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 81: The Four Zones

Episode 81: The Four Zones

“(Alright, here we go)”

The shallow layers of the Ant nest are quite narrow for me to pass through. I make my body as slim as possible and wriggle forward.

“Are you not going to dispel that magic?”

Fisu, walking behind me, asked.

“Well, uh, it’s better to keep it active since it consumes |Mana| every time I switch it on and off…”

I quickly came up with that excuse. It seemed she wasn’t very interested in the reason, and she easily accepted it.

“…Ah, it looks like we might find some good magical minerals here.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The |Mana| is a bit denser.”

Focusing on what she pointed out, I could indeed sense a slightly higher concentration of |Mana|.

“Nice find.”

“I’ve been a miner since I was a child, so finding this much is natural.”

“Experience must make a difference, huh?”

Since I only started focusing on |Mana| sensing after training with Paula, I’m still quite inexperienced.

“…But, you were a child yourself, Fisu, right?”

“Sorry. I’m already sixteen. I’m an adult now.”

“Wait, you’ve been working in mines since you were younger than sixteen?”

“…Yes. My parents died when I was eight, and I’ve been a miner ever since.”

…I might have pried too much.

“…..”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind my circumstances. Thanks to my Attribute, mining isn’t a hardship, and I’m not struggling to live. So you don’t have to worry about it either.”

“…Sorry. By the way, what’s your Attribute?”

I asked to change the subject.

“My Attribute is Body Attribute, specifically in the Second Class. It’s a unique Attribute that governs the body, allowing me to enhance physical functions and use related magic.”

That’s why she’s good at physical labor, she demonstrated by mimicking swinging a pickaxe. She mentioned that she had discarded it during our escape and doesn’t have it now.

Skipping over the area with dense |Mana| we had just found, we continued through the nest.

We reached a crossroads.

“—It seems like there are magical beasts on this path. I can hear footsteps.”

“Is that also due to your Attribute?”

“Yes, I have better hearing than most people.”

Fisu said this and began to head down the eastern path, but I stopped her.

“The city is to the northwest, right? We should head west. Also, it would be reassuring to confirm my combat capabilities for future safety.”

“…That makes sense. It’s probably just a Lesser Beast anyway, so let’s head west.”

As we climbed a gentle slope, three Steel Ants appeared.

Seeing us, they immediately took a combat stance, but I approached and attacked them before they could react.

I sharpened my body like a spear and struck three times, quickly eliminating them.

“No way…”

“Well, that’s about it.”

“You really are strong.”

Fisu, who had approached, expressed her surprise. It seems she’s starting to trust my abilities.

Thus, we continued advancing through the Steel Ants’ nest.

—

“How did this happen…”

After re-entering the Ant nest, some time had passed. Fisu and I stood dazed on the surface.

“It’s hot…”

Yes, it’s hot. It was hotter here than where we were before entering the Ant nest. Even though it should be a chilly time of day, it felt like the middle of noon.

“Is that a volcano…?”

White smoke was rising from the mountains opposite us.

Against the backdrop of the evening darkness, white streaks of smoke rose like an industrial area.

The reason we ended up in such a place is very complex and can’t be easily summarized. However, if I had to be extremely succinct, it would be that we were “lost.”

“I messed up… The Ant nest is different from the tunnels; its structure is warped and the paths are winding, so relying solely on [Sense of Direction] to reach the destination was impossible… And to top it off, we ended up on the border with the Scorching Zone…”

“Scorching Zone?”

“Don’t you know about Zones?”

“I really came here with just the clothes on my back, so I’m sorry. If you don’t mind, could you give me a brief lecture, senior?”

“Entering a mountain without gathering information is reckless.”

Though Fisu gave me a look of exasperation, it didn’t seem like she was doubting me. It might have been good that I explained it as ‘getting lost while testing the waters’ when asked why I was at the collapse site.

Anyway, since she started explaining, I listened attentively.

“First, this Goronomea Mountain Range is divided into four Zones.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Among them, the safest is the General Zone. Ordinary people mine here. Magical beasts do appear, but if they’re as strong as Katsu, they don’t need to worry.”

It seems to be a low-risk, low-reward area.

“To the south of the General Zone… in the center of this mountain range is the Twilight Zone. It has particularly dense |Mana| and is good for obtaining rare magical minerals, but it’s also the most dangerous zone, filled with Grand Beasts. If you enter, you should hire a guard adventurer.”

The Twilight Zone was likely the place I was in before falling into the ant nest. It seemed to have |Mana| similar to the Grand Beast Region.

“And the Scorching Zone is to the east of the Twilight Zone… specifically, the northeast? It seems to overlap with the General Zone. This is probably the intersection of three Zones.”

I see. Indeed, the |Mana| here is less dense than in the Twilight Zone, though it’s still about the density of the Greater Beast Region.

“But that doesn’t mean the Scorching Zone is safer than the Twilight Zone. One reason is the volcano with flowing lava. Also, the deepest part has Sovereign Beasts, so venturing too deep is strictly prohibited.”

“Sovereign Beasts are there!?”

I asked in surprise. One of the reasons for coming to this mountain range was to defeat Sovereign Beasts. I wanted to know if there was any information.

“Yes. The Scorching Zone is said to have a Sovereign Beast called ‘Sea of Flames’…”

“Do you know its abilities or appearance?”

“It’s a salamander that controls lava and is said to be the strongest Sovereign Beast in the mines, but beyond that… You won’t encounter it if you stay in the General Zone. Also, if you do meet it, even with information, you’ll likely die.”

She said this bluntly. It seems that even for adventurers, that’s the case. Just hearing that it’s the strongest is sufficient.

“Then what about other Sovereign Beasts? Do you know where they are?”

“The last zone, the Colossus Zone, has a ‘Sovereign Beast’ Golem. I’ve heard it’s been alive since the discovery of this mine.”

“Where is that Zone?”

“To the south of the Goronomea Mountain Range. Further south from the Twilight Zone, where the |Mana| becomes thinner.”

“…Huh? How does that work? There are Sovereign Beast but the |Mana| is thin?”

Usually, magical beasts move to areas with denser |Mana| as they grow stronger.

“I don’t know the reason. It’s just been there since ancient times. There are incredibly strong Golems in the western part of the Colossus Zone, so no cities have been built there. Also, strong magical minerals don’t seem to be found there. There were once plans to build a mining city there. But it was decided to concentrate functions in the mining city Minefa where I live, due to distribution and geographical reasons.”

“The remaining two are both in the Twilight Zone. There’s a Sovereign Beast Gargoyle called ‘The Earth Splitter’ at the mountaintop, and a Sovereign Beast Steel Ant called ‘The Steel Fortress’ underground.”

“Hmm…”

The ‘Sovereign Beast’ Steel Ant is probably the Queen Ant I defeated. There is also a ‘Sovereign Beast’ Gargoyle.

After sending Fisu back, I’m thinking of hunting either “Earth Splitter” or “Sea of Flames”.

“Thanks for all the information. Let’s head out soon.”

“If we go in now, we’ll just get lost again. It’s already late, so we should sleep tonight.”

“No, we won’t go through the Ant nest this time. We’ll cross the mountain range. As long as we follow [Sense of Direction], we should be able to manage. During the move, Fisu, you can sleep; I’ll carry you to the city.”

“I’m afraid of being carried while I’m asleep. I’d prefer to do it tomorrow.”

“…That makes sense.”

Even though I wouldn’t get hurt if attacked while asleep, that’s not the case for most people. It would be unsettling to think about the possibility of stray attacks.

I need to make sure I don’t forget human sensations even though I’ve been living as a Jewel Slime for a long time.

“Then let’s go to sleep soon.”

“Hmm? Aren’t you going to have dinner?”

“I have the Body Attribute, so I can manage without food or drink for a while. I can’t prepare anything in a place like this…”

“Nope, actually, I have a little bit.”

I said, taking out a Mana Fruit skewered on a stick from the [Weapon Storage]. 

According to the [Skill]’s judgment, it’s a hammer with a wooden handle and a Mana Fruit head. I had brought a few from the forest of my hometown to avoid |Mana| shortages, but they became unnecessary once I got Mana Crystals. I never expected such a use.

“The Azure Orb Attribute, right? It’s a very useful ability.”

“It is. But I think Fisu’s Attribute is also strong.”

The Azure Orb Attribute is a fake name I made up. I label the various [Skills] I use as azure magic.

After that, the white-haired girl ate a few Mana Fruits and went to sleep.

—The incident occurred late at night.