Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 40 This is the feeling of flying (Bonus chapter in gratitude to readers)
Seeing Kagan return, Bard, in a fit of rage, reached out to grab the bottle, but the unscrupulous mage pulled his hand back and nearly tripped and fell flat on his face.

Bard, who staggered and barely managed to steady himself, was furious, his beard bristling and eyes wide with rage: "Damn it, I've already won, mage, give me the prize now!"

Zhang Yuan slowly put the wine back into his pocket: "Since the other party has realized his mistake, we should give him a chance. Besides, a victory without an opponent is not a glorious one, is it?"

He made it sound so easy, but Old Bard was so anxious he was jumping up and down. "You can't play games with people like this. You can even sit back on the shit you just ate."
Signaling to the big man to stop Bard, Zhang Yuan looked at Kegan: "So you want to join our team too? You'd be very welcome."

"You despicable mage, don't try to play your little tricks on me, Kegan. I'm here to be that bastard Bard's opponent, not your bodyguard!"

"As you wish, whoever kills or hits more monsters wins. Don't be a sore loser."

"Shut up, I won't lose!"

"Alright, let's go!"

The four-person team headed west toward Highhold, and after walking just a few steps out of Belgost's territory, they saw the forest ahead.

Unlike the dense and dark Black Forest, or the humid and continuous Rainforest, the sparse forest composed of tall trees and low shrubs generously allows the sunlight to fall on its body, and the winding forest paths combine tranquility and brightness.

However, the four of them did not feel as good as the road beneath their feet.

Münster was a bit hungry because he forgot to buy food and had been walking for a long time, while the two dwarf clowns had probably been in a bad mood ever since they met.

As for Zhang Yuan? It's embarrassing to admit, but he was frightened by a spider.

The person has always had a phobia of spiders; even small spiders on Earth can sometimes frighten him, let alone the big ones here.

A group of people walked through the forest, easily dealing with the few skeleton soldiers and gnolls they encountered, and one of them even happily reaped a wave of energy points.

But just as this enjoyable monster-hunting journey was halfway through, a giant spider suddenly appeared.

What a hideous monster it was! Eight slender, sharp claws supported its round, bulging belly, a row of eyes were set above its ferocious mouthparts, and two long pincers extended from its fangs, with dark green venom dripping down its claws.

Zhang Yuan was terrified on the spot. Fortunately, he was not alone. His teammates and Xiao Shitou became vigilant and protected the mage who was struggling with his bladder.

Fear turned to rage, and Zhang Yuan, enraged, ordered Little Stone to target the spider in front of him, while two dwarf shield-axemen coordinated the attack.

The forest spider's attack methods are actually quite simple. Its sharp teeth and claws are nothing in front of the dwarves' shields and armor. The only thing to worry about is its venom, which is completely countered by this little stone golem.

The battle ended quickly. Just as the spider was being ganged up on and on the verge of death, and it looked like it was about to collapse, the human-headed dog arrived.

Using the pretext of retaliating for the fright the other party had inflicted upon him, someone rushed forward and killed him with a single sword strike, barely overcoming his phobia while also gaining a surge of energy.

Just as they were about to continue on their way, they heard Kegan's mocking laughter: "What? Our good mage finally has the courage to face a dying spider? Run, there's another one behind you! Hahaha!"

Before Zhang Yuan could say anything after hearing Kegan's taunts, Bard and Münster had already clenched their fists, ready to teach this big-mouthed guy a lesson. However, someone stopped them.

From the very beginning, Zhang Yuan knew that Kaigen was no good person, and besides, the methods he used to recruit him into the team were not exactly noble either; it was more like a provocation than an invitation.

Kagan was annoyed and resentful, which was understandable, but since he had come along and was now actively causing trouble, if this trend wasn't suppressed, he was afraid he would have a hard time on this journey.

"Oh, Mr. Kegan, so you're saying you're very brave?"

"Pah! At least I won't wet my pants from being scared by reptiles." "So, Mr. Kegan, can you fly?"

Kagan: ? ? ?
Before Kagan could react, Little Stone, who was standing motionless beside him, suddenly grabbed Kagan and used the skill: Throw.

So, the other three got to witness a spectacular aerial acrobatic performance. Our dwarf, Mr. Kegan, soared several meters high with a shout of "Ah!" (from high to low), then plummeted back down with another shout of "Ah!" (from low to high), finally landing with a soft "Plop!" Safely!
Although Little designated Kegan as an ally, thus protecting her from the skill itself and not actually suffering any damage, it's just...

Heavens have mercy! The dwarf, who had never even climbed a tree, was suddenly in the sky. Kegan swore that he saw Moradin waving to him from the ground as he began his descent from the highest point.

After landing, Kegan's mind went blank, and he couldn't stand up for a long time. When he finally came to his senses, he saw that the hateful mage and that stone golem that deserved to go to hell surrounded him again.

Seeing the once arrogant dwarf shrinking back like a little girl, as if he wanted to bury himself in the ground, the unscrupulous mage almost burst out laughing.

Suppressing a laugh, he adopted a sincere and earnest expression and asked in the most polite tone, "Your Excellency Kegan, are you satisfied with the service on this flight?"

Then, pretending to pull out a small slip of paper from his pocket, he said, "Oh, I just drew a prize for you. Congratulations! You've won the grand prize to come back again. What do you think?"

Although I couldn't understand what a flight was, the malice emanating from the mage in front of me was overwhelming.

Terrified, Kegan could only shake his head repeatedly: "No, no, I don't want it to happen again, no."

Having succeeded in his scheme, Zhang Yuan didn't press the matter further. He knew when to stop, and this small punishment had already satisfied him.

Guys like Kegan are typically intimidated by power but lack gratitude; you can't control them if you don't have a strong hand.

Although he had only been a leader for a short day, he was not so naive as to think that he had any real domineering aura that could make someone like Kegan submit. Besides, with the auto chess system, he would not lack guards in the future.

If Kegan honestly does his job, Zhang Yuan might consider recruiting him as a partner or henchman in the future; otherwise, they would part ways after this matter, Zhang Yuan thought.

He glanced at the little stone that had made such a great contribution. The little stone had used its skill to scare Kagan, and its mana bar was now empty. The idea of ​​doing it again was just a ploy to fool the other party.

After hesitating for a moment, in order to restore his combat strength as soon as possible, Zhang Yuan decided to summon the Ice Maiden.

"Facio, Voco, Ferre"

"Witness the disaster caused by glacial debris."

As the last notes faded, a beautiful blue figure appeared on the continent of Faerûn for the first time.

The teammates standing nearby stared at the Crystal Maiden who had appeared before them, their mouths agape like startled toads.

That's understandable. Even with spellcasting, the summons usually consist of wild beasts or monsters, rarely humanoid creatures. And if they do appear, they are angels, demons, or other extradimensional beings, not humans themselves. But what's this?
"Holy crap, this is a human, not a succubus or a tree spirit or something?"

"Is it a humanoid creature? Or is it in disguise?"

"Ah, beautiful witch."

Hmm? Something seems off. Something's not right here. Something strange has infiltrated our group.

(End of this chapter)