Leaving to hunt something down isn't something I've done in this new life. In my old life I had hunted a handful of times and had a fascination with it, yet back in my world there hadn't been hunts where I could die.

In Brogdar, that wasn't just possible; the chance of death here was high if I so much as even looked the wrong way at something stronger than me. So, because of that, I'm not taking any chances with this hunt. Of my three summons, I need at least one strong minion to guard the base.

So far, Bomber is the best fit for it. While the Omega Ranbi had him against the wall, the new chokepoints of the clearing are built to fight larger creatures like that. And, compared to either Ivy or Ropert, he's the only one besides me who can rapidly take out targets. Our combat styles of magic and explosive strikes are just designed for quick kills compared to either of the other two's constricting and choking.

Ropert and Ivy coming with me isn't the only preparation, though.

I also spent the rest of the day with all four of my crystals in hand, refilling each of the four I'd made and slotting them into my staff. Without Bomber to assist us, I need every spell cast I can get... which is also why, while the other two are helping Bomber prepare and trimming some of the grass, I've set myself aside with a corpse as an experimental target.

Combining Elemental Affinities is natural but there's another theory that hasn't been addressed: crossing Spells together. Creating spells that modified minor things is fairly straightforward, such as changing Thorntwist into Thornburst is simply narrowing the area you fire them in.

But Earthy Grasp is a much simpler spell that closes the earth in around an opponent to trap them. I can use it to barricade stones and help construct a wall, but so far I'd not been able to think of extra ways to use it besides height. Height, however, hasn't produced a new spell nor made any change.

So the next best bet is to combine Earthy Grasp's concept with Thorntwist. The mental images I can think of off the back of my hand are simple: throwing earthen spikes or making my thorns explode from the ground.

Channel your mana slowly, Kaden... you got this. First... Earthtwist!

The image of earth twisting into a thorn shape fills my mind. Yet, to my surprise, it's not the result I get.

Rather than dirt or the magical thorns, a spire of beautifully glowing crystal erupts out of the ground and skewers straight through the ranbi. It climbs almost three feet up from the ground before color fades, cracking seconds before disintegrating into countless shards of magic.

[Notification] Spell crafting completed.

Granting spell Gemskewer. Gemskewer Created / Temporary Crystal-type A Basic compound spell; combines the Nature and Earth elements, using the theories of Earthy Grasp and Thorntwist as its basis. When cast, it makes a spike erupt wherever the user wants within 5ft.

Costs 10 MP to cast, costs 2 MP per minute sustained.

This spell can be made permanent via specialization.

Earthtwist is a bust but in its place, I ended up creating a spell set in my minor elemental type. And it's not bad, either; it may not be an explosive thorn mine or flung projectiles of earth, but this is still potentially fatal.

For 12 MP, it has enough power to punch right through a ranbi. It might be dead but that power is far above that of any of my thorn spells. Cutter Thorn's power is the closest but I can actually utilize it given the Creeper isn't very dexterous. Crafting with a knife is also completely different from fighting with one; all I need to cast spells is to aim them, but when I use a knife I have to be cautious of hitting myself.

With this, I just have to point-and-click.

POINT. AND. CLICK. POINT AND CLICK UNTIL IT IS DONE.

Jokes aside, this spell is seriously useful, especially when I'm toting so many mana crystals to act as a back-up battery.

For now, let's just... leave the ranbi here and set my tools into my inventory for safekeeping. Ropert can clean it up when we're back.

...

You might be wondering how I plan to travel when I've had an issue navigating. For once, I finally have a solution that doesn't require too many resources.

Ivy and I will clear grass down to half the height and we'll raise Ropert as we go to ensure we're maintaining a straight direction. If we decide to turn, he can easily spot any of the areas we just were at before we reach them; that means we can clear grass and move without doubling back on our own pathway.

It's an effective but risky manner to conquer the long-range trips around Kave's Great Plains. It's effective thanks to my summons having no an issue guarding my while I easily wield my scythe.

The risk comes from if we ever have to run from something and it pushes us too far from the path we've cleared to either be seen or to locate it. That sort of situation effectively is akin to getting lost in the middle of the sea; you might still be close to the path but if you're unable to see help then you're powerless to make your way there.

With my new spell to fight with, however, I'm confident more than ever that I can succeed.

Ropert will be in the rear since he's our best eyes; Ivy and I will rotate position as lead, depending on how tired I get cutting with the scythe.

Bomber says the Omega came from the east somewhere... so that's where we'll go.

Are you both ready?

Ivy nods seconds before Ropert's voice calls out from the grass.

Yes, Master.

Good. I'm still regretful that I have to leave Bomber here and alone for a second time but I'll make that up when there's less risk involved. As relaxing as it can be to be safe, it's probably not good to continue putting the stress of guarding our home solely on him while we go out and explore.

...

This plan works... very effectively.

We've been moving for the better part of an hour now but we're much farther out than I'd have imagined. Ropert keeps us course-correcting whenever Ivy and I start to deviate, which means we're almost constantly working out way outward. We lost sight of the towers almost half an hour ago.

But leaving it behind is working; not only are we making good progress but there have been a lot of ranbi surging out of the brush. Ivy has been quick to tackle and deal with them but I've even been forced to cast a few Thornshots to cripple multiple ranbi surging out at us.

Ropert has only had to kill one and he's strangling the little bastard right now.

Enemy Slain Territory Contestation: +0.5 Favor

Kill rewarded to: Ropert (Summon #3)

The issue is that we're earning half the Favor we obtained when slaughtering them at the dungeon. That's still better than nothing, of course, since we've already obtained almost 7 Favor already. Ideally, I should be the one killing them since we'd at least earn one favor from the Personal Execution bonus, but the work order and using my mana up is too dangerous.

Maybe I'm just reluctant that slaughtering that Omega Ranbi seems to have Favor-farming much harder.

Good work Ropert.

I focus my MP into the crystal I had been using earlier, watching the Creeper Thorn slowly uncoil.

Of course. Master, you are saying nothing but you seem annoyed. Is this not progressing as you thought it might?

Although Ropert hasn't normally been able to catch onto my thoughts unless I project them, I guess it's inevitable that he can read my new plant form's body language and deduce something so basic. It probably doesn't help that I've been cutting at the grass harder than before, causing my scythe to catch and cut poorly.

But talking about it right now is pointless; my frustration shouldn't be our focus.

Forget about how I feel. As far as we've gone in the last hour, the amount we're earning is rather poor, don't you think?

Ivy looks up from the ranbi she's garrote-strangling, tilting her head. Ropert slithers up, lifting up further out of the grass so I can see the leafed section of vine that now acts as a face for talking with me.

If you say as much, Master. Would you prefer to kill them personally?

Sometimes I wish he didn't talk. Ropert is quick to catch on.

I considered it, but I don't think that's the solution we need. The Omega didn't give any additional favor compared to minions but the number of minions we fought was far greater than now. I guess I'm hoping that we can find a means to generate Favor quickly.

My attention turns toward the grass, settling my staff partly against my body and looking down at the handscythe.

Last time I was cutting, it seemed like I was about to unlock something. I've still been unable to achieve whatever that is, though. My progress stagnating now, right at the precipice of gaining the teleporter feels-

Unnatural?

That's one way to put it, Ropert. I look over to Ivy as she finally finishes untangling from her target, taking up the lead position to resume her own grass munching while the pair of us talk.

Sure, we'll go with that. Earning Favor just seems impossibly hard now that I have the means to get resources for everything else. But maybe I'm overthinking things?

Master... perhaps you are underthinking things.

... What's that supposed to mean, Ropert?

The Creeper Thorn slows, signaling to Ivy and me to stop and wait while he ascends to check our course. Ropert's body glows, Growth driving him that extra inch higher. Ropert has to be almost seven feet long by now, granting him a fantastic sightline of the grass.

In a way, it's almost enough to make a bush-guy jealous.

Ropert lowers down, sighing in our shared headspace.

Well... don't we simply need a new zone that can produce Favor? Or obtain a means to produce enemies to continue obtaining Favor?

The first idea isn't necessarily bad but the set-back wouldn't be worth it unless I found something that produced a large amount of favor. Making Landmarkers costs a pretty hefty amount of Favor.

But that second idea... that in itself isn't bad.

We'll keep going until we need to turn back for the night. Active hunting during the day is the best use of our time, after all. Once we get back and settle in for the night, I'm going to create something.

Ivy and Ropert nod and all three of us turn, settling back into our strides for now. We had a lot more killing and cutting to do. A new solution doesn't mean we're not in need of exploring more and getting as much favor as this allows...