My Unique Skill [Gacha] Will Save the World - Episode 16: Monster Hunt

Episode 16: Monster Hunt 

“Haah!” 

“Garrhh!?” 

Rindou ventured into the eastern forest. He was immediately attacked by monsters. 

However, the creatures were mostly Goblins and Wild Wolves—monsters he had already encountered during rank assessments. They were easily defeated without much effort. 

[You have obtained the item: [Basic Potion] x 2 through five gacha attempts.]

“…Sigh. Basic Potion, huh.” 

Holding the potions in his hand, Rindou let out a sigh. 

The market value of Basic Potions hovered around 500 yen, with plenty in circulation. Selling them would barely earn pocket money, and carrying them would only take up space. He scratched his head in frustration. 

“What should I do with these? I can’t just leave them behind…” 

In the end, Rindou stuffed the Basic Potion into his bag and moved on. 

As he ventured deeper into the forest, the trees grew denser. The sunlight filtering through the gaps grew faint, dimming the surroundings. Then, an unfamiliar sound echoed through the forest. 

——Clang, clang. 

“…So the monsters that appeared in the rank assessments must also show up here.” 

He encountered a Ghost Knight accompanied by several Goblins and Wild Wolves. 

“This could get dangerous if I’m not careful.” 

Staying calm, Rindou quickly assessed the situation. There were two Ghost Knights, four Goblins, and six Wild Wolves. His eyes darted around, tracking their movements. 

“Garrrhh!” 

The first to lunge was a Wild Wolf. 

Understanding that the Goblins would likely follow next, Rindou aimed for one-hit kills and swung his Gale Sword. 

With a diagonal slash followed by an upward strike, he took down two wolves. As another charged from the right, he delivered a clean overhead slash, splitting it in two. 

Two wolves circled behind him, slashing with their claws. Rindou ducked to evade one and struck the other with a thrust. He pierced its forehead. Quickly turning, he executed a sweeping strike. It severed the head of another wolf that lunged toward him. 

“Garrh!” 

“Ugh!?” 

But the last wolf managed to sink its teeth into Rindou’s left leg. It was hindering his mobility. 

“Damn it!” 

“Yelp!?” 

With a decisive stab of the Gale Sword, Rindou killed the wolf. Immediately after, the Goblins surrounded him. They were brandishing clubs and rusty knives. 

Though known for their low intelligence, Goblins could act efficiently when hunting prey.  Especially when they sensed weakness. Spotting Rindou’s impaired movement, the Goblins saw their chance. 

“Good thing I brought those Basic Potions.” 

Sweating nervously, Rindou poured a potion generously over his bitten leg. The wounds closed rapidly, and the pain subsided. 

“Gehyah!?” 

“Alright, I can move just fine now.” 

The Goblins misjudged Rindou as weakened. They found themselves mistaken. Their limited intelligence prevented them from adapting to the sudden change. 

Screeching wildly, the Goblins charged. 

“This much is manageable!” 

One by one, Rindou steadily and efficiently defeated them. However, as he downed the third Goblin, he noticed movement at the edge of his vision. 

“A Ghost Knight!” 

“Fsshhhhh!” 

As Rindou focused on the last Goblin, a Ghost Knight slashed sharply from the right. Twisting his body, Rindou dodged the attack and attempted a sweeping counter to decapitate the knight. However, the Goblin suddenly lunged in. It forced him to stop and leap backward. 

He narrowly avoided danger. But another Ghost Knight had already circled behind him. Its blade cut through the air with a sharp whoosh. It was swinging in a deadly arc toward Rindou. 

“Ugh!?”  

Rindou narrowly slipped his Gale Sword between his body and the Ghost Knight’s blade. It prevented his arm from being severed. However, the sheer brute force of the Ghost Knight sent him flying.  

(This guy… he’s stronger than the one I fought during the stampede!)  

Currently, Rindou had become a player and had acquired the [Basic Swordsmanship] skill. Even so, he was shocked to find himself being overpowered. Especially considering there were still other monsters around.  

“…Haa. Looks like I need to take care of the Goblin first.”  

In hindsight, Rindou felt oddly grateful that the Wild Wolves and Goblins had rushed ahead earlier. If the monsters had coordinated their attacks, Rindou would have stood no chance.  

“Hm? What is that guy doing—!?”  

As Rindou carefully analyzed the situation, an unexpected development unfolded. Just as one Goblin tried to charge forward, the stronger Ghost Knight suddenly kicked it straight toward Rindou.  

“Damn it!”  

“Gyaaah!?”  

Rindou hastily swung his Gale Sword downward, killing the Goblin. However, his vision was momentarily obstructed by the Goblin’s body.  

Seizing that brief opening, the other Ghost Knight closed the distance and raised its sword to strike.  

“It used the Goblin as a decoy!”  

“Fsshhhh!”  

Rindou clashed his Gale Sword against the Ghost Knight’s incoming blow with all his might. The sound of screeching metal echoed through the forest as the two locked blades in a fierce struggle.  

(Damn it! Where’s the stronger Ghost Knight? I need to deal with this one quickly and turn this into a one-on-one fight—!)  

Suddenly, a sword erupted through the Ghost Knight he was grappling with. It caught Rindou completely off guard. He couldn’t evade in time and was stabbed through the left side of his abdomen.  

“Gaahh!”  

Wincing in pain, Rindou leapt back as far as he could. He quickly pulled out another Basic Potion from his bag, pouring it over his wound.  

“Hah… hah… hah... This thing… It pierced through its ally just to attack me!”  

The Ghost Knight that had been pierced trembled violently before collapsing into pieces. Behind it, the stronger Ghost Knight emerged. Its glowing red eyes were fixed on Rindou as it pointed its blade at him.