Chapter 116: Breaking the Ice
"Oh? You also use a spear, Mr. Ruijerd...?" asked Vahn, surprised to see Ruijerd produce a broad-headed, three-pronged spear that appeared to be carved from bone.
"Also...?" repeated Ruijerd, tilting his head confusedly until Vahn produced his Legendary Spear.
"I typically use martial arts against human opponents, but when dealing with monsters, I wield a spear," revealed Vahn, sporting a confident smile as he asked, "Maybe you can provide me some pointers after your match with Himmel...?"
"Mmm...we'll see..." responded Ruijerd, inspecting Vahn's Legendary Spear and center of gravity with narrowed eyes. Both he and Himmel could immediately tell it was no ordinary weapon as, the moment Vahn brought it out, the aura around him became sharper, more refined.
"Two spear users..." hummed Himmel, sporting a relaxed smile as he proposed, "Then, shall we advance with a triangle formation? The three of us can alternate between serving as the foreguard and occupying the rear flanks while Miss Tanya stays in the center, setting our pace and providing ranged support as needed."
"Would it not be better for me to provide fire support from the sky...?" asked Tanya, a slight frown marring her face as she imagined having to travel long distances with a 30kg battery pack smacking her thighs and a metal greave that caused her to place most of her weight on her left heel due to its thickness.
"If we're in an open field, certainly..." responded Himmel, offering a curt nod before adding, "But if we're inside a Dungeon or you have to fight at low altitude, the enemy could prioritize you. I don't imagine F and E-Rank monsters will be particularly challenging, but fighting in a formation is the best way to tackle many enemies while conserving Mana and stamina."
Though she pretended to be annoyed, Vahn, Himmel, and Ruijerd could all tell Tanya wasn't truly upset as she made a show of sighing exasperatedly and complaining, "Fine...I get it. The three of you see me as someone who needs protection, right? Me zipping around above your heads would likely distract you just as much as the enemy, so unless I deem it necessary, I'll keep my altitude low and conserve my ammunition..."
Demonstrating what she meant, Tanya rose a few centimeters off the ground, hovering in place by producing a constant, counterbalancing thrust from her greave but balanced by Mana from her left sole. At the same time, though it wasn't visible to the naked eye, Vahn and Ruijerd could sense Mana condensing around her like a bubble, ready to solidify and form a barrier at a moment's notice.
Nodding approvingly, Ruijerd remarked, "That's a very practical method of utilizing Mana. But how long can you maintain it...?"
Smacking the massive battery dangling from her waist like a fanny pack, Tanya explained, "With this and my Type 13 Computation Jewel, I have a cruising range of approximately 3,000km, but that's if I'm flying full speed for four hours. If it's simply staying in the air, the passive replenishment of my Mana outpaces my consumption."