Chapter 87: The Unexpected Skill Activation
“Don’t worry, I’m fine over here!”
I called out to the adventurers behind me without taking my eyes off the monster looming in front of us. Still…
“Rio, was the Heavenly Wolf we encountered before this big?”
I couldn’t help but ask. If this was a different individual, then this wolf’s emergence from the forest had nothing to do with us.
“I don’t think it was this size…”
“Right? It feels like it’s about one and a half times bigger.”
“Yeah.”
Rio’s words eased my mind just a bit, but the bone it was holding caught my attention. What kind of bone was that? The wolf growled, a low rumble escaping its throat, yet its three tails were inexplicably wagging. Three tails, huh?
“If you’re safe, run away now! We’ll handle this!”
On the other side, the adventurer party was shouting in a panic. Despite claiming they would take care of it, they were facing away from the monster, exposing their backs instead of launching an attack.
“F-Frozevitnir…”
“What did you say!?”
“Hey, you! Run to the Guild right now! Tell the Guild Master that Frozevitnir has appeared!”
“Uh, I…”
“Hurry!!”
“Yes, sir!!”
They seemed to be in quite a rush over there. An adventurer who had emerged from deeper in the forest was shouting orders. The ones being yelled at were likely the adventurers who had been keeping watch at the forest’s edge. While glancing back, I sprinted toward the town at full speed. The wolf, however, continued to stare directly at me, seemingly unfazed by the commotion behind me.
“What is Frozevitnir…? Isn’t it supposed to be a Heavenly Wolf?”
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Name: None
Species: Frozevitnir
Description: A wolf-type monster that has undergone a special evolution from a Heavenly Wolf due to mutation.
It retains the ability to soar through the skies while also wielding magic.
Its speed is such that nothing can catch it.
The smoothness of its fur is of the highest quality.
＝＝＝＝＝
“Whoa!?”
“…What’s wrong, Shuu?”
Rio, still focused on the monster, turned to me, curious about my sudden exclamation.
“I appraised it, and it turned out to be Frozevitnir, a special evolution of the Heavenly Wolf.”
“Really!?”
“More importantly, it seems my Appraisal Skill has leveled up.”
“Seriously!?”
“I can now see detailed descriptions.”
As I relayed the information I had gleaned from the appraisal to Rio, she sighed and frowned.
“It can use magic too… This seems troublesome.”
While I wanted to appraise everything in sight, we had to deal with the monster in front of us first. Still, it was odd how it was just staring at me without moving. The adventurers behind me were also frozen in place. Honestly, I wished they would just run away.
Just because it wasn’t moving didn’t mean I could stand still. Suddenly, I felt a surge of magic power from Rio, and she cast every buff she could muster on me.
“Thanks. Well then, shall we?”
Excitement bubbled within me at the prospect of facing a formidable foe, and I braced my legs to leap forward. Just as I was about to spring into action…
“Wuffuu!”
The wolf placed a bone at my feet, barked once, and sat down, wagging its tail vigorously.
“Huh?”
Its eyes sparkled as it nudged the bone with its front paws.
“What is that…?”
“I wonder…”
Rio and I exchanged glances before turning our attention back to the monster, which was now drooling from its mouth. It didn’t seem intent on eating us, but it definitely looked hungry. At this point, it was practically begging for food.
Curiously, I decided to appraise the large bone lying on the ground.
“Bwah!”
I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“What’s wrong, Shuu?”
“Sorry, I just appraised that bone, and it came up as ‘Great Dragon’s Spine’…”
“What!? …That means!”
There’s no way a Great Dragon resides in the Heavenly Wolf Forest, and it had to be the one we encountered right in the heart of the forest… Ugh, did we really lure it all the way to the town? I sighed at the sight of the monster eagerly nudging the bone. Was it really that delicious? Well, the Great Dragon was indeed a powerful monster. The Guild staff had mentioned that high-ranking monsters were quite tasty.
“Fine then, I’ll give it another one.”
“Ah, yeah… It really does seem like it’s asking for food… right?”
Thinking about it made it seem cuter.
“Here you go.”
I pulled out a smaller-sized Great Dragon from my Dimensional Box.
“‘Huh!?’”
A chorus of shocked voices erupted from the adventurers behind me.
“Wuffuuuuuuuu!”
The wolf let out a joyful cry and rushed toward the Great Dragon, sinking its teeth into it. In that instant, I felt a strange connection forming between me and the wolf.
“Huh?”
I approached the wolf, wanting to confirm this sensation.
“Shuu?”
Rio called out to me, but I gestured for her to wait, assuring her I was fine.
“Watch out, kid!”
An adventurer shouted, but I ignored them. I stepped right up to the wolf, which was devouring the Great Dragon. Its face was about the same size as my body, exuding an overwhelming presence. Its legs were as thick as my own.
“Yeah, it really was supposed to be of the highest quality.”
Feeling an instinctual sense of safety, I reached out to stroke its rugged leg.
“Oof. What is this?”
It was incredibly fluffy and soft. I continued to pet the wolf’s leg as it voraciously feasted on the Great Dragon.