The Water Magician

"Now, here we are, the second team of the Northern Forest Exploration Squad!"

It was unclear who this declaration was for, but Ryo was determined.

"This time, I will achieve a bountiful harvest of food!"

During the last trip to the Northern Forest for the purpose of a food bounty, he was obstructed by an assassin hawk.

As the name implies, the assassin hawk, known as an "assassin," is a monster that often takes the life of its prey without them noticing.

From the dead angle in the sky, it unleashes the invisible wind magic, air slash.

Last time, it was almost by coincidence that Ryo managed to dodge the first attack from the assassin hawk.

Was he now fully prepared for that assassin hawk?

"I still can't win, so if I encounter one, I will retreat immediately."

It felt like he hadn't progressed since their last encounter, but that was definitely not the case.

Now, he should be able to execute a more composed retreat compared to the last time... or so he hoped.

Not being able to defeat it was, in a sense, a matter of compatibility.

The greater boa was by no means a weaker monster than the assassin hawk in terms of strength.

However, the reason Ryo believed he could defeat the greater boa but not the assassin hawk lay in the difference of whether he could stop the enemy's movements.

If the greater boa entered the effective range of Ryo's magic, he could stop its movements with ice path.

However, the assassin hawk floating in the air did not operate in the same manner.

Even if he tried to surround the assassin hawk with the ice wall package, he had failed to capture it last time.

The basics of Ryo's hunting strategy involved hindering the enemy's movements and then attacking.

Currently, the assassin hawk, which cannot be hindered, was the worst possible opponent.

Thus, the principle of "retreat immediately upon encounter" applied.

"Setting aside the assassin hawk, I managed to get some figs last time. There should still be some ripe figs in the same spot, so I’ll go collect those, and it would be ideal to find something to spice it up, like pepper."

His equipment consisted of a loincloth made of lesser boa leather, sandals, a knife with a bamboo spear, and a burlap sack.

The usual set of expedition gear.

As he stepped out of the barrier to the north, there were newly ripe figs in the same location where he had obtained figs previously.

"Yes, what a great catch!"

He stuffed ten figs into the burlap sack and headed further north.

Then, he arrived at the location where he had been attacked by the assassin hawk last time.

It was about two hundred meters from the barrier.

"I was attacked here last time. But this time, it seems clear."

Looking around carefully, he noticed a slightly dense area of forest that was not too thick with overlapping trees.

In other words, it was a suitable location for aerial attacks.

"I didn’t notice it at all back then. I was probably just too overwhelmed."

While remaining vigilant of his surroundings, he continued north.

About five hundred meters away from the barrier, he finally found it.

"There it is... this green bunch... it's pepper, right...?"

Green clusters the size of Delaware grapes, which are soaked in liquid to prevent seeds from forming...

From the perspective of grape and pepper farmers, Ryo’s recognition might earn him a scolding of "It doesn't resemble that at all!"

He picked one, bit into it.

With a sharp spiciness, the aroma spread through his mouth and nostrils.

Generally, black pepper known for being harvested in its green state is dried over time until it turns black.

However, in Southeast Asia on Earth, there are regions where this green pepper is stir-fried with chicken and other ingredients.

That said, it was Ryo's first time experiencing green pepper in this form.

"Alright, harvesting!"

Combined with the figs, he packed the burlap sack about halfway full with pepper.

During the age of discovery, this would be worth a fortune!

"I've almost achieved my initial goal, but let's push just a little further."

After moving about three hundred meters, he came upon a marshland.