Gathering medicinal herbs went smoothly.
In the village, I’d collected herbs and edible wild plants in the nearby forest, so I understood how to move through the woods to some extent.
The main difference was that I now wore proper equipment. In the village, I’d only carried an old, heavily used knife. Whenever a monster found me, my only choice had been to flee as fast as possible.
“Phew. That’s all the herbs required for the request.”
The job asked for ten medicinal herbs of any kind and paid ten copper coins. It was one of the guild’s standing requests.
As the name implied, standing requests continuously sought adventurers willing to perform certain jobs. Others involved slaying low-level monsters.
“Now it’s time to test my skill.”
I’d been thinking about [Fixed EXP] ever since receiving it.
Levels existed in this world, both for people and for skills, and they relied on something called experience points.
A person raised his level by defeating living beings and gaining experience. Humans generally killed monsters to earn that experience and level up.
“I remember someone telling me that ‘living beings’ can include one’s own kind.”
I’d once asked a traveler who visited the village about levels. Most people raised theirs by defeating monsters, but “most” meant some gained levels by killing fellow humans.
Hunting down vicious people such as bandits was another adventurer’s duty. Depending on the target, someone who defeated a famous outlaw with a bounty might even receive praise from the kingdom.
I had no desire to fight enemies that powerful, however, so that had nothing to do with me.
“For now, I want to find one separated from its group.”
I moved through the forest while watching my surroundings.
I’d already seen several monsters: goblins, slimes, and horned rabbits. They were all low-level, but even a small group might overwhelm me. If I somehow won, fighting several in succession would leave me vulnerable to another monster afterward.
I wanted my first opponent to be alone.
“…There. And it’s a slime.”
I wasn’t targeting humanoid goblins or the swift horned rabbits. From the beginning, I’d wanted a slime—the slowest low-level monster, with an obvious weakness.
Destroying the core visible inside a slime killed it. The slimes in this forest were normal slimes, the lowest-ranked variety. Higher-ranked slimes could be ferocious, so not every slime was weak.
“Carefully. It hasn’t noticed me…”
I crouched and crept closer, circling behind the slime under cover of the plants. It remained unaware of me, absorbed in basking in the sun.
“Hah!”
“—!”
The moment I thought the slime had noticed me, I charged and swung my one-handed sword down at it.
A normal slime’s body wasn’t hard. It had no skin capable of stopping a sharp blade, and my sword descended in a straight line toward its core.
When the core shattered, the slime died. Its body lost its form and collapsed on the ground.
Slime fluid could be used in medicines and other products. I filled a bottle with it and collected the broken core as well.
“Phew… I was nervous, but it went well.”
After my first battle, I gathered the materials and left the area. I found a safe place to sit and catch my breath.
I’d encountered monsters several times before, but I’d never killed one. My heart was still pounding from the experience.
“Right. Has my Status changed?”
I summoned my Status. At the same time, a second panel appeared with different text.
◇
A monster has been defeated.
1 EXP acquired.
EXP until next level: 1/100.
◇
“…Is this the effect of [Fixed EXP]?”
I’d never heard of a skill that displayed a separate panel like this.
After reading it, I checked my Status.
“Nothing else has changed…”
Even so, I’d learned something new about my ability.
I continued hunting isolated monsters until the evening bell rang.
“Welcome back. Your equipment became quite dirty.”
Several hours later, I returned to the capital. After the first slime, I’d killed eighteen more, all of them separated from their groups. I hadn’t fought any other type of monster.
Slime extermination was another standing request. Ten sets of slime materials earned five copper coins, so Reina processed both the herb request and the additional slime materials.
“My, you’re properly equipped now. You didn’t purchase all that from Harold, did you?” Amanda asked when I returned to the inn.
“I rented it. He probably agreed because you introduced me. Thank you for recommending such a good shop.”
“You’re welcome. Dinner is ready. Would you like to eat?”
“Yes! I’m starving!”
I hurried to the dining hall and ate dinner.
Before bathing, I maintained my equipment. I hadn’t fought anything that bled, so there was no blood on it, but soil and plants had made it dirty. I carefully cleaned everything before entering the bath.
“…A bath after a full day’s work is the best.”
I soaked up to my shoulders and massaged my arms and legs.
Afterward, I returned to my room. The moment I lay on the bed, exhaustion pulled me into sleep.
We don’t use ads!
If you enjoyed our translation, please consider buying us a cup…
Thanks!!!
Become a Patron!
We don’t use ads!
If you enjoyed our translation, please consider buying us a cup…
Thanks!!!
Become a Patron!