Day 5
The rest of the day continued without a hitch, thanks to the improved strategies that Source thought up for us. We were able to track down monster after monster with Shiro and Kumo’s Keen Smell, and only a few decently strong opponents appeared. Among them, the most prominent ones were a King Crawler, a pack of Leech Lizards, and a Giant Bear.
Oh, now that I think about it, we also found a Cowdeer! This was the first time I’d enabled my taste buds as Source devoured the poor beast. and BOY, was it delicious. It tasted like a perfect wagyu steak made in a 5-star restaurant (not that I’ve been in any), it was a heavenly flavor for a person like me – a person who hasn’t eaten anything with condiments for almost a month. I feared I would cause the entire Cowdeer population to go extinct if I let myself go loose.
On the other hand, we had the King Crawler. Yea… I wasn’t touching that. It was the creepiest fucking thing I’d ever seen; it was an extremely large centipede-looking monster with a disgusting-looking mouth. However, Source didn’t have the same thoughts as I did… I could only stare lifelessly into the sky after that traumatizing situation; Source didn’t even let me hurl. At least I got the Apply Poison skill…
The other two weren’t nearly as interesting, but they did give us some experience in dealing with numerous and larger enemies. Other than that, we ended the day with Flame Breath, Apply Poison, and our bellies full of Cowdeer.
Day 6
I woke up to the gentle prodding of Kumo's snout, nudging me affectionately. Grinning, I scratched the fur under his chin and got lost in his deep, contented purrs. A sudden thought crossed my mind, freezing me mid-scratch. Now that I think about it, are the two of them females or males? The abrupt halt in my movements left Kumo momentarily bewildered.
“Are the two of you females or males?” I mentally sent them a message.
“I’m a Male, Master.” Kumo telepathically answered, tilting his head as if questioning the sudden curiosity. “Female,” Shiro added lazily from behind me, her eyes slowly blinking open.
"Cool, cool," I replied nonchalantly, resuming the scratches which, judging by Kumo's blissful expression, were nothing short of heavenly. Wait a second, did I just think 'blissful'? I shook off any inappropriate thoughts and stood up, much to Kumo's vocal disappointment.
“We should move out now.” I told the two wolves, “Source, where are we right now?”
*The Host and his companions should be near the Sealed Cave.*
“Oh okay, what do you think I should do then?”
*This One suggests heading inside the Sealed Cave to attain the plethora of useful Skills that can be acquired inside.*
“But isn’t Rimuru nearby? I really don’t want to disturb the canon too much, considering that it's one of my biggest advantages in this world.”
*Negative, consuming a few monsters in the Sealed Cave will have no visible impact on its ecosystem.*
“Oh, I see.” I nodded as I understood Source’s reasoning.
“We’ll be heading to the Sealed Cave, guys… and girls?”I struck another star pose, just like yesterday. Kumo let out an eager howl, while Shiro gave me a look of what I could only interpret as weary exasperation. Seriously, what’s the deal with her sassiness? Did she enter a rebellious phase in just a day? I don’t understand… I want my cute and adorable Shiro back :(
Within an hour, we arrived at the towering, ominous metallic doors of the Sealed Cave. Intricate carvings adorned the blue-grey surface, which radiated a menacing aura. The ancient hinges shrieked as the doors begrudgingly opened. Inside, everything was a dull grey, likely because Rimuru had already absorbed all the vibrant Magic Ore.
Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.
Activating Magic Sense, I only now realized that the wolves might have a hard time seeing in the dark.
“Can you guys see well in here?” I inquired.
“Absolutely, Master!” “No.” The exuberant and lazy voice clashed.
Kumo’s ecstatic expression morphed into a frown. Shiro, however, ignored that and matter-of-factly stated: “We direwolves have decent night vision but we can’t see well in such dark places.”
“Oh, then I’ll teach you a skill! It’s called Magic Sense.” I said, trying to keep the focus on something that wasn't Shiro’s snarky response. Well, I said “I” but it really was Source doing all the teaching using my body, oh well, it worked well and the two Void Wolves eventually gained the Magic Sense skill. I smiled a bit internally at their shock as they first used Magic Sense, their dark surroundings suddenly becoming visible to them.
“Now, we’re ready to go.” The two direwolves, including Shiro this time, howled in excitement.
It took us quite a while before we finally found a place that was untouched by Rimuru’s resource extraction. Bountiful patches of Hipokute herbs lined crystal-blue rivers, the Magic Ore dotting the beautiful scenery giving it a mystical vibe. Of course, there were quite a few monsters here as well.
A lone Black Spider lay in wait on its humongous cobweb at the center of the small territory, waiting for any unfortunate prey to stumble into its sticky lair. A Giant Bat could be seen squirming around in fear and desperation, but the Black Spider did not attack, I guessed the spider was using it as bait for other prey.
Shiro, Kumo, and I discussed our strategy and got straight to work. With a burst of speed, I closed the distance to the Black Spider's gargantuan web, my feet barely touching the ground. No sooner had I arrived than I spewed a torrent of fire from my mouth, aiming directly at the monstrous arachnid’s web. "Ah, hot, hot, hot!" I winced. The inferno roared out of my mouth, incinerating the web's delicate threads upon contact.
Thanks to Source's quick action to numb my mouth's pain receptors, the discomfort faded, allowing me to focus. Now it wasn't just the web; the fire had spread to the surrounding foliage, casting eerie, dancing shadows on the cave walls.
The Black Spider, in a state of panic, moved frantically, shooting globs of webbing from its spinneret in a futile attempt to smother the fire. But the flammable material only exacerbated the blaze. Realizing its mistake, the spider's multiple eyes locked onto me, filling with predatory rage. With a terrifying screech, it launched a volley of steel-like threads aimed to impale and sticky webs designed to restrain.
Anticipating its moves, I leaped into the air, dodging its projectiles. My body twisted and turned with acrobatic precision, each move calculated to avoid the spider's deadly threads. Just then, Kumo and Shiro unleashed their Haki from below, sending an overwhelming aura of intimidation towards the spider. The spider hesitated, its focus momentarily disrupted by the aura that weighed heavily like an invisible chain.
That was the opening we needed. Shiro and Kumo leaped into the air, showing off their razor-sharp fangs. With a coordinated strike, they bit down on two of the spider's legs, snapping them clean off and causing the creature to let out a horrible shriek.
Taking advantage of its distraction and pain, I lunged forward, fists clenched and coated in a thin layer of Nihilicules. The Black Spider tried to counter, shooting another set of threads, but I was too quick. I deftly navigated through its last desperate attempts, delivering a powerful punch directly to its abdomen.
The spider shuddered, its threads weakening. Its body sagged, collapsing into itself as its body went limp. The fight(one-sided beating) was over.
[Abilities]
Name: Lucian
Race: Demonoid
Title: Kin-Eater
Skills :
Unique Skill: Nihility
Unique Skill: Covalent
Unique Skill: Source
Extra Skill: Predator's Eyes (All of Creation, Predation, Appraisal Eye, Thought Acceleration, Coercion)
Extra Skill: Magic Sense,
Skill: Farsight, Thought Communication, Flame Breath, Apply Poison