"A blizzard is coming!"
"It isn't even winter yet. How can there be such a huge blizzard?"
"There's movent behind the village… heavens, what is that?!"
The commotion caused by Deerclops' appearance imdiately made the ice-wolf villagers, who had only just been imrsed in the banquet, grow tense and fearful.
They had spent too long hiding and fleeing. Even the strongest hunters now trod as though walking on thin ice.
"Everyone, don't panic! This is Hero-sama conducting a hunt!"
Norn shouted, using his authority as village chief to calm his people.
He led several experienced hunters to a high vantage point and discovered that Setsuna was already there, watching the distant battle.
"Uncle Norn, you're here."
Setsuna's ears twitched as she turned to look at her people.
"Are you still hesitating over whether to accept Hero-sama's conditions?"
"Setsuna, this isn't sothing I alone can decide…"
Norn sighed and stood beside the ice-wolf girl, casting his gaze with her toward the blizzard.
There, a one-eyed giant deer whose upper body was covered in thick fur, while its limbs were black, gaunt, and unnaturally long, was roaring nonstop.
Seeing how every attack from Deerclops could send huge chunks of earth and stone flying, and even manipulate arms ford from shadow to launch surprise attacks, the ice-wolf village chief could not help saying,
"When did such a terrifying monster appear near the border?!"
If such a fierce enemy had been nearby, the village hunters should have discovered it long ago.
"This isn't a monster from this world. It's a powerful enemy summoned by Hero-sama."
Setsuna explained with considerable pride.
"I think it was called a boss or sothing… in any case, it's a very terrifying enemy."
"But after a successful hunt, you can also obtain abundant treasures."
Hearing that, Norn felt the warrior's soul deep within him begin to stir.
As the strongest ice-wolf warrior in the village, he was the sa as the other hunters. He was filled with longing for the chance to challenge powerful foes.
"There are many strong enemies like this in that world."
Setsuna added another sentence. Seeing the expression on Norn's face, she secretly laughed and stopped talking.
As a fellow ice-wolf demi-human, she naturally knew what her people longed for most.
A peaceful, secluded life far from danger certainly had enough appeal.
But to the ice-wolf tribe, hunting was not rely a ans of obtaining food. It was also a sport through which they challenged themselves.
The battle was still ongoing, but Drake's figure seed as though it had never appeared at all.
"I'm right here."
From above Deerclops' head ca Drake's slightly teasing voice.
The next instant, the towering giant deer seed to be struck hard on the head, and its body suddenly tilted to one side.
Drake flapped the Skyline Wings behind him and looked down at the boss that had lost its balance, but he did not pursue.
His figure gradually faded beneath the night sky, until he beca transparent and vanished as though he had used an Invisibility Potion.
This was not a buff from a potion, but the Rogue class's Stealth.
At this mont, Drake was not equipped with Soft-Shell armor, but the Rogue class's Aerospec armor set.
Only when wearing Rogue-class armor could the effect of stealth be activated.
Stealth would begin charging from zero. Once it reached full value, the user would turn invisible as he had just done, causing the next Rogue attack to trigger a stealth strike.
And the weapon in Drake's hand was not the Legendary Sword.
Strictly speaking, it was not any ordinary category of weapon at all.
If one had to define it, it was a special weapon exclusive to Rogues—the Slick Cane.
[Slick Cane (Orange)]
[ Deals 27 rogue damage]
[ Steals coins from enemies on hit]
[ Stealth strikes have a chance to additionally drop 1–3 gold coins]
[ Stealth strike damage increases according to the coins in the user's possession, up to 500%]
After defeating Skeletron, Drake had unlocked the Bandit function.
In the Bandit's shop, this weapon could be purchased for twenty-five gold.
Its money-stealing effect was secondary to Drake.
The truly important point was that its stealth strike damage could increase by up to 500%.
If the stealth strike triggered a critical hit, then the final damage of that single strike from concealnt could reach an astonishing tenfold multiplier.
That was why Drake had managed to stagger Deerclops with a single blow just now.
The amount of money required to reach the upper limit of a 500% damage increase was two platinum coins—or in other words, two hundred gold coins.
This was the truest form of the phrase: money is power.
"That attack probably dealt over a thousand damage, didn't it?"
Drake estimated inwardly.
His own ability values also increased his damage, so he could not apply the ga's logic too rigidly.
Still, those blows just now had definitely hurt.
Because after several stealth strikes, Deerclops entered an enraged state.
That ant its health had already dropped below fifty percent.
"ROOOOAAAAR!"
The battered Deerclops let out an earth-shaking roar, then stomped heavily on the ground beneath its feet.
Layers of ice spikes spread outward toward Drake like surging waves.
At the sa ti, countless shadow arms condensed in midair and attacked him.
Drake's figure faded again at that very mont, as though he had rged with the shadows of the night.
Stealth!
Deerclops lost its target, and all its attacks struck only the empty ground, sending freezing dust spraying into the air.
The sound of a grappling hook firing rang through the air, but only the sound could be heard. The figure using it remained unseen.
Unless he attacked voluntarily, the Stealth state would not be broken.
The next instant, Drake used the grappling hook to latch onto Deerclops from behind and brought the cane down hard.
Bang!
Deerclops' back was smashed inward by the trendous force, and the impact knocked it painfully to the ground, where it struggled and rolled.
"It still feels like sothing's missing."
Drake seed to think of sothing and suddenly summoned Kagetane Hiruko.
"Lend your hat."
Kagetane Hiruko took off his top hat in confusion, only for Drake to turn around and place it on his own head.
"Now that's the right flavor."
Drake reached up and adjusted the brim of the hat. Then he walked over to the dying Deerclops and lightly tapped it with the cane.
The giant deer head, whose face was almost entirely occupied by its huge eyeball, was directly burst open.
The instant Deerclops died, Drake used shadow extraction on its corpse.
Perhaps because it also possessed shadow-like power, the extraction process went extrely smoothly this ti.
However, Drake did not summon it directly. Instead, he stored it inside his shadow.
After that, he turned to look at Setsuna on the high ground, as well as the ice-wolf hunters beside her, and leapt.
Sky-blue wings unfolded behind him, carrying him to the spectators.
"Hero-sama, your valor has left us deeply shaken!"
Seeing Drake return, Norn seed to have already made his decision. He imdiately dropped to one knee.
"If you can preserve the ice-wolf tribe's right to hunt powerful enemies such as this, I am willing to represent the people behind and submit to you!"
"For every hunt, we will also offer you the most valuable portion of the spoils!"
Hearing that, Drake could not help glancing at Setsuna.
These ice-wolves really were exactly as she had described—a group of fanatical battle maniacs.
He had not expected the condition for their submission to be the right to challenge bosses.
They were even self-aware enough to offer tribute from the boss drops after each hunt.
"Very well."
Naturally, Drake would not refuse such a good arrangent and agreed on the spot.
"I will allow you to freely hunt powerful enemies in the hunting grounds of the new world."
This way, Setsuna could also visit her people in the new Terraria world whenever she wished.
However, the new world could only be created after Drake challenged the Wall of Flesh.
So, after forming contracts with every mber of the ice-wolf village, Drake temporarily settled them in the Snow bio of the old world.
In any case, with his inventory and Piggy Bank, moving hos was extrely convenient.
As for helping them beco familiar with their new environnt, Drake naturally left that to Setsuna, who was also of the ice-wolf tribe.
After all that was taken care of, more than a day had already passed.
Less than twelve hours remained before the Wave descended.
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