Clarifications:
-"Person Talking"-
-(Person Thinking)-
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[Skills or Magic]
(JC: Author's Notes)
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Let's start
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The Fangwolves ruled the area in the Eastern Plains, enough to cause tremendous headaches for merchants trading between the Eastern Empire and the kingdoms around the Jura Forest. Each of them was the equivalent of a C-rank monster, strong enough that an adventurer could have their leg bitten off if they weren't paying attention.
The real threat, however, came when they roamed in packs. Only when a talented alpha led the horde did the Fangwolves show their true worth. The entire pack would act as one mind, one creature, each member acting in unison. Such a pack, in full motion, could easily limp like a B-rank pack.
The Eastern Plains were located next to a vast grain-producing region, a vital lifeline for the Eastern Empire, and a very well-secured one at that. No matter how cunning the Fangwolves were, no matter how advanced their Skills, penetrating the Empire's defensive lines was still a difficult task.
Even if they succeeded, doing so would arouse the fury of the Empire, calling into question the future of the Fangwolf race.
The pack leader was aware of this. It was something he had learned through hard-fought experience, amid the many skirmishes he had witnessed against the Empire over several decades. Targeting passing small-time traders wasn't enough to spur the Empire into full action, but the moment the wolves entered their grain fields, they would truly retaliate.
After so many failures, the Fangwolves wouldn't repeat the mistakes of their comrades. That was the alpha's way of thinking. But his monster instincts also told him that, under the status quo, there would be no progress, nothing to push his pack forward.
As a general rule, the Fangwolf race didn't require food to survive. Attacking and consuming humans provided them with a welcome snack, but those didn't have much in the way of magic. For the pack, their true sustenance lay in the world's Magical Energy.
They would have to attack stronger monsters or slaughter humans in droves to evolve into Calamity-level creatures. Neither of these options was particularly accessible to them. The Empire was too powerful. But simply choosing passing merchants would never do anything for their dreams of evolution.
Then they heard tales of the Southern lands. A fertile territory, one with a forest offering all its blessings, a vast reservoir of magic. A paradise for monsters, so it was said. In order to reach it, however, they would have to pass through the vast Jura Forest.
The monsters of this forest weren't, in and of themselves, great enemies. Their past experience hunting the stragglers who wandered outside it proved that. So why had they avoided entering it themselves?
Simple: Veldora the Storm Dragon. He was the one and only reason. Even when he was within his prison, waves of terrifying magical force shook their very hearts. The creatures in the forest, they believed, enjoyed the Dragon's divine guardianship, which was the reason they could survive beneath those scorching waves. That was what they had to believe. Otherwise, the truth would drive them mad.
So, despite how much it pained them daily, the Fanged Wolves had given up on infiltrating the forest. Until now.
The Alpha turned his red eyes toward the forest. That evil, hideous Dragon could no longer be sensed.
-(Now is the time)- The Alpha thought. -(To hunt the forest clean of monsters, and then we can become the Lords of the forest)-
The thought made him lick his lips and howl, ordering his pack to advance.
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-(Okay. So now I'm a Guardian. What should I do next?)-
To me, it felt like bodyguard duty, despite the grandiose terms the old man used to describe me.
For starters, I had every goblin capable of fighting around me. It wasn't a very encouraging sight. They were in terrible shape. There was no way I could count on them on the battlefield.
And from a distance, the remaining villagers looked like... nothing more than children and the elderly to me. Reinforcements, in other words, were out of the question.
The village elder must have been shaking in his knees. Even if they fled the village right now, they'd practically starve to death before the day was out.
Meanwhile, the goblins around me looked on with almost religious faith. -(This was heavy...)-
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-(That's cold...)-
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-(Maybe you're right, but I promised to help these beings, so I won't abandon them.)-
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Putting Ddraig's complaints aside, I must focus on the goblins in front of me.
-"Good. Do you all know what kind of situation we're in?"-
Not knowing what to say, I got straight to the point.
-"Yes, sir!"- the goblin leader replied instantly. -"We're preparing for a battle to decide whether we live or die!"-
The other goblins around him must have felt the same way. Some of them were visibly trembling, so I couldn't blame them. A person's mind can think one thing and their body do something very different.
-"It's fine,"- I replied, trying to be as calm as possible about our situation. -"There's no need to get nervous. Although our enemies outnumber us, we have greater numbers and a good strategy on our side. I'm not promising that all of you will survive, but I assure you that we will win and that this village will remain standing with the rest of its inhabitants. Those wolves may underestimate you simply because you are smaller and weaker, but that simple departure will be your downfall."-
That seemed to help lighten the mood, as the Goblins seemed more confident, but that lingering fear still hadn't disappeared.
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-(This isn't the first time I've given a speech to encourage people)-
Anyway, now I need to think about how to defend ourselves against the Fanged Wolves and how to counterattack; good thing I have a useful Skill for strategies.
-(These wolves won't know what hit them!)-
With a moment to collect my thoughts, I gave my first order to the Goblins, an order I would give many times if they came.
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At night. The Alpha of the Fanged Wolves had his eyes open. It was a full moon, the perfect night for a battle. Slowly, he stood, surveying the area, the rest of his pack watching with bated breath.
-(Just the right amount of intensity)-
The Alpha thought. Tonight, they would level the Goblin Village, establishing themselves in the Forest of Jura. Then, slowly but surely, they would hunt the monsters of the area, expanding their territory until they ruled the forest.
Soon, when the time was right, they would turn their eyes toward the South, invading it with the power it held.
They had the strength to make it happen. Their claws could tear through the flesh of any monster; their fangs could pierce any armor.
-"Awoooooooooo!"-
The Alpha gave the signal.
It was time to let the carnage begin.
There was, however, one concern.
The Alpha had sent a scout a few days ago who had returned with some perplexing news, news of a human unleashing a strange, mystical force. Enough to overwhelm even his Alpha.
He had shrugged off this report at first. It was too absurd to consider. He himself had detected nothing of the sort in the forest. Every monster they had encountered was a comparative weakling. Up to this point, nothing resembling resistance to their advance had appeared, and they were almost at the center of the forest.
A dozen goblins had attacked one or two members of his pack, but nothing more.
-(The scout must have been too excited about the upcoming hunt to think clearly.)- That was the Alpha's conclusion as he kept his gaze forward.
Ahead was a village. It was located exactly where the scout said it was. He had followed the trail of a wounded goblin straight to her.
Nothing in his report suggested he was a threat. This wasn't the Alpha's first battle. He was cunning and never let his guard down. However, even he had to admit that the strange... thing around the village was somewhat unusual.
It was... a fence, such as one would see in a human village. The houses that once comprised the settlement had been dismantled, forming a defense that neatly covered all of the village grounds.
And there, in front of the only opening in the barrier, stood a human.
-"Very well, stop where you are,"- The human told them. -"If you back down now, I promise I won't do anything to you."-
-(You impertinent little bastard. Leaving just one entrance open to block a massive attack? Just the kind of shallow thinking one should expect from a trashy human like this. Our claws and fangs would make mincemeat out of that ramshackle old man.)-
It was time to show this human his true powers. The Alpha gave the order. As if his own right-hand man, around a dozen warriors immediately set off to attack the fence, the picture of coordination, the exact reason the pack essentially functioned as a single monster.
The [Telepathic Communication] Skill enabled their collective behavior. It was much faster than giving verbal commands, allowing the pack to work seamlessly together.
The first wave should have been all it took to destroy the fence. Instead, the Alpha, who had already imagined a screaming mob of goblins struggling to flee after the miserable failure of his ploy, let out a cry of surprise. The force he had sent toward the fence had been thrown straight back, some of them bleeding profusely as they writhed on the ground.
-(What could this be?)- The Alpha kept his mind sharp as he inspected the area. The human at the entrance hadn't moved an inch. -(Did he do something?)-
One of his men sidled up to him to report.
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-(Nonsense)- the Alpha thought as he glared at the human. -(That thing, does it have more strength than me...?)- The Alpha raged. -(Impossible!)-
Few, indeed, were monsters more cunning and crafty than the Alpha. He had years of experience to draw on, and he could summon it on the fly to calmly and swiftly formulate a new plan. And his years of experience told him that this monster could not be stronger than him.
Right there, for the first time, the Alpha made a fatal mistake, one that would ultimately decide his fate.
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-(Good, everything is going as planned)-
The plan I had for this fight was going perfectly. Honestly, it was a very basic plan, even for one formulated by the [Strategist] Skill. Still, it was a perfect plan to neutralize the wolf attacks.
I originally wanted to end this fight more peacefully, but it seemed these wolves were determined to attack.
Then all the Fanged Wolves began to move at once, attacking the fence from almost every angle they could. I had hoped we could talk things over a bit beforehand, but I was forced to scrap all that.
-(It's time for the fence to do its part)-
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After strategizing with the [Strategist] Skill, I was able to come up with a perfect strategy without a single flaw.
The first order I gave the Goblins was to show me where the wounded were. Adding a dozen survivors to the sixty fighters we had would make the plan more successful.
They were all lying on the floor of a large and rather unsanitary building. Looking over them, I began to think.
-(Apparently, they're using some herbs to treat them... But left to themselves, they'll die in no time.)-
They were all in rougher shape than I thought, with skin cut by teeth and claws, and some sported nasty scratches with God knows what growing on them.
-(Better to splurge a little...)-
I quickly acted and began dousing the wounded with Complete Healing Potions. The old man prepared to say something to me, but thought better of it as I made my way down the row, healing the wounded.
After I'd finished off a few of them, I glanced behind me.
There they were again, kneeling before me.
-(What's up with these kids?)-
They must have assumed they'd been resurrected with my powers or something. To avoid future misunderstandings, I opted to launch the potions directly from there, healing the Goblins' wounds in the "real" world.
The healing process took a bit of time, but it worked. Once I was done with everyone, I gave the remaining Goblins a new order: The fence.
A simple wooden affair would have been fine, I thought, but we didn't have much time or material to work with. We had to go with what we had, so that's what I did. Without pausing for a moment, I had them tear down their houses and use the wood and other components to strengthen the entire community.
Meanwhile, I ordered the decent Goblins with a reverence to go and serve as scouts. I warned them not to go too far; wolves were linked to good senses of smell.
I could tell from their eyes that they were willing to sacrifice themselves for the cause. They were ready to shout "For my own life!" at any moment. A lot more boasting than I really needed at the moment, but I doubted there was a quick fix for it.
By nightfall, about a day after arriving at the village, the final boards were on the fence. The final touches were my spider silk to strengthen and solidify the stakes and a few [Steel Thread] traps here and there. Anyone who touched the fence without knowing the secret would be divided before they knew what hit them.
-(I'll have to remember to look for a body or two later)-
I made sure the fence had only one entrance on one side. Once it was lined with [Sticky Thread], my work here was done. All that remained was to wait for the scouts to return.
At this moment, the wounded goblins were beginning to wake up, their wounds healed. They furtively pressed their bodies together, looking at each other curiously.
-(Those things seem like a big blow.)-
I had assumed I'd need to administer multiple doses to the most seriously ill patients, but it worked much better than I thought. I had no complaints about that mistake.
After that, I had the goblins gather the extra material, pile it up in the center of the village grounds, and set it on fire.
It reminded me of more than one camping trip, but now wasn't the time for marshmallows. We'd have to keep watch all night. I offered to handle it with just Night, but was flatly refused.
-"No way, Yukimaru-sama! We could never allow you to carry such a heavy load!"-
-"She's right! We'll handle watch duty for you. Please, Yukimaru-sama, take some time to rest a little!"-
The crowd around us echoed their approval. I appreciated the idea. They had to be much more exhausted than I was now, but I agreed to handle watch in shifts and rest when I wasn't on duty.
Just before midnight, the scouts returned, some injured, but all safe. The Fang Wolves began to move, they said. It's funny how I'd thought these ugly, filthy monsters were two days ago. Now I was starting to feel real affection for them.
-(If it were up to me, I'd like to put them through this without losing any of them.)-
To finish the plan, I applied [Sticky Thread] to the end of the entrance path.
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So that was our preparation process, more or less. Hostilities were underway, so there wasn't much else I could do. At this point, we had to stick to the plan.
I wasn't convinced the fence would be strong enough to hold off the attacks, but fortunately, the Fang Wolves couldn't get a good enough grip on it to do much. The traps sprang up mostly as I'd planned. That was a relief.
Anticipating this, I'd arranged for small slits built into the fence at regular intervals. Those openings were for arrows, so the goblins could attack from within and interfere with the enemy's movements. They opened fire, and even with their terrible aim, they made more than a few Fanged Wolves scream. Some of the enemy forces tried to open the spaces and break in that way... only to have their heads collapsed by the goblins wielding steel axes on either side of each hole.
It was also a surprise to me to discover that with the [Malleable Steel Body] Skill, I could create weapons for others. I just had to turn my arm into an axe, except for a part that remained the gooey mass. To obtain the weapon, I just had to detach it by cutting it away from the gooey part.
And voila! A perfect steel axe!
And thanks to the [Regeneration] Skill and Pain Resistance, I wasn't affected even if my arm was cut off. I'm literally a walking armory. Something very useful if you need weapons for your allies.
Obviously, I had to make smaller axes for the goblins. The poor things could barely lift them, and I had to help them by showing them how to use them.
Two hours wasn't enough practice time, but this village was making it to stay. They listened to everything I said, understood, and took action. And we were reaping the rewards.
The wolves were strong, yes, capable of taking on a flock of goblins at once, and perhaps even stronger as a pack. But if they were powerful alone, we could beat them all together. If they were powerful as a team, we'd make sure they couldn't unite.
Use your head and you can make it work. The strongest creature in the world, after all, is a human with a bit of intelligence and imagination!
No offense to the animals...
-(Your luck just ran out,)- I thought to myself as I looked into the cold eyes of Chief Fangwolf. I felt a smile form on my face. -(Some stupid animal hitting me? How conceited can you be?)-
Realizing what I just thought, I quickly tried to erase those thoughts and try smiling like that. If I kept this up, I'd become the person I was before.
-(Ugh. This dangerous world is corrupting me...)-
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The confused Alpha Fangwolf was shocked at how far off his plans had gone.
His pack was beginning to fall into confusion. That couldn't be allowed to continue. The Fangwolf tribe shone brightest only when they banded together. Distrust of the Alpha would lead to fatal results. He understood this too, and that was why he made his biggest mistake of all. He was furious at his pack's weakness, unable to overcome a simple fence, but he feared even more that his team's frustration would soon be directed at him.
-(I need to show them my strength,)- He thought. -(I am the strongest in my pack. I am more than strong enough, even by myself!)-
That was the moment everything was decided.
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My eyes remained firmly fixed on the Fang Wolf boss. To the goblins, he had disappeared, I assumed; but to me, he was walking at a slow pace.
Everything was going according to plan. I had considered a few possible outcomes, and now one of them was happening right in front of me.
The [Sticky Thread] over the entrance immediately captured the boss. As far as I knew, the silk wouldn't be enough to keep a Fang Wolf leader trapped. There was no way to test it beforehand, but that didn't matter anymore. The [Sticky Thread] was there only so we could hold the boss in place for a moment.
If I didn't hold him in place and he dodged the next [Water Blade] attack, that would look super pathetic. Or worse, he could catch my team in friendly fire. In the middle of a battle, that was entirely possible. That's why I devised the trap. But maybe I overdesigned it a bit. These guys hadn't even knocked down the fence yet. I considered lining the entrance with [Steel Thread], but opted against it, worried it wouldn't be a finishing blow.
In situations like these, it was my job to play the ultimate strongman, the ruler of the nest. That's what it was all for, and that's why, without another moment of hesitation, I threw a [Water Blade] at the chief's head.
It hit its mark. The head shot up, and then gravity took over. I'd killed the chief.
-"Listen, Fang Wolves! Your leader is dead! I'll grant you one final choice. Submit to me or die!"-
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-(I've already told you I want to end this with as few deaths as possible.)-
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-(I... I hope that never happens...)-
The truth is, I never expected to claim a life; even if it was that of a dangerous wolf. But this dangerous world forces you to kill to survive. Even so, I'll try my best to follow my principles and morals.
Then I looked at the rest of the Fanged Wolves. How are they going to deal with this? Will the death of their leader send them into such a frenzy that they'll wipe me out? I'd like to prevent that, if I could.
The remaining Fanged Wolves showed no signs of moving.
-(This isn't going to be one of those -"I'd rather die than submit to someone like you!"- situations, is it? Because if it is, it's going to be an all-out war.)-
We were still losing in terms of numbers, and we'd definitely have some casualties. We'd come this far without Goblin blood; I doubted we'd lose at this point, but I'd rather it ended without a fight.
It was strangely quiet, compared to the pitched battle just now. I could feel the Fanged Wolves' gazes on me. Amid their stares, I gradually began to inch forward. I couldn't tell how they would interpret this, but I wanted to emphasize that their leader was dead.
In a moment, I was standing in front of the Alpha's lifeless body. No one objected. One of them, who had positioned himself nearby, took a step back.
Then I used [Predator] on the corpse. -(It was my right as the victor, wasn't it?)-
The voice of [Great Sage] sounded in my mind.
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Sounds like a victory. But despite seeing their own leader being "eaten" in front of them, the rest of the Fanged Wolves showed no signs of moving.
-(Hmm... At this point, they'd either get scared and run away, or they'd get scared and come after me... Oh, right! I told them 'submit or die,' right? That could have been an avoidable mistake. I'd better give them an escape route!)-
I thought as I transformed into one of them.
Activating [Coercion], I spoke to them in a loud, guttural cry.
-"Arh-arh-arh! "Listen to me!"- I declared. -"Once, and once only, I will let this go unpunished. If you refuse to obey me, I order you to leave immediately!!"-
I thought that would be enough to send these dogs running.
I was wrong.
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-"Huh...?"-
I mumbled foolishly at the sight before me. Now they were bowing down to me, though it looked more like they were taking a nap. But regardless, they had apparently chosen to "submit" anyway. Perhaps they'd been having a little [Telepathic Communication] consultation about it while standing there like statues.
Well, it's better than having to fight them, anyway.
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-(However, it's always that, isn't it?) It's the fighting that's the hard part; it's all the cleanup afterward.)-
How was I so careless as to order them to destroy their own homes? What are we going to do with that? And where are all these goblins going to sleep tonight? And what am I supposed to do with all the Fanged Wolves? I mean, sure, we killed a good number of them, but that's still, like, eighty mouths to feed.
-(I, um... Ah, screw it. That's all for today, people! I'll think about it tomorrow, when everyone wakes up.)-
For the time being, I ordered the goblins to camp by the fire, told the Fanged Wolves to lie in wait around the village, and called it a night.
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Morning arrived.
I had spent the previous night thinking, mostly. The conclusion I came up with: Let the goblins take care of the wolves. Fangs! Perfect!
We had a total of seventy-two Goblins in fighting form. There were no casualties since yesterday. At most, a few scratches. Meanwhile, we had eighty-one surviving Fanged Wolves stationed outside the village fence, some injured, but none so seriously that a small Recovery Potion wouldn't revive them.
The morning began with me lining up the awake Goblins. The children and elderly watched from the sidelines. They couldn't help but stand out, given the lack of homes to hang out in.
On my right side was Night, and on my left was the village elder. The elder wanted to help me in some way, I guess, but there wasn't much an old goblin could do for me.
In front of this line of goblins, I summoned the Fangwolves.
-"Um, fine,"- I began. -"From now on, I'll have you pair up and live with each other, okay?"-
Then I gauged the response. I didn't get much from either. They expected me to continue, I guessed, without making a single sound as they glared at me. No one seemed to make an openly sour expression at the idea of pairing up, at least, so I assumed I was on decent ground.
-"You get what I mean? Like, groups of two, okay? Do it!"-
The moment I finished speaking, the goblins and the Fangwolves started exchanging glances with whoever was in front of them. Slowly and docilely, they followed my command. Yesterday's enemy is today's friend, and all that. They had to learn it the hard way, but at least everyone was on board.
Then I noticed something...
-(Wait, do any of these guys have names? What do they call each other and stuff? What a pain in the ass.)-
-"Elder,"- I said as I watched the matchmaking process unfold beside me. -"It's too inconvenient for me to refer to you and your people. I'd like to give all of you names. Would that be alright?"-
Everyone must have heard me somehow. Right at the word "names," every single one of them was fixated on me, even the non-fighting goblins, clearly thrown by this turn of events.
-"Are... Are you sure...?"-
The old man asked timidly.
-"What's the problem, huh?"-
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-(It seems so, but I think there's more to it than that...)-
-"Y-Yeah, um... If it's not a problem, I'd like to give out some names?"-
It was as if I'd simultaneously blown the minds of every Goblin in the compound. Each one erupted in enthusiastic cheers. What the heck? It's like you've all just won the lottery or something. If being named makes you so happy, why don't you just do it yourselves? It all seemed so simple to me at the time.
I started with the old man, asking him what his son's name was. He had been the only named Goblin in the village, now sadly deceased. It was "Rigur," apparently.
So I added a "d" to the end and named the old man "Rigurd." No particular reason for it, it just sounded right.
And maybe to bring honor to his deceased son.
-"I... I can't express my gratitude enough,"- He stammered. -"For being given permission to take my son's name!"-
It was starting to make me feel a little guilty... But ah, what the heck!
The leader of the Goblin scouts, meanwhile, I named Rigur. I could have added a "II" to the end, I suppose, but why make this more complicated than it had to be? "Rigur" was fine.
Fine enough to make him kneel before me in prayer, as if this were the most emotional moment of his life. Geez. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. So I continued, all the way down the line. I also did it to the rest of the curious while they were there, having the families decide on their names and come up with whatever they wanted for the orphans and singles in the village.
-"Yukimaru-sama?"- The newly baptized Rigurd asked. -"We're very, very grateful for this, but... Are you... Are you sure?"-
-"About what?"-
-"I mean, I'm fully aware of the extent of your magical powers, Yukimaru-sama, but... Providing all these names at once... Will you be okay?"-
-(What are you talking about? I'm just handing out names to you guys)-
-"Hm?"- I replied. -"No, no problem, I don't think so."-
Then I did it again. Rigurd raised his eyebrows for a moment, but I paid him no further attention.
Once I was done with the Goblins, it was time to move on to the Fanged Wolves.
Their new leader would be the son of the old wolf, just as strong and strong-willed as his father, and he already looked so majestic.
Looking into his golden eyes, I thought for a moment. -(Hmm. What about Ranga? That combines the Japanese characters for storm and fang into one peppy little word. Perfect! Cheap, maybe, but I went with it. I'm a Tempest now; he has fangs... That's fine by me. Maybe I'm not good at this.)-
The moment I named him Ranga, I began to feel as if practically all the Magical Energy flowing through my body was being drained away. The feeling of emptiness, the violent emptying of my insides; it was mind-blowing.
-(What... What's going on?)-
It was a fatigue like none I'd ever felt before.
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-(I don't know! All I did was name names! Oh... Now I understand what Rigurd meant. But it doesn't make sense! I just gave them names, nothing more!)-
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-(No! Not another nap that lasts for days!)-
But it was too late. Little by little, I began to lose consciousness.
I tried moving. No response. "Sleep mode" must be something like hibernation. I wasn't asleep, but I couldn't move at all. All I could do was sit, which was fine, because the Goblins had prepared a seat of honor for me by the fire, so I might as well enjoy it; even though it was only a log.
The last thing I heard was Night barking in concern. And then...
Everything went dark around me...
TO BE CONTINUED!!!
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Author's Notes
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Please note that this story is mostly centered around Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken and another novel that you may recognize. Please also note that Rimuru is completely replaced by my own character (Yukimaru). You are warned.
Disclaimers:
The character or story mentioned from an anime, or novel, does not belong to me. Instead, it belongs to Ichiei Ishibumi (High School DxD), Fuse, Mitz Vah (Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken) and Patora Fuyuhara (Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomo ni)
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Upcoming chapters (Spoilers):
Chapter 9- Evolution and Travel Preparations
Chapter 10- The Girl and the Titan
Chapter 11- Arriving at the Dwarf Kingdom