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Chapter 14: The Daily Life of an Eight Year Old - The Worst of Being
The morning came without any night raids.
At the camp, I also have a guarding duty. I worked with Roland on the first day, Markant on the second day, and Danil last night. They become my vanguard is to protect me as well. And last night Danil was the only magician except for the brute Markant. As the son of a merchant, he had a wealth of knowledge. I took the opportunity to ask him many questions.
What I was particularly interested in was the magic book. I had already mastered the beginner level magic through Virgil's lectures, but the intermediate level and beyond are hard. Even if we do research and training, we should also consider magic books.
If you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to get a lot more than ten gold coins for a beginner's spellbook.
And that's just for the four elements and non-attribute spellbooks. You can find no such thing as freezing, lightning, or denaturation, and it is unknown if someone can create Holy or Necromantic magic, even at the beginner level. I want to learn the sacred attribute as soon as possible because it is in the lineage of recovery magic, but I also have some concerns. Most people who learn it are priests, and they have a strong faith in it. A temple with priests who can use sacred magic would be a quick way to learn, but is there a god or equivalent that will listen to our prayers? The little fat man said that the creator god only sees. It doesn't mean that there aren't other gods, but the whole thing gives me the impression of non-interference. For one thing, the little fat man is a god that exists, and as a result, he's taken care of us, but …… worshipping him? I can't.
I'm not sure what to make of this. I've heard that they can be found in ancient ruins and dungeons, so if I get the chance, I'll try. Also, Danil warned me. Even if you acquire a spellbook and learn it, there are times when it doesn't work or consumes a huge amount of magic power. This has something to do with qualities. He seems to be telling me in a roundabout way that I should check my qualities, but I probably don't need to worry. I've mastered everything except sacred and mortal, and I'm not unskilled at any of them. I'm almost certain that the little fat man has given me qualities of all attributes. Maybe he's making me care for him in his way. I would at least revere him – I just can't.
After a light breakfast, we finished preparing to leave. The only thing left to do was to return to town.
On the first day we headed east, and the second day we started heading south. Our current location is roughly southeast of Reedwald. We would probably still be in the territory if we went west. But since it was a long way, we decided to go straight northwest.
At the head of the column was Markant, flanked by Roland and Valerie, with Danil acting as a guard. The scout, Ose is ahead of me, on the lookout for surprise attacks. For the past week, we've been moving in this formation. To be honest, when you are surrounded by adults. Your vision is blocked and your mobility is impaired. I asked them to at least put me in front of Danil, but they refused without a second thought.
Also, it was obvious that our luggage had changed since the first day. This was especially true for Roland and Marchant. In three days, we had defeated many demons and obtained a considerable amount of magic stones and materials. I'm not sure what to make of this. Aside from combat, it was a big deal that this did not impair their normal movements. Perhaps it's not just simple muscle strength, but also a knack in the way they carry their luggage and move their bodies. It seems that the subtleties of mastery are hidden in the most humble of places.
As I looked over at the two men carrying the large leather bags, I could sense their inexperience.
At Eras Rhino, I had accused the intruders of throwing away the meat. I had no right to do that. I had to be selective because the materials were too much for an overnight quest. In addition, the burden on me, as great as I sounded, was minimal. I've heard that there's a magical bag called the Telper's Bag that has increased storage capacity, so I'll add that to my goals. However, I was rude to the intruders. I'll apologize if I run into them anywhere. Let's see. …… What's your name again?
As we proceeded, the forest of Leknod changed.
I noticed that the undulations decreased and the spaces between the trees became wider. It resembled the scenery of a day trip.
Without taking any particular rest, we continued on our way.
So far, we hadn't had any battles with demons. Occasionally, Ose would come back and adjust our direction of travel, apparently to avoid a less profitable battle. Besides, the encounter rate with demons decreases considerably when you get to this area. On the first day of the expedition, we had encountered goblins and Eras Rhino in the shallow areas, but originally, the grasslands had few demons due to the activities of adventurers and defeating parties, and the shallow areas of the forest were relatively safe even for beginners.
Wary of us, a squirrel runs up a thick trunk.
As I gazed up at the peaceful scene, another worry began to creep into my mind. Would we have enough money to make the armor? It was the last day of the trip, so I felt like I could make a little more money. When I asked Danil about it, he told me that it was enough. He's a skilled adventurer and the son of a merchant. It was the best guarantee I could get, but once I started thinking about it, I couldn't get it out of my head. I'm a commoner at heart, and I don't have a decent amount of savings myself. It would be too shameful to ask them to fund a gift for me. In the unlikely event that I don't have enough, I'll just come back to collect some herbs.
After a while, there were no more small animals in sight.
I wondered if we were close to the meadow.
Just as I was vaguely wondering if we were close to the grasslands, Ose came back without a sound.
"There are orcs ahead."
"How many?"
"Maybe three, five at the most."
"All right. Ose and Valerie will split up and surprise–no, …… wait."
Suddenly, Markant fell silent.
His expression was somewhat stiff, and the other "Battle Axe of Destruction" saw it gave them a strange feeling of tension.
Roran and I nodded our heads. I'm not saying they're just orcs, but we've already eradicated more than 20 villages. There's no reason to be wary of five of them now, and I don't see any reason to be wary of Ose's report.
With a grim expression on his face, Markant suddenly felt a shiver run down his spine.
"This kinda… bad!"
Before the muttering could fade, we quickly prepared ourselves.
There was something wrong.
What was that – a roar, or was it a scream?
As soon as a tremendous voice came from ahead, there was an abrupt silence. The drop was so great that for a moment I thought it was an auditory hallucination. We looked at each other, but only Marchant was staring straight ahead.
"You guys! Get out of here right now–"
Markant cut off his words and hurriedly set up his axe.
When Roland saw it, he lowered me, Danil and Valerie moved to the left and right, and Ose slipped into the shade of the tree while descending.
The treetops rustled.
Something big enough to shake the trees?
No way, it's not Eras Rhino again, is it?
The rustling of the leaves grows louder, and it appears, slithering. I couldn't believe my eyes.
I blinked a few times to make sure my vision wasn't going crazy.
"Hey, ……, what's that?"
What appeared was a wall three meters high and three meters wide.
The material is a light blue jelly. I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it'll help.
"Tremble Cube!"
It was Roland who shouted.
I was still wondering about the unrealistic cube, even though turmoil has spread to "Battle Axe of Destruction".
"That's not good!"
"Retreat!"
The combination of Roland's shout and Marchant's instructions caused me to suddenly float. Roland grabbed me by the arm and started running.
The front and back of my body were reversed due to the spur-of-the-moment situation. It was my feet that were facing the direction of travel. As he ran off in the same formation, Markant, the vanguard, was the one who took the lead. I turned my gaze to the light blue cube swaying lazily ahead of me.
It was also a monster. It looked as if it had been cut out of a giant slime. It seems to be chasing us, but with its huge body and texture, it should be no problem. But something seems fishy.
I hurriedly activated my "appraisal".
Name: -.
Race: Tremble Cube
Level: 27
HP: 252/252
MP: 113/113
Ste: 14
Int: 1
Dex: 1
End: 34
Agi: 15 (16)
Charm: 1
Skills
Dissolve, Tentacle Arm, Slash Resistance 4, Strike Resistance 8, Water Resistance 8, Ice Resistance 2, Lightning Resistance 6
Magic
None
Title
Leader of the Forest
What's with this guy…?
It has several skills that are higher than Roland's. And it is resistant to abnormal physical strength. More than our number. More problematic is its 16 agility. I'm the only one who can surely shake off this guy, and if it's Ose, even with 15 agility, he may be able to escape with his evasive skill. Others are tough.
"Markant! It's impossible, it'll catch up!"
At my words, he twisted his head to look behind him. The face I turned to look at had a hint of bitterness.
I slapped Roland on the back and ordered him to run and drop himself. He resisted a little, but Roland loosened his arms. As soon as he landed, I started running.
"What do you know about it?
"The Tremble Cube is a demon that the guild has designated as a must watch out for!"
Roland quickly answers.
"What else do you know?"
"I've been told to run when I encounter one."
It's not helpful. I'm not sure what to make of it. But if you meet them, run away? It's a good idea. No ordinary adventurer can escape.
"Just keep running, people! It'll catch up with us soon. We'll have to fight! Roland and Marchant, you'll have to fight from two sides. Don't get too close! Valerie and Ose, attack and distract! Danil and I will use magic to attack from a distance! We're dealing with an unknown monster, so be flexible!"
Everyone's eyes were filled with determination.
As I looked at them, I asked myself if this was a good idea.
It would be more reliable to give the results of the appraisal. But I don't think they'll trust me if I suddenly confess that I have a rare appraisal skill. And even if they did, would they be able to maintain the kind of relationship they've had? That's how disgusting it is to be "visible.
Whatever the case may be, it's not something to talk about in this situation. It might confuse them.
Then, it's simple.
If it comes to it, I'll stay behind and distract and attract the walking cube with "high-speed movement.
I can have everyone retreat while I do that. Roland won't obey, but I'm sure he'll be convinced when he sees me disrupt it. Even if he doesn't, I'll have the "Battle Axe of Destruction" drag him away.
When the time was right, Markant gave the order.
"Spread out!"
Roland and Markant came to a sudden stop, threw the large sack full of materials far away, and readied their weapons.
Valerie and Ose scattered to the left and right. Danil and I ran straight for the distance.
The movement of the Tremble Cube slows down.
I don't think it understood that we were in a fighting stance. Its intelligence is at its lowest. It's probably choosing the easiest prey since its food supply has gone.
Still, it's a strange-looking creature.
It doesn't look like a living thing. Its simple size was isn't that different from Eras Rhino, but the inorganic body that covered three meters in every direction gave me an inexplicable sense of dread. It was even more so with four melted orcs inside.
"Vanguard, stay alert!
"Of course!"
Markant replied to my advice, which came out of my mouth reflexively.
I know it's not my business, but I can't help but worry. It's because I can "see" the "Tentacle" skill.
Sure enough, countless tentacles extend from the cube toward the vanguard.
But my worries were gone as the two of them easily dodged them and cut them off. The closer its main body gets to them, the further they retreat. They never try to approach it.
"I've seen it all before. You don't need to worry about me, do you?"
While the vanguard was holding back, Valerie and Ose ran around the perimeter, slashing at the tentacles and slashing at the main body when they saw an opening. Danil and I unleashed our attack magic in the gap between them.
Perhaps this is the first time we've been disturbed to this extent, the Tremble Cube extends its tentacles from all five sides, but they all cut through the air. The distraction of the two scouts was particularly effective. They were not able to focus on the target.
Roland and Markant, who seemed to have gotten used to it, also ducked under the tentacles and slashed at the main body.
Although it was difficult to see because of its jelly-like body, the Tremble Cube got hit by countless slashes. Even with my "appraisal", its strength is steadily decreasing. Even if it is resistant to attacks, it is not immune. At any rate, the damage is still coming.
Meanwhile, Valerie takes her distance.
As soon as she holds the magic sword Arua Sero, a strange sign rises from her sword.
"Command: Kogel!"
Innumerable water bullets are generated according to the trajectory of Valerie's swinging and flood the Tremble Cube. The giant trembles slightly, but does not appear to have been injured. Its power was less than the Cube resistances.
"I'm not sure if water magic is effective after all. This way, then. Command: Spheres!"
Water overflows from the magic sword and begins to cover the Arua Sero.
As I saw it, Arua Sero is covered by a water blade and became as long as a two-handed sword.
It has a water-based magic attack earlier. It's a sword enhancement. Does it seem that Arua Sero has multiple abilities, but isn't this a higher grade than the Axe of Holy Fire?
Not to be outdone by Valerie's struggles, Danil also unleashed the "Firebolt" and slashed it with his sword in hand.
He must have been thinking about his remaining magic power. Since he was not a professional, he did not have that much magic power. Several tentacles extended towards Danil. He slashed it several times, and just as he was about to be caught. The tentacles were flung away with a flicker of flame. That isn't bolts, it was a small fireball, probably Blow-type magic. It's beginner-level magic, but I've never seen it before. Okay, you can teach me later.
With a secret desire in my heart, I fired off a Fire Bolt and slashed at Tremble Cube, mimicking Danil.
Because of my muscle strength and a small sword, I could not break through its "Slash Resistance". I retreated without being able to inflict a scratch. I guess I'm not strong enough or equipped to deal with this guy. I'll go with magic attacks and distractions.
The one who was having more trouble than me was Ose.
His sling is useless because of Tremble Cube's "Blow Resistance" he also wields and throws knives but to no avail. He gave up attacking midway through the fight and, like me, focused on distraction.
I wonder how much time has passed since then.
This was the first time I had kept moving, casting magic, and swinging my sword this much. I don't think it would have taken this long in an orc village. And the opponent was still the same as at the beginning, just extending its tentacles and trying to swallow me. It was too monotonous a battle. Maybe not that much time has passed.
But there is a definite change. It's our fatigue. Even for adventurers who are used to moving, it's hard to keep moving even with our high tolerance. I hadn't taken it lightly, but I hadn't expected it to be as troublesome as it was. The two vanguards were attacking less and less, and Arua Sero's time of effect had long since passed. Ose's speed was also slowing down. Danil and I have long switched to conserving our magic power in anticipation of a long battle. And I have to hold him off by myself when the time comes. There was no time to use unnecessary magic.
I activated my "Appraisal". I don't know how many times I've done this. I stopped counting halfway through.
It's hard to tell from the outside, but the strength of the Tremble Cube is decreasing. I'm sure I can push through if I continue to patiently chip it away.
"Don't bathe in this guy's body fluids! You'll melt!"
Another change came to the monotonous battle.
Suddenly, Markant clicked his tongue and threw away his leather armor, tearing off his sleeves.
The leather sleeve, which had been thrown into the ground, was riddled with holes as if eaten by insects.
So this is the "Dissolve" skill. The clasps and other parts of the sleeves were still intact. It seems that metal takes longer or cannot be melted. If not, my iron sword would have been torn to shreds long ago.
Now that we know that the fluid is soluble, people are attacking more carefully.
Perhaps this is for the best. We're fighting better than we thought we would.
Perhaps the Tremble Cubes don't have much experience with weapons. Except for some experiences with subhumans, most monsters use their bodies as weapons. Against Tremble Cube, that would mean death. Most fights are not fights, they are one-sided predations. So, I guess this is the first time It's having this much trouble. A living creature, even in this form should be able to escape when it realizes its limits.
However, we can't let our guard down. As far as I could tell from its status, it had all the cards in its hand, but it was times like this when it was caught off-guard. Fortunately, except for me, they are all experienced adventurers. I don't need to advise, because they know that.
Even so, the next action that Tremble Cube took caught not only me but everyone off guard.
Suddenly, its tentacles returned, its whole body trembled, and then it jumped up.
The reason why everyone was taken aback was that the direction was right above us.
"Evade!"
Markant's command flew.
But there is nothing to avoid, the opponent just leaped straight up. What are we going to avoid?
Still, we moved to get some distance.
The giant cube soars high and simply falls back to its original location.
Pointless action.
We all thought so for a moment.
The mere leap caused an amazing disaster.
"Avoid–"
I heard someone's voice, but there was no time to check.
The trees were spewing smoke, the grass and flowers were losing their outline and crumbling.
White smoke curled up in all directions.
The impact of the fall had scattered bodily fluids from countless wounds.
The momentum of the spewing quickly diminished, but before I could catch my breath, a scream went up.
"Roland!"
Roland was cowering, holding his face.
His beloved shield had left his hand and was spewing smoke on the ground.
He was the only one heavily armed. The acid was being sprayed in all directions, and even his shield couldn't prevent it.
I don't know where it is sensing it, but tentacles are rushing towards Roland.
I activated my "Fast Movement" and swung my sword with all my speed to repel the tentacles.
"Someone get Roland!"
My words are cut off as my legs are pulled back.
A detached light blue tentacle tightens around my calf.
Is it still moving?
I inserted my sword between the armor and the tentacles, forcing it to swing free.
Why did it suddenly start moving? I'm sure it hadn't moved a muscle until just now.
This is not a coincidence. The Tremble Cube was looking for an opportunity to catch its prey. I underestimated it. A monster that the guild had warned me about was not going to be easy to defeat.
And intelligence includes education. Many wild animals are great hunters, and their intelligence is generally low. Being a good hunter has nothing to do with intelligence. It's up to the user, no matter how useful the "appraisal" is. What do you mean, "Stay alert"?
I kicked away the tentacles flailing at my feet.
My cheeks twitched as I looked up at the sound of someone calling my name.
Then, countless tentacles were covering all of my sides and a huge wall loomed into me.
An orc with no outline was pointing its black eye sockets at me.
Just as I realized my fate, the orc swayed as if urging me to do something.
What appeared from the shadows caught my attention.
A dark blue sphere.
Is that a nucleus?
I immediately unleashed my magic. It doesn't matter what it is. Anyway, the power to blow it up.
I activated the "Earth Bolt". I shot it over and over again.
The "Earth Bolts" that pierced the wall one after the other became like spears and flicked the nucleus out of his body.
However, the wall did not stop.
The tentacles spread out and squeezed to envelop me.
There was a presence behind me. Someone is rushing towards Roland.
If I avoided it, Roland and the others would be swallowed – or even if they were. They'll swallow me, and they'll attack behind me. I have to control this thing somehow.
All of my vision turns light blue, and my thoughts blur.
I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to do it.
Intense pressure and shock me from feet to my entire body.
My world was enveloped in darkness.
Slowly, my thoughts returned to normal.
I stifled a breath and looked around.
It's pitch black. I can't see a thing.
Am I dead again?
No? I'm alive, at least?
I was supposed to be swallowed by …….
No matter where I moved my body, it immediately collided with something. I moved my fingertips and searched carefully.
This feeling is earth. Is this – is this under the ground?
I heard the sound of something creaking and a human voice. I turn my head and see a light as short as a strand of hair. I put my face fearfully close to the gap and finally understood what was going on.
I'm inside the Tremble Cube.
A wall of earth separates me from the light blue world. Through it, I could see Markant's figure.
What the hell just happened?
I can feel my magic power through the wall of earth.
Is this the Earth Shield?
But I've never heard of one that covers your entire body. It's just magic that creates an earth shield. As I slid my hand down, I could see the bumps in places. It seems that several shields are overlapping each other. If I look under my feet the shields have been assimilated as if they grew out of the ground.
As I let my mind wander, someone moves behind the light blue.
Roland opened his big mouth and was about to jump in. Markant was desperately trying to restrain him.
If he can move that much, he's not seriously injured. As I was relieved, I saw Valerie out of the corner of my eye. She was desperately swinging her sword down. Arua Sero is covered with a water blade again. But it seems impossible for her to reach me.
When I turned my attention back to the scene, I saw that Markant was now trying to jump in, but Danil and Ose were holding him back. Why are they fighting over the order? What's that guy doing?
The sight of them naturally brought a smile to my face.
I can't go on like this forever. It's only a matter of time before those two idiot vanguards jump in.
I took a deep, thin, slow breath.
Perhaps now I'm in a stake sticking out of the earth. Either it knows the food is hidden there, or no large mass can pass through. Either way, I was able to hold off the assault of the Tremble Cube. And this thing can't dissolve dirt. At least not easily. Otherwise, it would not be able to move through the earth, and it would sink forever. What it is good at is the biological mass.
Still, it would not last long. The creaking sound is getting louder and louder. Is it the pressure, or is it simply digesting the organic matter in the soil? Whatever it is, the shield will collapse in a few minutes.
I stroked the surface of the pile.
Countless shields, huh? An impossible phenomenon under normal circumstances. But once it happens, I can imagine it.
I opened the status and chuckled.
I knew it. Then there's only one thing to do.
I fired an "Earth Bolt" over Valerie's head as she continued to swing her sword.
Valerie jumped back, surprised by the earthen arrow that suddenly came out of nowhere.
You get the idea.
Comparing the huge stake and the earth arrow, Valerie quickly moved away. Then she shouts to everyone. Roland and Marlant seemed to argue with her, but Valerie gave them a shove and they reluctantly moved away.
We're all set now.
Now, Tremble Cube.
If you're that hungry, I'll feed you my full magical power.
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