NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Chapter 21
Chapter 21: Skill Analysis
With a "splash," Lan and Bernie jumped down from the boat into the muddy shallows.
"This is the area on the outskirts of the fishing grounds where the fish population is relatively abundant. It'll be easy to find the drowners here; those beasts are so lazy now they don't even bother to avoid humans," Bernie explained.
Lan inhaled deeply, taking in the rich, fishy scents that filled the humid air. The odor from the shallows was far from pleasant—there were smells of fish, blood, and the sea. For someone accustomed to a life of comfort, the first whiff could easily ruin their breakfast.
Through his mutated senses as a witcher, he felt these odors swirling around him like a colorful halo. After carefully distinguishing the scents, he pinpointed his target.
A disgusting smell that resembled a mix of rotting fish, shrimp, and seaweed. That was the distinctive scent of the drowners.
Once focused on that particular odor, the air carrying it seemed to glow in Lan's vision, highlighted like a ribbon. The other chaotic scents faded into the background.
Of course, finding the correct trail so easily was thanks to the frequent activities of the drowners, which had left the area with an overwhelming stench.
In theory, the distinct odors alone would allow Lan to locate the group of drowners directly. However, he didn't move right away. Instead, he turned to Bernie, who was already removing his bow and arrows from his back.
"Can you track those drowners?"
Bernie shot Lan a surprised glance. Wasn't that your job? But he didn't say much more.
"Those obvious footprints and the scales from the drowners—anyone could track them."
"..." Mentos's voice in Lan's mind trailed off with a series of ellipses.
Lan stared at the muddy ground before him. The black, foul muck was scattered with various odd and chaotic markings. Footprints from beasts and drowners alike.
To someone without tracking experience, this was just a messy patch of mud. The scales from the drowners and those of fish were indistinguishable, and the so-called "obvious footprints" were completely hidden beneath the clutter.
If I were a regular person, I'd be at a loss. The corner of Lan's mouth twitched slightly.
"Alright, I need to adjust my combat state; the tracking work is up to you now."
Without further explanation, it just so happened that Bernie didn't want to ask more questions. After all, this task was relatively easy for him. So the man, wearing his long leather gloves, moved to the front and began to naturally examine the various traces to determine their course.
Meanwhile, in Lan's mind, Mentos also entered work mode according to Lan's plan.
"New analysis project—[Tracking].
Skill source—[Fisherman Bernie].
Information integration in progress—currently at 1%."
"Send me the results of the analysis tonight; I don't want my head feeling as if it has exploded when I deal with the drowners later."
"Roger that, sir." Mentos's voice flowed smoothly. The process of the AI transmitting knowledge was limited due to permissions, and it was certainly uncomfortable. But it was still possible to choose a time to endure the discomfort.
The mental exchange was quick, while Bernie continued to inspect the mud at their feet. Lan didn't understand why he could consistently discern various subtle traces.
For instance, he noticed a faint scratch on the muddy ground or found clues among the already chaotic pile of footprints, quickly deciding on a new direction. That adjustment was far more precise than what Lan could grasp with his witcher senses alone.
Lan sighed behind him; even extraordinary senses required knowledge and experience to be effectively utilized. Every qualified witcher was an undeniable master tracker.
Though he didn't regret killing his own mentor, it meant he had to make up for the experience and skills he lacked.
In a world with limited productivity, even the skills of a butcher or barrel maker were often family legacies, or learned through apprenticeships where the apprentice paid with labor and money. Let alone skills like hunting and tracking, which could support an entire family.
Fortunately, Lan had a good partner who allowed him to extract valuable knowledge simply by observing.
"Your tracking methods seem a bit different from what I'm used to."
Following Bernie closely, Lan made an effort to sound knowledgeable. Whether he was right or not didn't matter; the main thing was to sound confident.
"It's like when you looked at that scratch in the mud; we'd typically focus on the nearby chaotic marks instead."
Bernie reflected on what the young man had said about the "chaos." Wasn't that just traces left by dead fish or rotten meat dragged into holes by crabs? What did that have to do with tracking drowners?
Bernie had his doubts but didn't dare voice them. After all, who knew what methods a witcher employed in tracking? Perhaps they could read the crabs like a fortune telling!
"That scratch is the mark left by the drowner's toes scraping against the ground; their webbed toes leave a distinct trace." Bernie answered honestly, clearing up his confusion.
"[Tracking] is currently undergoing skill calibration. Information integration in progress—currently at 9%."
"Sir, I suggest you keep asking questions." Mentos's prompt brought a smile to Lan's face. The AI could indeed extract a skill from observation alone, but if the skill holder explained their technique, the progress bar would certainly fill up faster.
However, Lan wasn't planning on making it a habit to keep questioning. Asking a few questions would facilitate technical exchange, but asking too many would only reveal his ignorance.
This tracking process didn't take long; when they reached a small rise about two hundred meters from the shore, the sounds of drowners chattering became easily audible even to an ordinary person. Once they crossed this rise, they should be able to see the monsters in their entirety.
Bernie turned to Lan, clearly indicating that It was time for him to take action.
The bright Bear School silver sword slid smoothly from its sheath with a low, steady metallic sound. The calm noise indicated that Lan's grip on the sword was exceptionally stable, providing a sense of reassurance to Bernie.
"Put away your bow; there are only five drowners, I can handle them. We haven't collaborated before, and your arrows might interfere with me."
So Bernie secured his bow back on his back.
Earlier, he had begun to doubt Lan's tracking skills during their journey, but now, given that the young man had accurately stated the number of drowners, he cast aside all doubts.
With determination, Lan stepped over the small rise, raising his left hand in front of him. A flash of golden magical light flickered, and a magic rune of the same color began to drift around Lan.
"Quen."
With a fresh set of gear, Lan decided to adopt a more aggressive combat style. High-quality equipment had given him considerable confidence.
In this situation, applying the school's knowledge through the spherical [Quen] wasn't quite suitable; instead, the original version was more advantageous.
As the sounds of the drowners grew louder, the previously chaotic chattering became eerily silent, and five pairs of fish-like eyes widened, all staring at the figure slowly descending from the rise.
Then—
"Wah!!!" *5
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