The Unawakened Porter's Divine System

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[Seventeen Meters]

Xavier raised his hand.

The archers drew their bows.

The fire mages began gathering mana, flames flickering around their hands.

[Sixteen meters.]

Xavier's palm tightened.

[Fifteen meters.]

"NOW!"

The earth mage slammed his hand against the ground.

A deep rumble shook the forest.

The ground lurched.

Then earth erupted from the soil, rising into a rough circular wall in a fifteen meter radius from the hunters.

Roots snapped, stones shifted, and clumps of dirt flew into the air.

The wall rose to roughly five and a half feet.

Not particularly tall.

But enough to obstruct movement.

Something shrieked from the bushes.

Xavier's eyes widened.

They were there.

"FIRE!"

The two mages thrust their hands forward.

Flames roared across the enclosed ground, firing straight towards the wall.

The sudden heat swept through the vegetation, illuminating the forest in flashes of orange.

The Kobolds erupted into motion.

Small, fur covered figures leaped from the bushes, shrieking and scrambling as the fire spread beneath them.

Some were caught in the flames.

Others tried to climb the earthen wall.

"Archers!" Xavier shouted.

The archers released their arrows.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

One Kobold was struck in the shoulder and tumbled backward.

Another took an arrow through the neck before it could reach the top of the wall.

A third leaped over the barrier, only to be struck midair.

It crashed onto the ground outside.

The fire continued to spread through the enclosed area.

The Kobolds' laughter had vanished.

In its place came shrieks, snarls, and the frantic sounds of creatures fighting for their lives.

The Mages didn't stop pouring their flames.

And anything that moved was struck down by the Archers.

Then, gradually, the movement stopped.

The earth mage dropped to his second knee, breathing heavily.

The two fire mages lowered their arms, panting heavily.

They quickly pulled out mana potions to slightly recover some mana.

Smoke drifted above the wall.

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then the lead hunter steeped forward, peering into the smoke.

His eyes widened.

Bodies lay scattered across the scorched ground.

Most had been burned by the flames. Others had fallen to arrows while attempting to escape.

He counted quickly.

Seven.

Seven Kobolds had been taken down.

More than half their enemies.

The lead hunter slowly turned toward Xavier.

The boy was staring at the scene, apparently just as surprised as everyone else.

He had actually pulled it off.

[Impressive.]

Xavier blinked.

[The Host Successfully Eliminated Seven Kobolds Through Unconventional Tactics.]

[Reward: 5 Attribute Points.]

His eyes widened.

‘Five?’

Then he remembered.

He still had the ten attribute points he'd received after fighting the five E-rank hunters.

He hadn't spent any of them.

Fifteen points in total...

He almost laughed.

Of all the things he'd expected to happen today, being rewarded for a plan he'd come up with on the spot hadn't been one of them.

But there was no time to celebrate.

Seven Kobolds were dead.

Six remained.

And he still couldn't see them properly.

System, what attribute should I increase if I want to detect them more easily?

[Intelligence.]

Xavier paused.

‘Intelligence?’

[The Intelligence attribute influences multiple cognitive functions, including reasoning, information processing, willpower, and perception.]

[The Host's current Intelligence is already above the normal human range. However, further investment may improve the Host's ability to perceive and process subtle environmental stimuli.]

Xavier's gaze sharpened.

Perception...

That was exactly what he needed.

But another thought occurred to him.

‘If I increase Intelligence, will all those functions improve together? Or can I choose which one to focus on?’

[The Host may direct the allocation toward a particular function by concentrating on the desired area of improvement.]

Xavier looked toward the trees.

He didn't need to become a genius.

He needed to see.

To hear.

To notice the slightest movement before an enemy could reach him.

Then I'll focus on perception.

He opened his status window.

[Available Attribute Points: 15]

He selected Intelligence.

Eight points.

‘Allocate.’

For an instant, nothing happened.

Then Xavier felt something strange.

His head tingled sharply.

His vision sharpened.

The outlines of the trees became clearer. He could distinguish individual leaves among the branches, even where the canopy blocked most of the sunlight.

A faint rustling sound reached his ears.

Then another.

He could hear the movement of leaves against one another, the faint crack of a twig somewhere in the distance, and the shallow breathing of the hunter standing beside him.

The scent of smoke became stronger.

So did the damp smell of the earth.

Even the faint breeze brushing against his skin felt different.

It wasn't an overwhelming transformation.

But it was noticeable.

Very noticeable.

Xavier slowly raised his head.

He looked toward the trees.

There.

A small figure crouched among the branches.

Its fur blended with the shadows, and its crude weapon was almost indistinguishable from the surrounding wood.

But now Xavier could see it.

Then he spotted another.

And another.

His lips parted.

“I can see them.” He uttered.

The Kobolds were no longer laughing.

Several had shifted positions among the branches. Others remained crouched in the bushes, their bodies tense.

Seven of their companions were dead.

Their confidence had been shaken.

For the first time, Xavier could see something resembling uncertainty in their movements.

They might retreat.

And if they did, they could return with reinforcements.

Xavier's expression changed.

He immediately turned towards the lead hunter.

"We need to take the remaining ones down!"

The lead hunter turned toward him.

"What?"

"Before they escape!" Xavier pointed toward the trees.

"They're up there!"

The hunters immediately raised their weapons.

But Xavier's gaze remained fixed on the remaining Kobolds.

He could see them now.

He could finally see them.

But knowing where they were didn't mean he could reach them.

And the six remaining Kobolds were still armed, still dangerous, and still surrounded by a forest they knew far better than he did.

Xavier tightened his grip around his sword.

He had solved one problem.

Now he needed to solve the next.

“How do we get to them?”