Chapter 174: Fatal Situation but A voice seeking help ※Nanamis POV (1/2)

TLN: Two chapters today! Make sure you didn't miss the previous one.

Thanks for the support!

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“What’s…that? They are bullying the creature in the middle?” (Nanami)

There’s 3 of those big eagles that have been targeting me this whole time.

There’s 1 lizard that’s bigger than a rhinoceros.

It is a fatal situation.

I take a detour. It would be better to avoid this.

The lizard looks especially dangerous.

Its lined up teeth are sharp, telling me clearly that it is a carnivore.

Or more like…maybe that’s not a lizard but a dinosaur? There’s a part of me that’s moved by that sight, but it wouldn’t be funny at all if that thing were to attack me.

Detour, detour.

—I am hungry.

Just when I was trying to take a detour before they found me, I heard a voice.

To be precise, the voice of an animal I can hear with Communication.

There’s direction to the voice of their minds, and it wasn’t from the birds and the lizard that haven’t noticed me. I can hear it most likely because the other party wants to tell me their thoughts to a certain degree.

In other words, this voice is…

—I can’t move anymore.

—I am so hungry.

Again.

I once again look in front of me.

The creature in the middle was looking here.

It is laying down on its side, but its big eye was looking straight at me.

And then, it clearly said this.

—Save me.

Hearing those words, I began running.

After closing the distance to a certain degree, I drop on one knee and take a shooting stance.

Around 30 meters. At this distance, I definitely won’t miss.

A dull sound rang and a big eagle fell.

I immediately adjust my aim to a different bird, and pull the trigger.

I practiced consecutive shots just the other day.

I defeated all the birds with 3 bullets.

The lizard isn’t moving yet. There’s no way it hasn’t noticed me, but it probably can’t understand the situation.

It at the very least can’t see the bullets. For the lizard, it must have been as if the birds died the next instant a sound rang.

I adjust my aim to the lizard.

My target is the Spirit Vein Center. It is facing just to the side of me.

I silently pulled the trigger—but the moment I shot, the lizard disappeared from my scope.

“I missed?!” (Nanami)

I take my sight off the scope. The lizard had noticed me, and was heading my way.

No, a lukewarm description like that doesn’t make it justice. Contrary to its sluggish appearance, it had outrageous speed.

It is already right in front of me…

I immediately break a Barrier Stone.

It is not a situation where I can fight with a gun.

I don’t know why that lizard managed to avoid the bullet. It might have been a coincidence, or something like animal intuition.

But I have heard before that even hunters have a hard time shooting animals. Shooting a living being isn’t such a simple matter.

The lizard lost sight of me, and its eyes wriggled around, spinning its body here and there, searching for me.

(Now then, what should I do…?) (Nanami)

I want to save that child, but I think it will be impossible to do without defeating this lizard.

That said, if it avoids bullets…

(Ah, I see.) (Nanami)

I remember what Celica-chan told me before. About what a Chosen with a gun had tested out.

The area of the Barrier Stone is an inviolable zone, but what would happen if you shoot the target from the inside?

Will it hit the wall of the barrier and disappear? Or will the gun itself be unable to shoot?

The answer to that was extremely simple.

The barrier gets undone the moment you attack.

By utilizing that characteristic of it, you can shoot your opponent from an invisible state -there’s a hidden trick like that.

It is apparently called Banishing Shot or whatever.

I take a stance with my gun again after buying a new Barrier Stone.

There’s not even 10 meters of distance between me and the lizard.

Its outer skin seems to be tough, but the power of the slug bullet can even punch through iron plates.

I aim at the eye with the scope.

If I hit the eye, it can go all the way and destroy the brain, making it a certain kill. In a sense, you could say it is a more certain method than aiming for the Spirit Vein center.

The moment the lizard stopped moving, I pulled the trigger.

The bullet was fired and, the moment it touched the barrier, the barrier disappeared -but the bullet isn’t stopping.

The 18 millimeter bullet that was shot at a speed faster than sound, hit the cheek of the lizard, and brought destruction as if its skull had exploded.

The lizard collapsed on the ground as it lost its brain.

“…Alright.” (Nanami)

Honestly speaking, it was outside of my calculation that I would use 1 point and several bullets in this place.

Celica-chan is probably insulting me with ‘you idiotic airheaded doofus!’. If it had avoided the Banishing Shot, I would have been instantly done for after all.

I of course was aware of that risk, but I couldn’t just act as if I didn’t see it, so it can’t be helped. Also, there’s the matter of the hint. If this meeting has something to do with the hint, it should have been necessary to fight here.

Of course, there’s also the chance that it had nothing to do with the hint though…

“Aah, geez! Think of it later!” (Nanami)

After confirming there’s no other animals around, I ran to the place where the creature that was asking for help was.

—Thanks.

—I am hungry.

—Anything’s fine.

—Please.

I heard the voice of its mind intermittently.

More importantly, my heart was stolen by the figure of that creature.

(SO CUTE!! What’s with this child?!) (Nanami)

I don’t know if it is a monster or an animal, but it is a one-eyed round furry head. At a glance, it looks like a ball covered in dark blue hair.

Its size is the same as that of a balance ball.

Long and fluttery black eyelashes, a big shining and teary eye; a sparkling eye as if the universe is locked up in it.

Its ears were long and drooped like those of a rabbit, making it the cutest thing ever. I don’t know where its mouth is. It seems like it is hidden by its hair.

There’s several tentacle-like things hanging down below its body that I don’t know what they are there for. They may be its arms, legs, or tails? Don’t really know.

I saw a number of big craniums lying about. It may have been the bones of these critters.

You could say it looks disgusting, but for me, it looks strangely cute. Seems like I must save it no matter what.

“What do you want to eat?” (Nanami)

—You can understand me? Why?

—I want to eat.

—I don’t have the strength to bite, so…

—Rock.

—Please.

“Rock? Are you talking about the Spirit Stone? Wait for a bit, okay?” (Nanami)

I use 3 Crystals for a dismantling knife, and take out the Spirit Stone of the big eagle from its back. It is pretty big, and it is a colored one. A Wind Spirit Stone.

“Here you go. Can you eat it?” (Nanami)

—Thanks.

The one-eyed child covered in thick fur moved its ears weakly, and took the stone (they might not be ears but tentacles). It opened its mouth that was several times bigger than I imagined, and ate the stone.

Is it rolling the stone inside its mouth like candy?

It closed its eye as if savoring it.

“Want to eat more? Let me get them, okay?” (Nanami)

I took out the stone from the remaining 2 birds, and left it in front of the eye child.

There’s no presence of living beings around.

I want to take out the stone of that lizard too, but with a knife that has a 10 cm blade, I don’t think it is going to be that simple to open up the back of that lizard that’s covered in hard skin.

I sat by the side of the eye child and watched as it slowly licked the Spirit Stones.

What a weird creature. I don’t know why that strong lizard and the birds were bullying this child.

It is most likely because they were going to eat it since it was weakened, but..

(Wonder if this child can come with me?) (Nanami)

I have a number of reasons why I took Communication.

If I get along with strong living beings and am able to fight, I can be of use even after I reunite with Hi-chan.

But looking at this child, I think…

Make those creatures fight when I love animals? Can I even do that?