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 86: Weapons and Combat Practice

Episode 86: Weapons and Combat Practice

The night passed after the battle with “Sea of Flames.”  

As Fisu ate her Mana Fruit breakfast, I spoke to her.

“Starting from today, we’ll be focusing on training, but there’s a problem.”

“Problem?”

“We need to figure out what to do about water and food.”

Although we still had plenty of Mana Fruits left, it wouldn’t be ideal to have her only eating fruit forever.

“You don’t need to worry about that. Thanks to my [Unwithering Body], I don’t need food or water for short periods.”

“That’s the trait you mentioned yesterday, right? Still, food’s important. Especially if you want to get stronger, you’ll need to consume plenty of |Mana| and nutrients.”

I wasn’t sure how quickly the |Mana| and nutrients would take effect, but with many battles ahead, it would be better to eat properly to avoid any issues.

“That may be true, but we won’t find any human food in the mines…”

“Not sure about the water, but how about Gargoyles for food?”

“Now that you mention it, I’ve seen Gargoyle meat sold occasionally. Beneath their stone skin, they’re made of flesh, right? But what about fire?”

“No problem there either. I’ve got this, [Replicant Form].”

The weapon I mimicked was a whip, glowing a brilliant red, radiating intense heat like a mirage.

“Could that be…”

“Yeah. It’s a weapon I made from the tail of the ‘Sea of Flames’.”

I had crafted it last night while Fisu slept.

“So that’s why the corpse was gone when I woke up…”

“Exactly. I used the parts that could be made into weapons and stored them with my [Skills].”

To be precise, I only kept the parts usable for weapons. The rest I dissolved with [Decomposition Liquid] and ate.  

The red lizard’s body remained scalding hot like lava, making it inedible for most creatures. But I could manage by relying on my |Toughness| as usual.

“With that weapon, the problem is solved.”

“Exactly. Now, let’s think about what weapon would suit you best. What do you prefer?”

“I don’t want to be picky. I’ll do my best with whatever weapon you give me.”

“No need to be modest. It’ll be faster for you to get stronger if you use a weapon you’re comfortable with, and that will shorten your training period too, right?”

“That’s true… but I’ve never used a weapon before.”

“Wait… but you’re <Level 8>, aren’t you?”

I’d learned about Fisu’s <Level> yesterday during our exploration of the Ant nest.  

It was common knowledge among miners in this world to raise their level to increase stamina.

“I just used a pickaxe to beat them down. Sorry if that’s not very helpful.”

“Not at all! Now I know you’re skilled with handling a pickaxe. Let’s start by trying weapons with a longer reach.”

I suggested, pulling out a naginata twice the height of a person.  

When I made the queen ant weapons, I had some extra material from the legs. So I kept it as a spare.

“What is that…? I can sense intense |Mana| from it.”

“It’s part of a magical beast I fought a while ago. I’ll turn it into a weapon now. [Intensified Warfare]!”

First, I broke off the tip to make it a manageable length for a young girl.  

Then I reshaped it into a warhammer with pointed ends, similar to a pickaxe.

“This should do for now. Try swinging it.”

We tested various weapons, assessing their compatibility. And finally, we settled on this one.

“──Haah!”

A moment after the sound of air being sliced, the crash of destruction echoed.  

Before Fisu stood a rock wall, now bearing a one-meter gash from her swing.

“Hmm, this axe is easy to wield.”

“That’s great to hear.”

Fisu rested the weapon on her shoulder with a satisfied expression.  

It was a double-edged axe.

The long handle was topped with a large, dull-colored blade, and the grip was wrapped in a special high-friction leather for better handling.

“The armor’s easy to move in too.”

Clang, clang, clang—each step Fisu took made a high-pitched sound.  

She was now fully clad in metal armor, covering her from head to toe.

The materials for the armor were mostly gathered from this mine. But despite that, it wasn’t too heavy.  

I had adjusted the structure, weight distribution, and combination of materials to ensure not only durability but also ease of movement, comfort, and ventilation.  

The size adjustments were spot on too.

“Next up is real combat.”

“Yeah. If anything happens, I’ll count on your support.”

“Leave it to me.”

With Fisu on top, I set the chains into motion and started running.  

Our destination was to the southwest, towards the Twilight Zone.

It seemed like there were plenty of Gargoyles there, making it the perfect place to gather food.

“(And there’s also the Sovereign Beast.)”

The Twilight Zone was home to a ‘Sovereign Beast’ Gargoyle, “Earth Splitter.”  

One of our goals in going to the Twilight Zone was to take this thing down.  

As I planned our next steps, we spotted three small Gargoyles walking along the mountain path.

Judging by their size, they were likely Lesser Beasts.

“Think you can handle them?”

“Don’t worry, [Physical Keen].”

As soon as we landed in front of the Gargoyles, Fisu jumped off me.  

The Gargoyles seemed slightly intimidated by me behind her. But once they realized there was no sign of |Mana|—thanks to my [Concealment] hiding it—they summoned floating stone projectiles and took a battle stance.

“I’m going in.”

Fisu dashed up the steep path, barely wide enough for a car to pass.  

The tips of the floating stones aimed at her and were fired all at once.

“(Honestly, the most powerful weapon in situations like this is a bow and arrow.)”

That was the ideal scenario running through my mind.  

If she had used a bow and explosive arrows, she could have wiped out the Gargoyles before they could unleash their barrage.  

However, using a bow requires skill, and that’s not something you can master overnight.

I can use them because of [Skills] like [Sniping]. But normally, learning a [Skill] like that would take years of training.

Either way, time isn’t on our side.

“(Now, how will she handle this?)”

I focused on Fisu as she was targeted by multiple stone projectiles.

With her armor, she should be fine. But if things looked bad, I’d have to step in.

“[Physical Boost].”

But my concern was unnecessary. Fisu leaped to the side, easily dodging the attack.  

She then sprinted along the mountainside, closing the distance. And when the Gargoyles were readying their next volley of stones, she jumped diagonally forward.  

In an instant, she was face-to-face with them.

“Haah!”

With a cute shout, she unleashed a powerful strike.  

Her blow not only sliced the stomach of the Gargoyle in the center but also took down the one next to it.  

The last Gargoyle stepped back, launching another stone. But Fisu blocked it with the shaft and blade of her axe.  

Quickly closing the gap, she split the final Gargoyle in half with a single swing of her axe.

As blue bl00d sprayed into the air, the white-haired girl turned back to me.

“How was that?”

“…Wow, <Level 8> is really strong…”

I answered, slightly taken aback by the unexpectedly overwhelming display of power.