Chapter 8 - Eight (1/2)
So, we decided to go easy this time, changing from animals to monsters. The difference?
Monsters in general were stronger and higher level, and had attributes and abilities; animals were very low level, but far more in quantity, and did not have any magic or attributes whatsoever. Some monsters could have evolved from a normal animal though, but that was rare.
Basically one was food resource and the other level resource.
Anyway, guest which monster we were going to hunt today?
Slimes…
What the hell that thing will taste like?
Guess we will find out, but there is a good reason for hunting down those things, beyond only experience and whatever; I was using appraisal in everything to level it up, not that I could to it for very long with my low MP, and once we arrived at the flower field full of slimes I discovered that they all had different attributes and were very low level.
Got the drift, right?
First I found one of fire to test things out, and even with it been level one I used my sneak skill to level it up.
By the way, they tasted like gummy but with the texture of a mochi, getting on the teeth in an endless chewing motion. I lessened their number down a bit, but once I found a water type one I let it attack me, as my brother hopefully did the same at his part of the field.
It keep attacking me with Water Ball, and actually cause some damage; it didn't hurt me because it was just a bubble of low level Water Ball attack, but got me numb and stiff. I killed it once I got what I needed, which took longer than the others.
Now my appraisal was like this:
Attacks: Claw 3, Bite 3, Swim 1, Fireball 2, Fire Breath 2, Sneak 3
Magic: Appraisal 2, Fire Resistance 5, Fatigue Resistance 2, Hunger Resistance 1, Water Resistance 1, Earth Resistance 1, Poison Resistance 1, Bleed Resistance 1, Hell Form 0, Berserker Mode 1, Shadow Veil 1.
No level ups though, sigh. Guess we need to hunt bigger things.
I went to my brother and looked at his status:
Level: 3
HP: 70-80
MP: 266-330
SP: 100-140
Attributes: Fire, Shadow
Titles: Younger Brother, Good Boy
Attacks: Claw 2, Bite 2, Swim 1, Fireball 3, Fire Breath 2, Fire Armor 2, Explosive Ball 1, Sneak 2
Magic: Fire Resistance 5, Water Resistance 1, Earth Resistance 1, Poison Resistance 1, Illusion Resistance 1, Bleed Resistance 1, Hell Form 0.
Hum… he level up, that's good, and another magic? Really he is very creative at that, though I think he doesn't even realize that and does it naturally, after all he can't even see the status.
I lick my dry lips, tired of this mushy meal, and go close to him.
”I think we should hunt others things now.”
”Finally!” He rolled his eyes, dramatically falling with his belly up and showing his tongue off sideways. I kick him, and motion him to follow me.
”I think we should try some humanoid creatures as well, been follow by humans and all.”
”You mean hunt humans?”
”Nah, we may take one down, even get away with it, but where is one there is always more. Today can be one; tomorrow can be an army. No, the best way is to avoid them and pretend they don't exist. Even a glimpse of us can make them hunt us down for whatever sick reason they have.”
He swallows dry.
”Sounds terrifying brother, are you sure they are that way?”
”Positive.”
”Them I will take your word for it.”
I nod. That is not a lot we can do if humans decide to hunt us down; is simply a matter of numbers, if rabbits had the meanings of fighting back we would be outnumbered too, even if they were smaller and weaker them us.
Which, to get worst, wasn't the case.
I would love to have a peek at the human's status now that I evolved appraisal, but I wouldn't risk it.
Hell, I would at least like to know if they went away or not.
That's when it hit me.
The Voice of Nature.
I needed that.
”Du- Brother…” Shit, almost called him dumb.
”Yes?”
”It may sound weird, but I really need a skill called the Voice of Nature, it allows us to talk with the trees and plats so we can have information coming and going.”
”Ow, that's sounds cool, can I try it too?”
”Of course, of course, the problem is… to get it I think we need to sing.”
”How so? I don't get it.”
”Is actually talking and thanking Mother Nature in the form of a song, and in exchange we gain the ability.”
”Hm.. I see, but what is Mother Nature? We already have a mother.”
”Is like… The spirit of the forest, the energy that keeps the woods alive… like a God?” How could I explain that? It was just a feeling… when you go to the woods is like a palpable existence, an energy, is not something you can teach your mind to perceive, only the hearth is aware.
”We can try it later. For now, let's hunt.”
~~~~
After some debate we chose to hunt some goblins. We needed to get used to be outnumbered and to fight against weapon holders.
Though I wasn't very happy with the possibility of having to eat their flesh. Didn't seem very sanitary.
We were hiding in the bushes, watching a little camp with those creatures. And let me correct myself; the ”smelly” humans were clean, sparkling even, those ones were the filthy ones, ugh, the smell, and I could see some suspicions stains on their underclothes, and some snot out of their....