《World Monster》 Chapter 00: Prologue Magic. Although it is widely abundant within this world, the number of people capable controlling and harnessing its prowess are 1 in every 50,000 people. Considering that the population of the world at subject is approximated 3 billion, those who are adept in the art are considered of the elite. However, those able to reach the level of ¡°Saint¡± require a talent that appears once in every 1000 years. Those possessing the ability of a Saint rival that an army of 10,000, fully armed. This was the basis of magic that revolved around this world. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As the result of a blunt force impacting my head, most like due a rock, I slowly regained my consciousness. My vision was blurry. Hearing some indecipherable speech around me, I try to move around, only to feel a tight binding of rope on my wrists and ankles. Moving around was not an option. As my eyesight stabilized and senses regained, I realized that I had been hanging on a wooden cylinder upside down. As stiff as my body was, I moved my head around, trying to grasp my current location and situation. 3-foot tall, bulky, grotesque creatures surrounded me. Their facial features resembled that of a pig, though much more ugly. Fat-covered bodies only covered by a dirtied loincloth. Each of them wielded various weapons, although the most common seemed to be a wooden spear with a metal tip. If my memory serves me correctly, these were called [Orcs], a fairly common monster in RPGs. Their numbers ranged in the hundreds. As their incomprehensible language kept on rambling, I continued to observe my surroundings. Even though it was nighttime, visibility was not an obstacle due to the light coming from the full moon and multiple torches that the Orcs were holding. We seemed to be travelling along the side of a mountain; quite high up, seeing that I could see a vast forest in the surroundings. The road wasn¡¯t well formed and was rugged, with rubble and luminescent minerals protruding from the ground, so adding on to the fact that I was hung upside-down from a pole, the experience was obvious uncomfortable. After travelling from roughly ten minutes, we arrived at the summit. Suddenly, the cacophony of the conversations had stopped; only the sound the wind blowing and the crackling of the torches could be heard. In the center of the plateau, a stone altar surrounded by black flames stood tall. I could feel an eerie energy being released. As far as I was, currently, from the pillar, it felt as if cold, ethereal hands feeling my body, almost as if I was being prepared to be forcefully taken to the underworld. Truly a disgusting feeling.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. As the silence went on for a brief moment, one of the Orcs stepped in front of the altar. This one was different from the others. Its figures was roughly half the size of the common Orc, but instead of the amounts of fat that could be seen clearly (too clearly) in the rest, toned and defined muscles were present. Grey skin was pigmented instead of the usual murky pink. As a sign of its prestige, it donned leather armor covered by a rugged white cloak along with what seemed to be a staff. It was clearly the dominant one out of the herd. However, despite that, it still had the same repulsive face as the rest. I classified this one as a [High Orc]. Holding up its staff, it started a chant with a weird rhythm, and soon after the rest followed soon after. Two Orcs carried me from my original position and took me towards the altar. After tying me to the altar with another piece of rope, this time slightly thicker than the ones used for my hands and legs, they returned to their original position and continued chanting with the rest. From my current inference, it was safe to say that what was occurring was a ritual, and I was the sacrifice. As the chanting grew louder, the High Orc turned towards me. Seeing it more closely, these orcs were truly disgusting creatures. Afterwards, the creature put its staff in a holster on its back, then proceeded to reach inside its cloak. As it took a curved dagger from under its cloak, I was prepared for what would normally happen next. However, instead of using the tool on me, it slit the palm of its hand, causing a dark, oil-looking substance to flow out. As the liquid continued to flow, the High Orc splashed my entirety with the foul substance. The consistency was similar to that of cornstarch mixed with water, while the smell reeked like that of rotten fish guts. I tried desperately to hold in my gag reflex, but eventually had to give in to the odor. Not a pretty sight. Just as I, reluctantly, grew accustomed to the stench, the chanting came to an abrupt stop. Then without a warning, I was stabbed in the heart by dagger-wielding High Orc. As the blood slowly seeped out of my wound, my consciousness drifted and soon, all faded to black. I, who has no recollection of his name or past, had just died. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [DO YOU WANT TO LIVE?] [YES/NO] . . . [YES] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ¡­ or so I thought. Chapter 01: So Im not dead? It was brilliant. I opened my eyes to be welcomed by the warm embrace of the morning sun. I felt rejuvenated. But wait¡­ Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be dead? I clearly remember the feeling of cold metal piercing my chest, followed by a painful chill that spread throughout my body. I would have been delighted if it were some dream, but the reality of the situation presented itself to me. I was still tied to the altar, but luckily, the ropes were loosened due to decay. Most likely due to the Orc blood that was splattered onto me. The left side of my chest was stilled marked with the dagger wound, although, to my surprise, was close to being fully healed. After freeing myself from the ropes, I decided to survey my surroundings. I was still on top of the mountain where I supposedly ¡°died¡±, although I was not certain how much time had passed since my ¡°death¡±. Other than several smaller creatures scurrying around the plateau, there we no other signs of life. Seeing that the Orcs had left, I left out a sigh of relief. Below the mountain was the forest which I had seen on my way up. I could see nothing along the horizon but vegetation and mountain ranges. Most likely no signs of civilization remotely close to my current location. Makes me wonder how the Orcs were able to bring me here in the first place. Was I really taken from a far-away land just for the sake of their ritual? Was I part of a group of forest-dwelling people? Or was I summoned here from my origins? No use thinking about all of that at the moment. What I need to do is to descend from this mountain. Suddenly, a sharp pain rang through my head and I feel to my knees. Excluding the pain of suddenly dropping to my knees onto hard rock, it felt as if something was viciously eating away at my mind. Despite trying to withstand the pain to my limit, I could not bear the pain, and for the second time, I lost consciousness. . . . Formations of numbers and letters appeared within my sight. As I slowly got myself together, although still experiencing soring pains from the recent incident, I began analyzing the contents of what I was seeing.
???
Lv. 1 Race: Human
HP 32/100 MP 50/50
STR 6 DEX 10
VIT 7 AGI 8
INT 13 WIS 6The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
Skills: ¡¤ Analyze (Lv.1) ¡¤ Lesser Creation Magic (Lv.1) ¡¤ Innate Magic Manipulation (Lv.MAX) Traits: ¡¤ Otherworldly Being
¡°I must be seeing things¡­¡± I thought to myself. But with the events that have happened recently, it was only brief moments later when I began to accept what I saw. In succession to that, I decided to run a few tests. From what was available in my skills, I inferred that the [Analyze] skill would be the most beneficial for this situation. As a test, I tried using the skill to analyze the altar that I was tied to. [Sacred Orcish Altar] ¨C An altar commonly used by Orcs to offer sacrifices to their god. Depending on the type of ritual being performed, various sacrifices and catalysts must be used accordingly. Most common sacrifices are Humans Substantial information I suppose. Well, at least now I know why I was brought here in the first place. Moving on. Although is it not certain whether the skill would work on the display that I had in my sights, it is worth a try. Either way, from looking at my MP bar, which I had assuming to be the amount of mana that I was capable of using, the usage of the skill did not have a cost, so I can usage it frivolously. Looks like it works. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [STR ¨C Strength] [VIT ¨C Vitality] [INT ¨C Intelligence] [DEX ¨C Dexterity] [AGI ¨C Agility] [WIS - Wisdom] [Lesser Creation Magic] ¨C An ancient magic form. Allows the user to create and transform material into various forms. Being of the lesser variation, the usage is limited to lesser, simple designs. Imbuing magical properties is not possible. [Innate Magic Manipulation] ¨C Allows the user to manipulate magic freely in various forms, only being limited by mana capacity and imagination. Increases the effect of arcane art and magical growth greatly. [Otherworldly Being] - ??? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hmm¡­ To be honest, I was expecting a lot more than this, but it can¡¯t be helped now. [Lesser Creation Magic] seems to be a rare type of magic, but due to the fact that I am unsure of what else there might be, I can¡¯t say for certain at the moment. [Innate Magic Manipulation] seems quite overpowered, so I tried to test it out. The results: I can confidently say that I am quite disappointed. After trying to create one of the most absurd magic types that I could think of, namely [Meteor], then aiming towards the forest below, the result was a body flying backwards, hitting the pillar behind. [HP -10] Seeing that my [HP] was 32 when I last checked it, I¡¯m lucky to have survived that. Slightly disheartened, I tried my hands at some of simpler forms that I could think of. [Learned Lesser Fire Magic] [Learned Lesser Water Magic] [Learned Lesser Wind Magic] [Learned Lesser Earth Magic] [Learned Lesser Healing Magic] The simplest magic forms I could think of. Not that impressive, right? I know. Disregarding the fact that all of the skills are of the lesser variation, sadly, I feel like a regular RPG mage! Also, similar to the [Analyze] skill, [MP] was not reduced from the creation of the magic. Because of this, the most probable reasoning would be that [MP] is only used for the use of the magical art, not its creation. This would also mean that the reason why [Meteor] failed could be due the spell¡¯s cost exceeding my mana capacity. As for my trait, [Otherworldly Being], there was no description from [Analyze], most likely due to its low level, but even without it, I can probably infer what it means. Come on! Work on your naming! Speaking of names, I don''t remember or have a name at the moment, but seeing that I would probably take hours to try to recall or think of a name to call myself*, I''ll leave it for later. I mean, what''s the worst that could happen, right? Finishing my run-down, I suddenly heard an intimidating noise. It sounded like an angry beast¡¯s roar as it jumps to take down its prey. I could feel the bloodlust encircling my body, as if even the smallest morsel would satisfy its hunger. There it is again! This time louder. After frantically searching for the source of the cacophony, the culprit was ultimately found¡­ ¡°Well that was embarrassing¡± Now that I think about it, how many days has passed since I was impaled at the pillar? More yet, how long has it been since I¡¯ve had my last meal. Within determination and hunger, I descend down the mountain. Chapter 02: Magic and Chickens I¡¯m running. It¡¯s been about 10 minutes and I¡¯m still running. You want to know why I¡¯m running? Because a 7-foot tall chicken is trying to eat me! ( ;¡ä§¥£à) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let me rewind to about 20 minutes before I started running. . . I had just gotten to the base of the mountain after an approximated one hour descent. At the base, there was a small clearing with the about the size of a 1DK apartment. Beyond that was a dense forest that couldn¡¯t be seen through for more than five meters. Thick vines hung from the branches, while various types of vegetation grew from the ground. Some even had bright fruits growing. There was one in particular that looked quite appetizing. A bright red fruit about the size of an apple hanging from a stalk. Not trying to take any chances, I used the [Analyze] skill to check it out. [Doku Fruit (¶¾¤Î¹ûŒg)* ¨C A viciously poisonous fruit that causes suffocation and failure of bodily functions within one hour. Soon after, flesh and bones will start to melt and decay. Tastes like strawberry] . . . Well that was a relief. Along with that, the name was almost an oxymoron. At least whoever fell victim to this fruit would have the sweet taste of strawberry before they died. Might as well take it with me. . . Just in case. Taking some leaves and vines from the trees around, I used [Lesser Creation Magic] to create a parcel big enough to fit the fruit along with some other things that I might find along the way. Prior to entering the forest, I decided to make a makeshift dagger with some sticks, rocks and [Lesser Creation Magic]. Quite crude to be honest, but it would at least help me defend myself in the case of an enemy attack. Although, a sword or a spear might have been better for the sake of protection, considering the fact that the forest is fairly thick, I need to be able to move without much burdening my mobility. Plus, I am not quite sure of whether I would be able to properly use any attack-based elemental spells without testing them out first. Several minutes after entering, I stumbled upon some other fruits and nuts growing on the along the vegetation. Luckily, through the use of my trusty [Analyze], they were pretty much regular edibles. The fruits weren¡¯t as vibrant as the [Dokuyaku Fruit] and instead, were a soft purple color. As I bit into one of them, a multitude of fruity juices burst inside my mouth. The meat, although when touching it, felt like leather, once bitten into, had the texture of a perfectly ripe apricot. As for the nuts, at first thinking that they would be like flavorless uncooked peanuts, but judgement was proven false. The nuts had a unique crunch to them, almost like that of a potato chip. Along with the combination of the perfect amount of saltiness and nuttiness, and the fact that no matter how much I ate, my mouth would not get dry, they were highly addicting. Sweet. Salty. Sour. Nutty. I ate until I was unable to scavenge for any more around me. Even after all of that, I was still not satisfied. Time to go in further. Going in deeper, the lush forest slowly started to get denser. Eventually, I reached another clearing about 25 meters in diameter. Unlike the rest of the forest, the ground, instead of grass and various foliage, was of dirt and rubble. In the center, was something that looked like a nest made out of straw and twigs, only that it was about 20 times the size of a normal chicken¡¯s or bird¡¯s nest. Hearing the slight sound of chirping, I decided to get closer to it to see if it was what I believed it to be. Fresh meat. Not to my surprise, there they were. Three baby chickens chirping inside the ¡°safety¡± of their nest. Three human baby sized chicks, to be precise. Their feathers were bright yellow and their black eyes stared deep into your soul with sympathy. Furthermore, there were no signs of any parents. ¡°Aww, they look so cute.¡± I said to myself only a split second before I viciously lunged at one of the chicks, grabbed it by the neck, then proceeded to slit its arteries with my dagger. It was a swift death. Meanwhile, the soft chirping turned into those of panicked ones. I paid no attention to them. ¡°¤¤¤¿¤À¤­¤Þ¤¹¡±** I began to remove the feathers and slice into the meat with my dagger. It felted as if I were cutting through butter. The meat was glistening like that of a perfect pearl. Seeing that making a fire or trying out fire magic in a forest was not an option, I decided to eat it raw. As I cut off a clean strip of meat, my mouth started to water. Taking my first bite. . . ¡°Urgh. . . ¡° God, that tasted horrible. The texture was that of nattou and the flavor, which I initially thought would be savory, turned out to taste like that of a raw onion. Now, how can such a delicious looking animal have such misleading meat? I almost threw up as I at least tried to swallow my first taste of ¡°meat¡± in who knows how long. Being entirely inedible, I tossed the remains behind me and decided to wander elsewhere for food. Who would have thought that behind me was the mother standing roughly 10 meters away. . . After seeing the corpse of her young, it let out a deafening roar that ran throughout the forest. Started, I turned around to see the 7-foot tall chicken. Instead of the bright yellow feathers that the young chicks had, it had pitch-black ones. Its crimson red beak was lined with razor-sharp teeth. The feathers on its wings seemed to be coated by a metal, sharpened to match a blade. It seemed to be angry. . .You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Without a warning, the giant chicken opened its beak, which then started to form what looked like a spiraling fireball. I could feel the intense heat building up even from where I was standing. As soon as it was about the size of a basketball, the fireball sped towards me. I desperately dodged and luckily, I made it out with only a few singes. I can¡¯t say the same for the other two baby chicks behind me in the nest. Seeing two more of its offspring die, it became even more enraged. I mean, really? You had it coming when you aimed it at me, who was standing right in front of your nest. Not really the smartest monster in the forest, are you? The chicken once again formed a ball of fire in its beak, but this time, instead of firing it as a singular fireball, released it in succession like that of a shotgun. Once again, I dodged to the side, although this time, I wasn¡¯t so lucky. A bolt of fire passed straight through my right arm, leaving a gaping hole without out entirely blowing it off. [HP -20] Due to the intense heat, there was no blood since it was instantly cauterized, but nevertheless, it hurt like hell. Along with that, my [HP] was currently in the red. While my arm felt as though it could fall off at any moment, I turned around and hastily escaped into the forest. But it did not end there. Relentlessly following tailing me from behind, it was. I was unable to have a single second of clear thinking whilst running. The giant chicken was surprisingly able to move through the forest with ease, mainly due to its bladed wings that cut through the trees and vegetation in its path, while I was having trouble trying to find steady ground for my next step. I continued to run and run. And that was how I got into this situation. . . -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I felt the sweat dripping from my forehead. . . Well actually, from my whole body. My limbs were aching and the pain from my half-blown off right arm wasn¡¯t going to be going away any time soon. Not far behind me was that damn chicken, still following me. ¡°Stop following me already! It¡¯s not my fault that you stupidly killed your own kids!¡± My provocations only made it angrier. I should not have said that. . . My legs were giving out. It was only a matter of time before I would fall and be unable to move them for a while. During that time, I would ultimately be decimated by the chicken. I am also positive that I do not have enough proficiency with the dagger to be able to fight back with it. The usage of the poison fruit seemed like a good idea, but with my dominant arm in the state that it was currently in, that was not an option. There was only one option left: Magic. In terms of destructive power, fire magic outranked the other magics that I currently know, but was uncertain of how much damage it would do to the giant chicken. Also, seeing that I was in a forest, I would like to avoid the probability of starting a forest fire, but given the situation, I would have a better chance dealing with that than a 7-foot chicken. I turned around and stood my ground firmly. Holding my left hand open and aiming it toward the beast that was rushing towards me, I prepared to use my fire magic. Wait. . . How do I used spells? While I was baffled at my own stupidity, the chicken kept heading straight for me. Within the nick of time, I was able to dodge its attack, though barely. Luckily I did not take any damage. Suddenly, the thought popped into my mind: incantations. From my clouded memories, mages, unless extremely skilled, needed incantations in order to invoke spells. Each spell would have a different incantation, with longer ones usually being more powerful. Unsure of what kind of incantation I would have to use in order to activate a fire spell, I tried what first came to my mind while running. ¡°»ðÓñ£¡¡± (Fireball!) From the palm of my left hand, a ball of fire began to form. Similar to that of the chicken¡¯s fire attack, the fire orb was spiraling and radiated with heat energy, although, despite how hot it was, I was left unaffected. Aiming directly at the beast¡¯s head, I took the shot. The spiral was released at roughly 90 kph (about 55 mph) and maintained that speed as it flew and exploded directed on its head. The result: A headless chicken. . . . After all of the trouble that I went through, all I needed to was fire a single fireball to solve my problems? And just for the cost of 5 [MP]? This is cruel. Relieved of one of my problems, I left out a sigh and sat, leaning against one of the trees near me. But then, another problem, better recognized as a familiar growl, re-emerged. The headless body of the giant chicken was the only remotely close food source around me. I decided to put away my prejudices and eat the ¡°chicken¡± meat. But not before analyzing my (dead) pursuer. [Cockatrice ¨C A rare monster type. Usually found deep within the [Forest of Eden]. Young Cockatrice will have yellow feathers which will turn to black as it matures and is saturated with magic. The feathers of females are coated by a metal, similar to that of [Terium], one of the hardest materials in the [Forest of Eden]. Has a tendency to breathe fire when threatened or enraged. Aim for the head.] So I was right to aim for the head. Before I begin my reluctant feast, two things took precedence. First was my right arm. Using [Lesser Healing Magic]''s [Heal], I was able to restore my arm to before it was almost severed, although I am unable to move it around with much accuracy at the moment. Second was a new magic form. It would be somewhat of a pain to dissect and remove the desired parts of the [Cockatrice] by hand and dagger, so a magic form that would assist with that would be help. Using [Innate Magic Manipulation], I successfully created a new magic. [Learned Extraction Magic] With this, I can extract the necessary parts, using magic, without effort. And so I sought to begin my salvaging, until I heard a rustling from behind me. The rustling sound grew closer and closer. Now, able to use magic, to a certain degree, I am prepared for what might come out. Without warning, it jumped out and lunged towards me. Chapter 03: New Encounters Pyon~ Argh!! What is this? I¡¯m blinded! What is this stuck on my face? Feeling a slight warmth from it, I could only imagine what kind of attack this was. Acid? Flesh-melting? Eternal blindness? However, after a few seconds passed, surprisingly nothing happened. After a somewhat embarrassing squirming, I pulled the substance off of my face. Throwing it towards the ground, I slowly opened my eyes. Being thrown against the ground, its form was considerably flattened, but it quickly regained its shape. It was shaped like a water droplet, somewhat tinted grey, although its size was roughly a bit smaller than that of an adult human head. It looked straight at me, with black, beady eyes, and its mouth, slightly smiling, opened. It was quite cute. [Grey Slime ¨C Although considered a very rare monster, it is considered the weakest within the slime family. Very docile, although has the habit of jumping onto humans.] Not wanting to waste my current mana, and because I was charmed by its appearance, I decided to let it go. ¡°Probably won¡¯t give me much experience anyways¡±. However, despite my efforts trying to make it flee, it only stared back at me with a seemingly confused look. Since it was, most likely, not going to attack me, I left it be and began my ¡°extraction¡± of the Cockatrice. [Extraction Magic], as it was created from my own specifications, was very useful in this situation. It allowed me to remove wanted parts of my ¡°prey¡± instantly. Moreover, it saved me the trouble of cleaning blood and other fluids off of my clothes and body as it seemingly removes the specific part from the body without altering much of the surroundings. Here is a run-down of what I had recently salvaged: What was left of the Cockatrice resembled that of a deflated balloon. At least what I got from it was not too bad, though what interested me the most of what the arcane gem. Apparently, monsters with the ability to magic internally, and in rare cases externally, form a crystal which acts similarly to that of a mana reserve. This was very useful at the moment as I am unable to imbue my own magic into my creations via [Lesser Creation Magic]. At first I was unsure of what to do with the corpse, as the smell of a burned-off ¡°chicken¡± could possible lure in some uninvited guests. However, that problem was solved by the [Grey Smile], engulfing what was left of the [Cockatrice] with an expanded body, which then almost instantly disappeared. Possibly due to some form of magic it possesses. When it was done with its ¡°meal¡±, the smile started to bulge up, with a faint red ball forming inside its body. Suddenly, it let out a ball of fire, similar to that of the [Cockatrice]¡¯s out of its mouth, hitting some of the surrounding trees. What was left was cinders. I inferred that the [Grey Slime] had a special ability that allowed it to absorb the abilities of what its prey. However, since they are the weakest in the slime family, they are killed off before they are given the chance to grow. Quite a convenient ability if you ask me. Afterwards, I decided to return back to the forest clearing where the Cockatrice originally made its nest. Despite taking several runs to bring all of the material back to the clearing, it was better than being in a dense forest, not know where a potential ambush might come from. The first few trips were quite troublesome, trying to remember the route, but I eventually mapped it out. For some reason, the [Grey Slime] followed me as I returned. Before I could decide on what to do next, a previous problem reoccurred. This time, being able to use magic to a certain extent, cooking the meat was an option this time. After gathering some wood from the surrounding forest, I put together a make-shift campfire using [Ember], a spell with 1/20th of the power of [Fireball]. Using a flat stone slab lying around what once was the Cockatrice¡¯s nest, I fried the cuts of meat until they were golden brown. The meat was naturally fatty, similar to bacon, so it didn¡¯t stick much to the slab. Cooking the meat released an alluring aroma, making my mouth water despite knowing how it would taste. I reluctantly took a bite. The result: though it was still disgusting, the cringe-worthy texture was at least gone. However, after unenthusiastically finishing my meal, there was still an abundance of meat that I would rather not continue to rely on as my food source. Luckily, my little slimy friend took care of that problem with ease. Taking a rest from everything, I decided to look through my status to see if anything changed.
???
Lv. 3 Race: Human
HP 52/150 MP 95/100
STR 10 DEX 16
VITStolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. 11 AGI 12
INT 20 WIS 8
Skills: ¡¤ Analyze (Lv.4) ¡¤ Lesser Creation Magic (Lv.3) ¡¤ Innate Magic Manipulation (Lv.MAX) o Lesser Fire Magic (Lv. 2) ¡ì Fireball ¡ì Ember o Lesser Water Magic (Lv.1) o Lesser Wind Magic (Lv.1) o Lesser Earth Magic (Lv.1) o Lesser Healing Magic (Lv.5) ¡ì Heal o Extraction Magic (Lv.2) Traits: ¡¤ Otherworldly Being
My stats have increased somewhat, but I still don¡¯t know how I compare to others. My skills have increased in level, with the greatest increase being [Lesser Healing Magic], most likely do to healing a mortal wound. The rest seem to be progressing gradually. But this was not enough. . . While I still can, and while I am still alive, I must get stronger. Right now there are three things that I need to do. Firstly, increase my level, hence increasing my stats. Secondly, level up my skills. And thirdly, strengthen and increase my arsenal. Increasing my level seems to be possible only during combat, so preparation is what I need to focus on at the moment. My first order of business was to gain more skills and strengthen my weapons. Interestingly enough, I have grown quite fond of the [Grey Slime] that had been following me. Not only is its abilities quite useful for clean-up, if it could store items in its body, then I would have a storage for my items. Also, looking at it faintly reminds me of certain powerhouse, despite being many times less powerful.* Because of this, I decided to take it with me. [Innate Magic Manipulation] [Learned Taming Magic] [Learned Language Comprehension] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Taming Magic ¨C Allows the user to tame wild monsters. Through forming a contract, the master and the monster will be bind by an oath of loyalty, granting special abilities. The tamed monster will grow along with the master.] [Language Comprehension ¨C Allows the user to comprehend languages of other races.] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Taming Magic], as the description states, will allow me to have the [Grey Slime] as a companion, thus possibly increasing my chances of survival in the [Forest of Eden]. Along with [Taming Magic], I received an additional skill, [Language Comprehension], which will be really helpful if I ever run into civilization. Thus, I decided to form a contract with the [Grey Slime]. Using [Taming Magic], a small magic circle with various inscriptions surrounded the slime and myself. Light from the ritual shined and grew brighter until it filled up my vision. I could feel a warmth envelop my body as my mind was ultimately connected with that of the slime. Moments later, the light faded and the contract was complete. [Acquired Language Comprehension: Smile Language] ¡°Glad to be of service to you, pyon~¡± ¡°S-same here¡± ¡°I would prefer if Master were to give me a name, pyon~¡± Oh god. . . One of my weaknesses have returned again. I haven¡¯t even thought of a name for myself and now I have to give a name for this [Grey Smile]. He¡¯s grey, so maybe Grey? No, that¡¯s way too simple. Smiley? Because he smiles? No. Slimer? No. Drop? No. Lord Lucilius the Third? What am I even thinking? How long will this take. . . ¡°Master? Is everything ok pyon~?¡± ¡°Nothing. . . I shall name you. . . Schleim¡± ¡°Thank you Master!¡± I can¡¯t really tell him that it just means ¡°smile¡± in German, but those beady eyes were full of expectation.
Schleim (Owner ??)
Lv. 2 Race: Grey Smile
HP 40/40 MP 20/20
STR 3 DEX 3
VIT 3 AGI 6
INT 5 WIS 3
Skills: ¡¤ Lesser Fire Magic Traits: ¡¤ Smile Body ¡¤ Feast ¡¤ Dimensional Body
Compared to my stats when I was Lv. 1, these are quite low, especially for a monster. I guess this is why it earned the title of the weakest in the Slime Family. Looks like it acquired [Lesser Fire Magic] from eating the [Cockatrice]¡¯s corpse, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be a level next to it. I can only assume that that would mean that it is unable to grow in the same way I do. As for the [Traits], they seem to be quite useful, well for me at least. [Smile Body] makes it so that it takes 25% less physical damage, although with its low [HP] and defensive stats, I don¡¯t think that makes much of a difference. Along with that, it is able to freely manipulate its shape and form, relative to its own mass .[Feast], as it was shown earlier, allows the slime to acquire abilities relative to that of what it eats. [Dimensional Body] allows it to store matter within its body, much like that of a container, without limit. Now it won¡¯t have to worry about carrying all of my items around. ¡°May I know Master¡¯s name, pyon?¡± ¡°Uh-h-h, just Master is fine. . .¡± ¡°Understood, pyon!¡± I really need to think of a name soon. . . Anyhow, moving onto the second order of business, strengthening my weapons. Seeing that I will still be in the forest, the dagger would still be the best weapon due to the trees. However, I decided to make it just a bit more effective. Using [Lesser Creation Magic], I combined my old dagger, some Terium feathers and the arcane gem that I got from the [Cockatrice]. The results were eminent. The blade, which was reinforced with the feathers, bore a sharpness greater than that of the previous. The hardness and durability, of course, were improved as well. With the addition of the arcane gem, the blade was imbued with fire properties, thus increasing its damaging capabilities and tinting the blade slightly red. It was a beautiful blade. Despite this improvement, it would be meaningless if I don¡¯t learn how to properly use it. Now, with my weapons and skills set, setting out into the forest again would be ideal. Just as I decided to embark, a girl with long white hair in tattered armor emerged from the trees. Our eyes met and we stared at each other for a few seconds. Even though she was greatly injured, she took out a sword from a scabbard from her back and charged torwards me. One problem after another I suppose. . . Chapter 04: A Girl I Just Met Tried to Kill Me ¡°Wait! Don¡¯t attack!¡± While in the act of trying to stop her charge towards me, the white-haired girl fainted, most likely due to exhaustion. Curious, I slowly approached her to assess the situation. Looking at her up close, the armor was in shambles and she had scars and wounds all over her face and body. I decided to pick her up and bring her over to the campfire at the center of the clearing. Her face was quite beautiful, with clear complexion, snow white skin, glowing silver hair and. . . Pointed ears?! If I¡¯m not mistaken, then this would be what they called an [Elf]. Apparently one with great ¡°assets¡± as well. At the center, I healed the ¡°Elf¡± with what I could currently do with my magic, healing the injuries throughout her body. Prior to healing her, she seemed to be in great discomfort, but luckily, after the treatment, that turned into what looked like peaceful sleep. ¡°Can I eat it, Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather you not do that. . .¡± Schleim looked at me with a slightly dissatisfied face, but I paid no attention to it. This was my first encounter with something humanoid since I first awoke on the mountain, so I wasn¡¯t going to have my slime slurp her up. Before she wakes up again, I decided to attend to my newly arisen problem. If I were to use only the [Terium Feathers], then that would weigh me down quite a bit. So instead, with fibrous-looking plants conveniently growing around the clearing, I used that as a base then coating the outside with a thin, yet durable, layer of the feathers. The result was shabby-looking light armor, but its practicality was something that I could rely on. After I finished clothing myself, I ventured into the forest in search of some edibles, in the case that the [Elf] was hungry after she wakes. Not far from my base, there were several types of berries which were deemed edible, and blissfully tasteful compared to my last ¡°meal¡±. There was an abundance of them around, so I allocated half for Schleim and myself and the other half for her. By the time that I return, she was already awake. As soon as she noticed my presence, the [Elf] immediately turned hostile. Taking out a small dagger that was holstered around her waist, she pointed it at me with killing intent. ¡°¤ªÇ°¤ÏÕl¤À£¿£¡À´¤ë¤Ê£¡¡± She spoke in a language that was incomprehensible, although it was different from the one that the [Orcs] were speaking. Perhaps it was Elvish. Not wanting to appear like an enemy, I halted my movements and raised my hands to show that I was void of any hostility. But I was still worried. Even though I healed most of her external injuries, there was still the chance that her internal injuries were still there. While holding up the dagger, she started to pant and sweat. Seems like my inference was correct. Moments later, she, once again, fell to the ground. Yet, she was still gripping her weapon and glaring at me with cold eyes. Seeing that this was a good chance to learn more about where I was, I was determined to make this initial contact an effective one. After telling Schleim to stay put, I began walking towards her. ¡°¤ª¤¤£¡À´¤ë¤Ê£¡š¢¤·¤Æ¤ä¤ë£¡¡± Again, she yelled at me with what felt like threats in a language that I was unable to understand. At least, not yet anyways. [Acquired Language Comprehension: Human Language] Huh? Human Language? I would have expected it to be an Elven language, but I guess this makes it easier for me if I run into any Humans. I stopped right in front of her and crouched down. Before she could use her blade against me, I snatched it away and threw it towards Schleim, who then proceeded to dispose of it. Then, I began my ¡°interrogation¡±. ¡°Now then, I¡¯m not trying to hurt you. I just want to ask a few questions. First off, why does an Elf like you know Human speech?¡± ¡°Bullshit! All you humans are vile scum! I¡¯d rather die than answer any of your stupid questions!¡± Despite being in pain, she was still able to run her mouth to such extent. But since I needed information, I needed this Elf to speak. I took out my recently formed dagger and held it against her neck. The heat that radiated from the blade would work as a good interrogation tool. Smiling wryly, I began to speak again. ¡°I suppose that could be done. I can always find someone else to answer my questions. I¡¯ll just kill you and then feed you to my slime over there.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Having said that, her prideful facade began to crumble. She looked as if she was on the verge of crying. I started to pity her even. ¡°F-Fine! I¡¯ll answer. Human language is the common language that the kingdom had established for trade and communication purposes. Even a child would know that.¡± Although I got my answer, I couldn¡¯t help feeling slightly agitated. I then continued my questioning. ¡°My second question. We are in the [Forest of Eden], am I correct? Are there any civilizations around here?¡± ¡°That is correct. The closest Human civilization is fairly far from here. The closest thing to a civilization would be my village, which is roughly a day¡¯s travel from here.¡± Looks like the option of going to find other humans might be a bit difficult. I guess I¡¯ll make to make do with going to an Elven village. It would be a valuable place to get information, as well as maybe a meal that doesn¡¯t taste like garbage. ¡°Alright. Take me there.¡± ¡°W-What?! Why would I take you to our sacred village? My own life is insignificant compared to our sanctuary. Bringing a human there would defile and contaminate our lands!¡± ¡°What would cause the Elves to despise the Humans so?¡± My own curiosity got the better of me. Seeing that she was willing to kill and die for her own village and the pride of her race, there must have been something most than just hatred or a simple grudge. ¡°Don¡¯t act as if you don¡¯t know. . . But since you don¡¯t even know basic knowledge, I suppose reminding you of the sins of your kind might give you some clues.¡± In conclusion, I was told that the Humans were ¡°guilty¡± of two things. First off, in the conquest to expand their territory, they destroyed and desecrated Elven forests and villages. Along with that, there numerous cases of pillaging, mass murder and rape. Many Elven colonies were forced to leave their homes, moving into non-Elven territories. Secondly, was the act of slave trading. Prized for their beauty and longevity, female Elves were caught and sold to wealthy families and estates, mainly being used as maids, servants and sex slaves. Though in some cases, there was the occasional male slave, the majority of those caught were killed. I can understand the reasoning behind their hatred, but even though, if I were to continue staying in the forest, my chances of survival must not be so high. ¡°I understand that what the Humans did to your race is something that is considered unforgivable, but I have no association whatsoever with the Humans that did that to the Elves.¡± I continued to tell her what happened from the very beginning, starting from the Orcs, and how I am not from this world, which I had assumed from the [Otherworldly Being] trait, despite the description still being unable to be read by [Analyze]. Since the journey so far was quite short, it took me no more than a few minutes to explain everything. While she did somewhat calm down, her face had the expression that she still didn¡¯t fully trust me. I mean, who would trust someone the just met in a forest. ¡°While I can¡¯t guarantee your safety if you enter our village, if you really are keen on going, I suppose I can lead the way. But first, get that knife away from my neck! It¡¯s burning my throat!¡± After moving the blade away from her, she steadily got up, seeing that she had not regained much energy. ¡°Luciana.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°My name is Luciana! Are you deaf? Hurry up and tell me your name!¡± Without a dagger on her throat, she seemed much livelier, and apparently a lot more bad-mouthed. Seeing that there was no way out of this, I uttered the first name that came into my mind. ¡°My name is Ignis.¡± ¡°What a weird name. Anyways, it¡¯s getting dark. It would be better if we were to depart in the morning. The forest becomes much livelier during the night and I rather not have to venture through the forest with a certain burden I have to take care of.¡± Says the person who could barely stand up. But she was right. I rather not travel through uncharted territory in the dark. Reigniting the embering campfire, the both of us, along with Schleim, ate a meal of various berries. During the meal, none of us talked. There was no form of communication whatsoever, apart from the askance stares I received from time to time. After finishing the meal, we slept on different slides of the campfire, me being with Schleim, who was surprisingly warm despite being a slime. Before I went to sleep, I decided to [Analyze] Luciana. Call it an invasion of privacy if you must, but I would rather know who I would be travelling with.
Luciana
Lv. 15 Race: Elf
HP 84/300 MP 32/400
STR 32 DEX 57
VIT 24 AGI 44
INT 64 WIS 39
Skills: ¡¤ Wind Magic ¡¤ Illusion Magic ¡¤ Sword Arts ¡¤ Archery Proficiency Traits: ¡¤ Grimm¡¯s Blessing
Seeing her stats surprised me quite a bit, being that some of her stats are significantly higher than mine, even if I were to be the same level as her, considering my growth rate. [Grimm¡¯s Blessing] bothers me a bit, but other than that, the rest seems quite normal. I''ll analyze it more in the morning. Being tired as I was from the events that occurred today, I hastily went to sleep. Throughout the night, I could feel something warm and soft on my body. . .