"Ugh…"
I groaned as I woke up in the middle of night once again. But this time it wasn't due to my nightmares. I had something I planned to do during night time.
I got up from my new comfy bed. I moved into my new house with my classmates the day after the subjugation of the monster horde. It was a small two story 3LDK house (3 Bedrooms, a Living room, a Kitchen, and a Dining room). I took the master bedroom for myself and the others split the remaining rooms between boys and girls.
"Haa… I can't believe I only got to use my bed once before leaving…"
I planned to leave on my journey in the middle of the night without telling anyone.
The reason I did this was to throw off any schemers that could be secretly plotting against me and my classmates. Even though we managed to fool those guys from the Royal Army back then, I still felt uneasy about it. The monster horde that coincidentally occurred while we were still here increased my uneasiness.
We don't even know who or what summoned us to this world. Based on the information we had gathered so far, we think that it's related to the hero and demon king cycle that occurs in this world every 100 years. But we don't understand why we came only 34 years after the last cycle or why none of us have the [Light Magic] skill that heroes are supposed to have.
All this mystery and unease make me feel like a target has been painted on my back. In some of the novels I read back on Earth, the people who were brought to another world via summoning, reincarnation, transmigration or some other means usually stood out and experienced trouble after trouble as a result.
It was only recently that I realized that I was going down the same path they did. I had become too well known in this city, especially after that monster horde incident.
In order to avoid problems and dangers during my journey, I need to lay low and not stand out.
I left a letter that I wrote for my classmates on the table next to my bed. They were the only ones who knew where I was heading. In the letter, I said my goodbyes and left instructions on what to do with my house if they ever decide it was time for them to leave Lam City. It's a shame that I can't say goodbye to the other people that I've grown close to especially the hard working loli, Dawn.
"At least there won't be any cringey sentimental moments." I thought to myself.
I picked up my pack which was made of my mud. It was stuffed with the things I bought and prepared yesterday for my journey. I activated [Stealth], made my clothes into hooded robe mode, and I jumped out my bedroom window and headed towards the south gate.
The first destination on my journey to the Beastman Kingdom is Aqua Port City.
###
"Haa… God dammit."
I sighed and cursed at the annoying situation that was about to happen.
"Come out! I know you're there. You've been following me ever since I left Lam City."
I turned around and yelled at the person in the distance behind me who was trying to stay hidden. I had just left Lam City and walked along the main road for a while before I noticed this guy following me with [Sensing]. I don't know how he was tracking me even though I had [Stealth] activated.
From the shadows, a hooded figure with a mask on his face appeared and walked closer to me.
"You have excellent detecting abilities if you were able to notice me." The man said with a raspy voice trying to disguise himself.
Unfortunately for him, he is within range for me to use [Appraisal Analysis] on him.
---
Name: Nat Lv. 3
Job: Shadow Stalker
Race: Human Shadow
---
Surprisingly, it was Dawn's brother Nat.
"Who are you and what do you want?" I asked while pretending to not know him.
"I found it suspicious that you sneaked out of the city in the middle of the night so I followed you." He said.
"If anybody is suspicious it would be you. Have you seen yourself in a mirror lately?" I retorted.
Nat was in a black getup that looked even more edgy then what he usually wears. Coupled with that mask he had on, he was like a certain Chinese electric batman from an anime I watched except with a hood.
"You think you're funny, huh?" He said before suddenly disappearing.
I immediately ducked and avoided a dagger that slashed where my eyes were just now. Nat looked surprised. I couldn't see the expression on his face due to the mask but his body stood still for a moment.
I took this chance to use [Boost] and kicked with my right leg straight upward as I stood up. Before my kick could land a devastating blow on every man's weak spot, Nat disappeared again and appeared a few meters away from me in a combat stance.
"You're quite a slippery and ruthless bastard aren't you?" I said to him. If I hadn't dodged that attack, I would have been blinded.
"I can say the same to you. Your reflexes are faster than I expected… This will be harder than I thought…"
Nat regained his composure and got more serious. I took off my pack and dropped it. I was only able to dodge that attack because I already knew his fighting style. I actually have a cold sweat running down my back right now.
From that exchange, I already knew that I was no match for him in terms of speed without [Boost].
"What's your objective anyways? Is it to kill me, rob me, or what?" I asked in order to buy time and make preparations.
"Tell me." He said. "Are you and your friends from another world?"
?!
That question caught me off guard. I tried my best to not let it show on my face, but Nat seemed to notice the change. He disappeared again and reappeared in the air behind me while grabbing a black spear that came out of nowhere. Did he throw it up there in that last attack?
I found him with [Sensing] and quickly threw my left hand at him after detaching it from the wrist.
"Earth Spear!"
It morphed into a mud spear midair. Nat also threw his dark spear at me. He blinked away to dodge my spear and I jumped to the side to avoid his.
His spear hit the ground near my backpack and then it slowly disappeared leaving behind a black spider web mark. It looks like getting hit by his attacks would leave a debuff or curse on me.
Shit. Third jobs are annoying.
"Judging from your reaction, I'm right aren't I? You and those four guys with you are not originally from this world." Nat stood near where his spear hit the ground.
"What's it to you? Don't tell me you are part of that Royal Army that came here before to kill us?" I said.
If I tried to deny it, he might just go after the others. I should use this opportunity to find out who is behind him and maybe find out why we were summoned here in the first place. If I can, I will kill him and get the others to run away from this place with me.
"Heh. You'll find out once I capture you and- Argh!"
Nat was pierced in the leg by a mana coated mud spike that originated from my pack that he was standing near. Earlier, I dissolved the ground and buried my stuff underground while controlling my mud backpack to go underneath him.
I jumped into action and lunged at him while shapeshifting my left arm into a rapier.
*Poof*
A dark cloud of smoke burst out from Nat. I stabbed at where he should have been but I didn't feel like I hit anything. He also got free from my mud spike somehow.
"*Cough* Hey I have another question. Whenever I saw you using a skill, you never shouted out its name. Why?" I asked while changing my left arm back to normal.
Whether it was when he was using that blink teleport move or when he made that dark spear, Nat had kept his mouth shut. Everyone I've met so far has had to shout out the skill name to use it. Even Argo. Besides me and Nat, the only other being I've seen using a skill without saying the skill name is…
"Are you perhaps… a monster?"
I felt the smoke surrounding me start to stir. I used [Sensing] to the max to try and find Nat.
"Hah. Don't bunch me up with those mindless creatures." Nat's voice resounded throughout the smoke. It was like he himself became smoke.
If that's the case, then… "Disturb!"
I used [Mana Disturb] to try and scatter the smoke.
"AAAAHHHH!"
I heard Nat scream. All the smoke started to condense at one place at a rapid pace.
"Disturb!"
I used [Mana Disturb] again and blasted the smoke cloud into the forest. I followed after it and saw Nat's body starting to reform but he was covered in wounds and his clothes were ripped in several places.
It was then that I recalled Nat's race, Human Shadow. I just thought that it was a result of him jobbing up similar to Argo's Lycan Fighter job as a Wolf Beastman. Maybe it's related to his no chant skill activation?
I took out Blood Bane and pointed it at Nat's face.
"*Cough* If you don't want me to kill you, tell me who you work for. *Cough*"
"What the hell type of skill did- Arghhh!"
I used [Mana Disturb] once again but this time without saying it out like him. Nat writhed on the ground in pain. Since he already knows I'm from another world, there's no need to hide it anymore.
"Just tell me who! The only thing I want to come out of your mouth is a name! *Cough cough*"
I inhaled some of the smoke from earlier and it was making my throat really itchy. It's probably due to the mana in the smoke being rejected by the mana in my body. I tried to force it out.
"Fine! Fine. The person who sent me was… " Nat paused.
I suddenly felt a stabbing pain from inside me. I immediately swung down Blood Bane. He somehow managed to dodge and save his life. However, I was able cut off his right arm.
"UURRGGG!"
I spat out a mouthful of blood as my insides riled up. It felt like my lungs were on fire. I did my best to focus but with no other choice, I used [Mana Disturb] on myself to get rid of the foreign mana that was wreaking havoc inside me. I succeeded, but my own flow of mana was in disarray as a result. It was hard just to maintain the form of my body and clothes.
"Haa… haa… I can't believe you made me use this." Nat said as he took out an expensive looking potion.
We were both in sorry states now. However, when he drank the potion, his wounds started to heal. Even his arm started to grow back. Meanwhile, I was trying to spam [Heal] on myself while dissolving the magic crystals I stored in my mud body. I used the two health recovery potions I bought and kept inside as well.
I even reabsorbed my socks and shoes to recover the mana I stored in them.
Just then, Nat blinked in front of me and kicked me in the stomach and knocked me down onto the ground. His method of recovery was much faster than mine.
"Let me repay you!" Nat yelled. I could see his bloodshot eyes behind the mask.
With a slash of his dagger, he severed my right arm.
"GAAAAAHH!"
My only remaining limb! [Regeneration] already takes forever to regrow my flesh and now my last remaining original limb was cut off by this bastard!
"I SHOULD HAVE F*CKING KILLED YOU WHEN I HAD THE CHANCE!" I screamed in anger.
If it wasn't because I wanted to get information out of him, I would have beheaded him while he was still down on the ground. Now the situation has reversed.
"HAHAHAHA! It's too late to regret now b*tch!" Nat laughed maniacally. "My boss will forgive me for killing you! I'll just capture those four instead and bring them to her. Hahahaha!"
I started to become numb to the pain coming from inside me. But the pain coming from where my right arm was severed started to feel more intense. A black aura was smoking out from where he cut me.
I wanted to use [Mana Disturb] on him but I couldn't because my mana flows still weren't back in order. If I tried to use it now, it would also affect me which would make the situation much worse for myself.
"Any last words, other worlder?"
"…" I glared at Nat. "How would Dawn feel if she found out you killed me?"
There was silence for a moment. Nat was taken aback by my words, surprised that I knew who he was.
"… She'll never find out as long as you die here. We're not even real siblings in the first place." After saying this Nat raised his dagger to deal the finishing blow.
"Yeah I thought so based on your race. But hearing it from your mouth makes me relieved."
"Is that so?"
"Yup. Because now I can kill you and die without a guilty conscience."
Didn't think my last moments would be like this. But if I was gonna die anyways, I might as well not give the killer the satisfaction.
Detonate.
*BOOM*
CHAPTER END.
Name: Ruby Sen Lv. 15
Age: 17
Race: ???
Class: ???
Job: - Lv. 15
HP: 15 [0%]
MP: 16 [0%]
STR: 15
DEF: 14
INT: 21
WILL: 17
SPD: 13
<
Assimilate
Mana Manipulation
Physical Resistance
Foresight
Shapeshift
Mana Absorption
Novice Magic Caster
Poison Resistance
Sleep Resistance
Regeneration
Intermediate Weapon Master
<
Dissolve
Sensing
Sculpting
Detonate
Appraisal Analysis
Cloning
Mana Designing
Mana Disturb
Heal
Boost
Stealth
Engraving
<
Tongue Enhancement