed to disappear.

“Gya-gya?!”

The smaller bats were startled by Lilina’s disappearance. They clustered in front of the large one like a shield.

“Swift Wind… Sniping. Sniping.”

Shoom! Slash! Slash!

“”Gya! Gi!””

Alisha fired her arrows while activating her skills.

Because Support enhanced both her body and magic, each arrow carried tremendous force and pierced straight through the monsters.

“Gi…gi…”

As the bats fell one after another, the large monster behind them began backing away.

When the final smaller bat dropped, it apparently concluded it couldn’t win and tried to flap its wings.

At that instant, a wavering shadow appeared behind it for the briefest moment.

In the next, blood erupted from its neck.

“Gi! Gigigigi!”

Unable to understand what had happened, the monster collapsed and thrashed. Yet even those movements were strangely impaired.

Where it had stood a moment earlier, Lilina was flicking the blood from her dagger.

When she noticed me looking, she glanced at the fallen monster and proudly puffed out her chest.

“Naturally, I used poison!”

…As expected of Lilina. Thorough as always.

Even as I thought that, her frighteningly efficient work made me narrow my eyes. The assassin style truly suited her now.

“Gya…ah…”

“Oh. Steal.”

The dying monster began exhaling white mist again in a desperate attempt to escape. I aimed my left hand and used Steal. It glowed faintly, and a small screen appeared.

Steal successful. Skill acquired: White Mist (M).

The forming mist stopped at once.

“Gi…gi…”

The monster sagged, still unable to comprehend what had happened, and ceased moving.

Amazing. I’d left the battle to Lilina and Alisha, yet it had ended almost immediately.

Had even ten seconds passed between the enemy’s attack and its total defeat?

While I marveled at their overwhelming strength, the two girls hurried back.

“Lloyd-sama! Your skill truly is incredible!”

“Both my magical power and physical strength have increased because of you. Having Lloyd-sama with us is deeply reassuring.”

Smiling, they spoke with open admiration for Support’s effects.

“…No. The two of you are the strong ones, not me.”

Support alone didn’t ordinarily make people this powerful. They certainly hadn’t been this strong in the anime.

This was the strength Lilina and Alisha had gained by mastering their secondary roles.

At any rate, it seemed safe to entrust combat in the Forest of Lost Paths to them. This would draw far less attention than having me rampage.

And so, I continued through the forest while using Support to help the two of them.