Chapter 6

It was only after night fell that I could finally move.

I have to get home quickly, or Grandma Stella will worry, but I have something to do first.

I went to the pigsty in front of the village of Ressel with my unsteady body.

There are two types of pigs here: one for food and another type of pig. The pigs have the faces of pigs and the bodies of adult humans, two times larger, known as 'Orcs.'

These orcs are captured by adventurers and made to obey human commands with slave collars.

The slave collars are said to be enchanted, allowing various restrictions to be set, as Grandma Stella once mentioned.

The orcs here are mainly kept as laborers.

I looked at one of the three orcs.

Name: ＊＊＊

Race: Orc

Rank: 1

Level: 3

HP: 153

MP: 6

Strength: 61

Agility: 6

Stamina: 101

Intelligence: 3

Magic: 2

Luck: 2

Passive Skills:

Strength Increase LV1

Breeding LV1

Active Skills:

None

Unique Skills:

None

The low-intelligence orcs don't seem to have the habit of naming, as the name field is unreadable. Additionally, the job section, like with goblins, shows no job but a rank.

"Look into my eyes."

As I said this, the orc met my gaze. I will use the orcs to practice the Steal skill. First, I need to make eye contact to activate the Steal skill.

What I learned about 'Steal' is that you can't steal a skill without making eye contact, and there is a success rate. It took me three tries to steal 'Strength Increase LV1' from the first orc, and each attempt came with a headache.

I had to get within about one meter to make it work.

Out of the three orcs, two had the 'Strength Increase' skill. I tried to steal it from the second orc. The skill level remained at 1, but I could clearly feel my strength increase. I threw a palm-sized rock, and it flew about 100 meters in a straight line, not a curve.

I was surprised by the skill's effect, but this means I can carry out what I had planned.

The 'Guild Card' is enchanted to display stats, including skills, and you can see which stats improve when you level up.

If it were a villager, it wouldn't be a problem, but adventurers frequently check their stats, as they live life on the edge.

I stole 'Swordsmanship LV1' from Hage, and he hasn't noticed yet, but he will soon. When he does, he might not be sure it was me, but the possibility is high that he will blame me, the unlucky black-haired, black-eyed one. Given what he has done to me, I have no intention of forgiving him.

On my way home, I met Grandma Stella. She was worried because I was late. She was on the verge of tears when she saw the wounds all over my body.

I told her not to worry, that everything would be fine from tomorrow, but she kept crying.

Seeing her come to meet me and cry made my heart warm.

The next morning, my body still hurt, but I could move.

Grandma Stella told me not to go outside for a while, but I couldn't do that, so I promised not to go near the village and got her permission to go out.

I went to the guild without being seen, and Hage was inside, talking to his cronies with his usual crude laughter. He doesn't seem to have noticed that his skill is gone yet.

Hage took the usual Goblin Slaying quest and headed towards the mountains. I followed him from behind without being noticed.

As we went deeper into the mountains, Hage encountered a group of goblins and killed them all.

I know the mountains well from gathering herbs, so I know where everything and everyone is.

I could predict the route Hage would take, so I set a trap. I threw stones at the goblins in the area, hiding and throwing more and more. There were over 30 goblins! Even while hiding, it was a limit, so I ran in the direction Hage would come.

Hage was fighting a different group of goblins when I arrived, so I hid in the nearby bushes.

"What the hell is this?!"

Hage was clearly surprised by the sudden appearance of over 30 goblins, but it was too late. He was already surrounded.

"Don't underestimate me!"

He shouted and started slashing at the goblins with his longsword. Despite his frustration, he had already killed over a dozen goblins. However, among the goblins I gathered were two special ones.

Name: ＊＊＊

Race: Goblin Mage

Rank: 1

Level: 6

HP: 45

MP: 33

Strength: 10

Agility: 11

Stamina: 17

Intelligence: 10

Magic: 16

Luck: 8

Passive Skills:

Breeding LV1

Active Skills:

Black Magic LV1

Unique Skills:

None

Name: ＊＊＊

Race: Goblin Priest

Rank: 1

Level: 8

HP: 41

MP: 28

Strength: 8

Agility: 10

Stamina: 16

Intelligence: 12

Magic: 18

Luck: 6

Passive Skills:

Breeding LV1

Active Skills:

White Magic LV1

Unique Skills:

None

"Oh!!" I couldn't help but shout in my head when I saw the active skills.

The situation turned around when these goblins joined the battle. The Goblin Priest healed the injured goblins, and the Goblin Mage cast spells from a distance.

"Heal..."

"Fireball..."

"Shit!"

Hage dodged the spells, but the Goblin Mage's Fireball threw him off balance, and the goblins took advantage of the opening.

I took the opportunity to get close to the Goblin Mage and Goblin Priest, activating 'Steal' multiple times.

"Ow..."

The headache from activating 'Steal' hit me, but I couldn't afford to stop. I successfully stole 'Black Magic LV1' and 'White Magic LV1.'

"Fireball!"

The Goblin Mage immediately tried to cast a spell, but the Fireball didn't work.

"!?"

Confused by the failed spell, I hit the Goblin Mage with a stone I had prepared. With my enhanced 'Combat' and 'Strength Increase' skills, the Goblin Mage was no match for the stone.

"Yaaah!"

His head caved in, and he fell.

"Heal..."

The Goblin Priest tried to cast a spell but, of course, it didn't work. I then killed the Goblin Priest.

Hage was still alive, and the number of goblins had been reduced to five. Hage was not unscathed, covered in blood, with his left arm nearly torn off and his left leg dragging.

"Two-stab!!!"

Hage shouted 'Sword Technique' for a two-stab, but it wasn't a proper two-stab. It was just two simple stabs.

Was it because I stole 'Swordsmanship LV1,' or because 'Sword Technique LV1' didn't work even with the skill?

"What the hell is going on! Why aren't my sword techniques working?!"

Hage finally fell, and the goblins started to swarm him. One of them noticed me.

"Gigi?!"

The remaining four goblins also noticed me and changed their target, but it was too late. I calmly threw stones at them.

Some goblins had their heads caved in, others had their eyes crushed, and some were knocked to the ground. The Goblin Mage and Priest were already far away, and I had kept my distance after killing them. The goblins coming straight at me were easy targets.

After killing all the goblins, I approached the fallen Hage. He was still alive and looked at me.

"H... Help... me... C... Carry me to the village..."

He seemed to be under a misunderstanding, so I kindly explained.

"Are you stupid? Don't you understand why so many goblins came after you?"

"Y... You...!!"

He looked at me with a murderous gaze, but it was his own fault. Since our eyes met, I used 'Steal' to take 'Strength Increase LV1,' 'Sword Technique LV1,' and 'Combat LV1,' all his skills.

"You've caused me a lot of trouble. How does it feel to be tricked by someone you considered a worm? I really owe you a lot..."

When I said this, Hage's eyes changed from anger to pleading.

"Wait! ... I didn't do it because I wanted to... The villagers and the guild master told me to... I had no choice... I had no choice!"

"I'll kill you out of necessity, too."

"Wh...!"

I threw a stone at Hage's face from close range. With the 'Strength Increase' I stole from Hage, the stone embedded itself in his face, and he stopped moving.

I felt nothing about killing a person for the first time. My heart might already be broken from my stepfather's abuse.

I looked at the equipment I recovered from Hage. I also took his money.

Longsword (Level 6)

Leather Armor (Level 6)

Leather Boots (Level 6)

Next, I checked my own stats.

Name: Yu Sato

Race: Human

Job: None

Level: 4

HP: 23

MP: 31

Strength: 6

Agility: 10

Stamina: 8

Intelligence: 25

Magic: 8

Luck: 1

Passive Skills:

Swordsmanship LV1

Strength Increase LV2

Active Skills:

Sword Technique LV1

Combat LV2

Black Magic LV1

White Magic LV1

Unique Skills:

Demonic Eye of the Otherworld LV2

Steal LV1

It seems I leveled up after killing the goblins and Hage.

The skills I stole from Hage, 'Strength Increase' and 'Combat,' are now at LV2.

"Next, the guild master, I guess..."

I then headed towards the village.