Shortly after Goliath finished changing, we moved away from the campfire and headed into the forest, walking under the thick canopy of the trees.
The cool air brushed against our bodies as we advanced side by side, accompanied only by the crunch of branches beneath our feet.
I cast a brief glance at Goliath. He seemed more subdued than usual; his shoulders were slumped and his gaze was lost among the undergrowth.
For an instant, I was about to say something. However, in the end I preferred to keep silent and continue walking beside him.
I didn't know what words might comfort him, much less whether he really wanted to hear them.
After several hours of walking, I spotted something in the distance among the trees. At first glance, it looked like a small cabin.
Goliath noticed it too and immediately let out a cry of relief.
"Master, there are houses around here!"
He was about to run toward them, but he stopped dead before taking more than a couple of steps. Then he turned toward me and looked me directly in the eyes.
"E-ehm... what should I do?"
In his gaze I could perceive a faint trace of doubt, as if the memories of his past had suddenly struck him again.
I sighed softly and offered a small smile.
"For now, it's better if we stay hidden. Come, follow me."
Without asking questions, Goliath nodded and followed me. We moved away from the houses until we reached an especially dark area, where the trees stood so close together that they barely let any light through.
Once there, I turned toward him.
"Goliath, would you let me see your status window? I'd like to be prepared in case something unexpected comes up."
The boy didn't hesitate or protest. He immediately began moving his hands in the air, as if manipulating something invisible. A few seconds later, a translucent window appeared in front of me.
[NAME: Goliath, the Titan of Gath]
[SPECIALTY: SSS - Paladin]
[STATS:
Strength: 22,000
Defense: 18,203
Magic: 20,423
Luck: 51]
[SKILLS:
SSS - Blessing against corruption.
SSS - Blessed sword.
SSS - Beloved by spirits.
SSS - Immunity to rocks.
B - Camouflage.
S - Damage transfer.]
My eyes flew wide open.
"What the hell...? How is it possible that your stats are so high?!"
A part of me wanted to start screaming at such an injustice.
I had spent centuries accumulating power, overcoming countless obstacles, and risking my neck over and over again! And, after all that time, I had barely managed to graze twenty thousand points in my stats.
And now I had in front of me a man with a delicate appearance who had come practically out of nowhere and who far surpassed every one of my stats?!
I brought a hand to my head and was about to tear my hair out in pure frustration.
"Master...?"
Goliath's sweet voice pulled me from my thoughts.
"I-is there something wrong with my stats?"
His big puppy eyes, on the verge of tears, met mine. I looked away immediately, unable to explain to him what I was really thinking.
I would have to swallow my pride, at least this once.
"Not at all. They're... extraordinary."
For an instant, Goliath stood motionless. Then a huge smile blossomed on his face.
His expression lit up with pride and, for a few brief seconds, he showed once again that arrogant, overflowing confidence with which I had first met him.
"Heh, heh! Of course they are! What did you expect from...?"
He placed both hands on his hips, puffed out his chest, and raised his chin with a confidence that bordered on the absurd.
"Goliath, the Titan of Gath!"
He capped off his presentation with a resounding laugh.
I let out a long sigh.
"I need to be more careful with my praise. It's too easy to inflate his ego..."
I observed him once more and slowly shook my head.
"Yes, yes. You're the best, Goliath. Now relax, understood?"
The boy sat back down with a radiant smile. Judging by his expression, if he'd had a tail, he would surely have been wagging it from side to side like an excited dog.
I decided to take advantage of his good mood to clear up a few doubts.
"There's something that makes me curious about your skills."
"Really?! Just tell me which one, Master, and I'll explain everything! Heh, heh!"
I brought a finger to my chin, mentally reviewing the list I had just seen.
"Let's start with the B-rank skill: Camouflage. What exactly can you do with it?"
Goliath rubbed his hands together enthusiastically, as if he had been waiting for that question for a long time.
"What can I do...?" he repeated, letting out a mysterious smile. "They say a word is worth more than a thousand images."
I nodded, believing I understood his intentions. However, I immediately tilted my head, confused.
"Wait... wasn't it the other way around?"
Before I could question his words further, Goliath stood up from among the leaves and extended both hands toward a nearby tree.
Instantly, the bark began to change before my eyes.
Its brown color gradually transformed into an orange tone, while the rough surface acquired a smooth texture, with small dimples distributed across its entirety.
Within seconds, the tree trunk seemed to have turned into a gigantic orange!
"Ta-da!"
Goliath pulled his hands away with a triumphant gesture, clearly proud of his demonstration.
I stood up and approached to examine the tree. I extended a finger and gently pressed the bark.
My finger sank slightly into that surface, as if I were touching the peel of a ripe fruit.
"You can change matter?" I asked, completely surprised.
Goliath began to fidget with his fingers, somewhat embarrassed by my interpretation.
"Heh, heh... Not exactly. All I do is alter the perception of others."
"Perception?"
Goliath nodded. Then he brought his knuckles to the trunk and gave it a small tap.
The dry sound of wood echoed through the forest, completely different from what an orange would have produced.
That was enough to understand what he meant.
"I see. So it's a kind of illusion?"
"Exactly!" he replied, nodding energetically.
However, his enthusiasm diminished immediately and he went back to fidgeting with his fingers, this time with a certain nervousness.
"Although... it's not very useful. I can barely change the colors and textures of things, so..."
"I think it's quite useful."
"Huh?"
Goliath raised his head with a start, looking at me in surprise.
I smiled and raised my thumb, pointing at myself.
"Didn't you say I look like a demon?"
Goliath's face turned red instantly. His lips began to tremble as he tried to find the right words.
"I-I'm sorry, Master! It was a mistake! I swear I'll never disrespect you again!"
Before I could respond, he knelt in front of me and adopted such an exaggeratedly submissive posture that it was hard to take him seriously.
"Yes, yes, whatever you say," I interrupted, making a gesture with my hand for him to stop acting. "The point is that my appearance is fairly humanoid, but the color and texture of my skin are a problem if I want to interact with other humans."
Goliath opened his mouth forming a small circle. Little by little, understanding lit up his eyes.
"Ah! My master wants me to change his appearance so he looks more human!"
I snapped my fingers.
"You catch on fast."
A proud smile appeared on his face and, without wasting a second, he approached me.
He placed a hand on my chest. His touch was warm and soft, and that sensation spread across my skin like a faint current.
A delicate light enveloped my body for a few moments. When it finally faded, I lowered my gaze to examine myself.
My skin had changed completely.
That grayish, unnatural tone had disappeared, replaced by a much lighter color resembling that of a human being.
I moved my hands in front of my face, turning them from side to side to check that the effect held. The illusion didn't seem to fade even when I examined my skin up close.
"What do you think, Master?"
I looked at my body one last time before nodding with satisfaction.
"It's perfect. Now I just need to find something more decent to cover myself with..."
I pointed to my improvised skirt of leaves, several of which had fallen off during our walk.
"That's not a problem," Goliath replied with overflowing joy.
I tilted my head slightly.
"Does he also have some skill for creating clothes?"
I was about to ask him when Goliath began to take off his torn shirt, revealing his bare torso, covered by smooth, delicate skin.
"What are you doing?" I asked, bewildered.
Goliath ignored my question and approached until he was kneeling in front of me. His face was level with my waist and, before I could react, I felt his warm breath brushing against my abdomen for a few seconds.
His hands wrapped around my waist and, with careful movements, he began to adjust the garment he had just removed.
I stood completely still, watching as his shirt replaced my rustic leaf outfit, covering the area of my groin much better.
When he finished, he pulled back slightly and contemplated his work with evident satisfaction.
"Done! Now there's nothing to worry about!"
He dusted off his hands with a triumphant air.
I moved my legs from side to side to check that the garment stayed in place. To my surprise, it fit quite well and didn't seem like it would come off easily.
Finally, I covered my face with one hand.
"Maybe it's better this way..."