Using Gacha to Increase My Companions and to Create the Strongest Girls' Army Corps

Three days after departing from Queres, we finally saw the large mountain range of Rugen Valley.

Two long mountains stretched out ahead, with a wide river flowing between them. The foothills were green with vegetation, but from the middle up, they turned into a stark gray rocky landscape. They were probably not quite 1000 meters tall, but still quite impressive.

"Wow... this is quite a place."

"It's a big mountain and river. We might catch some fish here."

"It's a larger valley than I imagined. The Lupes Rex must be up there in the rocky part."

"Yeah, I hope they're on the first mountain we try..."

I've barely any experience with mountain climbing, so the thought of ascending that massive rock face is daunting. The return trip will be easier with the beacon, but climbing is no joke. Given the arduous task of climbing and hunting magical creatures, it's no wonder few adventurers take on such jobs.

The river splitting the two mountains is also quite broad, about 30 meters across. If Lupes Rex isn't on the near side, we'll have to cross to the other mountain. Finding the camouflaged creature in such a vast area will be tough.

Upon reaching the destination, I contacted Sisya and the others back home, and they joined us at the site.

"Wow, I knew it was a valley, but I didn't expect it to be this big. Climbing this mountain looks fun."

"Sigh... thinking about climbing this mountain makes me want to go home."

Sisya looked at the mountain with fascination, while Runa looked up with a frown and a sigh. She then turned to me with an expectant look.

"What is it, Runa?"

"Heihachi, can't you use Spatium to quickly teleport to that rock face and then call us with the beacon?"

"That's a great idea. Let's give it a try."

If Spatium can switch places with objects, we might leap straight to the rock face. I pulled out Spatium and used binoculars to focus on a rock on the mountain. I pressed the button to switch places, but nothing happened. I tried several rocks, but the result was the same.

"No luck. I tried switching with several rocks, but it didn't work."

"Maybe it's too far, or rocks can't be the target?"

"I used it on stones before, so it's likely the distance."

"Spatium might have limitations we haven't tested yet. There could be some restriction."

It seems there's a distance limit like with the beacon. When testing, it worked with stones, so rocks should be fine. We need to test Spatium's limits later. For now, we must climb manually. But then...

"No, it's too soon to give up. I'll throw my spear to mark the spot."

"That's not going to work. It's probably the distance, and your spear won't reach."

"With determination, it will."

Runa, with a fierce determination in her eyes, insisted on trying. She retrieved her spear, stepped back, and ran forward, launching it towards the rock face. The spear flew straight but lost momentum and fell into the forest well before reaching the mountain.

"Well, that didn't work."

"It didn't reach."

"We should just climb."

"Don't be disheartened, Runa-san!"

"Wait, I still have skills to--"

"No, stop that!"

I had to stop Runa from using skills to throw the spear again. We need to conserve energy for the climb. After some persuasion, she reluctantly agreed to climb. With that, we began our ascent.

●

Using the map app, I marked the direction to the rock face, and we entered the forest at the base of the mountain. Navigating through the untamed forest, I led the way, assisted by support magic from Estel and Sisya, making the climb faster but still arduous.

"Hiking up a mountain is tiring..."

"Yeah, even though we're used to forests like Alde's, climbing is different."

Recently, we've been exploring Alde Forest and the bamboo grove, so we're accustomed to such terrain. However, climbing adds a new level of difficulty, especially for Estel, who needs extra support.

"Careful here, the footing is tricky."

"Thank you."

I helped Estel over a rough patch, mindful that she isn't as sure-footed as the others. Sisya and Noru were also vigilant, ensuring her safety.

"No monsters so far. Are there none in this forest?"

"Seems so. No signals on the map app either."

"That's good. Climbing is hard enough without fighting."

"It's great we're not facing any monsters. This climb is tough enough."

"Yeah, it's a relief we haven't encountered anything hostile. Let's hope it stays that way."

Despite the challenging terrain, the lack of monsters made the climb more manageable. We continued for several hours, carefully choosing our path, until...

"Hmm, we might need to find another route."

We hit a 50-meter-high rock wall, impassable without detouring.

"We can't climb this. A straight path would be easier, but..."

"After coming this far, going around... I want to go home."

"Just a bit more, let's hang in there!"

Looking both ways, the wall stretched far, forcing us to detour. However, with the rocky summit close, maybe we could scale it with some ingenuity.

"I'll handle this."

Estel stepped forward, confidently clutching her staff and yellow grimoire.

"What are you planning?"

"If we can't go straight, I'll make a path. This height should be manageable."

"What?"

Ignoring our confusion, Estel stood before the wall, concentrating with her staff.

"Here goes... Hya!"

With a determined cry, she tapped the wall. The rock began to recede, forming a vertical trench that extended up the wall, turning into a gradual slope.

"How about this? We can climb it now."

"Wow, Estel is amazing. You're always so reliable."

"Estel's magic is incredible."

"Indeed, magic is wonderful. We've made it easier."

"This makes it straightforward. Estel is dependable."

"Feel free to praise me more."

Estel's magic had transformed the wall into a passable slope, showcasing her formidable abilities. Grateful for her help, we continued up the newly formed path, aiming for the rocky summit.