Chapter 5
A flat look, and he pointed his weapon at it.
"Become my pre-"
Prey? Like when he just appeared here? This thing wants him to become his prey?
'Why all things like to bullshit when they fought?'
He used his Lurk.
Brief invisibility, speed increased by 5%.
And he stabs forward his short sword.
Thuck!
Only the 5cm of his sword sink into the shitty creature that disturbs his peace.
"Kheeukh! That hurt you little-"
He used his Lurk again, sometimes he wondered if this a cheat skill or not, small mana requirement and sudden invisibility, with 5% increase in speed.
Cooldown? There's no such a thing as cooldown.
It covered the equipment he equipped too.
It tried to search for him, but unfortunately for it, the Lurk skill-
Absolute dominance in battle it produces.
"Akkkh! Where's that fool?!"
He moved his legs full of grace, as if it was a normal thing to do, and motioned his body to get behind the alien.
He inspects its back hurriedly, trying to find the weakness of this near indestructible looking skin.
Of course, he's not experienced in 'Find a weakness spot' of a horrid creature like this.
Most monster like Rookie Killers or Bears, whatever monsters that he encountered had furs as their skins, not like this steel-like scales this creature has.
It was ridiculous, he thought.
A blur hit his face.
He was thrown by it, getting hit by that powerful impact without any defense except for his body, it feels like his face will be broke in any moment.
Getting thrown to the tree behind him with such a force, it really hurt his back.
"Do you take me as a fool?"
Its glowing blue eyes illuminating his sight, its head turned towards him in such a creepy manner, it didn't even move its body!
He guessed that it hits him with its mantis-like arm's elbow, from the way it posed right now.
He spit his blood onto the ground, snorting as he looks at it with indifferent look, furrowed eyebrows complimented them.
He sweeped his hair that blocked his eyes, pushing himself up.
The shadow that covered him by the tree make him looks aesthetic.
He smirked, and the aesthetic turned into evil.
It eyes look like they're confused when it sees the human's lips curled up in such a provocative way, it was as if he mocked it "You're a fool to fall for such a trick."
"Wha-?"
He put up his hand and show it what he was holding.
A rope.
It eyes followed where it came from and...
It came from its behind.
Its nape to be precise.
It eyes widened.
But as the saying goes, "It was too late."
He immediately pulled the rope with all his strength, and the sword that sink into the soft nape of the Alien motioned to the left, slicing the nape brutally.
It screamed, and at the same time illuminating blue liquid sprayed from the fatal wound it has.
He took this chance, and run with all he got.
He pulls out his knife decisively, and with haste he stab every part of its body.
It cannot do anything, it foolishly underestimated his enemies because of its insane defense and neglected the fact that it actually has a weakness.
All were in its prediction, but what it couldn't understand was how did this human find its weakness? Its nape was perfectly camouflaged amongst the midst of its scales.
It wondered, wondered, and wondered, but alas, all of it is too late.
It wounds keep increasing because of quick stab from Kazuma, and the blood loss it suffers had managed to bring it to the brink of death.
And finally, it had died.
And to be more pathetic, it didn't even had the chance to fight back.
He brought back his short-sword and his rope, putting them into where they came from, he sighed, then he checked his card.
The '25' turned into '27'.
"Such weird ass creature, at least it levels me up to level 27."
He, once again, sighed, in remorse.
'I don't even gave it a chance to show it abilities, ah, what if I encountered another one of those? Stronger one, if I think about the worst scenario? I wouldn't have any idea about what it will reveal!'
One thing for sure, it has a really high agility.
"TWO CONSECUTIVE LEVEL UP IN YOUR TWENTIES?!"
A sudden scream startled him out, he doesn't need to search for it because the source reveal it- herself.
Megumin was standing there, hugging her staff while looking at him tearfully.
He guessed because of the alien creature that she became like that.
"This is unfair! I killed hundreds of monsters in East and all I got was only level 4! And you! You killed a single thing and yet you get 2 consecutive level-ups in your twenties!"
In Axel territory, monster hunting ground was divided into 4 areas, East, North, West and South.
East- Beginner, one with level 1 to 20 was recommended to go to this area.
North- Intermediate, usually one with level 21 was the only one who could enter this.
West- Advance, it's not clear, some said the requirement is level 31, some said it's 41 and some even said 50.
South- Undead's area, immediate retreat.
Usually, people from other cities and towns came from North and East because these areas are the least dangerous out of them all.
And advanced adventurer goes to West if they wanted to go to the Capital.
But lately, no one had gone there, even level 40 in Axel refused to do so.
The Capital has more advanced gear, missions, and rewards, why didn't they wanted to?
Perhaps this creature was the answer.
Same for the other way around, travellers/spectators from the Capital cannot be seen in Axel from the West for the last 3 months.
Even he, who believed himself to be efficient in battle cannot defeat this creature in the borderline of the West easily, to be more precise, he only got lucky to randomly guess which spot was the weakness and managed to defeat it.
Though it makes sense if he loses, he was supposed to enter this Advanced area when he was already on level 30, but he still came here.
Though he expects to be safe because he only strolled around in the borderline area...
He wasn't safe, not at all, even though he was at the not the actual territory.
The core of the West? He can't even imagine it.
"Wait, how did you know that I levelled up?"
He asked in confusion, looking at her curiously.
"Ah, the air around you would revolve surrounding you and it would glow slightly, I noticed that you level up twice because it was gone but it appeared again."
'So that's how it is...'
"...You noticed a refreshing feeling in your body, right? That is one of the signs that you level up, so you don't have to check on your card if you want to know your level, just calculate it in your mind and boom! You could find out your current level instantly."
She explained, her eyes were pointed at him in ridicule.
"What? You didn't know?"
He just ignored her ridicule and continue with his unanswered question.
"..In my twenties?"
Megumin, being a genius herself, of course, noticed it and immediately moved on, as she answered his question with less enthusiasm than before.
"Yeah, you said you were level 27, right? We called those people 'In their twenties' Kind of weird, but oh well." She shrugged.
"So, a 30 level guy called the thirties?"
"Yeah."
He nodded in understanding.
"Wait, should you asked me about the creature that I fought a few minutes ago?"
He inquired, the teardrops in her eyes are still clear though, it is possible to be in that state just because of jealously?
If it is, he thought this girl was ridiculous.
"Why should I? Only 'Utter Perfection' that could call that monstrous powerful monster! I bet it can take my Explosion Magic a few times! It's worth my praise!"
"Tsk, battle maniac loli."
He muttered to the wind, unfortu-
"Hey! What did you say?!"
"Nothing, let's go back."
He looks in the direction of Axel, clicking his tongue a few times.
'I thought they just exaggerating the danger of the West, but damn, just the borderline area of the West was occupied with that kind of shit, what kind of things that I will have to defeat in order to enter this Advanced area?'
Indeed, he fights the monsters that always above his level.
Why? The experience they give are ridiculous! If he killed a monster level higher than him, every 1 level will increased the experience he received by 10%!
For example, a level 28 monster could give him over 2,300 experience, but if he killed it at level 25, he could received it with 30% more.
That mean he will received 2,960 exp!
Absolutely insane!
Though the risks were cannot be underestimated...
Oh well, he only fight those with mostly 5 levels above him.
He could not estimated which level that Alien on, but one thing for sure.
They have intelligence, and that is shit.
"Haah?! But why?! I want to try my ultimate spell on some of them a few times! Let's go deeper!"
"No."
"Don't worry, if the situation get out of hand, I-"
"What? You what? Cast your explosion? Don't be dumb, you said it can take your explosion for a few times, right? Yeah, it shows how powerful its defense is, and its attack cannot be underestimated either."
He scoffed, looking at the direction to the deeper area of West.
"And you can only cast your spell once, and after that..."
He sighed in her stupidness, putting his hand on his forehead.
"You're smart, Megumin, and so, you and I knew that we will just seeking death by going deeper."
Megumin just bowed her head, fiddling her hat and gripping her staff in frustration.
Frustrated because the spell she believed to be so powerful cannot kill those creatures instantaneously.
"I learnt that we cannot count on someone else, only when we count on ourselves that everything will be possible."
He took a glance at her, indifferent plastered in his eyes.
"Stop counting on your stupid spell, start counting on yourself and learn how to survive on your own."
She just keeps bowing, not replying to what he had said.
He didn't mind it, looking at the road ahead of them.
"Let's go back."
"Un."
He stopped for a moment, recalling what she just said, he glanced at her and asked.
"How did you know that they could take your Explosion Magic a few times?"
Megumin blinked, cupping her chin before answered him with a proud tone.
"Of course, I'm a genius, so I speculated it! Haha!"
He just sighed, she's really hopeless.
'Regardless, it really scared me if it really could take that extremely powerful as shit Explosion Magic a few times, a few times!'
And he killed it just by slicing its nape, how could he believed her speculation?
'Maybe she just likes to exaggerating things.'
He nodded to himself, yes, that must be it!
In front of the town's gate, Axel.
On their way, they didn't speak to each other that much, just something like trivial daily activities, like "I need to drink." or "Let's get that fruit."
When they have arrived here, Kazuma glanced at her and said.
"...You should strengthen yourself and go to the East."
She looks heartbroken, her big crimson eyes were in tears.
"...Y-You kicked me out?"
"Nope, if you want to strengthen yourself, I think it won't be efficient if you go with me, I always fight alone, it's not your fault, it's just me that can't help you, so I feel bad for you and suggest for you to go to the East so you can level up faster."
An excuse.
Megumin naturally knew that, it's an excuse, he could help her to level up at the North, but he simply said to her to level up on her own.
But she knows, that he has his hidden meaning, it's always like that when she's with him, he always gives her important lessons.
So she was determined, to improve herself.
"What requirement do I have to have to be your party member?"
He looks at the ground, pondering for a brief moment, before he glanced at her and smiled.
She was timid when she saw that smile.
"Level 25, and you can go with me."
...Level 25?
"I..."
Megumin was pessimist at first, from level 4 to level 25, how long it will take for her to reach it?
And even if she did, how high Kazuma could reach in that time?
She shook her head, slapping her cheeks hard, before nodding at him with a firm determination.
She could learn an ultimate spell her classmates couldn't, and stand firm on her path to become a powerful explosion magician, even though so many people urge her to just become a normal powerful mage.
How could she shrink back before a challenge from a friend that she attempted to get close to?
How could she give up before she even tries?
"Remember Kazuma, remember your promise!"
She pointed her staff at him, flushed look could be seen clearly on her face.
Flushing in excitement, nervousness, and something else.
In fact, right now, only he could see it.
He just smirked.
"As expected of a prodigy, I'm waiting for you."
She then turned around from him, walking to a path she never takes.
A path that she choose on her own for the first time in her journey as an adventurer, as a mage!
Even though she only met him for 2 days, it was the first time she made a bond with someone else on her own accord.
How could she let him go that easily?
"I'm no nobody, I'm Megumin! A soon powerful mage that would be stand out from other mages! Just a mere challenge? How could I shrink back from it?! Remember Kazuma! REMEMBER!"
He looks at her silhouette, sighing at himself.
"I REMINDED YOU ONE MORE TIME! R-E-M-E-M-B-E-R!"
But what can he do? It's his instinct that urges him to be alone, he feels unconsciously uncomfortable, especially when there are other people around him.
This instinct... it's his instinct.
His instinct to be alone that had been forged for years.
Sometimes he mistook it as 'hatred', the uncomfortable feeling when he occupied with other people, it's his instinct.
And it's difficult to remove it.
Perhaps he would have companions in the future, that's absolute, he will need companions for the future.
But one thing, one thing that he sure of himself that cannot be removed nor changed.
His instinct, to not count on someone else, to reject people's help, and fight for himself.
Fight, alone.
Perhaps he has to let it out, so maybe he will have to temporarily leave his companions.
But that's a thing that for him, is absolute.
It's unchanged.
It's his resolve.
His own thing that makes him, Him.
To be different from all.
To be alone.
To not tell, only show.
Can he accomplish it? He certainly doesn't know.
But he'll try.
He must try.
He was... well, he was copying others' way of life in his first life.
As a hikikomori.
There are a lot of hikikomoris other than him.
But now?
A second chance, no one could get this.
Not everyone at least.
And he? He got it.
And undoubtedly, he will make himself worth.
A worth that no one has.
A worth only for himself.