Chapter 7

In the forest, about a 15-minute walk from the town of Bret, we found ourselves.

This time, the Sharpwolves we were commissioned to hunt live here.

However, this forest is home to quite a few monsters that actively attack humans.

Right now, I was dealing with another monster.

"Haah!!"

Aira swung her sword horizontally, slicing the Slime in two, bringing the battle to a temporary end.

"Good job."

When I called out to her, Aira handed me the Slime's drop item, the "Slime Liver," as she replied.

"Yes, thank you."

"You seem to be handling the battles well."

We had encountered a few monsters so far, and Aira had taken them all down with a single strike.

"Yes, the monsters here seem weaker than those in my village. I can be of use here."

Aira answered, looking pleased. No, probably she had just gotten stronger.

"Alright, but the Sharpwolves haven't shown up yet, so don't let your guard down."

"Yes, I've heard that Sharpwolves are very fast and have high attack power. I've also heard that Slimes and Worms are among the weakest monsters."

Aira kept a vigilant eye on her surroundings. She seemed to be able to sense the presence of living things around her. It might be a skill she developed to survive with her weakened stats.

"But, my body feels much lighter. When I was in the village, I would be out of breath after defeating a Slime."

"Well, the 'Curse' is lifted, after all."

"Is that so?"

Right, Aira didn't know the true nature of her 'Curse.'

"Aira's 'Curse' was something that applied negative modifiers to her stats."

Now that the 'Curse' is lifted, and she is also benefiting from the parameter boosts from the 'Blessings.' The sudden increase in her stats probably makes her feel lighter.

"Really, the 'Curse' is lifted."

"Didn't you believe it yet?"

"No, Master would never lie. It's just that I've been under the 'Curse' since birth..."

I see, she spent over a decade living with the 'Curse.' For someone to come along and say it's lifted after just one day... It's understandable that it would seem suspicious. I'll have to gradually earn her trust.

"But now I'm certain. Master is truly an amazing person."

Huh, Aira is looking at me with admiration. I was just about to resolve to gradually earn her trust.

"Anyway, let's go a bit deeper. Aira, let me know if you sense any living things."

"Understood."

"There's something over there."

After advancing a bit, Aira said this.

"What? A monster?"

"I'm not sure, but I can sense a living presence."

Not quite sure what it was, we cautiously approached the area. There was indeed something strange there.

"What is that?"

A liquid was slowly oozing out, similar to a spring, but it wasn't water. The viscous liquid was pooling in a depression. Once it had accumulated to a certain extent, it seemed to gain a will of its own and slowly slithered out of the depression. Was that a Slime?

"A 'Slime Spring.' I've never seen one before."

"Slime Spring?"

I echoed Aira's words.

"Yes, it's believed that in forests with high magical energy, there is always a 'Slime Spring' somewhere."

The 'Slime Spring' continuously spawns Slimes. Other monsters eat the Slimes to gain magical energy. When the magical energy reaches a certain level, the monsters begin to proliferate. So, the 'Slime Spring' is a spawning point for Slimes, and it also attracts monsters that feed on Slimes.

"So, the 'Slime Spring' is a place where monsters gather."

"Yes, experienced adventurers often camp near a 'Slime Spring' for days to hunt."

"Are there any other humans around here?"

"There doesn't seem to be anyone nearby. It's either an undiscovered spring or a recently formed one."

"I see. Then, if we wait here, the Sharpwolves might show up."

"Yes, Sharpwolves are monsters that eat Slimes."

As we were talking, the Sharpwolves we were discussing appeared.

The Sharpwolves, known for their sharp movements, are about twice the size of ordinary wolves. Their attacks are as powerful as a bear's on Earth. Additionally, they often move in packs, which is why they are sometimes called "Rookie Killers."

With a growl, 17 Sharpwolves attacked us. Normally, a rookie adventurer with less than a week of experience would be no match for them and would likely be killed. In fact, it's rare for a beginner to face a pack of Sharpwolves. The usual approach is to form a party and hunt smaller packs with fewer members than the party. However, the two of us were unconventional.

"Hissai!" Hikari shouted, taking down the nearest Sharpwolf with a single strike. Aira, who was faster than the Sharpwolves, was also incredibly strong. The overwhelming individual strength of the two of us quickly reduced the number of Sharpwolves. By the time the battle had been going on for about ten minutes, all the Sharpwolves were gone.

"Good, we've taken them all down."

We took a breath after defeating the pack's boss, who was hiding at the back.

"Yes, the Sharpwolves were manageable. They were a bit faster, but it was fine."

Aira answered as she collected the Sharpwolves' drop items, the "Sharp Fangs." During this battle, Hikari was convinced of Aira's strength.

"You didn't seem to have any trouble with the Sharpwolves."

"No, they weren't that strong."

No, no, they were strong enough! I praised Aira, putting my own abilities aside.

"The commission was for 10, so we've technically completed it. What do you want to do?"

"I'd like to fight a bit more."

"Alright, let's keep hunting until sunset."

We continued to slay monsters, and by the end of the day, we had nearly wiped out all the Sharpwolves in the forest. After exchanging the items at the guild, we checked our stats at the inn and found that our levels had increased.

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Hikari Jinno, Lv.6

Swordsman, 16 years old

Health: 450 (+150)

Strength: 90 (+30)

Agility: 90 (+30)

Intelligence: 203 (+68)

Luck: 375 (+125)

'Blessing of the War God'

Effect: Significantly increases the stats of combat classes. Cannot be stacked.

Target: Party

'Blessing of the Wisdom God'

Effect: Significantly increases the stats of magic classes. Cannot be stacked.

Target: Party

'Blessing of the Craft God'

Effect: Significantly increases the stats of production classes. Cannot be stacked.

Target: Party

'Blessing of the Healing God'

Effect: Significantly increases the stats of holy classes. Cannot be stacked.

Target: Party

'Blessing of the Appraisal God'

Effect: Allows the user to check the stats of any object.

Target: Self

'Blessing of the Trade God'

Effect: Provides advantages in trade.

Target: Self

'Blessing of Light'

Effect: Cures all status abnormalities.

Target: Designated

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Aira, Lv.5

Warrior, 15 years old

Health: 840 (+280)

Strength: 252 (+84)

Agility: 483 (+161)

Intelligence: 132 (+44)

Luck: 132 (+44)

'Blessing of the War God (Follower)'

Effect: Significantly increases the stats of combat classes.

Target: Self

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