After leaving that forsaken scene behind, Dan eventually stopped walking and began contemplating his next course of action.
Fight.
That was the only conclusion he could come to.
He needed to become stronger, and the most straightforward way to accomplish that was by killing monsters.
Fortunately, the young lad wasn’t a complete amateur when it came to combat. During his high school years, he had been part of a kendo club, and while he certainly wasn’t some kind of martial arts prodigy, the experience had at least taught him the basics of footwork, timing, and how to swing a weapon without breaking his own wrists. On top of that, he also had some experience with archery, which was how he had managed to kill the dying Monohorn by targeting its vital spot. Many years had passed since he had last practiced either archery or kendo, so it was something of a miracle that he had managed to make that shot despite being so rusty.
But who knows when next he would be that lucky?
He couldn’t afford to leave his fate to chance!
If that was the case, then he simply needed a weapon that allowed him to attack from a distance while still being versatile enough for close-quarters combat.
What kind of weapon would meet that requirement?
"Perhaps... a spear?’
A spear could be thrown and used to stab at close range. Its reach would also allow him to keep weaker monsters at a comfortable distance, while its relatively simple design meant he wouldn’t need to be an expert to use it.
But there was one problem.
Dan had just watched a spearman get his face melted by a Slime.
’...Maybe not.’
Upon recalling that dreadful truth, he quickly discarded the idea. The last thing he needed right now was another reminder of that incident.
In any case, Dan continued thinking about other possibilities.
A sword was simple and easy to use, but it was too short for what he needed. A shield was great for defense, but manifesting two objects at once was probably too much for him right now. He considered an axe too cumbersome and saw little reason to use a staff.
What was he, a wizard?
’Damn. There has to be something that I can use.’
He spent a few moments thinking, scratching his head as he searched through his memories.
Then, something suddenly clicked.
If he remembered correctly, there was indeed a weapon that possessed many of the characteristics of both a sword and a spear.
It was called a Naginata.
Dan vaguely recalled its history from something he’d read years ago. The exact origins of the weapon were somewhat unclear, but polearms with long shafts and curved blades had been used in Japan for centuries. The naginata gradually developed into a distinctive weapon, combining the reach of a spear with the cutting power of a sword.
It was particularly associated with warriors and, later, with the martial traditions of the samurai. Unlike a conventional spear, which primarily relied on thrusting attacks, the curved blade of a naginata made sweeping and slashing attacks considerably more effective.
’Yeah! That’s exactly what I need!’
A weapon with a long reach and sharp blade with the ability to thrust and slash. And, most importantly, it was still a single weapon.
He had never actually wielded one before, of course.
But considering his current circumstances, he wasn’t exactly in a position to be picky. If [Darkness] could create something based on his imagination, there was no reason not to give it a try.
Dan took a deep breath and focused his mind.
Black mist slowly gathered around him, twisting and condensing as he pictured the weapon in his head.
First, he imagined the long shaft then the curved blade and finally, the connection between the two. The darkness responded and flowed upward from the ground like a living tide, wrapping around his body before rapidly condensing into a single shape.
A moment later, a black naginata born from Shadows and Imaginary materialized in his hands.
’...Bingo.’
He had half expected the weapon to come out looking like a deformed stick with a knife attached to it.
Instead, it looked surprisingly refined. The shaft was long and slender, while the curved blade possessed a faint, almost ethereal brilliance somewhat. It wasn’t particularly heavy, either.
Dan experimentally swung the weapon, slicing through the air with simple movements.
’Not bad.’
Of course, he had no actual experience wielding a naginata. Whatever he remembered from reading about the weapon couldn’t magically turn him into a master.
Still, the basic motions weren’t particularly complicated.
Keep your distance, maintain control of the shaft and use the weapon’s reach just like you would with a spear.
Pretty simple.
As if responding to his thoughts, a faint rustling suddenly came from the nearby bushes. Before the little critter could take another step, it was immediately stabbed to death.
[You have slain a Level 1 Fanged Hare.]
’...Huh? Just Level 1?’
Blinking a few times, Dan withdrew the naginata and stared at the small corpse lying in the grass.
It was a rabbit.
Or, at least, it had looked like one. Two sharp fangs protruded from its mouth, while its otherwise harmless-looking body was covered in short brown fur and resembled a normal animal.
’Fanged Hare, huh?’
Compared to the monsters he had encountered earlier, it was almost laughably small. Yet the Interface had still classified it as a monster.
And, more importantly...
[EXP acquired.]
[You have gained 5 EXP.]
Dan wasn’t exactly disappointed by the message.
After all, free EXP was still free EXP.
But now that he had actually earned some, another question naturally came to mind.
Exactly how much EXP did he need to advance to the next level?
Curious, he checked the Interface.
[EXP: 58/300]
He remembered skipping Level 2 and advancing straight to Level 3 after killing the Horned Wolf, which meant he had already accumulated enough EXP to cross the first two thresholds.
’So the EXP requirement increases with every level.’
This was a concept he had already experienced in games.
The stronger he became, the more EXP he would presumably need to advance further. But there was something else that bothered him.
Five EXP wasn’t exactly impressive. If every Level 1 monster gave roughly the same amount, he’d need to kill forty-eight more just to fill his current EXP bar, which was alot of rabbits.
Could he really hunt that many?
Needless to say, that would be incredibly inefficient.
Besides, there was no guarantee that every Level 1 monster would give exactly five EXP. The amount could vary depending on the creature, his level, or perhaps even how difficult it was to kill.
There was simply too much he didn’t know yet.
’I need a bigger target.’
If he wanted to level up efficiently, he couldn’t spend all day hunting Fanged Hares.
But what should he hunt next?
Jackals or Slimes?
Just because a group of people had been able to handle Jackals didn’t mean he would be able to do the same. He was alone, after all, and he had no way of checking their levels or knowing exactly how strong they were.
Yet Slimes were the more devious foes. They appeared innocent and harmless on the surface, but would happily melt a person’s face off the moment they let their guard down.
’Definitely not Slimes.’
Dan was a bit traumatized which left the Jackals. At least he understood how they fought.
They were fast, aggressive, and relied primarily on their physical might. Moreover, they had the same weakness as normal living beings born of fresh and bone. Stab them in their vital spots and they would go down.
It shouldn’t be too hard, right?