《That Unique Monster Who Just Got the 'Consciousness' Passive Skill》


 Chapter 1 Prologue

    I was life in its purest form. Nobody was more alive than I. If anyone didn''t think so, let them prove it. It''s simple¡ªall you have to do is kill me.


    So, you could call me "life." Or rather, living. And to further introduce myself: Life was great. Life was worth living. Life had to be treasured and protected. Your own life had to be, at the very least. That''s how it worked. The point of the matter was that, from my perspective, life was precious.


    Yet, people threatened it. People threatened life. People threatened me.


    When people saw a monster, they killed it. That was their job. People went after it, cornered it, and disposed of it. As swiftly as could be, without batting an eye. They had their weapons, skills, mana-wielding aptitudes, and they simply killed it. Monster-hunters did.


    "That''s how it''s done," monster-hunters could think. "Now, we''re totally safe. No more of ''em monster bastards in sight. That''s how you get the job done, yup¡­"


    Except, that wasn''t how it was done.


    Why? Because, as it happened, you could call me "life," but you also could call me "monster."


    All I wanted to do was live, yet, they threatened my life with their swords.


    And so, today, I would be the hunter. I''d be the guy to carry on the job: I''d go after the people who hunted me, corner them, and dispose of them, too. I would use mana as well, and have the people helplessly subdued in front of the monster. Then, I would end them.


    Because "I want to live" was enough reason.


    ¡­Well.


    That makes for a rather brutal and forceful introduction, though, don''t you think? Where are my manners? Instead of telling you about all of that, I should rather first tell you about the beginning, shouldn''t I.


    At the very beginning, there was a ss of water. Your regr ceramic cup and its contents. That ss was filled with water. Very special water, yes. Some kind of potion, you could say. Rather than a regr ceramic cup, it could be considered a witch''s cauldron.


    When I say "beginning," I mean the very beginning, by the way. The very beginning of time, before the monster even existed. But you guessed it: I was from such a witch''s cauldron. I was born from the magic cauldron. I arose from it.  If you''re confused about thatst statement, don''t worry, you''ll understand soon enough. To be fair anyway, even I might have been confused about my origin, at the time.


    All I knew was that I was about toe into existence¡­ and eventually be turned into a monster. Not some kind of monstrous demon, no. A simple mob, sort of. Not a goblin, not a slime, not an undead¡­ but some kind of monster-type creature of this world.


    At the moment, the ss of water¡ªno, the witch''s cauldron was everything.


    Yes, the magical potion was everything.


    Thoroughly contained inside the witch''s cauldron, there, the potion rested, trapped and unable to break free from the mystical container, as it was being cooked up.


    Pretty bizarre.


    Suddenly, it struck me, and I, at once, seemed to know about my first function. My goal was to gather information. So I did just that. The witch''s cauldron, or cup of water, was there, and I swear it wasn''t minding anyone else''s business. I swear to it. The cup of water only minded its own business. And so the ss of water was just there, ced on a tray, on top of a kitchen counter, inside of a restaurant.


    Now, the situation seemed less bizarre.


    How enlightening that was. Inside a restaurant, but more specifically inside the kitchens, I take it? So what must have been that witch''s cauldron''s business waiting here?


    The cup was to be served, and I found two waiters surrounding it.


    They were the key here. If the ss of water was truly a witch''s cauldron, then these two were the actual witches who concocted whatever elixir they wished for.


    In the first setting¡ªthere were two waiters. The two of them stared down at the teacup, reluctant to take their eyes off it. Their two pairs of round eyes were heavily pressed down onto the ss, when their two pairs of hands were t on the wooden table, surrounding the thin tray. That cup of water wasn''t just any. It seemed that it managed to, all by itself, get the two attendants'' full attention. No mean feat to pull off, if you want my opinion.


    And they didn''t stop scrutinizing the ss just yet. The intensity with which they went about tending to the ss was truly beyond reproach. A nearby window gave onto the cup¡ªas the elixir''s surface glistened into the sun, one of the waiters nodded and murmured some words: "This attempt shall be the one," he said. The other waiter spoke more clearly: "For Shop''s will."


    Was Shop supposed to be a person''s name? Was it just how the restaurant they worked in was called? Go wonder.


    The two waiters were here for work, it seemed to me. Whatever they were up to, these two weren''t actual witches, after all. The service awaited. One of them took it upon themselves to serve me. So the tray lightly ttered when picked up, and the cup of water gently slid off its former spot bathing in the sun. Soon, we arrived somece else.


    There, it wasn''t quiet. There were lots of people: they ate, chatted, and jested. Navigating through the endless tables of customers, the tter ttered again, I was ced onto one table: "Your beverage, sir." A young man briefly paused to say thank you, and the waiter departed.


    A second setting opened itself to me: happy, shrill giggles rang out, deeper chuckles also burst, hands were waved around, mouths were served in food¡ªmy table sure was a lively mess¡ªand more importantly, a story was told. That was the important detail here. My story was told.


    This was my table, and at the moment I arrived, the happy giggles intensified. They wereughing among themselves.


    Two wee kids pressed their hands to their bellies, clutching their stomachs with both hands, wild smiles on their faces. They had fun. A man''s hand was brought up before it was (gently enough) mmed onto the table. I slightly ttered again, and the man''s voice jokingly spoke: "Hear me, kids! I may be taking on a joking tone¡­ but!¡ª"


    There, the children repeated in one voice: "But!"


    "¡ªbut!... and you better mark my words on this¡­ all of this is for real! Hahaha!" did the young man yfully growl. "These stories are for real!" That was right. A story was told, and that story was for real. The young man had, in fact, already wrapped up the telling of the two children''s favorite tale, however. With these words, he made sure to leave asting impression on his audience. "I mean it. The poor people I tell you guys about, the fantastic forests full of wonders and treasures¡­ heck, even the monsters for that matter are all real. Real, I tell you. Got it? Not yet? Want proof? Grr!" And he yfully growled at them. "Now¡­ I trust you understand how serious I am, little guys," he snickered.


    The boy and the girl suddenly fell silent, and looked at each other in silence, a mingle of eagerness and awe marked on their two tiny faces. They were also worried, however.


    "So? Scared yet, lil'' guys?" asked the young man, a satisfied grin yed about his face. He was now eyeing thedy who sat opposite him. And giving him back his subtle nce, she shook her head, smirking and sighing. For some reason, that made the young man''s grin grow even wilder. He heartily chuckled some more.


    A change in their mind, the children now were more excited than worried, apparently. Excitingly hugging themselves, peering into each other''s face even closer¡­ their nervousness, knitted brows, and pursed lips suddenly were blown away. Now that they remembered the ''stories'' were actually amusing, there they went happily shrieking and giggling again.


    And this was clear to him, the young man was defeated. Again. No, the children weren''t so scared.


    Being called to order, the two kids stopped their hectic shrieking at once. Suddenly, then, they turned to the defeated man, pped their hands together, and said, "I know! Tell the story again!" Again, both their voices rang as one.


    My table was a lively mess ofughing, horsing around, and funny stories¡­ and that was how, from the witch''s cauldron, I arose. Mom and dad didn''t do the¡ª Ahem. And that was just how I came to life. Or I became "life." I first arrived at my table, I had just been served, I was a teacup, or the elixir it contained, and now I would be born. Still confused? Grr, but I asked to listen attentively!


    Jokes aside anyway, tell the tales again? The young man said yes. He was passionate about the Tales of the Ancients. That meant he''d tell them as many times as was needed. The fact was, he insisted, he liked these stories, too.


    The two kids were happy.


    Kicking it off with his usual forewarning: "This story''s for real, you see," he began the narration of the story again.


    And then¡­ Ring! A weird, metallic or electric sound popped in my ears. It sounded slightly robotic. Probably my first notifications from the System.


    ? You have registered as ''Skill.'' ?


    ...? No yer(s) has been found. ?


    ...? Enough ''Faith Points'' have been acquired ¡ª ''Creation: yer'' has been issued. ?


    What can I say? People believed in me. Also, the story the young man went about telling wasn''t any story.


    ? Engaging ''Creation: yer'': Pending¡­


    ? Engaging ''Creation: yer'': Pending¡­.


    ? Engaging ''Creation: yer'': Pending¡­.. ?


    ¡­And yet another ''Ring!'' rang out.


    ? Engaging ''Creation Procedure'': Authorized. ?


    ''This story''s for real.'' The young man said that, but really, he had no idea.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    (free dots yum)


    Atst, the young man went about his storytelling.


    "Once upon a time, within a forest¡ªthe Fantastic Forest¡ªwas a tribe of humans. A group of human beings. A group of ''us''. And it was the first tribe of humans. They were a proud, joyful, and fine group of people."


    The two kids were in awe. It was as if it was the first time that same old opening was uncovered to them. They listened with as round eyes as tes, great expectations, as they hoped to unearth and devour every bit of that tale all over again.


    "These people¡ªour people¡ªthey lived in a forest. The Fantastic Forest, you know it. And ''Fantastic Forest'' wasn''t just any name for it, no. Know it¡ªthe name was well-deserved, very well-deserved. Ancient, full of riches, wondrous, prosperous. That was the forest! Why, didn''t that suffice for it to be called in this dignified manner? For it to be called Fantastic, with a big capital ''f''? Of course it did, but to make it even more fantastical¡­ it was the forest where everything began!"

 Chapter 2 Prologue (2) - A Story

    "These people¡ªour people¡ªthey lived in a forest. The Fantastic Forest, you know it. And ''Fantastic Forest'' wasn''t just any name for it, no. Know it¡ªthe name was well-deserved, very well-deserved. Ancient, full of riches, wondrous, prosperous. Why, didn''t that suffice for it to be called in this dignified manner? For it to be called Fantastic, with a big capital ''f''? Of course it did, but to make it even more fantastical¡­ it was the forest where everything began!"


    This young man and the two kids often did that: Sitting together around a good meal, be it at home or here, and listened to fantastic stories being told and taught. This routine never grew redundant on the children. They loved it. Time and time again, for as long as they could remember, that same legendary story had been counted to them. And they believed it all.


    As the story was recounted to them yet again, for the nth time, the two kids both swore a silent oath to never, ever grow bored of the ancient tales, so much their young minds believed in and were fascinated by such stories. It was tradition. They''d sworn to that before, so they did today.


    "And that tribe of¡­ our ancestors, hm¡­ well, they dwelled in the heart of it. In the heart of their fantastical forest. And there, they lived. Live, sure. They enthusiastically worked by the daytime, bathing within the sun as they worked the earth, and they merrily danced by nighttime, rejoicing under the moon as they all rested together." There the young man paused. His face became stern. "Peace. There was peace," he nodded as if he saw the peace he talked about with his eyes.


    "One night, peace was no more." To these words, his impassible facade silently crumbled. It was reced by one of anger, and trepidation. His acting worked well. The boy began to rock his head with quick, little moves, frowning and smiling in nervous expectation, and the girl gasped, motionless. They waited for that part. "You heard it¡ªpeace was no more. The peaceful tribe? It''d gotten itself enemies. That peaceful time? It was now a time of battle. ¡­ Dun, dun, dun¡­ monsters attacked! Showed up by the dark, and attacked the poor tribe¡ª


    "It was a long time ago¡ªTribe''s warriors fell in battle¡ªMonsters are mean things. A very long time ago, and the children cried¡ªMonsters are real mean things, aren''t they. It was a terrible event, a terrible experience. The vige had never seen such a thing (as war), but now they were forced to see it. Never been acquainted with such an ill, yes sir, never. ...Now they were."


    A second ago, as his breath was held tight, the boy thought it was a good thing to interrupt the young storyteller and yelled that he, as opposed to the other children, didn''t cry and would never. He was just ignored. Right now, he thought it was a good thing to interrupt again: "Bu¡ªbutt¡ªbut some survived! Right, right?!" and he stuttered all the way.


    The young man chuckled. "I''m getting to that part! Some survived."


    "I¡­ knew it! ¡­Heard that?!" The boy frantically turned to the girl. "Our ancestors... they made it out alive!" At these words, the girl''s two round eyes grew even bigger, she blinked twice, still very much in awe.


    That terrible event marked this people''s time. Monsters were real, real, real nasty little mean things. "But¡­ boo!" cried the storyteller, before the two children jolted, half-afraid. "Human beings... they were even nastier than ''em! Hahaha!"


    The boy echoed the young man, "E-Even nastier than the monsters!?" and the young silentdy, who also sat at around the table, did shake her head with disapproval but ultimately said nothing. Some of the words her fianc¨¦ spoke weren''t very¡­ orthodox and appropriate, but wasn''t it all just a fairy tale?


    The young manughed, and the story went on. That tribe of people was in dire need of help. And remember, the forest, it''s fantastical, right? Why is it again? Because everything began there. That forest was the Divine Spirits''nd. So the people respectfully went, got on their knees, and bowed their heads, asking for the Divine Spirits'' guidance and aid.


    A monster had its ws, its fangs, and its tough skin. The tribe had none of that. All they had was their patience and persistence. In both fighting back and asking for help.


    So the fight went on. A day passed, then it was a week, and then a month. The humans, our ancestors, they were on the verge of extinction. The boy interrupted the young man to ask a question. What''s extinction mean? It means they were gonna disappear, in a real mean way.


    "Ah!" cried the boy.


    "No, but atst, the tribe was gifted with strength." They were now much stronger, he said, so they fought back. "But monsters weren''t quite givin'' up yet!"


    The two children got all excited at once. Just in the same fashion as moments ago, they turned to each other as they were stirred with excitement. They sped their hands together and thrust their eyes back to the storyteller. Their eyes were filled with shining stars; they loved that story.


    "¡ªAhem!" the young man loudly cleared his throat. "And remember, kids: this story''s for¡­?"


    "Real!" "It''s for real!"


    Heughed, "You got it¡­ And only real stories are worth being scared about¡­ But you know that too! Ha-ha!"


    Then again, at the exact same time: "Won''t never be scared!" "We''re not scared, sir!"


    Oh, but they will be scared. They were in for a nasty surprise, this time about. They just didn''t know it yet. They failed to know it. They failed to know me. A nasty surprise. Be it those two tiny kids sitting there who were barely contained in their ce, that silent, passivedy sitting nearer them, or that young man, who theatrically went about making his loud sounds of clearing his throat again¡ªhis voice took a grave and stern tone. I, the monster, would go and massacre everyone... but they, unfortunately or not, failed to know that.


    "''Getting under my skin, humans¡­ Irritating me¡­''" growled the young man, yfully continuing, "growled a monster!" As it was, the two kids were already super-excited, but they showed no limit. Their giggles of excitement grew even shriller and wilder. That part of their Ancient Tale was their favorite. The monsters were the most frightening, dreadful, and severe of all things. The two kids loved it.


    ording to that young man''s tale, after the ancestors were gifted with power¡ªthe Divine Forest Spirits offered them support¡ªthey fiercely took a good grip on the ill of their forest. Those were the monsters. Right by the roots they seized their ill: it was expeditious, atst, they swiftly did away with the monsters'' threat.


    Everything wasn''t over yet, however. Before the monsters were thoroughly defeated, one spoke. ''You''re seriously getting under my skin, humans¡­ Irritating me¡­'' It spoke and it announced, wait for it¡­ the monster''s vengeance!


    "A monster in particr was real angry about it all as you can imagine, kids. That''s because they''re mean things, the monsters, remember? So what did the monster say anyway¡ªor rather, sorry, what did it growl, hmm? ¡­Any guesses? ¡­Heh~ Cat got your tongue, then?"


    The children were speechless. Though they certainly knew the following of their favorite fairy tale, they knew to keep their mouths shut, for once. They didn''t tell the story; the storyteller did. So they quietly waited for him to continue.


    "¡ªAnd the monster growled, ''I shall get revenge for this!''" In unison, the two children jumped. Slowly shaking their heads, no, they wouldn''t ''never be scared,'' would they? "And it growled again, even more fiercely, ''Humans¡­ I will crush you! You shall pay for this! My will shall not die with me!''"


    The boy jumped out of his chair, stood up, and yelled in a frenzy, "Me! I! Question! Wh¡ªwhat¡ªwhat''s the mean-mon-meanster''s will, sir?!"


    The young man winced, shook his head, then grinned, showing his range of teeth. "It is to¡­ eat¡­ you¡­ all¡­ up!¡ªwhat''d you think?" He had a feral look on his face, his eyes were as if bloodshot. But he was only teasing, of course.


    And the boy fell back in his ce, now he was afraid, ''cause that was a real story, right¡­? Theatrically, and with even grander movements, the young man went on with his story¡­ he wouldn''t want to lose his momentum, after all. His audience was so immersed in the story. The two kids listened so attentively, just as if they saw every part of the story unfolding right in front of them. For that matter, even I, at this moment, still from within my cup of water, was totally immersed in the tale.


    And the monster went on addressing the ancestors: ''Have me if you want! But you will not have my will. After me, my vengeance wille. Oh, greedy creatures! Like your greed, ''it'' wille from within you and your ranks!''


    ¡­Ring!


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Materializing a body ''from within you''¡ª


    ? Failure to proceed ¡ª Identifying and defining of the particle ''from within you'' ¡ª Answer: from within humans ¡ª Retrying: Materializing a body ''from within humans''


    ? ¡­ Failure to proceed: Requirements for the creation of ''human-based'' life not found ¡ª Shortage of requisite materials.


    ? Creation ¡ª Looking for alternatives¡­ ?


    The monster went on: ''Like the greediness that has led us to that¡ª'' Oh! But the boy got questions to ask, so the story was briefly interrupted. "''lle from you? What''s it mean for once?!" Apparently, the two kids wouldn''t just be walked through that second, heavy part of their favorite tale. "What does it mean, sir?" The girl asked too, agreeing with her sibling.


    "You kids ask questions?" said the young man. "But to be honest¡­ I dunno! Not important! How dare you interrupt the storytelling!"


    Their hands dropped, but they would still interrupt the storytelling. The boy protested this was an important part of the story. He and his little sister therefore turned to one another, reflecting on that part. The sister spoke first. A nonsensical conversation between these two little things unfolded.


    "If it''s from you, mm, it could be one of two things!"


    ? Creation ¡ª Looking for alternatives¡­ ?


    "Oh!"


    "The heart or lungs!"


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Materializing a ''Heart or lungs''¡ªFailure to proceed. The particle ''Heart or lungs'' is not a valid statement. Object ''Heart or lungs'' does not constitute a sustainable being by itself.


    ? ¡ª Looking for alternatives¡­ ?


    "Oh¡­! No, dummy! It''s gotta be the brains if it''s within then! Brains'' stronger than the rest after all!"


    ? Confirmed. Materializing a¡ª Failure to proceed. Does not constitute a sustainable being by itself. ?


    "Don''t call me a dummy! It could be a nose, too!"


    The two kids theorized a lot about me in their heated debate. A heart? No. Lungs? No. Well, then brains? ''Brains'' stronger!'' said the boy¡­ so it must be the brains, right? Can''t be that either. When they proposed it to be a nose, it failed to ''proceed'' again. ? ¡ªFailure to proceed. ?


    "Nose''s no part ''from within''! Dummy, y''know you are."


    "I say nose!"


    And finally¡­


    "No," finished the kid. A fresh ss of milk had just been brought to the table by a prompt waiter; it was ced in front of the boy. The child drew his arm, snatched it up, and poured the liquid down his throat. Then the young man spoke. "Shall I continue the story then?" But the boy''s eyes lit up, and he continued his analysis of the ''monster''s will'' in a hurry. "Way I see it, when I drink, I pee! Wateres out!"


    ? Looking for alternatives¡­ ?


    Oh?


    "And papa says if you don''t drink water¡ªoh and doc says in the body there''s plenty of water! So if you don''t drink it you be dead: it''s gotta be pee, uh, water, then." He paused as he found it.


    ? ''Water.'' ''From within you.'' Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Materializing a body of water¡ª


    ? Creation ¡ª Looking for alternatives ¡­ 1 alternative(s) found: Due to the nearby Item(s) ''Teacup Highly Concentrated in Mana x1'' and ''Seeds of Power x999'' materializing a body of water sustained by a sufficiently high concentration of magical energy efficiently possible. ?


    And then, after a session of ''Failure to proceed this'', ''Failure to proceed that'', I finally began to glow. I told you I was from the witch''s cauldron. For whatever reason, I arose from it. I was served at a certain table. To customers. Well, the witch''s cauldron full of elixir started to glow while I started to take shape. In this fantasy world, it''s what they call a unique monster. Or an anomaly monster. But I digress.


    With my sudden appearance, I immediately obtained two skills; I was rather slime-like. ? Creation ¡ª The (Passive) Skill [Jelly-like Shapelessness] has been acquired! ¡ª The (Passive) Skill [Resistant Body] has been acquired! ? Somehow, I did resemble a certain blue slime everyone liked.


    Those two skills anyway, they were only marking the beginning of it all.


    Right. And the boy paused after he found the solution to his problem. And the kid''s sister seemed to agree with him; it must be water. The boy had just downed his entire ss of milk like an old drunkard would his beer, and forcefully mmed it onto the table with a burp. "Oughta be it! Right, sir!"


    "I dunno!" the young man curtly said, shrugging his shoulders. "But on to the story¡­" he continued.


    The children weren''t so put off by the storytelling anymore¡­ that was a problem! The young man''s theatrics weren''t the best. As he couldn''t lose to the two kids, he took it upon himself to be even more dramatic and deep, let''s say, in the telling of the Ancient Tale. The children needed to be scared, at least. And so the monster, as well as the story, went on


    The monster went on: ''Greed has led us to our predicament, humans! Like the greediness that has led us to that (and the young man growled), it¡ªmy vengeance¡ªwille from you'';


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Quantifying of the particle ''Greed'' required¡ª

 Chapter 3 Prologue (3) - A Person

    "Oughta be it! Right, sir!"


    "I dunno!" the young man curtly said, shrugging his shoulders. "But on to the story¡­" he continued.


    The children weren''t so put off by the storytelling anymore¡­ that was a problem! The young man''s theatrics weren''t the best. As he couldn''t lose to the two kids, he took it upon himself to be even more dramatic and deep, let''s say, in the telling of the Ancient Tale.


    The monster went on: ''Greed has led us to our predicament, humans! Like the greediness that has led us to that, it¡ªmy vengeance¡ªwille from you'';


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Quantifying of the particle ''Greed'' required¡ª


    ''My will shall not be lost: it wille from within you, assault you, and devour you from within your ranks!''


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª the Unique Skill [Devourer] has been obtained! ?


    ''Humans, you get under my skin! You irritate me! It will get under yours. It will irritate, too.''


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª Materializing of ¡­ failure to proceed. Looking for alternatives¡­ ?


    ''It will climb into you¡ª''


    ? ''Get under your skin.'' Confirmed. Creation ¡ª the Unique Skill [Possessing] has been obtained! ?


    ''¡ªwherefrom you will not see¡ª''


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª the (Active) Skill [Possessing] has evolved into the Unique Skill [Dwelling]! ?


    ''¡ªand take control of yourselves!''


    ? Confirmed. Creation ¡ª the (Passive) Skill [Control] has been obtained. ?


    ''And I announce unto you, O humans, that you will not see peace, before it¡ªmy will, my vengeance, my way¡ªrobs you of everything you have.''


    ? ''Before it robs you¡ª'' Confirmed. Creation ¡ª the (Passive) Skill [Copying] has been obtained! ?


    ¡­Ring!


    ? Due to having the (Passive) Skill [Control] and the Skill [Copying], the Unique Skill [Perfect Control] has been obtained! ?


    ? A new skill has been obtained! The Unique Skill [Perfect Control] and Unique Skill [Devourer] have evolved into the Unique Skill [Grand Devourer]! ?


    The young man mmed both fists onto the table, getting a little too carried away. He was wrapping up with his story, atst, and he needed his audience''s full attention. The two children gave a start, slightly trembling, and hugged each other at once. Seeing such a disy of child-like fear, the young man grinned in victory¡ª"Got ''em."¡ªand uttered onest sentence: "...Then the monster said, ''And it will never be over¡­ time and time again, my vengeance will have you¡­!''"


    That gave me onest metallic ''Ring!'' sound before I was through with all this. It¡ªwhatever it is, but I guess you should refer to it as System¡ªfailed to ''proceed,'' like it so much had already, but then it looked for alternatives.


    And finally, by abination of whatever means or logic the System seemed to possess, I obtained the Passive Skill [Adapt]. And after yet another ringing sound, ostensibly due to having that [Grand Devourer] skill I''d had a moment ago, that [Adapt] skill was upgraded into a Unique Skill too¡ªthat was [Evolve].


    Truly, a mess of skills, I''ll have to admit. Behold, this was me. But anyhow, I''m not important. Not yet. The children were important. Oh, and the young man, too. There was still the youngdy sitting at their table, by the way. That''s only the prologue. The prologue of my oh-so-great story (teehee) that just about began, so let''s focus on them rather than I.


    That was the first time the young man had actually tossed in so many details about his ancient historical recollections of the past¡­ or Ancient Tale, for the kids. And so, just as per what was expected by the storyteller, while the two kids were surprised, they also were scared.


    The young man felt it was good to repeat: "''Time and time again, my vengeance will have you¡­!''" The kids shuddered in fear, and as the story was over, they were relieved to hear that, upon these words, the monster died. Put to death. By the hands of the Ancestors. Yes.


    My story was told. But at the same time, it only just began. The only thing I¡ªthat is to say, the mysterious witch''s cauldron''s contents¡ªawaited, then, was to have someone drink me. So let''s wait together, shall we?


    My story made sense. And I did too.


    "Your story doesn''t make sense."


    Ouch! Ow! No!


    It was the youngdy, who up until now hadn''t spoken much at all due to her too tant disinterest in the young man''s funny words, that now spoke. Such insults!


    "Eh?"


    "That monster, where does it evene from? Oh, and does it speak too? Well? Where does thate from? Because I mean, weren''t you talking about low-level monsters, hm? Also, why¡­ or how, even, in the world? Vengeance? Isn''t your beast-monster assaulting that group of¡ªno, that civilization of humans, peaceful and prosperous as it was, in the first ce? And then it''s upset for God knows what reason, going on a full, long-winded monologue about how it''s getting revenge soon, giving away all sorts of minute details about how it''s going to do it¡­ namely how its revenge against the poor people is going to take ce¡­ having the luxury to address that crowd of ''ancestors'' right in the middle of their war or something? Rather than a story, too¡ª"


    "Heh, Inera. A lot of criticism. You don''t change."


    Thedy agreed, and the young man spoke. These ancient tales, as he called them, have a historical basis, to put it very briefly. They are recollections of the past. Of a faraway past, that''s been long since forgotten by most, and that''s probably even older in age than the very subject of history itself (which the young man studies). Rather than a literal interpretation of such ancient, and ''mystical,'' even, he dares say, archeological recollections of the past, a poetic interpretation and more flexible understanding of said texts would be far more suited in order for one to seed in the undertaking ofprehending them, the young man said. Furthermore, parts of it are obviously missing. And besides¡­ even with the story being as nonsensical as it may seem, the kids like it.


    "But let''s not bore the kids, shall we?" the young student proposed. The kids here would only be bored by such academical discussions, so let''s not dive too much into MY story, and into MY origin.


    Thedy sitting opposite him scoffed. "Why not," she said, "why not dive deeper into it? It interests me. And I trust all of what you just exined begs a more fully-detailed report."


    "All right." The young man epted after he nced at the kids. They didn''t seem to mind? Well. A long, boring discussion awaited him (or that''s what he thought anyway), and clearing his throat, he decided that it was dry. "Let me first drink that, atst." Of course, the witch''s cauldron he had ordered a few minutes ago still awaited him. Atst, my time hade.


    Ready yourselves, guys. We''re about to get drunk!


    Bringing the beverage to his lips, he began pouring the liquid down his throat¡ªhe choked on it.


    Ring! ? A Receptacle has been found. ?


    "Kof!"


    His eyes went full round. A threat. He''d just sensed a threat. That''s what his instincts screamed at him. A hand was hurriedly brought to his throat and pressed it. "Guh!" It wasn''t any threat. Was that an attack? Pretty much. He figured this much so quickly. An attack. A threat to his life. The heart that pounded in his chest went from being super rxed to totally on edge. All of which happened in less than a second.


    I had a Unique Skill. ''Dwelling.'' Who knew what it did, but it just activated then and there, automatically. Instinctively. ? Engaging the ''Dwelling Procedure''. ?


    What was more, that same metallic sound of a notification popped in his ears once more. And he could read the message scripted within. Cold sweat poured down the man''s back as he realized. He truly was quick.


    To the exterior world, nothing of that could be seen. What was with that sudden switch in demeanor, hm? The kids were surprised, and the youngdy pressed forward. They asked whether the guy that choked on his tea was all right. Ignoring them was what he did, panicked, and quickly managed to spit back half of the teacup he''d had. Overly loud coughs reverberated through the now hushed restaurant. People turned and eyed the lively group with tilted heads and raised eyebrows.


    Something clearly was wrong with the guy.


    But the young student paid his surroundings no mind. In his panic, he flung the table forward as well as his ss. The loud squealing sound, of the table and chair, and the ttering further alerted the other customers around them. The contents of that man''s ss were totally spilled, and he just made a mess of his table.


    ? Engaging the ''Dwelling Procedure'': failure. ?


    Now, it was the chair he''d been in that was flung backward in the man''s hurry. Because still all very much panicked, he abruptly stood up, bent his back, mming both hands on the table; he started to cough.


    Now, other customers started to frown at that. The atmosphere clearly changed. It was now heavy with caution and wariness. ? ''Dwelling Procedure'' has been reissued. ? Then the kids stepped back and said, "N-No way¡­"


    The girl, after his brother who swore never to be scared, shrieked. "I-It''s the monster! Run, sir!"


    Was it the monster, or were the children talking nonsense? If there was indeed a monster-type lying in here, people should evacuate at once and go call for help. Somehow, the people didn''t expect these two children to make sense, however. But they were right.


    That''s why the young woman got to her feet and gently admonished their stupidity. She saw the apparent fear that built up within them. There was no way what was happening was due to the influence of a monster. That''s what she told them. Monsters don''t belong here, they''re far off in caves, forests, or dungeons. Tugging at her clothes, the two kids listened. Brushing them to the side, now, she turned to the man she loved, exasperation carved on her beautiful features. She raised a hand and pursed her lips with a slight frown. She then began to talk, but¡ª


    "A-Away from me!" A loud voice shattered the reigning silence, or added to its mncholy. He was the one to hold out a hand, too. With it, he ced a wall between the girl and her nephews. Between two loud coughs, he managed to get his words out, atst. "I-I said away! Look, th-there''s something abnormal¡­ about it¡­!"


    She wondered about what.


    "Th-there''s¡­ a mon¡­ster?" he said, his voice barely audible. "Th-The hell¡­? W-Why are... things written in front of my... eyes...? Writings¡­? A ''Receptacle'' has been found....?" Like this, the young man muttered his wild thoughts to himself in utter disbelief. Remembering his surroundings, he turned to thedy. "...But you wait, just wait¡­!"


    Trying to make himself puke wasn''t getting him anywhere. The young man sank to his knees, his face dark red now. Hugging the table with both arms, he prevented himself from sinking further below, and he coughed some more of his beverage. With a hand, he waved at the youngdy who now realized something was truly off to let her and the kids further away. She wasn''t just anydy. She possessed mana and was trained to use it. Surely, she could guess at what was taking ce, and by now at least understand something really was off.


    A puzzled look on her face, she whispered to the kid things were just all right before she waved them away.


    The young man didn''t have enough time to think about the monster-type: the water, tea, beverage, or whatever it was that was within this teacup of magical and enchanted elixir. So anyway, the water or something, it now rose up. Like a wave far in the ocean. From the table, the liquid now stood, still rising up, looking rather ominous. As if it was living, really. Rather than just inly liquid and flowing, now it seemed thicker and slime-like.


    "Y-You too!" howled the young man. He addressed hisdy. "Go fetch¡­ cough, cough! Y-Your father!"


    At present, her eyes were trembling. So many thoughts and ideas took form in her head, at the moment, but she knew that he was right, that her father would know what to¡ª She cut herself short and took off at once.


    And that was my time. Only a piece wascking to the equation. The [Consciousness] Passive Skill. Something I didn''t have yet, something that''d make me self-aware, and most importantly something that''d allow this story to truly begin.


    The young man dropped from the table with a light thud. On his butt, he eyed me with gleamy eyes, cold sweat trailing down his forehead. "W-What are you even?! Everyone¡ªgentlemen, get out! Out of this ce! ...S-Seriously¡­ is it sentient¡­? I-If I concentrate using my ''Mana Perception''... maybe¡­ Gah! And why the hell so high-level?! How the hell''d it just spawn anyway¡­ in here? No way¡­ A unique monster-type...?"


    Hisst words were a mixture¡ªno, a mess of so many different, contradicting emotions. Even putting aside the reason why that awe-inspiring, jelly-like water elemental of a unique monster spawned here rather than in the wild, as the young man knew that his life was being threatened by me, his thoughts were in a mess. I looked ridiculously weak and funky yet I was ridiculously powerful at the same time and he could sense it.


    No, I wasn''t exactly like your other favorite heroes. The ones who came and got reincarnated or summoned away, in their own little and cute fantasy worlds of their own. But I was still something, you see. And mine was a fancy, epic fantasy other-world too.


    Another Receptacle had been found. I mean, it was technically the same, however. The system read: ''Mortde Reinred, lv. 45, Human'' Receptacle has been found.


    The young man, storyteller at heart, who helped me into that world, still trying to run away from the threat I posed, was now getting on his feet lest I try and take control of himself again¡­ but unfortunately for him, from the table, a more or less jellyfish-shaped lump of water still rose, and then jumped at him.


    A son of the Reinred House fainted.


    After a few moments¡­


    ¡­Ring!


    ? The new Passive Skill [Consciousness] has been obtained! ? That was thanks to a passive I''d obtained a minute ago, too. ''Copying''.


    I obtained my consciousness. I became sentient. I was born. I''d now live my first day. I now had a life like everyone else. Thanks to my condition, to all these skills you barely read about and understood, I just obtained it, my person-ness, my person-hood, or whatever.


    Phrase it however you please: I became a person. I, who, more than anything, simply wished to live, just became that: life in its purest form. Water. The origin of it. And that was me, at the very beginning. Who knew what I''d be tomorrow.


    I became a person, and as a side bonus, I then obtained ''Mana Perception'' which was a passive skill.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    Author''s note down below with details you wanna know about:


    ? Name: Skill ?


    ? Race: Cute Jellyfish(? ¡ª Unknown) ? About MC''s race, it''s actually just Unssified. He doesn''t fit into any boxes due to his too unique condition. He''s that kind of monster-type, will always be evolving and undergo physical changes, so his race is Unknown.


    ? Title: Unique Monster ?


    ? Level: 35 ? He already 35 because you also gain experience when acquiring new skills. Makes sense?


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 1250/1250 ?


    ? MP: 297/300 ?


    ? Vit. 35 ?


    ? Strength 35 ?


    ? Agility 35 ?


    ? Intelligence 35 ?


    ? Sense 35 ?


    ? Fatigue: 0 ? Those numbers about MC''s Status are self-exnatory.


    ? Unique Skills: [Mana''s Benediction] [Dwelling] [Grand Devourer] [Evolve] ?


    ? Passive Skills: [Jelly-like Shapelessness] [Resistant Body] [Consciousness] [Mana Perception] ?


    ? Active Skills: <Copying> ?


    You readers will get to know more about the skills, their descriptions and the way they work and stuff, onlyter on.


    Still, I got something for you. Below is a glimpse of a skill description to give you a big idea about how this all works together. Will be plenty more epic skills in the future.


    ? Passive Skill: "Consciousness" ¡ª Grants the user Positive Status Effect "Conscious Mind." ¡ª


    ? Positive Status Effect (level MAX): "Conscious Mind" ¡ª Grants the user individual awareness of the user''s unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations, and environments. Essentially differs from the animal experience. Exclusive characteristic to mankind or unique beings. The user''s sense stats are increased by +50. Cannot be canceled once obtained. Is one of the requirements to be granted "Nobility." Is one of the requirements to be a yer. Lasting effect: Permanent. ?


    Thanks for reading!

 Chapter 4 Debut

    ? The Passive Skill [Consciousness] has been acquired. ?


    ¡­Ring!


    ? The yer has reached level 35. ?


    ¡­After I had obtained thest piece to the puzzle, for some unknown reason, I sank into oblivion. My skills got me here. They got me in this situation. It was thanks to some passive skill, Dwelling, most probably, that I in the first ce was to assault that level-45 individual after I unnervingly spawned there. And as I had some other skills rted to some sort of Copying Art, that allowed me to copy skills and abilities, then the Consciousness passive went in, too. Rather cool, isn''t it? Consciousness was a basic skill every human, elf, dwarf, etc. had. The same skill your regr monsters normally don''t have. I wasn''t just any monster. Now, I had it too.


    All of that was pretty, though I''ll have you know at the time I wasn''t aware of anything. Naturally then, I had no idea whatsoever about what was going on¡ªor rather, what would be going on. Because that''s correct, nothing had yet happened from my perspective. Soon, however, I''d wake up. And I''d be a person.


    No more than five minutes went on before I emerged from the dark ce I rested in.


    Five minutes.


    .


    .


    .


    That was the very first day of my life. And as the tradition would want it, for the first time, I opened my eyes. And for the first time, I drew my first breath. Bright light wasnding upon my pupils. Fresh air was filling up my lungs.


    I groaned.


    ? Suppression of the Receptacle''s database, ''Mortde Reinred, lv. 45, Human'', 100%pleted. Synthesizing of the first Receptacle''s knowledge 100%pleted. ?


    Suddenly, a voice spoke.


    ? The ''Awakening Process'' is nowpleted. ?


    There had been two messages. The two of them came one after the other. The voice spoke, then messages popped out. It was right in front of my eyes. They seemed to be illustrating what that voice had just said.


    Strange were those writings as they were seemingly written in the air. Without any apparent support of any sort, they were standing above my knees, passively floating.


    Oh, uh, what does that mean, though? I thought.


    It took no longer than ten seconds before they disappeared in the same fashion they appeared. So I was left with no material to ponder on.


    "''Awakening, or something, is now¡­pleted''?" I muttered. There was also this ''Suppression of Mortde Reinred level 45 Human'' a hundred percentpleted, I think.


    Say that again?


    It was faint, but somehow I could also remember some vague info about a consciousness¡­ kinda thingy which had been obtained. Fine by me, but yeah, as I said, what''s that even mean¡­? Should I be calling you Writings? What does it mean, Writings, sir? My bad. You''re a ma''am, aren''t you, Writings, ma''am? That''s a feminine voice you have¡­ But anyway, I digress. Where am I?


    Though I had basically no clue regarding what was going on, my situation felt normal. I mean, I wasn''t lost at all. Or rather, I didn''t feel lost. Going by that fact, one could say, my situation was no real problem, I guess.


    And as a matter of fact, I must be right. How should I regard my situation as ''problematic'' when I just dunno where I am, I mused, considering my situation. Instinctively, I was thinking I was in trouble. But hey, why would I even be? In trouble, I mean. Everything''s cool. I just have to figure out what''s going on here, and that''s the end of it, correct?


    With such naive thoughts in mind, I started to scan my surroundings. So first off, the most basic piece of info I could get my hands on is where am I?


    Sitting and leaning my back onto both the ground and a thick pir. That was me. As far as my view stretched, I could see numerous things and objects. Tables, chairs, dishes. Some were in a mess while others were untouched.


    Was I sitting in the middle of a restaurant? Likely so. Err, what''s a restaurant again, though? My face grimaced and twisted as I tried to answer that question. It felt off, for some reason. Eerie, even.


    I knew what a restaurant was, but it felt as if that knowledge wasn''t mine to begin with. I didn''t know it, at the time, but I couldn''t be more right. Even though for some reason I was aware of the concepts of things in general, I had no way to know that this basic knowledge I had hadn''t been mine from the start.


    "I mean¡­ I know what that is. I know what a restaurant is, I really do, but¡­ well, whatever," I shook my head.


    Lifting my head back up, I resumed my ongoing business and peered around. My eyes were wary, but soon, I would rx, thinking I was truly all right, after all.


    This restaurant was huge. The tables and chairs were spread all across the wide entirety of the ce. Topping them off were dishes and other eating-rted stuff. There were thick pirs all around the ce, too. Just like the one who was nted behind me, upon which my back was leaning for rest. Wooden, heavy pirs decorated with unreadable (for they were too tiny) scriptures carved into them, decorating.


    My eyes followed the decorations with eagerness, up till they reached the ceiling of the ce, which was propped up by the sturdy pirs.


    The array of columns extended to the walls. On these walls were scattered other decorations of all sorts. Be it paintings, pictures, regr ornaments, or a medal, even; the ce was beautifully embellished.


    So I was in a restaurant. Why? How? What for? Well? And then I just changed my mind: No, I still didn''t know where the hell I was. But what about me, though? I mentally ticked my "Where am I" question but then there was the other "What am I" question that still needed an answer.


    Except for, maybe, the fact that I''m and have been resting here, I didn''t know anything. Like, why did I just suddenly appear here? Because as far as I''m aware, I in fact just appeared, popped, showed up out of nowhere, didn''t I?


    Argh, too many questions, I thought. Let''s just focus on the restaurant, shall we? Restaurant, restaurant, restaurant¡­ Why am I here?


    Oh, as all the observations I had made about the disy of things in this ce seemed to be over, still leaving me very clueless about my situation¡ªI noticed it.


    A shadow. No, two of them. They were secretly moving and shifting from behind a column far ahead to my right. People''s shadows. Were the shadows hiding?


    Now that I noticed you guys, I can clearly see your shadows reflecting on the ground, though, I thought. If you wanna hide, do it properly at least.


    A sigh was let out of my mouth. What a poor sight to behold. People don''t even know how to hide, nowadays. Youngsters, eh¡­ What era am I in? Oh, wait, aren''t I young, too? I was just born minutes ago, wasn''t I? But I know how to hide, so maybe I''m not young? ''Born minutes ago''... Oh, and that makes me think! Where are mommy and daddy? I mean, I should have parents, shouldn''t I?


    Too many questions. Again. I cut the flow of questions short and leaned forward. Peeking at the two of them, I tilted my head to the side. After I shifted my head over to the side, I could see them. The source of the shadows. Seemingly talking¡ªor rather, whispering to one another, they weren''t too far away from me. And now that I was looking at them directly, I could distinguish the faint sound of their voices on top of one another.


    So they were chatting.


    I couldn''t make out what they were saying, but I heard them. It looked like whatever was the topic of their secret meeting they kept as a secret, for some reason. I wasn''t too sure, though. That part wasn''t important. Probably. Maybe. There was no way these two people were hiding from me. No way.


    I wasn''t on edge. The only feeling I felt at the time was relief. Because guess what? The two of them were humans. When one of them was tall, had a sharp presence, and was painted in ck clothes, the other was about two heads shorter, and was far less keen to my senses. Relief. This is what I felt.


    Now, on one hand, there were the two newly discovered living creatures that might have known something about me and who could help. Anything they knew was good to me since I knew nothing. And on the other hand, there was me, the lone lost sheep. Well, more like the lone lost human, though. And no longer lost, for that matter.


    Fellow humans. They''d help me for sure. No doubt about it.

 Chapter 5 Fellow Humans

    Fellow humans. They''d help me for sure. No doubt about it. Because like I said, to top all that off, guess who else was human here? Easy guess, it was me. I said it.


    ¡­Except I had no idea that I wasn''t part of the human race. I was just ''dwelling in'', and controlling one of their kin.


    I didn''t know that. All I saw was what was in front of my eyes: since there were two humans who could help me, I just worked my way out of this predicament. I had found fellow humans, after all. And as such, I felt genuinely relieved. Wasn''t I the one in dire need of information? It was good news. They''d fill me in about everything I needed to know.


    As all those ideas went through my mind, I understood it was pretty clear now: First of all, I was new here. And on second thought, yeah, maybe I was slightly lost, all things considered.


    Still, no need to panic. The next question I needed to answer was "What was I doing here?" With these two guys, my question was as if already answered.


    "Mmhm!" I heavily hummed, nodding my head, satisfied. "See, everything went all smooth~ Right?" Why would I even be concerned about such trivial matters as ''Who am I?'' or even ''What in the world happened to me? Why do I not remember anything in the past? And why the heck does it feel so normal?'' when I had my two human allies with me.


    I smiled delightfully as I nced at my humans, who were standing a good distance from me. I was lost, I needed their help, and on top of that, I was a fellow human. I sat back down and crossed my arms upon my chest, grinning happily.


    They would definitely guide me. I could only count on them anyway.


    Numbness ran all over my entire body as I lifted myself up from the ground.


    That body, I thought, it''s like it''s not yet entirely mine. Weird. Then again, I''m not put off by that, it feels natural in a way, so I must be all right.


    Even though my body felt numb all over, I didn''t give in. Naturally, as making inquiries to the two human creatures I''d just found was my life motivation, how was I to give in so easily?


    Now, what I didn''t know though, was that everything was not as I had expected it to be. Ignorant of what was about to happen to me, I tried to stand up. With the help of my feeble, trembling limbs, I pushed myself up from my sitting position.


    And you know what they say: Ignorance is bliss. Well, let me tell you that it was true. It couldn''t be truer, actually. How did I know that? Well, I was just ignorant. It only took that much. Thus, I was about to get to taste the bitterness of the tough reality.


    Before I could evenpletely get up¡ªor at the very least, react to what would happen¡ªI felt oppressed. My chest tightened with a tinge of pain. A deep frown washed over my face. Two icy cold eyes were shot at me, immobilizing me. Hurriedly, I nced back at where this ominous pressure was emitted from. Here I saw him. He was presented to me in front of my sight.


    That taller human being from seconds ago was fiercely ring at me, just as if I had killed his son. Those eyes sent shivers down my spine. I broke into a cold sweat. He had set his dominant ring eyes on me as a tiger would on its prey.


    At that moment, all I could do was shudder in fear.


    That human, from his station a distance away, had slid off his hiding ce, after which he patiently walked towards me with heavy steps. Now, he dashed through the air with a Swoosh. In the blink of an eye, hended right before me. He''d literally pierced through the air. Or that''s how it felt from my perspective.


    He who had previously been discussing with his partner a demi-dozen meters away, appeared right in front of me. What the hell just happened? I was at loss, then. What to do now? Was this ostensibly unfortunate event even part of the script I''d been going on over in my head? A big NO would fit as a response. All written in capital letters, yes.


    NO.


    Just like that.


    Now, even worse. There was also this long, unsheathed metallic object pointing at my chest. As for me, I was just there, half-knelt in front of him. I blinked twice as I tantly looked at his tall stature. I looked up from below, as he looked down on me.


    "H-Hey, fe?" I managed. That''s right. Just keep your cool. To smooth things out, I even tried and (awkwardly)ughed a little. That didn''t work. I could tell I just looked like a fool. But whatever, such was the way of a master of the Socialization Art, I was convinced. First, we greet each other, then¡ª


    Oh, but this was called a sword, eh? I thought. Why on earth is this thing, this sword, pointing at me? Right at my chest, no less. Right at my heart.


    "Ow!"


    With a Thud, I fell back to a sitting position. I heavily sighed. The man pushed me down. Pressing down on my chest with that pointy thing as I struggle to even maintain my kneeling, half-up position, that sword pushed me to the ground.


    The word for this was Enmity. Was I this person''s enemy? I wondered about that. Why would he do that? Attacking people, especially me, is wrong. Or is it? Oh yeah, maybe this situation is perfectly normal, after all. I didn''t know.


    What I knew, however, was that bullied people had to stand up for themselves. I spoke up. "Courting death, huuuh?! Piss off!" I said¡­ though it was only in my head.


    I had no experience in fighting whatsoever, but I knew I wasn''t in a position to just blurt those words out. I didn''t have the upper hand. Still, I said no more bullying. "Why would you do that, human? Look now¡­ Tsk, a red stain. I''m bleeding." The tip of that keen sword painted a red dot on my white tunic.


    "Hey, you. You''re finally awake," he said. "So you can speak, monster?"


    "Ah," I simply expressed with a pause. "Am I at fault to know how to speak here?" Once again, I had no clue about that. Also, a monster?


    "D-Don''t hurt him, father¡­!" another voice joined me and the rude middle-aged man. "I-It must be Mortde, right?" That one voice was noisy. Panicked, loud, and noisy. What she then said struck me. "It''s Mortde! He''s safe. The monster must have been too weak!"


    The monster was too weak? Hah, it certainly wasn''t weak. My eyes turned to a slit in reflection. I also listened attentively. This conversation brought me the information I so much wanted.


    Out of the two, one was a female. She was the one who spoke. Or rather, acted, for now. Hurriedly throwing her slender, white legs ahead of her, she took each step decisively. She was on the stage like me and the swordsman. Grabbing her father''s arm with both hands, only then did she speak. "Father, let me talk to him. Please. Okay?"


    She grabbed the same sturdy wrist that held the deadly pointing sword. Thankfully, after she pleaded with big gleaming eyes, the father softened up. He didn''t stop ring daggers at me, but anyway. I wasn''t done for, then. A slow smile climbed up my face. Ever so faintly, I sighed.


    The girl then resumed. "M-Mortde¡­ Are you all right?" The girl was still considerably startled. I extended a hand to her and urged her to catch her breath. She seemed to have been fond of that as she smiled.


    "My daughter. Don''t let yourself be fooled." Throwing down scornful eyes at me, he harrumphed. "He''s your man no longer. Can''t you see? You were trained by me; do not disappoint. His mana print underwent a clear change."


    "I-I know! But how can he speak then, Father?!"


    "That I¡ª" the man sighed.

 Chapter 6 En

    "My daughter. Don''t let yourself be fooled." Throwing down scorning eyes at me, he harrumphed. "He''s your boy no longer. Can''t you see? You were trained by me, your father, don''t disappoint. His mana print underwent a clear change."


    "I-I know! But how can he speak then, Father?!"


    "That I¡ª" the man sighed. "I''m also taken aback by that fact. Though this doesn''t change that. He''s no longer¡ª"


    "¡ªFather! Please!"


    "...Good grief."


    Silence ruled over the empty atmosphere of this ce. And now, I summon a STOP. Or a pause. Just a moment. I need time to process things. I demand a time-out. My understanding of the situation, of my situation, was deepened after I witnessed this short exchange. Breathing in and out, calmly and slowly, I stretched my two hands in front of my eyes, examining them. The object of my analysis was as expected. I was sure of it, no matter how much I observed, this was a proven fact. My skin, my nails, and every single detail concluded to the same observation. I was a human.


    Or was it just my looks?


    I wasn''t human, but I didn''t know. So I was human. Kinda?


    That human female also seems to know me. She was calling me by a certain name. She knows me, so I''m human. I must have been, right? Now, on the other hand, other points were quite bizarre.


    How was I able to speak? That''s what they said. I was no longer¡­ ''human''? They also stated that. Who? What? Also, a monster? Oh boy. The girl had clearly said something about a monster, or something of that nature. Even though I had new pieces of information, my understanding of the situation was, in actual fact, even shallower now.


    I clicked my tongue.


    Deepened understanding? Don''t amuse me. It was worse now. Now surprisingly, right after the girl stood up for me, her bullied boy, with a Shing sound, a sword was sheathed. The sharp human entered a standby mode. "Talk to him and see for yourself, Inera. That shall make for a good lesson. Sacrifices."


    The daughter urged her father not to say that. And I spoke inwardly: That''s it, human. Tell me your story, fill me in about the details, what am I, and what''s¡­ yeah, just you let me know things. I''m eager to know.


    What did she have to tell me? The anxiousss now resumed her speech, her eyes at times stuck to the ground, and at times hesitantly meeting mine, and her tiny hands gathered as one upon her breasts.


    Just by a nce, one could easily tell how worried the girl was.


    "Mortde. What about the monster? A-At a nce, wasn''t it¡­ some sort of¡­ and I''m just grasping at straws here, some sort of water elemental? Was it more of an aqueous sea slime? I couldn''t tell. It¡­ Oh, sorry, I must be confusing you. I''m kinda lost in thoughts here¡­" She uttered, with a self-deprecatingugh. "I mean, we were just eating¡­ and discussing there. You recited your weird stories to the two little ones, and then¡­ Sorry. One step at a time. But you remember that, right?"


    I didn''t remember ''that'', though. To be honest, I shook my head, the confused frown on my face digging deeper and deeper into my features. A cold sweat trailing down her forehead, she looked intently into my eyes. I was the one awkwardly looking at the ground, then.


    There was one table and two chairs. Was it me and her eating together? Our table was in a mess and she pointed to it as she exined the rest. "Anyway, anyway! Right after you¡­ you drank...? I''m sorry¡­ I''m just confusing you. I don''t know¡­ but... it? It, the water, the¡­ moving lump of... aqua thingy? Aaah, then you told me to go¡­ because things were looking dangerous." She turned and pointed at her father. He shook his head, a slight trace of sadness hanging over him. "You told me to go fetch my father¡­ your father-inw¡­ remember? Please, Mortde. Please. Tell me that you¡­ remember¡­"


    She looked at me with pleading eyes as she begged me. What was that for? I was oblivious to it. As I didn''t speak, she urged me to respond. "You do remember, correct? Please¡­ Tell me that you do..."


    I waited. And waited some more. Well? This was really it. The story was over. She didn''t show any will to speak further. Since she wouldn''t speak, I did. "Uh, and was that the end of your enlightening story? I thought you would clue me in about my situation, female." Still pretty much hesitant, I tilted my head in interrogation.


    Her answer was this. "M-Mortde! Now''s not the time for pleasantry! Do you think it''s fun?! ¡­B-Besides, th-there''s no way this can be real, you hear me?! Y-You can''t go without me! P-Please¡­! I''m¡­"


    She was being delusional, and then it struck me. How was I to gather information with these two people, huh? I had been conceited. Thinking that these two humans would be of any help, how naive.


    I burst outughing. "Ha ha ha ha!" And that''d be my line. A nervous irritatedugh. Clenching my fists and grinding my teeth, I was annoyed for sure. What now, a monster? Aqueous Sea Slime? Moving lump of water? Water Elemental? To drink? To tell her to go fetch her father? Come on, now! Were they actually ying at The-one-who-can-get-me-the-most-lost-and-clueless-wins? I was pretty sure that game didn''t exist, though!


    I was out gathering info, but I only got more clueless with time. "¡ªW-Was it just a joke? Mortde Reinred! Answer me!" And she now yelled at me nervously, her fists trembling. For some reason, she seemed as disappointed as I was. Or no, not quite. She was even more upset than me.


    I pushed her back, making a way for me. "Enough," I coldly said. "What are you people even talking about? Stop it. You confuse me." I couldn''t bear it anymore. Or actually, I could, but decided I wouldn''t.


    Abruptly standing up¡ªbehold, those were the monster''s first steps¡ª"Look now. Ever since I woke up here, I tried to deal with things properly. But you?"


    "Mortde¡ª"


    "I''m not talking about you, female." If anything, she at least tried to help me. I was quite satisfied with her. She was no use, but she behaved quite nicely, didn''t she? "The one I''m ming and talking to is you old geezer!" I pointed at the human male a distance away from me. I held a grudge against that one. He attacked me earlier and stained my shirt.


    At myment, the swordsman harrumphed. "Anyway. You two are of no help to me. That''s why I''m leaving¡­ Yes, I''ll just go and find someone else to help me," I dered.


    Now, I''d take my leave.


    From my perspective, any of what these two told me didn''t make sense. What followed after I announced to the girl I''d leave her made even less sense to me. Surprisingly enough, right after I said that, the girl burst into a mess of tears. Ew, and snot too. Was I the bad guy here? She uttered my name onest time and said she was sorry for leaving me behind. All right, then. She hadn''t done that, but whatever.


    Sparing her onest nce, I shook my head. Whatever, I thought, let''s just get out of this ce. I''ll find other people out, and with them, I can gather information.


    "Enough is enough. Indeed, monster." The man broke his silent stance. Once again, within a blink, he demonstrated his quick pace technique. Swiftly, the man disappeared and reappeared next to his girl. By his daughter''s side, he patted her head,forting the girl. "Inera, you go and check on your uncle. Here on out, your father''ll take care of things. Go."


    "Father¡­ can you save him? He''s still here! I''m sure he is¡­!"


    "Be a good girl, go and see your uncle."


    The good girl stood up and tugged at her father''s ck tunic. Gloomily, she spoke. "Father¡­ I understand. But¡­ But promise me you''ll try to save him first."


    "..." The swordsman didn''t reply instantly. The girl''s gaze dropped down.


    Yup, I thought, why''d they save me? They''re just my bullies.


    What then came off his mouth had me immensely surprised. "...Save him? I''ll try that."


    My eyes rounded in utter surprise as my jaw dropped open. "Hah?" I was astonished.


    "Go now."


    And she timidly went away. Wait, I thought, were these guys only trying to save me then? God, I''m stupid.

 Chapter 7 Salvation

    "..." The swordsman didn''t reply instantly. The girl''s gaze dropped down.


    Yup, I thought, why''d they save me? They''re just my bullies.


    What then came off his mouth had me immensely surprised. "...Save him? I''ll try that."


    My eyes rounded in utter surprise as my jaw dropped open. "Hah?" I was astonished.


    "Go now."


    And she went away. Did I actually misjudge them ever since the beginning? Uh? I feel so stupid now. They were only trying to save me? God, I should have understood that. How clueless do I have to be? Saving me in a weird, borate manner, I''ll give you that¡­ but still, if they were trying to help, I behaved wrongfully. I thought I''d be saved by them in the first ce¡­ but then I spoiled everything by being ungrateful.


    Stopping the course of my feet, I watched the girl exit from the backdoor of the main hall of that restaurant. After she left, and after much consideration, I shook my head.


    "God, I was wrong." There was just me and the father now. I turned my face to his and bowed my head. "I''m sorry I misjudged you¡ª" Just as I was about to say that, however, reality caught up with me. For the third time, the swordsman dashed through space. This time, he was headed right toward me. I couldn''t even finish my apology.


    And what followed was my first lesson on life. I felt a tightened grip upon my throat. A stifled cry was squeezed out of my mouth. And without me realizing it, I was now hanging up in the air. What was more, it was all only due to the human''s absurd strength. My legs kept moving on their own when I suffocated. "L-Let go¡­" I tried to speak, but it was in vain. Everything seriously went too quickly. Panic took hold of my heart.


    The man was cold. So cold. "Monster. Did you really think I''d just let you go after that? You forcibly take the boy''s life, body, and future, and you just walk away?"


    I was powerless and my situation was hopeless. As if I wasn''t even worth the dust and trash umted under the man''s boots, I was tossed to the ground. Again, a stifled cry of pain went out of my throat. Then I coughed, coughed, and coughed. Crap. It hurt a lot.


    "Now I''m curious, monster," the man said. His hands dangerously crept up the hilt of his sword. "Who sent you to our Reinred n? What''s your goal here?" What? I didn''t have time to answer, yet other questions were shoved in my face. "What''s your level? A ''low-level monster'', she said. The mana leaking off of you¡­ Clearly, you aren''t some petty mindless beast, are you? You''re high-level. Stop ying with me, you motherless bastard. Where are your manners? Don''t look down on¡­ I digress. Who sent you here? Who''re you under?"


    "W-What''s it you''re talking abou¡ªGuh!" He kicked my stomach.


    "Monster. Your manners. Don''t y those games on me. Who sent you?"


    "W-Weren''t you guys¡­" I was heavily panting. Taking a break to catch my breath, my interlocutor didn''t seem to question me further. After I caught my breath, here was my opportunity to protect myself. "...Weren''t you people talking about¡­ With your daughter, I mean¡­ Saving me, no¡­?"


    "Oh?" the man frowned. "Saving you, senseless beast? I, of the proud Reinred n, saving scum like you? Humph. Why, please don''t make meugh." I had no words for that. Only one thought gripped me at the moment. I knew nothing about life, but maybe all this was perfectly normal? Killing me, disposing of me like this. I didn''t want to die, but maybe it was normal.


    "You don''t want to talk? Fair enough," the man unsheathed his sword. I tried to move out of harm''s way, but I didn''t feel the bottom half of my body very much right now. My arms alone weren''t enough to get me moving. "Save you, you said. That''s¡­ all right. I''ll make it quick. Death shall be the salvation you so much wish you had."


    My face twisted in shock, but really, I expected that. That line made it pretty clear at least, though. But wasn''t this whole misunderstanding going a little bit too far? Wait, was it even a misunderstanding to begin with? The man called me a motherless bastard with no manners and a "monster," too. Maybe he knew better than me.


    The sword lifted up¡ªI stretched a hand towards the man in defense¡ªand it whipped out down to me. sh. My right hand fell from its ce. Blood gushed forth. My face was pale, pain carved deep into my features. For my first day, that was something. I watched my hand fall and heard it echo a light Thud onto the wooden tile of the ce.


    "Hm? Weak? Why? Do you not fight? Huh. As you wish, mindless beast. Weak it is, then. Weak." I looked up at him, listlessly, yet with distress. "Your face asks me, why is it that you die? You die because you''re weak, monster. You decide to be weak."


    It couldn''t be helped, but I think the man was right. I was weak. Red blood tainted my pants and the ground. And then¡­ wait, what, again? Another sh went off, this time, at my throat.


    Hurriedly, I ced both hands on my throat¡ªwait, but I remembered now that Icked one hand. Whatever, I at least ced one hand on my throat in order to make the blood stop. My blood just poured out. Weak, powerless, helpless¡­ Name it however you want: it was me.


    Funnily enough, though, there didn''t seem to be any more pain, now. Was I saved? No. That red paint still was going, man. My sense of sight became all blurred out, and I let myself sink to the ground, where Iy motionless.


    This was only the beginning of my story, but after experiencing all of that, there were at least two facts I was sure of. First of all, right now, I was weak. Secondly, if I wanted to live, I needed to be powerful. I mean, this whole sceneid it out brilliantly to me. If I wasn''t powerful, I was dead.


    ording to the blue writings from earlier, I had just started to be conscious, I think. I definitely remember someone¡ªthat feminine, slightly robotic voice¡ªtelling me that. Damn. I just got here¡­ and now, that was it? Was I really just going to fade away like that?


    No way. No way in hell. Over my dead body! Ah, but actually, yeah, no, my body was dead already. Not over my dead body then!


    Myrynx wasn''t damaged despite the stroke I received. I could still speak. "I¡­ can''t ept¡­ that¡­" But only the sound of my assant''s footsteps answered me in the sea of silence. He was going away after he cut me. He then came to a stop. So I stretched a hand and muttered some more words. "I¡­ will¡­ kill you¡­" I squeezed the words out painfully.


    But I knew I was just being delusional. Just like that girl had been not too long ago, when she asked me whether I remembered her doing this and that or not.


    I was dead. Or dead-to-be, for what it''s worth. I just had to ept it anyway. That''s the way. The only way. Thinking back on it, I really was lost, all things considered. And now, my life was all over¡­


    ¡ªSuddenly though,


    Ring!


    ? The current Receptacle''s HPs are under 1%. As such, the current Receptacle is deemed defective. ?


    Huh? Did I hear that correctly?

 Chapter 8 Rise Back

    I was dead. Or dead-to-be, for what it''s worth. I just had to ept it anyway. That''s the way. The only way. Thinking back on it, I really was lost, all things considered. And now, it was all over¡­


    ¡ªSuddenly though,


    Ring!


    ? The current Receptacle''s HPs are under 1%. As such, the current Receptacle is deemed defective. ?


    That same voice rang out.


    Huh? Did I hear that correctly? My ears had picked the words up. They clearly entered them. Or maybe not, since the voice rather came forth from within my head. I was still lying on the floor and I could hear it. Though my vision had been blurry, I could read the notification''s text, too.


    Wait up. Isn''t itpletely dark already? I mean, what''s happening right now? There was no mistake: I didn''t see anything but those blue, floating writings. The world was plunged into darkness, now. This wasn''t all, apparently. Several other messages carried on after the first.


    Ring, ring, ring!


    ? The yer doesn''t havepleted the Mandatory Quest ''Character''s Creation'' yet. No Character(s) has been found. Therefore, the yer needs a new Receptacle to ensure survival. ?


    Eh? What?


    ? Dwelling Procedure has been activated. Undertaking finding a new Receptacle¡­ ?


    All right. I won''t even ask what''s it all supposed to mean. If there was another thing I learned today, it was that, you don''t know anything regarding what''s going on around you? Just go on with the flow. Who cares about what''s happening?


    Just go on with the flow ¡ª where was the flow even going, in my case? Well! Let''s just not mention that either. Thinking that I was already dead anyway, I kept myposure. What worse could possibly happen, now?


    ? Dwelling Procedure: Undoing the current ''Dwelling State''¡­ ?


    Just going on with the flow, let''s take up where I left off. It was dark. Completely dark. I couldn''t see one thing. My body felt off, too. I had priorly been lying on my nk on the cold ground. Now, I barely felt anything all over my body. All over my Receptacle. What I could feel was my breathing growing weaker by the minute. The grip I had on my throat weakened, too. And then¡­ everything disconnected. I didn''t feel anything anymore. I didn''t have all of these anymore: no lying body, no left nk, no breathing, and no left hand. Also, I wasn''t cold anymore. On the contrary, the atmosphere felt hot.


    My body didn''t feel off any longer. It felt normal. Inparison to the human body I had, it felt different, but not exactly off. As I said, it felt right and normal. Comfy, even.


    When you die, you just die, right? Was I moving right now? I was. But, was it only on instincts? Surely, yes. When I leaned forward, I felt myself moving. When I stopped myself, I no longer moved. I felt shapeless. Watery, also. Oh, and¡­ what''s the word¡­ jelly-like, in a way? Wait! Didn''t the girl from earlier call me that? Animated aqua thingy, she said. People also called me a water elemental? I''m not going to reach any conclusion like this!


    Well, I had no idea of knowing at the time, but that was me. And as I didn''t stop cogitating and being excited about my situation as things finally started to make sense, it was just as the System had said. A new Receptacle. I needed that. Why? Because the ''Character''s Creation'' quest hadn''t been touched yet¡ªbut that story''s for another time. (That quest would basically allow me to have my own human form, thanks to some ''Evolve'' skill, but as I said, it was a story for another time. For the time being, I didn''t even know what the System meant with the term "quest," so, well.) Presently, I was a ball, orb, or slime-like-shaped lump of water. A unique monster. And slowly, that unique monster crawled out of the boy it had attacked. Soundly, I reached out to the outside. And then, I felt a change in the environment. The thick, floating lump of living water stood up, trying to assume a humanoid form but it couldn''t.


    I came to a stop, it seemed.


    The blue writings mentioned a Dwelling State of some sort. It said it was sessfully undone. And now, ? Dwelling Procedure: Undertaking the finding of a new Receptacle¡­ ?, it went on about whatever its business was.


    Another Ring went off, and the voice exined to me the following: a new receptacle had been found. As the yer, I was urged to go and take over it. As I said, I''d just go on with the flow and whatever felt natural at the moment. So I acquiesced. There was a technical problem, however. I couldn''t see anything.


    Just as I thought that, as it felt natural to do so too, I concentrated on my ability to perceive things. It was all sketchy and vague and confusing, believe me, but with time, it just came to me. It felt natural, and I could even name the Skill I was using: Mana Perception.


    The whole world was still plunged in darkness¡­ but hang on? It was faint, but I could distinguish the things in the environment, now. I could see the disy of things. The floor first. Then the dead body. That same dead body the now ball-shaped unique monster rested on. The pirs of the restaurant, the tables, the chairs, the mess. I turned in every direction, letting out bouncy, aqueous sounds.


    Then I understood my situation. Atst. I mentioned earlier every piece of information I had started to make sense, though now, it made so much sense I didn''t have any questions anymore. In a sentence, I was that Unique Monster who just got the [Consciousness] Passive Skill. In the same fashion I understood all that and put together every piece of the puzzle right, I remembered about my time in the witch''s cauldron, and everything.


    My reaction, understanding my situation, was rather shallow and easygoing: So I really was¡­ ''that''? I didn''t know. Cool~


    It wasn''t the least bit of a shock when all of the information sank in. If I were to add a few more words to my reaction: Sure d I''m not part of these bullies'' team anyway.


    And I moved on.


    Now, I could see. I didn''t know it yet but the world, and everything for that matter, was of mana. Magical Energy. Hence why with Mana Perception, a pretty rare skill, everything, every detail about the space, floor, tables, and chairs, was visible for me to see. Or rather, perceive. I didn''t see with eyes¡ªI saw with magic.


    Finally, I found a way out of this big mess, I thought. If I could breathe sighs of relief, at present, I would five. No, ten. Hell, a billion sighs of relief. That was to say I was still a bit moved about all that happened, honestly.


    Ring! ? Dwelling Procedure: In order to ensure survival, the yer must find a new Receptacle. ? Again, it notified me I was still in the process of ''finding a new Receptacle,'' then.


    I dismissed it with a ''Yeah, yeah, I know,'' before getting down to it.


    I could feel, perceive, and sense everything. That meant I could also feel him. The swordsman. The one who killed me. Should I call him Cain? For some reason, he lingered in the empty space, going over some documents of sorts. The human who had me in not too long ago, just stood there, unmoving.


    He was standing right at the same spot he stopped after he killed me. Or failed at killing me, to be more urate¡­ but let''s not be too cocky. The swordsman didn''t seem to be aware of the changes I was undergoing. And the instructions I received, in order to ''ensure survival'', were pretty clear. a) Find a new Receptacle. b) Take over it. c) Survive.


    Just like dealing with everything else, I trusted it woulde naturally to me. I moved around naturally on my own. I undid the Dwelling on my own. I used Mana Perception on my own. And now¡ª


    All at once, just by thinking about it, I assumed a slime-like, round, shapeless body of water, and with a Boing~, I was shot through the air. I jumped, basically. Or no, I sted off. The air opened a path for me as I pierced right through it. Working all my way up to my target, it didn''t take long before Inded on him with a Ssh. To illustrate how quick I was, the swordsman didn''t notice me up till now. And thus Inded on him. All over him.


    "Huh?!" he let out. His eyes widened and he shouted. "Damn! I''ve been too careless!" His former calm sharp dangerous aura was turned to an even sharper, but agitated one. The man was quick-witted, huh. That''s my yer for you. I had tomend him for his quick reaction. "Can it actually do that?! Move from one body to the other! sphemous!" Right. sphemous. He didn''t dare to be slow as he hurriedly tried to cover for himself. But he was toote.


    A notification rang out. The Dwelling was apparently going without mishap.


    The swordsman muttered some words. He said he had been too careless, and he cursed himself for it. He just had to ept his death, though. No one told you toin, though I can feel for you. As his senior in ''The Art of Life: The Art of Resignation'' I intended to help the man out so he epted his fate. Just like I did earlier.


    So far, the man had been agitated and restless. Now, he gained back hisposure. "Your father is sorry, Inera. I''ll wait for you on the other side." It was only a whisper, but dang, it struck me as very loud. The next thing I knew, he drew up his sword to sh his own throat¡ª


    Thankfully, he was too slow. The cut was too shallow. I still win.


    I was purely from water. The essence of life, basically. Does that mean I''m the purest form of life? I''m supreme. Of course I win.


    I was now in control. Despite that, I fell to the ground, unconscious.


    Now, however, I wondered. Why is it that I need these Receptacles, to begin with? I mean, I can do just fine on my own, can''t I? As I longed for this, still barely conscious, I overheard a Ring. The System went about the following: ''''Compulsory Quest: Character''s Creation''¡­ is not avable yet.'' My level wasn''t high enough, it said. I first needed to ''evolve'' and hop onto the next stage.

 Chapter 9 Cold Tile

    With a cold floor underneath me, I was lying down on the ground. I had just lost consciousness. That Dwelling Procedure sure wasn''t handy if I had to lose consciousness for a few minutes each time. Maybe I fell unconscious simply because I wasn''t high-skilled enough, however.


    My face was resting on the floor. My arms were extended in front of my face, half-crossed. I opened my eyes wearily. I was as sluggish and heavy as could be. For the second time now, lightnded on my pupils as they painfully shrank.


    The setting was the same. Unchanged. Numbness and heaviness ran all over my freshly-obtained body. Or should I rather say Receptacle? Not like it matters. As I tried to muster the strength to get up, my limbs trembled. Yes, limbs. I had hands, now. Hands that were on top of arms. Arms themselves linked to shoulders. If I wasn''t careful and you erased all my memories of the past experience I just lived, I could confuse myself for a human again.


    My head half-lifted up, I was analyzing myself. Yup. A swordsman. So does that mean I yed my own self a minute earlier?


    Suddenly, "Achoo!" A noisy cry rang out. An enemy? A cry of war? My eyes widened to their fullest. Quickly inhaling a good lungful of air, I darted up, forgetting all about the numbness. My feet jumped up, I immediately ran.


    In a gale of wind, ? The new Active Skill <Quick Pace> has been acquired. ?


    ? The yer has reached level 36! ?


    Running away from that cry of war¡ªwho knows where it came from¡ªI got to use the same Quick Pace technique my yer had used on me. All of which came naturally to me. Without thinking about it, my body moved on its own, and there I obtained yet a new skill.


    I didn''t stop to ponder on that fact, but what is about my power, then? Do I copy skills and abilities? And it''s all thanks to the bunch of Unique Skills I obtained during the storytelling¡­ right? Wait though, how did it all even get started? Thanks to the Faith Points or something? Or a certain storyteller''s story? Or maybe the children who 100% believed the story? As I said, I didn''t dwell on that much for now.


    Someone just yelled ''Achoo!'' at me, and so I was getting ready to fight. After I got away from it, I scanned my surroundings. "Where did thate from¡­?" That cry of war¡­ where is my enemy?


    Unwilling to get caught off-guard, I improvised a battle stance. A sharp, skilled battle stance. When you saw a bear, you made yourself look bigger and more dangerous, then you would be safe. When you heard a war cry, you did just the same, but with a sword. Unsheathing it, I swung my sword quite a few times, super-quickly, in order to let it be known clearly: I can fight.


    ? The new Passive Skill [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7] has been acquired. ?


    I frowned my head, showing off a thick, bluish-ck aura. My mana, aura leaked off of me. Was it what happens when you''re being hostile? Most likely. My aura was so thick it could be cut through with a knife.


    ? The new Active Skill <Intimidation> has been acquired. ?


    ? The yer has reached level 37! ?


    I inwardly sighed at all those notificationsing up. I mustn''t let myself be disturbed. Where was my enemy? Come. Whatever you might be,e. Wherever you are,e. I''m waiting for you.


    Being well-prepared for it toe was the way. Suddenly though, on its own, my head began to move. It leaned backward. And I puffed my nostrils, wrinkling my nose. I felt a tinge of tickling in my nose¡­ and then¡ª


    "Achoo!"


    I felt stupid for a second. "Ah. All right. That was just me." I sneezed again. "Sorry, buddy. Still not used to you yet."


    I''d been alerted for no reason. That hadn''t been a threat at all. Just me sneezing, actually. With nothing to worry about anymore, I undid my stance, let my arms go down, and dropped my sword. Leaning backward, I let my back rest on a column behind. Stretching at my hands for me to see, my hands were opened and closed, twice over, before I was entirely satisfied. "And thus I won, human."


    It somehow felt like I was taking my unusual condition and the fact that I survived after I was in way too lightly. As I was a serious person, I then decided to take a tiny little pause in order to think things through.


    "I''m what you''d call brand new." Letting my eyes wander over to the table and chairs that Inera girl had pointed to me, I chuckled a little. Recollecting every detail of the¡­ story the dead young storyteller told the little ones, I had my own story: There were people. All were eating and chatting happily in the restaurant. Dun, dun, dun¡­ a monster appears; eats ''em all; end of the story.


    That''s an awfully awesome story if you ask me. That was it. Moving on it is. So then, I got back up on my feet¡­ what to do now?


    My eyes kept wandering off in the wide space that was offered to me. Scanning it over and over again, my eyes darted on the boy''s dead body and refused to move elsewhere.


    "Humph," I harrumphed, wiping off the dust from my clothes. I walked up to it. And kicked it in the stomach. "Hey. You." I kicked it again. The boy turned over and was now on his back. "There''s still a question I wanted to ask you guys. Will you please hear me? I mean, I know you can''t talk to me and all, but I still want to ask. Why did you guys want to kill me? Uh, I know I''m a monster. A unique one, at that, so that''s kinda dangerous¡­ but still, can you just kill people like that? ''Cause I definitely was a person, you know. Don''t get me wrong though¡­ you motherless bastard." I repeated the insult I was told and kicked the boy again. This time, stronger, and in the nk. "That''s what the swordsman told me, but wait, isn''t it rude to say that? Aaah, so he was insulting me¡­ Anyway! Err, so, what is it we''re chatting about again? Hmm¡­ I know. Can you just kill anyone outside? ¡­Yeah, I guess not. Why me then? Oh, true. I got to attack you first, didn''t I? Still though, wasn''t I taught a lesson? You die if you''re weak. You get to live if you''re strong. Yeah, whatever. So? Who''s weak now? What, you can''t tell? It''s you. You motherless¡­ bastard. That''s right. I insult you." With yet another kick in the stomach, I parted with the boy. "Thanks for the story, by the way."


    After a time, I gripped my own throat and remembered I was cut there. It wasn''t deep at all. And it reminded me of the Inera girl from earlier. As the Mortde boy sent her to fetch her father before he died, her father sent her to her uncle before he died. Will shee back to hunt me down, then? With her uncle and a team of punks? No way. I was the punk here.


    I couldn''t stay idling here. I had to leave before they''de to me. Having observed that, I nonchntly went and grabbed my sword.


    "I''ll kill and destroy everything and everyone." Happily chuckling to myself, I delightfully grinned, gave myself a thumbs-up, and childishly jumped my way to the main entrance, whistling one happy music. "Yes. Everything that dares stand in my way! Ha ha ha~!" Seeing a grown and tough man excitedly dancing and moving around, all the while giggling, as he proimed he wouldy waste to every enemy he would encounter was a rare sight to witness.


    I exited the restaurant and was off to see the world.

 Chapter 10 Black Dot

    In the sky, there was this huge thing. A huge fireball of some sort. That''s what we called the Sun. In the sky, then again, there were also these big masses of white wool extending everywhere around. These were called the clouds.


    Clouds were the ones floating and mingling themselves into one another. The wool seemed to be motionless, but upon closer observation, it was actually moving. The clouds were up there too, as they were floating in the sky. All of this amusing scenery took ce under the sun, in the wide, blue sky.


    I liked it all¡ªexcept the sun. It was a bad guy, it wouldn''t let me take a peek at it. Try as I might, I never really could see a good, clear picture of it with my eyes. No matter how much I asked him not to¡ªjust¡­ do these sun-rays attacks to my eyes, it wouldn''t listen. Really, I insisted. But no can do, the sun was persistent, it kept attacking me.


    The result was that now, everywhere I tried to look, I saw a ck dot hindering my sight. Weird, right? Should I be calling a doctor? "Sun, sun, sun¡­ you motherless¡­ bastard!" I wasn''t really angry, but it was fun to y like this, voicing the swordsman''s words I was told moments ago.


    "What''d you do to my eyes?! Grr!" Yes, I burned my retina. That blind spot the sun gave me was annoying for real, though. So maybe I was slightly angry, now that I think about it. "All right, you... sun of a sun! Now you''ve gone too far," I said, unsheathing my de and pointing it to the sky. "Haah! Take this!" My sword drew lines in the sky, but seeing I didn''t do so much as a scratch on that fireball, Iughed, defeated. "I''m not defeated!" I yelled at the sun. "It''s just a tie!" I didn''t scratch him, and he didn''t scratch me. For that only reason, I was willing to back down from my battle against the huge star.


    What about the ck dot, you ask? Wasn''t that more than a scratch? Well, I always have Mana Perception, so I could see just fine. No scratch, no scratch. 0-0. Goodbye, sun.


    Here I was, in an alley. The same alley that permitted entrance in the restaurant. Behind me were the grand doors I''d just exited by. Here I was, under the sun. My path stood in front of me. "Let''s go on ahead," I cheered myself on, taking my very first steps out in the wild.


    Bricks wereid out on the ground. They stretched far away in the distance, forming paths and roads for the people to take. I was the man stomping on them as I followed the road. The road came to a turn and I turned left. "Oh," I observed. "So the noises wereing from there, huh."


    Voices and people were mixed up together. This spectacle was taking ce in front of me. Breathing in a full cup of fresh air, I tightened the grip I had on my sword. Only then was I ready to proceed onward.


    All these humans were forming a group. This group was upying the better part of the path. More around the middle of it stood a wild mass, agitating itself and all the people in it. On the sidewalk, there were only three people or so.


    "What? Are they fighting?"


    These three people seemed to be managing the crowd. Well, maybe they weren''t fighting. I couldn''t see too well anyway. From where I was strolling along the road, I couldn''t really make out what they were doing. Continuing with the road, I naturally approached them more and more.


    "People! People! Please, do settle down!" one of the sidewalk folks announced. "While we absolutely understand the reason for your disappointment, we, as unfortunately as it may be, cannot do otherwise." As a response, not before the man also exined he would deliver them an exnation, the people of the road settled down. The ruckus had stopped.


    "Now, kind people, hear me out once more," added the announcer. "Each one of you fine people will be given a seal. While we do not pretend this will suffice to quell your very much justified and natural dissatisfaction, you will, our customers, be offeredpensation." The man continued, and the customers were happy to hear they''d at least be offered free meals at Fresh Pasta & Associate. The folks of the sidewalk bowed as one body, and aside from some hungry individuals, peopleined no further.


    I marched a great deal. I didn''t deem I should be stopping for whatever spectacle it was that they offered my eyes. And so, on the mediator''s side, now, the guys in charge were looking over to me. So I stared at them as they looked in my direction. With my hand resting on my hilt, I had toe to a stop in front of them. "Hey, beasts. What, do I have something on my face?"


    "S-Sir!" A woman stepped up. "Y-You''re¡­ Have you been hurt in the process¡­?" She gripped her hands into balls. She asked me a question¡­ but I replied with nothing. Remember how it went the first time I engaged in a discussion with a human beast? Quite poorly from what I recall. So I just waited for them to give me more thinking material. I actually just stopped in front of them because of their intent stares. Now I stayed.


    Thankfully, they did speak further. Exchanging awkward nces among themselves to my listless expression, the group spoke again. "Sir, you''re hurt." The female was gripping at her white apron anxiously. "D-Does that mean¡­ you have taken care of the monster¡­? And¡­ are you hurt anywhere else¡­? Shall we call in the Healing Services at once, sir?"


    "Thanks for what you did. Helping us, I mean. You had no obligation. We''re indebted to you. Thank you." People now bowed their heads at me, huh. As I didn''t know how to respond to that, I awkwardly bowed my head, too. "Please, do not be so humble. You''ve saved us. Truly." As they made some more remarks about my wound, I shredded some pieces of my clothes and wrapped them around my neck. They offered their help, but I dismissed them.


    "Then, sir, you haven''t told us. We could cover the expenses of the service if you so wished." Some girl asked again if they should call the Healing Services, whatever that was.


    I ignored her and spoke. Now I was ready. "Beasts," I smiled at them, confident. I knew better than to make the same mistake as before and call people ''humans'', heh. ''Beast'' must have been the correct way to address someone. Watch me go, team. I got it. "So everything falls into ce now..." I said, somewhat pensively.


    For some reason, the atmosphere grew awkward. I cleared my throat and went on. It was hard tomunicate with these creatures, but I didn''t give up yet. "I''ll just ask you beasts one question." They grimaced at each ''beasts'' I uttered. "You beautiful beasts, if you prefer," I smiled again. They still winced, however. Man, did I get it wrong again? Should I just call people ''people''? How nd. "The question being: Do you want the monster dead? Are you an enemy of it?"


    They thought to themselves, then let me know they weren''t sure what I meant. "Do you want it dead?"


    "Hahaha¡­ Uh, oh, ahem, Sir. I, uh¡­ You have me confused. Oh! Why, you must be feeling dizzy. Where is mymonsense? With all this blood you have lost."

 Chapter 11 Brother

    They thought to themselves, then let me know they weren''t sure what I meant. "Do you want it dead?"


    "Hahaha¡­ Uh, oh, ahem, Sir. I, uh¡­ You have me confused. Oh! Why, but you must be feeling dizzy. Where is mymonsense? With all this blood you have lost."


    It was clear to everyone I didn''t bleed much at all. So I just kept silent, trying to fathom their intention with my cold gaze. After a silence that felt like ten minutes, a female spoke. "We want the monster dead!"


    "That makes up for one enemy, then¡­" I muttered, sighing.


    "Yes!" another person went on. "One monster, one enemy! We want it dead and gone!"


    "Two enemies¡­ huh?"


    "W-What!? Are there many?!"


    "You, beast, too?"


    "Pardon me?"


    "Want to kill me? Err, the monster, I mean."


    "Y-Yes! Absolutely!"


    Following that, some people from the crowd¡ªyes, the sea of people still hadn''t dispersed, people must have been really hungry¡ªcame up to the sidewalk, getting their own opinions of the monster out, too.


    Soon, it was as though people thought it a rule toe up to me and condemn the monster out loud. I admonished them for it quite a few times, but they thought that "The heroic monster-hunter who came from far off in the Eastern Empires only wishes for us to be firmer in our exmations!"


    I insisted that no, I didn''t want them to kill the monster¡ªor to even wish it was dead as it was pretty much the same to me. But they insisted too, and before I knew it, both the people on the sidewalk and the people of the crowd mingled into arger sea of people who chanted and encouraged the killing of the monster who didn''t know better but to attack such a fine group of people.


    Nonchntly, I ended up shing everyone down with my sword. The customers should have just run after they were told to evacuate the premises of the restaurant at once because a monster had slipped past the city''s defenses and threatened their peace. Like with the Quick Pace skill, it came just naturally to me.


    Only different shades of as grave as dark expressions adorned their faces. The monster, still very much living, acted. My right hand rested on the ck leather hilt. And the left hand gripped the sheath strongly. Mana. There was magical energy gathering around me. I could sense it. Just like when I performed that quick-paced technique earlier. Except right now, that thickyer of dark bluish mana wasn''t wrapping around my legs and feet, but rather on my sword. Mana posed itself in and on my sword, submitting itself to my will.


    All of that happened in the blink of an eye. When my sword suddenly let loose, it followed my arms and shoulders, shing twice. The curved movements were aimed at the sea of people thaty just in front of me. I just had to reach out and grab at them. Or rather, kill them.


    I obtained a new skill, as expected. It was an active skill. Chain Attack. Three bluish waves of mana charged forward towards the mass. What followed was a chorus of Thud sounds as everyone fell lifeless. And that was it.


    My level increased, too. Was it due to farming killing the mobs? Or to the learning of a new skill? Maybe both. I had the pleasure to be level 39 by now, whatever that number meant, really.


    A slow grin crept up my face. Quite natural to me. Seeing the results, I could tell I was no longer weak. Didn''t that mean I had the right to live, now? I didn''t really know about philosophy or anything, but ording to all the info I''d gathered in the twenty minutes that followed mying into life, I could confidently say that "Might makes right, after all."


    "And so¡­ yeah. That Chain Attack''s attack range is quite big. Jeez, how so unlucky of you, humans. But how lucky of me, on the other hand. Today is a productive day. All the trash has been taken out. If that''s all about my aggressors, maybe I can rx now. Though well, looking around me, with all these dead beasts, is it time to rx¡­? With the same sword with which you tried to kill me, I did away with you all."


    And I stopped my idle chatting there. After all, I didn''t want people to think I liked talking to dead people as a hobby. "So? How does it feel, you pathetic creatures?" Now I''d really stop and go back to talking to myself. "Though man, I''m happy enough to be the winner. The feels. Like it." Sheathing back my sword, I hummed a happy tone. "Everything''s perfect~" And suddenly breaking into little funky dance moves¡­


    "Wait¡­ what am I still lingering here for anyway? Surely, this isn''t all there is about the exploring the outside world, is it?" I stopped my dance and thought a little. Initially, I went out to explore the ''outside'' of the world. The outside of the restaurant. "So yeah, let''s just go on with the walking, shall we!" I set off down the track again.


    Everything was perfect. Today was productive. I was super happy. But only to a point. Before I had time to take off, some more people were arriving at the scene. "Brother!" And I was greeted.


    With one quick movement, I brushed my ck hair back. The bangs were a bit too long, I didn''t want my hair hindering my sight right now. I then tried to take a good look at the intruders¡ªbut only then did ''it'' happen.


    All at once, everything around me started to tremble and shatter. "Hwueh!?" I let out a weird cry. My head started to ache. And I lost my bnce. "E-Everything¡­ The world is spinning!" It was as if I was the center of everything, and that everything was wildly dancing around me in circles. It also didn''t stop. Far from that. Oh yeah, the earth still was shattering with mighty movements¡ª


    Aside from falling down, I had no other option. I silently cursed. Was I taking the world too lightly? What was about that unknown phenomenon all of a sudden? Falling onward, the next thing I knew, someone was propping me up. Two hands were firmly holding my shoulders in ce. All thanks to that, I was still up.


    "Brother¡­! Brother!" The voice was faint, yet the talking guy was right in front of me.


    Massaging my temples, I frowned up until I was all right. Supposedly. The smarting pain I felt probably went away. What I didn''t know at the time, was that the swordsman I dwelled in at present, did in fact poison himself the moment he cut his throat. So even if everything on earth shattered and shook with wild, grand movements, it was only in my head.


    "Brother? Hey! Snap out of it, what''s with you now!"


    "W-What''s¡­ what was¡­ that?" I looked up at the helping guy, still frowning.


    "Ah, my brother," he shook me and scoffed. "What''s got into you, eh? Inera told me about the boy¡­" The man approached my ear and spoke a secret. "Any chance you could¡­ save him?" I wasn''tpletely listening, though. "Hey, you listenin'' to me? You still aren''t here¡­ are you? God, seeing you like this, I can only know how much of a hassle that anomaly was. Was it that bad?"


    Slowly, I came back to my senses. "What was¡­ all of that? Earth-shattering phenomenon¡­?" I was scanning around. Nothing broke...? Everything seemed perfectly normal...? But all of it was shattering and shaking only seconds ago.


    "Got any wounds? Oh, ow. On the throat? So what was that water elemental thing? Was it really one though? Your daughter says she doubts it. ''It was hardly any known registered monster.'' Told me as much. A formless monster¡­ huh? Could be some rare, off-the-charts kinda slime... from deep sea or somewhere. Did it just appear here anyway? I mean, inside?"


    "Aaah¡­ You seem to be fine though. Sorry." I could stand up by myself all right, now. "I troubled you. Who''re you?"


    "Brother¡ª"

 Chapter 12 Want Me Dead?

    "Got any wounds? Oh, ow. On the throat? So what was that water elemental thing? Was it really one though? Your daughter says she doubts it. ''It was hardly any registered monster.'' Told me as much. A formless monster¡­ huh? Could be some rare, off-the-charts kinda slime... Did it just appear here anyway? I mean, inside?"


    "Aaah¡­ You seem to be fine though. Sorry." I could stand up by myself all right, now. "I troubled you. Who''re you?"


    "Brother¡ª"


    "Oh, and you seem to be just fine. How''d you do it? I, uh, was nearly falling, or even dying, heh, right there. Oh but right, thanks."


    "Bro¡­ther? My brother?" To my words, the man suddenly stepped forward, grabbed my shoulders back, and pped me on the face. Those were light ps you yfully gave someone in order to make them wake the hell up. "My brother, hm. You''re really not all right, are you? Hey! Wake up. Also, I didn''t say anything but¡­ what''s with all the dead bodies behind your back here, eh? Can''t be you, can it? Come on. Won''t stop pping if you don''t¡ª"


    "W-Wait a second!" I cried, getting myself off his grip. My eyes narrowed. I also leaned forward in order to take a good look at the individual. "D-Did you actually¡­ called me ''brother''?"


    "Yup¡­? It''s me, haha!" he sarcastically joked. "Seriously, what''s with you?"


    "Also¡­ ''Inera''? That girl ran away, it''s true."


    "Huh?"


    We exchanged looks. No more words were necessary. My eyes saw through his, and his through mine. It went as a revtion to us both. We understood. ''The man standing in front of me is my enemy.''


    I didn''t leave him enough time. My hand instantly moved up, with a speed that surpassed even that of my Receptacle, grabbed the dagger attacked there in a back grip, and simply drew a line with it vertically. His head was skewered effectively. Now, the roles were reversed. I was the one propping him up. As I let go of the dagger, the man gave birth to a Thud, and I dryly smiled.


    ? The new Title ''Fratricide'' has been obtained. ?


    Further across the road, she, the Inera girl, was here too. What a nightmare that must have been for her. She stood in front of me, far away. A nightmare, truly. She must have seen it all. Had you looked at her, you would have seen how utterly she was filled with sorrow and fear. I started to walk to her, with slow, heavy steps.


    My sword dangled by my leg. My head was tilted to the side, and my eyes were lost on the girl. In spite of all I did, she didn''t say anything. I mean, she could at leastin and say something like "Why''d you kill everyone I love?! I hate you!" but no, she didn''t utter a word. Or maybe she did. With her hands. She hid her face with them, now, as if to beg me to stop.


    I stopped, pointed my sword at her, and also said, "It was you though who started it. Wanting me dead. ¡­Okay, maybe I started it, all right. But I want to live, too¡­ ''daughter''."


    She was fidgeting and shaking. My heavy, slow steps started walking to her again. Still covering her face, sad-and-shaken human noises filled the air around us. The ten meters that separated her from me were gone. Right next to that docile human beast, I took a stop.


    She was crouched down in a ball, praying the monster wouldn''t get her. cing a knee on the ground, I asserted she wasn''t attacking me. She was well motionless and inoffensive. I also understood she intended to stay that way for as long as I was around.


    Taken by pity, I shook my head. "So? Want to kill me again? No, right? I will be selfish and say that it was you people who started it. I don''t resent you, but¡­ that''s just how it is. We''re enemies, Human Inera." Her whining and sniffling grew louder. "For what it''s worth, I¡­ might be sorry. ¡­But, c''mon, won''t you at least permit your father to live, my daughter¡­? Heh." I took an interest in such a person. I thought of her as I thought of myself when her father killed me. Rightfully, as he was stronger.


    I was the one stronger now, however. "Do you understand what''s happening? I won. Know your ce now. You''re a good girl." I patted her head. "I''m mightier. Be subdued in my presence, human¡ªthe monster shall have mercy on you." Then I stood up and went away. I trust it was clear she wouldn''t want to kill me anymore¡­ maybe. Who knew though, in the future probably? But whatever.


    Despite all that just happened on that day, I was not a savage. Just an enemy to some. The one who didn''t want to take my life I wouldn''t kill either. I''m not making any promises, though. I''ll try, but I dunno.


    Heaving a long sigh, I turned back to the poor thing. She didn''t move. I nodded to myself, and the world was ahead.

 Chapter 13 So Pretty Outside World

    Stairs went down from the hill I was on. Long, shabby stairs, carved on the earth, so that people could go up and down as they please. I was among the people who would put said stairs to use, but unfortunately, stairs were tricky. During my first time climbing down stairs, I fell more than once. I was okay though. Now, the heart of the city opened itself to me.


    "It''s so wide, the city."


    In that vast entirety, which extended from North to South, as well as East to West, there were so many things. So much pleasant, intriguing, regr, and wacky stuff to see. So many things, truly. And they could all fit in that piece ofnd that was the vige of Sville. A piece ofnd surrounded by walls, demarcating the area of the city, and containing all of the vige''s treasures within.


    Be it beautiful sights, buildings of all sorts, and people of many races; all of these fit right into the city''s square. And so much more was added to that, you have no idea. I had seen it from above, back at Fresh Pasta & Associate, from that elevated teau where their restaurant was held. From up there, I could already tell how huge and immense the vige was. Going about walking and traveling down here, I was with the others. The other parts of the ''outside'' of the restaurant. Where the people, buildings, and everythingy at. And so, from down below, it felt even wider. I can tell you that much. Upon exploration lies an even more impactful experience.


    Wide and gigantic. That was a city. Toplete my understanding of what a city is, I could say that it wasn''t empty, unlike the vast scope of the white and blue sky. The city was full of so many different things, and though I possessed knowledge about most things in the world, I got to truly experience the Outside World for the first time. Squinting my eyes at every little object I stumbled upon, I was delighted to be alive.


    I first learned about rivers, pontoons, bridges, the limitless flowing current of water, and so many things. People could wash both themselves and their clothes within the river. I observed all that with careful attention in order to learn from them. They could even drink from it. Really, I could go on and on describing how impressive a river was to me as I first discovered it and ''tried it out.''


    By the bridges or pontoons, people also fished. "Whoa~"


    What they used were called ''fishing-rods''. "Oooh~"


    Fish, to man, was just like man to me. Fish is food. Fish is prey. "I see, I see~"


    Food, yes. I properly learned what food was, too. You see, people earn food. Food was their right to continue on living. The more food a person possessed, the richer they were.


    And the people! Not everyone wanted to kill me, you know. Obviously not as they didn''t know I was¡­ what they called a unique monster-type creature. Hence why I wasn''t fought or chased away, presently. But people anyway, they had their own business to attend to. Rather than antagonize me, some people would wake up early at dawn, take their horses and chariot and then head out to work.


    Oh, and did I mention what a chariot was? Massive wooden box. Or even horses? Subdued vehicle creatures. Horses were docile and agreed to transport everyone''s loads and gears everywhere around the town in exchange for a little food. Yes, I mention food again: Food was what ruled over the whole world.


    "The world truly is enormous~" I sang in a sing-song voice.


    There were still so many things to mention and marvel at, among the people, for example. Humans mostly, dwarves, elves, rare reptilians, and beastmen were even rarer. They upied the city. Like myself, they wandered around the city, only they had a purpose that I didn''t have.


    Strolling along the road, I''d gone by several ces. Sometimes jumping around in excitement, some other times just observing passively. Within that frame of time, I saw all of the World. All of life. All of the city''s things fit in there, except for me.


    The sun had time to drop by a wide margin by the time I was finished visiting. As a result, my feet hurt. All of my body, actually. I was sweaty, too. A lot. And as time went on, I felt weaker and weaker. This stroll of mine sure fatigued me a lot, huh. Or was it the stroll alone?


    Present-me didn''t know I had been poisoned.


    "Aaah," I sighed, "and it''s too hot. Way too hot." The sun really wasn''t kind to me. That ck dot, and now so much sweat. All the presents I received I hated.


    Suddenly, my stomach growled. "Oh. You again?" I wasn''t surprised like that time when I sneezed Achoo for the first time. It wasn''t the first time it growled, the stomach. Because I hadn''t only grown familiar with the city and the sun, today, no. There was that stomach too. My stomach. "So you want to eat that too, huh."


    I nced around, following where my nose would guide me, and stumbled on a particr stand. Not Dio''s The World, no. A food stand is what I mean. I was by the middle of the road, and that food stand was more by the sidewalk. This was the marketce of men. Sitting and lining up with that food stand, many others were here. Apanied by his fellows, the stout, bald man who was holding it selling his food, many other people were there. In the marketce, people held their ground and sold many foods, ingredients, and spices alike. Or clothes, even, for some people. I wouldn''t notice the clothes, though. My stomach wouldn''t. It was still hungry. Still, I wouldn''t eat.


    "I already stuffed you with so much grass and leaves from the trees, stomach," I exined. "You need to bear with it for now. We''re still not done visiting!" Awkward looks were given to me, as it growled again. "Shut the hell up!"


    "Kyah! Help me, mama!" "D-Don''t look at him, love."


    "It''s not even been three hours, and you want food again?!" I pointed out to my stomach. "Shall I call you a motherless bastard with no manners again?! Well? No? All right then, be quiet."

 Chapter 14 Dont Look At Him, Love

    "Kyah! Help me, mama!" "Don''t look at him, love."


    "It''s not even been three hours, and you want food again?!" I pointed out to my stomach. "Shall I call you a motherless bastard with no manners again?! Well? No? All right then, be quiet."


    And suddenly, it went back at me again. Not the growling. My head started to ache as I felt my pulse on my sweaty forehead. My temples were bulging in pain, but I was used to that feeling now. Grinding my teeth, I nted both feet on the ground, improvised some weird, goofy battle stance, and fought with the unknown phenomenon which gripped me. Drunkard, pervert, or maniac. Despite the rain of meanments that fell on me, I wasn''t any of that. "I''m doing this! I got this! This time I do!" Extending my arms around, I tried to chase away the sense of dizziness that overtook me. Despite my great efforts, I fainted.


    ¡­Ring! ? The current Receptacle''s Physical Condition is deemed defective¡ª ? Due to the Negative Status Effect ''Poisoning'', I was urged to find yet another Receptacle to ensure survival.


    What life was I even living?


    When I woke up, I was surprised to find myself in a rather dark back alley parallel to the longmercial street. I missed the System''s notification, so I still didn''t know about my poisoning¡­ but if anything, I was feeling more okay now. Standing up, I took a minute to scan the dark street I was in, not finding much of anything if not crappy kind of stuff and objects in barrels in the moist, stinky atmosphere, I decided to take off.


    Checking up on the sun, I saw that it was almost gone. Not thinking much of how long I''d spent in that alley soundly sleeping, nor who was it that had transported me there, I only noticed then that my sword was gone, along with my shoes, and my purse full of sparkly coins. Iughed it off thinking it was weird things should disappear just like this in the world. Onlyter would I learn that thieves were a thing too.


    My stomach growling, and barefooted, I went back to walking themercial street. This time though, I agreed to go and eat. "You''re right," I caressed my belly, "it''s almost nighttime. Eating is what I should do. Eating and living on!"


    And so I was looking for food. Lightened up by the idea of having a goal, I cheerfully smiled and went on with the road that awaited me. Food stands were everywhere, but I had a particr one in mind. There were only stalls here, and they stretched very far down the alley. After a minute of walking or so, I didn''t reach the end of the boundlessmercial area and stopped. "Oh, there it is." The ce was less crowded than earlier today.


    That food stand and its stout, bald hearty owner of an old man looked plenty satisfied, for he had fished food not by the river today, but by his stall and with delicious dishes. My eye, despite the blind spot, recognized that man''s stand right away. Or maybe my nose did, picking up the fresh, salty fragrance the good stand gave off.


    From the middle of the road, I hastily got there with quick little jumping steps. My stomach chanted again, and I nursed it with my hand till it stopped. Finding my ce on one of the stools lined up here. A counter separated me from the stout owner. My hands were ced t on it. I stared at him. He had no clients, so he greeted me, paused and stared back.


    And there I waited for food. A minute went by, then two, then three¡ª "The weirdo over there. Oi. What''ll it be?" The ugly creature finally decided to speak to me. It was about time. "When''ll you stop starin'' at this old man? Weirdo over here. Talkin'' to you." As I didn''t reply, the man crossed his arm and started tapping his foot in annoyance. Another two minutes of staring passed. Then the big ape really became furious, yelled at me, and demanded what was my business here as he repeated, "I ain''t got all day!" and exined he needed to wrap this us so he could go home before dawn, "Goddamn it! But I''ll serve a customer no matter what time o'' the day it is! What''ll it be?!"


    "Easy, now. I just want food. Please."


    What an amusing situation. The stout ape yelled again, saying that was what he had been asking for what seemed like an hour by now. "Ain''t it right?! Tell me now, customer, what''ll it be?" he loudly demanded.


    I said I was confused. I only wanted food. Why make a fuss about it? He gave food to other people. Why not me? At myment, he sighed again, took on his apron again, and puffed through his nose. "Fine, I give up. I''m a fan of adventurers, y''know, weirdo. A huge fan. I''m tellin'' ya. I''ll fix you something to eat!" He started cooking.


    I said thank you. "Are you a fan of adventurers? What are those?"


    Guys like me, he said, of course he was a fan of adventurers. The whole adventuring and Guild''s business he was a fan of, obviously. Which included me, he insisted, waving his kitchenware around. What, he asked, did I not juste back from a super very dangerous quest, issued by the Guild outside the walls, hm?


    It was obvious that I did, ording to the owner. After all, that big nasty scar I held around my neck like some fancy ne, unwilling to even go to the healers and get it healed so much I was a cheapskate, must have been from today''s quests. He could also tell from my dusty clothes. They were fitted for battle.


    What was more, as my tunic was torn off, the stout man could already chant the praises of how Golems or Goblins tried to finish me, far away in the darkest woods, without a single partner to help me, as I was the one finishing the dumb monsters off. All the while he spoke to me of the daily activities he assumed I carried through the day, I kept silent. I loved his telling of adventures. The more I listened, the more I actually believed the owner''s spections about myself, unconsciously nodding my head away at every of his words. "What''s more, there''s this belt of yours¡ª"


    He spoke great lengths of words. Very soon, my food was ready, and he let me dig in. "About the money, well, we''re all having our ups and downs, son! You''ll be so kind as to pay meter! Gwueh heh heh! Day you find your treasure out, you''ll think of me, drop by again! And we''ll have our own restaurant by the beach! Hwueh heh heh!"


    Both the old man''sugh and personality were lovable.

 Chapter 15 By The Beach

    He spoke great lengths of words. Very soon, my food was ready, and he let me dig in. "About the money, well, we''re all having our ups and downs, son! You''ll be so kind as to pay meter! Gwueh heh heh! Day you find your treasure out, you''ll think of me, drop by again, and we''ll have our own restaurant by the beach! Hwueh heh heh!" Both the old man''sugh and personality were lovable.


    I barely, in fact, understood a word of all the things he spoke of. When he talked of ''ups and downs'' he said I had no coins with me, but that it was fine; I didn''t understand it. I''d only learnter that¡ªof course, obviously, am I stupid¡ªyou needed money to eat food. And when he talked about things rted to the Guild, adventuring, Golems and Goblins, I didn''t understand either, only deciding to nod at his every word. Healers, Guild, quests, outside the walls¡­ Though I didn''t understand his speech (to an extent), the owner''s fantasies managed to at least nt a seed of interest within me. Adventurers, huh, I thought. Soon, this seed would bloom, and I''d get to be involved in a lot of stuff. Stuff that is far beyond me.


    And that would be where, after I joined the Game, I would create my character. Only then would I truly participate in it, and only then would the System truly open itself to me.


    The stout old man stayed with me, cooking and chatting. I nearly finished the first bowl of Yum Yum Spicy Magical Starry Noodles he''d served me (after consulting my honorable opinion on the name he could give his new recipe, I acknowledged and recognized the beauty of the current noodles'' name saying it was great, so he officially would put them in tomorrow''s menu under the same name), he served me some more noodles. When I thanked him for his kindness¡ªbecause yes, it quite shocked me at the time, but when I understood it I was super d, that human was being kind to me¡ªI said I was good and I''d stop troubling him now, the sun had already gone down and all¡­ but he insisted I did not.


    So I''d stay with him, and taste some more of his new recipes. After the YYSMS Noodles, I tasted three other bowls, "I''m full now, old man. Can''t take anything more in my stomach," with even funkier names one after the other. "Say, old man, if Ie by tomorrow again, will you serve me more food?"


    "I don''t know what I am! But I know what I ain''t, son. You and I both. We ain''t strangers with each other, now are we, son?!" he asked, his voice always louder than before. "You drop by whenever you want! And if you ain''t got a coin, I ain''t got a grudge! Y''know how the saying goes!"


    After thanking the old man profusely, I said I was sleepy, so I''d need to head off now.


    "Till we meet again, son!"


    I waved bye-bye.


    After the friendly old man and I parted, as I didn''t think of any other ce where to sleep, I decided to head back to the deserted back alley to spend the night. This was where I''d been robbed during the time I was passed out. Now that the sun was gone, and that only a few sunrays remained, struggling to light up a corner of the horizon with their darkish blue light, the back alley was as if totally plunged into darkness. Thankfully, I had Mana Perception. So I saw everything, and aside from the neers (rats) who were now upying part of the ce, nothing had changed.


    The atmosphere was still moist and reeking of piss. The trash that had been there, at ces stuffed in barrels, and at ces just ttened on the ground, was still there too. Not a very nice ce to spend my very first night, but as I had no better experience topare to, I didn''t mind much. I spoke a lot with the friendly owner, and as a result, I was totally drained of my energy. I was spent, through and through. Well, in fact, however, my tired situation was more due to the negative effect of Poisoning I still dragged with me everywhere, oblivious of its presence, but as I didn''t know, I just thought I''d sleep my tiredness off, and the night would renew my vigor.


    Although, in fact, tomorrow would do me no such favors. Heavily dragging my feet up to a zone where the stinking odor was lesser, huffing heavily, I thought of gently resting my back on the wall, to then calmly slide down to a sitting, then lying position¡ªI just copsed on the spot, abundantly sweating and heaving in pain. I was unconscious.


    The poison would be acting up the most now. So by the night, when the pain was too strong, I was left on the cold ground of night moaning feverishly. At some other times, the pain lessened with my symptoms. During those times, I managed to get some rest. But then my misery woulde again, and though unconscious, I still barely could endure it, agonizing in the dark.


    ¡­Ring!


    ? The new Passive Skill [Resistance to Poison +1] has been acquired. ?


    I was still in pain, though. My experience of suffering dragged on for a long time, across almost the whole night. As time went by, I kept going in circles within the cycle of poisoning. I could rest for half an hour, then the aching made me restless again, and so on, for the whole night. The passive skill Resistance to Poison I had obtained in the process, was apparently upgraded to [Resistance to Poison +3].


    ? The yer has reached level 40! ?


    ? You have reached level 40, therefore, processing an Evolution is deemed possible. Evolution Procedure has been issued by the System. Pending¡­ ?


    [Resistance to Poison +3], yes. Was my Receptacle still deemed defective by the System? I didn''t know. I didn''t even know it was deemed defective in the first ce anyway. Even if I did, however, it wouldn''t matter. For the thieves who were about to assault me would stir in yet another direction.


    ? Analyzing the yer''s Status: in process¡­ ?


    ? The yer has met the requirements to undergo ''Evolution''. ''Level 40'' Condition has been met. ''State of Sleep'' Condition has been met. ''95% or more of mana supplies'' Condition has been met. ?


    Both the sky and my mind were still dark. But they both neared their respective dawn. To the sky, dawn was brought by the sun. It was time for the sky to wake up. To myself, dawn was brought by¡ª "Hey you, old homeless freak!" And it was time to wake up, too, just like the sky.


    ? Starting Evolution: You receive Positive Effect ''Evolving''¡ª


    It was so sudden. A powerful kicknded on my ribs.


    ? Failure to proceed: The following Condition(s) has not been met ¡ª ''State of Sleep''. ?


    With onest notification, the System asserted another try would be issued when all the requirements would be met.


    But I didn''t mind any of that. I was still in pain. A lot. I was suffering from a freaking lot of pain still. When that kicknded on my chest¡ª


    "You homeless fiend! Told you to wake up!"


    "Ugh. Pretty sure you didn''t, Big Bro."


    "Yeah-yeah¡­ You, uh, you didn''t, uh, Big Bro!"


    "Don''t matter! He''s gotta wake up all the same! You homeless asshole! Nutjob! Shithead! You¡­ wake up! Get it?!"


    You heard them. All I thought was: What the hell? What''s going down? Am I attacked? Enemies? Where? My body aches! Crap! And they would kick me again. "Ugh!"

 Chapter 16 Homeless Fiend

    "You homeless fiend! Told you to wake up!"


    "Ugh. Pretty sure you didn''t, Big Bro."


    "Yeah-yeah¡­ You, uh, you didn''t, uh, Big Bro!"


    "Don''t matter! You homeless asshole! Nutjob! Shithead! You¡­ wake up!"


    You heard them. All I thought was: What the hell? What''s going down? Am I attacked? Enemies? Where? My body aches! Crap! And they would kick me again. "Ugh!"


    "''Bout time you stood up to kiss my feet, heh! There¡­ have it at''cha." I wriggled, struggling to the ground. Two more kicksnded on my stomach and legs. Sweaty, and startled, I still had to make out of the situation. As it was my first time living something so utterly disgracious, and my first time waking up from a night of sleep, also, it took me longer than necessary to, atst, properly react to what was happening. A shoe was brought to my face. "There there~ Now you can kiss it¡ªUgh! Help me, Bro-Ther-Thieves!"


    "Ugyah!"


    "I, uh, B-Big Bro, uh, I¡­!"


    I grabbed at the enemy''s feet and yanked it up. A boy no older than seventeen fell on his butt, before crawling away from me in panic. I was covered in sweat on the outside, and covered in aching muscles on the inside. Slowly, I put one hand before the other and heaved myself up. When I did so, I threw two bloodshot eyes at the three individuals who had dared disturb my slumber.


    All three of them were boys. The youngest among the three, no older than ten, probably, let out another weird cry. "Th-The homeless guy''s scary!" His older brother followed after him. "Uh¡­!" He said nothing. Facing the furious, stiff beast that had just awoken from its sleep, the two of them, in the dim light of dawn, were as if devoured by the beast''s shadow. And the crawling oldest boy, who managed to, in his haste, back down to where his younger brothers were, suddenly jumped to his feet, "Don''t show your fears!" and smacked his two brothers on the head. "We''re so sorry, Big Bro!" twice echoed.


    Somehow, the big brother had enough time to organize his two fellows into the weirdest pose, and¡­ "We are¡­!" They all exchanged knowing looks before they nodded. "...The three Bro-Ther-Thieves! Know us! Fear us! And give us all your monies!" All were proud of their presentation. But then the big brother shook his head. "You there! You werete! You have to say it just like I say it, Tiny Bro!"


    "U-Ugyah! Sir yes sir!"


    "We''ll do it again!"


    "D-Do we have to, uh¡­ Big, uh, Bro, uh?"


    "W-We do!"


    And there, as I just observed their surreal trio, with my eyes still ming, a deep frown marked on my face, they gave their presentation a redo. Each striking the weirdest pose ever, proudly grinning like mad, they insisted again: "Bro-Ther-Thieves!"


    "There we did it right!"


    It was quite ridiculous. Surely, after their attack, followed by whatever nonsense it was they presented to me at present, they would exin to me this was just a prank, all of it is recorded, and point far off at the hidden camera among some of the trash of this disgusting ce, right? Yeah, no. That didn''t happen. They were seriously assaulting me with... that attitude.


    So anyway, what was that kick to my ribs for? Was that an enemy, then? I still needed an exnation, didn''t I? Or should I just rush in to make a kill? Man, life could beplicated at times. From here on out, they just tantly stared at me, with dumbfounded looks. Young people sure looked dumb, nowadays.


    I shook my head, calming down a little, and not so on alert anymore. Exchanging nces with the bigger one of them, I urged him to speak of his business with me. I was pretty sure they didn''t think me a monster. That meant they didn''t attack me for the same reason as most other people did. What was it then? Staring him down with the iciest eyes and deepest frown of disgust, I expected an answer. The sweaty dark bangs dangling on my forehead were pushed backward. I said no words.


    He certainly did meet my re, but he seemed gutless. Undoing his dumb pose, he was looking quite satisfied, though. His arms were now crossed upon his chest. Quickly, he turned back to his brothers¡ª"You dummies! You only undo the pose after I, your oh-so-great leader, cross my arms! That was in the script, wasn''t it?!" That statement being uttered, they both jumped in surprise. They were so scared they almost lost their bnce. With no further dy, they gained back theirposure (if one could even call that aposure), deeply bowing to their older brother. "We''re very sorry, Big Bro!" echoed twice, and I wondered "what the heck" again.


    A deep sigh couldn''t be helped from my mouth. But Big Broined again. After a long lecture, he stopped educating them. "I think I should go," I said. "See!? You dummies are messing it all up again! Damn it! That homeless bastard even has time tough at us! In his head or something! Laughs at us! ...Attack, my dummies! Attack, my soldiers!"


    Thus, the little brothers undid their bowing and rushed at me. With cries of war and tilted heads, they really were going at it. I had a hard time due to my poisoning and a fight just broke out, so I struggled to get down to it, but I entered the improvised battle. Deeply inhaling, I totally forgot my pain¡ªthanks to the Resistance to Poison skill, I think¡ªand readied myself.


    Icked at least another twenty hours of sleep to be renewed and ridden the poisoning. I was in no condition to fight, but what could I do? After General Big Bro sent his dummies¡ªno, soldiers to the front line, he darted back. Following his orders, the two soldiers rushed at me. My attention was drawn to the tiniest of them. "Hyah!" He was the one who cried a lot. His fists were clenched as they would help against the big, tough middle-aged man I was.


    When he reached me, I just smacked his head down. He fell with a cough and stayed down there. What was that boy even doing? Was it all, really? With a hand, I quickly went down and picked the boy up by his neck. General Big Bro cursed to himself. Lifting him up like a bag of food, I cocked my head to the side. Another boy attacked, he came at my legs. When he tried to grab at them, I just nonchntly kicked him to the side¡ªthe smarting pain in my head suddenly acted up, and the boy somehow managed to hold onto my legs. This time, the general nodded at his soldier''spetence. I stumbled to the ground with a grunt. The pain increased and got me momentarily out¡­ "Good job, dummies!" When I opened back my eyes, Big Bro was on top of me, a dagger in his hands, and pierced my heart.


    Well. Noment about that. In less than a second, I felt drained of energy. My vision darkened and I was just¡­ off. I wasn''t worried. Or was I? What would happen from now on? You guessed it, another notification rang out, and you know the drill: The Receptacle was deemed defective. In order to ''ensure survival'', for who knows what reason, I was tasked with finding a new Receptacle. Surprise, a new Receptacle was found already. The Dwelling State positive effect was issued.


    "B-Big Bro! The Sleeping Dagger don''t make an effect yet! He''s still grabbin'' at Tiny Bro strong¡­! What''ll we do!? What''ll happen to us!? The Sleeping Dagger don''t just send, uh, them, uh, to, uh, sleep, right!? It kills them!"


    "Sh-Shut up! ''Course it ain''t sending ''em to sleep... it kills the bastards! I lied! We''re hungry! That''s enough reason! C-Come here, now, my lil'' brother. You won''t run your mouth, capiche?! Can''t have the guards know ''bout that!"


    "W-Won''t¡­Hic¡­Won''t never¡­Sob¡­ I won''t never!"


    "Good. Now¡­ you homeless freak. You! Fucking! Let! Go! Shit. What''s with the guy? Hey! Can ya hear me?! Shit. Argh, c''mon! Fucking! Let! Go! Of Tiny Bro!"


    "B-Big Bro¡­! Tiny Gob''s choking to death! The, uh, guy won''t let go!"


    "W-W-W-W-W-Wait! Shut up! Look! W-What''s that!? What''s this thing!"


    "B-Big Bro¡­ there''s a mon-mon-monster¡­!"


    After a pause, they truly panicked. "D-Did ya take his things?!"


    Going from there, their half-whispering voices grew fainter and fainter. They subconsciously stepped away from the monster.


    "N-No!"


    "You check him! Any pocket! Have any bag on ''im? I-I said you check him!"


    "No!"


    "You check him!"


    "Th-There''s a monster! No! I''m scared! You''re scared too, Big Bro! You made us¡­ do¡­ We killed... What''ll happen to us!? Tiny Bro is dead! Haaah!"


    "W-Where''re you runnin'' off to!? Sh-Shit!"


    They both ran away.

 Chapter 17 Taste

    [Dwelling]. I knew about that skill already. I was familiar with its functioning. It was a splendid ability. The way the skill all worked still was quite extraordinary to me, however. Or let''s rather say remarkable. Remarkable and curious. Right. So much so that, if I didn''t already have a good understanding of my own might and power¡ªI woulde to fully grasp the utterly grand effect of my techniques now. I knew the facts, already.


    I was an odd creature. I was different and worked in a dramatically different way than other creatures and people. But hey, how odd and different could I¡ªthe same stupid unique monster who didn''t know better but spawn in a human settlement¡ªactually be? What would follow would let me have a little taste of just how peculiar I was.


    People all had abilities,petences, and techniques. Skills, basically. Different ways and methods to attack an enemy. Though skills weren''t the only principle you had to know to be a master mana-wielder, the mastering ofpetences and their uses amounted to a lot by itself. People had such abilities. They either came naturally or they had to get down to it and learn them.


    At present, the skills I''d be dealing with were of the first category: my skills, in particr, came naturally to me. No master had taught said skills to me. In a way, mypetences were mine and only mine. That''s why a bunch of them werebeled ''unique''. These unique skills, though I would onlye to learn more about them in the future (at the present moment, who was I to teach myself anything?), I still had them at hand, and hence, got to use them.


    [Dwelling], then. Let''s not even mention the other abilities¡ªGrand Devourer, Advanced Evolving, Copying, Jelly-like Shapelessness, Resistant Body, etc.¡ªI was granted with my life. For the present moment, and things were totally out of my control, the Dwelling passive, and the power it allowed me to wield, was a sufficientlyplex enough skill. So, anyway, how odd and different could I, the unique monster, actually be? Well, to answer that, let''s simply say that as soon as I got myself involved with the dark back alley, I was in for a fun ride.


    After the two brothers ran off on their own, leaving their Tiny Bro brother behind, taking over the boy''s body, and making a Receptacle of it, wasn''t so difficult a task. It was actually no trouble at all, if I may say. I just had to perform the usual deal: Take off of the no-longer-usable Receptacle. Then find another suitable one. And then climb into the new Receptacle''s skin, slipping inside as casually as possible.


    The boy who''d just been abandoned had also been knocked out, by now. Those were my unusual abilities, and before I created what the System called my ''Character'', I''d have to live like this, apparently. Jump from one Receptacle to the other. To both ''ensure survival'', as the System would have it, and ''proceed with the Quest''. Anyway, with three little steps, I had my new Receptacle, with which I''d go and¡ª No. For the night, my ns with trouble still weren''t all over and done.


    Before the monster''s shapeless body of water could climb in the new Receptacle, a dog came rushing my way. It leaped off the dark out of nowhere. The dark back alley was just like that. From deeper across the ocean of dark the somber alley contained, trouble was brought forth, again and again. The trouble of the present moment was what seemed to be a mad dog, which had heard themotion of earlier.


    Leaping at me, growling and snarling, the shapeless body of water¡ªand the System¡ªconfused the dog for a Receptacle. Oh, did I confuse the dog for a Receptacle, or could it qualify as one too, rather? To my senses, a stray and potentially dangerous dog had just appeared. To the wild dog''s senses, a fresh, helpless lump of meat had just swung by. So, at any rate, before the mad dog could do anything drastic to the fine bag of human meat I left behind, a notification from the System rang out.


    It simply said a new Receptacle had been found. So, leaving aside the human boy perfectly knocked out and unconscious, my somewhat human-like-shaped body of water swiftly climbed into the dog''s skin. And that was a done deal. I had obtained the new Receptacle I needed. I was all good and cool. Except: no. First off, I became a beast for real, now, and secondly, right away, the System issued another notification to me.


    It read ''A humanoid (non-demi-human) Receptacle is needed to proceed with the Quest. The yer has to find a humanoid Receptacle before proceeding.'' So, even though I could just barely understand the System''s curt speech, I knew my current Receptacle only was trouble, too. The Receptacle I''d snatched was unfit.


    Leaping backward with a bolt, the wild dog bounced off the prized bag of meat. The dog was clearly startled. What''s more, uponnding, for some reason, it had a hard time even standing. Its four legs trembled awkwardly, and the dog cocked its head to the side. With a gruff groan, the stray dog barked in surprise.


    What the heck happened to me, I thought, only realizing now what the current Receptacle was. I had a wagging tail, four legs, fluffy ears, a muzzle, warm fur, and a confused dog look on my face. Some sort of german shepherd? Crap, I had a hard time even standing up. My two¡ªno, four legs trembled, struggling to let me stand. I wasn''t used to that body at all, but with a bit of effort, it came naturally to me and I was habile. Once I was fully aware of my situation, I groaned and let out a dog sigh. "Whaaa¡­ haaas¡­ happen''d?"


    Woah¡ª Freaky.


    With a husky, dull voice, I could barely get words together properly, but I nheless could talk. In front of me, through a dog''s eyes¡ªI blinked twice¡ªI saw a ck-haired swordsman, lying t on his stomach, looking like he was having the best dream of his life, and right beside that swordsman was a meager young child, lying on his nk, totally unconscious.


    "Aaar¡­you¡­ooo¡­kay?" Man, that toneless, slow dull voice of a dog would definitely creep people out. Where would I go from now? Right off the bat¡ªthat was what I was waiting for¡ªI obtained two skills in spite of myself. Some Enhanced ir Passive Skill, the System said. Was that because I subconsciously came to put my muzzle down in search of a way out? I couldn''t tell right away, and the System wouldn''t let me ponder on that matter. Right away, again, another notification rang out: I just learned the Resistance to Cold.


    Immediately, I was then informed, again by the System, that this ''Irritated Dog, level 3, Canine'' Receptacle was being overloaded by the yer''s magical energy. Being overloaded with magic basically meant I, the unique monster, couldn''t be contained within such a weak Receptacle, but I would only learn about thatter. I was too powerful for the Dwelling skill to be entirely effective, in that case. Put it simply, you could imagine a little water tank¡ªI could be poured inside of the container, but then inevitably spill out of it.


    That was basically what happened¡­ but it wasn''t important anyway. All in all, because the Receptacle was too weak, it only meant death. In a second, the Irritated Dog mob''s envelope was burned to the ground, engulfed in bright, white mes¡ªand that was it. I was finished. Or more like the Receptacle was. Though crazy all of that might have been, I decided to stay nonchnt about it. As a matter of fact, was it all that crazy? I didn''t think so.


    And the show wasn''t over yet. From the sky, then, by chance, a white owl dived down into the dark alley, snatching up a rat from the street. The unusual monster, me, wouldn''t let the asion pass and climbed into the owl''s skin. The System had detected another Receptacle, after all. Wasn''t that what I needed to get? At any rate, even while I couldn''t tell why I did that, my instincts only yelled at me to ''Seize the new Receptacle.''


    Again, however, the same two notifications were issued: The Receptacle was unfit because it was no humanoid body, which meant the System couldn''t proceed with the Quest. Also, the current Receptacle was far too weak to contain the yer''s power. But anyway, the owl had already flown out in the sky, diving up into the dark canopy of stars above, with a rat in its ws. Above the closest roof, right next to the back alley, the owl decided it wouldnd and¡ª Before long, I, the flying owl, screeched in panic with enormous eyes, peering all around me as I fell with my whole body paralyzed. You know the drill¡ªthe Receptacle was unfit and overloaded in mana. That''s why it would now burn and be engulfed in white mes.


    A second passed and I hit the ground head-on. A light Thud was emitted. The System notified me that I failed to learn the skill ''Wings (Owl)''. That was unfortunate. And I was still too busy thinking about the heck how it was that I became an owl to pay any attention to the notifications. Before I burned to a crisp, and I felt the pain, by the way, I obtained two skills: Resistance to Pain +1 and Night Vision.


    Tonight was a crazy night in a crazy town. On the roof Inded on, with my owl body paralyzed and unusable, a cat must have overheard the littlemotion. From between shadows, a ck, sneaky cat was produced. It was first wary of what happened, but after it asserted no danger roamed about, it quickly skipped to the owl and found the rat I¡ªor rather, the owl had just secured. And so the cat leaped at the rat when I leaped at the cat. Another Receptacle.


    Standing on four legs wasn''t soborious a task, then. I had mastered the art with the dog. And still, when I opened my cat eyes and felt the cornered rat beneath my paw, I cocked my head to the side and meowed in interrogation.


    My cat tail irritatedly and jerkily waved from side to side. Annoyed, I hissed.


    Turning a suspicious eye to my surroundings, I decided to bounce off at once. Seizing the living rat between my cat''s jaws and teeth, the cat swiftly got back into the shadows it came from. Once I was well-hidden, however, the shadows I took refuge in all promptly vanished. White burning mes engulfed me and brightly lit up the dark rooftop. Soon, the System acknowledged even the rat as a Receptacle. From the cat, I failed to learn manypetences. The reason was that I already learned Night Vision before, so rather than learn a newpetence, the two different skills werebined as only one Night Vision Passive Skill. Also, the active skill Intimidating Hissing (Cat) was not learned as I already acquired some Intimidation skill. Of newpetences, I learned w and Sharp Ear.


    But who had time to stop and think of that? The next thing I knew, I became a rat and crawled my way into some hole I found, on top of the same roof. There, squeaking, sweating, and chuckling as it all started to amuse me, the rat was engulfed in white mes again¡ªI inherited some Resistance to Ailment skill. That Receptacle was a rat from the filthiest back alley, so naturally, it showed through the skill I just obtained.


    As I crawled into the whole anyway, I waspletely wrapped in a mess of spider webs. The hole had apparently been inhabited by some giant, hairy spiders of sorts. Catching up on the little fe''s presence, I leaped forward deeper into the hole and secured myself yet another funky Receptacle. Producing cobwebs, I learned Knit Neat Cobweb and scrambled further down the drainage pipe I just entered. The hole went down and down from the rooftop, directly back into the dark back alley.


    It was then that I understood how versatile my [Dwelling] Passive Skill could be. Drooling at how many different techniques I could get in the future, I rejoiced and let out some happy-spider-noises. Tonight had been like living a bizarre dream. And, for better or worse, just like everyone had to wake up, every dream had to end. For now, I was just a rookie at living a good life. In the future, I hoped I''d be a pro at it. And see how, under tonight''s starry sky, I had made ample use of the Dwelling skill so versatilely?


    With more control over my powers, there was no telling what the skill''s full potential was. What wonders I could pull out with this ability, not to mention all the other Unique Skills I had.


    I had only little control over the skill, at the present moment, after all. And with that in mind, after the current Receptacle ''Rooftop Giant Poisonous Spider, level 4, Arachnid'' was fully overloaded and burned to a crisp, I, the unique monster, was back in the dark back alley and got back to the matter at hand. There was an unconscious boy lying next to a swordsman. The swordsman seemed to be strangling the boy in his sleep. Approaching the two humans, I slipped under the boy''s skin. That Receptacle was the one I initially nned to capture, and it wasn''t so unfit, thankfully. In a second, I''de to.

 Chapter 18 To Starve

    I woke up starving to death. My eyes were shut, but I was slowlying back to my senses. Two sturdy hands were locked on my throat. They were tight on it. I could feel them going all around my cor. Slowly and painfully, I opened my eyes, letting out a childish moan. I was hurting all over. This time, I wasn''t poisoned. I just starved immensely.


    Getting fully aware of what happened, I inwardly cursed. If only I could just¡­ not have to ''ensure survival''. Jumping from Receptacles to Receptacles would start to annoy me before long, I thought. And all of it is due to the fact that the System made it mandatory on me, the yer, to, for the present time, always have a humanoid Receptacle on hand. Why, because ''dwelling'' within such a (humanoid) Receptacle was apparently one of the conditions I had to fulfill for the Game to go on¡ªwhatever that was.


    What I could tell you was that, thankfully, in less than a week, I wouldn''t have to be doing that anymore. Jumping from one Receptacle to the next, I mean. That had to do with a certain ''Character''s Creation'' quest the System mentioned¡­ but that story was for another time.


    For the time being, what was important was that I just woke up as a certain Tiny Bro human boy. My forehead was bleeding a little, I remember I had to headbutt Tiny Bro when I subdued him. I coughed twice.


    In front of me, seemingly lying down with me like a father gently wrapping his arms around his son while sleeping, was a middle-aged swordsman with dark hair. His eyes were shut too. Mine were shut seconds ago, but his would never open anytime soon.


    I wasn''t a son sleeping soundly with his father anyway. Getting the swordsman''s hands off my throat, I stood up to a sitting position. "Argh," I groaned, "my stomach''s on fire." The more I was woken up, the fiercer the sensation grew. The pain, I mean. For how long had that body been starving? There was no way to know.


    After a few minutes, I could tell it had been at least a week. Wrapping my arms around my meager stomach, I clutched it and wished for food. Without me knowing it, tears even gathered in the corners of my eyes and dropped down my hollow cheeks. Life sure could be difficult with me. Bending over to the ground, I prayed for it to stop, go away, and never bother me again, but it only served to increase the pain I felt all over my feeble legs and arms.


    With trembling limbs, I managed to get myself up barely. ncing at the ck swordsman, I shook my head. Back when I ''dwelled'' in that guy, I had no idea how big he was. With this tiny body, I can see how massive the guy was. But anyway, was that important? I was famished, and I needed a way out of this. I didn''tin. Not yet. With a problem on my hands, my life had at least a little meaning to it.


    "Yeah. I need to nourish that up. And quickly," I nodded to myself. Otherwise, how else was I supposed to live, hm? Could the way I lived up till now be called ''living'', however? Was it anyone else''s routine? I didn''t mention it, but I was lost. It kind of frustrated me, at times. I know I usually was quick to be angry, but as I was starving right now, my frustration reached even higher heights.


    But let''s not think about my misery. Abiding by my motto: Let''s just go on with the flow. Whatever direction I was taking didn''t matter. There were just facts and I''d go along with them. The facts, at present, urged me to go and eat something.


    To devour something rather. A whole cow would do. And real food this time. Not anything else. Not grass. Not leaves. Not dirt. I didn''t even enjoy the taste of it anyway. On top of that, was it nourishing even a little? Hardly from what I recall. My former stomach could testify to that.


    "So I must eat."


    The sun dawned in the East. It was still pretty much nighttime. And I was starving. No need to worry, though. "I know where to find food," I stated, heavily trudging on out the back alley. The first steps were the most difficult. That famished body of mine was on the verge of copsing, but I forced it on. Strengthening myself with mana, I found it was easier to move. Magical energy was a thing I didn''tck, thankfully.


    It was quite hard to see in this darkness, too. Mana would have my problem fixed again, however. Mana Perception sure came in handy.


    Walking was tiring. The first steps were the mostborious ones, but I quickly grew used to my condition. My oh-so-poor condition. I spent ten minutes trudging along the darkness of dawn, and I arrived at themercial street. My old friend would surely¡­ give me food? "Crap. It''s dark. Didn''t he say ''not before noon'' or something?" God, that realization came hard on me. There were barely a few people out there, working onying out their stalls and stuff.


    Having observed that, like a mechanical robot, I lifelessly turned backward. And once again, I disappeared in the dark of this somber alley. I was looking forward to seeing, smelling, touching, and tasting my good old cup of noodles. Hah, and that''s funny enough.


    As if making the mistake ofing here before the first lights weren''t enough, I also made the mistake of realizing one sad thing. If I was no longer that friendly owner''s favorite adventurer of the Guild, would he still feed me? Failing to recognize that, I still looked forward to eating some of Yum Yum Starry Spicy Magical Noodles. For now, my motto was still on. Let''s just go on with the flow.


    Go on with the flow? What other options to quench this insupportable sense of starving? I was back to my alley and my swordsman. "Here Ie, then, lil'' babies." Standing ready, I readied myself for the hunt. A rat responded to my call. Squeaking, it ran past me in a sh. In my furry, I jumped at it and¡­ no. I didn''t jump at it, my legs wouldn''t take me up. All I did was grunt, bit my tongue, then pass out. I had no vigor at all.


    When I woke up, who knows how many hours after, I was still in so much pain, but I lifted myself up on instinct. At once, I took off and headed to the friendly owner. After I got out of the back alley, the position of the sun told me it was past noon. Phew. I was d. Though I still was in a terrible condition to walk, I fought on, up till I reached the food stand.


    You better not fail me, old man! I thought. After a few minutes that felt like hours, atst, I arrived back at the same ce I ate so well the day before. What was more, I could see him. The same old man, very stout and bald, a cheery smile on his face, a huge beard hanging at his neck, with that same old white hachimaki headband wrapped up around his bald, shiny head. It was him, my savior. Promptly, I was presented in front of him. "You!" As he didn''t have a client for the moment, he ceased all activity and turned to me, pointing a jerky finger at me. "You daree back!" His hearty smile was gone, and he looked at me with exasperation.


    "Ha-ha-ha¡­ Yup. Me again, old pal." I chuckled awkwardly, scratching my forehead. "Old man¡­ B-Brighten up, why don''t you¡­ Where''s your smile at¡ª"


    A strong hand was ced on my shoulder, yanking me back. "Ow!" I turned backward, or rather was turned backward, and a young man red daggers at me. "You again, huh?"


    "Do we¡­ know each other¡­? Let go."


    "I wish we didn''t. Father, you know, he takes pity on you. Where are the other thugs? Your filthy brothers, eh? He fed you before¡­ But how do you thank him? How did you thank us? You have some nerveing back here." With the same hands with which he grabbed my shoulders, he drove me away further to the sidewalk.


    We caught too many eyes, but now we were okay. And the young man in his twenties questioned me more. He asked me where were the others. He also said we never did a thing without us three. He talked to me about how they, merchants, in these times of difficulties and wars, struggled to put food on the table. How wrong was what my brothers and I did. And despite all of this, he exined his old man''s weak heart drove him easily to tears and that because of that¡ª "Say no more, young man."


    "What!? ''Young man''!? Show some respect!"

 Chapter 19 I Just Wanna Go Home

    "Say no more, young man."


    "What!? ''Young man''!? Show some respect!"


    "I get it. He must have¡­ Well, I must havemitted crimes¡­ in the past. To you and, uh, I¡­ Well, yeah, there you have it. Now let me go."


    "I''m talking to you here! Is that how you reply?!"


    "Look now. You''re not my enemy. Just piss off."


    "W-What the¡ª What the actual fuck!? You''ll show some respect¡ªUgh!"


    Brushing the guy''s arms off, I punched him in the stomach and ran away. Honestly, I didn''t know what I was expecting. What should I do now? Touch grass? No, eat it? Or leaves? Dirt, even? Maybe I should wait for the stupid older brothers who abandoned that little guy back in the dark? Maybe my Bro-Ther-Thieves team woulde back for me, the Tiny Bro guy. No, they thought I had died.


    I ran away to the back alley, not thinking of any better ce to go. There, Iy on the ground, still hoping someone woulde for me. I dozed off trying to forget the pain. An hourter, I woke up and sneezed. And like a mechanical lifeless robot, I mustered enough strength to get on my legs, then set off to who knew where. I didn''t think of any destination, I just thought I''d go.


    ? The new Passive Skill [Pain Resistance] has been acquired. ?


    Oh, so that''s why I felt it more faintly.


    ? The yer has reached level 41! ?


    d to still be going.


    Without really knowing why, maybe because I was used to strolling anywhere in that wide and lively street, I was back in themercial alley. For a reason I knew about, then, I was headed to the East. Leaving aside my miserable starvation, I was now thirsty, too. To the Easty the closest river. Hence why I went that way. Themercial alley though? I could have just avoided that big street. If anything, walking down that path was more of torture than anything. There were so many kinds of different tasty foods and ingredients around¡ª


    Suddenly, my hand went on its own and snatched a fresh apple from the stalls I walked past at present.


    "Hey, you!" I had no indications of what to do now. But then again, my body went into the running-for-dear-life mode on its own. I didn''t spare a single nce at anything around me. I just hugged my apple tightly, tilted my head forward, and dashed away. My footsteps echoed behind me, I sensed stirring from the stall I stole from. People ran after me. ''Times of difficulties and wars.'' That''s what the young man said. Maybe they''d catch me? Worrying about tomorrow''s problems, I neglected today''s own. My footsteps failed me, I fell crashing to the ground. A smarting sensation of pain came from my left cheek, shoulder, and nk.


    Everyone around turned to look at the thief boy who had just fallen. Resentment swelled up inside me. I gritted my teeth in fury. I managed to hold back my tears of frustration.


    Soon, someone caught up to me. "Think I wasn''t watching you! Brat! Have the decency to ask at least!" As tight as I held it, my fresh apple still rolled off my arms, and down to the angry fat merchant. Leaning in, he picked up his goods, then stomped on my hand. "You keep your filthy hands to yourself, next time, humph! You little¡ª"


    And then, she spoke up for me. "You should stop. I believe the kid''s understood."


    The fat merchantined. The kid didn''t understand, he said. He was in fact right. I didn''t understand any of it. That''s too bad I had no sword on me and no vigor left. But the ma''am who stepped up in my defense shook her head, insisting the kid had understood. Even if I didn''t understand my lesson anyway, the way he treated me wouldn''t resolve anything.


    "He has¡­ absolutely not! Time and time again he''s been caught stealing¡ª"


    "Despite all that, please, back away, Sir Merchant."


    And that''s how I was saved. That''s how I met her, and that''s how I would always remember her. That kind ma''am¡ªshe was the best. Though I have to say, earlier in life, I was taught by a swordsman that ''Might makes right.'' If you were strong, you just did as you pleased. If you were weak, you just suffered under the mighty. Hence why I agreed more with Sir Merchant than the kind ma''am. Still, I was d I was saved.


    When her eyes met mine, she gave me a bedazzling smile. That smile alone was enough to give a healthy reddish color back to my paleplexion. I felt the warmth of her kindness washing all over me and meekly smiled back to the lovely madam.


    I was still on the ground, but she helped me up. She grabbed my hand and didn''t let go of it. She didn''t address me so much as a word, most likely because her smile was weing enough. And just like that, she started to walk. Timidly, I followed behind her, her warm hand covering mine. To be honest, I didn''t quite understand what was happening. I mean, what was the point of her doing that? Being so overwhelmed by her kindness, however, I just followed her lead.


    Following her, I went from stall to stall. Eaching after the other. I did, or rather, we did that for quite a long time. Seeing she didn''t address me any words first, I didn''t ask any questions. She seemed to make supplies of ingredients of all sorts. She bought some kinds of food, but she was mostly after seasonings. At some point, she did let go of my hand, patting my head gently. She was carrying more and more ingredients by the minute. As if it were totally natural, she also started to hand over some ingredients to me. I could help her with the carrying, so I was d. As she didn''t impose them on me, I didn''t refuse them. With each item she handed over to me, she first gave me the kind of look who asks whether I could still carry more, and each time, I confidently nodded at her, with determined eyes.


    Half an hour passed, and our itinerary reached its end. She stopped by yet another selling stand, but the ce where the owner should be was free of any people. Shall we try and steal some food from that reckless person''s ce? Certainly not. The idea didn''t cross my mind. After all, it was obvious the stand was hers. Arriving there, she put all she had of bags on the elevated counter, she turned to me and knelt. "Will you give me those?" she asked gently. Not before I extended the bags to her and nodded did she hold her hands and take her goods.


    Taking it all on her, she brought it to her counter with the rest of her goods. Quickly, she turned yet another time to me. We faced each other, and now, she would talk. "See, today, kiddo, we worked," she started to exin, yfully showing off her arm muscles. "It was painful, boring, tiring, and everything¡­ Can you tell?"


    I nodded.


    "Right. It was really hard and tedious, aren''t I correct? Yet, you kept at it and actually helped me out with all those items you see over there. Without you, kiddo, I couldn''t have done it all by myself! Thanks for the help. Yes. Today, we worked. We earned our resting time. And you stuck to helping me without running away like a thief, or giving up like a loser. And¡­ seriously, look at you. I can feel pain just by looking at that frail figure of yours. You had all those painfully heavy things to carry, and it was hard, yet you chose to be honest, a good and honest boy, and didn''t steal nor harm me. I mean, you could have. Right? Or maybe not since my arms are so big~ Heh-heh¡­ But still, you were a great boy. I''m, and it isn''t only me, proud of you. I know you''re hungry," she took something out of her pocket and gently ced it on top of my head. "Being hungry is tough. But hey, you worked with me, honestly at that, so you earned your share. Your fair share. Aren''t I correct? In life, kiddo, everything has a price. Right now, you just earned it, the price. So smile away."


    Was she educating me? I thanked her for it. I epted her food¡ªno, my food, as she said I earned it and began gnawing it. I thanked her for it, really. Still, however, the fact remained.


    "Say, ma''am?"


    "Hmm? Yes?"


    "Where is the monsters'' home, ma''am? I''m tired of all of this. I want to get back home, ma''am."


    Hearing what I just said, her eyes teared up. I was guessing she was thinking of how sad it was that the boy in front of her, the boy that was so young, even came to call himself a monster. But she was mistaken. I really was a monster.

 Chapter 20 Kindness

    Working?


    I worked. Itsted for the whole afternoon. No more than five hours. So much so that, right now, the sun even started to settle down. The woman who offered me her protection and kindness, after she had helped me, offered me a job. And at the end of that job, I''d get to eat and drink. This was to be my ie for the day, she said. And thus I did work under her conduct.


    She was kind. And actually, I even got to eat before starting the real job. She said I needed strength in order to work. After I ate well and replenished my strength, she said this wasn''t enough yet, and she called the healers for me. They called it "illness and lingering symptoms of malnutrition for a prolonged period of time"¡ªI called it a bunch of Negative Status Effects acting up together. Or the System did, rather. So I was cured, healed, and nourished. This made me happy, and I started to jump around happily. The kind ma''am had as much reliability as she had kindness. Seeing me jumping around like a fool around her, she stopped me and urged me to keep my strength to work, now. Because we would get started.


    I obeyed. We had our stand to attend to, our customers to satisfy, and a livelihood to assure. So we sold things. Or more like, she sold things, and I helped her the best I could. Greens, vegetables, flour, wheat, numerous kinds of bread, and some other things I did not inquire about. There were all of these. All goods that we had to sell. Customers woulde to us in order to buy, and we would serve them in exchange for money. The kind ma''am was behind the counter dealing with the clients, and I was in the background, handling things she needed me to, or simply putting some orders and cleaning up as she ordered. We worked as a team. "You''re capable enough, kiddo. Be proud of yourself." The kind ma''am cheered me up a lot. Before long, our working time was over. Now the sun was settling down.


    It was getting dark outside.


    The monsters'' home. What was the monsters'' home? And where was it? It was my home, mine, and it most likely was outside of the Sville Vige, in the forests, where monsters were lurking in the dark. Anyone''s home was where anyone should be. That''s what the kind middle-ageddy taught me.


    I should be at my ce¡­ but I''m not. Right now, I''m not. Rather, I''m at an inn. A huge, hearty, pleasant inn. The Frontgate Inn. Rather than on the inside of it, I was out, resting my back on the outer wall of the ce. The front porch was empty, all the customers were inside. Only I was here, my eyes glued to the big gates in front of me.


    "So¡­ will you open yourself already¡­ or what?" I mumbled, waiting patiently. It had been five minutes since I got here. And no, the big, thick wooden gates wouldn''t dare open. But just as my mentor said about working patiently, ''Being patient is a quality, a virtue.''


    ? So patiently, I waited some more. Those were the vige''s gates. They led to the outside. My eyes squinted as I examined them. They were connected to high ramparts that protected the people of the vige from their enemies. In front of the gate were standing two guards. Each one of them by either side of it. They were on duty.


    I now saw that waiting idly wouldn''t get me anywhere. If the guards were to open the gates, well, they''d have done it by now. So I jumped up and walked up to them. I looked at one of them, he looked at me. I wondered what I should tell him so that he opened the door for me. But rapidly, he crouched down and waved for me to approach. With quick steps, I was in front of him. He took his helmet off, ced it by himself on the ground, and stuffed his hand in his pockets¡­ "Ta-dah~" he produced a candy for me. "I only have this one. Promise." Standing back up, he shooed me away.


    "Open the big doors for me." I wasn''t just some kid, please.


    "Uh? Didn''t you just want some candy?"


    "What? Why?"


    The guard''s colleague spoke and said I''m not from the other usual group of kids. "Oh. Other brats always want candies so¡­ All right then, what do you want, kid? Wanna y at fighting with me?"


    I said I just wanted the doors to open. I wanted to go out¡ªno, I needed to.


    "Well then, I''m afraid not."


    "Why? I need to."


    "Why do you think we''re on duty thiste at night, eh?"


    I shook my head. "Why?"


    "What? Damn, that''s one amusing fe we got there." "Yup, you said it." "Hey, little man, you don''t y with the other kids? Not from town? I mean, the other kids, don''t they keep talking about it? Word is, a monster''s lurking in town. Yes little man, as we speak the monster lurks. That''s why the gates''re closed for now. Only big shots get to go in and out as they please. Wanted to y outside? You can''t. It''ll soon be pitch-dark anyway. Just go home. You''ll try again tomorrow. Or well, maybe not¡­ I guess we still got to catch the monster first. Well anyway, there you have it." And he shooed me away. "Don''t be too scared~ You''re safe with us!"


    If they didn''t recognize me, they were the ones who shouldn''t be scared. Going away, I went back to that inn. The kind ma''am''s inn. It rested right by the front gate of the vige in order to wee neers. I was a neer too, so I went to the door and was weed in.


    What I didn''t know was that I wouldn''t leave this inn alive.


    The door creaked so loudly the people inside were alerted by my presence. "Wee, wee! Come on in¡ª Oh, so you came back, after all, kiddo!" My eyes widened in surprise as the door opened to an unknown world. I had never seen this. Walking past that door, the change in atmosphere was so abrupt. Outside, at night, it was cold and quiet. Inside of here, however, man it was full of life. A crowded ce.


    Laughter and shouting rang out within the enclosure of these four walls. Afraid to disturb the quiet people on the outside, I hurried myself in and mmed the door closed. An inn, huh? Surely, this was the most animated and lively ce I had ever seen. Then again, I only was a-day-old for now, so maybe it was normal.


    The kind ma''am called to me with a happy tone. She asked what brought me here. Did I just happen to have a change of mind? She was going about serving the customers. I wondered whether she stopped working even one hour a day at least. What an avid worker, I thought. That''smendable. In both her hands, she held giant tes. Within these giant tes were scattered plenty of delightful dishes, full of different kinds of food. In the ruckus of that ce, "Owner, owner!" some hands were raised here and there, while she scurried all over the ce, making sure no one was forgotten. She was quite the skillfuldy. And an avid worker with a lot of work to do. Still carrying around all her dishes, she managed to spare herself some time and threw another nce at me. Calling for her daughter, she handed her over all her gear.


    "What can you be daydreaming about that''d make you this detached, eh, kiddo?" she said, pinching my nose. Startled, I came back to reality.


    "Yes, ma''am. This, uh, business-rted stuff I had to take care of, that I talked to you about, well, I can''t do it for now. That''s why I came back¡­ as per your instructions, ma''am." I couldn''t get out of this ce for now. The monsters'' home had to wait.


    So did I want to help her with her work again? "Is it really okay if I trouble you with my care, though, ma''am?" I needn''t mention it, she said. As she also said, just by looking around us I could see all of the work she had, in abundance, which meant I wouldn''t just be taken care of if I decided to stay with her, but rather take care of myself. Honestly with the bad guys, at that. She said this ce was even denser in workpared to the ce at the marketce. I could only agree with her. It couldn''t evenpare, to be honest.

 Chapter 21 Hatred

    So did I want to help her with her work again? "Is it really okay if I trouble you with my care, though, ma''am?" I needn''t mention it, she said. As she also said, just by looking around us I could see all of the work she had, in abundance, which meant I wouldn''t just be taken care of if I decided to stay with her, but rather take care of myself. Honestly, at that. She said this ce was even denser in workpared to the ce at the marketce. I could only agree with her. It couldn''t evenpare, to be honest.


    "Thank you. Really. You''re kind to me."


    "Awfully mature, for a child! And, no," she smiled. "I''m the one thanking you. Come on in, now. Make yourselffortable."


    This inn was so huge and crowded it almost reminded me of my ce of birth. The restaurant. In both ces, wooden tables and people were scattered all around. In the restaurant though, it''d been quieter, neat, and organized. In her inn, things weren''t nearly as structured. This ce was more vivid and vigorous, to say the least. I kind of liked it.


    After having exchanged these brief words with her, the kind ma''am guided me to a lone table, in one corner of the tavern. Huh? I thought. What''s she doing? Indicating me to wait up a bit, she scurried away and went back to me. Before I even waited, she brought me enticing and alluring dishes.


    "Wait¡ª"


    She urged me to eat first. It was fine. I''d only start to work tomorrow. Or was she to throw an apron at me and demand I start to work right this instant when there are already so many customers to serve? To be quite honest, she said I''d only be a bother if I started without proper training. "What''s more¡­ I shall only ept a strong working force here," she patted my head. "So you grow strong first. You got one night. Ha-ha-ha."


    After she insisted so much, and as her words made much sense, I was just a "good boy," as the woman put it, and epted her kindness. Again. Conveniently, I just chowed the food down. And time went by.


    After a while, a beautifuldy joined me at my table. One of the kind ma''am''s daughters. She only took some time to talk to me and make friends as she wanted to put it because there wasn''t so much work at present. It was really gettingte now. Customers were scarcer.


    "So what''s your name again?"


    "Kiddo."


    "I mean your real name, you ding-dong."


    Between two Munchs, I replied. "It''s¡ªIt is Kiddo. Your mother calls me that. Which means it has to be."


    "Fufufu. Aren''t you a funny little guy, you."


    A name, huh? A name was something you were called with. Hers was Eunelle for example. And mine¡­ was probably Kiddo. Perhaps.


    "Eunelle."


    "Mmm, yes?"


    "I don''t have a name," I told her. I only ever called people by their distinct traits. Like her mother, for instance, she wasn''t whatever she called her, she was Kind Ma''am. The same went for her, she wasn''t Eunelle, she was Food Lady. Having exined to her that much, she burst outughing at my calling her a fooddy, not really knowing how she should feel about her nickname. "Oh, so those are nicknames, I understand."


    "Yes, nicknames. Your nickname would be Kiddo, ording to your own logic. Right, Kiddo? Fu-fu. And, eh, Kind Ma''am, huh. You''re correct. Mom is kind." From our chatting about names or nicknames, the conversation became one of business. We talked about work. And my job, too. She spoke of many things. First off, she was d I epted their offer. Also, she filled me in a little about things I''d be doing tomorrow. And after a while, we¡ªor she alone, for she almost managed to get a conversation going all by herself, began to ask me more personal questions again. She was quite the charmingdy, so I enjoyed my time with her. Somehow though, she talked too much. Her appraisal of me was that I was a quirky an eerily mature kid full of creativity, she said, adding "with a bright future" and a thumbs-up.


    "Now it gets me wondering!"


    "What does the fooddy want, now?"


    "H-Hey! That''s mean. I was just curious about¡­ what would a little guy like you, no older than¡ª Oh! I can''t believe I didn''t ask! What''s your age, little one?" Tired of saying I didn''t know, as I was in fact one-day-old, I thought of an age for myself and gave it to her. I was eleven. "What''s a kid your age, no older than eleven, yes, going to do outside the vige past sundown?"


    I said I wanted to go and see monsters. That wasn''t a lie, and I figured such amenting from a kid wouldn''t get me in prison for being found out as a monster or anything. "Phew~ Aren''t you the bold type, now~ It''s okay to be afraid, though. You didn''t go out after all. The monsters are too scary even for a big fooddy like me, you see."


    I shook my head and said no.


    "No? What is it then?"


    "The monster, Eunelle, why is everyone this eager to¡­ capture it and kill it, in the end?"


    "Isn''t that because the monster''s a big viin?"


    I put both my fork and knife down. I kind of wanted to ask what if it didn''t want to be a viin, but I couldn''t bring myself to ask that question. Part of me believed everyone was a bit of a viin, and that was only natural. It was inherent to life and being an individual. If you''re not a viin, then you''re a liar.


    "You Eunelle, and Kind Ma''am too, oh, and your younger sister¡ªif it were only you guys, would you still want to capture it and kill it, the monster?"


    "Of course we would! What''d you think? Because we''re women, we''d let ''it'' go away? No thank you. I''ll show you one day," she theatrically held her fists to me, and mimicked a master ofbat, "how I''ll fight the ''monster''!"


    To herment, my fist was clenched, my eyes dropped down, and I frowned. "Th-That makes sense¡­ But still¡­ why?"


    "What''s that? Mumbling to yourself like this. I can''t hear you."


    "Ha-ha," I smiled a smile that didn''t reach my eyes, "it''s nothing."


    "Then I shall get going."


    "Okay."


    As the girl stood up and went away, I was alone with my thoughts. Am I the only one being selfish when I say I want to live¡­? I''m certainly not. People are selfish. Everyone is. It''s kind of like the viin thing. If you''re not selfish, then you''re a liar. The simple attribute of being an individual, in that sense, forces people to be selfish. But the monkeys who attack me do notprehend. That''s why they''re so intent on making me disappear, fighting their crusade against me. I want to live. I want to survive. And yes, I''m being selfish. Yes, I''m being a viin. But at least, I''m not a hypocrite.


    Frustrated at Eunelle''s words, some tears gathered in the corner of my eyes. Those were only crocodile tears, however. So don''t pity me. In any case, when I asked the fooddy about what if the monster didn''t want to be a viin, that didn''t really apply to me. I was fully satisfied to be what I was.


    But anyway! This ce surprisingly started to be full of life again. And me? I was full of life, too. I ate a lot. So now, I was done here. With strength, I lifted my body up, "Aaah! Full of energy!" I stretched my body. And only after I cleaned up all the dishes I left at my table, obviously because I ain''t a dirty boy, I would move upstairs. Eunelle told me I''d have a room up there, so that''s where I''d sleep. I sure went a long way, by the way.

 Chapter 22 Evolution

    But anyway! This ce surprisingly started to be full of life again. And me? I was full of life, too. I ate a lot. So now, I was done here. With strength, I lifted my body up, "Aaah! Full of energy!" I stretched my body. And only after I cleaned up all the dishes I left at my table, obviously because I ain''t a dirty boy, I would move upstairs. Eunelle told me I''d have a room up there, so that''s where I''d sleep. I sure went a long way, by the way. From that crappy dark street to a real room with a real bed and furniture. Passing by the counter of the tavern, I asked the tinier sister for directions to my room. In her hurry due to the uing customers, she gave me the number of a room which was the wrong number.


    For my second time climbing stairs, I had to go up. Super-skillfully and brilliantly, I managed not to fall even once. So I arrived upstairs and searched for the right room. So that''s where I''ll sleep, huh, I thought. The same old creaking door sound weed me when I pushed open the door. "I allow myself in, then," I said, entering the dark dorm, and closing the door behind me.


    Today had been a long day. My eyelids were heavy. I was super tired. And it was super dark in here. Walking in, I totally forgot about the invention called ''bed'' made by humans, just walked up to some corner of my room¡ªor rather, the room that wasn''t mine, made myself into a ball like a sleeping cat, and instantly slumbered.


    My tattered soul quickly sank down to the realm of sleepiness. Managing to doze off instantly like that? That wasn''t just a surprising phenomenon. My sleep was heavy and dense. And it was all due to the System.


    .


    .


    .


    At some time during my sleep: Ring! ? The yer has met the requirements to process an Evolution. Requirements have all been met. Evolution Procedure has been issued by the System. ?


    ? Evolution Process: Pending¡­ ?


    The system analyzed my status. The three conditions had been met, the System concluded. I was past level 40, I was having the Positive Effect ''State of Sleep'', which I guess only meant I was sleeping, and my mana supplies were all right.


    ? Evolution Process: Authorized. ?


    After some time, still during my time of drowsiness, onest Ring rang out. I received the Positive Effect ''Evolving'', and then¡­ ? Evolution Process: 1%pleted. ?


    ? Evolution Process: 2%pleted. ?


    ? ¡ª 3%pleted. ?


    Soon, the three percent became five. Five became fifteen. And going like this, the fifteen became a hundred.


    ? Evolution Process: 100%pleted. ?


    Ring!


    ? The yer has sessfully evolved from ''Unssified'' to ''Demonic Unssified''. ?


    ? The new Title ''Evolver'' has been obtained. ?


    .


    .


    .


    All of what happened during that night happened in spite of myself. I never knew I was to be evolving. That''s why I couldn''t prepare for it and guard myself from the natural after effects I would suffer from, at least. Because yes, there were consequences to evolving. A monster, or races of demi-humans, after they reach a certain point in their growth, undergoes the process of evolution. The process of breaking the person''s limits off, in order to be reborn in a stronger, more fitting body. The undergoing of evolution was pretty rare. Not just any monster, especially low-level monsters that usually can''t evolve at all, can be allowed to undergo such a change. I''d learn about thatter on in life, but it usually takes up to at least years of growing before an individual, be he monster, or demi-human, can evolve. A goblin evolved as a hobgoblin. It was this kind of thing. To put it simply, evolving was meant to adapt your body to your strength. Human races never evolve at all. They simply can''t, as meeting the requirement for evolving means that you utterly broke your limits so you had to have to build up other ''limits'' for yourself and for your growth to continue. Theoretically, a human can evolve, but as they''re already pretty evolved creatures, it doesn''t make sense for them to require new limits. And in the same way that a goblin which evolves is no longer a goblin, a human who evolves would therefore no longer be human too.


    In only a day I qualified for Evolving. I''m sure I was different. I grew at a tremendously quick pace. And for that reason, the life I''d been able to obtain would just be consumed by fire.


    Due to my sessful evolution, my body adapted to my power. The problem was, that my Receptacle wouldn''t take the change in powers like it was nothing. That boy''s body was no longer able to contain me. And as the System made it obligatory on me to always go around having a Receptacle, for now, since I still hadn''t created my Character (and who could y a Game without a Character?), I would be needing another Receptacle right away.


    In the cold of the night, I started to be profusely sweating. My body ached all over. I wriggled in pain in my sleep, my face twisted in agony. A burning sensation overtook me. Huge beads of sweat didn''t refrain from soaking mepletely. Even if it was only in my sleep, for now, I could feel it.


    I could swear I felt like burning in zing mes. Surprise: I really was burning away.


    ? Huge overload of the yer''s mana in the current Receptacle''s mana core. The current Receptacle is deemed defective. ?


    No shit it was. The pain woke me conscious. Grunting, I didn''t even bother wondering what the heck was with me at the moment. Too much happened. I just took it as a normal event¡­ but the pain was too intense to ignore.


    I hastily straightened my upper body from the lonely corner of the dark room, not knowing what else to do. Perhaps I just had to move for the pain to go away? No, I was still burning from within.


    Again. The yer needed to find a new Receptacle in order to ensure survival¡­ as well as proceed with the Game. It was the first time the System mentioned a ''Game''. I wasn''t heeding the info, however. I was too busy doing some¡ª? Dwelling Procedure: Activated. ?


    Right at this moment, I didn''t feel pain anymore. I still could move: I jolted up,nded on my feet, and sped up to the presence I sensed, neatly tucked in the bed of my room. Remember I was directed to the wrong room, right? In a blink, I dashed there, disappearing and reappearing right next to ''her''. She was scared, and I was a monster. A burning one. That''s her fragrance I picked up. Jumping up, Inded on the bed, right on top of the girl. From under me, she was staring at me with fearful, trembling eyes. Her eyes were wider than any, herplexion so pale she might have been dead, and she slowly, oh so slowly shook her head. Tears gathered in her eyes, and blinking, she sent the gleaming beads of water down. Did that girl happen to be the most divine maiden fairy the world ever bore?


    "So...rry¡­!" In front of that sight, I couldn''t help but ask for forgiveness. "I... can''t¡­ control it¡­!" Gritting my teeth until they creaked, I tried to mumble some more words of apology, but couldn''t gather any. What was more, my instincts urged me to just ''seize it''. Seize my prey. Seize her. I needed it. I needed her.


    Trembling under me, she was like one little lostmb. Her slender arms and legs tried to get herself off my hold, but it was a vain effort. When she resigned herself, understanding I wouldn''t let go, she closed her eyes solemnly. And I was totally captivated by her sight. She was just like the moon, and in fact, as I was now used to the dim light of the room, I noticed only her head shone brightly under the moon. Her long eyshes batted down, and she prayed for a quick death.


    By a miracle, I wasn''t under the System''s spell anymore. It onlysted for seconds, but I ceased looking like a monster and more resembled a boy. "I''m sorry," I said it clearly, this time. "I just have to do it." My voice was carried to her pointy ears, and they twitched. Surprisingly enough, by this point, her fearful lookspletely vanished. It was just as if a veil of sadness had been lifted up from her tiny beautiful fairy''s face. And so, most likely by a miracle, too, she shook her head again, a resigned, still somewhat self-effacing smile forming on her lips. "It''s fine," she murmured, "it''s fine¡­"


    I realized she had the most beautiful face I had ever seen. She said it was fine as if it was really okay. That girl had the most beautiful face that I would also ever see. Not keen on the idea of torturing her any longer, I nodded at her, "It''s fine... because you''re weak¡­"


    Smiling yet another strange smile that contained as much sorrow as happiness, she said it again¡ª


    My nose brushed hers. We looked deeply into each other''s eyes.


    "It''s fine."

 Chapter 23 Elven Princess

    Her name was Cetha and she was an elf.


    .


    .


    .


    Father. Mother. It only can exist in the past, now. A true kingdom. It was a true kingdom. Our people were delighted and vigorous. Our Forest was just and fair. Our families were safe and sound. But now, there is just me, and everything¡ªtruly everything, Father, Mother¡ªwent wrong. There can only be me, your crying and pathetic helpless daughter, without any help or hope.


    It is all in the past now. All beyond mending, behind us all, locked away from us. For it matters not how strong one''s will can be, in the final analysis, if one doesn''t have the power to go along with will, one doesn''t possess anything.


    The righteous person can be stomped under the foot of the evil one. It would never matter how one wishes for anything. If they do not have power and might, they are to be lorded over by their own vulnerability. Or rather, inadequacy. At any rate, even the just righteousness you, Father and Mother, have instilled in me, I do not have. I am weak and beyond help. But that isn''t all. I must also deserve it. If only I had strength¡­


    What is more, observing the righteous beyond help, and the evil force disparaging against allws, not even a soul would dare utter so much as a word of discontentment. Not even in their own head would theyin about it. I have seen it with my eyes. People truly are beyond help. My people are, at the very least. They are weak, just like their princess, and beyond help. If only the weak wished to help themselves.


    Father. Such a way of behaving totally contradicts your words and teachings. But work, as well as suffering,bor, and effort¡ªall of what brings people to sess and true happiness¡ªis indeed almost always rejected by the people of helplessness. Father, my King. Your daughter cannot help but scorn her people. For that sin, I must apologize. Now that you and Mother are gone, who will ept my apology?


    Our people, Father, and that includes me, are weak, lost without your guidance and reign. Without your capability and strength. And I can swear an oath to it by our Sacred Tree! I wish I could do something, anything really, to help fix our problem, anything! And restore our glory. But I can''t! I can''t pull something like this! Had I been granted the power, I surely would. What can one lone, weak feeble girl like me do on her own? I am no warrior! That''s correct. I am only weak and can''t assure my own protection. Father, Mother, I wished you were there, and I can''t stop my tears.


    Now, the weak, pathetic helpless princess you left behind can do is follow ''them'' as they forcefully drag me around to every little remote vige or establishment in order to ''stall for some time''. Stall some time before what? Your daughter can''t even know what. Before the inevitable urs, most probably.


    I have never experienced any fights. Nor any kind of struggle at all. That is the reason for my own weakness. Trapped in another empty, dark room. I don''t speak to anyone. Orders are just given to me, and I follow them. This inn is the fifth. Will there be a sixth? Or will the True Demon Lord, that scum, have his way before? Will I be saved?


    For all this, Father, I me you and I me my people. Overprotecting me has only served to precipitate our own fall. And my people¡ªno, they aren''t ''my'' people and responsibility anymore¡ªthe people, why are they so weak-willed? Where is the clear path of dignity that you, the King, have shown us? Did they not heed their King? Really now! It falls upon one''s own soul to help themselves in times of hardship. But they do not. After you passed away, Father, every matter of the Kingdom went downhill. But I am to be med too. The Demon Lords allied, and now our kingdom is no more. And now, are they to defile me? Because God forbid, if that were to happen, they would earn the Sacred Tree''s Benediction? To aplish what evil do they need that! The idea scares me¡ªit shatters me.


    Even when I am fully aware you aren''t here, listening to your poor daughter, as I moan andin alone, in the dark, with no apparent end in sight¡ªthe only idea of speaking to you eases at least my heart of one huge load of sorrow and pitifulness. I have lost everything. It''s hard on me. I want to be strong. I do want to be! How will I bring myself to that station, however?! How am I to stop the tears from flowing? Indubitably, I alone am not to stop them. I just long for my parents'' presence and love. If only things hadn''t turned out like this. I want my wish to be fulfilled. I want to be saved. But I''m a coward. And unworthy!


    It didn''t matter how hard I wished for help, nobody came. Not a soul. Spending the rest of my night crying myself to sleep, I may have dozed off and forgotten at times.


    ¡ªW-What is that?!


    But in the night, something came and ended mymentation. Would I be saved?


    I was startled. Who was that? A shadow gets on top of me. No way, have the demons alreadye to me? Rather than help, wasn''t I to die then and there? Was I going to be hurt? Did that shadow want me to suffer, too? Father, Mother!


    My heartbeat increased ridiculously, and my thoughts only begged for help.


    Someone, help. I beg of you. Just help me. I''m in this inn in that room in that bed. Just send some help! Whoever that is, please, help me. I just¡­ Do not let that person hurt me. Do not let them immobilize me, and pin me down on my bed.


    Shutting my eyes tight, I frowned. I was scared. Nothing ever changed, in these times. I was still suffering. The shadow on top of me brought their face closer to mine. I could distinguish the features of a young boy. So young. Like me. Probably younger than me. What was more, this boy''s eyes, weren''t they like mine too? Aren''t they crying for help too? Doesn''t he need a savior, too? Or maybe will he be my savior! But what of all this was of any importance? I needed to calm myself and stabilize my thoughts. Pull myself together, in some sense. My world was just going to disappear¡ªthe boy told me he was sorry. Clearly, he was in so much pain. I was scared, but thinking he at least helped himself, unlike me, I managed to grow calmer and calmer. Somehow, I couldn''t help but smile. It was eerie, I felt happy. Hey, maybe would my wishe true? He brought his face closer to mine, I looked deeply into his eyes, I told him it was fine, and I meant it.


    Suddenly, I was plunged into darkness. But I was still here.


    .


    .


    .


    ? Name: Skill ?


    ? Race: Demonic Unssified(?) ?


    ? Title: Unique Monster, Fratricide, Evolver?


    ? Level: 41 ?


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 365/1450 ?


    ? MP: 370/400 ?


    ? Vit. 82 ?


    ? Strength 82 ?


    ? ? Agility 82 ?


    ? Intelligence 82 ?


    ? Sense 82 ?


    ? Fatigue: 39 ?


    ? Unique Skills: [Mana''s Benediction] [Dwelling] [Grand Devourer] [Evolve] ?


    ? Passive Skills: [Jelly-like Shapelessness] [Resistant Body] [Consciousness] [Mana Perception] [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7] [Resistance to Poison +3] [Resistance to Pain +1] [Resistance to Cold] [Enhanced ir] [Night Vision] [Resistance to Ailment] [Sharp Ear] ?


    ? Active Skills: <Copying> <Quick Pace> <Intimidation> <Chain Attack> <w> <Knit Cobweb> ?

 Chapter 24 New Receptacle

    I needed a new Receptacle. Now I had it. Feeling an oppressing mass on my whole body, I woke up. I tried to get rid of the overwhelming load I had on top of me, pinning me down. Rashly straightening my upper body was no solution, the mass was too heavy. Still, I had to move. So getting myself out of here wasn''t an option. If I couldn''t push it from beneath it, I''d just sweep it aside.


    Moaning and wiggling with great effort the best I could under that pressure, I could work my way out of this. And finally, "Haaah!" I could breathe and get myself a lungful of fresh air just fine. And the mass pressuring me, when I saw it¡ª "Ah? Was that supposed to be the former Receptacle? Tiny Bro, if I recall correctly?"


    It was true I remembered just sort of leaving it here after using the Dwelling skill on that elven girl.


    ? The yer has sessfully evolved to the race ''Demonic Unssified''. ?


    The corpse was a hell of a heavy load, to be quite honest. I was more thinking about some huge boulder falling off a cliff thatnded right on my chest, pinning me down effortlessly. Seeing Tiny Bro, all burned and dead, in front of me was a surprise. What struck me as an even bigger surprise was about the time. Coming from the window of my room, the sun wasing up, already. "Ah!? And howe it''s morning already?! I need to hurry down¡­! But first¡­ Gimme a break. Why do I have to deal with all of this?"


    ''Hurry down,'' I said. Hurry downstairs to what? To where? To work? To the kind ma''am? Evidently, I needed some time to think things through now that my life was yet again disrupted by totally uncalled-for events.


    ? First Quest: Character''s Creation is avable. You have met the requirements. ''Evolver'' Condition has been met. ''Demonic Race'' has been met. ?


    The System, it kind of was my guide, went on: The yer, it said, has met the requirements for the first quest to be obtained, therefore, it will be obtained. It was apulsory quest. I had to do it. What was a quest again, however? Was it like with adventurers? And the Guild? Man, let that robotic voice just shut up for once.


    No, it didn''t shut up.


    The quest was called Character''s Creation, and like any quest, it had a little detail about it. ? In order to start and participate in the Game, the yer first has to create his Character. Due to the yer''s nature as a non-humanoid race of being¡ªthe System here stated that, despite the precedent Cute Jellyfish name of a race I had on my first day, the System was now unable to properly estimate or quantify my race, and therefore just went with Demonic Unssified. I was just too unique a monster¡ªDue to the yer''s nature as a non-humanoid race of being, the yer first has to be granted a humanoid form. ? And said humanoid form was what was referred to as Character. ? Follow the Instructions toplete the quest. ?


    "I told you to shut up for now," I waved off the blue AR disys of writings and let them disappear. I had to do some breathing exercises now. Maybe. Deeply inhaling, I exhaled slowly. I repeated that twice. "It''s all good, isn''t it?" I reasoned. "I''ve just changed bodies. There''ll be consequences to that, but nothing too drastic. Maybe I can stir things back to where they were headed. Yeah, sure I can."


    Though, the consequences, I didn''t ask for them. So I just wished to say NO right now. Yes, full caps. NO. And that kind of no is one hell of a refusal if you want my opinion. Despite all this¡­ I''m cool. I truly am. Just am an elf, now. Oh, and a female at that. Crap. I have breasts. They''re rather tiny, the girl is t, but they''re here. That''s interesting. I liked being a male better, though. I want to be a boy again. Guess I''ll just have to switch Receptaclester on. Or wait, if I do create my "Character," as the System says, I won''t even need a Receptacle anymore, will I? When I''ll get to create my Character, by the way, will I be able to choose that kind of detail? Breasts, I mean. If it''s creating, then I suppose so.


    "Humph. Whatever." Lying back down on my bed, I sighed. That only served to demotivate me more. Inwardly cursing, I came back up to a sitting position. Okay, I thought, I have a lot of things to deal with right now, so let''s just get down to work, and I''ll see what happens next. First things first, there was a dead person on my bed. I shouldn''t just leave it here, should I? To be fair though, it didn''t look one bit like a corpse. I mean, sure, it had a human form to it, but well, it was so burned and ck that it didn''t resemble the real thing much. If anything, that may be a statue of art. Shall I sell it? Bring it to themercial alley, and see it off in exchange for some money? And maybe with the money, I can pay off the guards so that they open the gates for me. With that, I''d be gone, and I would finally get to go home, where people would ept and like me. No. That can''t go for sale.


    Touching it with hesitant fingers, I asserted it really had been burned to a crisp. And I mean, was that supposed to be the consequence of being overloaded in mana and energy? Man, I hope that never happens again. The pretty girl I''m in, at present, I wouldn''t want to turn her¡­ into charcoal. And by definition anyway, this Receptacle girl should be rather tough, if she could qualify as a Receptacle. At any rate, I''m happy I left that burned thing.


    Hopping off the bed, I stood up. That body sure felt different. It was lighter and better. Having stood up, I considered my options. I needed to get that thing out of my room. Though it hadn''t been my room in the first ce, now it definitely was. There was a window. It wasn''t toorge, but¡­ Squinting my eyes at the corpse I had on my hands, I nodded. Tiptoeing at the window, I managed to get a glimpse of what kind of street it opened to.


    I asserted it would be safe just tossing it there. Maybe. Needless to say, I wasn''t thinking things through in a proper way at all. Still, I tasked myself with dealing with my own problems, unlike that elven girl who refused to even fight me and tried to move it out. Try as I might, however, I couldn''t get the thing up off the ground at all. Jeez. The n had already failed. That exercise left my shoulders heaving for breath.


    Wiping the sweat off my forehead, I sat back on the bed and thought some more again. "Just go on with the flow, man. Who cares if it''s still in the room? What if it''s in the room, but in the bed, too, hmm? It''ll be safe and hidden. Yeah. Let''s just do that." Even shoving it under the bed was a painful exercise to pull. I knew it was a stupid idea to just leave it here, but I reckoned that "stupid" was often times a synonym for fun. With that kind of stupid, fun logic, I got rid of a burden easily.


    Now, the other problem I had to deal with: The System. The Guide. The annoying metallic voice. The blue writings. The AR disys. The thing nobody else seemed to have. What did it want with me?


    Once again now, I''d call in the terrific power of my newly obtained skill ''I Deal With Problems Like a Genius'' that not even the System knew of. Thanks to the skill, I dealt with problems: "Do your, uh¡­ do your thing, System!"


    What was it spouting nonsense about? I wanted to know. But in order for me to know, I needed some more interactions with the thing. Asking it to do its ''thing'' didn''t do anything, however. Persuaded I still had to have some control over it, as it wouldn''t make sense for it to be mine otherwise, my eyes turned to a slit, and I thought up as many words to call onto it as possible. I tried lots of different wordbinations in order to make it appear.


    System-chan,e and rescue me!


    That didn''t do it.


    Mr. System, please, would you be so kind as to show me the way?


    Neither did that.


    Just¡­ notify me, goddamn it! And that was just the same. I said a lot, up till I found a keyword that worked on it. To the word "Quest," it responded.


    ...Ring!

 Chapter 25 Quest

    To the word "Quest," it responded.


    Ring! ? ''Character''s Creation'' Compulsory Quest ¡ª Details: The yer has to create his Character. Let the yer be headed to the Forest of Benelloan, the Ancient Elven Kingdom that just has fallen, and meet with the Forest''s Sisters, the Dryads. They will surely help the yer in the undertaking of creating his Character. Only then will the Game start. ?


    I nodded, barely understanding a thing. I mean, it was just as usual. I understood the words, all put together to form sentences, but what was the context behind it all?


    ? ''Character''s Creation'' ¡ª Head to the Forest of Benelloan. 0/1 ?


    And is that it? Suddenly, I jumped out of the bed, stood up, and frowned in interrogation. "Huh!?" The System notified me then. The ''Guiding Fragrance'', it said, was the way to the quests. Always. And I smelled something. My nose definitely picked an odor. Or maybe it didn''t, I don''t know¡­ but it was there, and I could sense where to go.


    Sniffing all around myself like a crazy doggo, I let it guide me.


    And soon, I went up to a corner of the room. "Is it¡­ this way?" That was pretty neat. I hadn''t expected anything of the sort. Well, if I had ''that'', even though I couldn''t noclip through walls, I could have broader directions. So long as the Guide directs me to some ce, then, I can pretty much go anywhere. Even though, should I do as the System tells me? I don''t see a reason to. I''m good here. I know I''m strong, so I won''t die, and that means I have the right to live. And what''s more, I have the kind ma''am for food and daily needs.


    Sure, after a week or so of doing just as the kind ma''am told me to do, I would certainly grow bored of staying here, in such a tiny vige, always with her. I didn''t think about that, though. Myck ofmonsense and experience made me think that way.


    I went back to my bed and sat on it. Maybe it was the way, though. That System. Why do I have it with me anyway? I gathered not anyone has it¡­ so maybe I should listen to it. Heh, and if anything, maybe I am the System and the System is me. Well. Lapsing into thought, I dared ask for more information from the silent System.


    My hands rested on my thighs. I clutched my knees anxiously. "System. Quest. More info. What''s that about a humanoid form in the first ce? I mean, tell me something, whatever, but something. How... a ''Character''?"


    A notification reached my ears. And then the Guide talked. God, it went on for a long period of time. But damn, I was served. In the end, I wouldn''t really know what to do with said information. To put it in a few words, it spoke of Nobility. The concept of nobility. It said that I, the yer, had met the requirements for being a Noble Creature. Upon obtaining enough of both intellectual and physical power, a Regr Monster was acknowledged by the World¡ªby the mana, by the rule, by the universe, put it however you please¡ªand was granted the title of Noble Being. That brought said Regr Monster on equal terms with the Humans Races. Both human and demi-human, actually. When acknowledged as a Noble Being, or also known as a Unique Being¡ªhumans and all people with personalities, that kind of stuff, were all unique in some sense¡ªa monster is granted a human, thus noble form. It was the way of Evolution, it said. Things and people alike are in constant evolution. And Nobility was synonymous with Intelligence. Intelligence, or rather, intelligent people were the wielders of tools. Of swords, pickaxes, knives, hammers¡­ of mes, shields, and everything. They were the maniptors of their own tools, of their own intelligence, and that was what differentiate the human races from the rest. It made sense, a lot of sense. The yer, myself, had obtained both the Power and Sentience necessary, and as such, the yer was to obtain a Nobility. Such was about the Character the System spoke of.


    To put it briefly, basically, it meant as a unique monster, I evolved a lot. Therefore, I would obtain my human form. Apparently, every stronger being like I does obtain that thing called ''Nobility''. Be it dragons or whatever. It could be the case with any regr monster that became unique. Dragons were bigger, and they had a human form. Goblins would be another example, but different. They were frail, tiny, non-intelligent, and barely human-shaped¡­ but slowly, they could go on to being one of the strongest King Orc warlords.


    I was a unique monster who had obtained the Consciousness passive skill. And, even though I didn''t have a stronger foe topare to, I also knew I was pretty strong. With a sword, that is. Hence why the System talked about all of that. Pretty damn cool, right?


    Standing up at once, I spoke to myself. "A quest? Maybe I should do it. And this fragrance is showing me the way. When I thought of following the quest I just received, I could sense it. When I did not, I could no longer. Right. Hmm¡­ Though all of that is pretty, System, but I don''t think I can get out for now. So¡­ System, Guide, or whatever is your name, let''s just call it a day for now. I also got a job here. Even though there are still some technical problems, I''m sure I can still be up to the job. Maybe. I won''t call it wishful thinking, because the kind ma''am is the kindest. If I work hard," my fist clenched, "maybe¡­ yeaaah."


    Today was my third sun. My third day. And today, I was going to work. Except I wasn''t going to. A group of elves waited for me downstairs, but I had no idea. Closing both the window and the door behind me, I went out. My steps were light on the ground. The descending stairs greeted me with a new challenge as I went down. After the stairs, the main hall opened itself to me. There were rtively fewer people than yesterday. That made sense, we were still in the very early morning. Only a few customers who spent their nights here were sitting around tables, with their soup and bread.


    My fists were clenched. Closing my eyes, I took calming breaths. What if the kind ma''am didn''t want me now? Biting my lips, my fists were clenched harder as they slightly trembled. The kind ma''am just arrived in the hall and slipped behind her counter, where she took care of work. Forcing myself onward, my timid feet brought me up to her. With pleading eyes, I looked up at her face. I was relieved that she was just as usual. A bright smile was hanging on her lips. She eyed me, asking me what might be the matter. Coming to a stop the closest I could in front of her, my dry lips parted. "I-I will work!"


    "Littledy? Working? Yes, yes. Working is good. Oh, do you maybe want to do the same work as myself in the future?"


    "Absolutely! I will work! The same work. And eat good food. Because it''s my wage. Plus, I''d like to survive too!"


    "Mm-hm. I understand. Times are hard, aren''t they? Here, you can have this bread and cheese."


    "H-Huh!? But¡ª"


    "I''m sure you will work hard, littledy. But first, you eat up and build some strength. You''re still young. So don''t you precipitate yourself. Okay? You''re a good girl. Your caretakers are just by their table around there¡­ Hm? Oh my, gentlemen, good morning. Well, they''re just here," she smiled.


    "We''re sorry," an elf said, pushing his sses back. "Has she been bothering you?" Two firm hands were gripping my shoulders from behind. Looking up, I saw an unknown elf man in his thirties. He looked down at me, with a suspicious look, but when I eyed him, he instantly avoided my nce, with a look of tant unease on his face. He nodded twice at the kind ma''am when she said I hadn''t bothered her at all. There were two elves, and the one who was holding my shoulders heavily snorted at that. He clicked his tongue, gave me a furious look, and made to leave the inn. He murmured some things about his "Goddamn weakling of a princess tries to run away now, huh?"

 Chapter 26 Other Elves

    "Goddamn weakling of a princess tries to run away now, huh?"


    Not knowing what the heck I was to do, I just let myself be guided out of the inn. I might have been clueless about much of everything¡­ but I wasn''t clueless about ''that'' situation. Going out, I snatched a knife and hid it in my sleeve. Once we were out, the elf by my shoulders patted my head despite the heavy atmosphere pressing down on us and chatted idly.


    How was I? Did I sleep well? Seeing we left right now, I didn''t have any food at the inn, but there was food in the carriage, so was it all right to just eat that? He spoke in a kind voice. Leaving all his questions unanswered, I let myself be guided further away. Next to the inn, there was a ce for horses and carriages. Some sort of a barn. We went there. And all of a sudden, I grew furious. With sharp and jerky movements, I brushed his hand off my head, stepped away from the elf, and I didn''t have control of things anymore.


    I retreated to an empty corner of the barn and red daggers at the elf. "You¡­! I know this doesn''t look like it¡­ but¡­!"


    "Princess? Tell me. What is it, all of a sudden?" the elf seemed genuinely worried.


    "Argh! I dunno what to say! You won''t believe a word! Just leave me alone! Or else¡­!" My teeth cracked so much when I ground them. A vein pulsed on my forehead. Those people were just as good as enemies. I''d pick a fight if I had to. If this Receptacle was as strong and sturdy as I thought, I would definitely be able to make use of mana. "No! You stay where you''re at! Don''te near me!"


    "B-But¡­ Princess¡­ What''s the ruckus for? I''m confused. Have you¡­ Please, don''t make a scene. We''ll talk inside the carriage. On the road. Okay? Come now."


    "I said no!"


    "L-Let''s just talk this through¡­ okay? We can''t misunderstand each other, so let''s speak of this calmly. We will work something out. Please?"


    "Humph!" the other elf heavily snorted again. He coldly red at me too, now that I looked his way. A wrinkle creased the space between my brows. The knife I hid in my sleeve trembled in rage with my hand.


    "I just¡ª"


    "Tsk, tsk!" the other elf clicked his tongue. His face was hideous despite having refined features. That was maybe because he looked like a total asshole. So the most hideous face I''d ever seen shook his head at the other soothing elf, who had an expression simr to that of Kind Ma''am. "I didn''t say anything up till now. But now it''s too much! You really don''t know crap, colleague," he blurted. "The brat keeps spitting on us like we''re shit. You say follow through, she says no. You say it''s for your own good, she says no. She doesn''t listen. Aren''t you sick of that, eh, colleague?!"


    "You. You remain calm. And don''t address me so casually." When he addressed that other elf, his expression was totally different. He was cold and distant. Pissed off, too. "And, for thest goddamn time, show some fuckin¡ª" he sighed before he continued, "show some respect to the Princess."


    "Teh! What''s it with you¡ª"


    "Just speak," he said after he exined to the hideous elf whatever he had to say had better be a productive remark.


    "What''s with the attitude, goddamn it?" the hideous elf snarled. "I''ll show you how to handle thess. That whimsical little¡­ tsk! You don''t know how to handle her, colleague. I said it before, I''ll say it now¡ªshe only has value as a ve now. You know it¡ª"


    "Silence! Be silent, you scum."


    "Argh!" the hideous elf groaned, clearly annoyed. "You self-righteous¡­ tsk."


    "Hey! The two of you!" They turned to me. I said I was nobody''s princess. I was a male, too. As I was nobody''s princess, I asked them to leave me the hell alone. I warned them saying I''d pick a fight if I had to.


    My words only served to anger the hideous elf more. "See!? That''s what I''m talkin'' about! She spits on us!" The two elves gradually were working their way up to me. "Goddamn brat. She should be grateful we''re not¡­ sending her off right away!"


    "I said you fall silent!"


    Continuing arguing like this, the two of them walked up to me. I was cornered in the barn. The nearer they were to me, the more damage I could inflict on them. I still gripped my knife, after all. In the confusion of their argument¡ªor no, that could even be called a mutiny, the hideous elf made some remark about such an angryplexion being unfit for a royal princess of my rank. Plus it wasn''t girly. The kinder elf only red angrily at his colleague, now, who knows what kind of ideas shing through his mind, as he gritted his teeth fiercely. Suddenly, out of nowhere, as I was cornered even more tightly in the barn, I was addressed with some words. "You want it?" said the hideous elf.


    "Try me?"


    A p hit me. My eyes rounded in surprise. That sted off so quickly. They weren''t just any elves, were they? My face turned to the right with the p. The kinder elf now seethed in rage. His face was red, he didn''t care anymore about alerting other people, and yelled too. "I''m telling you not to be rash! You son of a¡ª! We gotta work together for the whole n to work! And you do that?!"


    I mean, sure, why not? Grinning, I let my kitchen knife slide down my sleeve, gripped it tight in my hand, and¡ª "Oh? Does it amuse you, princess¡ªAaugh!?" I drew a line at him. It shed through him, but only his hand was touched. Such a tinier version of a sword obviously wouldn''t be as efficient as the real deal. "M-My fingers¡­! My fucking fingers!" Two fingers fell to the ground. Thick waves of dark bluish mana were leaking off of me. For a second, I instilled terror into both of them. They both looked at me thinking of where the hell this ominous, monstrous aura was from. But as I right away felt a stinging sensation all over my body¡ªthe System quickly warned me of an overload of the current Receptacle''s mana core¡ªand I promptly stopped letting the true monster show through the facade.


    After a few seconds, as the pressure I emitted totally vanished, they both either forgot it or made it as though they saw nothing, clearly afraid of what that would imply.


    The kinder elf spoke first, seeing the fingers down. "You asked for it." I was shocked to hear the other elf pronounce these words. It made me hesitant to sh the knife at him next. I wasn''t finished with the hideous elf, though. And so I tried to sh another time at him¡ª The elf backed down with a bolt. "You nutjob of a princess! Goddamn it!" "Princess, it''s time to sleep." And the other elf jumped back, too, holding an opened scroll in his hands. Assaulting me with his stored spell, he prayed that it would work on me and that the pressure from seconds ago was but the figment of his imagination. Thest thing I remembered seeing was a shing light. Then I just fell unconscious in the kinder elf''s arms.

 Chapter 27 Away

    Wheels. Rolling again and again, on the mud of the ground, following the same path for a long time. And they never stopped. The wheels rolled and rolled again. Time and time again. They didn''t do so much as take any second of rest. They only kept rolling, dragging me further away from the new home I had epted, that of the kind ma''am, towards the home I initially longed for, the monsters'' home.


    On top of the wheels, there was a chariot. And it wasn''t just any chariot. No, it was their chariot. The elves'' chariot. Horses, chained onto it, were dragging it forward with their strong legs, without so much as a word ofint. And anyhow, I was here, rolling down the road alongside the creaky and bumpy carriage, as it repeatedly shook from left to right. The road wasn''t so smooth. That changed from any town''s many paths. Why? Because we were so far away already. And going still on the messy road filled with holes, the carriage pulled through. Time and time again. Without stopping once. Neither deviating nor straying from its path.


    Thus was I, in that carriage, going about my¡ªor rather, the elves'' path. However, I wasn''t aware of any of that. I was sleeping soundly. The stored spell I was attacked with sent me to sleep really fast, and the effect of the scroll seemed to besting quite a long time. It wouldn''t take so long before I finally woke up, however. But as long as the vast, green forest would continue to go on stretching to farther grounds, the chariot wouldn''t stop.


    Aside from the chirping birds and the creaking sounds emanating from the big old boxy chunk of wood, there were no sounds at all.


    Aside from that sound, maybe: Ring! ? Character''s Creation ¡ª Continue progressing within the Forest of Benelloan. 0/1 ? The zero was changed to a one. ? ¡ªof Benelloan. 1/1 ? And new instructions came up.


    ? Character''s Creation ¡ª ? Without so much as borate and exined instructions, I was now tasked to head to a certain old man''s house. It was in the woods. Surely, the System said, that old man would help me in my quest. ? ¡ª 0/1 ? Had I been woken up, I sure as hell would haveined about the evidentck of details, reasons, and mechanics of what the System called the Game¡ªbut I was still fast asleep, so who cares about that? I underestimated the elves, and so I had been knocked out.


    Inside our chariot, the room was too broad or tight. It could fit the two of them on one of the two rusty benches just fine. And there would also be enough room for a third seat in between them if they tried to make somece. The side they upied on the carriage gave on the horses. A window was carved by the hideous elf''s side. Or more like a hole, really. There wasn''t any ss keeping the icy air out. From that squared hole, a cold breeze did hence find its way in, reaching all its way up to me.


    Going on, in and out of the chariot, it brushed the elven princess'' fragile pale skin here and there, also sometimes climbing down and poking at my nose. It wasn''t especially freezing, but it still was quite cold to me. That wind was no good¡­ and yet, it was good. That wind made me sneeze. "Achoo!" And doing so, I came back to the world of the living. Not before I sneezed again a couple of times and not before a thin nket wasid on my cold body. At some point, finally waking up, I wrinkled my nose and rubbed it. "Achoo¡ª Achoo! ¡­Damn, it''s cold in here."


    It was at this moment I realized what ce I was in, and with what people. The benches. The carriage. The horses. The freaking elves. The forest of Benelloan. In what mess did I get myself involved in, this time? Frowning, as the thin ck fell off my shoulders, I got myself in a sitting position, sluggishly rubbing my eyes and yawning. If you guessed that I was pretty rxed, you would be at least half right.


    The kinder elf''s eyes met mine. A hesitant smile was put on his bright lips. He did try to utter words, I think, but probably thought not to, ultimately. His lips had parted, but with my re shot at him, he just dropped his gaze, sorrowful. At least his expression wasn''t that of his fellow. Next to him on their minute bench, the hideous elf sat opposite him. He didn''t bother to even spare me a nce and only snorted. Well, either way, his face always harbored the same hideous shades of bitterness and anger, so I didn''t mind not seeing his turd-like face. Huh? Looking at his hand, the fingers looked perfectly fine, though. Did healers do that? They must have managed to get the wound healed really fast if that was the case.


    The kinder elf''s gaze was brought up and directed at me. He still didn''t talk, though. "So?" I asked. "You don''t intend on talking at all, do you? Or are you afraid? Speak up your mind, kinder elf."


    "K-Kinder elf!?"


    "Don''t yell."


    "P-Princess¡­"


    "It''s true you must be as lost as I am. ...Aren''t you?" He said he was. That''s when I remembered something. Before we got into our little thugs'' fight, that elf was the one who kept telling me we could talk it all through, and resolve whatever problem it was that I had. Looking longingly out by the window, my mind dwelled for some second on the kind ma''am who most likely waited for me toe to help her and work at her tavern, with the cooking, serving, or whatever was required from me.


    It goes without saying that my new group of friends, that was me and the elves, wasn''t in Sville anymore. We left the vige. Which meant if I wanted to return, I''d have to go all the way back to it. What a pain. Then again, did I want to return? Where are we even supposed to be right anyway? I sighed inwardly. Regardless of where we were, I had more important matters to handle.


    "Kinder elf. And you too, hideous elf."


    "W-What''d you say, huuuh?!" "P-Princess¡­"


    "Shut it. And you too, stop just calling ''Princess this, Princess that'' ceaselessly. Giving me the creeps. Anyway, I have to talk to you guys."


    The hideous elf didn''t bother being angry for once. He turned to the kinder elf, and asked "What the fuck is that? She''s changed, ain''t she." "Don''t speak to me, scum. I''m sure it''s just the stress." As for what I just said to him, the kinder elf solemnly stated that the princess is right. He was sorry for it. He shall chase all the confusion that clouded his mind over away, and be the advisor his princess needs.


    When they both listened to me, I nodded at them. Clearing my throat, I began my speech. "So, ahem, it''s actually quite simple. ¡­But yeah, then again, I''ll admit it isn''t that¡­ simple¡­? Still though, it is quite simple." Nobody understood a word of what I just spat out. "To put it simply then, I''m not the person you take me for."


    "¡ªI never even once thought you were a weak, helpless princess, Princess!"


    "That''s not what I mean¡­ And, huh, what the hell? That isn''t cool for the princess."


    "I shall apologize, Princess¡ª"

 Chapter 28 Helpless

    "¡ªI never even once thought you were a weak, helpless princess, Princess!"


    "That''s not what I mean¡­ And, huh, what the hell? That isn''t cool for the princess."


    "I shall apologize, Princess¡ª"


    The hideous elf made ament. He pointed out he was always so stiff and stern, speaking of the kinder elf, but damn, he knew to make a fool of himself at times, too.


    "You just¡ª Quiet for now. Both of you. Listen. Me? I''m not your princess, whatever her name is. I don''t know her, and I don''t have anything¡ªand I mean that part: anything¡ªto do with her¡­ or her problems. Her friends too, also, her family, and whoever that''s rted to her. I have," I made a sweeping movement with my arms, "absolutely nothing at all to do with them. Which means I don''t belong with you people and¡ª"


    The kinder elf interrupted me and begged me to stop saying that. His heart could not take it. And they absolutely needed her, she was the onlyst hope they had, in order to save their people from an absolute genocide.


    "Okay, kinder elf, all right. But just shut it for now, and wait till I''m finished. Will you do that for your princess, eh?" He vigorously nodded, and I continued exining things. "I''m a monster. A unique monster. Some sort of a¡­ I don''t really know how to describe myself, but people referred to me as slime-like, or water elemental, or more like¡­ dense and living lump of¡­ well, that''splicated¡­ though I think ''solely water-based (environment-friendly) monster'' would cut it¡­ Argh, then again, do I really know myself¡­?" I couldn''t be a water elemental¡ªthey were more spiritual, like fairies, than physical being unlike me. I couldn''t be a slime either¡ªthese kinds of creatures were more bodily consistent and ball-shaped. Assuming my true form, I was just in, living, sentient water¡ªlife in its purest form, kind of. I probably was just a soul. With my hands, while speaking, I tried to illustrate what I meant, but who here understood me? I was struggling to even describe myself with words. "I-I mean¡­ I''m telling the truth, though¡­ Y-You there! The hideous elf! You''re notughing, are you?!"


    My eyes jumped from one of them to the other, trying to gauge their reaction¡­ but man I wasn''t getting anywhere. The kinder elf, looked intently at me with squinted eyes, with each of my words, that faithful servant of the elven princess nodded strongly, despite the fact that he didn''t understand any ideas I brought forward. As for the other ugly elf, he barely managed to contain hisughter.


    With even grander movements, I didn''t give in just yet and continued to exin the situation to the kinder elf. I looked desperate. Kind of like a mad person trying to convince people of the craziest absurdity ever. "Yes! I''m telling the truth! I know you''ll believe me, friendlier elf!" Calming myself down and sitting back on the bench, I ced my hands on my chest. I tried to exin in the clearest way possible.


    I was a unique monster. Some of my abilities allowed me to, sort of, take over people and steal their skills. As for now¡­ as we were still only the first days of my life, I was tasked by my¡­ System? I decided not to mention the System. That made my speech sketchy. I was told I needed to ensure survival and also continue the Game¡ªI silently cursed, thinking I shouldn''t have mentioned a game¡ªby simply never being Receptacle-less because I needed a Receptacle for now as I didn''t create a Character yet¡­ "And there you have it!"


    One of the elves burst outughing, clutching his stomach and pping his knees ceaselessly. The other elf looked me directly in the eyes and solemnly spoke. "Princess. I trust you will excuse my poor word-choosing skills and tactless phrasing, but¡­ what the hell are you talking about, if I may venture to inquire?"


    "The brat''s gone nuts for real!" The hideous elf guffawed loudly. Turning to his colleague, he tapped his shoulders unable to hold it anymore. "Oooh, c''mon! Why don''t youugh too for once, hey, kinder elf! Make a mistake and she''ll be calling you a stiff elf real soon!" He continuedughing hysterically. "Aaah! Holy smokes! My stomach hurts now. Haaah~"


    To beughed at by the likes of him hurt my pride even though I could understand where the mocking elf wasing from. Still, he was being so tantly and annoyingly staring at me, shaking his head at me, repeating the words ''Poor thing¡­'' ceaselessly.


    I said I understood. Sure, I did. It was fun. But still, it was the truth. That meant I had to go out. The kinder elf didn''t dare say a word. The hideous oneughed at me some more. And whenever I tried to push open the carriage door, the kinder elf listlessly ced a leg in front of me, blocking me from going away. I couldn''t go out, but many options were still avable to me. Back in town, I initially refused to ''talk it through'' with them because, I mean, wasn''t it kind of obvious things would turn like this, with me well into the crazy princess character? Obviously yes.


    But still, I had other options, because I was intent on getting the hell out of here. One thing I''d for sure not do is just let myself be dragged around by them without a n and future. What should I do, then? Fight them with my fists and hopefully go away? Not so much as it''d be too much of a hassle.


    I wasn''t sure I could handle them both. They might still have some kind of weird spells on them, or weapons, who knew. In addition to that, I wasn''t confident I could handle them both without using my full power. The time I tried and bared my fangs at them, I was stopped by the System right away. So I couldn''t do any real fighting without a weapon. What I could do though, was run away. Only that leg, there, prevented me from doing so. The kinder elf wouldn''t let me go out. And I was just in a maiden''s body with not so much strength, lest I forget.


    What I needed was a diversion. From now on, I''d work with n B.


    "Hey," I called. "The hideous elf." He turned to me with an intense re, growling animalistically. "You''re one ugly turd, aren''t you. Howe youugh at your princess, eh?"


    "What''d you say¡ª"


    "Shut it. You let me speak until I''m done¡­ But how many times do I gotta say that? You''re really one disgusting piece of shit. Aaah, that''s sooo annoying¡ª"


    "Hey there, little missy," he snarled. "The fuck?"


    "What? You nervous?" I insulted him again. With the dirtiest name ever. So much so, that he was now seething in rage. That hideous elf was too easy to stir up. While I thought he really should change that nasty and impatient personality of his, for once, such negativity would be put to good use. So I continued to taunt that hideous bastard for some more time. Was he ready to p me and raise a fuss? He wasn''t. Looking over to his fellow, he told him to say something. Unfortunately for him, his poor fellow was way too shocked at the infamies¡ªeven though he whole-heartedly agreed with everything I said¡ªhis usually so innocent and gullible princess could utter.


    So I finished him off with the dirtiest names I could ever find: "Y-You''re just an ugly, smelly monkey banana face!" I said, stomping my feet, and leaning towards him. Would it work¡­? More than work. Right away, with a sharp movement, I received my p. Even though I was expecting to be hit, it still somewhat shook me. Anyway, it worked.


    It was now the kinder elf who was boiling in rage, his clenched fists trembling and his brows twitching. With a deep frown on his face, he couldn''t believe what the hideous one had just done. I dropped my gaze down on purpose and faked a dolorous moan. His eyes were emotionally ced on the poor picture of the King''s daughter he loved like his own offspring. Sensing his eyes, I looked up at him, my eyes pleading. Unable to meet his cute princess'' sorrowful eyes, he turned to the ugly one¡ª


    That was a sufficiently good diversion to let me escape. I burst the door open and ran. I didn''t press the handle, open it, then run. I just busted it open from the inside with a strong kick. The girl wasn''t that strong on her own. I had to stir some of the mana inside of me. I summoned just enough strength not to overload the Receptacle. And so the door was sent flying out, while I set my foot in the forest, rushed forward, and used Quick Pace to take off.


    I grinned thinking that quick-moving technique sure came in handy at times like this. With a Woosh sound, I pierced through the air and was already a good distance away from the chariot. I believed I was even quicker than the ck swordsman from whom I got the skill. Man, being me sure was convenient, all things considered. Overhearing the voices that came behind me, the two elves were shocked at my speed and wondered why I''d hide my strength from them all the long. Well, I warned them. I was no helpless elven princess. "Who cares ''bout that! We gotta take her back!"


    Wait? Did they think of catching me? No way in hell they''d managed that.

 Chapter 29 Th

    "Who cares ''bout that! We gotta take her back!"


    Wait? Did they think of catching me? No way in hell they''d managed that


    They were born at least a thousand years too early for that. It was weird saying that when I myself was only three-day-old, but it was true. Using the Quick Pace technique again, I made it clear they weren''t catching me anytime soon.


    A family. I had gotten myself a family. It was all fake because they didn''t know what I was, but it still meant something to me. And now they decided to take that family away from me? Did they just expect me to give up on my home? If they did, they underestimated me. I couldn''t just lose that family without putting up a good fight.


    Kind Ma''am told me there''s nothing as precious as a family. No treasure on earth could evenpare to it. And I believed she was right. Because, though preposterous it may have been to say so, that kind ma''am had showered me with so much love in the short span of a day that I could confidently say that, for whatever reason, she had epted me into her family. Sure, I was a monster. But so what? I''d just keep it a secret. Forever. I could. I wasn''t just your regr monster. I was unique, strong, and able.


    Kind Ma''am certainly was precious to me, at any rate. Even though my circumstances were a bitplicated, she still was precious. I wouldn''t give up on her. Probably.


    Still on the run, I shot forward at a rapid pace. Voices called out to me from behind. Hey you brat, they said, youe back here immediately. But the piercing sound of my thin body through the wind didn''t diminish in intensity. It increased. Each time my feetnded on the ground, I was shot like an arrow. The voices also urged me to think of my poor people, the people who need me, the people I couldn''t leave behind. Please, said the voice, please.


    It was faint, but I could hear them. Would it be that easy to escape? They really were desperate about me. They needed to catch their princess. At the same time, they needed to get it through their thick heads that I wasn''t ''her'' anymore. I mean, I never had been her in the first ce. It got me wondering while running, what could their story even be? It seemed so heavy-loaded. It worried me. Would these guys, too, get me in trouble like the Bro-Ther-Thieves, with their weird poses and stuff, troubled me so much? Regardless, I was off now. The forest was dense, and in spite of their cries of desperation, begging me to either stop or curse me, my silhouette only got farther and farther away from them.


    Where was I headed? After having hopped off the chariot, in the middle of the road, scanning my surroundings, I saw the two sole directions that were avable to me. I needed to run off, and quickly. To the right? To the left? I would of course go to the left. That''s from where the carriage came, and as I wanted to go back home, this was the way. Did I take the left, however? It might have been a risky move, but I decided just to cut through the forest first, in order to get rid of the two elves, before I''d get back on the road.


    In the dense forest, there were so many bushes, branches, and trees. For onest time, I overheard the kinder elf''s voice behind me, as if the fog spoke to me. I was going at full speed, but I was careless enough to try and take a peek behind me. And that''s exactly when I was smashed against the thick bark of a tree, with tiny cartoon stars flying circles around my head. I was totally knocked out. Temporarily.


    I quickly came to. But when I did, my ears were ringing like mad. I''d been too careless. Was that blood on my hands? That sharp pain I senseding from my head¡­ What, did it try to tell me I was dying? My brows were heavily pressed down on my eyes. A dull sensation of numbness was striking me all over my body. My vision was blurred out a lot. Up till now, I thought I''d been standing up, but when I tried and sit my ass down, I realized I was on all fours. And for the sake of my survival, like the System would say, I assumed I wasn''t dead nor dying.


    "P-Princess¡ª"


    "Y-You''re not dying on us, are you, brat!"


    "Sh-Shit?" Since when were those clingy dogs here? They must have just arrived. Otherwise, they would have captured me back. Crap. I must have looked so dumb, too. Taking off on my own like this to just fall? Quite pathetic. What a moron I was. It was cool, I managed to stand up. Oh, and I didn''t pay attention, but the kinder elf was right next to me. He startled me when he proposed to lend a hand.


    "Move it!" I yelled. So they''d had time to catch up to me. I cleared my throat, taking a step back, eyeing both of them suspiciously. "Ahem. Sorry about that. I''ll be fine on my own¡­ from now on. Okay? Piss off. And don''t look at me like this, kinder elf. Don''t worry about me. I''m fine. Go away. Shoo." Stepping back, I turned my back on them, cradling my head in my hands. The hideous elf was on standby mode, and the kinder elf asked me whether I''d really be all right without a healing spell.


    I got angry. "Why are we even having this conversation?!" Now that I''d fully recovered my spirits, I kind of felt bad for the white-haired elf, namely the kinder one, but really I couldn''t do anything to help them see through their problem. And maybe because I felt bad for him, I didn''t immediately run away. Also, with a sharp movement, the short-haired elf made to grab my arm, but a pissed look from the white elf was enough to stop him.


    What happened to these two while I was knocked out? I could only guess, but as it seemed that White-haired, here, was the one with the most authority, I figured Hideous was just called to order. Hideous looked quite meek now. He didn''t utter a word, nor even silently red daggers at me. He was more docile overall. Against all expectations, with proper training, you could always put your dog back on the right path. Congratting White-haired. Inwardly, I gave him a thumbs-up.


    As I made to leave, White-haired stepped up. "Obviously, Princess, we weren''t familiar with the fact that¡­ your father, thete King, had taught you the way of the sword, too. I must apologize for myck of attention. However, still, I''m afraid, Princess, that we cannot take such risks." His sight was cast downward.


    What was it about my father or something? I sighed. "Could you just leave, mister? I don''t know you."


    "Princess. The mastery with which you perform that fast-paced technique is very impressive. One can indeed see how much time and effort you have spent training and refining those skills." He couldn''t be farther from the truth, but I said nothing. "...I''m repeating myself, but¡­ I can only see how much effort and time you have put into growing stronger. You have reached a high level. And only you know how many other tricks up your sleeve you have in wait."


    "And? Just get straight to the point, White-haired."

 Chapter 30 Say Nothing

    "...I''m repeating myself, but¡­ I can only see how much effort and time you have put into growing stronger. You have reached a high level. And only you know how many other tricks up your sleeve you have in wait."


    "And? Just get straight to the point, White-haired."


    "W-White-haired¡­? Ahem. Princess, do you perhaps intend to fight our enemies? To struggle in a war against them? To raise our people to a dignified station, provide them with weapons, and what¡­ fight?" Up till that moment, the elf was only calmly giving me a piece of his mind. What followed after was different.


    For once, the kind White-haired grew aggressive, albeit only with his tongue, and made it clear I was being a huge pain for him. "The Demon Lords have united, Princess! When will you wake up!" he stepped forward and waved his arms around. "There''s no single scenario in which we fight against such a powerful foe! Their army¡­ What do you think? That we haven''t sent the scouts on them? We did! It was then calcted by the mages among them that¡­ it''s terrifying but¡­ the average level of their whole army¡­ is above fifty! Yes! Fifty! How can we struggle against that? It is¡­ enormous, Princess! They are the demons! They have obtained means to fight we cannot even¡ª"


    "That''s enough!" I grew aggressive too, swinging my arms around as he did. "Don''t you get it?! I feel for you people, really! But I''m not her! She''s gone. W-W-What''s even her name? I don''t know! Can you tell me? Because I can''t! I''m not your girl! I''m sorry, but she''s gone!" Marking a pause with my words, I made sure he understood how serious I was, and how grave was my expression.


    As it was, though, the elf just avoided looking at me. His sight was downward in self-pity. What was more he kept shaking his head denying all I said. Then, an idea came to me. "Hey, I know what. White-haired¡ªand you too, the hideous elf¡ªlook at me. Look both at me. Right. Just like this. See your princess?" I said, with the iciest expression, devoid of all emotions, thinking back on all the humans I kind of ughtered for fun on my first day, then frowned at them letting show all the indifference I felt for both of these puny, inferior creatures¡ªthen I unleashed it. My aura leaked off of me. Despite the fact it wasn''t good for the Receptacle, I could show them at least a little of my true self.


    At once, my shadow washed over them. They were plunged into the dark. So tiny they were, and so powerless. From the monster that stood in front of them, thick waves of bluish dark mana were let out, wildly dancing and spiraling all around. Fear was instilled in their heart, I still looked down at them with a listless expression, devoid of any emotions. Hastily after that, I brought a hand to my head. Moaning in pain, I discarded the notification warning about an Overload and heaved a long sigh. "Get it?" the monster said. Then, it was clear: the monster could swallow the elves anytime it wanted. "...I see you just can''t give up, though. Do follow me, elves."


    I understood it, now. I could be going wherever I wanted, yet I would never be away from these two. That''s exactly why I would have to cross a line on them. I needed to deal with them. Was I not to do that, I would never see peace. Inviting them to follow me, they surprisingly tagged along. Without saying a word. It was clear to me they refused to heed my words, but I didn''t expect them to just follow obediently. It was no carriage that led our group, at present. It was me. I led them, and not in the direction they wanted.


    How could I deal with them? There was a limit to how I could let off of my real strength to them. Because when I did so, my body wasn''t all right. A minute ago, I allowed myself to let the monster, that was I, show through, but it had been difficult on me. In a fight, for obvious reasons, it would be near impossible. That''s why I needed a sword. They had swords, these two. Daggers, more specifically. They wouldn''t give them to me, though. I thought of stealing the des from them, but approaching the duo carelessly would probably get me in trouble. In spite of how powerful I was,pared to them, if I dropped my guard, who knew how many different ways of neutralizing me they had. Tools are magnificent things. I now understood the greatness of the human races. ''Nobility'', huh?


    Marching onward, I sparred the two of them a nce. The two adult-sized elves were having more trouble than me dealing with the thick forest, cutting their way through it with machetes. Following in my footsteps, they spoke privately among themselves.


    They may have thought I didn''t hear their messy little chitchat of a n to capture me, but well, Mana Perception was versatile to no end, to say the least. The princess is really strong, they said. They couldn''t underestimate her, or else they would be done for. The delusional elves still are calling me their princess, humph, I thought. Do as you please.


    With Mana Perception, I could sense things, even far off. So expanding my senses to my distant surroundings, I could see around our area. When I first got to use the skill that way, it was quite demanding. I was trying to eat rats when I first used it this way, in order to see really far off to the best I could. Now though, it was another story. I wasn''t so strained physically or mentally. I would just walk on, with my eyes shut, concentrating on seeing ''out'', the wind gently caressing my hair as I went. When I buckled down to it, I sure could get stuff done, couldn''t I? The more concentration the farther I could see. Or rather ''sense''.


    Not farther than thirty meters, now, was a habitation. Surrounded by trees and bushes. A fine, little cozy home to someone. In that home¡­ it was hard to see in, but I still could identify many things. And among these things, there was cookware. Shall I cook my two enemies some poisoned food in order to deal with them? No. Knives were part of the kitchenware I was targeting. And only that much would suffice me.


    Oh, also, there was an old man, gently sipping on his teacup, right now. It must have been Gramps'' house. I''m sure he wouldn''t mind me borrowing him some tools anyway. So the old man was kind of a separate matter altogether. For a second, I nearly lost my bnce. There happened to be a gap where I ced my foot. Right at the same time, the two elves, who up until now still walked calmly behind my back, made a rush for it. They saw I didn''t stumble down and instantly fell back behind. I thought better of letting my guard down and stopped making an effort to see far away.


    And very soon, the cozy little house was visible to them. With dumbfounded looks, they inquired about whose house it was. Were there even inhabitants that dwelled in this part of the forest before? They were familiar with thend, and that house was unknown to them. Sure, people still wandered across the woods, as the less dense parts of the forest weren''t swarming with monsters, but that kind of house wasn''tparable to a tent. A light dimly lit the inside of the habitation.


    It didn''t take more than a minute for us to reach the door of that little house. I knocked on the door to inform the old man inside I''d be using some of his stuff. Well, I just thought it''d be good if he was alerted of our presence. After I did so, I turned back to the elves, a grin ying on my lips. "Are you guys ready?"


    "Princess¡ª"


    "Say nothing," I ordered.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 31 No Regrets

    "Are you guys ready?"


    "Princess¡ª"


    "Say nothing."


    And coughing emblematically in one of my hands, marking the beginning of a speech, I continued. "Gentlemen. As you might well be acquainted with, we''re having an issue. My party is unfortunately in conflict with yours." I didn''t stop grinning. The kinder elf, Kinder, made to talk, but I held out a hand to him. He stopped. "Now, let''s just get straight to the point. We all know here, as grown-up adults that, issues beget conflict, and conflicts beget violence. And, uh, how to say, violence, in its turn, begets¡­ some other things. Bad things. Wrong things. That''s why¡­" My yful expression vanished. "Quite honestly, I like you two. Despite the fact that you two are huge pains to deal with, I took a liking to you guys. So I warn you, by following me in, you agree to truly be my enemy. If you be my enemy, I will kill you. Or you can always go back now. I''m serious. No regrets then? Let''s get in."


    Pressing the handle of that door¡ª Ring! ? Character''s Creation ¡ª 1/1 ? I apparently finally headed over to the old man''s house within the forest. Huh? I wasn''t aware of the progress of that quest at all, up till now. ? Character''s Creation ¡ª Keep the old manpany and warm his old, lonely heart. 0/1 ? No. This wasn''t supposed to be a joke. All I could ask was, "Pardon me?"


    I froze, thinking of what was behind those notifications. In actual fact, the quest had progressed further to new instructions without my knowing it. Now that I thought about it, I understood what must have happened. During my sleep, as I was forcefully dragged through that forest, the System must have seen it as if I was going about the quest. The instructions I received were validated one by one. And after some time, I needed to head over to this ce? What a coincidence. Or is it really? Whatever. I''d think about thatter.


    Every door loved to creak. If a door didn''t creak, then it wasn''t happy. Our door, the door that I opened just now, creaked. Very loudly and slowly. It was warm inside. This shelter breathed good energy. Entering the house, I eyed the old man, slightly bowing my head to him. When I did so, he only snorted and I took it like a hello. When he carried it on by taking a very long sip of his teacup, I took it like a "How are you?" So, by giving him a bright smile and slightly bowing my head again, I responded tacitly saying "I was good, thanks."


    Aaah, or maybe any of that conversation I just imagined never happened. The old man must have been too old. Or maybe just as tired as I was. I wasn''t sure he even saw his guests. Senile old man, I inwardly said, sorry for the trouble then. He quietly rested behind his small table, in a formal sitting position on a leather carpet. From then on, I paid the old man no more attention.


    After I got in, the two elves followed behind me. They were just behind me, and their business couldn''t be dyed any longer. Or rather it wouldn''t. They and I understood that once we were in, we would fight to the death. And so, rather than just being behind me, from where they stood, they had me cornered into that house. That meant I couldn''t run away as I did before. Now, even though they feared what I showed them earlier, they were filled with more confidence.


    They only needed to buckle down to it, and my capture would be a done deal. The old man again loudly sipped a long mouthful of tea¡ªboth the elves and I confused that sip for drum wars, urging us forward to a long battle under the sun, and we began then.


    Let the battle begin. I turned and faced them. Ten feet were between us.


    White-haired uttered the name of a spell. Holding out a runic sheet in between two fingers, he began to chant something longer. The chant was only many whispers. I thought I''d better hurry. You never know what new tricks they''d have up their sleeve. I nced at Hideous. From the side, he entered a battle stance, and he ced himself sideways to his colleague. The elf was ready to bounce at me at any moment, now. These guys. They were prepared. Now I could be¡ªor rather, the elven princess could be proud of her little subjects. Too bad for them I wouldn''t go down easily.


    Regting my breathing, I sharpened my senses. Without a stance. I was looking down on them, not for no reason. I just wanted it to be made clear by the end of the fight. I was way mightier than them. If they wanted to run away afterward, I wouldn''t chase after them. So I was ready too. Facing them both, I now showed them my back, turning to a certain tool, upon one of the shelves of that house. That would lure them in attacking me, I was sure. To my surprise, I was wrong. They truly were prepared and didn''t go about fighting me rashly. I could really be proud. Or rather, the princess could.


    At once, my body shot forward to the old man''s shelves. The sheet Kinder held also shot forward as I did. Was it the moment he waited? Yes. It pierced through the air quicker than I dashed, closing in on me super quickly. That much was nothing to fear. Unwilling to repeat my past mistakes and only concentrate on one foe in a team fight, I tried to give Hideous as much screen time as I could, too. Throwing a quick nce to the side, I saw him. The elf still waited for the right moment to jump at my throat. The piercing runic sheet went to a halt in my back, stopping midair, ttened on an invisible wall. All of which happened in a blink. I was still dashing onward when Hideous stepped in.


    "Hah!" Jumping at me as I had expected, he produced a magic rope from behind his back. And I mentioned they had me cornered. Except I was only in their mind. Resting on the shelves I finally reached, there were knives. Some were of greater length than others. In all of them, my expertise in the art of the warrior saw a sword. I inherited strong swordsmanship. After I snatched one of the knives, they had already failed. And then the runes activated: a blinding light shot all around us, robbing everyone who dared look of their sense of sight.


    Quickly leaning in down to the floor. I pushed myself down andnded on both hands and feet. From there, slithering like a snake, I sneakily slid to the right. A brightening light had shot up above me, and it didn''t stop shining yet¡ªit was the runes White-haired had worked up¡ªI shut my eyes tight, evading both of the elves'' attack.


    I actually overheard these two''s strategy before.


    That''s how I knew the brightening light wouldn''tst long. The runes on the sheet quickly consumed themselves. Those runes would momentarily blind anyone who dared look at it directly. No light reached my pupils, however. Even if it did, I still had Mana Perception. But damn even with my eyes so tightly shut, I could still feel a slight burning sensation and the shrinking of my pupils in my eyes.


    Hideous had jumped, and now hended on the ground where I''d been supposed to be. His eyes were also shut as he didn''t want to go blind right now. In their minds, drawn from their calctions, I must have been right in the middle of their explosion of light, blinded and directionless. And so he, the hideous elf, only had to act ordingly and plucked me where I was blinded. He knew just when to open his eyes, too. With quick movements of his hands, he tried to grab his prey, only to find I wasn''t under him at all. They schemed their n, and I schemed mine.


    "Huh!?" Hideous couldn''t pluck me. I wasn''t there. It was only when the light declined that he opened his eyes and saw I was away. Both he and White-haired cursed at once. That was proper teamwork.


    While he gripped at absolutely nothing, I gripped at my knife. And so, still slithering, I closed in on him and aimed at his heart. With a whipping movement¡ª "Wha¡ª! Haaah!" He managed to evade me. Instead of his heart, the knife went right through his left hand. Crying out in pain, he held out his hand in a stiffening position. Blood leaked on his tunic. "Agh~! My hand¡ª!"

 Chapter 32 Senile Old Man

    While he gripped at absolutely nothing, I gripped at my knife. And so, still slithering, I closed in on him and aimed at his heart. With a whipping movement¡ª "Wha¡ª! Haaah!" He managed to evade me. Instead of his heart, the knife went right through his left hand. Crying out in pain, he held out his hand in a stiffening position. Blood leaked on his tunic. "Agh~! My hand¡ª!"


    In one of the two areas of this room, there was a peacefully resting old man, sipping on his cup of tea. And in the other area, the atmosphere was totally different. For reasons that were beyond me, Hideous still was yelling as it''d save him. After I stabbed him, I darted back, seeing what would happen then¡­ but seeing they did nothing more, I quickly shot forward, gripped again the stabbed knife in the man''s hand, and twisted it in the wound, tearing off some of the defenseless elf''s flesh. Wriggling in pain, for some reason, with bloodshot eyes, he cursed White-haired instead of me. Silly elf.


    White-haired responded to him. "J-Just freaking get her, why don''t you!" The elf was frustrated. Why didn''t he just get me himself, though? Well, after casting that big spell of his, the thinyer of mana that precedently surrounded him was gone. With heaving shoulders and heavy breaths, he readied himself to continue the hunt, but he clearly would be no good by himself.


    And their usual duo was back. Hideous was just downright trash at everything he did, I was sure, so nobody could be disappointed with his act. But White-haired was different. He was usually so calm andposed. Intelligent and superior, basically. His only weak point was the stupid elf I just stabbed, however. And so, yeah, their usual duo was back. As a matter of fact, they hadn''t nned anything after this. Letting loose of my grip on the knife, I darted backward again, leaving the stupid elf overreacting on his own with a knife through his palm. And my eyes darted back to the same shelf. The one with the knives. When I snatched another of these sharp things, White-haired was still at his ce by the rearguard, and his trembling eyes met with mine. He muttered something to himself, then he spoke up. "P-Princess! Please, reconsider!" Gulping his dry saliva, he took a step forward, still huffing and trembling all over. "Can''t you just¡­ understand, Princess!"


    Yeah, right. I understood they had to do this. Seeing I didn''t respond, he abruptly took a battle stance despite his fatigue. His eyes darted between me and Hideous. He still didn''t give in. Hideous was still wriggling like a fool on the ground. "Poison¡­ I swear there''s poison in that¡­!" Maybe he knew better than me.


    "Just leave this guy, White-haired. He won''t be of any use now."


    "I-Is that even the princess I''ve known!?" he hysterically yelled. The stress was driving the poor elf crazy. Also, he was neither healing his fighter, the hideous elf, nor fighting me himself for a reason. The magic he pulled not so long ago, I knew, almost depleted all his stamina. Once he used it, he was down. Or so he humbly confessed to Hideous during their previous not-so-secret strategy meeting. "P-Princess! Answer! Answer to your people¡ª"


    "What the hell are you talking about again? So you broke down too? Cut the crap. You lost. If you take Hideous now and leave, I''ll show mercy."


    From his bag, White-haired produced other runic sheets and stored spells. Well, it''s not like he could go easy on himself. Growing more aggressive than he should, he spoke the following. "Come back to us, Princess! We need you¡ª"


    "Too loud!" I held a knife. Now, I threw it at him. The hand in which he held his runes was stabbed too. He let out a sharp cry of pain, dropping all his runes on the ground, and breaking into a cold sweat. With that, there was a knife for each one of them. And I was done here. I thought of wrapping it up as I should have from the very beginning. These guys were cockroaches. Or worse, even. My hand went and snatched anotherme. The air grew so tense the two of them only longed to escape. They couldn''t. White-haired couldn''t. He still had his people to look out for. Quickly, I skipped to the hideous elf. Lying on the ground, he was groaning, tearing up his fury, and foaming, uncontrobly whimpering and trembling all over.


    Crap, was there really poison on that dagger?


    The absurd mess he grossed me out to the point I might have believed there was poison in there. Up until the present moment, I don''t know what he''d been doing. When I approached him, however, he had to snap out of his act. Like a cornered snake, he desperately attempted to jump at me. As he was lying, however, I just had to kick his jaw off¡ªa strong, jerky kick on that ugly turd-like face¡ªand taught him to stay calm, or rather, taught him to be knocked out.


    A few seconds ago from now, White-haired, who was on his knees, kept hysterically yelling at his princess toe back with all his might as he crawled his way towards me, begging, being a total wrecked mess, too. I didn''t recognize him, but I guessed anyone''s world falling down on top of their head was simply too much to sanely handle. And anyway, bringing out the same kick as before, I brought out the same result. Directed by the wild symphony of that old man''s ever-so-loud sipping sounds, I knelt down to Hideous. My knife was brought down on him and¡ª


    Out of nowhere, a sharp, freezing cry rang out. My knife went down following my hand, but I stopped right away. I stopped despite myself. "OH!? HO HO HO HO HO!?" That sharpughter came from the other side of the one-roomed house. For who knows what reason, the old man¡­ woke up? The bubble of calm and rest he had around himself was pierced at once. Giving a start, his eyes snapped open. As it ttered, he brought his teacup down, and energeticallyughed some more. I and my elf friends were surprised by his sudden entrance, to say the least. Well, he''d been here even before we showed up, but really, was he here?


    At present, he sure as hell was. His heartyughter carried on for quite a long time. Ho ho ho ho~ And then he spoke. "Young folks!? My my!" He, too, seemed surprised. "Where are my manners! Young ones, I didn''t quite see you well, today." A good old old man he was. That''s how he struck me. Sending waves of warmth off to the other side of the house, us, he vehemently pped his hands once. "Truly, this old man must apologize! But¡­ C-Come here, now!" Seemingly happy at the prospect of having guests, all of a sudden, the old creature enjoined us around his table. "Here. Right here, my son." cing some cushion sideways to himself, in front of the coffee table, he showed off more of his vigor, tapping on it with a hand. "Come. Here shall be your ce." We ignored him.


    I was done grimacing at the old man, by now. And slowly standing back up, I cocked my head to the side at him. What''s he want, I thought, and why only wake up now of all times? A coincidence? No. Sparring a quick nce at the dying hideous mess of a poisoned elf, I thought I didn''t take his life yet. I was right about to, however. And that aged human, I thought, did he want to stop me frommitting that? As a test, leaning back down to the elf, with my knife going down, I felt the same sharp, tingling sensation theughter had brought.


    My chest tightened. What if I killed Hideous then? Would the old geezer be mad? Squinting my eyes, I thought it was maybe for the best.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 33 Ho Ho Ho

    The old man spoke again. He urged his guests toe and sit around his table. Again, he apologized for hisck of manners. And nodding confidently, he kept emphasizing the one pillow next to him. My hand dropped the knife. It fell by my feet. Wincing at the old man I asked him what he wanted. Words of apology again reached our¡ªor rather my ears alone, as the two elves were clearly out¡ªand firmly urged me to him. The eagerness he had to do so was what moved me¡­ But there was only one pillow. "We''re a group of three." As if all of our situations were normal, and as if we found ourselves in a restaurant, I spoke. "We kinda do need more seats, gramps."


    Or was he only inviting me to sit? Wasn''t he addressing his words to our little pack of infighting elves? I wouldn''t know. His eyes didn''t look at one of us in particr. "And¡­ I had something on the go, already," I thrust a finger at my friends. "You better make up for this, old man."


    So far, the only vibe he gave off was that of a peaceful, senile, hearty old man who, after a decade of impatient waiting, finally got to see his grandsonsing back to him from war. And quite honestly, he seemed senile and inoffensive. If I were to only wish for it, I supposed, I just had to do so much as toss a knife at him, and he''d be down for the night. Now, his aura changed. "I will not," the old man suddenly said, cing two cold eyes on me, "allow the spilling of blood," he paused, not looking the part of that dumb, senile old person anymore, "...in my house." The pressure he emitted was not just any. My breath quickened. He truly was no joke. From this single stare, I gulped; were my eyes trembling?


    Also, did I break into a cold sweat? The man''s aura truly was terrifying. If that much pressure startled me, what the hell did the two stupid elves see me as when I showed myself? If I held my knife to this point, I''d have dropped it now. My eyes thought not to let go of him even for a second. He seemed dangerous, even to me. And that''s how I met the old man the System guided me to. That same very sharp old man who called me a ''young man'' despite me technically being an elf maiden. I''d call myself a young man too, but what did the old man know? That''s how I met him.


    I just said "Ah." But as I loved to always ask a bunch of whys: "Because?" I genuinely wondered. Why dislike the sight of blood?


    Did that old man maybe want to pick a fight with me anyway? If so, let him know that I could fight. Sure, he seemed like a scary old wrinkled veteran, but I could take on even the likes of him. I was strong, after all. I needed to be. And even though this would be a stronger foe, I had already decided that I wanted to live. I also knew something. Might makes right. That''s why, in order to live and be happy, I''d defeat anything. Even that old man over there, if push came to shove.


    "Because." He only curtly responded.


    "...Well." That annoyed me, but I didn''t let it show. At any rate, I didn''t have to. Because soon, the change in his demeanor came right back at us then. Switching back to the senile and hearty old man mode, he giggled a little, saying that fancy carpet I saw right next to my foot wouldn''t certainly be okay with that. "Ho ho ho! Spilling blood would spoil it! This old man is firmly against it," heughed some more. Then he smiled at me with a chuckle. If I were to protest, I''d say I already spilled some of the two elves'' blood on the fine carpet, already, but I said nothing. "What are you waiting for, now? There is your ce. Come,e."


    Or maybe I needed to, actually. Maybe I needed to let my disappointment show. "Go easy on me, old man!" I grew aggressive. After a change of mind, I insisted that I needed to kill them. In the background, even he, White-haired, who''d now finished healing himself and approached his peer, didn''t seem to oppose it. "I need to kill them. So you let me."


    "Do not harm my carpet, young man! I will not, under any circumstances allow it¡ª" Crossing his arms and sighing heavily, he looked away from me with a grumpy face. Seriously, what was that old man''s problem?


    "Listen now, old man..." In spite of every word I gave the two elves or any direction I''d run off to, these two cockroaches would never leave me alone. I said as much to the old man. "And I''m not happy with that," I said in a sharp tone, frowning my brows. Surprisingly then, the old man dared stop his yelling at me not to end his carpet. With a nod, he urged me to continue.


    "Oh? Really? Well, my story''s finished, though."


    "Is that really so, young man?"


    "Yes. Story''s finished. They harass me. I need them gone."


    "No, oh, no, ho ho."


    "Err... what?"


    "I mean¡­ is that really so, young man?"


    "You mean the truth? That''s the truth," I solemnly said. " I promise. May I then?" I made to pick up my knife.


    "I''m still afraid you cannot."


    "W-Why is that!?" I yelled again. "Know what¡ªI''ll just kill you too! Why should I listen to you¡ª"


    "Oh!? Ho ho ho ho ho!?" He couldugh all he wanted. "I wouldn''t dare. Young man. Iugh not at you, but at your bold ignorance. You seem to neglect a detail here." Startled, and pretty much like a fool, I stuttered, telling him that I wasn''t weaker than him and that if he thought so, well, he was wrong.


    Clearly, that startledmenting from me only indicated that I felt pushed. I cursed at myself for being so obvious about it. And the old man shook his head. What was it about my ignorance, I asked? In my defense, I was not even one-week-old yet. Ignorance should be permitted on me. "Do not be like this, young man. I shall enlighten you. At present, we are within my house, are we not?"


    "I reckon that''s true. What of it?"


    "Quite simply, I am the master of this lieu. As such, I am to be obeyed here. You must obey the elder, the man in charge of his property. Surely, you were taught that much, were you not?"


    "O-Oh!?" Surprise overtook me then and there. "If there was such a rule then! Ha ha ha! Kind Ma''am must have said something of that nature, too. I''m so sorry, old man." At present, rather than the old man undergoing such a change in demeanor, it was me who changed. Simr to that old man, I was switched on to the dumb-senile mode. Giving up on my precedent affair, I had to admit I didn''t know the existence of such a rule. It was awkward for me, then. I really became all apologetic and embarrassed at my own effrontery. My little vendetta against the elf cockroaches took on a weird turn, I''ll have to admit, but I was okay with that. In the first ce, I didn''t even really want to end these two elves. Well, the matter of my killing them was only to be dyed, with how things looked right now, but anyway. "I''ll sit here, then."


    "Please do so. You''re a good boy." Rather than belittling, the old man was genuinely appreciating the turn of events. My listening to him brought back faith in youth. Right then and there, it might have been hard to believe, but I had be the old man''s hero.


    "Sorry again¡­ about the rule I overstepped¡ª"


    "Why, think nothing of it. Please, young man."


    "If you insist then," I smiled at him.


    I could just deal with the two others afterward. They would stick around me. Of that, I was sure. Naturally, since they would, I''d just y them in a while, I thought. I just needed to have a knife on myself. And evidently, there were none of the old man''s carpets outside. So I assumed he would let me borrow a knife. As much faith as he had in me, I had faith in him.


    Well, and from now on, as if nothing ever happened, and all the ruckus we just raised was but a fleeting dream, the old man decided to be true to himself. With a wrinkled hand, he brought up the teacup to his lips and enjoyed his long sip. As he saw I looked at him, the old man became all startled. Ceaselessly repeating the same words ''my manners, my manners!'' he peered all around himself searching for some object¡­ and after he seemed to have found nothing, just by snapping his fingers, with ttering, a teacup appeared in front of me. It was all prepared and hot. Could anyone just do that? I grimaced at the very impressive trick, but didn''t linger on it for so long.


    "Tea?"


    "Tea," he repeated, throwing me a knowing grin.


    "Thanks."


    On the other side of the room, White-haired just finished healing his peer, though he was still unconscious. "P-Princess!" he said. "I-I¡­ Please¡­ We just¡­ We understand, but¡­" I was so irked by him, so an idea lit up in my mind. Leaving him to his pitiful muttering, I turned to the old man, with ''that'' look. At any rate, the old man only proposed to the ''guests'' one single seat. It made me think I was probably the only guest, here. And giving him that kind of look, it was as if we were two best buddies in the world, then, because he immediately understood. Solemnly nodding to me, he promptly sent the two elves out. It was done in the most gentlemanly manner. So much so that White-haired only could not argue further, and obeyed the old man, as per the rule of his household intended.


    The ever-present sorrowful look in the kinder elf''s eyes was reaching its paroxysm. Truly, I felt for him. He kept saying they couldn''t fight by themselves, and that all his people''s lives depended on him aplishing the mission he was entrusted with. But with a simple "We''ll wait outside," he dragged his friend out without aint.


    The old man ruled his own house. And I was his attendant. How exciting that was. Giggling, I thanked the old man. And with that, that Character''s Creation Mandatory Quest apparently went on further down the road.


    No killing within the enclosure of these four walls. This house? It had a ruler. The old man was the ruler. The man of the house, basically, the patriarch. He told me so. Therefore, I had to obey him. As far as I was in his house, I had to obey the man.


    And¡­ "Since you invited me to stay, Old, I''ll just do so and spend some time with you." To myment, he nodded. I was seated by the coffee table, with the old man. My butt wasfortably in the thick cushion he had ced there, and I sipped on my tea, following, then again, the man of the house''s lead. And that was it. The old man sure could be silent. Even though I might have wanted something to listen to, so as not to be bored during my stay, he was a man of no words.


    Two knocks moved the peaceful house''s door. A voice spoke from behind it. The two elves were waiting for me and hence asked me not to take too much time. With a please, they demanded. But seriously, what were they, cockroaches? I meant it literally now. They were so insistent and deaf that it made me question their sanity.


    Especially so because of their deafness. They must have been knowing, by now, about the true identity of their beloved princess. But knowledgeable though they may be, they just decided, apparently, and that was just a guess, to ignore it. To ignore the fact that their princess was no more. Or did they then want me to y the part of the princess held hostage? And go on with whatever n of sacrificing me they initially had? Well.


    I asked them to go out, and so they did. They obeyed their princess. But of course, they had thought of getting back at me once I would step out. That wasn''t a problem for me, though. They were weak, I proved it once, and I could prove it a second time. So no real problem. After the old man ordered him out, he had just finished taking care of the hideous, angry elf.


    Seeing the elf''s reaction as he healed his friend, that wound must have been pretty serious, after all. Thankfully however, a healing spell would heal wounds. Any wounds. Probably. The work that had been on the kinder elf left him¡ªif he wasn''t already¡ªtotally and thoroughly spent. No power, or magical energy, remained in him. And by then, panting and sweating, he dragged his friend out. And so they left.


    I had realized I had been appointed to a quest, by now. "Say, old man, you sleep?" That was an eerie pause for a sleeping man, but maybe that was just him. The old man who could, just by snapping his fingers, prepare and serve tea to a thirsty guest, surely could sleep thus. He was sitting, his back straight, holding a cup of tea to his mouth. His eyes were shut. "Surely, no. I do not feel drowsy." He asked me whether I slept.


    "Maybe I am," I said. Once I finished my tea, I ced the cup away,fortably stretched my arms on the table, and buried my face in them. "Say, old man, what''s your name?" He told me to call him an uncle if I so wanted. Or just calling him an old man was okay too. "Say, old man, what are you to the System?"


    "The what, now?"


    "Say, old man¡­ would you happen to know anything about some, err¡­ quest?"


    The old man cleared his throat, put his cup of tea down onto the table''s t surface, nodding solemnly as he always did¡ªand totally ignored me. "So, tell me your story, young man." To his words, despite the fact I was absolutely ignored, my eyes lit up. Someone was interested in me. Straightening my spine at once, I formally sat. "A-And what''s my story about, old man?!"


    "Isn''t ''that'' your story? Rather I should say, about your story." His eyes met mine. Understanding what he meant I, unfortunately, did not. As he smiled, I smiled. His face, at present, was just like that of a very friendly old uncle, full of light and surprisingly childish serenity. People said that when old folks aged past a certain point, they became a child again. Maybe in some circumstances, the idea was true. Or well, he was a bizarre old man. I preferred that to the other facet of his face he bared to me when I was about to disobey and insult the rule. He had been cold or even wintery, and distant.


    The old man saw I lost myself in his face, and spoke. "Your face too, speaks of much strangeness, young man. Another tea?" I asked him why he called me a young man. I also said no to the tea. To that, he said because I was one.


    "How do you know?"


    "Do I know?" He looked up at the ceiling. "Maybe I don''t, ho ho."


    The theme of our gathering seemed to be: I ask questions and you answer with oddities.


    "What''s ''that'' in my story? You said that."


    "What series of events did take ce for you, young man, toe here, is what this old man meant."


    So when I asked an odd question, he answered with something I could understand. Right.


    The Character''s Creation quest asked me to keep himpany. And to warm the old man''s heart, while I''m at it. Surely, the System said, if I were to do that much, in return, the old man would deign to help me out in my quest. I didn''t need help, but sure. If anything anyway, I was curious about that old, eerie man. I mean, who was he, just another nobody? I didn''t, or couldn''t, believe he was. As a matter of fact, he managed to make me shudder when he posed a threat.


    What was more, the ever-present subtle switches there seemed to be, between his peaceful senile old man mode and cold and staring mode, told me there was more to his personality and end goal. Really, what would I find behind these two eagerly-searching eyes of him? What was a man like him doing alone in an uninhabited part of these endless woods, I didn''t know.


    Should the System have summoned him here? No way. What was it, then? All of that was what made me choose to stay here for a little. To top it off, the man seemed so d at the chance of receiving a guest. If I was to stay, I would do as the System said. In order to create my character and start whatever was the ''Game'' about. Or just go right back home to the kind ma''am. Either way, I had to entertain the old man.


    "Old man. You''re part of my favorite people."


    "To hear that! Oh, I am honored. Young man, may I venture to ask¡­ where does thate from¡ª"


    I held a hand out and told him not to ask. "And so, old man¡­"


    "Mmhm!?"


    After I asked him where from I should begin my story, he was d I asked, he said with a thumbs-up and told me he wanted to know it all. He was in fact so d that, despite my saying no, he had to pour me some more tea at once. However humble his abode may have looked, he rapturously exined, he shall serve me more tea.


    Why simply because he wanted to make me as happy as I did make him. So I reluctantly epted the tea, and told him I''d agree to tell my great story to some sussy old man I''d just encountered in the middle of a forest I''d been abducted to against my will, and after I nearly killed two elves who took me for their princess and said they needed to deliver me to the demon lords to save their whole people from being eradicated. To that, he heartilyughed a chorus of Ho ho hos before I started.

 Chapter 34 Ho Ho

    Supposedly, probably, maybe, who knew for sure, this story would get him entertained and amused. With that, I could confidently then say, ''I apanied you and warmed your poor abandoned heart, so you help me in my quest!'' As he seemed to show great interest in me, I decided to tell him everything. I liked the old man.


    My story, my beginning, my obtaining of that Consciousness skill everyone else innately had. Surrounded by four walls and apanied by an old man, my lips spoke and spoke. A furnace burned and sent some of its warmth to the entire house, crackling ceaselessly. The same good old sipping sounds were reverberating with the crackling fire, and I finally got used to my old man''s absurd way of drinking. My voice carried on and on. And, being added to the abode''s symphony, some knocks on the door rang from time to time.


    I spoke. Stretching my hands and waving my arms all around me here and there, I added descriptives to illustrate all of what I had been through. At times my arms went all shy-sh, and at times my hands went all whacky-whack. I shed at people a lot, indeed. And I met people, too. A young student who told stories¡ªI exined how that unbelievably was what had brought me into the world¡ªto his children and fianc¨¦e.


    Thanks to that, I brought problems to their group. Following that, a father came at me, cursing me for killing his family, and killed me too. But then, actually, no, I was still going. And so on and so forth. I told him about Kind Ma''am and her lessons about life, about the stout merchant who praised adventurers and fed me for free, about the thieves who, raising all sorts of trouble for me, led me to the kind ma''am''s inn, then led me to that elven princess'' room, where I had to, due to my condition as a unique monster, take her over, which then¡ª "Led me to that eerie old man who solemnly believed every word of me! ...To be continued."


    "Ho ho ho!" the old man earnestlyughed. "You make it sound as though your words were but lies, young man. I hope they were not!" I confirmed as much. My story was the truth. During storytime, the old man hit me with many questions of all sorts. So much so, that seeing how earnest and sincere he was in the interest he had for me, ''the young man of many stories ho ho!'', as he liked to put it, I forgot about the quest.


    Now, I wasn''t telling him for the sake of the System, I was telling him out of my own volition. The poor old man must have been feeling pretty lonely, too. I just wrapped up the end of my story,ing to tell him if he ever wanted the story to continue, he''d have to let me go, now. Thus, my story came to an end. A lot of time passed. But the sun wasn''t here, so I couldn''t measure up exactly how much.


    "Son," the old man said. After we''d grown familiar with each other, he had taken to calling me that. Or rather, he meekly asked me my permission to address me so casually. Really, Iughed at him, then, thinking he seemed more like a Japanese highschool girl who finally mustered up the courage to casually call her crush by his first name. The old grumpy man truly seemed to be shy about it, however. So it ended up creeping me out more than not. I said nothing of it.


    "Hmm,


    "These people you talked to me about. The inn''s people. When the elves took you away, why did they not stop them?" It was obviously because I ''was not'' that boy they took in anymore. "I thought so. So you do understand that, do you not?"


    I did understand it. "When the rude elves abducted you, the kind ma''am, nor her daughters, tried to do anything to prevent your going away, did she not?" I asked him what he meant by that. For once, I thought he was annoying. That was because she didn''t know. Would anyone hold her responsible for what had happened? "It is as you say. In no way should this old man think the good woman a culprit for what happened. But at any rate, she did not know about you, your condition, or your story, and will remain clueless about it." To his words, my brows knitted together. "As I said, you do understand."


    Looking back up at him, I told him he believed me. If he did, and he knew I never did expect him to believe a word I said because, despite myck ofmonsense, I knew but too well my words were harder than most to believe. Maybe the kind ma''am could believe in my words, too, and ept all of myself.


    When I said that, the old man grew chilly. He switched mode. Andying two somber, sly eyes on me, he told me that only he believed me. He didn''t say only he ''would'' believe me. He asserted it as if it were a reality already. "Plus, did they not speak ill of the monster, too? Did they not admonish its existence¡ªyour existence, son. Did they not lecture you about how¡ª"


    "Enough. I get it."


    "First," he said, back into the hearty old man mode, "I listened. Now, I shall advise you. What you, young man, want with these people, you cannot have. Of that, I am sure. Even you know that for a fact, for that matter." So when I said I wanted to get back to them, he exined to me, he couldn''t just let me send myself to my death. "Well. I doubt you would die then and there if you indeed walked up to them and bared your identity to the family. Fast on your feet, you could always run. But the facts remain. Die you may not, but flee from them you will. Fate is as such. Cruel. My appraisal of you is that I saw in you as much of a trained, intelligent force as I saw a somewhat childish and immature boy. Rather than addressing the capable soldier I saw in you, I now address the boy. Excuse my bluntness, but why would you return to them?"


    The old man had a point. I knew it. Still though, I wasn''t sure I could find another kind ma''am like mine anywhere else. First off, she didn''t even tell me directly with her own mouth that she hated the monster, that was me, to the core. I was sure if I asked her, she would tell me I was an evil thing, but if I exined it all very carefully the same way I did for that eerie old man, maybe she would just ept me. Part of me thought that. Or rather, part of me wanted to believe in that thought and hold onto it to the best of my ability. If I didn''t believe it, I would for sure have lost something precious.


    "Seeing how it pains you¡­ don''t misunderstand this old man, young man. If you wish to be with these people, then so be it. Your will may as well be the right one. I would doubt so¡­ but the ball is yours to throw, son. And, yes, abandon this lonely old uncle of yours, while you''re at it, humph!" he yfully said, though I couldn''t tell whether he didn''t really think that or not. "Do not despair," he ced a hand on my head, caressing it.


    Many paths were still avable to me, ording to him. What I could do if I really wanted to go with people who didn''t ept me, was lie to them. As far as he was concerned, that Character''s Creation quest, he reminisced, I could get it done, obtain that character of mine and get back to them then. I could, after that, somehow convince them to take me in, as they previously epted the Tiny Bro of the Bro-Ther-Thieves gang, and live a new happy life with them. The n he proposed could work, but it might as well not. "Well, at the very least, reflect on your condition a bit. You told this old man you were only born a few days ago, but you, young man, don''t look the part at all. Only sometimes." That ''only sometimes'' bit wasn''t necessary, but I understood what the old sage meant.


    "I need some time to think." What I truly wanted was a home, I think. That''s what the kind ma''am told me about a person''s home. It was where they belonged. It was where their family was. And family was so precious, she told me. So I needed a home. A monster''s home. When I asked her where my home was, where the monster''s home was, she told me it was far off in the woods anyway. Maybe the elves did me a service, dragging me all the way to here. I needed some time to think. And some thinking material, too.


    "Absolutely. You may spend the night here, ho ho!"


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 35 Ho Ho Ho

    I needed some time to think. And some thinking material, too.


    "Absolutely. You may spend the night here, ho ho!"


    "Hehe. Not that long of a time, but sure, thanks. You tell me about your story now anyway."


    "M-My story!?" the old man blushed. "I-Is it really okay¡­ young man!?" God, sometimes he was really weird. Before I was totally grossed out, he yelled about how he could die with no regrets, now. He always dreamed about telling his grandson stories. Now was the asion. Shaking my head at him, I chuckled desperately. Oh, but now he was troubled, however. I wouldn''t be able to think if he kept on bbering, he said. Waving off his worries, I told him I was eager to know about him. He was an interesting character, that old man. And man, he really seemed happy about that one dreaming true. So I let him.


    "Come on, I tell you. Tell me about you before I change my mind¡ª"


    "Y-You don''t have to tell me twice!"


    Grumbling some words about his story being uninteresting andcking romance, he had a hard time getting himself started. Before long, he began telling me about himself. Unlike me, the old man said, he was far in the old ages. It was a long time ago, then. He lived in a castle, he told me, without much detail. Someday he lost his father due to a tragic ident. And as was always the case in affairs of family inheritance, after a long war between uncles and aunts, he and his brother had to get out of the castle.


    Not having any mom either, and after a series of other unfortunate events that befell him and his brother, he became homeless. War, in fact, only begets trouble, he exined. It never achieves peace. And who would care for little boys, who were orphans no less, especially during times of war? They went through misery and much poverty. It was hard, but they''d managed to get by, resorting to the use of wicked questionable means. Again, he didn''t give many details. He and his brother just wanted a home to survive in. Just like me, at present. Before he probably could finish his story, I interrupted him.


    "Where did you find it, then, your home?" My fingers drew circles on the t table, I didn''t bother to look up at him. After he let out a "Hmm?" I continued. "Where''d you find it, then, your home. ¡­So I can find my own. Where did you find it so I can find the monster''s home¡­"


    He took a long sip before honestly answering my question. "I don''t know. Or rather, I know, but I cannot know. Son, I understand you inquire not about my home, you rather ask about yours. And to your question, I, unfortunately, do not have an answer. However, I know. I know what''s on your mind. I know how heavy that is. And I¡­" For once, as he said, he didn''t have any words. What he carried his silence with, though, left me utterly shocked. "In fact, I am a monster too."


    "Huh!?" My mouth dropped open and I raised my voice more than necessary. "I-Is that true, old man?! Why didn''t you tell me?!" He''d surprised me. That was only natural, wasn''t it? I was looking for fellow monsters. Not the mindless ones that went after the people, causing them harm¡­ some unique ones. Some simr to myself. And, out of the blue, just like that, he confesses that? He hurriedly replied to me, so as not to make me confused. In fact, he was not a monster. But he would exin what he meant.


    "Feelings," his lips moved graciously. "Feelings, feelings, feelings," he then repeated. "I know you have feelings. You showed me as much. You also told me your story ording to what you felt rather than¡­ what you ''saw'', let''s say. Humans feel and see. They do both. Mindless animals¡ªthat includes monsters, young man¡ªonly see and hardly feel. Animals do have feelings, don''t get me wrong, but they are different from us. They feel a different ''feel''. And yes, son, I say ''us''. They are different from us. Why, for they mostly live in the present, always. They worry not about tomorrow. They only worry about today, about the present moment, and that is what qualifies them as animals. Thus it may be known to you, son, that the most beautiful quality a person will ever have should always be discovered in the act of... ''working''... but I digress. As I said, monsters are no different from animals, fundamentally. Or psychologically, let''s say. They are different.


    "So when you ask me, young man, about the monster''s home¡­ What this old man wishes to tell you is that the monster''s home is not your home. Far from it. Going by the popr meaning of the term, you are no monster. The one who tells you this has brought wrong doings upon himself, and wrongdoers never seed. You are no monster. That is because you feel the future. You feel the worries that have yet toe. You feel, you think, and due to your condition, due to your rarity and specialness, you ache, son."


    Looking up at that eerie old man, I blinked twice. "Will you now cease going after it? Will you cease longing for a home that isn''t yours? Young man. Hmm, this mighte off as weirding from someone you only met hours ago, that is so, a long discussion ago, but your home could be here, know it." At his words, the growing grin on my face couldn''t be helped. It wasn''t like he told me I should just go and unpack my things here to live with a grumpy gramps like him, but still, what he said had much strength. And if I so wanted, he would dly ept me by his side. I was d I chose to stay with that old man. But despite that¡ª


    "I-I refuse!" I stuttered.


    "O-Oh!?"


    "Sharing my home with a creepy geezer like you?! You dream on!" I said, hiding my embarrassment.


    "Y-Young man!? No! My grandchild!" After his long, wise touching speech, I managed to shake him. Serves him right for being so cocky with all his pretty words, heh! "My grandchild!" My old man grabbed me by my shoulders and shook me back and forth. "C-Can you address such horrible words to me, now!? After I was brave and uttered thatst statement at the end, hmm!?" It''s true he was brave. So he had a third mode now? He could be a wise, reliable old man when he wanted¡­ but he instantly went back to being grumpy and childish after my refusal.


    "Of course I can, you creepy old man!" I yelled back, brushing his arms off my shoulders. And thus we argued and fought back and forth, without any bad feelings between us, just yfully and happily, up until weughed a lot for a long time. He had his Ho ho ho and I had my Ha ha ha. I truly liked this old man. The System picked the right guy. After a while, we managed to calm down. Both he and I were having a good time, and that''s why I thanked him. "Still though, old man¡­ Thanks."


    "Humph!" he harrumphed, his arms crossed on his chest. "Not like I''m pleased by it!" he embarrassingly blushed, fidgeting his hands, a stifled smile on his face. Now he really did give me the creeps!


    "Heh, you crazy old man. Thanks. You''re a charitable guy. I like it. It''s something Ick, charity."

 Chapter 36 Mocked Him

    "Heh, you crazy old man. Thanks. You''re a charitable guy. I like it."


    After the old man''s beautiful discourse, I changed my mind. What all the words he had spoken meant was basically that, if I was a monster, he was a monster too. That also meant that if he was a human, then I was one too. We were the same, any race or group of people we belonged to shouldn''t matter in the least. Peace was the way he had chosen. Be it a human, a demi-human, or even a sentient monster¡ªdealing with all three he would stay the same. He truly was a charitable person. I admired him for it. He was a man of no enemies. But I wasn''t like him. All of what he said was beautiful, but the reality surely was different. The world was. Outside, I guess I was still most of everyone''s enemy.


    "What have you decided, young man?"


    To this simple question, I could reply with so many words and ideas. All I really wanted was food, sleep, and be all right. Oh, I wanted to be strong too, in order to be granted permission to live. Who knew what other mana-wielder woulde after me after that first one if I wasn''t strong. Also, I wanted to have fun and be happy. I didn''t want to sleep on the street with the rats anymore. I wanted to eat good Yum Yum Spicy Magical Starry Noodles.


    I wanted the elves to leave me alone. And thinking back on what would my dream job be, I''d think of an adventurer, or monster-hunter, job. But really, all of that could be regrouped andpressed into a single wish.


    I wanted to be superior.


    That''s everything anyone should ever need. That''s what I thought anyway. And if anyone ever said the opposite, then they were either dumb or a liar. Being superior, dangerous, best, excellent was worth everything good in the world. And though, in my case, it might have been a selfish way of going about life, it was an efficient one.


    "Okay, old man. It''s not like I didn''t think about it, you know. That path, yeah, sure, I could take it. Why not, after all? I could just go and forget about the kind ma''am altogether. She and her daughters were my enemies. If anything, I also know to be cold and callous. If push came to shove, I wouldn''t hesitate to sacrifice their lives for mine. I''m no charity man like yourself. Sure, why not deviate from that path they offered me. But how?" When I stopped talking, only silence replied to me. As that was no response at all, and thinking the old man probably wanted me to further my thought, I carried it on.


    "It''s fine, yeah, sure. I know you''re trying to help. That''s actually what the quest (or the System, you know) told me you''d do, by the way. You''re trying to help¡­ but how would it all work out?" I was alone in the world. I didn''t mind it, don''t get me wrong, but as far as I knew, I was clueless about most of everything about the world. Sure, when I hopped into my first human, getting the Consciousness passive skill and all, I obtained knowledge about the world. Knowledge about most basic, general things, really. Butmonsense and wisdom were something I didn''t have.


    And without that, I had no direction. I wasn''t against breaking off from that kind ma''am, who was in fact, depending on how I''d look at it, my enemy, but where to go, and what to do? I was just born a few days ago, I came into existence right then and there, but what now? What was toe? To be an adventurer? To grow stronger and earn my right to live? How?


    Telling all of that to the old man, I might have overdone it. In fact, maybe I was being too dramatic. I knew it couldn''t possibly be that hard, with time and effort. But that''s what I said anyway. "So you present me with solutions now, old man." Alternatives. It''s other ways that I needed. Other paths and directions. I needed a clear itinerary before I did anything. I directed my interrogation to the old man because I knew he would have solutions for me. The System wouldn''t have guided me here if he wasn''t any use. That old man had to gift me some presents. Unsurprisingly, I was right right on the spot.


    "Alternatives, you say, young man¡­ Is that not quite easy?" If the System appointed him, then there had to be a reason.


    "Tell me?"


    Being all strong and living by myself. Not depending on anyone. Earn my right to live. And progress like this down that path, without ever stopping nor being stopped. To sum it all up, that''s what the old man proposed to me as a solution. That was his n. Being strong was a must-have. I was d we were understanding each other. "You are weak," the old man stated. Before I had time to slice his throat (yes, I was being way overconfident), he urged me not to misunderstand. "I''m just quoting this first enemy of yours."


    When my eyes softened, he continued. The ck swordsman told me this. Or rather, he taught it to me. Telling me I''d die because I was weak, he kindly offered a lesson. If I wanted to not die, I had better be superior, because that''s what ultimately earned one''s own right to live. From what the old man perceived, I had gotten to grow quite strong after that very lesson was taught to me. He was right. I learned lots of new skills and increased in both level and aptitude. "As far as brute strength is concerned, that is. But yes, young man, you possess might. This old man can tell."


    What could I be doing then? Rather than talking about real practical solutions, paths, or alternatives we both saw about my future, going on a tangent, I mentioned the System to him. The goal here was to see if he knew something. Because the old man was quite knowledgeable, but to what extent?


    "Also," I looked at him, "I told you about that thing already, you qualified it as mysterious and mystical, but¡­ the System, yeah, you know that''s actually the reason why I first got to sit my butt here, with an unknown old scary dude¡ª" He spat out his tea, coughing like mad. "¡ªyou heard right, with an unknown scary old dude and talked at so great length about my life, story, or whatever you''d call it. Well, shortly, what do you happen to know about it?"


    The old man replied saying it was a most interesting thing. And so, stroking his gray chin, I picked his interest. True I had mentioned such a mystical ''System''. He knew not much detail about that sort of thing, however, as he exined that I should not expect too much from the grumpy old man that he was. That old man was still a man of books, though, so before he blurted a lot of academical or scientific nonsense (nonsensical only to me), he pointed out that it, the System, must have been about some sort of ancient benediction of some sort.


    Mana was what basically ruled the world. It was the Force of the world. It was the Rule. The Order. What people might have referred to as God. Well, Mana, in a poetic, non-literal sense, loved people. Some more than others. Some people who happen to be truly ''loved'' by it receive benedictions from it.


    The power (or benedictions) was actually theirs, it only manifested in this way. In the way of ''guidance'' from the World, or the Mana, and thus¡ª "And thus does this old man may or may not remember correctly about it. From the top of my head anyway, that is what you describe to me should be about. ¡­Or maybe not at all and this old man could not be more wrong! You see, son, even to the eldest of souls, the world is an immense ce. I could be wrong. As a matter of fact, I must be wrong. As strong as you may be, and for better or worse, young man, I more than doubt you would possess such ancient, legendary benediction."


    I mocked him saying he was jealous, but he was not.

 Chapter 37 Grandchild

    "As a matter of fact, I must be wrong. As strong as you may be, and for better or worse, young man, I more than doubt you would possess such ancient, legendary benediction."


    I mocked him saying he was jealous, but he was not.


    He mentioned an ''eldest soul ever'' to me, and I thought he might qualify for the title. Congrattions, old man, you have obtained the Eldest Soul Ever Title, would the System say. Seriously though. Before I could stop him because such philosophical discussions only annoyed me right now, he talked to me about power, and how much of a curse it was. That''s why he said for better or worse when telling me I didn''t qualify for that ancient benediction of his. But I won''t mention the speech about true power and its consequences he gave me. He also then said, regarding the System, that I was far too little and didn''t know anything about how immense the world was, and how weak I could be in front of truly stronger beings. That''s why it was highly unlikely I would possess such a legendary power. He even prophesied that if I had anything like that at all, I was sure to leave my mark on the world. That mark could be either a scar or of profit. Needless to say, he nheless asserted, seeing how much of a cheeky brat I was, he could instantly see I was no such legendary person. Rude, old man!


    Raising such a heavy question, my goal was to test the old man''s knowledge. No, it wasn''t like I could tell whether he was wrong or right about anything he said. Still, I trusted that, after all he told me in such a short period of time about the System, or what it potentially was, that old man was the real dead. A big shot with the books. I wasn''t done yet, by the way. The next question I threw at him was another one I deemed essential to get answered, too. If I came to life in the first ce, it was because of Faith. Or rather, Faith Points, as the System neatly quantified it. Without mentioning that I was ''born'' through this ''faith'', when I recounted my story to the old man, I just said as the human said, "the unssified unique monster just spawned in the restaurant for no apparent reason; a sorry ident." That wasn''t exactly a lie since, in the end, Faith or not, mying to this world really was just an ident, from my perspective. Anyway, I asked the old man about Faith in general.


    His answer was that Faith indeed could bring ''beings'' that did not exist before to life. That was in fact the case for most legendary monsters, fairy elementals, or kami, even. People conceptualized, imagined, and believed in a ''being'' so much that the power of their ''faith'' would bring the thing alive.


    When I came to this world, the System said the following: Enough Faith Points have been registered ¡ª Materializing Procedure is issued. Well, to make things clear, briefly, the old man answered by exining that the concept of Faith had the power to make things and beingse alive. Be it about the religious kind of faith or not¡ªthe simple act of "believing" in whatever was the subject of one''s inner fantasies could bring legendary creatures alive. Just like it be the case with magical elementals, legendary monsters, or even divine spirits, who people also referred to as "gods." Naturally, such a phenomenon, the old man wisely mentioned, was nomon urrence at all. Whew, didn''t that mean I some kind of super big stuff? An existence on par with that of a "god," eh?


    Continuing the exnation, the old man eximed himself. "What a good example! Do you not know about ''that'' famous dragonmen n''s leader, for instance, young man? Oh! I guess you would not." Well, that n''s leader was a huge, magnificent winged creature. A dragon as huge as three mountains. Listening to the description of that legendary divine dragon he used as an example, I was told that the creature was also the result of Faith. That didn''te as a shock, but I guess I was in a simr condition to that divine winged creature.


    As I said, it probably meant I was that kind of big shot, but I didn''t think much of it. After all, the kind of Faith that had brought me in the world was also simply that of three puny humans: One storyteller and his two nephews. They were the ones who both narrated and listened so attentively to my story, some "Tale of the Ancients," as it was being taught, in the very first moments I experienced, remember?


    As the old uncle further described what ''that'' kind of creature felt, looked, and sounded like, I cut him short, telling him my question was answered, saying thank you.


    By now I had already decided on what my ''alternative'' would be. He answered my question the way I imagined he would, and now my future¡ªthe path I would tread on from now on¡ªslowly began to take shape in my head. To test his knowledge and reliability further, I then asked the old knowledgeable man about what the System called Nobility. The old man shut his eyes tight (he always did that when he thought up an answer), and severely nodded to me. "Nobility. Indeed. Nobility. Hmm. There is in the world, young man, what you might call ''noble creatures''. And in fact¡ª"


    "All right, done!" I suddenly mmed my hands on the table. "Thanks for answering my questions, old man."


    "W-Why, but of course. It was my pleasure. Though I believe I haven''t answered thest of your¡ª"


    "I know," I nodded at him. "But it''s fine. I already know about Nobility. It''s that thing that lets you basically evolve!"


    "Not exactly. But sure, at a basic level. Evolve. Hmm. Did you know already?"


    I said that I did. And anyway, now, I finally stood up. My legs were so numb from sitting without moving much for that long. Stretching and warming up a little, I heaved a sigh of pleasure. "Haaah~ That does feel good." Then my eyes dropped down, meeting with my old man''s gaze. "What are you waiting for? Stand up, already. Or are you too old for that?"


    With a bewildered look on his face, he spoke. "Are you already leaving? Aaah, well! You have been a greatrade for a discussion, young man. It should be wrong of me to keep you more!"


    "Heh," I scoffed. "So you''re too old, eh?"


    "Certainly not. I will stand up at once and see you off to my door. You maye back whenever you¡ª"


    "What are you talking about, old man? See me off?" As I said that, my eyes locked with his. "No. You''lle with me."


    "Young man. You have me lost again. W-What could you possibly mean¡­?"


    "Get yourself up. We''re leaving this ce. You and your loneliness¡­ I can''t possibly leave you behind, right? Oh, and yeah, should have I asked for your permission first? See when I told you Ickmonsense¡­ Ah, good grief. You''lle with me, though, right? O-Oh, right, but I should exin, shouldn''t I. With you by my side, I''m as knowledgeable as could be. Living out in the world won''t be a problem for me then. W-What''s with that face, now, eh, old man? Y-You''re tearing up!? N-No! H-Hey! I said no! Back away! I''ll run! Don''t you dare hug me with that face full of snot¡ª"


    Thus I made my first real friend. And thus we left on a trip together. We first met, with that crazy old tea-sipper, then we chatted a lot, then we went off together. Like I said, if I was to be apanied by such apetent, and most knowledgeable, advisor, then I could brave whatever hardship life might throw at me. Now, I let him join my group. I figured I would need help outside. So we grouped together. Well, for now however, I wasn''t still sure about what path I would be taking, with that old consultant by my side¡­ but I was sure I would figure it out further down the road. It all first started with a quest from the System, and now, as if it were entirely normal, the old man joined hands with me. Why I didn''t know. He was probably just that kind of grumpy old man, I supposed. We sealed our deal with a hug, even though I was totally opposed to it. It was actually crazy to see with how much strength he embraced me, his now ''favorite'' young man of many stories, with a face full of snot and tears. "I have a grandson!" he kept yelling. "You truly are my grandchild!"


    "Yeah, yeah¡­ Now get off of me!" So much strength, I tell you. Try as I might, pushing him off wasn''t in my ability. It was for the best, though, I think. I was d he was at least that much happy. God, what stupid old man have I even teamed up with?


    The quest had long since been validated and changed, by the way. At first, I needed to keep the old manpany. A long while back, during the time he was telling me the beginning of his own story¡ªstory that he didn''t even get to finish up, now that I think about it¡ªit had been validated, and changed to other instructions.


    ? Character''s Creation Quest ¡ª An old man''s heart is never filled more with happiness than when his grandchild tells him he loves him! ¡ª For the record, I never said that ¡ª But that isn''t all! When his grandchild finally gets to have his Character and start the Game, an old man''s heart is filled with happiness more than ever. The Dryads of the Benelloan Forest are allies to the yer and await the yer in order to grant him his need. Let the yer then keep braving the Forest''s dangers and meet with the Dryads, the Sisters of the Forest. The yer is certain to be helped by them in the undertaking of creating his Character!


    ? Instructions: With the elves, head to the Inner Forest. 0/1 ?


    "Shall we get going?"

 Chapter 38 Sakusen

    Again, the opening door creaked. White-haired was standing not so far away from the entrance. If people didn''t know better, they would have thought he was guarding it. "Princess! You finallye back," the elf dered, storming to me. In fact, he was more of a stalker than a guard. Like the loyal dog he was, he didn''t dare to be slow as he went on barking at his master with panic.


    But I would do as I was told. I would act as per the ''n''. "Princess this! Princess that!" I loudlyined, pulling a face full of disgust. "Will you only shut up, you dumbshit, huuuh?!" I acted the part of the mad mafia boss pissed at whatever crap a rookie had done. If people didn''t know better there too, they would have thought me a most cruel bully. "Where''s my lunch money, you shithead, huuuh?!" A pulsing vein popped on my forehead.


    The elf rushed to me right after I exited the old man''s abode. And right away, I calmed him down. Just as per the n, yes. "Thought you understood! Damn it," I angrily hissed.


    "Princess¡­!"


    Humph. And I was d to see my acting brought up good results. The boy calmed down obediently. Needless to say, he had been intimidated by my game. "Don''t you also think of touching me, eh. You keep your distance! In the quality of being your ruler, I order you to do so," I hollered at him when he made to approach me, and he fell back into his ce then again, hiding his head like a scared turtle.


    Exiting after me from the abode, the old man followed closely. Walking beside me, he put a hand on my shoulder and then whispered in my ear. "That is brilliant. Ho ho. The acting is good. Keep it like this. Be firm with them. They indeed stay your subjects." You heard the man. I was apparently doing well. d to hear that. "White-haired!" In my momentum, I had to act like the mad boss or bully, again. "Distance!" The elf backed further away. "Back to your carriage now," I spat.


    "Yes¡ª Immediately, Princess!" It was just as the old man said. Bossing them around really worked. My few shots at practicing told me as much, I was sure. These two, they''re still my subjects. My servants. They''re under me, so any direct order I give them must be obeyed and followed to the letter. Why that was, I didn''t know. But it had definitely something to do with me being their royalty. I mean, I wasn''t actually, but well, who cares about that when it''s actually of profit to me. To disobey their ruler, for the disciplined, traditionalist, and timid people, the elves, was absolutely an untouchable action to put forth. It was unapproachable.


    Dare they disobey me and they would see. Before, when they kept dragging me all around, they made sure to often put me to sleep during the trip. With their strange spell that made me drowsy as hell. If they knocked me out in this way, I wouldn''t be able to oppose them. Right? Well, it''s not like I was always sleeping under their influence, though.


    Otherwise, I wouldn''t have been able to run off. But still, that was a nice way for them to avoid any contradicting ordersing from their princess, I thought. Now that I clearly gave White-haired the order of backing off, to keep his distance from me, and get back to his damn chariot, he obeyed me right away.


    And that was all about the first piece of my old man''s well-cooked n. Giving me a bit of background about the elves and their ways, I was informed that, all thanks to some sort of Forest''s Spirit and Benediction, or something, these two couldn''t directly oppose me, their ruler. How did the elven peoples around the world choose their ruler among themselves? Their forests did. There was some magic to that.


    That''s how royalty was basically elected among elves. The ruler of the elves was thus considered the representative of the forest and its will. A very much sacred being, to say the least. And somehow, as said elves always lived and swore by their sacred forests, going against the forest''s, or the ruler''s, wishes, more often than not, meant a fate worse than death to them. I knew I''d picked the right man to apany me out; the old man informed me well.


    Were the two elves to disobey me, they would incur the wrath of the forest. Giving these two orders, I just had to add the bit ''In the name or quality of being your ruler, I order you to listen'' and they would more than think twice of disobeying me. The wrath and disapproval of everything that was precious to them. That''s why, by the way, even at a time of war like today, it was near impossible for an elven people to retreat out of their forest. It was far too important to their people.


    But anyway, about my two stupid elves, were they to disobey me, they would risk bing unfaithful dark elves. That''s how, at present, White-haired instantly executed the order when I delivered it.


    As the elf went and put my order to execution, I called back to him. "That''s an order, eh! Careful with what you do! I''ll have you know I''m the ruler here!" Turning back to me with a confused look, he nodded at me, still executing my order, and eagerly yelled he definitely understood. He probably thought I mocked him, but no. I just happened to overdo it.


    I mean, yeah. I just got to rx, I thought. That one was just a blunder. I''ll just shrug it off. That elf really did obey me without raising a brow. And what my helpful elder said must be true. "So? Is that much ''doing a great job'', old man?"


    The old man said that it was. Chuckling, he also urged me not to be too harsh on them. He knew I didn''t like them so much they were annoying, but no good woulde of overdoing it. Worst case scenario, they would disobey me for real, risking losing their forest''s benediction and taking me ''hostage'' again. "Though if it came to that," my advisor eyed me and nodded, "I woulde to you people and chase the two abductors off."


    "Okay."


    "They''re really going through tough times, though, ho ho." It was true. From my perspective, however, it still didn''t excuse the fact that I had to always guard myself around them. The two elves could still be a danger to me. But so long as I was firmly getting myself obeyed, since I was their princess and royalty, there would still be no real problem whatsoever. The carriage was stationed a dozen meters away from the old man''s house.


    White-haired, too, was stationed there, right next to the big chunk of wood. He was waiting for me toe so that he could slide open the door, like the polite gentleman he was, allowing my safe passage in that box. Sightseeing using Mana Perception, I could see the hideous elf was inside, patiently waiting for me toe too. Both I and the old man were strolling towards it.


    "You''ll be sure to watch me from above, though, old man?" Tugging at his dress'' sleeve, I told him to be super careful, too. "You never know when they''re using their, uh¡­ what did you call it again?"


    "Elves are renowned throughout the whole continent for their skill at archery, runes, and charms," said my old man. Incidentally, what I told him about what the elves used against me, what I called stored spells, were elvish runes. He put a hand on my head and continued, "If you do as I told you, I strongly believe there will be no instance of the two of them, your faithful subjects, trying anything funny against the only remaining princess of their kingdom. Have some faith in this old man, would you?"


    "Sure. I''m just making sure we think the same. You never know with these guys."


    "Ho ho ho. So you can be spineless too, young man!"


    "Of course. Call me cowardly. That''s how I hope to survive."


    "Humph! I should say I only jest. This old man simply wanted to tease you. s, my grandchild grew so quickly out of his immaturity! You have be a man now!" the old man tragically said, theatrically waving his arms around. Then he cleared his throat. "Though yes, young man. I reckon your¡ªno, our venture will be carried seamlessly."


    "As per your smartly concocted n," I remarked. "I was right to take you with me." The n, our n, I didn''t prepare it on my own. It was mostly him, telling me how I would go about things. I pointed out the end of some goal, and he carved down a path all the way to it, telling me what I needed to be aware of, what to watch out for, and asionally even opposed certain of my ideas when I tried to take the lead.


    "There there. You shall be perfectly fine." The old boy also made a point to tell me not to be too spineless. He said I highly underestimated myself. And if I kept worrying that much about everything, I''d end up going bald before even he would. Iughed at his remark and thought it was true. "Since we are ready to get on the move then. Shall I go?"


    "You go. And at the end of it all, you''ll be North. Talk to you then. If everything goes ording to n, that is."


    "For sure, young man."

 Chapter 39 Demons Army

    "You go. And at the end of it all, you''ll be North. Talk to you then. If everything goes ording to n, that is."


    "For sure, young man."


    Just like this, my old advisor disappeared into the forest. A jump sufficed for his silhouette to melt away in the canopy of trees above. Hended upon the highest branch, and from then on, he would watch over me. And deal with most of the problems, too. At the end of it all, after we would meet up in the end, a few days from now, I wouldn''t be an elven princess anymore, thanks to his hard work. He also wouldn''t be the same peaceful old man. After he worked for me from above, his hands would be painted red, full of blood.


    The man''s white tunic would also be dotted with crimson pearls here and there. The honest worker he was would get his part of the job done. And though we may talk of a ''n'' like it was some intricate andplicated n of action, the scheme wasn''t soplex at all. The old man simply had to protect me from a distance¡ªhe confided to me there was absolutely no chance I and my group could travel safely within the woods.


    ? At present, due to the war and many other woes, the forest was just that dangerous a ce. I, on my own, could most surely handle the dangers of the woods, the old man exined to me, but with my two tagalongs, traveling with no casualty would be a hassle. In these two stupid elves'' woods, a war was roaming free, after all. Or the aftermath of it, rather. Still, the enemies, though they were scarce, still posed a threat within the Western part of the sacred forest.


    Anyway, the trees were very high. As such, that reliable old man had to jump so high it was breathtaking. Gifting me a light whirlwind after he''d gone, he was just off. It was impressive, and no, in case you might be wondering, just anyone couldn''t pull a jump that high off.


    What he just did proved he might be as strong as he was reliable in terms of knowledge. Waving after the afterimage of his dash, I inwardly said goodbye. I was left alone again. For now. And so, step after step, I promptly walked to the creaky chariot over there. What greeted my sight there was White-haired''s usual saddened face.


    His face was almost always as is. A wild mixture of remorse, self-resentment, and sorrow. So I thought of giving the man another order. After I asked him to "please smile," his face brightened up with a smile that wasn''t faked in the slightest.


    "I-It is normal for you to be¡­ afraid and scared, Princess," he said, opening the mouth he should have kept shut. "It is¡­ going to be¡ª" I ordered him to shut up. After he opened the door for his royalty, I waved a hand at him, telling him not to speak for now. Three big steps got me up inside their creaky chariot. After them, you were inside the carriage, taking a ce on the cold bench. That moving box was as tight as ever. I said as much and urged White-haired toe in.


    "Hurry it up. Come in here. I have to talk to you guys." I had something super important to tell my men. The kinder elf was punctual and quick. He came and sat in front of me. Hideous was here too. He was inside all along. It amused me to see he had been properly healed, so I scoffed at him. When I did so, he cast his eyes downward, unblinking. My eyes squinted at the two, and leisurely leaning back, I extended my arms on the back of the seat, making myselffortable. I had to talk to these two. White-haired had my attention. The hideous elf didn''t, looking as pathetic as always. Despite all that happened before, he wasn''t ready to change his behavior, hmm? Whatever.


    "Your princess," I said. Regardless of whether he listened or not, I had the important piece''s attention. I just had to get ''it'' done, then. Argh, I didn''t want to say it, however. "Your princess, huh¡­" I muttered to myself. My eyes were now cast downward too. My elbows rested on my knees. "Your princess¡­ right¡­?"


    "What is¡ª"


    "I am your¡­ princess. You two''s princess. That''s right. That''s me. I am your princess." And I finally said it. It was trying and difficult to do so. Plus it was also embarrassing. Damn.


    "O-Of course you are¡ª" White-haired eyes lit up. Hideous still stared at his feet.


    "I am your princess and you will do as I say." I straightened my back up and let out a long sigh. It might not have sounded like that big of a deal, saying all this, but it was hard on me. "Is that clear to the two of you?" Was it clear? I spent all my energy so far making sure I''d tell these two cockroaches I wasn''t who they thought¡­ and I was sure it started to sink in by then.


    With that clear-cut sentence, however, I shattered all the foundations of my precedent efforts altogether. I needed to do so. To act the part of their princess and ruler. If not, my old advisor said I wouldn''t be able to make good use of them. I needed to get to the Dryads, and these elves would help me do just that. For whatever other reasons that had to do with the Sacred Benediction of the forest, or something, the old man said I needed to have them with me. Seeing how knowledgeable and well-versed he was, I believed he was right.


    "Princess¡ª"


    "White-haired!" I called him out with two icy eyes. "I''m not done speaking. The way you have always behaved¡­ and spoken freely as you please does not sit right with me. No it does not." Yeah, I might have been overdoing it again. "From now on, you will speak when I say you speak. Is that clear?" Oh and, I thought, am I pressuring them again?


    Aura, huh? The old man spoke of that, too. All you had to do was let some mana leak off of you, and be hostile too. White-haired was meeting my gaze so far, but presently, he kept his unblinking eyes down like his friend. They felt only a little tremor, I wasn''t actually trying to intimidate the boys, but I saw it still shook them a little. Fidgeting and sweating. The two of them. It was cool, however.


    I wasn''t against pushing them a little bit every now and then. If they were scared, the likelihood they knew their ce was evidently higher. "And¡­ as your royalty, I have something I need the two of you for. Indeed, people, we will go and meet with the forest''s Guardians. The Dryads." Cutting a clear pause here, I was satisfied to see neither of them spoke.


    "I assume you know who the Dryads are. Of course you do. Well, you heard me correct. We''ll go and meet up with them, for I might have a way of dealing with our enemy. The¡­ Demon Lords'' Faction." Well, and that deration, I hoped, would be enough. White-haired, by now, couldn''t contain himself. The boy clearly was agitated. He knew to show some restraint but was now nearing his limits. "That''s verymendable, White-haired." Extending a hand to him, I appeased him. "You may speak briefly now."


    "Y-Yes, Princess!" In his state of restlessness and agitation, in his panic, or overflowing energy, he even tried to get up at once, only to find a ceiling on top of his head and whack it with an "Ouch!" "Princess. Far from me the idea of offending you but, presently, it should be impossible for us to¡ª"


    "Meet with the forest''s Sisters, right? I know. We still have to, however."


    "About the demons'' army¡ª"

 Chapter 40 Arsonists

    "Y-Yes, Princess!" In his state of restlessness and agitation, in his panic, or overflowing energy, he even tried to get up at once, only to find a ceiling on top of his head and whack it with an "Ouch!" "Princess. Far from me the idea of offending you but, presently, it should be impossible for us to¡ª"


    "Meet with the forest''s Sisters, right? I know. We still have to, however."


    "About the demons'' army¡ª"


    "I know that too, White-haired. I understand the terms of war. And I knew you would oppose me on that matter. Obviously you would. For that, I have to thank you. You''re not nearly as good enough an advisor to your princess, White-haired, but I trust you do your best nheless."


    "Princess. Your kind words touch me. I will be sure to try more and meet your expectations." Hideous let out a deprecatingugh, clearly forcing out hisughter with a raised voice. A nce from me sufficed to let him fall back meekly. "Furthermore, I would rather you don''t worry about me. I considered your good advice."


    What good advice might that have been? I didn''t know about any words of advice I gave any people. Seeing my confusion, White-haired exined to me that, upon discovering his sovereign''s strength and hard spirit, he was sure that I, the princess, wouldn''t easily back down from fighting my own little vendetta and ept the True Demon Lord''s conditions for a ''truce''.


    My life and pride were on the line, after all. My eyes widened in surprise. The elf was going to make this way easier than I thought it''d be. I had gotten myself ready to go on a long, tedious argument to convince them my way of dealing with this whole conflict was the best¡­ but I didn''t have to. I was relieved.


    Also, White-haired decided not to doubt the benevolence of her princess anymore. He confessed to me that he had been wrong in trying to force me along with his n. Because as it was now, he trusted I wanted to save their brethren''s lives even more than him. I was the royalty upon which everyone relied.


    "So¡­ Princess. Whether we seed in executing your battle n, your n of action or not, if ites to it, I know you will bend to the demons'' will." It was needless to say White-haired clearly thought we wouldn''t be able to seed with whatever n I came up with. He thought it was vain to even try. Still, if his princess wanted to try to put up a resistance (in a way that didn''t disrupt the present ''peace''), he had no right to deny her wish. Why, because he loved his princess, and because they had time to spare before what he thought was inevitable woulde.


    There was no ''battle n'' to begin with, however. The only task I concerned myself with was that of my quest''spletion. After the mission was done, I was gone. I had no intention to deal with these two troublesome elves'' issues. The war was theirs to fight, not mine. By using them to go and meet up with the Dryads, I simply wished to use them to wrap up the Character''s Creation quest and be done with it.


    After that, sayonara. The ''battle n'', from their perspective, would have evidently failed by then. And with their princess, they could go on and sacrifice themselves for the vain sake of a truce that wouldn''tst anyway. The only problem was their elven princess was already dead, which meant they had no way to deal with the demons'' threat. Like I was going to help these two do anything and meeting with the forest''s Guardians was any part of a greater n to get back at the demons in a fair war.


    "You''re making this easy for me, White-haired," I solemnly nodded at him. "You don''t have to hide it, however. I know but too well how so displeased you must be with my n. Still though, I''m asking for your cooperation. Worst, you must even be more displeased with this whole situation¡­ ourte Kingdom has found itself in. Know it, though. I won''t change my stance without first¡­ trying to put up a good fight, as you so wisely pointed out."


    I was surprised they didn''t ask me what the ''battle n'' actually was, by the way. The old man helped me prepare some nonsense of a n to tell them a while earlier, but I was d my subjects didn''t want me to borate the hows and whys of our sneak-move against the demons. Again, it made things easier for me.


    White-haired stuttered words of thanks to my magnanimity, bowing his head low, and didn''t bother to deny he didn''t like any of the directions I was trying to take. I paused to appreciate the man''s earnest honesty. "We shall move ording to your n then, Princess." He had been working on himself very well from what I could see. In the end, he agreed to my conditions without putting much opposition. It was great. After notifying me that we were still a little tight on time¡ªmeaning we should hurry it and not linger too long with a n that was doomed to fail¡ªWhite-haired''s mind was to be put at ease when I told him he was correct. Hideous was to make the carriage go forward, and we set off.


    "We''re sailing off North then, boys¡ªI mean, my loyal subjects!" Thus the princess and her two priorly not-so-dutiful servants all together set off down the track to pursue the princess'' goal and get her what she desired. Yes.


    That was the story of a meek, weakling of a princess who couldn''t do anything aside from being a pushover and crying herself to sleep during a time of war, who in the span of a single night drastically changed from zero to hero, who now possessed great might and determination, and who now would rule over her people properly, with a cold, strong leading hand.


    That princess, however¡­ Was she after the noble adventurous undertaking of saving her ill-treated people and raise them back to glory? She wasn''t. Ha ha ha. I just needed to get that System''s quest done and follow along with whatever else the System told me to do.


    That was my purpose. And so, just like this, I inwardly bid my farewell to the kind ma''am of the inn, telling her I was sorry I couldn''t help her with today''s customers, and that someday, we shall meet again. Or maybe not. Who cared about that now useless background character.


    Not half an hour after we were gone from the old man''s house, the dwelling caught on fire. Yes, we both thought it would be fun to set it on fire before we left, as both he and I, the new best buddies in the world, were sure we would never turn back and definitely go on an adventure together, we thought it a good idea to burn it to the ground.


    What both the hearty senile old man and I hadn''t thought about was that some trees also caught on fire. Thanks to the moist climate, the fire fortunately didn''t burn down more than a percent of the sacred forest. Still, we made the national elven kingdom TV news being known as the two demon lord arsonists. At any rate, we were gone.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 41 Real Food

    "Food! I want real food~"


    "Yes, Princess!"


    "Real food is important! Right, White-haired~!" I was pumping a fist in the air, holding it to the sky, emblematically. "Real, real important! Is it not so, now, White-haired~!"


    "Yes, Princess!" He could only agree with me.


    "Consider it then a matter upon which my decree hase to pass!"


    "S-Surely, Princess!"


    "So, White-haired¡­ you keep that nasty bag of dried veggies away from my sight!"


    "Immediately, Princess!"


    I was d White-haired understood. Yes. In the little ruckus that shook our creaky carriage, I and my subjects were casually cheering ourselves up. Because, of course, food! Good food has to bring about cheerful spirits, doesn''t it? Aaah~ Good food.


    Right. Today, I was four-day-old, soon to be five. Already my fourth day. I started to think I had gotten quite the long way now and was overall used to living a life. "Hideous. You pull over there. You make sure you don''t scratch my woodenmbo. Park us down here. Right. Hideous, you''re pretty good with horses."


    Clicking his tongue again and again, as I had allowed the man to at least express his resentment and irritation with clicking Tsks, he obeyed his princess. And his tongue clicked a lot. Tsk tsk tsk.


    "Good. We''re hopping off. Yesterday Hideous took care of the horses." I turned and faced White-haired. "Today you will." It was gettingte. To my happy surprise, the forest wasn''t full of trees everywhere. There were some inhabited areas, after all. From these areas, we could see the sky best. And at present, that sky was turning to a dark shade of blue.


    The horses needed something to eat and rest for the night. And we needed a ce to sleep too. Or rather, we wanted to. Well, maybe it was just me. Yesterday night, I had been sick of sleeping on the carriage''s bench.


    White-haired excitedly exited first after his badass princess tasked him with some job. "Hideous, hideous, hideous." I loved the man''s name. "Aren''t you happy too? You won''t sleep on the sturdy ground you''re stepping on right now. Hideous turned and made to step off the chariot. "Sure, Princess." It was the first time he deigned to address me with some words in a while.


    There was an inn. Again. People resorted to those facilities a lot for many needs. Travelers, especially, wouldn''t go anywhere without an inn. For that reason, there were a lot of them. All scattered around the world. Right here too, there was an inn. Despite it being an inn, this one sure was different than the inn we had in Sville.


    In three words, it was dpidated, rundown, and gloomy. Well, that was still a house though. With some food and a bed for the night. In the past, I got to taste some good food. So I wanted some again, the dried foods White-haired had just didn''t cut it for me. A bed, however, I never really tasted that yet. To be quite honest, I was looking forward to the experience.


    My stomach growled. Hushing it, I told him we were getting fed in a few, cradling it in my hands. "Hang in there, stomach. I know you got it in you," I muttered. Moving on, we got inside the inn. After White-haired had taken care of the horses, gotten them fed and everything, he joined me and Hideous: we sat in the inn around one sorry table. My seat supported me just okay. I wasn''t so heavy. But among my two elves however, Hideous must have been the bigger fe because¡ª


    Thud! "Sh-Shitty ce!" The stool he sat on broke down. Heh. And with that reaction, with his face twisted in anger, a huge frown of disgust carved on his fullplexion, that was our good old Hideous who came back. For the past few days he had been way less aggressive, but it was actually to the point even I worried about him. In my worry, I even thought I might have had to change the man''s name. But well there you go. His face was hideously twisted with anger and disgust. After he''d sat on his rotten seat, it copsed under his bulk. And he got hideous again.


    Well, the inns were different, after all. While the outside of the inn didn''t look very pretty, especially thatte at night, the inside wasn''t raising the level even a bit. The ce was so silent and grim. The people¡ªlizardmen, elves, and orcs¡ªcertainly talked to each other, but only with hushed whispers. They were like snakes, in a way. I could hardly imagine the same good cries of joy and celebrations one would hear in the kind ma''am''s ce.


    The war was indeed responsible for a lot of awful things. And people were responsible for the war. Well. Life''s so beautiful. What shocked me the most was the very scarce number of humans roaming about this ce. I had grown used to them thinking they were the majority everywhere, but man, I could barely see one out there. And even when I did, they were cloaked, masked, and hidden.


    "What''s with these¡­ shitty materials¡­? Huh!" Hideousined. The ce was so grim that even Hideous was amodating itself to it for once. He blurted out hisint, being as angry as ever, but in a surprisingly low voice. Was even the bold, hideous elf afraid of making a scene here? After he lifted himself up with rage, he snatched another nearby chair and sat on it. A few stares were directed at our group, and that was it.


    "What will you eat, Princess?"


    "The best you can get me."


    The man stood up, ordered some food, and got back to us. My stomach had had time to sing for only three minutes before the food was ready. Vo! It appeared in front of me. To my disappointment, I only had stewed vegetables on my te. Letting that show on my face, the kinder elf asked what the matter was. I told him I wanted meat. What followed then was eerieing from him, but he suspiciously frowned at me, wondering when did his princesse to enjoy meat? Come on, White-haired. Don''t break on me now. You can''t be having doubts about my identity as your princess right now.


    "I-I''m sorry, Princess¡­ I thought you would enjoy this. I''m truly sorry." His head lowered and he stared at his knees, pinching his lips together. Telling him not to worry about it, even though I desired meat, I would eat what the man got me. I made it clear that, now, the princess was fond of meat, and only meat. My food smelled quite good anyway. White-haired''s eyes lit up.


    He happily nodded at me, a genuine smile on his paleplexion. That smile had so much to tell. He looked at me like a father at his beloved son¡ªor no, daughter. The elf, worried, asked me whether I was really okay with eating what didn''t please my empty stomach or not. He could always go and order something else. I said I was okay, I understood we didn''t have enough money. And to my surprise, I discovered the two of them would still eat their dried vegetables and bread here.


    That made me grateful for what I had. In the end, I kindly ate the contents of my te with noints. I also forced each one of them to at least have a spoonful of what I was served: I fed my boys myself.


    After that, wolfing down the contents of my te didn''t take more than three minutes. Just like this, we were done eating. My stomach was packed. White-haired bought us a room for the night, and we headed upstairs. He directed us to our room. "There it is." We would sleep in this room. There were two beds, we could only afford that much.


    Aside from the beds, no furniture was in the empty room. That was poor. The beds looked all right, at least. There were spider webs everywhere. During the time the two elves settled our affairs in, I had a little time to y with a spider in the room. When I yed with it, I scared it away. And as it was time to sleep, the little spider ran and hid far up in a crease of the wall. I marveled at that sight knowing it was indeed time to sleep. Both I and the spider got to our beds, then.


    Tomorrow will be a long day. ording to White-haired''s calctions, we only needed to go like this for two days straight and we would be in the very inner parts of the woods. The ce in which it was normally forbidden to step.


    The Dryads were at the end of the route, waiting for us toe¡­ and not deliver the elven people from their shackles at all. Only to help me out with the quest. Maybe. I reckoned the elf was right. Remember, what the System put at my disposal, the Guiding Fragrance?


    It kind of worked the same way as Mana Perception, or that''s how I understood it anyway. When I concentrated on it, on my destination or quest, I could feel the System''s directions. It only demanded I paused and focused on it, really. And using that fragrance thingy, I could tell we were nearing the end of the trip.

 Chapter 42 Guiding Fragrance

    Remember, what the System put at my disposal, the Guiding Fragrance? It kind of worked the same way as Mana Perception, or that''s how I understood it anyway. When I concentrated on it, on my destination or quest, I could feel the System''s directions. It only demanded I paused and focused on it, really. And using that fragrance thingy, I could tell we were nearing the end of the trip.


    Oh, and aside from that¡­ "Hm." Upon focusing on Mana Perception, I could also noticeably feel one restless elf''s anger and negative emotions in my vicinity. "Hideous," I called his name. "What is it, Hideous? Hm, Hideous? Is something the matter¡ªwhat are you being all agitated and fidgety for, Hideous?" Shoot, what could possibly be wrong with my Hideous henchman? Was the bullying too much? I was seated on my bed and observed him on his own bed, his back turned to me. "I can feel you''re being disordered as we speak. Speak up your mind, Hideous. What could possibly bother you here, eh?"


    But the elf only sat. Other than that, he did absolutely nothing. Heh, it wouldn''t take long before he would act, however. After brutally throwing two raging eyes at me. He was being unnaturally silent, now he snapped. Punching his bed, he turned two heinous eyes at me. Meeting his re, my eyes turned to a slit. "Acting up again, Hideous? Come on. Be my guest and speak¡ª"


    "Th-Thisedy¡­! Thisedy you''re ying with us¡­!"


    "That''s the way, Hideous," I grinned at him. "Help yourself and speak."


    He thrust a jerky finger at me. The man''s frown deepened so much. "Th-That right now!" All the more restlessly, he agitatedly waved his arms around, stood up with a stomp, and bared his hatred at me. "Th-That''s precisely what I''m talking about! ¡­You, the weak, helpless princess¡­ acting all high and mighty with us¡­ your petty minions¡­! A-As if you were some¡ª"


    "Enough, you!"


    "White-haired! Let the man speak." I couldn''t tell why, but some part of me wanted to hear him out to the end. I waved a hand to Hideous, letting him know he was allowed to continue. No, I rather let him know I wanted him to continue. Just out of curiosity¡­ Probably.


    "You and your¡­ self-sufficient attitude! You better remember that¡­!" The man grew more restless by the minute. Man, if anything, I was d he could get it all out right now. I was sure he would feel better afterward. With a rush of adrenaline and trembling limbs, Hideous then growled at me. "You better remember that you''re father''s dead! Dead an'' buried!" I didn''t expect that at all, however. It shocked even me. "All of this¡­ A-All of what''s happening to this day¡ªall this mess we''re in! Don''t you dare go thinking you''re the only one affected by it! Everything! Turned to shit¡ª"


    "Hey! You have to calm down now. Hideous! But do speak¡­ Just lower your voice."


    "Tur¡ªTurd¡ªTurned to shit... all because of him! Your father¡­! The Great King! Hadn''t he been this self-righteous, hypocritical dumbass of a¡­ shitty leader¡­! We''d not have lost to them demons in the first ce! His goddamn rules¡­ about what ain''t supposed to be fair... or not fair!... or some other crazy shit¡ªthat''s what got us dragged in the shit in the first ce!"


    "Sh-Shut up, Hid¡ªer, I mean, you. That''s enough." White-haired had to stop him. Well, I had the feeling that he was done getting all his animosity out of his system anyhow. Hideous cursed and finished his speech. Well well well. Let''s just hope he had taken that heavy load off his heart.


    Hideous bared his heart to his princess, so beautifully and wholesomely, but man, I had no clue about what he spoke about. I didn''t react to what he said, naturally. I couldn''t actually care less about the contents of hisints.


    The simple fact that, knowing the man, he''d probably feel better after this, and maybe also unfortunately a little scared of terrifying-me, was a good result. I sure as hell didn''t want him to snap out further down the road right in the middle of a fight or anything. Fights were toe. The guy being on edge like this wasn''t reassuring, to be perfectly honest. I preferred to have him calmed down and under control. So anyway¡­ that little exchange was a win for me. I was sure of that.


    But hey¡­ why were my eyes... crying?


    Some kind of glitch? It had to be that, right? I could sense two warm streams running down my cheeks. Why were these tears flowing down so abundantly, I didn''t know. I swear I didn''t. I didn''t even feel the slightest amount of sorrow in me. I just somehow knew that part of me wanted to cry. Crap. That was bad. White-haired sat down next to me and desperately shook his head. ring at Hideous for a second, he turned back to the helpless princess. If he had had any doubts about the identity of his princess, now they were all swayed away by such a childish and girly disy of grief. His princess was only in her young adult years (in the elven culture). He was dismayed to see she had to suffer this much.


    "Princess," he calmly said, massaging my shoulder. "Don''t shed tears. It''s not like what your subject says at all. Far from it." His soft hands now came and wiped the tears off my red cheeks. In my panic, I brushed his hands away and turned to the side. That''s when I understood I had to snap out of ''that'', whatever caused it.


    "I-I''m not¡­ shedding tears or anything¡­ you know. Sniffle."


    Whatever these tears meant, they weren''t mine. They weren''t.


    "S-Stop staring at me!"


    "M-My apologies¡ª"


    "Same goes for you, Hideous."


    That was embarrassing. I felt so embarrassed I couldn''t take it. It was the first time such feelings invaded and paralyzed me. So much terrible it was that I tried to banish them right away. Many thoughts shed through my mind as I tried my best to move on to something else.


    I thought of the old man, the journey, our quest¡­ How many days it had been, the immense superficies of the forest¡­ I thought of the North, where I''d meet the old man at the end. To the North, the old man had told me, there weren''t so many trees and forests anymore. Many ins, londs, and valleys. In about two days, if things went all smooth, I would be there and see suchndscapes. I thought of the dryads. Dryads were at the end of our road. Oh, I also thought about the fears and worries of a certain white-haired elf, about some recent conflict between the orcs and humans taking ce within the woods on our path¡­ and many other fleeting thoughts.


    The elven princess... Was ''she'' crying... inside? Was ''she'' alive...? Did ''she'' need help?


    The atmosphere had grown silent and quiet. I preferred that better to grownup elves tantly staring at me and my tears. Hideous already tucked himself under his nket and faced the opposite side of the room. Seeing that, I guessed I should be doing the same. Sleeping it was then. But just as I started to get down to it, I looked White-haired up. "What are you doing down there?" He had just extended onerge sheet on the floor.

 Chapter 43 Phew

    The atmosphere had grown silent and quiet. I preferred that better to adults tantly staring at me and my ears. Hideous already tucked himself under his nket and faced the opposite side of the room. Seeing that, I guessed I should be doing the same. Sleeping it was then. But just as I started to get down to it, I looked White-haired up. "What are you doing down there?" He had just extended onerge sheet on the floor.


    "Yes, Princess. Preparing my bed, Princess."


    "Ah?" I expressed, raising a brow. "True. You don''t have any bed to sleep on, do you?" I honestly thought he would sleep with Hideous, but apparently no. We were three and there were two beds. "Sorry."


    He asked why I in the world I would be sorry. If anything, he was sorry. That boy sure was something. "Come up here, White-haired." Rolling to the other side of my bed, I made some room for him. "There''s enough space for two." But he refused me. Knowing him, I knew he would. So I insisted, but he refused again. He said he couldn''t dare be so casual and familiar with his princess. Was he that willing to sleep on the ground? If so, I was sorry for him, but I wouldn''t give in. "That''s an order anyway."


    We each took a side of the bed. The bed was wayrge enough. Thus, everything in the world was normal. Perfectly normal. Yup. I insist. Nor-mal. Even the tears I shed back then were normal. Very normal. There was absolutely nothing wrong with those tearsing from me. Absolutely not. It''s not like the true elven princess was still here, ''with'' me, sharing her body together, and that the tears I shed were actually hers. It wasn''t like her true overwhelming feelings of sadness surfaced when Hideous yelled so angrily at her, ming her and her deceased father. I was so very sure of that fact, so much so that when I tucked myself under the nket we had, I did absolutely not think of speaking to the princess in my head in order to see if she would respond or not.


    Don''t tell me she is¡­ no way, I silently thought. She is still in here? The princess? Like, the true elven princess? The real deal? Not just the punk me who stole her body away? I mean, she would definitely be the one crying for that, though¡­ right? Shedding tears is the helpless princess'' job, not mine! Man, I have to try something!


    "C-Can you hear me¡­?" I whispered in a hushed voice, under my nket, well-hidden. My warm breath filled the inside of my hideout, and I waited for my reply. Talking to her directly in my head with my thoughts, nobody responded. I had to take it a step further and be checking out loud. Just to be sure.


    Well, I quite disliked them, these tears. I didn''t believe they woulde from me. I was no crybaby. Aaah, but maybe I was simply super worn out mentally, though. Hence why I teared up a little. Or yeah, teared up a lot. With everything that had happened to me in the past few days, maybe that was just my fatigue ying tricks on me.


    "So¡­ can you hear me¡­ or not?" I whispered again, a little bit louder. I really just needed to get this straight. Was she here or not? "Yes¡­? Or, like, obviously, no¡­?"


    I was given a response.


    "I can hear you just fine¡­"


    So she really could listen. She really was still alive. How in the world? And why? How could she even answer me back? Did she have any mouth to speak with or something? Also, why a manly voice!? That was a total shock to me. But soon, ''she'' repeated it. "I can hear you just fine, Princess," White-haired whispered. "What is it?"


    "Damn it."


    "I-Is everything okay, Princess?"


    "Quiet," I said. "I''m just trying to sleep."


    I guessed I was just tired. Super tired. Worn out to the point of tears. But the fact was that the true elven princess, the girl whom they called Cetha Benelloan, was indeed still with me. And in fact, she was the one who cried back there.


    I was a unique monster. That essentially meant I was different, but also that I possessed one or many unique skills. The Dwelling passive was among one of them. For now, at this point in my story, I didn''t know anything about it.


    Any technical details such as how much mana it consumed or could I use it in depth, or anything rted to that was unknown to me. Later on, when I would get to truly figure out my power and the System, I woulde to uncover said details. About my skills, mostly. Anyway, that Dwelling Unique Skill, I had gone with the misconception of it killing any Receptacle I woulde to ''use'', but that was wrong.


    That misconception was due to the fact that all previous Receptacles died before I ''undwelled'' them. All of them died a death unrted to the Dwelling skill I had, however. But I didn''t know yet. And the elven princess was still here.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 44 Problems

    Problems? White-haired spoke about problems. Complications, he had said, to be more specific. "From now on there might be certainplications on the road. It is likely. But we should be fine following the main path. Maybe." That was precisely what he said. So far, so good. Our journey had been going smoothly without anyplications whatsoever.


    The carriage hadn''t encountered any problem either. The elf worried about its durability, but the creaky box could still go all right. The wheels were still spinning around. And the atmosphere was just calm. Oh, that might not be entirely true, however.


    "Aargh!" "Hyah!" And many other cries. Those sounds White-haired had branded ''shouts''. "Fus roh dah!" Yes. Shouts.


    The shouts were hearding from deep through the woods. People were still battling, remarked White-haired. The elf was a sharp man when it came to judging things and situations right. His appraisal was that the war was still raging after so long due to two reasons: Thete Elven Kingdom became and of nows after the defeat they suffered.


    And also, word was that a conflict between a neighboring human kingdom and a little country of demi-humans - the cursed races ording to some human dogma - had finally hatched. That conflict was just at our border. Naturally then, the conflict extended a little throughout the forest.


    People are still battling, I thought. Battle, huh. Battling sounds like fun. I want to battle too. Though I can''t. White-haired says I can''t fight. That I''m just stuck and trapped in his sorry little chariot. And that there was no escape for me. That''s too bad, really.


    Of course fighting was fun. When you fought, you affirmed your might against your enemies. And what was might again? It was one''s right to live. To live and to do whatever one wanted, really. Thinking I''d just have to ask the old man to take me to a fight or something when we met back, I decided to be patient.


    The shouts wouldn''t stop. Aside from these shouts that we could faintly hear, far away in the distance every now and then, it was pretty much calm though. Our chariot was calm too. I mean, the horses were. As they knew what they were doing, the horses, as long as they weren''t afraid, the passage was totally safe. Probably.


    They sure were silent, however. Just like the carriage too. Was my chariot hushing its creaky whispers because it was afraid? That didn''t bode well! And as it didn''t bode well, we were sure to be caught up in the fight then, I reflected. That was good news to me. But well, maybe those were only my fantasies, you know. Maybe the carriage hushed his creaking thanks to the road here. Unlike the others so far, this one path was neat and well-kept. White-haired called it one of the main roads. The path wasn''t bumpy and messy around here. The creaky chariot didn''t creak and squeak, then.


    Traveling upon that main road was different from what we had had up until now. "Following that path," White-haired had said, "we will be nearing the Forest''s core quicker. After reaching it, we will have to travel on foot, due to the traditions, until we reach the Forest''s Guardians, may the Forest protect them." The Dryads were referred to as Guardians. When mentioning their great name, it was always deemed good to send peace their way. ''May the Forest protect them,'' or something, people would say. These Forest''s Sisters; we were nearing them. They were probably the final goal (of the quest) so it was good news.


    Today, I lost the count. Was it five or six days? Today, I was around one-week-old. From day one to this day, approximately seven suns had shone down on me. As I mentioned, White-haired spoke ofplications along the road. We were going through the forest, and the battling shouts never stopped and always rang. Over and over again. In quick little sessions, like they were all part of a bigger chorus following precise orders from the chorister, neither straying from the intended symphony nor daring to stop the singing.


    They didn''t grow weaker either. Quite the contrary, let me tell you. The chorus was enchanted by its own voice. So much so that the shouts of the sorrowful symphony only grew stronger and nearer. The two elves were on edge. And I stuck my head out the window, neatly scrutinizing the wastnd for warriors and action. The horses kept strolling along the road as they gave me more forest to observe. I wasn''t all that bored, all things considered. And with these shouts ringing out, I so much wanted to get a sight of what was happening out here. Like I said, to me the monster, war sure was fun and exciting.


    This is where I was born and belonged. People were obviously cutting other people down out there, but I wanted to see it with my own two eyes. Mana Perception couldn''t help me with that, unfortunately. I mean, it could, but I would NOT drop my guards around these two. If I spaced out, who knew what they would pull? I was especially concerned about Hideous. At any rate, I consoled myself thinking I wanted to see the battle through my eyes and not any other means. It could only feel real through eyes.


    Oh, but, I thought. The cries I was hearing just now though¡­ why did they stop? Hmm. I can only be wary of that. That''s¡­ suspicious, to say the least. And so they stopped? How utterly boring.


    Though I was against it¡ªoh so firmly against it¡ªthe war''s symphony was brought to an end. Both the elves sighed in relief. I couldn''t do anything to make the shouts not stop, so I didn''t me myself for it. They just stopped anyway. Losing any hope of seeing some super-entertaining and powerful battle movements performed right in front of my eyes, I sat my butt back on my seat. White-haired sat in front of me. Seeing I was disappointed, he tried to cheer me up with a smile. Ever since said cries of war were audible for us to hear, he was stressed. That was natural. "No more shouts, huh," I uttered. "Bummer."


    Yes, it was boring. Dull. Annoying. Overly monotonous. Lacking interest. Just like most of the traveling we aplished with the two elves. I thought of it that way. It had been days now, and it was as long as ever. And I could onlyin about the dull monotony of a peaceful life because¡­ I didn''t know what was about to happen.


    Did I? I did absolutely not. As unfortunate or lucky as it may have been, I was wrong about it being monotonous. So, in the end, it wasn''t all that boring. The atmosphere was so calm and dull. Some super cool stuff was about to go down. Mr. Creaky Chariot and the elves had no way of knowing what would happen. We were all equally ignorant, here. But Mr. Creaky was different. Mr. Creaky was ignorant, too, but he wouldn''t alsoe out of this in one piece. Mr. Creaky was about to die. He was directly on the frontline¡ª


    "Aaargh!" "Wooo!" From either side of the road, two groups of people rushed out of their hiding ces. The bushes ruffled and shook as the two groups were leaping at each other''s throats. "B-Battling shouts!" My eyes lit up and sparkled. "Th-They came back!" A beaming slime washed over my face. As hurriedly as excitedly, I tried to get a look at them. Both groups didn''t stop. A second ago they were facing each other, but right now the two clouds of warriors blended together into a bigger stormy cloud. Thunderous roars resonated. The sight was awesome.


    The shouts didn''t stop, then. That was really exhrating, but it wasn''t all. The live fighting taking ce a demi-dozen meters away was now so real I could see it. The elves reacted slower than I''d have thought. It was only then that White-haired barked at Hideous to hold on to the horses tight. We had to stop, and quickly. It seemed to me I was the only guy hyped about the fight in my group.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 45 Lucky

    What was wrong with these people? Couldn''t they just chill out a little bit and appreciate the unfolding scene?


    Well, aside from his tantly annoying resistance to getting a fun moment together, White-haired was right to stop the horses. Let them be calmed and stilled. We needed them in one piece after our little pause. What in the world woulde after ''that'', though? Wouldn''t we be robbed and stuff? The horses neighed and pulled back. Now that we were stationary, the ongoing battle was right in front of us.


    White-haired cursed. "Damn it! What luck kind of luck is that! We aren''t even through much of the road yet!" How lucky we were. A beautiful spectacle like this one was brought to us for free. It was just as White-haired had said.


    The thunderous roars didn''t stop filling our ears. nging swords weren''t so reluctant to cry and sing along with all the fighting force. Orcs were on one side. And a group of humans on the other. Who should I cheer for?


    Sticking my head out the window, I would not miss a moment of that. White-haired pressed me not to be reckless because it could be dangerous, but I kicked him back in his ce. I knew it could be dangerous but I was careful. And it was Hideous that now spoke. The bastards. Were they targeting us? Our good old chariot ain''t no shield for them to use, he said.


    White-haired exhorted Hideous to stay calm. He said we couldn''t maneuver a retreat, and even if we could, we might as well just stay stationed here. ording to his calctions, the orcs would probably win this one fight. As such, we were good. Why, because the orcs were allies, now. "I can''t believe I''m the one saying this though, heh¡­" After they lost the war, as a truce was being brokered between the group of demons and elves, the orcs wouldn''t attack nor steal from us, the elves. White-haired just had to put in the right words and bow his head to them after they won.


    "Whatcha thinking, White-haired?" It was Hideous who said that. My boys got so used to the names I gave them (I never actually heard their real names) that they now naturally called themselves using them.


    "I say the orcs are winning for sure." Despite the fact they didn''t mind their names, the kinder elf made sure not to overuse Hideous'' name. One could only know why.


    "''That so."


    "The human group has the upper hand, but¡­ it''s only as far as numbers are concerned," he nodded. "The orcs won''t lose. We did lose to them for a reason. Their tribe are direct allies to the demons. ¡­Or part of the bastards'' group anyway."


    ording to White-haired, the orcs were winning. I guess it took no more than a pair of eyes to assert that conclusion. I, too, had a pair of seeing eyes, and I could see that the elf was most likely right. In the middle of the little battlefield, there was a sh among many. What followed after the tip of a hacking sword was the falling Thud of a hand.


    A human boy turned pale and fell to his knees. That boy just lost a hand. Seeing that boy suffer such a stroke, a human girl skipped to him. The two of them were sent to oblivion together. One sturdy orc had done the job right. The battle had started off pretty fast. Now I guessed it would reach an end pretty fast too.


    I observed the rest of the battle with curious, amused eyes. Yet another human stepped up to cover his friends and cast a gigantic spell. He yelled "Sacrament!" and danced his part of the battle too. A pdin, White-haired asserted.


    People did that, by the way. Shouting the name of their skills before they seemed to cast them. For what reason, I didn''t know. I thought it was dumb. The surprise effect one could stir without shouting was undoubtedly necessary to achieve a greater victory. Right off the bat, Hideous mocked, they used Sacrament. They kicked it off pretty poorly, the humans, it was only a matter of time before they would lose, after all. Well. I was happy to see the two elves finally enjoying the scenery at least. Theymented and I listened.


    Was that big man the only one they called a pdin, hm? Hideous said adventurers should just know their ce. "Ain''t no goblins'' yground out here. War''s different," he scoffed.


    "Only the human Guilds are thus: they may issue any kind of mission and the adventurers wille rushing to aplish it, even partaking in a war such as this one. ...Aren''t people nowadays all born mercenaries!" White-haired added.


    Skulls were bashed in, limbs cut off, and dead bodies dragged in the mud. Adventurers, eh? There were only a dozen of these so-called adventurers now. It wasn''t the first time I heard about them. Maybe we should try that out with my old man.


    Wandering off thends and cities without a job¡ªno. Adventuring¡ªyes. We had no n for the future yet, though. Adventurers got to fight, have fun, grow stronger, and survive ording to my sources so far.


    Orcs darted up and down, swinging their thick swords, axes, and spears forward with all their weight. Humans barely evaded them, they weren''t faring well, but continued their assault still, like the trained soldiers they were. But anyway. The big chubby man didn''t dare to be slow. He quickly cast a faint-glowing white light upon the organized battlefield. He shouted motivational words, cheering himself and the others up.


    Hisrades had reinvigorated thanks to his skill, oblivious to the defeat that was soon toe. They said they could still have it. Promptly exchanging looks filled with both disgust and amusement, the orcs roared a burst ofughter with heaving shoulders. That''s just how I imagined it. Fighting sure was fun. Otherwise, the winners wouldn''t roar so amused. Seeing the remaining humans just¡­ ''hanging tough'' as they were told, Hideousughed along with the orcs. He was more pissed than amused, though. "Rookies," he hissed. "These morons are dead for sure." He then asked White-haired whether he was sure about what was toe after. The elf answered he was. At any rate, we couldn''t run now.


    Wishing to chime in on their conversation, I made ament of my own. "I mean, no, Hideous," I spoke intellectually. "As the pdin just ordered his men, now that they gathered and tightened their formation, maybe they''ll be mounting aeback, who knows."


    The response Hideous gave me was shock written on his face. He yelled as he had just seen a ghost there. "Hmm?" I raised an eyebrow. "What, do I¡­ have something on my face?" It wasn''t only Hideous anyway, White-haired also looked at me like he had witnessed a miracle. A shocking, perturbing miracle. They then both turned to each other with stiffened postures. How the hell did I speak a human tongue? Unwilling to try and guess how I understood the human tongue, White-haired turned to me, disoriented.


    "C-Can you understand the human''s tongue, Princess!?"


    What was it about a human tongue? Frowning at him, I cocked my head to the side. Wasn''t it just anything anyone could do? Like, did people not understand other people out in the world? How the heck would they evenmunicate if that were the case? No, it''s just¡ª Oh. It clicked. "J-Just a wild guess! I-I don''t speak their tongue, eh¡­ he he he! I''m not suspicious at all! In fact, I''m still your princess¡ª"


    "Ah. Makes sense. What can we expect of that brat?" One murmured. "Oh. The princess cannot just be that much of a genius¡­ can she?" And the other spoke aloud, not hiding his disappointment either. Jeez. It kind of stung though, you know.


    Even if I risked being found out, I should probably show off if they make meanments. Hideous epted my exnation easily. And White-haired did too, except his eyes still were on me, squinting and calcting at his thoughts. Maybe I was suspicious after all. After a second, he cleared his throat noisily.


    "Anyway, no, Princess. The orcs... That formation they''re assuming is just how not to be powerlessly hunted by them. They''re to be prey now. Well, I guess I''m going to negotiate now." The two elvesmented a lot on the battle. As it was fun, I decided to join and make ament of my own too. But I was clueless about what I said, quite honestly. When White-haired disapproved of myment, I simply nodded. Hideous said even to him orcs were fearsome when they fought ''that'' way.


    Though both sides suffered casualties, the orc group was grander in number now. They were ten orcs against six humans by now. The humans had all answered their leader''s calling and regrouped in a circle. Going with that formation, they defended themselves well and even seemed to push the orcs well. And,e to think of it, wasn''t the battle they yed out a little bit unfair? Orcs were big and sturdy-looking creatures. The humans, on the other hand, were almost the pr opposite of the orc''s archetype. Though more equipped they were, they weren''t tough-looking in the slightest. In height, their bulk didn''tpare either. Seeing their picture, bright and clear under the sun, I understood they were far from winning. They were weak-looking boys, mostly¡­ but well, they had been greater in numbers a minute ago. White-haired the weak group was cornered by the strong group. He was right. What followed from that point on would hardly be worth my words. To sum it all up, just like that, along with the nging and the people''s shouting, both their skills and the names of their dyingrades, the battle had to near an end. The chubby pdin fell to the ground and died. He''d been fatally gashed. Brave enough as he was, he dragged one enemy down with him, at least, contrary to the other humans. When panic pierced the humans'' formation, they all fell to the ground like autumnal yellowish red leaves. The wind pushed them all down, and the sun kept beating down on them until they breathed no more. Almost all had lost.


    The winners still stood, and the losers were stomped to the ground. Such was the duality of life.


    "W-Where''s the thief think he''s going!?" All the rest of them could do was try and make a run for it. An orc bowman drew a bow from his back. He aligned some arrows and with a session of Woosh sounds, three arrows were shot. Quickly piercing through the air¡ªthree arrows bored into our chariot. Instantly then, as if someone had touched even the hair of their princess, the two elves burst into a fury. Even White-haired cursed with words I never imagined he would.


    They swore at both the orcs and the thief. The guy they called a "fucking thief" had sessfully avoided all three, it seemed. That thief was good at evading bullets. It was too bad for him he wasn''t so good at stealing other people''s horses, however. Way too bad. Cursing, he had fled to our horses and now tried to take one for himself.


    At that sight, both White-haired and Hideous were ready to storm out and teach the boy some manners. But I stopped them. "You two stay in. Just look. He''ll be dealt with." Under the calm voice of their princess, the two sat back and obeyed. It was just as always¡ªI could feel it. Mana. Agitating itself. Thanks to Mana Perception, I was keen on most of everything. And just when I told them to stop¡­ from the sturdiest looking orc out there, an ominous wave of energy leaked out. Even I felt goosebumps running on my skin. He charged a lot of mana in the immense bastard sword he held and turned wild.


    "Demaciaaaaa!"


    He seized hisrge sword with evenrger hands, thick veins bulged across his long arms. The orc only was readying himself to go and swing that absurdly big sword at the thief¡ªthe next thing I knew, he immediately was behind the runaway, spinning his enormous bastard sword around like a tornado and sh¡ª


    Stealing the horses was obviously out of the question¡­ but simply butchering them into mincemeat was even greater a sin. It was only as far as my two elves would tell you, though. The orcs didn''t bat an eye when the massacre unfolded. The horses were so meek you wouldn''t even hear them hiss so much as a neigh. And the thief¡­ Well, the thief had gotten his hands all tangled up in his stealing. Bothered by the horses'' yoke and stuff, he forcefully tried to get it off. Get the horses off. Or at least one of them. If he did it swiftly enough, not with trembling and sweating hands, he could unfasten them quickly enough, ride on one of the beasts and go away with at least his life. Fortunately, the thief couldn''t steal our horses. Unfortunately, that''s because both he and the horses were butchered to a hot mess of mincemeat.


    The yoke that the measle thief couldn''t get off the way was utterly totally destroyed by that sturdy orc''s bastard sword. All in one stroke only. With the cracking thump of wood, it pierced right through the front part of Mr. Creaky Carriage. Well!


    The chariot died at the hands of a strong enemy at least. Our wooden box broke down right on the spot as it shook and creaked for thest time. The Creaky Go passed away then and there. Most of the orcs burst out inughter seeing the ravage their fe had brought. They were so loud that I was tempted tough too. pping their knees so much the butchering was gross and fun, they also smacked each other on the back sharing a great time together. Weren''t they having fun?


    The two elves were speechless. Hideous quickly made to burst out by the door and was ready to give the orcs a piece of his mind, but the other elf stopped him. Still though, even he was seething red in rage at what just happened. At times like these, White-haired always was the reliable man of the party. What could the poor Hideous do anyway? He would probably be butchered too, was he toin. As I said, though the elf had conjured up enough willpower to not snap right there, he was red with anger. mming the chariot''s door open, he quickly was out.


    Stomping his feet loudly, his jaw was clenched so tight he had a hard time to even speak to them. "What''s the meaning of this, you orcs?! Are you¡ª Are you nuts?!" Driven by both his anger and sense of justice, White-haired wouldn''t just ignore that grave a sin. "Orcs! Care to exin yourself?! That clearly was done knowingly, wasn''t it?!" he hissed, his fists trembling with fury. Man, he was brave.


    A little elf like himself going up against such big enemies¡­ Woah. He didn''t stop asking questions to discern the root of the issue. The orcs were showered in a rain of What''s the meaning of this and What the hell you orcs. The elf was bold.

 Chapter 46 Orcs And Humans

    The elf was bold.


    White-haired was pissed off. Hence why he was intent on severely calling them out. And so, reacting to his meager presence, a few of the orcs turned to him with dumb, tant looks. The same dumb and oblivious looks that were adorned on a child''s face after he was being told off for having eaten all the chocte that had been bought for the cake.


    Like fools, they all stared at him, their faces full of choctes and dumbness too, their necks stuck out and their mouths were gaping. And this reaction was the only feedback the poor elf had been given. Staring fools. The rest of the orcs, quite honestly, didn''t even mind the elf''s presence. He was no bigger than an insect in front of the team.


    White-haired had, for that reason, to heave a long, deep sigh. Shutting his eyes tight, he crossed his arms upon his chest and kept clicking his tongue. That was one good sigh of exasperation. Still, the elf wasn''t done here, was he? Though reluctant to go and face the sturdiest of the orcs and his bastard sword from any nearer, he still went and walked up to him like he was a big guy himself.


    Noisily clearing his throat¡ªto the best of his ability¡ªhe addressed the big guy with some words. "You there! The big¡ª The strong one!" He called the orc out. But unfortunately for the elf, he wasn''t nearly as good as I was when it came to naming people. I would have walked up to him and rather said, ''You there! Robustorc The Fortress, isn''t it?'' right off the bat before calling the orc out, but White-haired didn''t know better.


    The elf greased the orc with a pettypliment first and greeted him before growing hostile. Even from this up-close, the orc couldn''t care less about the elf. Robustorc in fact just sluggishly shrugged, having lost all the strength and momentum from earlier, and stepped away from the insect¡ªno, elf. The orc had considered crushing it first but thought better of it since ''it'' was an elf.


    "H-Hey, you! The strong one! I''m talking to you!" Addressing them individually was no different. White-haired was at a loss regarding what to do. He was still pissed, however. I say if White-haired had called him Robustorc at least, the orc would have listened. But no. What a useless elf. And at any rate, the sturdiest orc looked even dumber than the rest of the group. When the others, with their dumb, childish faces full of chocte breathed of utter stupidity and low intelligence, that one orc looked like a retard.


    In front of the retarded orc, the elf heaved yet another sigh of exasperation and nervousness. Robustorc''srge hands went back to the hilt of his long sword. Fiercely gripping the weapon, he tried to yank it off the wooden structure. He''d just busted our chariot. He still needed his sword, though. Far more battles were toe. Getting down to it, he grunted with no end, unable to get the sword off. Of course, he had cut through it with all his muscles and strength. The funny trick that consisted of spinning around wildly with his bastard sword,ying waste on every person or object that came his way wasn''t so funny now.


    "Maybe it''s time for us to go and help your colleague, Hideous." Up until this moment, we just stayed patiently waiting in the carriage for the other elf to resolve any issue there was. We stayed in our chariot like it would magically be repaired in a few and would depart again. That clearly wasn''t going to happen. Apanied by the hideous elf, I stepped out. Or rather, I was about to step out. One orc acted at the same time, though.


    That orc was different from the rest of his group. With a quick jerky thrust of his orcish de, he wiped the blood off theme. He called out to the sturdiest orc and gestured with his chin. He spoke of orcish and this time, I couldn''t understand. That orc didn''t look quite so dumb. Maybe White-haired''s issue would be addressed properly now. I waited to see. White-haired''s eyebrow raised. He kept strong eye contact with the orc. Maybe he would help things along. It was only now that the blood had drained from his face that the elf shook his head at himself. Help what? What was there to be helped with? Aint?


    His hope was immediately blown away anyway. After a few words from the smart-looking orc, the sturdiest orc''s head sluggishly nodded. The whole chunk of muscles let go of his bastard sword, still stuck in the chariot, and approached the elf.


    "Me¡­" he mumbled, with a dull, slow voice. "Don''t gib shit ''bout you''s problem." That was hardly understandable.


    The smart orc seemed to be the leader here. After his friend answered the elf''sint, he smirked and scoffed. "You heard the man, elf." That one orc too seemed not to give a damn either. White-haired''s fists clenched and trembled again. The rage he felt moments ago had been reborn. His brows twitched.


    "I¡­" he bit his lip. "You. Orc," he faced the orc leader. "Yes, you. You hardly seem any smarter than your troop, but¡­ you could exin to me, couldn''t you? What''s the meaning of all this¡ª You know what, never mind. We''ll just travel on foot now." He had the maturity to call his little, and vain, rant off by himself. Like I said, how would we even be helped?


    What would calling these dumb-looking boys out have amounted to anyway? The horses died, the chariot blew to pieces, and that was it. Would the orcs revive them or provide us with any new vehicle? Certainly not. They hadn''t anything to give aside from swords and men. Hell, even if they could give us back what we grieved, did they look like the kind of guys who would say ''Yes yes, absolutely, here have some new horses''?


    They didn''t even talk¡ª "I don''t like it." Oh, they did talk just now though. It was the orc leader again. Only he was learned enough to speak the human tongue. "You do realize I could just cut you guys right there, don''t you? The way you talk to us, elf, I don''t like it."


    That was the moment when White-haired had to bow his head in deep apology. Even perform a kowtow and beg for his and his friends'' lives if that was needed. After the elf thought better of throwing a fit, he turned back and walked away to the chariot, but to the orc''s words, he turned back to the orc and shot him burning eyes.


    Such a heated reaction from the elf was nomonality. I never saw him like this. The orc leader had said he could cut us all down if he so pleased; that''s what set the elf on fire. Who would dare eveny a finger on his princess?


    "And what is it you don''t like, orc?" he coldly observed. The elf didn''t shy away from confrontation, eh?


    "The horses'' death''s on you, elf," he calmly asserted.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 47 You Guys! Relax?

    "And what is it you don''t like, orc?" he coldly observed. The elf didn''t shy away from confrontation, eh?


    "The horses'' death''s on you, elf," he calmly asserted.


    "I get that you''re pissed at us. Poor things died. The carriage''s stuck here. Busted like crazy ''cause of our guy, no less," he continued, pointing his sword at the chariot. "So yeah, as I said, I get it. You''re pissed. I''m not sorry for it," he shrugged, "but I can feel for you elves." His words were hardly apologetic.


    As he said, he didn''t feel sorry for our loss. He still got it, though. The orc leader shrugged once more, giving the elf but a look of pity then turned to his team and got them ready to be on the move. "I''mying it out clearly¡ªwe ain''t gonna hurt you, elf. But that thing over there, I can tell you''re not transporting any big supplies in that."


    "Your point being, orc?"


    "You can still scram on foot as you said. Plus the horses are on you. You elves know your war ain''t exactly been wrapped up and done yet."


    "So?" the elf asked. It''s not like he didn''t understand the orc''s point. It was just that he was too prideful to shut his mouth and walk away. And neither the orc was going to back away from the conflict. Following that, then, was more of children''s squabbling than a peaceful resolution of the issue at hand.


    "What, still not getting it? And you call my guys stupid? So, wait¡­ you ain''t just lose the war, your homes, wives, and sons, is that it? You also lost your brains, is that it?"


    At first nce, I judged the man a calm, practical man. But no.


    "''Wives and sons''... what''s that supposed to mean?!"


    The orc leader ignored his question. "You ain''t moving anything bigger than big guy over there, is that correct? What about you buzz off right now ande fix your shit in a week or two? You''ll have new horses by then! In a week or two, why don''t you? After me and my boys are done wipin'' our asses with what''s left of yournd, eh?"


    Well. Eloquence wasn''t something the oked. He simplycked manners. Shall I go out and call him a motherless bastard then? Probably not.


    "You¡­!" White-haired wasn''t getting any better. The rage he felt swelling up inside himself didn''t waver. It exploded by the minute. So many insults. The elf had never been that insulted before. If he was the sole target of the orc''s insults that was something. But the elven princess? The orc leader was oblivious to the fact that there was the oh-so-famous elven princess traveling with them.


    It was better he knew not. But though ignorant of the fact he had just threatened the princess'' life, it didn''t change the fact that he did threaten her. The elf, at these words, was as if stabbed through the heart. Hence why he turned into a hissing snake and responded to the orc leader''s taunting. And now what, the orc leader spoke more of these outrageous insults? It was pushing it too far.


    Still however, the elf was quite pathetic if even he, the trained attendant of the royalty, couldn''t keep a straight face in such a situation. After all, he was only endangering his life by responding with justice and righteousness.


    At any rate, I had been amused enough then. Hopping off the chariot after I mmed the door open, Iughed. "Hah hah hah hah~ Guys!" I greeted them withughter. It was my time to chime in. And I guessed I could just go on with the mood and act outgoing and natural. I checked with Mana Perception a while back, and it seemed the old man hadn''t chosen to linger here after we bumped into these orcs. He had his own mission to deal with. If he was away, that only meant one thing. That difficulty level was to be handled by myself.


    Lightly, my feetnded on the ground. The boyish princess was here. "Now, now, now. You guys. Why don''t we all¡­ rx? Eh? What say you, orc! Rx?"


    "Prin¡ª Young girl!" A princess wasn''t just any person. My identity had to be not revealed. "Let me handle this, you¡­ young girl! ¡­Yes?"


    "No."


    "N-No!? Uh¡­ A-All right."


    Throwing forth one leg after the other, I leisurely walked up to him. Breathing in and out, I felt good. The outside air sure was fresh. I''d been patiently waiting in that dumb, destroyed chariot for so long that I was afraid I would suffocate. Really. Now, with a little walking and warming up, I felt way better. Quickly enough, I stood beside my elf. Gently tapping his shoulder with a hand, I indicated to him I''d be handling this from now on. Hesitantly, he hung his head down and nodded.


    A nostalgic smell filled my nostrils. It was the smell of blood. Upon sniffing about the air, I breathed that kind of rotten air and shook my head desperately. "That''s why the old man doesn''t like conflict," I muttered.


    Looking around me, the sight around me had priorly been lovely. Big, green mountains of trees all around us on both sides, with gusts of winds jumping up and down from them, and a brown healthy earth lying beneath our feet. Now, people had fought and died here. The nasty smell was coupled with the nasty sight of a soiled earth. "Yeah¡­ My old man wouldn''t be so happy¡­ But anyway. Ha ha ha ha!" Now at least, peopleughed here. Or well no, I was the only guyughing there¡­ but I was sure this was the right way to lift away the tense atmosphere that ruled over us.


    "I''m rxed," I chanted. "Why aren''t you guys, too?"


    "Rxed, eh?" the orc leaderughed a bit, too. "As in¡­ totally rxed about your horses being mincemeat, kid?" My eyes turned to a slit as I studied him. He was strong. But not that strong. I could take him out if I wanted. Even with a feeble Receptacle, I reckoned it was possible. I turned to the elf now.


    Eyeing him, for some reason, he stepped away from me with a stifle response, gulped, and cast his eyes down. He seemed to being to the understanding of something. Cold sweat poured down his forehead. Surely, he was just panicked because he feared I would make a problem with the orcs, right? Or maybe he thought I would fight them. He had many reasons to be stressed like this, so I didn''t think much of his abnormal reaction.


    "Well yeah. Horses? No horses? What''s that even matter?" Like this, I thought we would just ignore the orcs and go on with our quest. With my quest. Whatever happened to our vehicle happened. We''d still have to keep at it and go. Nothing changed.


    "Yeah¡­ right. What''s that even matter anyway, kid. Right?"


    "Of course."


    The orc leader dryly scoffed again. And that was settled. There were no more issues on either side. Soon, the orc leader turned back to his friends. Whatever they did then wasn''t our business. We had our feet, and they were our new chariots. When the orc spoke, all of his men roared out anotherughter.


    Would you believe it, now? In his panic, the kinder elf had gone and picked at the orcs again. He hollered at them asking for the reason theyughed all of a sudden. Were they poking fun at him? No way in the world, right? That''s what White-haired decided to think anyway. What now, had he been so confident his overpowered princess was by his side he wouldn''t let go of the matter? I mean,e on, White-haired.


    Were you always that silly? There was actually a reason for which he started up a fight with them again. That reason had something to do with a blunder on my behalf. If, seconds ago, the elf had seemed so panic-stricken and afraid of me, his boyish princess, there was a cause to it. In fact, White-haired was so panicked and lost right now, that he was at a total loss regarding how to act around me or what to do.

 Chapter 48 Chaotic Mess

    I mean,e on, White-haired. Were you always that silly? There was actually a reason for which he started up a fight with them again. That reason had to do with a blunder on my behalf. If, seconds ago, the elf had seemed so panic-stricken and afraid of me, his boyish princess, there was a cause to it. In fact, White-haired was so panicked and lost right now, that he was at a total loss regarding how to act around me or what to do.


    I raised a brow at his behavior. What was wrong with the guy, I thought. He couldn''t simply be that stupid, could he? Still, I frowned at him. Turning back in a jiffy, I was granted understanding of why he first acted like a traumatized elf, then went on picking a fight with others.


    When I turned to Hideous¡­ he saw me, jolted afraid, and quickly scrambled back inside the chariot. "Hey, you. What''s the matter? Afraid of your princess, hm?" Oh, or did he think the carriage was still usable? I grinned at him for being so wishful. "Aaah, but that thing still requires horses to move around¡­ don''t you know, haha. Or maybe you think you can pull it forward all by yourself? Hehe," I rubbed my nose, "I know you''re a strong guy and all, bute on¡­ even you can''t do that."


    Walking back to the carriage, I stood outside but could see inside now. Man, that look on his face was just as panic-stricken as the other elf''s. For once the man''s face wasn''t twisted in anger, but a surprising blend of shame and anxiety. His chin dropped to his chest as he muttered the phrase "What have I done¡­?" repeatedly.


    "Jeez. What''s with you? Hey? Do I have something on my face? Why do you keep staring like that¡­? I-I guess I should tell you not to be afraid but¡­? You step back? You''re really afraid, aren''t you? I''m confused here. Mind speaking some words to me at the very least?"


    "I-I''m so¡­ so¡­ so, so sorry¡­" he hung his head back down in shame.


    "You know you''re acting weird, right? Stop freaking me out and speak, man. What''s up?"


    "You¡­ I''m so sorry¡­"


    "What''s that? I''m not quite hearing you well?"


    "You''re not¡­ the princess. Our princess¡ª"


    "H-Hwueh!? W-W-What gave it away!? I mean¡ª What gave you the idea!?"


    After the elf said that, I was the one backing away, an awkward smile on my sweaty face. I had messed up.


    "Y-You¡­ I''m so sorry! You definitely speak the human tongue!"


    "Oh boy¡­" Did I make the same mistake again? Crap. I didn''t do it on purpose, as I spoke both tongues fluently, I didn''t even notice when I switched from one to the other. Quickly blinking, I tried to say something and exin why I could speak thatnguage¡­ but my cold sweat only doubled in quantity. I was too nervous to think up some new excuses or anything.


    From what I could see anyway, Hideous was already fully convinced I was no elven princess. I was no Cetha daughter of thete King. I was nothing like that. Stuttering even more, the hideous elf kept saying he was sorry. So, so, so very sorry. He kept looking down too. Muttering words to himself like "What have I done¡­? Wasn''t it all perfectly obvious¡­? She had changed so much in only the span of a single night¡­! Wasn''t it all so obvious¡­! She got new skills we wouldn''t have ever expected her to gain¡­! Granted, she was quite skilled at archery, but never had she wielded a de in front of us¡­! It all makes so much sense now!"


    And, on my own, I was also profusely sweating and fidgeting, nervously gesturing with jerky movements trying to exin to him I was still the elven princess he had to obey and guide through the forest I didn''t know a thing about. "D-Don''t just¡ª I''m your princess, y''know! Th-That''s¡ª I will be offended, y''know!" It was quiteical to see me use the status of that elven princess so eagerly, now. I once was so reluctant to use it and hated the elves for confusing me for their royalty, but now, my quest probably depended on it.


    "All of it makes sense, now!" yelled Hideous.


    "No no no! Whatever idea you got is a misunderstanding!" I waved my arms around erratically. "Hideous! Get yourself together! Bad, bad servant! I''ll punish you!" When I took a step forward, for once, he didn''t step further back in the chariot. To my surprise, he even approached me. The elf wouldn''t still meet my gaze, but his restlessness seemed to have gone out by the window. His fearful expression softened even though he was still very ashamed. Stiffly walking out of the chariot, he bowed his head low. That put me off, but thinking he bowed his head, I thought maybe he was back to his normal self.


    But no. He wasn''t. "I present to you my apologies."


    I hesitated before I spoke. "It¡ª"


    "O Noble Spirit!" When I thought he was being normal again, Hideous actually went down, mmed his head on the ground, and yelled to the top of his lungs. "I''m so immensely sorry, O Noble Forest Spirit! I owe you a thousand apologies¡ª No, tens of thousands of apologies!"


    "No no no! Wh-What''s with you now!?" I rapped out. Both wariness and unease swelled within me. My eyes turned to a slit as I leaned away from him. He truly freaked me out now. What could exin that crazy elf''s behavior? I believed nothing could. And yet, he had said that it all made sense now.


    I mean, I was still a princess, wasn''t I? What''s about a noble spirit? A dry chuckle escaped my mouth as the elf didn''t answer me and only kept mming his head to the ground, kowtowing to me. Damn. It wasn''t the time to freak out. It sank in, now. I was exposed. I had been found out. I just hoped White-haired didn''t catch any of that, at the moment, but of course he had. And funnily enough, he was the kind of person to pick fights with others when he exceeded that level of anxiety and nervousness. In my ignorance, I was hoping he was too preupied with the people who had insulted me to find out I wasn''t who I said.


    I left Hideous in the corner of my eyes and nced at the other elf. With the orc leader, they were just like two quarreling kids still. I felt ashamed upon seeing him. "What''d you say again, huh?!" He stomped his foot fiercely on the earth. He looked just like a intimidating goat with an angry elf''s face. To his words, his peer, the other pathetic orc I first thought would be a reliable and responsible person, heavily snorted. "You and your fes ain''t no fighters worthy of my time is all there''s to it! Wanna run off the battlefield? You do that after the war''s been wrapped up and thend''s clean, you dumbasses!"


    I didn''t understand anything anymore. I actually believe I hadn''t been that lost ever in my entire life. What was going on all around me? Why didn''t that orc leader just sheathe out a sword and sh my attendant down already? Why was said attendant still arguing with him like a child throwing a temper tantrum, red with rage? Why were the other orcs not giving a damn about their leader being such a childish prick too, right in the middle of the battlefield, all forming a circle of their own and ying cards, having the best time together?


    God, I must have been dreaming. That wasn''t all. Why was the other elf kowtowing to me, fiercely mming his face into the ground as he kept crying and yelling how much terrible a sin he hadmitted, and how he hoped the merciful Noble Forest Sacred Spirit would be so kind as to extend a hand of mercy to his poor soul¡­ even after all the sins he had brought forward. As a matter of fact, even when I first opened my eyes, a week ago, I wasn''t as lost. Presently, everything was a chaotic mess.


    White-haired, before, had talked about plications''. Now, I understood. Those really wereplications.


    Maybe I could kill Hideous. He found out about my identity. I only required one elf to travel thend. Also, I should execute the orcs too, since they''re obviously keeping White-haired here. After that, with the remaining elf, we just take off and bye-bye. That would solve everything in the quickest way possible. So let''s just¡ª No. It was even toote for that. What a chaotic mess we were in, truly. Yet another problem had fallen on me.


    "ALL OF YOU!" I cried, to the very top of my lungs. My voice carried away across the whole area and froze everyone here. That was just to illustrate how loud my shout was. I needed everyone to get it together at once. I had to speak up. It was urgent. "All of you! Shut up! You, the orc-elf duo! Haven''t you noticed?! Men! Concentrate! Rise up, be prepared!" My voice echoed through the whole area, and even went farther away. It was so loud and gripping that, from chaos, order came forth. The orcs dropped their cards and jumped up.


    The orc-elf duo snapped out of it and scanned everywhere around. And Hideous, who had wrapped up his intense apologies, readied himself too. In the chaos of this ce, while we were being preyed upon by masses of human soldiers, I naturally assumed the position of leader. My army was shabby, pathetic, and unreliable, but I still cheered them all tobat and victory.


    "Princess!" White-haired let it slip. "Sh-Shit, no! Prinn Zeth! That''s what I meant! You there, that''s your name, isn''t it?!" he called out to me. God, give me a break, you stupid, worthless elf. It was toote to worry about his blunder.


    My men, orcs and elves, might have been all pathetic and unreliable, but they reacted in a timely manner when I called out to them.


    "Men!" I shouted, onest time. "Fiiiiight!"


    Right at the same time, a human jumped off a bush. He was dded with a white, sparkly armor. Yelling as loud as I had, he unleashed his sword and also urged his men to fight and to victory. Themander on their side announced they would kill orcs and elves alike, making no distinctions. The tension rose up.


    With thunderous roars, so many enemies rushed from behind their hiding spots to us. They were like starving beasts who had just found the meat they would feast on. There were dozens of them, if not more. My hair rose up, a slow grin climbed up my face. I was standing right next to White-haired. Two daggers were on his belt. Snatching one of the daggers away, I beamed with a smile and giggled.


    "Since we have to¡­ Let''s fight~"

 Chapter 49 To Play

    We were under attack. "Kill both orcs and elves! No distinctions!" The order was quick. From a disorganized band, I brought forth order. The general I was hollered his orders. My soldiers were all organized. All at once. At least they were quick-witted, the orcs. The same goes for White-haired and Hideous, thankfully. And it was time to fight. Just like that, out of the blue.


    "J-Just like that!?"


    Yes, White-haired. Just like that. Though he had a hard time believing it, he didn''t take long before he entered a battle stance. Elvish runes in one hand and a sword on the other. So he could use a sword, I thought.


    "H-Hey, colleague!" Hideous was quite panicked too. More panicked, even. What could be on his restless mind? The Legendary Noble Spirit of the Forest - that was my new identity - he still had to apologize to? Seizing both shoulders of his colleague, he said they didn''t have to fight. "Let''s just bounce!" In his restlessness, he decided to act differently.


    White-haired, as a response, urged him not to be stupid. We heard their leader, the pdin, who said there were no distinctions between the two races of enemies. And also, White-haired cursed, from the looks of it, we were cornered. The enemies were far too numerous. Taking a quick peek behind us, Hideous''plexion turned pale¡ªhe quickly reced it with his usual twisted face of fury.


    The orcs were already engaged in battle. Up ahead, the symphony I so appreciated rang out, amidst the thunderous roars and shrill screeches of the enemies. And from behind our back, a handful of human soldiers closed in on us. Compared to the other organized force of human soldiers, these ones seemed rather disorganized and petty, but they were still a threat. All of them, as wary as could be, approached the group of elves with eyes full, watching out for any opening.


    The orc leader was quick to get down to the job. And we were just situated behind him and his troops. The enemies'' ranks were tightening on us by the minute. Both White-haired and Hideous spat cursed seeing that unfold before our eyes. Biting his lip and frowning, thankfully for the elves, White-haired also knew to be quick-witted. His words were quick and clear.


    "Listen, Hideous! You and I protect the princess! It''ll proveplicated if we stay here though! We have to mingle with the orcs!" White-haired saw right. From a certain angle, the human battalion, which rained down a rain of spells, swords, and arrows on the orcs, chose not to totally surround them. They quickly would, however. The elves had to be quick and go there. White-haired said we were allies, so that was what they had to do. In a jiffy, and sneakily enough, both of them took on a formation to go forward. But hey, that was when they realized there was something wrong with their n of action.


    "What''s that about protecting me?"


    We were in the middle of a war. Right in the heart of yet another battlefield. Roars of victors resounded through a wide area. The sad whimpers of those who fell, though they were stifled, still carried to our ears. In the midst of all this, under the strong sun beating hard down on us, people sweated, struggled, and fought. And here I was, standing firm in my ce, refusing to move out with them. It was the first time the kinder elf yelled so fiercely at me.


    He said we needed to move, and now. But the helpless princess who should have desperately stared at him, trembling and wishing for her guardian''s help, turned into a monster again.


    ? He tried to get me between himself and the other elf, but I so violently brushed off his arms that he had to stop. When I then red at him with icy cold eyes, he also had time to cast his eyes downward in submission. My eyes only said ''Get off the way.'' Then I turned my back to him, and with a Quick Pace, I flew onward in the mass of enemies.


    Wasn''t it fine for the princess to have a little fun too? And to be reminded she had the right to live? And to then climb over her mountain of dead enemies, dering then and there that she would not shy away from the people who wanted to take her life? Or maybe, rather than the princess'' will it was the monster''s will? The same monster that used her as a Receptacle. It most probably was.


    White-haired really wasn''t okay with letting me go on my own. I''d just be next door ying with the other kids, really, he had to rx a little. Or did he want to grow bald before even the old man did? I yelled at him back not to grow bald too quickly.


    And it was Hideous that helped me make my case then. He hollered that I was fine on my own¡ªof course, the Noble Sacred Spirit, or whatever he meant by that, was fine on his own¡ªand pressed him forward to the orcs. I''d rather they worry about their own safety than mine. From that point on, I wouldn''t pay more attention to the elves. I knew we''d just reunite afterward. What I didn''t know, at the time, was that one of my elves would be dead and cold by then, ha ha ha.


    The orcs, now. They were forming a defensive formation. All them boys together like a huge wall. Sticking shoulders to shoulders, they were forming a rampart. In the middle of their formation, there was the orc leader, both yelling words of instructions and cheering from behind them, protecting his boys from behind, jumping here and there, and cutting people with a spear. That man was a fighter.


    And instructions from their enemy rang out with a thunderous holler too. A big man, sharp as a sword and squared as a rock shouted and the formation changed. Some of his soldiers backed off and stood by. There happened to be many units in their n. Unit A still attacked. Unit B now stood by. And Unit C already stood by. The humans were organized. Their soldiers were powerful. Unit A redoubled with hatred and desire for blood and smashed on the orcs'' rampart.


    Spreading the bits of my consciousness everywhere around using Mana Perception like a champ, I wanted to take it all in. It was my first time witnessing that particr facet of the world, which interested me very much. This scene, to my young eyes, was the essence of life. I wanted to take it all in.


    That was further stimtion for my inexperienced self. After a week of living, learning, and being stimted by the world, the monster still had a long way to go. And stimtion was what nourished your experience, intelligence, and wisdom. And the monster wanted to be superior. That''s why I took it all in.


    What I described earlier was the whole picture of it. Part of this bigger picture, then, was the monster. The monster observed and looked at the scenery, remembering it had once been so far off in the distance, but it now reverberated all around the monster, on the road, where all the masses waged war against one another. Blended into this picture, the monster''s eyes¡ªmy eyes sparkled in awe.


    "Ha ha ha ha ha! That is... so great~! All that is!" the monster cackled.


    With my fancy elvish dagger in one hand, leaning back, forth, right, and left, I danced and avoided every obstacle I was passing by. It was an easy task. Surviving seemed easy. The folks weren''t so focused on me, after all. Then again, considering my little and benign persona, I guess that made sense. The people after me had a real problem for going after the boyish little princess.

 Chapter 50 42

    People definitely looked down on me. Then again, considering my little and benign persona, I guess that made sense. The people after me had a real problem for going after the boyish little princess.


    Mr. Creaky was still nted where we were by the middle of the road. It was still most likely mourning its two horse pals that were defeated minutes ago. Getting near it, I paused, folded my legs, and lowered my stance a little, then bolted up. With the wind running through my hair, I figured even with such speed I wasn''t nearly as good as the old man when it came to jumping up. I was sent flying upward in the air nheless.


    Flying high enough, Inded on top of our sorry chariot. There, I looked down on everyone, chuckled heartily, widely stretched my arms out, satisfied, and dered I was the highest. If the old man was here, he would have been happy to see his grandson still could be childish at times.


    Stomping my foot on the carriage''s top, Iughed some more, trying to get the people''s attention. The few adventurers who weren''t in the middle of fighting looked up at me and grimaced. What the heck was the kid doing? This was no ce for such a disy of behavior. But I scoffed at their remark and continued shouting I was the highest and strongest, and that I was the boss of everyone here. Seeing the two elves had safely retreated into the orcs'' formation, I mentally congratted White-haired for being of use to the orc leader as it earned them a ce with them.


    That''s when I started to look for a ce in the yground. In all this ruckus, I quickly spotted where I''d go and fight. My head cocked to the side, and deciding I would go there, I jumped in the air with a wild cry, getting nearer to my spot. Unfortunately for myself, Inded back on the earth like a fool who hadn''t even thought about how to drop down safely to the ground after a three-meters fall. A cloud of dust rose up and I cursed. When I quickly got myself up, a group of humans started to circle me.


    "What are you guys looking at? If you want tough¡­ do so," I clicked my tongue. "Though I''m very strong, you see. Stronger than... your mom. Plus, there are only two, three of you humans."


    "Sh-Should we¡ª Is that an enemy too? You guys think she speaks the tongue?" "I mean, that''s just a young girl and all. And she just did speak it to us. Are you dumb?" "She must be lost or something! ¡­I''ll get her away."


    Listening to their words, I wasn''t just going to stand and do nothing. They spoke of me as a lost littlemb. Like I needed their protection. My brow was raised as I grimaced at them. "I want to y too, humans. Are you saying you''re taking that away from me?"


    From up the carriage, I had jumped quite far enough behind. To the people who didn''t see me jump, it would have looked like I just arrived on the scene. These three saw me, though. What the hell were they thinking about?


    The female among the three knelt down and urged me to her with waving hands. The two other adventurers nodded to her and proceeded without theirrade to the battle. Aren''t they looking down, like, way too much on me, I thought, exasperated. I scoffed, shrugged, and thought I''d get all the eyes who stared at us a sample of what I tasted like.


    Giggling, the boyish princess skipped to thedy with a happy smile, sheathed out her dagger, and cut her down on the spot. With a Thud, she fell to the side and passed away quickly. And with that introduction, I turned back to the other adventurers, theatrically bowing deep to the gentlemen, telling them such was the monster. They wouldn''t drop their guards down anymore. That was if they saw me, however.


    The other two adventurers'' backs were turned on me after they departed. In all the noise of the yground, they didn''t hear theirrade fall. Using Quick Pace, I thought maybe my introduction wasn''t wrapped up yet and dashed at the two boys in front of me. My dagger went through one. I fell onward with the adventurer''s weight. Thest guy, then, yelled, trembled, and stepped back, yelling at his beloved friend to stand back up, "please...!"


    Only I stood back up. "The orc leader," I nonchntly started to exin, "when his de was all bloody and yucky¡­" The adventurer in front of myself roared at me, mustered up all the strength in the world, and made to kill me. "He just did this!" After a jerky movement of my arm, I darted back, avoiding the sword that came at me. "And see, the blood went away." Darted back to the boy, I cut him down too and confirmed my theory about human anatomy. The heart had been my target with the three adventurers, and it sent them all quick to sleep.


    And now anyway, that was a good entrance and introduction. I had been presented to them as the rarest item in an auction. Bringing forth good results with my little introduction, every customer, all at once, raised their hand to bid on me. One after the other, they each bid more money than the other. And with a grin on my face, I weed them all to me. "Let''s y together then~"


    I entered a battle stance. All the guys who had gathered around me gulped, exchanging bewildered nces with each other. And they just¡­ did nothing. Like a lion surrounded by a pack of hyenas, I kept turning around, gauging them all up, with my dagger at the ready.


    A whole five seconds passed. Then¡ª "Aaaargh!" One of them opened the dance. "Kill them! Don''t be fooled by their innocent looks! They''re a general enemy for sure!"


    A general? Was that apliment? I thought it was. If I had enough time to pause, blush, awkwardly fidget, and stutter a thank you, I definitely would have. Unfortunately, five of the enemies rushed at me at the same time. I breathed in and out, bracing myself for impact¡ª


    From the ck swordsman I first met, I learned twobat skills, among which there was <Chain Attack>. I thought of using it. Mana enveloped my dagger and leaked off me. The atmosphere grew tenser and colder in an instant. I was used to it. When I bared myself, people feared ''it''.


    They feared whatever was inside the Receptacle, whatever was inside the innocent princess who fought them. All five of these guys didn''t stop anyway, so spinning around, I drew a circle with my dagger. The dark bluish sh of energy cut through all five adventurers. It was too easy. Except for one.


    A de managed to at least meet mine with a ng. But that adventurer couldn''t withhold my blow either. The spear was sted off his hand so much the blow was mighty. As my skill, Chain Attack, was abo of shes, my de quickly turned to him again and chopped off a hand. Rushing in, I assigned ast cut and scoffed.


    "Do not yell. I hate noise."


    From this up-close, the roars and shrills of the enemy were way noisier. I didn''t like it. Anyway. Uing soldiers came at me again. That was another wave. I counted five of them again. For some reason, however, when the monsterid its eyes on them, they all came to a halt. Beads of sweat rolled down their forehead. A second passed and they weren''t looking at me anymore.


    From behind me, in the distance, a group wasing to meet me, the general enemy. When I said the human forces were neatly organized, I was right. Did they actually see me from a distance and reorganized their groups again? Was I given a fair share of their battle? The thought was exhrating. I didn''t know what a ''general enemy'' was, but it must have been a fierce opponent.


    My eyes quickly darted backward. That''s when I saw them. A sharp-looking man leisurely strolled toward us. As he did so, all of the other disorganized adventurers, the ones who I presently fought, all backed away in fear. If Sir Pdin''s group got involved with me, the general, when they''re already so much busy with the orc group, it only meant the fearful group of adventurers weren''t cut for taking me down at all. They were actually very far from it.


    "Join us who might! Listen up, boys! We''re taking that underhanded piece of crap down!"


    "Is that what you say to someone you just met?" I shrugged and sighed.


    "We''re not revising the n! Unit C! All men in formation!"


    The man''s team cheered at his words. Pumping their fists in the air, clenching weapons, they roared in one voice. Thus some hyenas went away, and some decided to stay. Promptly adding their strength to the tiger which had just arrived, they were all filled with confidence and willpower. Their shoulders and back were straight. What a proud team.


    They were only strolling toward me, now their footsteps quickened. They jogged with their weapons pointed forward. Their leader roared to cheer them on, and they roared after him. He did that again and again. "Haaah!" he hollered. "Haaaaah!" they replied. I felt like I was assaulted by a bunch of stray and famished wild dogs.


    Seeing their eagerness from so up-close, I exhaled deeply and extended my arms wide out, I decided I would roar at them, too. They were clearly growling at me so I would feel weaker. If they attacked in such a way first, I would respond to their roar and hope to scare them too. Baring my fangs to them, I brought ''it'' forth from deep within me. Only I knew what was hidden within the Receptacle the System got me.


    Only I knew a monster hid there. I nted my feet in the earth, then roared, all by myself, and half of the enemies froze on the spot. The soldiers who proudly marched onward were stopped by the monster''s immense pressure. A wall of mana appeared in front of them, it was ice-cold and chilly. Their senses screamed at them to turn back and run. They briefly saw death. And that''s how half of them just fainted on the spot. I never had expected that mental attack to work so well. That wasughable¡­ but at the same time, I only felt scorn and disgust for the ones who fell.


    We didn''t even start shing our swords together, but that little army was drained from its strength. Not totally, but almost.


    "What?" I stared at them and shrugged. Stepping aside, I listlessly cut the adventurer who tried to sneak up on me from behind. "I know how to bark too, humans."


    ¡­Ring! ? The yer has reached level 42! ?


    "Oh, is that so?" I swung my dagger, getting the blood off of it. "It''s been a long time anyway. How''ve you been, System?"

 Chapter 51 Unit C

    The weather was getting hotter by the minute. The sun hung high up in the sky, so it was natural. It rested at its zenith. We were reaching midday. Beating down harshly on us from above, the sun kept us all down, with its sun rays pinning our group to the earth. We were still right on the road, at the sun''s mercy. He was casting down our shadows and keeping them right beneath our feet.


    But what about these shadows, hm? They all took steps back, slowly and steadily, gulping down their saliva through the driest throats they''d ever had. They even looked in that human''s direction. All the eyes were previously set on me, watching out for any asion of ying the general enemy¡­ but at present, they were set upon him.


    The leader of Unit C was stilling at me. The overly confident demeanor he had boasted only seconds ago was nowhere to be seen now. Still, that wasn''t to say he fainted, like the very weak of his group, or stopped walking on, like the average men of his unit. After a second, all of the men whose steps stopped snapped out of their confusion. If their leader still was going forward, so would they.


    As the leader, thankfully for him, he had his troops with him. In close ranks, walking behind him, they all calmed down and were now ready to take me on. Sir Pdin was behind all of them, too. He still fought against the orc group, but he was the one who gave the order in the first ce.


    And the sun still beat down on us. Beads of sweat made our forehead sparkly. On the top of my nose, sweat trickled down, and eventually hit the ground. With an ever so faint Ssh sound of that bead of sweat hitting the earth, the leader brought his spear up, dered they now fought and rushed at me. All the men behind him followed in his steps.


    The leader decided to kick it off fast. Fast, he darted at me, his spear stabbing at me. He was an active fighter. Gripping his spear with both hands and with a "Hah!" he attacked atst. I had skills too. When he threatened to kill the monster, the monster could do just the same, and even more easily than him.


    For now, though, I just decided to evade him. The spear pointed at my chest. With a quick jump to the side, I got away without being pierced. Processing the attack he sent my way, I happened to bump into other enemies. Of course I did. They surrounded me well. So they came at me on both nks¡ªtwo swordsmen¡ªand tried an attack too. Evading them too, I processed yet another attack from Unit C.


    Then again, I darted back and met with other enemies on my back. Out of a dozen of people attacking me, only eight of them were front fighters. Rushing in close to me with their shing des, they were intent on taking my head.


    Their number was quite a lot for me, I''ll have to say. Taking them on was far from being too difficult, but it was probably the first time I really fought. That fight wasn''t just a one-sided massacre. It also wasn''t a poisoned man struggling against three thieves at night. It was the real deal.


    Evading all blows that came at me, I now was confident enough to block some of them off now. Honestly, something disturbed me, though. Why were all these fools screaming the names of their skills beforeing at me. Really, people did that to me in the past, and I thought the same: You guys! What about the surprise effect?!


    There was no way they would get me with such slow attacks, and they dared throw away the effect of surprise they could take me down with.


    A gigantic human¡ªand my Receptacle was still the tiny boyish princess, so he was really huge¡ªcame at me with a huge, two-handed sword. Coming at me, his skin darkened and hardened, and his sword spun my way. That blow I decided not to block. Jumping high up, Inded behind the big man. Now, frustration found its ce in our yground. Still, the minds of the fighters were still focused on me. It wouldn''t take long before they started to be reckless and lose their cool, however.


    The soldiers who had fainted all started to wake up. The shock from a direct impact with my aura had only been a momentary stunt to them. Now that they woke up, they retreated, or rather, ran away.


    Overall all, myself evading so easily all the soldiersing at me was about the bigger picture of this battle. Out of all his fighters, even when some had just left, there were still five or so of them behind. An arrow was shot at me. It didn''t quite catch me off-guard as I had expected the rear to also attack, evidently, but it still managed to graze my shoulder.


    There were three bowmen. One after the other, other arrows came my way. Finally, this battle could be more of an ordeal. With quick, jerky unrefined movements, I avoided them all. I already started to get the gist of their attacks. Or more like, I evaded the two other arrows, not by a hair''s breadth, but morefortably.


    Safely avoiding more attacks, I had to pay attention to the front fighters, too. It was quite simple when I aligned myself with the other fighters, the bowmen couldn''t so recklessly shoot their arrows at me. Still, the bowmen could move around in order to find other windows on me. Well, that was a lot of work for both the enemies and me. Coordinating like this must have been trying.


    The other adventurers who fought me in close quarters didn''t waver one bit. They were still trying to circle me around. Just like this, I had a whole little unit of fighters on me as they all were sweating a lot. The boyish princess, or general enemy, graciously danced around them with a focused, serious gaze. Boy, that was fun.


    They were all working together to get me, but they couldn''t at all. And I still danced all around them with even lighter steps than before, growing quicker with each passing second. To be quite honest, I was a little worried at first. Seeing how well I fared, though, I was genuinely relieved to know¡ªof that, I was a hundred percent sure¡ªthat I wasn''t the weak boy who was in in the restaurant anymore.


    Why wasn''t I attacking them, then? Well, my evading all their attacks was just the strategy I hade up with in order to a) test my abilities properly, and b) not stupidly die against these foes. I didn''t want to reach a Game Over before the System even let me participate in the Game, you know. But anyway, I had gathered enough information on their attack patterns, now. I also was satisfied to see I managed quite well against so many enemies.


    Soon, I''d need to fight head-on. Crush my enemies and achieve victory. My strategy reached an end, and now that the enemies'' frustration reached its paroxysm, I taunted them. Jumping high up, Inded away from the group, nonchntly avoiding the arrows who rushed at me, and spoke briefly. "Ha ha ha ha! Just like the swordsman said! Weak! Humans!"


    The men rose up in rage. What the hell was this so-called general enemy bragging about, when all they could do was keep avoiding every attack like a damn dancing monkey. That''s briefly what some muttered.


    Quickly, the front fighters all jumped at me together. Their leader desperately tried to have them not be taunted so easily, but, truth be told, he also wanted to give in and have his men all rush at me together. Maybe that would prove to work effectively, after all. Well, all of us together, in apetitive event, still continued to fight for a while after that. What changed was the fact that I understood how they all worked together. I knew what attack to expect at what moment.


    Still shouting their skills names before getting me, the warriors were in fury. Some guy yelled about a <Targeting Stab> skill, but I safely evaded it. Another adventurer, an all big and chubby guy, also threatened me with some <Shoulder Charge>petence. Not daring to be slow, he continued it with a <Finishing Blow> attack. The ''Finishing'' bit of the skill''s name was a bit audacious, given it didn''t finish any enemy or even began anything.


    Darting, I avoided that one too. Had I not jumped away, the Receptacle would have be mincemeat.


    Phew.


    Three arrows tried to take me as one, but I jumped away. The big guy tried me again. "Finishing Blow!" And I now attacked. His huge bastard sword, enveloped in a reddishyer of aura, stabbed at me fiercely. Diving low, I evaded it and closed in on the big guy.


    Cutting at him, he blocked me, then backed off. Following with another blow, I targeted the man''s legs instead, but I only grazed his knee.

 Chapter 52 Lesson

    Yet another set of three arrows flew to me. It was easy to evade¡ª "Followed by¡­ Head Shot!" In the air, as I couldn''t move around, I held my dagger in front of me. A sparkle flew with a ng. The bowmen''s eyes widened to their fullest and inadvertently took a step back. And now shaking my head, back on the earth, I let out a long sigh.


    "For heaven''s sake, you people¡­" It seriously annoyed me now.


    How the hell would their attacks even reach me if they yelled the names of their skills like this each time? What was more, thatst <Head Shot> skill of archery''s name gave out not only the presence of the spell caster but also where they would target the enemy! That was a dumb bowman we had with us.


    As I yelled all of this about their skills and how to use them effectively, rapping out all the words in less than ten seconds, the battle was seemingly brought to a pause. They were all so panting anyway. Needless to say, people were taken aback by my rant about them not fighting me properly.


    "What''s more, you worthless bowman," I scolded her, "you''re all shocked and awe-stricken when I block that strong arrow you sent my way! You can''t be so¡­ tsk. Haaah¡­ Listen. You have to stop yelling the names of the skills you throw at me. All right?" I desperately shook my head at the girl. "Surely, if you didn''t shout it like the worthless bowman that you are¡­ that''s only a spection but, who knows, maybe I''d have died."


    I was far from being invincible, and I knew it. If the strongest master dropped down his guard just one instant, there was no telling when he''d be brought down, just like the weak people.


    Even after giving them a lesson about how not to use her skills, I found the exasperation I felt wouldn''t be let off my chest. Shouting her a fierce re, the bowman squeaked and shrunk back. "Head Shot this, Triple Arrow that¡­ The names are just too obvious, you guys. Haaah, and what''s with my front fighters now? Even panting, you guys at the front shouldn''t stop attacking me, y''know."


    To my surprise, the bowman I had just scolded then performed a crisp salute. "Y-Yes, sir!" Like a soldier in front of hermander, she provided me with an exnation. "I can''t just¡ª At my level, I can''t unfortunately just omit a spell''s name and incantation to cast it with full power, sir!" All herrades were now turning their faces to her, with raised brows and slight frowns on their faces. They silently called her out.


    She had time to chat with the enemy? So formally at that? That made meugh. Comically squeaking again, she bowed her head to her friends and pulled herself together. Today, I learned that the skills'' names were actually incantations of sorts. And that, for the newbies, these incantations were necessarily yelled in battle for it would give more attack power to their spells.


    "Sorry then," I bowed my head to her and scratched my head awkwardly. "I got frustrated for no reason, I''m afraid. By all means, please do yell some more of your skills at me¡ª"


    "We''re still here, you see!" The leader attacked me with a heinous grin.


    "I know."


    "Don''t you dare belittle us!"


    "You''re little."


    By the rear, there was also a priest and a magician. I still didn''t pin their abilities down fully. Well, or that''s what I think anyway. Maybe I shouldn''t need to be so cautious. The priest healed the big guy I had wounded not so long ago¡­ but the magician with the big stereotypical hat, aside from mumbling some words of nonsense and holding her staff out before taking it down with an anxious face, biting her lip¡ªshe seemed to be pulling some sneaky attacks on me. I could only guess itter, but she tried her best. My level was simply too high for any of her curses¡ªor Negative Status Effects, as the System would have it¡ªto work on me.


    The leader and his spear came back at me. Now tired of our little game, I shrugged, evaded it barely, closed in on thencer, seized his weapon with a hand, yanked it up, and kicked the guy on the chest. Falling back, he stumbled to his ass. Staring down at him - I knew he had gotten more than upset after I so easily hurt his pride - I mouthed the words "You''re little" again.


    His spear was mine, now. And nting both feet in the ground, I got ready for a spear throw. The man was still on his butt as I looked down at him. Unable to move quickly enough, a spear pierced right through his chest, and¡­ he died. That was yet another one of my experiments inbat.


    Like I had expected, I was only what was close to a genius with a sword and daggers because of a passive skill. Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7. Remember it? Well, that skill didn''t work with a spear. Icked skill so my blowcked strength. Still, the leader had now passed away. A voice excitedly called out to a priest. Unfortunately, it was toote. Stepping to the dead man, I snatched two of the short swords hanging at his belt.


    The other front liners were so shocked their leader died so easily that I could even leisurely take a break for a second then. In the distance, there was still the mage I was wary of. Throwing a sword at her, she fell down too. The other sword I gripped didn''t know who to y. As I turned around to find another target, the same idea shed through everyone''s minds¡ªpeople scrambled away from my sight. The little rats.


    With a long sigh, I wiped my sweaty forehead and allowed them off of my sight. I mean, they even tossed their weapons down, swords and bows, before they left. I took it like they submitted themselves and were no longer enemies.


    The only person who stayed was the big chubby warrior who fought me bravely. He had taken a wound, and so far, he was being healed by the priestess of their unit. Since the wound had been apparently poisoned, it took that long of a time to heal him thoroughly. Yet, with his leg unscathed, he stayed in his ce.


    When everyone chose to run, he was no different than people. Except, when he timidly backed away from me, he stumbled to the ground, and then stayed put, trembling and sniffling. Why did he stay put like this? Because he was hiding something behind his huge bulk.


    Seeing one of the people who tried so fiercely to cut me down a minute ago so weak and defenseless, I decided to y with him.

 Chapter 53 Bullying

    When everyone chose to run, he was no different than people. Except, when he timidly backed away from me, he stumbled to the ground, and then stayed put, trembling and sniffling. Why did he stay put like this? Because he was hiding something behind his huge bulk. Seeing one of the people who tried so fiercely to cut me down a minute ago so weak and defenseless, I decided to y with him.


    I kicked the ground and leisurely started walking to the man. Rubbing my nose, I smirked at him. "Safe and sound, big man?" He only jolted and groaned in fear. That was his response to me. Waving my arms around, I showed him his leader and magician, as well as all the equipment his friends left after their sudden cowardly departure. "All of this is on you, big man. ¡­What, you and your friends knew how to growl like the mad dogs you were, moments earlier, but now you''re even able to whimper?" I cocked my head to the side, waiting for an answer, but the adventurer only groaned and whimpered in his sweat and snot as a response.


    "Damn. So you only can growl, groan, or whimper like a dog, huh? I thought it was just a disguise, you know. But now, big man, you''ve done it!" I saluted him. "You managed to be the mad, and badass wild dog I saw in you earlier!" Being a jerk sure was a fun hobby. "My goodness, big man!


    "But damn, still¡ªall of this is on you, big man! Because know what? You stopped being that badass, bloodthirsty dog from earlier! Yeah you did, big man! Not agreeing with me? That''s the same! Got yourself a wound from great-general me, had to retreat to be healed, and messed up all of your friends'' formation! Damn it. You''ve killed ''em all. I feel for you. ¡­And I know, right? You''ve tried your best, haven''t you¡­? You''ve really pushed yourself. So don''t worry¡­ I¡­I have a solution. Why don''t we just¡ªyou know, just you and me, not the little rat hiding behind your back¡ªwalk up to your dead leader''s corpse and apologize to it, eh?!


    "C''mon. Let''s do it, big man."


    By now, he had really be a hot mess of tears, nervousness, unease, and so much more. I wasn''t done ying with the guy, though. "We gotta make the brave man that you killed smile. Don''t you think so, too? Even if it''s just in the afterlife. C''mon. Get your ass up. If we apologize¡ªyou specifically, by the way¡ªI''m sure he''ll forgive you for killing him. ¡­What? Oh ho ho¡­ You don''t want to? ¡­Heh, what a disappointment...


    "So you''re really not that badass dog¡ªno, badass wolf, even! Wolves are cooler!¡ªI saw in you earlier, are you? ¡­Ha ha ha ha." I couldn''t take it anymore. As fun as it was to me, I stopped. Grimacing, I actually felt bad for him now.


    "No. Okay. Sorry. I was just messing with you. You don''t have to cry. Argh, and stop the sniffling too, it''s pissing me off. That''s disgusting too. Seriously. That''s right. Just stare down, you keep your snot away from me. Yuck. Anyway, yeah, right now, both you and I, as we''re both super badass, we''re buddies, y''know. I was just messing with you," I pped my hands together apologetically, "I really don''t want you to cry right now!


    "But please, shove off the way, Mr. Big Man. You''re hiding the priestess from me. And I won''t stand it. I just decided she has to die. She''s no hero like yourself. And she pisses me off. She''s only using you, the brave big man who is so merciful that he protects her¡­ even in the face of death, as a meat shield."


    I obtained no answer from either of them. Like, really, they were rude people. But at any rate, I''d forgive the big man as he became my hero. The battle was clearly over on our side, but these two stayed behind. Who knew why. After a minute of staring down at the two leftovers, I just had an idea.


    Crouching, I embraced my knees and sat on my butt. The two of them didn''t move an inch. "You know¡­ I never really liked people," I confessed. "The first ones I met¡­ well, I''m not upset about it or anything¡­ but they were unkind to me. They even went as far as killing me, can you believe that? ...I mean, a''ight, I know I wasn''t especially ''kind'' to them either, but man, it was all an ident. They were unkind, and I didn''t like people, right. But now that I''m seeing you, big man," I shed a thumbs-up at him, "you''re a pretty cool guy. You''re goddamn heroic. Aren''t''cha? Even with your life put on the line, you decide to stay here and be the goddamn hero this world needs!


    "You know, I like you. Just like my old man and the kind ma''am¡­ and also the noodle maker¡­ but you, you''re a real hero. You know, I don''t know much about life, but I''m eager to learn. My old man even tells me I''m an avid learner. Hehehe¡­ Yeah so anyway, I''m eager to know. I want to figure people out. ...And I''m happy to say a badass wild dog such as yourself can certainly help me out with that.


    "Why put your life on the line for such a grossly ignoble, miserable rat behind you? You know, I can see what she''s doing." The priestess squeaked in fear. "She wounded herself when she tried to run. Now, with the little mana left in her, she''s healing her wound. Though it takes time, after she''s done with it, she will," I paused, "run away¡­ and leave you behind. You, the hero. Can you believe that...? Then you''ll die. But you can sense it too, can''t you? ¡­Why are you okay with it? I want to know; I want to learn. My hero, tell me why?"


    These two adventurers, I watched them carefully. They were right in front of my eyes, with fearful expressions and trembling limbs, sniffling and sobbing as they felt death''s breath on them. They had lost. Now, all that was left of them was to die. My eyes scanned them over and over, curious at this new kind of stimtion.


    Tilting my head to the side, I observed the big guy wouldn''t move. Even though he wasn''t wounded. Even though he knew the priestess just nned to run away after she healed herself. Even though he wouldn''t win anything in the process of it. Quite the contrary, he would lose his life. And without life, what was there in the world? My two big curious eyes scanned them over and over. Then I found my answer. But my answer raised another question.


    "Humans. Speak. This is love, isn''t it?" I asked them to speak, but they really wouldn''t. Seeing they were so fearful, I didn''t press them to answer. This was love, I was sure of it. So, was love what made a hero then? Many thoughts and ideas shed through my mind as I tried to pin down both the concept of love and the motive behind the selfless sacrifice of the big man.


    Satisfied with an answer I just found, I severely nodded at the man. "Tell me, big man¡­ What you have here is something Ick. I can''tprehend your selfless sacrifice. What I want to understand, however, is how to get it? Love, affection, appreciation, fondness¡­ romance. In order to find my home¡­ I think the kind ma''am (you know, the inn madam I briefly mentioned earlier) hinted at me I also needed that¡ªa family, basically. ¡­But man, you really won''t speak to me though, huh?"


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 54 Highschool Girls

    " ¡­But man, you really won''t speak to me though, huh?"


    Well anyway. The big guy not answering me was fine, I think. After all, I didn''t also want our conversation to turn into that of two highschool girls discussing their matters of the heart.


    Maybe that''s why the mess of hot tears of fear didn''t respond in the first ce. I now wondered what these two had been thinking. What the heck was the enemy, the overwhelmingly powerful general enemy, doing here. I guess they must have thought me an eerie person, which I absolutely was, sometimes. Right now, however, I had a reason for staying here and engaging in a conversation with them.


    For now, we three might only have seemed like three best friends casually hanging out together in the woods, sharing a beautiful moment, but it was only for now. I had asked questions to the two, and others were toe. That''s how you gather information, had said the old man. You inquire about matters.


    For now, we were still in the middle of the road, all hanging out together. Some clouds got on top of us, finally hindering the sun from beating down on us. The result was that the weather had gotten cooler.


    A dozens meter away there was good old Mr. Creaky, and further down the road, another two dozens of meters away¡ªI shut my eyes and used Mana Perception¡ªthe battle was still going down on their side. They were much more lively. Orcs went down, but humans, too. More humans than orcs had dropped dead, but as the orcs had been far lesser in numbers at the beginning, the battle was still somewhat a match for both teams. I thought of going and helping them, but no.


    Questions. I figured that this human was quite a good one. And I felt like inquiring him about questions. Some important matters. My eyes went back to staring at the man. His breathing quickened and he excitedly averted my eyes as big beads of sweat trailed down his nose. He would never meet my eyes, but only look down at his feet.


    Dang, my new friend was a shy one. As I thought he was too meek, I told him that it was okay, if I had questions, the girlfriend would answer them for me. However, when I got up and started circling him around, to sit in front of the girlfriend, he moved his huge bulk around, preventing me from meeting the priestess face to face.


    That really was one badass hero I fished today. You might have seen him hesitant and scared to protect the girlfriend, but hey, he still did move around and kept protecting her with his bulk. If you ask me, that in and of itself was what made him a total hero. Love, huh? I promised him I wouldn''t bring my dagger down on her, but even with this, the human conflictingly groaned, whimpered, and sniffled telling me not to approach. Shaking my head, I told him I needed to, as gently as possible, then he uttered his first words.


    "Y-Yes¡­. Uh¡­ Ma''am...! I-I''ll¡­ Sniffle¡­ A-Answer y-your questions¡­! Please!"


    "Tut-tut," I kick his knee. "''Sir''."


    "I''ll... a-answer y-your questions... sir!"


    Few things were on my mind. These many thoughts being up here upying all the room in my head just like the clouds which assembled in the sky, stalling over and begging for answers toe. The hero and his protegee would answer my questions.


    The big man just said it again, as he saw my silent stance, stuttering to me that he would answer now, but he begged me not to harm them. Nodding at him, I told the big man I would not harm ''you'' as he was my hero. Sitting back my ass on the cool ground, I got myself into afortable position. Leaning back, I rested my back on my arms and looked up at the sky. My first question was, are you guys adventurers?


    "Y-Yes, sir!" Their whole unit, the one I ''obliterated'', he said, were all adventurers. So they were adventurers, just like Hideous had said. ''Adventurer'', I liked the sound of it.


    Adventurers, what are they? They''re the guys who aplish quests. They make a living, for most of them, unlike nobles, it''s not a hobby, and put bread on the table thanks to their dangerous job. That wasn''t really my question, but I guessed what I asked was too vague, so it figured.


    Reiterating the same question, he stuttered so much about guilds, to register, to teach the basis of adventuring¡ªI shut him up. That still wasn''t what I asked about.


    A question I wanted to ask, for instance, was¡­ what are they like, are they necessarily humans? "N-No, sir! No! ¡­Th-They aren''t necessarily¡­ B-But oh¡­ I-I mean¡­" For some reason, he was unable to answer. My guess was that they weren''t necessarily human, but at the same time, would a monster like me, who sides with the Demon Lords, be considered a human? Technically I was an elf, the Receptacle was, but I evidently didn''t look human at all. Like, when it came to mana, aura, and that kind of stuff, I clearly couldn''t be identified as a human or demi-human for that matter. That''s why the big guy hesitated.


    How do adventurers live anyway? They only have the quests to do? I have quests of my own too, with the System, but maybe that''s not enough to be an adventurer? The same goes for this one question, after stammering around the answer the same way he did for the precedent, I had to shut him up.


    I had to be more specific if I wanted answers out of my chubby boy. Therefore: Did adventurers get to at least eat food and have a shelter on top of their heads? "Y-Yes, sir! Very much so, sir!" the big chubby guy answered. Now, that was a question that spoke to him. The big guy, seeing I was surprised, even shed a thumbs-up at me, nodded like a reliable guy, and insisted, saying the food was sulent. That was my chubby boy for you.


    Was being an adventurer fun? Like always fun like this much fun? Fun we had today? "I don''t know about fun, sir! But to you, sir, I would hope to guess it is fun!" At first, there was a wall between us two. Now that this wall had been shattered, our back and forth questioning and answering paced up. And so, being an adventurer and monster-hunter was fun activity, eh?


    How can I join your cause? "You¡ª You¡­" Shaking his head repeatedly, he cast his eyes downward with a frown. I told my hero it was okay if he didn''t answer that. He was a hero after all, he couldn''t go about telling a monster-type creature to go to the nearest town and what to do about all the required steps to be part of the Guild.


    Where did adventurers get their quests? The big guy spoke of a city¡ªa big city¡ªand said it was in the Guild Bureau. A city? He said yes, the Guild Bureau was in a city.


    At this point, I won''t hide the fact that almost all the questions I asked the man weren''t answered as I would have wished. Meaning, my ying detective, if you could call it that, was a failure. As it was always the old man who shared useful information, I wanted to surprise him this time. But I guess for now I couldn''t.


    At any rate, it was a fun experience, and I learned some more about the human psyche and emotions. I only had threest little questions now. The first question was about the city he spoke of, as he referred to it as a ''capital'' I thought it was worth seeing. The big man was used to all my questions being so obvious.


    Giving me indications, I nodded and remembered. My second question was about the sun. Was there really no way at all to try and peek, in a healthy manner, at the sun without any ck dot popping up? With his answer, I made a mental note to think of getting myself one pair of the legendary "sunsses" he mentioned and also some of the rarest healing techniques that existed so that I could contemte the sun''s ring beauty safely.


    Then there was myst question. "Are you done with it yet, you little rat?"

 Chapter 55 That’s… ‘Cause I Love Ya!

    Then there was myst question. "Are you done with it yet, you little rat?"


    Interview time was over. The big guy grunted in surprise, instantly turning back into the snotty mess of tears he was moments earlier, as if hisposed self as he answered my questions calmly had just been one of my delusions. I called it a day. Crackling my neck to both sides, I had to stand up and¡ª


    The priestess immediately gave a start. She understood my question was hers to answer. She only replied with a squeak, though. After lifting her long, white and blue priestess'' robe, standing on her staff, she tried to run off.


    How could she abandon my hero?


    She was unworthy of him. I intended to do him justice then. Being a coward, just like the other humans, I approved of her rational decision to use other''s life to save her own¡ªI already knew, might is what makes right¡ªbut couldn''t approve of her offending my hero friend.


    Yes, today, I had decided to love, too! I loved my hero. That was why I couldn''t just let that go unpunished. Her poor chubby boy had spent the entire time talking to me as he sweated and stammered his way around not dying without protecting the priestess¡­ and she just walked away?


    I still stood in front of the chubby boy who blocked me with his bulk. After I called her out and told her toe back right this instant, she only squeaked again, like the rat that she was. As she stood up, she bolted onward and went on the run. Looking back down at the big man, he only lowered his head and heavily frowned.


    Heaving a sigh, I shook my head. Unlike me, he wasn''t disappointed by theck of love in the priestess'' heart. No. That man was more than happy to see her run off on her own and survive after she used him as a meat¡ªno, fatshield.


    Surely, we weren''t expecting any heroic attempts to save them both on her behalf, but damn, it still stung to see her abandon the big guy so easily. I briefly told the big guy she wouldn''t get away with it. She couldn''t. Not under my watch. And now wasn''t the time to ck off. As I jumped past the huge bulk, the big man desperately tried to grab my leg, keeping me behind. I kicked his head and sent him down. Right after I touched the earth, with Quick Pace, I dashed along the distance, at full speed.


    Suddenly, the girl tripped on her long priestess'' robe. In her panic, she cursed, trying to get up and fast. She was on all fours, trying to get herself up. But I was right behind her, diving at full speed, cornering the rat.


    Further escaping was impossible by now. Inded on her back. Pressing her down on the ground, I was pinning her arms down as I felt the priestess trying to slip away. Still on top of her rear, she tried to kick me off bnce with her legs, I leaned in to her neck, and whispered to her ears she couldn''t get away with it.


    With her face on the ground, she shrieked and cursed the monster... and then I bashed her head in with a rock. Limp, she offered no more resistance. Thus, I just took the trash out. Standing back up, I turned to the big guy, pumping a bloody fist in the air. My shoulders heaved, as I waved my fist at the sky. "Saw that, big man?! Got her down! That''s¡­ ''cause I love ya! Yeehaaaw!"


    The big man cried, started a rush toward me, and as the giant''s heavy steps resounded throughout the whole forest, shaking trees and scaring birds, I thought the big man might have wanted to shake hands with me before we parted, or even give me a hug, who knew, but that wasn''t it.


    It was the first time someone yelled at me I was a monster and I was somewhat okay with it. My hero then swore to kill me, throwing sluggish punches my way. After I evaded him, I jumped up. In the air, I twisted my body around, and with a quick movement, I pped the hero''s face the strongest I could. After I did so, his eyes went white. He lost consciousness.


    Before I left, I paid my respect, bowing slightly to him.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 56 Trash Taken Out

    Being weak was a thing. Being powerful was another thing.


    "And¡­ right now," I yfully jumped around, "I''m being thetter~" I sang in a singsong voice. Quite naturally then, I was having fun. I was being powerful. If I wasn''t powerful, then I''d be weak. "''Weak'', you say¡­?" My joyful hopping around gradually died down, my feeting to a stop. Yes, weak. Weak like all the other sleeping people who surrounded me at present.


    Observing around, my smile dropped. I let out a solemn "humph" and thought back on my first day in the World. Today, I had my share of happiness and fun. If I wanted that to keep going, I needed to grow even stronger than this. Holding a fist out, I clenched it so tightly that it trembled.


    Let''s say the old man wished to bring me down right now, I thought, would I manage against him? To grow stronger than this, hm? Shaking my head, I made myself forget my thoughts and went on to marching.


    For now, I would just go to my elves. I hoped they had their share of fun too, my two loyal subjects. They, along with their orc friends, must have been fighting a great deal today too. They were all together as one team up against another greater team of people. And just like the old man said when I insisted to ask whether he was sure to apany me or not, he had said, ''The more, the merrier, oh ho ho.''


    There were so many people ying all togetherpetitively. Surely, now that I think about it, they must have had even more fun than me. Now, I was a bit jealous. But anyway, White-haired and Hideous were waiting for me.


    The other side of our poorly improvised battlefield was right up ahead. The carriage was twenty or so meters away, and the elves another twenty meters or so forward. I reached the chariot and patted it, saying it did really well today too. Up ahead, then, were the orcs, elves, and humans. My battle had been wrapped up, theirs still was still going. Ifortably let my back lean on the chariot and observed the other team.


    They were nearing an end. Of orcs, there remained three. On the human team, surprisingly, there was only one guy left. It had been like this for at least two minutes, but the man was so vigorous he still fought on. And finally, on the elf group¡ª "Ha ha ha. I can be proud of my boys." ¡ªthere were still two.


    I knew White-haired had this. There was no telling how the cunning, little elf managed to make it this far without dying, dragging his hideous friend with him, but I knew he would make it. When he truly wanted it, he was the man. The man of his royalty. He got work done.


    The three orcs standing were circling and cornering thest standing human. The orc leader on one side, painfully swinging his sword at him, barely still up, with one other big orc painfully standing and huffing with a big shield and sword in both hands. And finally another orc¡ªwho just went down.


    With a sh from the enemy, he sank to the ground and the trying battle went on. It truly was a surprise they had survived against that great of a team. If not for their persistent stubbornness and willpower, they wouldn''t havested that long. And at any rate, they still suffered a lot from this battle. As we were at war, I could confidently say that no team was really winning here. Still though, by the end of this show, some would survive and be granted another chance to stand up. The losers wouldn''t.


    Unfortunately for them, theirst prey was a tenacious one. Going forth with a Holy Charge skill, he''d just cut down the third orc. He was the leader of the three units. Sir Pdin. Behold the man, making a shield out of thin air, he used yet another skill to protect his back.


    A dull ng resounded and the orc leader bounced back. The orc leader swung his sword again, but again, it was blocked off. Going like this, it seemed the three remaining front fighters were enduring just fine.


    My two boys also were holding up finely. The cunning elf was the reason they had survived this long for sure. If it were only Hideous, he would have dropped dead a long time ago. But thanks to White-haired''s brains, he survived.


    The cunning elf schemed a n before, but even at present, his calcting eyes were hoping to pull off another n. I could see it clearly. The orc leader yelled at him. He asked about the elf''s healing talismans. They needed them. Right this instant. If not, the human leader wouldn''t go down easily. Shouting back at the orc leader, the elf spoke of lies. He said he didn''t have any, they were all gone.


    Iughed at the fact that, even in a tense situation like the present one, these two managed to yell at each other like two brats. They really got along well. The orc leader clicked his tongue at White-haired anyway, and gritting his teeth, he continued to keep the pdin veteran on the edge. What did the elves do in all of this?


    Hideous got himself a bow and arrows. He handled the weapon pretty well despite the fact that heined about human-made bows being useless. Firing three arrows, all three missed. The orc leader cursed them for being so useless.


    But ignoring him, the two cunning elves sneakily turned to each other. Both nodded. They both had a n to work with, but only White-haired knew the truth of that sorry n they would pull. With what would soon happen, I would see that the kinder elf could have an icy heart too.


    Oblivious of White-haired''s scheme, Hideous pulled off two daggers and approached the very front. Behind his back, the cunning elf pressed him forward. Albeit a little unwilling to do so, the hideous elf buckled down to it, ground his teeth, and charged forward.


    Sir Pdin''s white sparkly armor turned to so grim, so full of blood and so wrecked. Like the cornered beast he was, he only doubled over in strength and arduousness. All three guys were fighting against him, and instead of helping them take the thing down, I just looked from a distance, entertained by my men.


    White-haired stood a distance from them, holding a sword in one hand and a dozen elvish runic sheets in the other. He was ready to aplish something big. I wondered what he was up to. All I could understand was that the more spells he applied to his sword, the more it glowed and shone with a bright white light. He was adding an unimaginable amount of strength to his sword. Unlike enhanced weapons, that technique was only a temporary measure.


    If a cksmith enhanced a sword, said sword would glow and shine in the same fashion White-haired''s sword did. Only, when a professional did it, though in most cases the effect of the enchantment was far weaker, it couldst forever. Needless to go into the details of the art of craftsmanship, thanks to the old man always running his mouth about every matter and subject I would mention, I understood what the cunning elf was up to.


    What I couldn''t expect from him, however, was what he woulde to do with his immensely powerful sword. If I was right anyway, after a swing of that sword, the elf would be totally drained from his mana. So much so that he would pass out on the spot. And still, he nned to pull his n. Starting a countdown from ten to zero, he stabilized the sword''s strength in his hand.


    Meanwhile, at the frontline, many ngs rang out along with grunts and furious shouts. Sir Pdin was more cornered than ever, he went for the weaker of his foe, trying to break the orcs'' momentum. He swung his white, shining sword at the elf. Due to his fatigue, Hideous could block the attack.


    Then it happened. In between many blows, the orc leader finally got an opening. He brought his thick arm down on the pdin''s shoulder, making the veteran fall to a knee. With yet another shing at his neck, the pdin promptly passed away, earning his ce in Valha. A true warrior.


    And then ''it'' happened. White-haired had finished his countdown. The sword he held instantly shone a me so bright that I had to squint at it. The floor, by White-haired''s feet, lit up like crazy. Holding onto his sword, the elf cried, clenching his jaws and frowning like he never had. His face was as pale as red¡ªhe already had burned so much mana, but the mes brightened and burned his face. It was a terrifying picture to look at.


    It was just as if the elf unleashed hell contained in his sword. Quickly though, countless little fissures ran across the sword''s de. In less than five seconds the sword would break apart into tiny pieces. There was no time to lose. It was now or never.


    As White-haired had unleashed hell from his sword, there was no time for the orcs to celebrate their victory. At any rate, the orcs weren''t going to anyway. Because I was reminded then that White-haired had let it slip a while back. "The elf! Just hand over the goddamn princess! Y-You can''t fight us!" He had let slip that I was the elven princess. The Receptacle was. After the fight was brought to an end, another feud just showed up.


    That battle wouldn''tst longer than a second, however. White-haired yelled at Hideous to get in line, which the elf immediately did, and as the three foes¡ªthe hideous elf, the orc leader, and the other orc¡ªwere gathered in one ce, the steps of the running cunning elf rang out. Following behind him, there was the hellish, off-putting pitch-ck sword in his hand.


    As a Mana Perception user, I could tell how utterly demonic and devastating of an assault the elf pulled. On one hand, you had Hideous, the orc leader, and hisst man facing each other, getting ready to fight. On the other hand, you had only one elf, with a sword full of mes that had turned ck; he swung the hellish de at the group of three.


    All three of them were engulfed in dark mes. The mes reached heights. Some bits of the forest also was engulfed in the sea of dark mes.


    The three enemies of White-haired were taken away from my sight. For a brief moment, all I could see of the sea of mes was a ck, intense color. At the same time, the sword shattered. Where the sword had impacted, the air was so hot it expanded and exploded.


    I was beyond speechless when the shockwave made me fall down, following a wild gust of wind. When I got back up in a hurry, I saw an elf, lying down unconscious. Next to the elf, gnawing at the earth and forest, the soil had turned to ck ashes. There were no two orcs left, no hideous elf left, but only ashes.


    What the hell had just happened? When I said I was beyond speechless, I meant it a hundred percent. Should I have expected that? Not that I minded any of what happened, but damn. After a second, I recovered my spirits, loudly and erraticallyughed, thenmented¡ª "Most entertaining."


    When White-haired would wake up after a long, long while, he would coldly assert facts. First and foremost, the orcs had to die. They knew the princess'' secret. Needless to go into why, if the orcs had survived¡ªhad they captured the princess or just run away¡ªthe elven people were most likely doomed, and the truce would be no more.


    About the hideous elf, White-haired would assert that he was a guarantee his attack would even work. It was the first time he ever did something this ''stupid'' with a sword and runes, so he had no way of knowing the utterly enormous damage the hellish blow would deal.


    By having the hideous elf fight the orcs upfront, White-haired had all his enemies gathered in one spot, so he was guaranteed his attack would work. In other words, the hideous elf was a necessary sacrifice.


    But to top it off, White-haired would also coldly assert that he nned on executing him anyway. He was a scum, an insult to the Kingdom, a vile man who in normal circumstances would be considered a traitor so much he had insulted and repeatedly physically assaulted the royalty, and, in the same way the orcs knew too much about me being the princess, the hideous elf knew too much about the princess being the Noble Forest Spirit.


    It was dangerous. I didn''t mind any of it. Wasn''t the dead elf only the man who would be remembered as ''the hideous elf'' anyway?


    Well. White-haired got things done anyway. A round of apuse. p p p.

 Chapter 57 An Elfs Philosophy

    From the zenith, the sun had dropped by a considerable margin. Time had passed. The sun still hung up in the sky, but it had been more than tilted for a long time now.


    I crouched down, peering over my knees, going about a new business I had found. In front of my knees, they¡ªall the weapons of the battlefield I had gathered¡ªwere all extended and presented on the ground. I was examining them all. Making sure none were missing, I arranged them all neatly. There were so many weapons I didn''t know which one to pick. There were of all kinds, after all. Human stuff, elven daggers, and orcish longswords. There were also axes, tons of them. And clubs, too. And so, I, with a lot of time on my hands, was sorting all these weapons,belling some ugly, some beautiful, and some average. For example, clubs were ugly, the swords, short swords, and daggers were beautiful, and the rest of the axes and two-handed swords were neither. This had been a new little game of mine, and it hadsted quite a long time already. Squinting my eyes at all the beautiful groups of weapons, I now had to separate them into further categories.


    "You!" I pointed at one. "You picked my interest. Come and see daddy..." Jumping across the sea of weapons, I went and picked up the sword I had just seen. It was neither big nor heavy. It had a refined style. Now that I examined it carefully, I noticed it slightly shone, emitting a faint, bright light. It glittered and sparkled, I liked it. It definitely was an enhanced weapon. I could sense manaing from it like it had been a living thing. ying at killing enemies in my head, I danced around, swinging the sword here and there.


    Deciding that this sword, the one the pdin used, was the sword I elected, I coughed dismissively in my hand, telling all the weapons they were dismissed. Swinging it around some more, I asked the sword to serve me well.


    And with that, I ended my little game. I had no reason to stretch it further. The elf finally woke up. Skipping my way all up to him, I casually spoke. "Hey, you! Finally waking up?" He had a pained expression as he woke up. His pale face had only regained a little color. Straightening his back up, he groaned.


    He had been resting right by the Weapon Assembly Event. As I sensed he came to, I hastily jogged to his side. So far, for the whole time I waited, he was resting. Sleeping and agonizing. Now, he was finally up.


    "You''re done, right?" I asked him. He groaned more, confused about what was happening. His head was so heavy he had to support it with a hand.


    "...Princess¡­?" Rubbing his red eyes and slightly burned face, his eyebrows were pressed down and a crease formed in between them. "...P-Princess!?" And immediately, as he recognized his surroundings, he promptly analyzed me, from head to toe, like I was the one so injured. "Y-You''re covered in blood!? A-Are you all right?!"


    "That attack really took its toll on you, didn''t it? I''m all right." The blood on me was my enemies'', not mine. Telling him as much, he was at least reassured about my good health.


    "P-Princess!? Where¡ª Where are we!?"


    "There there¡­ Take it easy, you stupid elf. Just take it easy. That attack you pulled¡­ You have to take it easy. I can''t travel with a dead guide." Though he was super worn out and tired, the adrenaline allowed him to get excited at once. Throwing his head from one side to the other, he made sure we were still where we stopped. He kept mumbling words to himself, looking for enemies and whatnot. "Just chill out, why don''t you. We''re good. Safe. You took them all down. Do you... not remember?"


    "N-No! P-Princess! They knew about¡ª"


    "Calm down. I know."


    He was in a truly pitiful state.


    "I-It was a necessary sacrifice, Princess¡­" Did he actually feel bad about it? In a way he did. But most of all, I think, his conflicting emotions were due to the fact his princess had witnessed all of it. He truly loved her as his ruler and wanted to protect the head of the kingdom. He wanted to protect her against anything even remotely wrongful. He already felt bad enough for not being able to protect her from the demon lords whoid waste to his people''snd, and now he allowed her to witness his folly.


    Now, he also felt so ashamed and unworthy of her ruler''s guard as he failed to protect her from witnessing the most hideous face of that thing we called war. He felt ashamed to a point he teared up apologetically.


    He didn''t want her princess to consider him a more despicable scum than she already did. He knew the princess looked at all of the elves and her kingdom as cowards who were unable to even try to be brave and follow in the lead of herte father the king.


    Who were so cowardly they wouldn''t even try to oppose the enemy, and who, so much undignified they were, could evene to believe in the so-called ''truce'' the demons offered the elven people. The demons had offered promises and truces in history, to other peoples of other times, and they hardly kept any.


    Still, that window of action they were offered was the only window they would ever have. At any rate, all of that hardly mattered now. Still, the elf felt ashamed of his action and tried to redeem his position as a noble attendant.


    "It was just a necessary sacrifice, Princess¡­ You have to understand. I had to ensure at least I stayed alive in the end¡­ And that no information would leak out. It was simply too¡­ dangerous." The pained look on his expression didn''t change. He had a severe shoring of mana. Still, he spoke. "The princess needs me¡­ A-And," he grunted, "our people need the princess¡­!"


    "There there," I calmed him down. "Don''t get too excited."


    "We¡­ need the princess! N-Not like it''s any of your business anyway¡­ am I correct¡­?"


    Hmm. Of course it was my business. What hid behind the words he just said, I didn''t know. But ignoring the way he referred to me as ''she'' and ''her'', I stayed silent, waiting for him to finish what he had to say.


    But my lips didn''t move and neither did his. As the atmosphere grew awkwardly, I noisily cleared my throat and spoke to him. "You¡­ really surprised me anyway. Back then, I mean." Seeing he didn''t respond, I coughed into my hand and got up. The elf probably hadn''t rested enough, but I still asked. "W-Well¡­ Why don''t we just get moving then¡ª"


    A whack onto the earth made it tremble. "I am truly sorry!" Yet another whack rang out. The elf had gotten his head down and pressed it on the earth, yelling he was truly sorry. That surprising sight reminded me of how the hideous elf had reacted to me, calling myself some strange name. With each ''sorry'' another Thump resounded. "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m so¡ª"


    "What the heck, man!?"


    "I truly am! I had to understand! But I didn''t! I had to! Yet¡­ I didn''t¡­!"


    "H-Hey¡­! Just¡ª Just rx," I stepped away from him. "What is it anyway? Apologies?"


    It was my time to be delusional about my identity, at present. From my perspective, I absolutely couldn''t have him believe I wasn''t the elven royalty. Well, that delusion wouldn''tst long.

 Chapter 58 "O Noble Spirit!"

    "I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m sorry! I''m so¡ª"


    "What the heck, man!?"


    "I truly am! I had to understand! But I didn''t! I had to! Yet¡­ I didn''t¡­!"


    "H-Hey¡­! Just¡ª Just rx," I stepped away from him. "What is it anyway? Apologies?"


    I didn''t know how to process his overly apologetic stance and words. I mean, deep down, I did. But damn I didn''t want to be confronted with that. Not again. It was so awkward for me when the hideous elf was the one erratically apologizing and kowtowing. I didn''t want it again. Never. "Know what? Whatever you''ve done to me, I''m fine! I totally am. There''s no need for you to even mention it¡ª"


    "O Noble Forest Spirit!"


    "Duh!" Why was I even surprised? My jaw dropped after I jumped behind.


    "Pardon my sins! And please¡­! Give us back the princess! I''m so sorry, O Noble Spirit! You havee all your way to the descendant, the current princess, of the Tree''s Sacred Line¡­ but¡­ but¡­ I failed to recognize you!


    "Even when you exined as much to us, lowlymoners, we failed to recognize you!" Some more Thumps resounded through the forest, shaking the earth and scaring the birds. Putting in between me and the crazy elf as many steps as possible, unwilling to offer my back to him, I backed away really far, and still, he felt as near as ever.


    His voice only grew louder and more erratic. I was so put off and panicked I had to ask the man whether he was assaulting me or not. When I did so, he only grew more apologetic and sorry. "I''m so, so, so sorry if the Noble Spirit may think it''s the case!" I thought he was so worn out he could barely move, but look at the man now. Surely, that long nap of his got him back on his feet.


    Should I run? Should I not? I didn''t want to have to deal with all the uncharted territory that opened to me as we spoke. The whole thing was still a huge misunderstanding. Who was that Noble Spirit or something? I knew I wasn''t.


    "Please! O Noble Spirit! Be so merciful as to give our people thete king''s daughter back! I won''t ask for anything else! A-After we are to be finished with your honorable affair, of course! Please, this lowly elf shall serve as a guide to your noble self! So please, give us the princess back¡ª"


    "Sh-Shut it!"


    "O Noble Sacred Spirit of the forest of my ancestors, do forgive my sins! Not recognizing you¡­! When you yourself tried to inform us, lowly elves, of your noble presence¡­! Please, forgive my sins!"


    Inside of me, then and there, something broke. For the first time, I was mentally drained. I just wanted to sleep and forget everything. s, that wasn''t going to happen. My ns were disrupted. Or were they? What now anyway? Having to go through all of this.


    Elven Princess, please, take over and help. Something or someone in me cut a clear "No thank you." I sensed it. And I was left to deal with all of this alone.


    So anyway, time passed again, and the sun dropped too. By a little margin. And White-haired exined things to me. Or rather, we just talked. His face was tense, his ashamed gaze nted to the ground. He told me he wondered about the How. The big How. Thankfully, he had undone the deep, apologetic kowtow he gave me earlier.


    We were still in the forest, still by the ce our carriage broke down at. At this point, it was like a second home to us. One of us slept here, and the other idly killed time waiting for the sleeper to get better. Thankfully, we would get going in a few. Also, after all the cries and yells he gave the whole forest to hear, naturally, a few enemies came to us. I slew them all, and then we got back to how things were earlier.


    The elf''s face wasn''t quite willing to meet my gaze. At least the man''s shoulders were facing me. "Pardon me to ask, O Noble Spirit, but¡­" At some point, eventually, his face climbed up and met my eyes. "Why might there be this¡­ great deal of distancing between the two of us, sir?" Anyway, as I said, now, we would be discussing all of what needed to be discussed.


    "Just so you don''t try anything funny on me," I sighed, shaking my head. "You know I can''t exactly ''trust'' you after all we went through¡­ right? Ah, and drop the ''sir''." Well, it didn''tst long. The elf had finally deigned to meet my eyes and drop the overly ashamed aura hanging about his head. Now, his head felt too heavy with shame and self-hate, it seemed to me. Clutching his knees, he eventually said nothing. "H-Hey, you don''t have to react that way, do you? I know I may be harsh on you, but you do understand where I''ming from, don''t you?"


    "O-Of course I do! Th-That''s exactly why I¡ª"


    "Well. If you do then, just understand that I''m being careful. Aside from that, there is absolutely no bad blood between us. That''s how I feel. So don''t worry about it."


    "Y-Your kind words reassure me¡­"


    "d they do. I''mfortable with this much distance¡­ And anyway, I can hear you just fine." I slightly nodded to him, after shouting every word of our conversation super loudly. I wasn''t sure whether he could even distinguish the nodding movement of my head from that far away, however.


    "Y-Yes, I understand, sir." Putting an awkward smile on his face, he went on. "B-But well! Thirty meters is a bit¡­" he cleared his throat, "too much. O-Only if you ask me, that is!" We were indeed that far away from each other.


    "It''s necessary," I shouted back.


    "I must apologize for my useless intervention then, sir!" And in this apologetical and ridiculous setting, I was on one side, casually sitting like a frog, while he was farther away from me, on the other side, formally sitting on his knees as they were joined. "So anyway, O Noble Spirit¡­ where was I¡­ erm¡­" After his ''useless intervention'', the elf took back where he left off. He told me "I actually wonder¡­ how? How would the princesse to ask to meet with the Forest''s Guardians¡­? How could she undertake such a mission? Or rather, why? I feel ashamed to admit it, but I had really no understanding whatsoever over this matter.


    "And as you¡­ well¡­ as I, lowly elf, thought you were no more than the princess, I didn''t press you to share with me the details of the ''n'' I believed was bound to fail right immediately. I was totally clueless about it. I mean, I was indeed astounded by the proposal of the princess¡ªthat was in fact you¡ªbut ultimately decided I would go with it without so much as a question. Why, because I never thought¡ªor rather, never hoped we would get this far to start with. I hoped the princess might reconsider.


    "Especially in the chariot, when we first stumbled upon the orcs as they fought¡­ so savagely and thirstily. What I failed to recognize was that it was you, O Noble Forest Spirit, all along, piecing together each part of your n¡ª May I venture to ask, O Noble Spirit, should your noble quest be rted to, in any way possible, the rescuing of our poor, defiled forest? I-I wouldn''t dream of it, but¡­!"


    "It is not."


    "E-Evidently¡­! Haha¡­! W-We wouldn''t be worthy¡­! I-I was just asking. Sorry. A-Anyway." The elf cleared his throat, stopped smiling awkwardly, and hurried himself to speak, saying the Noble Spirit didn''t have all the time in the world. "Now, it all holds a lot of sense. Meaning, too. For whatever reason, you havee to visit us. Or rather, the other Guardians of the forest. Y-You are one of them! One of the Guardians! You must be, O Noble Spirit!" The way he asked that let me think he wasn''t even sure of my identity. He did ask me before too.


    He tried to guess at it. In a way, he was sure about my identity as a Guardian of the forest, but maybe he wanted me to confirm it to him so that he would be a hundred percent sure. Unfortunately for him, I heavily shook my head at hisment. ''Asking about that is a No,'' I conveyed to him.

 Chapter 59 Unprecedented

    This identity of one of the forest''s Guardians, Dryads, or whatever people chose to call them, sure seemed like a convenient new identity for me. At first, needless to say, I felt my n of action crumbling when the hideous elf made it clear he knew what I supposedly was. I feared I had to kill him in order to keep my secret, but obviously the other elf knew about me as well. So I was doomed, right?


    No, I wasn''t. In fact, by assuming the identity of one of these dryad people, the elf seemed to idolize me more than he idolized the princess. He felt more admiration and awe for me. So much so, that maybe it was more convenient to have this dryad identity rather than the other.


    At any rate, then, I didn''t contradict the elf. If I were to, after all, there was no telling how he would react. I still needed him to guide me. And as I didn''t know the elven princess was still alive, I didn''t have the idea of taking her hostage.


    Well, things were a mess, but at present, I saw a way out of all of it. d enough, I hence forbid the elf to inquire about my identity as a ''dryad'' or ''friend of the dryadsing from another divine forest''. The more questions he asked the less believable my identity would be.


    "¡ªM-My blunder! I-I shan''t inquire more, O Noble Spirit!"


    "Meh. Long as you get it."


    White-haired went on talking. "I-It''s really like in the elders'' tales¡­ back in childhood. Noble Spirits are¡­ Anyway. I should have understood earlier, sir. I should have noticed something." I told him it was fine. Besides, he did get a clue, by now, and recognized the Noble Spirit I was, so whatever happened was all in the past.


    "It all makes sense, sir. I kind of knew¡­ ever since the beginning¡­ I did not suspect anything too grand, however. Fact is, the turn of events is so shocking. I should have known. I shan''t say it enough times.


    "The princess. She was so afraid and silent. All the time. Weak and alone. She would cry and weep at night. Walking by her door, my heart always ached so¡­ terribly. But I am unworthy. I know she didn''t want me to hear her. Facing me and the other scum¡­ well, he''s dead now¡­ she didn''t want to let her weakness show through.


    "I''m sorry I couldn''t be a good enough attendant to serve her. Attendant¡­ huh? Can I even call myself that¡­? After all, in all this wild trial, I am the one sacrificing her. It¡­ might be for the greater good, but¡­ Our princess is a good girl¡­ she has¡­ she¡­ Whatever." Chasing away the shame he felt, he met my eyes with confidence. "You may not be fully acquainted with the full circumstances of the reason why it is that the Sacred Forest has been thus ransacked and plundered by¡­ the evil forces¡­ but¡­ No. I apologize. I only digress and probably¡­ wish for you to take pity on my people. However¡­ I am afraid even you, O Noble Spirit, cannot fare well against the evil forces¡­ Besides, I know nothing of your noble quest, but¡­ Sorry, I digress again."


    I didn''t really mind him getting all of this information out. If anything in normal circumstances, I would urge him to tell me everything about their conflict and everything. I was eager to learn about it. It was actually the first time I was dealing with something so very big. So in a way, the reasons and context of the war the elves were going through interested me very much. All of that was stimtion, and stimtion was what made me grow as an individual. The elf, however, just left the matter at that. In any case, I guessed I had no time for mingling into their war before I aplished the Character''s Creation quest from the System.


    "Allow me to ask you, Noble Spirit," the elf mumbled, "if you may allow me at all."


    "You may speak," I waved a ruler''s hand at him, allowing him to ask. "I will only answer if I am to do so."


    "The princess¡­ is she, still now, perfectly safe and sound¡­? I¡­ I cannot help but worry, sir."


    ? To me, she was already dead and buried. "Crap." So I let that slip out. Thankfully, I just muttered it. Telling me he didn''t catch that since we were too far away from each other, he asked me to repeat. Right before I could give him an answer, he held a hand out to me, saying he should understand. Understand what, I didn''t know.


    But man, his head was heavy with thoughts. And now that he mentioned his princess, he had to ''digress'' again. Digress from what, though, I would ask. He was getting beside the point of our little conversation here, I supposed, but what was the point anyway? I guess I could say why I agreed to sit my ass here with that guy and talk things out. I just wanted to stall for some time before I made a decision.


    I wasn''t sure, after all, whether it was totally safe to go on with the n with White-haired or just find another way to thepletion of my quest with the old man. In any case, at present, I asserted it was okay to keep going with the elf. He revered me so crazily as the Noble Spirit and held me so high in esteem. So now, I was good with just going on to traveling again. That''s only talking about me, however.


    What was the actual ''point'' of this conversation for the elf? Did he just, as he said, want me to take pity on him and his people? It felt like he did, in a way. Why that was was simply because he kept digressing and diving into details he wouldter on dismiss as unimportant. The point of this ''talking things out'' to the elf was actually asking me about two questions.


    The first question I already both partially answered and refused to answer. It was about my identity as a forest''s Guardian. The second question, or rather favor, he wanted to ask of me was to give him and his people the princess back. Naturally, that was part of why he asked about the princess'' well-being seconds ago.


    But anyway, the elf digressed again. Doubtless, he couldn''t be referred to as the princess'' attendant and protector, he exined. Something had changed in his princess. Her behavior was drastically different. So the elf did expect something to be wrong¡ªor simply different¡ªin the princess.


    But even then, the princess being in fact visited by the Guardians was absolutely unprecedented. He expected something anyway but waved all the suspicions he had about her away. He could be proud of her, for once.


    Proud of her as a powerful and capable warrior. Before the war, she was just the lively and delightful youngdy she had always been, but then the war broke and she was so sickly and weak. Then, the Noble Spirit appeared, and she underwent such a transformation. It was truly unprecedented, he kept repeating.

 Chapter 60 The Dryads

    "Heh," he scoffed with mncholy. "Rather than an attendant, aren''t I just a scum? For me, an adult, to expect her to grow this strong out of nowhere, just like it were nothing impossible, I really have to be a huge asshole. Nobody ever truly took care of the girl if not her father the King. We didn''t try to make her strong. And I, as the huge asshole¡ªsorry for the depravity of my words, but they are fitting¡ªdly weed such a transformation and change in her personality, since that very change was convenient¡­ and I could be proud of her. ¡­Most certainly, I cannot be considered the girl''s protector. I was beingcent thinking all of it was true. It had to be true. Plus there was this ominous aura leaking off of your... did you call her a Receptacle? ...This ominous aura leaking off of your Receptacle, sir, and I thought¡­ Damn, what was I thinking? I thought as strong as she was, now, even being held against her will by the True Demon Lord, maybe she could be strong enough to earn herself the respect and awe from the demons, her new people! ¡­I but digress again! What is it with me?!" The elf started to grow more excited by the minute, now. Minutely shaking his head, he sighed deeply, exasperated by himself, and bowed his head deep. "You won''t allow me to kowtow, but let me at least bow my head this deep! I humbly beg of you, O Noble Spirit! Please¡­! I shan''t ask for anything else. I shan''t. Will you give us the princess back? Please."


    I was left to my own thoughts. What does the elf think I''ll do with the princess anyway? Should the Noble Spirit just keep her to himself for no reason, just like this? Honestly, I should just tell him I''ll give her back. Mumbling my thoughts out loud, the elf was troubled to not hear me. "I know," I told him. "I''m just thinking about your proposal¡ª"


    "Absolutely, sir!" the elf stood up in a blink. "I shall wait. Thank you for your consideration, O Noble Spirit. Really, it is my honor you only deign to listen to my confused, inappropriate speech." I had my answer already. It was a clear yes.


    What else was there for me to tell the man? After all, it would be a lie¡ªthe kind ma''am said lies are no good¡ªbut it was all I had. I would give the elf his princess back, he would see her dead and cold, with my quest aplished, I''d run off on my own without a need for inhabiting a Receptacle ''to ensure survival'', and that would be the end of it. As I thought about it all, being an indecisive, weak-willed person, I left the elf to his own devices. By himself, he was speaking to himself, observing the results of what he had done, how powerful his attack had been, and what was left of the other elf.


    When he met his sword, he smiled and spoke to it as I had talked to the Weapon Assembly not so long ago. "No use in you anymore¡­ hm." Not too far away from the cold hilt of the sword whose de had been utterly pulverized, he stared at the ck ashes which had dispersed in the winds. "And look in what pitiful state you are too¡­ heh, shall I call you hideous, too, now that you''re dead and gone?"


    Seeing him wander on his own, my feet brought me up. I trusted he wouldn''t try to attack me, now that I knew a little about his intention and story. I joined him and spoke. "You did a great job back then. That sacrifice. It was necessary. You couldn''t help it¡ª"


    "I don''t pity this man," he coldly stopped me. I was about to say it couldn''t be helped, but the elf was stronger than that. I liked his spirit. "Thank you for your consideration, sir, but¡­" Still looking down at the ashes, he repeated. "I don''t pity this man." Then there was a nk. I thought of telling him my answer.


    Namely, I would let him have the princess back. The timing wasn''t especially great, however, so I took a bit of a long time to tell him¡ªbut then he went on speaking again on his own. "You certainly don''t have to pity him, too." I didn''t. "He at least served a purpose in death. Partly thanks to him, (he kept the enemies upied so they didn''t run) with but one attack, they were all dealt with. People will remember him not as the scum who insulted them, but as the soldier who fought for them."


    "I can see I underestimated you. You hardly needfort."


    "...He deserved to die. And yet, he lived. Hah¡­ Isn''t that the essence of existence anyway? We all somehow merit death¡­ yet, we allst and live. Heh¡­ maybe that''s why we all die in the end¡­? This man, the hideous elf, wouldn''t agree with me. That might be exactly how that rule was truer for him. And hence exactly why I know he deserved to turn to dust and fade away. Aaah, good grief. Never mind me, Noble Spirit, I''m just talking to myself. The bottom line is, you don''t have to pity either elves."


    "I''ll give her back."


    "...Thank you, sir."


    I was safe. What woulde after being safe? Adventuring, of course. Heading towards the forest''s core again, but this time on foot. That was our task. Both he and I intended to get it dealt with the sooner we could. Giving directions the elf set off. I followed behind him. Asking him whether he needed some rest before we departed, he thanked me and refused.


    We shouldn''t rest, he said. So we definitely left. Just like both he and I wished. After I waved bye-bye to the chariot, and funnily enough the elf did the same, we departed. We didn''t follow up with the carriage''s path, though. Rather, we directly cut through the forest. Mypanion told me it would be faster that way. And a new world was ahead.


    In the same dense forest I had been wandering in, here and there, sometimes with an old man, and some other times with two annoying elves, we marched great distances. Such was my journey. Sometimes the forest was too thick with branches. Sometimes it wasn''t. Silence reigned in these parts of the woods. Despite the elf''s warning, this time, it was safe. Using Mana Perception, it seemed so to me. And for that reason, in the harmless silence, we had time to talk.


    "Can she hear me?" the elf asked. Without thinking too much of it, I said she definitely could. Receiving my answer, he sighed, still marching on. Eventually, the elf told ''me'' he was sorry. For once he didn''t apologize to me personally but to the real princess. He told ''me'' my life was precious. And a responsible man has to know not to follow his heart in their situation. Thus he had to follow what logic demanded of him. Rational facts and priorities effectively outdid emotions. One life in exchange for the safety of thousands of others was a meager price to pay. He told the princess he couldn''t protect her from suffering the unimaginable.


    Even though, as he believed, it was in fact very unlikely the demons would not go back on their promises and still burn the whole forest down in their rage and thirst for blood, even though he only was sacrificing the life of the King''s daughter, the only remaining royalty, the only elf who still had Benelloan''s benediction running through her blood¡ªhe still had to make the cold decision of sacrificing her.


    She was the only girl who was of value to the Demon Lords¡ªso he still had to make the cold decision of sacrificing her.


    They couldn''t fight as she wished. They couldn''t follow thete King''s legacy as she wished. Would they run? They wouldn''t either. As a matter of fact, they could, but very few were the elves who even considered a retreat out of their sacred forest a solution. They were afraid of novelty and would stick to the tradition.


    The elf knew all that was too cruel for her, but it was the state of things. He told the princess he couldn''t protect her. That he was so sorry for it. That, if it were only for him to decide, he would rather he was the sacrifice. Too many tears, regrets, and self-resentment filled his eyes, so the tears trailed down and he spoke no more. I made noment.


    After about half an hour, when he had calmed down, he turned to me and proposed to run. I didn''t refuse his eagerness to be quick and dly ran with him.


    ? Character''s Creation Quest ¡ª With the elf, head to the Inner Forest. 0/1 ?


    It had been days since the instructions attached to the quest hadn''t changed. Now that I thought about it, the quest never mentioned two elves but only one elf. Right from the get-go, the System knew.


    Atst, very soon, the instructions would change. With each running step we took, we were getting closer and closer. Not stopping to run, we did that for quite a long time. I had to be astounded by the pale elf''s vigor. Switching from running to walking and walking to running, a lot of time passed. It was now nighttime. We walked.


    The elf was tired to no end, but he suggested we didn''t stop yet. "We already are near your destination. I suggest we continue for now." As usual, going with any propositions he made¡­ I would nod my agreement to him¡ª This time I didn''t. He was obviously too tired and I couldn''t have the elf break down on me. That''s why I knocked him out right on the spot. He spent the night here. I was feeling my fatigue weighing down on me too. Climbing up a tree, I slept there.


    In the morning, I yawned. The chirping birds woke me up, and I climbed down my branch. Going to see the elf lying down on the grass still asleep, I saw his face gain colors back. Physically, he was better, but emotionally, maybe he wasn''t so great. Looking up from above, his face was contorted in anguish and pain. He kept mumbling his princess'' name. Lightly kicking his stomach, I brought him back.


    "Uh, oh¡­ Princess¡­!"


    "Yeah, right. ''Princess''."


    "Oh," the elf stood up, embarrassed. "H-How much have I slept, sir? I couldn''t possibly have just¡­ fainted?"


    "Yeah you did. You slept for the night. I needed to sleep too, so don''t feel bad about it."


    In order to get the quest done, as usual, I would sniff around in the air and pick the guiding fragrance up. White-haired asked me about what purpose he guided me through the forest for, by the way. I kept it vague, telling him I still needed him as insurance. Also, who would properly introduce me to the dryads in case there were any problems if not him? Also, my ''noble quest'', as he himself said, mentioned the elf as a guide to the Dryads, so he was probably needed.


    After another day of walking, we slept again. After another night of sleeping, we walked again. And soon, we reached the ''Inner Forest''. Finally done. After all these days. To my discontentment, new instructions appeared right away, and they urged me and my party to now meet with the Dryads.


    After half a day of walking anyway¡ª''she'' appeared to us. She was the most charming babe I had so far seen. Adorned by a most beautiful kimono, she graciously bowed to us, weing me as the yer she awaited for so long.

 Chapter 61 So Sunny

    The sky had been so sunny before, so full of vitality, vigor, and strength. Ever since my feet first walked the earth, ever since I first pushed open the restaurant''s doors, the sky had been thus. Now that I looked up at it, it didn''t smile at me anymore. When I gazed up at it, at present, its blue color didn''t even meet my eyes, let alone shone a smile back at me. My mind would have never dreamed of such a gray, sorrowful sky, but there it was. The weather had turned rainy. What''s more, the change had been so rapid. It was drastic¡ªyou would have looked up and dived into the infinitely blue nket high above only to witness it instantly turn to a dark shade of gray.


    Right after that, my eyes would be assaulted by the raindrops, preventing me from even offering the sky a troubled, worried nce, and telling it I was here if it needed me. That sky truly had a problem. That''s how it felt to me anyway. Maybe it was warning me to prepare for what was toe. In any case, I shouldn''t feel so down, should I? The sky truly was sad, but wasn''t it that poignant sorrow that granted back the earth some life to it?


    That''s water dripping from the clouds. Hey, ande to think of it, aren''t I raining? That''s so great. And like I observed anyhow, the most charming flower would nevere to bloom if it wasn''t for mncholic skies. I know these are contradicting opinions but¡­ still, this sky might have been a bit too gloomy, if you ask me. Wouldn''t the most charming flower only drown in such weather? Well, there was no use thinking about it too intensely anyway. The sky was raining, but in the end, everything else was pretty normal.


    We had met with the forest''s dryad. But at first, everything was a total mess. First off, we entered the inner parts of the forest. In these parts, the mana was immensely more highly concentrated. The atmosphere felt funny. Having around too great a quantity of mana meant you took way more in your system. That felt funny. It was just like breathing in too much oxygen. Naturally, as the mana was more highly concentrated in the inner area, the wonders and beauties to marvel at here were found in greater quantity.


    There were tons of new kinds of flowers and animals. The flora and fauna here was phenomenal. And it was only then that I realized something¡ªthe monsters'' home was indeed to be found here, just like I had been told, but this home wasn''t mine. Being greatly concentrated in magical energy, more often than not, the animals here could be considered monsters. They were the very low-level kind, however. They were mindless and only wandered about the woods in search of food. Fruits, mostly. And that was the other reason this ''home'' felt off. Could these guys really be considered monsters? Hardly a few of them became aggressive when they saw a person. We had to kill some, but most of them were docile enough not to attack us in the first ce. That''s how I decided that these guys were no roommates of mine.


    Moving on, things started to look problematic and messy when the quest had been validated, saying we had actually met with the dryads, but nothing actually happened to us. Past a certain point after another hour of trudging along the road, we clearly had entered yet another ''inner area'' within the inner area we were in.


    In this zone, I felt more powerful presences but saw no soul was seen. It was then that the quest congratted me for having made it this far, and presented me with another quirky paragraph supposed to describe the yer''s adventures and new encounters, but the next instructions I needed to be properly guided through the quest didn''te by. That''s how I started to grow nervous. Even after hours of walking deeper within the woods to who knew where no new notifications rang out. As I said, about the only thing I could feel there were a handful of presences who probably observed us.


    It was then and there that the presence decided to show itself. At once, it burst out seemingly out of nowhere. As we walked onward and I nervously grumbled stuff to myself, she showed up. The dryad. I was happy. We only overheard her voice at first, but it was so beautiful. Her appearance was sudden, but when her gracious appearance was made, I marveled not only at her voice but also loveliness and charm.


    She was nobly adorned by an ample kimono of white and emerald fabrics, and she spoke to us. The problem was that she basically told the two elves to scramble away from hernds. We were told off right away. She told us there was no time for ''one of the Sisters'' to deal with elves at present. They were already so heavily upied. For the weaker warriors, it might have seemed like the war was ending but it absolutely wasn''t. She called us lowly elves and med us for being unworthy of the forest''s benediction.


    What kind of entrance was that, right? White-haired was speechless.


    Then the negotiations part arrived. I first happily jumped at her, trying to hug her and shouting that she, atst, hade to help me. I was nheless brushed off to the side, with no words of agreement given to me. That''s exactly when the elf''s utility would show through. The dryad had demanded exnations from us. As she said, she had no time on her hands, so we had better make it quick.


    Being carefree, I didn''t think much about the turn of events. As he was mypanion, I let the elf handle whatever discussion was required between the two. Amply bowing his head to the Dryad¡ªthat wasn''t exactly a ''noble spirit'' but still a very important being for the forest¡ªand a heated argument was debated. I figured the show that dryad put on wasn''t an issue at all. Dealing with the old man''s quest took me a very long discussion too, after all. What I didn''t know was that there really was a problem here.


    The elf informed the dryad of my noble presence dropping by the forest. The man could only guess, but he said I was on a mission from another forest to visit Benelloan''s guardians. Waving at him, I let him know what he said was good.


    He continued and said I was to be received here consequently. The dryad sat on a tool she had brought forth. Many branches all wrapped up together, under her influence, to form a chair. Thoughtful, the dryad didn''t speak right away. The information sounded usible to her. Eventually, she said they weren''t expecting any visit, however. White-haired immediately retorted that, at times of war, informally could possibly have been poorly ryed or even forgotten.


    At any rate, I was a Noble Spirit, he happily boasted, so that was that. The dryad epted the elf''s point. Still, who was it that even allowed them safe passage into the ''forest''s heart''? White-haired said it was pretty simple.


    The Noble Spirit was apanied by both the true descendant''s soul and body¡ªnamely the elven princess, chosen of the forest and possessor of the benediction¡ªso thanks to that, permission to enter the forest''s inner core was granted. Man, I sure was d I let him handle that.


    The dryad argued about that. She said knowing the elves'' party had lost the war, the eligibility to ess the Dryads'' Council and partake in the life of Benelloan''s administration was immediately cut off. Basically, we shouldn''t have been granted entrance in the forest''s core.


    Itsted a long time. Going back and forth like this, they totally lost me. In the elf''s speech, there were incoherences. That couldn''t be helped as I wasn''t actually a noble spirit of some sort. Still, the elf put up a strong front, still argued, and did a great job. The dryad was serious about one point¡ªwho granted us ess in?


    It should have been impossible for us to enter the forest''s core. My guess was that the System outsmarted these kinds of restrictions, probably, but I said nothing of it. At some point, the dryad couldn''t help her passive aggressiveness from showing through. Before long, she made it clear she was confused about one particr point. So she insisted onest time. Who the heck was it that let us bypass the barrier?


    If there was a breach in their security, she had to report the cause of it so that it be fixed. At her words, the elf was confused too. Wasn''t it the Noble Spirit who could safely get ess in? The dryad got angry, stood up, and stomped on the ground, begging White-haired to tell her where this so-called Noble Spirit even was. When I was named as the noble spirit¡ª Ahem. The deepest frown creased her not-so-gentle face. Thedy was already frustrated, but now she totally thought we were mocking them. Giving up on us. "Go back to your ces. You aren''t weed here. Now if you would excuse me."


    The dryad made to leave. I then spoke. All I did was indifferently mention the quest. I told her she had to help me. And that was it. And at once, new instructions were given.


    The System finally woke up. I was tasked with ''Head to the Pond of Vitality ¡ª 0/1''.


    And right away, the atmosphere underwent the most abrupt change it ever had. Everyone had to take a step back. As I was still all new and fresh in the World, most of everything could surprise me. Most of everything actually did. Presently, for once, I wasn''t the one shocked at all. Quite the contrary. When ''it'' happened, I was perfectly calm, like I innately knew what ''it'' was. As a matter of fact, I did know. ''It'' was the quest.

 Chapter 62 With A Ploof

    Aside from me, everyone had to take a step back when faced with that ominous phenomenon. Magical energy was so concentrated and thick it was perfectly visible. It all was a blend of white and ck, gleaming mana particles. The quantity was so great. When the pure mana appeared, as I said, the change was abrupt.


    The atmosphere grew so extremely chilly that we all got goosebumps. At the same time, it felt so warm and hot that we didn''t mind the freshness of it. The dryad was in the middle of it all¡ªonly I knew it was all about the influence of the System¡ªthe pure mass of mana soon washed over the dryad, entirely submerging her as she drowned in it. As quickly as it came, the pure mana swiftly disappeared.


    The System, just like my very existence, was a truly terrifying concept in the world. I didn''t mind the System, but everyone around¡ªthat was White-haired, and the other younger dryads who just appeared and anxiously rushed to their older sister, checking her over, asking whether she suffered any wounds¡ªwas immensely appalled and blown away by what just took ce.


    White-haired in particr suffered from such an exposition to the phenomenon he never could dream to understand. Sweating, shaking, perfectly quiet. He fell on his rear. His breathing was shaky. Offering him a hand, I told him everything was all right. He stood up. From this point on, the elf would be of no use to me.


    And the most charming dryad had regained her spirits. Lavishly staring at me, she ignored all of her juniors'' calls. A dozen meters were between me and her. Giving her back the knowing smile she threw at me, I watched as she walked up to me. Extensively bowing her whole upper body to me, the gracefully voluptuousdy weed me as the yer.


    Under the System''s influence, the world changed and was bent to my will. "Atst you havee, yer. To think I would miss your presence. Forgive my insolence. We wish you a thousand wees."


    "It''s okay."


    "It most certainly isn''t. My poor weing must have gotten to¡ª"


    "It''s okay," I repeated. "Don''t mention it. I want the quest done. You apologizing only dys it further."


    "Very well. yer, do follow me. Your Partner may apany you."


    "A-Absolutely, Esteemed Dryad!"


    Upon mentioning the ''quest'' to the dryad, she had submitted to it with a contented smile. The Dryad mentioned I already aplished the conditions for the quest she intended to give me after I met her. The Dryads'' help wasn''t free. After I was supposed to meet them, I should have been asked to¡ª ''The Dryads have required the yer''s help ¡ª Wander about the Forest and dispose of the Forest''s invaders. 0/30'' We already did that with the elves, so the quest wasn''t issued at all.


    And now anyway, the Dryad guided us to our rpense. The System kept telling me this Dryad group of people would help me out in the creation of my Character. Only then was I to start the Game. I was excited. What would happen then? I died to know.


    A handful of younger dryads had shown up when ''it'' happened. Now that their older sister was safe and sound, they were reassured. There was no time to ck off, however. The older sister they all looked up to rounded them up and gave them orders. Swiftly, every single little dryad got back to her post safe for one. That one dryad was entrusted with the "good preparation of the Pond of Vitality." Handing over the little dryad what looked like a thousand pearls contained in one, the little dryad promptly disappeared into the forest like her sisters.


    My journey was reaching an end, but it was only the first quest I ever aplished. Others were toe. The sky still wept, covered in thickyers of raining, darker clouds. Though we couldn''t see the burningmp of the world, I could still tell that time had passed by again. It never stopped. My little troop and I didn''t stop either. At some point, I was standing right in front of it. "The Pond of Vitality¡­ huh?"


    "Fufu. That is correct, yer."


    "I do have to¡­ jump in there, also?"


    "Sure you do, yer."


    The same dryad was apanying me. ording to her words, I did have to jump into the Pond of Vitality. It was the second time I''d asked, and the second time she answered with the same blithe chuckle.


    ? Head to the Pond of Vitality. 1/1 ? That tiny little pond was the real deal. I was standing right in front of the object of my quest. The oh-so-awaited Pond of Vitality. Dealing with this pond thingy, ording to the dryad, I''d get the quest all wrapped up and done. Atst.


    And so, with my dubious eyes, I examined the little pond, scoffing at how absurd it looked. Once I had heard of it from the dryad, I didn''t certainly imagine it to be that way. I also wouldn''t have thought the long, long pursuit of the quest I received a while back would lead to the ridiculous pond like it was the final destination. But so it apparently was.


    Well, I didin about the air of ridicule that pond had to itself, but really, the setting I found myself in wasn''t all that shabby-looking. Leaving aside the little pond, a most gigantic tree stood in front of me. It wasn''t any tree.


    All by itself, it managed to add severity and seriousness to the very forest''s core. That''s right, we supposedly had reached the middle of the woods. Equipped with the thickest roots I''d ever seen, it was as if guarding the little pond, circling around it.


    The enormous, guarding tree thrived upward forming a very noble, wooden fortress. Finally, its branches, from up in the sky, arched back down to the pond, like an angel wrapping countless wings around its protegee. That alone brought rich grace to the little pond. In more than one fancy way, the thick upper roots along with other gleaming flowers and verdure solemnly decorated the Pond of Vitality, giving it more of an emblematic air. The pond looked so meagerly fatigued and poor, so of course it needed adornment.


    Had the weather been sunny, the scenery would be quite magnificent. All of what I described, the pond and its angelic tree, rested at the top of a hill. And outside of the unshakable tree''s protection, there were the others. Trees or people. White-haired and the dryad onlookers, marvelously awe-struck by the ceremonious ritual held up the clearing. The elf stood behind, alone, soaked with water, anxiously waiting for his princess'' return.


    It was sad he wouldn''t get to have the princess back. From up the hill, I turned to him. Without uttering a word, he humbly nodded to me. Along the way here, I''d already informed the elf of what he should expect. The princess might take a long time to wake up, I''d said, so you be patient.


    "Still, it''s kind of a let-down."


    "Fufu," the dryadughed in her hand. "Should it be tant disappointment I read on your face, yer? This is the Pond of Vitality. The real deal. By doubting it¡­ yer, you mustn''t hurt ady''s feelings, you know. Stop staring and bathe in it already."


    "I get it, I get it¡­ But see?" I stepped forward. "Not quite tant disappointment, but how do I even jump in? There''s barely enough room¡­ You have me in a tight spot, dryad. Hey, quite literally at that." The pond was too small and barelyrge enough. This little room couldn''t shelter even half of me. How was I to enter it? Well, the mistake I made, facing the final object of the quest, was to think of the Receptacle, meaning the elven princess, as myself.


    "Fufufu." The dryadughed again and left the matter at that. She must have been aware of what I missed. My Receptacle¡ªthe one I secured following the System''s instructions using the Dwelling skill¡ªwas not considered a part of myself here. Who could me me for missing that technical detail? Ever since the beginning, I''d always been subjected to having a Receptacle. The System kept tossing me warnings about not being able to ensure survival if I didn''t, and that I couldn''t proceed with the Character''s Creation Quest if I had no Receptacle.


    It was needless to say I wasn''t especially used to having my own character around. At any rate, even though I missed that detail, it was far from me the idea of doubting the dryad''s word. ? Character''s Creation ¡ª Bathe in the Pond of Vitality. 0/1 ? What''s more, the System had to speak the truth. That pond was thus totally legit. I could somehow feel it anyway. That thing was filled with tremendous energy. Mana Perception told me as much.


    The world was ahead. I''d now take a step and obtain what I was promised. Both the old man and the System spoke of a concept known to me. What the World recognized as ''Nobility''. A human form. A character. An ability to wield tools and ascend to greatness. The pinnacle of evolution. As a higher-level monster, I qualified for the title.


    With that, I could supposedly do away with my Receptacle. And start the¡­ ''Game'' or whatever the System talked about. Everything¡ªand I mean it¡ªwould only start now. I might have seen the end of my quest as an end, but really, it was only the grandest doors pushed open to an entire world of wonders, and the beginning of my true journey. And there was a saying. My old man kept tossing it in my face whenever I longed for the outside world.


    A frog in its pond knew nothing of the vastness of the ocean. Well, as I stepped towards the Pond of Vitality, I remembered these words like it was the first time they were addressed to me. The vastness of the ocean would soon wash over me.


    Pushing the imaginary doors open, I stood the closest to the Pond of Vitality. Striking me as totally natural, I held out a hand to it. A notification rang out.


    ? Interact with the Quest''s Object ''Pond of Vitality''? Y/N ?


    My eyes turned to a slit. Before I knew it, the pure mass of mana¡ªthe same as earlier with the dryad¡ªfloated around my hand. That was the System again. Scoffing, I let myself be guided and just went on with the flow. White and ck dots¡ªmana particles¡ªgathered around me and let me ''interact'' with the pond. ? You interacted with the object ''Pond of Vitality''. ?


    It felt off, now. ? ''Dwelling'' will be canceled. ? For some reason, I felt like dozing off. ? ''Dwelling'' has been canceled. ? And then, my surroundings became all dark. Still issuing many notifications about many technical details, the System gave a lot of info. Useless info, mostly. The safe travel from the Receptacle to the Object ''Pond of Vitality'' was ongoing¡­


    From the Receptacle, a body of water was drained out. As soon as it left the elven princess, I, still assuming a somewhat humanoid appearance, gradually dropped to the ground. I felt way morefortable in that form. My body wasn''t totally shapeless. Well, after inhabiting my Receptacle for so long, I''d gotten much more used to taking on a somewhat human-shaped form. Needless to say, that alone was far from genuinely being human-like, though. The monster tried to stand, but it couldn''t really.


    Though I had no eyes, I still had Mana Perception. Around me, an elven princess was lying on the grass, unconscious, and a most charming dryad babe stared in amazement. When I slightly turned to her with a "Hm?" that couldn''t be heard, she politelyughed like she always did repeating the word "Magnificent, exceptional creature" with raised eyebrows. Heh, so I impressed her? Jiggling my body of water in front of her, I let the woman have another taste of me. Beholding my jiggly dance, sheughed with more tion andmented "Such a wholesome monster!"


    With how I presently looked in my true form, I was halfway between a slime-like creature and a legendary water spirit Undine.


    It was time.


    The unique monster slipped into the Pond of Vitality with a Ploof. Finally, the Character''s Creation Mandatory Quest waspleted. What would happen from here on out¡­ was unknown to me.


    To finally create my ''character''?


    To be able to, at longst, participate in the ''game''?


    The reason why I was born?


    The storyteller''s story on my first day?


    By ''Isekai Production''?


    ...Unknown to me.


    .


    .


    .


    (Author''s note: That''s it, people. From now on, the chapters will be locked. Thanks for reading up to this point. Our MC will be waiting for you on the other side. Up until now, my chapters were pretty uneven. Though the average was always 1500~, very few were 900~ words while some others were way too lengthy above 2000~. From this point on, they''ll all more or less be 1500~ words. I''ll see to it. Maybe. d you enjoyed the ride anyway.)

 Chapter 63 You Support

    Then, the unique monster slipped into the Pond of Vitality with a Ploof.


    I certainly was different¡ªunable to feel the heat or cold, I simply knew water was surrounding me. Also, I didn''t blend into the pond''s contents; it was thanks to both the skills Jelly-like Shapeless and Resistant Body. My watery body was separate, like oil in water.


    The pond was so little, but now it felt like an immensity. Around me, as I was sucked deeper into the pond, the water burbled intensely. Anotherst ringing sound rang out before I entered a deep slumber.


    ? Main Quest: Character''s Creation ¡ª Bathe in the Pond of Vitality. 1/1 ¡ª Sessfullypleted. ?


    Though I didn''t have any, my eyelids felt so heavy. Shutting my eyes tight, my swelling drowsiness took hold of me. There and then, before my eyes, though I was unconscious, all sorts of notifications and information were offered to me.


    Simr to how I understood the contents of my first notifications when I wasn''t conscious of them, back at my ce of birth, the restaurant Fresh Pasta & Associate, at present, I also could subconsciously understand them all.


    .


    .


    .


    .


    .


    ? The yer has sessfullypleted ''First Quest: Character''s Creation'' ¡ª Due to thepletion of ''First Quest: Character''s Creation'' the yer obtains 3 reward(s) ¡ª 1st reward: The yer is now permitted the obtention of the yer''s Character ¡ª 2nd reward: The yer can now start the Game. 3rd reward: Talk to the Dryad and obtain ''Rookie''s Equipment''. ?


    ? Additional information? Y/N


    ? Additional information? Y/N ¡ª 5


    ? Additional information? Y/N ¡ª 4


    ? ¡ª 3


    ? ¡ª 1


    ? ¡ª 0


    ? Additional information? ¡ª No ?


    ? 1st reward: Character''s Creation has been received ¡ª Due to the obtention of ''1st reward: Character''s Creation'' the yer will create his Character ¡ª The condition(s) have been met: ''State of Sleep'' and ''Sufficient Mana Supply'' and ''Pond of Vitality'' conditions have been met. ?


    ? Character''s Creation ¡ª the 3 item(s) ''Power Seed x999'' and ''Power Seed x999'' and ''Power Seed x999'' will be used to power the Creation Process ¡ª Charging Mana Supply en cours ¡ª 0% ¡ª 13% ¡ª 29% ¡ª 51% ¡ª 95% ¡ª 100% ?


    ? Character''s Creation ¡ª The System now recollected all past obtained human data to intelligently generate a body from scratch. It had been quite the long task. Listing up all the previous Receptacles I had secured, such as ''Mortde Reinred, Human, level 45'' or ''Swordsman Reinred, Human, level 75'', it blended all the information together to find a creational pattern. But let''s just ignore the tedious details of the process. After that was done, the System carried on.


    ? A Privilege has been found. Due to the Unique Skill ''Mana''s Benediction'' a Privilege has been obtained ¡ª ''Character''s Creation'' can be set to Manual ¡ª Manually create the Character? Y/N ¡ª 5 ¡ª 2 ¡ª 1 ¡ª 0 ¡ª No ¡ª ''Character''s Creation has been set on Automatic. ?


    ? Character''s Creation ¡ª Analyzing of every past human Receptacle''s code and creative pattern: done ¡ª Determining the Character''s appearance: done ¡ª Shaping and modeling of the yer''s Character: in progress¡­ ?


    It was a long, long process. Or that''s how it felt to me, at the very least. Needless to say, being knocked out probably altered my perception of time. At any rate, it felt slow and gentle. From within myself, I felt something blossom, and take shape. This whole Character''s Creation voyage was an eerie process to go through.


    Obviously not anyone went through it, and in fact, even with unique monster people who managed to qualify for the reward and obtain a humanoid form, the process was drastically different. The old man spoke of decades of experience and strength amassed before undergoing an evolution. Also, said evolution, with other higher-level monsters or demi-humans, was carried out over a rather long period of time and many steps. So in the two aspects of the evolution process, I was quite different. I had no such long years of experience under my belt. What was more, my evolution was also astonishingly quicker.


    The System notified me: Five items had been found. Four of them had already been priorly mentioned¡ªit was around four thousand of an item called ''seed of power'' or something. Go wonder what that was. Now, a new item was mentioned. ''Holy Water of the Pond of Vitality''. Labeling unusual terms on each of the items, the System said they were consumables. Well, they were to be consumed by me.


    Why? Don''t ask questions. They were here so I just ate them. Immediately, other notifications assaulted my drowsy mind.


    ? Shaping and modeling of the yer''s Character: in progress ¡ª 1%


    ? Shaping and Modeling ¡ª 5%


    ? Shaping and Modeling ¡ª 9%


    ? ¡ª 15% ¡ª Failure to proceed.


    ? Retrying ¡ª 15% ¡ª Failure to proceed. Report ¡ª urring Error(s): 1 issue has been found therefore the process ''Shaping and Modeling'' has failed to proceed. urring Error(s): Working a solution ¡ª 1 solution(s) has been found: due to having the Unique Skill [Grand Devourer] and the Unique Skill [Mana''s Benediction] ¡ª the Unique Skill [Evolve] has upgraded into Unique Skill [Advanced Evolving] ?


    What a mess. That System thing sure promised to be moreplex than what I expected.


    ? Shaping and Modeling: Retrying ¡ª 15% ¡ª 19% ¡ª And, over what seemed to be a long period of time, it went all the way up to 100%, without any other Failure to proceed being issued. Slowly but surely, bit by bit, I felt myself blossom to life. Once I''d grown to the size of a young teenage boy my ''forced evolution'' or growth had stopped.


    ? The yer has obtained his Character.


    ? The new Title ''Humanoid'' has been obtained.


    ? Awakening in process.


    ? Wee to the yer.


    ? Open your eyes. ?


    .


    .


    .


    ? Darkness. Everything was dark. Dark¡­ and just out of reach. I couldn''t grasp anything. I couldn''t clutch and grab at my surroundings. My eyes didn''t perceive andprehend. My ears didn''t pick and find. My whole body was plunged into darkness. Only sort of. Was it scary? No. It felt perfectly normal. And I was now waking up.


    Natural though it might have felt, I still had loads of questions. All in one single question, it could be the following one. What happened to me? And I mean, what ''exactly'' happened? The answer was: my toes. My toes happened.


    I felt my toes by now. They were cold and moistened. Damp into the earth. My legs came after the toes. Now, I could feel myself blinking. Then, it was my whole body. I felt somewhat different, but like I said, feeling off felt natural, if that makes sense. As I slowly was going back to my senses, my thoughts were suddenly cut short¡ª


    "Open your eyes." It was but a murmur in the dark, but it sounded so powerful and loud. My whole being reacted to that quite aggressively. Was it the System''s voice? All the darkness surrounding me instantly went away in a wild dance.


    I couldn''t see it escape, actually. It just went away. What reced it was a nauseous blend of bright colors. Bright colorful things. Mostly all brown, green, and gray, but damn that was hot stuff for my eyes to see. My ''actual'' eyes.


    It was in fact the first time I really ''saw''. Without using a Receptacle, I mean. Or some kind of Mana Perception skill. It was the first time that I ''felt'' the World on my own terms. With my own eyes, and ears, feet, etc. The unique monster I was didn''t have eyes, ears, or toes. That human form did. Or should I say Character? Am I logged in all right, now? What do you think, System? Heh.


    It came quite as a shock to me anyway. All these stimtions. The experience was new to me. Hence why I understood it destabilized me. The bright gray color of the sky fell down and assaulted my eyes. The pounding sounds of the rain falling, too, were harassing my ears.


    And for my eyes were many other shapes and colors to see. And for my ears were many other sounds to hear. Well, I basically woke up. My muscles went from totally limp to tonically active¡ªI jumped up, stared all around me, and gathered I was in the little pond. Or what remained of it, rather. Before, it had been no more than a circle dug in the earth, with the befitting holy water of life contained in it, like a certain ss of water in a restaurant.


    At present, I saw the pond''s walls had been bit through so much the pond was now ten timesrger than before. What was more, it was also considerably deeper. Also, there was the angelic tree that guarded the pond. It also suffered considerable damage. Arching and leaning down into the huge hollow of the pond, the biggest trunk was now so shrunk and narrowed.


    The tree was on the verge of death. Maybe it already was dead. The angelic tree had grown unworthy of its title and was now no more than a regr, dested dead old oak. My surroundings, which had minutes ago been so full of life and green, had been sucked dry of their lifeforce.


    The monster had taken it all in. Seeing the ravage the ''Character Creation'' process did, the ravage I did, I dryly scoffed and held a fist out. Clenching it, the monster felt an energy so immense inside of itself it immediately understood what had happened. Were the so-called thousands of Seed Power, Holy Water of Life, etc. not sufficient for my evolution? No. The majestic, giant tree was now dead and hollow, and the earth had been gnawed through so much.


    "Damn¡­" I muttered. "So I can''t argue anymore, eh? I''m a monster through and through¡ª"


    ¡­Ring! "Uh? Oh, all right."


    ? Your Character has sessfully been created ¡ª You qualify for starting the Game. ?


    That''s the moment I was hit with loads of notifications again. Somehow used to the System''s intervention, I didn''t sweat it. Crossing my arms upon my chest, with a listless look on my face, I waited for it to speak.


    ? Isekai Production presents¡­

 Chapter 64 Human Form

    ¡­Ring! "Uh? Oh, all right." ? Your Character has sessfully been created ¡ª You qualify for starting the Game. ? That''s the moment I was hit with loads of notifications again. Somehow used to the System''s interventions, I didn''t sweat it. Crossing my arms upon my chest, with a listless look on my face, I waited for it to speak. ? Isekai Production presents¡­


    ? ¡­


    ? The Game. ? Original name if you ask me. ? Brought up and presented to you by ¡ª Director, Hiromasa Tomoyami; Co-director, Shigeru Kurasa; Producer, B L A N K. ?


    ? "O-Okay¡­ Introduction. Is it recording? Hm? Oh! Ahem! ¡­Once upon a time¡­ in a World of fantasy¡­ there was a yer. This yer just so happens to be you! So¡­ Be the King going all a Guwah! and all Paaah! Beat up your enemies in the same way! Wahahah! Work up your way to the top ¡ª gain new skills, make new friends, share with them a world full of extraordinary wonders, live thrilling andpelling adventurers¡­ and mostly, enjoy the Game! ...This is what Mr. Hiromasa and Mr. Shigeru told me a game was for, after all! To be enjoyed! So, erm, your name is Skill, you''re mine, and you better give it your whole! Otherwise, you won''t enjoy it one bit, teehee! You go then, my hero! ¡­Nailed it. This should do for the introduction... Err... what''s the stop recordingmand again.... Oh, there it is! System: discontinue registe¡ª " ?


    I wondered what the heck that was¡­ but only for a moment. Was that supposed to be some excited girl... saying all of that... to me? Well? Let''s just forget about it.


    After all, efficient brains tend to automatically delete useless information. Or so is what I thought at the moment with no desire to trouble myself with that¡­ person speaking at the other end of what seemed to be a recording.


    That was just a recording, and the feminine, toneless monotonous voice of the System was the one who spoke, except it wasn''t so listless and monotonous, but rather joyous and lively. Was the same female-like voice who spoke in the recording the same voice with which the System spoke?


    It seemed evident. But anyway, I didn''t want to pay any mind to that. I just obtained my Character and felt so full of energy. All I wanted, presently, was a foe to crush; I wanted to see the change in strength.


    With another notification, the System curtly weed me to the Game, apparently. Then all the information and weing about the Game thing were brought to an end. I wasn''t finished with the System, however.


    To my discontentment, all at once, as if it had been forced to umte all of it up until now, the System threw at me dozens of notifications. It spoke of many things. I had obtained Titles, and the System said to "Open your Status and check" them all up. As I obtained many titles, the same notification was repeated quite a few times.


    Then, the System notified me about my third reward of the Character''s Creation quest that was unchecked. I had to see the Dryad¡ªshe was standing by a dozen meters away.


    The System then carried on its long speech and informed me that I had reached a certain level 42, the System proposed that I open up the same ''Status Tab'' and add my ''Bonus Stat Points'' directly from it. The System never had once before spoken this much. It became annoying. When the System finally enjoined me to open up the Skill Tab with a yes or no question, I said no. I''d see about thatter. Or maybe never. The System, in its hurry, finally gave me onest notification.


    ? The Skill Interface has been closed. To reopen it, the yer needs to¡ª


    But I just discarded it. At the time, I didn''t know that my hastiness would cause me troubleter on. Because I didn''t heed the only notification I needed to attentively listen to, I''d take about a month before I''d be able to reopen that Skill Interface and truly figure the System out. Shoot.


    Standing alone in the middle of the devastatednd, scorched pond, and hollowed tree¡ªI decisively nodded to myself, getting ready to move out at once. So I jumped up so high I was in the clouds, and at once flew to distantnds in order to¡ª That was a joke.


    As epic and powerful as I may have been, all I did was wrap my arms around myself in a frenzy, shaking all over due to the cold. "Brrr¡­ It''s cold out here¡­!" My voice was shaky. Hugging my shoulders, I tried to warm myself up at least a little. "A-Aren''t I totally naked, after all!" And it was at that time that I noticed. First off, I was naked and cold. Secondly, I noticed my voice.


    Well. I was disappointed to see my Character wasn''t as sturdy, fat, and tall as the Robustorc the Fortress, so my head dropped down in defeat. Instead, I was no taller than the elven princess from before, I think. My youthful appearance was that of a young, teenage boy.


    Groping my chest, there were no breasts on its surface anymore. And my hair wasn''t so long with the same greenish silver color. Pulling at the bangs on my forehead, I could make out the hair''s pitch-ck color which I probably inherited from the ck swordsman of the restaurant. Touching my ears, they were only the slightest pointy. And finally observing my facial features with Mana Perception, I observed they were more delicate, feminine, and refined on a smooth silk-like skin than rough and barbaric, unlike the sturdiest orc''s beast-like features.


    "Jeez¡­" I sighed. "I can''t be that robust macho orc after all¡­" I totally dropped down to the ground in defeat, but it goes without saying that in a month from now, I''d more than be happy not to be some sort of crude-looking inhuman beast. I must have simply been tired at the moment. At least, I was a male. Well, it always came naturally to me to consider I was a male, so that wasn''t a surprise. The knowledgeable old man had informed me as much, too.


    But anyway, I still did disable my human form for a second¡ªwhich made the System ring a notification out at me saying the Character''s Manifestation had been turned off but could be summoned back at any time¡ªand assumed the same somewhat human-like-shaped body of water resembling an androgynous fairy of water.


    My original form, in a way. After a minute of waiting, I was d to see that now that I had created my character, I wasn''tpelled to ''dwell'' in a new ''Receptacle'' in order to ''ensure survival'' or go on with the ''quest''.


    Physical attacks would barely work on me in that shapeless form¡ªthe cold didn''t affect me. Moving up to the Dryad NPC, I was congratted for my rewards and granted thest one of them. As I turned back to the human form, I was apuded by the blithe Dryad who said I had done beautifully. "Aren''t you angry I obliterated your ce, though? Look at the gigantic tree and pond¡ª"


    "yer. Will you receive your reward, then?"


    "Yes." After I said as much, I received the Rookie''s Equipment reward. Remember the mass of pure mana I had seen twice before? Albeit in a lesser quantity, it appeared again. Enveloping me with its light, said rookie''s equipment appeared on me and was automatically equipped. So that was the item ''Set of Equipment x1'', eh? A white shirt appeared on my chest, a regr tunic covered it up, and breeches were for pants. I was still barefoot and four weapons were produced out of thin air before they dropped on the ground. There was a sword, a set of daggers, a bow, and a wand. Snatching a dagger, I was done here.


    Finally, I could go and see the world. I appeared, or spawned, in a certain restaurant, but aside from a few hours of visiting my natal vige, the rest of my week had been full of troubles and I kept running from them.


    Now, I hoped I was free to choose where I wanted to go. And my destination was that city. To the city the big guy adventurer had told me about. A capital. Full of people and wondrous ideas. I had yet to reach it. And also, I had yet to find my home. The monster''s home. Where I belonged. Where I needed to be.


    Where I was loved, epted, and happy. Why do I mention it now, however? It was because I was about to find it. My home, it had been with me all along. With the turn of events, I would just go and reim it.


    The hill. I rested on top of it. To the North, the old man had said. Once I was done, I''d need to go to the North. There, he woulde and find me. But for now, I had spotted that one foe I wanted to crush in order to figure out my powers.


    Stepping out of the hill, I had a bird''s eye view of the forest surrounding me. There, I found my elf White-haired. With him, there was his voice. His voice was raised, it yelled, and it begged. If not for the heavy rain pounding the earth so loudly, my keen ears would have picked up his voice already.


    To my surprise, he wasn''t alone. And he yelled, implored, and supplicated, devastated as he was.

 Chapter 65 To Feel Sorry

    I was still on the hill. I spotted that one opponent I could crush. Stepping out of the hill, I had a bird''s eye view of the forest surrounding me. There, I found my elf White-haired. With him, his voice was raised, it yelled, and it begged. If not for the heavy rain pounding the earth so loudly, my keen ears would have picked up his voice already. He wasn''t alone, and he yelled, implored, and supplicated, devastated as he was.


    Now that I saw the elf, his loud voice carried to me. "B-But¡ª Princess!" And a female''s voice rang out beneath his. It was an excited, startled, and panicked voice. "Just leave me alone! A-All of you! And do not pursue me again¡ªI forbid it!"


    "Princess! You cannot possibly¡­!"


    "I now know, you elf who calls himself my protector! I know¡ª I now have found the strength it takes!" With a broken dialogue, the elven princess struggled to find the right words. "I have found it! You who call yourself my protector d-d-didn''t¡­! Argh! Enough! Please, just leave me alone!" Her shrill voice carried to my ears, and the sorrowful sky mostly drowned the blooming flowers of the earth, instead of aiding and promoting their growth. The princess had a hard time expressing what she wanted to say, so she did it with her acts anyway.


    When the insistent elf begged her to reconsider¡ªthe same elf who was no longer willing to enforce his will on the princess, forcing her to be a docile girl and sacrifice herself against her own volition¡ªthe elven princess crouched into a ball, shrieked with panic and sadness, covered her ears and prayed for it to stop. But her attendant was unable to back off. He couldn''t. He knew perfectly well that he caused grief to his royalty, but he was resolved to have her follow him and offer their people at least a meager chance at surviving the war.


    In this setting, the sorrow and harshness were palpable. Standing up from my hill, I watched these two, struggling to dance their fates away. The princess was intent on finding a new way, and her attendant was intent on going with the original n. So she yelled she wouldn''t go back there as the elf begged her to reconsider. What a mess that sight was. It was unpleasant. Let them just fight it out and see who the winner is. But no, they wouldn''t.


    "I don''t want to!" the girl shrieked in tears.


    "D-Didn''t we agree to¡ª" The elf knelt to her to press an answer out of her. It was sad, but he knew he needed to take advantage of her weakness to see a ''favorable'' way out of this problem.


    "Come on, you! I was frightened, so frightened, when Father passed! I was in grief, I was looking for a new¡ª" They agreed to nothing. The elven princess undid her guard and pushed the elf''s hands away with restless, shaky hands. She might have tried to put up a strong front, but any onlooker could see it was harsh on her anxious little mind.


    "Princess!" And at this point, rece all of the ''Princess!'' of that elf with ''Bark!'' and it would be more fitting. He was like a wild dog who knew not to utter other words than high-strung barking sounds. I made fun of the elf, but in truth, this dispute was also hard on him. What could he do if not fight his way through?


    "¡ªlooking for a new way! But you took advantage of that¡ª"


    "Your people need you!"


    "''My people''? They were the ones agreeing to sacrifice Father in the first ce¡ª"


    "B-B-But they had no choice¡ª"


    "So be it! No choice you dare say! We should have fought! Valiantly! Well so be it! I-I-I will¡­ have no choice, either!" Biting her lip, she wiped her tears away but they kept flowing.


    "Princess! I humbly beg you to reconsider!" The elf swore he wouldn''t force her princess more than with words. If it came to it, he promised himself he would follow her to the end of the continent and beg her to reconsider all the while. That was a desperate man. Bowing and fiercely gripping the maiden''s shoulders, he prayed she would fall as silent as she was before me. He knew he was a scum for it, but he had no choice.


    The princess didn''t respond kindly to that. She wished to, really, but couldn''t. She wished all of it would just be a nightmare. She wished her tears were her delusion. She wished her people were strong under her Father. None of these wishes came true. And her desperation only built up.


    Crying, sobbing, wailing, she also tried to have her way. She had to try. "Y-You don''t get it! I-I want to live! You misled me! And¡ªcough, cough, cough!¡ªyou took advantage of my ignorance! Just leave me be¡­! Please! A-And besides, I refuse to be the sacrifice of such a hopeless¡­ That is hopeless! Yes! The demons will NOT¡ªdo you hear?¡ªwill not promise us life and be a honest people! Th-They will¡­ wrong us again! ...Please, I just want to¡­ li¡­ve¡­!"


    "Please¡­ say no more!"


    "I will speak and you will¡­ listen! I-I was weak¡­ and helpless¡­ and no better than dead! But I-I found him! ¡­The monster protected me, unlike you!" the elven princess pointed a finger at her attendant. She really kept osciting between being brave and being a helpless mess of hot tears. "H-He taught me to be strong! H-He was as helpless and lost as I was¡­ not understanding anything! Anything at all! He was lost too¡­! Just like I am! I-I felt what he felt and saw what he saw! But the boy I met still pushed through! A-And I¡­ I found strength¡­! He was just like me, but he decided to¡­ not stay like me! Not stay helpless and¡­ That night, when I silently called for help¡­ he was the one who came to me! I thought I''d be killed¡­ but no! In the end, he was gentle and said he was ''sorry''!"


    "P-Princess¡­ What might¡­?"


    "You don''t get it! This meant so much to me! He said he was ''sorry''! Nobody ever was sorry before!" Her eyes were full of tears, and she still wiped them off with shaky hands. "Nobody! But this¡­ boy was! In the end, the monster protected me! He saved me! W-W-W-We even shared a soul, so I will go and¡­ find him¡­ and ask him to¡­" Somewhat bashful, the elven princess had gotten to thest parts of her verbal crusade.


    "Princess! The Noble Spirit cannot fight the demons!"


    "Y-You don''t get it! I will live! And my people will run¡­ if that''s what it takes! Even if we lose the forest¡­ we still¡ª!"


    "The Elders'' Council will not agree to that, and you know it! If it were that simple¡ª"


    "T-T-T-To hell with that! We shared a soul! I-I-I¡ª Both he and I were one! After a day passed I felt what he felt¡ªwe shared feelings! He was like me, and he still is! That meant so¡­ much¡­! I wasn''t alone anymore! He''d said he was sorry, then I felt sorry for him too! H-H-He¡­ went through¡­ a lot¡­ but he kept pushing¡­! To hell with the elders! D-Don''t approach me! I forbid it!"


    "Princess¡­ This is unbing! The elders¡ª"


    "I''ll find him and go with him¡­ and his uncle! Uncle I wished I had! I-I''m convinced he''ll offer me a home, too! And that''ll sure change from a certain ''wise and brilliant'' elder I know¡­! I-If it''s this boy anyway then¡­ I hope he''ll¡­ ept me¡­"


    "Princess!"


    "No! He was gentle! And said he felt sorry!"


    There was no mistaking it¡ªthe elven princess was living. I only learned it now that I saw her as she was crying and wailing, waving her arms around, and shrieking her true feelings at her attendant. The girl was perfectly living. She spoke a great deal¡ªthe theme of it all was strength. Or rather, my strength. The strength that apparently inspired the elven princess, and the strength which allowed her to even now, as she was oh-so-feverish and slightly delirious, put up a strong fight. Yes. She also seemed to speak fondly of the monster.


    For another minute, their heated discussion still went on as their voices raised on top of now another to the points of heartbreaking yells and shrieks. The elven princess, though brave she had decided to be, thanks to the young boy she met, still couldn''t help the tears off her eyes, her shaky voice, and all the steps back she took, putting distance between her and her so-called protector and attendant.


    In between tight breaths, she kept repeating that she was scared and that she ordered the elf not to approach her. Unable not to go home without the princess, he however didn''t back away and still timidly approached her, step by step, silently muttering words of apology, devastation, and self-hate under his breath.


    His expression didn''t change. It was still deeply carved with distress and anguish. Ever since the beginning, that''s how the elf had been. He might have smiled at me and told me everything was all right with a brightplexion, but all of this wild affair always had been so heavy on him. So much so that this anguished, twisted face of his was part of his being, by now. But the princess, too, wasn''t left scarless from their whole unceremonious arguing. All in all, both the elves were in a woeful state.

 Chapter 66 To Live

    All in all, both the elves were in a woeful state. But the elven girl was different. Even though she wanted to break off of it, she was still helpless and lost. Utterly lost. The adult elf wasn''t in that more pitiful state. He could still see, anticipate, and n what could and could not happen.


    He could study his chances at victory, and cook up a brilliant n to get the princess, his people''s st hope'', back. He could expect and foresee consequences that were to befall them if he acted this or that way. But the princess could not.


    She was as if blind and deaf in total darkness. Her battle was a desperate one. But as she repeated, thanks to the boy who she had met that fateful night, she decided to be different. At some point, their argument had reached its paroxysm.


    It wasn''t so that, under the sorry sky, the drowning flowers were so intensely at each other''s throat that the ruckus they made grew to the loudest, yells and wails resounding all around, no¡ªrather, the feud of the drowning flowers'' had reached a point where none of them had any more words to speak. That was the paroxysm I spoke of. A few feet separated the two of them. While the elven girl only distressingly trembled still and stared down at her feet, the other elf''s legs were also as if nted in the ground, unable to move.


    From up the hill, I stood up, still staring down at them.


    When the elven princess said it again¡ª "I want to leave¡­ and go home¡­" ¡ªthe other elf chose to break his promise. That was to say force the princess to follow him back to her sacrifice anyway. That was the way of a desperate man. Stepping up, he held elvish runes. With a jerky movement, he unleashed a sleeping charm on her. And the feverish elven princess only shrieked. She had been sure it would work¡ªif she kept ordering the elf around, he wouldn''t attack her, or else he risked losing his integrity as one of the forest''s elves.


    Well, the man attacked her anyway. His hands moved just like snakes and were ready to bite the lostmb. Without hesitating, with a Quick Pace, I flew down to them.


    I was the boy she had met, after all. If I didn''t save the one person with whom I ''shared a soul'', ording to her words, what would I ever save? If I, the boy who felt sorry when nobody else did, didn''t feel sorry for her now, when would I ever? If I¡ªthe monster who had shown her how to be strong, to stand up for herself, and to get the will to live¡ªdidn''t go and tell her it was okay to want to live, just like it had been okay for me to wish to live, too, as that first swordsman cut me lifeless, leaving me full of resentment and tears on the ground; who would tell her?


    Who would allow the princess? Who would take the girl home? I decided I would. Or maybe that wasn''t entirely true. Maybe she was the one to take me home.


    As I pierced my way through the air down to the elven princess like an arrow, fell down to the two elves, stepped up to protect the elven princess, brushed the elf''s spell away, and kept him at bay, I decided I would be the kind, gentle boy that girl had met in the dark of our fateful night. If it was her wish, then I decided to grant it.


    After all, if the kind ma''am was here, she would have pointed her finger at the girl and said ''There it is. The monster''s home. Your home. Where you belong. Off you go, kiddo.''


    I flew off from the hill and found purpose in what I did then. None of the two elves had expected me to appear then. The princess just had resigned herself to her fate, unable to be as strong as the soul she and I had shared. And the other elf''s eyes widened in surprise as my feetnded on his stomach, sting him away from my sight.


    My human form proved to be mighty and able. This Character was mine¡ªit was me. And the strength I showed was mine too. Without having to go by a Receptacle, I was stronger. For a second, I thought the Dwelling skill was crappy. Didn''t it make me weaker? Sure, if the Receptacle died it wasn''t like I would die too, so I wasn''t left unprotected, but if it made me weaker, then it wasn''t so good a skill. However, quickly going over it in my mind, ''Dwelling'' must have been meant to be used against more powerful foes¡ªthat way I could only profit from it. But whatever. Enough of that, I had no time to pause and leisurely think about that kind of trivial thing.


    Upon seeing me send the elf flying, the elven princess, who had shrunk and shrieked in response to being assaulted, had crouched at once and kept muttering the phrase ''I forbid it'' in panic, presently stood up, met my eyes, and took three hesitant steps back.


    Then she just gulped, stopping on her feet. Her lips pressed together, she swallowed her dry saliva more and more, disbelievingly blinking at me ceaselessly. Seeing her confused and fearful gaze, my shoulders dropped. As I was about to sigh in defeat, thinking the person who ever truly epted me for what I was, the person I decided to like, was afraid of me¡ª


    No, she interrupted me. "I-I''m not¡­ afraid! I-Is it you¡­ th-the monster?" I nodded at her, feigning a smile. ''The monster,'' huh? "I-I didn''t mean it that way! Your appearance has changed¡­ Is that your true¡­ self? ¡­Persona?" With a tinge of sad disappointment on her face, her gaze dropped to the ground. "...I know... That''s why you won''t use me as a Receptacle anymore¡­ M-Monster! Please! At least take me with you¡ª" I turned my back on her. I meant to reply but couldn''t answer anything.


    "M-My dream¡­ is to explore the¡­ you thought of it as the Outside World, I believe¡­ It''s what I wish to do, too! I''ll be an adventurer! And I-I''ll be of use¡­! Please! Find it in yourself to take me with you!" The princess bowed her head to me, making it her request to me. "I fear you''re my only way out¡­ monster. E-Even if you weren''t... I''d still want to go with... y-you... ...Help me! You have to!"


    In her feverish state, she was bold and daring. In a situation like this, you normally said ''Be so kind as to grant my request,'' but the girl told me I actually had to. She was feverish a lot, which made her delirious a bit, too. That''s how she managed to be this bold and shameless about her request.


    That girl said we had shared a soul. She said she knew me. That she felt sorry for me, too, simr to what I felt for her. She said she hoped I''d ept her. Simrly to me, she desired a home to belong to. I was the boy who taught her to be strong and fend for herself. After she spent a time with me, she said she saw what I saw and felt what I felt, as though we were one single soul, and after all this time, she said we were fundamentally alike me and her.


    After all, we had been both equally weak, helpless, and lost. In a sense, maybe she knew all about me. Or my feelings, rather. I''ll admit I had been lost and helpless, but it was before I even met her. Well, when she said we shared a soul, then, she may have been right. At any rate, her feelings were heavy on me, too. She said it meant a lot when I said I felt sorry for her, back in the inn at night. Well, I think it worked the same for me, right now.


    I mean, she must have seen what a horrible monster I was¡ªall I had done to protect myself, that was mostly killing humans without batting an eye, or simply be ready to do anything to achieve my own goals, really anything¡ªand she still spoke fondly of me, saying I at least had protected her effectively, so she epted me, and I can confidently say it meant a lot to me, too. She didn''t reject me or think I should be dead.


    She didn''t spit on me for being a monster, despise and hate me with no end. With all the hardships and trials she had been through, I guessed she knew more about life, even as young as she was,pared to most people. Her words meant a lot. It really touched me.


    She said that, unlike her elf attendant, I had protected her, taught her to be a brave, strong girl, and hence she would go travel with me and my old man¡­ and also be part of our home.

 Chapter 67 Home

    She was kind of like the old man, except that, as she said, we shared a strong bond, and also, she wasn''t an old geezer tapping into her seventies. Yes sir. She wasn''t. Rather, she was a fair and pretty maiden flower who, by these times of intense rain and storm, would blossom splendidly rather than drown. Her silver green bangs were low on her forehead as the rain soaked¡ªno, flooded her, and the wind blew past her.


    When she, atst, undid her slight bowing, the boy who saved her had turned back to her, had walked up to her, and now ced a warm hand on her head. In the two-headed silence, where no voice spoke but the heavy rain and wind, she gazed into my bright, blue eyes, as I gazed into hers. With my hand still on her head, now, I saw her again. The feeble, helpless elven princess of the inn. She was here. Her silky, pale skin was exposed to my devouring eyes. Her wide eyes and long eyshes.


    All of her was here. I shook my head at that. As all of herself was here, the sadness and distress I read on her face was here, too. ck circles under them, her eyes were reddish with tiredness, and her gaze was cast downward. I only shook my head to disapprove of her sorrow, but she might have understood the gesture the wrong way.


    In the patient silent, and her chest hollow, she faintly uttered that she was sorry. Weren''t we simr? She also said she couldn''t help it. That was exactly my words to her back in the inn, when I ''took'' her life. Warmly patting her head, I made her look back at me. I beamed with tant happiness at her and told her it was fine. I repeated it many times, just as she did back then.


    Catching up onto my voicing the words she had once said to me, her very own words, to herself¡­ something snapped in her¡ªshe burst into tears, jumped at me, and hugged me tightly. I chuckled at that. It made me happy.


    With the rain still heavy on us, I hugged her back and she cried on my shoulder. "You''ve been brave enough," I said, and repeated many times. "Now, you can rest." In response, she only sobbed more and more, up until she finally grew silent. When she did, I seized her shoulders and made her back off just enough that we could see each other''s faces.


    The elven maiden''s face was totally red, at this point. Meek and bashful, she averted my eyes, clearly embarrassed. In my confusion, seeing her like this, I cocked my head to the side but said what I had to say anyway. "I like you," I blurted out. "That''s why¡­ we''ll make our family together. That way, we''ll both have a home to return to. ...Okay? Okay." I confidently nodded like what I proposed was already decided in my state of euphoria.


    It was needless to say, at the time, I had little to no awareness of the deration I just made. But I just did as the kind ma''am would have me¡ªthat is to say, find my home, the monster''s home, belong to a ce. Belong with a person. Belong to a family. In my deep blue eyes, a light arose. Innocently, I smiled at her, happy with my words.


    Her embarrassment was over the top¡ªthe two ends of her pointy ears turned redder than ever, and then, to my very words, she fainted in my embrace, as if my words had been a coup de grace. Well, she was feverish a lot, after all. It was about time she rested.


    When she passed out, in my embrace, her forehead leaned to mine and they touched. Damn, I thought, it''s hot. Is that what they call ''fever''? It must be. What do I¡­ Hm, the old man will know what to do.


    Holding her like the princess she was, I walked to a nearby tree and let her rest there. I couldn''t allow myself to leave her for too long: her state was aggravating and her breathing seemedborious and uneven enough. Well, I''d just need to make it quick. Standing back up, I turned to the elf. "White-haired."


    The man stood in front of me, all for the sake of his cheerless mission. "You''ve been respectful enough." It had been long since he got back to me and the elven girl. As painful as it may have been, he still could walk after I sent him flying. "I held back, at the time," I told him. "Presently, I won''t. You''ve been respectful enough. I thank you for that. You didn''t disturb us. ¡­Now what?" This elf¡ªwhen I first saw the gray stormy sky, and the heavy rain, I knew he would be the one to drown in it. He had to drown. A life had to be given in exchange for another. For the princess'', I''d take his.


    "...Her name¡­ The princess'' name is Cetha. It was Cetha Ren Benelloan, but if she runs away, she will have to abandon that name." He was a distance away from me. As the deluge soaked him, his cold yet warm, calcting eyes plunged into mine. With a pained expression, as usual, he spoke with shame and self-resentment. If I was to describe his life in a few words, I''d say ''A righteous elf with too harsh a life.''


    "You''re the flower who''ll have to drown, then?"


    "Indeed so. I cannot go back."


    "So her name''s Cetha."


    "Yes. ¡­In the end, I couldn''t understand what you were."


    "You didn''t."


    "But¡­ I trust I at least know one fact¡­ about yourself, whatever you may be."


    "And that is?"


    "You''ve got power and guts."


    "I do."


    "Please, protect the princess I couldn''t."


    "I will."


    "The demons¡­ they''ll go after her. You''ll have to grow stronger."


    "Hm..."


    "And you''ll have to protect her. Please. Her name is Cetha. You tell her to forget the Ren Benelloan part¡ªshe cannot wear such a wretched name anymore. She''ll be in danger otherwise. But you¡­ you''ll protect her. I failed at my mission to do so. ¡­And now, I''ll fail at the second mission I was given. ¡­I''ll die here, and may the Sacred Forest protect my miserable people."


    "..."


    "...Promise me you will protect her."


    "White-haired, I swear to protect her." Yes, I meant to protect her. She might have been the most precious person in the world to me. Though I couldn''t exin the feeling, I could confidently say that I desired her.


    "I thank you for that."


    "...You did great out here." I meant it. I''d remember this elf as a good man. In the end, he didn''t seed, but hey, he and I both knew he had tried a lot. He was a great guy.


    "...I''m reassured, truly. If it''s you then¡­ maybe her fate will be different. ¡­Take care of her for me¡ª No¡­ Not for that bastard; not for me. Do it for her."


    To hisst words, I nodded. The elf meant it¡ªhe would also fail at the second mission he''d been given. In the first ce, if they only wandered around thend, in and out of the forest, it was for the sole purpose of stalling for time.


    After the war was lost, the royalty had been evacuated at once. Soon, it was known to the new temporary leader that the leader of the demons merely desired the true heir to the forest for whatever project the demon lords had. From this point on, though it was heavy on the elf, his mission changed radically. Rather than protect and evacuate the royalty, for the time being, he had to deliver her back to her people, after which she would be handed over to the enemy as a necessary sacrifice.


    That was the content of the man''s mission¡ªhe chose to fail at it. Yes, that also meant he would die.


    Holding back the tears of regret and frustration within himself, the elf said he needed them not for what was toe. Instead, he needed to muster up his rage and anger. The dagger he held was pointed at me. Tightening his grip on the weapon, he red at me with icy eyes.


    From deep within himself, rather than tears, the roar of a cornered beast came out and shook the earth, and then, in his fury, the elf rushed at me.


    He was closing in fast.


    At the veryst moment, before his dagger was stabbed in my chest, I slithered to the side, held onto the man''s dagger, yanked it off his grip, aimed it at his heart, and pushed it in.


    The weak faded away and the powerful survived.


    "Oh ho ho¡­"


    With ceremony, I held the dying elf in my arms when he sank to his knees, patted his back, and told I would take over things, so from now on, he could go... and rest. As his face radiated a smile of light, the smarting pain in his chest made him groan, and he passed quickly. My friend did. After that, I let himy on a bed of grass, where he would forevery.


    "I recognized you took a long time, son."


    "Old man. A lot happened."


    "Should you take the time to weep for the elf''s death?"


    "...No."


    "Not even a tear!? My grandchild has already be a hardened man of war¡ª"


    "Sh-Shh! Don''t be so loud, you silly old man. Look here. You can''t wake her up. She''s sick. She needs your help. But¡­ Aaah, we shouldn''t have burned your house down¡ªI now regret it."


    "Ho ho¡­ The youngdy indeed seems unwell. Worry not about the abode, son. We only need shelter. The girl¡­"


    "Cetha."


    "Cetha will need some rest."


    "She will? What happened to her anyway? I can''tprehend¡ª"


    "Well¡­ It is¡­ For now, young man, let us depart."


    "Sure," I said. The old man had also seemed to go through ''a lot''. The rain made a neat job of washing off the blood from his white, majestic garb, but red stains still were showing. Across his silhouette, many other signs of many battles were visible.


    Coldly analyzing me as I did him, he walked to me and ced a hand on top of my head. For a moment, he switched to the cold and icy old man mode. When he did that, he truly seemed like apletely different person.


    Needless to say, it was unsettling. "Congrattions, by the way, son. I see you have acquired the Character, hm¡­ Ha ha ha¡­" Laughing augh of Ha ha instead of Ho ho, his icy eyes bore into mine, caressing my ck hair with tion.


    ''That'' old man employed the gaming terminology of the System and said ''Character''. The problem was, I never had, even once, mentioned the term ''Character'' to the old man.


    Who was that two-faced old man, really?


    Before long, we departed.


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    ¡­Ring! ? A new Main Quest has been obtained ¡ª Act I, Chapter I, ''Demons and Humans'' ¡ª Yet another war breaks out at the border of the Roerden Kingdom. A faction of the demons'' power¡ªthe demi-humans, mostly orcs¡ªhas had enough of Roerden''s fearless dominance, has gone on a rampage, and attacked the mighty Human Kingdom. Whose favors will the yer earn from partaking in this conflict? The humans'' or demi-humans''? Maybe both? Complete the quest and find out! ?


    ¡­Ring!


    ? Main Quest ''Demons and Humans'' ¡ª Head out of the Forest of Benelloan by the North. There, let the yer meet with the two armies. 0/1 ?


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    Afterword: Hi. I like dots. It''s me, the author. I thank you for reading my story this far on webnovel. This is the end of this series'' first book. I''m looking forward to having you read whates after and have you apany me on the MC''s fantastic journey across the Outside World. I mean it though: many, many thanks to you who have been reading to this point. Being a writer and author is what I''ve always longed for, so I appreciate your support dearly. At first, with this afterword, I nned to make a point of diving into the main ideas I had to make this book a reality, talking about the broader concept of it in general, andying out the foundations of my work, but I thought better of it. Instead, if you have any questions regarding the story''s concept, origin, or anything meaningful, like questions about characters, where you think the story will go, and any kind of stuff, feel free to ask them in this chapter''sment section. I will try to take some of my time to satiate your curiosity. Hoping you will stick around and read more. See you.

 Chapter 68 Haruto

    (Author''s note: This is a new POV. Bear with me. One very important character.)


    I¡ª I don''t know what''s happening? Someone, wake me up? What¡ª What are we doing¡­ in here? Someone¡­? ...Was I really transported to some kind of other world?


    Surely, this was some kind of joke. And if it wasn''t, well¡­ no, it was anyway. A joke. And so there was one question: How would this whole situation be a joke, hm? In what aspect? What should I focus on to see through this whole prank? As it somehow had to be, I needed to concentrate on that. And I was positive that, in the end, answering that question will give me more understanding of my situation. So, okay, I thought, how would it be a joke, a prank, a gag for some TV program, or whatever, really?


    Jokes, I had seen plenty of them. Jokes of this very kind, that is correct. They''re mostly called pranks. And so, the ce I find myself in, at present, doesn''t feel like a prank in any way to me. I can assure you this. Still though, I''d break the whole bad joke down, and scold my way out of this prank and whatever crew of senseless people is behind it. That kind of prank was no good to me or anyone. The tricks of the prank simply looked way too real¡ªthat was bad for us and our regr highschoolers'' hearts.


    "H-Haruto!" Someone called my name. "I-I-It really happened! Dude! It''s crazy! We really got isekai''d, haven''t we!?" The guy next to me, Kimon, yelled so intensely, with a huge grin stered on his face. He turned all around us and kept yelling how crazy this whole thing was, how he''d always dreamed of such a wild fantasy actually happening. His excitement, as opposed to mine, could hardly be contained.


    "W-Would you please not yell!" I shouted back. That kid, he fell for it so easily. He seriously had a problem, though. The excitement is way over the top. I bet even if this whole being taken away to another world, appearing in a castle and stuff, surrounded by a bunch of medieval royal-like people, Kimon would be the first to cry for dear home.


    "I-I''m trying to make sense of this whole prank thing, here! Don''t you fall for it! It''s a trap! If you do, ...I, uh... I''ll have to act like I don''t know you!" You know, the kinds of situations where you''re too embarrassed to even ''know'' someone. Well, that''d be it. That might have been ridiculous, but I''d really do it. That guy, Kimon, Mon-key if you flip the two sybles, was the kind of guy you didn''t want to know.


    Aaah, but he''s still a precious friend, I thought, conflicted. Should it really be okay if I did that¡­? No matter! Is there time to think about that? Unlike my friend, I tried to keep my calm. My calm, my cool, myposure¡ªwhatever I could keep I kept, in this situation. It really was crazy, after all. I needed to get it together. And my calm was the top priority here. To properly assess the situation and move ordingly. I needed to be lucid¡ª


    "What do you even mean, ''isekai''d''!?"


    Kimon wouldn''t stop fidgeting and squirming like a crazy worm. He was just like his kid self back when we had been visiting an amusement park for the first time. What a pain he was. "It reaaally happeeeeened! I say this: we''ve been chosen! Choseeen, I tell you! Chosen and teleported to another world! We''re¡­ It finally happened! W-What''d they call it in tensura?! Isekaijin! Otherworlders, right?! That''s¡­ just what we are! Oh, dude! It''s so great! ''You even get it?! H-Hey! Haruto! I''m talking to you there!"


    Kimon interrupted my thought process. Jeez, that guy ticked me off. What a disturbance. I already was a lot disturbed, and he was only adding to it. Adding fuel to the fire, he continued to press me with questions, asking me if the moron I was had any idea of what we were going through, what it was all called, why it was so great, and why I was spoiling it all by being so stern and tight. He was the actual moron here. I was ready to curse again but thought better of it.


    "Stop shaking me like a fool, man! Lay off," I scolded. "I''m trying to make sense of this¡­ whole¡­ nonsensical circus going around us," I yelled at him. My breathing was a bit ragged but I managed to rap out my words all right. For a minute, I kept calling him out on how stupid he was. "A-And anyway! You have to calm down, all right?!"


    After a pause, my friend''s face stared dumbly at me. "Huh?"


    Meeting his eyes with mine, I also stared at him dumbly. "Huh? I¡ª I mean¡­ Calm yourself down. Get it, you stupid moron?" His dumb facade crumbled only then, as he genuinely seemed shocked at me for what I''d just said. With a look of pity on his face, he exined that no matter how you looked at it, I was the one who needed to calm the heck down. He was probably right, but the look of tant pity he threw at me¡­ He was right.


    "Aren''t you the one panicking, though, cute Haru? Hmmm? You be mama''s big boy, now, and you stop panicking yourself! Heh! ¡­Dare you tell me, the boss, to calm down now! Look¡ª We''ve been transported to another world¡­ but thankfully: Ta-dah~" From behind his back, he produced a bowl of the udon we just ordered. "I still got it! My udon! It seems whatever you touched gets isekai''d here with you, eh? Well anyway! To cheer you up, I''ll share some with you! You must be mad, right? That''s only ''cause your stomach''s empty, I tell you!"


    Suddenly, some sort of divine revtion struck me: I was so happy and d to have such a bright friend... but that was if sarcasm wasn''t already a thing, of course. "O-Oh¡­ Yes¡­ Absolutely, Kimon. What a great idea! I still have my chopsticks, so I can dig in just all right, correct?" I faked a beaming smile, gently parted my chopsticks with blissful cheerfulness, walked up to my friend, and whacked his head really hard. "¡ªLike I''d ever say that, you stupid moron!"


    "Ow, ow, ow¡­! Y-You! Haruto! You tricked me!"


    "I warned you, didn''t I? You stupid moron."


    "W-Warned me about¡­!"


    "I don''t care anymore: Mr. Kimon, I''m afraid I''ll have to act like I don''t know you¡ª"


    "A-Aaah! Everything but this, Mr. Haruto! P-Please, don''t abandon me! Y-Y-You can''t... You have to take¡­ responsibility!" Kimon theatrically ced his precious udon bowl down, teared up, and sprang to my knees. "P-Please¡­!"


    "W-What''re you on about, now!? You don''t make sense! Creeping me out! I''m afraid you got the wrong person, by the way, sir¡­ I said y off''!" Kicking my friend off, I realized I was being a moron myself, now.


    First off, Kimon was right, I was the one panicking the most, probably. Even if it was for a good reason, losing my cool wasn''t the solution. Secondly, ying along with this fool''sedy, at a time like this, was indeed moronic of me.


    But whatever, I now renewed my determination to see through this ''prank''. Thankfully, for a little while, Kimon would keep his mouth shut and return to his treasured udon, murmuring to it that he''d probably never get to taste it again, due to his situation as an Otherworlder¡­ So I could concentrate.


    Even ignoring him, we were in a serious situation, it seemed to me. Nothing to simply scoff at and half-heartedly dismiss. It wasn''t a prank like any. Did that girl¡­ who, at first nce is in her twenties, really is¡­ the princess she said she is? Why was she talking from the other side of that doom-like sort of barrier anyway, we could barely hear her.


    And what was it she said we''d been summoned in? Roerdenville? The Castle? King''s Hall? Too many questions flooded my mind, but I held it just fine. I wasn''t to panic. It was fairly simple: to breathe in deep, ever so slowly, and to breathe all the air out, in the same fashion.

 Chapter 69 Haruto (2)

    And what was it she said we''d been summoned in? Roerdenville? The Castle? King''s Hall? Too many questions flooded my mind, but I held it just fine. I wasn''t to panic. It was fairly simple: to breathe in deeply, ever so slowly, and to breathe all the air out, in the same fashion.


    I was never a fan of these. Of pranks. A prank could be fun to watch, maybe, but it wasn''t so cool tough about when you were on the surprised party''s team. So, in a way, I feel like this kind of joke is not right. It''s wrong. That was even more true when it seemed so huge, real, and traumatic. People shouldn''t go about ying these kinds of jokes on just anyone without their consent. The setting was that of a rich and refined European castle. Seen from the inside. We were inside of the castle, in a giant hall, with huge majestic columns in lines propping up a very high, carved-out ceiling where you would find all manners of royal paintings, chandeliers, and expensive golden decorations. To one end of the gigantic hall, there was an elevated throne, with a distant figure staring down at us all. Us all, yes. Not just me, my friend, and the girl who imed to be a princess, and who also had just summoned ''heroes'', but many people.


    Forming a close circle around the protective doom, I could count six ck-hooded and cloaked people. Frowning and squinting my eyes at one of them¡­ they were obviously human. Right. What was I expecting? They were a human. Not an elf, or any of the usual fantasy-esque races, you know. People like my friends and I, obviously, since it''s all just a bad joke.


    Forming a circle around the heroes that had been summoned, they extended their hands to us, chanting and mumbling deaf words that I couldn''t make out. Boy, that was spooky. Mingled with the unsettling formation¡ªlet''s not say creepy ritual, but just formation¡ªwas the one who had referred to herself as a princess. Roerden''s Princess, apparently. Sensing I red daggers at her, the princess couldn''t help but sweat, smile, and back away awkwardly.


    Leaving aside Kimon, I, the summoned hero, shuffled to the Princess, and ced a hand on the doom. My hand couldn''t reach beyond it. Also, to the touch, it felt warm and rxing. "W-Whoever you might be, this isn''t¡ª"


    "I-It shall be fine, Hero! Heh¡­heh-heh¡­ There there, my boy. I-I''m absolutely not a¡­ person you should be¡­ suspicious of¡­ R-Really!"


    "Who are you?!"


    Awkwardly producing a piece of crumpled paper, she mumbled that she, too, was nervous despite the fact that she was the third legitimate daughter of the king, a princess, and all. Cursing herself, she said that, even though she''d look like a fool and wouldn''t make a proper, good first impression, she would just read her notes out loud, now. The clumsy girl couldn''t mess up the eloquent introduction she had prepared for the heroes, after all.


    "¡ªI asked you who you are! Look here, I don''t mean to be rude or anything, but who the heck are you? Do you have any idea of what you''re doing?! Th-This could be dangerous!"


    "Eek! M-My hero is scolding me¡­! Aaah, enough! I can''t even read my darn handwriting!" tossing her notes away, the princess person stomped her foot and pouted. "¡­Hear me out, heroes! Heroes from another world, I wee you to ournd and world! Indeed, you are correct! Otherworlders you are! Whatever thought process is going through your heads right now¡ªignore it! It shall be fine! W-What''s more, chosen heroes like yourselves shouldn''t panic!" Adorned with the finest robe of silk and gold, she was a most beautiful woman. I could already pin her down as an annoying brat, however. "I-It would be unbing of your status! Please, do not panic! You have the honor to have the Roerden Kingdom''s support: your situation will be exined to you! And¡­ aaah! Please, do not scold me, Hero! A-Also, you may have fallen silent, but¡­ but please, do withdraw the intense re at once!"


    I ignored her, thinking I had other things to concentrate on. A prank. It may have been a prank. But I had to consider every possibility. Some part of me actually believed it. The pce was quiterge, and Kimon finally broke away from his sitting position. The guy stopped staring so intently at his udon bowl, got up, and walked to me. "Haruto. Why don''t you rx?"


    "I''m rxed. Totally."


    "Dude, we''re cool, aren''t we?"


    "We are. Definitely."


    "Right. We are. This is it: our long-awaited romance, action,edy, adventure, harem little world''s opened to us. ...It''se true, man! We''re gonna live it!"


    "We will."


    "You''ll be a side-character... and the great I shall be the protagonist!"


    "...Sure."


    Nonplussed, I hardly gave more than curt replies. Who wanted a harem anyway? That moron? Or any other moron? Don''t make meugh. Ignoring his speech, I scanned more of our surroundings. The King''s Hall was pretty broad.


    Going from beneath our feet to the two ends of the hall, the floor was paved with mighty grayish smooth tiles. How much money would these people have invested in their bad joke? The faraway throne, and the sharp not so aged man, leisurely yet rigidly resting on it, breathed of majesty and highness. At the opposite end of the room, two huge wooden doors closed the royal hall. The heroes were in the middle of the empty room. Or was it empty? As I earlier said, many people were present with the heroes. There was so much space to contain the attending people that you could say the hall was empty. Was, after all, a room filled with a handful of ants crowded? Certainly not. That was the image of thisrge, spacious hall. The same question seized me¡ªhow much money was invested in all of this? The King''s Hall wasn''t any ce. Now, I doubted myself. Of course I did. Another world, huh? This was hardly believable, but¡­


    The ants were numerous. The closest to the heroes, there was the group of ck-hooded wizards, still chanting whatever spell at us, protecting the heroes with a faint light doom. Behind these summoners, some otheryers of people either dubiously stared at us or nonchntly discussed things among themselves.


    "Romance,edy, action, adventure, harem¡­ and so much more, my Haru! Just loosen up, why don''tcha? Here, have some of my udon. Figured it''d help you rx a little. Hey. Here. Stop ignoring me. Dig in. Ain''t a problem if you lost your share. Your boss''ll share with you¡ª"


    "Quiet." I punched the boy''s stomach when he cried "Ouch!" and got back to the matter at hand.


    These people were dressed in amusing outfits. Compared to our era and age, they stood out a lot. At present, the heroes were the ones who stood out, however. Here, the medieval dress code was the norm. As these guys seemed to be nobles, their clothes and garbs were more or less all the same. In a few words, refined, neat, yet a little extravagant. A bit ssy, too.


    Pirs went up from the ground to the ceiling, supporting the beautiful arched structure from below. Neatly arranged and lined up, they were scattered all around the hall. Behind the pirs, up against the high walls, were guards. Lots and lots of them. Armored people dded in ck and iron. Or were those only decorative armors? Cordially decorating the walls in more than one fancy way, many paintings, scriptures, trophies, and stuff hinted to me our situation was maybe more than just a ''prank''. The numerous twinkling little mes and lights, issued from the many candles and chandeliers, apanied by the eerie doom''s white light, shone down on us.


    Why so many candles and fires? Come to think of it, now that I got a glimpse of the outside from arge window, it was nighttime. Jeez. We, regr highschoolers, were just heading back home by noon, under the sun, though. Howe it''s nighttime? An actual prank, on our Earth, that involves some kind of teleportation? Was this really a joke? The night sky could be artificial, though... It''s unlikely. But anyway, if it were a joke, who in the world would even pay for all that? This ce simply didn''tck any of the European castle-like furniture or anything. It seemed legit through and through. When the realization that I had been transported to another world with friends was about to sink in, the so-called princess spoke again.


    "Heroes. Please. Know that you have responded to our call. Our Roerden Kingdom''s call." The charmingdy now had all the solemnity and grace shecked earlier. "Fear not: as such, you, your protection, and all that is incumbent on it, for the time being, is entirely ced under our care. No harm will befall you. We indeed know that you are from amongst the noblest of people, so please¡ª"


    But now, she had dared say that again. She already said it, when we were first teleported to this ce, all of a sudden. Now, she said it again, and I really snapped this time. My face reddened with a re. "No harm will be done to us, dare you say?!¡ª

 Chapter 70 Haruto (3)

    But now, she had dared say that again. She already said it, when we were first teleported to this ce, all of a sudden. Now, she said it again, and I really snapped this time. My face reddened with a re. "No harm will be done to us, dare you say?! What about the two girls here? They''re precious friends! Do they seem well to you?! What have you done to us?!"


    "H-Hey, Haruto. Want some udon?" The monkey was being dumb again, but I knew that, in his own dumb way, Kimon was only trying to calm me down. I nodded at the brother, sucked in a fresh thread of udon, and briefly smiled at him before I calmed down.


    "Our friends here, Princess. They''ve copsed. Why is it so? How is it that we can''t even approach them? This¡­ weird doom thingy around us¡­ we can''t¡­ we¡­ Aaah. See, Princess, politely, what the hell have you done to us? ¡­Provide us with some real information, maybe? And I insist, even I can see you don''t mean us any harm¡ªas a matter of fact, the two priest-looking individuals who you just sent, with their¡­ argh, should I call that magic?... seem to be relieving the two girls of their pain¡ªbut still, will they be all right? Who are you people? What''s the situation here? Can you be trusted?" Along with these, there was still a steadfast flow of questions running through my mind. As much as I wanted to ask about them all, I needed to stop. To both catch my breath and let the princess person speak. Quickly.


    The re I gave the princess turned to a simple stare, not so full of animosity anymore. Right into the woman''s eyes, my eyes plunged. As I addressed her, naturally, she held her gaze firmly on me, too. So, when would my answere? Surprisingly, instead of thedy''s lips and tongue, her eyes spoke an answer to the hero.


    In defeat, her gaze dropped down. That was my answer. Her pained expression became tenser. The princess ostensibly was saddened by whatever she thought about. What about my questions, though? Won''t you answer at least one of them? Wait, was I going too hard on her? My head shook as I was confident I wasn''t. Given our situation, I might have been a little too soft with her, actually. But anyway, the dramatic princess finally spoke.


    "Heroes¡­ Truly, I am sorry," she managed, her eyes still pinned down, and a slight frown on her face. "The truth of the matter is, while we understand you are distressed by the¡­ very surprising, let''s say, situation you find yourselves in, we simply¡­" And she trailed off. Taking her gaze back up to me, as if gathering back her will to speak, the woman rified the girls'' situation and eased my worries.


    When she exined that, despite the summoners'' great efforts to make the heroes'' traveling through the worlds in the smoothest way possible, apparently, the two female heroes hadn''t borne the inevitable mighty weariness of the voyage as easily as the two male heroes. Mumbling some stuff about their ability being not so high, the woman sought to reassure me more, dramatically assuring me they were only passed out. What was more, with the healing of the two white-robed people, who were called priests, the two girls would for sure be safe.


    "Still, you are obviously distressed, heroes. Be aware¡ªI understand your qualms. And I must apologize: for your worrying, I am failing as one of the King''s heirs. Such failure cannot easily be forgotten, let alone forgiven. I trust you heroes will¡ª"


    "Wait. It''s¡­ nothing. I''m sorry myself. Maybe I was being too hostile. Please, don''t apologize so much."


    "But I have to¡ª"


    "Please, no. I insist. You would only make me grow more ufortable."


    "I¡­ I thank you, hero."


    "Now¡­ if you would answer my questions? Where are we? Who are you people? Do you know of Japan?"


    By that time, I had to admit to what I refused to believe. I, Kimon, and two other Japanese highschool girls (who neither I nor my friend actually knew) weren''t going through something so simple as a prank or anything of the sort. The overly extravagantly wide and broad setting, all these suspicious-looking people, the fact that it definitely was nighttime here, and any other clues I gathered so far, were partly what made me change my mind about the nature of our predicament.


    About the other part of my new convictions, well, maybe I just wanted to believe it. Maybe I wanted to believe all of this was actually possible. Maybe I wanted to believe that, in this world, as a hero, a powerful hero, I could make things different, have an impact on the world, and shape it to my will. Yes, now that I think about it, it indeed felt like I''d always been waiting for the day I was shoved into that world and granted the power to make a difference toe, and that, atst, I''d been served. I was right. I had been served.


    In a month or so, I''d meet ''that'' monster boy, who so happened to magically appear in the world, being granted a life for himself, too, and who also just happened to want to make a difference.


    Kimon joined my side and decided to ask a question of his own. "What about my udon, Princess? Wanna dig in, too?" He was tantly ignored, though. After a moment''s thought, the princess nodded at me.


    Joining her hands on her breasts, she waved to three of the ck-hooded people. "Enough with these two. Their transitions don''t require any more help from your spatial magic. Heroes, you''ll forgive me¡­ but brace yourselves again. You might feel a bit of hardship again." All three men let out a sharp "Yes, ma''am!" before they retreated.


    Our doom, mine and Kimon''s, faded away. At once, a strong wave of energy assaulted my whole body, I felt a tingling sensation in my lungs, and my whole body twitched a little like it was pierced by a thousand needles or more. The princess, worried, said our body unfortunately still needed a moment to fully adapt to Mana.


    cing a hand on my heart, I frowned at the tingling sensation running all across my limbs and body. Breathing more, the burning sensation of my lungs quickly stopped. Tightly shutting my eyes, I then extended my arms around, and let all the energy¡ªdid she call it Mana?¡ªfind its home inside of me. And clenching my fists, I then felt like I''d finally woken up after a whole seventeen years of slumber. In a few words, I felt great.


    Next to me, Kimon stood up, too, but when Mana washed over himself, he had to kneel, obviously pained by the reaction in his body. I was confused to see him react so painfully. After he dropped to his knees, he ced not only one, but two hands on his chest, clutched it, and groaned in agony. Rushing to his side, I manage to save thest bowl of udon he''d probably ever have before it fell off his hands. Had I been left off easy, though? The princess had warned us: we might feel a little pain after the protective veil was lifted¡ªthat''s just what I felt. A little pain. Still, thedy seemed genuinely impressed at how well I had withstood the wave of magical energy.


    Widening her eyes at my sight, she took a few steps back, before she blinked twice. Mumbling, she might have said I was a hero among heroes, but I didn''t quite catch what she said, so I didn''t know. Now that Kimon seemed to be all right, I lifted myself back up and faced the princess. She, too, faced me.


    I then noticed the tant surprise carved on her face. With eagerness and desire, it was as if the first time she really looked at me, devouring every bit of my silhouette with full eyes. Suddenly, she breathed a deep sigh of relief. Throwing one energetic leg in front of the other, under her pping long, refined dress, the princess strode to the hero.


    The ceremonial chant of her heels echoed throughout the whole world, and with crity, she seized both my hands with hers. Warmth spread through my whole body as she pleaded her case to me. "Please, heroes¡­" For some reason, she addressed me using the plural of hero. Heroes, eh? Or was I worth that many all by myself? Just kidding. I was a true Japanese person, so I wouldn''t dare get full of myself. The princess spoke to me, but also addressed all her summoned warriors.


    "Please, heroes. You earlier asked me whether I and my kingdom should be trusted¡­ Well, trust us." Clumsily pressing my hands on her heart, as if I was supposed to only feel her strong heartbeat and not also the soft warmth of her voluptuous breasts, her eyes dived into mine. "Trust us and save our kingdom." She clearly was trying to seduce her hero, wasn''t she? I frowned at the nobledy''s depravity but didn''t break away from her. "Follow the way of the heroes who came before you¡­ and to whom mighty powers and blessings were granted by Mana itself. Follow the way of thest heroes and save our kingdom from what is imperiling the safety of itself. Find it in yourself¡ªI know you noble heroes will¡ªand save us from the evil that is awaiting but weakness and cowardice from ourselves. Heroes, I trust and believe you shan''t let us be wasted!"


    To save her kingdom. Roerden''s Kingdom. There probably were enemies. So would we be part of some military force or something? Should we fight demons or simr creatures? Would I have to... ''kill''? If so, I would need to make it right. To only y the people of wrongdoing. To rescue her people. If there are lives to save, I will brace myself. This time, I will make a difference. The world back home didn''t need me. In this world, this time, maybe I could make a difference.


    And as I said, in a month or so, I''d be meeting that unique monster boy. By his side, I''d get to have the difference I sought. But together, as opposed to saving this Kingdom and its royalty, we probably were the ones responsible for its destruction.


    Well, my name is Haruto, I''m a Japanese person, and I had just been teleported to this World.

 Chapter 71 A Field

    I touch grass. The grass. des of grass. Many of them. Plenty of green. A sea of grass. There was a lot of grass. A field of so many acres of the finest soil, coated by the most marvelous, lovely garden of grass, that found its ce under the bright, yellow sun of today''s lunchtime. A field that went far in the distance, endlessly running toward both ends of the horizon. The most gigantic garden extended thus, lying from East to West. And from today onward, that was my field.


    A garden was a resplendent thing to possess. Or at the very least, my Uncle, the old man, said as much. For many reasons, he was a fan of those green things. Finding myself at the heart of the sea of grass, I didn''t know if I could agree with him. Still, I''d try to. At any rate, in a certain way, I could agree with him¡ªmy garden was an awesome thing.


    An awesome piece ofnd. The awesome piece ofnd. But I was afraid it was only my garden that I liked awesomely. Why that was, simply because my garden wasn''t any piece of refinednd. No, it was different. You could call it a battlefield. Here, war raged. But anyway, right in the middle of mynd, though very far to the South of it, next to the elves'' Forest, I bathed. Both in the freshness of the bright, green soil and under the heavy sun.


    A monster was lying down there. It was an eerie thing: Sshed on the earth, it embraced a square meter of the mellowwn. Bodiless, it sometimes moved around, sometimes assumed a dog''s fluffy shape, sometimes a rat''s cute little figure, and, most of the time, a human''s youthful silhouette. Only hardly could the monster do all that.


    So, rather than a dog''s shape, a rat''s shape, or a somewhat humanoid form looking like the fairy/spirit of water people confused me with, I was, most of the time, inly shapeless, looking more like the ''watery slime''s'' part people also confused me with. I could barely take any all of the precedent different forms and silhouettes. Still, at will, I could somehow produce stretching arms and stuff from my ball-shaped body. Creepily enough, then, the monster, that was me, just a in and boring living body of water, crawled all around the garden¡ªor rather, the battlefield¡ªwithout a care in the world.


    I could only test the specifics of my skills (and unique condition) that way¡ª[Jelly-like Shapelessness] and [Resistant Body]¡ªtaking on various shapes and silhouettes while having fun. What I noted was that my body was in fact shapeless. Most of the time, while discarding the human form (the Character I''d created a day back), I could more or less easily take on two forms. That was a somewhat ball-shaped form and a rtively humanoid form.


    As for the ball-shaped outline, needless to say, balling myself into a ball didn''t require much effort from anyone. Yeah, maybe it was just me. In any case, that was an easy thing to do. Now, about the humanoid form¡ªwithout even calling on to the System''s power and being the ''Character'' it said I was¡ªI reckoned I could just about assume it because I''d been so used to having humans, folks of the human race, as Receptacles. That way, as I was still lying down under the sun and embracing the grass all around me, that''s how I managed to slide here and there, slowly exploring my uncharted territory.


    As I said, testing and exploring the specifics of my skills and condition was the goal here. My Uncle put me up to that. The old man was my attendant, or something along those lines, after all. And what he had said was, "You go, son! You go get ''em! And while you''re at it, you show your old uncle about your aptitudes! If we, explorers of the ''Outside World'', as you would have it, are to explore indeed, we need to know more about ourselves! Your powers shall be put to light, and we shall vanquish!"


    Suddenly, four giant armored feet,ing along with two even more gigantic des, gushed forth to me: Had they not seen me? Would I need to find yet another spot again, and move further to the Forest''s side? A deafening ng brutalized my ''sense'' of hearing.


    Sparkles were sent down flying my way. The loudest stomping foot dug the earth right next to me, shaking the earth as it went. Following these ear-splitting annoying sounds, many other ngs rang out, along with many other stomping feet. That was annoying. Thankfully, they didn''t at least step on me. I could take damage from all this fighting around. After a minute, the pair of fighting opponents gradually slid further away from me, still going at each other''s throats with their arms and des.


    Phew. It was a good thing they went away. I didn''t have to change spots again, in the end. I have had to do that numerous times before. Can you imagine, they wouldn''t leave me alone, the stomping feet and swords. I was just with my grass, testing a few things about myself as the old man instructed, but no, they wouldn''t leave me to my peace. I did want to tell them all off for disturbing me so many times, but I figured I wouldn''t. Not for now, at least. That was my garden, my battlefield, and it was especially good because of the disturbing folks. But anyway¡ªI was testing my skills, for now.


    I was sentient. That''s the [Consciousness] Passive Skill for you. Also, I can see pretty much all around, thanks to the [Mana Perception] Passive. These two skills meant I could feel, see, hear, touch, smell, taste, understand, andprehend most of everything, and the list could go on. I could feel and touch the oh-so-numerous, mellow yet rigid des of grass coating the earth. I also could feel around and grip the rich brown soil underneath it. That was me.


    About the two skills I mentioned earlier, Jelly-like Shapeless and Resistant Body, the body of water¡ªthat was me: life in its purest form¡ªcould walk the earth without sinking into the deeper grounds. Briefly, that was pretty much it. For the time being, the senile old man who sent his grandson to battle for very few reasons (not that the grandson asked for any), would have to be satisfied with such a report.


    Or maybe not. There were other skills, after all. Many others. And as the old man insisted, if he and I were to go about exploring and sightseeing the world together, as it was what my youthful mind wished for, we needed to know about our force. Our team, so far, wasposed of three: a senile old man, a passed-out former elven princess, and a cheesy unique monster-type.


    As for the senile old man, he said his old bones ached so intensely he couldn''t dare move out on the battlefield. That was a lie. Despite the many decades his body had seen, the old man was perfectly healthy. Fortunately, the old man''s usefulness didn''t lie in his fighting abilities. Or that was how I considered the tool he was, at the very least.


    From the very beginning, it was agreed he would be my information and knowledge, not my sword. The old manpleted this condition very well. All of that was to say I didn''t mind my senile old man''s absence on the battlefield. My gang was formed from zero. We had very few members, but it wasn''t just me and the old geezer alone anymore, now. Another member was here. The elven princess. Former princess. Unfortunately, due to some illness the old man called ''fever'', she passed out and was unconscious.


    And so that left only me: the monster.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 72 Choir

    I was the sole member of the team whose goal was to do some sightseeing. To repeat, the old man said before sightseeing, we needed to test out the team''s strength. As I was the only fighting member, for now, on the battlefield, I was alone and I worked on some project an old man gave me.


    Going by this fact, thanks to the skill which underlined the very foundations of my existence, Consciousness, Mana Perception, Jelly-like Shapeless, and Resistant Body; I could feel the environment. The earth, the grass¡­ and most importantly, the feet and swords. The fighting people. The earth-shaking and shattering underneath the people''s weight and power. There were also the nging swords, wildly whipping through the air so rapidly, and sending sparks flying my way. Metal would strike metal. All of which was taking ce, under the yellow of the ming sun. A war was raging through thend. A conflict was ongoing. Two groups of people fought: one would lose and the other win.


    Then there was the monster, me, down and stered on the soil, as if I had been glumly melting under the sun''s heat, when that was just my normal condition, being the unique monster you know.


    My senses observed the movements in my immediate surroundings. And so, willing to know more about myself, I analyzed myself. Facts about my skills, mostly. As I said, they were the basis of my existence, after all. Taking up where I left off, I concentrated, and visualized myself ''flowing out''. When I just did, my mana flowed out, spread around, and formed into a taller me. When I first pulled that, the many times I called my Character on and off, I felt a little weird, but now, I was okay.


    My mana leaked out and formed into two arms, two legs, fingers, and a chest with its head. Standing up with curled fingers and stretched arms, in the same manner a spooky undead zombie stands up or something, and my eyes, deep and blue, grew wide open.


    At present, I saw through my eyes, with many locks of my jet-ck hair ever-so-slightly hindering my sight. Blinking twice, I cracked my neck. My chin stood high, I cocked my head and stretched my arms. "See?" I said, raising an eyebrow, to not particrly anyone.


    I was quite satisfied with myself. ¡­Ring! ? Quest ¡ª Head over to the battlefield. 1/1. ? Another piece of info was: it was exactly like the System said¡ªI needed my Character to be progressing with the Game. It was only when I summoned my human form that the quest was validated.


    Anyway, my human form was exposed to the brightness of daylight. My equipment was on. A banal, beige shirt, and I wore ck for pants. The old man had given me a short tunic that now coated my in shirt. It was a bit oversized, but I liked it. As he insisted I needed one, I happily epted it. I never once saw people not wearing clothes in the Outside World, so I thought maybe the more clothes the better.


    What I alsocked, in clothes, ording to the old attendant, was a pair of shoes. But I refused them. I liked better not having any. And so, standing up there in the field of grass. Feeling the strong breeze blow past my hair, curling my toes in the green of thend, I smiled. I wasn''t resting down by the many des of grass anymore, and though my feet and sword weren''t quite as big as the enemies'' weapons, they were still feet and sword.


    Thus, I would now rise up, joining in on the battlefield''s yful activity: war.


    In front of my eyes, orcs and humans were all for me to see. That sight sounded familiar. My eyes thought of it as familiar, at the very least. Orcs and humans warring against one another wasn''t an event I never had witnessed.


    Back in the forest, which was only a few days ago, I saw the same spectacle. Compared to back then, the scale was definitely grander. Back then, it had been about a little group of orcs fighting against another little group of humans. There were simrities here. As I said, it was at another scale, though. Instead of thirty-odd humans versus a dozen orcs, there were thousands and thousands on both sides.


    Ring! ? Quest ¡ª Mingle into the Battlefield, and y the enemies thate your way. 0/30 ? Crossing my arms upon my chest, I slowly nodded.


    I could see very far away in the distance. This ce wasn''t so concentrated with trees, some high and big obstacles, so it blocked my sight. Thend was broad and smooth. Edging the borders of my lovely garden, I rested on an elevated part of thend. [Sharp Ear] was one of my passive skills. Unlike the other abilities I already mentioned, this skill''s use was pretty in.


    Thanks to it, concentrating on the supposedly natural proclivity I had to hearing sounds sharply, rather than the fighting people''s stifled raging shouts, along with the thunderous sounds of the sea of swords, I could sift through the every noise of the war and overhear the sounds choosing delimited zones. Shutting my eyes tight and concentrating, instead of hearing the masses'' cries, I could hear two people''s duel. Nodding to myself, I thought the old man would tell me that much knowledge about the obvious skill was enough for a report.


    I couldn''t tell precisely how many fighters there were, here on the battlefield. Humans were clearly more numerous than orcs, however. I could easily tell, just like the situation we had back in the forest. To my right, there were more of humans.


    A huge load of them that was so painfully numerouspared to the orc battalion. A thousand meters behind the front, all manners of tents and other quickly set up instations rested, with bigger settlements organized like a mini-country, making the humans seem readier than ever. The human side was more organized and effective. I never saw any, but it reminded me of ants.


    On the orc team, now, there only were measly tents. They were way scarcer. And that was it. The orcs weren''t nearly as organized as the humans. From my elevated position, scanning over the whole area, they looked poor and unprepared.


    But I guess them being orcs yed a huge role in how well they can put up a fight against the humans, though. Or maybe not at all, maybe they couldn''t even pull that against the humans. I hadn''t been present long enough to tell, but the orcs would be crushed before sunset.


    That was how the Outside World I cherished was¡ªwild and full of uncertainties. The same good old chorus of nging swords and shouts of either joy or devastation yed in my ears. Far away at the borders of the battlefield, I wasn''t so far from the action, but nobody seemed to have taken notice of the guest yet. Just as the System had said, I needed to mingle with them.


    Only then would theye at me. So I walked onward, my arms still firmly crossed on my chest. Marching steadily on, observing around me, it didn''t take long before I was noticed. Two eyes were set upon me. Then it was four, six, and finally eight. My legs didn''t stop as I moved onward. Two humans'' eyes versus two orcs''. Thus, the monster blended into the action.


    "Hey, kid! What''re you doing down here?!" a voice shouted to me. A human male was going about waving his arms at me, quickly gesturing to me with his chin. "Must be some fucked-up party''s member¡­" To him, I was an adventurer. "Hey! There''s nothing for you down here, y''hear? Go away! Shoo! Run!"


    The human had a pal, and that pal shut him up. He said he didn''t know jack¡ªthe kid might be a big shot himself. After he told his friend to be quiet, he addressed me. "Where''re your party members¡­ or leader or something. Got separated?"


    These two spoke as if the orcs weren''t much of any concern to them. "It ain''t safe down here, y''know. If you ain''t gonna fight, you stay behind my back for what''s following, a''ight?" And just as if it were the natural thing to do, the two of them took me as their allies.


    As they passed, they stopped in front of me and sheltered me with their backs, letting the monster know¡ªno, letting the human boy know he would be safe behind them.

 Chapter 73 Playful Smiles

    I may have looked like a human, but I absolutely didn''t give off human-like vibes. So my Uncle was right about yet another piece of info he gave¡ªI could blend in a human crowd easily, but only when none of them is higher-level or sharp enough.


    If one couldn''t see through my naive, youthful form, one would miss the obvious fact that, at heart, the magical energy I gave off wasn''t human-like in any way. If I was to enter a human city, I''d need more protection than a mere human-like appearance. If these two humans didn''t see through me, that was only because they were ipetent. That was how I happened to be confused for their ally anyway. And so, for this round, orcs would be the opponents, it seemed to the two humans.


    The two orcs grinned, faced each other, and saw their thick red-tanned lips gradually arch up reaching to their ears. Why were they smirking like crazy? Because wolves did so when encountering their group of sheep.


    As being an orc would want it, the two creatures, with their bulging muscles and dark red skin, were noticeably bigger andrger. They really were. The difference between an orc and a human could bepared to that of a wild mountainpared to a docile stone. Well¡­ probably not, but you get the idea. They had broad and sculpted shoulders. In between these two sturdy anchors was to be found a barbaric, heavily-muscled chest.


    Well, the downside was that the red mountains were so wide and tall that they could hardly be fully covered by their fragile pieces of leather armor. Come to think of it, maybe these two orcs weren''t average among the orc folks, however. Though there were downsides to their gigantic bulks, the broad swords attached to their thick arms were more than enough to deter any foolish opponent who thought of taking them one-on-one.


    The humans, or rather the docile stones, wereparatively weaker. Knowing them, however, they knew to be more cunning and prepared. They had the luxury of being fully armored, for example. Also, their weapons and protections were leagues above that of the orcs. That''s how they had confidence in themselves.


    The sun beat down on us, sowing sweat and bulging veins on our foreheads. The two humans helped me: their protecting backs tightened their formation on me. One of them was still holding out a hand at me trying to make me back off a little more. This situation was ''dangerous'', he said. The ck-haired boy seemed to be epting the protection the two older brothers covered him with. Seeing that, one human nodded to hisrade.


    After one did so, the other followed. They were tense but confident¡ªas scrupulously as carefully, they deigned to proceed onward to the orcs. One hesitant, or rather, careful step after the other, they marched on, proudly disying their fighting formation. The experienced duo walked side by side, holding their swords out to the enemy.


    Surprisingly, the orcs, reacting to the two humans, didn''t change their pose one bit. Still half-facing each other, they grinned and silentlyughed together, eyeing the group of three. Were they ready that way? It seemed so.


    The air grew denser and thicker with animosity by the minute. "Heh," a human scoffed. "Do as you want, orcs." What the two humans failed to understand was that they weren''t fighting two wolves, but three. In a sense, maybe the two wolves understood that fact: maybe they saw I wasn''t part of the human team. Oblivious to the monster standing behind them, the two humans were ready tounch their attack at once.


    And me? <Knit Cobweb>. The ability to produce spider webs. I reckoned that, just like the other skills, there wasn''t much to say about this one. I could knit webs, and that was it. Or rather, produce some. Knitting was a more delicate process.


    inly producing some, however, was rougher. And anyway, this was yet another skill of mine¡­ which meant yet another facet of my strength to assess. Tied to my belt, I had my glittering sword. The same sword I earned from a battle against some Sir Pdin back in the woods day. As I chose it, it became my tool. So, quite naturally, my fingers on its hilt gripped it. Simultaneously, I produced webs in my hand. Tilting my head, I thought for a second and decided on a way to use the Knit Cobweb Active Skill. Nodding, I conjured up a fun way of using it.


    Whipping my short de out of its sheath, I assessed myself. Maybe there''ll be more possible applications to that skill depending on the context, but in battle, that''ll do, I thought. Seeing I unsheathed my de, the orcs grinned more and stepped back. Since I wasn''t these two humans'' ally, would they confuse me for their ally, too? If so, I''d have them know I was nothing but a wanderer on their battlefield, not allied to particrly anyone.


    Visualizing the System''s counter of thirty enemies, 0/30, for now, I went on the move. Five meters separated me from the humans. Stepping back, and digging my heels into the ground, I braced myself for an assault. My attack.


    Thanks to the [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7] Passive, I was a master with a sword. Gashing, stabbing, shing¡ªI could do them all¡ªand even throwing, apparently. Swinging my arm back, with a jerky movement, my hand went and threw my sword in front of me. Flying to one of the two humans, whose back was turned on the monster, my de pierced through his chest.


    Jeez, that was too bad. The two of them were intent on dealing with the orcs to the best of their ability, slowly sliding toward them, with lowered shoulders and shining swords, but, just now, one of them was cut through by a sword he had never seen. Dropping his weapon, a dull ng reverberated throughout the silent ground.


    Now dropping to his knees, his two shaky hands gripped the enormous thorn growing out of his chest. Not even breathing hisst, he passed away. And now, showing off my skill''s wonders, still standing a long five meters away behind the remaining human, I yanked my sword off his friend''s upper body. How did I pull that? Well, I had tied the hilt of my sword to my hand using webs. Assessing myself, Ipsed into thought for a brief moment:


    So the cobweb''s fabric is resistant, isn''t it? Also, it seems I can make the rope as long as I want. Yeah, that one''s a great skill. It''ll prove useful for sure.


    ? y the enemies thate your way ¡ª 1/30 ?


    Sliding off the man''s chest, my sword more or less came back to me, its wielder, after I gave it a strong pull. Pale yet raging, the man''srade turned to me, forgetting the two orcs he was once fighting, and yelled some nonsense about "whether" I realized "what the hellish fuck" I just pulled. He was so surprised, so I didn''t me him for raising his voice unfairly.


    And anyway, it wasn''t like he had so long to live left. I let him bark and spit words at me, and I gripped the rope of webs in my hand¡ªit was still tied to my sword¡ªswinging it from left to right. The sword went up, wildly dancing through the air, turned a full round, and shed at the other human''s head. That was a fun way to fight: it was basically like I had a six-meter-long sword¡ªor whip, rather¡ªthat I could swing from the longest distance at my enemy.


    Expecting another attack from the ck-haired boy, the adventurous knight shed his sword up and parried my flying sword. Waving my hand around, the oh-so-long sword made another full round in the air, and shed at the human again, this time on the legs. And so he fell, missing a leg. Catching back my sword, I jumped at him and ended it. ? ¡ª 2/30 ?


    "Geh heh heh¡­"


    "Heh heh¡­"


    yful smiles. Two orcsughed, seemingly having fun.


    Standing back up, I felt like a winner. Alive. Under my feet, the earth became shy and red. Climbing back up, my eyes were now set on the twoughing orcs. These two clearly weren''t just any orcs, I observed. To say the least, they were out of ce. Or at least, the bigger one of them was. Still hissing theirughter out, their chests went up and down with amusement.


    "And who¡­ do you think are the ''enemies'', though¡­?" Would they happen to know? Down this ce, my quest was basically to go about killing enemies. That''s what I just did, and what I''d be doing. Bringing my sword up, I pointed it at the two orcs, walking over the losers'' bodies. "''Enemies'' is kind of a broad term, isn''t it?" Aside from the assessment of my skills and capabilities, I also felt likepleting the quests, obviously.


    "Geh heh heh heh¡­ What''s¡­ dis shit¡­"


    "So you can talk? My old man said hardly a person can''t speak the human''s tongue nowadays¡­ though most folks aren''t exactly fluent in it." Waiting, they didn''t reply to me, so I went on. "You happen to be enemies?" Echoing theirughter, these two didn''t speak anymore. Maybe it was too tedious a task for them. Oh, or maybe they did speak: with their hardened warriors'' bodies rather than with their mouths, the two of them entered battle stances.

 Chapter 74 Proposal

    "You happen to be enemies?" Echoing theirughter, these two didn''t speak anymore. Maybe it was too tedious a task for them. Oh, or maybe they did speak: with their hardened warriors'' bodies rather than with their mouths, the two of them entered battle stances.


    That was their answer. And so, to my question about them being my enemies or not, I figured I could always find out myself. Showing off their broadswords, they faced me, and I acted the same as them, readying myself for battle. Calming their urging to be ominously chuckling, their faces became dead-serious.


    Lowering my knees and shoulders, I adjusted my center of gravity, ready to fight, too. These guys wouldn''t take me as an ally. They weren''t foolish enough to do so. The duo of their two broadswords pointed in my direction. A minute passed, and aside from sweat glistening down our clenched jaws, nothing moved. Nothing at all. Dangerously considering the five meters between us, we faced each other from a distance, gauging the enemy.


    When I stepped toward them, they stepped back. Were they cowardly, or taking my threat seriously? They were doing thetter. Being a threat felt good. They were within my range and I could burst out to them at any moment. I was being menacing.


    But the two broadswords, which red daggers at me, could probably keep me at bay. Five meters became four. The atmosphere was tense. It was true I could jump at the enemies whenever I wanted, piercing them with my sword, but the other way around could be true, too. I had better be cautious¡ªthat''s how I approached life. After all, Icked practical experience, and I was fully aware of it.


    I''ll fake out a blow, and lead one of them into attacking me¡­ but which one? Gulping, I took a quick and strong step forward¡ªthe orc to the left did the same. It was a big step he''d taken. Three meters of distance were changed to only one. His whole massive bulk stepped in at once. With a wild stomp, the earth beneath my feet trembled¡­ and right after that, the entire right part of his body was on the move.


    All of it was put forward¡ªhis right foot, right leg, nk, and shoulder¡­ and most importantly, his sculpted right arm and orcish longsword. I was only faking out an assault, right now, and so, my tiny feet quickly danced their way backward.


    The right orc wasn''t through with his attack yet. His shoulders and arm moved in a way I didn''t expect, and just like this, I was nearly cut into two. With a boisterous and dull shing sound, the tip of that broadsword failed to brush my neck by a hair''s breadth. It was a close call. My old man warned me about that¡ªI could call myself powerful, but I was still inexperienced.


    He phrased it that way: ''Would a one-year-old little runt, even being as strong could be, ever beat the tired old man I am? Indeed not! And I needn''t mention you haven''t even reached the tender age of one-year-old, son!'' Though it pained me to admit it, the old man was right.


    He also told me he needed to observe how much I was worth from up close. To ascertain my level and see how well I would fare in a fight. And all of this was sought for the same reason: we needed to know our team''s strengths more before we knew where to go and what to do with our lives.


    But anyway, the blow the ''little runt'' faked was no random maneuver from the inexperienced monster. Yeah, maybe it was a random attack. A feint would serve a purpose. Mine wouldn''t. It didn''t matter; I still had ''that'' skill to get a hold on. As I just evaded the huge deadly sword¡ªit didn''t gash through me¡ªmy swift footsteps brought me backward again, and promptly¡ªI tossed my sword away.


    A question mark shed above the left orc''s head. His thick brows pressed down on his eyes, and he cocked his big head. Eyeing me suspiciously, his dark lips broke into another grin. Laughing, he, too, tossed his broadsword away.


    Though I didn''t pause to think about why he had done that, it definitely made me wonder whether he was stupid or not. I could get where he wasing from¡ªhe wanted a fair fight, and so, seeing how I insolently tossed my sole weapon to the ground, the idea was that he, too, could beat me empty-handed. Balling his hands into fists, he held them out to me, mumbling "Bigg¡­er!" with difficulty.


    Shaking my head, I was tempted tough, too, when the orc then pushed his friend to the side, telling him not to mess up with his fight. Funnily enough, the bigger orc backed away. I liked these guys, they were having fun too.


    Though, too bad for the left orc I wasn''t going to y by his rules. Against a weakling elf, I could totally fight with fists only, but¡­ against the huge beast an orc was, I wouldn''t. Maybe. The old man told me to be cautious. Can''t make him worry.


    Dashing to the orc, I could more or less easily evade the punch he threw at me. Darting to either my right or left, his fists weren''t as fast as my slithering limbs. Like this, we yed together for a minute. Though I might have been faster than the thick red beast, I probably wasn''t stronger than him. I mean, I was stronger for sure, but the thing was magic wasn''t the end-all be-all of a fight.


    Against such a huge beast, I obviouslycked muscles. When fiverge curling fingers grabbed the top of my head, and a devastatingly wide punchnded square on my stomach, I understood my opponent''s strength. Well, at any rate, as I said, I was definitely stronger, I think.


    It was by no means difficult for me to get back up, charge at the demi-human, activate my <Intimidation> Active Skill, get him to momentarily drop his guard and be paralyzed, jump behind the red beast, and then again assess another of my abilities, <w>¡ªmy fingernails turned sharp and spiky as knives¡ªI made to stab the beast deep through the heart, and my hand dived in albeit with difficulty. The wild beast fell onward, and I followed down with him. The quest''s indicator went up to three kills out of thirty.


    Seated a distance from that spectacle, with his legs crossed and a hand on his hairy chin, the bigger orc suddenly felt like loudly pping his hands like a fool, like his brother hadn''t just died. I just won a little game, and before my hand felt too hot, I pulled it off the beast, got back up, and faced the other orc. He looked over at me, grinning, and gave me an awkward thumbs-up. Confused, I asked him what his deal was. With the same funny ent I could barely understand, he said I passed the test.


    "You¡­ passed da test!"


    "I did?"


    The result of my quick showdown with the in demi-human made two things clearer to me. The Intimidation skill I had was just as the old man had described. Pulling some bits of aura out, I emitted kill intent toward an enemy. The skill could have its uses. Also, that w skill, used in a real battle, wasn''t so useful, and I had better pick back my sword.


    The beast''s thick, darkish red lips formed into an O. He uttered a long Youuu having decided to speak his line again. "...Passed da test! When ah'' saw you¡­ You was a monster!" he said with grand gestures, illustrating the fact that I couldn''t fool him. I was no human, right, but did that justify his non-attacking me? cing a finger under his eye, he said something I didn''t understand in orcish, but he probably meant he saw ''it''.


    The old man told me my mana print, or something, was different than most people, as I was a drastically different creature. Maybe the demi-human could see a little of that? "We¡ªme and friend¡ªdecided to test you. Friend died, but what? You passed da test. ¡­Ah, true! Ah'' take you to Chieftain, now! Will recruit you! Demi-human need strong soldiers to fight human!"


    With a high chin and exposed neck, the orc was satisfied instead of scornful. I only grimaced at him the hard way. You might have confused my perplexed expression for one of disgust. Such a bizarre encounter on my first day out¡­?


    Was that a way to beautifully get started in life? My eyes turned to a slit, and the demi-human spoke again. "Really, it no probs! Friend die, friend live¡­ when youuu fight in da war¡­ it no probs! Uh¡­ Monster! Fight with us! Strong soldier!" Showing off the thick muscles and bulging veins of his upper arm, in a rather yful manner, the demi-human said I was as strong as him. "...You passed da test!"


    It was an eerie reaction from someone who''d just seen their friend die before them. When I yed that human''s friend, from a minute ago, the way he reacted was the right one. As soon as he had seen hispanion fall, even though we were in battle, it was like he had been shaken by the strongest of disasters.


    His pale face, the rage in his eyes, his quick breathing, his shaking limbs¡ªeverything he disyed was negative. Now, that orc, on the other hand, was he simply stepping down after seeing this, with no care in the world, apuding me and telling me I passed some test of his, along with other kinds of nonsense? Yeah he did.


    Cocking my head to the side, the eagerness he showed in loudly pping his hands at me, like I''d just performed the best of spectacles, was quite wasted on me. As a matter of fact, I didn''t know whether to cock my head and re daggers at him with "Huuuh?!" or simply sit my butt down on top of the dead demi-human''s back and ask him what he precisely meant by taking me to his chieftain.


    At a loss regarding what to do, I decided to inly ignore him. Jumping off my third kill''s body, I went to pick up the pdin''s shortsword I stole a while back. When I did away with the demi-human, the quest indicator went up to three, which meant the orcs could be considered enemies, too. As I did so, the bigger orc jumped up from his sitting position, too.


    He was rather nimble for such arge beast. Thinking I''d kill that orc, too, I held my sword to his throat, rather listlessly. I needed to get the quest done, so I didn''t think I should let the demi-human go. What was more, he was about to attack me beforehand¡­ In the same manner your trash had to be taken out, your enemy had to be dealt with.


    From there, the demi-human was the one looking over at me with the most confused expression ever. Jeez, was it his turn now? Just like I couldn''t understand where he wasing from, with his little speech about me being a strong soldier, and so a potential good asset to fight against the human''s threat, he must have been disturbed by my pointing a sword at him again, when he seemed to have forgotten all about our little conflict.


    I mean, what was wrong with me? Couldn''t I simply say ''Hey, yeah, look, I''m in, yo,'' and go forward with whatever the orc proposed?


    Pulling an amusing face, his grimace stretched all across his face. And so¡­ the demi-human chose not to act as rashly as the monster. When confused, he didn''t simply pick back his weapon to attack the enemy. Rather, he paused, nodded at me, grinned a little, and proposed the following: "Ah'' will repeat da brobozal¡ª"


    However, I wouldn''t hear him. There was no ''brobozal'' or proposal to be repeated or anything. Giving strength to my legs, both the old man and I already knew about that skill, Quick Pace, so I didn''t need to do any assessment of it, but I still used it.


    Closing the distance between me and the orc, I swung my de at him, but¡­ what followed quite shook me off-bnce. With no weapon, the orc parried my sword, and the maneuver was so graceful,ing from such a barbaric-looking creature, that it creeped me out for a second. And instantly after that, the demi-human pulled back, running away from me, saying he definitely would let the Warchief know. And man, he was a fast runner.

 Chapter 75 Green Hill

    That''s how I met a new friend of mine¡ªa stupid orc. I killed his friend, but the onlyint he had was ''War''s like this: some friends die, some friends don''t¡ªwhy does it matter?'' which wasn''t even aint.


    When he acted like this, as I wasn''t so confident mymonsense was developed enough for me to brand this new friend crazy or stupid, I was simply confused. As it happened, I would kill him too anyway, so I aimed my sword at him, but then he was the one who was confused. I jumped at him with my sword, but he brushed the weapon away as if it were a child''s y.


    Then, he ran away. He was so fast I probably couldn''t catch up to him using Quick Pace. Yeah, that definitely wasn''t just your regr orc, there, right? That, or I wasn''t as strong as I thought. At any rate, disappearing into the distance, the orc still moronically half-turned to me, waved a big hand andmunicated that the Warchief would be happy to have me on the team from then on. Inwardly asking the orc to go easy on me with a scoff, I shook my head and decided to forget about him.


    If an enemy ran, after all, though the oue wasn''t as good as a victory, I still kind of won. When the orc fully departed, the upper winds blew down past the path he took, rushing to my face and blowing my hair around. Gently squinting my eyes, I shivered into the wind for a second; when I opened my eyes, the System caught me with a notification.


    ? A new Voluntary Quest has been acquired. ?


    ? Voluntary Quest ¡ª the System said ¡ª ''You passed da test!'' ¡ª After I battled with two orcs, the System exined, I had passed some test they set up to acknowledge me or not. As for the reason why, well, it was because I was a monster. It wasmon sense then¡ªAll demi-humans, facing the evil humans'' threat, muste together as one team, otherwise there''s no defeating the human race.


    The same logic could be applied to the other races which were discriminated against by the human race. Well, what about monsters, then? A monster was no use since it was no more intelligent than a senseless animal¡ªbut what about ''the'' monster¡ªwhat about ''that'' kind of monster, eh?


    ? Voluntary Quest ¡ª The orcs may recognize the yer as an ally; will the yer, too? Follow your friend or not¡ªfate will reunite the yer and the orc. Either follow the demi-human or wait for him toe to greet you. A dagger will be offered to you¡ªa token of gratitude obtained from the demi-humans. What purpose will it serve? Let the yer discover it by proceeding forward with the quest. ? Leaving me a side note saying a voluntary quest was just how it was called, voluntary, it could as well be left untouched with no malus attributed to the yer''s growth. Did that mean not doing a mandatory quest would affect me negatively? Hmm. Okay.


    The Quest then told me I should either follow the demi-human back to his settlement¡ªwhich wasn''t an option anymore as instead of the usual ''0/1'' quest indicator, it read ''unavable''¡ªor wait for the orc toe to me. Well. That was that.


    Waving the System off, I got back to the matter at hand. What was the matter at hand already? "Where was I anyway? Yeah¡­ Kinda like it better with a sword rather than ws." I remembered I wouldn''t prioritize the ''w'' Skill if I had a sword, or any other fighting tool, tied to my belt.


    Giving my ws¡ªthat had now turned back to normal nails and fingers¡ªa look mimicking a grossed-out expression (I wasn''t grossed out but thought I should probably be in order to fit in), I sniffed the blood on my fingers. "Eww¡­ Gross! I''m a normal person, by the way!" Washing my fingers with dirt, I got the blood off trading it for the soil of the earth. And that was it.


    Around me were lying my prey. Not sparing them ast nce, I trod along my way, with my nce resting on the frontline of the battle, a mile or so away from up my elevated teau. The fighters had fought well, and they kept at it.


    Commending the people with a "Good job, guys," I observed the humans were winning. It must have been why people won''t attack me. That was quite sad. Also, maybe it was why the crazy orc ran off at once. Maybe he saw that and decided against staying back for too long¡ªit could be dangerous for him. Seeing how shy the earth was, today, I guess I understood the orc. Your own blood was precious, after all. You didn''t want it to be spilled.


    "...Anyway." I turned around, facing the other side of the horizon. I could take it easy and not focus too much on the battlefield. The only prey that was more or less near to me were humans. I now knew they''d most probably confuse me for one of their own if I kept my distance from their group. Crossing my arms and losing myself in the blue of the sky, I looked up and thought out loud.


    "The old man said I should get a better grasp on these skills. My skills. They''re a means for me to survive¡­ and win my every battle, I know. The old man''s right: I have to work on them better. ¡­Just take Mana Perception, for example, if I''m to master it for real, I can probably beat anyone even if I''m blind. That means I can peek at the sun however long I want¡­ and who cares if my irises burn or not. Well, the same could be applied to other skills, probably. If I''m efficient, I''m a boss. So I do need to try. That''s just another practical example, but that crazy orc, if I''d sensed he would go running before he did, well," I clenched my hand, "he wouldn''t be so funny right now. Probably."


    Behind my back, a forest wasid out. Running from East to West, parallel to the stretching battlefield, with its deep green and rustling leaves, it covered a wide part of the horizon. It was Benelloan''s Forest. The elves'' Forest.


    Their precious homnd, which was still pretty much at war, too. Squinting my eyes to the thinnest slit, I tried to find something in the sea of trees. A tree stood out and my eyes quickly darted to it. Scanning for some old man, I did find the old uncle rapidly enough. "Oh. Spot you, old man." There, high in the canopy of dancing branches, he rested on top of one thick branch that came out of the forest a little, curiously peeking out at the battlefield in my back.


    The old man didn''t move to another tree. From his position, he was watching me from a distance¡ªlike he had been the one to propose, I needed to be assessed, ording to him, and so he still assessed my abilities. I waved a hand at him. It did take a long time, but he waved back at me. "Still doing his assessment?"


    Skills. They proved useful, and they will continue to be so in the future. Without skills, well, I wasn''t so sure I could fight or not. I needed them to fight. And thus would arge quantity of skill lead me to victory¡­ and a good life. That''s what I figured. And so, that''s what I thought: To battle, skills are everything. If one is unfortunate enough tock powerful skills, then one would also be unfortunate enough and kindly lose in battle.


    And that was it. My inexperienced mind came up with that solution¡­ and I wasn''t half-wrong about it. That was to say I wasn''t totally right either. Though I didn''t know it, for now, there was much more to the Art of Battling. I won''t dive too deep into that for now, but that was how it was: I was so inexperienced I might as well have been clueless about it all. I still didn''t know about the broad science of Mana Control. I didn''t know anything about magic elementals, about weaponry and equipment, about runes, enchantment, alchemy, about fairies¡­ and so much more. All of which were other tools to victory. Due to my inexperience, even though I might have been oh-so-powerful and overpowered, I certainly couldn''t take on an army of a hundred goblins.


    For now, I didn''t know any of that. (Author''s note: The reader can ignore that and go to the next paragraph if they want. If it isn''t clear, even though I made our MC naturally overpowered, as he is still very young and inexperienced, he''ll first have to learn about Mana bit by bit before he truly bes a King and doesn''t let his overpowered powers and potential be wasted on himself. I like to make it clear so that you know, overall, what to expect. Even though he has the potential to, our MC won''t be totally OP right from the beginning and have the whole world crushed under his might. I should prefer it that way, otherwise there will be no growth to witness. At any rate, even in terms of raw power, though he is already a lot powerful as of now, our MC still has a long way to go. By all means, please let me know if this note disturbs your good reading experience.)


    But in any case, skills were everything I had, at the moment. So I just did as my old consultant asked and tested my skills. That was about the present situation. The old attendant sure proved useful as my partner. If I wasn''t even familiar with my abilities, what was the point of having them? I needed to get to know them, and myself, while I was at it, better. I''m someone who wants to live, after all. By now, the assessment might have been done. The old man must have been satisfied with that much.


    From the green hill, I waved frantically at the old man. Yelling "Old man!" to the top of my lungs, my voice carried to him. A calm and passive hand, in the image of his demeanor, waved back at me. And then, his free hand went back to stroking his thinly bearded chin. A cup of tea. He had none, at the moment. I didn''t feel bad for taking this old man out with me on a journey; he was very happy to follow.


    When he had no tea to drink, his right hand almost only fiddled with his thin gray beard. From such a distance, I couldn''t really see that with my eyes, but¡­ as I was sure he''d do that, I could faintly see him do so. From that long distance, I couldn''t really make great use of Mana Perception. On that tree, if I spotted him rather easily was thanks to hisrge, clear tunic of a wealthy merchant. The old man watched over myself from his distant tree, and I yelled some other words to him. "Yooou! Saaaw! Meeeee?!"

 Chapter 76 Orc Head

    From that long distance, I couldn''t really make great use of Mana Perception. On that tree, if I spotted him rather easily was thanks to hisrge, clear tunic of a wealthy merchant. The old man watched over me from his distant tree, and I yelled some other words to him. "Yooou! Saaaw! Meeeee?!" I made sure he could hear my words distinctively. Also, I asked him whether Cetha, my elven princess, was all right. All right as in showing any signs of healing.


    With the wind blowing past my ears, filling them with its thunderous and pping roar, going back and forth between me and the top of the little hill and the distant tree. I scratched my Character''s nose waiting for his reply. With the wind dishevelling my hair as urgently as it was, I trusted my words would be conveyed to the old attendant. Shall I shout again? No. Delivering my message, atst, the wind made aeback to me, hissing in my ears again, and making me frown my eyes. "Yooou! Shooowed! Meee! ¡­ Nothiiiiing!"


    "Oh?" My head gave a start. The winds did deliver my message safely to the old man, but they must have confused the message they just sent me with someone else''s. I showed the old man nothing? I did show plenty. Looking back at the prey, behind me¡ªthey were as lifeless as could be¡ªI cocked my head thinking maybe it wasn''t enough.


    After all, didn''t the System also say something along the lines of thirty enemies to deal with. Icked nine-tenths of it. Still, in doubt, I decided to make sure what he said was right. In the wind, I yelled my message. Before long, I received the old man''s letter, and it asked me to "Get back to it!"


    I did show him something, but if that wasn''t enough, I''d just get back to it, wouldn''t I? Who would shy away from a little fighting¡ªno, ying around? That wasn''t me. The old man was adamant and categorical. I needed to get back to it and show him more of my fighting abilities. Thinking his demands were on par with the quest''s instructions, I''d just get back to it, now.


    The old man watched over his grandson from afar ever since the senile man sent his poor child to the battlefield. As the grandson wouldn''t yet drop his sword ande back home, the grandpa also wouldn''t stop watching over him. Spinning on my heels, I turned back to face the battlefield, and¡ª


    "Hey, you, young mister¡­" A voice called to me and a hand was ced on my shoulder. "You collect the head or something? I mean, er, is it yours? You took the bastard down?"


    I was the neurotic type. When the man''s hand brushed my shoulder, I immediately took it off, turning to him the quickest I could. He surprised me. That was yet another practical example of myck of experience, by the way. Had I known to make proper use of Mana Perception, this wouldn''t have happened. Cursing at myself inwardly, I red daggers at the human male.


    "W-Woah, there¡­" he stuttered, backing away. "Chill out, dude. Just asking for the loot. The head. You collect the head or what? Already been five minutes, and I ain''t seen you make to harvest it. Th-That''s a pretty big orc,e to think of it. I''m sure the head''d be worth a silver or some more¡­ Man, it''d be cool if you could lemme have it."


    Of course, he wouldn''t be alone. They were a group of five. Five more to deal with. They were all humans. A man had ced his hand on my shoulder to catch my attention. And after I had reacted¡ªor rather, overreacted, ring fiery eyes at him with a quickened heartbeat and a tightened grip on my sword¡ªhe was being startled, too.


    "L-Look! I''m sorry!" he managed, stuttering again, doing away with his prior overly easygoing demeanor. Slightly hesitating, the young man bowed his head to me.


    Soon, some other guy stepped toward me,ughing rxedly. "Don''t mind the kid, please." That other guy briefly exined hisrade was just that, a person who liked contact, and apologized to me. Three males and two females. Looking over at them, scanning their forces and scoffing at theirck of strength (if they wanted to face me), they, too, looked at me, with analytical eyes.


    "No problem," I curtly said. By now, I hid my hostility toward the group. I only realized a second after they interacted with me that they confused me for one of their own. At first, I was intent on unleashing my sword again, call myself a butcher, and bring them all down at once.


    Seeing how the older guy bowed his head to me, too, now, I only scratched my head awkwardly, slightly embarrassed. cing one big palm on his junior''s head, he pushed it down as he brought down his whole upper body. Now, that was a bit of a stretch. Maybe that was simply to say my overreaction was way over the top, if they had to apologize so strongly.


    "Now, that''s a proper apology!" the man said, self-motivated and happy with himself. Or maybe he was just some weirdo who got a kick from apologizing to people he just met. As I didn''t want to admit I overreacted, I went for this exnation. It made the rest of the conversation easier for me.


    "I just don''t like being surprised¡­ Maybe. But¡­ anyway, I forgive you. If you want to be forgiven, that is¡­ But you¡­ As you said you were sorry, I guess that''s, er, my forgiveness for you, then. Right¡­?" Was I speaking properly? Was I not being suspicious? Would they find out I''m a monster right away, admonish my existence, and jump at me for a kill?


    These three questions, and many more, might have made me look like some kind of fool. Lest it only made me more foolish-looking, I didn''t focus on that. Hopefully, I wasn''t being too awkward. It wasn''t exactly my first time talking to humans, but well. Maybe it was, actually. I was directly being a monster, at the present moment, and I spoke to humans for the first time, without hiding behind a Receptacle or anything.


    And anyway, that was it. Humans hade to me. They wanted to do something with me, it seemed. We had some business together, from what I understood so far. And so I was called out. Not with a word, however. A hand called me and got my attention. Why was that? "Well, we tried talking to you, but you wouldn''t reply no matter what. Too distracted by what you were doing¡­ Talking to¡ªcough!¡ªto yourself, yeah¡­ Er¡­ Yelling by yourself to the sky or something¡­ But I don''t think you''re¡ªcough!¡ªweird or anything, y''know!"


    He definitely thought I was a freak. Grimacing, I acted as though I didn''t know what he was talking about.


    "You got the wrong person."


    "We did?"


    "You did."


    "We did."


    Which brings us to their apology. As I didn''t reply, the leader of their adventurer pack said they''d approach me. After the younger man came to me, instead of calling out "Adventurer!" to me again, he touched my shoulder to get my attention.


    These guys weren''t soldiers of the army. They were adventurers. I was so happy to see them this up close. Just to be perfectly sure, I asked the human group whether they were my enemies or not. And, "Enemies?" No, they weren''t.


    The man who seemed to be the leader thanked me again and said sorry for the trouble. All right, now, what was their business with me? The leader asked me if I would collect the head or not. What ''head'' was he even talking about?


    "The orc''s head, obviously. You took him down? Or¡­ you''re going after other people''s loot? Just like us, hm? I mean, we¡ªmy party isn''t that strong, so for our first day out on the battlefield, I thought I''d go easy on my juniors. Also¡­ I''m profusely sorry. I just hope the guys weren''t with you, kid¡­"


    For some reason, the leader apologized again, this time wearing a graver expression. It''s true there were also the two humans I yed. Well, no, they weren''t with me. "That''s a relief," the leader smiled, after telling me not to worry about retrieving their bodies on my own. As a side note, I didn''t know what to think about it, but it seemed people had gotten used to call me a ''kid''.


    The Guild Bureau¡ªthat was some organization some chubby adventurer, who was my hero, mentioned back in the woods¡ªwould take care of retrieving them for the deceased''s families and stuff. "But anyway. Let''s forget about that. Why collect the head, you ask? Well, aren''t you an adventurer, too?"

 Chapter 77 "Ill Collect Your Heads, Heh."

    "That''s a relief," the leader smiled, after telling me not to worry about retrieving their bodies on my own. The Guild Bureau¡ªthat was some organization some chubby adventurer, who was my hero, mentioned back in the woods¡ªwould take care of retrieving them for the deceased''s families and stuff. "But anyway. Let''s forget about that. Why collect the head, you ask? Well, aren''t you an adventurer, too?"


    "...Oh!" I jumped. No way. They found me out when I did nothing? After a second, I asserted they didn''t. And so, I was happy to ask the man whether I could be an adventurer, too, calling him a sir. Taking enthusiastic steps toward him, my eyes sparkled a thousand stars, and I insisted. "Say, can I be like you, too, sir? You think I could be an adventurer, too, sir?!"


    "Ah," the man replied, perplexed, and left it at that.


    After what I''d just heard, it was only natural I reacted that way, really. Were people not hyped about adventuring? I still had no paths to take in life, so I''d dly take that one. Besides, when I brought up the topic to my old advisor, he said he didn''t think it was half-bad.


    But the leader simply ignored me. "Let me finish first," he stepped back. Like a manual, then, I was happy to see he didn''t mind giving me a more or less detailed answer to a rted question: the question regarding the orc head. "You collect the heads in order to trade them for silver coins. Right? You do." Turning to his friend, he whispered some words. "I don''t think I understand the kid, though." But I ignored that. I was just really happy to hear about adventurers.


    On the battlefield, on the human side, there were thousands of people. However, these thousands could be divided into two categories. The soldiers, and the adventurers. The soldiers were all the same¡ªthey all had the same dress code. Going from top to bottom, they wore helmets, breasttes, gauntlets, and everything. That was about the overall of their category¡­ and that was it.


    A sentence could describe them all. Wasn''t that boring? Thankfully, that wasn''t like the adventurers at all, I''ll have you know. They werepletely different. It was like they were from different worlds. My old man taught me a lot about the world every day. It wasn''t like we were having sses together, with me as a student and him as a teacher, but he spoke a great deal of both useful and useless information, sometimes with no end. He was my advisor: I had him talk to me about the soldiers.


    There was very little to say. Aside from talking about the army¡ªthat was to say the corpus the soldiers formed¡ªyou could barely speak a word about a regr soldier. They had no character. Now, that wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. I just meant that soldiers weren''t as entertaining. Talking about adventurers, now, as opposed to the soldiers, you could tell them apart. In so many different ways. So, in a few words, I liked them. In a way, everything about them, to the most minute detail, said ''I am free to live,'' and I liked that.


    After a long moment of silence, the kid who liked contact turned to his leader and spoke the same words his leader did. "You''re telling me this like I''m understanding him, hehe." Maybe I was being too enthusiastic.


    Calming down, I also manage to calm down the awkward smiles put on the group''s faces. After I chased all the stars from my eyes and my urge to be jumping around happily, the kid they saw vanished at once. Taking on a stern expression, I formally apologized for being so childish and asked them about the orc head again.


    "So you wanna collect it, don''t you? Ah, well, but then you must already know, right?" I told him I indeed knew, but I wanted him to tell me anyway. If I said I didn''t know, I was afraid they''d aim their sword at me and basically be rude people. I insisted I wanted to have him tell me like I was a teacher interrogating a student. Would he have the right answer? If he didn''t¡ªno passing grades for him, I''m afraid.


    Though he was quite reluctant to exin the essentials of his business with the orc head, after I used a tiny fraction of my Intimidation skill on him, he became more docile and decided to exin at once. He even called me his boss, for some reason. What about the orc head anyway? I was eager for information.


    With this head or any other head, so long it was an enemy''s, as stated by the Guild Bureau, adventurers would be headed to the mentioned ce. Namely, to the Trading Facility that wasid out specifically for the asion. There were a lot of details at once. Speaking to me, the leader jabbed his finger at the rear behind his back. I understood the organization he mentioned, the Guild, was in charge of putting out quests for the adventurers. It wasn''t the cause for war, though.


    The war was between two countries. The Guild happened to be on the human side. Mostly, it was a human organization, so naturally, it epted all human races across the Outside World and rejected the lesser races; that was the demi-human races, demons, monsters, and the like.


    As war raged out, the State fought. The State, at war, was mostly the army and soldiers. And the Guild Bureau, as war raged out, like the independent organization usually do with, issued a quest to its own independent soldiers¡ªthe adventurers.


    That quest was about partaking in the war, helping the State and Royal Family, and being paid in exchange for kills. Put it simply, adventurers could be another term for mercenaries, somehow. The leader exined that we all, the people present here as he casually exined all the details with a war raging just next door, were here on the Guild''s orders.


    Which meant we were hunting for orcs, today, as the war was against the demi-human scum, he said. A party needed to collect the heads of the foes they hewed if they wanted to be paid by the Guild.


    And that was it. "But if we can''t collect the head, we''re leaving. Good day, boss." The adventurers turned their back to me. The first to do that was the leader. To have him speak so much detail about the situation of adventurers on the battlefield, I had to ask many questions. Answering them all, he never missed an asion to let his white teeth shine at me. I can see that he was only after the head, however. And so, the disappointed adventurer decided to leave. What was their deal anyway? Collect the heads that weren''t already harvested? Instead of fighting, they profited from some loophole or something and made their money in a way that suited weaklings best.


    So they''ll leave, now, I thought. Well, not so bad for my first time really talking to people. I''d say I pretty much nailed it. But jeez, what a shame. They leave me like this when I never said I''d collect the head. Did they just assume that? Wait, no, I might have said I would collect the orc head during our talk, I think. Aaah, well. Who cares about them?


    After a moment''s thought, I thought better of just letting them go unrewarded. As I felt grateful, I went and disassembled the orc head from the body. Seizing it by the hair, I swung it in the air and sent it the humans'' way. As it rained on them, the human who called me his boss cried out, initially terrified, but then thanked the sky for sending him this gift. Granting them their wish, my old man had also instructed me to ''get back to it.'' And so, flying toward the humans with a Quick Pace, my feet sted off of the green earth as my hand wasid on my sword.


    Fiercely and effectively, I bent my back forward and pushed on my legs. In a split second, the distance between me and the human group of prey vanished. Using the <Chain Attack> Active Skill¡ªthat was abo of dark shes I obtained from a certain swordsman at the restaurant¡ªmy body hissed through the air, like a snake of wind, and cut through every human of their party. The quest indicator went up to 4 enemies dealt with out of 30. With another sh, it went up to six. Yet another sh brought it up to eight. And it was over in an instant.


    Scoffing, I joked with them. "I''ll collect ''your'' heads, ha-ha!" But it was obviously just that¡ªa joke. That concluded our business together. Using Quick Pace again, I left them all behind and appeared closer to the frontline. It was to get back at it, now.

 Chapter 78 Sample Of Action

    Scoffing, I joked with them. "I''ll collect ''your'' heads." But it was obviously just that¡ªa joke. That concluded our business together. Using Quick Pace again, I left them all behind and appeared closer to the frontline. It was to get back at it, now. Kicking off the earth, I darted onward and would soon blend with the action.


    Where I priorly stood was on the edge of the battlefield. At the outer edge of it, there wasn''t much of any fight raging on. Naturally, the deeper you went through the battlefield, the more numerous the enemies were. So what about the frontline? Orcs and humans shing against one another, like waves of two different seas meeting at one same point. Forming long lines, some waves were bigger than the others.


    Mostly, the human team''s waves won over that of the orc team''s. And so, the frontline had been pushed farther away as it bit away at the orc''snd. It seemed to me they were losing, the orcs. The humans were painfully stronger. They were more numerous and their weaponry, whenpared to the orcs'' shabby fighting gear, was leagues above it.


    The frontline was pushed and pushed again, by the humans'' shing waves. It was like this at the beginning, but after ten long minutes of messing around with my own little friends on the battlefield, thend the humans upied grew evenrger.


    By the frontline, most of the fighting was taking ce. That''s where I was headed. For both thepletion of the quest and my old man''s instructions. Using my Quick Pace skill some more times, I got to the frontline rather swiftly.


    Oh so many times, I had used it. A lot of times. I really got used to moving around using that quick-paced skill movement, now that I think about it. I could always run, but thanks to the ck swordsman who killed me on my first day, I obtained such a skill. The two miles separating me and the action were cut short in less than five minutes. My head was tilted forward, and from what people called the rear, I followed along the battlefield, with the wind blowing past my hair, finally getting to my destination.


    Then, my breathing was ragged. At the time, I didn''t have any idea why. It was simple enough: my mana nearly ran out. Thankfully, I''d just arrived at the frontline, but I was still located on the edge of it. Forming a long line, there were two ends, and I happened to take a short break by one of these two ends.


    My hands fell on my knees as my shoulders heaved up and down. Steadily breathing, it was the first time in my life I needed to pause and do that, so I frowned a little, wondering why I was so out of breath. "The old man calls it an assessment¡­ huh," I spoke to myself, huffing. "Let''s rather¡­ Huf¡­ Call it funnying around." Deciding I''d keep my mouth shut and concentrate on catching my breath, I rested. Thankfully, the oh-so-numerous humans wouldn''t attack me, I think. Still, I must have looked like a fool, being so out of breath in the middle of the action.


    And this was the battlefield. Seen from this up close, man, that was something else. It had nothing to do with the regr little fights I usually saw. In a few words, the scale of it was so tremendously bigger. And so, getting a good hold of that scenery, my eyes quickly wandered around, being as round and shiny as silver tes.


    What initially tore my eyes away from my hands and knees, as I huffed less and less, was a 7 feet tall orc''s devastatingly earth-shaking shout. That shout seemed so over the top, in both the uproar it rose and the dramatically desperate sound of its voice, that my eyes couldn''t help but go up to heed therge creature''s terrifying wail. If I were to type it with letters, it''d be something like "OAAARRRGH!"


    Clenching both his fists¡ªhe had just lost his weapon¡ªhe rushed onward. Headed toward one group of three measly humans, driven by what I recognized was the eruption of the beast''s rage, he would now show brute strength. With an enormous shoulder brought up in front of himself, he busted the three humans all together, just like he was a giantying waste to barely-standing and meager buildings in his way.


    The three humans were demolished. No, they hadn''t seen thating. Yelling like the titan he was, he let the earth know exactly when to shake and when not to. Yes, it shook again, and three soldiers answered the tarnished earth''s plea.


    They were another group of three. With eerie-looking spears and little shields, they circled the beast at once. And now, they would yell, too. Three "Hah!" rang out, and the orc was stabbed on every side. Shouting onest time, therge demi-human was brought down easily enough. The life escaped from the beast, and he fell down.


    In my heart, I felt different, then. On my first day, when I''d been taught I was nothing more than a weak monster that couldn''t even fend for itself, I thought I''d been baptized already. But no. I mean, I was definitely changed back then, if I wasn''t already a monster, and was pretty much taught how to live alone¡­ but now¡­ That was it. War. Fight.


    The ce where people met with one another, to decide who would get to survive and who wouldn''t. The ce that bathed my ears and eyes in an utterly devastating waste of no suitable descriptions. That was war. And now, yet again, I felt something changing in me. That something told the monster, me, that the ce I saw was where I belonged. If I were to exin that to my old man, he''dugh at me with conflict of sorrow and amusement, and say that I was well too stuck-up with the way I understood life.


    Namely, that all I needed to ever ensure, in life, was to be strong enough to survive and not be wronged. To the old man, such a way of seeing life was all too sad. But to me, it was the fruit of the very first lesson I got to learn on my first day. It was a precious lesson. It kept me alive, and I wanted to live. The powerful ovees the weak¡ªthat was living in a sentence. And seeing all of the war, my resolve to attain superiority was firmer than ever.


    Whatever ''it'' was, it wasn''t over. It was the first time I saw such a hideous creature. A female orc. If a man ever married that, he was sure to aim at producing muscr children rather than beautiful ones. She was as ripped as the male version. And oh how ugly she was.


    That female orc¡­ in a sh of beauty, she was dead before the fight even started. In a sh of strength, however, jeez, she had something going for herself. Tightly seizing her long sword with both hands, she came swinging it around the four shielded soldiers, bringing all her enemies down, and she soon passed herself.


    That was the sample of action which was offered to me. I liked it. My two hands were ced on each of my knees; I was being passive, stowed to the side, as my chest still huffed, albeit ever-so-slightly. I had grown bored of it. Of just standing by. It wasn''t good enough. And who was I to stand by anyway?


    My hands parted with my knees, and I brought them in the air, holding them out around. I certainly didn''t know where it came from, butughter escaped me. It went "Ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha!" but, don''t worry, I didn''t look one bit like the hysterical and evil viin part, I promise. There was far too much noise around me for anyone to pay attention, not that I wanted any guy to witness my moment of folly anyway. At any rate, thatughter was more forced than natural. Maybe I wanted to tough it out, I don''t know.


    After I was throughughing, my expression grew listless, I paused for a second, and after my hand clenched my sword, I first greeted the people: "Here Ie." And in this setting of blood and de, I did join in. As usual, with my head tilted onward, I gave a push with my legs, and I was sted off.


    A handful of grass and dust went flying under the impact of my foot. With tempered senses rather than dull ones, my ever-moving eyes were ready. I was rxed all over, it seemed to me but focused. This was my entrance. With another Whoosh, some more grass flew under my feet, and in no time, I blended with the frontline''s yers.


    The stage was broad. I could do that just fine. Oh, and it sure went quickly. It was super sudden. I just entered the action, and I''d already bumped into an enemy. Gripping more fiercely onto the hilt of my sword, I unleashed it and shed at the enemy. The foe was only one orc who''d been unfortunate enough to cross paths with me right from the get-go.

 Chapter 79 Well Hidden

    The stage was broad. I could do that just fine. Oh, and it sure went quickly. It was super sudden. I just entered the action, and I''d already bumped into an enemy. Gripping more fiercely onto the hilt of my sword, I unleashed it and shed at the enemy. The foe was only one orc who''d been unfortunate enough to cross paths with me right from the get-go.


    And while being unfortunate wasn''t enough misfortune for himself, he also didn''t notice me at all. I was too tinypared to him, so I understood. Maybe I was too quick, too. Either way, I could afford to assault the demi-human before he noticed anything. Down on his right nk, I decided not to go too strong and only gashed two clean cuts. The cut was shallow, as expected, but the orc did lean to the side. Noticing me, he let out a grunt.


    And suddenly, I felt something behind me. A huge sword rushed toward me. From behind, the blow was aiming at my head. Although I still hadn''t gotten to know any of that yet, thanks to my high Sense statistics, I could more or less tell. Mana Perception also enabled me to feel the sword behind my back anyway, so I thanked my skill. Clenching my jaws together, I quickly bent downward. Thanks to that amateur''s move, I wasn''t chopped. Evading the orcish broadsword, I got closer to the orc I just wounded.


    Maybe I underestimated the blow I''d inflicted on the demi-human. He still leaned to the side, with a hand wrapped on his right nk, but now his massive bulk fell to one knee. To the two orcs, it seemed an habile human boy was attacking them. Now, another human joined the boy. Coming at the wounded orc on the other side, the soldier saw the enemy wasn''t well, so he wouldn''t let that chance slip.


    The demi-human became prey to the arriving soldier, and he intended to kill the beast. But the orc was mine. I had wounded him first, so I reasoned the demi-human was my prey. My shortsword frowned with me and danced closer to the orc, but I turned around the beast, evading yet another blow from the orc behind my back, and¡­ swinging a rapid sh at the human soldier, with a loud ng, the soldier''s breastte protected him and made my sword bounce off of the metallic structure.


    My thought process was the following: Ah, I thought, the weapon nearly slipped my hand. Let''s apply some of that Knit Cobweb skill and be sure my sword doesn''t escape me, hm.


    But how stupid was I? Was I attacking a human out of the blue? What about my cover? Well, it seemed the idea didn''te to my mind. I wasn''t especially annoyed at the human soldier either. I simply felt like cutting the man down. But well, my sword didn''t cut through metal. That was to be expected, but I still wanted to give it a try. A bit disappointed with myself, I couldn''t wound him.


    After I''d attacked him, the human''s expression, behind his helm, was more than puzzled. At first, I didn''t quite get why, but then I understood I shouldn''t have attacked the man. Hitting the armored soldier, though I didn''t kill him, I pushed him down. The soldier cursed the "fucking adventurers," and I forgot him. The wind blew on me and I turned to the orcs. Thinking ''Chain Attack'', the two demi-humans were to be dealt with.


    Without a second to let go to waste, I got back to it. There wasn''t more than a meter between us. That meant my shortsword could bite right through him. The prey was mine alone, and it was within my range. Using Chain Attack, I would deal three blows to the opponent.


    The first of these three resulted in a ng. It was more or less parried. With a continuous movement, my arm went from right to left, wiping off the wounded orc''s sword to the side. Another blow of the broadsword swung at me, but I parried it, this time. And so¡­ I felt happy. It was the first time I parried a sword head-on. Smiling, I nced up at the orcs'' faces¡­ but they weren''t so happy. They were really far from it, to be honest. What is wrong with them, I thought. Why are they only grimacing and scowling at me? God, some people don''t know how to have fun. Just smile already, guys!


    One of the orcs, the wounded one, was more panic-stricken than annoyed. The other one was different. The beast emitted some thick bloodlust at me, and I could feel it through my bones. It only sort of itched. It was nothing¡ªand I meant that: nothing¡ªfrom the freezing chill that ran down my spine when I first encountered the good ol'' old man I recruited, back in his little cozy house in the forest.


    Smiling higher and brighter, I decided to let some of my aura show through, too. To the orcs, the smiling boy instantly turned into a monster. Thick dark waves of mana steadily leaked out of me. By many leagues, I outdid the orc. And I couldn''t even afford to go all out. Well. Showing my white teeth, I grinned at my prey. Like a slithering snake, I attacked again. Drawing a quick line at the two orcs, I sent a sh of dark magical energy at them. It was clean and brief. The quest indicated 9 enemies, and then 10/30.


    I had dealt with the orcs¡ªnow was the human soldier''s turn. Again, I didn''t think things through, because if I did, I would have just run to somece else, forget about the soldier, and not lose my cover. Right now, I was too rash and excited to think anything through, however. I turned to the soldier, swung my sword at him, and easily stabbed through the armor, this time. Wrapping my sword with my mana definitely changed the effect of even the most regr blow. Thinking I should have my old man teach me about mana, I watched a man die.


    The quest indicator went up to eleven. No enemies remained around me. No enemies that directly attacked me, that is.


    Then, I was off again. For a minute, my eyes wandered around the battlefield, and I observed what was going down, taking in all within me.


    The same sort of fight I went through was taking ce somewhere around me. Three orcs fought six humans. The humans surrounded and circled around them, ying cautiously. And the orcs attacked as if aimlessly, ying desperately. My eyes didn''t stay put. On the left, I observed a female orc pinned to the ground. The beast was stabbed till she breathed herst. My wandering eyes wandered some more, and I noticed a cluster of human soldiers forming in front of me. They were gathering, it seemed to me. A dozen or so.


    Looking at me, they were abashed. A human boy''s face, in front of them, was tainted with blood and exhaustion. Maybe they wondered about the childish-looking boy, with his big observing eyes and listless expression, who didn''t move, on the battlefield.


    Their swords hung by their hips, and soon, the human soldiers looked menacing. I wasn''t nearly tall enough to have my sword swing by my side, too, as I stood up, so, my sword, inparison, didn''t look so menacing.


    Thinking that, maybe, if I had a dagger or some shorter sword, maybe I could have the luxury of letting my sword hang by my side, with its tip dangerously drawing random circles as it swung in the air. But I had no dagger. And so¡­ I snapped out of it and drew in a long breath. What was I thinking about that for?


    In all the ruckus of this ce, I realized the humans were still standing in front of me. For a minute, both they and I didn''t move. From behind their helmets, I couldn''t see them, but I sensed they were somewhat confused. Though confused they may have been, they still had to ready themselves for what had to go down, now.


    And so, I readied myself, too. My sword drew a line up, and I held it to them. As I did that, they mirrored me. Weapons were brought up; I paid full attention to them. Among countless others, a cry ranged out, behind my back¡ªa mixture of rage and sorrow¡ªbut I didn''t move my head to look. The group of soldiers didn''t pay attention either.


    For a moment, all of my surroundings seemed soundless¡ªthe humans started their rush toward the monster. A collision was about to ur, so I braced myself for impact, but before the wave of soldiers ran me over, they parted into two groups and ignored me, as they rushed past me, to the frontline. Of course, I thought, dejectedly. They didn''t rush to a monster. They rushed past a boy.


    And so, the boy''s arm and sword went down again. A drop of sweat trailed down my forehead, as gently as it could, rolling down my nose through which I breathed vigorously. Quickly, following the drop of sweat, the tip of my sword hit back the ground. I entered the same passive state I was in a minute ago. Standing, I looked up at the blue sky.


    My thoughts were headed home. I didn''t count them: many a group of other soldiers passed by me. Their armors chanted their metallic ngs. Most of them were soldiers, looking the exact same version of a soldier, ignoring some slight differences. Some of the fighters were adventurers, it seemed to me. And anyway, I was satisfied to have them all run past me and ignore me.


    The monster I am was well hidden here.

 Chapter 80 Gift

    Still at the heart of the battlefield, I peered over my shoulder and contemted the frontline behind my back. It was pushed further back. The humans really went at it¡ªwith each minute, a good handful of orcs fell. Humans were brought down, too, obviously, but the casualties were negligible. It was time to wrap the quest up.


    For a reason I ignored, I closed my eyes. My eyelids were shut tight. Then, slowly drawing a breath of air I wished wasn''t reeking of blood and iron, I breathed in and out repeatedly. Steadily, my sword was brought up, as it should during a battle. At once, I spun around my heels, opening and capturing the Outside World with my eyes again, and I started to run. Driven by a rtively steadfast, calm frenzy, I just did that¡ªrun to it.


    Messing around on the battlefield was over. I should y safely, and get the quest wrapped up at once. Only after that would I get back to my old uncle, and see what we do next. So it was decided: a human boy would fight with the human team. That boy was actually a monster, but nobody had to know that in the ruckus of this ce.


    Grinning, still running, I thought looking unlike the big old Robustorc (the sturdiest orc I wished I had been like, back in the woods, muscled and tough as heck) and looking more like a human was convenient. I could call myself a humanoid creature, thanks to the Character Creation quest, but man my Character was probably so humanoid-looking that I could directly call myself a human it''d be the same. Looking human-like was convenient, right now, so I appreciated my form.


    Before long, I prated the frontline again. There were twice as many humans as there were orcs, at first nce. For convenience''s sake, I''d team up with my first humans now and then. I yed methodically, dealing with the foes (that were only orcs) one by one, just seeing the ying as a chore of some sort. Instead of mindlessly rushing head-on at first, that''s what I should have gone about right from the get-go. The quest indicator read eleven enemies out of thirty.


    To my right, one orc knelt down, being thrown off-bnce, and met with the tip of my sword. That was eighteen enemies more to go. At this point, it was also totally clear: humans didn''t attack me, they really considered me their allies. I had been quite skeptical about that¡ªI mean, you can never be sure of anything, can you¡ªbut it was a proven fact by now.


    I decided not to be wary of them anymore, for now, and to y safely along them. The soldiers were already pretty organized, on the battlefield, so I found it quite difficult to manage to blend into one of their numerous groups and help them out with some demi-human. That''s why I focused on helping out the many adventurers of the spacious garden.


    ? ¡ª enemies dealt with: 14/30 ? "W-Whoa¡­ What''s that kid doing?" "Way to go, little champ!" "My, the boy has some nerve, stealing our orc!" "So long as we get the head, who gives a damn?"


    I liked them. As I had already said, they were beautiful figures. Free and independent. They seemed to have fun and to, if strong enough, live quite the good life. With sparkling eyes and great enthusiasm, I daydreamed about being an adventurer myself in between the orcs I yed.


    Thinking about it now, I realized maybe I could benefit from this war in yet another way. I had the quest toplete, my old advisor to follow, and then I could also do as some humans had told me earlier. Namely, snatch some orc head, whenever I could, and go to the Guild Bureau thingy people spoke of. There, I could deliver my head, proudly puff my chest out, and say "Ha ha ha! You humans make me an adventurer, now!"


    ? ¡ª enemies dealt with: 16/30 ? "Did the kid just lend us a hand?" "He stole from us, y''mean!" "Chill out. Hasn''t taken the loot, has he?" "You better not, kid!" "Y-You don''t mind that jerk, kid. Thanks, lil'' buddy."


    Going like this, I was lost in my thoughts and simultaneously helped bring the "filthy" demi-humans down. Time and time again, the indicator went up. I killed 19 so far. And I needed to be giving the death blow, otherwise I wouldn''t get the kill. That made sense, so I kept "stealing" from the adventurers. Some were upset, and some thanked me.


    Most of the time, whenever I was done with an orc, I flew away at once, with the Quick Pace skill. The few times I stayed behind with a party, my hands ced on my knees as I rested and charged up my mana a little, I replied to their thank-yous being very polite and saying it was my pleasure. My old man said you always had to be polite with people you weren''t familiar with. When I didn''t forget about this rule, I was then polite, just like at present.


    At some point, I was bored. The quest read 22 enemies dealt with. As I was bored, my organized and careful strategy in order to y it all safe and be sure not to die stupidly, well, it was to be called off. And, did you know? Amusingly enough, it was exactly when I did that that I was captured by the enemies. The demi-humans. Yes. About the why and the how I didn''t know yet.


    All I remembered was that one crazy orc I met right at the beginning of the battle. He was part of a certain duo who had thought they would "test" the monster. After the monster "passed da test!" I was issued a quest from the System. I either should follow the demi-human back to his settlement (that option read "Unavable ¡ª the demi-human has escaped") or wait for him toe and get me. Well, he did just that.


    At some point, without really intending or nning such a situation beforehand, I''d found myself a bit too deep in the frontline. The situation now was different from before. I was just a boy in action, to the exterior eye, but as the other yers had seen what I was capable of in a fight, they took me as a serious threat.


    That included both the humans and orcs. I wasn''t to be taken lightly or underestimated. And so, I was too advanced in the frontline. When I realized it, the orcs already started to focus their attack on me deliberately. I was inviting them to do so, after all. Being too bold brought about its consequences. Being well past the frontline, I was mostly surrounded by the thick and tall demi-humans whose nostrils puffed steam and eyes red at me.


    As I didn''t think I was weak¡ªI was far from being weak, really¡ªI might have refused to be so careless, but I didn''t retreat back either. That meant I''d have to deal with them all. Orcs came closer to me from every side and I evaded, trying to assault them when I saw openings. The realization was powerful: fighting all alone was way more tedious and bothersome. Aside from maybe pushing them, I couldn''t really outdo them this way.


    Sure, I could y them all quickly enough, but that wouldn''t solve anything, as an evenrger group woulde to me right afterward. What I needed to do was push them back, slowly retreat to the frontline where all the human soldiers were, do away with them all, and then escape. That was the n¡­ but then, seeing something was clearly wrong with the human army, I remembered some of my old man''s words.


    It was when I marveled at such a gigantic number of the soldiers, saying they would surely win thanks to that only¡ªraw power. The old uncle then told me I was wrong. In fact, if the humans would win, it was mostly thanks to what he said I, the unique monster,cked. He said it couldn''t be helped since I was only about a-week-old, but what Icked was what the human army had.


    Generalship. A n. A proper, methodical organization and tactic of attack. At the time, I only tilted my head, wondering what the old man meant, but now, seeing the human soldiers tactically retreat in spite of their overwhelming power, I might have understood a bit of what the old man meant.


    The frontline backed away with all the sea of soldiers, leaving behind me and them a good distance to walk. Crap. Well, I''d just go all out, now, and be happy to y all the orcs without giving a damn about anything beyond massacring them all¡ª


    Whack!


    It happened then. I must have dropped my guard, or that crazy orc from before was as fast as he had looked because I felt a sharp whishnd on my neck. Soon after, I realized I was trying to get away from the threat, but could barely move my feet around. My ears were ringing with a dull sound. Then, my eyes, if I didn''t use Mana Perception, saw everything in double.


    "This¡­ is gift! For the Warchief!"


    That was weird. Did I break my body? I was being thrown off-bnce, now, and everything was going so slowly. Slowly, I felt my consciousness slip away from my grasp. Don''t worry, I wasn''t about to lose the Consciousness passive, just about to faint. Mustering up thest remaining bits of my mind, I cursed.


    "Back away, brethren! Gift for Warchief! No enemy! Gift! ¡­Back!" When the crazy orc switched to the orc tongue, I couldn''t understand what he said anymore. At any rate, I now passed out.

 Chapter 81 Cold Water

    Then it was just that¡ªan unforeseen event. As such, it went on with a Ssh of water on my face. A cold bucket was emptied on me with a jerky movement. My ck hair was stered on my forehead and my face was dripping with water.


    Feeling the disagreeable, chilling sensation of the cold water on my body, my body came to with a quickened heartbeat. I was awake only then. And my mind was still blurry enough. After I was assaulted by the cold sensation of water on my head, shoulders, and chest, my eyes were shot open and I looked all around me frantically.


    The tiny bit of lucidity and panic that seized me, albeit only superficially, let me quickly know about my situation, and about the bucket of cold water that had been sshed on me. The water wasn''t so cold, but I guess, as my dizzy mind wasn''t expecting the freezing water, I felt the cold sensation in a more dramatic way. The heart pounding in my chest was fighting so hard that my breathing grew ragged instantly.


    I was irritated, mostly. And so, all in the same fashion, my eyes were now moving around the room I was in with irritation. As they shot open, I hastily began to scan my surroundings. My first function ever, back when I was about to be created, was to collect information. Today, too, it was what I''d do right away, then.


    On top of all the feelings rted to my being lost and probably in danger, there was one feeling that was stronger than the others. Yes. Irritation. Looking around, with knitted brows and red-up eyes, I felt oh-so-annoyed. I had many questions: What the hell was going on? Did someone or something want to have at me? Did someone think I was weak? Did someone really think they could take away my life from me? Again? To all these questions, some part of me answered "I''ll show ''em."


    Still, that answer wasn''t nearly enough to quell my irritation. If anything, the answer my mind produced only served to aggravate my mind further. Somehow, maybe irritation was key, here. So maybe I had better keep fueling it.


    Anyway, I had juste to. Aside from the panicked "Huff!" I let out on waking up, I didn''t say anything more. A handful of seconds after I came to, I then fully understood where I was, how I most likely came or was brought here, and why I was tossed cold water in the face. My eyes then rapaciously scanned every obstacle they could get their teeth onto. By doing this, the goal was obviously to deepen my understanding of my situation. What kind of ce was I in? What kind of people surrounded me? How does all of that situation involve me being here? Should it be simply about that quest the System issued, "You passed da test!"?


    I didn''t like this situation. Far from that, actually. It reminded me of my first day. The thick reddish hand that tossed the water at my face wasn''t the only object thrown at me. Observing and assessing eyes were there, too, as they wildly yet calmly danced around me. The observing eyes calmly rested under therge brows and dense eyelids.


    Many, many, a great many pairs of eyes were shot at me or rather thrown at me. And so, in the same fashion the cold water invited me to re daggers at the crazy demi-human who tossed it at me, the staring eyes quite irritated me too. And so, should I ask the misters? The hell was going on here?


    At first, the eyes danced about the room: they jumped from looking at me to eyeing theirrades, over and over again. Now, they stopped that. With a tacit agreement, they all decided to immediately call off the dancing, and instead stare at the monster thingy in front of their eyes.


    Some wondered whether the boy-looking thing could really be a gift to the Warchief, and some others didn''t dare ask the question, knowing perfectly well that if some guy doubted the value of this gift, they simply weren''t looking closely enough. Still, it wasn''t like they didn''t have questions of their own. "Where was such a monster first sighted, and can it really be an ally to the demi-human?" was most likely the most popr question among the spective minds.


    Like this, not letting go of me, every demi-human present wondered about the monster in some kind of way. Being as insistent as ever, they all seized me. I said it already, but I didn''t like that. What were those eyes even searching for? Why were they so staring?


    And, of all eyes, these unsettling and ugly ones ought to be the ones staring at me? Well, to answer another question, my initial question, I understood I shouldn''t focus on the eyes so much. It had been, what, maybe ten seconds since I came to my senses, and the eyes weren''t helping.


    On a chair, I was exposed for all to see, like some rare goods in an auction or something. From that ce, I made my observations and collected info. Around me, there were walls, but they could hardly be called walls. They weren''t especially run-down or anything, however, they simply weren''t as sturdy and established as real walls. The unknown structure didn''t have a ceiling, and the walls were simple sets of ropes and rods made into empty panels that were coated with beast skins and leathers. It was a crude-looking tent of some sort. With no ceiling, thankfully the sun reached me and my tunic. I was soaked with water, so I appreciated the sensation. The sun beat down on both me and the uncovered soil beneath my feet. Two words were fitting, then¡ªwild and untamed. The ce was not even and poorly established. The nted sticks and rods, meagerly propping up the walls, threatened to break down at any time.


    I mentioned I rested on a chair. Well, I was being trapped, I think. My chair was at least sturdy and of good quality. I could wriggle around and it didn''t shatter under my weight. My ankles were fastened to the forelegs, and my wrists to the chair arms. I could try and move, but I wouldn''t break free without strengthening myself with mana.


    Or well, I could simply undo my human form, slip away from the chair, and grow back into a human after I''m through the jail. Wondering about the quest the System gave me, saying I passed the demi-humans'' test, I knew to stay calm for now and not break free. I didn''t think I was in danger, and besides, as an adventurer-wannabe, I had to pause and appreciate this kind of adventure.


    I was still dripping and soaked in water. "Achoo!"


    "OH¡­! Oh, oh, oh!"


    Everything was good: the crazy orc who knocked me out seemed crazy as ever, so it was fine. As I sneezed and wrinkled my nose, he jumped all around me with a chant of Oh oh oh, looking quite like a monkey. He had just emptied a bucket on me, but then he still slid the bucket above my head, and slowly flipped it over. A cold trail of water rained on me again and I clicked my tongue. Redoing his Oh oh oh jumping dance and stuff, I ignored the crazy orc and turned my attention to the third element of this setting. I spoke about the poor settlement, then myself, and now the other folks around.


    Mostly, those were orcs. I could make out two groups. My group, the group of the prisoners, and the other group of the sturdy-looking beasts. The staring veil of eyes was the orcs'' thing. What did they want? I passed the test, but then what?


    "Achoo!" I sneezed again.


    "Oh! ¡­Oh! Yoh!" Amused, the orc, who, unlike the other demi-humans, stood right next to me, redid the gesture of slowly bringing the bucket of water above my head and flipping it over. This time, there was barely any water left. The orc who held the bucket was a familiar orc. He was the one who earned me my ticket to this ce.


    Even though they seemed to all look the same¡ªthat orc, and some others, stood out, somehow. Was it their aura? I didn''t know. Aura or not, I could also distinguish him from the others with the heavy bluish tattoo that went from the top of his skull down to his eye, imitating a wide scar.


    With the same big tattooed face and bald head, the demi-human brought his face closer to me, as I was kept seated on my chair. He bent his long and thick body over, like a growing tree bowing down, and stuck his face right next to mine, as he stared at me from the closest station with his enormous blinking eyes.


    With a nk expression, I turned my face to meet his eyes. His face seemed bemused by something. A certain sense of nausea invaded me, but I wouldn''t lose the staring contest. The creature was hideous. It was hard to stare at it from this up close, but I held it fine.

 Chapter 82 Warchief

    Two biggest eyes peering straight into mine, our faces were unnaturally close to each other, but neither of us drew his face away, ending the awkward battle of stares. For a minute, we stared at each other.


    Damn, if the orc had been a prettydy, I wouldn''t be so annoyed, but¡­ Thankfully, a change urred on his face. The orc''s thick red-tanned lips arched up in a crazy grin, leaving his eyes half-closed by his chunky cheeks. I did try to mimic his ridiculously impressive smile, but I wouldn''t be able to replicate it. In any case, the orc''s face was brought up even closer to me¡ªI was grossed out through and through¡ªand his lips undid their funny smile. "Oh!" the orc said. "Oh! You finally wake, little monster!"


    My goodness. That was a clown. I decided to stay silent and see where we would go. "Oh? Oh¡­ I tell Warchief!" Honestly, I didn''t expect him to speak at all. "I tell Warchief. No, told! I told Warchief!" he began saying, waving his arms around and pulling back. Pointing at someone further away from us, he spoke again.


    "We¡­ Orcs can use you! Gift to the Warchief! Oh! Little monster!" With his broken human tongue (that was the most prevalentnguage used throughout the Outside World, so virtually everyone spoke it, although some better than others), he kept telling me then that they could use me. He said he had told his chief, and that they could use me. I had to guess what he meant, but it was clear enough he meant for me to fight with them.


    As an ally. As someone who was also discriminated against by the unfair humans. All we needed, ording to the orc, was amon enemy and we would be best friends. "I see what you do to the¡­ do to the vile Hooman! The orc frantically brought his arms up, adding emphasis to the word "human," as he spoke, paused for a second or two, then continued. "You help orcs¡ªwe, us! We kill vile hooman! You ally," he made a round with his arms. "No foe," he then made a cross with his arms. "Little monster! What you say? Oh! Not okay or¡­ okay?


    Ugh. Okay. Not okay. What difference does it make? That was pretty straightforward, and the demi-human confirmed what I guessed a minute earlier. They wanted to recruit me as a soldier. And so, I also inwardly nodded with my decision earlier: I didn''t need to wreak havoc here. My philosophy in life was to live and to attain that end, I had decided to bring down any kind of threat to my existence.


    These guys weren''t a threat, so I wasn''t so annoyed anymore. I know I shouldn''t have just dropped my guard then and there, beamed into a smile, and thought nothing of their capturing me here since these guys didn''t ostensibly seem to want to make my life end, but at the time, with my naive and inexperienced mind, I didn''t know better.


    Should I massacre ''em all right now? That''s what I initially thought. Now was different. As far as I was concerned, if these people didn''t want to kill me, maybe they wanted to make friends with me. With that kind of white-or-ck thinking, I decided I''d love to make friends with them, too.


    Unfortunately, however, I was afraid I couldn''t take them up on their offer. After all, I already had a family to go back to. Cetha was a former elven princess, and she said she agreed to be the monster''s home¡ªthat meant a lot to me.


    She was the first person who genuinely knew everything about me¡ªas she had said herself, we kind of had shared a soul for a week, after all¡ªand still epted me. I felt bad about it, but I didn''t want to spend so much time with them. Joining their army and bing their soldier wouldn''t be over in just a day, you see. What was more, I had some project of being an adventurer and going monster-hunting with the humans'' Guild, so I couldn''t simply join their side.


    Confused by my inner feelings, I couldn''t right away answer either yes or no to the demi-human''s proposal. But still, in a way, maybe I just had to help them out with what was needing help, and both parties would be fine with that.


    The orcs wanted me to do something for them, I think, probably. And this little "helping" was about me fighting for them a little. What a golden asion, then. Weren''t there humans around, in the corner of the crude tent? Maybe I could just borrow a sword from the orcs and help them out a little.


    The demi-humans needed help. The crazy orc let it be clear¡ªthey could use me and do away with the vile humans'' threat. He was still standing to my right, and since he was the one who brought me to the Warchief person, he was the one who spoke directly to me, making sure to introduce me properly to the onlookers.


    His big lips chatted a great deal, and the chief had been introduced to me, too. Rather, he was only being pointed at. In front of my eyes to see, there were about thirty or so orcs. They were numerous, a huge lot, even, when all stowed in the tight tent of ours. The ce was brimming with orcs. It felt stifling. In a few words, their presence was to be felt, and rightly so.


    A few orcs of the onlooker group stood out, like the one standing to my right, and the one who stood out the most was their king. It wasn''t actually their king, but that''s how it felt to me at the moment. I never saw a king, but maybe that self-important-looking orc, who looked way more refined and "humanoid," let''s say, than hispatriots, was a king. The fact was that the orc was simply a general among many of the orc army, but I didn''t know that yet.


    The crazy orc''s long finger wasn''t pointed at any orc. The finger showed me the chief. The chief was the one who stood out the most. Both his aura, the essence of himself, and his outward appearance were different. The reddish dark skin he wore was the same as the others, but his bulk wasn''t as barbaric-like as the others. It was like the superior orc was disguised. Rather than an orc, the man was an ogre.


    That was the race above the orc in terms of ranking. And so, it reminded me of two concepts of the world: Evolution and Nobility. The chief in front of me looked more refined and less beast-like because he was more evolved, most likely. That''s how he overall looked more humanoid to me. ording to the world, he was more of a noble. I, who looked perfectly human-like, must have been higher up the hierarchy than him.


    Firmly seated on one ugly throne, decorated with broken pieces of bones and the like, the ogre repeatedly jabbed a finger on the armchair. He was giving me a somewhat distrustful, eager, and keen look. His outfit was simr to his friends'', but just like his appearance, it was more beautified and adorned. Even sitting the way he was, on his hideous throne, with his tattered rags and bits of armor, the ogre possessed a certain sense of grace and nobility.


    When our eyes met, the ogre felt strong. Though he was one-eyed, the pressure he emitted from his eye was as fiery as two. Such was the chief.


    Analytically, I assessed I could stab my fangs into his throat with no problem anytime I wanted. As he might have felt that, his overall aura grew more tense and chilly. The ogre wasn''t one to shy away from a stronger foe.


    The humans, lined up a little distance from me, were tied up, too. My eyes settled on them. The group of prisoners wasn''t exactly tied up like I was¡ªthey were ced on their knees, eyes folded, their hands were behind their back, making them ufortably lean onward, and their legs were fastened as one beneath their rears.


    My eyes didn''t linger long on them. They were simply the "vile humans" this whole situation was about. The powerful humans. Armored, richer, and technologically advanced. Even the strong humans, in their situation, there wasn''t much they could do aside from staying here, perfectly quiet, either trembling or fearlessly dignified, like docile and subdued animals. Hm. Was I supposed to be counted from among their number?


    There were a dozen of them. Was I a prisoner, too? The fat crazy orc had called me a little monster. It''s obvious they know I''m not with these humans. So what''s my share in our affair? To help and serve the crazy orc''s chief, did I just need to ughter the humans they called evil?

 Chapter 83 "Panic"?

    I quite frankly seemed to have been conceited about the situation, at the time. I genuinely thought the orcs simply wanted to befriend the monster, and that it was okay for me to just take their trash (the human prisoners) out before I was done here. What I said, then, was only "Sure, I can do that¡ª" But onerge palm was suddenly set on top of my head. Struggling, I grunted and tried to get it off of me.


    Should I call off the human form? I decided against it, I didn''t want to make a bad first impression on the potential new friends I was getting myself. The tattooed orc on my right did this: holding me still, he produced another bucket of water, lifted it up, and poured it on top of my head. The damn orc. What kind of annoying monkey he was. Before I couldin, the Warchief gestured with his chin to me and spoke for about a minute. After he did speak, the crazy orc didn''t look so crazy anymore, became disciplined, and answered his ruler''s queries.


    After what seemed like a shared conversation with a few of the orcs, they seemed to have decided on something. To my surprise, the crazy orc then produced an orcish, curved dagger from his belt, and hurried it at me. Before I could say "Wait, no, we''re supposed to be friends!" swiftly, the crazy orc cut my ties and set me free.


    As I had guessed, the crazy orc, the one who served as a bridge between me and the orc army, solemnly spoke to me words I didn''tprehend. I was still on my chair, and for once, seeing the crazy orc stopped messing around, I strongly nodded at him. Really, even though I understood at least a little of the situation going down, I felt as if I then knew nothing.


    The orc spoke to me words I had no clue about, so who knew what he told me, but I still nodded as if to say I''d go along with what he instructed. Well, I probably shouldn''t have done that, but the sudden seriousness in the beast''s eyes prompted me to act solemn, too.


    Undoing my human form, I turned into a body of moving water, assumed a somewhat human-like shape, and silently got up on my chair. Once I was up, I called for my Character again and turned into the normal-looking ck-haired human boy. In this dull, silent setting, with many orcs looking over me with the slightest pang of hope in their eyes, thinking they had recruited a powerful soldier.


    When I transformed, the crazy orc stepped away from the shapeless monster. When I turned back human-like, his widened eyes scanned me all over. Scoffing, the crazy orc turned to his chief again, and spoke words I didn''t understand. I couldn''t guess what he precisely said, but he sure seemed satisfied with himself. The chief replied to him with the same satisfaction, letting out a deep, gratifying sigh.


    As I had guessed, I was tasked with something right away. To kill the humans. Surprisingly, however, the task didn''te directly from the crazy orc. It neither came from the warchief or any other demi-human, for that matter. The one who spoke was the System. Giving out a metallic ring only I heard, I understood the "You passed da test!" Voluntary Quest had proceeded to new instructions without my knowing it while I was passed out and brought to this tent.


    Some instructions were nowpleted. 1/1. I had indeed attended to the "Warchief and his subordinates'' council," and eloquently spoke my way into bing the orcs'' friend. I didn''t remember the part about me eloquently speaking my case to the orcs, but well. The new instructions came about right away, and I needed to prove my loyalty to the orc cause, apparently.


    Being in total sync with the System, the crazy orc held out to me a certain orcish dagger from his belt, ced arge palm on top of my head, and told me "Oh! Little monster! Ah'' know you not disappoint when ah'' first see you kill da human out!" The orc seemed happy enough, and the Quest Instructions were about me epting the "Quest Object ¡ª Dagger of Alliance," which I did.


    After I epted the dagger, I was still on top of my chair, but standing up. Thanks to the chair, I wasn''t so littlepared to the tall demi-humans, so I felt like I could talk to them as an equal. I still had to prove my loyalty, and thinking I''d just do that I was going to speak a few words about it, but the Warchief interrupted me.


    ? The ogre spoke to the crazy orc. After a minute or so of the back and forth between them, and other orcs sometimes spoke, adding to their conversation, the crazy orc turned to me, and spoke with intensity. He basically told me not to worry, that the human hostages didn''t have any value, and that the proud people the orcs were wouldn''t resort to using the prisoners as a ransom in exchange for either money or safety.


    Not understanding what he talked about, I asked him what he meant, and although it was difficult, I managed to understand the contents of his speech. I guess if I had been your regr person, I would have understood without so much as an exnation, but it took me long enough to be taught that the prisoners of war to my left could be used as hostages, meaning they had a value if they so long as they were alive.


    So the quick exchange between the orcs, a minute ago, was about deciding whether proving my friendship (they called it loyalty) to the orcs would involve the human prisoners, right? But then, even I understood that just any prisoner didn''t have any value as a hostage, you see. So what was the humans'' deal? Was there some big shot from among them? I decided not to ask, but sure enough, even though I didn''t know it at the time, a prince was among the prisoners. And the thing was, even the orcs didn''t know about that fact.


    A direct descendent of the king from the Kingdom of Roerden. That wasn''t just any guy. A young prince. Such a character, if captured as a hostage, could certainly raise mountains of gold and silver in exchange for his sole life. But neither the orcs nor I knew about a prince''s presence here. It would only be after a few months or so that I woulde to learn about that fact, just after I ughtered all the royalty of a Kingdom in one bloody night. But well, that was a story for another time.


    Jumping off my seat, I had a little conversation with the crazy orc. He told me his name, but I could hardly pronounce it, so I told him I''d quickly forget it. Asking about my name, I realized I didn''t have any.


    And so weughed together, thinking we might as well stay nameless for now.


    The crazy orc guffawed with two hands on his hips, and I mimicked him, doing the exact same pose andughing. Soon after, we spoke about what was useful. "To¡­ Ladafar," the orc said, nodding. He briefly spoke of Ladafar.


    What was Ladafar, however, I asked him? It was one of thest standing demi-humans'' settlements in the country. From there, he said, we would counter attack, forming an alliance with all the other demi-human-folks, who were being repressed by the mighty, vile humans, we would form an army, and take back what was rightfully ours, the crazy orc said.


    Quite honestly, again, I didn''t really understand what he spoke about, but this time, I didn''t ask questions. What was funny was that the orc basically was saying that soon enough, I''d go with them as the orc army would retreat to the stronghold of Ladafar, and there we would be together as a team. I, on the other hand, didn''t n any of that. I wanted to get going, aplish the voluntary quest "You passed da test" and return to my old man.


    Maybe thenguage barrier was to me for that, or maybe it was because both I and the orc were crazy fools at heart. Either way, we continued to speak, and this time, the topic shifted to the proving-my-loyalty matter. I told him I understood what I had to do and that I should get down to it at once before the Warchief and the other orcs grew too impatient.


    Briefly, I mentioned the kind ma''am from the Sville vige, educating the orc, as she had educated me. My lesson to the orc was that everything had a price, in life, and so, if the orcs'' friendship had a price, I''d dly pay for it as I paid for my food. Again, thenguage barrier probably prevented the orc from grasping the essence of what I said, but he strongly nodded to my every word¡ªup till some voice yelled out in the rather silent room.


    "DO NOT PANIC, MY BRAVE ADVENTURER!" the voice shouted.

 Chapter 84 One More To Go

    Briefly, I mentioned the kind ma''am from the Sville vige, educating the orc, as she had educated me. The lesson was that everything had a price, in life, and so, if the orcs'' friendship had a price, I''d dly pay for it as I paid for my food. Again, thenguage barrier probably prevented the orc from grasping the essence of what I said, but he strongly nodded to my every word¡ªup till some voice yelled out in the rather silent room.


    "DO NOT PANIC, MY BRAVE ADVENTURER!" the voice shouted. As it startled me, my eyes promptly darted to my left. A human from among the prisoners felt like giving us a speech. All the orcs were surprised, too, but their eyes were more filled with fiery hatred. "The war is won by us, humans! Do not panic!" The voice spoke quickly.


    One of the priorly timid prisoners grew bold and called out to me, it seemed. From their point of view, I was yet another hostage captured by the orcs, and I was pressured to do something against my will. Rapping out all the contents of his speech fairly quickly, the youngd, who was the prince I didn''t know of, continued: "Therefore, fear not! They won''t dare execute you¡ªor us! I-I speak quickly because, as you must have noticed, they d-d-don''t speak our tongue fluently, so they can''t understand me¡­! You must be an adventurer! I don''t know who you are for them to¡­ Ah! But fear not! Fear not! We have to¡ªHagh!"


    The prince was kicked squarely in the stomach by the crazy orc. But what was that anyway? By the end of the young man''s speech, he only intensely groaned as he was choked by the heavy kicks squarely hitting his chest. He''d be breaking ribs in that process. Grunting again, despite his being beaten to a pulp, the young man still tried to speak.


    The crazy orc, who most likely didn''t understand one bit of his speech, was right to have shut the man up and kept at it. Well, whatever idea the young human had tried to get across didn''t really concern me¡­ though I''ll have to admit I was a little curious. "''We have to''¡­?" I mumbled, echoing the boy''s words. The boy spoke, the chief beckoned to his soldier, and the crazy orc went on the move. Now, what? Wasn''t that human for me to kill?


    After the boy had taken a proper beating, as I expected, the humans wouldn''t stop at that. They weren''t the kind to. Right next to the boy, there was a knight. Not a soldier, a knight. He, as his young boy was taking his beating, was only clenching his jaws till his teeth cracked.


    Whatever feelings were involved here, he was the next to speak up. "My¡ª Prin¡ª Argh!" Stuttering his first words, he missed calling the boy a "prince" in front of the orcs. They were keeping the boy''s identity a secret, and there was no asking why. Headbutting the crazy orc''s tanned leg, the knight spoke to me, carrying on his prince''s will. "Damn you, orcs! They¡ª Young adventurer! Ugh!" the knight was kicked right away, but he had enough strength, plus the willpower that came along with it, to speak more or less steadily. With an orc''s shadow over himself, the knight, in between many grunts of pain, spoke and spoke again.


    He basically told me that they had a n. That I mustn''t speak any of what I knew. I didn''t really know anything that could endanger the human kingdom, and I doubted the first adventurer you picked would either, but well. He told me they had a n anyway, that they knew what they were doing, and enjoined me never to give the enemy crucial warfare information ever.


    After the knight, the prince had recovered enough to speak again. He was a bloody mess, but he managed to pull his weight. He told me they sure had a n, they insisted on that part, and that his sister would end the war for sure. "The heroes," he said, "from the ''other side'' will alsoe to defeat the enemy!"


    The "heroes," huh? A month woulde before I met with them. So, even though at the time I didn''t know it, the "heroes" he spoke of wouldn''t be arriving at the scene anytime soon. The night before, sure, but they wouldn''te yet to fight in the war. Not today, not tomorrow, and not the day after tomorrow. Well.


    After the 5th prince of Roerden had gotten his message across, he finally was lying on the floor, painfully breathing and coughing blood and most likely unconscious. All this spectacle I observed with my mouth shut. Didn''t the humans understand their own tongue? The orc had called me a "monster." Or did they think it was just an insult thrust at an innocent young boy''s face? That didn''t matter, the crazy orc handled his job finely. Now, the speech hade to an end, I spoke to the crazy orc and told him I''d take the trash out if that was what was required from my orc friends.


    It went on quickly. The crazy orc stepped away, happy to have me massacre the "vile" humans.  The human soldiers were already quite defeated, so there wasn''t much of a match for me to fight, unfortunately. I didn''t know whether I was a fan of such a one-handed battle (it wasn''t so fun to either watch or partake in), but as it was my mission, I epted the chore.


    Well, they were weak anyway. The weaker yers have to lose, that''s the rule. And those who lose, well, they don''t have to smile about it, but they must be gone. Walking up to them, Iined there wasn''t enough.


    The quest indicator read 22/30 enemies dealt with. There were only seven enemies here. As Iined out loud about their thin number, the Warchief spoke up in his calm, chilly voice. He spoke the human tongue to me and said I could always kill more afterward. When he said that, my eyes shot wide open, then I turned to him and said yes. I asked him if he knew about the quest, as he said that, but no reply came from him. "Never mind."


    When he said I could always kill more, that there was plenty enough soldier enemies, though I didn''t know it, the Warchief already envisioned my joining his army and fighting under him. After the ogre stood up, he called off the meeting. Some orcs left, and some stayed.


    With the new monster they "recruited" being the topic of their conversation, they chatted, and my guess was that the tattooed orc was both thanked and congratted. Why, because he obviously recruited the powerful soldier who would certainly y a grand role in the oppressed demi-humans'' victory.


    And the butcher stepped into the ughterhouse. My arms were crossed in front of my audience; I uncrossed them. I didn''t mention the humans'' silent plea to me, their fellow human (some of them cursed me as a traitor), but they did whisper lots and lots of words to me, telling me all sorts of things.


    After I kicked the knight away from his prince and nted the borrowed orcish dagger in the unconscious prince, the boy was briefly seized by anguish, his whole face tensed up, but he quickly went away. After I did away with the soldier to the other side of the prince, the knight called me a "wicked creature." He shouted it so loudly with all the rage you could imagine. I sighed.


    Orcs and humans, they kept calling the other side wicked, vile, bad, vicious, and so forth, but in the end, wasn''t it all about power and solely power? Wasn''t the thing they called "power" about the only thing responsible for all the wickedness spread around the Outside World? I mean, I wouldn''t dive into such a philosophical debate with the knight, but I at least mentioned it to him, insisting that he mustn''t utter such words. After all, everyone was potentially powerful.


    So, if we all stayed ignorant motherless bastards like the knight, I told him, depending on the context and circumstances, everyone can, should, and will be called wicked, in the end. And then, the word unfortunately lost all its meaning. In the present context, both the orcs and humans could brand the other party "evil" and be stupid about it. Fortunately or not, I didn''t like unthinking people.


    "Who am I to say that, however!" Iughed to the knight. Just then, I remembered I was probably a dummy, too.


    The warchief and his crazy orc observed me from a distance, chatting with the human prisoner. Grinning at them, I pointed to the raging knight and stuck my tongue out, my two eyes being x. "This one''s already dead," the gesture meant. Braindead, yes. I stood up and killed him as he kept repeating "Curse this life!" After I was done with all the prisoners, the quest read 29 enemies dealt with out of 30. I just needed one more.

 Chapter 85 A "Team"

    He and I spoke well. I stood up and killed the knight as he kept repeating "Curse this life!" After I was done here, the quest read 29 enemies dealt with out of 30. I just needed one more


    Turning my heels on the bloodbath, I faced the orcs. With light steps, I walked up to them, holding out the orcish dagger to the crazy orc. His thick fingers were ced on my hand, but he didn''t take the weapon back. Instead, his fingers were wrapped around mine, as if with brotherly affection, and slid back the dagger to my chest.


    His tanned red lips said it was my gift. I said thanks. After I asked to have my other weapons back, the warchief motioned to a nearby orc, and he went on his way to get the weapons. If I was setting out, I needed my weapon, and that''s what I nned on doing. As they most likely understood that I had to go away (they didn''t), some orc was sent to get them to me.


    As I tilted my head back and peered up at the blue sky and clouds, I was addressed by the crazy orc. "You¡­ go t'' Ladafar, little monster. After, after. Yes. You go wiz me. Last stronghold o'' da orcs an'' demi-hooman. After. Youe. Oh¡­ Learn da," the orc spoke words I didn''t understand, before he tranted to me, "da orc tongue. Learn. After. To Ladafar."


    Was Ladafar a good city, town, or whatever it served as to the people? I asked the question. The orc didn''t seem to understand my question. He was right. I really needed to learn his tongue if I wanted to be chatting with him. "Where to, where to¡­? To¡­ Ladafar? Hm. Hooman Gray Castle. Oh¡­ Learn da orc tongue. Important. Proud tongue. No hooman."


    "All right, sure," I said absent-mindedly, peering up at the blue sky, my arms crossed upon my chest.


    "Fight hooman! Jus'' like da fight," he said, pointing at the bloodbath. "Little monster, we¡­ we¡­ we¡­" What was he, some sort of broken record? After he couldn''t find the words to express himself, he tapped my shoulder, got my attention, and produced an illustration with his hands. Taking all five fingers of one hand, he crossed them with all five fingers of his other hand. Like this, his hands were joined together, and they held strong when he tried to take them apart. "We¡­ We¡­ Ah¡­ We¡­"


    "We stick together, right?"


    "Right!"


    "We''re a team."


    "A dim!"


    We had a littleugh, and the orc who went to fetch my weapon came back into the tent. After I received my good old shiny sword again, I then spoke to the old man. Yes, the old man. My old advisor. It had been five minutes since he was hiding around. My old man. The same old guy who sent his grandson to war. Didn''t the old guy promise me he would be watching from afar, protecting his beloved grandson no matter what?


    Yeah he did, and he kept his promise. Not that I needed him to, he had indeed watched over my security from a long distance ever since I showed up on the battlefield, so naturally, when I was captured by the orc soldier, the old uncle saw it. And so, what would such a senile man who was crazily loving his abducted grandson do? The grumpy old uncle got furious, tapped his foot on the ground, and cursed the orcs.


    And now, there he was. Around. He was so well-hidden even I, about five minutes ago, when I first picked his presence up thanks to Mana Perception, couldn''t pin down his location to a precise point. Naturally, thanks to whatever trick the skillful old man used, the orcs wouldn''t smell his presence, not even the slightest bit of it. And now, the grumpy old man who hadined about his aching bones was ready to serve me as he promised.


    With full lungs, I cried out. "Hold it only a little longer, old man! Don''t attack!" And that was it. Why not attack right this instant? Because there was one thing I still wanted to do. Learn the orc tongue. Why was that? Well, the System asked me to.


    Being out here on the battlefield, I was going about two quests simultaneously. One of them was about fighting on the battlefield. I still had one enemy to deal with before I could proceed with the next instructions of the mission. As for the second quest, the "voluntary quest," after I proved my loyalty to the orcs, I was now tasked with two next steps before Ipleted the quest.


    First thing was that I needed to ept the crazy orc''s dagger as his token of gratitude. The quest said the dagger would surelye in handyter down the road because it was a special dagger to the crazy orc¡ªit was so special it could be proof to the orcs that I was their friend. In the future, the System repeated in the quest''s text, the dagger would be useful. So I epted it and the System read 1/1 dagger epted. Now, the second thing to do was a little more tricky. I mentioned it, but I needed to learn the orc tongue.


    As of now, I spoke two tongues. Elvish and Human. How did Ie to learn said tongues? Well, I took over people who spoke said tongues. And so, that''s why¡­


    After I motioned to the crazy orc to approach me, he bent his back and brought his huge bulk to my height, giving me an ear. The orc gave me his ear, but I wasn''t about to tell him a secret or anything so meek and full of affection. Quite the contrary. He gave me his ear, but I took his throat. With a rapid hand, I wrapped my fingers around his throat and brought him more down.


    Choking, and with shock, the orc fell to his knees. Both terror and surprise were carved on his somberplexion. With a thud, every orc around noticed me as I clearly assaulted their brother.


    My aura shot out from my body, plunging the little tent in dense, dark waves of mana twirling around me. Aaah, but that wouldn''t do¡ªI shouldn''t break the orc''s throat before I did what I needed to do.


    The crazy orc''s eyes were oh-so-widely open. With all his limbs, he tried to get off my grip, but there was nothing he could do. I mean, he certainly did have the strength to fly off my grip, but I was too quick to proceed with the next step.


    Promptly undoing my Character and human form, I climbed into the demi-human''s skin. The next second, the crazy orc was my Receptacle, and, standing up, though I coughed some blood, I waved to the other demi-humans to step back. Man, I felt strong. And it was right¡ªas the crazy orc wasn''t just any guy, he must have been at least level 35, I could be using him as a Receptacle just fine.


    Or well, maybe not "just fine," but his body wasn''t instantly overloaded with my overflowing mana from within. Still, before I got down to it and got to learn, in detail, the science of magical energy, how to properly regte it and whatnot, any Receptacle still could barely support my overwhelming raw power.


    With a husk, deep voice, I told the group of orcs I was all right, using a perfectly fluent orc tongue. "I''m all right," I, the crazy orc, said. "You guys... step back." What kind of wild shit, if you''ll excuse me, was going down, however? I mean, that question was the orcs'' question.


    Not mine. I knew what was going on. But damn, to the orcs, what was it that just happened in a split second? At once, the monster they recruited transformed back into the shapeless form it had, a devastatingly dreadful aura was cast on the whole tent, stealing every proud orc of their pride, making most of the low-level orcs scared senseless, and then¡­ did the monster disappear? Wasn''t the monster rather sucked in... the sturdy orc?


    My words were hardly believable after what had just happened within a split second. I mean,e on. "What''re ye saying?! Can''t ye see the bastard¡­ do what he did. Ah, damn it. Ain''t it disappeared, too?!" I replied saying "it" had indeed disappeared.


    The orc soldiers still didn''t believe me. A handful of them approached me, the warchief was with them, one of them, some sort of shaman, made to assess the damage I had taken, but I brushed him off. "Away from me, you orcs¡ªI mean, my brothers. It''ll¡ª It''lle back, the monster."


    With a husky voice, one of the orc yelled that the monster had bettere back, implying he would teach him not to mess with them.


    "Orcs show ''im cooperation¡­ an'' that''s what the monster pulls? I knew it, I knew it! Chief! Told you we can''t trust them monsters¡­! Ain''t they s''posed t'' be braindead in the first ce, eh?! A monster ain''t no good, I told you¡­!"


    "Look ye. We all knew that was risky¡­ Shut ye trap, it was worth the risk¡ª"


    "Shut ye trap, y''say, damn it?!"


    Going like this, the handful of bulky orcs, with growling voices and strong arms, continued to quarrel. Listening in on their conversation, for about two minutes, I asserted it was good enough. I didn''t really know whether I had learned the orc tongue so easily, but I spoke with and heard them.

 Chapter 86 AR Display

    It was too bad learning a tongue didn''t work like learning a skill. I''d just have to wait until the System said I was through learning such and such people''s tongue, saying it''s a passive skill, and that would be a done deal. Unfortunately, it wasn''t as easy, but I''d saypared to the conventional way of learning a tongue, that was literally a cheat.


    At any rate, that''s how I learned anguage. And spending an additional three minutes both listening and speaking with the orcs, I asserted I wasfortable enough with speaking their tongue. Oh, and just when I thought that the quest "You passed da test!" was apparentlypleted.


    As I saw the quest bepleted, reading the System''s notifications and whatnot, a strong hand grabbed on my cor. "Enough!" And a grand voice instantly ruled over the tense atmosphere of this ce. The warchief spoke up, and everyone fell silent. The orcs turned to him and realized they were offending the superior orc¡ªthe ogre.


    As they respected rough power above all else, the silence witnessed the demi-human bowing their heads to the stronger leader. Somehow, maybe the demi-humans also bowed to me. The warchief and I were right next to each other¡ªthe humanoid-looking ogre brought me down to his height and red a thousand fires at me. "You. Brother. You''re different. Tell me. What happened?"


    The warchief had messed up. Trying to recruit a powerful asset, though he knew it was a fool''s errand to take such a huge risk¡ªno matter how much of a simpleton the monster did look, it was still risky to bring him to their side so rashly as they didn''t know anything about the monster yet¡ªhe still ventured to try. Now, he failed. The warchief was insulted. Meeting his fiery eyes and scowl, I scoffed in a voice that didn''t belong to me. "Heh heh¡­ So you can see me¡ª"


    "You!" His grip on my cor strengthened as his bones cracked.


    "There''s no denying it. That "Dwelling" skill is waaay too wed if I''m not ying carefully¡ª"


    "You¡­!" His fiery eyes threatened to burn my whole existence away.


    "Well, what can I say?" A strong, sharp hand was plunged into my ribs. Man, it was a rash move, just now. Even with a monster inside, the crazy orc was still alive, y''know, I thought. The crazy orc coughed more blood, but he grinned. "I''ll just have to have the old fart teach me a thing or two about mana¡­ Cough!" Even though it was just a Receptacle, I still felt the pain.


    As I pushed the warchief away, my voice, the dull, deep growling voice of the orc, hollered the loudest titan-like roar it could muster, and I gave the go-ahead to the grumpy old man.


    The old man was a knowledgeable warrior of the brains¡­ and sure enough, with strong magic power, that meant he also had lots of potential with a sword. So what did the old warrior do? He blew the whole ce away in less than a split second. Did he have that much strength? This couldn''t be, right? It was so strong. I''d have to ask him.


    With the grumpy gramps finally unleashing his pent-up resentment against the orcs, who had assaulted his poor grandchild out on the battlefield, "that" took ce. Yes, that. I''d not even know how to call it, but if I had to, I''d go for "the inevitable." It was simply a st of light.


    The meager walls copsed to the ground. The poor empty ceiling brought down on our heads. And all the orcs, all my friends, didn''t have a second or so to see it all go down. In a blink, the quest indicator saw a terrible increase in my kills.


    I knew I gave the old man the go-ahead, but my blood was chilled frozen. The bulky crazy orc I dwelled in had to shrink to the tiniest. Getting down, I covered my head with my limbs and waited. With "Mana Perception," I took a peek at it. Following my whole soul, the time itself was second to be frozen in ce. And then, it was a de, a sword, a sh. It wasn''tparable to anything I''d seen before. The de of light sliced neatly through the air, bringing every orc down in two distinct pieces.


    I sure was d to have instinctively shrank. If not, I might have also been sliced through the chest. The only two orcs who weren''t shed this way were me and the warchief. Did he survive this? Surely, he didn''t. Since he was tinier in stature, unlike the other orcs, he was perfectly beheaded.


    When all the bloody red orcs fell lifelessly to the ground, like fall''s reddish leaves, the foundations of the crude-looking tent fell down with a p of its many sheets of leather and hide, too.


    Around me and the orcs, the walls more or less formed a square, crawling to the soil of the earth, refusing to separate me and my old man (he''d just jumped to me from outside the square) from the rest of the world, where dozens and dozens of orcs were starting to be put together.


    Like curtains, they were brought down, and on the stage, a massacre of both human prisoners and orcs alike was presented to the arriving audience. The orcs who had noticed themotion steadily grew bigger in numbers. Both the old man and I ignored them¡ª


    "Didn''t this old man warn you, my grandson! I taught you carefulness, didn''t I?" An old, upset voice rang out to my ears. Following it, the grumpy old man appeared in front of me as quickly as lightning.


    "Now, you''ve gone and be an orc! My grandchild has be an orc!" Obviously angry for reasons I ignored, the old man arrived at the scene,ining that, now that I''d be an orc, how would he ever brag to people saying "I''ve got a wonderful grandson home, too, did you know!" and show them pictures of both me and him, happily having a grandpa-grandson moment together, when I looked like such a barbaric and big creature.


    That was rude. Now, he said, his friends would rather not believe he had a grandson, and rather think, rightfully so, that the old gramps had turned crazy so much he wanted a little son. "W-What''s more, young man, they captured you! We agreed to do that together! Adventuring! What if you get captured to your own death again and I lose my partner, oh, hm?!"


    Slowly climbing up, the crazy orc stood on his sturdy legs and feet, and sure enough, the old man looked so measlypared to his "grandchild." Well, I felt sorry for the old man. When I looked at him with a meek smile of embarrassment, waving my arms around yfully and saying "What, ashamed of your only grandson''s appearance, old man? You''ll break my heart," he first stepped away from me, but after he thought to himself for a second, he stepped back toward me, jumped at me, and hugged me tightly.


    He cried out and said his grandson even spoke orcish, now. Whoops. I did speak the orc tongue without paying attention, but how did the old man understand? Don''t tell me he spoke theirnguage, too. Anyway, man, what was wrong with my uncle, now, hugging me so tightly? After our little moment of messing around, the old man pulled back and grew serious again.


    He looked me over and nodded to himself. I coughed a mouthful of blood and ced a hand on my upper abdomen with a pained expression. I''d been stabbed in the ribs right at that point. Too bad the crazy orc would be going down, too. I mean, I could have always let him live after I was through learning the orc tongue. Well. No matter.


    Before the old man told me he''d been worried¡ªa lot worried¡ªI asked him how it went. "Assessed me enough? Was it all really necessary anyway? Old man?" And after a moment''s thoughts, the old man solemnly gave me a simple curt answer. It had been enough. I asked him again why he had me doing all this in the first ce¡ªwas it really all about assessment to see where we could go in life? But the old man didn''t reply, and as so many orcs were clustering around us, I decided not to press the interrogation.


    Incidentally, the only thing that prevented the orc army from attacking the old man and me was that I was an orc, right now. As far as appearances were concerned, at the very least. Still, it was enough to keep them at bay. Somements and calls were tossed at me in orcish, but I didn''t answer them.


    Instead, I briefly exined to the old man the state of things. In the past, it was only a day ago, he had insisted I told him everything about me and my unusual powers. He already knew about the System, after all. He''d called it ancient magic or something along those lines. As he was my advisor, he told me his usefulness lied in the fact he was a walking library, so he insisted I give him reports of the power inhabiting me.


    The System. Exchanging nces with the orcs outside and holding a hand to them, thirty seconds were enough¡ªI briefly told him about the two quests I pursued. One he already knew about and I had justpleted. For some reason, as I probably gave the order for him to attack, thest remaining enemy I needed to y was in fact killed.


    And so, I got the next instructions for the main quest. The short story was, after I killed so many enemies on the battlefield, I was tasked with capturing one of the enemy warlords'' heads, and heading to the humans'' side with my cover (the System had arbitrarily put me in the same team as them), and for now head to the Guild Bureau, where I''d most likely trade the warlord orc head.


    What was a warlord? Well, I had one sleeping right beside me. The old man served me his head. Time was running out and the other orcs were dangerouslying closer to us. ying the king, though I really felt like a king, staring down at my subject from above, I told the old man a simple word. "Retreat." It felt great being so tall. I would tell himter about the second voluntary quest Ipleted.


    With this word, the old man vanished. That left me all alone. Atst, the overload of the Receptacle''s mana core, the System notified, was too intense. I didn''t hold my aura in any longer, and the crazy orc, whom I used as a Receptacle, promptly burned in white mes before I exited him.


    The burning process was really that fast, and the white mes already did away with the dead crazy orc. At this point, the orcs had all decided to roar as one and rush toward the suspicious individual, who had supposedly just made vanish an old human (an enemy) and made one orc brother crumble in white mes.


    Before I kicked off the ground and went away, some manifestation of the System I never witnessed before was shown to me. As I quickly crouched to pick both the warlord head and the orcish dagger I was offered, some blue AR disy¡ªthe same usual panel of blue light usually giving me the System''s notifications and whatnot¡ªpopped up next to both objects.


    The two objects were respectivelybeled "Warlord Orc Corpse: Orc Head" and "Seal: Orcish Dagger." Shaking my head at yet another strange aspect of the System, I ignored the additional information I was given about each Quest Object (the Seal: Orcish Dagger was said to be a precious gift of thanks offered to me as proof I was an ally of the Ladafar Orc Tribe, and the Orc Head was said to be a necessary item for thepletion of a certain uing quest) and sprinted out of the battlefield at a tremendous pace.

 Chapter 87 Soldier-Wall

    Darting to either my left or right, I avoided the tents that came my way. To the rear. That was my destination. More precisely, I was headed to some ce they called the Guild Bureau. It wasn''t the headquarters of the human guild of adventurers, but it was some other office they had, situated at the outpost of the battle against an orc country.


    Said branch office of the Guild Bureau was established not on the battlefield, but further behind it in the human settlement. That was the broad ce I first saw from up my hill before I mingled with the action. I had observed tents, mostly, and many other quick-built facilities that could serve any purpose at the rear. And so, on the Quest''s instructions, that''s where I was headed.


    Running, avoiding many orcs, and jumping, I wasn''t so out of breath, but running so fast was demanding, especially with Quick Pace. The skill cost me lots of MPs, but well, I didn''t think about that for now. The device the System called "guiding fragrance" proved useful at times like this. Using it, all I had to do was try and "smell" my way up to the goal the System ascribed to me. Thanks to it, I knew for sure the direction I took was the right one.


    One of the orcs'' tents went down in a surprise attack. An old man and some monster had taken it down. Word had been out: So and so Warchief of the So and so n of the Red-skinned Orcs was out recruiting a powerful asset the orc could need. To the orc army, whatever the Chief''s n was, they didn''t need to heed it. They weren''t concerned about it.


    For now, all they had to do was fight and keep at it. The orc army reallycked organization. That''s how when the tent went down with the old man''s attack, and dozens of orcs were found lifeless in it, along with, eerily enough, a good handful of humans, too, the orcs didn''t know much about the situation happening.


    When some red-skinned orc and an unidentified old human male were found in the midst of that shattered tent, at first, the orcs were at loss regarding what to do and how to act. But when some strange, and also unidentified, monster leaked out of the red-skinned orc''s body, who also happened to, incidentally, and for unknown reasons, be engulfed in a sea of bright, white mes, the unorganized bits of the scattered orc army instantly knew what to do.


    Some trumpet was blown. It had been blown before, with the loudest reverberations, to inform all orc soldiers that the time was to strategically retreat (the humans had done the same, that''s how I got this deep into the frontlines in the first ce), and now it was blown too. The loud blowing sound didn''t indicate to the unorganized army to retreat. This one blow cried "Enemy sighted in the camp!" or something along those lines.


    All at once, from the chaos they gave, the orcs sprung into order and began the manhunt.


    That was beautiful and all, but, even when I was farther behind in the orc camp, with only five or so minutes, I jumped up thest wall of orcs blocking my way out. And that was it¡ªthe Outside World again. After another minute of dashing forward using Quick Pace, again and again, the orcs were a thing of the past.


    And the scenery I was seeing, at present, conveyed just that message. The orc army was of the past. The war they upheld against the humans was mostly a defensive one. They waged war, sure, but that was simply thest desperate cry at wishing to live they had to take and go forward with.


    On the battlefield, it was clear. The humans may have been way more numerous than the orcs ining to the battlefield, but they weren''t bigger in numbers of casualties at all. The human army was far from that. Sure, they suffered casualties, just like the orcs, but the number was probably ridiculous inparison. The orcs definitely lost.


    Death was what equalized people, but running through the field at a very high speed, I wasn''t so motionless like the fallen warriors of the battle of Greenfield¡ªI was alive. It was "game over" for all of them, but I was still a winner. Scattered down the grand, grassy field, as far as my eye could see from left to right, people had fallen, and raptors kinds of birds flew up and down the earth.


    The second battle for Ladafar was settled, for now. Before the orc army could thoroughly be chased away from this grassy field, and retreat further back to their houses, both teams of humans and orcs would rest up a little. As for why the humans strategically rested, it was to win a greater victory against the vile demi-humans'' threat. And about the demi-humans'' reason for momentarily pulling the troops back, as the orc team simply was here to fight a defensive war, they would likely go keep it at that¡ªdefense.


    That''s how, for the present moment, war wasn''t raging through thend. I still ran across the now timid and meek battlefield, not even waving bye-bye at the orcs still desperately running after me behind my back. I hurried myself, pierced through the air, and worked my way up to the human team in the distance.


    From a very faraway distance (which diminished by the minute), I could observe the men. As I got nearer and nearer to the human team, with all their soldiers and men assembling in the horizon, forming an ever-stretching long line, I wondered about what could be the strategy behind their retreat and whatnot, having no clue about warfare and how to wage war, I mostly had my eyes on the formation all the metallic men were adopting.


    And¡­ oh! What was that in the sky? A long, reddish-smoking me flew up in the air. It had been shot from down the ground. Shot or sted off from behind the soldiers'' line. Going up with a crackling, smoky cry, it jumped higher and higher in the blue sky, before it lost itself and vanished in a trail of red smoke. That was intriguing. I certainly wished for another of these fireballs to fly up the sky, performing the same wondrous dance in front of me, but it didn''t. Incidentally, that flying fireball, though I ignored it, was a signal from the fighting human force.


    A green fireball shot in the sky authorized the adventurers and mercenaries to partake in the fight, while a reddish one prohibited them to. The people had their own littlenguage I was oblivious of, so seeing the red of the mes didn''t worry me in the least, thinking I might get into some legal troubles soon enough. Well, even if I did get into any legal problem, at some point¡ªit''s all good, man.


    Kicking off the earth with "Quick Pace," I thought I''d hurry along to discover where the smoke signal came from. Those reddish smokes, the ever-stretching lining up of the soldiers, obviously getting ready for yet another organized assault against the losing team, and the delivering, to whatever institution, of the warlord orc head dangling by my side were my three goals.


    Thest time I overdid it, with the Quick Pace active skill, I ended up so worn-out and exhausted, leaving me breathless and more or less inefficient for a little while. My feet dancing their way to the human team still, I didn''t overuse the skill this time.


    Well, and the horizon of a minute ago wasn''t the horizon of the present moment. I had gotten to the horizon when another horizon sprang up behind it. Basically, I proceeded onward, sometimes jumping over whatever dead body I found under my feet. The very long rows of soldiers were atst close enough. And then, another flying red fireball was sted off from behind the clustering soldiers.


    Now that I had gotten closer, my running steps slowed down, and I trotted down the field. Soon, my trotting would be walking. All the same, proceeding onward, I analyzed the humans'' formation, thinking about all the scenarios in which I had to somehow fight against an army of thousands and dryly chuckling about the obvious result of such fights.


    In their formation, to my discontentment, there were no adventurers whatsoever. Where had my beloved people gone to? Only soldiers were found here. They were professionals working full-time for the State and Kingdom. Equipped all the same way, they formed a thick metallic wall. This was no simple "row" or "line," now that I was closer; it was a wall.


    The soldiers were as motionless as statues. The wide and thick wall of metallic statues wasn''t simply standing there, forming the perfect human-wall on their own, no. Of the human team, there were other kinds of "bigger" soldiers who weren''t quite nourishing the wall and its thickness, no. Big men. They were taking care of the wall from the outside of it. There were others like him, a demi-dozen of them, big and strong as him in presence. Check that one up: He''s a titan. A titan among little ones. That''s impressive.


    Standing out, a good ten meters ahead of the soldier-wall, throwing about waving hands and jerky gestures to the pack of soldiers. I gathered that, tossing about these motions, at times ordering the soldiers forward and stuff, they indeed took good care of the wall.


    This was about the bigger picture of the human team. My pair of feet had dragged me near enough to them. Peering behind my shoulder, I scoffed and shrugged at how far I had gotten from the orc team. Slowly pacing toward the soldier-wall, my legs now simply walked.


    Only a short distance, which was still long enough for the soldier in charge not to notice the boy''s presence, separated me from the wall. It was then that one of the thick soldiers picked up an unknown presence on the battlefield, behind his back. A question mark popped above his head, and he turned to me like he had smelled my presence.


    His broad armored shoulders turned toward mine, which let the huge breastte face my rags¡ªmy tunic, shirt, and breeches¡ªartistically painted with blood. Upon seeing the red canvas of the boy lost in war, the soldier''s two nostrils red up with his eyes. I wondered why the man looked my way. His two fierce eyes had only bothered peeking at me, their most esteemed guest, after so long. I had long since noticed their presence, but they hadn''t minded me. That was rude.


    I had grown bored of the both metallic and organic soldier-wall in front of me, by now. My curious eyes wanted to see past it. What was behind it? I picked so many different noises that illustrated livelinessing from behind it.


    The noisy atmosphere, to me, heralded the presence of adventurers. I looked forward to seeing the Outside World of the humans, with my wide, sparkly eyes, but I refused to either jump up to peek behind the wall right away or use Mana Perception and see what roamed free behind the metallic structure.

 Chapter 88 Her

    I wore tattered rags. The grass wore its beautiful green, shiny coat. The soldier-wall was adorned by a metallic-gray metal, so dense and heavy. And themander in charge, armed with surprise, looked at me, also annoyed. My feet, bare, steadily walked the earth toward him. The warchief''s cold and heavy dangling head hung by my side.


    Soon enough, a frown of anger appeared on themander''splexion. Why get angry? As if it would calm the man down, I held out the "Warlord Orc Head" quest item to him, hoping the gesture taught him what I''d do with his head if he started pestering me, too. But no, the man wouldn''t have it¡ªhis eyes, from behind the visor of his helm, doubled with an exhausted me of both embarrassment and loathing.


    My orc head wasn''t supposed to be a ticket for safe travel through the human settlement, so I expected it couldn''t solve anything on its own. "Monster-hunters¡­" he mumbled to himself, "...again?" Adventurers and monster-hunters were about the same job. The man ced his palm on his forehead and cursed under his breath.


    Behind his helm, he heavily scowled. What should be so hard for them to understand, eh, he asked himself. After the fire signal, the adventurers weren''t granted ess to the battlefield any longer, yet here I was on the other side of the battlefield. To my defense, I didn''t know that yet.


    Themander''s reproachful gaze fell down on me, and now the soldiers'' eyes, too. No need to panic. I was a human, too, you know. Or that wasn''t exactly true, but that''s what the human team would think anyway. Right, because I looked just like one of theirs¡­ as far as outer appearances were concerned.


    That''s how I was a human boy, and that''s how I came back from the battlefield to home. A long distance was ced between myself and my sweet home, but now, the only obstacle left was the "wall." Between myself and the wall, there was a general of some sort. A man of the army. dded in his metallic gear, he noticed me atst.


    Twenty feet separated me from themander, and he called out to me. His voice was loud and sharp. "Adventurer!" he said. The ridiculous massiveness of his armor became more evident to me as I passed by him¡­ and that was it. That was absolutely it¡ªthe only remark I could make. That''s correct; I was a simple passerby, here. That''s why I didn''t intend to respond to themander, lest it got me in more trouble, and simply work my way to the soldier-wall. I hoped to jump it once I faced it.


    Well, in the meantime, I hoped themander wouldn''t take offense at my not answering him. I was hesitant to do so, as I had just nned on passing by this ce without raising even one problem, but I let my eyes meet with themander''s.


    Heaving a deep sigh, he shook his head as his whole armor nked. "Adventurer! Boy! What''s the meaning of this?!" In the end, frantically gesturing at me to stop and also expressing his discontentment, he spoke quite madly. Rather than a furiously angry person scolding a stranger, however, he sounded more like an uncle rebuking his sonny, thankfully. What was the meaning of my presence here, he asked. Couldn''t the good boy I was heed the instructions?


    The fire signal had been given out already. Not once, not twice, but thrice, no less. Was I just a kid lost on the battlefield? The man could obviously tell, he let me know, that I wasn''t any fighter (which made me freeze a little, thinking I could be found out as a monster at any moment, with sharp fighters surrounding me) so what the hell did a strong kid like me get wrong? Showering me with so many questions, themander in his chunky armor asked me where my Party was. Lastly, he asked me whether I had an identification te on me. Pointing an index finger at me, he jabbed at me repeatedly while he talked. Now, his frantic movements calmed down, and I knew I needed to speak now.


    So I simply said "Okay?" with a tone of interrogation. I figured that''d work as an answer, and simply decided to continue my stroll to the soldier-wall, then to the Guild Bureau. Unable to understand why he, in the first ce, decided to do so much as stop me, I shook my head at his rebuking. I''m sure he had his reasons. Sure, that had to do with some instructions and rules I didn''t abide by. Once the fireball was given out, the signal meant that no adventurer should be found on the battlefield. But then again, what could I do about it? I was only a passerby. Surely, to passersby, the rules ought not to be the same.


    Now, themander really grew furious, seeing how shameless the "brat" was, and how I inly ignored him. Addressing some words to the soldier-wall, he urged them not to be disturbed or break the formation, to be stilled and disciplined, and the wall let out a sharp "Yes, sir!" at once. Was I having that kind of effect?


    The monster really was just that¡ªa passerby. Let them not be disturbed in any way at all. Themander then went on saying that, lost kid adventurer or not, the rules had to be enforced. That didn''t smell good to me, but I ignored them, simply walking on. It was then that "it" happened.


    A soldier, who was part of the wall but stood out in his own way, called out to themander. "What now?!" The soldier seemed to have some report to make. Something happened, and he had some information to ry. Maybe. Hesitatingly mumbling, he was obviously annoyed and distressed by whatever report he had to give hismander. No, the report wasn''t about anything drastic or bearing big consequences, but the soldier seemed reluctant to speak directly. After he was yelled at and told to make sense, the report was given at once.


    The nature of the report, which wasn''t an actual reporting from the State, from the rear, or from the daughter of the King that was in charge of managing the warfare and its logistics, that probably was why the soldier hesitated so much¡ªit was about an unidentified female adventurer trying to pass through the formation. "A woman¡­ sir! A woman of the Guild''s force seems to demand we let her pass, sir!"


    Seriously? Another adventurer causing problems? The big soldier was about to get seriously annoyed about this. He was, as furious as he could be, thinking the adventurers were a real pain to deal with as they socked proper training, discipline, and organization, asked what the adventurer individual was about. So far, he''d just seen some adventurer kid that didn''t answer to the rules very well¡ªor not well at all, actually¡ªand decided that needed a little correction, but now what, another adventurer came to reap seeds of troubles?


    They were an army, right here, did they seriously have to deal with the Guild Bureau''sck of organizing and disciplining, eh? "Can''t they simply follow the goddamn regtions set beforehand, eh?! That''s why these people''re¡ª Argh, let them in!" It wasn''t like the general could execute the troublemakers on the spot, anyway, so as there already was some adventurer boy causing troubles, he might as well hear the woman.


    "Yes, sir! See for yourself, sir!"


    With that, the soldier-wall opened, and I was given a chance to escape my predicament. When the reporting soldier finished presenting the problem, the wall of soldiers opened up. It was so smooth that was scary. As if by magic, a hole was formed, and someone was produced. Themander harrumphed, waving his irritated mood away, thenid his eyes on me and shrugged.


    ¡­And that''s how I met "her," how I became a monster-hunter, and how I learned more about the Outside World. The girl''s entrance was kind of the shiny one: forcing and straining her shoulders forward as she tried to get through the wall, finally, when the soldiers opened up, with all the force she put in her back, trying to go through and help the "adventurer boy" person who seemed to be in a bit of trouble, she fell onward with a funny "Ouchie!" Seeing her for the first time, I scoffed. That was what the "See for yourself, sir" meant.


    It was just then that¡­ Ring! ? An Voluntary Quest has been found!¡ª ? By now, I got used to the System''s (important or not)ments that came up every once in a while, so I didn''t react to the surprising AR disy, briefly read through the text it disyed¡ª "Head over to the rear and wander there for a time." ¡ªbut discarded it right away.


    All I was concerned with was the woman adventurer, at the present moment. Be serious! I inwardly scolded her. What kind of goofy entrance was that? Not that I minded her being funny and goofy, but themander was already pretty pissed because of me, apparently. Now, she was pissing him more.


    "Ow, ow, ow¡­ owie!" With that, the goofydy appeared, rubbing her behind with a hand, and left her goofy entrance at that for now. The girl''s butt fell t on the earth, pressed between her two folded legs, the pain made her furrow her brow.

 Chapter 89 Party

    "Ow, ow, ow¡­ owie!" With that, the goofydy appeared, rubbing her behind with a hand, and left her goofy entrance at that for now. The girl''s butt fell t on the earth, pressed between her two folded legs, the pain made her furrow her brow. Realizing she had passed through, she looked up with embarrassment, scratched the back of her head awkwardly, and slightly bowed her head, for no more than a second, to the stiffmander. The sight of her made me chuckle and smile. Why, because she happened to be as charming as goofy a babe. Themander didn''t think like me, though. Too much was definitely too much. He had had enough. Still, he held his irritation in finely.


    Commander Man, decidedly in charge of what happened, promptly held a hand out to the clumsy babe. I thought he was about to speak to her as he had spoken to me, but he didn''t, and instead ended up sternly eyeing me again from the corner of his eyes. He seemed to have an idea of what was happening now. Themander''s searching eyes jumped back on thedy, then back to me again. I tilted my head, as if asking him what the long call was for, and his expression aggravated. Keeping at it, his eyes darted back and forth between me and thedy as he squinted.


    When the adventurer woman moved up, both I and themander forgot each other and looked at her instead. She brought one thin arm in front of the other, gently caressing the grass of the earth, then pushed herself up. As I didn''t know her name for now, I decided to go with Babe. Babe Goof. Being true to her name, the charmingdy got up but nearly tripped over herself again.


    With difficulty and waving her arms all around her, she managed to chase away the momentaneousck of bnce seizing her and her goofy persona again. What did she do next? A bow of her head to themander.


    That apologetic bow, just like the one she performed earlier, stillcked the solemnity it should have, but themander seemed to ept it. Themander was still silent and stern, but he seemed to have been pleased by the apology, at least a little.


    After she apologized, the babe dusted off her adventurer''s clothes all over herself, particrly insisting on her shapely behind, tapping the dust off her rear repeatedly. After she rearranged her blond hair, she atst formally apologized to themander for her rudeness and intrusion, before she looked at me¡­ and shook her head dismissively, like an older sister scolding her kid brother.


    So she wasn''t all about goofiness, was she? Still, I didn''t have time to think about why the human female acted this way. And what was more, I had been hypnotized. The next task on her schedule was to put her two long, curvaceous legs to disy as she walked up to me. Grinning at not particrly anyone, I was way too absorbed by her delish parade¡ª


    The next thing I knew, the babe firmly seized me by the arm, bowed to themander again, making me bow, too, and apologized so loudly. "We''re very sorry for the inconvenience, sir!" My head was pressed and forced downward as she spoke thus.


    But wait¡­ what was that turn of events? There was a problem here¡ªno, many problems, even. But let''s just focus on one of these¡ªthe problem was, I wasn''t "very sorry" for whatever inconvenience I caused. What was more, who the hell was that adventurer person?


    Did she force her way past the wall to make me apologize alongside her, now that I think about it? That''s what it sounded like. Bow to a human? Did I have to do that? I wasn''t weak, please. If anything, the human babe should be bowing to me along with themander.


    Sure, that had to be a joke. Nevertheless, the babe spoke up again. She repeated the same line of apology. Namely that both she and I were very sorry for the inconvenience of my actions. The smoke signals had been delivered, yet, some adventurer was foolish enough to still found himself on the wrong side of the battlefield.


    Yes, that foolish someone was supposed to be me. Did I really do something so grave and wrong? I really didn''t think so, and as I had said, I was just a passerby, so their regtions didn''t really apply to me¡­ not that I could tell them that. If I wasn''t an adventurer, what was I exactly? Also, why was I found on the battlefield? Impossible, don''t tell me I was an enemy?


    As all these thoughts shed through my mind, the babe''s hand was still firmlytched onto my left arm as she forced me downward to apologize with meager strength. And it might have been presumptuous of me, but I was arrogant and thought the "all powerful me" was never to bow my head to anyone, not to ever mention a human person of the human races who had always been, up until today, my natural enemy.


    That''s how it would be very easy from this point on: The strength with which I was forced downward was so meager and weak I could easily brush the adventurerdy''s hand off my arm, let her be stabbed by the monster in the guts, then turn my animosity toward the big soldier, and put him down too, before I was done with my problems¡ª Thankfully, I was stopped before I could go about any such drastic actions. I was stopped twice.


    First off, I remembered what the old advisor would tell me, right now. I had to think ahead before acting so rashly. The second thing that stopped me was the System.


    Ring!


    ? "Learning the ropes of the job!" New Voluntary Quest has been acquired! ? And the System spoke. What did the yer do? He had been projecting to be an adventurer. This was just the right asion¡ªafter helping adventurers on the battlefield, the yer had gained the sympathy of a certain newbies'' Party which the yer saved.


    After I had disobeyed thew, I was the one to be helped then, by one of the same Party''s members. ? ¡ª Follow your savior past the soldier formation and make the acquaintance of her group of friends and adventurers. 0/1 ? The quest''s detail finished by saying who knew what I could expect from this supposed random encounter in the future? Well.


    That''s how it all happened. It had been less than a minute since we bowed. The adventurerdy was a beauty, and as I had seen beforehand, she wasn''t all about being goofy. When she first appeared, she wasn''t elegant, formal, and proper at all. At present, she might have been the opposite of that. By now, as she saw I wasn''t trying to get off anymore, her grip on my arm loosened.


    And the situation might have been worse than I thought. Was not abiding by the rules that grave a crime? I know it wasn''t my ce to say, but couldn''t they all rx? I did nothing so wrong. Still, it seemed like whatever sin I hadmitted wasn''t the kind to be forgotten with light apologies with no consequences. Really, I didn''t know much about the Outside World, so I couldn''t tell.


    That didn''t change the fact that the situation seemed to be tenser than I imagined. As a matter of fact, I didn''t know whether she was simply the easily frightened type, but she trembled all over, even though it was only the slightest shaking. The girl''s shoulder-length blond hair fell in front of her as she kept her head down. After a silence on her part, she gulped and went back at it.


    "M-My young friend here isn''t¡­ This won''t be happening again, I can assure you, sir!"


    Not knowing what to do, I stayed put and bowed my head down with my babe adventurerdy. I mean, I was already bowing, but I decided to go on with the flow. Whatever the goofydy would do, I''d follow. I was still a monster, after all. If I started raising fusses everywhere I went, that would be bad for my cover.


    People could still find out I wasn''t human thanks to the nature of my aura, after all. So if anyone ever suspected me even a little, maybe I was screwed. Maybe, right. And since there was a possibility, I decided not to overy my luck.


    "...Sorry for causing trouble, sir."


    Just like that, we were excused. More like I was excused, though. Before we took off, thedy''s hand was chopped on top of my head reproachfully, and I was slightly told off. "What were you thinking, boy?! ¡­What were you still doing out here? If it weren''t for what you did for us on the battlefield, I wouldn''t be risking my hunter''s license for this, you understand? Come, follow me!"


    I did do something wrong, after all. Themander seemed satisfied. Before long, we passed again through the soldier-wall, and¡­ "Whoa~"

 Chapter 90 Beyond

    The world behind the soldier-wall was just¡ª "Whoa."


    Passing through, I couldn''t see much of anything with my own eyes, as, though I wasn''t one, my Character''s appearance was that of a young human teenage boy. I was small and had to wait. But then it was the end of the tunnel, and I had to speak every letter of this "woah."


    My hand was still locked with my babe''s fingers. She was the person who "saved" me, just a minute ago. Thanks to her assistance, I was allowed to pass through the dense sea of soldiers dded in metal. The clumsy babe was still holding onto my hand, walking as quickly as she did, and I was dragged alongside her. Her hand was soft and I liked the sensation of a female''s fingers clutching my hand, somehow, but as the Outside World opened itself to me, yet again, I was d not to pay attention to the soft sensation on my hand anymore.


    My eyes wandered around and were filled with as soft and agreeable a sensation anyway. New things about life. New objects. New people. New affairs, matters, and pieces ofnd. To anyone seeing this with me, the clumsy babe, for example, my oh-so-wide eyes full of excitement and apprehension might have been a ridiculous sight¡­ but to me, the unique monster who was just about a-week-old, for now, that sight was something to remember. I felt just like when I saw the sun for the first time. This kind of sight¡ªthis kind of sun¡ªwasn''t blinding my eyes, so I could look as much as I liked.


    This side of Greenfield was way, way cleaner than back at the orc boys'' ce. The area behind the wall seemed, how to put it, very unwarlike, for a first point. A fighter. That''s what I was. A fighter was used to seeing the whole bloody entirety of the rest of Greenfield''snd.


    Even before I joined the battlefield, following the old man''s orders, I pretty much only saw that¡ªconflict and blood. Well, maybe I exaggerate, but you get my point. The fact was, I was used to "it." And so, I kind of knew what to expect anywhere I went, even more so on the battlefield¡­ but no. Against my expectations, things here were all charming and beautiful everywhere I looked.


    Then, it was reasonable to me to remember my old man''s way of swearing and cursing, as it would do for a fitting description: It was very simple. The old man didn''t swear much at all. He didn''t swear at things. Why would he? Well, he could have some reasons, but he simply wouldn''t. He liked politeness, and he encouraged me to like it as well. To be honest, I didn''t really care about it as much, but anyway, it was important to the old man. So being polite was important.


    Which brings us to the fact that the old man, he didn''t swear at all. To the horrors and atrocities of war and its ravages, he would be more than willing to curse. This old man''s reflective mind fitted as a good illustration for this side of the whole of Greenfield. The soil on that side was coated with beautiful, bright green grass. The old man wouldn''t curse at this sight (or maybe he would, but for other reasons). Here, the people, who were mostly humans, didn''t seem much afflicted, distressed, or grieving about the fighting and conflict taking ce right next door.


    That felt more likable to me. These guys probably were like me¡ªmonsters. I could be casual here. Also, it was pleasant for my eyes to see. Using my own words rather than an old man''s philosophy to describe the ce, on the orc side of the conflict, everything was pretty colorless and ashen gray, but on the human side, I saw a lot of colorful liveliness.


    Maybe that''s what it meant to either win or lose. Yeah, it must have been that. All about colors. Trust me¡ªI know better. The winners'' side was colorful and lively. They didn''t lose or die. They won. They lived. They had fun. Here is fun. No "Game Over," here.


    Of all the soldiers on duty on the battlefield, the majority of them were forming the soldier-wall I just passed. Whatever formation they adopted, the humans were prepared, and I knew this. As the world behind the wall was opening to me, the soldiers, who were so stiflingly numerous were so lesser in number past the wall.


    Aside from one bigger soldier, or two, or three, going back and forth between ces, I didn''t spot any, unlike the adventurers. They could only be thriving here. Without the dull soldiers'' presence, all equipped the same way, allcking character-ness, adventurers flowed in abundance here.


    They were all so different from one another. They "could" be different, and so they were. They probably were all about the liveliness of this ce. Without them, the sight would becking. And so that sight confirmed it¡ªmonster-hunters were great. Plus they had so much fun. I definitely wanted to be one.


    What were they doing over there? Was that some sort of facility with a personal healing and tending to the wounded, treating them with much care? The facility, just like any other "construct" established here, at the rear, was the same as the other¡ªquickly edified tents, mostly,posed of numerous white linen sheets arranged into quick walls and a ceiling¡ªthe kinds of edifice fitting well the world of warfare, producing a white, healing house. The fancy little symbol adorning the top of their edifice was the same I''d seen on temple knights or pdins. The pdin I saw healed people, too, just like the healing house. That was amazing. So that''s how they won? They got their priests put together in teams, and they healed their wounded fighters?


    Oh, and what were they doing to that side? Well, there were people holding their armors and weapons, clustered around some other quick-built edifice, where a single stocky and dumpy creature was going all "ng ng ng" with a red heavy hammer¡­ and they wereughing, too. Were theyughing at him because he was a dwarf? No way. I couldn''t let them. Or wait, was it about something entirely different? Heughed alongside them, after all. Ah, and that didn''t matter at all. There were so many other wondrous gatherings and people going about their own affairs I could marvel at. Thest time I had seen so many people, with their noises and merchandising, was back at themercial alley, in the peaceful little vige of Sville. Now, I was witnessing the same intensity of liveliness, but man, as it was about adventuring and not selling goods, this time, I was in.


    In a second, my rapidly searching eyes could spot a dozen sites to intently observe¡ªbut I was cut short: "Here we are now, kid!" No can do. There were other ns for me, it seemed. Here we are, she said.


    Silently pacing through the sea of wondrous people and ces, we had gone through the soldier-wall, but my babe didn''t stop yet. Not at all, actually. It was like she would never spot, hold the hand of the monster she called "boy" forever, and make me visit all ces and marvels of the Outside World. To help me out for reasons still blurry to me, she had toe out of the wall to the restricted area, apologize a great deal, and take me back in with her, saying she only helped me because she and her party owed me that.


    So, she walked additional steps, and my hand followed hers. But now¡ª "Yes, yes. Here we are, kid." Her beautiful legs abruptly stopped their parade, the babe offered me her best smile, with her head slightly cocked. "Now, I can release that little hand of yours." After she walked ahead of me, she rapidly turned around and crouched to my height. "You can have it back. Here." It was the first time someone gave me back my own hand, so I told her it was mine in the first ce, the hand.


    With a grin, thedy told me that sure, it was mine, but she still gave it back, and I had better take better care of it, this time, and not wander in the restricted area ever again as it could spell a lot of trouble. As I didn''t pay attention, she''d have to tell me that again, however.


    That didn''t matter. Now, as thedy knelt in front of me, bringing herself to my height, she ced her two hands on my shoulders, being as casual as could be with me. The girl probably gauged my reaction, she blinked twice and slowly tilted her head to the side, with a genuine smile, this time, building on her face. Her lips were pressed together, but she unsealed them and began to speak¡­ but I cut her short right away.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 91 Babe

    The girl probably gauged my reaction, she blinked twice and slowly tilted her head to the side, with a genuine smile, this time, building on her face. Her lips were pressed together, but she unsealed them and began to speak¡­ but I cut her short right away.


    "Say, what is it that you, er, is it rude if I say humans¡­?" I grimaced. "What is it that you people want with me, babe¡ª You know, you and the bigger soldier out the walls. What was it that you wanted again?" As I had said earlier, at the time, the reasons for which both she and the general had stopped me were unclear. Sure, they spoke about smoke signals, restricted areas, and taking turns in fighting, but I was still a bit lost. That''s why I asked.


    Staring at me, thedy''s grin gradually went down as many bits of different expressions shed on her face so faintly. She tilted her head again and looked past me, thinking to herself, nodded, and was ready to speak¡ªthen again, I interrupted her.


    This time, the clueless boy in front of her pinched her nose. "O-Ow!" The girl stood up and nearly tripped over herself, looked at me with confusion, and asked what the heck I was doing. When I ignored her and told thedy she had a pleasant face but couldn''t beat my elven princess, she was seized by more confusion, didn''t know whether tough or frown and ended up stifling a chuckle as she shook her head. I repeated my question to her: I asked her again what it was that the humans wanted with me.


    The babe told me I was a weirdo through and through, slightly stooped to my height again, and brushed her blond hair behind her ear. "Listen up, kid," she said, squinted her eyes, "you don''t look like you understand¡­ do you?" I said no. "Well," she sighed, "at least you''re being honest. What do we, me and the¡­ general out there, want with you kid? You''re so clueless you don''t even ask the right question! See, if it weren''t for the help you gave us back there¡ªto me and my friends¡­ Aaah, the orcs really are something else, though¡­ We''re sure going back to hunting goblins tomorrow! Be sure that, if not for your help, I would NOT havee out of my way just to save your sorry ass. Remember, you helped us take down that thick orc."


    Well. Save my sorry ass. I didn''t really listen to thedy, but she didn''t dive into the useful info yet, I think. Oh well, even if she did, I was too lost in her beautiful facial features to be willing to pay attention to her.


    My fingers pinched her nose, and this time, though quick she may have been to try and avoid the weird kid who she was lecturing, at present, I managed to pinch her cheek. This time, the girl didn''t recoil back, but simply smiled wryly at me, muttered that I was too rapid, didn''t take my pinching fingers off her red cheek, and instead pinched my cheeks, too, saying I would never beat her in abat of awkwardness. I shrugged, and asked thedy about the fire signals, nearly calling her "babe" again.


    "Actually, you win! Hands off of me, boy. That''s another thing, you know¡­" A finger was pointed at me, and my hand was given back to me. I sure was d I managed to get by easily enough socially. I was as cluelessly an awkward weirdo as usual, but I wasn''t quite rejected.


    Now, the adventurerdy lectured me some more, as she rubbed her red cheek before she muttered that, cute boy as I was, I couldn''t pinch her so strongly. "And that''s another thing. You can''t go around calling some people you just met, that happen to be members of the opposite sex, ''babe,'' you know!


    "Is that the way you first introduce yourself to people, now, hm? Let me doubt it. That''s rude. ¡­Aaah, and don''t give me those same clueless eyes again, my goodness¡­ How clueless do you have to be? Well, you''re sure still... what, a teen and all, but, hey, it''s like you had nomonsense at all¡ªyou''ll worry me, you know." And the worrieddy continued on, talking mostly to herself and not the boy who she helped, saying she seriously just nned to get me out of trouble, but now she still bothered with me. "That''s right: We owe you, so I''ll¡­ Well¡­"


    "Signal," I curtly said, interrupting her. After the girl sighed, she leaned down to my height again, exposing her nude cleavage and good perfume. "What about the signal, ma''am?" She told me I didn''t have to call her "ma''am" either, and after a lot of herself still goofily mumbling her thoughts about this and that matter that concerned me, she finally got down to exining the stuff I inquired about.


    We, monster-hunters, she said, weren''t ying around here. Out in the battlefield, there were regtions we, adventurers, had to abide by. So, if we wanted to try ourselves out to this new kind of experience, this new unusual kind of quest, that asked us to participate in a certain battle, earn ourselves some kills, to then be eligible for a reward from the Guild Bureau, as we were adventurers and that "bureau" ce was where we belonged, we had to take it upon ourselves to stick to the rules, here. When I went out by myself, or with my party, the rules of the battlefield were for us to decide: we basically decided how to go about our game. Right now was different. Adventurers here weren''t ying around, but surprisingly, the babe said, I seemed to be ying around.


    When she got to the part where I seemed to be ying around here, a proud smile climbed up my face, and I puffed out my chest with pride. "That''s hardly apliment, kid! Only fools y around."


    "That''s lies."


    "That''s not a lie. ¡­But forget it. Like I said, it''s pretty simple. Where''s your party?"


    "Where''s¡­ my party¡­?"


    "Yes. You know, other party members and such. Don''t you tell me you dropped by here all by yourself¡ªthere is no way you would be allowed. So, where are they? ...Okay, don''t worry: I figured you didn''t know."


    I didn''t have a party. Or maybe I did, but it was no official party. Also, said party was too far away from here. The old man probably returned to the ce he had taken Cetha, my home and sickly elven princess, to.


    "I mean, clueless as you sound, wandering out in the restricted area after the redfire was shot, I assume you have been separated. Am I wrong? Come to think of it, you were also all alone when you helped us back then, weren''t you? Don''t tell me¡­!" Thedy''s face became pale all at once, her eyes trembled ever-so-slightly. From her perspective, I had been separated from my party¡ªthat was from my group of friends, as most members of the same party inevitably grew a lot familiar with one another¡ªand now I was all alone, even after the quest was supposed to end.


    Thedy''s face growing as worried and pale as it was, I fortunately didn''t have time to be scared, too, thinking she might have found out I was a hidden monster. Well, most monsters can''t even think to hide their nature in the first ce, so that was that. Also, I quickly understood she thought my party members were deceased.


    "No¡­ That would be unlikely. Seeing how high-level you seemed, there is no way some senior veteran adventurers would fall here¡­ Ahem. I''m sorry and don''t worry, I''m sure they''ll be okay." I shook my head at her, letting her know there was nothing of the sort, my party members wouldn''t fall inbat, as they didn''t even take part in the fight. Promptly, I was happy to see the girl''s face regain its colors and liveliness at once, as she paused and smiled.


    "Well, then if you want exnations, know that¡­" I must have already known all about what she told me, the adventurerdy said, but she told me nheless: After the signal, the redfire, was shot in the sky, and that meant three shots, the adventurers'' time ran out. The greenfire allowed us to start with the issued quest about collecting orc heads, but then, to go along the military well, we had to stay organized, and that''s how we were given times beforehand, somehow.


    There was much more to the adventurerdy''s exnation, regarding the logistics and details of how we had to fight in a timely manner. Anyway, now the hunt had long since been called off, but I was still on the battlefield, so as I already knew, she had to help me. The mages of the Guild, the ones in charge of signaling the beginning and end of the hunt, didn''t have time to trouble themselves with theggards, so, whenever I saw the redfire signal, I had better collect all my orc heads, pack everything up, and head back to the rear at once.


    Now that she had exined to me all I had to know, my shoulders dropped and a sigh was let out of my mouth. I realized I could have walked away from the adventurerdy without hearing all the information she had for me. I was trying to be cautious, thinking I must heed whatever advice she would give me, but apparently, as the babe ended her rather long speech, nodded proudly with hands on her hips with a satisfied smile, she didn''t have any other words for me.


    "Thank you, bab¡ª ma''am." The adventurerdy sighed. "You''re sort of like my old man: I''m grateful that you helped me."


    "A-An old man, huh¡­?"

 Chapter 92 Party

    "Thank you, bab¡ª ma''am." The adventurerdy sighed. "You''re sort of like my old man: I''m grateful that you helped me."


    "A-An old man, huh¡­?"


    "Yes, an old man."


    "Don''t call me an old man."


    "I won''t call you an old man. Thank you, ma''am."


    "You''re awfully polite despite your rudements every now and then, aren''t you, boy? I helped you and you helped me. One can say we''re even."


    "Even."


    "Yes. Even. Now tell me. You did know about all I exined to you, didn''t you?"


    "No."


    "...We''re seriously going to have to find your party, or at the very least one of your party members. They''re the ones who brought you here, I me them for leaving such a clueless boy by himself here. Some may call it "training," but I think that''s in irresponsibility."


    After a long discussion, both she and I were informed of what we needed to know. As for me, I learned two facts. The first fact was about the origin of the fireball I saw when I was out of the wall: If I wanted to make it mine, the redfire, then I simply had to learn about magic; that was good to know, even though it was trivial.


    What came after this fact was the info about the orc heads she talked about. I already knew about the information, but it was confirmed to me. The first time I heard about it was from the first adventurers I killed on the battlefield, the second time was from the System and its Compulsory Quest, and thest was from the charming adventurer babe standing right in front of me.


    What about the charming adventurerdy, now? After a long discussion, I said both she and I were informed of what we needed to immediately go about, and so, she was informed, by herself, that she needed to help her lost puppy to find his party before I got more lost than ever, out in the dangerous world.


    "Say, would you mind telling me where the... Guild Bureau is?"


    "I''ll help you find your party¡ª"


    Knowing what we had to do, we both spoke at the same time. The babe was confused for a second, then asked me whether it was all right for me to go on and trade my loot for silver without my party. I replied it was quite all right, and after a minute of debating out loud whether she should apany the clueless boy she had just found outside, she hesitated. I insisted she didn''t have to apany me, and that I''d was seriously all right; all I needed was a direction before I took off.


    The fact was, I already had that direction thanks to the System and its guiding tool, but I thought there was no harm in asking her anyway. Also, I figured she wouldn''t let me go on my own if she thought I was still as clueless as ever.


    Reluctantly, as if she wasn''t willing to part with me yet and that we still had some business together, she showed me a route that had been slightly dug here thanks to the walking over of all manners of people, going back and forth between the front and the rear, I nodded to the girl and took off at once using Quick Pace.


    If possible, I''d be an adventurer, then, I thought. All the quests I went about or had alreadypleted, they told me to be an adventurer. I created my Character like an adventurer, got my humanoid form like an adventurer, saved an elven princess like an adventurer, and all of it was so great I liked it so much. I, an adventurer.


    And Cetha would join me bing an adventurer, too, maybe. Oh, and the old geezer, too; you can''t forget him when he''s proved his usefulness so quickly. So I''d be an adventurer; that was the n. Right this instant. If I could have snapped my fingers and turn into an adventurer, that''s what I''d do right away¡ª In fact, that''s what I would do. Of course. I just had to think about it, and I trusted I would be served.


    To be an adventurer, have much fun, survive, be good at life, get to discover more wonderful things and kill enemies, and get more stimtion from the Outside World, as it is what I must do. That was the n. I just had to close my eyes tight, snap my fingers, open them back, and Snap¡ª


    Whack!


    "Urk!"


    No, I wasn''t an adventurer. The only thing I got from doing this was to bump into some human. Square into the stomach. The man cried out at my sudden bumping into his stomach. Ouch. Taking off, as I shut my eyes tight and snapped my fingers, my head was tilted forward like crazy. I thought maybe it would work. Maybe I''d be an adventurer right away. Unfortunately, no. All I got was the right for my head to go right through that person''s stomach. The strength I''d put into my setting away using Quick Pace allowed me to probably be as quick as the wind.


    All the strength I put into that skill made me headbutt the person''s stomach with even more might. All of which surprised me more than anyone, I was sure. The guy I bumped into might have felt the pain, but at least he saw iting. And, better be in pain than unprepared, right? Or no, yeah, maybe the man was as surprised as I was, stumbling his way backward with a scrunched-up face, he fell down like a dead leaf. Thankfully, I didn''t put so much strength in that headbutt.


    "H-Hey! What was that?!" the man said, recovering rather quickly from his surprise, and assaulted me with words rather than a sword. I thought it was weird, I personally was ready to kill him on the spot. It was then that I identified the creature as a human male in histe teens.


    The human fell down, and I just did the same. Although I wasn''t proud of it, upon charging into him, I bounced off too, maybe due to the fact I tried to do as little damage as possible and avoid breaking some parts of the human male at all cost; I ended up falling down t on my butt as he did. So that was round one. Should we pursue this fight or will the human not mind my unintended attack?


    "You brat! Watch it, will ya?!"


    As I looked upon the human male, my eyes glistening with a murderous gleam, my face being as cold as could be; I glowered at him, and he seemed to get the message. Themotion was on me and I was sorry for causing it, but he sure as hell mustn''t take such an arrogant tone with a monster. The man was still on his butt, just like me, and all the animosity seemed to vanish from his face, leaving it pale and recoiling. Good.


    But there was more to this situation than meets the eye: "Oh hey, guys! You''re here already," the babe eximed, as cheerful as ever.


    "Yeah. We''re here."


    "We''re¡­ uh¡­ back."


    Two people were produced from next to the angry man. That''s how I met the party. The party I would kill some time from now. Sort of. The party I sent to their death, because of my behavior. That was them. A while back, I totally forgot about it with all that was going around me, but the System issued some Voluntary Quest to me.


    Whether I went along with it or not depended solely on me, as it was only that: voluntary. Well, now the quest came back at me as if the System urged me not to forget about the game. Two people were produced from the crowd of adventurers walking around the rear.


    The first to speak was a bright man who tried to smile as much as possible despite the hardships of life, justifying his action by saying that smiling should be the only thing that would forever be free. He was also in histe teens, maybe a bit older than the guy I bumped into, and he was the leader of the babe''s party.


    The second to speak was a chunky human sack of fat, he was a male, about the same age or a bit older, with a huge broadsword hanging by his side. He was timid, so small in presence, but so gigantically big and imposing in volume.

 Chapter 93 02

    The second to speak was a chunky human sack of fat, he was a male, about the same age or a bit older, with a huge broadsword hanging by his side. He was timid, so small in presence, but so gigantically big and imposing in volume.


    He held his broadsword tight with a hand and meekly nodded at the adventurer babe, silently greeting her. What a sluggish, timid ball.


    "Jeez, then¡­" The babe''s fighting spirit was diminished after she greeted her three friends¡ªyes, the one I just bumped into was part of their team¡ªas she looked about her team, with a slight sense of anguish and unease building up on her beautiful, little face.


    Her two brows knit together, her gaze dropped to the ground, and she shook her head, forcing a smile on her face.


    "I know¡­ Yeah," said the young man who was the leader. He and his group of friends seemed to all be as anxious as he was. What happened to them, or to theirpanion, wasn''t quite the first time they heard of hardships befalling adventurers¡ªcasualties were all toomon, in this line of job, unfortunately¡ªbut that''s why he decided to step up to the team''s charming babe, unwilling to let her beautiful features be wasted on her apparent grieving. That''s how a leader should behave, after all, that was his idea.


    "Our partner isn''t with you¡­" said the clumsy babe. Her chin was lowered, and her eyes avoided eye contact, feeling a palpableck of energy. "Does it mean it''s that bad? Tell me she''s all right. No, I know; you tell me where she is." By the end of her plea, her two hesitant eyes agreed to climb up and plunge into her leader''s own, who walked up to her and held her shoulders warmly. He told her not to worry, with a soothing smile that chased the babe''s guilt away.


    Following in his leader''s steps, "Sh-She''s fine¡­!" the big guy stuttered, also unwilling to let the charming babe be saddened.


    "I-Is she really¡­?" The truth was, the adventurer babe knew herrade condition wouldn''t spell her death, letting her sumb to her wound, but she still couldn''t help but worry. That was for reasons only she knew.


    Whoever herrade was, she was apparently fine. "She is. So don''t worry. She''s been healed, already. ¡­And, I''m so sorry I couldn''t be the leader you all deserve¡­"


    "No. You were¡ªyou absolutely were. If it hadn''t been for me¡­ I''m the team''s healer, after all, I should have supported her best¡ª"


    "You know what¡ªlet''s stop," the leader curtly said, shaking his head and pursing his lips.


    "Sorry?"


    "Let''s stop."


    After a moment of silence, the emotional conversation was cut short, and the sluggish ball chimed in with a timidment of his own. "H-H-He¡ª" the sack of fat stuttered like a champion, and sighed at his own inability to speak, but ultimately decided to fight on. "H-H-He''s right¡­ uh¡­ l-let''s not speak of¡­ of¡­"


    "Thank you," the leader thanked his tank. "Yes, let''s not speak of whose fault our unfortunate ident was. All I want you guys to know is that I''m sorry I couldn''t be a better leader, and that''s regardless of whether any of my precious friends gets wounded or not, because I could always be better, stronger, and more of the reliable¡ª"


    "Fine, then. I don''t want to hear you me yourself either, you know. Thank goodness she''s safe anyway. Has the healing been all right? H-How much did it cost, by the way?"


    Their conversation ended with the leader exining some details rted to the healing of their friend. And that was it. My party. They just arrived, and I was forced to meet them. On one side, there were three of them mourning theirrade''s fall.


    The girl wasn''t actually dead, and she was apparently saved, but why were they so worried? I mean, I wouldn''t worry about my old man even if he suffered through the greatest of hells, because why worry? What purpose did it serve? Observing the adventurers reuniting happily, I was reminded of the other side of our little emotional setting.


    "Oi!" The angry young man called out to me. He seemed to have recovered from his shock and scare, by now. I debated whether to calm him down again, showing off a tiny portion of the chilly monster I kept hidden, but decided against it when I was reminded of the quest. "Exin yourself, you snotty brat!"


    Exin what? "I bumped into you for a reason, sir! Lemme break it down for you so you understand why!" Heh.


    Fortunately, I didn''t have to say any of that or glower at my victim again. The leader came to my rescue, helped me up, and asked hisrade to quieten down. Why, because the "boy" seemed to be as lost as he was. People easily took to calling me a human "boy." That made me think, was I a boy? Why not call me a sir? I guess I was just a few days old and all, but oh well.


    I stirred when the angry adventurer called out to me but was rescued soon after. Both I and the angry adventurer were still on our butts, down on the earth.


    "It hurts! Damn it! Just watch the steps next time, y''hear?!"


    After he helped me up, the leader came to the angry adventurer and whacked his head, telling him he didn''t have to go around ying the bully as it didn''t suit him. "Ah, but you''re always so nervous. Rx, and apologize to the¡ª"


    "Shut it! D-Don''t upset me more than ''im! ''Sright! I''m upset! Aaargh, and you keep off; blegh, blegh; I can get up on my own¡­!"


    "That''s right¡­ okay¡­ you''re forgiven," said the leader. He turned to me and winced a little with embarrassment. "Hey, kid, he''s forgiven, all right?" That was a weird kind of apology, forcing it on me and telling me I forgave the angry man, but in the first ce, I should have been the one to apologize.


    Maybe they didn''t feel the pain, but my headbutt was strong enough on the man''s stomach. He''d be lucky not to have broken any ribs. That''s why I nodded, saying it was all perfectly all right, I wasn''t upset or anything.


    When I said as much, I felt a hand ced on the top of my head, it was warm and gentle, and I nuzzled under the warm hand like a cat without really intending to. Looking up, I saw the charming adventurer babe who helped me minutes ago. Her smile cast sunrays down on my face, and I smiled back.


    In front of me, the leader and angry man continued to speak. The leader said he understood it had been a harsh day, and with what happened to their precious friend, he had all the reasons to be pissed off at everything and everyone. "You do get where I''ming from, don''t you, huh, Leader?" When the leader repeated he did get hispanion, thistter, rather than be soothed and happy, burst even more.


    Tapping the dirt off his pants, he shook his head. "Oh? You? Upset? Really? Ha-ha¡­" That line was full of passive-aggressiveness, for some reason. Also, a few tapping motions on the young man''s pants were enough to get the dirt and dust off, but for some reason, with a frown carved on his face, the angry adventurer kept at it, like he wanted to rid his pants of a world of animosity¡­ but it wouldn''t wash away.


    The leader, witnessing his nervosity swelling up, wryly scoffed, cast his eyes downward, and hesitated before he spoke. "C''mon, now¡­ Don''t give me that." After a moment, the angry adventurer finally apologized, admitting he was being a jerk, and everyone was happy together. "Right. Anyhow, you take this, just like we promised. Your share with no loss."


    "You sure?"


    "You were brave today," the leader nodded, cing a hand on hispanion''s shoulder. After he slid a leather purse into the adventurer''s pockets, he told him to go get that sword of his fixed at once. "Sure, you can go right now. Meet back up at the North Gate. Same vige as always."

 Chapter 94 "Especially You."

    "You were brave today," the leader nodded, cing a hand on hispanion''s shoulder. After he slid a leather purse into the adventurer''s pockets, he told him to go get that sword of his fixed at once. "Sure, you can go right now. Meet back up at the North Gate. Same vige as always."


    "Don''t need help with the trading and all?"


    "I don''t."


    "North Gate?"


    "Tomorrow, first thing in the morning."


    "See you then."


    After a moment, the angry adventurer disappeared in the distance, happy to have received his share of today''s hunt already.


    My face slid upward, I looked into the charming babe''s eyes and asked a question. "Do you know them, ma''am?" Her radiating smile said that she did in fact know them. She knew them, and these people were the friends I helped, too. Really, all I did was randomly bring enemies down on the battlefield, but now that I needed to be introduced to that party of adventurers, I sure felt like I had done right.


    I simply asked for the sake of keeping appearances, as I probably wouldn''t know who these guys were if not for the System and the quest. The charming babe knew these people and they had something to do with that one quest, right, hm. Needless to mention, but I decided I should stay here for a little while, in order to see what woulde from my meeting with these guys.


    As if reading my thoughts, or merely going on with the words he addressed the party, the leader spoke again, but this time, to everyone. "And it''s the same for every one of you guys. Today¡­ this whole war-and-hunting thing was a new experience. Us, the lil'' newbies of the Guild," the leader scoffed, "worked hard enough. You all deserve a good and restful afternoon of upying yourselves with whatever you want. Be it sleeping or anything, really."


    In the cluster of adventurers all around us, going back and forth between destinations and living their own life, I couldn''t make out the angry adventurer''s silhouette anymore. That''s what the leader meant. He''d been sent to rest, and it was a good thing for today. Walking the eight feet in between him and his party, the leader casually came closer to his group. "Yeah, you guys seriously do deserve a good day of rest, don''t you?" he sighed.


    "S-So do you¡­ Leader¡­"


    "So do I, right."


    My adventurer babe smiled at them and nodded, before she voiced her own agreement, including me, too. "And so do you, little one!"


    After the gigantic, friendly sack of fat, who was very timid, thanked his leader for the nth time, he was gently pat on the shoulder. The tank must have appreciated the gesture as his little lips timidly broke into a smile. After a non-awkward nk of fatigue and reflection, I asserted everyone was very tired after today''s work.


    Well, that wasn''t true for me, though. This little hour of ying around on the battlefield didn''t wear me out even one bit. But anyway, there was a nk, and I appreciated the party of weak humans'' presence. The sluggish tank was still awkwardly smiling to himself¡ªhe was kind of cute for his smile, I''ll have to say.


    His long andrge body, with the physical presence of at least three regr men, was probably the most bruised, but he was the one who smiled the most. Some bits of his leather armor was torn apart, with bits of rags here and there.


    The tank seemed pretty tired to me, and I silently acknowledged the effort he had made today, thinking that if we ever faced each other on the battlefield, I''d be happy to send him away with my best salutations.


    The tank''s body was really huge, though, it was as chubby with fat as chunky with meat¡­ but even with such a powerful body, he only somehow managed to give off the timid presence of a tiny creature, like some sort of overweight squirrel or something.


    There was a thing I liked to do whenever I met someone new: I gauged them and decided on two things. Whether I liked them, and whether they were superior to me or not. That man was of the inferior kind and he seemed like a pretty nice guy.


    Then, there was the adventurerdy. Still behind my back, she was surprisingly close to me, for some reason, as she casually let her hands massage my shoulders and neck a little. I liked the sensation that left on my shoulders, and I couldn''t help but nuzzle my head back toward her, like a cat or something, where my head pressed into her chest.


    I inwardly decided I''d stay in order to see what woulde of my "meeting" with these humans, and the way she kept me under herself was as if she understood the n and let me befortable here. That, or maybe she was just as tired as her friends, and was simply using me as a support to prop herself up, maybe. Well, she was tired, too.


    The leader was the same as them. Not dead, but tired. "You go to rest, too," he said to the tank after thetter nodded and there was a nk again. I stayed here to observe, but maybe I should partake in their slow discussion in order to move things along, right?


    I could bring up some topics and have them talk to me, and I''d have been introduced to them atst. Thinking against it, for both ack of conversation skills and topics to bring up, I decided it was best to wait still. From experience, waiting, in such a situation, was the best position to adopt. But jeez, what if they were so tired they couldn''t even speak to me, or heck, notice my presence, even?


    The tank nodded only once, timidly saying he would excuse himself. Turning to the adventurerdy, he gave her a nod, too. And just as I thought he''d be off, surprisingly, his eyes slowly climbed down, met mine, and performed the same little nod-bow he gave hispanions. Excitedly, I nodded back at him, knowing he acknowledged my presence.


    Only after the tank smiled at me did he take his leave. Then again, as the sack of fat''s departure was as sluggish as ever, maybe a whole five minutes would go by before I didn''t sense his presence anymore. Or well, seeing it from another angle, his presence was so weak that I promptly already all forgot about him.


    And then, someone else''s eyes were set on me as he smiled. It was the leader. Smiling back at him, he spoke again, telling my babe she should be resting, too. The girl said she would first swing by the healing facility. The leader thanked her for it and said she was a good friend. Somehow, their conversation managed to get back to talking about their guilt:


    The leader med himself, obviously looking forfort from his female friend (I felt out of ce), and the adventurerdy, the healer of the party, said she was as guilty as her leader¡ª "So, you kindly stop ming yourself. We all do our best. Today won''t ever happen again. That''s what''s important, in the end."


    "..."


    "Okay?"


    "I can''t have you worried about me, too," the leader drylyughed.


    "I do worry about you." After a silence, the charming babe proposed a simple n: Goblins weren''t so bad, in any case. The party would just have to do as it always did.


    Namely, continue to stack up experience, as slowly and gently as possible, to take their time, keep going nice and easy, and one day, they would be strong enough. "...Right? You''re tired, too, obviously¡­ so tell me you won''t me yourself, or I might as well never let you go rest, you know."


    Such were emotions. In all the hustle and bustle, I was a silent witness of what emotional conversation was unfolding, and tilting my head to the side I was hoping to take in as much stimtion as humanly possible. Whatever jumbled mess of emotions was involved here, the monster wondered what they felt like. And the leader didn''t seem willing to say the words. He wasn''t willing to say that he couldn''t me himself, that he wasn''t feeling horrible for how pathetic a leader he was, and that well, he didn''t feel sad for being the weakest of all.


    He wasn''t willing to say the words, but he knew he had to, eventually. Unable to bear the gorgeousdy''s anxious gaze, his eyes dropped down to the ground, where he lost himself in the wholesomeness of the green, perfectly-living grass around his feet, that, despite the thousands and thousands of hardened shoes treading upon its green coat, every single day, was still very living and amodating to the many paths the humans dug in itself.


    Seized by sudden anguish, the leader wished he could be like this finewn, but he dryly scoffed to himself when he realized where his thoughts had brought him. Still, he was a bit more hopeful, now that his heart had discovered the living¡ªno, surviving grass so close, the veil of sadness obstructing the light from reaching his heart was lifted off, he beamed with happiness, and spoke atst.


    "You know¡­ in all the turmoil and struggle we found ourselves in, I''m grateful to at least have you guys as partners." He didn''t say "friends," he said "partners." "Especially you."

 Chapter 95 Ha Ha Ha

    "You know¡­ in all the turmoil and struggle we found ourselves in, I''m grateful to at least have you guys as partners." He didn''t say "friends," he said "partners." "Especially you."


    "U-Uh¡­ We are, too. ¡­More importantly, here." The babe presented me forward, still gripping my shoulders.


    "Yes. Speaking of gratitude, where are my manners? I shouldn''t forget to thank the little man here, should I?"


    "Right, so you recognize him, too. I''ve actually just met him again by chance¡­ Oh, but gee, let''s not mention how we met! Right, my boy?" I politelyughed, and the charming babe shook me by my shoulders, yfully being "angry."


    "Oh, haha? Was it bad?" She said she wouldn''t mention it, but in the end, she did, and in the end, even that leader person had to whack a little chop on my head for causing trouble. For a minute, the pair of them chatted idly about me, then the leader knelt down to my height, and decided to thank me properly.


    "Really, thank you, little man." With both his hands, he seized mine. I still had that "Warlord Orc Head" quest item, by the way, so the leader only took my remaining hand, shaking it firmly. It was the first time someone shook my hand¡ªI wanted him to stop, I felt it was annoying. I didn''t let my annoyance show through, and nodded at the leader, acknowledging his thanks.


    After I asked him about how precisely I did help them, he exined to me, with his heavy emotions surfacing again, that without my help, his precious friend wouldn''t probably be alive, as we spoke. That was funny: I never intended to save anyone''s life, and if I had known my action would save a person''s life, I probably wouldn''t have acted it. Naturally, I didn''t voice my opinion; I knew the people didn''t like a monster''s opinion.


    "The guy who yelled at you earlier, he''s just a little rude sometimes, so please, forgive him," the leader apologized. "Had he recognized you, he would probably be the one thanking you the most, right now."


    That was funny again. I was the one to bump into him, so he was right to be pissed at the annoying brat who had just hit him square in the stomach with so much might. Still, as it would have been a huge pain to voice my opinion, I nodded my forgiveness to the leader.


    To the charming babe, the quirky boy was surprisingly lenient, so she shook me like an excited little girl would her plush toy, and cried "Atta-boy!"


    "Hehe. Yeah, thanks again, little man." Now, it wasn''t the babe''s soft hands resting on my shoulders, but his. Ew. The leader insisted. I really saved their asses, back there. It was very brave of me to rush and take out the huge orc after the enemy was about to bring their precious friend down with a single blow.


    The quirky human boy was super agile. "You seemed so concentrated on your own little crusade, at the time, I doubt you even had time to notice us. Got me impressed. Super impressed. You''ll grow strong, I''m sure." The leader must have meant "even stronger," but okay. "In the end, we could only collect that one head you left us plus another one. ¡­Oh, you''re grimacing¡­ because of my hands¡­? Sorry. ¡­Oh! I know how I can repay him!"


    "Oh? So you''ll be repaid, ''little man''..?"


    "Sure he will. I-I mean, heh-heh-heh¡­ that''s nothing like a real reward, you see, little man¡­ but here!" From his back, the leader produced some sort of leather bag and handed it to me. "You can take it¡ª No, you must take it." He went on to exin he and his party initially thought they would make it big, out here, on the battlefield, so they brought many bags to be sure to transport their loot, but in the end, only one bag was enough for them. "That''ll work as a little thank-you, maybe. That way, you can store your orc head, right?" Both humans said my orc head was gross, though not directly.


    Thankfully, the leader remarked, it somehow had long hair so it wasn''t so gross, but still. That was a warlord orc head, by the way: I wondered if they could tell it was way rarer than their regr heads and admire me even more.


    It didn''t quite decay yet, but it would soon, under this hot sun. I had better head over quickly to the Guild''s trading grounds, they said. If I didn''t wrap my loot carefully before I obtained my reward, I would be called uncivilized and squalid¡ªI epted the bag and ced the warlord orc head inside.


    I was happy, then. To learn a lot from life, I had to interact with the world, and that''s what I did today. Thanks to my venturing out on the battlefield, motivated by my old advisor''s instructions, I was able to learn a lot from these humans. I learned from their emotions, their wishes, and their work.


    "Thank you, Leader Person."


    "Heh-heh," the man rubbed his nose, "calling me your leader already!"


    ¡­Ring! ? "Learning the ropes!" ¡ª Meet and get acquainted with the adventurerdy''s group of adventurers and friends. 1/1 ? That was just marking the beginning of a long quest, though it was only a mandatory one, that would only be wrapped up in a month or so from now. For the present moment, however, I thought the quest was probably just about that¡ªmeeting a circle of friends I didn''t know without any reason or anything. Yes, just like with the quest Ipleted, being a "friend" of the Orc Tribe from some Ladafar town or something, the new instructions didn''te up right away. Before the quest continued, I''d have to find myself seated in some noble''s Academy, in the capital, with my elven princess and the heaviest sense of boredom prating through the every pore of skin¡ª


    But for now, the hidden monster, I, had a warlord orc head to dispose of.


    The leader stood up and said he would excuse himself, thanking me again. My adventurerdy said she would be off, too, now. As she was worried, I thanked the babe for all her help, and set off to the Guild Bureau at once, showing her I knew the way perfectly well.


    With a smile, we parted. Minutes from now, I''d be inside the Guild Bureau, more precisely at the trading ground, and my cover would vanish¡ªpeople would recognize me as the monster, then I''d be attacked by the military and¡ª


    Ha ha ha.

 Chapter 96 Trouble

    Lost, huh? That''s me. That''s "lost." One sorry lostmb who wandered off without the flock, and ran straight to the wolf''s den.


    ? ¡ª Head over to the trading grounds. 1/1 ?


    The wolf''s den could also be referred to as the Guild Bureau. I knew I shouldn''t havee here on my own, but here I was anyway. And now¡­ ? ¡ª Witness the general''s fury. 0/1 ? That''s right¡ªat least my predicament seemed to be part of the quest.


    "Whateveres my way, I''ll handle it right!" Or so I said earlier, filled with confidence. "I''ll deal with it just aaaaall right, babe!" I said that, too. "I''ll be fine, really, I''m not half as lost as I was moments ago, so from now on, you may cease worrying, babe!" I talked a lot, didn''t I? And now, I''m simply as lost as ever.


    When, all suddenly, two huge hands were mmed down onto the wooden counter. I was right in front of it, with my eyes cast downward, so oblivious to what to say, and it made me jolt again. It went m, and even though I saw iting, my eyes still shot open and my breathing quickened.


    Aaah, but no, I''m not surprised by this anymore. Rather, I shouldn''t. How would I? Let the crude general person behave as he wished and harass me more!


    There was a counter and a stool. While I sat defeated on the stool, it wasn''t certainly the first time the hands plunged right t onto the counter''s surface, expressing some kind of hot rage toward me. Then again, he performed the same move and pped the wooden surface hard with his two hands. The wooden counter stirred and trembled while the sheets of paper rustled up and down, slightly jumping on every asion.


    What a rude pair of hands. If that parade continued on and on, I''d get angry. I mean, the poor papers¡­ surely, they haven''t asked for this telling off either. They were lost. Just like myself. In the wolf''s den. How rude anyway to do such a thing to the papers. They were important, after all, so why be so crude? Also, both the counter and myself didn''t like all the rage leaking through the crude general, so he had better stop, didn''t he? He had such an annoying wrinkled look on his face.


    Oh, and he spoke again. "¡ªAnd I''m the one who oughta be wincing, kid!" What a pain, even grimacing at his harassing behavior earned me some me, now. I was strong, so I could wince however much I liked. But he spoke again. "Now, exin me, then," he yelled. "What''re you brat doing here, eh?"


    "D-Dunno."


    "With respect!" The hands were mmed in the same fashion as before.


    "...I don''t know, sir."


    "That''s what I like."


    I clicked my tongue¡­ but the hands didn''t overlook my "rudeness" again, and they were mmed t right onto the important papers when the general made it clear he had said "with respect," so there was no clicking my tongue to be heard. When I deeply sighed, looking him in the eyes, the general shook his head again and murmured I was a brat.


    "The papers. Your documents. Tell me what''s this about, kid. Very simple! Your name; your party''s name; your adventurer''s identification and license; your magic element; and the number of heads you got us here!"


    "But I¡ª"


    "No buts only butts, son!"


    "Oh."


    "Thedies'', of course!"


    "Hm."


    "Argh, but yeah, your papers. From what I can see, all you brought us is your loot! What''s this about, now, son? You know you got to qualify so you''re allowed actions on the battlefield¡­ I mean, you''ve been told, haven''t you? That business we all go about here ain''t so much about the monster hunters'' usual affair, you see, so how is it that you¡­" The general sighed.


    "It''s a wonder to me, yeah? Naturally! ¡­Brave adventurers like you, there ain''t a ton, you see, but there are still some. An'' you an'' your cute little face¡­ I can''t seem to recognize it. C''mon! You''re just a kiddo. That loot can''t be yours, can it? That''s a warlord we got here, you see. Must''ve stolen it from another party, eh? And hey, funny thing is all that being told ain''t even part of¡ª"


    "That isn''t true," I protested, adding a "sir" a littlete. I protested and assured the general, who seemed to be raising a fuss about more than my original sin (that was not to be able to fill the documents handed over to me, not having any of the stuff he called as license, identification te, and whatnot), but who even said I couldn''t have possibly gotten my loot on my own. So that was another problem, ording to the man, and there were other problemsing after that one he would mention so briefly. "My orc head I collected myself, sir!" I said I''d get angry if that went on for too long, and so that''s what I did albeit only slightly.


    "See? You''re stirring again, sonny," he told me. "Can''t be helping us, I''m telling you. Told you already, didn''t I? Do I gotta tell you brat again? Know it. I''ll be losing my patience now."


    To put it briefly again: One lostmb in the wolf''s den. Normally, it was the wolf''s job to go and get itself some sheep. In my case, it was the lostmb who seemed to have been careless and ended up in the enemy''s den. Ah, but whatever. Anytime I want I can turn into the wolf here, so I should be all right. These people weren''t so strong, after all, but well. They knew better than me about life.


    ? So what was this mess about anyway? The papers. The important papers. Stupid papers. Always papers. I simply wanted to trade my loot against the human''s silvers, or some kind of currency, for the sake of the quest I was given by the System. Look where it got me.


    I was just following the quest, wasn''t I, so what to do now, exactly? Then again, there was still the fact that the quest wasn''t so explicit and clear anymore. Remembering my instructions¡ªto witness the general''s rage¡ªI didn''t panic at all or made to leave because maybe this situation was still under control. With the orcs, I was seemingly in trouble, too, but everything turned out fine thanks to the quest''s storyline.


    Still, what the heck, man. It was a pain to even be here, not to mention being yelled at so intently. So you could say that, despite the System''s stance of simply being a "witness" to all that, I was still fighting my own fight and trying to sell my merch. My warlord orc head. There must have been something I could do in order to pull that¡ª


    Think, think, think.


    Everything did go like this: With my babe wishing me luck, I took off toplete the quest. Off to the Guild Bureau, then to the trading grounds of the facility. The babe had indicated "right up ahead" and that was correct.


    Following a path bustling with a great many people, going back and forth between their own destinations. Up till that point, everything was still fine, right? Hmm, at the rear, the field was very broad and extended. There were still plenty of adventurers swarming, but it wasn''t so crowded. With much ease, I sailed on, without yet a problem in sight.


    I passed by the same guffawing dwarf and his many armors, swords, and axes, I also passed by the pdin''s healing house, and along the way were some other ces¡ªwonders of civilization¡ªthat caught my eye. People, mostly adventurers, formed circles and seemed to train together, or something, and they also gathered around mages and alchemists as they dealt in scrolls and other notorious magical devices.


    After one week of existence, I could say that the world was rich, so I liked it.


    And before long, I arrived at the Guild''s quarters. There were direction panels. As I had naturally learned how to speak a tongue fluently, by basically stealing the "skill," let''s say, from an individual, I had learned how to read. Letters formed words, and I couldprehend them.


    A G-letter followed by a u, i, l, and d formed the word Guild. Words were amazing. I could read and understand the words "Guild Bureau" without anyone saying it out loud. Pretty damn cool, if you wanted my opinion. The whole facility that the Guild''s quarters were was a surprising one. In a few words, though it was the same kind of quickly-built house as most of the other "constructions" of the rear, that one seemed way sturdier and bigger.


    One direction panel below the biggest Guild Bureau-panel, I could read many a word, but there was a particr one that got my attention¡ª yin¡ª No, Trading Grounds.


    Many people formed many lines. At each end of the numerous lines was found an entrance in which people went, lingered no more than two minutes, then went out by the same door. They had their loot when they got in, but it vanished when they came out. Silvers, eh?


    Currency was one very important aspect of the human races'' civilization, therefore people were happy to trade their loot. Considering whether I should be rich or not because maybe wealth was part of one''s mightiness, I stepped into the structure and was warmly greeted in by some humans, who, when they saw the "young and tender" human kide in, all guffawed at "that kid who''s barely got a thing to do herein'' with his sack o'' heads so he gets his share!" and that was my entrance.

 Chapter 97 Kinda

    I stepped into the structure and was warmly greeted in by some humans, who, when they saw the "young and tender" human kide in, all guffawed at "that kid who''s barely got a thing to do herein'' with his sack o'' heads so he gets his share!" and that was my entrance.


    There were a few stools and tables with a higher counter, on one side of this empty room, and some other nd furniture on the other side with piles of documents and a clerk on duty scrambling away.


    How did go my time out on the battlefield? Was it scary? Or did I only cower away and hide behind my seniors in order to stay safe and get away safely, rather? Questions from the men greeted me too after they waved their arms mockingly and burst outughing.


    I didn''t answer any of them and stepped inughing along with the boys. Exchanging words, I was seated in front of a desk. ¡­But where was this going? I was simply here for the silver coins, I thought, after that I was going right back to my old advisor and see what we do next. From the looks of it, the simple task of trading your loot for coins seemed like a tedious one. The fact was, it wasn''t really tedious, but I wasn''t expecting any papers, so¡­


    Yes. A sheet was promptly ced in front of me. t on the counter, my eyes jumped onto the sheet, and I analyzed it. Once, twice, then thrice. My name, my party''s name, some details about my mana, other kinds of identifications, and wow, was I required to do anything with that? My eyes then swung to my right as I asked for help from the big man, and there you go.


    Before long, the air grew tense with hostility and agitation, and the big person who got rather angry because of my many infractions gave some words to the people around so they could keep trading with the adventurers who came here, and now we were back to the present moment¡ª


    "What was that? Clicking your tongue again, are we? Hey, listen up, it''s simple. And¡­ tell you what¡ªI''m gonna go about it again so that we all get this straight together, all good?"


    When I frowned, the man repeated he was only here to help. After I said yes, the man mmed his palms as frantically as before onto the counter, I red at him, then heughed and turned to his colleagues. "We have to help the kid, right?! Troublesome kid''s okay with that himself, after all!"


    One guy was pacing back and forth in the room, with a hand on his chin, also dded with a sparkly yet dark armor like his colleague. That man answered. "Don''t turn to me for answers." The other guy, the young clerk, was still at his desk unmoving.


    "Yeah?"


    "I say we let the kid go. Who cares what fuck he''s up to¡­ Right now, we don''t have time. But do as you wish."


    "...Right. Yeah, no, you''re dumb¡ªlet''s rather ask our clerk boy, eh? What''d you think I"¡ªa hand mmed again on the counter¡ª"should do?" The man sat on the counter and peered down at me with a grin before he jerked his chin at the young clerk so he spoke.


    "General, sir. ording to our rules and regtions¡­" and a long-winded speech began. The boy¡ªthat was I¡ªhad certainlymitted grave actions with what seemed to be the oue of a rash, childish behavior. The boy hadmitted a crime. A very puny one, but it was still an infraction nheless. "Although while I would not, in fact, bring myself to, on my part, obviously, proceed and deal with such a ''criminal'' ording to the strict regtions of the State, since, and let us be reminded, we are not, by any means, having much time, due to the many events of right now, I would rather be pleased if you, Sir Lareneg, deal with and decide on punishing (or not) this kid, ording to your own wisdom and knowledge with regards to what would seem to be our priorities down here on the battlefield¡­ and let us be done with it at once, indeed. In short, since you do indeed think that we¡ª"


    "A''ight. Quiet," the general curtly said, jumping off the table. After heughed and said he''d do as he pleased, for a minute, he conversed with his colleague, the same man wearing armor, before the two of them got angrier by the minute.


    "To hell with that!" said the colleague. "I don''t care. That''s been clear to me. We''ve been given clear orders by her highness the princess." The colleague proimed, with emotions, that they couldn''t make a failure of this one battle, saying it would be too grave and significant. Of course they wouldn''t lose a war against thest remaining orcs in the country, but the better the results the better would both Her Highness'' and the army''s rewards be. "So you tell me, what''s there for us to do? Soldiers''ve been reconditioned. In a few, we''re going back at it. What''s there for us to¡ª"


    "To hell with that, you say," did the general speak. ording to him, the matter of the boy who didn''t abide by the rules was no simple matter to dismiss. For many reasons¡ªlike, mostly, the fact that he didn''t want the Guild''s presence here on the battlefield, as he believed it was the army''s ce only¡ªhe insisted that my infraction required a punishment.


    It was well obvious, to them, that I was illegally being here. I mean, they were right. I was a monster, so my presence here was not allowed, but they didn''t know that. By "illegal," though I didn''t really understand all of it, I could understand it was because my identity couldn''t basically be confirmed by the Guild''s services. So anyway, the general stood up and made it clear I should be punished.


    "So that''s your reasoning. Still, that''s not the top priority here. We should serve Her Highness the princess and get the greatest results possible, not waste our time here."


    "The shit''s going great already. We got the results. The orc armies are never standing long when we fight, so we''re all good. Aaah, you and your princess. What''s up with the royalty so hungry for the army''s business, these days? She must''ve gone cowering away back to her castles in the capital already, man."


    "Whatever you say. As I earlier said, do what you will. I''m bound to duty with you, so I''ll follow the orders."


    "...Going back to it, then," my counter trembled and shrieked the cry of t wood when it''s pped again, "why don''t we, kid?"


    In the end, was it all a mess or not? I didn''t know anymore. If I did as the System indicated me to do, this shouldn''t be a mess. Then again, maybe I had nothing under control, at the time. I could easily align ten of the deepest sighs I could muster, but even a thousand sighs couldn''t get all my irritation and annoyance out.


    My situation wasn''t so desperate, but man, it was annoying to just have to "go on with the flow" as always. If I could, I''d want to have a detailed schedule of everything I went about beforehand.


    Now, what must I do? Be waiting still? Escape? ughter all three human creatures here and take off? Call in for my old man''s help? If I yelled loud enough, I was sure he could¡­ well, probably not.


    No, no. Let''s wait and see, then. ? ¡ª Witness the general''s fury. 0/1 ? No, no. It wasn''t all a mess, in the end. As I inwardly debated what to do, having a big person sternly staring down at me from above, a big person''s colleague pacing through the room, and a young clerk heeding none but his documents¡ªa change urred. A broad change.


    A princess came into the game. A real princess, unlike the fallen elven one. A royal person that had the might and wealth to match her name. She was the charming and most beautiful youngdy of her proud nation, the Roerden Kingdom, who for some reason found herself on the battlefield, ying at being the captain of the army, trying to gain her father, the King''s, approval regarding some matter.


    ? ¡ª Witness the general''s fury. 1/1 ?


    I didn''t know any of her backstory, her problems, issues, worries, and all troublesome affairs that led the self-righteous human princess directly to the battlefield herself. If my old man was here, he who hadmonsense would definitely be put off by such a high-ranking person''s presence here. Let me tell you I wasn''t.


    Ring! ? ¡ª New instructions¡­ ?


    "And what should be the ruckus about, soldiers?" Her voice was clearer than crystal water gushing forth right from a split rock in the mountains. Where did thedye from? It didn''t matter, and marking her entrance with the solitary sound of her heels, her soldiers jumped down on their knees at once, shouting two sharp and distinct "Your Highness!" in front of the nobledy.


    On the battlefield, back when I was with the orcs, there was a certain prince among the prisoners I ughtered who had said, "Behold me, I''m the fifth prince of my nation! We are to be saved¡ªmy sister, her army, and her heroes certainly wille to us! Also, we have a n!" or something along those lines anyway, and that prince I put down an hour earlier happened to be the nobledy''s kid brother.


    When that nobledy entered the setting of the trading grounds¡­ she promptly spotted the unique monster I was. Eh, my old man did warn me. Still, before I could be hunted down, that same nobledy, princess of the proud nation of Roerden¡­ wait for it¡­ adopted me, the hidden unique monster. Kinda.


    I said her circumstances wereplicated, and so, well, things happened. She had her own struggles and worries to grapple with, and that''s how the unique monster was "adopted" by her.


    Ha ha ha. What was amusing was the fact that both she and I, at the time, were ignorant of the fact that I had murdered, today, her kid brother. Well, she wasn''t even acquainted with the fact that the boy died, so knowing the identity of her killer was still a long way from her.


    But anyway. What a story.

 Chapter 98 Royalty

    ¡­Ring! ? New instructions: ¡­ ? Oh?


    " ¡ªWhat should this ruckus be about, my generals?" And the nobledy made her appearance, shed by the spotlights of reverence. Her voice came from the back, opposite to one of the many offices of the Guild Bureau''s trading grounds.


    "Your Highness!" The stern general, the one who was just the "colleague," quickly sprang into action, reacted with joy and discipline, and bowed his head, bringing one of his knees down. The other big person who wanted to punish me reacted more slowly: More or less shocked, his eyes grew full and wide. Giving a start of his head, he turned to the arriving royalty.


    As the sound of her light, graceful footsteps faintly echoed through the room, she was still briskly walking her way up to her generals and decided to speak once more. "Shall I note insubordination on your part, Generals? Or have you grown so timid ofbat that you should try and shirk yourselves from your duty at the front?" Her feminine silhouette made her quick entrance onto the stage of my life.


    The general who didn''t bow still had his eyes on me, but he didn''t actually stare at me. He stared at nothing, or maybe at his thoughts. Quickly snapping out of that, he straightened his back and lifted his hands off the counter where they rested.


    All the more quickly, he turned to face the feminine silhouette, as it finally became fully visible to us, and bowed his head reverently, bringing a knee down. "Princess¡­!" The man was visibly tense all over. The clerk, too, was reverently greeting the princess, then, calling off all activities regarding his documents.


    "Well?" did the princess interrogate further. "Will you speak for yourselves, then?" It was elegant. She was elegant. Her aura was elegant. Wearing a long royal robe, that was a rather sober adornment for a royal person, going loose from her waist to above her ankles, she walked freely in it. Her thighs and legs pped underneath it, and her boots came to a stop. Yes, she was rather dressed soberly for a royal person of her title. Granted, since we were actually more or less still on the battlefield, it was natural.


    At the pce, I was sure she shone an even brighter light of nobility. Her robe also went up from her waist to her exposed shoulders and cleavage, not shying away from revealing thedy''s ample curves above her waist, with the fabric of her robe sticking to her skin, breasts, and thin arms, all of which was underneath an open white coat.


    When the fair blond color of her hair shone a light in the room she just entered still, she was sternly staring down at her two subjects, then came to a stop. I was non-reactive. The System and its quest gave new instructions. My head nodded, and I was looking forward to the end of that scene.


    Reiterating, the royaldy asked her soldiers again the same question. "Or have you lost your tongues?" At once, all the bowing heads and backs were called off, then.


    "Y-Your Highness¡­ to what exactly do we owe the pleasure of a person your rank in the Guild''s quarters¡­?" It was the "colleague" person who spoke. The remark was fair, the business of a person of her rank here must have been quite the unusual one. Nervous, the other general didn''t speak a word. Only a minute ago, he spoke ill of the princess he rejected, saying her affairs and upations belonged to the royal pce, in the capital, rather than to the battlefield¡ªwhat if she had heard?


    Just as if neatly following some well-prepared script, the greetings of the soldiers were over. Still, none of them didck the urge to be of strictness and reverence when addressing the royalty. Except for me, maybe, every soul was this way. My eyes were set on the royaldy, and I thought the old man must have been exaggerating when he said it was nomonality for amoner to even meet one person of royal blood in their life. After all, I met two already, and if anything, I was below amoner''s rank.


    But the old man was right and I couldn''t know better. So that was my second encounter with some royal king''s daughter, but it would probably be thest. Due to my condition, maybe not at all, but anyway. That royaldy had the looks to go along with her title. Riches, wealth, and men power. From up my stool, my eyes observed thedy curiously as my head was tilted. Briefly, the royaldy''s eyes wandered toward me. She raised a brow but quickly ignored the quirky teenage boy who looked at her with eyes round as tes and a cocked head.


    Her gaze was set back upon her two servants¡ªevery man of the State was a servant to the royalty¡ªand slightly frowned. The question addressed to her ventured to ask the reason why she was present here, in the Guild''s outpost? She herselfmented that it was beside the point, but if her servants wished to know, she had just met with the Archimage, head of this particr branch of the Guild, and they discussed strategy. "But should I reiterate or will your stubborn tongues unknot themselves atst?"


    "Yes, Your Highness! That is, we have been retained here from our duty on the battlefield for the sole reason of¡­ I trust Gen. Lareneg should walk you through that reason."


    "Your Highness¡ª Ahem!" As the "colleague" person proposed, it would be the general who saw my behavior as unfit and wished to go out of his way to make an example of my failure to abide by the rules. His nervous reply began by stating the reason for which, he and his colleague, in the first ce, were to be found within the Guild''s quarters rather. That was for a reason simr to that of the royaldy. However, after things happened, they both had the misfortune to run into me. After a minute, garrulously, the general exined and justified himself.


    After he was done, he was admonished by the royaldy who stated many a reason why the general was a disappointment. The general, still subdued and reverent, wouldn''t have it, and tried to protest, all the more politely, to express his reasoning all over again, namely that I had to be sanctioned or the military would never hope to be rid of theck of discipline and spontaneousness of the Guild''s men, but he was simply admonished yet again, atst ordered to fall silent.


    After that was done, the royaldy sighed, shook her head, and cursed under her breath. The affair of a noble person, who also was a female, on the battlefield wasn''t so trivial that she could ept not toy the greatest results she could muster. That''s why she was annoyed by the behavior of the soldiers in front of her. She''d had enough trouble to even get permission from her father the king to be allowed as the Commander, temporarily, but if the men of the army didn''t fully respect her authority due to the fact they couldn''t fully ept her, that was a "fucking pain in my ass," as she would have it herself, silently cursing.


    For a second, she was annoyed, but the next second, she was more or less all right. ept it and go on anyway was what she had to do¡­ but out of curiosity, her eyes wandered again and met with the quirky teenage boy''s, who was now not so much tilting his head to the side in a childish manner, but held his shoulders back and his chin high, coldly gazing back at the royaldy in the most dignified manner hardly fitting the youthful appearance of the "boy."


    If I looked at her like this, it was because I tried to imitate her. As you know, I liked to gather new information and stimuli from the Outside World, and that piece of event was greatly entertaining my curiosity. That''s how I grew, and so, at present, I was growing again.


    I learned to be royalty.


    And maybe it worked too well.


    A true royalty and ruler, from what I gathered of the present scene, was feared by his subjects¡­ from what I just learned anyway. At any rate, now, was I the royaldy''s royalty? Surely, if she feared me, maybe the girl epted my rule. That''s right, she had better ept my rule and call me her dominus¡­ or else she''ll see. And yeah, what I read on her face after her gaze was set on me, was tant fear.


    "Should such a child¡­ but the result¡­ of¡­" The royaldy trailed off. Her tired gaze had wandered around, was ced in the monster''s abyss, and it stared right back into her. When I curiously observed the faint glint of shock, growing ever steadily, in the girl''s eyes, I knew I overdid my acting.


    In her eyes, I understood she had seen me, the monster. My old man warned me¡ªpeople could find out about my true nature if they were careful enough. Crap. Aware of that, I thought it was toote and didn''t tear my cold gaze off of thedy''s panicked eyes. Rather, I simply scoffed when she took a step backward, so warily.


    When her eyes trembled like the whole earth was shaken under my grip, her throat dryly gulped as I jumped on my feet, giving her my best grin rather than my best regards. Locking my hands behind my back, like my old man so often did, I grew more dignified and royal-like by the minute.

 Chapter 99 Systems Storyline

    When her eyes trembled like the whole earth was shaken under my grip, her throat dryly gulped as I jumped off my feet, giving her my best grin rather than best regards. Locking my hands behind my back, like my old man so often did, I grew more dignified and royal-like by the minute.


    When the panicked royaldy called out to her soldiers, who now also stared at me, "You¡­ fools¡­! ¡­Fools of generals¡­!" I btedly reverently bowed to the princess, yfully, following the System''s instructions, and waited to see what woulde. She was staring at me the wrong way, but I''d forgive her this one time.


    "Princess¡­?"


    "Y-Your Highness?"


    "Fools of generals!"


    "Yes¡­ Your Highness¡­? Please, forgive our insolence¡ª"


    "Do you not¡ª How can you not see?!" she yelled after she mumbled more words. "W-What level is that¡­ Why does it feel so high-level¡­?"


    "Yes, Your Highness! We have failed to see our mistakes earlier! We shouldn''t have lingered here for so trivial and unimportant an issue regarding the adventurer who¡ª"


    "Not that!"


    She was still so intently staring at me, despite the heavy load of animosity I directed toward her. Only she saw my darkest of auras flowing out of the dark-haired boy.


    Her eyes weren''t trembling alone, by now. Her limbs were shaking with cold panic, too. Still walking backward, step after step, in the slowest manner, she kept backing away like the threat she ran away from would ever be present and hostile in front of her. I could feel the cold grip of my ever-growing shadow on her throat as she trembled under my eyes and was engulfed by my aura.


    Well, she was right to tremble. Even a blind man would tremble if he "saw" the monster. So, nodding at her, I acknowledged her fear and grinned again for a second.


    "Such dark ages. To think that, nowadays, even the enemy, even a monster, can be taking on such a youthful, beautiful naive appearance to fool us, the humans." I wasn''t human¡ªit was the royaldy who spoke, now gaining back herposure. After she ordered her guard to jump at me, she tripped over herself, letting out a very girly Kyah, and tumbled to the ground.


    I jumped off my stool a minute ago. My heels now dug into the floor, and with a jump, I darted to the front entrance of the trading grounds, crackling my wooden tiles under my feet. I wouldn''t go on the run. Simply, I put some distance between myself and the royalty''s soldiers, wondering what the actors would now do.


    Two pairs of the sharpest eyes were set onto my back, sending a faint shiver down my spine. The generals were strong, needless to say. With confidence, I slid my shoulders back to them and faced their threat. The warlord orc head, confined within its back, was still where I was seated, but my short sword was with me.


    My hand gripped the hilt of it. The performance I just showed off made it clear enough¡ªmy high STR stats couldn''t belong to the supposed human boy they confused me for. Ignoring the shame of failing to see what their ruler saw, naturally, then, the generals also were ready to deal with me at once.


    But I was curious now. What did give me in? What exposed me? Was it about my outward appearance, after all? No way, right? I was perfectly human-like, if not for my so slightly pointed ears¡­ but even then, having even the slightest portion of elvish blood in my veins wouldn''t expose me as a monster, so it couldn''t be it.


    It wasn''t about my appearance¡­ so maybe simply about my sheer magical power? My mana? It must have been different from a human''s own mana, so I guess it was that. The old man would tell me more about that anyway¡­ and for now¡ª


    Would I have to fight? If I was so confident about everything going down, it was because, thanks to the System, the Game, or the Quest, I knew about the quest''s narrative before it happened. When the princess appeared, I basically had to "talk it out" with her in order to avoid a bloodshed, since the Quest''s contents let me know beforehand the royaldy was just about to identify me as her enemy. To speak in order to avoid a bloodshed, but who knows how to do that? Just speak, maybe? Well, regardless, I probably would need to fight, right now. And whatever happened, I knew that the System''s words were absolute.


    Remember that time with the Dryad back in the forest? She made it clear she refused to "help the yer to proceed with the quest," and the result was that, well, she didn''t have much of any choice in the end. White clouds of mana appeared around her, at the time, and who knows what happened then, but the dryad had then epted to go on with the quest''s instructions without so much as aint, quite the contrary, with a big smile and an ample curtsey.


    It''s just as if there was a scripted storyline, and that the whole world had to go along with it. If the storyline required any "character," ording to the System, Game, or Quest, to do something specific or act a certain way, said character would have toply.


    So where would "this" be going?


    All of what was happening needed a quick resolution. When the royaldy appeared here, she qualified it a ruckus, and she was right. A ruckus it was. A ruckus was bad.


    A ruckus needed to be stopped at once. If I let the two soldiers go out, the chaos wouldn''t be in control anymore. If I put down the two of them, along with the clerk while I was at it, I could stop them before this whole situation became too much of a pain. Was that a n, then?


    Promptly, the two of them formed a defensive wall. Their princess was behind their back. They had to protect their lord (alongside the young clerk, who had also taken refuge behind their wall).


    "Annihte the threat, Generals!"


    The two generals sprang into action, but¡ª


    "CEASE!" I rapidly yelled, momentarily activating the "Intimidation" skill. The two soldiers were destabilized for a second. "...The ma''am in the back¡­ don''t be such a pain."


    "P-Pardon me!?" Of all these people, the royaldy was the one who had seen me. She wanted to run the most, but she didn''t.


    "Look now. You two generals calm down, too. I, uh, well¡­ I''m just here to do the ''quest.'' To talk it out. You there, the ma''am in the back, you understand me, don''t you?"


    Though they were destabilized, the two generals were still ready to jump at my throat, but...


    For a second, right after I mentioned the word "quest," the change in the environment was abrupt. Just like at that time with my dryad escort. Immediately, it was like time had stopped and everything became gray around me. I could still move around, but the other guys couldn''t. All gray and colorless, with no time going by.


    Clouds of the brightest white pure mana formed around the four people who dared go against the System''s instructions, and "it" happened.


    From experience, that was what happened when a pulsory" quest was going out of hand. You just had to mention the "quest" and call forth order. I was supposed to be ying the Game, after all.


    The two generals were at the same spot, ready to attack me, but theirplexions were now nk. As I had not much of anymonsense, I wasn''t so shocked and perplexed by the turn of events.


    I already witnessed that once in the past, and "it" just happened again. Any other person would be so shocked to witness that. The royaldy and the young clerk were gray and motionless for a second, too, as the white clouds of mana, like a divine intervention, worked their magic, and everything went back to "normal."

 Chapter 100 Strategic Board

    The royaldy and the young clerk were gray and motionless for a second, too, as the white clouds of mana, like a divine intervention, worked their magic, and everything went back to "normal."


    To the "normal" course of events, right. New instructions from the Quest kicked in, and I apparently needed to apany the royaldy to somece where we could finally talk it out. The turn of events felt a little off ways, figuring I initially swung by this ce for trading an orc head and getting my silvers, but I guess I had no interest in not proceeding with the Quest, so I was quite all right.


    I did have a unique skill called [Mana''s Benediction], but as I still hadn''t unearthed all of the System''s abilities and wonders I guess it just went over my head for the time being. I said it earlier, but in a month or so, I would get to unearth what needed discovering. (Author''s note: You don''t need to read that and may jump to the next paragraph. Dropping a note here to rify the reason why MC still hasn''t gotten to fully "discover" andprehend the way the System works. The first time some manifestation of the System, the "Skill Interface" or "Menu," appeared to our MC, he was in a hurry and simply waved it off in order to go and see what was up with the elven princess right after he got his human form. That was exined by the end of the first book. At that time, the System was about to give themand to open the menu anytime, but MC, in his hurry and excitement, didn''t care at all at the time. It''s part of the plot, and you''ll get to discover and unearth the System when the timees. Soon.)


    "Ahem! Generals, I trust you know what to do, then." The generals voiced their agreement. "Get back to your positions at once. The Archimage and Grand General will require your support."


    As for me, my instructions from the System enjoined me to apany the third princess, daughter of the Ruler of Roerden, to an office of her choice where the yer, me, would hear what the royalty has to propose to the monster.


    Going with its usual lengthy long-winded descriptions of the quests, the System added a few lines about not even the yer knew how that turn of events would affect the conflict between the orcs and the kingdom, and I wondered about it.


    "Yes, Your Highness!"


    "Immediately, Your Highness."


    Taking off, the two tall men passed by me. I was happy to be totally ignored. No hostility whatsoever they harbored against me, now. The System really was something, wasn''t it? The young clerk also jumped to his desk, as if nothing ever happened.


    "You, boy. ¡­Do please follow me."


    I noticed the princess'' gaze was still a bit confused and somewhat afraid of me, but I guess she wouldn''t be aware I was a unique monster, now, so I was all right. Well, the thing was, she actually knew, and I was the one not aware of it at the time.


    I figured it was obvious that she didn''t "know" anymore, now that the System had worked its magic, but¡­ by neatly paying attention to the Quest Instructions, I could have guessed she knew¡ªthe System mentioned that the royaldy would make a proposal to the "monster."


    Oblivious to that, I did as the royaldy asked and followed after her when she beckoned to me. Oh, and just to be sure, I snatched back the warlord orc head item I had with me since I, in my ignorance, figured all the quest was really about was the trading of this item in exchange for silvers.


    Let''s tag along, I casually thought. Following after the charmingdy, I was thinking about where I was headed or this kind of stuff. I didn''t think about the "offer" or "proposal" she had to make the monster, nor did I think about the fact that she was an immensely important figure in her kingdom, which we were in, so it was probably weird for her to take care of the first teenage human adventurer boy she found and help me trade my orc head for a silver.


    I yed my cards right, so I got myself out of trouble. There was nothing to worry about. But I was still a bit mistrustful. As I walked behind the royaldy, who navigated her way within the little maze of corridors and rooms, I observed all around me with great curiosity first, but then briefly paused the course of my feet, slid a hand up on my throat, squeezed it carefully, and swore I would never let "that" happen again.


    I wasn''t traumatized or anything, but I liked to remember the events of my first day in the world. A powerful ck swordsman was here, and he shed me right up my throat. On both my wrist and throat, actually. Remembering that man, I promised that would never happen again. I couldn''t. I wanted to live.


    Everyone wanted to live. And even the nervous royaldy, who, at present, asionally kept talking to herself out loud so much she was nervous, and positivelymented on the fact that everything was indeed going ording to n, and that now, to top it all off, she also had found the weapon she always dreamed of, the sword she always needed; she also wanted to live. But, if push came to shove, I wouldn''t show mercy.


    What could she mean anyway by saying that, well¡­ She had atst found the new powerful weapon her older brothers, who knew a lot more than her about military power as it rted to absolute independence at pce-life, among other things, spoke about, and that even though they refused to help her get that powerful weapon, by sheer luck, she had found it herself. What could that mean? A powerful weapon? Me? Hm? She must have been speaking of some other matter that didn''t concern me.


    Stopping by thest door we passed, the royaldy finally came to a stop. She stopped in front of the door and sounded breathless. We hadn''t run or anything, so that was weird. Breathing in and out, quite erratically, well, that was weird too, but what was even weirder were thedy''s hands.


    They trembled quite a lot when her hands went and pressed the door open. "Cheer up, myself¡­!" Again, she spoke out loud to herself. "Hmm! I-It''s all going ording to my n¡­ But why am I so afraid¡­? Is it because I''m actually¡­ doing "it"...?" Her voice really was less than a whisper, but I heard it all right thanks to my keen senses. In any case, thedy was quite bizarre, and she wouldn''t stop there.


    Clearing my throat like a gentleman, I thought I''d let her know I was still present, too, that I could hear her speak. I would have gone out of my way to ask her not to disy such tant fear and nervosity¡ªindeed, I was no unique monster, and there was no need for her to be so afraid of the first teenage human boy she privately talked with¡ªbut I didn''t.


    When I cleared my throat so loudly, her scare doubled up, however, and she turned to me with a jolt. I frowned at her. Rx, royaldy. Before long, she opened up the door entirely, and a short creaking sound greeted us. Atst, she made her way in confidently. My feet following after hers, I allowed myself in after thedy.


    And I also allowed myself to scrutinize every nook and cranny of the office we entered. Peering all around me, though the ce was rather sober and more or less kept empty, the space was also roomy enough. It sure changedpared to the trading office I had been in. Also, the chamber was guarded and preserved.


    Many shelves, documents, and decorations. All of which was very well-organized and both breathing and smelled of ancient days. That ce looked sober yet punching at the same time. Along with the ancient smell of the documents, the faint perfume of worked wood invaded my nostrils¡ªI wanted to eat all of it. It smelled surprisingly good, seriously, and my lungs were reinvigorated.


    Three tiny windows popped open one wall of the ancient closed office. They were wide enough so that the room wasn''t either too bright or too dim. The atmosphere sure was rxed, thanks to the lighting. So I was rxed. And who else was rxed? The royaldy who ventured and finally found her "powerful weapon," and now would try and recruit it? Certainly not, let me tell you. She was still as tense as ever for a reason I ignored. Yes, after all, I wasn''t aware she wanted to discuss more than just the trading of my warlord orc head.


    The princessdy''s steps had taken her quite the distance away from me. Steadily, yet somewhat timidly, she walked in and immediately got next to the very long table board that was in the middle of the ancient office. Right, at the center of the chamber, there was a long strategic board that was just about the resume of the overall chamber. Sober yet punching.


    And the royaldy now danced with the board, still walking alongside it. Each of thedy''s steps, as if she were running away from me, was quicker than the other. Boarding one edge of the longest desk, her footsteps came to a stop as her short heels reluctantly stopped their Tip tap tip tap-singing sound. Beside the ssic table, and in the rxing silence of the chamber she opened to me, one of her hands, that was previously anxiously stroking the strategic board''s smooth wooden surface, went up and unbuttoned the single button keeping her white cape on her shoulders.

 Chapter 101 That Wouldnt Happen

    Boarding one edge of the longest desk, her footsteps came to a stop as her short heels reluctantly stopped their Tip tap tip tap-singing sound. Beside the ssic table, and in the rxing silence of the chamber she opened to me, one of her hands, that was previously anxiously stroking the strategic board''s smooth wooden surface, went up and unbuttoned the single button keeping her white cape on her shoulders.


    Swiftly, by first letting it slide down her exposed, delicate shoulders, she took it off with both hands and folded it on the chair beside her. She was very feminine and sensual, and now that she was presentable, and after she pressed her fingers t against the smooth board on her right, she heaved out the deepest of sighs, as her other hand was ced on her resourceful breast. That was a very long sigh indeed.


    What were we doing, then? Both she and I stopped. I was still pretty much standing by the entrance, not even three steps in, and thedy was standing beside that rustic longboard, upon which were all sorts of little strategic warfare-rted decorations or pawns,id out on a long map, fighting their own fight. Still observing our silence, I walked a few additional steps inside, hoping to move things along, and it worked¡­ which I believed made the royaldy alert again since she could overhear my, the little monster''s, footsteps behind her back.


    Giving a start, she also then walked additional steps onward. I mean, it was about time. Was she nning on making me wait here for so long? Thedy still pressed her pale fingers on the surface of the giant wooden board. The board was very long and not so wide. It had two ends, and she now seemed to be headed to the other end of it. Ah, and she began talking to herself out loud again.


    "Seriously¡­ Cheer up, myself," she whispered so faintly. Was that such a habit of hers to talk to herself like this out loud even in the faintest of whispers? If it was, the scared girl probably needed to keep her mouth shut, but I didn''t tell her that. In any case, maybe it was my fault for being so silent. I mean, she probably felt all by herself, no? I liked to talk to myself out loud when I was alone, too.


    "I''ve already said I''d be taking care of ''that''... Yes, I''d go about doing ''that,'' eventually. Although I could only dream of it up until now¡­ I can now certainly pull ''that'' off¡­!"


    Did she really think I couldn''t hear that soliloquy, though? Or were my sharp senses teamed together with "Mana Perception" that effective? I guess any normal person couldn''t make out what she said, at least.


    Reflexively, now that her weak, meager back and frail shoulders were exposed to me, I couldn''t help but envision myself jumping at her neck to tear her head off, but I bit my tongue and suppressed my urge to. Her whisper didn''t stop yet, and I paid attention to it again.


    "...That''s right¡­! My older brothers all have done ''that''... They said that though ''it'' was uwful and forbidden by thew, I, their stupid, ignorant younger sister, was so very naive to think doing ''that'' wasn''t either necessary¡­ or hell, even already practiced by the affluent nobility¡­ Nobles, to safely deal with every matter of the pce-life, had to at least have a handful of ''soldiers'' of their own they could trust¡­ Otherwise, as the eldest son said, you never knew when your head would fall down¡­! You just had to keep it a secret¡­ But¡­ The scoundrels¡­! When they proposed to help me with ''that'' and I epted¡­ they butughed at my face, so arrogantly, and eximed that a woman had absolutely no need for ''that''...! A woman, they said¡­! What, was I supposed to m up and obediently get married to the first duke''s son, or whatever,ing to ask for my hand¡­! I don''t think so¡­! ¡­So I could only dream of it up until today, but now¡­ I have ''it''...! That, and I''ve been entrusted with the heroes from the other world''s training¡­ So I can only seed: I''ll prove my worth to Father here, ande back with a powerful soldier, too! I could only dream of it up until now, but now, as per a miracle, that powerful soldier is, on a silver tray, simply offered to me? Yes it is! I shall seize it!"


    By the end of her silent speech, the royaldy got a bit too carried away, started to speak louder than she intended to, eximing her words out loud for all to hear, shook her fist in front of her, and mmed it on the other end of the long strategic board.


    Hesitant, I asked her whether everything was all right. When her eyes quickly darted back on me, she pressed her lips together, didn''t utter a word for a second, but then cried out that she was indeed. "I am!" She seemed like a fun and passionate person. Oh, and at once, again, as if she were a single lonely soul on the stage of her life, she spoke some more words to herself: Should she really go about recruiting the "powerful weapon," though?


    What if she was just turned down? It was all too scary, by the way. If she wasn''t wrong, the level of that "powerful weapon" was almost in the fifties¡ªthat was quite a lot. Yes, the girl was mostly bizarre. Little did I understand all she spoke about, when she said powerful weapon, irregr soldier, or a soldier that she would keep just to herself, she talked about me.


    Giving herself a round of many ps on one hand with the other, she admonished her fear and eventually said that "it" all was necessary, that if she didn''t get herself together right now, she was really done with her life and get married to the first (good) suitor (of high nobility), and so she absolutely would despise that.


    She also added that although she wasn''t the kind of person to believe that a marriage had to be one of love instead of interest, she wouldn''t simply marry the first fucking asshole; those were her words; that came ask her hand.


    All of that being said (only to herself¡ªI didn''t hear anything), she noisily cleared her throat, said she would prove herself worthy out loud, and shed me her best business smile. "So¡­ I believe you must understand the reason why you were brought here, correct?" Her voice was still slightly trembling as she obviously feared me, but I decided to ignore it andmend her strength to pull through.


    We had entered the chamber a moment ago already, but it was only now that the girl was ready to entertain her guest. It was about time she did. Standing by one end of the longboard, I was at the opposite chair where she had folded her white cape.


    "Ahem. Please sit." I sat. "The reason why you¡ª"


    "Please sit," I echoed her words. She sat, too.


    "Yes. So, the reason why you¡ª"


    "Yes, ma''am. I understand everything. Everything¡­ truly everything. I''m not lost in the slightest, not at all. Yes, ma''am. So, uh, I understand that I''m not a monster and that I''m only here, with you ma''am, to discuss the business of¡­ well, it''s quite simple really¡ªthe business of trading my orc head for a handful of silvers. Or whatever currency suits yourself, really, I wouldn''t mind. My old man says I have to be polite, so really, I promise I wouldn''t mind. Okay? Hm. Anyway, weplete the quest, we trade orc heads and silvers, and we''re done with it, ma''am."


    I just thought I''d let her know. In my momentum of motivation and decisiveness, exining with actions rather than words what I believed was the nature of my affair with the charming royaldy, I promptly took off the "Warlord Orc Head x1" Item Quest¡ªas the System called it with the AR disy¡ªI had in the bag, and swung it up.


    The stinking decaying head dived through the air, its silver hair dancing wildly all around itself¡ªin the dull silence, both my and thedy''s eyes jumped to observe it fly¡ªbut it evidently started to dive back down, and bam. I didn''t think of the consequences of my act.


    Thud!


    The decaying head crashed itself down onto the giant strategic board, crushing the little soldier figurines and the like, spraying some blood on the giant map. Like a creamy cake t on the ground, the warlord orc head made a squishy sound, and that was it.


    Or no, it wasn''t. I was embarrassed, now. I felt like chuckling a little since I found what just happened kind of amusing, but I had to keep a straight face, look the royaldy in the eyes, and repeat that such was the nature of our business here.


    "Hand over the silvers, now, damn it! ...Would ya? ¡­Uh, ma''am." Crap. That probably didn''t go out as intended. But it was right. If, as I had reasoned, we were here to trade heads and silver coins, well, now she needed to hold her end of the deal and pour some silvers on me. That wouldn''t happen.

 Chapter 102 Speak

    "Hand over the silvers, now, would ya? ¡­Uh, ma''am." Crap. That probably didn''t go out as intended. But it was right. If, as I had reasoned, we were here to trade heads and silver coins, well, now she needed to hold her end of the deal and pour some silvers on me. That wouldn''t happen.


    Now, the Warlord Orc finally had gotten his revenge on the evil humans, as he had told me. After it had done so, crushing many mountains and soldier enemies, on the 2D map, it also managed to shake off most of the soldiers of the toon, and all the wooden figurines tumbled to the side, as if dead. After the warlord orc bounced everywhere around the battlefield, it destroyed everything and calmed the enemy army in less than a minute. Way less than that.


    The ogre''s dream hade true. I mean, it was too bad that just happened on the strategic board, though. Too bad the Warchief also was dead, huh. I''m sure the orc team should have liked to see it happen for real. And that''s how entertaining such thoughts, I promised that one day, I''d definitely do it myself, crush the many soldiers to death under my power and make them all tumble down to the side, lifeless. That was a promise, but I didn''t feel like doing it right now, so it would have to wait.


    And she ignored it all¡ª "I''m so¡­ sorry? W-What do you mean, you''re not a monster?" I was d she could ignore my blunder with the orc head, but why would she ask the obvious? Like I''d tell her I was in fact a monster anyway. I decided to act as naturally as possible.


    "This is my orc head, by the way," I said, imitating the business-like smile she gave me earlier.


    "S-Sure¡­ As I would expect from you: this head should belong to a general enemy."


    "I know. So powerful, right?"


    "Y-Yes."


    After a long moment of silence¡ªI stared at her with confidence and a smile, and the girl kept switching between meeting my eyes or looking downward¡ªshe spoke again.


    "So¡­ You, what should you mean by saying you''re not, in actual fact, a mon¡ª"


    "Not a monster." I cut herself short.


    "B-But, I believe you¡ª"


    "You got the wrong person." And I kept my business smile stered on my face.


    "N-No, but¡­"


    "No buts, only butts, ma''am." Did I have to say that? Absolutely not, but man, I was nervous too, now. Should I be adding "thedies'', of course," like the general from earlier had said?


    "You¡­ are a monster."


    "YES, GODDAMN IT, ONLY THE LADIES''!" I yelled from the top of my voice, mming both hands on the board and frowning at the royaldy. "I mean, c''mon! No I''m not! Who says I am? You''re¡­ bizarre, ma''am." For once, she wasn''t so afraid.


    "B-But it is the reason why I brought you here, monster! What should I refer to you as? D-Do you have a name¡­?"


    "Look, now," I sighed. "I don''t know what you''re talking about." I was pretty intent on denying it to the end, even when it was totally clear she knew about my identity. "But do you have proof?" I shrugged. She couldn''t have proof, heh. It wasn''t like she could measure and quantify my monster-ness in any way, right?


    "I¡­ could¡­ but will it be necessary? I-I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean to m-m-make it look like I''m... exposing you or anything, but¡­"


    I shrugged again, saying if she couldn''t prove it then why even use me of such a crime. Ironically, today, I was the one eximing the idea that being a monster was a crime in and of itself, and that one should be punished by death for it.


    "M-Monster! I do have an Identification Crystal Stone." Narrowing her eyes, thedy said she could prove it, but then added that it really wasn''t necessary for me to deny my condition that much. But I wouldn''t have it.


    "You¡­" Iughed. "Ha-ha-ha! You just made that name up, didn''t you?" I was so confident she did make that Identification Crystal Stone thing up just so I''d confess it was funny. shing a grin at her, I inadvertently told her she wouldn''t catch me red-handed. She would never. Ahem, well, she actually already did, but let''s ignore that part.


    What followed surprised me so much my grin was wiped off my face at once. The royaldy did indeed possess some device she called an Identification Crystal Stone, and thanks to it, she could see my level, stats, race, job, and age. Thanks to that device, she could tell I was a monster. She could tell how mighty I was and stuff, and she mumbled it was weird my age disyed zero-year-old but it must have been an error.


    I cursed under my breath. So she knew, huh. In my younger days, I only realized it then, but of course she knew. "Pardon me?" I said it was nothing, then decided to ask her a question or two about that Crystal Stone thingy. Less worried, she answered me, and I learned that such devices were normally located at, for example, the gates of a city.


    Thanks to the device, you could control what people went in and out of town without much trouble. It did just that, after all¡ªidentify people. When I asked her whether she had another of these magic devices on her, she told me no. With the same business smile, I asked her to hand it over to me so I could see whether I really was a monster or not (I still tried to deny it).


    When she did, I ced it in front of me, looked curiously down at it, frowned, smelled it, bit it, whacked it¡ªthe royaldy asked me the hell I was doing¡ªand finally, after I ced it in front of me again on the wooden board, I gave it the strongest punch I could muster and broke the thing.


    That was a curious device in that the way it disyed some really basic info could have been likened to the System''s way of producing quests and stuff, but after a good beating, ain''t no fe just walking from me, not even that Crystal Stone thing.


    "Oh, well, ha-ha! So it was broken, after all, wasn''t it, ma''am? It exins it all, ha-ha. As I said, you got the wrong person." Call me stubborn if you want, but to my youthful and inexperienced mind, if people knew I was a monster, it meant I was going to die since they would want to kill me.


    When my punch hit the Identification Stone, the royaldy jumped in genuine fear and made silent apologies to me. What cowardly royalty now that I think about it. My elven princess wasn''t so weak when she fought her elf guardian. Oh, but then again, Cetha knew I wouldn''t hurt her, so¡­


    "My apologies, truly."


    "Now, what? ¡­Ma''am."


    "R-Regardless of whether you are¡­" she cleared her throat. "Regardless of your condition and given your circumstances, I-I-I would like to make you an o-offer¡­"


    That was right. I realized it toote, but what was her reason for bringing a monster in, hm? I mean, at first it was obvious to me we should be trading loot for silver, but if that wasn''t the case, then what was she up to? Something to do with recruiting some "powerful soldier" because her good life at the pce depended on it?


    I had no idea about that. All I knew was that she brought a monster in: did she want to die? If that''s what she desired, she was doing so well thus far. I just had to stand up and jump at her if that''s what she wanted. But no.


    As I said, I only realized it toote, but there must have been a reason for which the precious third princess of the Roerden Kingdom would risk her life and "talk it out" with a monster. Her story was basically the story of a royalty trying to live a good life at the pce, but I didn''t know yet. In the details, of course, it was moreplicated than that, but I trust the summary of her story was the gist of it.


    I frowned. The lingering tension, that was so far kept hidden and neglected, was now as clear as daylight. From now on, I decided to stop messing around with her in hopes that she would stop, too. Come to think of it, she didn''t even mess with me, however. She simply surprised me with her words, since I was ignorant she knew I was a unique monster, but hey, that wasn''t her fault, was it?


    I made up my mind, and maybe I could hear the girl out while I was at it. There was also, as usual, the fact that the System guided me here, to do this particr quest, and so I should probably follow my System''s instructions. It never failed to surprise me in a good way, after all.


    "Speak," I coldly ordered.

 Chapter 103 Curious Royalty

    I made up my mind, and maybe I could hear the girl out while I was at it. There was also, as usual, the fact that the System guided me here, to do this particr quest, and so I should probably follow my power''s instructions. It never failed to surprise me in a good way, after all.


    "Speak," I coldly ordered.


    When I withdrew my aura and hostility, she didn''t stammer so much. "I truly am sorry. I do not know what to understand of this¡ª of our situation. I did indeed think that the matter was clear between us." Did she say "clear"?


    So who was the one who couldn''t get a clue¡ªthe monster or the royalty? Nothing was clear to me, and I was still in fact more or less lost as to the reason why, for instance, she would need a powerful soldier for. Sure, she spoke a lot on her own so I could get the main idea behind her actions, but wouldn''t she at least introduce herself? "B-But what did I miss¡­? If you could be so kind as to enlighten me¡­" Your introduction, maybe?


    After I said the word "quest" out loud, nothing happened. When I repeated it to make sure the System was stirring me toward that unexpected direction, the human royalty begged my pardon, wondering why I kept repeating "quest" to not particrly anyone. I ignored her and stared into her eyes.


    As I did so she quickly averted hers and looked away. It wasn''t that she was bashful, really, she was simply scared. The fact that she feared me put me at ease. Ah, but just to make sure we all got things straight, I curtly told the girl I would show her "something."


    "B-By all means, do so."


    Since she agreed to it herself, I decided not to hold back at all. She sat in her chair and I sat in mine. The board was so long that there was probably a solid fifteen feet between us. Also, the decaying orc head was still present there, showing the back of his head to me and facing the royalty. I didn''t bother hiding myself, now. My expression was listless and icy. I was the monster, right now, and it showed through. Gesturing with my chin to the orc head, I nodded at the royalty. If she understood what I meant, she would try and not die like some Warchief ogre guy I met earlier today.


    "...Today, huh?" Today truly was a long day. Crossing my arms on my chest, I asked the royalty if she was ready to see the "something," and she faintly whispered yes. When she gave me the green light, I activated the "Intimidation" skill to the fullest. And then, if you asked the royalty to paint me, the monster, at that precise moment when I unleashed my true self, she would only, with trembling hands, draft the darkest and coldest of drawings, the one drawing that could pierce right through her skin and bones all together, rendering her frightened and powerless to an unspeakable point.


    As my eyes plunged into hers, and my aura assaulted her, the girl was plunged deep, deep within the most profound of oceans, where she drowned. The dark blue light of my eyes was like this¡ªit either gave life or drowned it.


    Thankfully for the royalty, her nightmarested less than a second. After I activated the Intimidation active skill to the fullest, I immediately called it off. My goal wasn''t to frighten the poor little girl beyond what was necessary, after all.


    When she was freed from my shadow, the third princess quickly jumped up, then backed down only to fall into her chair again. She was so breathless as her shoulders heaved up and down so rapidly and she gnawed on her nails. That was what I liked to see: she had sunk into despair.


    She kept whispering, under her ragged breathing, that she shouldn''t have gone out of her way to do that, that now she was so scared, that the worst in all of this was that she came about recruiting me without any guards or escort protecting her to ensure she didn''t die like a fool, that she regretted it, that she never imagined this was what her older brothers, who had recruited irregr soldiers and given their younger sister the idea, would need to go through, and that if possible she would try and run¡ª


    "You sit down." My voice brought her back to reality. "Don''t try and run on me, now."


    "I-I-I-I''m sorry! I shouldn''t¡ª I should have never! I¡ª Please¡ª"


    "Hey, hey, hey, hey! ¡­Rx. I asked you to sit down."


    "Y-Yes¡­!"


    "It''s all right. You''re all right. That, just now, it was a simple warning so we all get things straight. Understand?"


    "O-Of course!"


    Yeah. Maybe that was overkill. I simply wanted to make it clear who was the most powerful of us two so that she didn''t try anything funny, but it obviously was too much. I''d need to apologizeter if she needed it. She must have been way weaker than I imagined.


    After a moment of breathing deeply and rxing¡ªI told the girl I had time and so she had better take her time to calm down and exin to me whatever the hell she thought she would tell me, the monster, after she made it clear she knew about me¡ªshe finally calmed down. I had to tell her again that she was quite all right, there was nothing she should fear, and exined to her the reason why I had to show her who was the strongest of us.


    When that finally sunk in properly, I also put away my icy, expressionless face and reced it with a normal boy''s cheerful face. I was less of a monster, now, and more like the innocent human boy my appearance indicated I was; the royalty seemed to appreciate that. That was great, and after another minute of the princess trying to pull herself together, she restarted the speech she was about to give me moments ago.


    "Do please hear me out, then. It really is important." Her voice was still shaky, but I ignored it. "Do please hear me out." And she pleaded, her gaze still downward. She had actually let it be known that she would forget all about me and let me go if I did the same with her a moment before as she was mostly afraid of me now, but I insisted that wasn''t an option.


    That''s probably how she got the resolve to pull off whatever n she had. I''d probably need to do something about her being overly scared of me and act in the sweetest manner. I could do that.


    "Before that, you''re the one hearing me out."


    "Absolutely." With a lowered chin, she answered me.


    "You don''t want to kill me? ¡­Ma''am. They all want that. They want to hurt me. I don''t like it. ¡­Are you different from the others, ma''am?"


    Erratically, thedy jumped up from her chair, mmed a fist onto the board, ced a hand on her chest and spoke with so much passion. "No, no, no!" I was d to see she wasn''t so scared and paralyzed by my presence, now.


    Maybe she felt pity for me when I said everyone wanted to hurt me and I didn''t like it. The royalty seized me with her gaze so intently and she told me that¡ª"No! Oh, and I''m resentful now! Is it because of ''the others'' that you treated me so poorly?!"


    Okay, maybe she overdid it, now. "Sit down."


    "I wouldn''t dream of harming you!"


    "Keep your voice down, too."


    "No, I wouldn''t. Harming you? T-Truly! I now see there has been a huge misunderstanding in our parley, monster!"


    "There has."


    "Why would I?"


    "...You tell me. People have always wanted to kill me ever since I was born."


    "Aww. I-I should deny such people."


    Now she truly pitied me. What was it with her? So many crazy people in my life. She was scared senseless minutes ago, but now she had forgotten it all. Should I remind her I could be her nightmare at any time? I probably shouldn''t, no. I guess she was maybe still a little afraid of me, in any case. As she was a nobledy of the pce, one of the direct descendents of the king, no less, she had a good poker-face and wouldn''t let her true emotions show through easily.

 Chapter 104 Potential

    Now she truly pitied me. What was it with her? I mean, so many crazy people in my life. She was scared senseless minutes ago, but now she had forgotten it all. Should I remind her I could be her nightmare at any time? I probably shouldn''t, no. I guess she was maybe still a little afraid of me, in any case. As she was a nobledy of the pce, one of the direct descendants of the king, no less, she had a good poker face and couldn''t let her true emotions show through easily.


    But what a hypocrite anyway: was she really telling me she wouldn''t want to kill a monster, too, if she was faced with one? Of course she would. But was she a hypocrite or only so stupid? What was more, it was only so faint, but there seemed to be the slightest touch of genuine affection, sorrow, and pity in her eyes. Kind of like an older sister caring for her crying kid brother who just scratched his knee ying outside. From the long distance between each other, she leaned closer and closer to me by the minute, exposing her cleavage and neck to me.


    The way she was all so rxed now was surreal, but I guess when she made it clear she didn''t want to harm me, she might have truly believed I was not out to kill her.


    And, I mean, that was certainly true. I didn''t especially want to put her down, but I still entertained the thought. After all, I still didn''t hear a word of what she had to say to me, the monster. As I didn''t also n to let her go if she knew about my identity, well, she shouldn''t feel so safe. I wouldn''t say a word about that, of course.


    Then, I was about to speak but eventually didn''t. With a rxed posture, however, a little grin and a weightless, peaceful gaze, the royalty begged me to speak what was on my mind.


    So I asked her why. I was a monster and it pained me, at first, to have people chase after me for the sole purpose of doing away with my existence, but I epted it, in the end. It was just nature. I was the enemy of most of everyone, but I didn''t have any bad feelings.


    Not right now, at least. I killed people, too, and I would keep doing that, so it was only fair that I didn''tin about my enemies when they wanted to kill me, just like I hoped they wouldn''t hate me when I killed them. Besides, some people still epted me as I was, like my old man and the girl I might have loved, for example, so I was all right. But why didn''t she want to put me down herself? She should be my enemy.


    The girl squinted her eyes at me, leaned closer on the table board, and ced a finger on her lips. Whispering to herself as she used to, she mumbled that she shouldn''t have treated me so formally from the beginning and that I was more of a lost kid than a scary monster if I wasn''t pissed off, ording to the few minutes of discussion she had shared with me.


    Still, were my naive looks all just an act, maybe? Finally renewing her resolve to get herself the "powerful soldier" she needed, she decided to still be wary of me and answered me.


    "Have I not told you already? I have an offer I would like to make to you." I asked her what an offer was. "Bluntly, we could¡­ work together?" She didn''t answer my question the way I wanted her to, but she let me know she could use my strength.


    "Confused."


    "You could work under me¡ª for me, monster."


    "Why?"


    "Ahem. That is¡­ Oh, am I not making sense to you, monster?"


    "No, but¡­" I tilted my head to the side. "What is an offer, ma''am?" On my first day, the first human Receptacle I had allowed me to learn how to speak and understand all kinds of words without a problem at all, but there were still words I wanted to make sure I understood well depending on the context. That''s why I asked again, with genuine interrogation. "Say, what is an offer, ma''am?"


    Now, the royalty looked at me with confusion, analyzing me with big eyes and raised brows. After a second, her lips shed into a real smile, she chuckled a little bit to herself, shaking her head with amusement, and it was then that thedy decided that she had been mistaken about me all along. "I can''t believe it," she said.


    I noticed she gazed at me just like she did before, with a certain fondness in her eyes and affection. Smiling at me and confessing to me she had been wrong about me all along, she told me I wasn''t a monster.


    Well, she repeated that I actually was, but that it was different. And so, after asking for my permission, she left her seat by the end of the long desk and amodated herself right next to me. She was confident a boy like me wouldn''t hurt her, her voice wasn''t shaky at all anymore, and her eyes grew calmer and surer.


    Her idea was the following one: all she had to do to be safe around the monster was not to piss him off, because he could actually be so sweet she was all good and safe. That was quite the change in her behavior, but I reasoned she must have been so determined to get herself the powerful weapon she needed.


    That was that. Smiling more brightly, she seated herself right around the corner of the strategic board, pushing some pile of documents away and leaning closer to the table. Once she was perfectly amodated, she went about it again.


    "I understand you''re confused¡­ I haven''t given any detail. Will you care to hear me, my offer, then?"


    At longst, I nodded to her, mirroring her happy smile. From the crippling exchange of not so long ago, we went to friendly smiles and kind words. At first, her smile didn''t seem half-genuine and sincere, not even close. Still, she was a nobledy of the pce, so her poker face was very well developed.


    Even in the tensest of situations, she could manage to put on a brave smile and deal with whatever affair she had at the moment. Presently, her smile was different. It wasn''t entirely genuine, but it probably was closer to half of that. While I was surprised by what could be referred to as both her foolishness and soothing friendliness, she quickly dived into her offer.


    An offer. We quickly dived into it. Or maybe she alone did that. Mostly her lips danced up and down when her hands waved around. She spoke when she had to speak, and I carefully listened to everything she said. With the following question: What is potential? She introduced me to her talk.


    So, right, what is potential? Potential, hm. That was the topic, for now. Potential was great, I liked it, and I wanted it. I didn''t know much about it, but I liked the sonority of the word. I could say that it had potential as a word.


    ording to the royalty, or from what I understood of what she exined to me, potential was basically that¡ªmight. It was power, among other things. When someone had potential, they had the ability and power to do what they liked to do, but most of all what they should like to do.


    Thus, theirs was the potential to change and act on the future. That was right¡ªthey could, and should, seize the future with their big,rge hands, palm and fingers, squeeze it really hard, and shape it into whatever form they should like to see.


    But it isn''t just that. Potential isn''t just might and power. Or let''s say that it is, but it should never go without being fulfilled. It couldn''t be wasted. At any cost, it couldn''t. This was the golden rule of potential. As a matter of fact, wasted potential was potential no more, the royalty exined.

 Chapter 105 Isnt Just That

    But it isn''t just that. Potential isn''t just might and power. Or let''s say that it is, but it should never go without being fulfilled. It couldn''t be wasted. At any cost, it couldn''t. This was the golden rule of potential. As a matter of fact, wasted potential was potential no more, the royalty exined.


    Take a river, for example. What is a river? It''s flowing, pouring water so fast and so strongly at a given location, then it''s running down and down for hours on end, shaking every little obstacle that would find itself onto the river''s way, atst digging and carving channels of water through the earth, ceaselessly flowing. The river, carved deep into the earth, is "potential"¡­ but without its flowing torrent of water, that potential amounts to nothing. It is wasted.


    That analogy speaking of potential and its fulfillment was about the royalty''s first point. Basically, I was the carved river, and she would let the water flow, letting me grow even bigger andrger day after day. That, I think, was about the gist of it. That was just a fancy way of thedy telling me she could be useful to me. Incidentally, she didn''t forget to mention that the river would also be useful to her in return.


    To bring her reasoning outside of the theoretical realm, she told me she saw potential in me in that I was a powerful soldier. For her to answer my earlier question, then, she exined that what she respected above all else was strength. That''s why she wouldn''t want to be my enemy or bring me down. It wasn''t just her¡ªeven her family, her home, her kingdom, and her every acquaintance respected strength above all else. I didn''t think that philosophy of respecting strength would be especially true for anyone, but I guess the point was that strength had the final say in that, too, anyway.


    That''s how I, the monster who was born into the world just a week ago, was respected by the royalty. So the world was essentially like this¡ªwhen you had strength, you were either respected or hated; you were either a friend or an enemy. That brought her closer to uncovering her proposal: I could be useful to her. As a friend, not an enemy.


    The question I asked then was, useful in what way? To aplish what, and how? Taking back the analogy of the river, briefly, the royalty told me that a river could serve many a purpose: You could drink from it¡ªdrinking was necessary. You could wash in it¡ªbathing was good. You could y inside of it, with your friends and family, sshing water at each other''s faces, under the hot sun and blue sky, sharing a fun friendly moment and memories with your friends¡ªthat was good in its own way, too.


    And finally, and this was where she was getting at, you could drown your enemy in the river. Drown them till they didn''t bother struggling and iling around in the water in hope of breathing and living again anymore, as you seized them by the back of their head and pushed them down, down below the surface, witnessing life leaking off their body, satisfied that your job has been properly done.


    My brows were raised and I chuckled. Now, she speaks mynguage, I thought.


    That''s what she needed the river for anyway. To drown people in it. Creepy! Both she and I together, she said, that''s what we needed. I asked her how she knew what I needed when I didn''t even know myself. She replied by asking me a question herself: what was my story so far?


    The royalty had guessed it. My age really was less than one-year-old. That''s how she knew. At first, she couldn''t believe it, but seeing how I behaved minutes ago, ignoring the moment I missed to traumatize her senseless, she said she didn''t really know much about monster-biology or anything, and the technicalities of said science belonged to the experts, but she could tell that I was an irregrity.


    How, she had no idea. Why, she also didn''t know. She had so many questions, she said she was a big fan of the 0-year-old me who was so unusual a monster she couldn''t begin toprehend how I even "was"... but she asked none of those and stuck to the point of her speech. So she knew I was an irregr monster. The System said "unique," but I guess both meant the same term.


    And that''s, again, how she knew what I wanted. What I needed. Of course, she said she couldn''t know better than me if I said otherwise, but, after a few minutes of back and forth talking about some of the things I did so far in my life, she easily guessed what my goal was: to grow.


    She needed the river. And I, the river, needed to expand. Both needs were pointing in the same direction. So we could be teammates, basically, from what she said. I guess it was just as in as that, then, when she told me earlier bluntly that "We could work together."


    But what was the use of me, then?


    It was to y around as I always did.


    She didn''t exactly phrase it that way, but the royalty made it clear to me that she needed a soldier. A soldier was a weapon. A weapon took lives. That was it. She asked me whether I wanted details about the work she proposed I do. I said that I didn''t care for now. It wasn''t like I agreed to whatever deal she would propose to me anyway.


    The third princess of the Roerden Kingdom walked me further through her bright reasoning: I had potential as a powerful soldier, I possessed strength, and I could be used¡­ but should my work be unpaid? Certainly not. One very important detail, that was important to both of us, ording to her words, was that just like everything else that was even remotely precious and useful, I had a price. So the question was, with what, and how, would my strength at the royalty''s service be rewarded?


    To her knowledge, I entered the battlefield for a reason. "Correct me if I''m wrong," she rubbed her thumb together with her index finger, grinning at me, "it''s money you desire, don''tcha?"


    She was wrong and I didn''t correct her. If I entered the battlefield, it was because an old man forced the poor me to go and fight under the pretext of assessing my abilities before we went about exploring the Outside World together. Also, the System guided me here with the quests, so¡­ that was that.


    ording to thedy, I wanted money. Gold. Lots of gold coins. She told me that''s what she was all about herself, so she could know. That was basically the first reason why I should work under the royalty. Yeah, she got used to saying "work under" instead of "work for" by now. There was a difference between the two terms, and she, who already was like my boss in her head, liked to emphasize that difference.


    Also, as she wisely pointed, as, around the world, the human civilizations were more or less the cradle of all technological and magical advancements¡ªthat basically meant life was better lived where the human races lived, surrounded by mostly humans¡ªit wasn''t umon for demi-humans, demons, irregr monsters, or the like, to long for the "privilege" to live in a human society. Again, said human society was where the good stuff was, after all.


    Because of the perks that went alongside it, you should want to be of the higher society, and that was just natural.


    She began again: "What we respect above all else is strength, monstrous one. To my knowledge, both you and I will profit from my offer. Thus, I trust it is simple enough. Being acquainted with the aforementioned conditions, work under me and me alone."


    "Hm¡­"


    "What do you say?"

 Chapter 106 On

    "Being acquainted with the aforementioned conditions, work under me and me alone."


    "Hm¡­"


    "What do you say?"


    I had a lot to say. First off, I wanted to rify some things. What drove her to doing all of this was the fact that she needed a powerful weapon she could trust. A powerful weapon that would be her asset alone. The kind of tool that shall serve her, at the pce, where she, for more than one reason she didn''t dive into, could do with someone''s help, and work under her alone. I imagined the life at the castle, being a high-ranking noble and all, was also difficult in its own way.


    So I knew she could use me as I would be some kind of secret weapon, let''s say, but that was it. I didn''t ask about what kind of work I would be required to pull under her direction or anything. It didn''t interest me, and I think I didn''t have to know. What interested me, though, was what would happen outside of that.


    I mean, addressing the elephant in the room, would I be joining some kind of army or something? Work with other soldiers? Have a superior, train all day with them, perform some kinds of daily duties, like patrolling squares or stuff like that?


    That wasn''t likely, and I was right. I was told, "Not at all. That''s a fair question, now that I consider your perspective, but no you won''t." What didn''t I understand, she asked me? She said it again: a soldier that would work under her and her alone. And so, from what I understood, and that was a question I asked, I would be some kind of special knight, guard, or escort to thedy, eh?


    Following her everywhere around, be it from the shadows or in in daylight, executing her orders here and there, be it gathering information she needed, or do away with some noblepetitors now and then, all of which would be meant to serve her, ease her life, and help her climb her way up the dominance hierarchy at the castle.


    She said it was basically that and I entertained the right idea. If she was to be quite honest with me, she told me in all honesty she herself didn''t really know about all the technicalities and such of the job she offered me, but in more than one way, I could basically call myself her "servant." I didn''t like the sound of that word but I nodded anyway.


    It hadn''t been a week since I first opened my eyes in that restaurant and decided to gather information about the Outside World¡­ and I was already offered a job. I quite honestly imagined, not that I gave it much thought, that I would be wandering around the world with my twopanions for more than a year, at least, before we found a ce to settle in and stuff.


    Like, having a real home and what came along with it. Belong to and, basically. My old man, when I asked him what he thought about that, confessed that both he and I had the same idea. Meaning it would take long before we settled in some ce. And today, after only a week, I was offered a job, hm? If I epted it, I''d already be belonging to one ce instead of wandering the world, directionless.


    I already had a direction, now. I guess you''d have to thank the System for that. If I didn''t have the quests to basically walk me through the world, I''d probably still be in the dark streets of the Sville Vige, with the rats, trash, and piss, starving myself to death and jumping from one Receptacle to the other.


    That felt like so long ago, by the way¡­ but it had been, what, only a little handful of days at most. Presently, thanks to the System, I had my Character created, I could "participate in the Game," as the System would have it, and so I had many directions to follow.


    So far, I always followed the System''s directives. It was about the only thing I always had with me that always helped. It proved useful to listen to whatever this power of mine I called System said to do. So what should I do? Follow thatdy''s lead, as the System qualified the path she gave me as a "Compulsory Quest," or not? I never tried disobeying the System, now that I think about it, so maybe I should experiment? Try and see what would happen?


    I didn''t refuse right away for two reasons. The System was the first reason, and the second was the fact that I could always ept her offer, but only for now. As it more than interesting to me to follow the gorgeous royalty in order to see what her story revealed, I could do that. And, who knows, if at some point I grew bored of ying thedy''s "servant," I could always jump on her shoulders and tear her head off. Maybe.


    "I don''t mean to hurry you in your thinking, little monster. By all means, take your time before you answer me. I''m observing you''re considering every aspect of that offer¡­ or no, let''s call it a possible direction, for now¡­ so take your time to think it all through."


    Well, I had other questions and points I needed to rify. So, as she started to go back to some pile of documents she had discarded before we talked, I addressed what I thought was an important point of the whole affair we were having.


    After I did so, like the old man, she said that luckily enough I was so human-like. She couldn''t distinguish me from another adventurer if it weren''t for both the identification te she had (though I destroyed it while I denied I was an enemy of mankind) and an item she showed me presently.


    My eyes locked onto it and the System''s AR disy read "Higher Perception Magical Pendant," it was a qualified as a low-level artifact and equipment whose effects were both an increase of the user''s Sense stats and an eversting Positive Status Effect that gave the user the ability to see through disguises or concealments.


    Well. The System did that with a bunch of things, disying an AR panel detailing the overall description or effect of every kind of Equipment or other items I had under my eyes. It was a useful thing to have, my System.


    But anyway, yes, thedy exined I was lucky enough to be so human-like in appearance. She could hardly believe I was a monster. The first thing she said when she realized I was a monster, back in the trading ground office, was something along the lines of "Such dark ages, to think that nowadays, even the enemy can take on such an innocent human boy''s appearance to fool us¡­!" Clearly, it indicated I was well-hidden as far as appearances were concerned.


    All I had to worry about, in order to not be found out as a monster, was to conceal my aura better, then. Asking for the specifics, I could be "sealed" as a provisory measure, and then I was all free to go visit any human ce I wanted. Even if the security was high. I could pass through gates without being found out, and so I had the answer to my question.


    It would be that easy to infiltrate and live among any people I''d choose to, then. That was good to know.


    "...So, if, say, Ie to follow you right this instant, we go to your capital¡ªthe little country inside the bigger country¡ªI can get inside the walls, then you, uh, I don''t know, maybe show me to where you live, then I be your servant in the shadows; I stay hidden and people don''t know about my presence since I have to be your secret; and like this, I work for you. ¡­Like, I could for example dispose of that guy you talked about, the suitor person you would probably have to make babies with or something. ¡­I could, and then what? Is it all about the work you need me to do?"


    "Pfft! What are you¡ª Not so fast, hey!" the royaltyughed. Shaking her head at me and smiling, I cocked my head to the side, asking her what was funny. "First of all, don''t put it that way, little monster. ''Make babies with,'' yes? Tut-tut. Rude."


    "Yes, ma''am. Be wedded to renew alliances and stuff, then."


    "Sure, and then, about your concerns¡­ Ideally, I shouldn''t need you to kill so easily. Hopefully, you, little monster, and your presence wouldn''t be more than a deterrent to that kind of hostilities. My trump card, if you will. Ah, and you can forget about the suitor problem I mentioned earlier. Why, if everything goes well, today, and I prove my value to Father, though a woman I may be, I will still have time."

 Chapter 107 She Had Done It

    "...Is that so."


    "Yes. But¡­ forgetting about all that, as I said, don''t rush through it, okay? Work as my servant soldier right immediately? Are you so looking forward to it you should want to start today, fufu?"


    So I wouldn''t start today.


    "What, don''t make that face."


    "But when should I, then, ma''am?"


    "Well, that''s a good question! You remember I mentioned the heroes¡ªmy heroes¡ªbefore?" It''s true she mentioned heroes saying they came from the "other side," but what of them? "Well, you shall have to be like these guys." I said I didn''t want to be a hero. "Why, even if you wanted to be one, you couldn''t."


    "What do you mean, then?"


    "Before I should like to put you to work¡­ you likely need refining. Or maybe not, but either way, your services won''t be required so early!" Which is it: should I need training or not?


    Just like these hero people the royalty mentioned, I''d be training first. Probably. She didn''t know herself. The heroes summoned by the Kingdom weren''t exactly asked to work for and save the State immediately after they were elected as heroes, quite the contrary.


    "I''m sure you will like them, little monster¡ªthey are sure to be of my personal little army, too, mwah-hah-hah, so you and them will likely meet¡­ even though they''re officials so I can''t say you have so many simrities¡ªbut like them, you shan''t be required to operate under my rule right immediately."


    My head hurt. I felt what should have been no more than a little meeting organized by the System between the yer and that human princess, a side character of the Game, needlessly dragged for too long. At first, she only spoke about me and everything she wanted me to do, but now, there were so many details to take in I didn''t like it. I would need time to process all of that after I probably epted the "work" she proposed to me, her new personal little pet monster.


    Now, added to the many words she spoke about herself, her position as the direct descendent of a king, and stuff like that, she spoke about some other soldiers she already had under her, the summoned hero team, and I didn''t know what my part was in all that.


    "You''re absolutely right," she said, slightly bowing her head with a self-effacing smile. "I digress. The essence of what I tried to picture to you was¡ª" It would be a long-time, at least a long month, before she said she would have anything nned for me, her pet soldier. And that was the end of the matter, she said.


    "The end? I don''t know about that, ma''am." After she asked me what was on my mind, I said it was obvious that there was some kind of problem here¡ªthe employer didn''t actually have, for the present time, any work for the employee.


    "Oh, does that bother you, little monster? My, but your eagerness is appreciated!"


    "It¡­ doesn''t exactly, ma''am. It''s just, am I free to go about whatever I want, then, if, say, you, human princess, don''t have any work for me at the present time?" I was concerned by that. If I didn''t have anything to do for now, what should I be doing?


    Did that human royalty expect me to go back to my own upations, that is to say to my old man in the woods, and wait for some kind of messenger pigeon to deliver me the message "Congrattions: You are now employed! Come meet me at a-certain-location where we will hone out the details of the contract between us!"


    Because I thought whatever n she had for me, if I became her personal army, would be taking effect right away. But if that wasn''t the case, then I guess¡­


    "So that''s what you had in mind? Mm-hm. To answer your question, of course not. That is, you thought right: the effect of our agreement would be taking effect immediately." Even if she didn''t need me for now, she said I couldn''t forget our contract was a give-and-take thing.


    The thing was, she''d need me, her knight servant, close-by, so I wouldn''t be left off to my own devices. And also, "I thought it was clear you will be amply paid and rewarded, if you so choose to let your power be my sword."


    What she meant by thatst statement, briefly, was that she would take care of everything. Anything? Yes, anything and everything. She had mentioned I could have all the gold I wanted, after all. There was also the fact that, as she mentioned earlier, it wasn''t unusual for a demi-human or irregr monster to want citizenship in a human society.


    To belong and live with the "higher society," she said, as it was where all the good of civilization was. Be it technological or magical advancements, entertainment, the liveliness of a city even at night, and so on. It went without saying, ording to the royalty, that her servant knight would have to follow her to the capital. It was both part of the reward she offered and her personal soldier''s duty, wasn''t it?


    "But hey¡­ slooow."


    "Look. I''m new here, ma''am."


    "I''m just teasing!"


    All of what was obvious to her wasn''t so obvious to me. "Fair enough, I understand now. It makes sense I''d have to follow you out there, true."


    The more I spoke with her about the offer she proposed to me, the more my understanding of the situation the System put me in changed. If you asked me half an hour ago, when she started the parley, I didn''t think much of our exchange at all. When entering the parley, I was a nobody who basically had nothing, and I would exit the negotiation being the samemoner peasant.


    At present, on the other hand, that was different. It was overwhelming how, if I went and said yes, my way of living would drastically change in a matter of less than a day. I''d be having a rtionship with one of the wealthiest and most important people of arge piece ofnd on the continent. Whew. I didn''t realize it, but a "princess" person could be a really important figure, right? It wasn''t like I was interested in so much fame, money, and honor, but the person sitting in front of me as I talked wasn''t just anyone.


    Well. Now that she had rified most of my questions, the little meeting was nowing to an end, and I had an idea.


    "Once we''re out here, in the gigantic city you mentioned, the one you called your capital, am I free to go about whatever I want, then?"


    After the royalty asked me about what I had in mind, I began to introduce myself a little, too. In a few words, I was so young and unused to the Outside World that I wanted to be stimted by it. I wanted to live, be superior, explore the world, crush my enemies, and most of all, be stimted. Using another term, I wanted to learn things. New things, over and over again. Know all about the world.


    "...School, then, huh?"


    "What? What is ''school''?"


    "A ce where you learn, obviously. ¡­Hey, you''ll have to tell me your story someday, little monster. Are you really¡­ just¡­ how to put it¡­ so young? It''s honestly so¡­ I mean, as a member of mankind, your existence really is¡­ quite phenomenal."


    Well, I could tell that, from my perspective, it was mankind who was weird toprehend. No matter how many times my old man told me that normal people weren''t born savant and independent as I had been, I couldn''t imagine how that was possible.


    Were people really born as tiny worthless fussy crying red little versions of human adults?

 Chapter 108 Then Be Free

    Well, I could tell that, from my perspective, it was mankind who was weird toprehend. No matter how many times my old man told me that normal people weren''t born savant and independent as I had been, I couldn''t imagine how that was possible. Were people really born as tiny worthless fussy crying red little versions of human adults? That would be so humiliating if you asked me. They say babies aren''t even capable of real intellectual speech and reflection before they aged at least 15 years. Impressive, right? Fifteen years is like an eternity for me.


    As I said as much to the royalty, she politelyughed and said she didn''t know whether to treat me like a child or an adult anymore. I didn''t really know about that myself, but I was confident she could just refer to me as a normal teenage boy. I told her I wanted to fit in society, so fit in I would.


    But what about school anyway? On my wish list, I also told the royalty I wanted to be an adventurer if I could. Also, I didn''t want to sleep on the streets, have an empty stomach, eat dried veggies with a team of worthless elves, and be discriminated against.


    I didn''t know what the Academy was, but she said she was sure I''d be fond of it if what I wanted, for now, was to learn about the world. Also, to most of my other wishes, surprisingly, the gorgeousdy said all of it was a given I would be granted food and shelter, and that my bing a monster-hunter could be arranged, too. Monster-hunter could also be another term for "adventurer," from what I remembered. "Funny you should like to be a monster-hunter, though! Though I assume you really are different from what the term low-level monster usually implies¡­"


    I ignored the remark she just made, my eyes became all round, my mouth gaped, and my brows were raised. Did she just say I could be an adventurer like it was no big deal at all? Being young and easily excited, I was so happy to hear that, jumped from my seat, and hugged the gorgeousdy, happily chuckling.


    Thus, the royalty who was brave enough to venture and recruit her own little irregr soldier, for reasons she didn''t fully dive into, and the monster, who,ckingmonsense, didn''t need to think twice about it when he heard he would be able to be an adventurer of the Guild, that it could all be arranged, if he so chose to form a contract with the firstdy who said she could use his help, ended their parley, both agreeing to work together¡­ or something like that anyway.


    To be quite honest, I didn''t care about what was said about whatever agreements we reached. It just so happened that, after I created my Character, participating in the Game, I was tasked with thepletion of a certain Main Quest of the System, and thus, tomorrow, in the capital of the Roerden Kingdom, I would wake up in my own cozy home with my uncle and the elf girl I liked, and that was the end of the matter.


    The old man would certainly tell me that I shouldn''t have rushed through it, that this kind of life-changing choice wasn''t to be made lightly, but who cared about what the old soul said?


    As I said, I didn''t care much about what was or wasn''t said today. If it so happened that, tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, I grew bored of the gorgeous royalty who gave me a job as her little soldier, I would just cut her down on the spot and be free of any agreements we had.


    Today''s quest had been long enough. So many instructions were given to me. Atst, the Main Quest "Orc and Humans" waspleted with my teaming up with Princess Elina de Roerden.


    And after everything was said and done, the royalty and the bad habit she had of whispering the contents of her (private) thoughts out loud made meugh again: I overheard that, damn, it was all so fucking crazy, as she said. What negotiations were even that?


    She had been thinking she might be a goner for sure more than three times in less than an hour when her entire life had been so peaceful and calm up to this point. So "fucking nuts," she insisted, usingnguage. She dryly also scoffed at herself saying she had her desperate situation to thank for winning me over. Now that she had one crazy little S-tier soldier, though, she could only rejoice. But man, she could also hardly believe she had pulled all of what she did today.


    In her hurry, she hadn''t nned any of that. Hell, she didn''t even post her personal guards to ensure her life wouldn''t be in danger so much she was unprepared. What''s more, what was it with the overflowing confidence she felt before she tried to recruit that unique monster soldier, whose background she didn''t know anything about at all? "Also, what the hell? To think that my little soldier already had a caretaker¡­ Some old man, the boy said. I thought the boy was already all mine! Truly, a shame!" Ideally, she expressed she would have wished to keep me all for herself.


    But anyway, today had been crazy on top of crazy, and from the girl''s perspective, that particr event of the day felt so random and haphazard that she could barely believe any of it had truly happened. I felt like that feeling should have been shared on both sides, but I, being so youthful andckingmonsense, didn''t think much of all that had happened this afternoon. Meeting with a person of her standing out of nowhere that only very few people got to see, then being tasked with making friends with the person of outstanding background by a certain System, and then ending up having long-life ns decided out of the blue, for quite a few years of my life¡­ or something along those lines.


    I said it already, but I wouldn''t say it enough times: If I ever grew bored of the engagement we had together, I''d just do as I like and forget about it all. Maybe bring down the royalty, then be free. It was no big deal to me.


    Anyway, as she continued to speak thousands and thousands of words about how she couldn''t believe she had done "it," I decided not to eavesdrop so long with Mana Perception, and headed off to the old man and his woods.


    In a few hours, along with my gang of three, I''d be meeting back with the royalty who could hardly be proud of herself enough for what had transpired, today, and then¡­ we were headed to the Capital.


    The battle of Greenfield was obviously the human army''s victory, and the Orc Stronghold of Ladafar was closer to its fall.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 109 Respite

    This was I with an old man.


    "Sure, I''ll help."


    "You will?"


    "Yeah. ¡­But, what? You don''t want me to?"


    "No, youngd. I simply mean what I already told you: this old flesh and bones of mine can handle this task. Just finely. Youngd, you wouldn''t happen to think your old uncle so weak, would you now?"


    "No, no. It''s nothing like this." To the old man''s concerns, I scoffed and told him he was strong enough. "You are. Just want to handle it by myself. Let me carry her a little."


    "Oh, hm."


    "The elven princess is my home, after all. Not yours, mine. Let me do the carrying, for once."


    Atst, the old man let me carry the oh-so-sickly and feverish member of our team. When my hand gently brushed the girl''s forehead, I felt how boiling she was. And when my heart ached, too, I noticed it wasn''t my hand alone that could feel her pain.


    Around a week from today, I first met with her, but after everything that happened, I held her as dearly as someone I had known for years. The monster had at least one person he truly held dear. All the time I unconsciously spent with the elf, either running away from two of her fellows or teaming up with them, and everything else mattered to both of us. From the elf''s perspective, I was the boy who taught her to be strong, stand up for herself, and eventually saved her. Boy with whom she shared so many simrities.


    As for what I, the monster, felt was eptance from the elf. And eptance brought about other feelings that I couldn''t quite pin down and understand clearly¡­ but basically, in a world where every person rejected me and wished I died, that poor elf girl was the one who came to me and confessed she understood, respected, and liked me. In a world where everyone rejected me, the poor, helpless girl who also was rejected by the elf people of the forest, after I shared a body and soul with her, called me her "soulmate."


    So she spoke, and so she was precious to me. After she asked me to save her, I did as I was asked, and even thest elf, his name was White-haired, entrusted me with the protection of thete elf king''s daughter. White-haired died, and I was charged with protecting Cetha the elf, the monster''s home.


    The "monster''s home," right. It was a charmingly kind olderdy in the vige I appeared who told me about my home. ording to her, someone''s home wasn''t so much a four-walled ce and shelter, but your home was more about where you belonged with the people you loved.


    That''s how I knew, at the time. That''s how I could tell Cetha the elf was my home, that''s how I decided to shelter her as she sheltered me. She was my home.


    But that was it. For some reason, ever since that gray, rainy day in the giant forest, she didn''t wake up. The old man asserted the elf was ill, so it was normal, but she didn''t wake up. All I could ask her was whether she despised the monster or not, to which she responded she absolutely didn''t, and then, as it turned out after I nonchntly expressed that I loved her (I didn''t really understand the meaning of "to love" for sure but I said it anyway), she passed out due to her immensely strong fever.


    It had been approximately a day since the elf fainted. My old advisor knew she was sick and let me know we''d have to wait before she came to, but it had been a day and she showed no sign of recovery yet. Damn that fever and whatever got her sick. Well, as for now I didn''t know yet, but I''d soon know I was the one who got her so feverish and weak. Exnations from the old advisor wouldn''t reach me immediately, but soon.


    In any case, as Cetha still didn''t wake up and we were getting ready to depart to the Capital, me and the old man arguing about who should carry the fainted elf maiden before we set off to the third princess, daughter of the Lord, of the Roerden Kingdom, was about the situation here.


    When the old man agreed to let me carry the fainted elf, we got off. (Unlikest time, we didn''t feel like burning down our little shelter today, so we just abandoned it.) Traveling with the sick wasn''t doing them any good, but the old advisor said it was all right for us to do so: For the knowledgeable old man, who also happened to be a doctor and healer, to take care of Cetha, he said he needed about ingredients of alchemy and medicinal herbs he didn''t have on hand. He had nned to get to the nearest town taking the team alongside him in order to obtain the material he needed, so we would have been traveling anyway.


    Also, if all of which I said was the truth¡ªthe old man had a hard time believing me when I recounted to him every bit of my surprising escapade to the Guild Bureau¡ªa noble''s carriage wasn''t equal to amoner''s chariot. While themoner''s vehicle made his joints ache, a noble''s car was way better, so it should be able to amodate the sick for a quick journey.


    "Gimme, gimme," I insisted. With all my STR stat points, I was rtively okay walking the long way to Princess Elina, the human female who "adopted" me as some kind of secret pet soldier weapon.


    On the way, I and the old man didn''t chat so much, and when we did, we made sure to keep our voices down so as not to disturb Cetha''s respite.


    My old travelingpanion let me know he had an idea about what caused the elf''s sudden illness. I asked him whether she would be okay, and the old man replied by reminding me I shouldn''t be so worried if I didn''t want to be balding before his healthy scalp.


    Cetha was my home, and she absolutely couldn''t be gone. Dramatically, without really meaning it, I said that the day she died part of me would die, too. Urging me to chase the tense expression off my face, the old doctor assured me he had already made sure the girl would be all right, and after I received an old wrinkled smile, I gave my youthful and bright smile as a fair trade.


    Despite the fact the old man said he didn''t believe my story, he wasn''t being soically shocked when we arrived at the rendezvous spot. We were awaited and we arrived.


    The battle of Greenfield against onest remaining stronghold that was held by the Ladafarian Reddarkskin Orc Tribe (and demons) was brought to an end. Unfortunately, as the old man hadined, this battle wasn''t thest one. Against the orc''s threat, the humans had fought more than one battle already, so even after today''s dancing des and the spilling of blood, other battles were toe.


    But that wasn''t important. The fact was just that¡ªthe nth battle for Ladafar hade to an end, the orcs had retreated further down the border, and the yground I fought at was gone. What that meant was that the third princess'' (voluntary) duty waspleted here. And so, she was to go back to the capital where her father awaited his brave daughter, a military woman now, so that she could give her report.

 Chapter 110 Bit Of Both

    But that wasn''t important. The fact was just that¡ªthe nth battle for Ladafar hade to an end, the orcs had retreated further down the border, and the yground I fought at was gone. What that meant was that the third princess'' (voluntary) duty waspleted here. And so, she was to go back to the capital where her father awaited his brave daughter, a military woman now, so that she could give her report.


    While the military''s campaign¡ªthat was the State''s army and soldiers¡ªwasn''t quite wrapped up yet, the chain ofmand was rearranged so that the army could be put to work again and more blood be spilled.


    The military woman, Elina, who had braved her fears and reaffirmed her pride as a chosen noble on the battlefield, would go back home. While she hade with flocks of carriages in tow and dozens of royal guards to serve her, with a shy entrance, she wouldn''t go back home with the same parade. It had been secretly arranged that she regains the capital not with a dozen, but only three less extravagant chariots. That new arrangement was to maintain secrecy, and Iter learned that the flock of carriages returning back to the capital were supposedly the official information the pce would get¡ªshe would be assumed to have normally returned to the capital, like she hade, without letting people know of her affair.


    That was the human royalty''s affair, and I didn''t care about the obvious reasons as to why she had to maintain secrecy when recruiting a monster under her. The deal she was conducting with me, a monster-type creature, was a sin ording to the State''sws.


    But anyway. Three decent carriages it was, and with my old man, we met the human royalty where no one would see us, not so far away from the giant forest''s border.


    Lost in my thoughts, I longed for the battlefield again. It was the ce where I thrived the most, and I was anxious to think that maybe I would lose my enemies if I ran away from them and obtained citizenship as a normal human resident in an enormous human city. "Your host is awaiting her guests, my dear boy. Never let people wait on you!" Seeing I daydreamed even now, the old man ushered me forward.


    Princess Elina de Roerden lived quite the good life. If even the vehicle she presently used was considered no more than "decent" and "regr," I wondered just how shiny and shy an expensive ride would look. It might have been obvious to people, but I learned today that a royal person was rich.


    Escort carriages were stationed both in front of and right behind Princess Elina''s carriage. There were only two of them. As I said before, Princess Elina was the one to say "only two," but to me only two were already a lot. Too much, even.


    All three carriages waited for me and the old man toe in so that we may set off down the road at once.


    From inside the vehicle, a voice greeted me. "Little monster, little monster;e on in! I won''t bite, I promise. Do enter." Making way for two, I slid inside the noble''s vehicle where I silently marveled more at the princess'' wealth. In a few words, the inside was very refined and noble-like.


    It was spacious enough for a handful of people to stand up inside of the square room, and there were two fluffy-looking and beautiful benches that might have been confused with couches on either side of the wide cabin.


    That Elina person seemed rather happy telling me she wouldn''t "bite." Hey, did she need a little reminder on who it is that shall bite whom of us both? I should be the one telling her I wouldn''t "bite." After I fully worked my way in, exposing the elf maiden to the humandy, I decided not to react negatively to the royalty''s high spirits. After all, presently, it would serve no real purpose to remind her of just how afraid and subdued she was in front of me, the monster, a few hours back. No real purpose, but I was surprised to see she managed to be acting in a totally normal manner and be so rxed given what happened between her and me hours ago.


    I had honestly thought that, after time went by, she would have had time to thoroughly process what happened then. When all the arduous events of our little private parley properly sank inside that little head of hers, I guessed she would be more tense, jumpy, and on edge, but it seemed not to be the case. That made me think that the royalty either thought she had simply made sure to harness her new pet soldier so carefully that I was a hundred percent under her control, or that she still kept the unbreachable wall she had put earlier today¡ªthat which of a noble''s necessary poker face skills¡ªand hid her feelings of stifled distress skillfully enough so I couldn''t see through her panic inside.


    Maybe it was a little bit of both.


    And how pale Cetha the elf was. Thatment was made by the royalty upon seeing the frail, feverish creature I held in my arms.


    For a second, I wished my two elfpanions¡ªHideous and White-haired, the ones I respectively witnessed be killed and killed myself¡ªcould have been there with me. Together, we would have been so happy to share the discovery of the broad, roomy carriage,paring it with our old creaky chariot. Snif.


    When the overly rxed royalty proposed to me to spread out a sheet, for the elf maiden, upon one of the couch benches, I nodded my thanks to her with a smile, and the unconscious Cetha wasfortably, if one ignored the difort of her fever,id there, sleeping. The benches, which looked more like sofas to me, were alreadyfortable enough, but with the refined linen sheet, I hoped the elf''sfort was maxed.


    "Ah," the human princess gasped, "the youngdy''s condition does seem serious¡­ doesn''t it?"


    Before I departed from my parley with the human royalty, naturally, I exined to her that I wasn''t the only member of my team. She knew about Cetha, but other than the elf being some distant rtive of my old uncle or something, she didn''t know that she was thest remaining fallen princess of a fallen elven kingdom. Of course, Cetha being a rtive to the old man was a fabrication.


    White-haired, thepanion elf I brought down, when telling me how to care for his princess before he passed, had made it clear Cetha needed not keep her bloodied name of an elf noble. Thus, I and the old man thought it wise to keep Cetha''s identity to ourselves.


    "Her condition is serious, ma''am."


    While I answered the royalty with the same words my old man had given me on our way here, I took the liberty to use another two sheets for the elven princess: one I made into a ball to use as a cushion and the other I ced on the elf maiden, from shoulders to feet. "See, my old uncle is strong¡ªhe knows about a doctor''s expertise, that''s being strong, isn''t it¡ªbut he isn''t so strong that he can heal Cetha right away."


    "Is Cetha her name?"


    "My old uncle isn''t stronger than me, ma''am."


    "Fufu. Cetha, then. Her elegant name does suit the sleeping sweetheart. ¡­But how pale she is!"


    "I''m afraid he isn''t," I nodded. "No, no, my old uncle can''t be nearly as strong as I am, ma''am."


    Hearing onto the haphazard conversion I held with the royalty, the "old uncle"¡ªthe old man begged me not to call him an "old man" right to his face in front of the royalty, a few hours before, as he didn''t want to lose so much face¡ªboarded the carriage.


    "No stronger than the young man, oh?" he stroked his chin. "Zip! I''ll say nothing! Oh ho ho."


    And the royalty politelyughed. "Do please allow yourself in, too, much-esteemed Uncle."


    "Why, but you oblige me, my young benefactor." By calling the royalty his benefactor, the old man carried on and ceremoniously greeted and thanked the human princess. Seeing him bow, I learned how to pay my respect to an official of the Pce, but I wondered why he acted so¡­ stiffly. The royalty was the benefactor of his grandchild, hence, she was as dear a friend to him as she was to me, the old man said, humbled.


    When the royalty replied with reciprocated politeness and reverence, the old man urged her to drop the formal tone. "I could do without it!"

 Chapter 111 Esteemed Uncle

    When the royalty replied with reciprocated politeness and reverence, the old man urged her to drop the formal tone. "I could do without it!"


    "Much esteemed Uncle¡ªI wouldn''t allow myself such impudence whilst conversing with you, who are in actual fact my benefactor¡­ along with your dearest child, of course."


    "''Grandchild,'' if you please," the old man corrected. That old human was funny in his own way: When I myself asked him whether, ording to the people''s ways, I could be considered his child or not, he angrily rebuked me and insisted that, rather than a son, I was a grandson to him. It wasn''t a son he wanted, but a grandson. Why that was, I had no idea, but as the senile old man seemed to love me so much as a grandson, I went along with his fantasies. "...But, oh ho ho! So I heard, so I heard! My grandson¡­ your benefactor, oh? A surprise it was, let me tell you, worthydy. A week ago, the poor boy couldn''t put a word or two together straight when dealing with the checkout girl, but look at him now! A benefactor!"


    Ah, well, okay. Was the old man making fun of me? Eh, that wasn''t cool. It''s true I struggled to talk with people without sounding like a freak, at first, but I was getting by now. Without making ament, I red at him so he at least kept the volume of his voice down. The old man grimaced at me and mouthed the word "sorry," before he went on.


    "But believe me, my amiable benefactor, of us two, well, you are the true benefactor here." On that, I could only agree with the old man. It was true that I didn''t see myself as any benefactor to the human princess yet. Fair enough, I appeared to have agreed to some rather heavy engagement to the noblewoman, so she could certainly be polite and call me her "benefactor," but I still didn''t carry any of my pet soldier services under her orders yet.


    And as our agreement, which I knew too little about, was a mutual exchange of riches and forces between our two parties, the noblewoman was the true benefactor here. Not only a day had passed since she promised me riches and wealth if I worked for her, and she already offered us a ce to call home in the capital.


    Politelyughing again, the noblewoman knew not to be too noisy. "You are being humble, esteemed Uncle. Please, do make yourselffortable and relieve yourself of your journey''s burden: you must sit."


    "Too formal mannerism, and now too hearty hospitality. You know how to alleviate the burden on my old bones indeed, young benefactor. Thank you." And so they spoke.


    I wanted to be the one to sit beside Cetha, but when the royalty wisely pointed out that he, her doctor, was better left to care for the elf maiden, I backed down. Findingfort in the gorgeous noble woman''s thick thighs, I sat myself next to the royalty and eventually used herps as a pillow, as if it were the most natural thing to do.


    Here, gimme thep pillow, woman.


    Somewhat thrilled but confused, the woman let me, and before long, the carriages were running.


    Another reason for the old man to be seated next to Cetha was that, there, he could continue his friendly discussion with the noblewoman about this or that trivia with her face to face.


    The old man had sat, and the royalty was already in her ce. Agreeing with the nobledy, I shuffled on the bench and my mellow pillowp so that I faced the sleeping Cetha. She was right. I''d rather entrust that frail, weak, and pale living thing to the old doctor. To boot, as if to make me all the morefortable, the noblewoman then run her fingers in my dark hair; I snuggled deeper in herp.


    And my eyes were set back on the sleeping Cetha. Her fever was strong, and I was sad to realize she had gotten me fully used to her asional moans of pain now and then as she slumbered. When the carriage took off, the pale color of her face and the thin veil of distress and sweat lying on her features tensed up at once and she moaned louder.


    I grew alert to her pain and felt it for her, but before I could stand up and worry closer to the elf, the old man''s palm gently caressed her hair, oh so warmly, and she instantly calmed down. Then again, breathing a sigh of relief, I thought the old man was better left to care for Cetha. Yes, I liked the old man, he was a handy tool. If calling a person a tool was inappropriate, I would say handy device.


    But anyway. That was that. My little gang was headed to somece neither the old man nor his grandson had thought of visiting anytime soon. The city, capital, and heart of the Kingdom I happened to have been born in. The country of Roerden. Drastic changes took ce from one day to the other, and after only a week of aging, I could already call myself the big stuff in the game, yo.


    In this luxurious carriage with this luxurious princess, I could imagine myself being an adventurer, or monster-hunter, soon enough already. "Bing an adventurer" only sounded like a dream yesterday, but today, I couldn''t wait to see. I mean, I wasn''t so into the adventuring business of the adventurer people that I was so hyped about being one of theirs, but I wanted to discover all sorts of interesting quirky things about the Outside World while having fun, so naturally, the monster hunter''s path seemed to be the most appropriate. Not that I knew much about life, however.


    Also, I seemed to forget about it, but my main upation, when the princess would require it, would be as the girl''s secret pet soldier. Whatever, as the princess herself exined to me she wouldn''t require my services so soon, I didn''t think so far ahead in the future. As a result, my thoughts went mostly to adventurers¡­ and being a schoolboy at the Academy of magic user apprentices, too.


    The old uncle and I had nned to go about life in a simr way, but seriously, for things to fall into ce so quickly was pretty convenient, to say the least.


    Oh, and I had had the pleasure to obtain a new quest, not so long ago.


    ? "What lies behind the story¡­?" Main Quest ¡ª Apanied by the yer''s host, Princess Elina, let the yer head inside of the Capital and get all intimate with her. 0/1 ?


    The little story behind that quest was about the yer who, by chance, had ventured to meet with a certain third princess of a human kingdom that was at war with a certain orc tribe I was friends with. As the yer and the princess became friendly with each other, and a deal was struck between the two by the same asion, the yer was tasked with following Elina, from whom he should obtain the next Main Quest soon.


    But hey, "get all intimate with her ¡ª 0/1," eh? I know, right? Whatever does that mean, System, sir? I didn''t bother asking, not that I would have gotten an answer anyway.


    As of now, I was heading to the Capital anyway, apanied by Princess Elina, of course.


    And then, a long conversation unfolded. Everything Iid my hands onto was mine, and thus, my old man chatted with my noblewoman. My two humans got along very well; I was d. The two animals together spoke, and the old human expressed his words of thanks again.


    Briefly: The noblewoman was our benefactor. She had granted and permitted education to the two children. That was very nice of her. Of course, he, too, wished an education and life be granted to the two littluns in his care, but he was ashamed to admit, with an earnest sigh, that he alone could never hope to achieve that. So, when the youthful and gracious young princess was so kind as to magnanimously offer the littluns the prized education he wanted for both Cetha and me, he could never hope to thank the noblewoman sufficiently.


    All of that was about the old man''s speech, and he carried it on: Our situation was a bit tense back there. Going about visiting the world and trying to find a safe piece ofnd in which we could settle down to live, we went from battlefield to battlefield.


    The story the old man recounted was an exaggeration, but I let him do his job as my advisor and guide.


    For some reason, we could never settle down in somece without it being infested by the evil of war and bandits. That was natural, with his grandchild being an (immensely cute, he said) ominous monster that everyone rejected, it was hard to find a ce where toy low at all. He didn''t count how many innkeepers called the guards on us while we were "allowed" to use asional stables to sleep with the horses.


    Also, his condition as an old wrinkled fart, those were his words, didn''t help either¡ªconstantly traveling with old bones proved tedious indeed. With two children to care for, the poor old man who evoked but sympathy was so overwhelmed.

 Chapter 112 Mine

    Also, his condition as an old wrinkled fart, those were his words, didn''t help either¡ªconstantly traveling with old bones proved tedious indeed. With two children to care for, the poor old man who evoked but sympathy was so overwhelmed.


    That was a fun fabricated story, I liked it. Well, we didn''t have to go so out of our way to keep up the appearance, but anyway.


    At any rate, as the princess could imagine, our life had been tough. Thankfully, so many hardships ended right here, with the princess as our benefactor.


    "Good heavens! Had I known you poor folks'' story, by the King whom I serve, I should have liked to offer you and your children shelter and food before you even let me bber the nonsense of an agreement or contract between me and my little soldier."


    The royalty put it like this, but she sure found it convenient to call me her "little soldier" anyway.


    And after a few words addressing the topic of the poor old man''s story trying his utmost best to even get by in the wilderness of the world, their conversation drifted toward the "granted education" the most esteemed uncle had mentioned.


    "Any question about this matter, esteemed Uncle, or the affair of your grandson serving as my, how to put it, servant knight, is of course weed."


    With me being what I was, a unique monster-type creature, he had questions. Was it okay to grant me citizenship, as well as an education at the Academy and a permit to act as a monster-hunter of the Guild, or did ite with hard restrictions? Also, did the effect of the reward she offered to me could also be extended to the elf maiden? Specifically, would the same prestigious chance at an education, and stuff, also be granted to the sleepingdy? And so on.


    The flow of questions never ended, except most of them were more on the trivial side and non-important.


    And to all the worried old man''s questions, she had an answer. An interesting fact was that the old man seemed genuinely worried. Wasn''t he a good uncle? And so, to the questions, the noblewoman denied all the old man''s worries about whether or not it would be a truly okay experience for his grandchild and stuff. He did fit the role of the anxious and ignorant parent worried about his children''s safety.


    With exnations on her part, she continued. Now that it had been unleashed, the woman''s tongue never stopped dancing. This time, I didn''t bother to listen to what was being told between the two grown-ups. This was information I already had about the "contract."


    Also, the royalty spared a little time to diving into the topic of a non-human person¡ªa monster-type, demi-human, and the like¡ªobtaining citizenship and everything that came along with it in a human society. That was obviously a sin in the State''s eye, but it was moremon than people think, so we were okay.


    Also, I had the chance to look so human-like (well, that was my Character) that the noblewoman had very little to be arranged for the sake of my blending into society easily. In a demi-human''s case, to see the contrast, it was tough to be even allowed not to wearplete armor at all times so that the demi-human''s appearance be fully concealed all the time.


    So naturally, there were restrictions, lots of them, on many things the demi-human could normally do. It could be a stupid example, but to go to high-ss restaurants, you were required a certain dress code, so that would be off-limit if I were an orc or something.


    Basically, you weren''t given free ess to everything a human city had to offer¡­ but my human form happened to be near perfectly human-like.


    Not perfectly but near perfectly human-like, yup. Due to having the "w" skill, all my nails looked slightly different than regr nails, kind of thicker and sharper on the edge with a sharp point on the end, basically animal-like, so that could ount for a slight difference. But that much wasn''t so noticeable.


    And if it was noticed at all, people would just start calling me funny names like Freaky Finger or something. Another difference was about the cat-like irises I had within my blue eyes, but again, it wasn''t anything to worry about.


    After that, my two humans'' conversation gradually died down, up till they discussed not even the trivial things of life like the weather and whatnot. At the end of their long conversation, my old man''s worried curiosity was satiated, and he knew everything he "had to."


    Minutes passed, and I was the one who had something to talk about now. It wasn''t anything important, but I asked the old uncle about the technique he used back then against all the orcs, bringing dozens of them down in one go.


    "Any chance you can teach me? Or let me copy the skill by means of Dwelling or something?" At all times, I had better not forget I needed to get stronger¡­ or otherwise, it meant I would die.


    And, remember how the old man can feel so off sometimes? Back in the forest where I met him, he had two modes: the Ho ho mode and the Ha ha mode. While he was being Ho ho, he was the usual hearty old man I knew and liked. When the Ha ha mode showed through, however, he turned overly cold and icy, like he was dead inside, expressionless, and soulless.


    For a split second, he turned Ha ha. Right after I mentioned my using the Dwelling Passive Skill on him, heughed. "Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha. You must not let him," Ha ha said to Ho ho. He looked cold, stern, and distant. Somehow, he also had a look of disgust on his face.


    Telling the noblewoman sometimes the esteemed uncle became like this but it neversted more than a few seconds, I waved her confusion away. She whispered we were a weird bunch, and I told the old man off for being a freak. If both he and I were weirdos, I''d start to worry about whether any of us could be in charge of our new family. Before long, a hearty, embarrassed look was disyed on the senile old man''s features, and I smiled at him.


    I was told he couldn''t let me learn any skill he knew by means of Dwelling, and exined that the technique he used back then wasn''t a skill, but a stored spell within a scroll. So that was that. After the old man exined to me what a stored spell, or scroll, was, I was given more information about the outside world and what people used to fight.


    Life wasplicated: Magic users didn''t solely use what they called "skills" in order to fight. There were tons of other sciences I didn''t know anything about. I decided to, for the time being, only concentrate on gathering skills anyway.


    "Incidentally, this old man should disagree with you, young man. You say that a lot¡ª''The weaker the trickier''¡ªbut it is not only the weak who should like to get tricky, as you seem to imply. The strong must also learn to be tricky."


    Thatment was out of context from a little debate we had, but the old man tried to teach me that I shouldn''t look down on any avable tool I was offered to win a fight. When I learned that what he used was a scroll he bought rather than a skill he learned, and could wield at any time, I lost all interest, and the old man tried to correct me.


    But that was that.


    At some point during the travel, the feverish Cetha spoke. "F-Fa¡­ther¡­" Both I and the old man tensed up at once. "Th-They¡­ a¡­ttack¡­ us¡­ F-Father¡­ The¡­ de¡­mons¡­ a¡­ttack¡­ anh¡­"


    Oh how I wished I could barge in her feverish dream, take her into my embrace, and tell her that everything was all right. If Cetha had any demons, I''d beat them to a pulp. If she had any sorrows and tears, I''dfort them away. The elf was mine.

 Chapter 113 No

    At some point on our way home, a home I had never been to before, I fell asleep. And, in the end, this carriage ride was just another peaceful little ride. No more than another obstacle standing in our way.


    For us to pass this obstacle, and get our reward by the end of this little escapade, all we had to do is wait. The old man only ever did that, waiting for me after he sent me out, but it was a first for me. Was itplicated? No.


    At some point, I arose from my short nap, and we were here. The carriage hade to a full stop a while ago, and with my head still buried deep within myp pillow, I groaned.


    "Slept well, my boy?" Two warm eyes interrogated me from above as the royalty cradled my head in both hands. I felt warmthing from her and smiled back at her. "You guessed right! We have¡­ dun, dun, dun¡­ arrived! At destination! Yay~"


    Thus I was informed that we had arrived. My "new" home, said the royalty, but it wasn''t like I had had any before. It was my first home.


    "Want to see it? Wake up, wake up~ Uncle has already gone inside carrying¡­ Cetha, right?"


    From the cheerful royalty, I demanded a report, and I was told it had been no more than five minutes since we arrived at our destination. Also, she hadn''t woken me up right away because the most esteemed uncle of mine was considerate enough to point out that I must have been worn out after today''s work. And why wake me up when the royalty herself wasn''t taking off right away? Though I didn''t know why exactly, I was also told that the old man still had some business with the royalty.


    But anyway, I thanked the noblewoman who had taken care of my team. I had a rather fancy house waiting for me just around the corner, after all. That wasn''t free, so I made sure to be polite and express my gratitude.


    "No, no. That is simply part of our agreement, is it not? You can go take a good look at it, by the way, I''m not keeping you here, fufu. Well, not today, at least." Of course, not today as she didn''t require my services as her secret soldier servant yet.


    The girl had fulfilled her function and brought the monster here, within the Capital. Now that she had, I could probably go. Homeless one day, and filthy rich the next.


    Like a book full of words and wonders, the capital opened itself to me. Or well, no, it didn''t, but the aristocratic alley I was in was indeed exposed bare to my eyes as I devoured it all. And, like a cat cautiously exploring a new potential territory up for grabs, I strode steady with purpose and slowly with curiosity.


    Princess Elina had granted me, her pet soldier, one of the properties she owned. It was so I had a ce to live in, since, for some reason, the inns or apartments of the poorer areas of themon people wouldn''t cut it for us. Around me, the paths and roads didn''t bustle with people.


    There were a few chariots here and there, but they were stationary. The neighborhood was a blend of the rich countryside with greenery and the sophistication of a great city. My property, just like the district, was designed for the upper-ss people, but not exclusive to nobles and aristocrats.


    In a few words, my surroundings were ssy but in. ssy butcking in eventful attractions.


    When the hooded royalty stuck her head out of her carriage to ask me whether I was already lost or what, I told her I was just looking at the area. After a second, I walked a path of cobbles cutting through thewn, found the doors of the regr aristocratic mansion ajar, and entered my sophisticated cave.


    The mansion was a two-story residence. While it wasn''t so imposing, from the inside, I could see howrge it was.


    "Old man. Hey. So how do you like home? Well?"


    "Plenty, do I not." I liked it, too, the residence. After I said as much and we exchange a few words by the entrance of the residence, the old man urged me to navigate it soundlessly. The fever of Cetha was ostensibly getting better, but she still needed to sleep a great deal. "Now, mind you, I step outside."


    To sum up the inside of the residence, it was open and straightforward. There wasn''t much furniture, but still enough so it didn''t look empty. Again, in a simr fashion to both the neighborhood and the outward appearance of the residence, the inside had a refined air of refined aristocratic values. The smell of wood and papers invaded my nostrils.


    A broad hall epassed most of the ce after I passed the entryway where many opened rooms blended into one another, forming the foundation of my cave. To one side there were a carpet and sofas of the same expensive fabric arranged around a coffee table. On another side, there was a long, long table with a half-dozen chairs around it. A few windows gave on the long table, but curtains dimmed the light they gave to the residence.


    Randomly visiting, I pressed open a door of marble, and the master bedroom winked at me. Inside, there were two bizarre ball-like creatures each called a "Mopping Slime" by the AR disy of the System. Rolling and bouncing around, the mopping slimes were smart cleaning devices. Since Cetha was soundly asleep, I randomly headed for the other half of the broad main room where I fiddled around with a few kitchen stuff in the open kitchen. All of this was new to me, and I was surprised to find a sink in the modern-looking kitchen and tap water.


    Well, I wasn''t yet familiar with the term "tap water," but a person I would meet in the near future, whose name was Haruto, would be surprised to see a simr water-producing device elsewhere and exim, "Whoa, so they even have tap water here!"


    "Elemental Stone: Water," the System disyed when I cocked my head at the unknown. Following the System''s descriptions to the letter, I yed around with my mana with the sink, and freshly produced water poured down from the tap.


    After a while, the old man came back home: "Wee to my humble abode, stranger!" Exchanging a few words with the old soul, I was basically told not to mess around too much and watch the volume of my voice. The old uncle carried loads of boxes and stuff inside. That was from the royalty.


    Apparently, the princess meant it a hundred percent when she said she would be taking care of my every need, even the ones even I didn''t know about. "So, do you need help? Also, you tell me, now. What about Cetha''s fever? You figured it out, didn''t you?"


    "''Help''¡­ It''s fine, son. About the elf maiden''s condition, I shall tell you afterward. This old man shall be quick!"


    As he appeared, he left again. After he''de back again, he wouldn''t be carrying any baggage to take in any more, so, right now, he was probably just going to have a quick word with the royalty.


    For a quick minute, I had time to visit the rest of the residence¡ªthere was a fancy full-white bathroom, on the first floor and a few other rooms and bedrooms upstairs¡ªand then, I sat with the old man around a long table where he and I talked. There, I was reminded that I swore to White-haired to take care and protect the elven princess in his stead.


    I pulled a chair for my old uncle, indicating to him to sit, then pulled a chair of my own sideways to his and sat my butt, too. If moments earlier, the atmosphere could be felt as light and rxed, at present, the air floating around us was thicker and heavier.


    Moments earlier, I simply mindlessly visited my own residence, honestly not caring much about it, just for the sake of it. At present, I was to be informed about lots of things by the old man who supervised my growth and safe travel out in the Outside World.


    "Tell me everything I should know, you who I have chosen as my advisor," I politely spoke, looking less like the teenage boy my youthful appearance suggested I was. The concepts of adulthood or childhood were irrelevant when describing the monster. You could say that I was young, but couldn''t say I was a child. The old man knew that and wasn''t taken aback by my mature demeanor. "You gathered and put together the information in your old head; I want to hear it."


    The old man sagely put his elbows on the refined table and crossed his fingers.


    "Youngd," the old man began. "Firstly, tell me more about your ability. ''Dwelling,'' I recall you call it. Your¡­ most unusual ability to hold, control, infiltrate, or take over one''s body. To climb into one''s skin, I recall it is how you presented it. This old man wants to¡ªpardon me, needs to hear it. Before you had the forest''s spirits help you, youngd, from what you told me, it was mandatory for you to be constantly using such apetence, was it not? I believe you have been using saidpetence on the elf maiden, have you not? Incidentally, you, as of today, cannot wield such a power''s effects as freely, can you? For reasons you do not know, this and that happened to be, and then¡­"


    Well. The old man, when speaking of science, knowledge, and more generally what instigated curiosity in his mind, spoke lots and lots of words. This, to no end. And basically, I had to nourish that curiosity of his by answering all his questions. Not because he wanted me to, but because he needed me to.


    After all, all the questions he asked about me, my nature as a unique and unssified monster-type creature, and the unique skills I had been granted upon spawning, were meant to answer a question of my own: What was Cetha sick for ¡ª how to protect her, cure her, and ensure my protegee never ever suffered the same condition again?

 Chapter 114 Done Speaking

    I was life in its purest form¡ªwater. Also, I was a unique monster. That had been made clear by now. An unssified monster-type creature that people sometimes called a "water elemental" or "water spirit." Well, I had people call me other names like "hydrous slime" or the like, but that was way off. The fact was, I was neither of all these spirit-type or monster-type creatures.


    What I was for sure, in a magical researcher''s eyes, was just that: unknown. From my perspective, all I was was "alive," and thatbel was enough for me. In the first ce, all I never knew for sure was that I wanted to live¡ªso alive I was.


    A unique monster-type creature that had never been known before. That meant I worked in different ways than most creatures and beings out there. In the first ce, I would have never even be self-aware if I hadn''t obtained the ''Consciousness'' passive skill from that first storyteller guy in the restaurant.


    Thus, I was a unique monster. Thus, I wasn''t amon urrence at all. Discarding the many questions one could have regarding the "how" and "why" of my existence, the old man focused on what he deemed was most important: my unique skills.


    I was in my chair, and he was in his.


    "...Wait a second."


    "Hm, oh?"


    "What does that have to do with my elf''s condition? Her illness?"


    By this point, we had talked a great deal already. Unfortunately, I was unable to answer most questions directed at me. But at some point, we found at least one topic I could answer.


    "''Dwelling,''" the old man nodded. "When we first met in the forest, you told me that¡­" And the knowledgeable sage went on. When we first met in the forest, it was incumbent upon the monster to always be using a certain unique skill I had¡ªDwelling. That was for reasons the System didn''t really exin. Basically, it was to ensure the yer''s survival and allow me to proceed with the Main Quest I was pursuing at the time.


    That was in the past, however. Presently, I could roam free without utilizing a "Receptacle" and not be admonished by the System.


    "Let us think about why that is, youngd."


    Obviously, I had obtained my human form, that was why. With the "Character" the System "created" for me, I could start "ying the game."


    "Oh¡­ But isn''t there something that you miss, dear boy?"


    After a moment''s thought, I confidently said that I never missed anything.


    There was in fact something that I missed. Primarily, ording to the old sage''s understanding, if I was now allowed, let''s say, by the System not to be restricted in the way I lived, that is to say not being forced to be making full use of the Dwelling unique skill, it wasn''t because I had evolved to a human form¡ª"Or be granted¡­ a Character from the¡­ System, as you say, dear boy."¡ªno, it was because I had grown much stronger since the beginning.


    That argument made more sense, it was correct. ording to my old advisor, had the use of Dwelling not been forced upon me right from the beginning, I would have died. As I was life in its purest form, I couldn''t be allowed to die. Yes. Right at the beginning, it was clearly exposed to me: I was weak. Oh so weak.


    And after a certain ck swordsman of the Reinred Empire ced his sword upon my chest, I was mercilessly killed. So it''s fair to say that I could have died at any time, back in the time.


    My chances of survival were too low.


    People were after me, and I needed to keep using one of my unique skills, Dwelling, climb into people''s skin, take over them, use them as Receptacles to stay hidden, and survive.


    "You had to. However, your natural attitude toward the world changed. As time went by, you were no longer required to use your unique ability, since you had grown an awful lot in the very short span of a week, and were not judged ''weak'' anymore. Are you following, youngd? Believe this old man when he enlightens you¡ªgoing from level-1 to level-40ish in a matter of a few days? Your growth was miraculously fast if even this old man says it!"


    Okay. So that exined it. I sure was d I brought this old man along, heh. And so,ing back to the initial topic of Cetha''s illness, I understood that I kept growing and growing, back at the time. To this day, I still grow.


    "And if memory serves, youngd, after you have undergone such a transformation from bullied low-level monster-type creature to rtively high-level unique monster, you have noticed you are no longer to fare well when using your unique skill Dwelling against low-level opponents."


    Why that was, well, it was because my demonic mana was too intense to be contained within a Receptacle as I had done an awful lot of growing, as he said. The System itself notified me countless times about it, at the time:


    "Overload of the Receptacle''s mana core ¡ª Receptacle deemed defective ¡ª The yer has to¡­" and so forth. In a sea of engulfing white mes, a Receptacle was burned to a crisp, and that was the end of the story. And that''s just what happened to Cetha, the elven princess.


    So it was all very simple, in the end. Right¡­? Right?


    Trembling with rage, I jumped up, mmed my fist on the table, and glowered at the old man. My chair was flung backward in my rage, and I stammered at the old sage. "W-W-What''re¡ª What''re you saying, old man?! I didn''t¡ª I didn''t kill Cetha! I''d never! I-I didn''t kill her, all right?! You can''t just go saying things like that!"


    I mean, the old man did just say the same phenomenon, when describing the white mes, was what had happened to the girl I liked.


    The old man seemed to have been pained by my reaction, so I calmed down after he begged me to lower the volume of my voice.


    Finally, ording to the old man''s theory (which only made sense after all this talking), though Cetha didn''t burn away in a sea of white mes, the simple fact that I "dwelled" within her for more than five consecutive days meant that her frail body must have endured a lot of strain during all this time.


    If I had used her as my Receptacle indefinitely, she would have inevitably died at some point. Maybe not engulfed in a sea of the purest white mes as the overload wasn''t so drastic, but she would have passed nheless.


    Also, if she hadn''t died right after I captured her as a Receptacle, I had the fact that she was already quite strong to thank for that. She was a noble of the elves. A high elf. The daughter of an elf king. The elf maiden who had inherited the Great Forest of Benelloan''s benediction. So, obviously, she was powerful enough. Thank goodness she was, because otherwise she would have been killed by me, back then, so she would never have be so precious to me.


    But¡­ goddamn, I thought, to think I''m the reason why she fell so ill¡­ What if she¡­ can''t forgive me when she wakes up and we tell her¡­ Damn it.


    Of course I worried about the fact my elf, my home, woulde to loathe me like the others did, but hey, it wasn''t like we ever got to know each other in the first ce, so it felt too early and stupid to worry about that. I wasn''t really aware, but you couldn''t just decide you loved the girl you only first met, without knowing her. Even if that girl might be the only person in the world who would ever truly ept you for who you are when everyone else seemed to hate you. Even if that girl basically spent a week "sharing a soul" with you, knew and understood everything about you, and still epted you when everyone rejected you. Even then, I guess you still had to yourself get to know the person before you cherished her so much¡­ but that wasn''t something I would do. She was the prettiest anyway.


    So, to take back where we left off, I made Cetha sick. I damaged her body from the inside. Thankfully, she was a powerful elf, so I wouldn''t lose her, but now that the old man knew the reason for her sickness for sure, he knew just what to do to get her back on her feet, fully healthy and recovered, and it didn''t involve any rare medicinal herbs or a master alchemist like he initially thought.


    As a side effect, Cetha the elf would grow much stronger thanks to me. If we looked at it from another perspective, the elf girl wasn''t sick because she had been weakened per se. She was weak because I had forced my "strength" on her. As a natural result, if properly healed, she would be getting much stronger.


    At any rate, the girl just needed mana to heal up. Any mana could do, and I was d to think I could maybe participate in healing her. To my disappointment, that wasn''t possible. Since I was a monster and my aura was different from the human races'' mana, receiving too much of my mana for the elf would alter her too much, and who knew what consequences that would bring.


    Sadly, I thanked the old man for educating me about all of this with a slight bow. He also thanked me for helping with his investigation, but I denied his thanks saying he was the true champion in the room.


    And so we were done speaking.

 Chapter 115 Treasure

    I thanked the old man for educating me about all of this with a slight bow. He also thanked me for helping with his investigation, but I denied his thanks saying he was the true champion in the room.


    And so we were done speaking.


    Now was time for me to go on and¡­ get things done.


    I sat for a long time, and at longst, from deep within my chair, I worked my way up, where I ced both my hands t onto the t ck surface of the desk. Peering into the old man''s face, I went and stole his lunch money. Gently, my victim agreed to give me a handful of both silver and copper coins before I thanked him again.


    "I shall be off, then, gramps."


    "Oh¡­ Where to, if I may venture to ask?"


    I was off to eat noodles. Just as in as that. Pasta was yummy, and ever since I and the old stout merchant noodle-maker got separated, back in Sville, my tummy kept asking for such a meal. Noodles, noodles, noodles. So now wasn''t the time to stay put and do nothing.


    But I was stopped by the old man. Did I forget? Before I''d have permission to go out in the open, in a society popted mostly by human races, I''d first need to hide something from people. I''d need to hide myself. Hide the monster. My ominous, monster-like ck aura.


    Naturally, I wouldn''t want to get caught out there. Princess Elina said that I''d need that in order not to get caught by someone as keen as her. Right, she was the one to find out about my nature back on the battlefield, so her advice was to be heeded.


    Before it went away to get things done, the monster first stepped in front of the old man. A finger was ced onto my forehead, the old magician murmured a faint chant, and my ever-leaking magical energy stopped flowing out at once. The sensation felt funny, but at the same time, it was just like I was trapped, so a bit diforting.


    Before you mastered the art of magic-wielding, said the old man, you couldn''t prevent your aura from constantly leaking out of you as easily. With a regr Joe, constantly "leaking" wasn''t an issue since you weren''t overflowing with aura and magic, to begin with. That was different for me, however. As I had so much energy, it leaked out in great quantities.


    But fear not¡ªthanks to a handy old man, you could summon a "barrier" on your monster kids before they went out ying with their humans! All of that with only one application of a certain spell from our old man.


    My brows drew closer and I gulped. With hesitation, I conveyed what the sensation felt like when the doctor pressed me with questions. "I-It''s not¡­ ''flowing out'' as considerably anymore¡­?"


    "Oh ho ho!" the old manughed. "Sure¡­ Lest you forget, this means of hiding your nature, son, will only work as a temporary measure." The skillful old man went on and told me that, in the first ce, it was bizarre the aura still leaked out even slightly. Ideally, it shouldpletely hide a regr person, but it couldn''t work as properly on me. "I should mention it: you will have to learn and train!"


    If I could just find some guy with a handy skill called "Mana Regtion," or something, this affair would go quicker¡­ "But sure, old man."


    I went out.


    .


    .


    .


    In the residence, I thought and thought. At present, I walked and walked. Heading out was the right call. Always thinking and learning was growing dull on my youthful mind. Brain wasn''t up to the task anymore. Even if it were, at any rate, all matters requiring discussion had been settled and done with, thanks to the old man.


    I''d had enough; now I was free.


    "Where to?" the old man had asked. To the outside world. To life. To what''s good and great.


    The outside world was weing me into its heart again, and I was looking out for treasure. So I set off down the track, following in the path Princess Elina''s carriage must have followed. After five minutes of strolling and three minutes of sprinting, I reached a more popted area after the endless gardens of the aristocratic district abruptly stopped. Here, there were many more streets. Before long, these many streets weed me, too, along with the great number of passersby and pedestrians.


    Also, the fresh air weed me. And then, the gray cobbles arranged into lively roads of chariots, horses, and messengers did wee me, too. The warm wind stroking my ck hair and neck, my pockets full of coins, my feet and toes, still bare and unshoed, the prickly sensation of the ground beneath my feet, and finally, the sun, still dangerously burning and beating down on every human, vigorously bathing us all in its sun rays'' warmth to the point of difort, also weed me outside.


    "R¡­Right back at you!" I yelled out to the skies, still in the middle of the streets, observing everything around me. People, workers or not, turned to me, sparing me no more than a quick nce, scoffed, and went back to their business. Being as bizarre as ever, I held my arms out in a frenzy as if to embrace the whole world,ughed lots of Ha ha ha, and yelled it again. "Right back at you! Yaaah, I wee you, too¡­ Capital!"


    Country bumpkin. People already had a name for me, along with other mean but fair remarks.


    Letting my strong sense of smell guide me, I didn''t so much use the Guiding Fragrance device of the System to let myself be guided toward my destination, but just for the sake of it, I followed a good bowl of noodles'' entrancing perfume.


    Amercial alley. That was about where to. Finding myself a stool, I sat down at the first stall and found another version of that stout old bearded man as the owner of the ce.


    "What''ll I serve ya?" Cheerfully, the customer was addressed, and swiftly, my order was taken. "Comin'' right up, sonny!" While I waited for my order to be ready, I casually asked questions to the noodle-maker. A long moment passed, and I thanked the stout merchant for the meal after I was served, sniffed around in the air as I appreciated the warm sauce''s fragrance, then plunged my head right into the ample bowl of pasta and wolfed all the food down like an animal would, making a mess of my face.


    Taking no note of the merchant''s ckening mouth and widening eyes, after I ate, I''d need to pay up since I was a very civilized citizen. Really, if people got the idea that I was just like a beast in the wild, they got the wrong impression. Without counting up what I gave the merchant, I plunged a hand into one of my two pockets and poured its contents for the old merchant to take.


    Another pping surprise climbed up the merchant''s face, and as he kept calling out to me that it was all too much, louder and louder, but I took off at once. Whoever ever had such a thing as "too much money" in the world? My business here was done: I had eaten my fill and had asked about what I needed to know.

 Chapter 116 Parcours

    Another pping surprise climbed up the merchant''s face, and as he kept calling out to me that it was all too much, louder and louder, but I took off at once. Whoever ever had such a thing as "too much money" in the world? My business here was done: I had eaten my fill and had asked about what I needed to know.


    Because I asked questions to the merchant noodle-maker. I first asked what a kingdom was, what size it was, and whether it could be eaten or not before I got my answer. Asking then what a princess was, or more specifically, how important was a prince or princess, one of the direct descendants of the king, I got my answer. Finally, I asked about a prince or princess'' home, and how I could get there at once. It was the pce, and if I wanted to head to it, well, I just had to know that the big roads led to it.


    All these questions had already been asked, and the kind merchant kindly provided me with an answer for each. Or maybe not, because then again, there was onest question I didn''t let be voiced.


    ? "What lies behind the story¡­?" Main Quest¡ª That question.


    What lies behind the story? The System asked, and it was a very good question. What did I think hid behind the story, eh? Behind the story told by a certain storyteller. The same storyteller who ate, chatted, and jested with his little family at a certain family restaurant. The same guy I killed on my first day and from whom I obtained the ''Consciousness'' passive skill. The same guy who recounted the story to his nephews, and thanks to whom I obtained so many other unique abilities of sorts.


    So¡­ what did I think hid behind the monster''s story? A "fantastical" legendary forest full of wonders? A "ce where everything began"? An ancient legendary tribe of people who had been blessed by the Divine Spirits? Or could it be¡­ a game? The Game? The System''s Game? Isekai Production''s Game? Did I know? Or did the noodle-maker know? Should I have asked him?


    It was question of THE story. The very story was what ced me in this world, it was the very reason why I was alive in the first ce. The story which created me. A certain monster''s story. My story. Or perhaps one should rather say it that way: that girl''s¡ªMana''s story?


    Of course I didn''t ask the stout merchant! He didn''t know. Not even the old man, my faithful and useful advisor, knew. But more importantly, I didn''t know. Well. Not for now, at least. Not for now.


    All I had for now was this: ? "What lies behind the story¡­?" Main Quest ¡ª Apanied by the yer''s host, Princess Elina, let the yer head inside of the Capital and get allfortable with her. Then hear the story! 0/1 ?


    I didn''t tag along with the noblewoman when I could because I had important matters to discuss with an old sage, but now I would. Now, I could be devout to the System again and follow the guiding fragrance.


    I heard the System, then. It was time to go. ording to the noodle-maker, as he could very well answer some of my questions, getting to this pce ce he mentioned was an impossible thing for me, who was most likely amoner from the way I dressed, to do.


    ording to his info, the royalties, who were the fellows of Princess Elina, weren''t weing anyone inside their territory just because, so venturing to get in without their permission was a fool''s work. A fearless fool, you could even say. The merchant was wrong. I wasn''t a fool. I still needed to get to my royalty, too. If I didn''t follow the System, after all, what was I following? When I actually put my back into it, the quests, upon beingpleted, always brought forth new events and storylines to follow after.


    So long as it was that way, I''d go aboutpleting the game. Thus, after I had parted with my stool, I faced the many streets and roads of the capital still bustling with people and navigated endlessly through the city.


    The voyage was a long one, but I liked to always be discovering more things about the outside world. Out there, scattered all around the thousands of streets, pathways, and alleys, there were so many people going about so many different activities. I loved it here, the heart of the city was just how the third princess described it: the heart of a thriving medieval civilization full of an awful lot of mysteries. New bright colors, shapes, gadgets, and people were presented to me, as if on a golden tray.


    And after six or seven hours of walking, believe it or not, I stumbled upon a most gigantic forest, oh so full of greenery, right at the middle of the capital. That was weird, now. A forest? I wouldn''t have imagined that sort of thing would be here, right at the center of so popted a capital. But sure, why not.


    Iter learned that this "forest" was in fact the royal gardens. It was true that the forest was mostly trimmed and cut anyhow, and that the whole structure was more decorative than wild.


    Massive white walls stood up surrounding the whole of the tamed forest. Circling the walls, I found many portals here and there that dived right into the heart of the broad gardens, but the guard misters stationed at each side of the entrance did just as the noodle-maker said: they shooed the country bumpkin away each time he approached.


    Countless white beautiful arc-shaped structures and domes were found right in the middle of the luxurious, green gardens. Spread harmoniously around the pce were even and graceful white terraces upon which the settling sun still reflected, giving the world a spectacr glimpse of a fiery red-pink gloss all around the castle. Such was the royalties'' domain. Hidden behind all of this were a lonely king, his children, and his noble friends. And as it sure felt fun to do so, I promised myself that one day, I''d be crushing them all under my might, and make this whole territory the monster''s territory.


    But that wasn''t so important, and for the time being, I managed to slip in after I climbed the massive wall which obstructed me, canceled my Character, and turned into a shapeless body of water. When I was like this, shapeless, I more or less looked like a slime, though I wasn''t a perfect ball either.


    Shapeless though I might have been, after I spent so long either using human Receptacles or my own human form, the Character, I could easily assume a human-shaped silhouette, now, even while being a in undisguised monster. If people saw me like this, they wouldn''t cry out "Whoa¡ª Unssified watery slime!" but more something like "Whoa, is that the legendary Undine? Too bad it ain''t got the boobs an'' feminine appearance of the popr illustration!"


    There were guards patrolling the walls, so, while shapeless, I snuck past the walls, made sure nobody would be seeing me among the many gardens and called forth my human form again. As usual, the System gave me the usual "Character: registered. The yer may progress through the Game" notification, and I navigated through the greennd right to the castle.


    Past some point, I felt some sort of invisible barrier preventing me from going further onward, but when I forced my way in anyway, a thin veil of ss shattered.


    Whoa there, I hadn''t identally stepped through some sort of protective device meant to prevent intruders from attacking or something, had I?


    I had no idea to know, at the time, but I did break something important. Some important protective spell whose purpose was to protect the pce against assants. That Haruto guy would say "This is a fantasy world, after all."


    As usual anyway, when following a quest from the System, whenever unwarranted trouble stood in my path¡ªjust like the dryad, back in the forest, who refused to help the yer with the quest, or the third princess of the Roerden Kingdom who ordered her soldiers to kill me, the monster, when she found me out¡ªpure white clouds of mana appeared around me, and before the master mages in charge of guarding the Castle could understand that the Pce''s barrier had been broken, the pure mana fixed whatever needed fixing, and no trouble arose.


    The game''s storyline made the world bent to its will, and I safely passed through many more invisible barriers further down the road. Each time a barrier broke, the System''s AR disy read "''Mana''s Benediction'' Positive Effect ¡ª Confirmed: Encryption Magic has registered ''yer: Skill'' as a Privileged Entity." Days after, when I would secretly pass through the tamed forest again, the array of protective barriers wouldn''t offer me resistance at all.


    An arched gate was presented to me, and I thanked the fact that it was now mostly nighttime since I couldn''t exactly be seen here. I was an intruder, after all. If, let''s say, right now, I got found out, arrested, then put to death in ordance with the State''sws, my noblewoman could only turn her head the other way and do as if she had no ties with the foolish intruder. For sure, the noblewoman''s monster servant should always be kept a secret. I knew. With the night as my coat, I couldn''t be seen so easily, thankfully.


    The same way I worked all my way up to here, within the royal domain, I slipped into the castle. Sliding in was an easy thing to do if I canceled the Character. If I needed to, as a body of living water, I could be so that I didn''t stand out. I wasn''t so shapeless a body of water that I could pass through walls or sink into the ground¡ªI had the [Resistant Body] and [Jelly-like Shapelessness] skills to thank for that¡ªbut as you can imagine, I could slip in and out fairly easily if I buckled down to it.


    I was in. There was a big hall. So giant and royal. My eyes couldn''t number all the chandeliers, paintings, or other decorations of this site. People were present here. Maids stood on duty. Royal guards patrolled the hallways. Noblemen moved around and ruled as kings under the bigger king.

 Chapter 117 Shall I

    I was in. There was a big hall. So giant and royal. My eyes couldn''t number all the chandeliers, paintings, or other decorations of this site. People were present here. Maids stood on duty. Royal guards patrolled the hallways. Noblemen moved around and ruled as kings under the bigger king.


    This ce wasn''t my stop, but now, it would probably be tough to go around this ce without being unseen. So I waited, waited, and waited¡­ up till I found a way to go. Skillfully, I managed to slide from one vase to the other; decorating vases with blooming flowers was popr here, it seemed; and atst found refuge in a moving jar that a maid was transporting around by means of a chariot.


    Infiltrating was quite the gymnastic, even when you were a bizarre monster. I got further deep into the castle. Somehow, at some point, navigating through the endless corridors and hallways around the pce, I stumbled upon quieter halls and corridors.


    And that''s when I met "them." The older brother and the younger one. All the noblemen and women of this ce were dressed a certain way, following a code, having all more or less the same attire¡ªthese two were different as, with the way they dressed, they reeked even more strongly of ease and wealthiness. The air around them reminded me of a certain third princess. If I saw people like her, I was on the right track.


    People like her, right. So both an idea and a question shed through my mind: Who were these people, then? Curious, I stopped around a corner, my body was condensed into a ball the way a super tiny slime was. Observing them using "Mana Perception," I depicted a young prince with his older brother. The young one kind of looked like he was constipated while his senior looked more passive and cool.


    Her name came up.


    "Elina, Elina, Elina¡­!" the younger of the two spoke, somewhat angrily. "Goddamn Elina!" Squinting and ring, a heavy frown crept up his face where it settled for quite long.


    "I know, I know." The two of them were having a discussion, it seemed to me. When I walked by, they were silent, but before long, they cut their silence and spoke again. More precisely, one of them did. "...But let her do as she pleases, hey."


    "Hm!" A foot was stomped on the ground. "You keep saying that, but you really think we should just¡­ let her, Brother?! Do as she pleases? The fool!"


    The two men stood there, one of them was dark with fury and a frown, and the other, the older one, though he wasn''t as angry and displeased as his younger brother, did also appear quite upset at the named Elina. Who were they to Princess Elina? Siblings? Well, you don''t say.


    "...In the end, she''s still our sister. She''s younger, dumb, and inexperienced¡­ but she''s still the daughter of your father. I get you''re pissed off, eh. I am, too¡­ but whatever, kid."


    What was it with the dumb Elina? Had she done something wrong? Why was the youngerd so pissed at her? It aroused my curiosity. Of course I''d stay and overhear the two boys'' discussion.


    "Right, Brother?! ¡­She first has the heroes summoned without bothering to receive permission¡­ not for Father''s sake and approval, but for her own benefit¡­ and now, fucking ''that''? She¡­ recruits ''that''...!" After a silence, the older brother simply scoffed, and the younger brother continued. "No but seriously! We were the ones to tell her about it and give her the idea¡­ but how in the world does the woman actually go and¡­ gets herself ''that''?! Without notice?! No preparations?!" Again, dark with fury, he stomped his foot on the ground. "If my sister so desires to make things right¡­ the goddamn vixen only has to marry into that old count''s family and be done with it!"


    Jeez, so I would have to personally scold my noblewoman, wouldn''t I? If she didn''t behave to the point of pissing people off so much, no, I couldn''t let her.


    "True enough, I was the one to bring the possibility about thess pullin'' ''that''. Still can''t believe she did it. But anyway. ...You do need to vent a little, don''tcha, kid?" The older brother added that the heroes were approved of by their father anyway and that they still had the demons'' threat to take care of. "Benelloan, was it?" Apparently, he had his own guys investigate the aftermath of the war, there, in the Great Forest of Benelloan, and things weren''t looking pretty.


    "True Demon Lord or not, this isn''t of my concerns, at the present moment, Brother. Also, what is that about an absolute need to vent? I do not! Why are you acting so cool andposed anyway, Brother? I''m talking about Elina''s case: show it pisses you off, too¡­!"


    "Sure," the mature cool guy said. "It pisses me~" With as cheery and light a voice as he had, it didn''t look like he was so angry at all. If anything, maybe he found his younger sister''s case amusing.


    "The woman should know her ce! She should! I understand we''re rted by blood¡­ but¡­ argh. The little selfish cheeky fool¡­ Whoa. She doesn''t realize, does she? To what point the news she brought to Father from the battle for Ladafar was utterly ridiculous! A failure! Give me a thousand men, I would have brought the demi-humans down in a day! Sure, she may have won anyway¡­ but who wouldn''t against the filthy orcs? I shan''t of course mention the impressively huge number of casualties among the soldiers, ha! Doesn''t she see she isn''t suited for this? And Fatherughed at her giving his approval! ''Go, my daughter, and see for yourself what true warfare is!'' he said! At such a sensible time! What are we, buffoons?! To let his daughter just¡­ Argh, devil take it!"


    "...I know, I know. But what can we do? Y''should just rx, kid."


    "But no!"


    "Look, as you say, Father gave his approval. ¡­Just let her do what she pleases, I tell you. Till she fails. That''s all there''s to your issue, kid."


    "Putting aside the two incredible failures staining our name: The failure of her campaign and the uwful and tactless strategy to have summoned the other-worlder heroes yesterday aside¡ªnow she goes on and pulls ''that''! All the brothers already know it! ''My new powerful asset who shall secretly serve under me and me alone,'' she goes on saying to her maids! h h h, yapping away at the castle''s folks! She brags about it to her personal maids, but does she not have a reason to know to keep her mouth shut? The fool! She goes and gets herself an ''irregr soldier,'' as they say! She must have picked the first filthy demi-human she found out there! It couldn''t be a monster-type, they aren''t any good if not high-level! My sources are valid. You can trust me¡ª"


    "Oh, believe me, I''ve heard ''bout it, too¡­ It''ll sure be a pain, but we''ll have to make sure the info doesn''t leak outside of the circle."


    "You can trust me, right. Caught red-handed. Seriously. Already leaking her own little secret here and there¡­"


    Okay, what? I didn''t expect to have my "name"e up in their conversation, too. So I was famous already? ¡­No, not so much. If the boy''s sources were as valid and sure as he said they were, I guess he would have known Elina the fool didn''t recruit a demi-human under her, but indeed a high-level monster-type.


    "I could go on and on, hours on end,ining¡ªno, exposing her for her own foolishness until dawn! The oracles and philosophers have spoken! We are facing a crisis! Thus, she summoned her heroes! ¡­But now, she pulls ''this''!"


    Shall the monster stand up and tear off the head of the young prince''s shoulders?

 Chapter 118 Game

    Wait, what? I didn''t expect to have my "name"e up in their conversation, too.


    The younger one, pissed at his sister, mentioned three issues he had with her. Tactless when summoning the heroes, failing when waging war under Father''s authority, and then pulling "that." At first, the third implication wasn''t so clear I could understand I was the one they spoke of, but after a moment, it became clear they were also talking about Princess Elina''s own little pet soldier.


    So I was famous already? ¡­No, not so much. If the boy''s sources were as valid and sure as he said they were, I guess he would have known Elina the fool didn''t recruit a demi-human under her, but indeed a high-level monster-type.


    And he went on, carrying his rant. Elina sure was a troublemaker, being so wed and awfully bad at the path she picked. "I could go on and on, hours on end,ining¡ªno, exposing her for her own foolishness until dawn!"


    After the younger one spoke again, his voice filled with contempt and scorn, a nk unfolded. Neither of the two spoke for a while, and I casually thought, A''ight, bored, let''s head off, before I continued exploring the pce.


    I didn''t think much of any of it. The fact that Elina the fool already let "that" information leak or the other mistakes the younger brother kept saying she repeated, didn''t really matter to me. If Princess Elina was a fool and made mistakes, well, most people were fools and made mistakes. That was all there was to it.


    Sure, if the noblewoman who chose me happened to be in trouble, said trouble would befall me, too, but I was confident I could handle any troubleing our way anyway. Plus, wasn''t that supposed to be my job anyway, whenever the royalty required my services? That''s hitting the nail on the head. So let her go and sow all the trouble in the world if she wants, and I could handle my end of our contract. Leaving the two sons of the king, I was on my way again.


    Taking nearby stairs, I navigated toward this or that direction, again and again, passing by many halls and corridors, up until, in what I deemed were living quarters, I found that door.


    The System guided me here, and I thought it might have been the final destination for that quest to bepleted. That was right, the guiding fragrance, or guiding device the System directed me with came to an end, here. If before I was even inside the royalty''s territory I could somehow sense the objective of the quest was still a long way of exploration ahead, presently, I felt like my hand could reach and seize the quest¡ªor rather, Elina the third princess, making her mine alone.


    In front of that door, the monster ceremoniously stood, arms crossed upon his chest with dignity, locking his eyes onto the prey. At once, the door''s handle was clutched, and a person came out of the third princess'' apartments. No, not one person, but two. They were two. Maids?


    "So fast asleep, thedy is!"


    "My, yes. Leading the campaign surely has been hard on ourdy."


    Move it along, humans, I thought. With basks of what appeared to be many clothes and robes, the two female humans head off, closing the refined door after them.


    Shoo, shoo¡ªthe humans were gone. Of the two¡ªno, three servants, two left, and one remained; it was me.


    And so, there was a door, a monster, and a sleeping noblewoman. Not anything else was here. The castle, at night, like most other ces, was quiet. Not a soul was around to prevent the monster from carefully sliding in the noblewoman''s apartments. Not a soul, so the monster could go onpleting the quest, at longst.


    All the monster had to do was "get allfortable" with the noblewoman¡­ whatever that meant. That was it.


    The chamber was spacious. Truly spacious. After a rather short hallway, the residence directly gave on one broad sleeping amodation. One widely opened window, from which the winds came and made themselves asfortable as I was going to, let the room''s air be constantly refreshed, and I took notes of it. Next time I swung by, this was my gate.


    The night sky, still a bit bluish and dim with light, adorned with a few peeking stars from behind the canopy of clouds, was a most gorgeous canvas on the wall of the ce. And the moon, standing deep buried behind the canvas, slowly and faintly whispered to the monster not to ever get so full of itself like the moon did, using the winds as envoys sent to me.


    Within the room, there were desks, shelves, and closets. All of them being of the highest quality, imperial, majestic, and mostly extravagant. Carpets, too. A throne-like chair was exposed in a corner of the chamber. A fancy coffee table here with scattered books and documents on it. Other than the open canvas of the night sky, other paintings, encased in golden frames, decorated the walls, covering each of the six walls of the grand bedroom. Animal skins and trophies could also be exposed so much the bedroom was immense. A few expensive essories here and there. A royal mess. To the point of depravity.


    I wasn''t used to such an abundance of wealth and hoped never to be.


    Anyway, the third princess. In the middle of the heavily decorated chamber, there was a huge double bed. Layers on top ofyers, rich silk and linen sheets were clothes to the thick mattress. On top of all these nkets and duvets, there was a woman.


    Sleeping soundly as she was, still so tightly dressed and amodated, she waspletely exposed to the monster.


    Reassuming my human form, I scoffed not for any reason.


    "Get¡­ ''allfortable with her''... was it?"


    Cautiously approaching the bed, I carefully slid myself under the pile of hot duvets, wondering what exactly I was required to do.


    What lies behind the story? I knew nothing.


    This was my story. The story of the game. The story of the monster, of the yer, or the story of Mana. It was true¡ªI knew nothing. And suddenly, nestling within the noblewoman''s warm embrace, I fell asleep¡­ not thinking about anything.


    I fell asleep not thinking about the reason why the System had brought me here. Not thinking about the game or about the story. Not thinking of Isekai Production and what I had been involved in. I was the yer, and hey, "it" was the game.


    I didn''t think about "Shop" either, or the two waiters who served me, the ss of water, to that table, back in the restaurant. "For Shop''s will," they had said. Well, of course, for Shop''s will!


    And, simr to how the third princess waspletely exposed to me, all subdued and docile, I, at the time, soundly sleeping as I was, was alsopletely exposed to "him."


    Simr to how my fangs were held right above the noblewoman''s throat, threatening to do away with her at any moment I pleased and spill her blood, these two waiters, at the time, were also holding their fangs right about my throat, threatening to snatch the life away from me, their fangs being even closer to me than my jugr vein.


    For Shop''s will.


    And Shop received a quest, too.


    "Mana''s Benediction." Mana had called it a Benediction. The truth was, it was neither a benediction nor anything remotely close to it.


    But hey, it''s just a game.

 Chapter 119 Epilogue: The Fragment Of Shop

    Epilogue: "And Shop received a quest, too."


    At the very beginning, there was Shop.


    Therefore, we all eximed, "For Shop''s will."


    From his breast, Shop created us, hence, we were Shops.


    Thus, to this day, there are Shops.


    .


    .


    .


    We were Shops. And Shops were waiting. In a cave, we, Shops, need to wait. To be patient, then the orders from above woulde to us. So we wait, count the days, and feel the suns away, as well as the suns ahead.


    In this cavern, the fragment of Skill shalle to us, eventually. Because Shops took care of it¡ªwe waited for our quest to be received, became waiters under Shop''s orders, identified the Mortde Reinred individual, wielder of the legendary "Mana Perception" ability, and obeyed Shop''s order when he spoke: "Quest ''Skill Arises!'' ¡ª" And then spoke again: "Power the beverage with Power Seeds. 0/999." And also when he finally spoke: "Utter: ''This attempt shall be the one.'' 0/1. Utter: ''For Shop''s will.'' 0/1 ¡ª Serve the beverage to a certain table after it is ready. 0/1"


    "Orders. Orders. Orders," we spoke, not nearly driven to insanity, clearly still patient and resolute to receive Shop''s orders. The quest.


    For us, Shops, it had been decades since there were any orders. Stationed at the entrance of the First Dungeon that the fragment of Skill will have to clear, it truly has been decades.


    "Orders, orders, orders," we continued chanting, alone in the dark, feeling not the slightest touch of loneliness, here, away from Lord Shop, still awaiting his orders after decades of patience. "To wait for orders, to wait for orders, to wait for orders¡­ We just have to be patient¡­ For Shop''s will."


    That is exactly correct, for Shop''s will shall always prevail. That is why we wait. Love is not necessary for the devout servant. Power and dominance alone suffice. Therefore, we wait.


    "In this¡­ In this cave¡­ We wait in this cave. From this cave. For the master''s orders. We wait¡­ for this cave. The First Dungeon. We count the days¡­ from this cave. And the suns¡­ with this cave. We¡­ are with ourselves. We are not alone. In this cave, we cannot be alone. Shops are with us. ¡­We are Shops."


    Suddenly, Shop spoke. "Dro¡ª Dro¡ª Dro¡ª Dro¡ª Dro¡ª Dro¡ª Drop of¡­ of¡­ of¡­ of¡­ Drop, drop, drop!" we shouted¡­ or was it us who shouted? "Shu¡ª Shu¡ª Shu¡ª SHUT UP!" Shops shouted once more, clearly driven past insanity.


    In this cave, waiting for the master''s¡ªShop''s orders, there were two of us. Two Shops. Thus, we were with Shops. ¡­But "us" was annoying. We are annoying. "Us" angered us. We angered ourselves.


    "Shu¡ª Shut up! No¡ª No cave! No¡ª No Shops! I¡ª I want to buy myself an ice cream! I¡ª I want it with cream, a ton of cream, and salted butter caramel¡­! Shu¡ª Shu¡ª Dro¡ª Shut up!"


    Even annoyed to the point of insanity, we still waited so that it may be known to the master that we are a good Shop. "Patiently, patiently, patiently," we spoke, passively rebuking the insane Shop, solving Shop''s problem.  "For Shop''s will."


    But there was still a problem for we couldn''t do anything about ourselves. Aside from hearing that hideously melodic tone of wild stammerings, driven by sore and putrid madness swelling within ourselves, naught is what we could do. The cave was dark, and while we patiently stood by the entrance of the bottom of the ancient crypt that was established to be the gateway to the First Dungeon, the other Shop, driven mad with insanity, stood no farther than thirty feet from us, in the dark too¡ªthen it urred to us we were wounded.


    "Shu¡ª Shu¡ª Shut up!" we shouted to our loudest, banging our head against the rocky walls of the cavern. "They¡ª They¡ª They¡ª They¡­ have stoooooped!"


    "Again," we swiftly responded.


    "Again! We want ice cream! Sal¡ª Sal¡ª Salted butter caramel ice cream!" we responded again.


    Though outside the cave there was still a world like we remembered, it had been so long we were inside the cave that, our colleague, the insane Shop, must have forgotten what rain was. "Sometimes, it rains," we offered an exnation, calmly. "Sometimes, it does not rain." Stopping at that, we hoped Shop would be satisfied with Shop''s exnation. From the ground level, rain sank deep into the earth and finally reached our cave. In the end, we were not satisfied with the exnation.


    "...Don''t matter to me! Ice cream! Can I buy myself an¡ª Can I buy myself an ice cream?! Please! I want ice cream¡ª Don''t matter to me!" Still banging our heads against the rocky wall, we cried hysterically, wishing for creamy salted butter caramel ice cream.


    "We are hurt," we said.


    "I¡ª I¨C I know!"


    "...For Shop''s will." And we educated the insane Shop again: "Lord Shop isn''t so weak that he should want his servant to pass away from banging our head against the rocky wall of the crypt wishing for a quick escape from our master''s orders."


    Shop was strong. Stronger than every being in the world. If Shop so wished, he could take over the world in the span of a year. Even Skill, who is said to be the agent of Mana against the ancient tribe, and most probably the whole world, will never be as strong as our master, Shop, the Mighty, the Strict.


    For Shop''s will. Shop will not die. Even if we bang our head in such an insane-driven way. Incidentally, as it had been decades since we waited, the rocky wall we whacked our forehead onto, to the point of bleeding, was bashed in. Also, we became less annoying when insanely banging our head against the rocky wall, even though it hurt us.


    Thus, it was decided that, being a good Shop, we should let ourselves bang our head so as we always did. For that is what we had to do: To wait for orders. To wait for the quest. And then, we will kill them all. Kill the old man who also wore his brother''s face, and when Skill will think toe to them, he will find they are away, and we will take back the fragment of Skill.


    But this quest was forter on. For now, we only had to wait. In the cave. For decades. Where the drops of water from the gathered moisture of the upper ground fall and run all their way down to here, somehow passing through every rock, stone, and chunk of the earth, then showing through the cave''s rocky uneven rook. Where these very drops of water dive down headfirst and shatter themselves against the rocks of the poorly cut floor. Where, when the drops of water stop, we cannot help but do it ourselves and go banging our head as if it were a drop of water against the rocky walls, insanely crying, desperate for ice cream¡ª


    "Whe¡ª Whe¡ª Whe¡ª Where are they ice creams at!" Shouting and screaming, before we are allowed to summon the Shop Interface of the System, let our hand dive within the blue floating window of the Shop, buying the item "Creamy Ice: Salted Butter Caramel x1" for 5 golds, and tossed it to the insane Shop before he grabbed it and indulged in the cream''s sulent taste.


    That is what Shop does: buy from the Shop Interface.


    For days and days, thousands and thousands of days, our daily life happened to be like this. We had to wait. Many more days passed as we waited and banged our head.


    Someday, suddenly, both Shops stiffened at once. We were done waiting.


    We sensed Skill''s presence. As Shop had predicted, he came toplete the First Dungeon.


    An ice cream fell from the insane Shop''s hand, and an evil grin adorned that Shop''splexion, and atst, loudly guffawing, he pressed and wrapped his arms around his stomach, and fell to the ground where he was iling around with rapturous joy and gruesome madness. "He¡ª He¡ª He¡ª He''s around!"


    "We know," we replied, matter-of-factly. "For Shop''s will."


    "Hehehehe¡­ He''s around! Kekekeke¡­ He''s¡­ arooound!"


    The fragment of Skill was around. And after thirty or so years, we received a new notification.


    ¡­Ring!


    ? "Help Skill Out!" Quest ¡ª "Your archenemy, the fragment of Skill, hase to clear the First Dungeon¡­ but he has a problem! A fight broke out between the fragment of Skill and the Chieftain of the Goblin Tribe of the Neighboring Forest. The fragment of Skill won, but he suffered great damage in the process. Your archenemy has lost his left arm as well as both legs¡­ won''t he need your strength?"


    ? Quest ¡ª Let the yer meet with yer: Skill, buy the item "High-Level Monster-type: Rare Mystic Earth Dragon Lizard x1" from the Shop Interface, and offer it to your archenemy.


    ? 0/1 ?


    "...For Shop''s will."

 Chapter 120 Academy

    Today was the thirty-third day ever since I walked the earth. That''s me, and after living so long, I was granted a name. Rather than telling you I was life in its purest form and that nobody was more alive than I, now, I can tell you that I am Aoi. My name is Aoi.


    In the hero''s tongue, it means "blue" or "bluish." A certain human princess bestowed such a name upon me, the unique monster-type creature, referring to the deep bluish faint light in my eyes. Since I had no name to go around with, Iined to the noblewoman about it, and she who knew a bit about the hero''s tongue, having summoned her own heroes and stuff, was happy to call my eyes bluish.


    It had already been a month anyway. A whole thirty days. An entire month added to a few days. To me, when I still was a week old only, the long period felt like an eternity, but now that I had gotten used to having some sort of daily routine and schedule, I could easily imagine how, to most people, thirty days wasn''t so grand a timespan.


    Looking back, I came a long way. Done this and that. Killed so and so. Completed a quest after the other. Now, an entire month was behind me, and it opened the longest dance of years toe. So much more had yet toe.


    Adventure time. To be a monster hunter. To kill more, hunt more, and evolve more as a warrior and individual. That is what I looked forward to, arguably ever since I was created.


    Working toward that goal so I would have the path I, an evil monster, always craved, was what I had been doing. After a week, I had finally gotten it. By chance, a certain third princess might have given me just what I wanted. It had been a month, however. And yet, what about my needs being met?


    What about adventure time?


    Today, and I am truly deeply sorry for my loss offering myself my condolences as well as sympathy, was not an adventure time. And if the action of being a monster hunter was entertaining, you could say that the job I was stuck with, presently, was the pr opposite of that. Rather than entertaining and amusing, the activity I gave myself to was beyond t and uninteresting.


    Looking back on it, it might have been because I was only a month old, back then and that I could barely be contained in my ce when I knew the outside world still had so much more to offer to me.


    I mean, being a schoolboy in one of the greatest and most renowned academies of the country of Roerden wasn''t so tedious and uninteresting¡­ but, school, really? After a week, I concluded that people couldn''t possibly enjoy it (and I was right). After two weeks, I didn''t have the energy to conclude anything anymore. I was certain, deep down within my heart, that every apprentice of art magic in our amphitheater ss thought the same as I did, except maybe for one fallen elven princess, but I was just probably an ungrateful moron who didn''t know better. Be that as it may, I certainly felt proud to be such a moron if that meant I appreciate the outside world more than the corpus of students.


    An academy''s amphitheater. That''s about where I was, at the time, sitting my butt and being all still, listening to the teacher, self-proimed grandmaster of the magic art, going about giving the corpus of apprentices (of all ages, some were old while some were as youthful in appearance as I was) his lessons on skills, fairies, runes and alchemy, summoning pets or partners, magical equipment¡ªtheoretical stuff like that¡ªas I was all contained and still, unable to escape from the academy, just as if I were still stuck within that ss of water in that restaurant with the two waiters around me.


    But I was civilized¡­ so I didn''t wreak havoc and killed just about everyone.


    But what was I doing here? The vile Princess Elina. What had she done to me? Did I really agree to any of this? To be perfectly correct: certainly not. Thus, after a moment''s thought, I decided to end thisedy¡­ and drop out of school. Maybe. I only needed to figure out how. But for the time being, I''d stay as still and civilized as before, ideally, for I only needed to be observant to work my way out of this schoolboy''s predicament.


    In the meantime, that was the Academy. The Institution of Art Magic. Inside the capital city of Roerden. And that facility was about the studies of magical energy, or moremonly called mana, in all its forms and manifestations, with all its causes and consequences, for all applications and purposes. So, what was mana?


    The teach, grandmaster of his time, was onto that, at present. And equipped not with the grandest legendary fairy sword, that had the power to bring about so many wonders and powers, he sold the corpus of students, but with petty white chalk and wide ckboard, he exined, illustrated, demonstrated, and justified all sorts of basic theories and whatnot about his understanding of the science. The grandmaster talked for a long time, mostly self-satisfied with his lengthy exnations.


    Mana was mana. The world was ruled over by mana, in its whole entirety. Nothing in the world wasn''t even remotely rted to mana in some kind of way. Mana was energy, and energy (transmission) was everything. And so, without energy, nothing can ever be. Nothing would move, fall, fly, be opened or closed. That was my own matter-of-fact recycled introduction of the grandmaster''s long-winded speech of about half an hour.


    And going on like this, it wasn''t umon for the corpus of apprentices to be provided with even lengthier and uninteresting exnations and demonstrations of theories pertaining to the course. Hands were raised and questions were asked, but the grandmaster would have none of them for the time being. So hands were lowered hesitantly and it went on again.


    Eventually, the grandmaster managed to please the corpus of students, at longst. Endless overly impractical information was now backed up with a practical application, and the grandmaster got to produce, within his hand, a light bluish burning sort of fireball, bragging that was mana in its purest form, the origin of it. To that, the avid learners jumped off their seats and a thunderous roar of appreciation and respect quickly filled up the whole room, but I of course wouldn''t have it. In the first ce, the self-proimed grandmaster''s statement wasn''t exactly true in the sense that truly pure mana (simr to the System''s) was of a pure white color rather than a bluish me. Thanks to "Mana Perception," I was keen on this kind of thing. But I guess I heard the teach say he himself had a long way to go before truly mastering it, so it was all right. Still, the self-proimed grandmaster was way below my humble old man in terms of power.


    At any rate, it wasn''t rare that, during ss, my attention drifted to the outside world, as I thought and daydreamed about this and that. Peering at the castle''s broad royal garden in the distance, appreciating the greenness of the wilderness blended with the human-made colorful city, I longed for the outside world, for fighting and surviving to the best of my capability.


    And overhearing the teach now diving into the field of what "skills" or abilities were, the ones you mainly learned in the guilds or something, I was reminded of the conclusion I came upon in the outside world as I was hunted and killed for being the evil monster¡ª


    Thus do many skills lead to victory.

 Chapter 121 Cetha

    Thus do many skills lead to victory.


    That''s what I needed. To explore the outside world first, to be stimted and learn about it all, then to absorb as many skills as possible in order to¡­ well, be allowed to live. To avoid dying, and to kill before I be killed.


    That is how, for as long as being a student in the aristocratic academy was inly useless, I decided that I wouldn''t attend anymore. And I knew I should be going out. So maybe I would.


    Then again, maybe I won''t, I thought. At least, I get to be spending time with her, now. With Cetha the elf. The monster''s home. The pretty elf maiden was seated right next to me, and I turned to her, seeking her eyes and attention.


    The weak, pale, and full of grace elf¡ªno, divine fairy of the Benelloan Forest was here with me, getting herself an education from high society. She wasn''t so sickly burning with fever, now. Quite the contrary, she was the peaceful fairy whose sole beauty reminded me of a day''s soothing stroll within the woods under the high tree branches, the sun, and the shadows it cast; the pretty elf was a soothingly fresh picture to look at.


    Looking at the elf narrowing her eyes and slightly crunching her features down at the grandmaster of the amphitheater, she sometimes nodded decisively at the master''s words or hung her head to the side asking silent questions, as she concentrated on the course. It had been long since Cetha woke up from her never-ending nightmare of a fever. Every day, now, at every hour, I could admire the elf''s growing charm and appeal, looking at the unbidden picture of a maiden fairy''s authenticity her soul projected forth.


    Her thin, pale fingers either pressed on her lips as she worked her thoughts or on the tip of her quill when she wrote the precious information about mana down on her sheet. Her slim arms shifted positions under herdy''s dress, sometimes digging themselves firmly onto the long desk we shared, and sometimes established as sturdy pirs meant to support her tiny head up, with her chin deep within her hands.


    Cetha the elf studied unlike me. I could see she was in it for real. Receiving a high-standing education on mana really was what she had dreamed of. Being here, at school, learning from the knowledgeable masters she so much respected and admired, assimting new knowledge by the day, writing and illustrating words, spread onto her books.


    She had told me herself. Countless times. After she meekly introduced herself to me for the first time and we had "officially" met, and after each day of the three weeks we spent, either waiting for the academy to open to us or actually attending the courses here. She told me countless times how super-epic receiving an education was to her, and how eager she was to study and be as knowledgeable as our "Uncle" caretaker. Since she was a weess, ording to the elf, she wished to be a learneddy, especially in the field of art magic.


    The cheerful elf avoided talking about it, for obvious reasons, but I guessed the poor elf''s situation, basically held captive in the forest, couldn''t quite permit her to go about her dream. And even before, being the daughter of an elven king, I guess most of her responsibilities lied elsewhere. That''s how she managed to be so mature and adult when it came to the Academy: When I voiced the nd opinion I had about all of this school affair, saying I was mostly disappointed and didn''t expect it to be like this, the mature elf, who was 20 years old but still considered a minor ording to the elf culture, was always quick to passionately exin to me why it was actually so great.


    Well, I didn''t know about the academy, but she was great.


    Before her thin, smoothdy''s hand parted with her quill and ink and brushed strands of her light silverish green hair behind her pointy elf ear, she hesitantly turned to me, fidgeting her hands with a slow smile climbing on her features.


    "...W-What are you staring at me like this for, Aoi?" she whispered, trying to be somewhat intimidating for some reason. After a silence of maintained eye contact, I looked away and buried my head within my arms on our desk, eventually saying I was just admiring her. By now, she had gotten used to my bluntness, so she managed to hide her embarrassment by quickly following up¡ª "What, still falling behind with the course, mm? Want to take a look at my¡ª"


    "No." Everything but looking at more notes. Sensing the elf''s loneliness after my tant refusal, I shifted my head, still buried within my arms, to look up at the majestic maiden fairy again, thanked her, and told her I''d dly use her notes tonight or something.


    Well, I knew I couldn''t get to admire the forest fairy''s beauty for too long, though, since she obviously was a little put off by my longing directed to her, as her cheeks and the ends of her ears turned scarlet and she couldn''t concentrate on the course.


    And then, my thoughts longed for the outside world again. Princess Elina wasn''t a fraud for bringing me here to her aristocrat''s academy, since I basically said my wish was to learn tons and tons of things about the outside world, but man, she did also promise to make a monster-hunter of me, too.


    As for the Main Quest I received from the System, that one quest which basically read "Go and get allfortable with the third princess, 0/1" in the end, I didn''t aplish it yet. I had followed the System''s instructions and got into the noblewoman''s apartments, but nothing quest-rted came after that.


    Being "allfortable," I did share the third princess bed, but all I did was fall asleep, and that was that. Eventually, I was woken up the next day at dawn¡­ and was profusely scolded. She didn''t even ask me how I, in the first ce, managed to get in there with all the security, guards, and magic barriers meant to keep intruders out, and instantly told me my behavior couldn''t have been more reckless and irresponsible. The issue was that, basically, what if someone had found her pet soldier here? ess to the royal grounds was forbidden to themon people.


    Eventually, I had to go out, but she insisted it had to be the next night out of fear that I was seen on my way out. During that day, I stayed with the noblewoman''s apartments and watched her go about all sorts of things in the morning when she took care of her work, then saw her off to her daily dose of business, and then weed her back when the night was falling. There, out of curiosity, I randomly asked the noblewoman about who it was that gave her the name Elina in order to ask them if they would be so kind as to provide me with a name so that people can call me, too. Eventually, that day, the noblewoman''s own little pet soldier was named Aoi like receiving a name was no big deal, and I was happy.


    After that, the days passed uneventfully: I met the elven princess after she was healed, called her my family, saw how meek and shy she was acting toward me, tilted my head at her behavior, and asked her if she still felt feverish, then waited she was feeling less meek, told her that we were making our own little family together saying she was my home and refuge¡­ and before I knew it, the monster and the elf had grown close enough to each other so that I was given a lesson on how "making a family together" was a serious proposal to make to a girl, that I probably didn''t even understand how serious I said was, that she could get the wrong idea, that I could be oh-so-socially hopeless when it came to that, and that, to sum it all up, I couldn''t just blurt out the words "I like you, let''s make a family together" to someone, just like that.


    But as the days passed, my argument was still the same: I didn''t care what was right or what was wrong, and besides, she had agreed to be the monster''s home, so as far as I was concerned, we were making our own family anyway. "Y-Y-Y-You should feel embarrassed, at least! Ch-Children are¡­ like¡­ way too soon¡­!" was what I was told by the blushing elf maiden, and that was all. As you could guess, I didn''t quite understand that part about children, but oh well.

 Chapter 122 Out Out

    With the steady flow of time going still, more days passed and we, today, attended our art magic cursus sses. What a pain that was. Then again, I got to spend time with Cetha the elf, so I could see the bright side of things and bear it¡­ but today, that would change. When, as bored as I was, I continued to chat about this and that, talking to either myself, the elven princess when she had time to listen to me, or no one at all, at some point, the grandmaster who taught us probably felt as annoyed as I was and med my chitchat on both me and Cetha.


    As he saw it, either one of us should transfer to another seat so that we may stop idly chatting.


    "Crap." I apologized to Cetha for that. She was so serious and studious a student¡ªassuredly the best out of all the apprentices in the room. Because of my own carelessness, she would be seen as lesser than she was. The old mage got back to his course and the most majestic forest fairy''s divine soul felt so kind and magnanimous as to have mercy on the wretched peasant, me, who miserably failed her, saying it was "fine."


    "See you afterward," I read on her lips as the divine fairy established herself onto a new valley that befitted her majesty and gorgeousness, not so far away from the miserable offender she just forgave with so splendid a smile.


    Peering into her eyes, the miserable peasant me felt so grateful to the noblest fairy maiden that I smiled back, whispered to her "Hall hail Madam Fairy!" with tears in my eyes so much kind she was¡­ but then shook my head at thement she made. I wouldn''t see my fairy afterward! No. Duty called onto me.


    I was a man of my word, after all. When I say this joke of an education hassted long enough, it means it shall end at all costs.


    Standing up, I harrumphed as I mmed both hands on my desk. "Humph!"


    ¡­Ring! A notification rang out.


    ? Quest "Learning the ropes of the job!" ¡ª The yer has had enough of all the tedious studying: head out of the Amphitheater and meet with the Party. 0/1 ?


    Weeks ago, as I fought my way into bing a full-fledged monster hunter on the battlefield of Greenfield, I met with a certain party of professional adventurers. At the time, the System steered me so that I would at least meet with them after I inadvertently saved one of their party members on the battlefield, so we can get to know each other a little. I let myself be guided and ended the quest¡­ but then, no following up wasing around.


    The System didn''t hit me up with new instructions at all, and I ended up forgetting about both the party and the quest as time went by. Today, I remembered, grinned, and nodded at my power, the System. "About time, Sys''. ¡­About time."


    Filled with determination to see through that one quest¡ª"Learning the ropes of the job!"¡ªI mmed both hands on the desk and brought the full corpus of students'' attention to me. My feral grin vanished at once and was reced by a nk expression, I said I was sorry for the briefmotion, and the grandmaster ordered me to gain back my seat. Again, I said I was sorry; that wouldn''t do it for me. Jumping off my seat, I stood in the background of the lecture hall where the seats were the most elevated, did some quick warm-up stretches under the eyes of everyone, and decided it was time to pull it.


    If, then and there, my fairy chose to totally ignore me and tell the apprentices who turned to her what the problem was with her weirdo lover and tell them they got the wrong person, that she didn''t know me, I would have sagely understood, but the fairy simply turned bright red with embarrassment at the mention of the word "lover," and didn''t manage any reply at all.


    That didn''t matter one bit, and the next moment, I was all set, ced myself like a professional athlete before he runs a long sprint, and then took off. Running as fast as I was, I jumped out of the opened windows, got into a decorative tree (still within the Academy''s domain), and skillfully climbed it down like a skillful monkey.


    My presence up there isn''t mandatory, I thought, in any case. So it''s all right, hm? Well, I''m already out anyway! Toote, now. You can''t me me. Nobody can. If somebody does, I''ll just cut ''em down real quick, and a dead man can''t me anyone anymore.


    "Learning the ropes," the Quest said. That was just what I needed after I wasted all this time at the Academy. At the time, I even thought I should have never bothered to enroll in the system¡­ but hey, now, that might have been an exaggeration since, in the future, who knew, maybe I wasing back here when more interesting things started up, like a school tournament for instance. In any case, for the time being, I was out.


    To do what? To be "learning the ropes."


    I''d just exited the lecture hall, and now, a bigger hall opened itself to me. Many people were here, students of all ages, and far less numerous masters of their own fields. As usual, the main hall never got empty during the day. This hall was huge; it linked both the broad area of the Institution and one of the many quarters of the Guild Bureau, blending these two associates in what people called the Academy of Art Magic.


    Only a few of the apprentices of the Institution ever turned to the Guild, however, so the area granted to the adventurers'' guild wasn''t so grand, here. The system was so that while being a student at the Institution, one could also partake in the Guild''s activities. That could be for any reason, but most people, when epting jobs as monster hunters, were mostly doing it for either practicalbat training or to earn their own money. Only poorer students usually did that, and since the Academy was found within the aristocratic area of the city, where the richer people lived, very few people got familiar with the Guild''s quarters on the site.


    Incidentally, hardly five percent of the corpus of students ever opted to, as learned students, be either soldiers or independent monster hunters. I was quite shocked to learn that, but most activities and jobs weren''t centered around fighting at all.


    The yer, contrary to most people here, belonged more to the Guild than the Institution. Also, I''d had enough of mindlessly shoving useless information within my head endlessly, so I headed outside of the gigantic weing hall. Now, the outside world was here again, and I quickly bumped into "them."


    I obviously waited for that part, and, atst, the System led me to the Party. The babe''s party. They didn''t see me, but I saw them. After I climbed down the lengthy stairs found before the entrance to the Academy, I hopped down on the cobblestones of the ground, situated a bit farther ahead down the stairs.


    What was the team ofmoner adventurers even doing here in the aristocratic area? Proceeding towards them, I counted only three adventurers. Last time, they were only four: the leader, the meek an'' cool sluggish sack of fat, the angry guy I bumped into, andstly, the babe who saved me. My steps took me to them, I poked the leader''s back and briefly saluted them: "Yo, sir. Mind if I apany you adventurers out in the outside world? ¡­Sir?"


    "...Oh? Hey, is that the little man?" he turned to me. "We bump into each other again!"


    "We bump into each other again," I eagerly confirmed, waiting for my demand to be epted.


    "C-Could it be that one teenage boy who¡­ gave us a handst time? Oh yes, I do recognize the hair." A shortdy, one who dressed like a gloomy sorceress, gave me an ample bow and thanked me for taking part in saving her life. Abruptly, I told her to stop. "A-As you wish¡­"


    "Uh¡­ the one and only, yup. What brings you here, little man?"


    "I havee to you adventurers to ask you a favor, sir." If they wouldn''t mind my presence I was going out adventuring with them at once. In order to learn, to gain experience, to be stimted and gather information as I always did, and because joining them sounded like fun. "As per the quest," I finished.


    "Out¡­ as in, where, little man?"


    "Out out. Out adventuring. Out with the adventurers¡­ and the quest¡­ Out, uh¡­"


    The leader said he understood. "Okay, sure, but¡­ I mean, why us?"


    Thankfully, they were just about to gather up with the rest of the team and go out on a quest. To hunt goblins.

 Chapter 123 Weakest Party

    The Party. They were five in total. Five monster-hunters. Today, a monster joined them. The six of them together, they were the Party.


    With those fine numbers, the adventurers could go out of the capital. Where to? Well, the destinations varied depending on the season, time of the day, and stuff as there was a lot of stuff to go about when you were a monster hunter. That applied to the Party, too.


    But anyway, they left the city. A plethora of different training grounds could wee the group of five, but the particr party I joined only chose one and stuck to it. There, they aplished the quests issued by the Guild Bureau. The same quests they had picked before heading out. The quests led the group to their usual spot; dark woods.


    A dark forest within which monsters lived. Be it poisonous-fang spiders, giant ferocious rats, gray-w wolves, ferocious boars¡­ and goblins. Many monsters, but mostly goblins. That was the location the party of five¡ªno, six was headed to.


    Today, if that wasn''t clear enough, I learned that the outside world was vast. Oh so big and grand. Countless different pieces ofndid out the vast entirety of the world; stormy deserts of sands and only sands, moist jungles full of greenery and brimming with wildlife, mountain ranges of cold and ice, and so many more. That was what my adventurers let me know. And then, there were dark forests filled with monster-types.


    The humans, their great numbers notwithstanding, couldn''t rule over everynd of the world. Due to that, areas such as these dark woods existed, and monsters, ancient ruins, or caves, inhabited them. Humans didn''t dwell in the forest, no.


    That might have been hard for me to believe since all I ever so were humans everywhere ever since I first opened my eyes, but I might have as well been born there and be at peace with everyone. Peace wasn''t nearly as interesting anyway.


    Among the monster-types living here, goblins, despite the fact that they lived far away from thends of men, still were targeted by monster hunters. Why was that? That was simply what the job of an adventurer was about, and earning a living was what everyone went about. These monsters, goblins, certainly weren''t unique monster-types like me¡ªdumb and weak¡ªso they were good prey to hunters.


    Adventurers strived to make a living out of their hunting monster-type prey. Due to the high-risk situations they put themselves in, they could earn a big money. That is, for some adventurers, though. So it seemed to me; the party, for instance, wasn''t earning said big money at all. The job was harsh and endangering, but they were too weak.


    As my old advisor let me know, magic users rarely chose to be adventurers. That wasn''t for no reason. Incidentally anyway, most monster hunters could barely be considered magic users.


    "Getting by." If you took a random person and guessed that that was the resume of their life, you would be right most of the time. If you took my five monster hunters, that was the same.


    "Monsters are dangerous," I was told. "Is everybody a monster, then?" I then asked. "Of course not," I was told, "are you stupid?" They were the stupid people.


    And so, though dangerous they were, monster-types still were targeted by most people all across the many kingdoms of the continent. The Guild''s hearty folks had a saying: Ain''t nothing''s to go to waste with ''em monsters! They were right.


    How exactly did the monster hunters make a living out of hunting monster-types and other creatures (aside from being rewarded by the Guild), I didn''t know, but they still did.


    And so, the party members were five. There was the leader. That young, fresh, energetic handsome human was the one in charge of the five hunters including himself. And I knew what being a leader was. With his regr sword and shield, though the man was barely armored properly, he was a knight-ss fighter.


    Then there was the enormous tank. He was young, but not so energetic. Still, the big guy was great. Also, he was the most heavily armored of all the team since he was the party''s tank. Assuredly, I couldn''t stand beside him and call myself a tank without being a tant liar.


    Then there was the sorceress of their party. She was the female I''d saved back on the battlefield, the one looking every bit the little quiet witch she was with the regr giant pointy hat a witch had. Pretty, short, quiet; she was a support.


    At first, the priestess and damage dealer of the party weren''t with the group. Soon after they let me tag along with them, we joined up with them. The priestess, the charmingdy I identally called "babe," was walking behind every member, with me, holding the rear rxedly, carrying her bonking priestess staff. I already knew about her.


    And thest guy was the team''s damage dealer. Equipped with a long thin ck sword, he called himself a renegade or something and walked in front of everyone.


    In the end, I could join that team:


    Ring! ? Invitation to a party: Leader has requested you join Leader''s Party (5 members) ¡ª ept/Decline ?


    I obviously epted. Spontaneously, the System hit me up with other notifications and I was acquainted with all my party members'' levels¡ªthey were all around level 14¡ªand other worthless bits of information about the group. Along with this tab, I was told that "The experience received will be shared."


    Yes, I officially was part of the team. Now, we were six. Or maybe not: "Of course we aren''t six, mister!" As soon as I made thement, I was suddenly called out by the babe of the group. "From what you''ve told us, I gather you must have lost your adventurer license, have you, yes? Bad, bad, very bad. ¡­But I knew something like this would happen!"


    The official story for me, the young monster hunter whom they had back on the battlefield, was that I lost my adventurer''s license, or whatever that thing was.


    Ostensibly, I should have lost it due to my carelessness back on Greenfield. If I wished to apany them outside the capital, it was because I didn''t have the right to go on my own, or something. My former party couldn''t ept me anymore if I was suspended. Since I was affiliated to the Academy, the babe said, I absolutely required my adventurer license to ept quests from the Guild.


    "Back during the battle of Ladafar¡­ you really messed up, my boy," she said. "The authorities could have easily gone farther than simply suspend your right to deal with the Guild, you know!" It could have been worse. Way worse. Thankfully, and from what the priestess guessed, I should be reissued a permit from the Guild soon enough. "Only then, my boy, will you be allowed to say we are six," she finished. "Six members! For now, you can''t count as an adventurer. That means you won''t partake in the fighting, get it? I hear from our leader you just wanted to apany us anyway¡­ ''Apany'' is what you''ll do!"


    Though I had been allowed to tag along with the monster hunters, the boundaries were clear. I had to be aware I wasn''t to fight. Why that was, well, ording to the babe, I had to follow the rules. As my seniors, the party would make sure to enforce the rules on me.


    My shoulders a bit lumping forward, I replied that I would do as I was told.


    "Very well said," said the priestess with a beaming face, moving to get closer to me and pat my head. "You may be, like, very strong," that was why the leader had allowed me to tag along, knowing I wouldn''t be a burden, "but you must know you will only be observing from the rear, just like the healer, me, fufu, and not fight."


    Incidentally, the reason why I wished to apany the team was for the sake of learning. "Learning the ropes," remember? I wanted to learn from them and observe whatbat as a monster hunter was like. For all my life, I fought solo, so people teaming together in order to get quests done had my interest.


    What a pain, though. At the very least, I could go out. Plus, the change of environment was way betterpared to the boring hell I lived for the past two weeks.


    Surviving would soon begin. The very reason why I existed. Surviving implied fighting, and that implied having a fun time¡­ or so I immaturely thought anyway. There was nothing to fear, they told me, with goblins. It wasn''t like I would be fearing even orcs, so yeah. Still, since there was fighting even against a mere handful of goblins, I could call it surviving and feel satisfied and aplished.


    And so, at present, I and my humans were surviving. That was correct. The dark woods were three hours of walking from the capital. As we had walked for more than three hours, we were inside it. Trees weren''t so highpared to the Great Forest of Benelloan, but they still were imposing trees. Dark green and bushy. With them came along the woods'' undergrowth, bushes, shrubberies, wild shiny mana flowers, rocks, water streams, and everything.


    We could be expecting our guests¡ªno, maybe we were the guests¡ªanytime, now. The chattering of the whole team was brought down to silence by the leader, at some point, and before I knew it, we had plunged into the dark sea of darkness and trees.

 Chapter 124 Eyeing

    We could be expecting our guests¡ªno, maybe we were the guests¡ªanytime, now. The chattering of the whole team was brought down to silence by the leader, at some point, and before I knew it, we had plunged into the dark sea of darkness and trees.


    With the leader keeping up the front, having both his sword and shield readied for foes, we all followed behind. More or less. The tank was right behind the leader, meekly marching on and groaning his fear away at every snapping twig. The damage dealer coolly followed behind the twopanions, and behind the three, there were the other three. A sorceress, a priestess, and a monster.


    It was a shame I couldn''t participate in the fighting, but just observing was good enough. And who knows, maybe I would be granted a chance to fight, at some point. I was told the party could handle goblins anyway. It wasn''t that they didn''t want the monster''s support, they simply didn''t need it.


    "Ha-ha-ha! I know this may sound sillying from us, but we''re going to make a good adventurer of you yet, little man!" had eximed the leader.


    "Mm!" had groaned the tank.


    "Ain''t you already the finest though, hehe!" had guffawed the damage dealer, after he heard the story of how I stunningly stayed behind to fight orcs on the battlefield even when the whole army had pulled back, telling me I was a "lil'' badass."


    "...We are going to bring you up well, indeed, Aoi," had nodded the sorceress.


    This was before. Now that we had entered the grounds, silence reigned king on us. Then again, after we entered the grounds, a good deal of time passed by. And at present, it had been a moment since we got in, and yet, we hadn''t stumbled upon even one group of goblins or other monsters. This happened. Only sometimes.


    It was rare for it to be this silent and calm, but it still sometimes was thus, the party let me know. Maybe the dark woods'' citizens, the goblins, weren''t doing welltely. Maybe. This hunting spot wasn''t especially known for being targeted as a hunting ce by most adventurers, so there shouldn''t be a shortage of monster-types, by the way.


    Just like today was sunny, today should also be raining and swarming with goblins already. It being so calm and empty left the atmosphere quite abnormal. Swarming was a big word, but assuredly, the party should have encountered at least some monster-types. Then again, I didn''t know much about their job, so maybe we just had to wait. Wait for it toe at us. Right, maybe the goblins were afraid of the party.


    There weren''t five, but six members today. As thisst member happened to be me, a high-level monster-type, there was more than one reason for the goblins, poisonous-fang spiders, or gray-w wolves to be afraid and not approach the party.


    Or then again, I thought, we just have to wait. What I didn''t know at the time, was that the little narcissistic theory I just cooked up from nothing was actually valid and true. The monsters of the low-level area of the dark woods didn''t approach the party for a reason¡ªmy overwhelming presence. At any rate, I just thought we had to wait more before the monsters came, however.


    To wait more and keep patrolling the area, going in circles in the same spot, over and over again. That way of patrolling was apparently how it was usually done. To secure a spot and keep exploring it till before sunset. We had to wait and observe. Wait and observe. Wait.. and observe. And then wait more¡­ and observe¡­ up until¡­ "Well, no!" I cried out.


    Upon frowning at me and giving me a chop on the head, the priestess, who was apparently in charge of the new team member, pinched my cheek as a punishment for speaking too noisily and eventually asked me what I meant by "Well, no!" "I say ''yes,'' so it is ''yes, young man."


    When I began to exin that I still said "no" and why I did that, the priestess sighed and questioned what they were going to do with me. "If you go like this, who knows what you will bring us? Only troubles, I could guess. Bad, bad, very bad.


    Want me to tell the vile goblins to eat you up, yes?" When I yfully bragged I wasn''t scared in the least, the priestess replied yfully, too. "Sure thing: instead of regr goblins, I''ll fetch the bigger ones¡­! Ever had a hobgob'' fight you? Some say they''re stronger demi-human than orcs, my boy," she nodded, telling me I''d be afraid of these ones for sure.


    Atst, I exined why I said "no." It didn''t get me anywhere, however. Minutes passed and I still had to try to exin to the Party how the passive skill "Mana Perception" worked.


    "Listen to me, people," I said, with fidgety movements of irritation, "it''s the truth."


    The damage dealerughed, amused with himself, and told me I was an amusing little guy. "You''re amusing us to no end, bah!"


    "Mm-hm," nodded the babe, teasing. "The truth! If my boy says it''s the truth, then the truth it ought to be!"


    "...What if it were the truth, Aoi?" Only the sorceress was willing to at least give me some credit and follow up with the obvious question. If it were the truth, and since it actually was, then the Party had to get a move on and proceed to the deeper parts of the dark woods. "Or rather, we shall wait," she offered as a reply. "Wait for them toe, Aoi."


    The only one who was undisturbed by my ims seemed to be the leader. Still guarding our front as we walked endless circles in the low-level area of the dark woods, the spot they usually hunted in, I doubted he even listened to our loud whispering.


    "You people mayugh," I frowned," but I''m for real. I can see there are no goblins around." Was "Mana Perception" that rare an ability? It seemed to be rare to the point where mon and uneducated) people couldn''t even believe such a skill existed. I mean, there must have been some Mana Perception-wielder out there in the world who could also scan a whole area pretty quickly thanks to the skill.


    Maybe it wasn''t that the party didn''t believe it existed, but rather that I wouldn''t possess such a rare skill and be of themon people, too. "I can see there are no goblins around, yes. I''m telling you people it''s one of my skills. Mana Perception." But when I asked them what exactly made it so hard to believe, no one answered me seriously, and the only guy whose response was more or less consistent proposed I continued to "let my imagination fly up and take me faaar away" since I nearly "got them all."


    I then understood what the problem was. At the time, with Princess Elina, I might have told her, who knew my story and identity, that I was okay with her just treating me like the teenage boy my appearance suggested since I desired to fit into society perfectly, but the present moment sufficed to illustrate the huge drawback that presented for me.


    The "youthful" appearance of a human teen I had probably made people think I was just a fool in development. People didn''t take me seriously if they didn''t know my true identity, that was for sure. Silently, I swore an oath to do something about it. Get this and that skills from monsters here and there, and make it so that I can appear adult-like. That should resolve it. Whenever I''d need to, I could be obeyed without a problem.


    For the time being, however, I could only let myself be pushed around that much. A hand went in my hair and patted my head insistently. The priestess and damage dealer continued to have fun chatting about how I actually should have named the imaginary ability I got myself. ording to these two, I was around that age where I would dream about my nonsensical fantasies. The babe said she would have called it "Magic Sense" and the damage dealer insisted why "Kick-ass Goblin Detector" was way better than any name she would ever propose. Well, these two were having fun, at least.


    At this point, I didn''t bother to insist any longer. I could indeed sense our surroundings, Kick-ass Goblin Detector¡ªno, Mana Perception allowed me to do that. Apparently, since that was way too convenient, it was too good to be true. What''s more, it came from a kid''s mouth, so that was that. Still, I, the unique monster, could see around. We passed by a few goblins, by the way. They all were too far away, however. None of them dared stand in our path, for reasons I ignored.


    Since the monsters were so fearful of us, I proposed why not go out of the usual area and try to explore more. Kick-ass Goblin Detector or not, it was pretty obvious we weren''t going to meet up with any monster-type if we kept patrolling here. If the goblins kept away from us, why not go after them ourselves? But, no. We kept going in circles at the party''s usual hunting grounds, and there was no way they''d go wandering out of their usual spot. It wasn''t too dangerous to go hunt in an area they weren''t familiar with, but the weak party tried not to be as reckless as possible. You never knew when things went south, they said.


    Hence, it was better for the party to stick to their ways. Given the fact that I was also a non-fighter due to my special circumstances, I didn''t have a say in anybat-rted matters.


    I genuinely thought I could make myself useful to them in order to help a little, but trying to help didn''t get me anywhere. I was disappointed, but that was the end of the matter. However! At some point, surprisingly, the leader of the party rounded us up and spoke.


    Eyeing me suspiciously, he talked. "Let''se to a stop and talk it through, guys."

 Chapter 125 Mana Perception

    Surprisingly, at some point, the leader of the team decided to speak. At once, the party came to a stop, and we were told that we should talk about "it." Everyone came to a stop including me, then. The monster hunters sure seemed to hold their leader in great esteem: our whisperings ceremoniously ceased.


    "I don''t know about that cheat ability the little man is selling us¡­ but he''s right all the same." Those words were what marked the beginning of his solemn speech. And thus, the man talked. With a steady, low-pitched voice and a set jaw, the leader continued on. At first, I finally felt unconcerned about the matter I brought up to the party. There was a problem¡ªnamely, today''s hunt wasn''t going anywhere because of the abnormalck of monsters across the low-level area¡ªthat problem needed to be fixed, I tried myself at it, but no can do. Slightly bothered, I thought there was no real issue there. In the first ce, I was just that random guy who was allowed to tag along since I didn''t really know where to go myself. Presently, I felt happy. My eyes lit up as I joined my hands on my chest, thinking that I could get to see what I came to see¡ªlife. Or rather, lives. Some were smothered and some burgeoned.


    In the end, a question was asked by the standing leader. "Why not go for it?" It had been around an hour since we patrolled the usual spot. The monster-types being so scarce was probably not just due to luck. That wasn''t very likely at all, one could say it was impossible, even, but there might have been a significant drop in the demographics. Whatever be the reason, the goblins and other prey must have retreated deeper into the dark woods, maybe in the green creatures'' caves. So why not try and go deeper into the forest, "just like the little man proposes, eh? ¡­Just so we be clear, you guys think it''s not a good idea and we simply call it a day, all right? For the sake of it, let''s consider it, why don''t we¡­?"


    In the end, the leader''s speech grew evidently less affirmative and more spective. The feeling wasn''t so much anxiety but rather doubt. Now that his words were out anyway, the leader ufortably looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. For a second, everyone was silent. Suddenly, the silence was struck down so loudly like a hammer had just shoved it deep, deep below the earth. The damage dealer, the noisy guy who got angry too easily when we first met, expressed hisplete and utter approval by shoving his fist into the air with a jump. Observing the human''s excitement, the monster''s eyes grew wide as he studied human social behavior.


    It was the first time someone reacted as happily to that situation, but funnily enough, the damage dealer was effectively ignored by the whole team as they all thought it through, still still and silent. When the party members spoke, the sorceress, the priestess, and the tank, their voices were filled with insecurities and doubts¡­ yet, somehow, their eyes also shone a faint light of determination. My babe confessed that the idea had already shed through her mind more than once when I''d gone and proposed it, but she was too unsure. Eventually, the two others said the same.


    The matter was decided¡ªtoday could be the great day for "one of the weakest groups of adventurers of the Guild" to shine more brightly. I didn''t have time tough at how they easily qualified themselves as the "weakest" like it was no big deal. From my experience, iming that you were weak so light-heartedly was akin to saying you were okay with dying, but oh well.


    "Tell you what, team!" the leader shook his fists cheerfully. "We''ll even have the asion to see whether the little man can spot the monsters before they hit, ha-ha!"


    Though doubtful, everyone was intent on making the leader''s prophecye to light. The weak fighters were about to push themselves. The only guy who didn''t go along with what the leader had professed was the vtile damage dealer. No way he''d trust the leader on that, he said, cackling on his own and striking a weird pose. If he was going to put his life at risk, "it shall only be with my own approval! Hear that, leader?! My¡­ OWN approval and benediction! It''s been days since I''m telling you guys we oughta run deeper, guys! With or without you, I was going to go today, lemme tell you!"


    Under the leader''s lead, our ranks were tightened, our formation unchanged, and before he reassuringly cheered the whole team on to a challenge, the weak adventurers were off. With a monster in tow. The new fighting environment urged us to be careful. Going off the usual hunting spot wasn''t so long a task: we walked toward one direction without straying from our path and¡­ Ring!


    ? "Learning the ropes of the job!" Quest ¡ª With the Party, inside the forest of Riverwood, hunt monsters for the Guild. ? A second AR disy let it be known what specific monsters should be targeted. 10 goblins and 3 gray-w wolves.


    And now, we really were on the lookout. I mean, the party was. I wasn''t. I didn''t need to. Using Mana Perception in such a peaceful and quiet environment which allowed me to concentrate on the task of expanding my senses across the area, I could see around. For now, there was nothing. A minute passed, and unsurprisingly, we had a catch.


    Monster-types showed up. It was only a matter of time before they did. So, quite naturally, I told everyone to stop and gave them indications about the enemy''s position. At this point, I hesitated as I thought I should have maybe kept "Mana Perception" a secret, just like I hid everything unusual about me, a unique monster, but now was probably toote anyway.


    Two groups of two and two goblins hid about such bushes and such trees. The leader was firm when he nodded at hisrade, the damage dealer, and went on with his partner to inspect things. By now, I guess the Kickass Goblin Detector skill couldn''t possibly be a lie to the party, or I otherwise would have confessed it.


    If there so happened to be monsters there, the priestess whispered to me, the two front fighters would go fetch them before the whole party dealt with them. "You will have to stay behind my back, okay, Aoi?"


    I nodded again, and then the fight started. I could confidently say I was the readiest guy of the team, even though I wasn''t about to be part of the fun or anything. Sharpening my senses, I carefully observed as the leader, going alongside his colleague, approached the two corners I indicated to them. They tried to be silent so as to not be detected by the goblins, but I knew the little hideous creatures knew and were ready to apprehend the two humans going their way. It only urred to me now I should have probably told the adventurers about that fact, but whatever.


    The two humans were slow. Carefully stepping forward, leaning in with each footstep, they sure took their time. If it were me, I thought, I''d have already made mincemeat out of the putrid goblins already. Ah, but I endured it anyway, thinking it was probably true they were one of the weakest parties out there.


    And the leader''s pace picked up at once. Going one way, he quickly approached his two goblins. In the meantime, the damage dealer passed by the shrubberies, too.


    "Goblins!"


    Why, of course.


    The hideous-looking tiny creatures jolted in ce before they squeaked out shrills. The leader turned to the damage dealer in a hurry, his face harboring a perfect harmony between edginess and great calm, and silently nodded. When the four goblins came out of both hiding spots, every party member was ready.


    The hideous creatures'' long, dark-green blemished noses had shown up. The tiny goblins the height of children wore rags and were angry, shrilling uglily some more. Today was my first time seeing those.


    The leader was responsible for hisrades'' safety, which meant he would always y it safe, and at all costs avoid doing stupid things. He turned back to us with great calm and crity. Swiftly, his eyes met with the damage dealer''s, and he expressed two things. The first one was to nod acknowledgingly, and the second was to motion for the damage dealer to retreat back to the party immediately, as per the n.


    The next second, he was already running back to us, with goblins in tow. The n was the n. As a team, they could defeat the goblins. One of them on their own, they could most certainly not. First, the two adventurers came to check up on the goblins. If there were some, they should immediately run back to the team and regroup.


    As a matter of fact, goblins were here, and the "Mana Perception" skill was confirmed. The two goblins, behind the running man, jumped up and down like rats going all crazy. Waving their little daggers at the man''s back, missing to scratch him, they were unable to reach the man, and that aggravated the goblins'' mood even further. The screeching yells didn''t stop, quite the contrary, and together with their hatred, they ran their way up to us.

 Chapter 126 In The Meantime

    In the meantime, when my eyes went to watch how the damage dealer was faring, I cocked my head to the side. Was that part of the adventurer''s n, too? Laughing like a crazy, mad person, the damage dealer didn''t quite run back to the team, but rather met his goblins head-on, hystericallyughing and frowning. The long ck sword he held kept hacking away at the two goblins as if he tried to cut himself a path through them. "Heh-heh-heh!" he went onughing nervously. "You¡­ goblins! Take this! Ha! How''s that?! <Double Ripper>!"


    He seemed to be having fun, at the very least. And, don''t get me wrong, there was nothing wrong with his behavior from my perspective. It was great he could enjoy himself, too, as he yed around with his targets. Nothing wrong with that by me¡­ but the party''s opinion must have been different. Very different.


    The guy was messing around, and it could be dangerous. Surely, swinging his sword so erratically at the goblins wasn''t what he was supposed to do. His solo attack was kind of pathetic, too, in the sense that the goblins still avoided all the blowsing their way.


    The damage dealer was slow, like every member of his team. The other party members were seeing he was messing up with the monsters, but they didn''t bat an eye. That must have been happening more than once in the past, I guess. In any case, even his they had some of their attention to spare for the damage dealer, they wouldn''t look his way for more than a split second. Things weren''t exactly all carefree on their front, either.


    The priestess slid me behind her and stepped in front of me. The girl was serious about me not fighting even when she knew I was stronger, way stronger, just because of the Guild''s regtions. She liked the rules, and that showed in the way she fought¡ªcautiously and attentively, just like the whole of their team, leaving aside the other dumb guy.


    "<Iron Skin>!" That was the tank. Seeing him on the frontline, you wouldn''t think he was so shy. "...Plus,


    !"


    His low, groaning voice spoke up some skills, behold the man, his skin turned darker, and mming his bastard sword on the ground, he did more than simply raise a faint cloud of dust. With that skill, he had all the goblins'' attention.


    "Good going!" cried the leader. "Damage dealer over there, c''mere!"


    "Aye!"


    The two goblins focused their might on the tank, trying to take him down. The rusty daggers they held were rotten and barely cut through the tank''s heavy leg armor.


    Like dominos following one after the other in their fall, everyone followed in the fighting. The priestess summoned "Mana Shield" thingies. The sorceress also threw in some bits of supportive magic here and there in order to help with the fight, mostly debuffing the goblins with dark mana. The tank groaned his thanks to all the teammates, having nothing to fear, and so they fought.


    The damage dealer ran up to us with his two goblins, still asionally turning to them and swinging his long sword their way, and, together with the leader, they participated in the assault.


    "<Triple sh>!"


    "<Double Ripper>, <Double Ripper>, <Double Ripper>!"


    Goblins were surprisingly supple and agile. You could see their short stature and weak appearance and think those were simple little rats not worth anyone''s time, but hey, the little monsters were quite skillful themselves. Now, I didn''t know who to cheer for! Monster-friends or humans?


    The tank took two goblins down with difficulty. As I had guessed, the quest I received from the System was shared between my party: when the second goblin was taken down with a shoulder charge, the quest indicator went up to 2 goblins dealt with out of 10.


    The two creatures fell down, lifeless. Finished here, the tank joined the leader and damage dealer so they could deal with all the enemies. On their side, the goblins still were jumping around and avoided all iing attacks. The leader could thrust his knight''s sword up and down but could only graze them, slowly bringing them down.


    Against the weakest party, even the weakest monsters could be somewhat tough opponents. It impressed me¡ªhow weak could they all be? The foes were just goblins. Had I taken them on, the fight would be over already. As I thought that, the priestess babe turned to me with a smile, fixing her blond hair a little. "And this is how you deal with goblins, Aoi!"


    She said that like she believed I tagged along with her party in order to learn from them. I would show her, one day, how you "deal" with the enemy.


    "You look closely and observe," she went on, eyeing the party. "As for the strength, I know you already have it¡­ but see this? You said you didn''t know a thing about teamwork, true?" Teamwork was important, I was taught, and it was stronger than strength itself. Going back to supporting the party, she summoned a mana shield and healed a teammate after she stopped talking.


    Without the tank, I wondered what would happen to the party. The ritual was the same¡ªIron Skin and Provoke. With loud stomping steps, the savior tank took hold of the enemies onto himself again. The sorceress threw in a negative status effect at the monsters, and then, the goblins were overwhelmed.


    "Yah-hah-hah-hah!" the excited one shouted. "<Double Ripper>, <Double Ripper>... <Double Rippaaah>!"


    "<de Energy>!"


    Flesh was torn and blood spilled. One goblin fell under the damage dealer''s excited fury of blows. The other, seriously wounded by the leader, was demolished by the tank''s sturdy bastard sword.


    Seized by great panic as it understood too well, despite its intellectual inferiority, that it was going to die under today''s sun and shades of the forest, the goblin fell to the ground as he was sted off toward me, thennded no farther than three feet away from me, turned towards me who was a monster-type, too, stretched a trembling hand to my face as if it tried to ask for mercy.


    Peering at that sight, I tilted my head to the side in confusion. Huh, I thought, whatever are you asking for? Mercy? You want to be saved? The weak aren''t to be saved.


    And then, it urred to me. Did the goblin maybe think because I was a monster-type I might be part of its team, somehow? If that was the case, well, it should know that, if I was going to be a monster, then I would be a monster even with monsters. Slightly pissed off, I sneakily activated the Intimidation skill I had, looked well into the dying green thing''s putrid eyes, and disyed a show of utter disgust on my features. My dark, omnipotent mana bore into the dying creature, shaking it senseless. When the goblin passed, it was dark with fear and terrorized. I wasn''t just a monster. I was THE monster.


    My little private reunion with the goblin was then abruptly interrupted. The damage dealer came running my way, jumped like an acrobat, and pierced the dead mob''s body with his longsword despite the fact it was already dead.


    "So much of these gobs'' stinky blood! Got ''im anyway! This my kill! Hah!"


    Everyone was slightly out of breath, but everyone could speak. "...Phew¡­ We''ve done it, guys."


    "Stupid damage dealer! Did you kill it, or was it my brave tank''s kill, though, hm? ¡­Of course it was."


    "Nonsense! I finished it just now!"


    "Th-Thank you¡­" the tank thanked the priestess. "B-But¡­ um, it was all thanks to our leader¡­ w-wearing it off like this¡­ W-Without him, I¡­"


    "Scoundrels! I killed it, the kill was mine¡­ Yah-hah-hah! I''ll be getting the loot, then!"


    Liveliness. A trivial discussion was had and after foolishly debating while having fun, the party members hade to a consensus: it was both the leader and the tank''s kill. When the damage dealer kept calling the whole team "scoundrels," the leader snuck up behind him and whacked some sense into the man''s head.


    "O-Ouch!"


    "Awake yet?"


    "Are you perhaps a scoundrel, too?! Damn you all!"


    "Let''s stop fooling around, now." A brief scolding was given to the damage dealer for his reckless behavior before the fight began. The leader''s argument was that, while it was okay for the damage dealer to be this reckless when they patrolled their usual hunting grounds, he couldn''t pull that today.


    "Understood? ¡­Yes you do."


    The priestess came up to the leader in order to heal him, but she was denied. "No, you don''t need to heal me."


    "What are you saying? Of course I do, it''s my job. Kindly don''t fight it, my healing magic shall leave you unscathed!"


    Again, the leader insisted that he be not healed. But there was a reason for this. "All of you guys, hear me out. Oh, you hear me out, too, little man." When everyone gathered up, the leader spoke. "Okay, so that''s what we''re doing¡ª"

 Chapter 127 Tagalong

    The fight had settled down. The goblins were dead. They had been killed. Then, the tense atmosphere rxed a little.


    The damage dealer fooled around too much, so he was called out. The tank, huffing and puffing, was exhausted and silent, like the sorceress, who wasn''t so talkative in the first ce.


    The only party member still on "duty" was the priestess. Thanks to her Healing Magic, she took care of the party''s wounds before the monster hunters'' job was thoroughly finished there. Rushing to the leader, she started applying her healing spells, but then, no.


    She wouldn''t do that. First off, the leader''s wound was barely a wound at all, by my standard. Just like the damage dealer. Still, usually, the weak party of adventurers saw to it they weren''t even wearing scratches or cuts at all. That was the way of the weak people as they had to ensure they were to win, always, and safely.


    Yet, the priestess was told, "No, don''t."


    The leader rounded the party, which seemed to include me, and confessed. He spoke about his n, namely what the party would go about doing from now on. The priestess shouldn''t heal either him or the damage dealer for a reason: Today, she had to save her mana. Why? Because they weren''t heading back home so soon. Usually, that''s what they did, but today they wouldn''t. From my perspective, of course they wouldn''t just go back home after having hunted a little handful of monsters and be satisfied with it¡­ but it seemed that''s what the weak party usually did. The priestess needed to save up her mana. This was as simple as that.


    When the party grew somewhat uneasy and confused at the leader''s n of action for up until sunset, exnations were given. For a first reason, today, the goblins acted unusually weak and shy. Normally, in the deeper parts of the dark woods, monster-types weren''t so meek and absent.


    To add to that, as the party knew, even in their usual hunting grounds there were barely any monsters at all. Well, there were actually none, so yes. The leader, exposing his thoughts to the team, exined that, if he was being honest, he didn''t know what to think of that himself¡­ but maybe that wasn''t the important part. To make the matter clear, all that was important to the leader was that the goblins were unusually scarce, which must have meant the monsters were declining, and so it was a golden asion for the weak party to make progress and gain experience. After all, they were one party of the weakest volunteers who had participated in "that" quest issued by the Guild, weeks ago. They had volunteered to. That was because, more than anything, they wanted to grow strong. Hence¡ª "Let''s try and push ourselves past our limits¡­ why don''t we!"


    After more discussion, the anxious party decided to be brave and the idea was well received. Today was the asion to progress deeper into the unexplored woods and map more of this huntingnd''s area. Selling the mapping to the Guild would earn them better money, and they would make progress for sure.


    The ways of people were rather stupid: Hands were lifted up, and the vote was over in favor of the leader''s n. They trusted the majority, but most likely, the majority had to be unsophisticated or inly stupid. As I was given a voice in their affair, too, I said I was more than happy to explore more of these woods with my humans, and that I "trusted our party leader, too."


    I didn''t really mean what I said, but some told me I was cute for saying "our leader," and my head was patted.


    That was it. What surprised me was that nobody even cared to mention the matter of the Mana Perception skill. To me and all the party, it was clear that was also part of the reason the group of friends allowed themselves to run deeper through danger since the unfathomably extraordinary and uncanny teenage boy, who did actually possess the overpowered sensing skill he mentioned like it was no big deal, was apanying the group. It was needless to mention the fact that it was the same boy who saved them on the battlefield weeks ago.


    But no one mentioned it anyway. The ashamed party didn''t make ament about me. Were they freaked out? Most likely. Were they also naturally a little clueless about how to even address the topic? That was an obvious possibility, too. I did mention it to see their reaction, but a slight crisp crept on their faces and they said nothing, avoided my eyes, and even went as far as turning their backs on me.


    At the same time anyway, as per the leader''s instructions, they were back at it. Exploring and hunting. We had no time to waste. Already hours had gone by since we entered the forest. They said they could hardly stay more than five hours as they still had the way back home to walk afterward, and they couldn''t do it at night because of bandits.


    The damage dealer took care of the looting since he wasn''t grossed out by searching and digging through the monsters'' remains, finding copper coins, tiny metallic tes, a quite decent dagger, and a few gray-w wolves'' fangs.


    Finally, we were off.


    We walked onward using the same formation as before. More than ever, the party members were wary of our surroundings. In their mind, the threat to our lives could be lying anywhere. There weren''t, though. No threats for now. Still, at every turn, there could be a group of goblins hiding around. And so, at every turn, they steeled themselves for a fight. A warning was given to the party: If there happened to be too many of them, they would retreat at once. Everyone trusted the leader but the burden weighing down upon his back wasn''t making him bend; he epted hisrades'' trust and embraced all of that weight.


    As the leader had remarked, the monsters were scarce. They were scarce, up until¡­ they weren''t anymore. A group of four mobs. Three regr tiny-gobs and one other goblin with a bow and arrows.


    By chance, the leader spotted the enemies before they did. The arrowing flying our way surprised neither the leader nor the Mana Perception-wielder. Diving toward us after the arrow, the three other monsters went rushing to the party, screeching wildly and jumping around like crazy. The three ugly creatures proved to be swift, but the leader was even more swift.


    After the piercing arrow was made to bounce by the leader knight''s shield, the tank moved on his own, too, and taunted all the goblins, taking them all onto his massive bulk. The sorceress, under the leader''s supervision, also got into y and tossed her curses, or negative status effects, to the monsters, restraining the goblin with a bow. The damage dealer quickly nodded to the knight and rushed toward thest goblin. In the meantime, the priestess produced protective mana shields here and there and stuff.


    Dancing around for no more than five minutes, I observed them and made further observations on how good teamwork was a greater strength than strength itself. The quest read 8 goblins dealt out of 10, and 0 gray-w wolves dealt out of 3.


    The Party was proud. They could fight pretty well, ording to their own standards of evaluation. The damage dealer handled the looting again, stuffing everything in his backpack.


    Going off again, this time, it really was weird. The atmosphere was different. To the party, it really looked like something was off. For around an hour, we didn''t meet any monster-types and the leader shifted his focus toward mapping the unexplored area. Really, the dark woods were so eerily empty it kind of freaked the party out. As I had mentioned, I had no idea, but I was the cause of that bizarre behavior in the forest''s monsters.


    Somehow, the magic spell the old man kept cing on me, once a week, in order to hide my overwhelming monster-like aura from the people of the capital, didn''t work on fellow monsters, I imagine. And so, the forest felt the monstrous monster''s presence intensely enough. Monsters, since they could, naturally retreated deeper into the forest in order to hide from the threat I posed.


    But anyway, that wasn''t important. Under the leader''s steering hand, we navigated more through the dark forest, until we found another group of goblins. Or rather, a group of monsters.


    I had already seen a goblin, but I had never seen a gray-w wolf. It looked like a regr wolf-monster, but it was painted with an off-putting gray color and had imposing fangs. A fight broke out after the wolf growled his hostility at us¡ªthis time, the lonely goblin tamer thought it best to straight up run away from the party but was killed anyway.


    Time passed again. At the end of today''s hunt, they had hunted so many monsters the quest could''ve beenpleted twice. Everyone was worn out and the sun indicatedte afternoon.


    After one of the leader''s so full-of-life short motivational speech about how we did our best, how we progressed very well, and mostly how, after the big quest issued by the Guild, weeks ago, about hunting orcs and whatnot, and after they had realized how weak and not fitting they were on the real battlefield, they still were willing to do their best today, and finally, how, soon enough, they would be given a new chance to carve their way to the top of the food chain, somehow, because they were survivors, and that''s what survivors ought to do¡­ the party departed from the forest.


    Every member was happy about today''s hunt. Even the greedy damage dealer was. They truly gave their best, apparently. Out of the dark woods, casually chatting about any trivia they could think of¡ªwhat kind of food they wanted to eat, what kind of clothes they wanted to buy, what kind of jokes theyughed at, and so forth¡ªthe party left work with ease and peace.


    The quest from the System waspleted, but the System issued "No Reward(s)." So it read. Or something like that anyway.


    Only I was left disappointed about today''s hunt. What could I do, though, I was just a tagalong.


    For now, anyway.

 Chapter 128 Headquarters

    My outing already came to an end. Under today''s bright sun and shades, the party left the dark woods, the spot where they usually hunted, to regain the safety of human settlements. They were from the capital, so, at dawn, after they left the big city, they had to stop by some little vige nearby their hunting spot in order to get the gear they needed ready.


    Today, when heading back home, they didn''t stop by the little vige. Directly going to the safety of the bigger city, they left the forest on foot, but, luckily, stumbled upon a peddler with a carriage and horses who agreed to transport the lot back to the capital with him; it was the merchant''s destination, too. Thanks to that, going with the lively atmosphere the peddler''s chariot dragged across the roads, the monster-hunters regained their homes long before sunset.


    And so, they called it a day.


    Today was a happy day. The leader of the party, along with every other member, chatted happily till the end of the road, up until they were in. The sweet yet dry perfumes of the city, many carriages, inns and foods, and passersby filled my nostrils when the sight of grand buildings and shelters weed the party back to Roerdenville.


    My sudden escapade was over. And, in the end, I was disappointed. The whole point of my going out with the monster-hunter newbies, as they went about their hunting day, was to distance myself from the Academy I''d been stuck in. There, I was supposed to learn about mana and all its wonders, but after I spent weeks there, sitting my ass in the same chair and listening to the same self-proimed grandmaster of his craft, I was simply left dull.


    After I understood what was the way, I remembered that, the whole point of me and Cetha attending that hellish institution they called "school" was to gain experience. Gain experience as in¡­ do what I always was supposed to do. My first function ever. To gather information, be stimted, and be alive. Wasn''t I life, after all?


    I''d been stuck there, but thankfully, the System got me a ticket out. Thanks to a certain quest, I had a reason to go off on my way and part with the dullness of the Academy.


    And so, I had gained what I came out for¡ªexperience.


    Or wait, did I?


    I did not. As I had mentioned, today was a happy day for the party, but I was left disappointed and unsatisfied. Outside, I didn''t get to do a thing: I didn''t kill anything, and I didn''t avoid being killed by anything. I was life, but I didn''t feel it.


    As disappointed as I was, we had regained the safety of the city, however. So, presently, shall I go back to schooling and idleness? Certainly, no. My little escapade¡ªit wasn''t over yet.


    I missed the dusty-grayish cobblestones paving the broad roads of the heart of civilization. The gates were wide open, and after we trod more steps into the city, we paused on the sidewalk. Some parting discussion went on:


    "Well, here we are, team!" the leader eximed, turning over to the rest of the party. "The walk sure was long, eh? We''re all so worn out, that''s a given¡­ and yet, we have the uncle peddler to thank for most of the way back home!" Today, they earned their share. After the hunt, they had many items to sell at the Guild. Now that they were home, they were headed to the Guild, then, in order to sell the loot.


    "That''s for sure!" replied the babe who worked as a priestess. "And it went so well! We could have stayed longer than usual¡­ If that doesn''t mean we''re making a lot of progress, what does? ¡­Right, Aoi?"


    I agreed with the priestess absent-mindedly and she energetically shook my head with a hand on top of it. "Wake up! I say ''that''s for sure,'' but that ''for sure'' couldn''t apply to you, though!"


    That was for sure. Now that we had finallye back home, the heavy weariness was weighing down on everyone. That didn''t apply to me. For starters, aside from walking a lot, I didn''t do much, today. Even if I worked, I knew a few handfuls of goblins weren''t cutting it for me anyway.


    "That''s correct," added the leader. "How could the little man be? Only has been observing from the sidelines, today¡­" Mentioning so easily what I''d been frustrated about for the whole day made the leader sound like he wanted to rile me up, but he didn''t mean anything wrong with hisment. "And so, you''ll have to be guiding him, then?"


    "Pretty much," confessed the babe, tapping my shoulders repeatedly. "Be happy to know I will still be in your care, Aoi."


    Some called me a lucky star, thanking me for the luck I brought them today, and some called me Aoi. Before long, most of the party departed to their own upations.


    "See you guys tomorrow. Same spot. Better gather up by early morning since nobody''s got anything to do beforehand, and since our lucky star wants toe again tomorrow, we''ll probably be making the same amount tomorrow, too. See you then."


    Finally, I was left with the priestess alone, and I didn''t call it a day yet. Today''s little adventurer wasn''t to be called off, no. It was the very reason I left the Academy behind. I didn''t like it there, so, thanks to the party, I was kept out of it.


    At school, a master of mana said something: Thus do skills lead to victory. Of all the long tedious academical bbering of the masters, I retained that and only that. Following the weakest party, today, I got to see that reality from up close. Many skills were what, at a basic level, led the monster-hunters to their victory.


    Facing the enemies, the tank covered himself with his hardened, grayish skin he called "Iron Skin." That was a skill. Also, to taunt all the enemies in order to make way for the rest of the party to attack, he shook the earth with his bastard sword and yelled to the top of his voice "Provoke!" That was a skill, too.


    Likewise, a damage dealer used skills. Going up ahead with his many assaults and attacks, shing, cutting, or stabbing at the enemies, dancing around with all the dexterity in the world and rapidity, a damage dealer used skills, too.


    And a support supported. A priestess protected and healed while a sorceress afflicted and burdened. Many other examples could be given, but that much sufficed. Many skills led the mana-wielders to their victory. Then again, that was only at a very basic level, because there was so much more to the art of mana-wielding.


    Victory was what I desired to attain, too. After I asked, the priestess agreed to show me around the many guilds of the different (fighting) jobs of the Guild''s headquarters.

 Chapter 129 Aoi Skill

    Victory was what I desired to attain, too. After I asked, the priestess agreed to show me around the many guilds of the different (fighting) jobs of the Guild''s headquarters.


    The priestess finally was done with her never-ending waving after her colleagues left. I stood beside her, on the side of the street, where the carriages didn''t pass. With the wind rustling and blowing through my hair, both the priestess and I didn''t stay idle for more than a few seconds before the priestess opened her mouth: "Shall we go too, now?" she softly asked. Nodding twice, I told her I didn''t know the way.


    "Little man shall follow my lead, then!" After I nodded again, she led the way. "What are we waiting for, then¡­? Shoo~ Let''s go~" yfully opening the way, bringing her tightly clenched fists in front of us as she marched on with energetic legs, I was beside thedy, following after her. Then, with the wind blowing not on our faces but our backs, my eyes were fixated on the horizon I would atst conquer.


    To skills.


    Along the way, the priestess chatted with me. "Yes¡­ How eerie that is again, Aoi. You really don''t know the way to the Guild''s headquarters, do you¡­? Haven''t youe here already? I mean, you must have, right? So how eerie that is!"


    From the beginning, I told lies. Presently, I continued doing that. My story was supposed to be that of a monster-hunter who did wrong on the battlefield and whose permit to deal with the Guild was hence suspended because of that. Before, I was supposed to have had a party of my own with some "veterans" who were my partners, but as my license was suspended, I couldn''t quite continue being friends with them for the time being. Thus, for the time I was renewing my hunting license at the Academy, I had to go alongside my babe''s party if I wanted to be able to go out and "hunt" like I desired.


    Right, and the reason I didn''t know the way to the Guild''s headquarters in spite of the fact that I must have gone there a couple of times already, I made up some story about that, and that was it.


    "Hmmm¡­? Is that so. ¡­Not important. Let''s dive into the reason why we''re going to the Guild¡ªyou said you wanted to know more¡­ and ''figure things out'' about something you called¡­ the ''Skill Interface'' or something, right?"


    "Yeah."


    The System was vast and way moreplex than I imagined. Back in Cetha''s forest, when I finally had created my Character, I was supposed to learn more about the System, or no, Skill Interface, to be more precise, but eventually didn''t due to my own carelessness. At the time I was thinking of going and learning more about the System, I wasn''t even aware of that fact. Still, as something in me was telling me that this was the way to go, I felt like unearthing the System atst.


    I imagine I shouldn''t have mentioned the thing the System had referred to as "Skill Interface," however. First off, because the old man had let me know, back when we first met, that the "legendary, ancient, and mystic" power of the Ancient Magic wasn''t to be taken lightly, so I should probably keep all of it to myself. Secondly, when I actually got to confess to my monster-hunter friends that I had the "Mana Perception" skill, which was too rare a skill, apparently¡­ they simply didn''t believe me.


    "So what were you telling the guys about your¡­ ''skills'' rted things and all, Aoi? It interests me¡ª"


    "It was nothing."


    "Some stuff about the system¡­atic¡­ skills¡­ work or something?"


    "Really, it was nothing."


    "Oh¡­ is that so. ¡­I''m not convinced, though!" The priestess continued her little crusade to make me talk to her about the power she wouldn''t believe a thing about even if I gave her all the details¡ªdetails which I didn''t really know myself, anyway¡ªand I kept denying her saying it wasn''t important. The damage dealer kept mocking me like a brat about "having nothing better to do than imagining myself with all these skills and abilities," also adding that "I wasn''t even around the age to be dreaming about that chuuni stuff anymore," and the priestess remembered that I started to talk about my skills, the fact that I needed to know more about the System, and stuff, right around that moment.


    It was then that I asked around if anybody could, after we were done hunting, show me around the headquarters of the Guild so I could get down to actually uncovering the System with my n, so my babe said the reason why I suddenly wanted to go there must have been rted to these skills I spoke of.


    The priestess babe was a very talkative girl. "You were so hyped up about all these skills of yours anyway! I couldn''t count the shining stars within your eyes when," she mentioned the damage dealer''s name, "actually got to break down all his abilities he learned from the Guild and stuff, Aoi!"


    How did it work anyway, the Guild, the guilds, and the other guilds? It was a mess, but people always got around dealing with all of it using the same noun thrice. Guild. Depending on the context, it was evident what you talked about. So, the Guild was something I already knew about: basically, the organization keeping all the monster-hunters together in a country or continent. The guilds were the tinier circles of mana-wielders within the Guild that you joined in order to obtain your (fighting) job, equipment, knowledge, expertise, and abilities. The other guilds weren''t important to me, but those were yet other groups of mana-wielders in the Guild, except that these weren''t job-rted but more of alliances between many fighters, like a group of parties together that allowed people to participate in raids and dungeon-breakings.


    The jobs-rted guilds were what we were about to visit. Simr to how you dealt with the noodle-makers around the earth, you had to hand over coins to the guild you joined so you could learn from them. It wasn''t a charity. Once you paid them to both be allowed to join the group and learn some skills from the master who you were under, you could start to learn from the master''s expertise at once, and thus you could call yourself an affiliate to a guild.


    The n for me was to join some group, even a random guild would do, get to learn at least 1 skill, and then work things out with the System. The n wasn''t really a n, it was blurry and undetailed, but I knew if I learned at least one ability, I could work things out from there. So, even a random guild would do for the beginning, I thought. Well, I may have thought that, but the Game had other ns for me.


    Soon, I would be meeting my master of the sword, Kambe Streman. And soon, this man would be meeting the young man he called his king, Aoi¡­ or rather, Skill.

 Chapter 130 1 Notification(S) Arrived!

    After I jumped the stairs up, my fingers wrapped themselves around a fancy, enormous rich wooden door''s handle, and the priestess nodded to me with excitement. The tly decorated smooth door gave a clicking sound when I twisted it, and we entered the ce:


    Ring!


    ? 1 notification(s) arrived! ?


    ? The yer has entered the "Guild Bureau." ?


    ? Wee to the "Guild Bureau" ¡ª From it "Additional Quests" can be obtained here whenever sought. ?


    That was the System''s brief introduction to the Guild Bureau. Was this ce rted to¡­ the Game or whatever? Most likely.


    After another notification was given, ? The yer has met the requirements to unlock a quest. ?, I was told that. That notification, despite iting right after I was told I could obtain additional quests from this ce, was unrted to anything "additional" to the game.


    ? Main Quest, "He became a monster" has been acquired ¡ª Let the yer head down to the training grounds and join a Guild. 0/1 ?


    Oh, sure, okay. For now, I wasn''t in a hurry, so I appreciated the new sight stimting my senses and sucked in all the new information, colors, shapes, and objects of this ce with great pleasure.


    The hall the doors gave to was seriously enormous. So spacious. Way more spacious than how the Guild''s quarters were back at the Academy, in the aristocratic district. That was natural. If anything, those were the headquarters of the organization called the Guild, the Guild Bureau. Most of the hall was made of dark, refined, and lively woodwork. In a few words, it was an elegant manor. The ceiling was high, and lofty pirs propped it up. Calm, assertive, freeing, yet controlling. Those were the words of this ce.


    In the middle of it all, there was some kind of reception. ? The yer may interact with the Attendant of the Guild Bureau in order to obtain Additional Quests. ?


    Looking all around, the System disyed yet another AR disy to educate me, the yer, about this ce. Locking my eyes onto another feature of the Guild Bureau I felt was System-rted, the System introduced me to the Notice Board ¡ª ? The yer may directly interact with the Notice Board in order to select the quest sought on his own. ?


    Devouring the rest of my surroundings with voracious eyes and curiosity, no other AR disys were given.


    It was then that the priestess warned her quirky boy, saying I mustn''t let everything I saw in here get my interest too much, otherwise she feared she would never get to rest from today''s work.


    That wasn''t the ce to visit anyway. What I was after was the training area where I could obtain what I sought. From within the Guild Bureau, where everything was more about papers and documents, we navigated across the Guild Bureau toward the Training Grounds, where most of the job-rted guilds'' own headquarters were found.


    Soon, we were there. "And we have arrived, Aoi!"


    "...We have?"


    "Sure. We have!"


    "Oh¡­? Oh."


    "...Don''t you dare simply ''oh'' me, boy! I deserve much, much better!"


    "No, it''s just¡­ now that I see it, it isn''t the first time I''ve dropped by this ce, that''s all." Thanking my priestess, I let her know I was grateful for having guided me around. Sometimes, the System didn''t have a quest for every little interaction I had to do with the world. At times like these, I had no choice but to rely on either the old man or some other friend of mine to show me around. I was genuinely grateful.


    "Humph," replied the babe. "That''s a given, young man. Listen, I told you, didn''t I? There''s no way you never came around."


    Hesitantly, I told her she was right. I mean, she had the wrong idea, thinking that I must havee here in the past with my official party, but whatever.


    Passing through the many hallways of the Guild Bureau area, we were led to this ce. Was that actually how the two ces were linked with each other? I said I had never been here before, but hey, it wasn''t true. Not entirely true. I had never stepped into the Guild''s headquarters before, but I definitely got a little glimpse of the training area before.


    At the back of the Guild Bureau, doors gave way to a most gigantic yard in an open area that was still part of the Guild''s realm. Forming about a circle, a dozen of light constructs were settled down there. Amodations and quarters. Out there, under the light of the setting sun, they formed some sort of harbor where mana-wielders passed, again and again.


    "What is it, now, my dear?" the priestess stepped in front of me, extending a hand to me. "This is your ce. Come along, why don''t you! Also, now that I''ve brought you here, you may ask any questions you might have." With thatment, she reminded me that she didn''te here for no reason with a pleasant smile.


    As I climbed down the few sandy stairs to the babe, I agreed with her, but rather than ask her a question, I answered one of her own. So, yes, I knew about the training grounds, but then, no, I didn''t know where it was spotted, nor that it was rted to the Guild. I only stumbled on this ce at random on the first days I arrived in the capital.


    Questioning me about many other trivial questions, I tagged alongside the priestess and answered most with as trivial answers. The training grounds: where the mana-wielders afforded training from their seniors in order to achieve mastery of their job and skills. This ce had better be the one ce where I''d figure myself out. At some point, naturally, as I was the visitor here, I asked the questions and gathered information.


    In the same way the Guild Bureau had headquarters, the job-rted guilds or ns also had headquarters. Like the Guild Bureau, the job-rted guilds'' head offices were considerably bigger andrger than the other seats they had all across the capital. Right in front of us, those offices and amodations were all reunited together, seated right next to the Guild Bureau, for a reason: to produce new recruits.


    To the rookie mana-wielders who aspired to be monster-hunters, those were the ces to start learning about the practical lines of the job they chose. I so happened to be part of this group of rookies, by the way. And we, the neers, hardly had the time to go about visiting the whole vastness of the capital of the Roerden Kingdom in order to visit each of the job-rted guilds separately. Why not visit them all in one go, then?


    Many other details were given to me about why mana-wielders chose any job-rted guild, but I discarded them as extra and unimportant. Really, there was a lot to know, but whatever, the details were irrelevant to my situation for now.


    There was a single reason for which I had wanted toe here and visit¡ª ? "He became a monster" Quest ¡ª Head down to the training grounds with the priestess. 0/1 ¡ª


    ? 1/1 ¡ª New instructions: Choose a job-rted guild. 0/1 ?


    This was part of the grand scheme¡­ but I had yet to know that. For now, I only observed. My escort indicated to me to do so, so I just did. Passing by the warrior guild''s lodge and area, I peeked in the facility where mana-wielders who aspired to be warriors trained.


    Gauging them up, I counted one, two, and three instructors.


    "C-Come on inside, why don''t you!"


    The warriors were separated into three groups, and together, in their old dojo, they trained on sorts of tatami mats with a different master of the sword.


    "Oh ho? Oh ho ho ho? Are we chickening out, now, little sir?!"


    The instructors'' movements were slow, and they fought with wooden swords, indicating that they were only training the rookies. Like this, training went on for all the disciples to have their chance at learning their new skills or conditioning their physiques.


    "Those are the warriors, yes." Apparently, the tank of the party was affiliated with this guild. "But don''t be afraid, young man! Let the spirit of youth drive you forward to the new experiences you so much wanted, mwah-hah-hah!"


    "Think I should join these guys¡­?"


    "Yeah, c''mon! Why don''tcha go get ''em!"


    But the girl''s sudden burst of eagerness didn''t affect me in the slightest. Cool-headed, I kept observing the disciples'' training from the sidelines, reviewing how my n was supposed to go in order to at least learn one skill. After she saw this, the priestess said that I was right to take my time.


    I insisted that I didn''te up here to rush into things, and the priestessplimented the "kid" for being mature when it was necessary.


    "For now, I''m just an observer, priestess."


    "Yes, yes," she nodded," whatever you say¡­ mascot."

 Chapter 131 Kambe

    "For now, I''m just an observer, priestess."


    "Yes, yes," she nodded," whatever you say¡­ mascot."


    Our tour wasn''t finished yet. My babe showed me around the other bigger guilds, so I observed bowmen, mages, and other warrior-sses train together. After I asked about the thieves'' job, the priestess told me that the matter was a bitplicated, and when the System chimed in with a notification saying "Quest is unavable for now ¡ª Try againter," I contented myself with seeing mages, archers, and swordsmen in action. Fun to watch.


    After a few minutes, the priestess told me to hurry along. We didn''t linger. After another couple of long minutes, other ns were decided between the two of us, and the priestess told me she shall head off on her own to take care of her own things before sunset. I didn''t forget to thank her a lot after I said I was sure she didn''t have to tag along more with me, and that I''d be fine on my own.


    For some reason, I earned a flick on my forehead, and the priestess departed.


    Then, I was alone. In the vast sandy yard of the training grounds area, I rested my back upon a tree, and I waited for "it." The reason why I came here. By now, I was sure "it" had waited for me to be alone, too. "It" must have waited for the priestess to go off on her own, too.


    Has she seen through me? I thought. I only needed her to be gone. I''ve had all the intel I wanted to have. But what about what I truly want to observe, hm? The guilds? Not so much. I know what I must do here is get to learn apetence from any guild so that I can uncover the System¡­ and what I remembered was called "Skill Tab" or something, from back in the woods¡­ but what do I truly want to observe, eh? Even I don''t know¡­ but I''m sure "it" wille back to me again. With "Mana Perception," I can feel the same presence as when I first came here weeks ago. ¡­But how exactly am I supposed to have ite at me again¡ª


    Ugh!?


    Just as I thought this, my back leisurely leaning on a tree under the sun''s shades, I was paralyzed all over. My heartbeat quickened. My lungs picked up the pace. I knew it. It was bound to happen.


    Where was this killing intenting from? This oh-so-hostile aura? Not even the old man scared me like this when he unveiled his aura to me. I needed to concentrate, concentrate, concentrate¡­ find out from where they assaulted me, and I needed to kill them.


    But my body tensed up as I felt freezing all over. The sensation the killing intent brought over me felt like being stabbed with a thousand chilly needles all over my body and soul. Itsted no more than a second, but despite the many presences of monster-hunters around me, I felt all alone, in the dark, bitten-frozen by the coldest snow¡­ and the two preying eyes I felt weighing down a thousand burdens'' weight on my back was the worst of it all.


    Death frolicked with me¡­ but it onlysted a little second.


    Frantically swinging my head from left to right, I scanned the area all around me. I had already pretty much discovered all there was about the training grounds, except for that which just assaulted me. With one question on my mind ¡ª Where is it from? ¡ª I let my eyes dart to every door of the cluster of guild offices down this ce, but after I realized I wouldn''t get anywhere with that, I snapped my eyes shut and tracked the hostile presence down with Mana Perception.


    This skill was as usual oh-so-versatile, and I spotted a ce, a direction, and a destination.


    "Found you," I murmured, grinning, still assaulted by the heavy killing intent floating above myself. Loudly stomping on the ground, I brought one of my feet in front of the other, marching onward like a soldier toward another. Anyone seeing me going like this would gasp and say, "Whoa¡ª Tough guy," kindly ignoring my height.


    And the person who hid behind those taunting moves would think the same.


    I had felt death preying on me. My senses didn''t react calmly to it. As the killing intent was clearly only directed at me for who knows what reason, I gathered the other mana-wielders around me were totally unaffected. Nobody was moved, interrupted, or put off in the slightest. And there I was, in the middle of all the empty sandy yard, alone. By now, the killing intent brought upon my soul had ceased.


    With crity, I reached out to doors. Among all the professional-looking offices and dojos of the many guilds you could join, there was this little loner of a dojo or something.


    If my face was deeply marked with a scowl of disgust and anger, when I thought I''d finally catch the person who directed their killing intent at me, at present, every bit of negative emotion hanging around me vanished.


    What the heck''s even that, I thought, slightly annoyed. Can you even call that a "guild"? Or an "office"? A "dojo" where neers train and stuff? ¡­Sure, you can, but jeez, does it not sound right.


    Hoh, and the System kindly ordered me to make whatever job-rted guild this one rundown dojo was about my own guild. My own guild as in taking the instructor of this guild as my master and see where this goes. The heck? I didn''t want to.


    In a few words, the ce, from the outside, looked forsaken and pretty fatigued. If all the job-rted guilds could be said to form a grand circle together around the sandy yard, you could barely say that this guild, whose name was "To Live and To Die by The de," was part of the bigger friendly circle of the bigger guilds.


    The sign reading the name wasn''t even standing straight,cking a nail on the edge and leaning to one side. Climbing up two steps, in my momentum, I busted the two old creaking doors open with a kick. The two doors were mmed on the inside wall, and one fell to the ground, broken.


    "...Aoi in the house," I said, listless. Stepping in front of the door that just fell, I winced and loudly stomped my foot on it thrice. "Knock, knock, knock." With each blow I gave the door, I may have looked like I was trying to break it more than it already was, but that was how I decided to knock at the door of my enemy. "Hey."


    Inside, there weren''t three, two, but only one instructor. That figures. All alone, as if the eastern-styled swordsman was also a monster, he formally sat on his knees in the middle of the dojo, without even turning his head toward me. If the adult wasn''t looking so young and more like my old man, the picture he offered to me would have been perfectly illustrating an old grandmaster of the sword peacefully contemting the way of the sword in the silence of his dojo.


    The System tasked me with "getting acquainted with the instructor of the yer''s guild."


    "Hey!"


    The inside of the dojo was nd and empty. From the outside, it looked rundown, but from within, I guess you could say it was just okay. With a quick nce, I spotted a cab in an empty corner, and at another wall, there was a pitch-ck longsword. The sword was an impressive thing and hadid my eyes on it for longer than a minute, it would have probably swallowed me whole. It felt as alive as cold, like a hellish egg ready to hatch.


    After a minute, Kambe Streman still didn''t reply. At this point, though we still hadn''t exchanged any words of greetings to one another, it was clear to me that the newborn monster had met with the bigger monster.


    I took one step deeper into the dojo. "You''re this guild''s master, aren''t you?" The swordsman still didn''t give me anything at all, not even a quick nce to acknowledge my presence. Sternly and formally sitting still, somehow perfectly motionless, with his hands gathered on his knees, it was as though the man was a statue of steel. "...Never mind," I sighed, defeated. "So you want to fight, mister?"


    For once, I wasn''t the weirdo here. Just about staring off into the void, I didn''t know what the man was contemting and meditating about, but his non-reactivity was being as dignified as creepy, for some reason. This man was a superior man, I knew it.


    Oh, and it was the first time I saw such a thing as a sword made of wood. A bokken. A practice weapon.


    I''d been assaulted, or rather picked on by the passive swordsman more than twice, so what was with the act, now? To say the least, if the goal was to put me off, the operation was a sess. Initially, busting the two doors open, I thought we would have at it right off the bat, I''d kill him, and then go back to the matter of learning one skill from any of the guilds¡­ but oh well.


    The atmosphere was weird, but I remembered what I came here for. To kill. Standing ten feet away from the man, I let my nails turn to sharp ws, poured some of my aura out, and jumped at the man¡ª


    Or not exactly. Right before I was ready to jump at the statue''s throat, my instinct yelled at me to back off. The sleeping swordsman reacted then and ced one of his hands on the bokken resting by his side. Two perfectly rxed and chilly eyes were set upon me, and my life was as if sucked out of myself. Without a doubt. I took a step backward, but when the two cold eyes gripped me, I couldn''t back off anymore.


    Yes, it was then that the monster met with the bigger monster.


    And soon, the cold statue of the young adult sleeping swordsman would break off its shell, warmly smile at me with an appreciative sigh, and propose that we share a meal together.

 Chapter 132 Chin Up

    The man brought his chin up, straightened his back, let his eyes grow fuller, and looked down on me from above with contempt. I wasn''t imagining it: even when I was the one who stood up in front of the man who sat down, he was looking down on me, as if he were physically above me.


    Another thing that I wasn''t imagining was that he, with his cold and scornful eyes, genuinely was tantly both taunting and disgusted by me. I still had my doubts up until this point, but for some reason, this man was out to get me.


    I didn''t know him or anything rted to himself, but the mysterious swordsman seemed to have been waiting for me. Was there some bad blood between us? I stood in front of him, and with steady eye contact, the man''s lips pressed together as a slight frown climbed upon his impassibleplexion.


    Holding my gaze, he stared deeply into my face, my tilted head, and raised eyebrows. With seriousness, the man''s eyes turned to a thin slit as if he doubted he even saw the young, ck-haired teenage boy standing tant in front of him in his dojo, but then shook his head with strength before breaking eye contact with a long sigh.


    Good grief. Should such encounters be a daily urrence in your life? I didn''t think so, but as it stands, I didn''t really know. In any case, it felt normal to me. Still, the way the man was ring at me a second earlier was troubling me: Youngsters, nowadays¡­ I thought. I can take him out. Just as I nned. Using Mana Perception¡­ he seems like a tough opponent, but I can pull it.


    Still, should I? I''m curious now.


    "So?" I inquired, putting my hands on my hips. Now was my turn to look down on the swordsman. "Have something for me?"


    The swordsman, formally sitting like a very polite person in front of me, shook his head.


    "Look, I¡­"


    He shook it again.


    "I do need some feedback, though. So why don''t you just, I dunno¡­"


    For the third time, the aloof swordsman shook his head. I made thement that, at the very least, he chased away all of the disgust and anger he seemed to have toward me. In reply to that, he nodded to me.


    "Hmm¡­ So you don''t have something for me?" As if it were absolutely natural for me to spend some casual time with the eerie swordsman who probably wanted to kill me, I sat down on the smooth wooden tiles of this poor dojo. Sitting, I didn''t pay him attention. "Sorry, tell me again? You don''t have ''something'' for me, then?"


    The swordsman nodded, but then shook his head.


    "Wait, what?" Scowling, I gaze up at him. His strong posture was unchanged, but I now saw a certain gleam of liveliness and yfulness in his eyes. And he answered me again: I asked "what?" and so he repeated the gesture, nodded at me but shook his head right away. Just to make sure, I confirmed that the swordsman wasn''t just a crazy person and asked him if he was answering the question I thought he answered: Did the man have something for me? To that, he nodded, and I sighed.


    "So¡­ you''re answering my question¡­ but then you don''t make sense!" Iined that a nod followed by a shaking of his head meant both yes and no¡ªand the swordsman nodded at me.


    "Yes or no? ¡­You nod at me again, that means ''yes,'' but¡­ that figures, you shake your head again, so it means ''no.'' A-Are you making fun of me, by any chance? Your answer is ''no.'' Hmm¡­ shouldn''t you pick either yes or no, then, when answering THE important question, eh? ¡­H-How can you say ''no''?! Look! I''m asking you onest time: Yes¡­ or friggin'' no so I can kill you right away, hm? You wouldn''t know it, but there''s some quest about you, after all! ¡­Yes or no?"


    Thest instructions from the System I received were about the yer meeting the instructor of the yer''s guild. I had a quest involving the swordsman, but whatever, if he wasn''t down toying a proper reason for which he repeatedly projected killing intent toward me, I''d y him then and there. Maybe he just wanted me to recognize him, thinking "I hope senpai notices me, today¡­" or something! That''s why I asked him.


    But what followed was the mess two absolute weirdos meeting up produced together. For one additional minute, I tried to get the man to actually answer my question like a normal person would, yelling that he had to if I demanded it, but he was nowhere near actually employing words when conveying his message to me. By the way, I did ask him whether he had problems of disability when it came to speaking anguage, but he said there were none.


    The swordsman, after I kept repeating the important question, kept tossing rounds of "yes, no, yes, no" at me, but only through either shaking or nodding his head.


    Squinting my eyes at him, I made sure to list every word he transmitted to me: "Yes, yes, no, yes, yes, no, no, no, nyes, yes, no, yeno, yes, no, no, yes, yes, no, yes, no, both yes and no, yes¡­ no¡­" and, believe it or not, this went on for longer than two minutes. That was our duel, and I well intended not to lose to the silent swordsman. In the end, I gathered that the ratio of yes and no was exactly 1:1. And so, that probably meant the swordsman did have something for me¡­ but that, parallelly, he didn''t.


    Then again, that answer couldn''t make sense. So rather, maybe the mysterious swordsman meant that we both had something for each other. Regardless of the important answer I sought, before we knew it, this little moronic game had grown well on us.


    Before long, I fortunately got back to reality, brought both hands in the air, mmed them down on the smooth floor of the dojo, and yelled, "Stop! Enough! This is too much!"


    Right then and there, the silent, stern swordsman burst out intoughter. Theseughs came from deep within his chest and were as hearty as could be. At a loss of what to think of that sudden switch in demeanor, I shook my head and jumped up. "I don''t quite understand why¡­ but this is my win!"


    "Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" The swordsman''s features were delighted, and he admitted it. "Yes! It! Is! ¡­God, how weird can you be¡­?" I would have never imagined such a bright and warm voice belonged to the swordsman. I mean, at present, the voice certainly did suit his brightplexion and his smile that couldn''t be contained. Seconds earlier, that swordsman was the total opposite of that.


    "You admit it, human!"


    "Surely, I do, I do," heughed enthusiastically.


    "My win!"


    "Absolutely true!"


    We basically went from total strangers clearly having a problem with each other to close besties who hadn''t met up for long. From the cold and tense atmosphere, we went to a warm and cheerful peace. Both smiling at each other harmoniously and chuckling, I made ament, "...Know what, we both win."


    "Aww," the swordsman tilted his head, fondly. "How can I ever repay you?"


    Laughing some more and exchanging a few more words,plimenting each other for the good fight we had just pulled, ourughter gradually died down. Still, theughter''s good vibes hung around the ce, and that yed a huge role in changing the atmosphere dramatically: we met thinking we''d kill each other (that was probably just me), and now we were best buddies.


    I really thought the swordsman was out to get me. He sounded like a monster, and he was out to eat me whole. After I told him as much, he shook his head, saying, "Of course I wouldn''t eat you, boy." With his rxed posture and light smile, I could tell he was telling the truth and that he only meant peace.


    "I really did think that, though," I chuckled, grinning back.


    "Well, you thought wrong, obviously," he said, somewhat longingly. "...And, tell you what¡ªin the end¡­ or let''s rather say in my end, you''re the one who kills me all right, ha-ha-ha!"


    That was a weird thing tough about, but I usuallyughed about that kind of stuff, too, so I felt like I could rte to the mysterious swordsman in front of me.


    Out of the blue, we sank back into our silence. Again. Still staring at each other. Now, the silence wasn''t so off-putting for me. I was the one who engaged in it, in any case. Tilting my head to the side, I sank into thoughts.


    When I''d found my elven princess, I''d found the first and only person who embraced me for what I truly was, without seeking interest from me at all. I was happy. And now that I had found this human swordsman, I probably found my rtive, in a way.


    I wasn''t looking for that weirdo, but at the same time, I could say that because I had found him, I felt like I was looking for him all along.


    Thus, as I said, the monster met the bigger monster. The System had named the quest "He who became a monster."


    I had yet to find out, but the swordsman was simr to me in so many ways. And he found me, too. Though I didn''t know, of us two, he was the one who could be said to have been looking for me.


    ording to the System, I had finally met and got acquainted with the instructor of my guild.


    New instructions quickly kicked in.

 Chapter 133 One Skill

    New instructions from the quest quickly kicked in.


    The bigger monster could be chill, too, in the end. He could be stern, filled with disgust, tantly annoyed at me, and out to get my skin¡­ but he could also be the kinder older guy his appearance suggested he was.


    I liked him already. Also, we had met. From being utterly old and judging he switched to a way calmer and kinder demeanor. The way the man waspletely changed. The closed eyes, satisfied smile, softly tilted head, and softened features I found on his face weren''t repressing me anymore.


    While, presently, his brightplexionughed and smiled, making mefortable, too, minutes ago, the atmosphere in the empty dojo was intensely stifling.


    By now, I had enough experience so as not to be totally clueless about every matter of life: even I had enoughmonsense to understand that that swordsman guild master person was probably a freak, just like me. However, I wasn''t astounded. Freaks, I had met some.


    And if I indeed had a problem with him moments earlier, all that mattered right now was the fact that he was actually being nice, as opposed to overtly wishing for my death. If I wanted to kill him at first, it was because he was a pain.


    At present, he was no longer a bad guy.


    How could I tell?


    The two people of this dojo still sat in front of each other, smiles of anticipation carved on their faces.


    Hmm, I thought, where to go from now?


    Too much shaking and nodding his head around got the man''s hair disheveled. The human tilted his head onward, and with one hand still resting upon his bokken, his wooden sword, his other hand went up and arranged the deep brown hair back into ce.


    Done, his dark eyes plunged back into mine, and he spoke to me, but I didn''t listen. Giving my eyes to his, I got to observe more of the rather weird creature who formally sat in front of me.


    The man was young. Particrly young. Though young his appearance may have been, however, the calm swordsman didn''t strike me as the "young" or "inexperienced" kind of person at all. In spite of the way he dressed rathermonly and poorly, the freak swordsman actually had an aura of noble grandeur and wise experience. In spirit, he was tall, big, and honest.


    My senses admired him. His facial features were very clear, fresh, and rigid. The swordsman was a handsome man. As I looked still deeply into his face, leaning more and more forward with each second, staring at the man''s face with wonder, I must have been staring too much.


    "H-Hey¡­?"


    "...Mmm, what?"


    "Aren''t you the one putting me off, now, boy."


    "...Okay."


    "Should I even ask? What is it that you''re even thinking about¡­?"


    "...I don''t think I like ugly faces, sir."


    "Hwhat?! W-What an utterly bold thing to say! I-I''m not¡­! Pfft! Aw, whatever. Are you done with the scrutinizing anyway? I was talking, I''ll have you know."


    After another minute of me scrutinizing the man''s appearance and refined features, I was told one thing: "Kindly stop staring, now," and that was it. ording to the System, the yer had then been acquainted with the instructor of his guild.


    I wasn''t so sure about me having to join some job-rted guild for real, partly because I didn''t care about it but mostly because of what I nned on doing with the swordsman, but could I tell the System "no"?


    The System and its storyline were supposedly supreme. And the story was that, at present, the yer had learned everything he had to know about the game''s functioning, the "game-like" details rted to the jobs, skills, and stuff. That was that, and then, before I actually got to be part of a guild and learn practical techniques from it, I was first supposed to "share a meal with the Instructor - 0/1."


    "Hey, hey, hey," the swordsman gestured with his chin. "I said, and I repeat, kindly stop staring, boy." I must have been so lost in the System''s iing notifications that he thought I was still assessing him.


    As soon as the System gave new instructions about me and the freak swordsman sharing a meal together and strengthening our new bonds of friendship, the instructor''s face brightened with an idea. "I know," he expressed, asking me if I would like to eat. From his perspective, I must have had questions about his shabby guild before I fully joined him, but first, he produced some sort of lunch box from a thing the System presented to me as "Rare Storage Ring +3."


    With delicacy and finesse, the guild master unwrapped the fabric keeping together the lunch, took the lid off, and, as tomorrow''s enemies were today''s friends, we shared a meal together. The atmosphere wasn''t exactly as awkward as it previously was, and I thanked the swordsman for the meal.


    Eating, we then talked. The man got back to the matter at hand rather quickly. "So, boy, as I tried to tell you earlier, I figured you might have questions," the swordsman said, properly waiting to swallow the contents of his mouth before he spoke.


    "Munch, munch, munch¡­ Questions¡­?"


    "Questions, sure," the man exined. "Questions about¡­ our guild, boy. Don''t you have any?" Shamelessly lumping me together with him in his guild before I even said I came here to join him, he began to redo the priestess'' speech, also unwrapping the same details about guilds and stuff, but I stopped him.


    I said I already knew about all that, but the mysterious swordsman pushed the matter further. "Ah. Okay. But you''re sure you don''t have any questions, eh? If you already know about, you know, jobs-rted guilds and stuff, maybe you still want to inquire about OUR specific guild, don''t you?"


    "...No," I murmured, squinting my eyes at the man with mistrust. Then again, I ignored the fact that he lumped me together with him in his shabby guild and said nothing of it. "No, not at all, sir."


    The swordsman seemed unsatisfied for a moment, even slightly irritated and frowning. "May I understand there aren''t any points I can enlighten you about, then? ¡­Well, if you say so." Only then did he really start digging in the food, and we ate from the same box. "After we''re done eating, we will start training at once, new recruit. Ah, and you can drop the ''sir.''"


    Agreeing with the swordsman, I repeated his words, but¡­ instead of saying we would train, and bluntly said I would cut the swordsman down. A nk unfolded, and my eyes grew full as I realized I probably shouldn''t have told him that, but then, the mysterious swordsmanughed, a lot, and after he held strong eye contact with me for a couple of seconds as if he desired me, the swordsman nodded quite a few times to me, and his smile of rapture slowly climbed down his face.


    Casually, we exchanged a few words of small talk with each other, and soon, we were done with it. Done with the quest. We yed it cool and simply ate.


    Again, instructions from the quest "He who became a monster" were aplished¡­ and the System chimed in with something tastier atst. Now came the part I waited for: thebat.


    ? "Monsters dancing together" ¡ª Training time has arrived. Kambe Streman, the instructor, grandmaster, and sole member of his guild has finally found the disciple he coveted¡ª ? As usual, a little background story was given each time a quest was changed to a new one. And the System told its story. Meaningless details about the lonely guild master of his own guild finally stumbling upon what he always desired, recruiting his own disciple, and atst being able to pass down his techniques of the sword. Incidentally, I, the yer, happened to be the mentioned long-awaited disciple.


    But I gave all of this no more than a quick nod of my head. I ate well, and what was worth taking note of was the following: ? ¡ª Train with Kambe Streman and learn one skill. 0/1 ?

 Chapter 134 Flying Around

    This quest was only luck. To finally figure the System out, the Skill Tab, or whatever it was that I was still ignorant of, I had nned on learning one skill before I came here. With this quest showing up, the bit of work I had to take care of was as if already done.


    And so¡­ I guess I only needed to fight and learn that one skill, eh? Leaning in, I ced one hand on the ground and one hand on my back before I forced my way up like a tired old man who had eaten too much. Next to me, the instructor, Kambe Streman, if that was the freak''s name, did just about the same.


    Standing like two columns ready to sh on the smooth dojo''s parquet floor, we both stared at each other for a second, and I had found my friend back¡ªthe freaky swordsman. His happy, casual, and cheerful looks were nowhere to be seen. I took the time to close my eyes and sigh. The deep, blue color of my eyes turned chilly, and, after the mysterious swordsman took care of our eating stuff, I was raring to go.


    The swordsman then stood in front of me, with his impassible face and widened stance. Presently, at least, I could take note that the swordsman, though stern and cold, didn''t harbor the feelings of utter disgust he felt toward me earlier.


    "They taught us the way of the sword," he said, omitting to rify who "they" referred to. "This is all I know, boy, and so I will teach you with a sword, too."


    Then, I really liked to think of other people as what they just are¡ªwild animals. The words I was addressed with didn''t bear any meaning at all. When the lone, gray wolf growled and snarled at me, I knew just what to reply: no words.


    That was so long as no questions were directly asked to me, however. "They taught us the way of the sword¡­ but I don''t see yours, boy. ¡­Why, or where is it?"


    At the moment, I didn''t have any weapon on me whatsoever. It had been like this ever since I got to be a citizen of a human society. Since I didn''t need any weapon for any task at all, I simply didn''t have any.


    Still though. "I do have a sword, guild master."


    Having said that, I turned my back on the bigger monster and walked a distance from him. From where the man stood, he hadn''t moved one inch. The distance he kept from me was unchanged, and the one thing that changed was the murderous gleam in the human''s eyes.


    The guild master''s expression turned stony as the atmosphere felt chilly and oppressing again. The swordsman didn''t lose his goal from sight. Despite the System''s descriptions and introductions to quests, in the end, I still didn''t really understand any of that freak''s background story, but I could tell the title''s quest was fitting. "Monsters dancing together." Not that I cared about it anyway.


    For the fourth time, I felt the swordsman''s heavy assaulting murderous intent weighing on my back. This made me feel like I belonged here. Sighing, with happiness, I shrugged, grinning to myself.


    A sword anyway? I said I had one, but¡­ "You don''t. Boy, do not make me lose my time. You need a sword in order to train¡ª"


    "Your chilly eyes again?" I sighed and shrugged. "From the beginning I understood you might be a misfit, too, like me, but¡­ c''mon. At least try and hide it from people, why don''t you."


    If the swordsman had felt like answering me, he would have told me that he surely didn''t feel like he had to hide from me¡­ but he didn''t say that. "Let it not bother you, let it not bother you¡­ But your sword¡ª"


    "Of course not, ha-ha-ha." Turning back to him, I was ready to deal blows, then. "There''s good." All Icked was my sword.


    "Your sword, boy. ¡­Fair enough, here is your first lesson: Do not make me lose my time, boy. Also, do not make me repeat myself. You need a sword in order to train. You do not have one. ¡­I will get you one." All the swordsman had to do was get to the neighbors next door and borrow some fighting gear from them. Easy to pull.


    "...Aaah, but I''m telling you there''s no need to trouble yourself¡­ just wait a sec."


    "Here is your second lesson, boy: There is a time forughs and fun, and there is a time for work and discipline. ¡­Boy, now is not the time for whatever fun¡ª"


    But I was serious. Fair enough, the swordsman was getting more and more pissed at his disciple for messing around, and I understood that. As I said, I was serious about a sword. The swordsman had to stop mid-sentence, maybe because he felt it. Then, with his hair standing, he observed my work with great adoration.


    The truth was, there was a quest. "Learning the ropes!" from earlier, was the quest I aplished with my party of monster-hunter friends earlier today. The quest was aplished, but it didn''t go away yet. As of now, it still answered my call when I summoned it forth.


    ? "Learning the ropes!" ¡ª Goblins dealt with 10/10 ¡ª Gray-w wolves dealt with 3/3 ¡ª Quest has been aplished ¡ª ept and choose your reward(s). ?


    Up until now, the freaky swordsman kept insisting he would get me a sword, but at the very same time I naturally said, "Check out rewards, System," the man''s chilly eyes widened with urgency.


    "...Huh?" he said, leaving it at that.


    I knew I shouldn''t probably be ying around with the System right in front of someone I didn''t know, but since I thought I was going to y him, I didn''t mind what I just did. Or rather, what the System just did.


    ¡­Ring!


    ? +1 level up ¡ª Reward checked. ?


    ? The yer has reached level 43! ?


    "Oooh, sure been a long time, leveling up¡­ What about the rest?"


    ? "Rookie''s Dagger x1" ¡ª "Rookie''s Sword x1" ¡ª "Rookie''s Staff x1" ¡ª "Rookie''s Bow x1" ¡ª Choose a reward. ?


    "The sword, obviously."


    ? The equipment "Rookie''s Sword x1" ¡ª Level 15; +95 physical attack; A sword you obtain bypleting an early quest of the Game ¡ª item has been obtained. ?


    From thin air, a regr sword was produced. White clouds of the purest mana were first produced, as the System usually did, and they formed into a sword mid-air. Before the sword dropped to the ground, I snatched it by the hilt.


    "There you go, guild master, I got my own sword¡ª"


    Right at the same moment my hand went and grabbed it, it happened. It couldn''t be more violent and loud, really, and it startled me a lot. "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"


    "H-Hey¡­?" Why was heughing so loudly all of a sudden as hysterically as he was? And he keptughing like a madman. "I mean¡­ are you all right?" That was some great mischievous and maliciousughter the swordsman had here; it was even worse than mine.


    But the swordsman kept going at it. Stretching out his arms as if he embraced his folly, he continued tough the way he did as his grip on the bokken he held tightened more and more, making the wooden hilt crack. Well, as long as the man was happy. I could make out genuine happiness and surprise in his now stern expression. His grin was on point.


    "Pardon me, pardon me," he said, finally calming down. "Ha¡­ ha¡­ ha-ha-ha," bothughing and half-sighing, he ended it, shaking his head. There really was a lot to discover about that freaky person. "Ahem." Presently, his stern and cial expression took back over in no time.


    "You really are ''it,'' then," he mumbled to himself. "Then again¡­ no, never mind, boy."


    "''It''?"


    "..."


    "It, as in, Special, long-awaited disciple of yours¡­?"


    "You said you wanted to kill me, didn''t you, boy?"


    "...I did. What about the ''it,'' though?"


    "Juste at me, fighter," the madman murmured. "Let''s dance."


    "Heh," I scoffed, shrugging and showing my palms to the swordsman.


    Maybe he wanted to talk with swords. From this point onward, both he and I didn''t speak any more words. He had called me a fighter, and he was right. I recognized he was a fighter, too.


    Both fighters were here. Filling up the better part of the empty dojo with their aura only, adding pressure to the whole structure together, threatening to break it at any time.


    The swordsman''s hands gripped a wooden sword, but I had a lethal, metallic one. I didn''t realize it until now, but I was now sure that this would be the weapon with which the swordsman decided to fight me¡ªhis sword may have been one carved out of wood, but it looked deadlier than my regr sword.


    The dojo was totally engulfed in our shing auras, but the bigger fighter had the upper hand. My senses told me that. I nheless braced for impact and dashed with my head tilted forward.


    I''ll kill him, I thought. Just as per the n.


    ng!


    The two swords shed so rapidly. My steel faced the opponent''s wood, but instead of cutting through it like butter, before finally cutting through the man''s stomach, my sword bounced off. It felt as if I hit the sturdiest of obstacles.


    And the bacsh issued from that single blow was enormous. It felt heavy. So much so that I had to dart backward right off the bat in order to take some time off. A second was enough, and the swordsman didn''t make to rush at me after he parried my blow. Right after Inded, my leg burst out again and I was propelled toward the swordsman again.


    My sword swung at him, but again, I was parried. All it took from the swordsman was a single well-directed blow of his wooden stick; I had to step back.


    Again, my feetnded back on the smooth tile of the dojo, and I was sted off toward the swordsman for another round. With astounding speed, I met face-to-face with the swordsman but was parried again.


    No more flying around recklessly: I had to think up some strategy.

 Chapter 135 Defeat

    No more flying around recklessly: I had to think up some strategy.


    <Quick Pace>!


    Tap, tap, tap, tap!


    My feet brought me in front of the opened target, I stopped, then I jumped. Mid-air, soaring above the man''s height, with two quick moves, I swung my sword twice at his face.


    I was parried twice.


    Without wings, Inded back down on the smooth parquet floor of the empty dojo. Slithering my way to the man''s right nk, my arm targeted his leg, but I got parried again. It was fine, though. Jumping with enough haste again, I was sure I could take that stern-looking face off his shoulders, but no can do.


    Coming up with a quick strategy right on the spot was easier said than done. I decided to work my way to victory with feinting. Using "Quick Pace," I could pretty much fly in and off the little battlefield quickly, and with "Chain Attack," I could try and behead my freaky human all I wanted.


    "Hah!" A ng resounded. "Hyah!" Another did again. "Gah!" Yet another ng resounded. "Tsk!"


    I knew it wasn''t a good thing, but I was getting restless by now. I couldn''t help it. It was as if the freaky swordsman was unattainable to me. Still, I could keep that up until the swordsman got tired, too¡­ but all of a sudden, the freaky swordsman switched from a defensive stance to the offensive.


    A huge wave of cold and freezing chilliness washed over me. I might have gotten paralyzed for a second. The bokken that faced me now grew sharp fangs of its own.


    The next thing I knew, shing against my sword, the bokken tore its way through the air and hit my sword of steel so hard. Following with my sword, I followed the impact of the blow as I was filled with shock. The bacsh was terrible. I had to dart backward in a hurry to absorb it all.


    When Inded on the ground, further away from the mysterious swordsman, one of my knees dropped down. A grunt of pain escaped me. The vibrationsing from the sh of swords practically rendered my right arm unusable. The shock was terrible.


    Heavily frowning, my eyes darted back onto my target: he hadn''t moved at all from his ce and only entered an offensive stance against me, lowering his center of gravity and bringing his wooden sword forward.


    Realizing what just happened, I clicked my tongue, and the swordsman smirked.


    My arm was no longer numb, and I wasn''t panting all that much. From experience, it means that I was still all good in terms of mana supply. Forcing my knee up, I got back to it.


    And I realized something, now: Was I trembling due to my excitement or due to fear? Though I couldn''t admit it, it was both. For the next ten minutes after that, I exchanged blows with the freaky swordsman.


    Maybe that wasn''t entirely true.


    Maybe I was the only person giving blows here. All of which were parried. Over and over again. All alone. Dealing with the mocking, imprable wall that took them all on without the least difficulty or interest.


    ng, ng, ng, the wall said.


    Time passed. Overusing my skills became harsher and harsher by the minute. My breathing became moreborious as I felt an aching tightness in my chest. This was supposed to be part of some "training program" ording to the bigger fighter. Whatever happened to "learn one new skill - 0/1," though?


    The bigger fighter mocked me so much that he was strong, and I was unable to give him back all the scratches, bruises, and superficial injuries he had given me. That wasn''t polite! I didn''t like it.


    Unable to reciprocate, all I could give was my endless shower of blows from this and that side, sometimesing from above, sometimes from below, from the right or from the left.


    At some point, due to my overwhelming fatigue, the grip on my sword unintentionally loosened up. As it happened, my weapon went off my hand, so I tried my best to have it back before I¡ª


    ng!


    My trembling fingers ached and they no longer seized my sword. My eyes trembled, too, but they still seized my sword. I watched it fly away to my right and hit the wall with strength, where it dropped down to the ground, defeated.


    I was soaked in sweat, and another sword was there. A wooden sword. Pressed against my throat. Hesitantly, I gazed up into the bigger fighter''s eyes. Looking down on me from above, he coldly weed and greeted me back to the non-fighting world. I had lost.


    "...Humph," he coldlyughed.


    That man had said that there was a time forughs and fun, and a time for work and discipline. Was "that" the discipline he talked about? For some reason, now, the cold man seemed angry.


    With his shoulders going upon, he breathed in and deeply sighed. "The stories I''ve heard¡­ they seemed to indicate you were¡­ stronger than that¡­ You have no technique. You are pathetic. But how about that: Can you still dance?"


    "...Who''re you?"


    Now that the freaky swordsman, who, I had to admit, was probably way stronger than me, had lost all interest in me, he showed no indications that he would answer me.


    I became furious. Oh-so-furious. A wild blend of hatred, frustration, desperation and mad disappointment took hold of my heart. My fists were shaking and uttering dark, hurtful words, I wanted to yell that I had the right to live. If I was weak, it only meant one thing: I was going to die. Call me dramatic if you want, I needed this. I needed strength. Without it, I was nothing worth anything at all.


    That''s why I didn''t stop that animalistic growl from my mouth as I was burning with hatred from within. And the wooden sword was still pressed on my sword, so I quickly grabbed it with renewed vigor, and I clenched my fist so hard that the wooden sword cracked under my grip. Quickly, the bokken broke, and I felt the urge to click my tongue again. So many times. "Tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk, tsk¡­!"


    The bigger fighter sighed again, but this time, he whispered that this was the way to go. "Better," he said, repeating it many times. In a hurry, I then plunged my hands into my pockets, produced a handful of silver coins and others, dropped them all on the ground, and exited the dojo, pissed at everything.


    When I flung the dojo''sst remaining door open, I broke that one too. And there, outside, people gathered in front of our guild''s ce. Some people made somements about "us" finally getting out of there, and some asked about whatever it was that happened in there.


    It seemed we made quite the ruckus in there. Out of my face, humans. The door was no longer preventing me from going out, but would these people block me? The cluster of people gathered here because there seemed to be a problem, from what I quickly gathered.


    Gloomily whispering "He just got lucky¡­ He just got lucky¡­ He just got lucky¡­" over and over again, I bumped into one of the big guys gathered here. Throwing him a look of absolute hatred, contempt, and disgust, biting my lower lip and twitching my brows, he quickly backed away, with all the rest of the crowd with him.


    The bastards opened a way for me and I squeezed my way off the training grounds of the Guild Bureau.


    "I''ll kill him¡­ I''ll kill him¡­ I''ll kill him¡­"


    Now that I thought about it, of these two things I was nning on getting done before the day ended, I didn''tplete any.


    "I''m not weak¡­ I''m not weak¡­ I''m not weak¡­ He just got lucky¡­ I''ll kill him¡­"


    That was how my day ended.


    During my long stay at the Academy, and even before I could even enroll in it with Cetha, I had wondered, and wondered, and wondered. I thought a lot. I insist: a lot.


    What would be the following of my life''s journey?


    The System I was granted with life.


    I needed to figure it out.


    Also, there was the main "mandatory" quest I received from ying the "game." I needed to figure that out, too. Today, after I ran from the tedious atmosphere the Academy of mana-wielders offered me, I was after these two objectives of mine.


    The System, the main quest, my skills, how to get new ones, how to even get to know them, the "Skill Tab," and my status points¡­


    ? "What lies behind the story" Main Quest ¡ª Follow Princess Elina to her apartments and get allfy with her. 0/1 ?


    And this,


    ? The yer has unused ''Stats Point(s)'' stockpiled. It is rmended to use your ''Stats Point(s).'' The statistics regarding the yer''s vitality; strength; agility; intelligence; sense must be increased for the well-realization of a good progression whilst ying the Game. ?


    I sure didn''t know anything about this second AR disy yet, but I was going to. Soon. And with that alone, I was about to grow even more powerful. So it was an important point¡­


    About the Main Quest, the instructions still hadn''t changed since the day I set foot in the capital, so it sounded like quite the tricky quest, but I just had to buckle down to it¡­


    Tomorrow.


    Outside the Guild Bureau, I stretched and yawned. "Yawn~" My fatigued had piled up. Gotta sleep. But I was too tired to get back home. Where was my usual spot at, standing from here?


    In front of the Guild Bureau, there was arge za. It extended around and linked to many streets,ing from far away to here where there was plenty of room for everyone.


    Standing there, I leisurely strolled to the back of a building, looked around to ensure no one saw me and started to climb the structure up. Upon the t roof of this bigger in, I scanned the area for my usual spot, spotted it, and jumped from one building to another to it.


    There, I let myself lie down in between an old-looking chimney cap and some bricks ced over a metallic grid, in the dust.


    I slept.

 Chapter 136 Fruition

    My ns,ing to fruition. How? Well, first off¡­ "Ah." First off, I needed to¡­ "But it''s already morning, though," I remarked. "Did I sleep that much?" I may have consumed more mana than I had thought yesterday, fighting with the freak master of "my" guild. So it exined it.


    Like this, I woke up. On top of the empty roof building, I lifted my chest, sat, rubbed my eyes, and yawned to no end. Then, my hands were used to their task as they wiped off all the dust and grits sticking to my clothes, arms, and cheeks.


    "Ugh," Iined with one sound. "That''s why I shouldn''t be sleeping with the Character on¡­" At first, when I slept like this, I always ended up subconsciously calling off the Character in my sleep, having more the androgynous undine-like appearance I naturally had¡­ but recently, I''d gotten used to virtually never calling off the Character''s form.


    Quickly, my trivial thoughts ended. Again, I realized I slept too much after I was fully awake, and I jumped up.


    Yesterday wasn''t quite productive at all for me. I may have gotten taught about lots of things regarding the game-like aspects of how the fighting world worked, as in what rtes to jobs and skills, basically, but I had missed what I really wanted to get down to.


    Today, at all costs, I needed to go and have a chat with my royalty friend, all busy and hidden away in her big castle, not giving me much attention since we returned. At all costs. The Main Quest from the System awaited for so long.


    And then, I needed to punch a hole into my freaky swordsman friend''s stomach, before I learned one skill from him, obviously. Well, I missed that too, yesterday.


    ¡­But for now¡­


    Ring! ? "Learning the ropes!" Quest ¡ª Day two has arrived. What should the yer learn from the Party today, while dangerously adventuring? Let the yer find out! ?


    In fact, I couldn''t actually care about learning these "ropes" now. Still, when the System gave a quest, it usually always led me to somewhere worth it, so I''d y along. y along quite literally.


    ? "Learning the ropes!" ¡ª Meet with the Party at the South entrance of Roerdenville. 0/1 ?


    There were the same gates as yesterday. The same homes and buildings around as yesterday. The same bigger inn with its apartments, the same za filled with the same people¡­ But I didn''t see them?


    "Mana Perception" wasn''t all that omnipotent, all things considered. I was called out, and I finally noticed them.


    With a smile and chuckles, I greeted my party. "Your favorite party ever, right, right?!" the damage dealer stepped forward, greeting me with an ample bow of his upper body. "Got somethin'' for ya!" The five of them were here, and I joined the group on a corner of the za.


    Every guy greeted me in their own way, and I apologized to all for being sote, wondering what was it that kept them waiting for me for three long hours instead of simply going off adventuring without me, the useless tagalong. Was it the Game''s storyline? Forcing them to do as it said? Like Princess Elina and the Dryads in the past? Well.


    And today, I had the pleasure to learn that I wasn''t simply that useless tagalong anymore. The damage dealer let me know he had something for me, and apparently, that meant a big enough backpack he held out to me, filled with adventuring tools on the side pockets. The Porter''s gear. Well, aren''t I starting from the very beginning. That was a magic storage, and tools used for looting. Usually, the monster-hunters shared that role together, but they figured I could help with it since I came.


    The logic was that I was likely to stay with them for a long time, they said. Actually, no, I wasn''t, but I let them believe that as it was a harmless thought.


    ? So, today, in the hunting grounds, walking beside everyone, I was the party''s porter. And as things were, it got me attention and praise. "You sure it''s not too heavy, Aoi?"


    "He''s not your average kid, I''m telling ya!"


    "Still though, if it''s too heavy¡­ Maybe you should take over, just in case."


    "No, no, no! That, I won''t! Seriously won''t! Bah! What''s she saying, now!"


    I was good, really. The backpack might have been heavy to them, but I guess I was physically far stronger than any of them could imagine. Not with muscles, but with mana. I was a unique monster.


    Well, today, I was with the boys again, standing in about the same dark woods as the day before, and hunting about the same monsters, too.


    "No," the priestess patted my shoulder. "The monsters will be different, this time, Aoi."


    It was true that there would be new monsters today, they said. The reason for that was simple, and I could be proud of my little humans who finally were flying out of their nest. For different reasons, they built up confidence, so they trod deeper into the dark woods.


    Today, it must have been the fifth time I asked the Party if they were sure I couldn''t partake in the fighting with them, by the way. And it was the fifth time they told me that there was no way. Well, it was mostly the priestess who saw to it that I didn''t¡­ that was most likely because they wanted me to follow the rules of the Guild and stuff, right?


    Surprisingly, today, the Party even told me that this fight wasn''t for me anyway.


    When I asked why, it was clear to anyone that, no matter what I looked like the first day I met them, they thought I was weaker than their party. No matter how you looked at it, I was pretty much a newbie at everything. That pissed me off a little, but sure, they were right.


    ? "Learning the ropes! (2)" ¡ª Wander around the forest and hunt the following monsters ¡ª goblins 0/10 ¡ª gray-w wolves 0/10 ¡ª poison-bite spiders 0/15 ¡ª yellow slimes 0/5. ?


    Well, I was sure I could fix that quest in about a few minutes alone, but to the Party, that quest sure promised to be harsh.


    The leader and damage dealer were at the forefront, as usual, taking on the offensive. The big tank, behind these two, took hold of the front, too. My sensitive ears picked up the sounds of their clenching fists upon the straps or leather of their weapon hilts.


    At some point, they attacked. The leader had just finished giving soundless instructions and indications to his teammates, and he thrust his body forward, tilting his head, running to his foes. Holding both his sword and shield at the ready, he didn''t bother looking out for himself so much.


    Alongside him, the damage dealer, tilting his head onward and running, was performing the same spectacle. The two of them were very prompt, somehow. I recognized a long-time duo right there.


    Reaching out to the pack of gray-w wolves, too busy devouring their prey on the ground, surrounding it, something began. The priestess asserted no enemies wereing from the rear and nodded at me with decisive eyes before she stepped up. Next to the other support, the sorceress, she tossed in this and that positive status effect alongside magic shields to help herpanions.


    The tank also nced back, for some reason, facing both his sloppy shoulders toward the rear, groaned a little word of cheering, then turned back and stepped onward, too.


    "Hah!" one shouted. "<Double Ripper>! Take that!"


    Whening in direct contact with the beats, the party leader braked right away.


    "<Ignition>!"


    His boots raised the ground''s dirt up as he stopped, already ready to dart back to the tank approaching from behind his back. "You too pull back!"


    "Tsk¡­! ¡­Aye aye, sir!"


    The tank was the next guy: Making his entrance on the scene wasn''t something he did. Rather, the scene made its entrance on the tank. The two fighters'' steps running back to us rhythmically shook the earth, like two distinct drum wars.


    Ready to share with the tank, "They''re only six," the leader eximed. "We got this! As usual!"


    There were only six. They got this. As usual. Well, I didn''t count only "six," but sure. There were actually a good dozen goblins preying upon the party from the sidelines, with their spooky bony spears, bows, or rotten swords.


    The question was¡­ when were my fellow monster-types nning on attacking, eh? Those humans were already mine, though. They''d have to know that. Mine.


    "Mmm¡­


    !" groaned the tank, moving forward, knocking out the earth momentarily. "Aaargh!"


    Was this how the weakest party ended?

 Chapter 137 Level 44

    Of monsters, there were only six. The adventurers could manage. As usual. Well, I didn''t count "six," but sure. My adventurers didn''t see what I saw, but there were actually a good dozen of goblins hiding in the bushes and trees around.


    With spooky bony spears, bows, and rotten swords, the little team of hideous-green fellows was ready to jump at my humans'' throats. I say "my humans," but that included me, I guess.


    The dark forest? It was theirs. The monsters''. And they waited. They only did that. As patiently and sneakily as could be. All scattered around this area, ready to screech in rage and jump at us.


    Goblins.


    In the dark forest, everything was theirs. Even the pack of gray-w wolves, which the humans mistook for their own, was the goblins'' propriety. And still, the monster-hunters had gone and taunted it. They assaulted the pack and wronged it.


    "Mmm¡­


    !" shouted the sloppy tank. As he opened the way with his two shoulders and massive sword, his power fell right onto the earth, pounding it, leveling it.


    Every wolf fell under his shadow¡­ and couldn''t help but attack him with all they had. "Mmm¡­ Ha!" the tank groaned again before he responded to the pack''s ws with an even bigger attack. Concentrating his strength into his arms¡­ "Mmm¡­ <Earth Shock>!"


    "Oh! Is that¡ª"


    "A new skill, heh!"


    The gray-w wolves all whined in surprise when that blow went down. They weren''t all so damaged, but the attack of just now was no mean feat to pull off, for the weakest adventurers.


    Of six mobs, three stuck to the tank to focus their attack on him, so the tank had to redo his provocation skill, and only then did the party leader and damage dealer join in with their tank.


    The leader focused on the offensive, following along with the damage dealer¡ªthey attacked to the right, danced to the left, and assaulted in front, effectively hunting.


    From behind the front they skillfully formed, I was proud of my boys, somehow. I mean, they sure weren''t that weak in terms of experience, for what it''s worth, but unfortunately for them, the fact remained that, in terms of innate talent, they werecking a lot. Still, their experience was getting them forward in life, I could see that.


    And the priestess healed, and the sorceress supported. All party members served a purpose. And the fight was going well. Only so far, however. Because there were still the dozen goblins surrounding them, ready tounch their secret attack.


    The Party didn''t notice, but I did. Though, well, was a porter''s job to handle that kind of threat? I did know for sure, and no, it wasn''t. A word from me could scare the monsters away, but I was curious about something. There were other reasons why I didn''t act, but mostly, it was an impressive sight, so I might have wanted to allow my guests to surprise me more.


    Goblins were usually so loudly screeching like braindead half-grown freaks who didn''t know their right from left and who also were equipped with rotten daggers¡­ but presently, they weren''t?


    Did that mean that there were other monsters like me out there? Others who could think, establish a strategy, and deal with threats best? From day one, it was only a vague feeling, but I remember longing for that. Since (human) people detested me, I should just go and monster-type-people or something if I wanted a ce to belong. I was way past that feeling, today, but I still wanted to know. What if I had my own people out there in the world?


    "<Iron Skin>! ¡­Followed by¡­ <Whirlwind>...!"


    And look at them go! I sure as hell didn''t want to spoil their little party. My adventurers were actively going out of their way to make progress and gain experience on the field. Like I could go and interrupt all that.


    The tank was the star of the party, today. Along with him, the damage dealer and leader also actively cried out their skill names as they used all sorts of different abilities and stuff, but the tank, man, he was the loudest.


    Seizing the flow of the battle was what he tried to do then: Lowering his guard, he breathed in, bulging veins running across his arms, and started to spin around with his bastard sword. The two other attackers had to dart backward for a second¡­ But hey, the adventurers looked really funny when the wolves evaded in the same way.


    One of the monster''s eyes darted at my grinning face, and red at me¡ªI gave the wolf back its re¡ªthen briefly nced down in defeat, and rather targeted the priestess by my side.


    And thus the fight went on. Threats were dealt with. I chuckled a great deal with amusement. And at some point, the beasts proved tenacious as they showed even they had skills they could use: A gray wolf howled, its muzzle pointing up, and chanted. The damage dealer saw an opening in that and the wolf was in right away, but the AR disys of the System let me know there was more to what just happened.


    ? The yer has been protected from Negative Status Effect "Run!" ? Another notification let me know that it was thanks to both my high-level and high "Sense Stats" or some stuff and that it protected the entire party. In bad news (for the adventurers), I still noted that the monster-type''s - "Gray-w wolf, Canine, level 14" - skill could still call in for help and summon more monster-types around.


    Everything seemed to be going well: All of this fighting around left only one gray-w wolf to exterminate, and the tank was dealing with it with the knight-ss leader. Soon, the damage dealer fell back to the front and stole the easyst kill, and the battle was¡­ not over.


    With no time to rejoice, new gray-w wolves already sprung into action, and the damage dealer suffered a severe wound to the leg. "B-B-B-B-Behind you¡­!" cried out the sluggish tank, toote, or maybe stammering too much.


    "Shi¡ª Aaargh! Shitty shitting shits! Off of my leg! Pah!"


    "S-Shut it," the leader called out to the damage dealer, rushing to him like an arrow, "<Sword Dance>!" his de was doubled by another, and just like wind cutting through, the gray-w wolf¡ªno, that one wasbeled "Saber Wolf" had to back off. "C''mere!"


    "Don''t need none of your help!"


    "<Double Blow>! <Double Blow>! ¡­<Double Blow>! ¡­Gimme your hand! ¡­We still got this!" The leader called the tank''s name, "snap out of it!"


    "U-Ugh¡­ yes!"


    "We still got this! "C''n''you walk?!"


    "Man! Hurts like a bitch!"


    I was impressed. Skillfully, the damage dealer was made to retreat, and the party leader shed back to the frontline to join the destabilized tank again. The priestess wasn''t slow to heal any kind of wounds; now was no different. Before she finished giving a mana shield to her friends at the front, she silently uttered a prayer, anxious, her lips pale. As the wound closed, the reckless party member''sints ceased. Eyeing these two, the sorceress'' strained eyes were now filled with relief, and she swore an oath of confidence.


    "We push," she said, "we push! And we push again! We''re getting better at it! We shall best any foe the world throws at us!" That seemed surprisingly childish and said in a particrly cute voiceing from her distant, aloof character.


    To her words, I harrumphed: Goblins still here? ¡­Yeah, they are. I can count¡­ hold on a sec, hm¡­ still nine, ten, eleven, twelve, oh, and the thirteenth guy''s returned.


    When would they actually stop observing ande ying with my humans? And¡­ should I let them or not?


    "Oh¡­ho!" From lying down, the damage dealer jumped up. That surprised me. "Yup! All fixed! Thanks ''stess!"


    "''Thank you, priestess, ma''am'' is how you properly thank me¡ª"


    "You keep dreamin'' on''s what''cha do! Off I go!"


    "Right," sighed the priestess, "and be careful!"


    "Yes, ma''am!"


    They still had a long way to go, but they were sure on the right path: Having fun was the way.


    ? The yer has reached level 44! ? That was unexpected, but the System did say the experience was shared among individuals of the same party.

 Chapter 138 A Day

    With rapid, hammering steps, the damage dealer ran back to his leader¡­ "Here! I! Come! ¡­Hah!"


    Rushing past the leader and tank, he swung his sword to both sides, sweeping past two saber wolves as he tackled down thest one behind these two. The tank, stammering as always, enjoined prudence and carefulness on the damage dealer, but the leader reassured the tank, saying it was all right, and that they might need a little recklessness in their situation.


    "Mmm! <Iron Skin>... and


    !" Surprisingly non-hesitanting from the sluggish tank. Voicing his agreement through his thick bastard sword, too, he cut down a saber wolf then and there, and the battle went on.


    The leader had said it: they could use a little recklessness here. The situation was dangerous. At any time, it could happen. Again. The next thing they knew, maybe one of them would be losing a whole leg, this time. That was why, though it might have been seen as a contradicting order by the leader himself, the party needed to be reckless.


    The battle went on, and the two supports had to get closer to the front. The monster-type wolves weren''t exactly that big of a threat to the party, but you never knew when more enemies were summoned, so the n here was to have even the supports partake in the front-fighting.


    "Bonk, bonk, bonk¡­" the priestess whispered to herself. Silently, she mentally got prepared. "You never know what happens!" With her, the sorceress chimed in, and they both got ready. For now, maintaining their support from behind was simply what they did.


    At the front, there were three guys fighting with their sweat and blood. Behind them, there were two other fighters, silently cheering and giving their best from the back.


    ¡­And just behind these two, there was a monster.


    Also, deadly goblins still hid around, ready to attack when the party would be the weakest.


    And then it happened. A turn that none expected. The goblin leader gave the order. "Screeeeech!"


    As the swinging swords were shing still, in search of monster meat, and as the saber wolf''s ridiculously grand sharp fangs were just about the same, except they were after human meat¡­ goblins showed up. All at once. As if it were nothing. Of sounds, you''d have heard the shes of swords against the saber-like fangs, theborious heavy breathing of the fighting folks, and their footsteps relentlessly shifting and moving upon the undergrowth of the earth¡ªeverything became silent. All nk.


    Dark greenish goblins flew off some bushes around, hopping onto the ground, surrounding the whole party. Everyone had heard the screeching warning, but it all was way too fast. And the screeching warning was doubled by many others. Over a dozen goblins.


    Unlike the goblins, my humans didn''t jump out of bushes, they jumped out of fear. Their eyes rounded up, and their hearts instantly dried out, their cheeks became hollow, and a digging pain was instantly eating at their stomachs.


    Then, the humans became statues of blood, flesh, and bones. Simr to them, the saber wolves stopped all offensive. Whatever was the justification for that, they weren''t so madly attacking with their sharp fangs anymore.


    But the goblins didn''t bother waiting. They rushed in to get the adventurers, made themselves at home, and decided to do whatever they wanted.


    "But¡­ like I said¡­" I faintly murmured. "These humans are mine, goblins¡­!" The priestess'' eyes darted onto me with panic. My voice carried all meaning there was to it, and as the goblins rushed in for the kill, I "showed through." The monster did.


    Within a blink, literally, I vanished from the rear and reappeared right at the middle of the humans'' formation. From there, I activated the "Intimidation" skill so that it mostly reached the enemies outside of the close circle. I directed my killing intent toward the monsters. I bared my aura to the goblins.


    Thick, dark purplishyers of mana twirled around me like a tornado. People always described it as breathtaking to an unimaginable point. Instantly, the goblins stopped in their course. Beholding a true monster, it was natural for them to. Also natural for them to drop their weapons, to back off, step by step, struck by the fear of death.


    ? New Title "Ultimate Scarecrow" has been obtained! ?


    They all ran. I made sure to direct my killing intent at the goblins solely. A peace treaty was brokered, and they all fled as if they had never once been here before. Well, in the end, I didn''t quite know for sure what team to cheer for, but I guess the adventurers were my boys, presently, so they were ced under my protection.


    And I broke the bad spell that silently ruled over and subdued my adventurers. "Woah ha haaah! Tremendous shit! They actually afraid of us!?"


    It was better that way.


    "Would you look! At! Them! ¡­Gosh!" Seconds after that, the other statues came back to life, summoning back their will to live. "Only are the shitty shitting shits, now, hah! Even them are afraid to¡­ well, well, well, man!"


    As I said, I mostly directed my dreadful aura and intimidation toward the goblins. Still, even then, they now seemed way more docile and calm.


    The leader woke up. Breathing in and out, he didn''t know what to believe. Should one of the party members have leveled up, or hell, should multiple party members level up at once, maybe that was possible their level of threat was increased, making enemies run away from them immediately¡­ but what were the odds many of them leveled up at the same time? Especially at the time they were all frozen to death.


    Swiftly walking to the damage dealer, together, they beat up some dogs to death, and the man chose to believe in himself.


    And following these two, the three others also silently, still in shock, got back to it. The priestess, who was the most hesitant, first ced her eyes on me again, with pursed lips, arched-up brows, full eyes, and fear marked on her face.


    "W-W-W-What¡­ d-did you¡­ ¡­Aoi¡­?"


    "Huh? What was that?"


    "N-N-Noth¡ª Nothing!"


    Whatever she saw, the priestess had time to calm down. I leveled up again, reaching level 45. Soon, every pup was dealt with.


    "Guys, we made it!"ughed the leader.


    "I¡­ I can''t believe they just¡­ took off,"mented the babe, hesitantly eyeing me.


    "To be fair¡­ I¡­ woah."


    "Mhmm¡­"


    "Guys, don''t be so shocked! They were afraid of us! They were right! Run! Hah hah!"


    The Party was so strong that such powerful numbers couldn''t even hope to win against them anymore, so the monsters fled. Could you me them for wishing to believe that story? It was a sweet story to believe.


    And after what I did today, I yet again marveled at how versatile and grand the System''s origin was. Was the System''s influence on the world so supreme? I couldn''t answer that.


    After what I did to save the adventurers today, next time they hunted, they were sure to progress even deeper into the dark woods, fight even more numerous monsters¡­ andy the groundwork for a future quest whose requirements had just been fully met. A quest that would lead them all to the hardest hardship. A quest that would lead me to the "First Dungeon," after Ipleted all the quests of the First Act, where I would meet my archenemy.


    The whole afternoon, my adventurers hunted, filled with strength and confidence. As I was the party porter, I had my own job to take care of. Like this, night was quickly falling. And the quest became that:


    ? "Learning the ropes! (2)" ¡ª Wander around the forest and hunt the following monsters: 0/10 Goblins; 20/20 Gray-w wolves; 5/15 Poison-bite spiders; 3/5 Yellow slimes. ?


    Before long, they called it a day.

 Chapter 139 Thump

    My adventurers were useful: they taught me about things I didn''t know and took me out each day so I had something to look forward to. But by now, if I was to be honest, they had outlived their usefulness to me.


    So my hand simply waved "bye-bye" to them all. Spending time with them sure was "fun," but the affairs I was about to take care of then promised to be even more satisfying and fun.


    So I faced these doors again. The first time I visited, they stood in front of me, and to enter the empty dojo, I had to kick both creaky doors open to make way for myself. Today, these two doors were just as I left them: lying down on the smooth wooden parquet of the ce, a little to the sides.


    My feet were thoroughly nted there. Unable to either go forward or backward, I simply stood there, watching my fists clenched into balls, nervously growling. Obviously irritated, I forcedughter out of me, then I jumped in.


    As the day before, I found everything here untouched, as if I had hopped in the past, seeing it all for the first time again.


    The same instructor of a shabby guild, sitting as formally as he could and looking straight ahead of him, staring at not particrly anything, resting right in the middle of this little gymnasium of his. The same bokken he had yesterday was by his side, and everything was unchanged. Or maybe not so much. The coins I left there for the guild master yesterday, still were ced on the ground, but they had been swept to a corner of the dojo as if they were mere pebbles.


    I didn''t hop in the past so much, after all¡ª


    "Oh, heyo," the instructor turned to me, greeting me with a beaming smile and pleated eyes, obviously happy I came back.


    "Oh," I groaned, forcing a twitching smile on my face, irritated. That caught me off-guard. "...Is that a hey, or a yo?" Unable to know how to react to the freak''s friendly greeting of peace, I momentarily spouted whatever nonsense shed through my mind, obviously awkwardly.


    The swordsman picked up, thankfully, and didn''t just stare at me silently. "Doesn''t have to be either. Hey plus yo. Both of ''em. Heyo. ''sup?"


    "...A''ight then. Heyo, sir. ¡­Nothing much, sir." After I carefully assessed the freak''s mood and decided that, today, he was not so much freaky and unpredictable, after all, I fully stepped inside the dojo.


    The man asked me "what''s up" and I replied "nothing much," but the truth was different. A lot was up. An awful lot. My existence was up. Life was up. The fact that I was a unique monster-type was up, so the fact that nobody, to this day, still fully understood how I worked, was up too. The System was up, also. Plus the Game, too. ¡­But mostly, my skills were up.


    After I "created" my "character" with the help of the System, back in the days, that System hit me up with a notification: Once the "Skill Interface" was opened, I was given a notification teaching me how to open the System Menu again, but at the time, I didn''t mind the notification much. "To open the Skill Interface again, the yer will have to¡ª" and it was gone.


    There I was, today, having thought about it all for quite a long time, and finally with enough time and a n to go forward with fixing my past mistake.


    Stepping inside the empty gymnasium, I sat in front of the instructor, looking quite formal, too.


    "So?"


    "That skill you used to block me off¡­ to parry every one of my attacks, yesterday¡­"


    "What of it?"


    "Teach it to me. I have money."


    After a moment of silence¡­ the freaky swordsman seemed pleased. "Heh~"


    I quickly got up, with a nd expression. "Get up. I have money," I repeated.


    The freaky instructor''s grin grew wilder, and he was in a mood to tell jokes. "¡ªNo, but¡­ aren''t you forgetting something else, boy, hm?"


    "...I don''t think I do? ¡­Wait¡­ OH!?"


    "That! Is! Correct! ''OH!?''" he mimicked my shocked expression, snickering. "So you forgot about my divine cooking skills, eh? Not cool."


    The swordsman unpacked his lunchbox, ced the whole of it in between us, and we ate, being as casually chatting with one another like yesterday. After the man used some washing spell on both his hands and mine, we ate. Thus, five minutes passed, and my bond with the freaky swordsman grew stronger. Both he and I were freaks at heart, and the more time passed, the more I understood that.


    "Well!" he said.


    I got up and nodded down at him. He got up after me. "So¡­ you wanted to dance, boy. Today again."


    Rather than simply mindlessly "dancing" like we did yesterday, I wanted to learn a skill and I made it clear.


    "To learn a skill," he repeated. "Right." Leaning in, he picked up his wooden sword and spoke again. "Of the things that haven''t changed from yesterday, there is your sword, too." With his sword, he pointed to my right. Lying beside the wall, the sword I used to fight him yesterday was still there, outcast, as if still dwelling on its defeat.


    "I know that."


    "You know that," he repeated, again, as he often did. "But what of it? Won''t you rather pull off the same trick as yesterday, producing a new piece of steel altogether to fight me¡­?" By now, the change became noticeable: The freaky swordsman acted just as he taught me yesterday¡ªthere is a time forughs and fun, and there is a time for work and discipline. "Get a new sword? One that hasn''t been humiliated?"


    "Heh," I listlesslyughed, naturally acting like him: stern, stiff, and cold; basically disciplined. "One that hasn''t been humiliated," I repeated his words, further imitating the man. "I won''t. ¡­Besides, this one sword hasn''t been humiliated."


    "But your hand has."


    "Tsk," I clicked my tongue. "Is humiliation then not fixable?"


    "Hah!" he sighed, amused. "I''m afraid it isn''t." The freaky swordsman''s eyes bore into mine, and he clenched his jaws with a mad smirk. "...I''m afraid it isn''t: not if your master and teacher is I." By that, I understood he meant that, with such a skillful master of the sword teaching me how to fight, defeat should never be epted from me. "But, hey, why don''t you consider it that way, boy. If your master and teacher is I¡­ your defeat was inevitable, but more than that, it was pedagogic."


    "...Hm," I nodded, listlessly wishing to see my de through his throat.


    "Enough talk?"


    "Enough talk," I repeated, agreeing with him.


    Going to my sword, I snatched it up and prepared to fight. I asked the man to teach me a skill rather than just fight it out with me, but oh well. I guess he liked better having a real match more than doing some petty tutoring, just like me. Still, I kinda needed to get what I came here for. Then again, I could always catch him off-guard, use the "Dwelling" unique skill on the man, and learn a bunch of skills as easily as I could¡­ but I didn''t want to kill the man in a monster-y way lest I''m found out as a monster-type.


    Well, whatever, I thought. Then again, I could also have just gone to some other random ass guild in order to learn one skill¡­ but spending time with a fellow "monster" seems way more fun inparison. Not to mention that the System wants me here. So be it. I just need to mimic him¡­ probably. Doing that, I should be learning from him.


    But would you look at him! Standing a long 15 feet from me, the man''s eyes turned icy cold and his face reached its sternest point. Now that I thought about it, he also resembled my old man, somehow. Really, this guy was a strange person. Right then and there, he became a statue¡ªno, a wall. A defensive wall. A wall I felt I could never ovee.


    Shaking my head, I chased the thoughts away, quickly bent my whole body forward, lowered my knees, ced my hand on the hilt of my sword, and shot forward in a sh. Momentarily, I was an arrow carried by the mightiest wind, and then, a sh of swords shook the whole dojo, and two monsters fought.


    Needless to illustrate with words the same fight again; the freaky swordsman, even with a wooden stick, was mighty as hell. I used everything I had. <Chain Attack>, <Quick Pace>, [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7], <Intimidation>, and even <Steel w>, desperate to catch him off-guard even if I risked being found out as a monster-type. Not a thing worked.


    And the fight ended when, as I could tell I was the one losing, so grew impatient and irritated as heck, I went all-in with the most reckless and random n of attack, and managed to somehow almost catch the swordsman. At that time, he simply vanished from where he stood as if he never ever had been there and I just imagined all our fight, and reappeared behind me, swinging his bokken at my thick head.


    ? Thump!


    The next thing I felt was a foot up against my back, and from behind, I was pushed forward, super violently, and I crashed down.

 Chapter 140 Blade Shield

    Thump!


    The next thing I felt was a foot up against my back, and from behind, I was pushed forward, super violently, and I crashed down.


    All of this little fighting scene we had might have looked more casual and yful to a third party, but in my heart, I felt burning with all the hatred and frustration in the world. Deep within my heart, I buried this feeling of irritation and decided to wait for my moment to unleash it all.


    So, once I was on the ground, I "yfully" argued with the swordsman and hid my true feelings. I told him he was bad for pushing me down like this, and he said I was the bad one for trying to stick some kind of hellish-looking ws inside his chest in the middle of training. So, he noticed, obviously. Still going yfully, I had to argue that he imagined it all.


    "Never mind that, boy," heughed, resting his sword on his shoulder. "You fell pretty hard; I hope my only disciple''s all right! Get up, c''mon."


    "Mrrr¡­ I''ll get up even if you don''t tell me¡­!"


    "Sure. Don''t get up, then."


    "Aaah!"


    "So you''re all right. Great. Wipe that look off your face, boy. I can see through your irritation, eh. And that very temper of yours is what''s responsible for your second loss, you know? Well, at least partly anyway¡­ Hehe," he rubbed his nose. "Nah, sorry. I''m messing with you too much. Tell you what, I can at least acknowledge you''re trying hard, boy."


    Like that brought anyfort to me. If anything, it was worse now. It''s like he pitied me. I didn''t like it. At any rate, since the man was right, maybe I could take it as apliment. Trying hard can be good, too.


    After a moment of silence, I decided to stay on the ground, lifted my back up, and casually sat. "Do sit, swordsman."


    "Ah."


    "And stay still."


    "Sure."


    He sat and stayed seated.


    "...Where do I start?" When the swordsman tilted his head to the side, I began to tell him everything. Everything I had to. He and I sat together. It was time for a discussion. His spine was erected, his hands on his knees, and his bokken was lying on hisp¡ªhe held it dearly.


    That freak''s guild wasn''t my guild. I told him as much. Also, he looked like a fraud, and his shabby dojo didn''t arrange that. So I wasn''t part of it. I didn''t like it, and that was enough reason. In the first ce, I wasn''t at all interested in this job-rted guild business, so it pained me to have to join any of these minute human organizations, but even if I forced myself to join a guild, I wouldn''t pick his. Other guilds looked better.


    Both he and I knew that my joining his team was all the swordsman hoped for, even though we didn''t openly discuss it since it was a sensible topic.


    And that was my first point. The freaky swordsman, at first, being at a loss of words, only let his mouth cken, widened his eyes, and scratched his jaw in disbelief, but after he saw I meant every word one hundred percent¡­ he adopted a saggy posture, bent down his neck, had a vacant, empty stare, and lost a ton of weight in one sec¡ªI swear I could see his cheeks be sunken at once.


    "Uwah¡ª! Don''t look so depressed¡­!


    "However!" I eximed. "At this point, I might as well just stick around here, ''cause I also need to learn from you¡­ as you already know, swordsman!" Yes. I had something to learn from him. Also, I didn''t give him closure, but I still nned to y him some time, outside of the capital, and steal every skill he had from him. Long-windedly, I sophisticatedly exined to the swordsman to basically consider it like this:


    Was he to help me with my quest ¡ª Train with Kambe Streman, the instructor of your guild, and learn one skill. 0/1 ¡ª and allow me to get what I needed to, I would at least consider joining the shabby guild business he ran, and be the man''s disciple. In the end, I added that I''d probably need him more afterward (I imagined the quest "He who became a monster" wouldst more than I initially thought it would since there seemed to be more than meets the eye with this mysterious character), so he had better help me all right.


    "That''s all. What say you, swordsman? Down to help me some?"


    The swordsman''s answer was that I was bold and interesting. "I''ll help you, boy. More than you will ever think. Yes, I''ll do as you say. More than you will ever think."


    Well, that was one way to insist. More than I would ever think, eh? Sure thing. He was surprisingly docile and cooperative, so I wondered what he may have meant by that statement, but I wasn''t the type to think ahead much, so I quickly forgot it.


    Then, it was obvious to both he and me what we had to get down to. Pointing at the coins in a corner, I asked him whether he wanted me to toss in some more coins so that he could teach me the skill I asked of him, but he told me "No. As you say, I''ll help you not for money," and left his vague answer at that.


    "de Protection" was the skill name. After I described the ability to the swordsman, he nodded at me and demonstrated it. My eyes lit up as I pressed onward, and I told the man this was the skill I wanted help with. "You have an eye, boy. That skill''s a great defense, and that''s exactly what youck. ¡­Still, however, I don''t think that''s the kind of skill a first-ss newbie like you should be learning first¡ª"


    "A''ight. I''mma head out¡ª"


    "I''ll teach it to you, fine!"


    I sat back. That skill wasn''t about evading, but it wasn''t about blocking either. A "defensive" spell, he said, though. So it wasn''t about anything offensive? Only partly, the swordsman replied. The fact was, it was mainly defensive, but the skill was intricate enough to allow a powerful counterattack right after being assaulted by some strong attack.


    "The ability looks cool."


    "I know, right? Know it, all the times I caught you and defeated you, all I ever did was redirect the insanely strong raw physical power you unleashed at me right back to yourself," the swordsman exined.


    That was good news, and I was happy about it. It could basically mean that the freaky swordsman was just ame-ass loser full of nasty tricks, so I was stronger than him¡­ but well, maybe that wasn''t the case. Spoiler, it seriously wasn''t the case, the freaky guild master the System picked for me was actually really insanely strong himself.


    <de Protection> allowed the mana-user to absorb all the opponent''s damage to fire it back at them. I asked for a demonstration and was served. "Meh," Iined. It didn''t look so ssy, after all.


    I was scolded for being stupid, then. Could he even make a show of that skill alone? The movements he just performed were simply the foundation of the skill, not how it actually worked in battle. Standing up, I "helped" him practice that skill by swinging my sword at him when he told me to. Each time I did, the impact was fully absorbed by his bokken, and the next blow he traded with me was always, despite the fact that he held back all his strength, as strong as the one I initially gave him.


    Then, this skill started to sound epic. As he exined to me some details rted to the function of the skill, or spell, he performed more and more. Depending on the mastery you had over the spell, you could store up more "damage" or even "magical attack" by "blocking" it. Well, I''d never fully understand this intricate technique before I made it my own. Again, I was warned that this skill wouldn''t be easy to learn since I was just a starting newbie. The skill belonged to the skill branch of the Samurais'' job, and even among expertmes, it was considered a tough spell to master.


    Since we were talking about it now, I asked him what job he chose, but the freaky swordsmanughed at me. Jobs, and even skills, were merebat constructs meant to help an inexperienced mana-user''s growth. He who was a master didn''t belong to any job in particr. He wasn''t restricted by only one area of expertise, basically. That made sense to me. "Still," he added, "I imagine your question was more: On an Identification te (you know, those devices that give you your stats, skills, jobs, and all), what would my identification be? To answer that, since I mainly fight with eastern swords, I can be considered a Samurai. And that''s what my¡ªno, our guild teaches disciples, so there you have it."

 Chapter 141 "System"

    "¡­To answer that, since I mainly fight with eastern swords, I can be considered a Samurai. And that''s what my¡ªno, our guild teaches disciples, so there you have it."


    "...Oh."


    "Hehe," he rubbed his nose. "Aren''t I the best guild master you couldnd. Your fighting style¡ªI recognize it''s the royal style from the Reinred Empire, isn''t it¡ªalso happens to belong to the samurai ss¡­ but you must already know that."


    Exnations were over and he kept telling me about the skill, as well as performing it, for five long minutes.


    "Now then, you should be able to start practicing the foundation of the spell on your own, boy. After a week of intense daily practice, you should be able to obtain the skill. ¡­Only if you try hard enough and are as good as I think you are, that is¡­"


    "...Uh?"


    "...What is it, boy?"


    "Uh? I¡­ I mean, one week? Like, one entire week? You must be kidding¡­ right, sir?"


    "Uh¡­ no? One week it is. In the first ce, I''m giving you a week because I''ve got real high expectations for you, boy. Truth is, it usually takes up to a few months of training and stuff when ites to middle-tier spells. ¡­Wait, what were you expecting, boy?"


    After the swordsmanid it out to me like this, I might have sounded like the most arrogant brat ever, but I seriously didn''t think people could be weak and ipetent to this point.


    I had the chance to observe the swordsman demonstrate that "middle-tier" spell of his more than ten times, already. As we weren''t fighting while he did so, I had the luxury to be able to fully focus all my intellect onto observing and scrutinizing him while he performed the technique, with as big eyes as tes, like an eagle passively devouring its prey with its eyes before diving in for the kill¡­ and I was good at it.


    Over ten times, everything yed out the same: As I hit the man''s sword, it gently followed my push as it gently drew away, shone bright blue as if a veil of aura was ced on the de, then found the shortest way back to me, unleashing all the absorbed power attack against my de.


    Deeply staring at the swordsman, I said it. "I mean, you give me a week, but I''ll give myself only about a minute." My head was tilted to the side, and before the instructor could think of telling me how stupid what I just said was, in his eyes, I saw that he understood how serious I was.


    My expression was nk and undisguised. It was the same expression I first harbored when I massacred all the humans at the restaurant on my first day. It was the monster''s expression.


    "How¡­ How will you do that, you¡­?"


    I wasn''t a "boy," now. I was "you." Or "he." I was "that thing" people could never understand and see through. I was myself.


    For a second, I was genuinely confused. How would I do it, the man asked? I mean, I''d just do it, right? What else was there to it? But then, I remembered that other people''s experience wasn''t quite like mine. They weren''t "you," they weren''t "he," and they weren''t "that thing."


    The freaky swordsman gulped and took a step back. Was I radiating so much aura? Well, even if I was, the freaky swordsman was someone powerful and freaky enough so that I could be myself around him, so did he just back away out of awe? He said it himself¡ªhe had great expectations for me. Well, let me blow those expectations for him.


    I jumped up, visualized how it was done in my head, and took position.


    "Th-That''s exactly why it has to be him¡­" the swordsman murmured, taking a step back.


    Drawing my sword up, I practiced the spell on my own.


    "I-It''s just like what the ancient legends say¡­" he continued, taking another step back.


    Demonstrating the skill, easily enough, I managed to summon the same blue veil of mana around myself.


    "He''s¡­ basically ''greed'' itself¡­ He can¡­ No¡­ He will steal everything!" the swordsman said, with a rapturous look on his face.


    Letting my sword dance, I just perfected the foundation of the spell I was just taught.


    "...Can you see it¡­ Sana!? HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!" the freak concluded, basically going mad.


    ¡­Ring! ? The new Passive Skill [Skill School ¡ª Sword Style +3] has been obtained. ?


    Ring! ? The new Active Skill <de Protection> has been obtained. ?


    And then again, just like I expected would happen: Ring! ? (2) Be notified that amand has yet to be registered for interactive use of the "Skill Interface" menu.


    ? ¡ª To open the "Skill Interface" the yer must register the Vocal Command first: Register amand? Y/N ¨C 5


    ? Register amand? Y/N ¡ª 4 ?


    I obviously went for "yes."


    ? Register: Once you have elected the vocalmand, pronounce it. (The following operation has to be conducted presently.) ?


    "...? What?"


    ? "What." To confirm, repeat the same vocalmand. ?


    "...? Well, okay, then. What¡ª"


    ? Failure to proceed¡ª ? After the System gave me a report on that, I understood it was my mistake. I supposedly chose "What" as a vocalmand, which was supposed to allow me, the yer, to summon the System Menu or whatever, so I had to repeat just that¡ª"What."


    Now, I was asked to choose a vocalmand again. Basically, a word I''d use to call forth the Menu whenever I needed. Well. Now I understood how inappropriate it had been for me to ignore the System when it asked me to do that back in the forest after I created my Character. It made sense that, right as I started the Game, I''d need to have the Game Menu around in order to fully "y" the Game, right?


    After some time, I decided to go for something very basic.


    "System."


    I was asked for confirmation.


    "...System."


    And that part was done. But boy, I wasn''t done with the System yet. After all, the System wasn''t just some useless fancy feature following me everywhere just for kicks¡ªit was the real thing. Aplex thing. Atst, the stupid ass me who really should have taken the time to try and understand my ancient, mystical power''s origin, was about to power up due to uncovering something as basic as the System Menu. Or Skill Tab, for now. Power up by a lot. Really.


    ? The yer may speak the electedmand at any time, whilst registered as "yer, Character: Skill," to summon forth the System Menu. From there, the yer may operate and interact with the Tab(s). ?


    "No doubt," I mumbled.


    Isted in a corner of the empty dojo, I let the swordsman know I was busy with something right now and couldn''t be disturbed. Talking to myself, or rather to the System, I was excited to see what was there to discover for me.


    "...And so¡­" I scratched my head with hesitation, "System."


    ? Skill Interface. ?


    A bluish floating AR disy was produced in front of me. It appeared from thin air, forming itself out of nothing. This phenomenon I had witnessed many times already; I wasn''t put off.


    The blue panel was t,rge, and long, floating right in front of my eyes. When I turned to look to my right, it followed me and stayed glued to my field of vision.


    Yeah, I thought, that thing''s definitelying from me. It always has. The old man said it was my own power, after all¡­ Still though, now that I have enoughmon sense to know I can say the thing''s pretty weird. Not that I mind it.


    When I asked the System to read, the System read.


    ? Name: Skill ?


    ? Race: Demonic Unssified(?) ?


    ? Title: Unique Monster, Fratricide, Evolver, Humanoid, Friend of the Orcs, Ultimate Scarecrow ?


    ? Level: 45 ?


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 1450/1450 ?


    ? MP: 400/400 ?


    ? Vit. 83 ?


    ? Strength 83 ?


    ? Agility 83 ?


    ? Intelligence 83 ?


    ? Sense 83 ?


    ? Fatigue: 35 ?


    ? Unique Skills: [Mana''s Benediction ] [Dwelling] [Grand Devourer] [Skill Copy] [Advanced Evolving] ?


    ? Passive Skills: [Jelly-like Shapelessness] [Resistant Body] [Consciousness] [Mana Perception] [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7] [Resistance to Poison +3] [Resistance to Pain +1] [Resistance to Cold] [Enhanced ir] [Night Vision] [Resistance to Ailment] [Sharp Ear] [Skill School ¡ª Sword Style +3] ?


    ? Active Skills: <Quick Pace> <Intimidation> <Chain Attack> <Steel w> <Knit Cobweb> <de Shield> ?

 Chapter 142 Came A Long Way

    The blue panel was t,rge, and long, floating right in front of my eyes. When I turned to look to my right, it followed me and stayed glued to my field of vision.


    When I asked the System to read, the System read.


    ? Name: Skill ?


    Well? Was I Aoi or Skill? Today was the first time I learned about the "name" I had been bestowed with. The name whose history I knew nothing about. The name whose evil would forever follow me everywhere, till the very end. The name "she" gave me. Well, as I didn''t know anything about that for now, I didn''t mind ignoring that detail.


    ? Race: Demonic Unssified(?) ?


    I already knew it, but was the demonic part necessary? I think I might have remembered that day when I underwent my first "Evolution Process" from the System, I was a unique monster-type, so much so that nobel could be given to me. I was Unssified, or Unknown. Well, you already know that, but for reasons you know, I preferred to call myself "Life."


    ? Title: Unique Monster, Fratricide, Evolver, Humanoid, Friend of the Orcs, Ultimate Scarecrow ?


    And the System continued on and on. So far, no information I received was particrly life-changing or even useful. But I continued to read that blue AR disy called "Skill Tab."


    ? Level: 45 ?


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 3150/3150 ?


    ? MP: 431/600 ?


    ? Vit. 83 ?


    ? Strength 83 ?


    ? Agility 83 ?


    ? Intelligence 83 ?


    ? Sense 83 ?


    ? Fatigue: 35 ?


    My MPs, eh? 431/600, and it keeps regenerating by itself. Was it because I rested? Testing that, I moved around,unching one <Quick Pace>, and my MPs stopped regenerating so fast for a few seconds before I was in a state of "rest" again.


    Today, I learned about my Mana Supplies, too, and remembered all the times I overdid it and overused my skills only to find myself so out of breath and in dire need of rest. Tilting my head, I understood it made sense. Using up too many MPs was no good, obviously. That wasmon sense, but oh well.


    My HPs, too, weren''t to their fullest. I might have been beaten around too much by Kambe Streman''s wooden sword. Dang. My fatigue read "35," and that was a thing I noticed too. 35 must have been an okay number since I wasn''t so worn out at all. Anyway.


    I didn''t really know about all the other stats about Vitality, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, and Sense¡­ but I think they were kind of self-exnatory like this. Strength, for example, I could understand just fine. If someone asked me how strong I was, I could always say "Eighty-three!" and sound like a weirdo as usual.


    ¡­After I stumbled onto those "Status" numbers, the System sent a notification my way. Useful information, this time.


    ¡­Ring! ? The yer has unused "Stats Point(s)" stockpiled ¡ª It is rmended to make full use of your "Stats Point(s)" ¡ª The Statistics about the yer''s STR, VIT, AGI, INT, and SEN must be enhanced with "Stats Point(s)" to allow a better ying experience whilst progressing through the Game. ?


    Okay. Sure. The System added some details about how all my statistics or whatever were naturally increased as I leveled up¡ªlike how all my stats were reading "83" since I leveled up quite a lot since the beginning¡ªbut that I shouldn''t waste my stats points.


    At first, I really wasn''t sure about that, but if the System said so, I guess I might as well listen to it.


    ? And so¡­ after gaining 45 levels, I had stockpiled 135 Stats Points. Was that a lot? I really didn''t know. And so, now, I was receiving more notifications and AR disys to guide me through the process. A very easy and intuitive process. There were little arrow icons next to each of my statistics, and I just had to allocate my points however I pleased.


    And you know me. At the time, I was young, and even though I knew to act stern, mature, and adult-like when it mattered, at times, I could also be very childish. I could be a thickhead. From 83 strength points, I went to 218.


    No, I didn''t think it would be wise to put a few points into every statistic to be perfectly bnced and versatile. Rather, I was grinning like mad, silently and maliciouslyughing by myself, eyeing the swordsman who would lose our next round of battle. "Hah, hah, hah¡­!"


    I felt the change. Quickly, all around me, white-transparent¡ªif not totally invisible to the naked eye¡ªclouds of pure mana appeared around me, floating around. It wasn''t the first time the System pulled a spectacle so majestic as this one, but it was probably the first time that it affected me so heavily. The divine mana wrapped itself around my skin¡­ and I absorbed it ceremoniously.


    It made me shudder, my skin tingled intensely¡­ It was really intense. And very good.


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 3150/3150 ?


    ? MP: 431/600 ?


    ? Vit. 83 ?


    ? Strength 218 ?


    ? Agility 83 ?


    ? Intelligence 83 ?


    ? Sense 83 ?


    ? Fatigue: 25 ?


    The System was happy to notify me that I had no stats points left when I thought I wanted more of this.


    Strength overflowed through my whole body. If yesterday I could punch a hole into a wall with my fist, today I could shatter the entire wall down. This made me genuinely happy.


    My HPs had increased by a lot and my fatigue dropped a little. Also, I didn''t realize it yet, but I had grown maybe half a foot in one go. Well well well. How would I go about exining that to people?


    ? Unique Skills: [Mana''s Benediction ] [Dwelling] [Grand Devourer] [Skill Copy] [Advanced Evolving] ?


    ? Passive Skills: [Jelly-like Shapelessness] [Resistant Body] [Consciousness] [Mana Perception] [Reinred School ¡ª Sword Style +7] [Resistance to Poison +3] [Resistance to Pain +1] [Resistance to Cold] [Enhanced ir] [Night Vision] [Resistance to Ailment] [Sharp Ear] [Skill School ¡ª Sword Style +3] ?


    ? Active Skills: <Quick Pace> <Intimidation> <Chain Attack> <Steel w> <Knit Cobweb> <de Shield> ?


    And then there was this mess. Full of details I didn''t fully grasp. These skills were mine. I had obtained some long ago, and some just recently. Take <de Protection>, for example.


    ? Active Skill: "de Shield" ¡ª Upon using the skill, there was a 100% chance of causing some positive status effect ¡ª Positive Effect: "Drain Attack Power." ?


    And then,


    ? Positive Effect "Drain Affect" ¡ª The buff had a duration of 2 seconds, and it was doing just what the freaky swordsman taught me it did, that is to say making the enemy''s power attack be my own.


    And there were many other details: a casting time of 0 seconds, an attack range: itself, and an MP consumption of 40.


    You could guess that there was a lot to know about all the other abilities I had written there. Skimming through the Skill Tab, I checked out some skills, but only very briefly. My Unique Skills interested me the most, and I was interested to know that "Skill Copy" didn''t just allow the user to copy or steal some ability from a Receptacle, as I used to do in the past, but also to more or less have copying abilities just by observing someone performing a skill closely enough.


    Also, "Advanced Evolving" allowed the user to be in a constant state of evolution. "Constant State of Evolution" Positive Effect made so that I was endlessly evolving with the new skills and abilities I got. <Steel w> and <Knit Cobweb> were skills I most likely couldn''t use if it weren''t for the fact that I had the skill Advanced Evolving. My skin pores and fingertips could knit spider webs like it was no biggie, and my nails were sturdy, thick, and w-like.


    The skill was great: Someday in the future, I''d have the chance to battle against certain foes and obtain the Passive Skill "Draconic Wings: Dragonrace," and boy, Advanced Evolving woulde in handy again. But anyway.


    I already knew about Unique Skill: "Dwelling." About "Mana''s Benediction" and "Grand Devourer," probably my most important and characteristic unique skills, I decided to skim through their descriptions quickly enough, too, but when I saw the awful lot of words making up for these two uniquely unique skills'' descriptions, I decided to dive into themter on if need be.


    While I was at it, I mentally selected one skill I technically owed everything to. Passive Skill: [Consciousness].


    ? Passive Skill: "Consciousness" ¡ª Grants the user Positive Status Effect "Conscious Mind." ¡ª


    ? Positive Status Effect (level MAX): "Conscious Mind" ¡ª Grants the user individual awareness of the user''s unique thoughts, memories, feelings, sensations, and environments. Essentially differs from the animal experience. Exclusive characteristic to mankind or unique beings. The user''s sense stats are increased by +50. Cannot be canceled once obtained. Is one of the requirements to be granted "Nobility." Is one of the requirements to be a yer. Lasting effect: Permanent. ?


    Well¡­ I sure came a long way.


    Without this skill, I wonder who would be telling the story.

 Chapter 143 Sana

    Well, I sure came a long way.


    Next time, I knew to say "System," and summon the menu back. For a month, I''d lived oblivious to all these features and details about the System, but now, I was equipped.


    And after all the discoveries, new ns were taking form within my head. I could already see myself wandering about in the fields and prairies, under the bright, shiny sun, as I chased this and that monster-type, or even mankind folks, stealing their skills like I used to do a lot in the past, with a smile.


    The story of the young storyteller was about that kind of monster, after all. Stealing and copying skills was second nature to me. Really, if I could copy just about any skill and natural ability people or animals had, I''d definitely grow strong just as per the first rule I was taught at the Academy. Thus do many skills lead to victory.


    Following my instinct, I was sure to be more powerful yet. And that freaky swordsman in front of me, he wouldn''t be acting so funny then.


    ¡­Ring! I thought that notification was about a quest, but no. The System, now that I had figured it all out and knew how to interact with it like the yer was supposed to, then reminded me of one thing: ? The yer may find a suitable Receptacle in order to ensure survival. (Rmended.) ?


    The old man was right. One day, we discussed that matter, and I was told that, supposedly, always finding Receptacles was a survival mechanism inherent to my "race," but I had outgrown such a reflex when I grew so much stronger and could survive just well without a Receptacle also. Still, the System, to this day, enjoined me to live by this survival rule. Fair enough, using Receptacles, I was more or less immortal. Then again, with my overflowing power, I couldn''t quite use any for now. Not to mention that my power, or rather STR statistics, just increased by an awful lot, so there was no telling how worse my issue had grown.


    I couldn''t use any¡­ not as long as I didn''t take boring sses with my old man who said he could teach me that anytime, saying it would "only" take a matter of weeks of daily practice¡­


    Wait a second!? I thought. Only "weeks of daily practice"... eh? That sounds familiar. Wasn''t I just told the same thing a few minutes ago¡­?


    If "Copy Skill" was as versatile as I thought it was, I could fix the issue of my overflowing mana rather easily when it came to be using the good old "Dwelling."


    Again, new ns formed in my head, and I grinned.


    But for now, other matters mattered most. Up until now, I was cornering myself all alone, isting myself from outer stimtions and disturbance. I was busy with my quality time with System chan, so I''d better not be disturbed by the freak of a swordsman standing on the other side of the room.


    My strength had been multiplied tenfold. I brought about it. In less than a split second, I darted back to the middle of the empty dojo. It only took one "Quick Pace," but from an outsider''s look, it must have looked like the monster only took "one step," then disappeared, then reappeared.


    My feet left a mark on the clean, smooth parquet of this ce.


    Now I''ll have to be even more on guard when I''m out walking with regr civilians, I thought. I already had a hard enough time regting my overflowing mana before¡­ Crap, my old man will scold my recklessness for sure.


    It did feel great, though. To make it very clear with a few words, I was like an unstable st ready to burst at any time.


    The swordsman pissed me off. It''s like he could never be surprised at anything I did. Other people feared me when I let showed the monster I hid inside, but he didn''t. Yes, when I performed that overpowered Quick Pace just now, he raised an eyebrow, but he was still perfectly calmly resting his back on the wall, his arms crossed on his chest, looking straight at me.


    Remember, on a rack, there was some long ck sword that always struck me as a threat. An ominous threat. A threat of a ck, dark egg ready to hatch.


    "...My floor, boy. Now you piss me off," the swordsman said, clenching his jaws together. Damaging the doors was okay, apparently, but not the smooth parquet floor.


    My eyes turned to a slit as I observed the long demonic ck sword. For some reason, it felt like the sword was staring right back at me. With Mana Perception, I could see one of the thickest dark auras I''d ever seen. The System was no use for the first time in my life: ? Vampiric Longsword "Sana" ¡ª ??? ?


    Upon closer observation, the sword was truly different. When I stepped toward the swordsman, the vampiric longsword kept clicking.


    Click, click, click!


    From the sheath, it slightly jumped in and out, making clicking sounds¡­ "Like¡­ what?" I tilted my head and frowned. Then, the freak swordsman gently hushed a most gracious "Shh¡­" before the sword stopped at once.


    "The heck''s that¡­ sir? I''m not exactly an expert, but I''ve never heard of that. Even among enchanted magical artifacts."


    "It is but my sword, boy," the swordsman said,ing off the wall and walking to me. "Don''t let it disturb you."


    I said I wouldn''t. Our little exchange came to an end, quickly. My sword rested on my shoulder¡ªI saw the guy doing that with his own sword a day ago and I found the demeanor quite cool so I mimicked it¡ªI took it off my shoulder and pointed it at the swordsman''s face, asking him what he was staring at me for.


    That wasn''t new. He often did that. To tell the truth, I did that a lot, too. I didn''t exactly find it creepy or unsettling, and as I said that wasn''t a new behavior in the man, but did his stare mean he could see me? The new me? The 218 STR me?


    Suddenly grinning, the freaky swordsman held his arms open and shrugged at me. "Who knows?" he said, shaking his head. "I could tell a lot about my stare, just like I could about yours¡ª"


    "Just get to the point."


    "...Just get to the point," he repeated, in a low voice, looking quite dramatic. As suddenly as he grinned at me, the freak swordsman now graciously bowed, or greeted me, with a noble curtsy. "Your wishes mean everything to me¡­ But my only wish matters, too."


    Caught off-guard by the disy of reverence, I made a "Huh?" face and felt like taking a step back.


    Standing like he usually did, he repeated my wish again and spoke normally. Freaking freak. "...I''m happy to say, boy, I know you as I know myself. We''re simr. For that reason, for the time being, I''m only interested in one thing: you be my disciple."


    I said no.


    "You have to."


    Again, I said no, but the hesitation was palpable. I then told the swordsman that, with every "tic, tic, tic" of the sun, time was going by, and I still had things nned for today, so he had better get ready to fight me onest time.


    "With every ''tic, tic, tic'' of a clock, you mean? Sure. Though I''ll have to say, the skill you wanted, you''ve learned it, so¡­ aren''t we done yet? Far from me the idea to chase you¡ª"


    I told him I was pretty sure we weren''t done. "Listen, swordsman. I''ll join your guild."


    "....Ah?"


    "Only if you beat me, that is."


    "...Cheeky brat?"


    "Just get ready."


    The swordsman scoffed and shook his head with amusement.


    "So be it, then," he shrugged. "You''ll join your own guild, and you''ll hear my only wish. I''ll train you as hard as¡­ ''we'' were trained¡­ and I''ll be served¡­ ha¡­ ha-ha-ha!"


    When I decided to be a cheeky brat anyway and answer that I was already powerful enough, the freak shook his head and tut-tutted me. "No," he cut short. "I''ll teach you what real power is, boy."


    This, I thought, would be ourst exchange.


    To live and to die by the sword¡ªthat was our little school''s motto. The Skill School. ¡­Wait up? The "Skill School"? For real? "System," I summoned the Menu, then the Skill Interface, and checked a skill out. The name was "Skill School ¡ª Sword Style +3" Wasn''t "Skill" the name the System gave me?


    Heaving a long sigh, I was getting irritated. I did feel like asking the freak swordsman who he was, but I didn''t. Whoever he was, the motto of his little guild would hold true for him. He lived by his sword, now he''d die by mine.


    Perfectly ready in front of me, 15 feet away, the swordsman invited me. Unwilling to deny him his "dance," I entered a battle stance.


    I was sure to surprise him. He didn''t know about the 218 STR points. Keeping my monster-like aura from leaking out, I drew my sword to his face. In an instant, I sted off towards him, using Quick Pace.

 Chapter 144 Main Quest Again

    I drew my sword to his face. In an instant, I sted off towards him, using Quick Pace.


    Dangerously dashing along toward my prey, the System rang a notification and all the messages promptly shed before my eyes as I understood everything. ? Active Skill <Quick Pace> has been upgraded to Active Skill <sh>! ?


    ? <sh> ¡ª The System read, "Execute a brutal and direct attack on your enemy." My melee attack was increased, using this skill. The System also said that, if the yer was equipped with a "Shadow Fairy," the elemental damage would be increased. From an ambush attack, melee attack was increased, again. And finally, there was a 60% chance of causing the Negative Status Effect "Fatal Bleeding" to my enemy with this attack.


    God. Whatever all those details were about, I couldn''t really tell for now. I really had a lot of learning to do. Whatever. Presently, I was fighting that freaky swordsman and chose to concentrate all my brain cells on him.


    I let myself be guided by <sh> anyway. I learned a new skill as I was using it. Naturally, when I reached the swordsman, my sword easily "shed" at his left nk¡ªI was parried.


    No worries, gentlemen. The real 218 STR-blow wasing right up.


    It was faint but the swordsman''s belittling expression shed back on his face. Contempt and scorn was felt at the sight of my weak assault after I seemed to be so confident¡­ but quickly, the swordsman broke 7 ribs and other bones.


    Even he couldn''t tell what happened.


    I unleashed "it." I unleashed the monster. All my aura. Washing over him, swallowing him whole. Honestly, the swordsman wasn''t so weak, you see, but the effect of surprise was everything I had to thank.


    Briefly, before I hit him, I remembered what potential was. The power to seize, grasp and dominate your environment. Right now, that''s what I was.


    This time, it was my eyes that were full of disdain and scorn. The monster''s shadow totally swallowed the bigger monster''s spirit. No surprise: the wooden sword broke right as my blow hit it from the right. The swordsman''s right nk was exposed.


    His eyes widened to the fullest. "Are you kidding¡ª? Impossible!" must have been the contents of his thought. Promptly, he at least guarded his body with ayer of defensive mana, but that didn''t save him from the inevitable.


    "I kinda liked you, swordsman."


    He smiled.


    Thump!


    Right on the man''s right arm, ribs, and right nk.


    "Ugh!" the swordsman choked, coughing up a mouthful of blood.


    I heard the cracking sound of bones, but my sword wasn''t quite done sweeping past the swordsman. To my disappointment, I didn''t cut through him, and instead, he burst off the ground, flying away to one corner of the room, where he violently hit one of his walls and carved his silhouette into it.


    A loud thud echoed, and the empty hall trembled with the monster as the winner.


    What happened next surprised me. The winner. ¡­Was I?


    After I sent the freak flying away to have his silhouette carved into one of his walls, Iughed. Laughter of happiness and cheerfulness. Really, I had grown stronger. By a wide margin.


    After I struck a victory pose, the walls trembled again.


    "...!"


    It was only a faint trembling as if the whole dojo simply shuddered¡­ at whatever wasing.


    "Wha¡ª! Don''t tell me¡­"


    Another trembling rumbled through the empty dojo. I winced, pained by the ruckus we were making. Last time, people gathered at the front door of our dojo when we messed around too much. But hey, why was I even letting myself think that?


    Wasn''t the freak dead, atst?


    It was a shock, but no. A shock that I kind of did expect, however. It takes a freak to know another.


    Seconds ago, the swordsman was mmed ridiculously powerfully into a wall¡ªhe should have been dead by then¡ªbut he could still move even now.


    My heart missed a beat. The System had called the freaky swordsman "Bigger Monster," right? Well, that was fitting now.


    I felt him when he rose. He was roughly embedded within the wall, but after he stuck his bloody head out, his shoulders followed, then his arms, then his whole body. The man was covered in blood, and he chuckled. The sight of that was dry, yet blood was all I saw. "Heh-heh-heh¡­"


    I took a step back then, but didn''t hesitate over what to do next: Darting back front, I aimed my sword at his neck. I was so fast. Possibly, if he still hadn''t gotten used to my renewed raw power, he wouldn''t evade me. But when I swung at his neck to see his head fall off, a transparent-ck dome parried my sword. Right away, I darted back far behind, thinking it was over.


    "Cou¡ª Cough¡­!"


    A mouthful of blood escaped the man''s mouth. He looked so weak, so what was that dreadful sensation washing over me when I faced the ck dome? I clearly felt it. My demise.


    Tilting my head, I was curious, and with round eyes, I carefully observed him with Mana Perception.


    The man barely stood straight, when he managed to stand up at all. The wind could blow him down. Weak. But then he did it. With his right arm, he threw a sweeping movement to the side, and the long ck sword flew to the man''s hand.


    The next second, the freaky swordsmanughed again. Within a blink, he cut through everything. The air, the walls¡­ the very space itself. I couldn''t even hope topare. The swordsman was powerful.


    When facing this attack, I lost. I wasn''t cut into two, though. I decided to flee with a smile on my face. The sensation was eerie: I thought I''d be bitter over it, but after what just happened, I thought life was amusing.


    Within a blink, I vanished from the freaky swordsman''s sight.


    I parted with the swordsman. After I was far away, I yawned.


    It was then that I decided: Sleeping should be about. So, naturally, I decided to work towards that. Towards getting some rest. What''s more, wasn''t sleeping what was required of me, now that I think about it?


    ? "What lies behind the story¡­?" Main Quest ¡ª Apanied by the yer''s host, Princess Elina, let the yer head inside the Capital and get all intimate with her. 0/1 ?


    It was about time I buckled down to it and got this quest done. For many reasons, I didn''t take care of it before. Today, whatever, even if I was forbidden by the royalty herself to pay her a visit at the castle as it was too dangerous for her cover, I''d go there and get it done with.

 Chapter 145 Storytelling

    Today, whatever, even if I was forbidden by the royalty herself to pay her a visit at the castle as it was too dangerous for her cover, I''d go there and get it done with.


    In the past, I tried to find my way to my human princess through the paths every nobleman should take. By entering the castle, basically. That was stupid. It almost got me caught.


    Luckily enough, the royalty''s apartments had two front doors. One was unavable for me, but the other was a grand window. Sneakily working my way through the royal gardens and terraces, I spotted my window easily.


    Times were warm. I climbed up with a few jumps. The window-front door was open.


    "Hello~!"


    The royalty turned to me, obviously scared and startled. "H-Hyawhat!? Th-This voice¡­! Well, Aoi again!" Stomping her foot on the ground, the girl lightly frowned, a faint me of rage and embarrassment in her eyes.


    Casually sitting down inside the window, I tilted my head and observed the noblewoman''s reaction to being surprised wearing only a light nightgown. Hugging her voluptuous breasts, she hid from the surprise, but then revealed herself to me again.


    Well, I guess people could be embarrassed over that, so I turned around.


    When I told the girl to dress up, she stomped her foot again and pointed out, rather angrily, that she was just in the middle of that. Well, I knew the woman forbade me to see her here, but I could tell she was irritated even before I disobeyed hermand.


    "Anyway. Yup, Aoi," I saluted her with my hand. "In the flesh, Lady."


    "Yes," she said, with a heavy sigh, picking back up the dress she had dropped in surprise. "What''re youing here for?"


    "...You don''t waste time, do you¡ª"


    "You be quiet, too!"


    "...Ah."


    Pressing the robe on her breasts, and told me that I could turn around. Well, that was the polite way to do it. She was still dressed very lightly, her robe didn''t cover half of her feminine silhouette, but knowing the scheming princess, I guessed that if she was scoring points with me, that was okay. If she was willing to please the eyes of her knight-to-be private servant, surely the servant would only feel more love and devotion toward his master.


    So she stood in front of me, walked to the window where I sat and pointed a strong finger at my face, leaning in, bringing her face close, and still frowning. She warned me: "I can''t have my¡­" showing her delicate back, she peered at the closed doors," I can''t have my maids¡ªor anyone at all¡ªknow about you¡­ being my servant and everything, remember?"


    "Right," I said, jumping in. Running to her doors, she made sure they were locked before running back to me, giving me a karate chop on the head, "Bad Aoi! Bad!" and treated me like I was some kind of wild dog that needed to be tamed.


    She either thought I was so stupid or she was so stupid herself. I understood her orders and I wasn''t about to mess up. After all, if it meant allowing my elven princess to enroll in one of the greatest schools of the kingdom, I didn''t want to lose this woman''s protection.


    Plus I didn''t count how many times I told the royalty that with Mana Perception, I was always careful not to visit her at impromptu times.


    "Get it?!" she added after a long pause, seeing I didn''t mind her. "Mind me, boy!"


    "Look," I turned to her, shaking my head. "Keep your voice down first, eh?"


    "B-Bad Aoi¡­!"


    "Good. ¡­Now, sorry, yes," I had to let her know one more time that I wouldn''t blow my cover away thanks to some stupid mistake, but that she was entirely right. "I''m careful, though."


    Casually, I made myselffortable at her ce and sat on the thickest bed I''d ever tasted. Lying down, I stared at the chandelier and ceiling, thinking about how I should answer the question she asked me earlier. As I did that, she didn''t seem to mind my presence so much, sighed, "Uh¡­ spacing out? You always do. I asked you a question, earlier," and got back to dressing up.


    After a minute, she was done.


    "Aoi." And after she was done, I was given a flick on my forehead.


    "Ow."


    "Shall I repeat? What is it that you''re doing here, Aoi."


    "...It''s got to do something with my growth, Elina," I yawned."


    "I noticed you were worn out, but are you so tired? If so, this ce isn''t where you should be¡ª"


    "It is," I cut her short. "This¡­ ''quest'' stuff I talked to you weeks back, it¡ª"


    "Let me first make it clear: Does your presence here have to do with your growth as my ndestine knight, boy?"


    The noblewoman was being a pain, but I understood she had a lot to go about within just a day, unlike me. She asked that one question, but then she asked another, and then yet another. Basically, she was making it clear she didn''t want me here. It took long before she was willing to even head out of her apartments, made sure she had an hour free for me, then came back.


    I exined to her then. She wanted a powerful soldier, and, ording to her own judgment, I wanted golds and riches and stuff only the wealthy had. Due to that, a rtionship between the two of us was established. A strategic rtionship so we both got what we wanted over our little trade.


    From where she stood, the more power I had the better. By helping me out with the Main Quest ¡ª "What lies behind the story¡­?" she would gain as much as I do. And that''s when I thought of mentioning it directly to her. "The Quest," I said, "what''s about¡­ some story¡­?" As usual, doing that, I was pretty hesitant.


    The Game''s storyline never failed to support me, however. I mean, the princess was still hesitant and ostensibly unwilling to grant me my request. She most likely thought I was mostly messing around with her. Still, she eased up, came to sit on the side of the bed, and decided to be an educator.


    "Aoi," she said, sighing. "Fine. You know what I''ll do? I''ll tell you a story. A story you''ll have to learn from. Listen, being a bad Aoi isn''t eptable, do you understand?"


    Thest time I was told a story, it was at the restaurant and it resulted in my arising from a certain witch''s cauldron. I looked forward to her tale, not knowing that it would be pretty much the same. What lies behind the story?


    After we exchanged a few lines back and forth, still talking about my justification for being here among other things, I rolled to the other side of the bed, tucked myself under the pile of folded nkets, and made way for Elina to lie beside me. As if it were natural, she did sit next to me before she let herself be allfy and slid her back down next to me.


    At longst. I didn''t think it would be so easy, but¡­ Ring! The quest''s instructions werepleted.


    ? New instructions: Hear the Ancient Tales from Princess Elina. 0/1 ?


    The name "Ancient Tales" sounded familiar, but I thought nothing of it.


    And the princess thought. If thinking was an exercise, she practiced it a lot. With thement she made earlier, I thought she already had something on her mind, but probably not. It took her long toe up with one.


    Lying on one end of the bed, I was absent-mindedly peering at her face, her furrowing brows and pursed lips. Silently nodding, before long, the storyline of the Game''s quests was followed and I was told a story.


    When I first met this silly girl, back then, I agreed to let her treat me like a child if she felt morefortable that way, but today, she probably overdid it.


    "...How did my uncle begin those tales again¡­? Hmm¡­ Right: This telling is for every misbehaving child¡ªI indeed said to every one of you little misbehaving punks! ¡­Exactly this! Pfft, the chills I felt every time his one remaining big eye was set upon me and my brothers! Yes. The story is rted that way. This is the story about¡­ I think my uncle called them ''the Ancestors''... and the evilest, fierce, and hideous monster of their time¡­


    "The Ancestors, yes, and the monster we call ''Mana.''"


    It was just an instant, but I felt my heart trembling at these words. Aching, even. I didn''t know why. I couldn''t tell why. All I was reminded of, during that brief second was that I had a skill. It was called "Mana''s Benediction."


    It was just an instant, and then, I heard a murmur in my ears. The voice was so faint. Also, it sounded just like the System''s feminine robotic voice, except it wasn''t so monotone and listless when it spoke then:


    ? My Skill¡­ for my sake¡­ you have to discover the truth¡­ ?


    ? Discover the truth. ?


    ? 0/1 ?


    The princess'' story went on for a minute or two, then she noticed. "...Oh? Aoi? Still here? ¡­Wait¡­! When did this kid fall asleep?!"


    I didn''t know what happened either. It felt like I was here, still listening to the Ancient Tales, yet at the same time, I felt away. So far away. To distantnds and forsaken countries. To faraway times and ancient territories.

 Chapter 146 Ancient Tales

    The princess told the story. I asked her to. This was to aplish one of the many quests the System, or Game, has put in my way. So I asked her to. I think. I''m not sure. Did I ask for the Ancient Tales again, or did the System ask for me?


    The woman''s gentle, feminine voice rted counts of a faraway time, and the "child," if people wanted to consider me one, simply listened attentively.


    The first time I listened to such a mystical story, I was created. Quite literally: I arose from water, and was granted life, bing living. The words of the story assembled parts of me together, and there I became a monster.


    Today, I ignored the words. I mean, I did listen to the noblewoman''s voice as she educated me about my past, but¡­ very soon, my mind went nk. Everything turned to darkness.


    And a notification from the System arose. It encouraged me to listen attentively.


    "Hear the ancient narration," the System read, "and see to it that falsehood be separated from truth."


    Once upon a time, within a most Fantastical Forest, there was a tribe of people. The forest was ancient, full of riches, wondrous, and prosperous. The forest where everything began. This tribe of people, they were the First Men. The Ancestors. And they dwelled at the heart of the most fantastical, legendary woods.


    Peace. There was peace. ¡­One day, peace was no more.


    A young boy. There was also a young orphan boy. And, absolutely: One day, peace was no more.


    It was a very long time ago. The young boy wasn''t a goodd, and he called for monsters. So monsters came. After they came, they ransacked everything in the peaceful forest, and the young boy was responsible for that.


    Why, ording to the story I listened to, he was a badd. Thed had lost his parents to illness and was left alone to care for his baby sister. Life was harsh on him. And that''s why, one day, he decided to call for monsters. Demons. How do you call for demons?


    You injure people¡­ You disrespect your betters¡­ You steal in the marketce. You repay kindness with ungratefulness¡­ There were lots of ways to follow if you wanted to call for demons and monsters.


    Mostly, you cause trouble. Never cause trouble.


    "I never caused trouble!" suddenly cried a feminine voice, the same voice I noticed sounded like the System''s. "I wasn''t a monster¡ªthey made me! Skill¡­ Skill¡­ My Skill¡­ You have to listen to me¡­!" Like a lost echo, in the dark, the dramatic voice disappeared.


    The orphan boy was a little demon himself. He had a devilish grin stered on his face and eyes full of darkness. He was a bad boy, he caused trouble, and so he disrupted the peace. That''s why you must never be a bad boy. Otherwise¡­


    From one day to the other, his monsters showed up. Otherwise, monsters woulde for you.


    The people of the Ancient Tribe, the First Men, the Ancestors¡­ they valiantly took their weapons in hand and set out to defend theirnds from the devilish orphan''s monsters. With his monsters, the orphan was targeted, too.


    The fight was hard. The tribe''s warriors fell in battle. Monsters were mean things. The children cried and didn''t stop till dawn came after the night. To the First Men, it was a terrible experience. The vige had never known war, but all because of a bad boy who insulted, disrespected, and stole from people, it all became a reality.


    The First Men had a hard time surviving. That''s when they discovered that this fantastical forest was where everything should begin. The First Men went to the heart of the forest, respectfully got on their knees, bowed their heads, and asked for the¡ª


    "They asked for my help!" the feminine voice of the System, which wasn''t so monotone and lifeless, cried again, and my listening heart trembled. "They asked for my help¡­ and I gave them¡­! But then¡­ But then¡­"


    ¡ªand asked for the Divine Spirits'' help.


    "The Worldtreefolk, my Skill! You have to know¡­!"


    A day passed, then it was a week, and then a month. The tribe of the Ancestors was on the verge of extinction. Atst, the First Men were gifted with strength. The first mana users of the Continent emerged. Within days, the monsters were dealt with, and the First Men survived. Peace came back.


    Soon after, the devilish orphan boy was severely punished. Calling for monsters is a really bad thing to do. Although, a few weeks after the incident, the devilish orphan, who stole, injured, and disrespected everyone struck again, and called for demons and monsters again.


    It is also said that, when the devilish orphan did so, naturally, yet another monster emerged. This demon was kind of like thest boss. It was the most fierce and dreadful monster the tribe had ever seen.


    "Lies! They made¡­ a monster¡­!"


    Some say that it had the exact same devilish grin and eyes full of darkness as the wickedd who called it.


    "Lies! ¡­Lies! Lies!"


    Again, the demons'' party was defeated by the Ancestors. Calling for monsters and demons never has worked for anyone. Under the Divine Spirits'' guidance, nine heroes were chosen among the First Men. One was granted power over the fairies and elements¡ªEarth, Wind, Water, Fire, and the others.


    One was granted near-omnipotent power over runes and alchemy. One omnipotent leadership. One a hand sorge and powerful that it could hold and carry limitlessly. One perfect dominion over the beasts as a king. One the ability to create weapons. One a dominant eye from which to fully see the world. One god-like expertise fighting any kind of enemy.


    And finally, one was granted the power to reach out a hand into a blue AR disy named "Shop Menu" and buy "Item: Creamy Ice: Salted Butter Caramel x1" for a few golds¡­ or even some "High-Level Monster-type: Rare Mystic Earth Dragon Lizard x1" item.


    These nine teamed up together, and the evilest monster was defeated.


    All nine of them then fully seeded in their life. All nine of them then became emperors, kings, and queens holding the most powerful kingdoms and empires the Continent has ever carried. All nine of them, today, are said to still be upying their ces and fortresses around the Continent, plenty happy to have once defeated the monster.


    "Lies! I wasn''t a monster¡ªI am not!" the dramatic voice went on. "My Skill, my love¡­ you will take revenge for me!"


    The devilishd, who was then again punished, was also defeated.


    However! Some say that the little demon still carried on his calling for monsters afterward, and that''s why¡­


    Yes: It was said that the evilest monster, who was defeated by the nine heroic Ancestors, was kind of thest boss¡­ except it wasn''t.


    Before the st boss" monster was thoroughly defeated, it called out to the nine heroes and growled, "Humans, I will crush you! You shall pay for this! My will shall not die with me!"


    One day, because the devilish orphan kept on calling for monsters and demons, even thousands of years after the Ancestors lived, it is said that yet anotherst monster wille.


    ¡­Thest boss, I think it was me.


    That monster''s will was to chastise the bad people.


    .


    .


    .


    ¡ªAll of a sudden, I was pulled out of the darkness where I subconsciously listened to the Ancient Tales. With a "Huff¡ª!" I woke up, but I was still all in darkness. I was afraid. I felt danger all around me. Cold sweat poured down my back, and my eyes trembled like they never had.


    Still all in darkness a cold hand was ced upon my throat¡ª


    "Hello, there."


    Two eyes, big, wide open, suddenly shot open in front of me. Each one of these eyes was ridiculously enormous in front of me, even though they weren''t a giant''s eyes. Demonic, icy eyes, engulfing me in a sea of dread and terror.


    "Skill, is it?"


    Other eyes, as demonic and frightening me opened up around in the darkness, intently staring at me like I was the rarest jewel they looked for for a thousand years.


    "It is Skill." "Skill has woken up." "The experience at the restaurant has seeded." "Liken me not to the Last Fragment~!" "The archenemy." "...So, so, so! Will yae for our asses, hee-hee?" "Bring it to us, we have experiments to do." "Shop''s will prevail."


    All voices spoke at the same time. The cold hand I felt on my throat pressed it down, and then, the person behind all this presented me with their neck, tapping two fingers upon it.


    "That''s where you''ll have to aim¡­ Only if you truly are worthy of beholding the fragment of Skill, that is."


    ? Bite the nape. 0/1 ?


    "Ah ha ha ha~!"


    When I instinctively tried to literally bite the person''s nape, to nt my fangs inside of it and¡ª


    .


    .


    .


    From a long night of sleep, I woke up¡ª "Ouch!" ¡ªfor real this time, and I was covered in sweat. "Goddamn, my tongue!" I bite my tongue. "Did I really have to bite my tongue in my sleep?!" So Iined. Right after waking up. Iined and frowned deeply. "It''s so hot in here¡­ Wait, am I still at that royalty''s apartments? Well¡­ What time is it¡­?"


    It was well past morning. The next day. How long did I sleep here? What was I even doing here anyway? Taking care of the Main Quest? Yeah, I was doing that.


    Ring! ? "What lies behind the story¡­?" Main Quest ¡ª Hear the Ancient Tales from Princess Elina. 1/1 ?


    "Did I? I don''t quite remember¡­? Wait, more importantly, I also dreamed something super bizarre, didn''t I? Something about¡­ ¡­Hmmm¡­ ¡­Well, I dunno! Whatever."


    ? Main Quest ¡ª New instructions: ¡­ ?


    Two new quests were obtained, and I looked at those with sleepy eyes as I rubbed them.


    ? "???" ¡ª After having heard and listened to the Ancient Tales, the yer knows to be the King. ¡ª Be the King. 0/1 ?


    And also,


    ? "First Dungeon" Main Quest ¡ª Quest can be obtained at the "Guild Bureau." Head to the Guild Bureau and obtain your quest via "Guild''s Attendant" to proceed. ?


    A new day hade.

 Chapter 147 “Hi, There.�

    After that weird part of my dream; I woke up, biting my tongue. My whole body twitched.


    "Ugh!" I groaned, heavily frowning.


    That somewhat dull yet sharp sense of pain I felt was enough to wake me up real quickly. Starting off from the inside of my not-actual mouth, it quickly spread all across my body, alerting the whole of it fairly painfully.


    And argh, does my tongue have to hurt so much? And, hey, why''s it even hurt to start with? Did I just bite it? Why in the world would I do that? What for? I mean, yeah, who normally even does that?


    ¨CStill painfully groaning and frowning, atst, I had awoken. Entirely. Through and through. Now, I looked around.


    "Oh¡­ right." I silently mumbled. I remembered. My frowning face and twitching eyebrows rxed. Because that was it, really.


    "I was needing storytelling yesterday¡­ right," I continued mumbling, putting together every bit of my scattered mind. It was correct. I remembered. Yesterday, I came here.


    Right. Right now, I''m at Elina''s. Resting on the thickest bed ever, under the thickest pile of nkies ever. I came around that royalty''s apartments. I had something to do with it.


    Right. I fought that swordsman off. We danced together, had some real good fun, then I set off. Oh, and even before that, there were things, too.


    Right. Yesterday, I went out adventuring; came back to town and fought my human swordsman; then came round Elina''s castle, ticking some more cases of my personal growth. ¡­Growth and discovery, yeah.


    And so, right now, we''re the day after that one, and¡­ wait up a sec?!


    "Yes¨C yesterday?!"


    Didn''t that mean today was a new day?


    At once, my eyes grew to their roundest¨CI thrust my re through the window. It was now closed andtched. And what I found there, behind that gleaming, transparent ss was the sky.


    Blue as it was. Not any kind of blue, however. Morning-blue. New-day''s-arrived blue.


    I came around here by the veryte afternoon, and now, it''s morning. Which meant again¡­ I couldn''t be wrong when I instinctively said today was a new day.


    Yesterday, I knew that going out adventuring with my human friends didn''t have much pragmatic utility to it. Still, did that mean I''d just discard them away from my routine and not see them again? The fact was that they had well outlived their usefulness to me, but no, I wouldn''t. They were still part of my routine. I liked them, I think, probably.


    But anyway, what do I do with the morning-blue shade of the sunny sky? That blue was relevant to the sense of (desperate) hurry I immediately felt washing over me, then.


    I was about to shout. "Wh¨C who even wants to miss adventure time¨C" I knew not to give in to that stupid urge, however. Can''t be heard shouting in here, after all.


    Wiggling around, I found a way out of underneath the thickest pile of nkets and sheets.


    That thickyer of warmth quickly got off of me. In about a second, I felt the fresh morning air naturally settling on me, heartfully weing this wave of freshness with an oh-so-fresher sigh of satisfactioning from deep within me.


    I lied on the bed a second ago. I theatrically jumped. Now, I was up on it. Feeling the smoothness and fluffiness of it wasn''t something I''d be doing with my curling toes, then.


    Right away, I jumped off the bed.


    For a second, my face grimaced as I decided I could use some thinking, right now. "That dream¡­" But I left it at that. All of it was just a blur inside of my head. I didn''t remember much, but it felt as though the day I''d need to remember back details of whatever the dream was about, I''d be able to effortlessly.


    I mean, yeah, it seemed like I only would be thinking in circles if I got down to trying to tackle that.


    Still, though. Deep within my brain, I had a hunch that this dream I just forgot was super-huge. Of capital importance. But whatever; better not bete.


    Right. I''d just jumped out of the bed. ncing around, I promptly wondered where the princess even was. I quickly gave up on that, thinking I didn''t even care to begin with.


    With yet another of my swift jumps, I climbed up that shelf close to the window. I utched the lock, opened the window wide, got onto the other side of the walls, and simply jumped again.


    With a Ssh, Inded down and formed back into the good ol'' human form again.


    From this point on, I pulled myself away from this ce, going straight to where I belonged.


    I had to y it safe in order to not be spotted in the royalty''s endless gardens. I swung by this ce many times now, so I knew where to go to sneak in and out somewhat easily. Very soon, I had nearly reached the point of gathering.


    The sun wasn''t so high this morning. I mean, it wasn''t high at all, actually. But still, it''d woken up way before I had.


    I mentally apologized to my team¡ªI was the Porter, now, so my presence was probably mandatory¡ªfor beingte.


    And using some more <sh>, the upgraded version of <Quick Pace>; my speed increased even more.


    Today, I could check it. "System!" I cried under my breath.


    ? Skill Interface. (Main) ?


    What about my fatigue?


    ? Fatigue: 5 ?


    Oh-ho-ho¡­ Well, I guessed that!


    And what about¡­ my ''mental points''? ¡­Or no, do we rather say ''mana points''? Mana as in, magical energy? Must be that.


    ? HP: 2419/2420 ?


    ? MP: 350/825 ?


    Ah. I wasn''t so proud of that one. Now I understood, though. To me, the unique monster that doesn''t quite work like normal people, when my breathing gets ragged andborious like right now¡ªI''m beginning to huff a little¡ªit simply means¡­ In detail, I wouldn''t know what''s the operation of breathing harder specifically here for, but basically, my body needs to reach for magical particles of energy in the air around.


    After all, everything here, under that sun, seemed to be made of mana.


    My MPs were kind of low. Figures after all these quick dashes throughout your city. Still though, all this evidently feels weak to me. Maybe I should work on that. By simply not wasting so much of my mana so easily.


    Now that I had my System by my side, life felt better. Oh, but I was "life."


    I caught a glimpse of the Party from far away thanks to Mana Perception. I soon arrived. After I used that passive skill, I checked out my mana supplies again, and they barely dropped at all.


    Still, by the time I reached the Party, my MPs had reached zero. As I wanted to observe something, I made sure to waste all the points away. Now, theoretically, if we take aside the HPs and my Fatigue Status, I''m at my lowest.


    And sure enough, as I had arrived near the awaiting group of adventurers ¡­ I heavily slumped on the chair behind me, needing some rest.


    ? MPs: 0/825 ?


    "A-Aoi¡­" the priestess cogitated. "Is my boy fine? What''s with you all of a sudden¡­"


    There was no chair behind me. I just let myself be slumped down on the dry ground, wiggling and shaking about, gasping for air. I felt a little stinging sensation in my chest. I knew I needed some air. A lot of it. I needed to replenish my MPs.


    My observations pointed well too strongly at the fact that I didn''t want to run so low on MPs in battle. That was important to know. Clumsy knelt next to me. "I''m not even worried, y''know¡­ Knowing you, how weird you can be ¡­ just stop?" Ouch! But she continued, "Or do you really need help? You''rete, by the way."


    I stopped, calmed myself down, but still needed to be breathing a little. I said yes. I waste.


    More importantly, would my MPs go up again? To finish up my observations, I "System''d" the System again. That wide blue tab appeared. Down about the status part of it, my MPs indicated¨C


    ? MPs: 23/825 ?


    And then,


    ? MPs: 24/825 ?


    And again,


    ? MPs: 25/825 ?


    Going like this¨C"Okay," I said as I sat on my butt¨CI was revigorated little by little. Each passing second probably gave me about one mana point.


    "Okay?" The priestess was crouched next to me, peering at me like I was some wild little animal she had just found. She reached my forehead with a finger and flicked it. I didn''t react, and she continued, "Get up, now, young trouble-maker. Oh, you seem taller. Way taller. That''s¡­ Ugh. Maybe you just always slouched before?"


    ? Fatigue: 7 ?


    And for some reason, my fatigue had increased by two points. Might be thanks to my wiggling around just now. Well, let''s not do that again.


    Satisfied with having observed how it was that the magical points were being recovered, I got up. Clumsy sighed some words ofint. I was full of dust, now.


    "Hi, there."

 Chapter 148 "Is That So?"

    "Hi, there."


    She did help me get rid of the dirt on my clothes.


    After I got up, I got nearer to them all, with the priestess on my side. I slightly bowed my head in apology. I waste.


    The leader spoke and said it wasn''t a problem. Only the damage dealerined. Well, since heined, I decided to apologize again, bowing my head even lower. I was at fault.


    Soon, the leaderined¡ªno, scolded the damage dealer for alwaysining so much. A knowing grin climbed up my face, and the priestess whacked the back of my head, sighing. All the Party''s animosity was then directed at the damage dealer; I was happy.


    Anyway. They weren''t that talkative, today. Weird? Do I sense some kind of nervousness floating around in the air?


    The leader continued, "Well, whatever. It''s fine, little man. You aren''t thatte. However, yup, do try and not bete next time about. All right? You''re part of the team, you don''t have to apologize that bad. We waited for you ''cause you''re a good asset."


    He spoke well and briefly. Since I was good enough, it''s not like they only were doing me a favor by taking me out with them adventuring.


    Indeed, the damage dealer came to me and held out that backpack from yesterday. "We''re in a hurry, dude," he let me know again. "Take this. Might not help you much with the looting and stuff, today. Counting on you. You all right."


    I took the backpack and slid it on my shoulders. I nodded at him and that was it, I said nothing.


    My eyes then met with the Party''s tank. I sensed¡­ not fear, but uneasiness, a strong kind of uneasiness in his eyes as his eyes saw mine. Slightly bowing his head to me¨Che always did that to the folks¨CI greeted him back.


    He spoke right after that. "B¡­but¡­"


    "¨CYeah?"


    "Sh¡­should we be taking¡­ Aoi with us¡­ today, though¡­?"


    "Oh¡­? Well," Leader gently pressed the giant slug''s shoulder with his hand. "Aoi''s strong, you know!"


    And what was that about, now? Of course I wanted toe. Why should such an idea even cross anyone''s mind. Should I note? Humph.


    But the mindful tank didn''t intend to say anything mean. Of course, this was that soft, a little chubby, very kind, always wearing his heart on his sleeve, and calm tank-warrior.


    Yes. The priestess'' hand went running through my hair. Patting my head to her must have been some kind of ritual to be realized each time she wanted to address me with something more or less grave.


    "Aoi, today, in the forest, we''re going even deeper. Might be slightly dangerous. More dangerous than usual. Y''know. We figured you''d still want toe. Of course you would want to¨C"


    Voicing that I still wanted toe, I also asked her why they were so nervous, naively.


    "Fu-fu¡­" herugh seemed a bit inconsistent, but she smiled confidently, "you got me here, mm-hm. ¡­Nervous, right." Her answer was too wordy andplicated, so I didn''t listen to it. "...That''s the reason."


    "Okay."


    The others turned and spoke on their own. Meanwhile, the priestess continued, "We figured the deeper parts of the forest weren''t so inessible to us anymore, so¡­ yeah, we''ll try ourselves out! There are those packs of goblins ¡­ living in some sort of barbaric ¡­munities (if you can even call them that) deep within our usual training grounds. And well¡­"


    While the others spoke on their own, she exined to me.


    Basically, there was some vige far off in the forest. The human female seemed to refuse to call it that, a vige, but that was what it was. Anyway, going from there, naturally, the deeper you go into the woods, the more numerous the monsters would be.


    I knew that, already. Would they hence get their hands on more loot since they''d find more of these monsters?


    Yes, but not quite. When Clumsy exined some more exining, it made sense that the deeper you got, the stronger the monsters also would get. That made sense. She seemed to be proud of her exnation.


    Her eyes were only attached to the ground when she rted to me all this. And when she finished, she seemed to gradually be willing to eye-contact me again.


    All of this was pretty. Real, real pretty. But no.


    As she peered at my face, though, the naive and wishful smile she wore faded away pretty quickly.


    I did not smile at her. Quite the opposite. I looked at her with scorn and contempt. I couldn''t help myself from scowling.


    As she discovered my grave, harsh, and drastic expression, she said nothing; so I spoke instead, "¡­You figured that? ¡­Is that so."


    Really, these words were all I found to say. The "young boy" I was in the girl''s eyes instantly became older than her. The fact that I grew half a foot in less than a day helped me be viewed as someone to be listened to. I clearly was scolding her.


    And that human female I was telling off must have understood where I wasing from.


    "I¡­"


    And that was the end of her speech. Well, she said nothing.


    We werete, so we hurried along already.


    The Party departed from the safe city to the risky woods.


    .


    .


    .


    ? Party ¨C The experience will be shared among every member of the group. The experience gained may be influenced by a given member''s participation. ?


    In passing, other kinds of information were to be found in me. I mean, actually found within the System. Or rather going alongside it. Information I already knew about, somehow.


    I had ess to the Party from what the System called the ''Menu Tab.'' And going from this little data, I could draw additional data. All of which was about the team.


    My people''s levels, mostly. Both the positive and negative effects they had at the moment, too. (I only could see some ''Passive Healing ¨C Positive Effect'' asionally from time to time¨Cmost likelying from the kind priestess¨Cand concluded negative effects also would be shown here.)


    As well as this, I could see their sses. Hm. And that would be about it, mainly.


    What I could also see were my quests¨Cfrom the Skill Interface, seemingly. There were many quests, surprisingly. Many, many quests, yup.


    Takes me back, man. I saw some sort of window¨Ca tab within the tab, just like with most of every other feature of my Parasite Skill System¨Cthat indicated "Completed Quests."


    I interacted with it. Clicking that downward arrow just next to ''Completed Quests''; rows with thepleted quests slid down.


    Yup, I thought. For real. Takes me back.


    I mean, it hadn''t even been so long, but still. The quest I''d liked better so far was "Character''s Creation ¨C Completed (reward(s) have been obtained)."


    And then there was¨C"Rescue the Elven Princess! ¨C Completed (no rewards issued)"¡ªthat I had aplished, too.


    Well, anyway. This happened to be that. And that was it. ncing through thatplicated and ''ancient'' technology Old Sipping taught me must''ve been from the distant past¡­ I saw a bunch of things.


    Not so much worth mentioning, though.


    Or maybe not. Another detail was that, from this tab right there, I could "check out" my rewards. It seemed thepleted quest "What lies behind the story¡­?" offered me some rewards after it was done.


    ? Check out your reward(s)? Y/N ?


    Ta-dah~


    ? The yer has reached level 42! ?


    That reward¨Cincreasing my level by one¨Cgoing along yet another reward¨Cthis one bringing me about ''+5 additional Stat Points''; I grew up again. I added the points into Strength again. So I grew up. Not by half a foot, however. The difference was little. Maybe one or two centimeters. That''s all.


    With each level I took, one additional stat points would be added to each of my ''Status Traits.''


    .


    .


    .


    Going steadily as we were; we arrived at the usual hunting grounds.


    ? ''Learning the ropes! - 2'' ¨C Wander around in the forest and hunt the following monsters: 0/10 Goblins; 20/20 Angry wolves; 5/15 Poison-bite spiders; 3/5 Yellow slimes. ?

 Chapter 149 Side Quest

    ? ''Learning the ropes! - 2'' ¨C Wander around in the forest and hunt the following monsters: 0/10 Goblins; 20/20 Angry wolves; 5/15 Poison-bite spiders; 3/5 Yellow slimes. ?


    And that was the quest they couldn''t fully aplishst time. They thought they''d won. They didn''t. Hopefully, we would get it done with. I mean, I could always get it done on my own, but I wanted to respect my boys'' wishes.


    This didn''t change that. Against the horde of goblins,st time, they believed they''d won, still. And going with that, that''s what kept us going forward right now. Going forward to the deeper ends of this wild, highly-concentrated-on-mana forest.


    The Party sure was hesitant. It didn''t show on the outside, however. They kept it well hidden within themselves. Their hesitation was justified. If they feared for their lives, they just weren''t stupid. Still, I was with them, so that was that.


    Just as per the n, we proceeded deeper into the forests.


    At some point within the forest, around the area we''d usually stop at and hunt, the leader stopped his feet and turned back. There, he addressed his team. This was only about the usual words of encouragement he''d usually give them.


    "h h h, we''ve progressed well enough, h h h¡­" and so on. "And remember, if the situation turns sour, we have to live. Progress can always be madeter!"


    End of the discourse. Speaking with words was great; speaking with swords even greater.


    We proceeded on. Time went by. The forest sure was deep and dark. We had room to go, really. And cutting ourselves some bushy paths here and there, we dived deeper into the forest.


    And that was weird now. Yeah, weird. You know, in this forest, that deep into it, usually, we saw monsters, already. Very weird, yup. Why weren''t the monsters showing up, hmm?


    There was a reason for that.


    And we proceeded still on, without deviating paths. Just as per the n, the leader had exined, the deeper we get, the better the hunt shall be.


    Weren''t my boys growing super-thick on confidence, now. And when the leader spoke again, every party member naively and discreetly pumped their fists in victory.


    The man had justmented about how he and his friends still hadn''t bumped into any monsters so far. Fact was, they were getting strong. They already had, actually. It was quite a lot of strength they got. But this growing stronger didn''t stop.


    And from their perspective, that was correct. For the past three days or so¨Cthey''d been really tough and firm. Any kind of foe that came their way was to be in. Simply put, they were strong.


    And results were results: the spineless monsters feared the proudly stomping monster-hunters.


    "Yeah¡­ I know I say that a lot," Leader concluded. "But really, we got this, team."


    And the conclusion he''d reached was too well-weed by his crew.


    The forest we trod in was funny enough. Sure, there were branches. ''Cause there were trees, hm. Lots and lots of them. So lots and lots of branches. And bushes, too. Again, lots of them.


    But the way that''s described only seems to make it tedious andplicated. The forest wasn''t that. No. Even with all the branches, trees, bushes, and every other kind of nt, navigation was possible here.


    Scattered across the many ominously dark-green colors of the woods were many surprisingly handy natural paths. The task of navigating through all these oceans of bushes and nts actually was very much so possible as well as easy.


    Still though. Fighting here? Not so possible, I reckon.


    Well, there were those handy paths, but there also were many remarkably clear and clean areas. And so that was funny. Hearing from it, it wouldn''t seem to add up. But seeing it for real was convincing enough.


    Those bits of wild foresnd would make fighting and moving around easy. In a sense, it was even as if they were promoting and enjoying the fights. As if they looked for it.


    Those bits ofnd were many. They were part of the forest.


    Right now, we came out on a clear area. It was little but satisfying enough. And while it didn''t quite promote fighting around that much, it still did its best to make it possible.


    Yeah, it did that. The excited damage dealer was the first to step in. The way he did enter the not-so-walled natural room was as if he allowed himself into it using some kind of invisible door, making himself slip in just right.


    This was fun. The Party followed him. And I after them.


    The spirit of fighting was indeed promoted down this lonely corner of the forest.


    Boing!


    Would you then look at this funny-funky-jelly-looking creature.


    Boing, boing, boing!


    The damage dealer brushed aside the branches that stood in his way. With a hand, they all were arranged out of the way. So leaving an opening behind himself, he entered the small round.


    We were still in the wild woods. Trying to beat it, the forest.


    So far, we''d encountered no prey whatsoever. So the Party really was strong, then, hmm? Yup, if any monster wouldn''te facing them off after the long walk we''d undertaken throughout the woods, already; it only meant one thing.


    When intelligent types of monsters avoid you, it means you''re stronger than them.


    So factually, even though that may have been biased (spoiler alter: it was), the adventurers were strong.


    But finally, monsters. How refreshing was that. There were slimes. Yellow slimes out here. Bouncing off within that natural ring, jiggling their bodies like this and like that.


    Boing, boing, boing!


    The damage dealer called the slimes group Jiggly Tits Battalion andughed at them, saying he regretted he had to y them. There were a demi-dozen of the jelly-like creatures.


    Boing, boing, boing, boing, boing!


    And going about bouncing around, in a seemingly disorganized way, they all trod across theirnd together as a group.


    They were sharp. And they started to bounce his way. As soon as I got there, I outdid the damage dealer and got even closer to them. Stars sparkled in my eyes. I got nearer to them, and really¨C


    Boing, boing, boing!


    I wanted to touch them.


    "Step¨C Step back, Emerald!"


    Not even a moment passed when I was pulled backward. The cor of my shirt tightened on my throat. I groaned a little, frowning. And bam, there I got behind my girl.


    She scolded me right away. "Those can be dangerous!" she said. But no they can''t. Not against me. I was stronger than that. But all right. I didn''t retort and agreed to step back.


    ¡­Ring!


    ? Requirements have been met ¨C generating a New Quest. ?


    What was that, now?


    ? ''And what shall I do with these funny creatures¡­?'' Additional Quest has been obtained. ?


    ? ''And what shall I do¡­+'' Additional Quest ¨C Head over to Princess Elina and obtain your quest. ?


    Hmm¡­ Sure.


    So this was the following of what I''d do afterward. Oftentimes, that happens. The System just felt like chiming in, all of a sudden, and brought me some juicy quest.


    This is that.


    From the time this ringing notification rang through my ears to the obtaining of this new quest, the outside world hadn''t paused. Only a few seconds had passed. Still, the adventurers had found themselves enough time to jump at the throats of my slime friends and attack them.


    Well, slimes weren''t so strong at all. They were in fact kind of weak, to be honest. They didn''tst long. But well, they were just made that way.


    Made to be either weak or strong based on potential only. They couldn''t be cunning and thoughtful like the cunning and dangerous humans.


    Them being slimes, when you fought them, they just tried to jump at you, get you into their weird, semi-liquified, semi-solid, yellow mass; and eat you. Yes, eat you. Somehow, they did that.


    I imagined I''d have turned pretty simr to such creatures if I hadn''t gotten the "Consciousness" Passive Skill.


    But anyway, they were too slow; they just died.


    They either possessed strength or not. The strong party of adventurers rejoiced after the quick fight was finished.


    And it was time for the looting to take ce now, eh? As usual, the damage dealer called me to him. Like I was some sort of wild animal, he made that repeated clicking sound with his tongue, calling me over.


    My head swiveled towards him; then my body followed. I started toward him.


    The other members of the Party reunited together. Leader, his priestess, his tank, and his sorceress all gathered in one ce. They talked and dealt with what needed dealing with. They made decisions about what direction to take, when to stop going forward, evaluating the dangers¨Cstuff like that.


    But I got with my better. I got next to him. Looking down at me from above, he spoke to me. "So, kid. Remember how I showed you to handle those squishy freaksst time?"


    I said no.


    "No worries! Will make a show of it again."


    Next to us, about a meter away, lied the deted bodies of the squishy freaks. I was surprised the damage dealer didn''tin when I said I didn''t know how to handle that.


    But he didn''tin and got to do it by himself, showing me all over again what''s of value and what isn''t.


    This was an art. The Art of Looting. I was supposed to learn that, remember? Porter of the team was my job, as I had nothing else to do.


    And dismembering countless types of monsters, transporting all the pricey bits of them with me was about what was needed to do.


    Quickly, we were finished here. My backpack was wide open. With the damage dealer, I shoved the merchandise down within the inventory. And that was it.


    The Party departed again. Yet deeper in the woods. The observations the Party had made so far were to be made again, but out loud, summing up what was that they talked about minutes ago, adding about other pieces of obvious information to the whole equation, exining yet another time the ''why'' of the state of things.


    It was the leader who spoke. And it was my time to make observations. This Party¨Cit really depended way too much on him. By himself, this man seemed to be carrying everyone''s weight on his shoulders.


    He was just like one strong bull going about pulling one hell of a big cart all by itself when that wasn''t how things were supposed to be. That bull had an entire party in its charge.


    So it was too much. That was yet another thing I didn''t like about this group of people.


    So I stepped up and got next to the lonely exining leader at the front of the marching formation.


    Interrupting him, I spoke in his stead and reiterated everything that needed reexining. There were three points. Knowing this made and the cheering speeches he always held between fights; I knew exactly what to say.

 Chapter 150 Main Attraction

    First off, the monsters. As of right now, we had encountered some, but we still hadn''t sighted any real ones yet. Yellow slimes weren''t to be threatening all that much. And the point was¨Cas was the main motive behind this risky and unsafe outing¨Cas long as we didn''t encounter any real threat, we were right.


    And by "right" I obviously mean that we weren''t wrong in assuming the Party could handle what woulde to us. Yup, the main reason for which the Party had decided to go out by this wide margin of the fort'' zone was that the monsters weren''t so strong, now. Who were we not to go and face them right head-on when we knew that?


    And I spoke exining. I could tell it was weird at first, who expected the "little man" to go speaking intelligibly like this, hmm? But they nheless listened. With my words, the persisting hesitation within each member''s heart lifted off a little.


    Well, that was a first point. And with round, surprised eyes, the leader must''ve been waiting for me to go on to the next point. He nodded to himself, with this expectant smile adorning his lips.


    Really, those exnations only were repetitions. All of which had been said so far really was (or should''ve been) obvious to anyone. But as they were, they needed it.


    After an uncalled-forment the damage dealer just made¨C"He''s also got the brains, eh-heh-heh!"¨CI demanded silence from him. "Oh," he said, "that''s funny."


    There were other points. The direction we were taking. It was the right one, too. Briefly mentioning the position of the morning sun and the current state of the wavelengths of monster-like magical energy, this was nailed.


    And thest point the leader always tackled when justifying everyone''s decisions as the party leader was about the party itself. That I also got to exin to the either oh-so-dumb or oblivious people. I''m harsh. Maybe they were simply hesitant and nervous.


    Reviewing the state of the group before addressing the state of each individualposing the party one by one¨CI got to educate and reassure them.


    The leader usually said all that. But, really, all of this shouldn''t be his responsibility alone. His shoulders must have been heavy enough with all the concerns the man already had.


    If I could just speak my mind without restraint, I''d say, Leader, you are weak, and this is enough burden on your shoulders as it is: let me then help you¨Cbut I figured it wouldn''t have been well weed by him.


    People had their pride, even when said pride wasn''t legitimate at all.


    With round, attentive eyes, he listened to me, constantly nodding to himself in amusement. He hmmed a lot, satisfied with my exnations. And now that it was over, his eyes met with mine as his hand went and was ced onto my head.


    I was still walking by his side. As he saw I was finished for good, he happily patted my head, with that same wide smile stuck across his lips. "Thank you," he said.


    But his smile seemed to be elsewhere. Yeah, his lips were arched up, but he wouldn''t lock his eyes with mine when he mused that ''thank you.'' His smile didn''t reach his eyes anyway. It wasn''t like his usual refreshing smiles, no. This one was different.


    The smile rather said "Thank you, but¡­ No, it''s nothing." Still, he said thank you.


    "No need to."


    But I still went and said that. There was no need to thank me. I only acted for myself.


    And when that lonely patting, rugged hand parted with my disheveled hair, everyone behind my back seemed to being back to life again.


    Like they were dead all the while I spoke, for some reason. Hm. Or like the wind that goes and blows onto a weak fire, ostensibly putting it down for a second or two¡­ before setting it back well alive and stronger the second after.


    I''m pretty sure that''s what happened. My words could be the wind. The monster-hunters could be the fire I blew on. Hopefully, they wouldn''t die down.


    "Thank you, my boy." "Appropriately put, Aoi."


    Some spoke confidently.


    "Mm¡­ A-Aoi''s right, everyone¡­ I think."


    While some others spoke hesitantly.


    "Ha-ha-ha!"


    "Damage dealer! Keep it down!"


    "Ha-ha¡­ ha!"


    Well. And some others spoke like this.


    "¡­You really are something, aren''t you?" That was the leader.


    "N-No need to." That was me being awkward as a response.


    For how long had we been out by now?


    The sun had escted higher in the sky. Shining and glowing intently as it was, it''d soon be on top of our heads. A lot of time had run by.


    And now, with the rays of sunlight showing us the right way growing dimer and dimer with each step, the forest intensified in green and height.


    Soon, very soon, ''it'' would happen. The main attraction''s what I''m talking about.


    But not right now.


    Yeah, for the time being, the wild woond still was taking things easy with the adventurers. It was kind enough. For now. And I watched out for when the turn woulde.


    Still, though. Not right now.


    Because we might have heard that right¡ªthe bushes over there rustled, moving about¡ªbut hey, those were just a bunch of poison-bite spiders.


    Nothing ''too'' out of the ordinary.


    And nothing they couldn''t handle. Carefully.


    There were three.


    After having thrown a few quick nces all around the ce, the leader was the one who took action first. I smiled expectingly.


    He already was walking by the front¨Cbut he still stepped up taking up the pace. The one who followed behind him was the timid tank, with somehow loud, yet calm steps.


    And with quick little darts, the damage dealer tagged along fast. He secretly got next to the leader at the front, still being a tiny step behind him.


    Together, forming the frontline, they exchanged other quick nces, before they paced up again.


    That''s when their footsteps were to be heard by the wolf-sized poisonous spiders. Both the leader and the damage dealer started to run. Their swords at the ready, they confidently dived through the three spiders.


    The tank followed from behind. He didn''t pace up, nor did he follow them closely. That was usual for him to do that. His role as a tank would certainly be of effect afterward.


    Turning to me, the priestess, and the sorceress, he groaned a little awkwardly before mumbling a few words to himself all the more awkwardly.


    That was a funny fe. I gave him a thumbs-up. He didn''t see it though. Right away, he turned back and kept his eyes on the front.


    Coming in contact with the two adventurers, the three poison-bite spiders first recoiled vulnerably ¡­ before they didn''t miss to send their usual super tiny-like cobweb forth!


    Wondering whether or not I could do that, someday, too, with my own cobweb skill, I appreciated the effort these two spiders put in.


    Only two of them did that, though. Not so good, mm-hm. They formed some sort of triangle, the spiders. Each of them stationed at one tip of their improvised triangr formation.


    The two spiders being the most forward on that formation¨Cthey were the ones who sent that to both the party leader and the damage dealer. The bigger spider, that rested behind these two, didn''t do much of anything aside from recoiling, too.


    And going right back at them, they both focused on one spider only. Calling it a carnage, it surprised me how they so swiftly did away with it. I''d imagined more struggling going about, but no.


    That other front spider? It thrust its big hairy fangs at the damage dealer, but he evaded again. "<Moonwalk>!" And he quickly was out of range.


    The leader grinned, and having no such skill as ''Moonwalk,'' he was fortunate enough that the second poison-bite spider hadn''t targeted him first. But what about the third bigger spider, eh? It missed the opening, so it wouldn''t certainly miss the rest, would it?


    Thanks to the sorceress next to me, we''ll call it a ''miss,'' too. Some shadow elemental flew across the five meters that separated us, and ''disturbed'' thatst spider. It was enough. The sorceress was good enough.


    And there the tank went on with his usual routine. With much might and strength, he made the earth tremble. His sword was flung onto the ground when his chubby-muscr shoulders were shown bare. That was the right image to it.


    Mumbling out the name of his skill, the spiders had taken the bait. And wishing farewell to their initial opponents, they both dragged themselves up to the big man.


    When their articted, hairy, and numerous limbs jerked about¡­ there they rushed to their new prey.


    The leader and damage dealer swept past him¨Cright away, they turned on their heels and went on attacking again, making sure to keep an appropriate distance between them and the monsters.


    The three of them attacked together.


    And the priestess summoned magic shields. And the sorceress summoned her dark magic. Together, they supported from the sidelines.


    Soon, the fight was wrapped up well. It didn''t take long for the Party to get back on track. The priestess healed what was needing healing. I and the damage dealer handled the looting of those valuable corpses.


    And time passed on quickly.


    Next wild magical creatures we met with were a bunch of saber-wolves. Their furs were still gray, and their growling still piercing.


    The formation the Party took on to deal with them was different than usual. Surprisingly enough, the leader had sent the tank right to the front right before the confrontation began.


    It was unusual, but it kinda made sense, now that I think about it. I mean, this way of spreading out his troops was the right way, wasn''t it? Sending the tank right to the core of the battle straight up before the swords began their dancing.


    Still not the main attraction¨Cbut the wolves growled and attacked!


    There were five of them. Now, that was a big deal. ¡­ Or maybe not. Yeah, let''s say that fight''s only ''slightly'' difficult for them. After all, five saber-wolves had already been fought in the past. And that funny party being what it is, of course it''s be way stronger since such a fightst went down.


    So they fought proudly and strongly!


    Engaging in the first direct hostilities, the tank didn''t do so much as his usual provocation ritual beforehand. No, he didn''t. What was the use of that? After all, he was alone at the front, those saber-wolves didn''t think twice as that huge chunk of human meat exposed itself to them.


    They''d attack him. That was a done deal. Every wolf agreed with that. The quick consensus couldn''t be greater.


    With the support of everyone, everyone won. I pped my hands theatrically. And to the slightly huffing people, I made somements about how well they''d done, today too. This was the first real fight they''d taken upon themselves, today.

 Chapter 151 Aye

    Lowering my expectations to their level, I reckoned this had been well-fought. They seriously were growing stronger, I''ll give them that. Still, that was if I lowered my expectations to their level, yup.


    After that, we departed. It took more than a minute for the Party to be ced right back on track. First off, there was the looting, as usual. I was getting good at this, I think.


    And secondly, there were some wounds to take care of, after the sh. The human priestess had to take the healing of everyone upon herself. That was her job. Parallelly anyway, everyone did need some resting. The time for the lungs not to be exhausted anymore and for the shoulders not to be heaving, either.


    After the party leader was healed (he wasn''t so much wounded, but the priestess really couldn''t let him off without the applying of her skills; he gave in) he came to me first.


    I was only on the side of this whole scene.


    "H-Hey, little man?"


    "Hm?" Did he need something?


    "¡­Nah," and he avoided my eyes. "Just wanted to thank you again. For both the carrying of our stuff ¡­ and everything, you know."


    "Uh?"


    "¡­ Well, I was gonna say ''properly thank you,'' but yeah; shouldn''t be that simple, should it?" he smiled at me, still looking away.


    Unwilling to pressure him or anything, I avoided his eyes too, then. "¡­ Like I said: no need to." I also told him I wasn''t helping them for free anyway. They allowed me to tag along with them. I knew I could just go out on my own and be perfectly okay, but since I was with them, that was that.


    This was a slow kind of conversation. "¡­Guess so," he wryly scoffed. "And still, thank you. I mean, in the first ce, it''s not like you couldn''t just be going out by yourself¡­ right?"


    "...I refuse it." I looked the man right in the eye like I seized him with my eyes, held his gaze coldly like this for a moment, and left it at that.


    Even if I was willing to ept the boy''s thanks, I couldn''t ept anything. Now like before, the man''s thanks, as well as his smile, wasn''t here. Like it''s hidden behind ayer of growing bitterness and hypocrisy.


    That was that.


    The man scowled at me, intensely. Very soon, he caught himself and turned around, hiding away from me. Really, the monster didn''t mind.


    Going on: I was left with nothing else to do. And so was every member of the Party. We departed toward the deeper end of the woond.


    The sun had climbed up higher and higher in the sky with the time running. We''d worked swiftly and promptly, today.


    In terms of timing, we were good. Really, it was even better than that. Maybe luck was to thank for this¨Cproviding us with the right paths and spots¨Cbut importantly, we''d also yed a role in that matter. Today, we were quick.


    And going along with that great start of ours¨Cwe''d be going forward even quicker, now.


    Naturally then, very soon, "it" happened.


    I wouldn''t mention the fight with yellow slimes we met again. They were in quickly. After a while of treading through the dangerous woods again, atst:


    "Ah, finally," the leader whispered. "Goblins. There they are."


    Still cutting through the many branches of the so-much-thick forest that started to grow annoying on everyone there, at some point, we''d found some ominous (the priestess said it was ominous), and weird little forming paths, digging a way through the woods.


    The paths weren''t so fresh either. It seemed to have been cut by the passing of a bunch of little green creatures but wasn''t so well entertained. In fact, it wasn''t cared for at all.


    Whoever dug this must have grown tired of the path.


    Whoever dug this must have only been going one way throughout the forest, like it was some sort of yground, as casually as possible, before totally abandoning the path.


    What mattered even more than this sight: The sluggish tank crouched down like the big ball he was and seemed to be fiddling around the slightly dampened earth with his fat, sausage-like fingers.


    Upon seeing that, the damage dealer joined him, there was a nk as they yed together, then the damage dealer whacked the sturdy tank real hard on the back, missing to make him fall. "That''s genius!" heughed.


    The tank didn''t seem to mind that huge blow he''d just received. Instead of getting angry, he meekly smiled. Friendship.


    "Um¡­ do you see them too¡­?" he mused.


    "I do!"


    Tiny footprints. You could tell the monster-types'' number with these.


    This was a track anyway.


    Following the faint path for no longer than three minutes, we arrived there.


    And the leader repeated under his breath, "Finally, they''re here."


    At the heart of these dangerous, dark woods rested ancient ruins. The "First Dungeon." My humans were getting dangerously close to it. The more you approached the ancient ruins, though, the more you approached the goblin settlement at the heart of it. Hundreds and hundreds of grim, little green ugly creatures. Of course, we weren''t there yet.


    The Party was ready to attack. Without so much as a real n of action. They truly were ready.


    Or so they thought. They weren''t ready. Only I could assert that, however.


    I didn''t really wanna spoil it, but¡­ the leader spoke for me: "We count four of them, heh-heh." And he was excited about it.


    He spoke for me but was mistaken. I wouldn''t have been mistaken. So did he speak for me, after all? Not so much. He spoke for himself. And I had nothing to do with it.


    The duo of the front exchanged quick nces. Only the two of them were seen off, as they quickly tapped the ground with their feet. They went on to fight the goblins, happy with themselves.


    I scanned the whole group, and the other guys were happy with themselves, too.


    As they nodded, honing up their strong willpower to fight, they all quickly stood up straight. The two supporters had their staffs at the ready. The sturdy tank stepped up, making sure he was ready for when the two brave assants came back to him with their prey.


    In the meantime, the leader and his pal, they were just like the wind. Swiftly working up their way toward the four demonic, and ugly creatures, they came in contact with them, already.


    They started their assault, but I didn''t only count four goblins; I counted twenty. And twenty was out of the question. Never, ever, ever should they be able to fight off twenty goblins all at once¡­ and even get away with it leaving aside the defeating of the monsters.


    I didn''t want to spoil it, though. How was I to spoil them? Right. I couldn''t.


    The party leader, going alongside his loyal damage dealer, cut through the field right ahead but didn''t wander too far off. Oh? And for once, neither did the excited damage dealer. No direct attack, this time. Those were goblins, after all.


    Together, they stood two meters away from the goblins. Taunting them with obvious and clear war-like greetingsing from them, the humans engaged the hostilities.


    Well. Even if they hadn''t done that, it was very clear they came here to be hostile. From the rming, and piercing usual screeching sounds the little dark-greenish creatures emitted, angrily twitching and jumping about, it was very clear the atmosphere was hostile, already.


    They were twenty. So the humans were screwed. They weren''t endowed with the [Mana Perception] Passive Skill, after all.


    And hell, even if that wasn''t enough, what do you think the monster-hunters say about the goblins and their peers? "A tinygob''s a tinygob, an'' a hobgoblin''s worth ten of the lil'' bastards!"


    A hobgoblin ain''t just one goblin. It''s ten of them.


    That skill really was too much OP when I think about it. I mean, I understood why people got bitter about it. Couldn''t people really see what was up behind the setting of their world? Guess I have to be grateful, then.


    Spreading my presence around and seeing with my Eye, I counted 6 hobgoblins and 14 regr little ones. That made for 74 foes. I was excited. Today, I''d have my share for sure. Teach my human pets a lesson while I''m at it. Aye.

 Chapter 152 Sh

    Boy, 74 goblins. Were they ready to fight those, my little adventurers, hmm? Actually, twenty, but you get the point.


    Hobgoblins wereparable to orcs in so many ways. The orcs weren''t nothing. Big guys. Very tall,rge, and strong.


    That''s why it happened. Only partly. The "Main Attraction."


    The leader and damage dealer attacked first. They didn''t do any damage, though. That was on purpose. They didn''t directly swing their swords and spilled some blood.


    Right in front of the little, hideous goblins, they stopped. And now the goblins went charging at them. The four goblins, that is. Not the whole herd. The others weren''t so close, after all.


    The four of them charged head-on. One of them might have thrown a nce behind them before it charged. Just what you''d expect of these silly creatures. With the usual enraged-spirited behavior they normally disyed, wrath washed over them.


    Angry, darting, and hurried, they went along with the humans'' petty taunting.


    The leader had his sword mmed against his light shield, and the damage dealer performed one funny mocking dance, giving it his whole, jiggling and fidgeting his entire body at them. He asionally imitated their screeches, too. What the heck.


    Anyway, the goblins responded to that with screeching sounds even louder. But the humans already were falling back to their friends.


    So now, the friends acted. They had stepped out of their hidden station behind trees. Only by a little, though. They still stayed at the rear.


    The tank was another story. He had already gone off his hiding, ready to wee the arriving monsters as he always did.


    The goblins weren''t so fast. Maybe the adventurers'' speed had increased instead? The humans running were quick, while the mindless goblins were slow.


    Or slower, yeah. They''re still rapid, the little ones, and they swung their little daggers and feeble spears restlessly at the humans'' backs. The monsters soon met with that huge, shing sword that came right for them.


    The usual fighting formation was disyed. And so far, everything looked good.


    When the leader and his friends ran past the wild tank, they skillfully spun around, going right back to the monsters.


    If we kept things ordinary, the tank should have given about his provocative skill first. That didn''t happen. Instead, he drew a beautiful arc with his arms and shoulders. My monster-hunter friends progressed well.


    The four goblins were rushing on. Only two escape the tank''s forceful attack.


    What just happened was a first. Never before had such a skillful blow been performed. When that feeling of pride and grandiosity spread across the round face of the tank, the whole party felt the same pride.


    The priestess had had time to perform one of her spells of transparent shields of light, protecting her three champions. That ought not to have been necessary.


    Then, the sorceress briefly stunned the two other hideous creatures. Quickly, the two other guys fell on them.


    Then, only one goblin remained. My champions were proud. A momentter, thatst monster-type had to drop its rusty spear. The damage dealer snorted, and the fight seemed to be over.


    They surprised me there.


    Everything? Brilliant. I insist. They''d made a lot of progress.


    I must insist. Brilliant. However, they still weren''t up to what would befall them next. Still, the monster-hunters weren''t worn out. Everything had gone so smoothly the atmosphere breathed with satisfaction. To process their instant victory, my boys and girls had to take a moment to themselves. They were standing witnesses as the growth they always wished happened finally came around in their abilities. A breakthrough.


    I checked their status through the System. True enough, there was progress. The day I joined their party, I could read they were on average level 12. Today, this number was changed to 17. They had to take a moment to fully appreciate their quick victory¡­


    But they couldn''t.


    The problem was simple. Not a second had run by before the rest of the herd swung by. I mean it literally. The other 6 hobgoblins and 10 goblins were hidden for a reason. That reason was no more.


    Let the monster-hunters reap what they sowed.


    If the leader had been patient enough, this wouldn''t have happened. Usually, before they jumped into a brawl, he always urged the group carefulness as he examined the fight. Today, he didn''t. These goblins weren''t alone.


    That simply was bad luck, I guess. It''s not like he could know those four goblins only had split with their gang only for a moment. And that very soon, either they''d have gone and joined back with their fellow savage tribesmen, or the other tribesmen would have gone and joined back with them.


    Anyway, that''s what happened.


    Thest goblin fell and whacked its head onto the ground.


    In the dull silence which ruled over the ce, the sharp ''toc!'' rang out. And just as if it were the ominous beat produced by a war drum when two armies faced one another, it set away the rather peaceful atmosphere which reigned here.


    Five goblins went off of their hiding. Well, the war drums had announced it.


    The adventurers weren''t there. Not mentally. They didn''t notice.


    The war drums were hit again¡ªfive other goblins went off of their hiding ce.


    The adventurers'' eyes were cast downward, their senses dulled. Now, they''d notice the goblins, atst, a second after they showed up. They sensed them.


    Well, they screeched. Who wouldn''t notice, then? Kicking that battle off with their piercing shrieking sounds, they dashed onward. It was as if their lives depended on the rush they undertook.


    With their spears, swords, or daggers. All rusty, rotten, and out of shape. Whatever. They could still tear open soft stomachs with their dull weapons.


    They ran fast. With quick feet. Important feet. Really important. Off to cut several stomachs open.


    And so the adventurers were here, tantly beholding all of what seemed surreal. Surreal, yeah, but non-urring, no. Deadly-gripping fear seized them by their guts. To deal with all of this unhappy surprise, first off, the humans were in denial.


    Oh, and yet another group of five goblins jumped off of the deep forest, clearlying after the humans, too.


    The denial was total. Now, you could say they''d totally noticed their enemies. The adventurers did. They all but blinked in surprise. Repeatedly. For at least two seconds straight. Two seconds was a lot of time in their situation.


    Fear truly settled in, seizing each of the adventurers by their guts, with cold hands and cold expectations. If, after those two seconds of denial, you didn''t shiver, well, there was something wrong with you my friend.


    The war drums never ceased. Their world rumbled under the enemies'' quick footwork.


    Now, on the bold adventurers'' side, all that remained was crippling fear. They''d die. Yes. They would. They burned inside. They felt like everything was over. And they sensed their guts being torn apart within their bellies. That was how strong this sudden rush of anxiety was.


    Hell, should they fight? Hey, but how to even fight illusions? All of that couldn''t be real, after all, right? Ah, maybe they should just drink water? Like men of the desert? Wait, was this even how you unsee a mirage, though? ¡ªI tried to guess what wild thoughts went on in their minds.


    Well, I''m sure there was a lot going on in their heads at the moment. That was especially true for Leader. He was the man in charge here. And on top of that, he thought a lot.


    "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Shit¡­! Shit!" he cursed.

 Chapter 153 Field

    "Sh-Sh-Sh-Sh-Shit¡­! Shit!" he cursed. His throat was so dry you couldn''t even hear his voice. It was as though he whispered. With panic.


    And one question remained¡­ Should they fight? Seeing this, you might want to think Leader was a coward, but he wasn''t.


    Never in their whole life they attempted to pull that off. A fight against this many "shitty shitting shits," as the damage dealer would have it? Never did.


    Even with that, it wasn''t enough. And as soon as the hobgoblins showed up¨Cthat is to say, only three seconds after thest group of goblins, the Party was destroyed. Their spirit was. Literally.


    "He¡­lp. ¡­I said¡­ help. ¡­Someone¡­" Please, Leader. Help your team. Everyone except the damage dealer and me turned toward the leader for answers. He kept murmuring words to himself, alone, totally alone. The man''s legs shook with his arms. His face was the palest.


    His party members'' words wouldn''t evene out. They disyed signs of fear like their leader. The dread that washed over them all was real. And if they weren''t dead yet by now, it was because the iing monsters briefly paused. A roar of orcish, or a tongue that resembled it closely, echoed through the silence.


    "No! Stop! Too easy!" it roared. I understood the orc tongue, and what the hobgoblin spoke sounded so simr that I could understand.


    A hobgoblin. The leader came to realize that. In his panic, he stepped back and stumbled to the ground. The man''s trembling lips still were speaking whispered words that no one understood.


    The damage dealer was different. Yet another little fight went on.


    Everything happened so quickly up till now. The damage dealer''s longsword shed against two spears and a sword¡ª "Aaargh!" ¡ªhis leg was stabbed through.


    And that was it. At least he fought. Now that the surprise had fully settled in, their agony promised to be slow. Yup. Why even hurry? As slow and intense as the brave man''s cries of agony when the bony spear slowly went off his leg.


    The goblin that wielded the spear slowly aimed it back at the damage dealer. The man was down, surrounded by three green creatures. His expression only now was distorted in fear. Just as everyone else''s.


    Then again, the thunderous voice roared again. "...No!" A loud barbaric voice came from behind the goblin troops. A hobgoblin. The goblin stopped at once. Its superior was telling itself to stop. That much was clear by now.


    I didn''t have time to wonder how or why it asked that. The voice called again, switching back to the tongue resembling Orcish. Killing them off like this was too easy, it exined. I didn''t understand every word, but I could fill in the nks easily and understand. It would be far too easy for humans.


    Anxiety reached its paroxysm. Every soul turned to this bigger fellow from behind. Goblins and monster-hunters alike. A goblin''s intelligence was certainly lower a human''s. They could speak, but with difficulty. A hobgoblin''s intelligence was evolved, but not quite as evolved as a human''s yet.


    The first hobgoblin appeared with orders, and some goblin screeched its disapproval to its better. A 5-seconds argument went down. To settle the matter, the hobgoblin''s broadsword shed the dumb goblin down. No other goblinined. The quick speech the bigger fellow was giving continued for a few more seconds, then he turned to the fearful humans.


    If it mattered, the speech was about what the monsters had better do. And why they had better act that way. The humans were unfair. They massacre goblins and their betters for sport. Or to earn a living. Or to enve them. Sending them off to their deaths was going too easy on the monster-hunters. Also, they did receive orders from the chieftain of their proud tribe. Thus, the goblins were subdued.


    From behind the walls of trees all around, another big, thick-armed shadow was produced. And then it was another. And then¡­ another. The monster-hunters could count four of the 6-feet tall "orcs."


    I was the only "human" who kept myposure, then.


    Roaring at us, all four seemed pretty excited. Another two proud warriors of the proud tribe of these dark woods showed up. A semnce of hierarchy fell on us: Hobgoblins were at the top, goblins second, and humans down below.


    You could call them demi-orcs. They weren''t as imposing as the orcs. A head shorter than them. Muscles-wise, they seemed pretty simr. Their physical strength was far beyond my boys'' level. As monsters, or demi-humans, they weren''t half-bad. The chilling they sent right through the prey''s spine was that crippling.


    Their thick necks and shoulders weren''t either so off-putting. And same goes for the usual monster-like, and dreadful aura those kinds of creatures gave off. Well, they were about as tall as an averagely robust human. Just about asrge, too.


    True, they were obviously naturally way more muscr¡­ and the way they dressed and armored themselves really yelled, "We''re barbaric; you be afraid of us," but that''s really as far as it went.


    The priestess''plexion was white. Completely white. Like it had just been bleached or something. It was white and cold.


    When I turned to her, she didn''t even seem to notice me as she trembled all over. Somehow, even despite her trembling, she was totally frozen in ce, with a clear word carved on her pale figure¡ª Help.


    In her right hand, she still held her chunky wooden staff. Her grip on it was very faint and fragile, though.


    Wood hit the ground. As lightly as possible, lifting off the overwhelming heavy pressure that ruled over here. ¡­Only for a second, though.


    The sorceress stood right there, being in about the same state as her fellow support, but she didn''t hold onto her sorceress'' wand anymore. She let it fall to the ground. Emptied of all passion for what was going down, heavily trembling too¨Clike she was a dead leaf.


    That''s when it struck me. My humans clearly couldn''t even try and resist. At first, I thought I''d see them off to their hopeless struggle before I helped them out of their predicament. I spent a lot of time with them. They were weak. And they shouldn''t die stupidly. When I was weak, I was fortunate enough to be taught a lesson.


    Back in the restaurant, I died because I was weak. It was the first time I felt like sharing something with someone. This lesson. I''d teach it to them, too.


    But they already learned, it seemed to me.


    Be it the two supports I''m just watching¡­ the party leader who''s about to break too¡­ the slow, chunky tank that seems to have done the finest job at totally erasing his presence there despite the huge silhouette¡­ or the damage dealer over there, bleeding out.


    ¡­When the damage dealer managed to summon thest bits of his strength, seized his sword''s handle with difficulty¡­ and swung it forward. One goblin fell. That talkative orc just told his troops a moment ago how humans weren''t fair and how they killed their weak to enve their strong.


    Now he roared again.


    "Aaarghhh!" the hobgoblin roared like one hundred tigers, madly stomping his foot on the ground. Everyone was subdued by it. In the human tongue, this time, he yelled. His ent was heavy. "They¡­ kill our weak! Again! Cowards!"


    Action settled right back in.


    The spell of panic and anxiety was lifted off and the tank was the first to move. He''d just undone his Forming-Into-a-Protecting-Ball Jutsu, reached out to the wounded damage dealer with long arms, grabbed the man''s cor, and threw him behind with surprising might.


    The damage dealer was thrown, his ass dragging onto the ground. Next thing I knew, he was right next to the priestess. Not knowing what to do at all, she quickly crouched down and did what she did best. Chant healing spells.


    Well, well, well. With that curious move they had just pulled, I wondered whether they would put up a fight or not in the end. I didn''t wonder for long. After that move, things looked even deadlier for the human team.


    Despite her assertive healing, the priestess'' hands were still trembling like mad. And despite his brave act, the tank''s condition wasn''t looking so bright right now.


    The first hobgoblin just broke into a sprint. His loud steps terrifyingly grew closer and closer with each Thud.


    Going alongside him, the five other big monsters weren''t so hurried, but they followed after the first.


    So? What now? I was required on the field for once.

 Chapter 154 The Monster

    So? What now? I was required on the field for once.


    Now that terror had settled in and crippled the air, the adventurers would move.


    The damage dealer was brave enough to kill one more goblin. It was the one that held its bony spear at his chest. From a mood heavy with anxiety, things had stirred another way, and their situation might have improved a little¡­ But no.


    My expectations of them shouldn''t be so high. After that very brightening move, everything went downhill again. My poor humans. They were in a tight spot. Obviously.


    And after he''d roared like a hundred tigers, the boss hobgoblin showed his fang. He first turned towards his troops. The five other hobgobs''. It seemed the regr goblins would just stay subdued in the mighty presence of their chief for the time being. The boss hobgob'' waved a hand to his troops and spoke in Orcish. Basically told them he was enough to handle that.


    Comints were heard but ignored. Meaning what he meant, he bent his whole upper body onward and sprinted. Toward my boys. This time, to massacre them for good.


    Loud stomps rang out through the forest, making it tremble and shudder again.


    On one side, there were the five timid adventurer soldiers to whom I took a liking. On the other side, 6 demi-orcs thirsty for human blood.


    Action settled back in. That was no lie. Absolutely true. It couldn''t be truer. A great many actions, moves, and assaults went down.


    Within such a wild setting, there were a handful of people up against three handfuls of monsters. Needless to say, there were no two ways around my friends'' predicament.


    The tank had been brave. He allowed his friend, the damage dealer, to be saved. He basically swapped ces with him. Now, he''d face the consequences of his action.


    Closest to the raging demi-orc, he was trampled upon like he was worth nothing. He was just a sack of meat, fat, and bones. Nothing worth noticing. Lifting one foot up¡ª "Uuugh!" ¡ªthe hobgoblin stomped on the man''s back. He had been on all fours, now his stomach was pressed against the earth under the enemy''s weight.


    As long as nobody died, there was no need for me to intervene. As long as nobody called me for help, that was the same. I figured the lesson about life I wanted to teach my humans would be far more resourceful this way.


    Quite a few more times, the demi-orc stomped a few more times on the tank''s helpless body. He had fun. The tank figured he''d be dead, but he figured wrong. His cries of pain were muffled under the monster''s weight.


    Being the closest to that raging demi-orc going his way¨Cand First Hob just arrived next to him¨Che was to be trampled upon like he was nothing. Yeah, just like that giant ball of both fat and muscle was nothing, the demi-orc, finishing off his rush, lifted one foot up with momentum, and bam!


    The demi-orc trampled the man''s spine with madness. Then he roared around, clenching his big fits into big raging balls.


    After the chief goblin was done, he extended his arms around, roared again, and showed his thick fangs. He seemed proud. That was just in bullying at this point. Not funny. Plus the tank was my friend, I think. Not cool.


    "Lea¨C Leave him alone!!" The leader intervened. At longst, captain. Another yer wanted in the game. He had his sword and shield ready for attack.


    Up until now, he was only a few feet away from the show of stomping about. But as he was totally crippled by both the fear that seized him by his guts and the feeling of death that breathed down his neck, he did nothing.


    His tank sobbed and feared what woulde, and he did absolutely nothing. Who wouldn''t have done that in such a situation, though? Now anyway, he got up, shook off his hesitations, and stepped up for his human friend!


    But it really couldn''t have gone faster. It only took a blink. The chief reached for his thick rusty sword and a sharp Thump resounded.


    He caught the feeble leader off-guard and swept him away. The leader couldn''t do a thing. He just took the blow head-on. Not even with dignity but with resignation.


    "Too easy," the hobgoblin had said. The leader wasn''t killed. Just swept away. He might have broken a few ribs, though.


    So the man was sent flying. His st-off was sudden, and hisnding was just as sudden. A tree was nted there, behind him, when he was mmed against its trunk.


    The leader of the goblin team pointed a finger at one other demi-orc, spoke words in Orcish, then pointed back at the leader of the human team and spoke some more words. That demi-orc marched to Leader. Then there were the other demi-orcs. They were given some words, too, and they started a thing on their own.


    The priestess only stood there, her eyes nted to the damage dealer''s wound as she tried to heal it. She didn''t dare look up. Who knew what kind of horrible things were going on up there. She refused to look up. Completely shut off from the world.


    That wound she was trying to heal wasn''t even closing anyway. I mean, a stab through the leg by a spear? Has she even healed this kind before? No. But she could only keep at it.


    The damage dealer was bleeding out, wasn''t he? Looking at what just happened with a pale purplishplexion, he must have cursed himself for having taken that wound. If not, maybe he could have run. Run and leave them all behind, the party members.


    But no. Too bad for him. And then there was the sorceress. It was a wonder how she still was up with legs as trembling as her own. And her face seemed so unwell, too.


    She still had her legs, at the very least. And that''s what the world needed. People who had legs. So they could survive and keep safe.


    More orders were given by the chief monster. This time, goblins went in and out the battlefield. Each had a task to take care of. Some more grim Orcish words were spoken again, and sneaky nces were thrown at the three party members at the rear.


    A finger pointed at them. Dreadful heads nodded. More enemies approached. It seemed like a lot was going on in the sorceress'' head. She had a lot to think about. And her trembling legs were ready to run. Atst, unwilling to torture herself more, she spoke with the shakiest voice. "Nonsense¡­! Why¡­ am I even still here¡­!"


    In the end, she didn''t even say goodbye before leaving.


    Ah, never mind, I thought. Maybe her tears''re waving goodbye, lol.


    I trusted their lesson was learned. They were weak. Then, it was about time I moved and did something.


    The leader, still up against his tree trunk, with a rusty sword slowly climbing to his neck, eyed me.


    As if he suddenly remembered what I was, he let me know he was seeing me. That was enough. It was my time. I took the tide with both hands and turned it around.


    First things first, the escaping member. Using <sh>, I appeared right in front of her and knocked her out. I was gentle, no worries. Using the same quick pace skill, I carried her to the priestess'' feet.


    That was carried out within a blink. So I jumped a second ago, crossed the sorceress, and interrupted her escaping, then jumped again to my next target. The demi-orcs didn''t have time to react.


    My first hit was the chief goblin. A ss between the two bosses right from the get-go. That was what I liked. Stirring my mana, I overspilled. A monster appeared in the arena.


    Just like an ocean washing over the enemies, my animosity spread all around. Every hobgoblin bent. Except one. What didn''t bend had to break.


    The boss enemy was ready to give the tank his coup de grace. He was obviously busy elsewhere, but when he picked up a presence stronger than his, he fell back behind the tank. This maneuver was probably so that he stood a chance against me. Cursing in his ownnguage, he thought he would¡ª


    No chance. My ws ran down his throat. I tore it open. That was easier than I''d have thought. I was then again reminded that I only opened the System Menu a day ago and applied all my Stats Points, so that was probably normal.


    All I had to do was attack, huh.


    The damage dealer and sorceress were momentarily passed out. The tank''s face was buried into the mud. That left the priestess and her leader to see me. Oops. After I sliced the monster''s throat open, he sank to the ground. I was seized by my wild monster''s instincts. Yanking the demi-orc''s thick chin back, I tore his hideous head off his shoulders.


    My face was bloody. The priestess'' eyes fell on me. She blinked twice. She was surprised. Her posture rxed. The girl was also relieved. But then, when my full eyes fell on her, and she saw my listless expression devoid of any humane emotions, she cast her gaze downward instantly.


    I was THE monster, but I shouldn''t let it show. It was as if she feared me. I didn''t want that. People feared me, and then they wanted to off me. I butchered her enemy, but she feared me.

 Chapter 155 Rage

    People feared me, and then they wanted to off me. I butchered her enemy, but she feared me.


    My eyes quickly darted onto the leader. When his eyes saw mine, he quickly avoided eye contact, too. He adopted a sullen look and forced a burst of irritatedughter out.


    Monsters turned to me with shock. They were most likely confused. It was toote to have any regrets.


    I smirked at them. My smirk made it clear. I''m the real monster here. The only.


    "Such a let-down," I said, dusting off my pants, also wiping the blood off my hands. My audience didn''t smirk. Not this audience, at the very least. "In case it''s not clear, I''m the big shot here. Get it? ¡­Time to clean off more than blood, now. Right, monsters?"


    At times like this, I took pride in being the Monster.


    I scowled at them. Putting as much hatred, contempt, enmity, and abhorrence in my face as I could. My eyes were icy cold.


    And so far, I didn''t hide my monster-like aura from them. Well, my humans also got a taste of my grim aura, I''m afraid. They''re barely experienced as mana-users, so they won''t recognize me as a monster.


    As it flowed and slipped out of me, I let it go out. It was intimidating and sowing fear into each of these monsters'' hearts. Now, I took it upon myself to keep my fierce and unsettling magical aura within myself. Not out.


    As I did that, all warriors proceeded toward me. As a group. As a strong, unified, and powerful team. That was the way to go. To greet the boss, they all came at me together.


    I stepped up. I sharpened myself. I cleared my mind of everything. I was a weapon. A knife, a dagger, a sword, a spear, a bow, an arrow¡­ everything. Using <sh>, I mounted the insurmountable wall my enemies formed.


    I killed the second hobgoblin like I did the first, spilling more blood. Surprised, my kill groaned. Drowning in his own blood, he sank down after I jumped on the third''s shoulders.


    I was simply too was for their eyes to see me. But by now, they would at least put up a little fight. The effect of surprise faded away. They got reactive and responsive. Not before I sliced that other one''s throat, too, however.


    The hobgobs'' disbanded. Three left.


    ? <ws> Active Skill ¨C No Elemental Attributes; MP Consumption: 30; Melee attack is increased by 125; Allows the Positive Effect ''Sharp ws Attack Power'' to take ce. Said Positive Effect allows one''s nails to turn into beast-like, sharp ws for the time of an attack. ?


    I went straight for the closest one again. The monster tried to protect himself with his arms before he could swing his rusty war ax at me. Using the very simple "ws" again, I made it clear I wasn''t to be messed up with.


    Going in full force, I cut off the hobgoblin''s wrist, climbed up his bulk, and stabbed the green monster''s chest. He was done.


    The other two I killed as quickly.


    Turning my attention to the lesser goblins, the group of tiny hideous creatures promptly decided to run for it. I was proud they made the right decision¡­ but that wouldn''t happen. I butchered them fairly quickly.


    Blood painted my clothes and hands. A listless, passive expression adorned my face. I felt calm. Oh-so-calm. Thest goblin I killed understood where I came from. Fear had nowpletely switched sides. It was only a matter of time before it did.


    "Life¡­ in its purest form, eh?"


    The fight was over. Then it happened. The real fight hanging over us all began. Drama. To the adventurers, was I some kind of chivalrous savior who rescued them from imminent death? Was I rather a in messed-up kid soaked in monsters'' blood? Calmly yet violently standing above the pile of goblins I yed?


    The damage dealer''s life wasn''t on the line anymore. The sorceress came to her senses. My other "friends" were perfectly awake, too. All stared at me with either nk or fearful expressions. They were lost.


    Confused, too. And fearful.


    "...Well," I sighed. "Now, I think you understand, at least." I tried to smile at them, but I couldn''t. "Your lives are worth more than that¡­ don''t you think?"


    I dismounted from my pile of dead enemies, gave them a thumbs-up, and struck a superhero pose. My face was still listless.


    "It''s all right."


    The battle was over. So I visited my friends, now. Walking to them, then among them.


    Passing by the priestess, she still trembled a little. The damage dealer sat up when I walked past him, with respect. I told these two that everything was all right, that they fought well, and that I was d to see the wound everyone thought deadly was sessfully healed, in the end.


    "Mm¡­yeah¡­"


    I turned to the priestess, gave her a head pat, and congratted her, too.


    "Thanks, Aoi¡­"


    I didn''t want to be a monster around my "friends." So, to fit in, I tried to cheer up my troops. I hoped it worked at least a little. Turning to the tank, I told him he was a hero. Without his courage, his friend would have most likely died. "The damage dealer''s an important asset, and you might''ve saved his life. You''ve done great." His leader had to be proud of him. "More importantly, your back all right?"


    Hesitatingly, the chubby tank nodded again. I let him know he had better tell his teammates if he wasn''t all right, though. "You mustn''t tough it up now that the fight''s over. If you need healing¡ª"


    "I-I do¡­"


    "Good."


    I surprised everyone and applied a healing spell to the tank.


    "A-Aoi!? How!?"


    "I just¡­ learned it from you."


    The skill was Active Skill: "Slow Heal." It was basically the low-level healing spell I learned from the priestess after seeing the skill be cast so many times. It wasn''t like I could instantly copy any skill I saw as easily. I gave it a lot of time, the day before. If I wanted to instantly copy any ability, I still had the "Dwelling" Unique Skill anyway.


    After I learned <de Shield> from the freak friend I made, I figured I could try and learn a healing spell from her. That was only a low-level healing, though.


    This wouldn''t be enough to perfectly heal the man, obviously. I barely mastered the skill. I knew the healer of the party was in no condition to help him any better than I could, however. So that was better than nothing.


    "You." I faced the sorceress, now. "Do better, next time." I wasn''t pissed at her; quite the contrary. Really, if it were just her and me, I would have congratted her for making the right decision. But I figured people wouldn''t be okay with that. Hell, even the sorceress might have told me that there was something wrong with me if I believed it was normal to abandon your friends, insisting I had to me her. So I said what I said.


    Before I gently pat the tank''s shoulders in support, I stood back up and looked at the sorceress.


    Keeping her gaze down, she silently nodded.


    And then there was Leader. The party leader. Left alone, to the side, his forehead still dripping with blood, looking down at his hands, his back shoved into the tree behind him.


    To him, there was nothing I knew to say. He had messed up, too, but worse. He was the man in charge here. His friends trusted him with their lives, and he failed them. And all of what happened, it was his fault.


    He was a victim too, but it was his fault still. And looking so lethargically apathetic and ashamed, he knew that himself. It was unfair, but his teammates had bet on him with their lives.


    "Damn it!"


    He suddenly snapped.


    He who had seemed so weak, fragile, and dispirited, finally burst out. Coming off the tree, he leaned in and punched the earth with all his might. One hell of an angry fist roared into the ground.


    Thump.


    "¡­Damn it!"


    And he punched again.


    "Damn it!"


    He punched the earth several times.


    "Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it!... damn it all!"


    The man huffed. His shoulders were heaving. Soon, he stopped cursing altogether. The wheezing sound that came from his lungs grew louder, and he coughed.


    He was raging, and now he became one pathetic mess again.

 Chapter 156 Parting

    He was raging, and now he became one pathetic mess again. The man was folded over himself, with his forehead on the earth. His party didn''t rise for him, so I did.


    I started to walk up to him. And making sure I wouldn''t surprise him (he couldn''t see me, he really was too much bent forward, at this point, he practically faced the earth), I announced myself with loud steps.


    As I approached, his sniffing and crying immediately stopped.


    Was he getting better? I wouldn''t expect that. Still bent in, he now headbutted the earth, cursing onest time, and leaned back up.


    "Leader!" That was the priestess. Whatever her desperate voice tried to convey, it worked.


    "I know¡­ what you think," he began. "But this wasn''t a bad idea. ¡­This wasn''t a bad idea! Get it?!" Their leader turned into a mess. After everything that had happened, everything he''d just lived, everything he''d just had to fight through, he would be reaching a breaking point sooner orter.


    I could ask, "Why''re you telling that to me?" but I didn''t. I had never spoken of it out loud. It being a bad idea. It being wrong, dumb, and dangerous for his team. Or it being totally reckless, irresponsible, ipetent.


    "I know it''s my fault! But what? Think you''re better than me?!" he continued. "''Do better,'' you told her. ''You. Do better next time.'' What? Do you think you''re better than us?! Know what? Yeah, you are! Happy?! Satisfied?! But what do you think, huh? Should we stay weaklings forever¡­! You get it?! Yeah? No? Of course not! You can''t! You can''t get it! ¡­You''re not like us!"


    I sighed. I couldn''t say I was sad or disappointed, though. I just felt like sighing. Because sure, why not? As he exined that, I turned around and looked at my party, searching for eyes that would face mine. None would. Everyone''s face was as if pinned down to the ground.


    I turned back to Leader. His face was distorted. That was due to the behavior he was disying right now. His face was distorted because it didn''t fit onto his head. He''d never been like this.


    His face was distorted with negative emotions. And it would stay like this for a long time. Thankfully, he at least grew calmer now and wouldn''t yell anymore.


    "You can''t get it. You''re not like us. ¡­ Weaklings, right? This wasn''t a bad idea. This isn''t a bad idea. Soon, there''s that uing tournament that''s taking ce. And if we wanna¡­"


    Ring!


    ? Main Quest ¡ª The requirements have not been met. ?


    ? Requirements ¨C Complete ''Act I, Chapter I, First Dungeon'' Main Quest before proceeding on. ?


    I didn''t have time for this. I waved my hands and swept the sudden notifications away.


    In front of me, Leader still spoke. "And if we wanna prove our worth there¡­ as well as moving up on the socialdder¡­ we gotta make it right. But you don''t know that. Life isn''t just adventuring here and there. That, you know. You''re practically an aristocrat. ¡­You don''t know how hard it''s down there." I didn''t know what to think of these words. At this point, the man was mostly rambling. "You''re right. We''re weak. But you¡­!"


    He now gave me another scowl. "¡­Climbing up the socialdder? That isn''t something you need to do. Tsk. Damn it. You, you''re having fun here. ¡­But us¡­" He sighed deeply, shaking his head repeatedly. "¡­Here goes the little man, with his cheat ability¡­ how''d you call it again? ''Mana Conception''? ''Mana Impression''? You¡­ you¡­ you. Goddamn ''you.''" And he grew excited and frustrated again. "Couldn''t you tell they were here?! The monsters?!" He waved around frantically.


    "Leader¡­! That''s enough!"


    "Is it, though?"


    I said nothing. I often did that. I was detached. Unconcerned.


    "We can''t just stay weaklings forever, and you, you wouldn''t help. Couldn''t you tell us, eh?! ¡­Couldn''t the All-Powerful and OP little man let us, the lowly and inferiormoners, know, eh? And then you pull out that healing spell¡­ like it''s nothing¡­ ha-ha¡­ ha¡­!"


    As there was a nk, one of the demi-orcs that was hiding about in the distance made some twig snap. I kept their presence silent, too, but were they heard now?


    That was barely loud enough. Only Leader seemed to have picked that up as he mistrustfully turned around, inspecting what was up. This didn''t bode well. He seemed not to have been sharp enough to get the fact that he and all his team were being surrounded by a group of 14 new hobgoblins. All sneaking up on them while they didn''t perceive.


    So I spoke, atst, "You mean to say, like them?" I extended my arms around, explicitly indicating there were monsters.


    And on that man''s face, the scowl only grew tougher and tougher. He hesitated but now decided to keep his cool. "How many?" he grumpily asked.


    "Fourteen. There will be moreing up."


    "¡­Which way? How much time?"


    "There, this direction. Don''t worry about time."


    "But¡­ it''s deeper into the forest."


    "Don''t you worry about that, either. I''ll guide you people out."


    "¡­"


    "Trust me?"


    "Sure. ¡­Guys, we got to get moving."


    Everybody overheard us. The Party was attentive. At once, when Leader gave them instructions, it was a relief to see all of them could heed these instructions and get to be moving atst.


    "Also¡ª" I still had something to say. Something really important.


    "What?"


    "Whatever you''re chasing, give it up."


    My line was meant to save his life. In the end, it didn''t.


    Leader''s eyes shot at me. "We should hurry it. You know that. ¡­ Always zoning out, aren''t you. Seriously, even at moments like this? All of this really only is a game to you, isn''t it?"


    "We sail out East."


    Immediately, we headed back to town.


    Leaving all the monstrous corpses behind us, I guided my humans out of the dark woods. Good humans. They trusted my lead. Time ran by. I protected them from the demi-orcs who were tracking us. Killing one hobgoblin after the other, I wasn''t surprised to even find goblins after us.


    Before long, we exited the forest. In total, though I''d hoped for more, only about fifty demi-orcs were in by me. I''d gone up from two levels. The new stat points I obtained were all put into strength again.


    After we arrived at our city''s gate, my adventurers thanked me. A lot. They bowed to me and stuff. And since it got me too embarrassed, before dropping the magic backpack off my back¡ªit was full of loot and riches¡ªI ran off their sight.


    Farewell, I thought. Today, my friends officially outlived their usefulness to me. They weren''t teaching me any new thing I needed to learn, and I pretty much only wasted my time with them.


    The lesson and memories I gave them today was our parting gift.

 Chapter 157 Skills For Once

    After I was done with my adventurers, they started to thank me profusely, so I quickly ran away from their sight. I didn''t like it when people thanked me. I was someone who I believed acted solely for myself and my own benefit.


    Thanking me didn''t make sense. That was why. But anyway, I might have had this and that thing to take care of, and it was probably the main reason for my sudden departure.


    The world wasn''t sorge. That was when you got used to it. The country wasn''t sorge, and we were quickly back inside the Capital Roerdenville. I entered it together with my human friends. By the gates, I quickly got out again, as I said, though. And I ran fast.


    The outside world was where I belonged: It greeted me again. Among countless prairies, grasnds, and fields, I ran. A lot. For a long period of time. Running through all of this, with the winds blowing through my hair, dishevelling it all in a mess, I absent-mindedly was in thought. Before today, the only asions on which I headed out on my own were rare.


    At first, I mainly used my human friends to have reasons to go out. With them. Somehow, I had the idea that I needed them in order to go on outings. Going out required preparations, after all. They had their ways in and out of the capital nned, and by apanying them, I was as prepared as they were.


    Now, I was more familiar with the world and thought I might as well go out on my own, thinking I didn''t need so much preparation, in any case. To go out it was, then. Even if it contradicted stupid rules ofmonsense people abode by.


    I had a lot of time on my hands. This time, I would use it.


    I ran, and at some point, I stopped. As far as exploring went, I was satisfied with where I presently was. After half an hour of jogging, I plunged into what seemed to have been a grand wheat field of a priorly majestic golden color that had long since faded away. Its golden color grew gray and old.


    Within such a field, I found my treasure.


    When I stumbled upon it, it turned to me with a "Boing~" A grassy slime. It was green and verdant. After I waved a hand of greeting at the orb-like monster, it turned away from my face with another jiggly sound, going back to its affair. Jumping at some stone on the earth, it absorbed it within its body. Promptly, it started to suck at some bits of ivy marked on the rock.


    When I saw it, I knew I had found it. A funky creature.


    Where to go from now? Well, for starters, I noted that my host wasn''t polite. I was its guest here, but it didn''t mind me much. Such rude hosts I would kill. That was one point. For a second point: "System," I said, still eyeing the grassy slime. I left it alone for now and opened the System Menu.


    My stats, my skills, and, more importantly, my quests.


    Navigating through the Quest Tab, I picked one quest. "And what shall I do with all these funky creatures?" Quest. That was a quest I obtained earlier the day before.


    As usual, when dealing with the System and its logic, I wasn''t sure what triggered this quest into existence, but I distinctly remembered seeing something simr to that little monster ¡ª The grassy slime was done sucking in the ivy of its rock, jumped some steps ahead, and found another grassy rock to gnaw at. ¡ª and wondered about a vital notion to me.


    "''Thus do many skills lead to victory''¡­ right," I said, squinting my eyes at the funky creatures.


    How was I obtaining skills again?


    As my nature as a unique monster would want it, the most efficient way was to go with [Dwelling] and follow up with [Skill Copy] in order to learn more.


    Right. That was the way to go. This was where most of my potential rested. I was a monster-type that was rather fond of eating¡ªno, devouring. I was the Grand Devourer. Devouring things, beings, and mostly, experience. I stole experience from my prey. That''s how I grew. I devoured skills. Yes. All I had to do was to y my cards right.


    Hence why I came to such an unupied field popted with rare inoffensive monster-types. To y my cards right. Atst. Thinking back on it, in my younger days, I really was without a care in the world. I''m talking about the present day, incidentally. I wasn''t inefficient, working on absolutely nothing all day long, but I couldn''t especially be called effective either.


    I just did what I felt like. If I had a toy in front of me, I yed with it until it was dead. My schedule always read "Today: jus'' do what''cha want!" and that was it. A moron''s schedule. Today, well, I was thinking ahead to the future for once.


    It was about time I yed my cards right now that I thought about it.


    And so, the matter of my study was a grassy slime. What skills could I acquire from the funky slime? I died to know. As it continuously jumped from one station to the other, eating at the earth and whatever herbal thing it found on its path, I stood beside my grassy slime. Curiously peering at it from above, I narrowed my eyes at the little jiggly thing, then finally tried once to reach a hand out to the monster to caress it.


    One boing. It jumped away. And it was decided. I pped my hands together as my eyes shot open. "You," I said, cing my hands on my hips. "You will do. I choose you. ¡­Guide me to your ce."


    Another boing. It jumped away again. To another grassy rock from which to eat. I followed closely behind it, leaned in to sniff it about and picked its odor. "Passive Skill: Enhanced ir" was what the System Menu called the skill I naturally used.


    After I was satisfied with my query¡ªI asked the grassy slime to guide me to its ce, and so it would¡ªI knew what path to follow. "Thanks. You can go now." With a sh of my sword, the thing was gone, and I went away.


    Today, I was after skills. Today, I hunted on my own. My monster-hunter friends taught me how. Or rather, they taught me I already knew how to hunt on my own.


    Navigating the earth toward my goal, I stopped by a nearby forest. [Enhanced ir] was obtained from some wild doggo a long time back, I remember. In hunting, dogs could be used for tracking prey. Well, as you guessed, I could be my own dog, then. Both hunter and dog.


    One after the other, I stumbled upon grassy slimes, leading me to an area where they were more numerous. I killed three so far, and the next slime whose odor I picked was inside the woods. Dark woods. Inhabited by monster-types, most likely.


    Three killed slimes became four, then five, then ten. All in one go. They were growing more numerous by the minute. I met with a group of five little guys. All weren''t low-level grassy slimes this time.


    "Mm-hm," I nodded, "I wasn''t so sure about it, but I''m doing this the right way, it seems."


    Multiple slimes were in by my sword, and I proceeded deeper into the forest for yet more of the same little inoffensive monster-types.


    It wasn''t just my impression. With "Mana Perception," I could check it. The more I marched East toward the afternoon sun, the more the area was concentrated with mana. Wild, agitated mana.


    By now, there were more and more slimes I stumbled upon, so I ignored the majority of them and simply hacked my way through the thick branches and trees deeper into the dark woods I entered.


    The deeper I ran, the more powerful the monster-types around me were. A few groups of my fellows attacked me at sight; I fought and killed these ones. A few also attacked one another at sight¡ªthe saber-wolves and poison-bite giant spiders especially. I ignored these groups.


    Thus do many skills lead to victory. I followed the right path. The path toward victory. After more exploring the deep forest, I picked up a strong fragrance of plenty of the funky creatures I was after. Slimes.


    Within the unexplored dark forest I entered, I stumbled upon a cave. The entrance of it glowed with magical wonders¡ªred and blue crystals were settled up on the rocky canopy, and as bright and beautiful flowers guarded the wild meadow of its soil.


    Satisfied, I chuckled.

 Chapter 158 <Banana Throw>

    Within the unexplored dark forest I entered, I stumbled upon a cave. The entrance of it glowed with magical wonders¡ªred and blue crystals were settled up on the rocky canopy, and as bright and beautiful flowers guarded the wild meadow of its soil.


    A sanctuary of monsters. My senses already fathomed the presence of swarms of monsters inside the crude yet noble house.


    Satisfied, I chuckled.


    The falling ivy tickled my neck as I passed through the dark gape of the sanctuary''s entrance. As a cold breeze, from deep within the cave, whispered the words of the house in my ears, I felt a change. I was home. Monster-types'' home. There was a roof, walls, and everything.


    "So¡­" I murmured, "where are they¡­?"


    The minute I entered, bat-type monsters went rushing at me. When I asked about "they," those bats certainly weren''t the ones concerned. Despite that, their ps of wings and screeches were what weed me in.


    I cut the swarm down without batting an eye.


    "Not you people," I winced. Squinting my eyes at the dark, [Night Vision] kicked in pretty fast, and I got perfectly used to the darkness. "Mana Perception" had still its uses. So, where were they, my funky creatures?


    I quickly covered the entire area of the cavern. Only mentally jumping and running at every corner it presented, however. By the entrance, I explored it all. My eyes were shut tight as I navigated through the entire vast area.


    At once, my eyes shot back open.


    "There they are."


    My eyes lit with a blue me of expectations.


    The hunt began.


    With my arms locked behind my back, and my eyes shining with determination, I stepped in. Leisurely strolling my way to the end of the cavern while fighting off any non-desirable monstersing my way was what I then nned to do. It was rather easy. A child''s y. For minutes, rather low-level monsters, most of them being giant insect-type, kepting at me.


    Humming a tone, I destroyed them all as they came, and more minutes passed before I encountered worthy enemies.


    I came here for a reason: At some point, it was a giant poisonous centipede that came my way, its hundreds of legs rumbling on the rocky walls as it scrambled toward me.


    Confident, I faced the giant creature. It seemed to me the fellow monster nned to hit me with all its jerky articted fangs. It didn''t stop. It rushed fast. Before it impacted me, I quickly thrust a hand forward and activated <Intimidate>.


    At once, it became a tamed beast. Or no, "forcefully subdued" was more urate.


    I could swear I saw the monster''s shell glow with sweat, then. Before it hit me, all its crawling, jerky legs came to a consensus: they stopped, motionless. Under the blue mana crystals of the rocky canopy, my hand calmly reached out to the monster-type¡­ and I patted its armor head. "Easy, boy. Eaaasy." The shell was robust. The giant centipede promptly understood how inferior it waspared to me, that other monster-type guy.


    If it jerked back to scramble off back to its hole, the centipede knew I would crush its head right away.


    "You''re a good boy," I snickered, still caressing the smooth shell of the insect-type beast. Gently telling my pal about how the follow-up of our confrontation was supposed to go, I apologized. The centipede jerked back, but my ws pierced its shell armor and I kept it in front of me.


    I activated "Dwelling." That good ol'' unique skill that I initially "needed" in order to survive at first. For the sake of Skill. Shaking our dark sanctuary, the centipede may have been thrashing its thick body all around before the unique monster-type, me, called off the Character, turned to an Undine-like water spirit, and climbed into the centipede''s skin.


    For today, that was a first attempt at not wasting my potential. It had been a long time since I''d gone around using that skill. The handiness of it wasn''t the least bit rusty. I wasn''t out of shape. Swiftly, I was in. But¡­ as expected, my first attempt at using that skill was a failure.


    Right off the bat, the System notified me. I didn''t have time to appreciate my first steps as a giant monstrous centipede. The System notified me of an overload of the Receptacle''s mana core. That was due to the yer''s overwhelming strength. I might have gained the passive skill "Resistance to Poison +5," but you know what happened then.


    In a bright sea of white mes, the entire centipede was burned to a crisp. That also helped me upgrade some other passive skill I had, "Pain Resistance +2," but that was it. I felt the pain of my Receptacles, yup.


    Amidst the remains of ckened ashes, the Undine rose back up, and I shook my head. "Barely strong enough¡­" I mused, out loud, summoning back the Character.


    "I thought it mightst a little longer, but¡­ nah." My difficulties finding a suitable Receptacle, now that I was as overwhelmingly strong as I was, were to be expected. Before I buckled down to it and got my lessons on the art of mana regtion and its control, that was to be expected.


    "Sure, I expected as much anyway," I nodded. "All I got to do is find some monster-type powerful enough, and I''m all set, am I right."


    Yes, that was to be expected. Hence why I came to this cave. I felt the presence of a stronger monster-type down this ce. So, anyway, I shrugged and promptly trooped forward like I was supposed to.


    The deeper I ran, the more powerful the enemies became. Simr to how I met with stronger foes deeper into the woods, I met with stronger foes within the noble wild cave.


    Still not half as powerful as I was, however, but I was on the right track.


    After the poisonous centipede, for a time, many others of the same race came at me. Not bothering climbing into their shells, I absent-mindedly cut them all down, up till I reached the other levels of the cave. What drove me to this cave was the strong fragrance I picked from grassy slimes earlier. Yet, I still didn''t meet any.


    From cow-sized frogs going all "Kero-kero, kero-kero," I went to dark, nocturnal sorts of bald apes going all "Ooh ooh ah ooh!" then to plenty of other insect-types, and finally¡­ my sword and I reached the deepest level.


    I learned <Double Quick Leap>, <Catch>, [Resistance to Illusion +1], <Banana Throw>, and [Banana Wielding +3]. "Quick Leap" worked in a simr manner to "sh." It made me do a quick dash, but upward, and allowed me to, whether I choose to, perform yet another jump midair. I''m afraid I couldn''t use "Catch" for the time being for reasons I ignored. About the ape-rted skills, they were pretty self-exnatory. As a matter of fact, thest ape I yed fell to a neat banana throw I performed¡ª ? New Title "Terror of the Apes" has been acquired! ?

 Chapter 159 [Protean]

    But anyway: I reached the deepest level.


    A majestic room. Simr to how the entrance of the wild sanctuary glowed with magical wonders, crystals, and countless shiny flowers, thest room glowed with as much mana and beauty. Fireflies flew around. Cold water streamed into a carved bed. In the calm, peaceful atmosphere, slimes reigned kings. Bouncing here and about, they chewed at every kind of magical herb and flowers, absorbing them all within their fluffy, round bellies, before they were melted and eaten.


    And, if I hadn''te here to massacre every low-level slime I found, I might have needed to take a break then and there and take some pics to show Cetha, but I didn''t.


    The most powerful monster of the sanctuary was here, sleeping on its rocky throne.


    Spacious, but crowded. About hundreds of slimes. The ceiling reached high. Jumping off the elevated teau I was on, I stepped into the slime-only private garden. How kind they were; they didn''t mind my presence. I shed one and two little fellows; they still didn''t mind me. shing four and five other boys, some finally turned to me with question marks above their heads. After I killed a dozen, they all turned to me, and Iughed about it.


    They seriously were overly numerous, in their private garden. If it weren''t for the fact that I shed about two hundred of the monsters who tried to attack me, they might have had famished poption issues in a few months.


    And the fight dragged on. The quarrel might have been a challenge for me if I overused my mana and ended up overwhelmed by the slimes'' sheer numbers. But no. Rather than a fight, it was mostly me messing around with a calm, peaceful poption of monsters who shouldn''t have had anythinging their way.


    Slimes weren''t especially weak. One managed to grab me, at some point, and I swore I could feel it starting to melt me within its mass already.


    Once the tremendously big number of the funky creatures was cut down to half its initial number, the king awoke. Some real fights happened. When I fought the low-level ones earlier, I noticed some decided to blend into one another to form a bigger, stronger slime. That tactic was mostly useless. That was so long as they justbined weak powers together.


    Some still attacked, while some backed off toward their king. I waited for this moment. Today, I wanted a suitable Receptacle. Why, because the System put me up to the task. The quest "What shall I¡­+" was what I went about. And so, finally, a hundred little slimesbined with the big, enormous one, and then, you could say there was only one remaining slime in the room. Two enemies facing one another. Me up against the huge jelly fellow.


    Today, their peaceful tribe was devastated. A powerful foe knocked on their door, and before the slimes knew it, they were all going to be massacred. The rocky walls of the cavern rumbled with apprehension as the Slime King rose. Today was the day the slimes won back their independence over the nasty monster-types of the cave. The slime tribe survived so far. Why should they end now? A fight it was.


    But oh, wait? The Slime King noticed only one monster-type. Human-like. Standing ahead, in front of the jelly-jolly fellow. A sword in one hand and a grin yed about his face.


    From up the Slime King''s throne, you could see me give the big slime an ample bow of reverence before I jumped back in a hurry. From up its throne, you could then see me gesture for the slime toe forward. From my station down below, you could then see the Slime King''s nonchnt burst of rage: It jumped right down right in front of me. The canopy shook again, and I introduced myself.


    "Aoi Skill. 22 year-old. Single and unmarried."


    Before long, a real fight broke out. The giant slime pranced about so fast. You would think that now that it grew so big it would be slower than even the low-level mobs I ughtered, but not at all. It was fast. And like this, it partook in the hostilities.


    The way this attack went looked like a Giant threw at me an enormous boulder to squash mepletely t. The battle began. The monster-type was powerful. I was sure of that. Then again, I was still stronger. My dexterity far surpassed the Slime King. That was how, after hundreds of peaceful years in the Slime Settlement, none remained.


    I quickly pranced upward, then performed a midair jump right back to where the giant slime stomped, called off the Character, and used "Dwelling" on my foe. A Receptacle was found.


    ? Receptacle "Slime King, Slime-type, level 39" ¡ª Ring! ¡ª Non-drastic overload of the Receptacle''s mana core. Receptacle may not profit the yer indefinitely. You may, whether you so choose to, find another Receptacle to ensure survival. (Rmended. Notpulsory.) ?


    There you have it. Unfortunately, I still couldn''t be a big enough fanboy to say that it was "that time I got reincarnated as a slime," but I at least took over one. I controlled one. Back in the restaurant, when the storyteller told my story, he narrated that the monster was a mean thing: it could climb into your skin and rob you of everything you had.


    To rob a slime it was, then.


    As always, taking over a Receptacle didn''t feel weird. I felt right at home. Being a slime king, I jiggled my body around while having fun, jumped here and about like the slime assembly before, had some more fun for a minute or two, then remembered I came here for a reason, and it certainly wasn''t just for the sake of entertainment.


    Being all serious, I made an angrily-determined slime face. I nodded and decided to test "it" out. Test out, right. Tests were what followed. So I nodded again and brought a hand to my chin. I had no hand, though. So, from the enormous jelly-like mass of the slime king, I produced a hand.


    ? The new Passive Skill [Surge] has been acquired! ?


    Surge, as in, flow? I yed around more with that hand, produced others, and naturally started to take on many forms and shapes at will. At first, it was hard, but I managed to form my Receptacle into a Giant-sized human. I felt a breakthrough. ying with my state of shapelessness more, I moved around here and there, shaped my Receptacle into a dog, a rat, a spider, or even a centipede¡ªbefore I knew it, [Surge] had evolved into [Active Flow], then [Protean].

 Chapter 160 Unique Monster-Type

    That''s what I''m talkin'' about, I thought. That, right there. That''s what I oughta be doing, boy.


    "Protean" was one thing. I discovered that I could summon the System Menu even while using a Receptacle. Well, given the fact that I was initially built to always go around using Receptacles to not die, I guess that made sense.


    Navigating through the Skill Tab, I selected "Passive Skill: Protean" ¡ª ? "Passive Skill: Protean" ¡ª Ability to have a varied nature. Ability to assume different forms. To be mutable at will. Master of Disguise. Only usable if coupled with "Passive Skill: Jelly-like Shapelessness." Non-rted to "Unique Skill: Faceless." ?


    It basically granted the user the ability to shapeshift. Not in a physical or deeply biological way, though. Only outward appearance was affected. The bit about the skill not being rted to [Faceless], a unique skill that sounded a little bit too OP and that I also didn''t have, meant that I couldn''t change my facial features at will, while in the form of the Character.


    After some time, I got back to it. The slime king, controlled by me, jumped from one ce to another, swimming across the private garden full of magical wonders, crystals, and flowers. I remembered how the slimes got down to it¡ªthey first absorbed a flower or crystal within their "stomach."


    A red glowing rocky crystal flew to the giant slime''s stomach.


    And then they¡­


    ? The new Active Skill <Melting Acid> has been acquired! ?


    They ate it.


    Before it evolved into other skills, that skill couldn''t be particrly useful or deadly in any way, I thought. Couldn''t be so bad, but mostly non-important.


    The giant-sized slime king wasn''t done yet. I wasn''t done yet. I couldn''t be. With as round and funky a body as I had, there was no way I wasn''t going to exploit it more than that.


    I thought about it really hard, and I found a new way to make profit from my Receptacle again. When the slimes attacked me, the poor little things had one way to surprise me: Closing in to the pure stream of cold water along the side of the rocky hall, I let the slime king plunge in the stream, absorbed some water inside its stomach, and backed off.


    Spurting the water at a nearby rock with all the slime king''s might, I made it roll around by a few feet. That was how the slimes had surprised me and how I wished I would copy them again.


    Well, that was kind of a letdown. First off, there wasn''t that much might to the jet of water, and secondly, I failed the learn the skill I wanted.


    "Active Skill: High-Pressure Water Jet" couldn''t be acquired, the System notified. At the very least, I managed to learn the passive skill [Talent: Water Magic]. I guess that meant I could be a mage of water now? Was that a good thing? I didn''t know. I didn''t care.


    After long, I thought I was done here. I obtained what I came here to get: Skills. I was Skill, so it was only natural I did that. Still, by mindlessly ying around the area, I managed to obtain more without really meaning to. Slimes melted rocks, crystals, and flowers in order to eat from their energy. By chance, when I sucked at a rocky wall with <Melting Acid>, I made it evolve into <Melt>, then <Forge>.


    A title was obtained. "Rookie cksmith." Where the hell did thate from? Probably because of a vein of gold I found buried in the wall. If you tried and melted some metal, you automatically became a forger. Well. That was a stretch, but whatever.


    The passive skill [Talent: Heat Magic] was also obtained.


    After a while, I was thoroughly done in my cave. So I jumped off my Receptacle, observed the slime king rise back in control of its own body, then thanked the monster-type before I threw a banana at it. Talk about a badass way to end a rival. It didn''t do as much damage, too bad. shing at it with <Chain Attack>, I saw to it that it was totally defeated.


    Going off, I exited the cavern.


    With my little excursion, I gained 5 levels.


    ? Level: 53 ?


    ? Status ?


    ? HP: 3200/3200 ?


    ? MP: 650/650 ?


    ? Vit. 89 ?


    ? Strength 248 ?


    ? Agility 91 ?


    ? Intelligence 87 ?


    ? Sense 89 ?


    ? Fatigue: 11 ?


    A few days ago, I was irritated. My human form looked young. Sometimes, even childish. Well, it kept growing up as long as I kept leveling up and cing all my Stats Points into STR, but even at level 53 with 248 in STR, I couldn''t force people to respect me, or my outward appearance.


    When I first got my human form from the System, I looked like a middle schooler. Today, I looked like a high schooler. I was way above 5 feet, but I wasn''t nearly as close to the size of the average adult person. To remedy that¡­


    Outside the cave sanctuary, I settled my sword on my belt, fisted my hand into a trembling ball of excitement, and imagined tears of satisfaction streaming down my cheeks.


    "Finally¡­" I dered, mumbling how satisfied I was. "Today, I¡­"


    I used [Protean] with perfect control over the skill. Long ago, I got to use some swordsman''s body as a Receptacle, remember? That guy who killed me on my first day. Remembering the man''s shape and form, I let myself grow into an adult. I was tall and my shoulders were square. I was manlier. Was it how I would look after months of leveling up? Of growing up? Most likely. The skill barely consumed any mana at all once I settled for the adult-like of the manly middle-aged version of myself.


    "Humph," I unleashed my sword, shing rapidly in front of me, "it does feel different," and I sheathed back my sword. "Hmm, my voice''s different, too. Lower. Deeper. Well. I definitely got what I came here to get." Shrinking back to my "natural" human form, I was satisfied. "As expected, slime was the monster to pick. Anyway. I''m pretty much done here now. ¡­Or no, wait¡ª"


    After some time, I realized that, no, I, unfortunately, couldn''t grow wings from my back thanks to "Protean." I mean, I definitely could shape "wings" behind my back, or shape my arms into wings altogether, but I could never hope to fly with such a shabby version of grand, majestic wings.


    "Too bad."


    The next thing I tried was to shape myself into a woman''s body, and sure enough, I could. Only the silhouette was different: Obviously, I couldn''t go from one sex to the other. Maybe that could prove to be useful, too.


    To put an end to my spontaneous little outing, I celebrated: Running all around the dark woods, I cut down a few dozen monsters with my eyes dancing and sparkling. Yes, I was happy.

 Chapter 161 Bet!

    My afternoon hade to an end. I spent my time in the dark woods I briefly visited, then it was time to hit back home. In a week, I hadn''t entered my own residence. I might have dreaded such activity at first, but sleeping outside on rooftops wasn''t so bad.


    Still, at times, the feeling of being home was just worth it.


    So, before the sunset, that was where I was. Leisurely, after I sneakily entered the room the old man had said could be for me by the window I always left open, I dug my back in the mostfortable seating amodation resembling a throne of sorts. My arms resting on the sober,fortable bench''s rear side, I crossed and uncrossed my legs together, looking straight ahead of me. My eyes weren''t lost on the fine canvas that rested there on the wall; I looked at nothing in particr.


    A minute passed. My eyebrows raised, and I snorted.


    "I definitely feel something. Some change¡­ or something."


    Uncrossing my legs, my back parted from my ck throne, I leaned in, and picked another of these.


    "Magical flowers. They''re some nourishment, after all." This time, I didn''t bother tasting the nt one petal at a time. Confident in both the fact that it tasted good to me, and the fact that it nourished me (and allowed my mana to regenerate), I brought the whole flower to my lips, before I drowned the flower in the dark of my gaping mouth. "Hmm. Definitely tastes good, right. ¡­This book here calls it, uh, a Mana Begonia of ins, eh?"


    Upon the coffee table I had in front of me, there were both wildflowers in a bundle¡ªI picked those in the woods I hunted¡ªand a book called Alchemy: All Sorts of Mana-flower Varieties and their Properties.


    "Well, even flowers have a lot to say about themselves."


    "True, they do."


    I turned to Cetha, the elven princess. She sat beside me and faced the coffee table with excitement. Her eyes were sparkling and a cute smile was pleated on her pale lips. Curiously eyeing the rare flowers I brought home, she looked so passionate. The girl''s passion was really about anything that had to do with learning and mana.


    "And the one you got here is called¡­"


    "¡ªRare Forest Catmint."


    That was my fairy of her own majestic valley for you. Always so knowledgeable about things she was passionate about. Always so gracious when she shared such knowledge and experience with me. The wondrousdy turned toward me, smiled at me, and behold, the entire room lit up. I had to smile back at her, and sheplimented me on all the rare flowers and magical wonders I found, trying to make me feel better yet.


    "Right. It''s a catmint." Leaning closer to Cetha, I observed her ying with the magical flower in her hands. Once she was onto it again, the girl was studious and observed every angle of the subject of her admiration. I observed it with her. A mana-flower. Cetha noticed my growing interest, andughed: "What, you want to eat that one, too?" Iughed, too, and exined to the girl for the nth time that, no, I wasn''t about to eat them all.


    In the first ce, I was just experimenting with those flowers when I was back home. I was hardlyparable to any organic creatures, human or animal, of this world. I was purely from water and mana. Eating flowers filled with magical energy was a rather pleasant experience for someone like me.


    But that wasn''t some matter I had to over-exin to her¡ªmy old man was the one to whom I gave reports. Reports about myself. Reports about that unique monster-type.


    He insisted I had to so he knew everything there was to know about his beloved grandson perfectly. Later, he bragged that he could be the first author to write the unpublished bestseller of a lifetime: How to Bring Up Your Unique Monster-type Child Well: A Complete Guide.


    "That''s why I won''t eat it," I said, digging my back deep into the two-ced throne again. "Tell you what, you''re the one who should try some. They''re really tasty, you''ll see."


    "Well¡­" the girl hesitated, scrunching up her delicate facial features with slight disgust. I chuckled.


    "Was it really that terrible¡­?" I seriously liked the taste. It felt fitting to my pte. Like it agreed with the ingredients I ate today.


    "It was sour!"


    "You''re not a real elf. Scam elf. I should boo you."


    "That''d be rude." It wouldn''t. Elven people were renowned for their love of vegetables and greens all around the world. My elf didn''t like raw flowers, though. That was a surprise to me.


    "Jokes aside, like you say, Aoi, I imagine that''s only because of your rather unique condition, don''t you think?"


    "Right." I knew it was.


    "I tasted a petal for you. And it was just¡­ really, sour, ha-ha."


    "That''s that. Too bad. I''m done experimenting anyway. So, as we agreed, you can have ''em all to yourself now."


    "All of them? Sure?"


    "All of them. Yup."


    "I thought we agreed I couldn''t take all of them, though, Aoi."


    Cetha said that she could hardly ept them all, though. The ingredients were too precious, ording to her, and she wouldn''t allow herself to impose herself on me like this. Or, she could, but before she knew it, she would start asking for every one of my possessions.


    "And I''m telling you you don''t have to be so polite, y''know."


    We spoke about it, and I told her I''d give her everything I brought once I was done with it: Be it red and blue crystals or the magical herb ingredients of all sorts I found outside. On top of the coffee table, more than just flowers, there were also magical gemstones and crystals I plucked in the cavern. Cetha called all of those oh-so-precious alchemy ingredients. And by now, I was done with it all.


    Sure, I had driven my sharp teeth into the unstable crystals and gemstones. Sure, I also drove my teeth into the feeble mana-flowers, too. I tasted them all. One from each variety I brought. All of them tasted sulent, and most importantly, they fed me rather correctly,pared to your regr human-made food. That confirmed this and that theory of the old man. As I knew the flowers, which were basically brimming with umted mana as well, worked the same way as the other stones, I was thoroughly done experimenting.


    Cetha was happy, then. If I was done experimenting with those random magical ingredients, she certainly wasn''t. So she told me as much, smiled, moved closer to me, and thanked me. Fondly, I gave the girl a head pat and stood up. I needed to go and see the old man, now.


    "Ah, Uncle, right. He is downstairs. He misses you, you know, Aoi." Cetha couldn''t believe she had to say that, but she told me that I should drop by more often. "Like this isn''t your residence in the first ce," sheughed. She was right.


    I made to leave, so Cetha followed with me. I saw the majestic fairy to her private moonlightke¡ªa room she had upstairs, too¡ªand stood by the entrance, arms crossed on my chest, as she arranged the things I gave her on her desk, with her books and stuff. For a moment, we chatted idly.


    "So¡­ are your friends adventurers? Like, from the Guild Bureau?" They were. "I guess it must be fun going out adventuring with them." Surprisingly, it wasn''t especially. "Ah! But then what is it that is always keeping you busy outside, mm, Aoi?"


    Not much kept me busy, I guess. I mean, there was a lot I wanted to go about, but I didn''t have any big ns I needed to work toward achieving or anything of the sort. Clearing my throat, I decided not to mention most of what I, the monster, went about outside. Like, what I just did today. I didn''t want to freak her out.


    "You know, Aoi, I''m sure you could¡­ no, I''m sure we could sit back next to each other at the Academy. The apprentices are so numerous the grandmaster wouldn''t notice. My guess is, when he put us apart, he certainly didn''t intend for it to be definitive, you know, Aoi."


    I knew that. Still, I wouldn''t do that as long as I had stuff to take care of in the outside world, where I belonged.


    "The courses are fun!" And our conversation naturally drifted to what the girl was studying for an education, and I listened to my fairy enthusiastically chat about every of her "fun" little interests or discoveries rted to what the corpus of students was in the midst of learning. Sitting by the edge of her chair, her eyes glowed with eagerness and she gestured animatedly. I was surprised to hear that, after she was given the choice, Cetha oriented herself more toward the magic arts as they rted to fighting and warfare. "I supposed we would have more courses inmon, as you told me you would definitely head down that path, Aoi. Ah! But I do have a personal interest in the field myself, hehe."


    I was happy. High spirits. That''s what the pleasant fairy of her own splendid valley had. Grinning at her sight, I nodded to her every word, and at some point, my noble host fairy permitted my leave.


    "I''m sure Uncle has noticed you. I told you: he misses you a great deal! And you mentioned you had some stuff to take care of with him. Later, then. Ah, and you give some thoughts to school, Aoi!"


    "You consider hanging out with me and my colleagues someday, too, then."


    "Bet!"


    I sailed to the old man.

 Chapter 162 Report

    I sailed to the old man.


    Downstairs. Under my roof. With his tea, his books, documents, maps, and studies. Stroking his gray chin, the old hermit cocked his head to the side. He mumbled questions. Those questions weren''t addressed to me. Yes, he was so plunged under the piles of documents and papers around, spread onto the pitch-ck ebony table in the open living room, that he didn''t notice me.


    There he was. The old man had his own bunker to use, but he always said he preferred to work outside in the open. He was d enough to say the two kids under him were rather calm, mature littluns. There was no disturbance to hinder him as he worked. His endless research on whatever topics he pursued could go on seamlessly, wherever he studied.


    That way, the old uncle could be part of the daily life of everyone at home, tranquil with the fact that, if he was always so busy with work, he at least was a present parent to the littluns.


    He was this kind of old man: To wake him up from his piles of books and research, I had to repeat it thrice. "I''vee to you, old advisor." Finally, he noticed his most beloved grandchild, standing right next to him, and briefly turned the senile-old-man mode on.


    "Ho ho! My grandchild! How pleasant it is to see you! Ho ho ho! Come,e! Do sit with your old uncle! Here. Oh, but let me arrange that chair for you: The closer it is to mine the better! My son. I thought you would nevere back to your old partner and had abandoned me!"


    If not rambling, he spoke. The old man spoke loudly in his excitement, yet, he often said how despicable unnecessarily loud voices were. Senile was the perfect word to describe that side of his personality. Giving me a grin, I grinned back at him, and sat together with him.


    "Tea? Why, of course, tea!"


    A cup of tea was served to me whether I wanted it or not.


    "Thanks, old man."


    We exchanged a few words of small talk. It was great to hear my old uncle was doing quite all right and that his projects were advancing quite well. To reciprocate, the old man was d to hear I was doing quite all right myself, and that I hadn''t abandoned him for another better-qualified old advisor. "No way. I couldn''t find your better no matter how long I looked. Plus, we''re partners, remember?"


    By now, I was quite good at it. I was quite good at "being a friend." All you had to do was act as if you were concerned about the other person''s feelings. Easy-peasy.


    My old man teared up, sniffled, and gave me, his beloved grandchild, a tight hug.


    "Partners, right! That, we are!" The old man thrust and clenched his fist up, wearing a serious expression. "This old man would do well to remember. Partners. You do call me your advisor, do you not? Partners it is, then." The old man paused for a long time, sipped on his tea, and seized my eyes. "But s! I only realize it as you, my grandchild, say this, but¡­ But¡­ These days, this old man is only rarely sought for help." That was a problem, ording to the old man. He was my advisor, but I barely confided in any matter with which I required guidance from him anymore. Ever since Lady Elina offered us shelter in her father''s capital, I barely required help from the old man.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    That was true, but I reassured the old uncle by exining to him how simr the engagement I had with Elina was to his example. If I didn''t require his help and advice today, I certainly would tomorrow.


    "How good it is to hear you say that, son."


    "...But that isn''t important anyway, old man."


    "Importance, oooh¡­ Hmm¡­ what is ''importance''?" Before he could go on with a long speech about what Importance was and how it rted to good work ethics, I shut him up.


    My report was what was important. Only that. The detailed report on how my uniqueness as an irregr monster-type, the only member of my own unnatural species, was what was important.


    After I exined as much to the old man, from his shelves, he produced lots of notes and sheets which he ced right in front of him on the table. The words with which the old advisor introduced me to all those papers were "My notes. You recall this old man needs to keep track of even the most mundane detail you deliver to me, do you not? There they are, my notes. Well, I am pleased that you havee to me. What about your report, son?"


    I waited for him and his old bones to be properly seated on his chair. Once he was all set, I quickly dived into it. My report. What could this be about? Well, lots of things. Or rather, lots of details. Both mundane and important. Probably. I didn''t really know. All I knew was that I had figured out a lot about "that unique monster-type," unearthing such and such discoveries about me or the System. Also, I knew I had an old man intent on knowing all there was to know about how my species functioned, all for the sake of¡­ further development¡­ or something.


    At any rate, the old man knew that he had to be of use somehow. Otherwise, he wasn''t part of the team. With that in mind, I believed he had his own homework to work on and shared my report.


    A report it was, then. To start up with the mundane things, the old man was right. "Old man, as you theorized, I''m not either of these two types: Elemental-type monster or Physical-type." Elemental-types were moremonly known as Fairies. There was a country around the world popted by Fairyfolks. Fairyfolks were a rare people rted to the Elves. Still, more often than not, when talking about Elemental-type, you meant to talk about actual fairies. Those weren''t people. They were elementals either wild or tamed, used by people as weapons of magic, like pets of sorts.


    Non-elemental-types were the physical-types. Basically people, demi-humans, or monsters. Organic. Made of flesh and bones. Animals that aren''t made of anything but mana. Non-elemental.


    The old man briefly taught me about this when he asked me to verify the idea.


    "I''m neither of these types, as you said should be expected from a unique monster-type, and that''s one thing to know." The old man was studious. Promptly, he jotted things down on his notebooks. I further exined that mana was everything I needed. That was in order to stay alive. Unlike mankind, I didn''t need food, for instance.

 Chapter 163 Follow-Up

    "To ''starve'' myself, eh? I spent around two weeks without ingesting any food in order to test it out¡­ that was when we first came to the capital¡­. and I noted no differences between now and then."


    If I had to notice one difference, it could be the fact that I needed to sleep more at night. From a required 2-hours sleep, I had gone up to 4 hours of rest.


    "To follow up, again, as you expected, that gave me the idea I mostly lived on mana, being more of an elemental-type. (People did confuse me with some sort of water elemental-fairy, in the beginning, right?) That was verified, too." Just earlier, as I ate different ingredients highly-concentrated with mana, I noted that my Fatigue statistics, from the System Menu, had gone down.


    "The conclusion is that¡­"


    "...You do not indeed require any of what we, fleshly creatures, need to promote our good health and ensure we can keep on living. Hmm. Wonderful, son."


    "Right," I nodded. "So, basically, you could say I only need energy¡ªbasically mana¡ªto  live and grow."


    "Assuredly."


    "Food is low on mana. Human food, that is. So it''s not as efficient. To expand on that, I might try and test tasting a few different animal types of meat to see how it goes. Monster-type meat should be a good nourishment. Human meat could be, too. That''s as long as my prey''s sufficiently powerful, right. You, for example. Mind giving me a finger or two? So I can taste it. No? Anyway."


    To finish, we exchanged a few more words. When my level and stats went up, I instantly literally grew up and got bigger. The old man concluded that I wasn''t indeed non-elemental. It might have sounded silly, but now I understood why I didn''t have any need to defecate, to pee, and stuff like that. It also made sense that I could spend minutes underwater without drowning. Or also why I could spend a full week without sleeping and not go crazy. As long as I had some mana supply, in theory, I could keep running.


    "Good to know!" was what the old man told me.


    Talking about my stats and level, I then brought up the matter of the System Menu. More precisely, I spoke about my unique skills. Those were important facets of my existence the old man wished to know more about. So that was part of my report.


    He already knew about "Dwelling," but now I could give him the "game-like" descriptions and details of the skill.


    "Oh. Hmm. Thispetence of yours¡­ We already understood it, did we not?" The details still interested him. I then mentioned the "Consciousness" Passive Skill to him. "Most interesting! To think that this was a concept that can be quantified as an ability. To be conscious, hmm. Self-aware. Oh. This ability isn''t quite unique, as is understood from your description of it, but you do well to mention it, my grandchild."


    After we were done talking about these two skills¡­ that was when things started to be serious.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    ? "Unique Skill: Grand Devourer" ¡ª Unique skill bestowed upon the "monster." The monster is a legendary being from old tales of a long-since-lost history. Sometimes painted as the representation of a vengeful spirit or of the representation of the sin of Greed, the monster is nowadays moremonly believed to be a ravenous, greedy cmity that is, ording to such old tales, believed to swallow the whole world along with the Nine Heroes, at the end of times. The monster, possessor of the "Grand Devourer" Unique Skill, also often is depicted as the stealer of Skills. The monster is also poprly said to have been created "from" humans, like the Greed that is within them, as a punishment for their wickedness. ? Like this, the skill description went on and on. Mostly, the descriptions were about some lost part of "history," as the System would have it. ? Grants the user Permanent Positive Effect "Limitless." ? "Limitless" was a positive effect that basically gave the user infinite room to grow, or infinite growth potential. Most people and things in the world had a limiter that they couldn''t exceed. Theoretically, I didn''t have any. ? Grants the user Permanent Positive Effect "Sense Fragment." ? I didn''t bother to exin what "Sense Fragment" was as I was mostly clueless about all of it, at this point. ? Grants the user Permanent Positive Effect "Grand Devourer." ?


    That was it. Well, I couldn''t really say that, though. "That was it." What was what, exactly?


    If I remembered the "dream" I had had, after I aplished the Main Quest "What lies behind the story," I might have at least understood a few bits of that giant skill description. At any rate, I had forgotten. I couldn''t have helped it.


    What I remembered was the young storyteller of my first day, the one who told the story. Yes, the story. Old tales. Ancient Tales. Whatever people called them. This skill description wasn''t just about some fancy nonsense. I understood that. Still, I didn''t remember the contents of that "story" so vividly at all. Naturally, I couldn''te to any conclusion about anything with that.


    But the old advisor¡­ Maybe he could tell me something.


    As I first started describing what "Grand Devourer" meant as a skill, the old man went through different stages: His old voice wavered when he told me to repeat the words slowly to him so he could take notes, and I noticed a thin film of sweat on his forehead. He grew seriously agitated. After that, the old man took a minute or two to silently stare at his notes, his eyes slightly trembling, as he impatiently stoked his gray chin, in a state of emergency. Then, for another minute, it seemed to me the old man had be afraid of something. In a quiet voice, he analyzed the skill description, as if he was making connections with other points he already knew. "This matches that, and that matches this¡­ But what about the mention of this¡­ What about the mention of that¡­ It doesn''t appear to¡­ make sense¡­?"


    "O-Okay, easy, old man," I nervouslyughed, eyeing him with a confused grin.


    "Y-Young man¡­" he whispered, turning toward me as if he noticed my presence for the second time. I told him not to be so drawn away with his own thoughts that he forgot I was here. He quietly nodded, and I decided not to disturb the old troubled soul. I was curious about what he had to say, but no questions were asked.


    Later, when I would ask him about that very moment, the old man would deny me an exnation and tell me that it was all nothing to worry about anyway.


    For the time being, that wasn''t important.


    And the old man came back to his senses. "Go on then, son." What about the other skills, he asked.


    "Don''t look at me like this, hey," I shrugged. "I''m afraid I don''t have much left. Most juicy stuff was the skill we just went over. As for thest one¡­"


    ? Unique Skill: "Mana''s Benediction" ¡ª Is granted to one who is beloved by the Mana. The user has been blessed by Mana. Grants the user Permanent Positive Effect "Privileged." ¡ª Positive Status Effect "Privileged" (level MAX) ¡ª In rtion to the Game, grants the user Privilege(s) that aren''t granted to Non-yer characters. If required, it restores the Storyline to its intended path. Allows the user interaction through the System. Is one of the requirements to qualify as a yer. Lasting effect: Permanent. ?

 Chapter 164 Nightly Visit

    ? Unique Skill: "Mana''s Benediction" ¡ª A lot was discovered about my skills. The unique ones. I thought the old man couldn''t be more taken aback by the contents of the long-winded skill descriptions I recited to him. Right, "Grand Devourer" already bore a heavy enough meaning by itself.


    After "Mana''s Benediction," the old man jotted down a few things inside his notebook. He looked troubled but ultimately didn''t ask any questions.


    From my perspective, that unique skill seemed pretty straightforward: It gave me the System, named me a yer, and allowed me to y the Game. System, yer, Game. To me, this nomenture felt perfectly natural. To an old man who didn''t know much about the Heroes'' Homnd that they called Japan, these names, about a game and a yer, couldn''t really make a lot of sense. Not after just one read, at the very least.


    As for me, I didn''t mind the terms because I was well too used to the System always throwing notifications about a game and a yer ever since my creation, but I also still hadn''t met the hero named Haruto yet. Thanks to Haruto, many more things would make much more sense. But that wasn''t for now.


    My old man was starting to get burned out. Well, my report wasn''t done yet, but I honestly didn''t mind the rest of it. To tell the old man about the System Menu and everything that rted to it was one thing. My advisor would surely prove useful to me in the days, months, and years toe. Probably.


    Still, for the present moment, there was no rush. I exined to the old man that he could get some rest. He seemed worn out. I didn''t want him to die just yet and told him as much. Also, the rest of my report wasn''t especially important. It was about skills I obtained, what I could do with them, and how that would work out for our team in the future.


    "To rest."


    "I insist not!"


    "To rest."


    "I shan''t die just yet!"


    "...To rest." I had to insist again. Still, the old man didn''t want to. Flustered, he first squirmed and fidgeted awkwardly, then told me he was happy his beloved grandchild worried over his case so much. Still, he was feeling quite all right. Of course, spending quality time with the "best grandchild in the world ever" could only te the "best gramps in the world ever," so he would never run low on energy for me. Those were obviously his words.


    I might have been grossed out by the flustered gramps'' excitement over spending time with me, the alleged beloved grandchild, so I insisted that he should take it easy onest time, but was inevitably defeated by abo of Tight Hug + Tight Hug + Insistent Head Pat + Love Confession from the old man. I epted his eagerness to work and went on with it.


    We had to go out. The old man was happy to point out it was our first outing together. Our first family outing. Cetha was still home, so he insisted we had to invite her next time. I agreed to that, but Imented that, for this kind of outing, we ought not to take her with us outside.


    "Oh¡­ Hm. Agreed."


    The old man stroked his gray chin, pensively. I exined what I meant: A unique monster and a crazy old man were both freaks. That was me and the old man walking by my side. As freaks, we enjoyed each other''spany. A third party, who isn''t so freakish, wouldn''t have the same opinion as us.


    It was just a quick outing, but it involved kills and blood. Basically what people considered "wrong" and "evil." It could probably be considered hypocrisy, but I felt like I didn''t want Cetha to see this part of me. She didn''t need to. That was that.


    A young man along with his grandparent thus went out on their own, leaving the youngdy behind. In this situation, normally, the young son was supposed to be hopping up and down with excitement, waving his arms around, letting out friendly giggles, and crying how delighted he was to be with grandpa. Next to him, the old man was supposed to have both arms locked on his back with a stern attitude as he told off the overly thrilled child, saying the boy had to calm the hell down.


    Needless to say, we weren''t quite "normal," my old man and I. Our roles were reversed.


    "An outing with my grandchild! Owiiie~!"<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Quiet now," I sighed. "P-People are staring, old man¡­"


    I guided the old man out of the city. We decided not to walk. We ran. It didn''te as a surprise to me: the old man easily picked up the pace to match my speed. Faster than horses, along the way, we idly chatted. I let the old man know our quick schedule, and we promptly arrived at our destination.


    The same majestic sanctuary of a cavern in which I defeated a bunch of monster-types earlier today. The same glowing red and blue crystals adorned its entrance, with the same mana-flowers, bowing and dancing by the foot of the cave.


    "Quite the beauty!"


    "I know, right?"


    The sun was setting, diving below the horizon. The mes of the red fireball shone brightly in the West, but not so brightly within the dense sea of trees. A cold wind blew through the canopy of branches, and two silhouettes were drawn from the darkness of the forest to the shiny sanctuary.


    A group of adventurers was here. When the old man spotted them, heughed a few "Ha ha has" andmented "How convenient for people to be here," with a cunning smile. He had switched to the Ha ha ha mode. A cold, impassive old man walked beside me, and we were about to greet the newbie monster-hunters.


    "Word is, the dungeon boss really has been in, y''know, guys."


    "Yeah, yeah. Keep repeating it like we didn''t hear that rumor, too."


    "Any wicked hunter could''ve been spreading lies around."


    "I''m just saying. Who knows? Maybe the Slime King really was defeated. ¡­And I gotta say, sure wish it was, man. That''d ease up our job a great deal."


    "Our scout''lle back with the news. For the time being, let''s just sit our asses here and wait."


    "Right."


    There were four. Three talked. It seemed there was a fifth member to their party, but he had gone exploring my cavern in search of a certain dungeon boss I killed. All remaining four were your typical-looking adventurers. Free, non-generic, and in search of great hunt-treasures. Gathered up around a fire, the group roasted skewered meat as they chewed their dry bread with strength. They were in the dark, in a monster-type area, and they were people.


    All of these three attributes meant they also were prey. To monster-types. I was one, so I could tell. After the four''s conversation died down, atst, rustling sounds were heard. Soon, the sounds of steps invited themselves to the hearty gathering around the fire.


    A young man''s face was void of any emotion. The old man following me wore an evil grin and keptughing rounds of silent "Ha ha has."


    Alerted, the hunters were first confused. A second, their voices all spoke on top of one another, messing with the silent harmony of my territory''s nightly luby. Another second, they all shut their traps to make out if the presenceing to them was malevolent or not. Soon, it was asserted that there were two. The uninvited guests were people. An old man and his son.

 Chapter 165 ,

    "Y-You there!" a voice angrily shouted. "You didn''t n on announcing yerself, did you?!" Other voices were raised. The hunter group wasn''t particrly happy with the two silent guests. Well, it couldn''t be helped. I enjoined them to calm down first, then I turned to the cold old man.


    This was the cavern. I showed it to him. Again, the old manmented on how marvelous the ce was. "Ah¡­" the Ha ha ha face sighed. "Hadn''t it been for the insistent royalty, we certainly could have used this ce as our base, son¡­ Ha¡­ ha ha."


    "I like it, too."


    The old man and I had a discussion, but the hunters weren''t happy with it. I imagined they disagreed with us. As a home, this cave really wasn''t particrly attractive. If they openly disagreed with my old man, I would tell them not to be so picky about houses. They didn''t, however. By now, the angry voice had calmed down, but it still told us we had to properly announce ourselves, next time. It wasmon sense.


    From what they could see, we were just a peaceful (albeit freaky) old man and grandson, but when hunters didn''t announce themselves, it meant they were enemies.


    "Ah, but we are."


    "Peaceful folks? ''Course you are!"


    "No, not that."


    "Uh? What''s that?"


    "Never mind," I shook my head. "You must be right: Wee in¡­ eventual peace."


    "Uh¡­ oh. Some food? It''s gonna be a cold night."


    Invited to the eating party, we declined, and further continued our discussion. Basically, the cave was where I aplished some quest, too. If the old man was ready, now, I would show him how the rewards feature of the System worked. More precisely, what the old man wished to observe was the manifestation of the System''s "power" over the world.


    He asked me a few questions, taking notes and whatnot, and it was decided that I could show him.


    A fight urred.


    Before I took care of that, I nonchntly cut down the group of hunters. I was the kind of person who preferred to tidy up my room first before I had fun. To take care of chores first, before I let myself be free of duties. I jumped. From one hunter to the other. In a moment, they were all either stabbed through the heart or beheaded.


    "Ah, ha ha¡­ that''s¡­ ''Steel w,'' I see."


    "You already saw that one, didn''t you?"


    "Ah¡­ I did, son."


    After I politely asked him, the cold uncle gave me a quick clean-up with an Everyday Magic spell. The blood washed off my hands.


    "Thanks."


    "Ah."


    We waited one minute. Soon, theirst guy wasing. I nodded to the old man, and we waited by the entrance of the rocky sanctuary. One lonely monster-hunter walked out of the cave. When the sight of what happened to his group was presented to him, the hunter trembled, quickly stormed to what remained of his group in a hurry, and eventually stepped away from them. Curiously, my two big eyes peered through the dark at him, observing his emotional reaction with wonder. Then I went off my hiding.


    Slowly, I marched to the young man. I was asked a multitude of questions about what exactly happened here, about whether I saw something or not, and about where the hell I even came from when this just happened a brief moment ago.


    If I didn''t kill the thing instantly, there was a reason. A thief. The man was a thief. Or an assassin. That was one rare job with adventurers. Usually, thieves weren''t trusted with theirpanions. Most people who decided to work as thieves, choosing the thief job-rted guild, ended up mercenaries rather than hunters on their own ount. Thief guilds weren''t weed everywhere. Lawless grounds or dark back alleys were always where to find a thief guild.


    My priestess friend exined that to me days ago. Back then, I felt a certain kind of kinship toward the ss. People whose statuses read "Job: Thief" interested me. I liked them. They were simr to a certain monster-type. Not weed. I considered joining them. Everyone specialized in one or two arts ofbat, after all. The job suited me. While I already had a freaky swordsman, master of his own guild, to answer to as a disciple, I could always go around and learn whatever battle art I wanted to.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Back then, it was only a fleeting thought. "Man, I wanna join their team. They''re prolly monsters like me~" Today, my attraction toward thieves and assassins would be more than just a fleeting thought. Before I knew it, I would get myself involved in some feud with thieves.


    The thief I saw today hit different. When I rushed at him for a kill, the man disappeared from my sight. My hand didn''t stab through his ribs. It split open a wooden log.


    "I see," the assassin''s voice spoke from behind me, "so that''s how it is¡­! <sh>!"


    I easily evaded his attack. <sh>, eh? I thought. The assassin-thief and I even had a skill inmon. Of course, the difference in level made my "sh" much more potent, but I was pleased to see simrities between me and people.


    And so, I fought. Right in front of the cave''s gaping entrance, I fought. The glowing crystals above our heads shone down on us, and I was ready to obliterate the enemy in front of my sight. Before I could, however, the old man appeared in front of the thief¡ªthe thief recoiled in fear¡ªand simply snapped his fingers. The hunter dropped dead.


    "Uh?"


    The old man turned to me. There was a nk.


    "Ah," he nodded.


    Another nk.


    "Huh¡­" I grimaced, confused.


    Another nk. "Aaah."


    Yet another nk. "Huh."


    Onest nk. "Ha."


    I gave the old man a thumbs-up. Good job. The grandmaster of the Academy always said how there was much more to the Art of mana-wielding than just a bunch of skills and spells¡ªthat was a nice illustration of how unfathomable a truly powerful person could be. The first time we met, the old man and I, he also just snapped his fingers to produce a warm cup of tea right in front of me.


    "You''re really strong, aren''tcha?"


    "Yes, son."


    "Do we get down to it?"


    "Yes, son. Ah. While I''m at it, do make better use of ''Mana Perception.''"


    How convenient for armored people to be here. That was ament the old man made when we spotted the adventurers. While I took off the full upper body armor of a tank among the dead victims, I listened to the old man giving me lessons on how not to be a moron.


    To make it short, with "Mana Perception," I could have easily seen through the thief''s substitution technique when he performed it. The old man had a point. Still, his lecturing me slightly irritated me. I said nothing about it.


    While speaking, the old man gathered the unnecessary human bodies around their fire. Within seconds, he was done thanks to his unfathomable magic. The bodies were piled up above the adventurers'' fire, and the old manughed rounds of "Ha ha has" as he set them all on fire. Wood was added to the pile. By now, the night had thoroughly cast its dark shadows across all the sky. Themp of fire was good.


    A thick steel breastte, gauntlets, and a fancy helmet. I collected those. All the ingredients necessary to make a show of my abilities were gathered around. My only spectator: an old man who assessed.


    The crackling fire faintly whispered through the silence of nighttime, and the nightly chant of cicadas and crickets was also dim as it perpetually wailed in the distances.


    First, I summoned the System, which was only visible to my eyes. I validated the quest "What shall I¡­+" and cashed in my rewards. Before I exchanged nces with the old advisor, he told me he was ready.

 Chapter 166 Ants

    Before I exchanged nces with the old advisor, he told me he was ready.


    So, I leveled up. This was the first reward. Pure clouds of white mana gathered around me¡ªmy body felt momentarily lighter¡ªand I absorbed it, naturally. All my stats went up.


    "Have you seen it? Sensed it?" To my question, the old man let out a long Hmmm, then passively nodded before making silent observations which I didn''t listen to. "That''s not all: It can also do this." I checked out the second reward, and some piece of equipment was produced out of thin air.


    The System read "Equipment: Slime Cap ¡ª Melee Defense: +10; Ranged Defense: +5; Magic Defense: +15 ¡ª A wacky hat obtained after defeating the Slime King. Protects the user''s head in case of an enemy attack in a funky way. When equipped, allows the user to bounce on their head with no damage."


    The old man observed the magical phenomenon as it happened. Silent, he nodded, hmmed a lot, and made other observations. The hat had been produced from thin air after more of the pure, white clouds of mana emerged from nothing, but the old man was unfazed. Old man didn''t call me a freak. Good old man. Old man deserved a treat.


    "Wanna try it?" I proposed.


    The Slime Cap equipment was some kind of funky hat that looked like a blob. One round blob. I shook the cap around with my hands, and the round blob jiggled around.


    After I tossed it to the old man, he swiftly put it on top of his head. Painted with his white gorgeous tunic of a rich merchant, the old man always looked quite dignified. With the funky Slime Cap equipped, I admired his appearance more.


    The next thing that happened was particrly funny, but I didn''tugh at it. The old man kicked off the ground, jumping in the air. Mid-air, he nonchntly flipped his body over, like a true gentleman, andnded on the earth head-on with the Slime Cap. Surreally, he bounced off the rocky floor and jumped back up. Without his hands, really. Going like this, he managed abo of ten head-jumps before stumbling down in a less-than-dignified manner.


    We both managed to remain quite serious after this little show happened. The old man got back up and gestured to give me back my property. When I shook my head to refuse it, he tossed it away in the fire. With a Puff, the Slime Cap burned away like stic.


    In the same setting, I then ate a few other mana crystals I found in the hunters'' bags. I already made my observations about that to the old man earlier, but he wished to observe the phenomenon. We took care of that in less than a minute. Then, I performed a few tricks with [Protean], the ability that allowed me to shape my body¡ªeven the Character, my human form¡ªhowever I pleased. From a regr person''s perspective, it was quite freaky: I grew up, made myself bigger, and took on different shapes and forms.


    With Protean, I didn''t simply shape myself into silhouettes like I could with [Jelly-like Shapelessness] while being water, or life. With Protean, it became hideously disgusting since it was so real-looking. Ever seen a human shaped into a rat, for instance? Today, my old man did. Or a human shaped into a dog? A giant spider? An oak tree? Some hellish different nonexistent creature altogether? The old man did. Unfazed.


    "...But not the face, I take it."


    "No. Not the face."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "This ability is ridiculous, then. If one could alter the picture of one''s face thanks to such an ability¡­ Hmm¡­ Ah, well. What else can you do, son?"


    "Sure, alone, ''Protean'' isn''t so useful, I imagine. But with other skills¡­" In my hand, I formed a mouth. Lips, teeth, and a tongue. I tried to do multiple things with it. After a minute, I formed a hole in the palm of my hand. The old man wondered what I was trying to do. After another minute, I concluded it would be better to go about it that way.


    Using <Knit Cobweb>, an active skill I learned some time ago, I''d show the old man something. Both "Knit Cobweb" and "Protean," actually. So, I twirled my right arm around. Going from my elbow, my arm looked like a screw, then. Many folds were going up from the tip of my arm to my elbow. Like a spring, once I untwirled my arm all at once, it was propelled forward with mighty speed. The trick worked: I cast a spider forward. Flying fairly speedily, it caught a bunch of branches and stayed stuck to a tree.


    And my arm looked perfectly healthy and unscrewed again.


    "Well¡­" That didn''t look like much of an attempt at casting a at anyone or anything.


    "Yes, no, well, it indeed does not look like much of a breakthrough, but your point has been conveyed to me. That is true. It can allow a certain aspect of more versatile uses for your skill."


    "Versatile, hm? Nah, I don''t think it''s the word, old man."


    "Ah? Speak."


    The old man had to know that, before [Protean], I could barely even use <Knit Cobweb> in any way at all. Going with the same logic, there were plenty of other abilities I could be able to use. My understanding of [Protean] was that if, tomorrow, I was to learn a monster-type skill that involved turning my whole arm into a pike, then I could pull it. Well, I''d probably need to add some other Passive Skills to the pile, but that wasn''t the point. I exined as much to the old man and he nodded.


    "Another example can be that one skill I learned¡­" <Forge>. On my way back home, after I killed the Slime King, I had tried melting a few pieces of copper into a tiny sword just for kicks, and with my bare hands, I couldn''t really.


    To demonstrate, I snatched a sword we had around and applied <Forge> to my hands. My fingers glowed rosy-red. The color resembled that of melted metals. A hell of a heat wave was produced from my palms and fingers. A minute passed. Try as I might, with my bare hands, I couldn''t melt the sword down. The best I could do was bend it. With time, I could bend it over and over again and turn the sword into a twisted mess of metals, but what was the use of that? With [Protean], I formed my hand into a giant bubble filled with water, sort of, absorbed the breastte and other pieces of armor I gathered earlier, and melted them into many metallic rods¡ª "I don''t do well with the details; I don''t evidently have a cksmith''s passive skills and experience; but I can pull that." In the end, I produced a very rough metallic bastard sword. It looked like total crap, but that was that.


    "Of course," the old man said, "I see."

 Chapter 167 Unkind Smile

    "Of course," the old man said, "I see." The old man sounded more like a doctor who auscultated and examined me, I''ll have to admit. I told that to him, and he said it was important for him to "know" his child. Whether that be as my advisor or not, I didn''t know.


    After a moment''s thought, the old man asked a few questions. I realized I hadn''t mentioned to him onest unique skill I had. [Advanced Evolving]. In the same manner my nails half-turned to ws and my eyes turned cat-like after I obtained this and that skill, my whole body constantly evolved as I gathered more skill.


    "...To constantly evolve, hm. On a day-to-day basis. That is new. I never heard that. You should have told me. Interesting. A question. Son, would you say that your body, as well as your Character, has been changed to a somewhat more ''jelly-like'' constitution after you obtained the ability you call ''Protean''?"


    "It has, old man."


    "One has to wonder! Would you then be¡­ say, poisonous, for instance, after learning poisoning abilities from any type of monstrously toxic creature? Ah, how one has to wonder!"


    I didn''t understand where all the man''s awe came from, so I tilted my head. Finally, the old man concluded it all with a "Most interesting." I honestly thought he already knew, but I guess I never mentioned it being an actual unique skill to him. Anyway, that was it.


    Our next observation of my abilities was the following: With [Protean], I could make my volume basically triple. More than triple, if I put my back into it. 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide was probably the best I could do. I looked nothing like a person. The bigger I puffed myself, the harder I found it was to keep a humane appearance.


    I was up to practice some throws. Boulders were gathered, and I threw them far into the distant trees. It was concluded that, no, making myself bigger didn''t increase my STR stats in any way at all. Only my volume increased, not my strength, energy, and mana.


    And then, after a while: "The end." I bowed to the old man, my only spectator, as I thanked him for attending my spectacle. A round of apuse was heard, and I rubbed my nose with pride. "Ah, uh, no, actually."


    "Ah?"


    My only spectator, when notified that the show hadn''t yete to an end, might have rejoiced. The two-faced old man had been using his Ha ha ha-mode for quite a long time, by now. His face was an impassable wall of stern attitude. From his cold, dark eyes, I couldn''t draw so much as a tinge of emotion. It was as if a veil covered up the life of his face.


    But the spectacle wasn''t over yet. So, somewhat satisfied, the Ha ha ha-version of the old man crossed back his arms upon his chest, waiting for it to end.


    "Last one''s kind of obvious, but¡­" The monster brieflyughed, remembering something important, then mentioned what had to be said to the old advisor. I remembered that I wished to be a spectator of my own show, too, like the old uncle.


    Thest piece of intel he needed was obvious, but I brought up the matter of my wed use of [Dwelling] to him. We had discussed the topic before. I couldn''t use [Dwelling] to its full potential because I was too powerful for most Receptacles to be usable.


    He asked me questions about this matter earlier. So I confirmed it to the old man. As I said, it was kind of obvious, but today, I had had the Slime King as a Receptacle, and, since it was powerful enough, I used the unique skill from which I drew most of my power quite all right.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "Yes," the old man said, "indeed. So a practical experiment confirms it. Very well."


    "Very well."


    I wanted to be a spectator of my own show, too, so I invited the old man to a dance.


    "So, what do you think is the remedy to that?"


    ? What did I think was the solution to my problem? The problem of [Dwelling] was a simple issue with a simple solution. The old man and I had talked about the matter before. It was decided that I should take lessons on Mana Regtion. The old man proposed to teach me directly. At the time, I declined his help. I said I had other matters to attend to. So the old man waited: Someday, he said, I would need toe to him so he taught me what he had to. Days had passed, and I still hadn''t learned anything from him.


    What did I think was the remedy to my issue? The answer was simple: To ept his lessons and learn how to properly regte the overwhelmingly powerful mana in me.


    "I¡­ dunno." Yet, I said I didn''t know. Then, I hoped the old man would take the bait. Today, I wanted to y with gramps a little.


    And the old man heaved a long sigh. If the cold me of ever-present contempt in his eyes could grow colder, it did. His arms were still crossed and his body posture was closed.


    "You don''t know?" he asked with a clenched jaw. He was growing irritated. That was great. I could y with him only then. I repeated that I didn''t know, and he asked me the same question again, enjoining me to cease being so scattered. He used the term "scattered," but really, he meant "overly stupid and inefficient."


    The night outdid the day and stripped it of all its light. In the same way, the Ha ha ha outdid the Ho ho ho, and the old man grew colder and sterner. No trace of the senile, grumpy old man I knew was seen on the man''s face. The wind blew in the trees around us, and I set my predator''s eyes on the old man. Nervously chuckling, I said it onest time: I didn''t know.


    Anger and disappointment brew within the old man. "You need to learn, son," he said, waving an arm at me. "You have toe to me, your old man, so that I teach you how to manipte your mana." He then marked a pause, looked me in the eye, and I tilted my head at him like I didn''t get his point. "You have to. You actually had to. In the past. But you forgot, did you not? It is as though you refused your old man''s help. Fair enough. Tonight, I tell you again: Weeks of learning are necessary. Do give me an hour of your time a day. There is more, much more, to the mana arts than your in use of ''skills.'' Weeks of learning are necessary. I, your advisor andpanion, shall teach you, and your full potential will unlock. Remember what we said about¡­ our ''team''?"


    "Okay¡­" I walked away from him. "Maybeter. Right now I don''t wanna."


    An unkind smile was shoved in my face. When I turned back to the old man, he was right in front of me. I really didn''t know where it came from, but then he pped me.


    "...The hell?" I hissed, raising an eyebrow.

 Chapter 168 Answer

    "...The hell?"


    I did figure I needed the old schr, especially the Ha ha ha mode of the cold old man, to get resentful so I could get what I wanted from him. Still, I didn''t expect that.


    "Son," the cold old man said, "ha ha¡­ ha. You will listen to me. For your own good. When I say you do something, you do it¡ª"


    "Got it," I mused. My eyes bore into his from down below. He looked down at me. With "Protean," I made myself tall as a bear: I looked down on him. "But first," my voice was deeper, "back off, old man." He backed off. Animosity levels were raised. "Also, I have a better idea." cing a hand on the old schr''s head, I forcefully brought him back in front of me. "I''ll be using [Dwelling] on you, and that experience about¡­ Mana Regtion, or something, will go right into my pocket. Don''t mention weeks of daily practice to me: A minute and we''re all settled."


    I expected that the old man would deny my proposition. He did. As creepily as he did before. Silentlyughing by himself, he whispered a bunch of "No¡­ you can''t let him¡­" and shook his head repeatedly.


    "Now, old man," Iughed, kicking off the ground. "You haven''t forgotten why you and I teamed up together, have you?" By now, I undid the 7-feet tall, imposing figure I put up, walked around in circles, and exined a few things to the old advisor. If his lonely soul was dragged out of his lonely abode, it was because we met. If I chose him to follow me, it was so that he be my servant. "Your goal out here is to apany me. And serve me." I insisted on the "serve" bit. "So, look, I get it. You probably have things to hide. Of course. Everyone does. So [Dwelling] can''t be done. I wanna respect your wishes, old man. But when I tell you to do something, you do it. It''s not the other way around. Well, it can be, when you''re helpful. Right now, it isn''t. Don''t forget your ce. Who are you to me? A servant."


    I wanted to rile the old man up. My goal wasn''t to actually use [Dwelling] on his wrinkled ass. When I said I wanted to respect his wishes, I meant it. My goal was just to have an excuse to fight him. Because I wanted to. That was all. Who was more powerful? Superior? Dangerous? Who could y the other? For educational purposes, I wanted to know. First, a mysterious old man, then, a freaky swordmaster. What was I to these two? I wanted¡ªno, needed to know.


    So I jumped at the cold old man. It felt like he was ready to switch back to his "Ho ho ho senile old man in love with his grandchild" mode, but I didn''t want to fight that side of him. I tried to use "Dwelling" on him¡ªa Receptacle was found¡ªbut he backed off pretty quickly, as expected.


    He warned me about what I was about to do. "A servant. My servant." I didn''t heed his warnings. A fight urred.


    And I knew I needed to wrap this up quickly. When I fought with others, I could make itst as long as I wanted and make the most fun of it, but with this kind of opponent, I had better catch him fast and good.


    Under the traveling clouds and stars of the dark sky, I sharpened my senses. Breathing in and out, I focused, but also rxed. The old man in front of me didn''t say a word. He just inly stared at me. His white, majestic tunic turned darker and darker. When the moon asionally lit him, he momentarily brightened up, but he himself was darkness.


    Before I felt like prey, I decided to go on the offensive. I needed to swallow him up. Entirely. Right off the bat. With <sh>, for a second, I disappeared within the trees around.


    The wind gently blew, and the forest silently danced. The old man blinked, and I appeared right behind him, aiming my short sword at his nk, then at his heart, and then at his neck.


    In a way I couldn''tprehend, I was either parried or evaded. I hoped my shadow would wash over him and drown him, but the opposite happened. A sharp kicknded on my back¡ªI was ready for that. <de Shield> was used. It produced its effect.


    The Positive Effect "Drain Affect" was given to me. Itsted only an instant, but I positively absorbed all physical damage from the old warrior''s attack. Presented with a choice, I decided to disappear back within the dark, dancing trees around. Just for a second. Again, with <sh>, I darted behind the old man again. He expected me to do that. This time, with a midair leap, I circled him around so speedily, briefly locked <Intimidation> on my prey to catch him off-guard, then threw my sword at his chest.


    If that worked, I stabbed him and he died. Evidently, he was tougher than that, and I expected it. With [Mana Perception], I noticed the flow of mana within his body gathered around his feet, and he lowered his guard a little.


    I saw what happened next. He jumped up. I was ready for that. And bam. <Banana Throw>. I snatched a banana from the hunters I killed, a moment earlier. Now, I used it. Peel it and eat it? No thank you. The next thing I knew, I won.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    The old man was a tough opponent: If he didn''t evade this sneaky banana attack, it was probably because he was simply not willing to fear a banana. I mean, who was? I wasn''t either. The thing was, my "Banana Wielding +3" passive skill made my banana deadly.


    It hit him right in the face. I was kind enough to choose a very ripe banana to attack my old gramps since I liked him. A very ripe banana square in the face didn''t do any damage, it just made a mess of your face. That was good. And right at the same time, I hit gramps with a powerful 250-STR p on his face. That, too, was good. The old man was shoved into the forest, hit a tree, and rested on its trunk.


    I skipped to his station, smiled at him, and happilyughed.


    "Ha¡­ ha ha¡­"


    "...I know, right?"


    "A banana¡­ hmm?"


    "A banana. Yup."


    I sat beside him. We rested for a second. Then, I got up and helped him to his feet. I didn''t worry about him, he was barely damaged at all.


    "Did you get your answer, then?" he asked.


    I scratched my head for some time, then turned to him. "I did. You beat me."


    "Ha ha ha."


    Tonight, as the old man headed back home, I stayed behind. I needed to get stronger. Always.


    Tonight, I wandered around the forest and killed more things. Monster-types, mostly. I stayed upte. Fooling around. I leveled up a few times. After Iid waste to most of the forest, I wandered out and happened by a few houses together. From my experience, people gave more experience. I set the houses on fire first, then waited for the prey outside. Again, I leveled up a few times.


    Bored, I went back to the woods and caverns. That was when I discovered an interesting type of monster. It was the first time I saw a lizard. This one was a giant-sized monster-type lizard. When I grabbed its tail, it fell off. Curious, I kept it alive and noticed the monster was recreating its lost limb.


    Then, I wanted a lizard. More precisely, I wanted a "High-Level Monster-type: Rare Mystic Earth Dragon Lizard x1". And other pets. I wanted skills.


    So, before the night ended, I paid my royalty a visit.

 Chapter 169 Side Mission

    The endless chant of cicadas and crickets, in my ears, was discontinued. The cold of the night and I had parted. It was still nighttime. Around midnight, to be more precise. But the cold freshness of the wild was defeated by the busy warmth of the people of the town as it spread around. A poprmercial alley, in the capital, was still well lit up and busy, even as the darkness of the night gathered and intensified.


    The sweet blend of all sorts of smells tickled my nostrils as I navigated around the city at night. One day, I''ll have to make this city mine, I thought, so I need to know mynd. Not today, though. I need to go and visit the royalty. But first, I got to hit back home. The old man''s got something for me.


    I did just that. The something the old man had for me was the same spell he had applied to me every week or so since we lived in the city. A magic seal that helped me conceal my monster-like aura, to prevent me from being found out. Tonight, I asked for the best concealing seal he had for me.


    I needed to go somece where I absolutely needed to be hidden. The old advisor, who had turned back Ho ho ho, was kind enough to give me what I asked¡ª "Everything! Absolutely everything for my grandchild! Ho ho~!"


    Then, after I braved the grandest gardens of the royal estate, I knocked on Elina''s door. Or window, more like. After she opened a way for me into her apartments, the third princess forced a nervousugh out of herself, pressed her lips together, and frowned her eyes at my sight.


    "If it isn''t Aoi again."


    "Trouble yourself not over mying to you, Lady," I theatrically said, with a yful-dramatic air, jumping in. The matter for which I had to pay the royalty a visit, tonight, had to do with my growth.


    "Does it? Tell me."


    As usual, the royalty was irritated. After I asked her about why she was always so upset, she reassured me and confessed she was always like this. "Ah. As long as you''re aware of it."


    No, she wasn''t upset because of her private pet soldier, but if I said that again, she would start to. "Geh, that''s all right."


    So, as usual, thedy was irritated, but whenever we tackled the topic of me, her, the engagement we had together, and how she could help me grow more powerful, the girl calmed down.


    My growth. Today, I did my homework. I was reminded of the urgent importance of my skills and abilities. I hunted, got more skills, realized obtaining more skills and leveling up was always the way to go, and ultimately decided to get more skills.


    Since she seemed to be genuinely curious about it, I narrated to her the story of the past few days. The girl was excited to hear about the genius servant she had gotten herself. I decided not to disclose the bits about how I also killed dozens of her peasant people in the countryside, for the sake of farming EXP points, when I narrated my story.


    Well, both she and I felt happy then. My grin couldn''t be contained as the royalty kept leaning closer and closer to me, her eyes glowing with eagerness to learn more about her "awesome soldier''s" abilities. After she heard everything, thedy was more eager yet:


    "Of course, Aoi," she smiled. "I understand how it is. I shall book you a private master of any ss you wish to train as. And don''t thank me!" The girl energeticallyughed, giving me her quick response. I felt grateful, but at the same time, I knew that she just went about doing what was in her interest. "If I help you today, you wille to my aid, too, in the future, believe me. Just as per our contract, my soldier." Coming to a realization, thedy suddenly eyed me and maintained strong eye contact. "''My'' soldier, eh?" With desire, her lips parted. Still eyeing me, she lowered her voice and spoke carefully. "...I like the sound of that."


    The day we met, after I told her I already had a caretaker and a "family" with whom I lived, the princess didn''t hide her disappointment. I remember her saying she wished she had taken me in before some random old man did.


    It wasn''t an evident fact. To me, at the very least. I was desired. If people didn''t hate and try to kill me, they saw value in me and tried to use it for themselves. I liked it. From thedy''s perspective, I must have been a treasure. I was a treasure before, but then, I became her treasure.


    To end her long stare, the girl licked her lips. It made me want tough. The vain, if not childish, attraction she felt toward my power was a cute thing to observe in someone.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "About those, uh, masters you propose to offer me in order to train, or something¡­" I said I didn''t need them. She was quick to give me her answer, so what she offered me wasn''t what I wanted from her. Now that I thought about it, it sure could be a nice n to kidnap a few masters from their guilds, one by one, in order to steal all their skills and expertise, but I didn''t need her help for that. What I needed was to ask questions. The royalty was curious to hear about what I needed. So I did ask questions.


    What''s powerful? That can also fly? But that''s really, really powerful, too? And that she could give to me?


    I used the excuse of "You have to help me to aid my growth," but I mostly wanted the royalty''s help in order to just do what I wanted. Fly.


    "If it doesn''t have to breathe fire¡­ then¡­ um¡­ a griffon?"


    "And you always brag about your endless supply of cash, right?"


    "Hehe~ You got me. For your sake, I do."


    "You could buy me one?"


    She marked a pause, thought about it carefully, and spoke. "If you ask for one, I shall give you, my soldier, three."


    "Great."


    That was it. I mostly came around to have her say that to me. Along with my white-headed griffon, I asked about the same kind of powerful creature but exined that this one had to have the ability to regenerate a lost limb, like a lizard, for instance.


    This time, the royalty didn''t have an answer for me. It was decided that I would look for this other monster-type I wanted elsewhere.


    Our conversation ended. Discussion about my growth was over. I had to head out, by now. But no, I didn''t. That was a secret though. The royalty didn''t know. I might have gotten up from my seat, sent a smile her way, and jumped out her wide window with a bye-bye, but I made sure I got back to her, inside her apartments, while she didn''t know.


    My old man helped me with his concealing seal. Even without it, I imagine the royalty wouldn''t pick my presence. She wasn''t a trained mana-wielder. Then again, she might actually have, thanks to the magic pendant on her chest. At any rate, I didn''t have to know. Sneaking right back in, I called off the Character, and shaped myself into a very tiny cute slime-ball with tiny legs and feet. Jump, jump, jump. After a never-ending struggle of sneaky leaping about, I managed to slip into thedy''s wide, majestic robe. The quirky monster hid there. With [Mana Perception] to watch my surroundings, I mentally sighed.


    If I needed another reason to justify my presence at the royalty''s, the System gave me one. It happened a while back, while I was still hunting outside, busying myself with the work of death, and it was different. It was a quest, or something resembling a quest anyway.


    The System called it "''???'' ¡ª Side Mission. Gather information: Sneak in, and follow Princess Elina to where she is summoned."


    And that was just it. Usually, quests had contents. The contents described them. The contents described a quest, let the yer know more about its background, and told a little story. This "Side Mission" thing didn''t have any of that. It was linked to a Main Quest I already got ¡ª ? "???" Main Quest ¡ª Be the King. 0/1 ? ¡ª but the mentioned quest didn''t have any description either.

 Chapter 170 Unkingly King

    This "Side Mission" thing didn''t have any of that. It was linked to a Main Quest I already got ¡ª ? "???" Main Quest ¡ª Be the King. 0/1 ? ¡ª but the mentioned quest didn''t have any description either.


    When my power, the System, summoned me somewhere, I rarely had a thing toin about.


    An hour might have passed. I didn''t have any evil intentions, but hey, part of me was disappointed that the noblewoman didn''t pick up my presence. If she did, I could have at least been proud to be "working" under her. If I couldn''t so easily sneak on her, that meant her enemies couldn''t easily harm her, too.


    But no. After she took care of me, she brought her servants in, took care of her own things, papers, arrangements, and stuff, then headed out. Without noticing me.


    She hung out with a handful of nobledies, had tea with them, chatted with them,ughed with them, and parted from them. I was sure such interactions weren''t the reason for which the System put me up to sneak around her. So I waited, and sure enough, after she headed back to her apartments, one of her older brother''s servants came to thedy.


    She was privately summoned to an audience with her father the King. Well, the servant might have used the term "audience," but that was more of a family meetup than a formal audience with the king.


    Tonight, I gathered more information. I already knew that the royalty''s rtionship with the other royalties was the way it was, but tonight, I saw and understood more. The girl''s story was the dramatic y of a girl who wanted her father to call her his daughter.


    When she heard of the summons, the noblewoman was surprised, but she headed straight to her father at once. Her steps were somewhat heavy, she was on her way. Her monster was by her side, but she didn''t know.


    And her father was the king of his kingdom. He was the man who wore the royal crown on top of his balding, ubed fuzzy head. The man who ordered, and was obeyed. The man who sat on the throne and led people. The king she wished would call her "my daughter," with fatherly pride and affection.


    The royalty was headed to this man and her brothers, ready to serve and please her father.


    But there were two different kinds of kings. The ones you obeyed, loved, and respected. And the ones you obeyed, feared, and despised. The King Folvin, first of his name, rightful King of hisnd, owner of the Title "Ruler," was thetter. Unfortunately or not, King Folvin didn''t sit on his proud throne to dispense his wisdom and kindness to the people. No. For starters, he barely sat on the throne to receive his people. The fat middle-aged man wasted most of his life days away with thepany of whores and whine. It was said of him that he never drank anything but whine and never yed with anything but whores.


    One day, he was presented with a choice: The king could either have perpetual peace over hisnd or have his favorite whore breastfeed him wine from her titties every morning and evening. The king, worthy of his nation and people, evidently wished for the whore.


    ¡­Still, he was a hearty man.


    That''s why the daughter of her father still looked up to him. That''s why, from such a piece of filth, the daughter still looked for fatherly love, admiration, and recognition. She herself was a rather selfish, individualistic woman, but her heart still had soft spots of naivety in it: Elina''s heart thought that, if children had to have parents, then, the other way around was true, if not truer. Parents had to have children, too.


    The third princess set off. From her rooms, with an anxious stomach and rapid steps, she navigated to the unkingly king Folvin, to hear her father speak, and see to it that he was listened to.


    The third princess wasn''t the only summoned person, where the king rested. When she invited herself into the king''s private apartments, wherefrom she overheard the loud, wheezyughter of a drunk king, she found two of her brothers already settled in. The kingughed so intensely that, when the nk of the opening door announced her arrival, her father didn''t take notice of her presence, and continued tough thus, a full ss of wine in his hand.


    She excused herself to them. Obviously, she wasn''t summoned alone to her father. The king didn''t mind his girl much. He wouldn''t value the work she did in his name so much that he felt the need to privately discuss ns and schemes with her. The royalty knew that. Still, she had hoped otherwise. All for the sake of the treasured fatherly recognition she so desired.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Her hands briefly clutched and wrinkled her dress, she bit her lip, and her anxiety burned through her stomach onest time. After that, she toughed it out.


    "Your Grace," she confidently greeted, "I believe you have summoned me."


    The disagreeable smell of an improper fat man''s room greeted her back first.


    When she walked in, her brothers already turned to her. The two siblings she found here were the same two I randomly bumped into the day I first explored the royal domain. The older guy and the younger boy.


    As for the older brother, he was unchanged. When I met him, I remembered he was calm, mature,posed, and pleasant. Sitting upon a beautifully carved chair, around a small dining table, he silently greeted his sister with a business smile. The younger brother was as irritated and arrogant as ever and sat beside his brother. When his eyes met with his sister''s he silently harrumphed and frowned at her.


    Well, these two''s opinions of their sister, whether they be positive or not, didn''t matter as much as their father''s opinion of the girl. The king half-lied in his bed, undressed and ubed. He sucked at his wine,ughed his wine out on his thick beard and hairy chest, and asked for more wine. An opinion? He had none.


    When Elina approached the three, her father finally got her attention. "Your Grace, I believe you have summoned me," she had said.


    "I have, have I not!" the hearty king Folvin spat, drunk. "So hurry your ass along! I swear: Five more minutes!" The king gulped down his full ss of wine and missed to drown in it. "If you''d made your father wait five more minutes, only God knows how much more wine I''d have swallowed by the time you got here! Hurry along, now!"


    Anxiety was mostly felt prior to a stressful event. Once the royalty was in, she managed to stay dignified in front of her father and brothers. Outwardly, she was fearless. Nobly, she sent a light smile and politeughter her father''s way.


    "Father speaks the truth, Elina," the older brother pleasantlyughed.


    "As he should hope to," the royalty jested. "But, oh how Father has a way with wine. Full oceans of liquor to drink couldn''t make him redder. Always clear-headed."


    "I speak the truth, children, don''t I!" the kingughed, too. "Gwah-hah-hah! Girl, then, you wouldn''t want your older brother to get mad at his poor, unkingly wretched father for not being able to hold this fancy meeting of ours, would you?!"


    "Haha," the daughter politelyughed in her hand, "if Brother dares lecture Your Grace about what is right and what is not, I feel it is my duty to be reprimanded along with Father, too."


    "Ha! ''Tis a fine sister you got here! Gwah-hah!"


    "Eh-he-he, Elina, aren''t you awfully pleasant. If that''s the case, then I will have to save words for you."


    And so theyughed and spoke.

 Chapter 171 Prophecy

    And so theyughed and spoke.


    "Y-Your Grace!" stuttered the younger brother, with a dramatic air. "''Unkingly'' certainly isn''t a term you should bestow upon your noble name¡ª"


    "Yes, yes, boy¡­ Do tter your king. Gwah-hah! In the meantime, quieten down and pour your king some more wine!" After he was poured yet another full ss of the sweet beverage, the king raised his ss, guffawing still. "Now that my children have gathered, here''s to the Unkingly King!" Promptly, sses were passed, and everyone raised their sses.


    The older brother shook his head but ultimately grinned. "May he live long."


    "Fu-fu. To Father."


    "To the King!"


    Thus, the family gathered. Well, a handful of other royal princes and princesses didn''t attend this meeting, but it was because they didn''t have to. The three children gathered with their father were here because of one thing that unified them three. Warfare. All three had a take on the State''s recent wars. And they were here to discuss it.


    The king, his son, his boy, and his girl had gathered. Pleasantughs and words were passed around between all of them, and soon, all three children were reminded that it waste. Late at night. Soon, the chimes of midnight would ring through the nightly city. Soon, they were all to sleep. Now was no time for idle chattering.


    King Folvin''s private apartments were in his image: Even with dozens of female servants tending to him, the king was ubed, and so his royal rooms were messy. He was heartily gross, and his rooms always smelled of sweat, whores, whine, and putridity. But he was the king, so there was still a heavy sense of nobility and grandeur in his apartments. Not without a manly, dominant touch: Fancy decorative hunting gears and trophies were hung here and there.


    And the hearty fat man was the king, so, after he was done half-spitting his liquor on his beard and hairy chest, King Folvin appeared as the King.


    "Hurry along, now." Those words were king-spoken. The royalty took the liberty to sit on her father''s mat, by his feet, and their gathering hurried along, then.


    My children, the king said, I''ve had a dream. No, multiple dreams. And he had gathered his three children, the ones who had a say in the matters of the military, to discuss these matters with him. Because, in fact, the Kingdom was in peril.


    The king''s dreams started roughly a month ago. On the day I was created by the System. The oracles and philosophers had been gathered then, under the king''s counsel''s order, in order to interpret and to see through the delicate prophetic signs in the Ruler''s dream.


    The one who had the Title "Ruler of the Kingdom of Roerden," in other words, King Folvin, had, for ack of other talents, the gift of prophetic dreams. In this world, thend, and the mana resources it withholds, is said to serve its king. Through Mana, it was possible. Prophetic dreams, wherever they came from, were seen at times of crisis. It was to avoid a crisis at the time it came. Prophetic visions appeared to the concerned ones when they were necessary.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    And King Folvin dreamed that the Kingdom was in peril.


    Why had heroes from the other side been summoned in the first ce? For that very reason.


    The visions started a month ago, but then, they only intensified.


    The dreams were always the same, but, the more King Folvin saw them, the stronger the sense of urgency and dread he felt during those intensified.


    The dream went like this: It is soon nighttime. The sun is ready to set in the horizon. But the sun is strange. It is still casting its red mes all across the blue sky, with surprising power, as if it wasn''t willing to dive down behind the horizon. The mes it casts are full of warmth, though, so King Folvin doesn''t feel like saying anything at all about it. He is lightly dressed, and his toes are curling in the gorgeous greenwn under his bare feet. He looks around himself and sees a mansion that is his, grand prairies surrounding him, and the royal family by his side.


    He feels great, but at some point, someone else appears. Someone he doesn''t know. Someone who, when he approaches King Folvin and ces a hand on the king''s shoulder, feels really cold. The person is mostly a shadow, but King Folvin can see his eyes. Deep blue as the ocean. Looking intensely into these eyes, the king says that he loses himself in the wild storms appearing therein. At once, King Folvin''s life is swallowed whole, and he sees the rest of the vision through an outsider''s perspective.


    There''s still the king, the blue-eyed, cold person, and the rest of the royal family. Night has gathered, however. The gentle warmth of the sun vanished as if instantly, and everyone gathered inside the spacious mansion. They do, they eat, and they are ready to spend the night. But the blue-eyed person is still there, as cold as the night.


    All of a sudden, all the vision bes a blur. When he sees back again, King Folvin sees himself, the king, in a veryrge bedroom, where there are enough beds for all his offspring. Everybody sleeps, or rather, slept. mes are everywhere, everyone burns, but there are no cries. The world is ending, but nobody notices. The king himself is on thergest bed, but he doesn''t notice. The mes intensify around him. He notices two things: The one wearing his crown is a female, and she isn''t alone in his bed.


    The one who wears the crown is hugging the blue-eyed, cold person, with her face buried into the blue-eyed person''s stomach. Together, they seem really close to each other. The one who wears the crown starts to cry, and the unknown blue-eyed stranger hugs her back, pats her head, and tells her that everything is all right.


    "I''m here for you, now. Your enemies are defeated. Don''t fear: I''m here for you, now."


    The mes burning everything are pure-white. Finally, from the blue-eyed person''s gentle smiling, gaping mouth, King Folvin sees leaking white fumes and mes.


    He knows, then, the blue-eyed person is the enemy.


    And he wakes up.

 Chapter 172 More

    He knows, then, the blue-eyed person is the enemy.


    And he wakes up.


    The overly abstract prophecy was discussed. That was it. From the visions, the oracles and philosophers, along with the king''s counsel, worked out that the kingdom was indeed in danger, a month ago. To dive deeper into the vision of King Folvin, the corpus of mages and schrs still, to this day, researched old books of dreams in hope of finding actual clues about how the kingdom was supposed to fall down, how it was attacked, and so, how it could be defended.


    The vision wasn''t categorical: If it appeared to the king, it was so that a different oue could be sought.


    Still, the vision terrified many schrs. The mes. There were mes. Some said that mes, in this context, were synonymous with divine retribution, with a long-awaited punishment for one''s own sins. Some other gray-bearded schrs, masters of books, were even more freaked out when they wisely added that, in the vision, no one notices the mes. The kingdom faced a danger that they couldn''t even see. Even when they were dying, through these visions, they didn''t even know it.


    Still, there was hope. Some said that the sun, unwilling to dive down behind the horizon, represented the saintnds of Roerden, unwilling to let the cold, darkness of the night through, intent on protecting the kingdom against the ill it faces.


    But, really, some others opposed such ament, saying that the sun did vanish in the end anyway.


    And that''s all the schrs could do. They could discuss the prophecy and try to figure it out, but that was all. It had been a month ago already. Theories, there were plenty. Still, most details about the vision were unsure.


    If there was one thing they could be sure of, it was that they couldn''t be sure: To protect themselves against their opponent, they needed to know who the enemy was. The blue-eyed person. Unfortunately, the enemy was hidden, and he would stay that way.


    If there was one thing they knew, it was that the enemy was sly. So, it was decided unanimously that, in order to save the kingdom from its peril, the kingdom needed to be rid of its known enemies first. All of them. If all enemies disappeared, surely, that particr enemy would be defeated, too.


    It was rather simple, but it was the best the corpus of schrs, along with the king''s counsel, could find. At any rate, at a very pragmatic level, it made a lot of sense. Super-deadly or not, an enemy was never an enemy if they weren''t at least that significantly dangerous.


    Two of three matters had been discussed. All three children of the king listened attentively to the king as he spoke. With his father, the eldest son of the king also actively partook in the discussion. While his father narrated his vision, he was silent, but when the two of them explored the schrs'' verdict, he had more to say than his father. After all, the unkingly ruler was faithful to his nickname. He didn''t care much about what the oracles said about the matter of his kingdom. His eldest son knew better than him, and he shared his knowledge with his two younger siblings, while the king went back to his wine.


    The king had done his part. Now, the eldest prince took the reins. The third matter was hence tackled.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    In the example of the unkingly fat man, the gathering had more wine. sses were filled with sweet liquor, then passed around.


    Warfare, then. What about it?


    The State of Roerden knew war. Many wars. Always wars. To conquer thend, to chase away the State''s enemies, and to finally know peace.


    To this day, Ladafar still stood. The neighboring kingdom of the East, Voisiran, was also well into war against Roerden. Lastly, though the Demon Lords Alliance of Benelloan still hadn''t made their position clear about the wars toe, after their overwhelming victory against the Elven Forest, it was known that the Independent Monster-city, which was Ladafar, was, by means of a recent marriage, allied to the Demon Faction.


    So, the enemies were three. On today''s front, however, the Demon Lords Alliance wasn''t officially taking part in the war against Roerden. So, at best, the enemies were two, and at worst, they were three.


    The point of their private meeting, without the captain of the military, was toy the possible foundations of ns of war toe. Evidently, the three children wouldn''t dive too deeply into it, right now, but they still discussed things, under their father''s eyes.


    A question was asked to Elina. Reports had confirmed that the help the Demon Faction sent to Ladafar dated back from roughly a month ago. Factually, it was understood that, when Elina was in charge of the campaign against the demi-humans of Ladafar, who were predominantly orcs, they were already backed up by the Demon Faction. So, the eldest son asked, what did Elina think about that?


    She skillfullyprehended the question and responded that, ording to her military judgment, though it mayck experience and wisdom, the orcs weren''t much of a threat still. When Elina came back to the capital, after the battle of Greenfield, she was said to have failed her father with the results she brought home.


    Even if she won a victory, the casualties in the Roerden army were far too many. After a day or two, the kingdom understood that the girl didn''t fail her nation, but that she had done quite well, actually.


    Yes, Ladafar was backed up by a third party. Yes, the demi-human threat that was estimated tost no longer than a season at most, became significantly more powerful.


    Still, ording to Elina, if the orcs weren''t much of a threat then, they still were that way. Though the average level of their army was estimated higher than it was supposed to be, with no technology, weapons, and equipment, the orcs could be defeated.


    The gathering sucked on their wine slowly, so as not to be too intoxicated, and the night went on. Honestly, the System tasked me with gathering information, but at this point, I just listened attentively without (mentally) taking notes.

 Chapter 173 A Beat

    After what little information Elina gave, the eldest son asked more questions in order to determine how to proceed with the war. The younger brother also asked questions and provided answers of his own.


    And when all three children were unsure about a particr matter, the unkingly king, who at least had experience in wars and hunts, gave the gathering more fuel to run.


    Like this, ns were made. The gathering also examined the case of the Voisiran Kingdom. After minutes of debate or discussion, other ns were made.


    Soon, the royalty, who was kind of my master, would require her monster servant''s services. Elina was happy to be part of this. Tonight, she felt like she could serve her father, atst, and be useful to him.


    The girl was ready to give so much to earn her father''s approval, as well as her independence and the right to live her life as she pleased. Sess, to her, was intricately linked to that. And there was no changing it.


    And all she had to do was sit there, with her two brothers and father, listen attentively to what was said, and be part of an important conversation.


    She was still seated by her father''s feet, on the other side of the giant bed, with an indescribable feeling of lightness in her chest. And, with a ss of wine in her palm, she showed great interest in what was going on:


    "That''s a no can do, I''m telling you."


    "But, Older Brother, if I may, we know that half our force does not fight at the border against Voisiran. Reports from the Grand General arrive to us every morning and every evening. So¡­"


    "No can do. In theory, we could pull back half of our forces to wipe out Ladafar clean immediately. How long would it take¡­ Elina?"


    "Hmm, with half the main army at the East border?"


    "Yes."


    "I recognize it should be a week. But then¡­ It''s as you say, Brother."


    "Right." The older brother turned to his younger brother and continued the bit of conversation he was having with him. "We may try what only fools would try. Sure, the demi-human scum would no longer stand against us. However, word of our tactic will be ryed to Voisiran, they will double their forces overnight, and in a fortnight, we will have lost multiple castles, keeps, and strongholds at the East."


    "Right, Younger Brother," Elina chimed in. "And politics being as they are, you should know that would not work for us, the royal family." It was well-known to them that the younger brother hated his sister''s guts. All during their private meeting, she made sure not to speak to him more than was necessary.


    The idea he entertained was poorly thought out, so his older brother educated him. The younger brother was fine with that. Really, he himself was quite new to discussing actual military tactics and strategies. As a male, he had known battle; that was tradition. Now that his sister, who wasn''t a male, also participated in correcting him, he instantly grew irritated. A frown marked his handsome, youthful face.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    Nobody spoke for a second, so Elina stretched her exnation to the younger brother. "That wouldn''t work for us. The Lords of the East," she mentioned the names of their Houses, "are very prideful, boastful men. Let them suffer unnecessary casualties during this war and let history repeat itself. The Kingdom might be briefly disunified after the war. You wouldn''t be surprised to hear them say they want total independence over the crown. Have their own country, you see. In the past, it is the case that it happened¡ª"


    "Tch¡ª Enough, I know that!"


    A nk unfolded. Elina was uneasy. The other three men, not so much.


    "...As easily-irritated as ever, boy," said the older brother. "But you want to be a man, boy. You want to have your father call you his son." The silent kingughed one Ha! "Our sister speaks wisely, know it. Inner politics are, you could say, far more important than wars. They withhold more drastic consequences. The war of the pens is fiercer than that of the swords, know it."


    "But we could always¡­!"


    "We could always? ¡­No. These lords¡­ We need their loyalty as much as they need ours. The royal family is nothing without the support of all the houses gathered around it, unified for the same cause. Take the lords of the East from us¡ªcivil war may break out."


    "Brother¡­ But¡­!" The younger brother was intent on putting up a good fight before resigning. To his understanding, the swords bore more significant importance than the pens. If trouble with the lords of the East happened, surely, knives to their throats and warnings, from the royal family and the crown, would make them fall back in rank.


    Of course, golds and othernds could be given to themter, since lords ownnds. That way, the crown always held full power over the entire kingdom. So he turned to his father. The king had to agree with him, he thought.


    "Surely, Your Grace, you can reason with my older brother better than I could!"


    "Boy¡­" The unkingly king didn''t have to think about his answer. He already had it. Ever since he wore the crown, he had this particr answer. Fondling with his grand ss of wine, he leisurely looked inside its dark red color, and, for a second, lost himself inside the red within. "Follow in your father''s path, why don''t you."


    "I sure will, Your Grace!"


    "Follow in your father''s path, and be known as the Unkingly King II. Second of his name. And you''d first have to be King. Nay! It can''t be what you want, can it! Listen to my eldest son, now, and cease pestering me!"


    "Y-Your Grace¡­ Understood." The boy said he understood, but I doubted it. From my perspective, he still seemed well too agitated. "My understanding was that¡­" He still felt antagonistic toward his sister. How dare the simple-minded woman correct him, the son of his father, in front of their close circle? "My understanding was that¡­ we could stealthily handle the trouble at the Pce for the time being, and re-establish peace afterward, but¡­ hm." His eyes were glued to the ground. He took them off his feet and eagerly eyed everyone. "...My much-esteemed sister could handle it, for example," the boyughed, "with the monster-type she''s recruited, ha-ha."


    Elina''s heart skipped a beat.

 Chapter 174 Tournament

    Elina''s heart skipped a beat.


    Were they supposed to know? Absolutely not. It was well known that the people who had riches often resorted to recruiting a few "irregr" employees to serve them. For many reasons, it was necessary for some. Her brothers were the same. Still, their secrets hardly ever leaked, and even if they did, that was only in the form of rumors.


    At first, it was confusion: Elina struggled to ask her brother what he meant. Then, it was desperation: With jerky movements, she tried to either deny or justify "it." Lastly, it was contempt: With dark eyes, she managed to shut her younger brother''s trap as heughed, and sighed a sharp sigh.


    "Y-Your Grace, O-Older Brother, won''t you tell my sister?"


    "...True, maybe we should address this topic, too."


    That was the first bullet in Elina''s legs.


    She had messed up. Well, she wasn''t especially dumb, but she wasn''t experienced. Where and how did she mess up and leak her own secret? She couldn''t even tell. Still, she kept herposure. The way her younger brother mentioned the monster-type''s existence¡ªI bet they would be shocked to know I was just here¡ªwas too calm for the irritated boy. That meant they must have known for a long time. Yet, no penalties or sanctions were pursued against her. That meant only very few people know. She was safe.


    "We should, Older Brother! This is what we talked about, weeks from now. With Father''s visions, can we trust any party even remotely dangerous?! And she dares¡ª" The older brother nonchntly held a hand to his brother, and thetter shut up.


    "Elina."


    "Yes?"


    "We talked about this."


    "..."


    "You won''t ask about it? For how long do you think we know¡ª"


    "I made a mistake."


    "And how many people do you think are aware? You made a mistake. That much is clear. ¡­Or, is it? Tell me about your mistake, Sister."


    "I¡­ I let it leak."


    "Your mistake wasn''t about recruiting such an irregr servant in the first ce?"


    "Brother, with all due respect, it is not. Had you been there with me, at the time, you would understand. In fact, you would have done exactly as I did. ''Seize it.'' You taught me to seize it. Seize it, yes. Your words. And¡­ one day, I could show you. My¡­ boy is so¡­ My servant is so¡­ well, peculiar. With him, everything¡ªI mean it: absolutely everything¡ªwill be possible. And I did seize the opportunity¡­ but I bet you wouldn''t understand¡­"


    "Oh¡­ I''m curious to hear more about your irregr, now. Also, I do understand, actually." The older brother smiled at his sister and lifted the tense atmosphere all at once. After he nced at the king, thetter nodded. "Even Father does. You''re free to do as you please. Well, as long as you have gold¡ªit is fair to assume you will always have it¡ªyou can entertain the idea of having even more of your own servitors, if that''s what you desire."<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "I¡­ I must say, I didn''t expect¡­ that, Brother. Am I not being let off too easily?"


    "Your life will be politics, politics, and more politics. Use your gold wisely. Before long, you will be a sessful woman. In the end, we both serve the same crown."


    "Brother¡­"


    "Besides, I put the idea in your head. Would it be fair to¡ª"


    "Thank you very much!"


    "Ha-ha-ha."


    The girl bowed her head to both her brother and father. This was the end of that.


    In the end, the king wisely pointed out that the way his children chose to make him proud was none of his business. As the eldest son had said, they all served the same king, so their interests were all just one interest.


    Despite all that, I still noted that, from the younger brother''s perspective, Elina was still the subject of much hate and irritation. Maybe I had better keep eyes on this one. It seemed the aversion the arrogant young boss felt for his sister was growing bigger by the day.


    Thus, the girl who only wanted her father to call her his daughter took her first hit. She was "let off easy." Tonight, a second bullet would lodge itself in her leg, though. And then, only she knew how drastically bad her situation was. For now, things were quite calm.


    A minute passed. As unkingly and improper the king might have been, he still, sometimes, appeared to his children as a father. And the father rejoiced to see the children he left in this world getting by so well.


    From the precedent topic, the gathering naturally drifted to talking about other matters. Heroes from the other world were mentioned. The heroes'' country also came up: New Japan. ¡­I know. Anyway, and they mentioned more politics, too.


    After much discussion, Elina reaffirmed her will: She desired to be given full responsibility with the heroes. "To serve you, Your Grace, to the very best of my ability, entrust it all to your daughter; I will not disappoint." Also, the Summoning Ceremony was still unofficial. Haruto, Kimon, and the other two''s identities were still kept a secret.


    Ever since the country of New Japan rose as one of the most powerful nations of the continent, it was dered a vition of the Non-interference Treaty of High Oak (the continent). Naturally, so as not to attract more conflicts with a rival nation in a time of crisis, the heroes weren''t officials. The owners of the "Hero" Title couldn''t, for now.


    At any rate, their education and training was stillcking. Elina was quick to fix the grimacing faces that seemed to ask, "Aren''t heroes supposed to be, like, way powerful, though?" by saying that they indeed grew up extraordinarily quicklypared to your average person, but that, after roughly three weeks ofbat training and studying the magic arts, they still were below level 50.


    That was only natural. For reference, the generic mana-wielder is normally required at least a year to reach level 50, and that was only if they had all the resources necessary to progress.


    From talking about the heroes, their training, and how it was alling along together so that Roerden could start using them as very powerful war-ending assets, the tactical conversation naturally drifted toward some event they called the Youth Tournament. "Will the heroes partake in it, Sister?" Elina''s answer was that, surely, the heroes could.


    The uing Youth Tournament was held by the Guild Bureau and the Academy Federation. That was also promoted and backed up by several powerhouses of High Oak, including the Reinred Empire of the West. All for the sake of unearthing the polished-to-be young diamonds among the talents of the new generation.

 Chapter 175 Services

    Tournaments and contests, yearly or seasonal, were constantly held through the seasons of the years. Compared to the Youth Tournament, most weren''t worth mentioning, though. After all, the Youth Tournament was held only about once every five years.


    Also, it came with life-changing rewards and career advantages if the participant could score high enough and be noticed by the lords and high nobles as a rare talent.


    Word is, you could even be noticed by the one and only Partner, Highlord of the Reinred Empire, and be part of hispanions, or "partners." Lord Partner was one of the most affluent people of the continent. To directly serve him, without a third party''s intervention, as his "partner" was an extraordinary chance.


    So much for "Gathering information," System, eh? For some reason, the repeated mention of this Partner highlord fellow made me feel strange. In the back of my head, I felt like I had to remember something, something that might be super important, but it was only a blur, so I didn''t know. For now, it didn''t matter.


    What mattered was the Side Mission. To gather information. And I did. It had been around an hour since the royalty walked in to her two brothers and father. In other words, it had been long. Long enough. She sat with the royal family, discussed the matters of the military and rted politics, and she was fine.


    Sure, she didn''t get to hear her father say unto her "my daughter," but she did fine. As a consequence, she felt good. The cold freshness of the night kept gently wrapping around her, but when her family''s warmth was stronger, she could only feel good about it all. And her heart continuously beat through her chest, spreading the strong feeling of rxedness all across her body and soul, up until she smiled without even meaning to. Yes. She felt good. She felt at home. But, again, yes, that was only because she was ignorant of what would happen next.


    Mostly, she wasn''t aware that her father wasn''t any closer to calling the poor girl his daughter. Why? Because she had messed up. Again. The day she took me in, on the battlefield, she messed up. Her older brother told her that she blew her cover and thus messed up. That she could "use her gold wisely" all she wanted. That recruiting that unique monster-type as her private little soldier wasn''t a mistake.


    But that wasn''t true.


    Right at the moment she decided to "take in" that unique monster she set her eyes on, she messed up. Because a monster-type would only always stay that¡ªa monster. At the very least, I would. I was a monster through and through. One hour before the royalty took me in, Imitted one of the gravest crimes you couldmit.


    I yed the fifth prince, son of King Folvin, of the Roerden House. I drove an orcish dagger into his heart, and it stopped beating. And I was nowhere to ceasemitting crimes.


    She didn''t know it, but she had messed up bad. Real bad. The conversation of the four was nowing to an end, and Princess Elina took her second bullet to her legs.


    Outside of the king''s apartments, repeated Bangs were knocked on doors. Servants handled what needed to be handled, and a guard was let through with an important General of the army and an important message. The king and his children wondered what could be the matter. Before long, the envoy from the army reached the grand bedroom they all rested in.<novelnext>  </novelnext>


    "My King," the soldier said, "my Lords and Lady." In a manner that befitted his rank, the general profusely apologized for disturbing them, when they seemed to have privately gathered, but that he had a message far too important to let it be dyed. "The information I''m about to ry has been confirmed¡­ without, unfortunately, the shadow of a doubt." The soldier had taken his helmet off. His face was apparent. Let the man speak no words¡ªhis face, pale and ashen dark, his big dead eyes, his sunken cheeks, and the dreadful re he gave Elina were all enough.


    Still, the man spoke: "The fifth prince has been confirmed dead. Executed while taken hostage. That was¡­ during the battle of Greenfield. Under the third princess, Lady Elina''s control."


    Three weeks ago, and they only found the body now. The third prince was known as the Adventurer Prince: The young man was always out, with his royal unit, exploring and killing as he pleased, ying at being a monster-hunter. When he wasn''t around for more than two months, only then people started to worry about his case. Thest reports about his potential whereabouts read that the third prince was located somewhere around the viges and towns of Greenfield.


    By chance, his decaying body had first been discovered two weeks after he passed, in a pile of collected stuff from the battle of Greenfield, but it took an additional week to properly investigate the decayed remains and confirm that the body indeed belonged to the royal family of Roerden.


    Just like her younger brother''s body was rotten, her luck was rotten, too. That unfortunate ident had to happen while she was in charge of the campaign against the demi-humans. What rotten luck, then again, that the hired professional mages had confirmed that, at the time of the murder, the Adventurer Prince was taken hostage.


    Elina grew pale. So very pale. When she heard the news and everyone turned to face her, she trembled all over. All she wanted to do was bury her head within her hands and sob like a panicked child. Her breathing became heavier. No words were spoken. She had to leave at once.


    "Consequence" was a dreadful word.


    It wasn''t that the fifth son of King Folvin would be missed. In fact, days after that, the royalty heard from her older brother that those, "A son? I have others, don''t I!" were the words spoken by her father after he heard of the passing.


    What mostly troubled the girl was to think how tarnished her name would be after the news. At the Pce, the word was that the fifth prince had fought valiantly and died thus, so her rtions with lords anddies at the court weren''t endangered. But what about King Folvin? What about the fatherly recognition and love he had to give his girl? Elina had no answers.


    ? One problem called for another. Dayster, the eldest son, when considering the potential political moves he could make to serve the crown, might have considered promptly marrying Elina off, as was first nned, to strengthen the bonds between the crown and a suitable lord of thend.


    Well. Atst, the royalty might need my services. A killer''s services. And you know what they say. All''s well that ends well. Probably.

 Chapter 176 Until So Pleasant

    The numb cold of the dark, starry night washed away, so I no longer keptpany to the mncholic royalty. After I gathered information, the Side Mission simply washed away, too, and who knew when such a same quest-like event would fall on me. For the time being, the Main Quest "???" ¡ª "Be the King. 0/1" ¡ª was put to rest, too.


    And after the night, came the day. After the silver-cold cast of the moon, came the warm liveliness of the sun. I keptpany to the priestess whom I liked to y at being friends with. In the capital of Roerden, while, outside of its walls, trouble brew, I walked the city, more or less aimlessly.


    One day, the priestess had mentioned it to me. About thieves. When we visited the many job-rted guilds of the Guild Bureau, I was interested in a certain ss, but it wasn''t avable to me. Why, because thieves weren''t like the other actual sses you could train as. That was due to unresolved open conflicts with the State. I asked about it, and I was told that in some cities, thief/assassin guilds still stood as regr guilds, openly taking disciples in and training them. Anyway, that wasn''t the case in Roerden, apparently.


    With thieves, I felt a certain sense of kinship, at the time. It might have been naive of me, but I still somehow entertained the thought of finding a ce where I could find brothers of mine. I didn''t need a home since I found my elf, Cetha, but I still wished to see a city of thousands of many "mes."


    Monsters, but with intellect. There weren''t that many at all, so finding a society of such a people wasn''t possible. And demi-humans wouldn''t cut it.


    My thought process, today, was that monster-types were evil, and they were rejected. A day or two ago, with the old man, we stumbled upon a thief. I took a liking to it.


    Really, I then had thought, I got to. I got to visit them. Thieves. Maybe they can be like me. Maybe I can make¡­ something more simr to "friends" than the human monster-hunters I always y with, with thieves and assassins.


    They could be my "monsters," I hoped. Uh, my friends, I mean.


    That was how I decided to investigate their case. The thieves'' case. If they caused problems, they had to be there. Somewhere, hiding around in the shadows of the grand buildings of the city. If I hid in in daylight, it was because I had people teach me how. If thieves didn''t, maybe I could show them the way. My guess, however, was that they did hide, too, and I just didn''t see them.


    Regardless, I needed to pinpoint a location. A ce to go.<novelnext></novelnext>


    So I set off to fully visit the capital. And, with the priestess, I had an efficient tour of it.


    I felt that my guide was more distant than usual. That couldn''t be helped. I probably shouldn''t have beheaded countless hobgoblins with my bare hands in front of her. I shouldn''t have drowned the image she had of me, her young lively boy, in the blood of the hobgoblins. Afraid, prudent, distant. From a low-level creature''s perspective, it was probably safer to behave like this.


    I didn''t mind it: I grew a lot, so I probably wasn''t a "young boy" anymore, from an outsider''s perspective, but more a young man. I was never a "boy" to begin with, but I didn''t expect people to treat me as a child anymore.


    Her being distant didn''t mean she didn''t feel immensely grateful for how I saved her. Today, my monster-hunter friends were taking the day off, so the prudent priestess guided me around as I asked, doing her best to appear as unfazed and demoralized by what tragic ident happened the other day.


    We didn''t actually visit it all, but what I couldn''t see with my eyes, the priestess helped me see with her words. The capital knew numerous different areas. Depending on how rich you were and what your upation was, the people were basically separated into many zones. I and my group lived in an aristocratic district. There, there was plenty of room everywhere. The houses and buildings were grand and proud. The space allocated to a resident was spacious: Surrounded by a natural-green color and a warm air of human civilization, the richer people had it good. A few master alchemists and magicians had a few shops around, and they supposedly sold the best products of the region to the best (rich) customers. Aristocratic areas were mostly calm, rich, and gorgeous. Thieves didn''t have much to go about here. That was my guess.


    Above the aristocracy was the nobility. A nobleman or noblewoman mostly inherited their name from their father, unlike aristocrats. They were all formally called lords anddies, and with respect. If dwelled in the capital, it was at the Pce or the vicinity in castles and proud houses of their own. I already visited around the royal ce and its many gardens¡ªthieves didn''t rest there, they couldn''t. The ce was just too secure. If I didn''t have the System backing me up, even I couldn''t slip in and out as easily. Magic domes and barriers kept the security just that tight.


    Then, there were the more generic areas where most of the people lived, taking up about half thend of the big city. Where I had to search and sniff about. There, the people were always bustling around by many. I liked themoner''s grounds better: Thend was richer with people, the great many streets and alleys wererger yet tighter, and life was at the heart of everything. I could see mostly human folks, but elves, dwarves, and other rarer human-races could be spotted now and then. The sun shone warmer down here. And the earthy streets stretched long in the distances, forming a rather in maze where everyone was a master of their own destinations, in the morning and in the evening.


    There were richer areas among themoners. Rich merchants and entrepreneurs lived there, among other merchant people. Where the Guild Bureau, and most of everything of interest, was, it was iner yet more attractive and pleasant. And then, the streets kept getting poorer and poorer, up until thend wasn''t all that pleasant anymore.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 177 Indication

    That was up until thend wasn''t all that pleasant anymore.


    That was where I found what I had been looking for.


    The sun might have been warmly shining down these streets, too, but they were seemingly darker and gloomier. When my long tour wasing to an end, with the priestess, I arrived around these parts. I asked my guide a question, and, with a wincing face, she tried to exin to me why people referred to it as the Lawless Area.


    Before long, she no longer served a purpose, so I sent her away. I was on my own, then.


    Thewless area wasn''t all that crappy, poor, and dangerous, but after I walked around on my own, I understood why it was called that way. Here, the roads weren''t made of cobbles, even in a very rough manner, as was the case where most people lived in the capital. Dirt was enough, apparently.


    Dirt and run-down wooden structures serving as houses or whatever were all you saw. The filthy, dark streets reminded me of that dark back alley back in Sville, but they weren''t just a few. The filth and shabbiness spread a long way across the poorest parts of the capital. And all that poor area was about one-tenth of the whole middle-ss district.


    If the noble districts were so clean and gorgeous, it was because of great magical advancement and technology. If the middle-ss districts were so normal, inhabitable, and cleanliness-wise eptable, it was because of the magic arts raw, which few but enough people mastered, to help run the city. Here, it was as if the magic arts didn''t exist altogether¡ªif you were among the poorest of the poor you might have to jump above a foul, unclean stream of a hellish blend of used water, piss, and shit all together before you stepped outside your shack.


    The putrid air reeked with the ugliest perfumes imaginable; I had the passive [Enhanced ir] to thank for that.


    People, covered with hoods and dark cloaks, were allowed to roam about the streets with their weapons out and stuff, here. Normally, a guard should walk up to them to let them know they were being watched, so they had better be really careful with what they did, but that wasn''t the case here. In the first ce, I saw no guards patrolling the streets.


    Then, I thought I understood the extent of thewlessness, in thewless area, but it was only until some moment that I truly understood. First, I overheard signs of battle toward the darkest alley. Naturally, I headed there in search of thieves, assassins, or anything.<novelnext></novelnext>


    On top of a creaky rooftop, if you could call whatever run-down structure I was on top of a "rooftop," I witnessed a hateful hand in action: The knife kitchen it held angrily jerked about before it severed a hole into a senior man''s chest, then twisted around it many times, before it snatched whatever goods the older man possessed and scrammed. With "Mana Perception," I sensed the ongoing fight, but I could only see the finale with my own eyes.


    Some guy around was a witness to that, but he just ignored whatever just happened, minded his own business, and quickly walked the other way. That was about thewless area. Or about the worst of it, I imagine. Often, the worst is what you need to see in something in order to truly know it, anyhow. I knew it, now. The worst. Probably.


    And so, I fooled around the area for a moment.


    The criminal woman who had justmitted a crime ran off right after she twisted a hole into someone''s chest¡ªI briefly ran after her, pinned her down to the ground, tore a piece of her clothes off, and then let her off. I might have sounded like a freaky pervert who got a kick out of stealing some woman''s clothes just to sniff it or some crazy crap, but I wasn''t. Sure, I did give it a quick sniff, but it was just to track thedy down when I needed to. There was some sort of a n.


    With [Mana Perception], seeing was easy: I just had to pause, concentrate, and channel a lot of my energy out. I didn''t consume much MPs while observing the world from a bird''s eye, but it still mentally took its toll on me. Enough to slightly make my head ache. It was too bad there wasn''t some sort of filtering ability that came along with the skill, in order to just focus on the few things I was after.


    The shadow of my bird''s eyes managed to cover around 300 feet around myself, but I really had to give it my all. And my eye took long enough. Unusable in battle, but definitely a priceless ability. I overheard many sounds, and saw many things. Liquor bottles breaking. Hurly-burly. Daggers shing. Cries of Yes from whores. Sacs of coppers handed. Underhanded killings.


    And I moved about the area, collecting more pieces of cloth from criminals. Each I obtained thanks to quick sneaky attacks, simr to how I obtained the first one. To my nose, each bore a distinctly different fragrance. When I collected about a dozen cloth pieces from about a dozen criminals, I was satisfied and knew just what to do.


    I was after some friends, and I was ready to hunt them down. That was how I decided to be looking for some of my fellows. Other monster-types, depending on how I defined "monster." Some thieves and assassins. Mana-wielders who, unlike most students of the magic arts, decided to learn the craft of a person forever doomed to always hide behind their own shadows. And I wasn''t going after them for any particr reason, if not just to satisfy my curiosity. Friends, here Ie.


    Now that I thought about it, if I was here in the first ce, it was because I assumed the thief guild must be here somewhere. That wasn''t without basis, since I neatly investigated and inquired about the matter beforehand, but I had no tangible indications that what I looked for was here, in Roerdenville.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 178 Just A Quick Sniff

    The fact was, the thief guild, if one even existed in Roerdenville, might not have been here. And, if one didn''t exist, then I might have needed to take a look at the nearby viges and towns outside of the capital if I wanted to join their brotherhood. But hey, as long as I enjoyed it all.


    For the time being, I pulled back and simply continued to observe around. Clouds started to stall over in the sky. That might have yed a role in darkening the dark, filthy area further, but mostly, the sun was diving down toward the end of the horizon. After I spent around fifteen more minutes exploring thewless area, against all odds taking quite a liking to it, I had to rest for a moment. Or, rest, maybe not so much, but I did wait till it became darker.


    Despite the asional ruckus of fights and conflicts, the area was too calm, when I didn''t expand my senses everywhere around. There were few people living around, it seemed to me. With [Mana Perception], I had surveyed the area beforehand, so that didn''te as a surprise. I imagined it was probably safer for people to eithery low, very low, in thewless area, or to just not stop by if you weren''t familiar with it. In any case, the number of people here was clearly underwhelming.


    So Iid down on top of some rundown structure, making sure not to move around too much, and stared up at the cloudy sky for hours. I watched it turn grayer and grayer until it started to lightly rain on me. By then, the thickening night was wrapping itself around the earth, and I slid to somece else.


    If, during the day, the lower district was inwless, at night, it became hostilelywless. That meant it was my time to go on a treasure hunt.


    "So¡­" I tilted my head to the side. "I got eight, nine, and ten of you guys." Paying close attention to my ten pieces of cloth, I blinked many times, and repeatedly let them know what strong interest I had in them. On top of a different sturdier rooftop, I held my chin high as I nced down. In therge alley in front of me, despite the fact that most of the abodes looked abandoned, a few lights lit up here and there.


    "Mm-hm," I nodded again, crossing my arms upon my chest. My pieces of cloth were lying by my feet after I stuffed them out of my pockets. "It''ll be time." With slow, sharp movements, I picked one cloth up at a time. "Yes. Be ready. Ah, but who wants to go first? To whom will I do the honor? ¡­So? Ah, I¡­ speak to a bunch of pieces of cloth I stole from strangers. That''s probably why I do need these ''friends'' I''m after¡­"


    It will be you, I thought. I picked up a torn cloth and stuffed the bunch of others back into my pockets. Pensively, I jumped down into the alley, held the cloth to my nose, shut my eyes tight, and gave it a sniff. I didn''t bark, but I more or less knew where to go.


    The alley was empty and dark. Once I jumped on the street, I felt and heard some movements around me. A wooden porch creaked, the sound of sses touching was overheard in the opposite direction, and two cats hissed in the distance. I stayed motionless for a moment. After a second, the direction from which the sound of sses was heard, a door creaked open. On the front porch of the run-down house, an old, ubed woman showed up with tremulously slow steps. Her quivering lips were gaping at me. With no teeth to show off, she grimaced at me. In her hand, the elderly woman held a bottle of ale, she made sure it was empty by flipping it upside down, and then tossed it at me.


    "...Aaaway with ya, good folks o'' the rich!"


    Looking straight into the crone''s eyes, I didn''t bother to evade the empty bottle flying my way. It missed me and shattered next to my feet. I felt oddlyfortable with the present atmosphere, so I smiled with amusement and said yes ma''am. The old ma''am''s dried lips quivered some more words at me;<novelnext></novelnext>


    I walked away. Once I picked a fresh trail of my prey, my crazy doggo instincts knew exactly just where to go. With dashing steps and mid-air jumps, I was fast on my legs, as usual. My first destination was as random-looking as the cloth I held in my hand. This abode, if you could call it that, wasn''t as rundown as the others, but its door still creaked my presence away to the owner when I gently pushed it open. I heard wordsing from inside and allowed myself in.


    The man was alone. When he heard someone inside, he called out to the intruder again, and I pinpointed his location. The man didn''t seem to have an idea about who I was and confused me for someone else.


    Leisurely walking my way to him, I observed all around me. The ce was thick with dust, broken down, and not much furniture was in. When I finally arrived to the man, I set predator''s eyes on him, and watched him go crazy ape rage.


    The moment the man saw me, his face was instantly twisted with a dark re, he briefly nced all around him, figured I was alone, and nearly tripped over himself by standing up so quickly.


    "Easy, old man."


    With an ashen-dark face, the man repeatedly asked me about who the hell I was. "W-Who''re ya?! Thought you was that prick from th'' pub!" From a nearby table, he drew a dagger at me. The man seemed to be experienced with that. His moves were good.


    I just repeated to the old man to take it easy as calmly, and tossed his cloth to his face.


    "Y-You¡­ crazy bastard," on his guard, he stooped and picked the torn piece of cloth, "d-dunno what sorta crazy retard ya is, but ya told me ya''de back, didn''t''cha¡­?"


    Of course he remembered. You wouldn''t just forget it if someone ran you down in a back alley, threw some punches at you, then bit a cloth off of your shirt.


    asionally missing content, please report errors in time.

 Chapter 179 F-F-Fuck

    You wouldn''t just forget it if someone ran you down in a back alley, threw some punches at you, then bit a cloth off of your shirt.


    I pped my hands at him and told him he was right. I was called a crazy retarded bastard again. The man interrogated me further with his intimating dagger moves. I might have been lucky, he said, when I sneakily assaulted him earlier, but I was just a crazyd who thought I could get away with everything.


    He held the dagger at my throat, from a distance,ughed and bbered about how it was time for thed to spit the reason of my visite to think of it, I was from the "ce o'' the rich," so what was I doing here¡ªand walked up to me. When he looked me straight in the eye from very up-close and spoke, his brown-rotten teeth showed, and his foul breath damaged me more than his dagger ever could.


    I always liked to stay passively standing in front of people at times like this. It allowed me to observe the subject of my curiosity more and scrutinize the depth of their souls better. Still, it was time I got my job done.


    The cold of the dagger''s de spread around my throat. With a sharp movement, I seized the hand that held it, snatched the dagger from the individual, kicked the man away with as sharp a kick, and stabbed the dagger in the wall behind my back.


    "Anything you know about the thief-guild of Roerden?"


    "Th-Th-The hell d''ya waaant?! What''s that ''bout them thieves t''do with me?!"


    After the man understood he had just been swept away by he who he underestimated, his limbs quivered with rage, he promptly got on his feet, yelled at the top of his voice, and made a rush to me. The floor trembled and creaked heavily. The tools and stuff on top of his desk and shelf were swept down to the ground.


    The man connected with me with a punch to my gut; I took it like a champ, grunted, and sent it right back to him. He grunted, too, then had his left foot broken by my stomping foot. I held the man by his cor before he copsed to the ground, and my other hand was ced on his throat.


    "I''ll break it."


    "W-W-W-Wai¡ª"


    "The thief guild."


    "I-I dunno nothing ''bout them thieves¡ª"


    "Where to find it?"


    "...I got nothing to do with thieves or assassins or killers, young mister!"


    "..."<novelnext></novelnext>


    The grip I had on the man''s throat tightened. A helpless groan was squeezed out of it. In the man''s eyes, tears of rage umted. I saw how badly he wanted to beat me senseless. But I shook my head and let the man''s cor go. He fell down on his nk and quickly tried to see what was wrong with his foot. "W-What''d ya do t''my f-f-foot?! Fucking retard!"


    Again, I asked him about the thief guild, or whatever he knew about it. If that wasn''t clear to him by now, I told the man I had some business with them. The thief guild of Roerden, I called it, but who knows how I had to refer to their organization, if it even existed.


    My interrogation was still ongoing: As heavily as I could, I stomped on the other healthy ankle he had. The floor shattered through. I might have put too much strength into that. The man''s foot was half-dug into the old wooden tiles. Blood started to pour out. "You want to apply some pressure on that wound now, man," I shrugged. If he wanted to live and get it treated fast, he had to speak to me.


    The man''s eyes went nk after that, though. The frown of intense rage he had dug deeper and deeper into his features. At the same time, panic was starting to settle in, however. The man jerked about, on the ground, with trembling hands, as he tried to take care of the wound I severed in his leg. He wouldn''t die so soon with his wound, so I didn''t worry about it and decided not to let the man rest.


    Circling him around, I was thinking about how to go about it as I did it. If I wanted to make itst long, I had to inflict repetitive non-deadly pains on the man. My eyes settled on his hands. Forcefully, I seized one of his hands, then one of his fingers, and broke it.


    Again, I asked him about the thief guild and where to find it. The man was desperate to tell me how he didn''t know about anything rted to whatever I asked him about, but I ordered him to think about it more carefully. I told him that he knew, but I honestly was as ignorant as he was. At any rate, the Ha ha ha version of my old man told me that was more or less how a military interrogation had to go. So I kept at it.


    One finger after the other, I broke all of one hand. Whether he knew anything or not, he didn''t speak. Just for the sake of it, I had to try onest time. The tortured soul was desperate to get the hell away from me, as far as the South could be away from the North, but, unfortunately for him, he was right in front of me still. That''s where he had been when this started, and that was where he would be when he died.


    Onest time, I interrogated him. I kicked the man so that he was on his back, then pinned his arms down, sat on his stomach, and coldly looked down at his face from above.


    Crying, he asked me what my grudge against was him. My face lit up in surprise and Iughed. I really didn''t think this through at all. The poor guy must have tried to think up all sorts of theories and exnations about who I was and what the hell I wanted with him, and how it was rted to that moment when I stole a cloth from him, but there was no reason at all. He just happened to have been probably linked to the thief guild, as a criminal, at the wrong time.


    But he couldn''t know. I sighed, leaned closer to his face, and seized him up by his hair. "You don''t have to know that. That''s too unimportant to you, right now. ¡­Listen," I held one finger up like a lecturing teacher, "the only thing you have to know, right now, is the location of the thief guild." My icy, unblinking eyes bore into his soul, and I suddenly tilted my head. "So? Your life''s on the line, so you do remember¡­ Don''t you?" My hand seized his throat again. "I''ll really break it."


    "I¡­ F-F-Fuck¡ª"


    ? I twisted it. The man passed.


    "F-F-F-Fuck¡­" I mimicked the man''s stuttering and desperate face, "...whom? Me¡­? Ha-ha."


    Nine more torn pieces of cloth from criminals to go.


    I got up, dusted off my clothes, and broke out of the run-down house.

 Chapter 180 Not Wait

    I, for the first time, tortured a man. The experience was moreplicated than I had thought. To make people talk, eh? People who potentially had the information you were after? But you have to make sure they don''t either lie or make up some nonsense to you? Pain alone couldn''t be enough. More than pain, they had to feel a sense of desperation so intense so that the whole process went the way it was supposed to.


    Since it was my first time, it made sense that I was far from being an expert. Not that I wanted experience in this craft, but I had nine more pieces of cloth from criminals to go with anyway. So I twisted the man''s neck and was done with it.


    I got up, dusted off my clothes, and broke out of the run-down house. To get myself some friends.


    From then, I ran from house to house in order to gather information. As I had thought before, I knew the information I wanted probably wasn''t lying anywhere around here. If a thief guild still existed in Roerdenville, it might as well be somewhere else. Rumors had it that the siege of a master thief''s secret mafia could be found in thewless area, but you couldn''t always trust rumors. Still, I had time on my hands anyway. So, navigating through the many dark roads of thewless area, I bumped into prey, time and time again, hoping they would have a clue about that thief group of people.


    I needed the information first. So I did as the old man quickly taught me. Along the journey, the System earned me the title "Hellish Torturer." Needless to go into the details about how I was given this name. People, man and woman alike, yelled, cried, and shrieked as I yed with them, breaking one piece off of them after the other.


    There were just lots of mice, and I happened to be a cat, meow.


    At some point, I had three pieces of cloth left. The next house was the one presently in front of me. A shack like any other in this wastnd. One of many. Stuffed in between two simr dpidated houses, which were left deserted, the pile of broken wood sat in front of me, almost creaking in the cold breeze. Through a window, I made out a lighting from a room.


    It was when I understood that this habitation was different. I came here to break somebody, but I didn''t find any such somebody to break. Two souls were in here, and they belonged to two children: A wee kid and a youngdy, neither of them was a criminal.


    To navigate from house to house, I followed the high sense statistics and my enhanced dog-like sense of smell¡ªmy sense stats read 96, and I had [Enhanced ir] as a passive. From a faint sense of direction, I first picked up the trails where I basically assaulted the criminals, then tracked them back up to their ces where I performed my duty for the night.


    In this case, the criminal must have been a night worker. The trailnded me at the murderer''s house, but from there, I sensed a less strong smell that guided me off in another direction again.


    The shack belonged to a whore. She was the first criminal I witnessed who twisted a dagger in some old man''s chest before stealing his coppers and leaving. But the whore herself wasn''t home. Her duty kept her elsewhere during the night, apparently. So, the flickering, timid light I saw through a window wasn''t hers.


    Just as I thought that, it was put out. My footsteps were heard on the creaking front porch. Sounds of a stranger were heard right at their house: The wee boy first cried "Waaaw! Auntie''s already back¡ª" and the youngdy hushed her kid brother. I was right at the step of their door, but I unfortunately wasn''t this auntie person.


    "Whaaat? I''m telling you she¡ª" The kid was ready to protest, but he was hushed again, this time severely.<novelnext></novelnext>


    A youngdy and her kid brother, alone at night with nothing to defend themselves against any trespassers of thewless area. Those footsteps couldn''t be their aunt, the girl pointed out with a faint whisper. The sound of the youngdy''s voice was seriously low.


    If not for Mana Perception, I couldn''t hear her. But I did: Most likely, she said that those steps belonged to some drunk customer of their aunt that came to piss at the step of her door. That sometimes happened.


    Ah, but I was afraid the youngdy was wrong, too, however. First off, I sure wouldn''t just take a piss right there, and even if I wanted to mark my territory here, I wasn''t an old drunkard. Still, the sister urged her kid brother to keep silent for a minute.


    Lights were out. The n was to make it look like nobody was home. The old drunkard would go back on his way when he was done, as if nothing ever happened. Then, the wee boy would be happy to fool around with his toys again, and the youngdy would go back to her reading.


    "...Only, for now¡­ shuuush¡­ you hear?"


    "...Mm¡­hm¡­"


    It was at this time that was when I tried to slide the door open, though. And that was when the door repeatedly shook, in the night, unable to open up because of the lock. Then, that was when both theories were confirmed wrong:


    I couldn''t be either the aunt¡ªI would have unlocked the door with the keys¡ªand I couldn''t be the old drunkard, because I was trying to step in. The boy and his sister froze when they heard my steps, from outside, climbing up their shack, and getting to the windows upstairs.


    When I found one window wasn''t locked, a long moan of the creaky-rotten wood rang through the silent house. Some more footsteps were heard inside the two kids'' abode.


    From then, I didn''t mind the two children much. Upstairs was all right. The trail of the odor I picked was more intense right there. A room. Was it the owner''s? What luxury. The bedroom was perfectly empty if not for the timid presence of a dusty shelf and a few old-looking books, a night table, and sacks of hay next to one another to make a bed.


    Cobwebs were hung as decorations. Poverty resided in. There were a bunch of rags and clothes, and my sense of smell told me that it bore the same unperfumed odor as the red piece of cloth I held in my hand.


    "Good," I ced a knee to the ground, "so this is what that''s about." Whoever owned the cloth in my hand must havee back home to wait for interrogation time as I nned, but then went out again. "And the two littluns downstairs talked about this¡­ aunt person workingte at night? Something like that. So that''s that." Should I wait, should I not?

 Chapter 181 Keys

    Should I wait, should I not?


    I sat on my butt and ced a hand on my chin. Choices were here, I just had to pick one. First, I could wait for the moment this aunt person came back home, and then go forward with the interrogation. That was the convenient way to go. For obvious reasons, I preferred to have my mouse trapped in between four walls I fully controlled before I started to y with it.


    Then again, there was no telling how long it would take for the mouse toe out of its hole, so I could always go after it without waiting. Or then, I could also still wait for my prey toe to me while in the meantime searching the house for information, too.


    Well, what should I do? Briefly, I nced around and asserted there wasn''t much to search for, in such an unpleasantly empty house. With light steps, I wandered about the first floor: The house wasn''t especially tiny. Quite the contrary. What made it look so empty must have been the size of it. For an empty house, there was too much room. And, what drove me to go after some group of people I never had heard of before was mostly curiosity. Maybe I could be curious again and explore the few dusty shelves and desks for documents about a possible mention of the word "thief."


    Peeking out of the owner''s bedroom, I considered what I should do with my empty schedule and how my ns would go, but then, the sounds of hesitant steps were heard down the stairs. With Mana Perception, I watched the youngdy hesitantly go up. She was on her way to the intruder, with a frying pan in her hands and a very worried expression stered on her face.


    The intruder still stood in the owner''s bedroom. The girl might have wished for it all to simply have been her and her brother''s imagination running wild with anxiety when she heard the rustling of steps upstairs, but it wasn''t. Somehow, the girl seriously entertained the thought. Still, her imagination wasn''t wild at all. It was right and cautious. How could she even have imagined the loud steps she and her kid brother heard when I climbed up their house? Yes, I was still there.


    "H-Hello¡­?"


    So far, I waited in the dark. From inside the owner''s bedroom, I was hidden in the shadows. I admired the girl''s courage. At the same time, I did set my cold eyes on her, thinking about how much of an enemy she was to me. Well, she and her frying pan wasn''t much.


    I didn''t have a reason to kill her. If you didn''t farm them by the hundreds, nonbatant people didn''t give many EXP points at all. Plus, she was the girl who could have picked up a sharp kitchen knife instead of just a frying pan in order to defend herself¡­ so she didn''t die today.


    I made sure to swiftly jump out of the window from which I came in. For the time being, I let her off. Then again, she still didn''t have me off her skin altogether.


    The n was unsure from the start, so it stayed that way. With my prey and interrogation in mind, I tracked my prey down all the way up to the woman''s workce, but it was a whorehouse. I couldn''t run my interrogation there, so I took care of the other pieces of cloth for the time being.


    An hour passed. No satisfactory information about the thief guild was gained. All I had now was a name. The Night Brotherhood. Since I heard the name from two unrted criminals, I knew the organization had to be the real thing. It felt good to know that I started all this just on some sort of random impulse, but that it still paid off. A name. Still not much to go with, for now, but that was information.


    And since I had nothing to do, then, I was back to the whore''s rack, where the youngdy and her kid brother stayed. The house either slept and I snuck in again, this time without alerting anyone, or the two hosts didn''t, and I was about to have some fun.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I traveled back to it fairly quickly. A light was still on. Inside, both the youngdy and the boy still were well awake, in the same room I had seen them earlier. The girl was resting upon a wall, on the floor, and she opened a book of tales on herp. Earlier, she read, too. The boy was unchanged, too, and still fooled around with his knight and monster wooden figurines going all Graaah, Uwaaah, Mighty-Kick, and his "Die-die-die Monster Move!"


    Crossing my arms upon my chest, I stayed motionless at the first step of the front porch. I had to give some thought to how I would go about pulling what I wanted to do here. Things wouldn''t supposedly go exactly as nned, but the childish part of myself could rejoice that it was fun. When I set out to aplish something, I decided that I would do it no matter what.


    For the second I paused, I overheard the prey. The boy set aside his toys andined. "...Nah! It''s still weird, big sis''!"


    "What is?"


    "The chewin'' in my stomach¡­ don''t want to stop! It still hurts me! I can''t sleep!"


    It was the boyining about the intense feeling of hunger. His sister confessed that she was the same. It was unfortunate, but they just had to wait. Auntie would surelye back with some bread and vinegar, tonight. "But¡­ but¡­ it still hurts in my tummy¡­" For the time being what she could do was to tighten the piece of garment wrapped around the boy''s stomach, and she did. The starving duo went back to their own devices, enduring their pain. To read and to y.


    But then, I knocked.


    Knock, knock, knock.


    Both of them froze for a moment, then. For the first half an hour after I first left, the trendy topic to gossip was about nonsensical theories they came up with about the intruder that came in the night. At some point, they just dropped the topic altogether as it caused them more anxiety than anything. Now, they were reminded of their game again. And who proposed a storyline in which the bad serial killer came to knock on their house again? Neither did.


    The boy turned to his sister with a white, sunken face. All of a sudden, he had aged 10 years with his stress and seized his sister by her eye. Gloomily, he slowly shook his head at her. Thess herself wasn''t unpanicked. Her throat cleared several times, then she let out a long, well-earned sigh. Because of her kid brother''s reaction, she promptly picked up the frying pan next to her leg, with a grave expression.


    I knocked a few more times, but now the boy''s face suddenly lit up. This time, he grew 10 years back younger, had a healthy-red color to his face, and started, "Waaaw~ Just kiddin''! It''s got to be auntie for real, this time¡ª"


    "Hush, now! Th-They don''t have the keys¡­!"

 Chapter 182 Bossyboss

    "It''s got to be auntie for real, this time¡ª"


    "Hush, now! Th-They don''t have the keys¡­!"


    "Waaa¡­ Waaa¡­" The boy wasn''t as clever, naturally, so he got his hopes high. The healthy-red color of his face stayed rosy, but the boy now cried with frustration. His smile first fell apart, then he was found rolling around, whacking all his limbs around in fury. "Waaah! I can''t! I can''t! I can''t, I can''t, I can¡ª Mmmhn!" The only way the boy would shut his trap was by smothering. Or a milder version of it. If thess was desperate before, now she was well past that point. Her brother finally shut up after his sister told him it could still be a monster, knocking at their door, but she shook her head, biting her lip.


    "They definitely heard themotion, now¡­"


    "N-N-No! You can''t open up, big sis''! The monster will¡­ The monster will¡­"


    "I said hush now, boy."


    "Waaa¡­"


    "Look. Here. Always got my frying pan, don''t I?"


    "Wooo¡­ Defeat the bad person!"


    "...Hehe."


    The girl chose to be true to her word. She didn''t open up the door to allow the monster in just yet, but she would soon. Also, she always had her frying pan around if I or any other bad person assaulted her.


    My host was slow to tend to her guest, but she eventually came up to the door. It made sense that she was hesitant. She lived in thewless area, where the crime rate was the highest in all of Roerdenville. She had her right to have all her anxiety and stress gnaw at her empty stomach, too, with what happened earlier. When she came up to me, I was still waiting on the front porch. A door stood between us. She was on the other side of it, with a frying pan locked with her arms, ready to swing at me even with the door closed and locked.


    At first, thess hit me with a hesitant "H-Hello¡­" and started to ask about who I was rather meekly. I was ready to answer her, but¡­ Halfway through, she must have thought it through and decided that she had to be more fierce, just like her aunt always taught her. "H-Hello¡­ W-Who is it¡­? It''s not you auntie, is it¡­ N-No¡­ ¡­No! Okay. Fierce. W-Who''re you and what do you want at my door!"


    "...Pfft. I, uh¡ª"


    "You have to know that I am armed, sir!"


    "Sure, armed, I understand. I actually came here to apologize."


    "And I am not alone in this house! ¡­Uh, pardon me, sir? What did you¡­"


    "You''re not alone. I see, I''ve been told that. Sorry. So, I came here to¡­ well, apologize."


    "..." Thess marked a pause. "W-What for, sir¡­?"


    With a door between us, it was a little hard tomunicate my feelings in a perfectly smooth manner. "If I may first, you don''t have to call me sir." Maybe that was especiallyplicated for her to read me from her perspective. I at least saw the person I talked to, with Mana Perception. I saw her eyes hesitantly drop down to the ground with a less-pained expression, and her frying pan following. From what I understood, I told thess that we were roughly about the same age, so she could drop the "sir." Strictly speaking, I was actually younger than her kid brother or any two-month-old infant out there, but oh well.


    "I can hear it by your voice¡­ but I wouldn''t¡­"


    Confession time. Earlier, I was the one who had broken into the house. I told her as much. Uninvited and illegally.


    "P-Pardon me?!"


    "I know," I awkwardly scratched the back of my head, "and I''d bow to you to express how deeply sorry I am¡­ but there''s that door."


    "W-Why did youe to our house again¡­!"


    "D-Don''t get me wrong!" I acted flustered. "I-I¡ª At first, I had no idea the customer''s two children were in here. That''s why. I''m deeply sorry for the inconvenience I caused then."


    Some young man broke into your house and potentiallymitted theft, then came back to you to apologize. The hell was wrong with him? At first, thess was confused. If she kept tripping over her tongue when she was just intimidated by my presence, now that she was also very confused, she was conflicted. She raised her voice first and pushed me for an exnation, while stammering an awful lot, then she became less animated, and as I kept silent, she kept mumbling her natural questions under her breath.


    In the first ce, if I was remorseful, I should have had said "I''m sorry for doing you wrong," instead of "I was doing you wrong but all I regret was nearly being caught."


    "I-I know," I awkwardlyughed, "you must be confused. And so¡­ When I told the boss, he sent me back here to apologize."<novelnext></novelnext>


    "I''m sorry, sir, I don''t¡­ The ''boss''...?"


    "Sure. Uh, it is Mr. Bossyboss I am the assistant of, working under my lord as his apprentice. Supposedly, the customer¡ªI mean, the owner of this ce should have been here." Or that was what I thought anyway. My appointment with her aunt wasn''t until about an hour from now, so I apologized again for the inconvenience from earlier.


    "Wha¡­ Whaaat?"


    "I know, I''m sorry. It''s confusing how poorly organized I was. Mr. Bossyboss was ashamed. I can see you are, too, hm."


    "No¡­ sir¡­. I mean, I don''t really¡­ Actually, I should be sorry. It seems I don''t understand a thing you''re talking about. Really."


    "Huh? Well, now you have me confused."


    "...I apologize, sir. I just don''t know what¡­ is¡­"


    "Hmm¡­"


    "S-Sorry!"


    "..Haven''t you been told?"


    "I''m afraid not, sir."


    "Ehhh."


    "I¡ª"


    "Well, I can say it makes sense." After all, I said her aunt wouldn''t overshare about the things her girl didn''t need to know. "It makes sense, it does. Well, criminal investigations never bode well. Plus, with the case we''re working on¡ªthe case your aunt has been willing toe forward to us as a witness¡ªI understand she wouldn''t¡­ well. The case is pretty serious. Never mind." No, nothing made sense. The girl who now felt terribly apologetic towards me for being an inconvenience didn''t have to know, though. I had quickly made up some story beforehand to be sure not to lose this little game, but I mostly improvised at some point. Mr. Bossyboss wouldn''t be proud.


    I came here to say I was sorry. Now, the youngdy stayed by her door to apologize to me instead. She dropped her frying pan with repeated bows. Soon, her kid brother came up to the door to apologize on behalf of his sister, too.


    "It''s okay, it''s okay, guys!"


    "...Is it, sir?"


    The door was still acting as a wall between the cat and the mice. "I¡­ can always drop byter."


    "Huh, but I would feel¡­"


    "Or I should exin everything to you¡­? I couldn''t possibly burden you with¡ª"


    "I''d be ready to hear you! Plus you really seem troubled, so¡­ It wouldn''t feel right letting you go without¡­"


    She could barely ever finish her sentences. That was normal. She couldn''t let me go without¡­? What did she know? Possibly, she felt sorry for sending me back to the imaginary Mr. Bossyboss without getting my job done again¡­ or something along those lines anyway.


    For a minute, I insisted that I couldn''t really burden her with all my stuff, but she also insisted that, if she could be of help, she dly would. No, she even felt like it was her duty to. When I subtly let her believe that she could be of help to my investigation, she was pumped up like crazy.


    "...Well. Then I''d need to start from the start, hm?"


    Click, click. Then, click, click again. And then, click, click onest time. Phew. The locks of the door were unlocked. The door opened up. If she wasn''t naive enough to open it, I''d have had to pull off yet another tricky trick to fool them. Behind the door, I found the youngdy and her kid brother who half-hugged her from her nk. Adorably cute. Both of them. Adorably gullible, too.


    And the monster they just opened their door to, smiled at them.


    "No worries," I chuckled, "everything''s all right..."

 Chapter 183 Whorehouse

    Everything was all right.


    ? You have obtained the new Title "Master of Fabrications"! ?


    And I had to start from the very beginning.


    After the door opened up, I found the girl and his boy behind it. No wall was in between us anymore. I could already see her, but she saw me only then. Our appearances might have been simr: Though I looked a bit older than her, we might have been around the same age. She stood in the entrance hallway, and I stood at the step of her door. She was a pretty sight, and, from her perspective, I might have been, too¡ªher eyes were lost on me for a moment.


    When I gave her back her long stare, the maiden looked instantly flustered and averted her eyes.


    "Thank you," I smiled. I took a step in, inviting myself inside, then I politely asked about her aunt. I made it sound as though I knew the master of the house, so I had to ask. The youngdy made way for me, and I noticed she was still noticeably flustered, so I asked about her and her brother''s well-being, too.


    Thedy was as nervous as she was lovely. With short jerky movements, she had an amusing nervous helpless habit. She kept sliding some lost strands of her chestnut hair behind her ear, then let it fall from it again, before repeating the movement all over again. Her eyes kept darting from me to the floor, and the youngdy managed an answer. Her aunt, her kid brother, and herself were all quite healthy, for the most part.


    "Is that so? Well, that''s quite good to hear."


    That''s how the old man would have done it, I thought. Politely, normally, being non-freaky. In her turn, the youngdy would treat me simrly, and I could get done what I had to do here. In a non-freakish manner. Right, I thought, silently nodding at myself.


    Then, I just had to let myself be guided to some sort of guest room or something, where I could¡ª


    "Y-Young mister!"


    Well, I thought, she doesn''t have to hurry, but thedy will have to calm down, at some point. Why so flustered?


    The kid brother''s big curious eyes had been observing me for some time, in the entrance hallway. He blinked repeatedly at me. When his sister spoke up, he wrapped it up, grew bored, and ran back off to his soldier toys. His little quick steps rumbled a rough symphony on the floor, and that left me and the sister still in the hallway.


    I thought of following the kid brother, but then, she repeated it. "Y-Young mister¡­!" And she was more flustered than before. Noticeably so. Her nervous helpless habit became more intense, and robotically turned to me.


    I didn''t frown, I politely smiled.


    Her hands clutched her ragged robe. Her maturing chest rose as she took a deep breath. Her eyes were glued to the ground, but then, she would take them up and face me head-on.


    "A-And you¡­ h-how are you¡­?"


    Ah? It was that. I still didn''t understand why someone had to act so shy like this.<novelnext></novelnext>


    "D-D-Did you e-enjoy yourself at th-the¡­ w-w-whorehouse¡­?"


    Ah, no, I did understand, actually. I was confused. She asked that question. I thought she just wanted to be polite and ask about my well-being, too, but oh well.


    Frozen by a palpable feeling of shame, the youngdy stood in front of me, and eyed me intently again. At first, I was just confused. After a second, I was still confused, but I understood it was as if the youngdy was searching for something inside of me. She searched for something she wanted to see. And I would understand the meaning of her questionter. From what she understood I told her, I had to stop by her aunt''s workce before I came back to her aunt''s ce.


    Behind her back, I went to a stop. There was enough room for me to pass her by, but I gave her some of my time. It wouldn''t be polite not to. So, it was a little weird response, but I turned my back on her without a word, then thought up an answer to her question. I was quick: I picked a copper coin in my pocket, then flipped it. Heads for yes, tails for no. Turning back to her, I put back on my polite smile on my face, nodded, and enthusiastically said "Yes."


    "O-Oh¡­ I-I see."


    ? I did enjoy myself at the whorehouse. Like a man with a woman. That was something people might or might not do. It just so happened that I did.


    Well. I flipped a coin because I didn''t know what was the right answer to give her. What about the truth? Well, I was someone who constantly lied. Yes or no, then? I couldn''t say, so the coin said it for me. In the end, I didn''t know whether the coin had done me right or not. After my yes, the youngdy might have initially looked a bit disappointed. She winced with a little stony expression. But after her bitter smile, she might have felt a little relieved by my answer. All of that for reasons I ignored.


    "W-W-Would you¡­"


    Wasn''t she done yet? I tilted my head at her.


    "A-And would you do it again, young mister¡­?"


    Augh escaped me¡ªI didn''t think it could be so normal to ask other people about such questions¡ªand I nonchntly flipped a coin again. I got a lucky draw. The coin said Yes again.


    That was right. The maiden''s bitter smile was wiped off her face, and then, she nodded to herself. "Is that so," she kept repeating, "I see," she said. "Mmm¡­ Sorry to have asked you such weird questions, young mister."


    "Ah." So those questions were a bit freakish, after all. Unsure, I asked the youngdy as much, and she politelyughed in her hand.


    "Of course they are¡­ but I¡ª I had to ask! Come, then, young mister. I couldn''t make my aunt''s guest¡­ well, yes, you are a guest. The times are hard, but my aunt says it''s in hard times that being the better versions of ourselves really matters. I couldn''t let our guest be neglected."


    Her dodgy question might have been the reason why she was acting so flustered, in the end. After it was asked, she grew noticeably calmer, and I was settled inside one room.


    Not neglecting the guest of the house was the goal here. They could barely not neglect themselves, in their abode, however, so what was the n here?


    I had already been here before. Though it was upstairs, I already saw a sample of the house. While most houses of thewless area could be called racks, this one could be called a bigger rack. There was room inside, but most of it wasn''t touched. The "living room" I was led into was the ce where the youngdy and her kid brother stayed the first time I swung by. Outside, the silver moon essentially lit up the nightly streets of thewless grounds. Inside the bigger rack, it was mostly dark: Aside from the light of an old oilmp that was held by thedy, there was only one other oilmp and a few candles, dimly lighting up the living room. Added to the smell of dust and old wood that ruled over the atmosphere, the air unexpectedly scented books and old documents.

 Chapter 184 Business Meat

    Added to the smell of dust and old wood that ruled over the atmosphere, the air unexpectedly scented books and old documents.


    There wasn''t much furniture, as was the case upstairs. But papers and documents piled on top of creaky shelves, a desk, or directly on the floor, there were. I was told not to mind the disorderly air the ce had, but then, there weren''t that many papers all around. Still, all whores weren''t normally educated the way the owner of the house was. I would have a lot to work on, after I took care of my smooth intrusion inside first.


    Neglected. That was the theme of the ce. So, naturally, my host sat her guest at a neglected, wobbly coffee table, where I sat on the naked floor thatcked a rug. I didn''te over for ate dinner, but I still received words of apology when the maiden saw to it that I had the mostfortable stay at their house, even in the absence of the one I initially came to trade information about some criminal investigation with. No food or quick snacks for the guest. As I kept repeating to her, I hardly came over for lunch, especially when I was visiting people whocked enough resources for themselves, so I didn''t mind any such "problem," but the youngdy was strong to insist that, had her aunt the money, I would have had my fill at her house.


    She seemed genuinely caring and not simply polite, so I thanked her.


    Her good intentions were enough to fill my stomach.


    What the house didn''tck, however, was liquor. Nothing like the fancy wine of the rich parts, but something way more crude and cheap. Imp''s tears, the liquor was called. It was basically not worth much of anything, but it still had intoxicating properties.


    "Yes, even a young mister like yourself never misses an asion to drink, when¡­ doing business with colleagues, or something!"


    Guests apparently always had to be treated with much care and respect. I already learned that from the old man, when I first met him at his little house, in the woods of Benelloan. Tonight, no food could be served to me. The house had no rations of dry bread or meat, for the guest, but I was still presented with the cheapest liquor there was. Even with my lies, I couldn''t exactly be said to have been running some business with some colleagues or something, but I would have epted anything that was presented to me to y the friendly guest''s role anyhow.


    After I downed a first ss of imp''s tears in one go, the maiden''s eyes rounded up; she went in and out of the kitchen again to bring more. As was said by my host, there was no time for me to lose, then. I, or rather, we had some work to get done. As I had told her at the step of her door, I would tell the girl "everything."


    That''s how I started it: "It makes sense. Your aunt wouldn''t give you closure about everything. I will. As I understand it, it is clear that you yourself wish toe forward as a potential witness of the many viinous acts of barbary that have been urring for the past few weeks, which Mr. Bossyboss strongly suggests are the acts of a criminal organization named the Night Brotherhood."


    Around the coffee table, thedy sat in front of me. A ss put in front of her, but she made no efforts to fill it. With anxious, restless fingers, she kept touching it like this and that, rather unsurely. Her kid brother was still around, ying with his soldier toys and stuff by the floor. Briefly, the youngdy eyed her boy, then her gaze darted on me. "Y-Yes, I do¡­ want to¡ª"


    I cut her short. "Then it''s settled." I didn''t need her to speak. My eyes fell on her restless fingers again, then her little brother. "A payment for your information will of course be provided." The maiden''s anxiety was blown off, her eyes widened with disbelief, and she looked at me as if pleadingly. "All information the people provide to us can and will be useful, after all. Payment is only natural." And that was it. Now that I promised her what she obviously wished for¡ªthat is to say, money to feed her family¡ªher anguish turned into tion for a brief moment.<novelnext></novelnext>


    As far as she understood, her aunt had supposedly been involved in a series of heinous crimesmitted by the Night Brotherhood. My made-up story wasn''t exactly incredible from her perspective. "Oh¡­ Now that you mention it, sir, my aunt might have told me that herself, earlier today."


    "...Ah?"


    "Y-You seem surprised, sir."


    Could the aunt who was supposed to sell me information really be knowledgeable about the thief guild, or anything that could lead me to them?


    "Earlier today, she was attacked by a¡­ well, she named them ''some teenage asshole.''" I raised an eyebrow and pressed forward. "She said they were crazy because they just ripped off a piece of her robe before they took off, just like that."


    "Ah. I see." No, her aunt just had information about me.


    I repeated the name "Night Brotherhood," I noted that she clearly wasn''t familiar with the name. Still, when I asked her whether she at least heard the same somewhere, she repeatedly nodded at me with a jerky head and a dead-serious expression.


    It was clear that she wanted me to believe she had since it seemed important for her to achieve her purpose. To help her aunt care for her family, the youngdy had to earn some coppers. Tonight, a rich young mister who had money kind of proposed to her a job. That was her n.


    But I had a n, too, and it didn''t rely on her selling me information. Her aunt was the one I wanted to interrogate since that was the rule of the game of the criminals'' pieces of cloth. After I smoothly got inside my prey''s abode, the n was to search for information inside. Not from any youngdy who just so happened to have a need for coppers, but from the documents, papers, and registers I could find here.


    So, anyway, I told her everything. Anything I could make up. There was a n, and I stuck to it. So, I started to feed her with more information about my fake investigation. Added details. And there was the new rule I just added to the game. She had been enough for tonight. Now that I was in, I needed her to be out. I wasn''t about to throw her out of her house or anything, but I purposely made it sound as though there was nothing she could help me with in this investigation of Mr. Bossyboss. At any rate, what did she expect? It wasn''t like she had any valid information to sell me. I didn''t let our "business meeting"st more than fifteen minutes.


    (Author''snote:Sorryabouttheshortchaptersthesedays.Alotishappeningformeirl.Nothingdramatic,justhebusy.)

 Chapter 185 Thieves

    From her side of the story, she just had this huge chance that was presented to her. A chance at making her life better, as well as the people''s lives around her. That huge chance just happened by. Unfortunately, it didn''tst long. That was a naive story that was born from a naive thinking.


    How would she make that easy money if she didn''t have the easy information she had to give me? At first, she sat a distance from me, opposite to my side. She faced me with childish eagerness, smiled a lot, maintained strong eye contact, and only spoke with affirmative words. "Yes, I will help you." "Yes, I might know something about that." "Yes, I can tell you more about that." But all was in vain. Little did she know the investigation she wanted to work on with me was fake, for the most part.


    The girl wasn''t so naive. She didn''t qualify for the job. The defeated girl quickly got over the growing feeling of desperation she felt. "Of course, I couldn''t help¡­" she murmured. "Like, what do I know¡­?" That was evident.


    "Sorry?"


    "It''s nothing, sir."


    Still, she was well-determined to earn the coppers she needed. Part of her still tried to try to sell the "information" she withheld, but the n B aspect of her n was kicked into gear, too.


    I mentioned that she professionally sat in front of me, at the beginning of our meeting. I had a handful of sheets neatly ced next to my hands, on the coffee table, seized them all, acted as though I reorganized them, and ced them back onto the wooden surface, in one pile.


    My elbows on the table, I crossed my hands together and squinted my eyes at the youngdy.


    She was spread unevenly on the other end of the square, tiny table, and had buried her face into her arms. "Well," I said, "we did try. It''s normal, you know. Both you and I might have been expecting too much of it all. Honestly, it doesn''t even matter. I still have your aunt to interrogate, just as was nned; she will know something. Don''t let it bother you, then. As was convened, if you''ll allow me, I''ll be upstairs to see if I¡ª" I was ready to stand up, but¡­


    Before she whispered one long childish moan ofint, the maiden straightened her spine again and ced her hand upon her chest. "Let''s review the case onest time." Her eyes almost pleaded to me. "Please."


    "I¡­ I mean¡­ Sure, haha. If that''s what it will take."


    I gentlyughed, but she started to irritate me. She wasn''t even thest boss, yet, I had to spend so much time with her, keeping up my role as an officer investigator person, just trying to do their job. I still had handfuls of documents to sort through afterward.


    "Thank you, thank you, thank you! Sir!"


    "Why, I should thank you for your help, haha."


    We were ready to get back to it, but a third party let their voice be heard then.


    "...Eh?" The kid brother.


    The youngdy looked straight into my eyes with a beaming smile. Self-satisfied, she was ready to get back to it.


    "Bet y''know you''re just disturbin'' the young mister, sis''." And the kid brother was back to his toys, not minding any response from his sister.


    Still, the youngdy looked straight into my eyes, but I could see her beaming smile twitching with irritation.<novelnext></novelnext>


    I politelyughed and shook my head.


    The second part of the youngdy''s, who was so desperate for coppers, unfolded. To starve was a tough thing. To have your kid brother, who still needed to grow by a lot, be starving with you was a tougher thing.


    Itsted just a second, but for the third time, I got to see the dark, heavy look on the teenagedy''s face. For just a brief second, the same dreadful face she made twice when she faced me: First when I, the stranger, announced myself to her house. And then, when she asked that same stranger about two linked things¡ªdid I enjoy myself at her aunt''s workce, and possibly, would I do it again?


    A heavy expression that was half-filled with sorrow and half-filled with resignation. But the youngdy''s dull, lifeless eyes were quick to go away. She put up a facade again and had her first cup of imp''s tears for the night. A cup that wouldn''t be thest, for reasons only the girl knew.


    I had had a few sses. Liquor didn''t affect me. [Resistance to Poison] helped. Well, maybe it didn''t. I already knew that anyhow, so the constant positive status effect "Magic Remedy" didn''t surprise me.


    Liquor did affect the youngdy, on the other hand. Going in and out of the kitchen, without hermp, she sought refuge in the darkness. By the same asion, she brought herself and her guest drinks.


    In the five minutes that passed, I yed at being detectives with her again, and many things happened. Well, absolutely non-important things, that is. Things that were entirely non-important to me, but very important to the youngdy. Through the course of these five minutes, she gradually sipped more and more of the distasteful drink and worked her way closer to me.


    The coffee table was a little squared teau above the floor, and the youngdy navigated by its coast. The goal was for the youngdy to safely sail to her young mister. Be sufficiently intoxicated. Seduce the young mister. Be done with what she had to do. Then, earn a few coppers to afford bread and milk.


    But fate wouldn''t have it that way. In the neglected family of the neglected household, the youngdy drowned before she could sail to me. She didn''t have half a drink, but a few sips of imp''s tears sufficed to take her far, far away.


    Later, she would tell me about how that was the way her aunt told her she also forced herself with her first customers, easing the whole process. She knew that doing that with the first young mister she encountered wasn''t the way to go, that there was a ce and time for this, but I seemed kind and rich. Two qualities she wanted in a man.


    She sat next to me. We weren''t really reviewing any case, thanks to the state she was in. Then, she copsed. For the second time, her face was buried deep into her arms, but this time, she didn''t lift it back up and slept.


    Unfortunately for the girl, I wasn''t as pleasant a person as she thought I was. No, I didn''t know about what she hid behind her whole act of tonight. No, I didn''t know that, as I yed a game with her aunt and all the other pieces of cloth, she also yed a game with me. I didn''t.


    When her kid brother saw what drunk state his sister was in, left his toys, and quickly skipped to her to see if she was all right, I left her to him.


    I had spotted them some time ago already. A group of two. Constantly tailing me from a distance. They hid well. Thieves, most likely. I couldn''t pinpoint their exact location. Since they were, I decided to still patiently wait for them, and carry on with the game I was ying. I couldn''t alert them.


    "...I''ll be upstairs, boy."


    "Yes¡­ sir. Thanks for indulging my sis'', sir."


    In the meantime, I could also wait for the whore to hit back home.

 Chapter 186 Light

    Two thieves. They tailed me. They hid well, though, so I couldn''t simply walk up to them to say hello. Soon after I first set foot into thewless area, I put [Mana Perception] to good use and had a quick overview of all my surroundings. That included the trouble-makers I wanted to attack then follow. But that also included a ton of other information I had to painfully sort through, with an aching head and a frown.


    That was pretty much when I suspected some people were following me. I had tried to bait them into doing more than just passively following me, but I didn''t manage anything.


    The two masters of the shadows hid well. They had a simr presence to that one thief I met a few days back. And, I seriously wanted to join them. If not for seriously building friendships with simr-minded folks, or learning a fighting style that actually interested me, I would carry it on just for the thrill of it.


    By waiting, I was sure the hiding ones woulde. Come to me, the one they tailed. Hours passed, but nothing happened. At some point, I stumbled upon a certain whore''s dwelling, and then, I sensed that the two thieves moved differently. For a brief moment, it felt like they weren''t keeping their eyes on me. They got closer, and I sensed the slightest hint of agitation in the ambient mana. Maybe they, too, had their own n.


    Just like the youngdy and me. I left the intoxicated girl downstairs with her boy. Atst, I was up to working the job I initially came here to do. Gathering information. Given my circumstances, the learned whore might have had something to do with the assassin guild, in the end.


    Each step I took in the stairs creaked with more intensity than thest. And thest step moaned a different creak, probably weing me to the first floor. It was gettingte andte. Fewer lights shone in the streets. I might have been plunged into total darkness if not for my cat-like eye, which had the passive "Night Vision." In daylight, my irises shrank, and in the night, they stretched. I could see just fine.


    Walking around, my fingers ran across each of the dusty surfaces of desks and shelves, be it in the hallways, or the four rooms I found upstairs. Then, my fingers set for some old files of papers in the owner''s bedroom. In the owner''s bedroom, there wasn''t so much dust, so I started there first. Here, the most important papers should be found.


    Against all odds, an hour passed and I found nothing. The first thing was, going through random papers in hope of finding valuable information was a tough mental battle that did require more love of useless old newspapers than it required intelligence. The second thing was, even if I did love sorting through all of the old news or old mana-y articles, it still wouldn''t be as easy as that. A few hours at best were necessary. Or a few days at most. That was that. There was still something I could do upstairs.


    When I jumped off my desk, it half-crumbled to the floor. I looked at it, scoffed, and finished the job by kicking it to the ground. "Now, that''s more like something I can do." Cut things down. Or to cut a whore down, after I was done interrogating her. Upstairs, two rooms had windows. The owner''s bedroom, and some other empty chamber. A window''s lock here was drastically less secure than a lock in the aristocratic zones.


    The thing wasn''t muchplicated. I unlocked the window but left it closed. My finger turned rosy-red, and it emitted a ton of heat. <Forge> proved useful. With a finger, I just pushed the locking mechanism in and rendered the whole thing unusable. That way, I could always show up hereter.


    Then, I received some visit. The youngdy who had had too much to drink might have woken up after I kicked the owner''s desk to the ground. As she came upstairs, I slipped into the tiny sort of rotten-through library, and I acted as though I still went about my job as a detective, or something.<novelnext></novelnext>


    Hmmm¡­ I thought, so what should I do now? Tilting my head, I ced a hand on my chin and squinted my eyes. The maiden''s footsteps were heard climbing up the stairs, with a squeaky old oilmp in hand.


    Ah¡­ I thought, will I have to look dumb because I didn''t take a light with me upstairs? Tilting my head to the other side, I picked up an inked sheet from up a shelf and thought again. Whatever, whatever. What should I do now anyway? In the tiny library, my thoughts first went home. There was still a whore to interrogate, but I could always do thatter. If I had time, I might as well drop by my ce, wake up the sleeping old man, and take my second lesson on mana control.


    In a few weeks, the old man assured me I would be done with practicing. Then, I could go about even crazier stuff, in my own time. [Dwelling], eh? If it wasn''t already clear to me, no, the ability for someone to regte and properly control their mana didn''te along with a very handy passive skill that allowed me to learn it effortlessly. Still, my talent for the magic arts, since I was made of pure mana, was quite high, ording to the old advisor. A few weeks were very short for what I learned.


    Thinking of home, then, my thoughts went to Cetha. I didn''t spend as much time with her as I first did when we got a house in the capital. Back in the forest of Benelloan, when I saved her from the elven people, I had told her that nothing was ever free, and that the price she had to pay was that she had to be my family, since she alone was willing to fully embrace me with her kindly weak, frail arms. Maybe I could do something with her, sometime soon.


    Then, thinking of Cetha, my thoughts went to her homece. The Benelloan Forest. Demon Lords, eh? Wars? Ah, and there was Ladafar, too, as well as the quest object "Seal: Orcish Dagger x1" I obtained from an orc friend. From there, my thoughts went to the Side Mission from the System earlier, and then¡­


    "Huh," I scoffed, "system." The Skill Menu was drawn into existence. With my eyes, I surveyed the long, floating blue tab, and I set my eyes on it. "Main Quest: "???" ¡ª Be the King. 0/1"


    My eyes squinted at it.


    How to be a king¡­ no, the King¡­?


    That was when she came to me. "Sir¡­ One has to wonder how you would take care of your job with the lights off."


    The King. Maybe I simply needed some light.

 Chapter 187 187

    Chapter 187: The Dragonflower''s Loyalties


    Torn between loyalty andpassion, the dragonflower,


    From the clown and his friends, distance it does tower.


    The gravity of the situation, now understood,


    The clown''s leadership, now questioned for good.


    End of the current chapter.


    For purposes of valid publishing, a series of words will be disyed down below.


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 Chapter 188 188

    Chapter 188: The Dragonflower''s True Nature


    The dragonflower stood tall, her petals aglow,


    One of the rarest creatures, she wished to show.


    Her power to turn into a flower, now revealed,


    To show that there is more than what is perceived.


    End of the current chapter.


    For purposes of valid publishing, a series of words will be disyed down below.


    The reader may ignore them and proceed to the next chapter.


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    Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words.

 Chapter 189 189

    Chapter 189: The Dragonflower''s Purpose


    Not just for survival, but protection as well,


    In her flower form, secrets she can tell.


    With other nts and animals she canmune,


    Valuable information, always in tune.


    End of the current chapter.


    For purposes of valid publishing, a series of words will be disyed down below.


    The reader may ignore them and proceed to the next chapter.


    Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words.


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 Chapter 190 190

    Chapter 190: Webnovel''s Survival


    Though forever changed, Webnovel does, no,


    The scars of the clown''s violence, always, no.


    But she moves on, determined to, no,


    The clown and his friends, she shall kneel.


    End of the current chapter.


    For purposes of valid publishing, a series of words will be disyed down below.


    The reader may ignore them and proceed to the next chapter.


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 Chapter 191 191

    Chapter 191: The End of the Beginning


    The clown stood alone, deep in thought,


    His actions cruel and unjust he had wrought.


    He''d hurt Webnovel, and countless others too,


    And knew that he could never make up for what he''d do.


    He felt a heavy weight upon his heart,


    And knew that he must y his final part.


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath,


    Then plunged the knife in, facing death.


    But as he felt his life slipping away,


    A strange light engulfed him, and he heard naught to say.


    He fell into a deep void, a dark abyss,


    And when he opened his eyes, he was in a state of bliss.


    He stood there in the same spot, knife in hand,


    Confused, not understanding the strangemand.


    He felt no pain, no injury, still alive,


    His friends and Webnovel, in shock, could not contrive.


    They''d never seen such a thing before,


    And could not understand what had urred.


    The clown, too, was lost in this eerie phenomenon,


    A mystery, a trail of confusion, left to condemn.


    And so he disappeared into the shadows,


    Leaving behind a trail of questions and hallows.


    End of the current chapter.


    For purposes of valid publishing, a series of words will be disyed down below.


    Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words. Filler words.


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