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 92: The {Sublimated} Attribute

Episode 92: The {Sublimated} Attribute

The white-haired girl, Fisu, bit into the bone-in meat with gusto. After finishing it, she waved her hand three times.

“Thank you for the meal.”

Apparently, this was the customary post-meal gesture in this world, something I only learned after I began training her. Even Fisu wasn’t entirely sure what it meant.

“So, it’s time you tell me. What’s this new Attribute of yours, Fisu?”

“Yeah, I’ll show you now.”

Fisu stood up and moved to a large boulder, pulling back her fist.

“Hey, wait! You forgot your gauntlet!”

Sensing what she was about to do, I quickly used [Communication] to warn her. She had taken off her armored gauntlets earlier because they were cumbersome while eating. Even though her <Level> had increased, the boulder had absorbed the |Mana| from the Grand Beast Region, making it sturdier than usual. Punching it bare-handed would only injure her.

“I’m fine.”

But Fisu dismissed my concern, channeling |Mana| throughout her body. As it flowed, the pressure I felt from her intensified significantly.

“──[Master Boost], haah!”

Her fist crashed into the boulder with a thunderous sound. The large rock caved in, cracks spread all over it, and it shattered into small pieces.

“…That hurt a little.”

As she said, Fisu’s hand was slightly red, but it wasn’t from bleeding—more like the redness that comes from clapping too hard. Despite such a powerful blow, her skin was completely unharmed.

“You’re insanely strong now…”

Even accounting for the fact that she had reached <Level 49> after defeating the Grand Beast, the sheer power of her strike and the toughness of her body were astonishing. She wouldn’t have been able to pull that off before.

“So, that’s the power of the Third Class.”

“Yes, this is the Iron Body Attribute. It’s a high-ranking Attribute that focuses on enhancing the body.”

Fisu, whose |Mana| reserves had clearly increased since yesterday, explained. The boost in |Mana| was also one of the benefits of the increase in her Class.

“Anything new you can do with it now that you’ve become Iron Body?”

“…Not really. My strengthening ability has improved, but I still can’t affect anything outside myself.”

“Well, maybe it’s because you’ve specialized in reinforcement that you’ve gotten so strong.”

Fisu’s base |Power| was just under 200. Judging by the hardness of the boulder and the damage it sustained, her |Power| post-enhancement likely exceeded 300, comparable to a standard Grand Beast. That alone was impressive, but she had only performed a general enhancement. If she concentrated on just her arms or legs, the impact would be even more devastating.

“So, ready to hunt the next prey?”

“Yeah.”

We began moving towards the towering mountains where the Sovereign Beasts resided.

“Still, I never thought Fisu would grow so quickly. I figured we’d need more time, even if we wiped out all the Sovereign Beasts.”

“It’s thanks to the powerful weapon you made for me. You even helped me plan around magic.”

“All I did was make a weapon and give you a few pointers. Most of the fighting was you. That’s why you’re so close to our goal so soon.”

My promise to Fisu was to train her until she reached the level of a High-rank adventurer. Now that she had reached the Third Class, she only needed to hit <Level 50> to achieve that goal.

“Come to think of it, High-rank adventurers are <Level 50> and up, right?”

“Yeah. If things go well, we might head back to town after we take down the ‘Earth Splitter’.”

No matter how strong Fisu had become, navigating the treacherous mountains alone would be tough. I could manage with my abilities like [Aerial Jump] and forest chains, but the cliffs were steep and filled with dangerous beasts.

“…About that. You don’t need to take me back to town until after we’ve defeated all the Sovereign Beasts. That’ll make things easier for you, right?”

After finishing in the mountains, I was planning to head northeast. Beyond the Scorching Zone lay uncharted lands. And from there, I would follow the river to continue my journey. Sure, it would be more efficient to finish hunting all the beasts here first, then head north to the town.

“It’d make things easier for me, but it’s still going to take some time. You’re not sick of this place yet?”

“I do want to go back soon… but that’s my issue. You’ve helped me so much already, and there’s no one waiting for me in town anyway.”

…Right, Fisu was all alone in this world.

“Well, then, I’ll take you up on that offer.”

“Good. After we take down three more Sovereign Beasts, we can go.”

“…Wait, three?”

Huh? That number didn’t add up. There were four Sovereign Beasts in the mountains, and I had already killed the Red Lizard and the Queen Ant… Oh, crap!

“(I forgot to tell her I already killed the Queen Ant!)”

I had been around Fisu for so long that I thought I had mentioned it. When we first met, I kept some things hidden, thinking she would return to town soon. But since she already knew about me taking down the “Sea of Flames”, it wasn’t a secret anymore. I hadn’t hidden my strength during our training either.

“Ahem… So, uh, Fisu. About that… “

“Hmm?”

“The Queen Ant, also known as ‘Steel Fortress’… I already killed it.”

“W-What do you mean…?”

“The day Fisu got caught in that collapse, I was fighting the ‘Steel Fortress’.”

I briefly explained the events of that day—how, while digging in the Grand Beast Region, I had happened to discover the Queen Ant’s nest.

“So, that collapse was also…”

“Yeah… sorry. It’s probably my fault, due to the battle.”

“No, it’s okay. If that hadn’t happened, I would have been caught by the magical beasts and killed.”

She might have said that to be considerate, but with her usual expressionless face, it was impossible to tell her true feelings. And so, we continued making our way through the Grand Beast Region.

“Oh, by the way, the material used to make that axe you’re using—it came from ‘Steel Fortress’.”

“Eh?“

Fisu’s usual poker face broke for the first time in a while. But that’s a story for another time.