” (My Level is now 15, huh?)”
I, having defeated four Goblins, check my spoils.
Even though I only gained four levels from taking down four of them, it seems that the higher my Level gets, the harder it becomes to raise it.
Apparently, defeating stronger enemies will allow me to level up faster… but I’ll think about that another time.
“(This aftertaste is pretty intense.)”
While eating the Goblins, I check my Status.
No new Skills acquired.
However, I was able to learn more about the Skills I already have.
Specifically, I found out that the application conditions for Combo are quite lenient.
Even if I attacked other Goblins in the middle, or used Whip and Throwing alternately, the effect continued.
This Skill seems to count how many times I’ve attacked a target within the last minute or two. That’s all there is to it.
Depending on the number of attacks that hit the target, Combo seems to correct the power of the attack.
While thinking about this, I noticed something.
“(Come to think of it, I put off checking my Unique Skill, didn’t I?)”
The annoying Goblins are gone now.
I immediately focus my mind.
~Unique Skill Details~
【Earth Growth Thunderbolt】
・Maximizes harvest yield.
・Allows you to wield thunder that strengthens the earth. (NEW)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Oh, the abilities have increased!
It seems I can manipulate thunder with the new ability.
This might become a new means of attack.
“(Earth Growth Thunderbolt, activate!)”
–Crackling–
After feeling Mana flow out from inside my body, a flash of lightning raced before my eyes.
The lightning struck the Goblin’s corpse, scorching its skin.
“(Amazing! It really worked, it’s like magic!)”
I jumped up and down in excitement.
The phrase “thunder that strengthens the earth” was a source of anxiety, but it seems it can be used as an attack ability normally.
The power is enough to burn a Goblin. The speed is so fast that my Speed can’t even follow it.
A powerful trump card has been added.
“(Alright, Lightning Strike! Lightning Strike! Lightn…ing?)”
With my tension still high, I repeatedly used my Unique Skill to burn the Goblins.
However, after firing the fourth shot, I was struck by a mysterious sense of fatigue.
Th-this feeling is…
Mana: 2/14
It’s Mana depletion, after all!
I’ve heard that you get tired when your Mana gets too low, but I’ve been completely detached from Mana consumption until now, so I completely forgot about it.
Damn, I can’t use my Unique Skill for a while now. I shouldn’t have wasted it… no, I should reverse my thinking here!
I now know that one Lightning Strike consumes 3 Mana, so I should consider it a meaningful action!
My perfect theoretical defense is complete.
I haven’t confirmed the details of “strengthening the earth,” but I guess it’s an effect that acts as fertilizer.
I’ve heard stories about how the nutrients in the soil increase when lightning strikes.
So, I’ll put this on hold.
To confirm it, I’d have to drop a Lightning Strike on the ground and then observe the difference in growth rate compared to other plants, so I can do it when I have time.
Just in case, one of the Lightning Strikes hit the ground during my earlier barrage, but nothing like the surrounding plants suddenly growing rapidly happened.
It’s safe to assume that it can’t be effectively used in combat.
“(Burning them doesn’t change the taste much.)”
While melting the Goblins I burned with Lightning Strike, I continue to think.
The next problem is weapons.
The weapons these Goblins had were very crude, but having them or not would make a huge difference in combat power.
However, carrying heavy things is tiring, and it would slow down my movement speed, so I want to avoid that.
After a little thought, I decided to take the axe and knife.
The axe was chosen because it seemed to have the highest power when attached to the tip of my Whip.
And I thought I didn’t need the knife – it’s badly rusted and a little chipped – but it’s light, and I felt it would be a waste to throw it away.
“(Phew, I’m full.)”
I finished eating after melting half of the burned Goblins.
There are still two and a half left, but I felt like I had reached the limit of what I could Stockpile.
If I stay here too long, other Demon Beasts might catch the scent, so I should leave quickly.
“(Alrighty then.)”
I extended my Whip and placed the axe and knife on top of my body.
Well then, let’s go.
~Unrecorded Information Log~
…
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Slime) has acquired the Skill: Transport.
…
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I entered the thicket with a rustling sound, and just as I felt that my luggage had become lighter, I heard a voice from behind.
“ဟွာ၊ ဂေါ်ဘလင်တွေ သေဆုံးသွားပြီ!”
A voice. Yes, a voice.
Not the cry of a beast, but a long, complex string of sounds with a definite meaning.
It was a language I had never heard before, but the voice was definitely human.