I’m an Appraiser, But What the Heck is a [Divine Eye]? ~I Want to Live Freely as the World’s Best Beginner Class~ - Episode 5: The Super Common Hero Summoning 4

Episode 5: The Super Common Hero Summoning 4

――And so, the next morning, I decided to carry out my plan.  

Some might think it’s too soon, considering it’s only the day after, but I have no idea when the perfect timing would be.  

There’s even a saying that “the sooner, the better.” So if I can act, I should do so right away.  

I decided to use my Appraisal skill again, just to be sure.  

“Appraisal: Human Settlement.”  

… As expected, the direction hasn’t changed.  

“Appraisal: Magical Beasts.”  

… Whoa, there are still lots of indicators pointing toward the human settlement.  

I stuffed my pockets with grapes and, tucking in my shirt, I also loaded up the inside of my shirt with more grapes.  

I might hesitate to eat them if they get soaked in sweat. But it’s a critical situation, so I’ll just ignore that.  

I crammed as many grapes as I could, then ate a bunch right there on the spot.  

One grape… five grapes… ten grapes… I ate until my stomach was full, then opened up my status.  

“…Ugh! …Phew, my Speed stat is… Whoa! It’s up to 100!”  

Since it’s at 100, that means I ate 19 grapes.  

Normally, I could eat a lot more. But strangely enough, these grapes fill me up quickly.  

I thought there might be a limit on how many I could eat. But right now, every second counts.  

I turned in the direction of my destination and—without worrying about anything around me—I took off running.  

I had to hold down my shirt to keep it from coming untucked. But I was amazed and thrilled by how much faster I was running than usual.  

“Whoa-ho! Is this really me? Is this—is this really another world!?”  

All I was doing was running, but I never imagined it could be so much fun.  

If I can reach the settlement and gear up, I’ll be able to fight magical beasts.  

Once I can do that, I’ll level up and really enjoy this world even more.  

All the things that only happened in light novels are now happening right in front of me.  

“I am—FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—WHOA!?”  

W-whoops, that was close!  

I got too excited and completely forgot about the magical beasts!  

No, seriously, it’s a miracle I dodged that sudden punch!  

Even a graze from it would’ve been an instant death for sure!  

Without looking back, I kept running, focused solely on moving forward.  

Whenever a magical beast appeared, I sped up even more, dashing right past it.  

I occasionally glanced at my watch. And when I realized it was time, I ate more grapes while running.  

My Speed increased after eating. But once my Speed stat hit 100 and started to drop again, I hurriedly stuffed more grapes into my mouth.  

I kept this up for about 30 minutes, and then—  

“Is that… the edge of the forest!?”  

Just when my breathing was getting heavy and I felt like I was reaching my limit, I saw a break in the trees.  

It gave me the last bit of energy I needed to push forward.  

Without that boost, I might have ended up as prey for the magical beasts waiting for me at the end.  

I ate as many grapes as I could and accelerated one last time, bursting out of the forest—just in time for a massive dragon to unleash a breath attack!  

“WHOA!?”  

The dragon’s breath crossed behind me, right after I left the forest.  

If I had missed even one grape, or let my guard down and stopped running for even a second, I might have been reduced to ashes.  

Still not looking back, I sprinted down the hill beyond the forest at full speed.  

I was thrilled… up until that breath attack.  

I wanted to shout with excitement… until that breath attack.  

I wanted to cry tears of joy… until that breath attack!!  

“Give me back my excitement, you idiot!”  

That was all I could manage to scream at the moment.  

※※※※  

After leaving the forest, I could no longer hear the howls of magical beasts, nor the earth-shaking sound of their footsteps.  

And most importantly, the dragon was nowhere to be seen.  

Finally, I could catch my breath.  

Now, I’m leaning against a withered tree—the only thing still standing, even though it’s dead—on a barren plain at the bottom of the hill.  

I only had a few grapes left in my pockets. The ones I had stuffed inside my shirt came loose while I was running and all fell out into the forest.  

According to the guidance, the human settlement is still about 5 kilometers away.  

After checking for magical beasts, it seems there are none in the area, which is a relief for now.  

“But seriously, what was up with that forest? A dragon showed up at the end, so I’m pretty sure it was really trying to kill me.”  

Maybe it was something like the “Cursed Forest of Death” or whatever.  

…Well, it doesn’t really matter now. I’ve already made it out of the forest!  

After catching my breath and standing up, I started walking the remaining 5 kilometers.  

I thought about eating some grapes and making a sprint for it. But these grapes are my lifeline, so I need to save them. I do plan on eating them at some point, before they spoil. But I’ll wait for the right moment.  

About an hour after I started walking, I finally saw it.  

Since my Appraisal indicated a human settlement, I had expected a small village or maybe just a hamlet near the forest… but, whoa, seriously?  

“…That’s a huge outer wall! And cannons too!”  

It’s totally got a fortress city vibe going on!