Chapter 69: Gold Digger (2)
The moment his tail drew a wave, I also charged.
「Using Leap of Heart-eating lv2.」
My speed seemed surprising even to the chimpanzee.
He took a stance to confront me.
Then he saw Father's tail flying towards him.
"Kugh!"
He couldn't ignore that.
He must have decided to strike down the huge tail first, swinging his fist.
Jjeoeoeoeng!
A shockwave erupted.
The chimpanzee endured once again.
In that interval, I approached.
I didn't indulge in the desire to eat his heart or stab him with my Venomous Fang.
It didn't seem possible.
I summoned a sword in mid-air and swung it.
This body even has a Swordsmanship skill.
I added a Slash skill to that.
Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique, Second Form.
Heart Splitting.
As expected, the guy was incredible.
He quickly extended his raw, red hand.
Kwak!
He caught my sword with his palm.
The blade only managed to dig into his palm.
It must be incredibly painful, what a tough guy.
"Kekek."
Let's see how long you can keep laughing.
The Heavenly Thunder Sword Technique is originally completed by containing lightning.
「Leaping Horn lv2 surpasses the limit of 'Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0'.」
「'Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv0' temporarily becomes 'Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1'.」
「Using Heavenly Thunder Spirit lv1.」
And lightning struck.
Again, on me.
Jjeojeojeojeng!
The lightning flowing through my body spreads to the sword.
And it's driven into the monkey's palm.
The lightning traveled along the sticky blood and blood vessels, electrocuting his body.
"Kaaaark!"
This persistent guy.
He won't let go of the sword.
Or maybe he can't let go.
The Elven Broadsword that the guy is gripping tightly.
My beloved sword finally couldn't withstand that force.
Kwachang!
The sword shattered into pieces.
The scattered fragments cut me as well.
"You sna..."
At least his body seems tougher than Deshnan's.
The monkey glared at us while emitting white steam from his body.
And then.
"Keeek!"
Whoosh, he disappeared.
"As expected, that guy must have eaten it too."
The Root Fruit of Emergency Mobilization.
I had guessed that monkey might have eaten it too.
I judged based on the fact that he came alone to scout without bringing his group.
'I knew it.'
My whole body was aching.
I quickly took out a potion and soaked my body.
That guy won't have potions, so he'll probably suffer quite a bit.
It would have been good if we could have killed him outright this time.
I gave Father a mana potion as well.
"Now that the sword is broken, I guess I won't hear any more of that swordsman talk."
Pelerian spoke as if relieved, but I felt a bit depressed instead.
'My sword...'
That monkey shattered my sword.
I had used it well for quite a while, but it's sad.
It's not easy to find a sword that light and sharp.
"Kekeke, forget it! Magic suits you better. What can you do without hands?"
But despite Pelerian's joy...
「Achieved the achievement 'Sword Wielded Until Broken'.」
Huh.
Huh?
"What? What's wrong?"
'No, a new achievement...'
Let's check it out.
──────────────
[Sword Wielded Until Broken]
You fought valiantly until your sword broke.
The efficiency of sword skill proficiency increases.
──────────────
It wasn't that great of an achievement, but.
The heavens were speaking.
Telling me not to abandon the path of the sword.
"Oh, for crying out loud."
==
Hero.
Taxidermist, Heilit Langrey.
She finally entered the Shadow Forest area.
Even in this dangerous magic realm, Heilit could walk leisurely.
Weak monsters wouldn't be a threat to her, and she had ways to hide from those that could be threatening.
She walked along the boundary of the magic realm with her long, black-shining legs in leather pants.
"Seems like I really can't get inside."
Fruit season, Purple Banquet, Festival.
It started after Heilit entered the Shadow Forest.
Something like a round dome was enveloping a radius of tens of kilometers.
A semi-transparent wall was blocking both exit and entry.
Tung tung!
When she took out her dagger and tapped it with the pommel, the elasticity was extraordinary.
She thought that even if she fired some grand magic, it probably wouldn't break.
"Kids, what's so delicious in there that you're all peering in?"
She was looking from inside the dome to the outside.
Beyond the transparent wall, monsters were lurking.
Creatures drooling and glaring at Heilit.
Some were gnawing at the wall, some were banging their heads against it.
"You're the lucky ones that the wall is there."
That was probably true.
There were quite formidable monsters outside.
However, to Heilit's eyes, they were merely prey.
She had walked about 3km along the boundary by now.
After her walk, she was convinced.
"It really seems like it's going to happen."
A monster wave.
Throughout her walk, she saw monsters gathering.
When monsters gather in one place like this in such numbers, a monster wave occurs.
She didn't know exactly what process takes place, not being a mage from a magic tower, but when a certain number of monsters gather, they move like a giant colony.
To the outside.
Like a wave, they surge towards the center of the continent where humans live, away from the magic realm.
However, this isn't a threat to Heilit Langrey who is actually here.
She now started heading towards the center of the Shadow Forest.
To find prey.
To find materials to make a new jacket.
And to kill the Shadow Elf Deshnan, cut off his ears, and collect the bounty.
Her steps were light.
Thanks to her exceptional skills, Heilit could move quietly.
Though not at the level of magic, she could deceive ordinary monsters.
If she maintained a bit of distance, she could approach and observe, assuming they didn't attack.
Finally, her first marked prey was a silver monkey.
'Oh my, not bad.'
It was a shimmering silver chimpanzee.
It looks quite strong.
But what Heilit intended to do wasn't fighting, but hunting.
If she could exploit an opening and set a trap, it would be quite huntable.
'I didn't plan on making fur clothes.'
But it would be a shame to just discard that silver fur.
For now, she jotted it down in her mental notebook.
The next thing she found was a giant insect, Riokku.
'This one's out.'
She had no intention of hunting Riokku.
Not because it looked strong, but because it was useless.
What good would it do to catch a giant insect living half-submerged in a swamp?
It was too far from Heilit Langrey's taste.
Above all, it couldn't be made into clothes.
Unless it was used as construction material.
So, pass.
In the meantime, she found traces of Deshnan.
There was a house on top of a cliff.
She climbed the cliff straight up.
Climbing rocks wasn't a difficult task for her.
Who would have thought she'd encounter a giant snake there.
"...Ah."
She let out such a sound without realizing.
She almost got caught.
Heilit's heart was beating wildly.
'Wh-what is that.'
Compared to any monster she had seen, this was the most beautiful and enormous snake.
It felt as if her heart had been stolen.
In a sense, this could be called her first love.
And her fondness for monsters usually flowed in one direction.
'And it's big, with that size I wouldn't have to worry about clothes for a lifetime.'
Starlight leather jacket.
Starlight wallet.
Starlight pants.
Starlight coat.
Her mind was filled with desire.
While her cheekbones were shooting up to the sky, even the silver chimpanzee appeared.
'What a windfall!'
She might be able to add silver fur to a starlight leather coat right here.
She watched the fight with excitement.
That's when she noticed the small snake behind the big and cool snake.
'What's that...?'
Heilit's expression changed moment by moment.
The big snake calming down the small snake jumping around angrily.
The small snake climbing onto the big snake's back, then the big snake shooting a beam.
The monkey deflecting it.
The small snake recklessly jumping out.
Swinging a sword that appeared from somewhere.
Flash.
Lightning struck.
The small snake defeated the chimpanzee.
The small snake looking proud with a cocky posture.
'Ah...'
The afterimage of the lightning and the small snake still lingered in Heilit's eyes as she watched secretly.
5 minutes after discovering her first love.
Heilit Langrey.
Encounters her second love.