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 87: Gargoyle Meat

Episode 87: Gargoyle Meat

『Slaaah! (Scary!)』  

『Slaa-suu, Sla-lass! (I’ll be killed, I’ll be eaten!)』  

『Sla, Su-laaas-slaa-ra! (Hey, get it together, newbies!)』  

『Su-su-sla-ra, Sla-raa-sla-ssu-ra (Well, well, Sla-ta, we were like that at first too.)』

These are memories from the days when I was among a Slime horde.  

Slimes just starting to go out for hunts were always terrified of their first real battle.  

That’s why it was surprising that Fisu fought so skillfully.  

Perhaps she sensed my thoughts, as Fisu responded with a displeased look.

“I’m <Level 8>. I’ve fought magical beasts before.”

“Y-yeah, that’s right…”  

I had become numb to things ever since I got my [Unique Skill]. Normally, you wouldn’t reach <Level 8> without having undergone a fair share of battles.  

It makes sense that she’d have considerable combat experience.

“(Still, her moves earlier were far beyond normal.)”

Fisu had predicted the timing between aiming and firing the stone projectiles after just seeing it once. She leaped right before they were fired. And upon landing, she cleaved two beasts with her axe.  

She calmly blocked the remaining beast’s stones and took advantage of the opening to finish it off.  

Even with magic enhancing her physical abilities, only elite warriors could pull off something like that.

“My <Level> just went up from that.”

“Oh, that’s a good start.”

It seems that both the sensory enhancement [Physical Keen] and the physical enhancement [Physical Boost] are multiplied.

The higher the base |Stats|, the greater the increase.

“Alright, let’s move on to cooking.”

I imitated the red whip and wrapped it around one of the Gargoyles.  

“[Intensified Warfare]”

Using a [Skill], I analyzed it. The information I got was limited to its properties as a weapon. But I could gather data like hardness and whether or not there was poison in specific parts, which would help with cooking.  

After gathering information, it was time to start dissecting it.

“Fisu, turn around. I wouldn’t want us to get ambushed by another beast while you’re distracted.”  

After confirming that she turned her back, I began cutting into the Gargoyle with the red whip, which had claws made from red lizard teeth attached to the tip. These claws emitted constant, intense heat, melting through the flesh.  

First, the blue bl00d evaporated, then the smell of cooking meat filled the air.

“(Crap, I burned it.)”  

I noticed that the part the whip had touched for too long had charred.  

I quickly pulled it away, but the meat was already falling apart.  

It wasn’t salvageable. I’d have to melt it down later.

“(Using the forest chain would probably be better for cutting up the meat.)”  

Deciding not to be lazy and try to cut and cook at the same time, I opted for a more careful approach.  

I fashioned a shield shaped like a griddle and placed the red whip underneath it for heat.  

Then, I used the forest chain to slice the meat and placed the pieces on the heated shield to cook.

“(Alright, this one’s cooked through. Let’s put it on the small shield plate… Hmm, this piece looks good too.)”

Eventually, all the meat I had put on earlier was cooked.  

Each piece came from a different part of the Gargoyle.  

Since [Intensified Warfare] doesn’t give me any taste info, I’ll need feedback.

“It’s ready!”  

I handed over the plate along with a small three-pronged fork.  

Fisu, after receiving it, stared intently at the white granules placed on one side of the plate.

“You even had rock salt?”  

“I found it while looking for ores. I refined it with a [Skill], so it’s safe to eat.”  

I’m not an expert, so I couldn’t say for sure if it’s the same as Earth’s rock salt, but it was salty, at least.  

I had been keeping it for a while, thinking it might come in handy for something, but I hadn’t expected it to be used for food.

“It’s good. Thanks.”  

“Alright, so that part’s cooked just right. Let me know what you think of the others too.”

And so, the grilling continued.

—

“Thank you for the meal.”  

“Well then, let’s start the magic experiment.”  

I said this to Fisu, who had just finished eating the meat from the three Gargoyles. 

I handed her a Mana Fruit, filled with moisture, to drink as it also replenished her |Mana| to full.

“Got it. But what should I do?”  

“Hmm… How about trying a ranged attack? Since it’s body magic, you might be able to shoot bone arrows or something.”  

“I’ll try.”  

She stretched out her hand, concentrating her |Mana|

.  

However, no matter how long she focused, her |Mana| didn’t deplete. And no bone arrows materialized.

“…It’s no good. I’ve always been bad at affecting things outside my body.”

“That must be your “nature,” huh?”  

Fisu nodded slightly.  

I’d heard something similar from Paula. Even with the same Attribute, people had different strengths and weaknesses.  

Some excel in burst power, while others are better at fine control.  

Some can maintain magic for extended periods, while others can make their creations sturdier.  

These differences are what they call an Attribute’s “nature.”

One’s ‘nature’ varies from person to person. And in Fisu’s case, she seems to struggle with using her abilities on anything outside herself.

“So does that mean it’d be difficult for you to weaken an enemy by affecting their body?”

“Probably. At the very least, I wasn’t able to enhance someone else.”

“I see. Then we’ll have to think of something else.”

That said, body-type magic isn’t that complicated of a concept, and it seems like Fisu already has a pretty good handle on it without my input.  

If I’m going to advise her, I’ll need to come up with something different.

“Hmm… You can’t stack effects, right?”

“Yeah, the duration increases, but the strength doesn’t double.”

“Hmm… Right, you’re only using magic on the necessary parts of your body, right?”

“Exactly. For example, I only enhance my eyes and cut off the enhancement to the other senses to save |Mana|.”

That’s a principle similar to ‘Converegence’ in [Dominion].  

I briefly remembered how [Dominion] had evolved after the fight with the Red Lizard. But it wasn’t relevant right now, so I pushed the thought aside.

“In that case, how about narrowing the focus even more?”

“Narrowing the focus…?”

“Yeah. Instead of just not enhancing other senses, focus all of the enhancement on your eyes. Concentrate your resources on one spot, like your eyes, and maybe you’ll get a stronger effect than usual.”

I gave the example with an image like narrowing the nozzle of a hose.

“…That might work. [Physical Keen].”

|Mana| surged within the girl, flowing towards her closed eyes, which absorbed it steadily.  

When she opened her eyelids, her red eyes focused on a distant mountain.

“…It worked. I can see things much clearer, more slowly and distinctly than before.”

“Wow, you got it in one try. That was fast.”

Surprised by her quick success, I brought up another idea I’d been thinking of in the meantime.

“Alright, next is──”