” (H-He’s not coming anymore… right?)”
I stretched the edge of my body out from between the tree roots.
Confirming that the old man wasn’t following, I let out a sigh of relief.
In times like these, a slime’s body, which can use its entire surface as an eye, is quite convenient.
“(Haaa, that was a close call…)”
The tension released, and the strength drained from my stiff body.
It’s like that feeling of your legs giving out, as humans would say.
“(Ah, crap, that was careless…)”
Once I knew I was safe, a wave of regret washed over me.
Thinking about it calmly, it was only natural.
This world has Levels and Skills. And they don’t disappear with age.
Of course, physical abilities decline with age, but thanks to Status, the weakening due to aging isn’t as pronounced as it is on Earth.
Yet, I judged things based on my Earthly senses. That was my mistake.
Next time, I won’t underestimate someone just because they’re old.
“(Alright, enough reflecting!)”
There’s no point in dwelling on it, so I’ll think about countermeasures for the next time we meet.
“(Avoiding him is probably the best option, huh?)”
That old man’s attack pierced through my Toughness, but it was just a barehanded strike.
The attack range is only the length of an arm, so avoiding it shouldn’t be impossible.
So, why did I get hit just now? It’s because the old man was incredibly fast.
He caught up to me while I had Flee and Evasion active, so his Speed must be extraordinary.
“(One solution is to raise my Level and Evolve. And the other is…)”
While thinking, I focused my consciousness on my Status.
In the Skill column, there was a newly added… or rather, an upgraded Skill.
~Skill Details~
Flee: Increases Speed when fleeing. Increases Stealth when fleeing.
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The Skill Flee disappeared from my Status, and this Skill appeared in its place. Its effect is an upgraded version of Flee.
I must have used Flee a lot, so the Skill grew.
This is the other solution.
If I train my current Skills… specifically Evasion… and upgrade them to higher-level Skills, I should be able to see through that attack a little better.
“(Well, in the end, I still have to find enemies, though.)”
I can’t practice Evasion alone.
So, seeking an enemy, I started moving in the opposite direction from where the old man was.
My Life has recovered to about 90%, and I’m ready for even Greater Beasts.
“(Oh, those guys look promising.)”
What I found were Werewolves, bipedal wolf Demon Beasts.
This pack had a total of five, and four of them were about the size of middle schoolers. They’re probably Lesser Beasts.
However, the one that seemed to be the leader was different.
It was about two meters tall, with a well-built physique that was visible even through its fur.
Considering that they’re active in this area with high Mana density, I can assume that the leader is a Greater Beast.
I’ll face them with determination.
“Woof!”
“Slither, slither.”
The pack noticed me, and I let out a threatening sound.
The leader barked once, and the subordinate Werewolves scattered and attacked.
“(Yo, hop, ha!)”
The first one jumped at me head-on. A claw with a blade length similar to a knife was swung down.
I took a step back to avoid it.
Next, the jaws of the second one, who had overtaken the first, came at me.
This time, I jumped diagonally forward to dodge, and then backstepped to avoid the third one who had ambushed me from a tree.
Then, I leaped over the fourth one who had circled behind me.
The first one tried to take advantage of my jump, but I quickly jumped sideways as I landed to avoid that as well.
In this way, I continued to dodge the Werewolves’ attacks.
My base Speed should be about the same, but with Evasion and Flee at key moments, I was able to hold my own against multiple opponents.
As I got used to dodging, I became more conscious of reducing unnecessary movements.
I didn’t dodge more than necessary. If I aimed for the edge of where an attack would hit, I could dodge without using my full power, and I’d have more leeway for my next action.
“(Whoops, messed up there.)”
Well, I’m not a martial arts master, so I make quite a few mistakes.
Sometimes, the opponent’s attack extended further than I expected, and I couldn’t dodge it, or I misjudged my strength and couldn’t avoid it completely.
Still, the Werewolves’ attacks weren’t doing any damage, so I was able to train my Evasion without worry, but maybe they took that as me mocking them.
The Werewolves’ attacks started to become quite crude.
I’ve heard that when people get angry, their movements become monotonous, and it’s true.
It’s partly because the fight has dragged on and I’ve gotten used to it, but I can somehow read their movements. They try to land an attack even if it’s a bit reckless, so if I keep that in mind, I can easily find openings.
“Gaw!”
However, it wasn’t just the Werewolves I was fighting who were getting impatient.
Right after the leader, who had been in the back the whole time, barked, I was hit by an invisible shockwave.
The leader kept sending shockwaves every now and then.
It was incredibly annoying because they were timed to not hit the other Werewolves and to hinder my movements.
Seriously, are you a support role?!
Are those muscles just for show?!
…Well, whatever.
More importantly, the leader was giving simple instructions to its subordinates—I could read it with Comprehension—so the subordinates’ movements had regained their composure.
“(But that’s better for training!)”
Dodging while also being mindful of ranged attacks was more nerve-wracking, but my enthusiasm only grew stronger.
I wonder how long I continued like that. Suddenly, the surroundings started to look slow, and my body moved even more lightly.
~Unnotified Information Log~
…
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Weapon Slime) has acquired the Skill: Blink. Evasion has been integrated.
…
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~Skill Details~
Blink: Increases action speed when evading. Constantly increases dynamic visual acuity.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking at my Status, Evasion had disappeared, and a higher-level Skill had been added.
It seems my Skill upgrade plan was a success.
“(Now I can finally counterattack.)”
The first one I targeted was the Werewolf who had swung its claws at me.
I slipped past its arm, sprouted a blade from my body, and used the speed gained from Blink to Slash.
The Jewel Weapon Slime also has decent Power, so I easily cut through the enemy.
It fell to the ground.
The other Werewolves attacked, but I slipped through them and quickly closed the distance to the leader.
The leader gathered Mana in both arms, strengthened its claws, and tried to counter me, but it’s useless if it can’t hit me.
I dodged by a hair’s breadth, and using that speed, I unleashed a flash.
I decapitated it.
Once that happened, there was no one left who could oppose me, and the remaining Werewolves were hunted down one by one.
~Unnotified Information Log~
…
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Weapon Slime) has acquired the Skill: Cross Counter.
Fue Toukouya (Jewel Weapon Slime)’s Soul Accumulation Value (Level) has increased to 42.
…
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