Harwel can't do much against these wolves, so I prompt her to stay on the defensive, backing me up when needed.
These wolves came at just the right time, though!
Now there’s no need for me to think of an excuse.
...But, if we die, it'll be pointless anyway, so we got to survive this.
My mana is still low from fighting the Alpha wolf, but the mana coating is still present on my legs and daggers.
Individually, I'm stronger than these wolves, so if I face them one-on-one, I should be fine. However, based on the way these wolves are grouping up, I don't see any chance of isolating a wolf before killing it.
If I warp behind them, I could finish off one or two before warping away again.
But if I do that, they'll become momentarily transfixed on Harwel. Based on the attack stat of the wolves, two direct hits could instantly kill her!
Sorry to say this Harwel, but you've become dead weight.
I should further aggravate the wolves. If I draw their full attention, even if I warp away and disappear, the wolves will look around for me instead of directly going for Harwel.
Dematerialising my daggers, I dump them back into my inventory.
However, I don't waste the abyssal coating on the daggers. As the cloaking is about to break off since the magic circles aren't connected to anything, I summon a few more magic circles, redirecting that mana into black bullets.
Each one glides into a wolf, and they all howl in pain.
Oh.
I wasn't expecting much, but 10% of their health dropped off. Is this the full potent of [Underdog]?
The wolves slink back into the shadows, prowling, waiting for the decisive time to strike. Using that time, I rematerialize my daggers, before covering them in abyss again.
[Reparation] is a big player for consistent regeneration, but [Vampirism] can give me larger burst of mana.
Before the wolves’ attack, I take initiative, warping behind a wolf, ready to cut it down.
Ladies first, huh?
However, another wolf erupts out of the darkness. It rakes its claws at me, and I wince in pain as the claws sink into my flesh, ripping off a chunk of meat.
My chest plate protected me from the full brunt of the attack, but blood still flies everywhere.
I hear a dull clunk as my ruined chest plate falls onto the ground.
"Rena!" shrieks Harwel.
She freezes the wrist of the offensive wolf, allowing me to warp away.
I huff, panting, breathing heavily, taking in massive gulps of air. I haven't been in this much pain since my roach days.
Skill [Pain Resistance Lv6] has become skill [Pain Resistance Lv7]> I got cocky. Cocky of my own strength. I have to break past my limits. I have to hit harder, move faster. When I found out I could warp using [Dark Magic], I basically started to neglect speed. I automatically dumped all my CP into speed, but now on this level, 5 stat points don't mean anything. In reality, all speed did from that point onwards was allow me to strike faster with my daggers, improving my burst damage. Speed is my highest stat. I should rely on it more. I should rethink my fighting style. Right now, I'm heavily offensive, charging in with [Dark Magic], dealing massive amounts of burst, then warping away. It utilises my theoretical strongest stat, attack, very well. However, although [Dark Magic] is my strongest asset, mana isn't. Sure, I have reserves, but I still can't consistently keep up with my huge mana output. So, what if I switch out warping with actual running? I run in, get as much damage at a single location as I can. Then, I use long range bullets, homing them to the wounded area. Once that mana runt, I charge in again, focusing on dealing damage with the main focus of reducing mobility? Bah, forget about strategy. I'll figure things out as I go. I dash towards the wolves. Seeing me wounded, they break formation, and all jump me, swiping their claws like lunatics. I warp away. The wolves seem to be smarter than they seem, because they all swivel backwards, backing one another up. Unfortunately for them, they still got outsmarted. I release myself from the shadows and fall from the cavern ceiling like a water droplet. Still looking around, they don't expect an ariel attack. I viciously slash with both my daggers, exposing the muscle of a wolf as I grind through its flesh. It bellows in agony, but I silence it by shooting a black bullet through the exposed hide. The bullet bursts out from the other side, and some gooey substance leaks out. In the corner of my eye, I see Harwel level up another two times. The other wolves look at me, shocked by my sudden appearance. Moments later, pillars of ragged claws fly overhead, and I roll around, dodging the attacks. A claw pierces right through my chest-plate, pinning me to the ground. Using that opportunity, another wolf swings its brittle, club-like tail at me. I try to get up, but the claw pins me down like a butterfly. In slow motion, I see it happen. The tail whooshes towards me. I dematerialise my chest-plate, diving away last second. However, as I look up, I see another wolf plummet down its claws at me. Unable to recover in time, I blast it with black magic. It recoils in pain, and Harwel assists by freezing its eyeballs shut, allowing me to escape. I warp behind the injured wolf, finishing it off with quick, decisive blows. All basic attributes increased Level-up proficiency acquired Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Vampirism Lv5] has become [Vampirism Lv6] Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Concentration Lv5] has become [Concentration Lv6] Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Rationality Lv5] has become skill [Rationality Lv6] Skill points acquired Combat points acquired 50% of max health recovered> I blink at Harwel’s status. She levelled up again. The loosely hanging part of my ribs mend themselves together, sealing the wound up. The unbearable pain has significantly subsided. However, ten wolves still stand, tall and proud. They're very offence centred. I said they averaged at 700 or so, but their attack stat reaches 1,000, while their defence in only roughly 400. So, these guys are basically glass cannons. In that case, why get close to the bomb? I fall back, retreating beside Harwel. The wolves follow me in unison. "Fire magic at them" "Yes!" Harwel shoots bullets of ice. They don't actually do any damage, but it’s the thought that counts… "...Actually, just focus on freezing their soft membranes." Harwel looks at me, tilting her head in confusion. "The eyes" "Oh" Harwel freezes the eyes of two wolves, and they stumble, staggering in pain. The roadblocks pause the procession, and I fire a void bullet. It shreds through the first wolf, causing a mini shockwave in the air. Using the slightly recovered mana, I draw a pathway, homing the void onto another wolf. I squint my eyes, attempting to get the perfect timing. Right as the endless blackness is about to rip past and consume the other wolf, I break the magic circle Without any commands, the mana shatters, flying everywhere like fragmented glass. The tiny shells penetrate the targeted wolf, and some excess pieces sink into the flesh of other wolves. Even better, by doing that, I recovered more mana than I would of if I let the attack connect. Harwel finishes off the weakened wolf with [Ice Manipulation], digging the frost into the lobes of the brain. After figuring out how to deal with the wolves, the tides of battle have certainly changed. Just think of the wolves like men with bombs strapped to them. If you can snipe them or gun them down before they get to you, everything’s fine. It’s much easier and effective than jumping in and wrestling the guy. However, the wolves also notice this. They break free from their orderly stride, disregarding formation and all bolt towards us from different directions. Damn it. This way, I also can't chain any shots. However, this isolation works in favour for me. Splitting up makes it harder for me to kill or harm multiple wolves at a time. However, that was only a compromise I created because my original strategy didn't work. And now? These wolves split up on their own accord, meaning I can pick them off one by one. I just have to kill them before they get to Harwel. I warp behind a wolf, ready to dice it to pieces. It comes to an abrupt stop, and rears its legs, pouncing towards me. I dive beneath the wolf, evading its attack, before spraying it with some dark bullets. The wolf manages to weave through one or two, but the majority hits it. Wide open, I hurl my dagger into the wolfs stomach, slitting it. Quickly retrieving my dagger, I rush towards the next wolf, and I feel amassed dirt kick up behind me with every step I take. I leap onto the next wolf, grabbing onto its brittle, mace-like tail. The wolf notices me, and thrashes around. Ignoring the pain, I grip on tightly and begin scaling the wolfs back. The wolf flips around, rolling on the floor in an attempt to crush me. I simply use this opportunity, warping onto the wolfs unprotected, soft stomach. With a few cuts and stabs, the wolf dies. I see Harwel level up again. I've killed six wolves. The other half charge towards Harwel, ignoring my relentless counterattacks. I quickly warp ahead of the wolf closest to Harwel, shooting an abyssal bullet into its head. The bullet easily glides through the head, and smashes into the ceiling, causing a low rumble. But…the wolves are nearly caught up to Harwel. Bolting towards her at my maximum speed, I swiftly unequip my armour, save for my boots, and give them all to Harwel. "Equip it! It’s better than your current gear!" D-ranked gear won't even help me that much anymore. But for Harwel, it can mean the difference between life and death. I turn back to face the wolves, glancing at Harwel to check if she's switching her armour. I see her fingers fumble around, as she shakingly takes off her current armour with a horrified look on her face. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. I suppose it really is life or death for her... As I get lost in thought, a barely dodge a wicked claw, parrying it with my dagger. The wolf swipes with its second paw, but I jump backwards, intercepting the attack before proceeding with my own. Taking inspiration from Harwel, I coat the wolfs eyes in darkness. Blinded and unable to see, the wolf thrashes around in angst. It accidentally claws one of its pack, who the roars out in pain. I can almost hear the wolf say watch it, dumbass! With the wolf temporarily incapacitated, I move onto the next one, already injured from my black bomb and the stray swipe. On low health already, all I have to do is fire one black bullet, and the wolf collapses onto the ground, defeated. As the battle draws out, I only get stronger due to [Absorption]. I can feel a surge of power pulse through my veins with every kill. Warping in front of another wolf, I kick a hole directly through its torso. The wolf tries to retreat, but my foot is wedged inside. I deconstruct the abyssal cloak around my foot, and it explodes, sending shells of mana flying into the wolf. The wolf seemingly implodes from the inside, as pieces of utter blackness fly out of its body, before mixing with the shadows created by the flickering lamps. Nice. 'Explosive' shots. Behind me, I hear a fearful yelp. I take another glance at Harwel and see that a wolf has reached her. Shit. Immediately, I warp in front of Harwel, and push her aside just in time, as a pair of red, bloodstained teeth barley graze her hair. Using my other black imbedded foot, I roundhouse kick the wolf, releasing the mana right as the kick connects. The explosion leaves an open wound, and I quickly readjust my footwork, jamming my fingers into the exposed area. The wolf goes limp, and I boot its collapsing body away. I create two [Black Daggers], lobbing them at a wolf, pinning it onto the wall. "Boom" The [Black Daggers] explode, taking the wolf down with it "..." Please don't ask about my sudden growth. "Rena, that was... Amazing!" squeals Harwel, her eyes literally glittering, sparking in admiration. Then, she suddenly looks down at her feet, acting all gloomy. "I'm sorry for being such a burden!" "All good. We came here to power level, no?" I glance at the final wolf - the one I had blinded. The wolf whimpers, before scurrying away. I watch it stagger as it scampers, turning left into the intersection. Then, I hear a loud stabbing sound. The wolf goes silent. Instead, a loud clicking replaces it. Blood oozes through the wall, and... a triangular head pokes out. Nameless Level: 64 Rank: A Class (primary): Assassin Class (secondary): Speeder Health: 1,753 Damage: 1,593 Mana: 2,021 Defence: 1,464 Speed: 1,960 Titles: [Monster Hunter], [Monster Slayer], [Monster Calamity], [Master of Stealth], [Fearbinger] Skills: Fire Magic Lv9], [Slash Lv10], [Stealth Lv10], [Wind Manipulation Lv10], [Pain Resistance Lv10]> In front of us, emerges a praying mantis with a fiery red exoskeleton, lean scythes coated in grim blood. It tilts its head towards us, its tiny, yellow beads staring... aggression directed at us. "RUN!" Harwel obeys my command and makes a break for it. The only way we can both survive is if I stand my ground. Quickly, I [Appraise] myself. I need to know if this is winnable. Name: Rena Shinohara Level: 25 Rank: F Class (primary): None Class (secondary): None Health: 1,142 Damage: 1,524 Mana: 1,257 Defence: 963 Speed: 1,479 Titles [Underdog], [Monster Hunter], [Monster Slayer], [Dungeon Master], [Demon Lord] Skills: [Absorption], [Appraisal], [Melee Lv10], [Dark Magic Lv10], [Run Lv7], [Vampirism Lv6], [Rationality Lv6], [Concentration Lv6], [Pain Resistance Lv7]> Maybe I shouldn't have checked the stats. This mantis is far stronger than me. Its either win or lose though, so I can't back away. I could stall and wait for Harwel to run a safe distance away before dungeon-escaping. I know this is serious, and I know I shouldn’t be thinking this… but I want this Mantis' juicy XP! The Mantis attacks first. It ignites a massive flame, lighting up the entire cavern. Then, it uses [Wind Manipulation], compressing that inferno into a tight fireball, and it comes flying towards me. I quickly sidestep, as I watch the flame melt the rock behind me. As far as I can tell, the Mantis has no way to recover mana. If I can bait it out and get the Mantis to waste all its mana, I'll have a chance of winning. So first, I should utilize my speed to get the Mantis to spew its mana out. Without mana, I have a much high- "EUURGGG??" I groan in pain, as I feel a searing pain sprawl across my right arm. I look back, and see the fireball launch itself back at me. Instinctively, I lunge away, the fireball barely whizzing past me. My arm doesn't even bleed- the exasperating heat had closed the wound up as soon it opened. The fireball launches at me once again, and I create a black bullet to counter it, watching the flames get engulfed in darkness. Looking at the Mantis' mana, I see it somehow dropped down again. Was it controlling the direction of the fireballs with wind? The Mantis produces two more hellfires, burning even brighter and even more intense than before. Just looking at them causes my eye to waver. I fire two more black bullets, trying to counter the torrential flames. The bullets smash right into the blazes and... "...Wha?" Impossible. Darkes’s should consume everything. How did fire burn the roots of the shadow? The two infernos coalesce into one, and the rocky wall around us begin to drip a bit, as if melting into mud. My HP slightly wavers from the sheer heat, even from this distance. [Reparation] is still healing me, but the rate of recovery has been significantly slowed. This stupid Mantis! It was supposed to be a nice, leisurely past time for me to carry Harwel, not some life-threatening situation fighting literal A-ranked monsters! This might be overkill, but I hate this guy! I use all my mana, forming a massive cannonball of void, and shoot it at the fireball which was coming towards me. The flames burst everywhere, but my void cannon comes out victorious. It goes flying right past the Mantis, and I see a glint of fear shimmer in the Manitis' eyes. To get more value out of that attack, I deconstruct the spell, and shards of void explode outwards. A few shells pierce the Mantis, and it screeches in pain, its health dropping by 10%. Its eyes glower in anguish, and the Mantis coats itself in fiery armour, before charging towards me. It just used roughly 35% of its mana in that move just then. Right now, my mana is mostly depleted, but its steadily recovering. The flame armour took a bunch out of the Mantis, and now it only has 30% of its mana remaining. If I can draw the battle out a bit longer, my chance of victory will drastically increase. This isn't the time to be playing around though. Although the blazing armour doesn't look impressive, a quick [Appraisal] can show that it’s no joke. Every attack is embedded with the 'burn' effect, and any physical contact with the Mantis will drain some of my health. The Mantis swings its scythe-like legs at me, crimson flames ensuing. Unable to dodge in time, I coat a dagger in darkness, using it to lightly parry the attack, before summersaulting backwards, evading a second slash. Although I barely grazed the flames, my health still dropped by a bit. And, without much mana, I can't snipe the Mantis from a safe distance. I need to conserve my mana until I can go all out again. The Mantis charges at me again, clicking and screeching in annoyance. At first, it must have seen me as a mere eyesore - nothing but a F-rank. But now, the tone in its eyes have changed. The Mantis glares at me with a savage, unprecedented hate. What did I even do? All I did was explode a void bullet at it, and even then, only some fragments hit! I try scrambling away, desperate not to get close to the Mantis. However, halfway through, I feel some massive pressure hold me down, pinning me onto the ground. I can’t get away! Even worse, I feel all the air get sucked out of lungs, as a bubble of nothingness forms around my head. I-can't breathe or move! I quickly glance at the Mantis' mana. Almost all used up. This must me the Mantis' final, strongest combo with [Wind Manipulation]! My thoughts begin to get fuzzy, as I begin feeling lightheaded. Shit. I'm running out of oxygen. I try standing up, to no avail. The unfathomable heat approaches. I hopelessly look at the Mantis, as its blazing scythe comes flying down, engulfing me in ruby flames as my body crumbles into ashes. Psych! I drop from the ceiling, using all my remaining mana as I manage to create a miniscule concentration of void at the tip of one of my daggers. Having dropped its guard, the Mantis doesn't notice me slow falling behind it. I spin with all my might, gaining centrifugal force and velocity, before using that to shoot my dagger right through the Mantis' body. I hear the air ripple. The dagger jams itself into the Mantis' hard exoskeleton but refuses to push any further. Even my trusty [Ebony Dagger] is melting from the sheer, unbearable heat. Perfect I unbind my spell. That tiny concentration of void, wedged right into the core of the Mantis, explodes. The Mantis screeches in pain, turning back in surprise, only to look more shocked at me - unscathed. Apart from the half-healed arm, that is. It slashes at me again, but I warp away once again. That attack ripped out another chunk of the Mantis' health, lowering it to 40%. However, the Mantis shows no sign of slowing down, and I just exhausted all my regenerated mana. Yet, the Mantis also has no mana left. Until my mana regenerates, this should be a close combat match, which veers in favour of the Mantis since it still has its fire coating. It creeks its head, turning slowly to face me. How did I pull that off, you ask, Mr. Mantis? If I simply warped away, I'm sure the Mantis would've noticed my disappearance, so instead, I opted to a much more realistic, but mana consuming strategy. Right when the scythe was about to skewer me, I coated myself in a light shadow, before warping away. Despite only being shadow magic, it drained a good chunk of my mana since it was a full-on body coat. What the Mantis saw burning were the remnants of the shadow covering. In this dim lighting, it would be hard to notice. My daggers can't do much against the Mantis. In fact, considering my recent matchups, I'm surprised my [Ebony Daggers] haven't broken yet. I might as well get the most value out of it as I can. I chuck my remaining [Ebony Dagger] at the Mantis, but it simply blocks the shot, as my dagger depressingly melts into some liquid, bubbling a bit before slumping onto the floor. The Mantis rushes towards me. I reciprocate the action, dashing towards it. A flaming scythe whizzes right past me, and I duck just in time to avoid a second hit. It opens its mouth and spews out some sort of acid. This is the roach thing all over again! I roll away in the nick of time, sidestepping to dodge another slash as I follow up with a brutal kick. It isn't reinforced with magic, but still manages to slightly crack the exoskeleton. The Mantis flinches away, but really, I feel like I took more damage from that. Some burns form around my leg, but luckily, no boils grow. Could the flame armour be getting weaker? From my own experience, that certainly is a possibility. Mana coatings don’t last forever, only for an extended time. Well, I suppose I can focus and go on the offensive without worrying about any recoil damage. As long as its minimal, [Reparation] can patch up any hits pretty much straight away. I know I should save up some mana for a big attack, but in a life-or-death battle, there’s no point in being conservative. The Mantis strikes again. It slices at my torso, and I jump up to avoid the attack. Although the Mantis has a higher speed stat, times like this really let me appreciate the beauty of [Rationality] and [Concentration], which both drastically improve my evasiveness. The Mantis strikes down with another scythe, but I step backwards, the attack nearly grazing me. "...Really?" It goes for another sideway slash, and I dodge up again, jumping to avoid any damage. This is getting old! However, the Mantises next attack makes my heart skip a beat. Instead of slashing down like I expected, it cuts sideways at an incredible speed. Midair, I can't do much to dodge the attack. I have to avoid this! I summon a black bullet, forcibly knocking me down to the ground. Some of my health gets gauged out, but that isn't the least of my worries. The sharp tendrils etched onto the scythe pass right through my eyes, as my vision suddenly goes black. I hear the air whistle, and I fumble around, barely dodging another attack. I feel a large mass of my hair get cleanly ripped off. That was way too close for comfort! I got a bit too cozy and let my guard down, but I won’t make that mistake twice. My eyes sizzle a bit, and it takes all my effort just not to scream. Luckily, [Reparation] quickly patch up my eyes. Once again, the Mantis slashes at me, but I warp behind it, dodging the attack. I coat my non-paralysed arm (although the other is nearly fully healed) in blackness and shove it up the previously opened area. The Mantis howls in pain, and thrashes around, smashing me onto the walls. I grimace in pain but hold on tight. This is my chance to finish the Mantis off for good! I jam my hand as far in as I can, and the Mantis responds my convulsing and seizing, relentlessly pounding me onto the hard rock. I hear a loud crack, and I cough up a pool of blood. I keep holding on, pressing further until manage to squeeze my entire hand in. Okay, this is going to hurt I deconstruct the magic circle. And then, I hear a massive explosion, which echoes past the entire room. BOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!! The Mantis howls again, before dropping onto the floor, unconscious. I look at its status. The Mantis is on low HP, but it isn’t dead yet. With one hand healing from a severe burn, and the other imploded, crimson blood drooping onto the floor, I resort to using my feet to kill the mantis. I cloak my foot in darkness, and awkwardly jump on the Mantis a bunch. Since I have no arms, I can’t generate spin or momentum due to my inability to maintain balance, which means this… …Goofy method is the only way I can kill the Mantis. I keep on jumping and stepping, chipping down its health bit by bit. Eventually, the arm that was burned to a crisp fully regenerates, and I use my good arm to kill the Mantis. All basic attributes increased Level-up proficiency required Skill points acquired Combat points acquired 50% of max health recovered> All basic attributes increased Level-up proficiency acquired Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Rationality Lv6] has become skill [Rationality Lv7] Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Concentration Lv6] has become skill [Concentration Lv7] Proficiency has reached required level Skill [Vampirism Lv6] has reached skill [Vampirism Lv7] Skill points acquired Combat points acquired 50% of max health recovered> Rena Shinohara has been gifted the [Monster Calamity] title!> Rena Shinohara has been gifted the [Supreme Hunter] title!> Oh. Wow. Okay, what the yap? [Vampirism], [Rationality] and [Concentration] all flew up to level 7 together, and… …Two new titles, [Monster Calamity] and [Supreme Hunter]? Ah right. This time, I allocate my CP into mana, before [Appraising] my new titles. I think I saw the [Monster Calamity] title on the Mantis, and it seems like a better version of [Monster Hunter] and [Monster Slayer]. Well, just to be sure, I look into it. <[Monster Calamity] This guy is scary Effect: Deal additional damage to all monsters> Yeah, this is just another one of the [Monster…] series. I’m not complaining though, extra damage is always a yes please. What about [Supreme Hunter]? The name makes it sound like some super special title, but I can’t not get my hopes up. Okay, [Appraisal], do your stuff! <[Supreme Hunter] Gain the rabbits lucky foot Effect: Unlocks the ‘Luck’ stat. ‘Luck’ will be added onto pre-existing chances to improve them> Wha? This is just… confusing. The title name and effect have no correlation whatsoever! How does this even work? Well, I suppose there’s no point worrying and having existential crisis over something I can’t change, no? So… this ‘luck’ stat gets added to my status and stats? I do more [Appraisal] searches, and apparently luck just increases the chance for something to be desirable. Unlike the other stats like speed, luck can’t really be measured, so it’s a pretty ambiguous addition. I can [Appraise] myself and check that out later but first things first: Harwel. Sorry, Harwel, I totally forgot about you while I was in the midst of fighting the Mantis! I was too preoccupied to think about anything else. Relatively, I wouldn’t say the Mantis is the strongest mob I’ve fought. My toughest battle was probably against the guard roach when I got sucked into that instantaneous dungeon. But up until now, that Mantis really was something else. Especially its complicated use of magic. To be honest, if the Mantis had the ability to regenerate mana, I probably would’ve lost that. Although it seemed like a physical attacker, the Mantis’ highest stat was actually its mana, and compared to its simply scythe swings, it had a much more profound manipulation of magic. The Mantis is roughly the double the size of me, though I should be able to hurl it outside. The weird thing is – even though the Mantis is dead, its rank doesn’t drop like the previous mobs I’ve fought. Maybe because A-rank is such a broad range? Usually, ranks cover 200 stats, but A-rank covers everything from 1,000 to 5,000. That’s 200 times more than the norm! Well, at least the things I can salvage from the Mantis aren’t bad. In fact, they should be exceptional! I lug the Mantis, holding one of its dull, pointless legs and hauling it onto my back. As I drag the Mantis along, I eventually find Harwel nervously looking around. So, she decided to stay in the fork we found in the road beforehand. I mention to her, and Harwels eyes glitter, as she bear-hugs me. “Get off, please” Harwel gets off me, and she looks at me in both awe and shock. “Renaaa!!! I thawt fer sure yer wer deeadd!!!” Er. She’s bubbling like a baby now, and the ‘words’ she manages to spout form her mouth sounds a lot like… Gyras’ accent. Harwel blabs on a bit more, and I wait until she finally settles down. From the Mantis, I’ve managed to salvage a lot more than I expected. Obviously, I’ll use the two front scythes as catalysts for my main weapons. I’ve carved out a decent handle with a [Black Dagger] I made after my mana recovered. This feels pretty surreal. Making daggers with a dagger. I’ve managed to get the front nice, pointy and sharp like a proper dagger. Unlike the rest of the Mantis, it seems is scythes have no exoskeleton, just a pure, hard – and very sharp material. I make my final refined cut, and I look at my daggers with a satisfied smile. I’ll take these to Gyras for a professional polish, but for my own standards, these daggers look neat. I’ll see if I can sell the carcass to the Adventurer’s Guild for some big bucks, but there’s one other thing I’m definitely keeping for myself! You see, apparently these Mantis’ have some specially built stomachs. They can be stretched out extremely thinly, and if a skilled blacksmith does it correctly, the fine membranes on the stomach can be coated on a weapon to add a poisoning effect to it. As I stuff the stomach into my inventory, I notice Harwel looking at me like a baby. I can already guise what she’s thinking. “Sure, see what you can salvage from the corpse” Her eyes light up in excitement, and Harwel gives a quick thanks before jumping onto the carcass, seeing what she can find. Harwel fumbles around for a bit, before sighing, saying there isn’t anything good left. I dump the Mantis into my inventory- -Yeah. I just found out you could do that. I could’ve saved so much time, IF I knew about that! Arrgg!! Why didn’t anyone tell me? We might as well head back to Windport now. I pull out a mental map and find a second exit in order to avoid the tax-collecting guard from before. We get away scot free after evading our taxes… well, HARWEL gets away with evading her ‘taxes’. Never had to pay them anyway thanks to my high-Silver badge…though it really should be a mid-Diamond by now. And, even better, all the drama made Harwel completely forget about questioning my rapid growth! As we walk along an unpaved road leading to Windport, I give myself a quick [Appraisal]. Name: Rena Shinohara Level: 2 Rank: F Class (primary): None Class (secondary): None Health: 1,542 Damage: 1,842 Mana: 1,628 Defence: 1,426 Speed: 2,183 Luck: 0 Titles: [Underdog], [Monster Hunter], [Monster Slayer], [Dungeon Master], [Demon Lord], [Monster Calamity], [Supreme Hunter] Skills: [Absorption], [Appraisal], Melee Lv10], [Dark Magic Lv10], [Run Lv7], [Vampirism Lv7], [Rationality Lv7], [Concentration Lv7], [Pain Resistance Lv7]> Well, apart from my unfathomably low luck stat, everything else is beautiful. I stroll back home, admiring my status, accompanied by Harwel’s distant humming.