Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 4: The Wolves

Episode 4: The Wolves

“(Alright, Newton is the strongest!)”

I did a little dance in front of the wolf’s corpse. Although it was a series of coincidences, I was thrilled to have defeated a stronger opponent.

“(Oh, is this… a level-up!?)”

As I was thinking that, I felt a surge of power throughout my body. I immediately checked my |Status|.

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Soul Accumulation Level: 7 (UP)

Stats:  

Life: 17/17 

Mana: 4/4  

Power: 4  

Toughness: 212  

Resist: 10  

Speed: 4

Skills: 

[Escape] (NEW) [Climbing] (NEW)

[Provocation] (NEW) [Crushing] (NEW)

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Wow, it’s the first time my <Level> has gone up! And I’ve also gained a lot of new [Skills]! Let’s check each one.

First, the |Stats|. They were already quite specialized, but the increases are skewed. 

What’s with this |Toughness: 212|? I remember it was just over 150 when I was at <Level 1>. That’s a 60-point increase. 

On the other hand, the other stats are not improving much. Normally, a slime should have |Power| and |Speed| around 10, but mine are only 4. The |Resist| stat, which makes it harder to be affected by status conditions, is a bit higher than usual.

Next, looking at the [Skills]. There are quite a lot of them. 

Seriously, why so many? If I could acquire skills this easily, I should have been a skill master a long time ago. Plus, my <Level> jumped six levels all at once. 

Even if the wolf was a higher-level opponent, that shouldn’t make leveling up so easy. The slimes back in my hometown were mostly around <Level 5>, with only a few, like Sla-ta, reaching higher levels.

“(Hmm…? Could this be because of the [Unique Skill]?)”

The only difference between me and the other slimes, or rather between my past self and now, is that I acquired a [Unique Skill].

I remember it was something like maximizing harvests. It might have increased the amount of experience or proficiency needed for leveling up or acquiring skills…?

…Well, that mystery can wait.

Next, let’s look at the details of the Skills.

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Skill Details

[Escape]

• • Increases speed during escape.

[Climbing]

• • Increases agility when climbing.

[Provocation] 

• • Increases the target’s hostility toward the skill user.

[Crushing] 

• • Increases power of direct attacks using body weight.

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I concentrated on each effect. The exceptional performance in the recent battle seems to be thanks to the new [Skills]. 

[Crushing] was apparently recognized as a [Skill] when I fell at the end of the battle… Yup, just as planned.

Each [Skill] seems useful. [Escape] and [Climbing] are self-explanatory, while [Crushing] looks promising as a powerful attack method.

[Provocation] could be useful if allies are targeted, but…

“(—Wait, I don’t have any allies, do I…?)”

…In cases like this, where preparing for an attack takes time, [Provocation] can be used to keep the opponent in place.

[Crushing] is likely to become my main weapon, so it will be very useful. Moreover, anger disrupts rational thinking. The wolf chose to bite down rather than dodge because it was enraged and couldn’t make a calm judgment.

So, acquiring [Provocation] was fortunate.

“(Alright, this should be enough for now.)”

I stopped my thoughts and refocused on the wolf in front of me. I needed to quickly take advantage of this before other monsters came to steal it.

“(—Wait a minute.)”

At that moment, a clever idea flashed in my mind. Slimes might not have brains, but it felt like that. If things go well, I might be able to get another meal for tonight with little effort.

To execute this plan, I used [Climbing] to ascend the tree.

“Grrrr…”

Perhaps lured by the scent of death, a pack of wolves arrived. They rushed over at a quick pace upon finding the body of their fallen kin. Were they worried about their companion, or were they seeking to secure food quickly? Either way, it didn’t matter to me!

“Sla-slaa!”

“Kyauhn!?”

—Snap.

The wolf that was hit by the falling attack let out a pitiful cry and collapsed. Since I struck it right on the top of its head, it was an instant kill. My <Level> immediately rose.

“Alright, it worked perfectly!”

The plan to attract other monsters with the wolf’s corpse was a great success!

“Sla-slaa!”

Even as I rejoiced, I quickly climbed the tree. There were still three more wolves. They seemed confused by the sudden turn of events. But if I stayed exposed, they’d quickly attack me.

Standing on a branch, I used [Provocation]! 

I kept the wolves pinned in place.

“”“Grrrrr!”””

The wolves, unable to climb the tree, only growled at the base. 

Perfect, it worked flawlessly. Just to be safe, I used Provocation a couple more times and prepared to jump down.

“([Crushing]!)”

The wolf tried to meet my descent with a bite, but it couldn’t break through my |Toughness|. This one met the same fate as the first.

Ha! Wolves are no match for me! I’ll use [Crushing] twice more and wipe them all out!

I started climbing the tree again, but—wait, I’m being attacked! I can’t climb!

Stop it, stop it! Don’t bite or scratch me!

“Gyaaah!”

―――Non-Notification Information Recording Zone―――――――――――――――――――――

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>> Fuwa Katsu {Rough Stone Slime} has increased its Soul Accumulation Level to 11.

>> {Evolution} is now possible.

>> Gaul {Wild Wolf} has activated [Clawing].

>> Fuwa Katsu {Rough Stone Slime} has lost 0 |Life|.

>> Acquired [Skill: Block].

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