Chapter 13

In the morning, I trained with the substitute instructors and Asuka, and logged in for the second time in the afternoon. The scene that greeted my eyes was the same as yesterday, the view of the square in the center of the city. It seems that I always appear in this place when I log in.

"What do you do when you log out outside... hmm?"

Then, I noticed a familiar icon blinking at the edge of my vision. Focusing on the icon, which resembled a human torso, I saw the words "Hunger State" displayed. Now that I think about it, I just had lunch, but I feel a bit hungry. I didn't expect such a state to be included.

"It's a bit of a hassle, but being able to eat whatever I like, separate from reality, is a blessing."

In real life, I can't afford to be a picky eater for the sake of my health. But here, there are no such constraints. I can eat whatever I want without much trouble. Since there were a few stalls in the square, I decided to grab some sandwiches and skewers while walking towards the East Gate. Some people were staring at me, but I'm used to it. Blending into the crowd, I arrived at the eastern gate of the city.

"Well, that girl—she's easy to find."

With her blonde hair and kimono, she stands out quite a bit, so it's not hard to find her. As expected, I easily spotted Iori, who was standing idly by the gate. She's a pretty girl, but her appearance makes her stand out. Fortunately, no one seems to be bothering her, which might be a good thing. Anyway, my goal today is her. I'll approach her first.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh, Mr. Quon. No, you're not late. Let's get going, shall we?"

With those words, the same party request window appeared in front of me, just like when I was with Himari. With a slight shrug, I accepted, and Iori's name appeared as a party member at the edge of my vision.

"Shall we head out? Do you have anything you need to bring?"

"No, not really. I know the way."

After all, it's just a matter of defeating some enemies and returning. If we were going to a night forest or a tree sea, it might be more dangerous, but a daytime forest isn't that risky. Following Iori, who started leading the way, I set off towards the eastern forest. The forest was close enough to be visible just outside the city gate. It seemed to be used for logging, with sparse trees due to simultaneous logging and replanting. Since it's maintained by people, it's not surprising that it's well-trodden and easy to walk through.

"It's more like a stroll through a grove than entering a forest."

"You can't deny that. After all, it's one of the first fields, so they couldn't make it too difficult."

"True. I guess I'll look forward to more challenging fields in the future."

With a light shrug, we walked without encountering any monsters and arrived at the edge of the forest. It seems the area between the city and the forest is a safe zone. Feeling a bit anticlimactic, I drew my sword and stepped into the forest. Iori also drew her weapon, a naginata.

"A naginata, huh?"

"Yes, well... I couldn't handle a sword properly."

A naginata, a long pole with a curved blade at the end. It's a Japanese-style naginata, thinner than a Chinese yanyue dao. It seems she struggled to find a weapon that fit the Japanese style and settled on this. Long weapons are generally easier for beginners to handle and hit with. Especially, a naginata, which can both thrust and slash, should be easier to use than a sword.

"Well, I think it's fine. I have a few students who use naginatas, so I can give you some pointers."

"Students...? Thank you. I wanted to use a sword, but..."

"Is it hard to handle? Himari mentioned that."

Apparently, swords are powerful but wear out quickly. I've been checking my sword's durability regularly, but it's still in the 90% range. I suspect those who have trouble are not using proper techniques. If you can hit the right spots, you can reduce the number of swings and the wear on the sword. In short, swords are difficult for beginners who haven't used them before.

"Well, using something you can't handle won't be fun. If you're comfortable with it, do what you want. I can give you some guidance if you like."

"Really!?"

"Yeah, I can't give you formal training, but I can offer some advice."

As an instructor, I can only directly train my substitute instructors and direct disciples. I can't easily train others. Besides, I'm not that well-versed in naginatas myself. My niece, who is a substitute instructor in naginata, is more knowledgeable. Thinking of her enthusiastic training requests, I narrowed my eyes at the approaching sound. From the right side of the forest road, which was somewhat maintained for logging, something was approaching, rustling the branches.

"Iori, it's an enemy."

"Y-Yes."

Iori finally noticed and turned to face the sound, readying her naginata. The sound was low. I lowered my stance and waited for the enemy to approach. Soon, a small boar appeared, rustling the leaves.

■Forest Boar

Type: Animal, Monster

Level: 1

Status: Active

Attribute: None

Battle Position: Ground

It was a small boar, about 50 cm tall. Compared to real boars, it was about the same size or slightly smaller. Boars are not to be underestimated, but this one didn't seem particularly threatening.

"Grunt!"

"It's a Forest Boar. Its charge attack is quite strong, but if you avoid it and make it hit a tree, it will be stunned for a while."

"Doesn't seem like a difficult opponent."

There was only one enemy. I decided to take it on to get a feel for the forest. I approached the Forest Boar with a low stance, sliding my feet. The boar, seeing me approach, lowered its body in a defensive stance, ready to charge. As if to declare its intent, it pawed the ground with its front hooves. True to its declaration, the boar charged at me with a burst of speed.

(Quite fast, but...)

The rabbits in the northern plains are faster. I stepped to the left front and, at the moment I extended my foot, I kicked up my right gauntlet with my knee.

Sword Technique—Stiff Form, Bell Tower.

The slash, pushed up by my foot, moved with a speed that was impossible from a low stance, cutting into the boar's right eye.

"Grunt!?"

"It stopped."

Pain and the loss of vision caused the boar to collapse, rolling to the ground. I mercilessly brought my sword, raised by the kick, down on the boar's neck.

Sword Technique—Stiff Form, Bell Tower: Descent.

The feint to the face and the decisive strike on the stunned opponent, a rare two-stage technique in the Stiff Form, easily decapitated the boar. After all, it was only level 1.

"Underwhelming... I guess I'll have to look forward to the boss."

"...I've never seen anyone defeat a charging Forest Boar before."

"Really? I thought a well-timed strike with a greatsword or hammer would do the trick."

"That would be a disaster if the timing was off. Many players here are still getting used to their weapons."

"Right, this is a beginner area. Hmm..."

Indeed, hitting a moving target is difficult for beginners. According to Iori, hitting the boar against a tree would stun it, making it easier to attack. In that sense, it's a good opponent for beginners. I'm not sure about the spiders, though.

"Well, I have a better idea of what we're dealing with. Let's move on... I hope we find an opponent that can use skills."

"Actually, I'm surprised you can do that much without using skills... I've heard the rumors, but you're really skilled."

I smiled and slung my sword over my shoulder as Iori, who had lowered her naginata, sighed. Our goal is the boss. I expect it to be a bit more challenging. Maybe the regular spiders will be interesting too.

"Come on, let's move forward."

"Yes, let's go."

Iori doesn't pry into my affairs much. I've been giving her some information, but she hasn't shown much interest. Maybe she's just polite or only interested in my outfit. Either way, her reserve makes her easy to get along with. I don't mind giving her some pointers.

"By the way, you're not very good at combat, are you?"

"U-Uh, well, I'm a crafter."

"So, you prioritize DEX. Wouldn't a ranged weapon be better?"

"True, it would be a better fit... but I wanted to use a sword or a naginata!"

I chuckled at Iori's declaration, hugging her naginata. It's a matter of personal preference. It's not that she can't use it at all, so it's not a big problem. More importantly, there's something else to consider.

"First, you're too hesitant. Even against a clearly weaker opponent, you're so cautious. Can you fight the boss spider?"

"U-Uh, well..."

I shrugged, understanding the situation from Iori's hesitation. She probably intended to fight alone, so it's not a big difference. I hope she can at least protect herself, but I'll work on that before we reach the boss.

■Avatar Name: Quon

■Gender: Male

■Race: Human

■Level: 8

■Status (Remaining Status Points: 0)

STR: 14

VIT: 12

INT: 14

MND: 12

AGI: 11

DEX: 11

■Skills

Weapon Skill: Sword: Lv.8

Magic Skill: Enhancement Magic: Lv.5

Set Skill: Death Strike: Lv.7

HP Auto Recovery: Lv.2

MP Auto Recovery: Lv.3

Loot Sword: Lv.3

Identification: Lv.7

Life Sword: Lv.1

Sub Skill: Mining: Lv.1

Sword of Exorcism: Lv.1

■Current SP: 2