Day 9 – The Cave
With this and that, birds began chirping outside. Who cares. I want to sleep!
「Mm, since the sun came out, I guess it’s time to say goodbye. 」
As a payment for the information, I stuffed one of the geek’s rucksacks with mushrooms, which should last them for about 10 days. It’s heavy enough to make them stagger, but it doesn’t matter.
Now, go back to your forest. Or a city or wherever you want to go.
「Don’t get killed by classmaaates, goood luck, shoo shoo!」
「Shoo shoo?…… Well, sorry for intruding?」
「Are you sure you won’t come with us?」
What a persistent man, were you a girl I might have come along though. It would’ve been a high school girl after all.
「But I refuse!」
I reply, striking a JoJo pose.
「「「「You keep calling us geeks, but aren’t you clearly one of our people!!」」」」
「How rude, I read some manga and light novels, but I never say crap like 「MOOOE」.」
Good grief, what are they talking about.
「No, we don’t say that.」
「Yeah, only rarely.」
「Only occasionally.」
「Only for 2D stuff!」
The geeks objected all at once, they were annoying until the very end. Or rather, this better not be the end. Adios, anime freaks.
「Thanks for the hospitality. Then, let’s meet again.」
「It’s been a great help, we will pay you back, so hurry up and come to the city as well.」
「Or rather, if you don’t hurry up, you will turn into a total caveman.」
「……Thanks.」
Come to the city, come to the city, you didn’t reach or even find it yet. And also, I’m not turning into a caveman, though I am turning into a hikikomori.
「Hurry up and go, bye.」
「「「「We are off.」」」」
And so, the geeks departed to a still unseen otherworldly city. Though there is no telling if it even exists.
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「Pheew.」
While munching on crappy jerky, I head deeper into the forest.
Raise Lv and attack them physically, is the advice? that I received, so I’m searching for goblins.
Experience-wise, kobolds and orcs seem to be better, but they are also that much stronger.
For now, gobs. I will think about kobolds and orcs when I meet them. There is no way to build a plan for something that you never met.
And finding goblins, HYAAAHAAA!
Finding another one, WOOHYAAAAHAA!
Eh, I sound like a bad guy? Crap, what will I do if I get a Mohawk title?[1. TL Note: Hairstyle popular for evil mob characters. Especially in the old Japanese shounen titles. In Fist of the North Star they attack making literally the same noises as MC here.]
It’s fine.
But didn’t the geeks say that the monsters around the cave are strong??? The levels are about 10-15. For skills「Hammer」, 「Hard Hit」and「Ramming Attack」, aren’t they weaklings?
They probably just got frightened because they struggled after running out of mana. Despite being level 16 and having cheats.
Well, they were bullied, and couldn’t do well at any physical activities, so they probably aren’t as strong as their Lv might suggest.
Hm? There is something here, ooh.
If I remember correctly, the characteristics that I’ve heard were blue, tall, thin, dog-faced. Pretty distinctive features.
That is a kobold. First, appraisal.
Kobold A
AGE ０８
Lv １１
HP ４０
MP ４
ViT ２６
PoW ２２
SpE ３７
DeX ２４
MiN ２
InT ５
LuK １８
Martial Arts:「Claws Proficiency Lv 3」「Biting Lv 2」 「Ramming Attack Lv 1」
Skills:「Leaping Lv 1」「Initimidation Lv 1」「Detect Presence Lv 1」「Olfaction Lv 3」「Cooperation Lv 1」
Items:「Wooden Stick」
Kobold B
AGE ０８
Lv １０
HP ４１
MP ５
ViT ２２
PoW ２３
SpE ３８
DeX ２２
MiN ２
InT ４
LuK ２１
Martial Arts:「Claws Proficiency Lv 2」「Biting Lv 2」 「Ramming Attack Lv 1」
Skills:「Leaping Lv 1」「Initimidation Lv 1」「Olfaction Lv 3」「Cooperation Lv 1」
Items:「Wooden Stick」
They are stronger than goblins, especially in terms of speed, they are more than three times faster.
Can I win? No, isn’t picking a fight with two at the same time a bad idea? And when I tried to leave, our eyes met. Don’t look at me.
Ah, it had Detect Presence, whoa, so fast.
Hm? It isn’t charging at me right away? Damn, they are cooperating.
Flanking me in a pincer movement, they run around me. One attacked me from behind.
「OOF.」
Nice, it took a perfect counter, I actually was tracking them with Detect Presence, aiming for this chance with 「Concentration」. Didn’t think that I would get to hear 「OOF」in real life…… Whoa!
「So close, GYAAaaah…」
It’s not like it took me off guard, but it’s too fast, one moment and it’s already on me.
I managed to fend off the attack with the wooden stick, but it bit at me. If I didn’t guard with my left hand it would’ve bitten off my head…… Like an apple?
「Guwaaah, it huuurts!」
With it still biting on my hand it knocks me off my feet, this is bad.
It’s too close for me to club it, and I don’t have the power to punch it.
Since it’s holding my left hand in its mouth I have no problem landing attacks, but they have no effect.
My hand hurts, but it also hurts my torso with its friggin claws.
Concentrating my mind, I wrap「Wooden Stick?」in additional mana, and using「Weight」and「Packing」strengthen the wooden stick, making it heavier, then with a single snap of my wrist, in a motion akin to hammering a nail. FUGAA!
THUD!
「Wow.」
Kobold down……… Damn, gross, the moment I hit it the head got crushed, basically exploding.
I thought I was going to die.
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After somehow calming down I’m still a bit pissed pulled out their magic stones, appraising them. 「Magic Stone F Rank」…… They were that strong yet the stones are the same as with goblins? Soo not worth it.
I should be able to sell this in a town, but if they are worth the same as those from goblins, then wouldn’t everyone hunt goblins only? I wonder if otherworldly guild is going okay.
Well, I don’t even know if it exists in the first place though.
Hm, GEEE! I barely have HP left! The level has risen, but I still have almost no HP remaining.
NAME: Haruka
Race: Human
AGE １６
Lv ０４
Job —
HP ７/５０ （１５UP）
MP ９/ ４７ （１５UP）
ViT ５２ （１５UP）
PoW ４８ （１３UP）
SpE ４３ （１５UP）
DeX ４３ （１５UP）
MiN ５０ （１４UP）
InT ５５ （１５UP）
LuK Max (Limit Break)
SP ３４
Martial Arts:「Cane Arts Lv 3」(Up)「Avoidance Lv 3」(Up)「Premonition Lv 2」「Mana Wrapping Lv 2」
Magic:「Temperature Lv 2」「Movement Lv 3」(Up)「Weight Lv 2」(Up)「Packing Lv 3」(Up)「Fire Magic Lv 2」「Earth Magic Lv2」
Skills:「Health Lv 2」「Sensitive Body Lv 2」「Gymnastics Lv 2」「Walking Lv 3」「Command Lv 1」「Appraisal Lv 3」「Farsight Lv 2」「Detect Presence Lv 2」「Search Lv 2」「Mana Control Lv 2」「Erase Presence Lv 2」(Up) 「Stealth Lv 1」「Concealment Lv 1」「Map Lv 1」「Concentration Lv 1」(New) 「Physical Resistance Lv 1」(New)
Titles:「Hikikomori Lv 2」「NEET Lv 1」「Loner Lv 2」
Unknown:「Communication Lv 1」「Jack of All Trades Lv 1」「Muppet Lv 1」
Items:「Wooden Stick?」「Plain Clothes?」「Leather Gloves?」「Leather Boots?」「Cloak?」「Contacts?」「Soul Ring」「Item Bag」「Bracelet PoW＋１％」
Continuous fighting is not an option, so erasing my presence I quietly go back the way I came.
Sneaky sneaky.
Sneaky Sneaky.
Crap, there is something.
I thought, but turns out it’s just goblins. HYAAAHAAAAAAA.
「I’m hoome. Phew.」
Partly due to not getting enough sleep today, I, exhausted, drop on the bed as soon as I get back. It hurts. Since it’s made out of stone.
I’m home. Yeah, before I even noticed it completely turned into my home.
With 4 geeks no longer being here, the room, which was spacious even for 5 people, does feel a bit dreary, but even so, it’s my home.
Today I have a ton of stuff to think about. First of all, the geeks’ info, which includes classmates in the deep of the forest, but also information about another world. Even so, it mostly comes from light novels, anime, and games, so the geeks are unsurprisingly well-informed.
To think that all of that knowledge would’ve been useless if they didn’t end up in another world. The geeks might be actually happier this way. They were a lot livelier than at school. I had no idea that they can be so talkative. Well, though most of what they said were insults thrown at our classmates.
Though I read plenty of novels about getting teleported to another world, the geeks still were above me by a lot in terms of information. Though the classmates merely pushed them around as useful geeks, they, in fact, had no knowledge, didn’t understand a thing about status or skills, and heavily depended on the geeks, who understood what was going on and how skills could be applied.
If only they honestly relied on them instead of being huge idiots and taking out on the geeks the resentment about being unable to do anything while the guys at the bottom of the class hierarchy were making results. It’s unbelievable that in such a situation they would treat the geeks, who provided them with everything, from food to security, like gophers as if they still were at school. It’s only natural that they would get abandoned.
With the most useful folk running away, they are now left without knowledge or anyone to rely on. You reap what you sow. They must be fighting among themselves by now.
But what I didn’t expect is that they would have a Swiss knife, in case they get thrown into another world. All 4 of them.
And also, kobolds, though they told me about them. They are dangerous. They are fast, would try to bite, and have scary claws. Hm? Aren’t they stronger without sticks?
It’s amazing that my clothes, being made out of fabric, didn’t get torn. I got bitten a whole lot, but even the glove is unharmed. All of them have「?」attached, which really makes me go 「?」.
In the current state, I wouldn’t be able to fight off kobolds in bigger numbers. I guess the strategy of hitting things with a stick is close to its limit. Cane arts, huh. No choice but to practice.
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I have seen swordsmanship, and even did kendo. For spears and naginatas, I guess I saw them only on TV, and as for cane arts… Even that bespectacled wizard boy from those super popular movies didn’t use a staff to smack enemies.
Recalling sword fights in anime and manga, the swings from a sword, the thrusts from a spear, I work on creating forms and style myself, repeating them over and over.
「Pheeeeeeeeeeeeew.」
I’m too tired, without noticing, I got sucked into the process.
The imaginary Shintō Musō-ryū cane techniques turned a lot more eighth-grader-like. After all, it’s supposedly「Thrusting, a spear, sweeping, a naginata, slashing, a sword」, so relapse in eighth-grader syndrome is only expected. I even made a signature pose. If someone saw me it would’ve been a good reason to off myself. Good thing I’m a loner.
The floor is all slippery from the sweat, so I guess this is it. Leaving the floor like this doesn’t feel right, and though I have no stamina left, my MP recovered, so I use it for a little experiment with a cleanup.
I got earth magic from my attempt to do something about the unevenness of the cave’s floor. Using Packing magic on the floor and stretching it resulted in the skill. Then, shouldn’t I be able to package water, which I then can use to scrub the floor?
I bring water from a water jug of my own making. Hmmm, yeah, I guess I will keep it secret that doing it by hand is actually faster. The puddle of water runs across the floor, GJ, roomba.
Wiping everywhere I then throw the dirty water outside. Good.
「Status.」
Oh, I did it「Water Magic Lv 1」nice. The floor is clean now, but it’s a bit damp. Let’s use the wind to get rid of it, of course, my aim here is to get Wind Magic.
As a result, I got Wind Magic, probably. Fire, Earth and Water Magic disappeared from my status, and were replaced with 「Magic of Four Elements Lv 1」, since it’s four elements, Wind must be among them.
Then, I also got Wood magic, after packaging a wooden stick. There probably also should be Lightning, Ice, and Healing Magic, but how the hell am I supposed to package lightning?
For no particular reason, I tried to use mana wrapping a goblin’s club.
「CRACK!!」
Eh? It broke? Let’s try another one, this time slowly.
「CREAK!」
WHY!! Goblin’s club!!!
Though wrapping the wooden stick? in magic wasn’t a problem, but gob club is no good?
Possible reasons could be that my magic became stronger or gob clubs are crap. Or it could be both.
There should be a wooden stick from when I defeated kobolds. The one that has no 「?」on it.
「Ah.」
「Crack!」
So this one is no good as well. When I tried to clad「Wooden Stick?」in mana, it felt more like it was permeating into it, rather than wrapping. Since it’s my only weapon it would be a problem if it broke, but I have to try it out since it would be even worse if it broke during a fight. I slowly pour magic power into「Wooden Stick?」, oh, this sensation.
I slowly pour more magic in it, but it feels like it can take more.
Slowly, so it wouldn’t break, bit-by-bit, bit-by-bit, bit-by-bit, bit-by-bit.
It feels kind of weird, don’t tell me that it broke?
I appraise it in panic and get 「Wooden Staff?」
Hm? Wooden Staff? I felt something akin to a pulse from it, could it be that it grew? Was it a living wood?
Trying to use it, there seems to be no problem but is it really okay? But it’s too late, running out of magic power the spell of drowsiness immediately overcomes me……
Sleep.
9th Day – Over.
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