It so happened that dozens of people had checked out, and some of them had stayed for days, so he was not lacking in points, just gold.
Like this, every one of them gave him hundreds of gold. He promised to give them the equivalent services and goods from the inn, with interest!
[Status]
Name: Finnick Altheus Solthar
Race: Human
Rank: Toughened Tier 1
VITALS
HP: 308/1000
Mana: 321/1000
Stamina: 309/1000
Wallet: 9703
Hearth Points: 10882 Points
Active Skills: [Ingredient Scan] [Dish Analysis] [Heated Arc] [Farming] [Assesment] [Feather Step] [Sticky Soil] [Tracker][Blade of Fire] [Thunder Clash] [Stone Guard]
Passive Skill: [Blade Proficiency - Growth Type (Lv 3)] [Monster Instinct]
[Strong Stomach] [Improved Palate] [Foraging] [Fire Resistance] Preserver’s Touch]
Condition: Exhausted, -1 Stamina per 10 minutes]
Ignoring the debuff, Finn smiled and added a few more modules.
[Purchased! Expansion Module! -100 Gold, -1000 Hearth Points!]
[Purchased! Expansion Module! -100 Gold, -1000 Hearth Points!]
[...]
He used a few to cover a portion of the cave’s interior, just enough to fit the [Delivery Room]. As for the rest, he opted to prioritize the expansion outside. Areas for fighting needed space, not to mention the buildings he had to build.
Like this, beyond the mines and the cave, he added an additional 2-meter deep area so a few people could fight with enough space even within the barrier. While he did so, the monsters were slowly pushed back with every module he made, which was quite satisfying to watch.
The others saw this and immediately started fighting. They were just too excited to know there was a permanent base here now!
"The entry payment of 1 gold per day that you paid in the main inn is carried over here," he said. No one received the entrance payment because they had already paid in the main area. This was really good because many powerhouses could not stay in the Inn for the majority of the day.
Due to the limitations, they still had to go outside, so it was a bit of a pity to spend entrance fees when it was barely in use. Now it was good, they could actually use the barrier to train like those awakeners!
They just had to shoot, kill, slap, get cores, and then absorb. Who wouldn’t be jealous?
Not to forget, all functions he bought from before were automatically applied to the extension, spiking up their productivity even more.
This meant that functions like [Increased Absorption] and [Rested Soul] would apply here as well! This meant that they could fight however the heck they wanted.
As long as they didn’t get seriously injured, they could recover all stats fast just by being in the barrier. Even without the extra recovery of the rooms, this was still a sizeable buff.
Especially people who’d be here were toughened level and above, and their innate recovery rates were much faster than awakened rankers, so the effects—which were in percentage—stand to be more effective with them.
Like this, the group continuously killed and battled. And if they got tired, they’d sit down inside the cave or something, maybe take a nap or eat something. If they run out of food, they could just buy food from Finn or get him to cook the meat they gathered.
Finn knew he had to be used to fighting without a barrier, but he wanted it to happen because he chose to, and because he had a back up, not because he didn’t have a choice due to that damned mission.
So now, while he’d definitely be heading out occasionally when the enemies were more manageable, at least now they could do their barrier warfare.
The most excited were the long-ranged girls, and Marcus who was excited about everything.
Finn smiled as he stabbed one, without worry of it hitting him back. Syl threw shrapnels of ice straight into the monster’s heads, all while standing still.
The others were similar. For example, Leiah shot down another, taking it down within three or four shots.
With the barrier on hand, the fortified-level people could now focus on their own fights without having to worry about their ’weaker’ teammates.
The two Fortified/Blessed level people (Gideon and Syl), as well as Durgan, who was at the peak of toughened headed out, either to lure monsters there and maximize the barrier, or deal with the monsters directly outside. In either case, all three of them would be needed.
While the stronger people hunted, the rest of them could now handle the rest of the monsters on their own, usually more than one. They could also team up occasionally, but having the barrier there was a great way to hone themselves and challenge their skills, as well as have a clearer division of the loot.
Finn would also come out of the barrier occasionally, going in and out as needed, safely mastering his skills and honing his fighting senses. He was totally taking advantage of the number of toughened monsters around the area, maximizing each skill use to cause damage to more than one.
Finn, at this time, was facing at least three monsters, with others trying to squeeze in from behind the mob.
Two were hoovensores, a.k.a. precious beef source, and another (as well as those in the back) was the bird-type ugly bird.
While he thought of a strategy, he observed the two’s movements. He had always wondered how strong monsters interacted with each other when humans weren’t around.
He knew they could cannibalize each other too, especially those nearer the dungeons, because they didn’t go far from their concentrated power source often, unless it was the Aphelion month, and they’d attack even to the ends of the planet.
The monsters, however, forget all else whenever they encounter humanoids. According to Syl, it was because the essence filtered through humanoids was cleaner and purer, more delicious to the monsters who only moved by instinct.
It was an interesting piece of information, and he would always take advantage of that.
Using [Feather Step], he jumped over a hoovensore’s head, and there were several others. That mob was quite dense.
ROAAARR!
Leiah and them were shocked that he went out, and he just yelled at them that he’d be fine, and focus on their own training.
Leiah, Nona, and Marcus were used to team play, so they were working together, which was more productive for them.
Marcus would do the tanking and stabbing, Nona was quick to appear here and there to hit critical spots, while Leiah provided the long-ranged support.
Seeing Finn outside the barrier, they scooted a bit closer to him, just in case.
Finn smiled, shaking his head. Even if he got into trouble, he could just run back to the barrier, okay?
Without further ado, he then took out a jerky—flavored with a drop of his blood—and placed it inside the hoovesore’s ears.
He jumped up, avoiding the beak of the bird, and the two monsters started fighting.
Those birds were fast, while those beef sources were strong but slow.
At the Toughened level, his physique has really entered another stage, and his jump could easily reach the second storey of a building now.
He turned his body and rotated the growth weapon in halberd form, so its sharpest end faces down.
Using his own weight, he targeted one of the good weakspots of the hoovensores he knew that using the [Ingredient Sense] skill.
He specifically targeted the tendon that connected its front leg to its body. It immediately fell forward. It was heavy, and a lot of its weight was leaning forward. This meant that it’d completely lose balance if that connection were broken.
He targeted it while it was fighting with the ugly bird.
Stab!
He also used his own weight and stepped on the other end to bury it deeper.
Rooooaarrrr!!
He knew things would happen fast and in succession. As soon as the weapon was buried, he jumped again to avoid getting imbalanced by it flailing around.
He turned and grabbed the handle, using the monster’s movements to kick down two monsters, using the chance to pull out his weapon.
The first hoovensore fell like this, unable to move well due to its injured front legs. Only having hind legs caused it to move erratically and it bumped into the other monsters. Not to mention, the poultry source was still attacking the beef source.
The chaos one monster created was a welcome distraction, and he used his skills [Blade of Fire] [Heated Arc] and other skills, killing another monster.
After that, he jumped back in. He would use the [Feather Step] again after the cooldown to harvest the core (the first hoovensore had it, which was why he targeted it first).
"Wow...how can someone’s growth be so fast?" Marcus couldn’t help but note.
They always asked this every time Finn showed off his prowess. Even normal toughened warriors might not be as effective in killing monsters as he was, even with similar advantages like the barrier.
Marcus could attest to this.
It also inspired them all. Work harder!