Chapter 78

(Hmm! Even though I'm getting used to it, it's still tough...)

Day 7 of my hermit life.

As planned, I exterminated the area within 500 meters of the western side of the river's entrance and was trudging back to the base.

I usually jog back, but today I need to conserve my strength because I still have a lot to do.

Even though the pill's effect is at its maximum, if I overdo it, it might affect me tomorrow.

I'm used to taking risks when I'm alone, but when I'm coordinating with over 30 people, the responsibility weighs heavily on me, making me more cautious in my thoughts and actions.

(Should I have dinner first, or should I take action now...? By the way, did the pond trap work?)

Suddenly, I remembered that before I went hunting this morning, I had been working on traps in front of the base, the first since the Palmeira Great Forest.

The reason was clear: I was tired of eating orc meat every day.

No matter how young my body is, eating meat every day makes you crave fish.

So, I had been working hard all morning to set up a pond trap that would be hard to escape from... but the problem is the sheer number of monsters.

Even if I manage to catch fish, it would be meaningless if they get eaten by small wolves or orcs.

This is the problem I need to solve urgently, and I resolved to do so.

(To secure fish and to enjoy a leisurely bath, I need to push myself a bit more...)

I took a deep breath, deeper than usual.

(If I take a break, bath time will be delayed... I'll just heat up some stones and clean up while they're heating.)

With that decision, as soon as I arrived at the base, I started heating stones next to the bath and then immediately headed out to hunt on the western side.

---

On the top of a gently sloping cliff.

I kept dealing with the endless stream of monsters.

The sun had completely set, and I was using [Night Vision] and [Presence Sensing], while [Exploration] was left to the Rigspider.

I had thought that even if [Night Vision] leveled up, it wouldn't be that practical.

Originally, Lulubu would decide whether to move to a new hunting ground based on her own level, so I hadn't been checking if my skills had leveled up...

But looking around now, I can see that the contrast is a bit clearer today than yesterday, and yesterday was a bit clearer than the first day.

The world, which was initially in black and white, has started to gain some color due to the level-up.

Still, the view is very different from daytime.

I can't gauge distances well, and the frequency of attacks from monsters is inevitably higher.

"Haa... haa... and... there are definitely more monsters on the western side..."

I thought this while slashing at the approaching monsters.

I had felt this during the day too.

The number of small wolves didn't seem to differ much, but the number of orcs was clearly higher.

At its worst, more than five orcs would attack me, swinging logs and knocking small wolves away.

Indeed, being surrounded by four orcs right now confirms that the main habitat of the monsters is on the western side of the river.

Of course, even more small wolves try to bite me, slipping through the gaps.

The ground was covered with monster corpses, and I could barely move.

"Ughhh!"

I was aware that my mind was starting to wander.

I swung my short sword wildly, but such a random attack wouldn't disperse the surrounding monsters.

"Grgh..."

For the first time in a while, an orc's log hit my head directly.

Thanks to my enhanced defense, the pain wasn't that strong.

But the shock couldn't be avoided.

...Was I in a state of concussion?

I couldn't focus my vision, and my feet wobbled.

Even as I tried to stand up with weak legs, a powerful log strike came down from above.

"Ugh, ugh... This is bad..."

I couldn't stand up and instinctively crouched, hiding my head like a turtle.

Thud!

Thud!

The monsters showed no mercy.

Even in a crouched position, the impact of the logs hitting my armor was strong.

My clothes, already torn from bites, were being further attacked by the small wolves.

(What a pitiful sight... Damn... These guys are really trying to kill me... Well, I'm trying to kill them too... Of course, that's how it is...)

While thinking this, I didn't look at the hostile monsters but at the ground, and I opened my status screen, focusing on one point.

(My magic power is just over 140 with a sword... I underestimated it. It's my fault for underestimating it...)

Conserving magic power had become a habit since I started making the bath.

I thought that even if surrounded by multiple monsters, I could avoid using magic and save it for making the bath at night.

But it was overly confident to think I could handle more than ten monsters with this body, which had little stamina left.

I'm not strong.

No, I'm still weak.

Weak enough to be beaten up by E-class monsters.

Then—

I should get serious.

Don't misjudge when to conserve your strength.

Now is not the time.

With that judgment, I shouted loud enough for the monsters attacking me from all sides to hear.

"Kill all the monsters around me with countless razors...!"

At that moment, a large tornado formed around me.

It was the first time I used level 4 [Wind Magic].

I didn't know what would happen when I used it.

But I felt strangely reassured.

Partly because the monsters' attacks had stopped.

Without looking up, I could hear the continuous sound of something being cut, along with the groans of the monsters.

The ground in front of me was covered with dark red liquid.

A moment of silence—

Is it safe now? When I looked up, the area was scattered with the shredded remains of monsters.

As far as I could see, no monsters had survived, and the only reaction I could detect with [Exploration] was that of the Rigspider, which seemed to have a strong territorial awareness and didn't join the melee.

"Level 4, and this is what it does..."

I couldn't help but sit down and mutter.

In this hunting ground, even if surrounded by monsters, the power to turn the situation around with one move was evident.

But I immediately decided to prohibit the use of level 4 [Wind Magic] unless it was an emergency.

With my current magic power, even if I were fully recovered, I could only use it three times.

The magic consumption was too heavy, and natural recovery couldn't keep up.

Moreover, looking at the remains... it would be difficult to properly collect materials.

The magic stones might still be intact, but it's questionable whether I could even collect the parts needed for the kill.

I could easily imagine Alba and the others being shocked and disappointed.

While thinking about this in the bloody mess, a noisy sensation suddenly appeared in my head—

("It's Feirill. I'm thinking of lowering the [Separation] now. Is it okay?")

It was the [Divine Oracle] after all.

But this situation is bad.

I can't welcome Feirill in a sea of blood with scattered flesh.

If she appeared here, it would look like a demon summoning.

(Good thing I saved some magic power... It would have been bad if I couldn't use [Divine Power]...)

With that thought, I forced myself to stand up, using the remaining strength to hurry back to the base.