Chapter 68 – The Game within the Divine Spirit Forest (1)

Thanks to the knights, I was able to sleep well yesterday night!
Having gotten plenty of sleep, I stretched my body and came out of the tent.

「Un, today’s weather seems nice!」

As I looked up, I could see an bright blue sky spreading out boundlessly.
It’s the best weather (?) for hunting.

As I looked up and the sky and took a deep breath, the knights who restrained and dragged out the stupid noble yesterday found me and came near me.

「Good morning!!!」

I cheerfully greeted them as I always do, and as I thanked them again, all of them smiled and

「Myne-dono, although the game’s outcome has already been decided, please do your best.
All of us from the first unit will root for you」

After I received such pleasant words, I asked them about yesterday’s circumstances.

After he was dragged out from my tent, Claude who had been causing an uproar was dragged to the knight’s leader, who has been designated as His Majesty’s representative, and on top of receiving a stern warning, he will be restricted until the game commences.

As expected, that guy violently resisted, but after he was asked, “Are you okay with being charged for treason against the nation?” he reluctantly withdrew.

Since such an exchange happened, it is very probable that he bears a deep resentment against me, and I was warned to be very careful even during the game.

 

Finally, it was now time for the game to start.

In the two days from now, all the participants would most probably spend time in the forest.
Of course, there’s no problem in returning to the base camp to rest, but the gap in points would open up.

Since it will greatly affect the outcome, I, of course, do not plan to return.

Naturally, my opponents, the adventurers, are probably thinking the same thing as well.

 

The group of nobles, including the stupid noble Claude, gather one after another at the designated place.
Behind them are adventurers with very good physique, each of them firmly holding a weapon while following the nobles.

……So they’re my opponents, huh.

I also equipped my steel dagger and Lightning Edge, and wait for the command to start.
……I purposely ignored Claude who has been glaring daggers at me since just now.

After the knight leader explained the precautions related to the game again, the participants were handed the storage bags one by one.

……Those guys will definitely transfer the materials within their own storage bags into this one after this, huh.

If all goes according to their plan, they will cheat, and put the monster materials they hunted yesterday into the “time-stopped storage bag”.
Though in actuality, the storage bag they have is the “storage bag with time”, so naturally, their materials have spoilt by now.

While I thought that, I suspended the storage bag I received on my waist.

 

「I hope that each of you will participate in this two-days match fair and square without cheating!
……Well then, let’s start the game. Start!!!」

After the command from the knight leader, the participants hired by the nobles ran towards the forest simultaneously.

……Without cheating, he said. “They’ve already cheated though……” I thought while laughing wryly as I turned my feet towards the forest.

It’s really impressive that the knights and even the knight leader were smiling bitterly.

 

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

 

Now then, I didn’t ask which monster gives the highest points.
I wonder if it’s safe to hunt strong-looking prey for now?

If that’s the case, it’ll be better advance deep into the forest if we go by the book.
For the time being, I’ll continuously watch my surroundings with 【Presence Detection・Moderate LV3】since I don’t want anyone to see me using Skills as I advance.

……Hm? As I was thinking that, I discovered a monster.

 

Name: Forest Ape
ＬＶ：18
Race: Ape Family
Gender: ♂

【Skills】
Sprint
Direct Hit

【Ability】
None

 

Ape family, an ape type monster, huh.
It’s my first time seeing one in real life…….

It’s certainly higher levelled compared to my opponents in the forest I always hunt at.

For now, let’s steal its Skills as usual and weaken it.
So that it doesn’t discover me, I used 【Presence Erasure・LV3】, went around to its back and rushed on it in one go.

The ape panicked at the existence of an enemy who suddenly appeared, but it already lost its Skills when I entered its range.
It showed an attitude of resistance, but its heart was quickly pierced by my steel dagger, and died.

「The points in this game are given depending on the quality of the dismantling of the materials, huh.
When I 【Appraised】 my opponents, the adventurers, none of them had 【Cut】…….
I have a great advantage then!」

Immediately, I dismantled it with Cut, and tossed it into the storage bag I was handed.

Un, this is going well.
Let’s proceed deeper.

The monster I met next was a different type than the ones I’ve met until now.

 

Name: Sidewinder・Evil
ＬＶ：29
Race: Snake Family
性別：－ (TLN: Wat. Snakes don’t have genders?)

【Skills】
Pursuit Attack

【Ability】
Venom Spray
Constrict

 

A snake type monster! And a super big one at that! It seems to be at least three metres.
If I were to get coiled around by that, I might quickly be crushed to death…….

On top of that, I feel like it’s level is somehow unusually high…….
Perhaps, it’s the master of this area?

For now, I pick up a stone around the area, and pasted its abilities onto it.

……Next is its Skills.
Somehow, I can expect its effects even without seeing it, but isn’t this Skill easy to use?

Yosh, weakening complete!

Now then, I feel like I want to avoid close combat.
I don’t know if anyone is watching from somewhere, so I want to avoid using magic too…….

Ah, wait a minute! I can probably have some room with close combat with this method.

First, stop its movements with 【King’s Intimidation】!
Then, strengthen myself with 【Strong Arm LV 3】, get close to it in one go, and cut off its head.

As expected, the Orc King’s Skills sure are exceptional.
With this, I’ll win against most monsters, won’t I?

I nimbly dismantled the snake, tossed it into the storage bag, and went deeper and deeper into the forest.
I defeated every single one of the monsters I met on the way in a similar fashion.

 

……Uーn, somehow, I’ve entered really deep.
Human presences disappeared from my surroundings quite a while ago, so I might have come into a place which isn’t assumed to be hunting grounds.

Which reminds me, His Highness Lewis said this.
“There has been a legend since ancient times, that a Divine Beast sleeps within the deepest parts of the forest……” he said.

Well, it’s a legend, so there’s no way it’s true, but there’s no smoke without fire. Not to say that there’s a Divine Beast, but probably a strong monster, .

Well, I don’t think this area is the deepest part, so something like a Divine beast won’t appear here.

……At the moment I thought that.

I heard the cry of a monster and sounds of battling from a place a little further away.

Hm? I wonder if it’s another participant?
……Let’s take a look.

It’s not to observe an enemy’s movements, but I don’t think it’s a bad idea to grasp an opponent’s battle power.
I used 【Presence Erasure・Moderate】, and started moving quietly towards the source of the sound.

The scene that leapt into my eyes at my destination is…… something I never even expected.

The first thing that caught my eye is a giant wolf with beautiful violet fur.
I realised that some parts on the beautiful fur was stained with blood.

It doesn’t seem to have received damage so it’s probably the other party’s blood?

What I saw after that were several adventurers.
Since they aren’t included in the participants, they’re probably the other adventurers hired by the stupid noble.

What are these guys doing, coming deep into the forest where no one is monitoring?
……tte, what’s that? there are several little wolves caught by those adventurers…….

Ah!? Don’t tell me……!?
What’s the even that started this game in the first place?

That’s right, wasn’t it due to a dragon’s child getting caught, made into a slave, and sold?

In other words, this battle occurring right in front of me is…….

「You bastards! Return to me my children!!!!!」

Oh, the wolf spoke!!!

 

Name: Fenrir
ＬＶ：160
Race: Divine Beast
Gender：♀

【Skill】
Mystic・Rain
Lunatic・Wave
Divine Beast Twinstrike
Magic Eye of Gravity

 

【Ability】
Great Howl ≪Wose-Kamui≫ (TLN: Wolf in the Ainu language, a tribe in Hokkaido)
Strong Legs (TLN: ….Yup. Cool name, I know)

 

Gya!? It’s a Divine Beast!!!
I, i, it’s really exists!!!?

Huh? Wait…….
If I remember correctly, long ago, when the human race was almost destroyed by the demon race, didn’t Divine Beasts-sama allied with the Hume race and protected them? (TLN: What’s the goddamn difference???)

Those adventurers!!? Of all the people, people of the Hume race is trying to catch the children of a Divine Beast-sama who we are indebted greatly to!?

D, don’t joke around, this is bad!!!
This is really truly bad!!!

Even though the dragon situation was outrageous enough…….
If even Divine Beast-sama invades the towns, if we’re unlucky, mankind may perish.

While I was panicking, the situation turned for the worse.

「D, don’t you dare move, you beast, d, don’t you dare go against us.
Try moving even a little, and y, your kids will lose their lives!!!」

I see, they’re trying to escape, taking the children as hostage.
Because of that, Divine Beast-sama cannot move about.

……Those guys, don’t they know it’s a Divine Beast-sama!?

Since that’s the case, there’s only one thing I must do.
Save those kids, and return them to Divine Beast-sama.

When I made my resolution…… I was already too late.

「Don’t screw around!!!」

Divine Beast-sama was enraged at the adventurers’ excessively selfish words, and howled.
The whole forest rustled at the shock, and the branches of the surrounding trees shook greatly.

At the excessive sense of intimidation, they felt terror and lost control of themselves.
One of the adventurers which caught the children, swung the dagger he was holding down on the Divine Beast’s child.

「Gyauuuu……n」

The child which had been stabbed, its cry, full of sorrow…… echoed throughout the forest.

---

AN:

Thank you very much for always reading.
Please take care of me from now on as well.

Sponsor: Homer T.

TL: Izzy

Previous | Next