(Yawwwwn... Is it morning already?)

The night after the attack by our so-called elite hunter Jaykal, I woke up inside a cave.

This is the same cave where the hobgoblins were hiding. Since it was nearby, I decided to use it as a temporary resting spot.

(Now, which way should I go today?)

The girl suggested we head south, but I noticed the mana was denser to the west, drawing my attention in that direction.

Incidentally, the human town was situated to the east. It was the direction most people seemed to take when they returned or fled, their paths often marked by desperation or hope.

(Should I follow the girl’s advice or venture into the depths for stronger foes?)

I deliberated carefully. The deeper areas, where mana was more concentrated, were home to stronger magical beasts. As a result, only a handful of humans dared to venture into such dangerous territory.

However, the presence of stronger magical beasts also implied that any humans hunting them would likely be highly skilled and powerful.

Considering Jaykal’s reputation as one of the town’s strongest fighters, it was safe to assume that the number of enemies as formidable as the old man would be limited. Even so, the risks were undeniable. Every step into those areas would require both caution and preparation.

(...Or is that not necessarily true?)

Come to think of it, I encountered that old man before my evolution.

I've grown significantly stronger since then, and perhaps his abilities are roughly on par with Jaykal’s after all.

That unlockable palm strike of his was scary, but as long as I stay vigilant, it shouldn’t hit me so easily.

(Alright, decision made!)

Brimming with enthusiasm, I set my course westward. With determination, I took my first confident step.

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(Jump, land, jump, land...)

I bounced, bounced, and bounced some more.

Leaping into the air, landing gracefully, and using the momentum to spring upward again—I repeated the cycle with precision.

By leveraging my skills and instinctively adjusting to each impact, I mimicked the bouncing motion of a superball.

This wasn’t just for any show, it was a deliberate part of my training, a way to hone my abilities even while traveling.

The Landing skill played a crucial role, absorbing the force of each descent and allowing me to maintain agility and balance. Even as a hard-bodied Arsenal Armoury Slime, I could touch down with a surprising degree of flexibility, transforming every impact into an opportunity for growth.

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(Oh, a river. But this much is no problem...)

I lightly flexed my body near a stream flowing through the forest.

(Jump!)

I leapt across, clearing a gap of about five meters with ease, then landed quietly. To top it off, I transformed into a Y-shape.

Slaraslarah!!!

Pleased with my flawless jump, I gave myself a ten-out-of-ten performance review.

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After progressing through the forest for a while, it was nearing lunchtime.

(Hmm, I should probably hunt something for lunch.)

Thanks to my Storage skill, I hadn’t felt true hunger in quite some time.

Still, there was something about the arrival of noon that made me crave food. A lingering habit from my human days, I guess.

(If possible, I’d like to face another Greater Beast soon...)

Even in this mana-rich area, Greater Beasts seemed to be rare.

So far, I’d only encountered that trent and two elite hobogoblins.

Today as well, I’d seen a few magical beasts, but they were all likely lower-ranked creatures. Judging by their sizes, anyway.

(Come to think of it, was that Forest Turtle an even higher rank than Greater Beasts?)

I haven’t seen anything higher than Greater Beasts so far, and it seems that bodily enlargement due to evolution becomes more pronounced with higher ranks.

If so, maybe I’m just one step away from my goal.

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It was right as I was mulling over this that it appeared.

Fusshh...

The creature stood before me, its fur a stark white, its powerful frame balanced firmly on two legs.

Heavy, steamy breaths escaped from its nostrils, curling into the air like smoke. Its face bore a striking resemblance to a boar’s, complete with thick tusks jutting out from its mouth, giving it a feral, menacing appearance.

The best way to describe it would be as an orc crossed with a wild boar—a boar-orc. Its bloodshot red eyes locked onto mine, radiating intensity.

But then, something unexpected happened.

The instant it saw me, its expression changed, and its face visibly paled. Without a moment’s hesitation, it spun around and bolted, fleeing as fast as its legs could carry it.

(Hey, get back here!)

Buhmoooooooo?!

Panicking, I gave it a chase.

The boar-orc’s reaction was understandable. Judging by its height of about two meters, it was likely a Mid-Rank Beast.

A Mid-Rank Beast wouldn’t dare take on a massive blue cube—possibly a Greater Beast.

(If I use Provocation or Dazzling Lure, I’m sure it’ll turn around to fight, but...)

For now, I decided to forego those skills and focused on catching up.

After all, honing my tracking abilities could come in handy one day.

(Damn, this Mid-Rank Beast is fast!)

I used all my abilities—Leap and Dash—but the distance between us barely shrank.

Every now and then, the boar-orc would unnaturally accelerate, likely using a skill similar to my Dash.

(If that’s the case... Replicant Form: Mimic! )

Part of my body transformed.

The blue material distorted and morphed into a chain sickle—one of the rarer weapons I had collected from the hobgoblins.

Slaraslarah!

The metallic sound echoed in layers as the chain moved as if it had a mind of its own, latching onto a nearby tree trunk and pulling me forward.

Thanks to the acceleration provided by the chain sickle, I gradually closed the gap.

Finally, I had the boar-orc’s neck within range.

(Alright, time to finish this...)

I prepared to unleash a Slash to end it.

But just before I could strike—

Buhmooo?!

The boar-orc suddenly veered off course.

Up until now, it had been running almost exclusively in a straight line, but now it abruptly changed direction.

I staggered to a stop, startled, and as I prepared to pursue it again, I saw the reason why it had swerved.

What I saw left me speechless.

There, in a place where it had no business being, stood someone—or rather, something—completely unexpected.

(No way... is that you, Slao?)

It was none other than Slao, one of Slata’s underlings, accompanied by a group of slimes.