Chapter 62

"Roki, you have the skills [Charge] Level 2 and [Bite] Level 1. Both are monster-exclusive."

"Ah! Got it!"

In front of me were two Small Wolves, each about a meter long.

One of them was already lying at my feet, its head cut off.

When I thought I had caught their movement within the 15-meter radius of my [Presence Detection], it was already too late.

They were fast to begin with, and I think they used [Charge]—

Before I could even get into a defensive stance, I swung my sword at the Small Wolf's face in a panic.

Well, unlike the Poison Mice in the Locker Plains, it's not a problem that I didn't try to take them down without damaging their faces.

They look like large brown dogs, but they growl and are quite scary, and their fangs are pretty impressive...

With this speed and group action, if I had come here at level 5, I would have definitely died from not being able to keep up with their movements.

But now, with my focus on skills, it's not a problem.

[Charge] is fast enough to make me a bit anxious, but I know it can only move in a straight line.

If I dodge to the side and slash their belly—

As you can see, it's over in one hit.

(At the same time! My stance—oh no... I can't avoid it!)

Thud!

(Ugh... huh?)

...

I and the Small Wolf stared at each other.

I felt like we were thinking the same thing.

("Huh...?")

Because it didn't hurt.

When it charged, there was some impact, but I only took a step back, and the pain from the impact was almost non-existent.

This must be thanks to the [Poison Resistance] I maxed out. My defense is the only thing that stands out.

Then, the Small Wolf, suddenly coming to its senses, changed its target while turning.

(Not good... It's going for Lady Rea!)

I tried to run and catch up, but its movement speed was incomparable from the start.

"Lady Rea! It's going for you! Damn it, I can't make it in time... [Charge]!!"

The view flowed, and the distance between me and the Small Wolf closed, but I still couldn't catch up.

(One more! [Charge]!!)

Finally, I caught up to the Small Wolf's rear and quickly stabbed it with my sword, ending our first battle with almost no damage.

(Phew... I injured its tail, but it's a valid kill part, so it should be fine.)

"You don't need to worry about monsters coming to me. Was that [Charge]?"

"Yeah, that's right. I used it without thinking."

"It suddenly moves so fast, huh."

"About twice the normal speed at this level. The effect lasts for about 5 meters."

"You used it twice?"

"Yeah, I activated it in my head the second time."

"I see."

While talking, we immediately started to skin the Small Wolf and checked the status screen.

(The other slots... Ah, it seems they don't show up until you can acquire them.)

I thought [Bite] was at 60% and [Web] from the Rig Spider was at 20%, but it seems that monster-specific skills that aren't displayed on the skill tree don't show their progress until you acquire them.

[Charge] has a percentage, so it seems you can see the details after acquiring it.

"Lady Rea, if I defeat two more enemies, I should be able to acquire the [Bite] skill, I think."

"Think?"

"Until you acquire it, you can't see the progress. You only see the details after you get it."

"Hmm. [Bite] means Roki bites, right?"

"Uh... I don't know. Like with [Web], I'm not sure if I can use it even if I get it... Maybe there's a chance I can't acquire it at all?"

With [Charge], whether it's a monster or a human, if you can charge, it's [Charge].

It might sound strange in Japanese, but in terms of whether you can do it or not, it's an action that most living things can perform.

On the other hand, [Bite]—well, as long as you have a mouth and teeth, you can probably do it, but [Web] is definitely not something you can do without the organs to produce silk.

So, what will happen?

Will the organs be created in my body when I acquire it?

(I hope not, but if I keep acquiring monster-specific skills, will my body become less human? Is it okay!?)

I've never thought about this before, so I'm suddenly getting anxious...

But I'll keep this to myself for now.

If I don't know which way it will go, I have to try it out.

If I don't try and just get scared, I won't be able to hunt properly in most hunting grounds.

I can't endure a life in the Locker Plains forever.

(If I start to produce silk, I'll consult the goddesses...)

I decided in my heart and tried to skin the Small Wolf, but gave up halfway and moved deeper into the forest.

About 20 minutes later.

[You have acquired [Bite] Level 1]

"Hey, Lady Rea! As expected, I've acquired [Bite]!"

After that, I defeated one more Rig Spider and two more Small Wolves that appeared, and I successfully acquired the [Bite] skill.

"I'll check the details on the status screen, so please wait a moment."

"Okay."

(Here it is. It seems I can use it normally, but... it's practically useless...)

The details are as follows:

[Bite] Level 1: For 1 second, perform a biting action with a 120% ability value correction. Consumes 3 mana.

"Well, it seems that using 3 mana, the strength of the bite becomes a bit stronger."

"...Can you use it?"

"Apparently, I can use it, but... I don't think there will be a situation where I need to use it..."

"..."

"Ah, but the bonus stat is Strength, so that's excellent."

Lady Rea has a look on her face that I can't quite describe, but I feel the same way.

A skill with no practical use.

But it's fine, right?

It's better to have it than not, and if it slightly boosts my stats, it's not a bad thing.

...Right?

"Lady Rea! My teeth didn't suddenly become sharp, right!?"

"? It doesn't seem to be the case."

That's a relief.

If my teeth suddenly became like a beast's, my life in this world would be bleak.

I still can't be complacent, but for now, I'll think that there are no drawbacks, even if the benefits are minimal.

"Let's move on! We still need to defeat the Orcs, and the time limit is around 3 PM!"

▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽

The two of us wandered through the forest.

After defeating one more Rig Spider, a scene I didn't want to see appeared in my field of vision.

(Ah, I found the Orcs, but... is it a party of four?)

A party was fighting Orcs outside the range of my [Presence Detection].

There were two Orcs, and the party seemed to be fighting, but they also seemed to be trying to run away.

(What should I do? According to the rules Amanda taught me, it's forbidden to take over a monster someone else is fighting. Unnecessary interference can cause trouble.)

This is the same in the games I've played.

So-called "stealing" is a taboo because it often leads to disputes over experience points and loot, and in some games, it can even be posted on bulletin boards as a violation of etiquette.

The party I see now is fighting while retreating, but it also seems like they are having trouble escaping, making it a difficult situation to judge.

Normally, I should call out and confirm their intentions—

But when I glanced behind me, I saw Lady Rea with a cool expression.

If I were alone, I would act differently, but I can't move with her here.

Lady Rea seemed to understand my thoughts.

"You don't need to worry about me?"

"No, but... it's not normal for a girl to be in the forest. I think it's better not to be seen by others."

"...Hmm. So, what will you do? What do you think about the situation from your perspective? Are they running away?"

"...I can't tell, but those four aren't strong. They don't have significant skills."

Hmm.

Even Lady Rea can't see the levels or stats of others.

If she can only see their skills, it's natural for her judgment to be vague.

Moreover, to Lady Rea, any human seems weak.

Honestly, it's not very helpful.

So... should I hide temporarily?

"Lady Rea, if we just pass by and they all die later, it will be a bad start to the day, so I think I'll at least call out to them."

"Okay."

"So, can Lady Rea hide in a tree? Your white dress is quite noticeable."

"Are you telling me to climb?"

"I'll lift you up, so it's fine."

I guided Lady Rea to a relatively straight tree in front of me and prepared to create a stone pillar next to it.

"I'm going to create a stone pillar under Lady Rea's feet. It will rise up, so please hold onto the tree or something to avoid falling, okay?"

"That's an interesting use..."

"Here we go."

[Generate a 5-meter tall stone pillar]

Zzzzzzz...

"Lady Rea! Just grab onto a branch or something and relax..."

I failed.

I didn't mean to, but—

I forgot that Lady Rea was wearing a dress.

Looking up from below, I could see...

(So... it's white too...)

Even though I saw it, I want to thank the goddess for my good luck.

"Ouch!"

While I was filled with happiness amidst a life-or-death battle, a sudden pain shot through me.

(What? A branch fell!?)

Looking up again, I saw Lady Rea, who was holding down the hem of her dress, glaring at me with a red face.

"...I'll kill you later!"

"Ah!!!"

A scream that sounded like a monster attack echoed through the forest, but the situation was entirely different.