"We'll keep watch, so let's get this over with."

"Do it. This might be related to the massive mana clash from this morning."

They ended their conversation and started harvesting the materials. They decided to report it but keep the materials for themselves.

…I, too, needed to make a decision soon. Should I step out in front of the humans or not?

To be honest, I was feeling lonely. It had only been a day since I regained my memories, but being alone in the forest was pretty tough. Even though I tried to act cheerful, there was still a loneliness deep in my heart, and finding humans made that feeling stronger.

But I hesitated. Even if I stepped out, I didn't think I could establish a friendly relationship. Besides, I can't even speak their language.

With the [Comprehension] skill I acquired through listening, I could roughly understand their intentions. But if I couldn't speak, I would just be targeted as a monster. Being merely targeted would be the best-case scenario. I could just escape then. The worst-case scenario would be if Jewel Slimes were known to give a lot of soul fragment experience points. I would be relentlessly hunted, and rumors might spread, drawing more humans.

I had no intention of getting killed, but I also didn't want to kill people. I should swallow my loneliness. Yeah. That was for the best. So, I decided not to step out.

"My mana is pretty depleted. Let's head back for today."

"No objections here."

After harvesting the materials, the humans collected the goblins' weapons, skinned their bodies, plucked their fangs, and left. They went in the opposite direction of where I was hiding.

(…Guess I should go too.)

Feeling somewhat reluctant, I hurried back to where I left my axe and knife. I worried they might have been taken by goblins or humans, but they were safely there.

"Su-ra-ra-ra!"

Overjoyed, I swung my beloved axe around. Since I grabbed it by the tip, the centrifugal force almost threw me off balance. I need to be careful if I plan to use it in combat.

After securing my weapons, I started exploring the forest. Thanks to the [Porter] skill, the weight of the weapons wasn't a burden. This [Skill] reduces the weight of the items carried. Also, I acquired another new [Skill] earlier—[Stealth]. It allows me to dampen my presence, including sound and smell. I'm not sure if slimes have a scent, but being able to move quietly is a big plus.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

So, I continued my exploration using [Stealth].

Sralsa? (Any prey around?)

Raising my axe, I swung it here and there. It was a good feeling while walking. Moreover, I was getting a little tired and really bored from walking. Not encountering any monsters at all was messing with my mood. I learned that when you want to find something, it's often hard to come by.

When I say prey, I mean monsters slightly higher in level than myself. Lesser monsters are safe, but I wouldn't mind even a mid-tier one. It's unlikely that even a mid-tier monster could penetrate my toughness. However, small herbivorous monsters are highly alert and would quickly sense and flee even if I used [Stealth], making them impossible for me to hunt. These are the domain of high-speed monsters.

While continuing my search, I encountered a monster. Its appearance—

'…Is that a minotaur…? Or a centaur…?'

"Guaniiiiii!"

No, it's something else.

'It's huge, almost like a chimpanzee! This will be a challenging opponent!'

Standing before me was a crayfish monster, but it wasn't just an ordinary crayfish. Its body was shaped like a centaur, with its long torso bent vertically in the middle, making its upper body resemble a human's. Despite the human-like appearance, its entire body was covered in a reddish-brown exoskeleton, and its arms ended in pincers. Its head was at the same height as the humans I had met earlier, and its soulless black eyes glared down at me. The crayfish then raised one of its pincers.

This feels dangerous!

"Slaaash."

Whizzz

Though there was still some distance, I leapt back on instinct. My will to escape activated my skill [Escape], and I instantly moved several meters away.

Zaku!

The pincer shot out, stabbing the spot where I had just been and slashing with its sharp edges. Its sharpness was beyond natural. The released pincer was connected to its arm by something like a string, which reeled it back in to reattach to the arm.

(That was close…!)

I muttered fearfully. Honestly, with my toughness, I would probably be unharmed, but I didn't want to voluntarily take such a fast attack. The crayfish, glaring at me for dodging, pulled back its opposite arm. I began moving to the left with [Escape]. I dodged the second attack, but the crayfish immediately followed up. Dodge, follow-up, dodge, repeat.

(Whoa.)

As I moved clockwise, the crayfish seemed to get used to it, and its pincer approached my next spot. I leapt on instinct.

...

Jewel Slime has acquired the skill [Leap]. Jewel Slime has acquired the skill [Evade].

...

(Shit! I could have died!)

I somehow dodged that attack. Landing, I began moving counterclockwise this time. After our exchange so far, the crayfish had gotten used to my speed and aimed its pincers accurately again. But I had also become familiar with its movements. I changed direction the moment it raised its arm. The pincer stabbed into the ground two meters from me. I didn't miss the opening.

"Slaaash."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~I tried to use AI to create the crayfish monster to my utmost capabilities, hope you can imagine from the reference ~!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Will our jewel slime win??