https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-14-The-Guild-s-Reputation-Seems-to-Be-a-Bit-Troubled/12809313/
Chapter 15: Farewell, My Admired Heroines
Chapter 15: Farewell, My Admired Heroines
It was less than a kilometer to the guild, and even a leisurely stroll would take no more than twenty minutes. However, the various breakfast stalls and shops along the way emitted enticing aromas that slowed Rod's pace. Wormy seemed even more troubled, his long tongue hanging down, and his eyes darting around, unsure where to look.
The food here was as diverse as the fashion styles, with Chinese, European, and Japanese options all available. Rod chose a bun shop that looked appealing and bought two buns, one for himself and one for Wormy. After eating half of his bun, Rod gave the rest to Wormy. He figured that until his finances improved, it was better not to waste food. He could always get a bowl of noodles at the guild instead.
Wormy, on the other hand, seemed quite happy. Perhaps the resource-scarce environment of the Howling Abyss had made him less picky about food.
"Good morning, Mira."
"Good morning, Rod, and Wormy."
Today, Lisanna arrived a bit late, panting and apologizing as soon as she got there, "Sorry, I was organizing my collection and lost track of time."
Mira replied, "It's fine, there's not much to do in the morning, and now we have Rod to help."
"Collection?" Rod was curious about what Lisanna might collect. Wooden sculptures, perhaps? After all, she used Wood Make magic.
"Lisanna's collection is quite interesting," Mira said with a smile. "If you get the chance, you should definitely check it out."
Rod had already picked up on Mira's mischievous side. Seeing her smile, he sensed that things were not as simple as they seemed.
"Unfortunately, the girls' dorm is strictly off-limits to boys. But if you're interested, I can bring a few smaller items for you to see."
Lisanna adjusted her glasses, the white light reflecting off the lenses making Rod even more uneasy.
"Just out of curiosity, they're not something scary, are they?"
"Of course not, they're all very cute items!"
Rod's suspicion only grew. Mira refused to say anything, only smiling as if she was looking forward to Rod's reaction to the "surprise."
Well, he would find out eventually. Rod put aside his curiosity and decided to get a bowl of noodles first.
By the time he was full, the guild was starting to get lively. Master Makarov, dressed in his usual casual attire and carrying a wooden staff, appeared and sat cross-legged on the counter, watching the children laugh and play as he always did. To someone who didn't know better, he might just seem like a kind old man.
"Master, I have a question about my magic."
After finishing his assigned chores, Rod immediately sought out Makarov to explain his situation.
"I see. Let's try it out then. We'll go to the back of the guild."
Makarov was a bit touched. This kid actually came to seek his advice before doing something potentially dangerous! His level of responsibility was well above ninety percent of the Fairy Tail members.
"Also, you're using 'nothing to hide' incorrectly."
"Oh."
Rod said goodbye to Mira, leaving Wormy to play in the tavern, and followed the Master to the back door.
Behind the guild was a large courtyard, surrounded by a wall made of bluestone, with an iron gate in the middle bearing the Fairy Tail emblem. Through the gaps in the gate, Rod could see an endless expanse of water, the morning sun casting a warm orange glow that was broken up by the gentle breeze, creating a shimmering effect.
As someone who wasn't very disciplined, Rod hadn't seen a sunrise since his college days.
"So, the back of the guild is the sea?"
"No, it's a lake, just a very large one," Makarov explained, noting that Rod still had a lot to learn. "Magnolia is an inland city. If you want to see the sea, you'd have to take a train to Hargeon, a port city with beautiful scenery."
"I'll have to visit it sometime," Rod set a new goal for himself.
"Having a place you want to visit is a good thing. Makarov is most concerned about you losing your direction."
The current situation is that as long as he has something he wants to do, whether it's learning magic or going on a journey, it's a good thing.
"Alright, let's begin."
"Sure." Rod pulled out the pendant from under his collar and recited the spell once more.
This time, a vortex appeared on the ground, and the chill wind was replaced by a damp, misty air. Vaguely, he could see the shadows of aquatic plants.
The vortex vanished, and Rod felt a flood of his magical power pour out, leaving him with only a fraction of what he had started with.
Ripples spread across the ground like water, and a green, armored creature, nearly one and a half meters tall and about two meters long, emerged from the center of the water-like surface.
It had six legs, a pair of short claws, a pair of green, shiny eyes, and two antennae that looked like pigtails.
It was wider, shorter, and lower than a regular minivan.
"This is... a crab?" Makarov tilted his head back to look up at the creature, which was taller than he was.
"Yeah... I think so," Rod said, already knowing the name of this giant creature. "It's called the Swift River Crab, from the river in Summoner's Rift. Its main feature... is that it runs really fast?"
The Swift River Crab, commonly known as a river crab, is a creature from the game League of Legends, just like the Poro, though they are from different maps.
To be precise, it comes from the Serpentine River, though Rod, like most players, didn't know the name of the river.
Unlike the Poro, which is more of a mascot, the Swift River Crab is a neutral creature, or a "jungle monster," and killing it grants gold and experience points.
In the game, the river crab is one of the weakest jungle monsters because it—
Doesn't attack!
Apparently, in ancient versions of the game, the river crab had an attack, but when Rod played, it was just a monster that ran away when hit.
This creature was one of the favorites for his friend Darius, who would almost always farm a river crab before or after supporting Rod on the lane.
He could skip the kills, but he had to farm the river crab.
Despite the possibility that his second summoned creature might also lack offensive capabilities, Rod wasn't too disappointed.
What was more disappointing was that his summoning path might not be what he had imagined.
He had hoped to summon various powerful heroes, but it seemed he would only be summoning jungle monsters.
Rod held the necklace Darius had given him, feeling a mix of emotions. Should he say that it lived up to the reputation of a brash jungler?
If this keeps up, maybe he should change his name to Ivern.
Despite his inner grumbling, he still needed to practice this magic.
Even if it wasn't what he had expected, being able to summon jungle monsters was still powerful.
One day, when he could summon dragons, he would be unstoppable, right?
But for now, the size of this Swift River Crab was a bit more than he had anticipated.
Thinking about the size comparison between heroes and river crabs in the game, it made sense that it was this big.
Although it was non-aggressive in the game, in reality, its sheer size could make it quite dangerous if it decided to ram someone.
Feeling the tangible magical connection between him and the Swift River Crab, and with the Guild Master by his side, Rod mustered the courage to approach the creature.
The Swift River Crab seemed to understand Rod's thoughts and obediently lowered its body, allowing Rod to place his hand between its two antennae—completing what could be considered a head-pat.
It felt cold and a bit damp, but thankfully, there was no fishy smell.
"Do you have any special abilities I don't know about?"
Rod thought that the game's mechanics might change in this magical world, so he asked.
He had asked the same question to Poro Worm...
And Worm had demonstrated some very "impressive" skills, like hugging his leg, diving into his arms, and eating.
Now, Rod only hoped that this Swift River Crab could surprise him a little.
(End of Chapter)
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