Chapter 41: The nastiest guy or the master of nastiness, who is the true villain here?
Day 24 – Morning, The Cave
In the end, the guest didn't come. Well, even if he won't ever come, it's fine with me. I didn't call him anyway.
I'm just standing in the way.
A scarecrow of sorts.
Just staying here is enough.
And do what I must.
I might not like it, but he should be the same.
He is the nastiest person, but I'm the master at being nasty, that I can say with confidence. The president and others also can vouch for that.
The opponent is just nasty by nature, while I am by choice. I'm doing it on purpose, an expert at making things the worst. The president and others can guarantee this as well. It's a good question who is the real baddie here.
Time is on my side. Dragging this out will be a problem for the opponent, not me.
Even so, he is yet to come, which means that he is looking from somewhere, that he is gathering information somewhere, that his calculations are not done yet. In that case, I will get stronger in the meantime, it might be meaningless, but it might prove meaningful. It's better than doing nothing at all. Even if in the worst case it is pointless, even if it is probably pointless, even if it is almost certainly pointless, there is at least no demerit to it. We are terribly mismatched anyway.
I depart after eating fish for breakfast. Grilled fish with bread seems like a dubious combination, but I have no rice. I wonder how foreigners are eating it?
Everyone certainly will be overjoyed if the lady from the general store manages to find rice.
Today is another day when I'm going to hunt for mushrooms. And also goblins and kobolds.
Well, level 20 is impossible, but level 15… Is also impossible. There is no way he would just watch and allow me to do that. Which also means that he would observe until level 14 at most. By that time he should show up.
Even so, I just got to level 11. I don't have that much time.
Even though I'm slow to raise my levels he is probably willing to wait. Meanwhile, the president and others will raise their levels even further, while the geeks' level will go through the roof. What if they geek it? I also sent the meatheads to the president, so it should be fine. Go ahead and be scolded in my stead every day. Come on, you will be checkmated if you just keep waiting.
The geeks probably got a safety buffer in levels. Since they don't know how strong the opponent is, putting as much level difference as possible is the only thing they could do. They probably won't read the mood and will just keep leveling up until they become the strongest.
As long as nothing gets in their way. Yes, as long as no one gets in their way. I just have to get in the way of those that will get in their way. Just like I'm doing at the moment. And while we are getting in each other's way, everyone else is steadily overtaking us.
A sacrificial pawn of sorts, taking it means wasting your move, yet you can't afford not to take it. Annoying isn't it? Even after he went after all those efforts to split us.
With me encamping here, he will be attacked if he tries to pass and won't make it in time if he doesn't. A real pain. Even though I'm so nicely isolated.
How unlucky for you that I decided to settle in this cave, huh? You don't have enough LuK.
And I was lucky to manage to reach this cave and settle in it. LuK-san is the strongest.
And be it fortunate or unfortunate, we will have to meet here. The odds are the worst, but the luck itself is the best.
It likely will go on on a predetermined route until the very end.
Just as expected. Just as expected this is the worst for both of us.
For me, it's hopeless in terms of survival, for him in terms of the future.
Even though he divided everyone through mental manipulation.
But the president and others already began regrouping.
And how are you supposed to break up a loner?
That's why he is observing. Killing me doesn't require that much of a level.
But, other classmates are going to widen the level gap. He might be panicking, but he lacks the means to resolve the situation.
He must be at his wit's end. Must be so irritating, so annoying. This is so much fun. Absolutely amazing.
Today I'm simply walking all over the place. Simply walk, if I meet something I hunt it, but other than that I'm just walking.
The running begins after noon, so for now, I'll just walk. Walking, as to check, walking, as to test.
As expected, there are lots of weak monsters upstream. Just optimal for exp grinding. In this case, he might be already over level 30 or near 40. Well, it's too late to worry about that at this point. I just walk, hunt, and then continue to walk.
I eat as I walk. It's been a while since I last had a jerky, but it's not tasty at all.
Now then, I guess it's enough walking? Let's try running.
Sprinting through the woods as I please I hunt what I meet. Yup, back to that again. Since I can't fight and win head-on, I hunt.
Since I lack strength I use speed. If the target is too far I can charge it, if there is a distance, I can ambush it, if there is no distance at all, I can now use Kyojitsu. Well, that's basically what I was doing since the very beginning.
It soon will be a month since I'm keeping goblins company, but there are no signs of a budding friendship. Isn't the first enemy supposed to take a frenemy-like position? Coming to rescue despite ongoing rivalry? Isn't that how it usually goes? Well, considering that I was killing every single goblin I met, I would need an exorcist if any of them came back.
Yeah, usually, story-wise, one would tame goblins and kobolds, and fight in the forest using them. But nothing of that sort is happening here because I'm annihilating every single monster. Doesn't that put me on the same level as kobolds that jump to bite off the head as soon as they see me? And on top of that, not only did I not become a beast master, I almost turned into Bitch Master. Just how did it turn like this?
Anyway, I just have to hunt. It should prevent him from raising his level, and I might even level up myself if I'm lucky.
He wants intel, I want EXP, he doesn't care if I gain a few levels and I don't care about being seen.
・ ・ ・
Relaxing, leaning forward, as if I'm about to fall to my knees, I take just half a step forward, without putting any unnecessary strength. Taking half a step I swing. Combining the gravity, acceleration, magic power, and breathing all into one attack. If I don't put everything into one attack it will bite off my head. I'd like to avoid that at any cost!
Yeah, I can take down Kobold King as well, it's super-fast, but it always goes for the head, and I absolutely won't let it bite my head! Absolutely!
It's so fast that it even leaves afterimages. It even used combos, attacking from different directions, but in the end, it still went to bite my head……
Though I'm physically unharmed, mentally I took a heavy blow.
Yeeah, I'm done if there is a Kobold Emperor. Drifting away from the cave any further is not a good idea. Let's take a detour and go home.
However, he is still not coming? Well, I don't care if it will become too late? He is underestimating how bad the geeks are at reading the mood, how dumb the idiots are, and how much of a menace the sermon power of the girls is. Even though he went to such great lengths to break them apart, the candidates to become heroes and legends of this world have probably already begun to unify. Side characters like us will have no chances of catching up with them……
Could it be that you have gotten the wrong idea?