Hina asked her partner if he was okay, and he smiled and told her everything was fine, suggesting she finish it off quickly.
The treant lunged again, launching branches at them, which they deftly avoided as they approached the monster. They both struck simultaneously, cutting through the branches.
After watching them, Allen wondered whether this was how ordinary adventurers moved.
Naoki turned to him and asked enthusiastically whether he'd seen their teamwork. Allen didn't care, and simply replied that it was pretty good. The guy was indignant, and Hina told him to focus. They needed to finish this off.
They both landed a few more hits on the monster, finishing it off. But that wasn't all. A bunch of the same monsters came running at the noise.
Naoki grinned and told Allen to try to kill them. If anything happened, they'd cover him.
Allen grinned and said that was encouraging, then created a machine gun. Naoki looked surprised, asking what it was. Hina quickly figured out that it was a weapon.
Allen thought that he could spot the enemies simply by installing a thermal scope, but if he just cleared the whole area, it wouldn't matter.
He opened fire and began swinging the weapon from side to side, hitting every monster. His group members were completely shocked, and a few seconds later, there was nothing left of the treants.
Allen turned to the elder and said with a smile that he'd done it. Naoki became nervous, and Hina exclaimed with delight that it was amazing. Naoki looked away. He didn't really want to praise him.
And then someone's voice came from behind the bushes, telling Allen that he had finally found him.
He turned around. It was Lucas. And judging by his red eyes, he had been obsessed with thoughts about him this whole time.
Allen pretended not to remember him, and Lucas exclaimed irritably. Did he really dare to forget the great Lucas? Let him say something. Didn't he remember how he'd embarrassed him at the Wolf Mine?
Allen asked why he had embarrassed himself, just because Allen broke the record for the run.
Lucas exclaimed that so he actually did remember it. He was just mocking him.
Naoki irritably asked what was wrong with him, and Hina remarked that he was kind of scary.
Lucas, with a smug smile, told Allen to look at his level. Allen noted that he was level 73. When he had run into him at the Wolf Mine, he was only level 65.
Lucas pointed out that he had finally noticed his level, and Allen responded that Lucas himself had told him to look at it.
A week had passed since then. He had leveled up quite well. By this world's standards, that was incredibly effective.
Lucas exclaimed that he'd done it to defeat him.
Allen asked how exactly he was going to do that. This wasn't an instance dungeon, so they couldn't compete on time.
Lucas drew his sword and told him that he wasn't going to do something so tedious. A one-on-one duel, right here and now.
Allen asked what had happened to his friends. He told him he'd abandoned those useless weaklings, and the other two indignantly said that challenging someone below him to a one-on-one duel was a dirty game. He ordered them to shut up. The audience should be silent. His bloodlust scared them.
Allen, meanwhile, pulled out a gun and said that everything was fine with him, but he wouldn't advise a one-on-one duel. It would give him too much of an advantage.
Lucas irritably told him not to act tough. He already knew the secret of his firearms. They were powerful against monsters, but didn't work on people. He'd threatened the adventurers at the Wolf Mine into telling him his secrets, and if he wanted to defeat him, he'd better create a sword, too.
Allen didn't let him finish and fired. The bullet grazed his ear, but he screamed as if it had been completely torn off.
Allen said his information was outdated, and Lucas fell, clutching his ear and screaming in pain and fear.
Allen said it was just a scratch, but not to worry. Next time, he'd shoot him in the head.
Lucas became very nervous. He knew he couldn't handle him, and decided to retreat, but finally said that he'd spare him today, and let him remember that. Allen said he wasn't so sure about that.
Naoki wondered how he'd beaten a level 73 so easily. Hina, however, seemed so delighted with the newcomer that she'd practically fallen in love.
They continued on, with Hina walking beside Allen. He said that now all that remained was to defeat the king of the treants in the very depths.
She remarked that he was so reliable — much stronger than they were. He told her in response that she might get into trouble if they relied on him too much, and she smiled widely.
She had always thought that Artisans were weak. But they could be very strong, if you knew how to use their advantages.
He noted that the class definitely had more quirks than the others. But for him, it was the perfect class. He asked why she had chosen a spearman's path.
And while they were chatting casually, Naoki became very nervous, because at this rate, the newbie would steal Hina from him. She started talking about love affairs, and he immediately got between them, causing Hina to fall, and he worriedly told her to watch her surroundings.
Allen called for a strategy meeting. Naoki said that they didn't really need a strategy, and simply told him to follow. Hina called out to him indignantly, but he ignored her and led Allen into the bushes.
He looked around to make sure she couldn't hear them, and Allen asked what he was planning. They should discuss strategy together.
Naoki told him that the meeting was just an excuse. He wanted to ask him something.
He fell to his knees in front of him and bowed his head, asking him to take his hands off Hina. They were childhood friends, but his feelings for her were stronger than friendship. He was in love with her, so it would be a problem for him if Allen continued to stand out.
Allen sighed heavily. He didn't want to waste time on unnecessary drama, and more importantly, it was terribly annoying. It would be better if he helped them start dating quickly.
He told the guy to relax. He wasn't interested in romance. Maybe he could help him.
Naoki exclaimed excitedly, was that true?
Allen said that there would be a boss fight soon. They would put on a little show there. At first, he would fight it alone.
Naoki stopped him and noted with bewilderment that with Allen's attack power, he wouldn't even get a turn.
He told him that the weapons he created could adjust their firepower with a limiter, so he would lower it and pretend to be struggling.
Naoki was delighted and said that he would intervene later and defeat the boss.
Allen confirmed this. The treant king's weakness was its mobility. If it just ran around and attacked, it was easy to defeat alone.
The guy was so overjoyed that he rushed to hug him and thank him. Allen barely managed to pry him off.