Level 15, huh?
I checked my progress after defeating the four goblins. Even though I only gained four levels, it's natural for levelling up to become harder as you go higher.
Defeating stronger enemies would speed things up, but that's a plan for another time.
"Srrrls (This is pretty gross.)"
I ate the goblins while reviewing my status. There were no new skills, but I gained a better understanding of the ones I had.
Specifically, I realized the conditions for "Rapid Strikes" were quite lenient. The effect persisted even if I attacked other goblins or alternated between "Whip" and "Throwing."
This skill only counted how many times I attacked a target within the last minute or two. Based on the number of hits, "Rapid Strikes" boosted my attack power.
As I pondered this, I remembered something important.
'I still need to check my Unique Skill.'
With the goblins out of the way, I focused on my status.
Unique Skill Details: Demonic Absorption
- Maximizes harvest yield.
- Bonus skill: Demonic Lightning unlocked! (NEW)
Oh, new abilities! It looks like I can control lightning now. This could be a powerful new attack.
'Demonic Lightning, activate!'
A sensation of mana flowing out from within me was followed by a flash of lightning striking in front of me.
The lightning hit a goblin corpse, scorching its skin. The lighting wasn't normal, characterized by a red colour and leaving behind sparks of fire on the corpse, though it didn't last long!
'This is amazing! It's like magic!'
I jumped with excitement. Not only does it have a cool name—Demonic Lightning—but it also seemed usable as an attack.
The lightning was strong enough to burn goblins and was too fast for me to track. This added a powerful card to my arsenal.
'Alright, Demonic Lightning! Demonic Lightning! Demonic... huh?'
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As I continued to incinerate the goblins with my Unique Skill, I was suddenly hit by a wave of fatigue on the fourth strike. This feeling...
~~
Mana: 2/14
~~
Out of mana! I knew running out of mana could cause fatigue, but I'd forgotten since I'd never needed to manage it before.
Damn, I can't use my Unique Skill for a while. I shouldn't have wasted it... or rather, this is a learning opportunity!
Now I know each lightning strike costs 3 mana, which is useful information! With that, I felt better.
'Roasting them doesn't change the taste much.'
I mused while dissolving the scorched goblins. Next, I needed to think about weapons.
The goblins' weapons were crude, but having them would still increase my combat effectiveness.
However, I didn't want to carry anything too heavy as it would slow me down. After some thought, I decided to take the axe and knife.
The axe seemed the most powerful when attached to my whip, and while the knife was rusty and chipped, it was light and worth taking along.
*Srsle...* (I'm full.)
After dissolving half of the roasted goblins, I stopped eating. I had reached my limit. I left the remaining two and a half goblins as I didn't want to attract other beasts by staying too long.
*(Alright, let's go.)*
I extended my whip, trying to jump like Spider-Man.
"..."
I will just walk; I am no Spider-Man.
~~Non-Notified Information Log~~
...
>>Jewel Slime has acquired Skill: Transportation.
...
As I entered the underbrush, feeling my load lighten, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.
"Ah, the goblins are dead!"
A voice. Not a beast's cry, but a series of complex, meaningful sounds. Though I didn't understand the language much, it was undoubtedly a human voice.
Rustle, rustle. Sneak, sneak.
Placing my weapon on the ground, I moved stealthily.
---
~Anonymous Information Recording Area~
...
>> Jewel Slime has acquired [Skill: Stealth].
...
---
Before long, the place where I had fought the goblin earlier came into view. It was from around here that I heard human voices.
"Scary."
"Half-eaten. Could it be the work of the demon spawn?"
Peeking through the bushes, I saw four humans armed with weapons.
As typical for people in this world, they had vibrant hair colours like red and blue. It looked like they were discussing the goblin.
Thinking back, the way I killed it was quite gruesome, so they might think some dangerous individual was lurking around.
The corpse was grotesque even from a distance, thoroughly destroyed.
"Let's take it home for now."
...
>> Jewel Slime has acquired [Skill: Comprehension].
...
"That’s right."
"!?"
As I strained to listen to their conversation, I suddenly began to understand what they were saying.
The pronunciation was still the unfamiliar language of this world, but I could clearly grasp the nuances of their conversation.
Looking at my [Status], I saw a new [Skill] called [Comprehension]. It was likely thanks to this.
I could understand what they wanted to convey, though not what they wanted to hide. Still, in this situation, it was a useful [Skill].
From the information gleaned through [Comprehension], it seemed they were worried about who or what had left the goblin's mutilated corpse. Probably...
Ordinary monsters wouldn’t kill in such a torturous way, and if humans had done it, it was odd that they left all the materials behind. The half-melted corpse was also a source of confusion.
"So, let’s just take the materials and head back."