Chapter 17

    The Path to the Mine

    A man and two foxes trod along a narrow dirt road through a dense forest, where the wilderness had reclaimed much of the path, leaving it more a trail of wild animals than a road. This affirmed that not many other players had passed this way, making the lone young man question whether it was indeed the correct path. He turned to ask the large golden fox walking ahead of him, its nine swaying golden tails the most conspicuous feature as it walked.

    (Are you sure this is the right way, Inari?)

    (Yes, I'm sure. According to the map, this path leads straight to another entrance of the mine.)

    Inari, in her fox form and well-versed in navigating the forest, moved forward cautiously. Part of her vigilance was due to Möbius walking behind her, moving slowly because, aside from the narrow path, it was also rough due to the roots interweaving across the dirt road.

    (The other way is much longer, Möbius. If it gets dark before we arrive, it will be really bad.)

    Gumiho, slightly smaller than Inari and bringing up the rear, warned the young man about the dangers of monsters becoming fiercer and more numerous at night. But, actually, she was more eager to reach Paradiso City, renowned as a culinary paradise

    Suddenly, a large bush beside the path shook violently, and a large, fluffy brown beast lunged out, aiming to attack the leading fox mother, growling loudly.

    "Roar... !!!"

    But was Inari, the keen-nosed fox, unaware of an enemy lurking ahead? She hardened her nine tails like steel with magical power and thrust them at the unfortunate brown bear, piercing it with multiple holes across its body, ending its threat with a single blow.

    (Ah... It's lunchtime now.)

    (Oh, come on!!! Mom, why didn't you stab it somewhere with less meat? The thigh meat of a bear is tasty.)

    Gumiho complained a bit when she saw the condition of the bear that would be their lunch. The part she liked had turned into a large hole instead. Meanwhile, the young man looked for a suitable place to rest.

    "Up ahead looks good. Let's go there."

    Möbius chose a resting spot by a small river with rocks that could serve as seats. He was worried about the path the fox mother had chosen because there must be a reason most people took a detour. But before he could ponder further, the smell of the food Inari was preparing drew his attention back.

    (Alright, Möbius, Miho, it's time to eat.)

    Inari, in her fox form, was grilling a large bear with silver flames in mid-air, inviting the young man and the fox girl to eat. But before Möbius could reach for the large piece of meat that Inari was passing to him,

    “Um-mah-bah, um-bah-bah.”

    Suddenly, humanoid monsters emerged from the mine path. They had pitch-black skin, bald heads, and their bodies were marked with multi-colored stripes as if painted. Three of them appeared, all armed with spears, pointing their sharp ends at Möbius.

    ‘You have encountered three level 35 Cannibal Tribesmen.’

    (Sigh, I'm really tired of these interruptions during mealtime. Mom, Möbius, whoever takes out the last one loses.)

    Gumiho, confident in her destructive power, proposed a small competition. Her favorite thing was eating, and her least favorite was anything that interrupted her meal.

    (Sure, whoever loses gets a cheek kiss.)

    Even though it was a small contest, Inari managed to turn it into a big deal for Möbius. Such a punishment game was a way to tease the young man regardless of who won or lost.

    (Alright, it's settled, 2 against 1, no need to hear Möbius’s opinion then.)

    Gumiho concluded the discussion and immediately fired a small fireball at the nearest tribesman. Meanwhile, Inari took the opportunity, while Möbius was still confused about their agreement, to close in on the opposite tribesman from Gumiho’s target and stabbed him with her tails at almost the same time.

    “Ah... I guess I lose then.”

    Möbius watched in amazement as two tribesmen fell almost instantly. Before he could even draw his gun, he had lost the competition. The remaining tribesman, seeing his companions easily defeated, hesitated before rushing at Möbius, probably seeing him as the least dangerous target.

    Möbius pulled out his new shotgun and shot the approaching tribesman, the impact knocking him into rocks in the river. The young man then switched to a light machine gun called Thompson and stepped on one of the tribesman's legs, pulling the trigger.

    Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!!!

    Möbius riddled the unfortunate tribesman with bullets, his body lying still. As he turned back, the mother-daughter foxes, now in human form, each kissed one of his cheeks without giving him a chance to react.

    “Hehehe, Möbius is the loser, as per the deal, you get a cheek kiss.”

    Gumiho laughed cheerily and ran off to grab the grilled bear thigh to munch on deliciously. Similarly, Inari, covering her mouth with her sleeve, giggled charmingly before walking off to eat. The fox mother then turned to the young man with a mischievous look.

    "Hey, hey, if you're not happy with the deal, you can kiss my cheek in return, Möbius. I won’t mind."

    Möbius, his face already blushing like a ripe ivy gourd, waved his hands frantically to refuse the fox mother's suggestion, making her laugh again at his cuteness before she walked over to hand him some grilled bear meat so they could quickly continue their journey.

    As they neared the mine, the tribesmen seemed to appear more frequently. Fortunately, Möbius had the keenly sensitive mother-daughter foxes with him, almost always alerting him of an impending attack. Thus, the three managed to handle every encounter, and the path, which was once narrow, became littered with bullet casings and signs of explosions.

    (Möbius, it looks like we’re approaching their town up ahead.)

    Gumiho, in her fox form, caught the scent of a large number of tribesmen ahead. She crouched low to the ground to conceal herself from the greater numbers of tribesmen who hadn't yet seen them. Möbius and Inari, also in her fox form, crouched under a bush nearby.

    (It looks like they've built their town right at the entrance to the mine.)

    Inari, leading the way, estimated they were very close to the mine entrance. These tribesmen were likely the reason why most players chose to take a different path; without their quick senses, they would have been ambushed and killed by now.

    The young man looked ahead and saw the tribesmen's town. They had erected logs about waist-high to Möbius in a semi-circle under a large, elevated cliff, under which he guessed there must be a mine entrance.

    The town of the tribesmen, about 100 meters across, consisted of 11 to 12 huts. Around 50 tribesmen were wandering around, and at the front of the largest hut stood a tribesman nearly twice as tall as the others, covered in small skulls and wearing a hat made from colorful feathers. This individual appeared to be the chief of the tribesmen.

    (Eh... then we should first figure out where exactly the mine entrance is.)

    Gumiho suggested, since if there wasn't a direct entrance as expected, fighting the tribesmen would be a waste of time. Möbius agreed and took out his rapid-fire sniper rifle, climbing a tree at the edge of the forest to use the scope attached to survey the small village ahead.

    (That’s definitely the entrance to the mine... The problem is that it’s right behind the chief’s hut, and it seems like they won’t be leaving anytime soon.)

    Möbius spotted a large wooden door behind the large hut and mentally conveyed this to the mother-daughter foxes telepathically. He knew they might have to fight since a detour would be too long and risky, especially if it got dark and they encountered numerous monsters like those in the Cave of Fate.

    (Then, Möbius, try drawing them out one by one with your shots. While they try to figure out where the shots are coming from, Miho and I will take care of them.)

    Inari outlined the most likely successful plan, which Möbius also had been thinking along the same lines. Once agreed, Inari and Gumiho hid quietly in the bushes near the base of the tree where Möbius was camouflaged himself with branches.

    Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!! Bang!!!

    300 (Critical hit from ability)

    Möbius began to doubt his own accuracy; despite having a high-quality scope, it took him five shots to hit his target, aided by a lucky shot skill. The noise of the gunshots and the injury to one of the tribesmen caused a commotion among them, shouting "Umbah-Umbah." Five of them moved towards the source of the noise to see who had shot their friend, fitting right into Inari's plan.

    Soon they approached the tree where Möbius was hidden. They seemed to have keen senses, as they could tell something was off in the area. So, they guarded themselves by standing back-to-back to avoid any blind spots.

    ‘Hands of Möbius, White Hole, one bullet’

    Möbius fired a single shot into the air, making the bullet's trajectory arc to land about 3 meters away from his tree. The tribesmen immediately moved towards the bullet’s landing point, giving the two foxes their opportunity.

    The female fox used her tails to silently stab the tribesmen from behind, aiming for spots that would kill instantly before flicking the bodies away slightly. Seeing that his sent group hadn't returned, the tribal chief sent another, larger group of 20 to search every nook and cranny of the area where Möbius and the foxes were hidden. They slowly advanced, thrusting their wooden spears into every bush along their path.

    (Once they get close, we'll rush into their village, and Miho, you set the forest on fire.)

    Möbius shared the plan and quietly prepared a few grenades, also using the ability of Gravita to make himself lighter without noise.

    The group of 20 tribesmen crept forward, unaware of their impending doom. Just as one of their spears nearly stabbed into the bush where the fox mother was hiding, Gumiho and Inari immediately burst out toward the village. Möbius, lightened by his ability, threw grenades at the tribesmen under the tree and quickly propelled himself from the branch that he was hiding on, following the foxes rapidly. Seeing Möbius following, Gumiho unleashed fire into the dry-leaved forest floor, igniting a fiery inferno that engulfed the 20 tribesmen.

    The young man slid into the ground in front of the village at high speed, nearly crashing face-first, but Inari, seeing it in time, used her tails to wrap around him, pulling him up. However, this made them the center of attention for many enemies in front. The tribal chief bellowed loudly, ordering all remaining tribesmen to attack the invaders immediately.

    "Umbah!!!"

    (Watch out, both of you.)

    Möbius telepathically warned the two foxes and then pulled out his Thompson, loaded with extra-powerful bullets, and sprayed the approaching group of tribesmen.

    (Alright, Möbius.)

    Gumiho, skilled in magic, cast scattering fireballs at the tribesmen and ran around, continuously casting fireballs to create confusion. With her animalistic speed, no tribesman could catch up to her.

    Shhk!!

    (Möbius, you be careful too.)

    Inari, focusing on healing and support magic, effortlessly stabbed the tribesmen emerging from the fiery backdrop with her tails, even while sitting facing the cliff, making Möbius wonder whether the fox mother was more skilled at stabbing with her tail. The tribal chief, seeing his men failing to handle the intruders, became furious and decided to deal with the invaders himself.

    ‘You have encountered a level 40 Cannibal Tribe Chief.’

    As the alert sounded, Inari looked ready to charge at the tribal chief, but Möbius raised his hand to stop her.

    (Inari, let me handle this.)

    The young man, feeling he had been overly reliant on the two foxes during their time in Erisé Village, thought it was time to prove himself. He also wanted to see how much stronger he had become since becoming a space gunner, having had little chance to fight.

    (Alright then, I will cover your back.)

    The fox mother nodded frequently, pleased that the young man was taking the initiative to fight by himself, as it would help him improve quickly and achieve his goals. She then turned to deal with any tribesmen who might disturb Möbius during the fight. The tribal chief, sensing that the lone human of the group was the weakest, smirked at Möbius and accelerated his charge towards him.

    "Ah, looking down on me like this is quite the mistake."

    Möbius smiled slightly as he noticed the mocking grin of the tribal chief. He then swapped his empty Thompson for the more powerful assault rifle of Purple Spider and unleashed a barrage of bullets at the approaching giant tribesman.

    Bang, bang, bang!!!

    70×4

    105×3 (Critical hit from ability)

    The rifle from Purple Spider was nearly twice as powerful as the Thompson, though it could only hold 31 rounds and had a stronger recoil, making it harder to fire accurately. However, Möbius used it strategically to buy time for reloading his Thompson.

    “Hawagh!”

    The tribal chief bellowed as he charged toward Möbius. Despite being staggered by the gunfire, seeing his own blood only fueled his madness. He swung his massive, spiked club at the enemy before him, the whooshing sound chillingly fierce.

    The young man, whose body was lighter by using his abilities, knew he could dodge the frontal attack. Instead of evading to the side or back, he ducked low and rushed towards one of the chief’s legs, then leaped onto the large, bent knee, altering gravitational pull to allow himself to walk on the tribal chief as if on flat ground.

    Switching to dual pistols for better mobility, Möbius ran around the head of the tribesman, continuously firing. When he reached the back of the tribal chief's head, he fired the last round from his white pistol directly into the back of the chief’s head with his special ability,

    Gravity shot - heavy

    1000 (Critical hit on a vital spot)

    Möbius made the bullets, when fired from the gun barrel, to increase in weight fivefold, thereby increasing their impact force. The tribal chief's head immediately slammed into the ground as it was struck by the powerful bullet. But a monster of this level wouldn’t be killed by such an attack alone. Möbius then unleashed the space spell again:

    Grativa

    A faint black magical circle appeared on the ground under the tribal chief, increasing the weight of anything within it. No matter how strong the tribesman was, if dazed from an attack to the head and weighed down by his own mass along with the young man standing on his back, rising was impossible. Möbius then pulled out his Thompson to deliver the coup de grâce.

    Bang, bang, bang!!!

    70×151 (Critical hit on a vital spot)

    ‘Congratulations, you have successfully eliminated the tribal chief.’

    After Möbius finished off the tribal chief, he saw that the two fox girls had already dealt with the rest of the tribesmen. The loot from clearing the Cannibal Tribe included over ten Level 3-4 spears, a few medium-sized power-enhancing potions, and about 50,000 reals in total. But importantly, the tribal chief had dropped a basic book on ore extraction and smelting techniques, exactly what Möbius was keen to acquire. It seemed that today, the system’s justice was on his side, as everything went smoothly.