Chapter 58: Delving into the Half-Elf’s Thoughts
Lance took a glance.
’This prompt seems a little different than the last one, doesn’t it?’
But he didn’t dwell on it. This wasn’t the time to analyze the system’s phrasing.
This place was dark and damp; staying too long could get you sick. Besides, he still hadn’t met his monster-killing quota for the day.
"There, all clean."
Lance casually tossed the dirty wad of paper and put his gloves back on.
"We’re heading to the next mission point. The path isn’t easy, so be careful."
With that, he turned and started walking out of the forest.
Cecilia stood frozen in place, staring down at her wrist.
The mud was gone, but the spot where Lance’s warm fingers had just touched was now flushed a strange, faint red.
The scalding touch seemed to still linger on her skin.
’How strange.’
Besides her father, this was the first time a member of the opposite sex had directly touched her skin like this.
Hearing Lance’s urging from ahead, Cecilia snapped back to her senses.
She frantically pulled at her cloak, hiding that hand completely inside her sleeve.
"C-Coming!"
She scrambled to catch up.
The two of them passed through the oppressive, dark forest, and their view gradually opened up.
Ahead lay the shallows of a wide, gentle river.
Sunlight spilled unhindered onto the water’s surface, making it sparkle. The bank was covered in smooth white pebbles.
It looked like a beautiful and safe place to rest.
The only strange thing was...
...that many large, grayish-brown stones were scattered incongruously across the flat shallows.
Each stone was as large as an adult’s back, with a rough, uneven surface covered in moss and waterweeds. They were packed densely together, occupying half the riverbank.
"We’re here."
Lance stopped, his gaze sweeping over the large stones. These stones were their targets.
Stone Shell River Crabs.
Lance’s eyes quickly scanned the riverbank.
There weren’t too many Stone Shell River Crabs in his line of sight, just over twenty of them scattered along the bank.
This number was well within his ability to control.
Soon, Lance had selected a perfect spot for the engagement.
It was a massive, broken rock that formed a natural V-shaped gap. The opening faced the riverbank, and behind it was a solid rock wall.
This kind of terrain was known as a "natural funnel."
As long as he held that gap, he would only have to face the frontal attacks of two crabs at most, perfectly avoiding the risk of being surrounded.
"I’ll be handling the main assault. I’ve chosen that spot over there as our engagement point."
Lance raised his hand, gesturing toward the rock crevice about ten meters from the bank.
Cecilia followed his gesture and nodded obediently, but then immediately voiced her confusion.
"Sir, what about me?"
’Since this is an assault mission, doesn’t he need my fire support?’
"You will observe from here."
Lance didn’t turn back, speaking as he inspected the Shield in his hands.
"After the battle is over, you need to go back and write a detailed report on the Demon’s behavior for me."
With that, he prepared to step toward the rock crevice.
But before he could even lift his foot, he felt a gentle tug on the hem of his clothes.
Lance turned around.
He saw Cecilia tightly gripping the corner of his tunic, her red eyes filled with earnestness.
"Sir, I can help."
The girl’s voice held a hint of urgency, as if she was afraid of being seen as a burden again.
"I earned excellent grades in the academy’s Basic Shaping Magic and Magic Model Building Class. I’ve already mastered the Fireball Skill. My firepower is more than enough."
"If it’s that kind of hard-shelled Demon, my Fireball Skill can cause a lot of damage. I can definitely help you."
Among Mage Apprentices of her age who had not yet been formally instated, being able to independently cast a high-burst Single Ring Spell like the Fireball Skill was an absolute rarity.
Her Spirit Attribute had also reached 10 points.
This had always been a source of pride for her.
But Lance just watched her quietly before unfeelingly shaking his head.
"No."
"Why?"
Cecilia froze. Her grip on his tunic loosened unconsciously, her face filled with confusion.
Lance sighed and pointed down at the riverbank.
"Look carefully at the environment here."
"This is a riverbank. The air humidity is extremely high, and the ground is covered in standing water."
"If you use the Fireball Skill in this environment, the high temperature will instantly vaporize the cold water, creating a massive amount of hot steam."
"That dense white steam won’t just instantly block my vision. More fatally, it will boil me, the one in close combat, alive."
"Are you trying to help kill the monsters, or are you trying to cook me too?"
This series of rhetorical questions was like a bucket of cold water poured over her head.
The expression on Cecilia’s face instantly froze, and her heart clenched.
This was a situation she had never encountered on the academy’s training grounds, and the textbooks had never mentioned the side effects of such environmental interactions.
In her original vision, she was already a Mage who could stand on her own and could definitely be of help.
But she never thought she’d almost make things worse instead.
Before she could recover, Lance continued:
"Also, I chose that rock crevice to use the terrain to create a chokepoint, minimizing the Demons’ numerical superiority."
"If you cast a Spell from a high position, the immense fluctuation of Magic Power will immediately draw the aggro of every Demon on the riverbank."
"In this wide-open area with no cover."
Lance spread his hands, his tone pragmatic.
"I only have two legs and one Shield. I can’t possibly block that many waving pincers."
Only then did Cecilia fully realize how foolish her suggestion had been.
It was typical academic thinking: focus only on output, with no regard for the realities of the battlefield.
"I... I’m sorry!"
Cecilia lowered her head in shame, her voice filled with self-reproach.
Seeing the girl on the verge of tears, Lance knew the time was right.
Putting her down wasn’t the goal; teaching her was.
"It’s alright. All rookies make mistakes. The key is to learn from them."
Lance’s tone became gentle again.
"That’s why I need you to observe carefully. This is your new task."
"First, observe the target Demon’s biological characteristics, its weaknesses, and its methods of attack."
"Second, I need you to write a tactical analysis when you get back."
"Assuming you had to fight alongside me, while I’m still positioned in that crevice acting as bait, what kind of Spell should you choose, and when should you cast it, in order to both support me and avoid friendly fire."
This not only gave her a way to save face, but also presented her with a very challenging thought exercise.
This way, Cecilia wouldn’t feel too defeated while observing, and would instead have a clear goal to strive for.
A Blue box popped up on his retina at just the right moment.
[Your words have caused the Half-Elf to reflect deeply and follow your orders. You have gained insight into the thinking of the Sub-human Species·Half-Elf. Half-Elf Research Progress +2]