The ninth mission involved clearing out an entire camp of Bahrakos, monstrous creatures with the head of a lion and the body of a troll, standing over 10 meters tall. They were usually armed with giant axes or maces and wore sturdy armor made of bones. Their level ranged from 100 to 120…

  There were usually no restrictions when fighting higher level monsters. It was rare to encounter one that suppressed you based on your level, so in most cases, this wasn’t a disadvantage. A higher level didn’t necessarily mean they were overwhelmingly strong, making it possible to defeat them.

  Due to their massive size, they could launch devastating attacks with terrifying range, and their armor blocked most common projectiles. The knights of Gabola had to work together to bring them down, using aura or imbuing their weapons with elemental energy to deal damage. They also had several sorcerers who prevented them from tearing down the city walls or bypassing them by activating a magical barrier reinforced with artifacts that covered the entire city. According to the guards at the outpost, there had been past invasions where the barrier was broken, allowing the Bahrakos to enter the city. However, by requesting aid through the Adventurer’s Guild, several adventurers from other regions came to their aid in time, preventing annihilation with minimal collateral damage.

  According to the guards, there was still some Mithril left in the blacksmith’s forge, an extraordinary material for crafting all kinds of weapons. It was stronger, more durable, and lighter than steel and other alloys. It also possessed excellent magical conductivity, if an edict were engraved upon it, it would be further enhanced, granting special abilities or boosting existing ones. In the case of bows, arrows were too small for direct enchantments, but placing an edict on the bow could affect the Mithril within them.

  Talking to NPCs provided valuable information, especially when taking on a difficult mission in the area. Camir knew that with his current level and equipment, it was impossible to fight the Bahrakos.

  He went to the blacksmith and bought enough Mithril to fill an entire quiver of arrows. Since it was only for the arrowheads and fasteners, it wasn’t too expensive. He borrowed a section of the workshop to craft his new equipment. For the bow, he used walnut wood for the core, combined with ash wood for the rest of the body, and mahogany reinforcements on the exterior. He inserted some Mithril fasteners, screwing them in to bind the layers together and provide mechanical resistance. He then covered them with mahogany so that the fasteners wouldn’t be visible. Next, he carved the notches for the arrows and the string. For the bowstring, he used Dark Tarantula silk threads combined with fibers from the roots of Aquatic Ivy.

  "You have crafted: Dark Ivy Laminated Bow ★★★★ (Smurky)"

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  "Description: A bow crafted by combining a walnut wood core with ash wood, connected with Mithril. It is lightweight, durable, and flexible. Its string is made of Dark Tarantula silk threads and fibers from the roots of Aquatic Ivy, capable of exerting over 230 kilograms of force. Requires at least 70 Strength. DPS: 1,249-1,713.”

  "You have unlocked Advanced Archery (Passive)"

  "Effect: Significantly improves your mastery with bows."

  "You have unlocked the Archery Mastery attribute."

  "For crafting a 4-star piece of equipment, you have gained 100 Fame."

  "You have unlocked the Fame attribute."

  "Alright, I just need to improve my stats, and then I’ll be able to defeat the Bahrakos."

  "-73 AP"

  "Strength has increased to 79"

  "-73 SP"

  "Marine Impact (Active) has evolved into Marine Torpedo (Active)"

  "Marine Torpedo (Active) +23, DPS: 30.256"

  "Effect: Imbues your arrows with compressed water, causing them to explode upon impact."

  The Bahrakos typically had between 110.000 and 140.000 HP, meaning it would take several shots to bring them down. However, even in groups, they wouldn’t pose much of a problem, as the water explosion’s area of effect would hit all of them.

  It was nighttime. In the Bahrakos camp, several torches flickered in the wind, illuminating the area. Numerous hide tents stood in darkness, encircled by mountains of bones forming a wall 3 to 5 meters high. Two Bahrakos stood guard at the entrance. In the sky, faint traces of smoke from dying campfires drifted, indicating that some groups were still awake, enjoying the night.

  Camir could see them clearly thanks to Shark Eyes (Passive). Lurking in the shadows, he activated Sea Mirage (Active) and sent his water clone to extinguish one of the torches. If he used Marine Torpedo (Active), they would hear the whistling sound.

  One of the guards noticed and went to relight the torch, but suddenly, the water clone lunged at his head, strangling and drowning him within seconds. He couldn’t even scream for help, and even if he had, it would have been useless, no sound could be heard underwater.

  Immediately, Camir threw a stone near the other guard and used Water Swap (Active), switching positions with his clone. The guard approached to investigate, but before he could react, a water clone leaped onto his head, strangling and drowning him as well.

  "420 XP"

  "417 XP"

  "You have leveled up!"

  Silently infiltrating the camp, Camir went tent by tent, drowning all the sleeping Bahrakos with his water clone. Even the ones who were awake were easy to ambush.

  Now, only the groups gathered around the bonfires remained. A direct confrontation was inevitable, but he planned to eliminate as many as possible before the fight began.

  Stepping forward, he positioned himself in full view of the remaining Bahrakos.

  They immediately shouted and alerted the others.

  The entire camp stirred as the Bahrakos stood up, grabbing their weapons, and charging toward him.

  "Water Swap (Active)!"

  Switching places with the water clone he had left hidden in a tent, he caught them off guard, watching as they hesitated at the sudden appearance of a figure identical to him but made of water.

  With precise timing, he activated Thirst for Hunting (Active) and began firing Marine Torpedo (Active) arrows.

  Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

  "421 XP"

  "419 XP"

  "438 XP"

  "435 XP"

  "627 XP"

  "922 XP"

  ...

  "You have defeated the Bahrako Monarch!"

  "1,473 XP"