On my way down the mountain road, I came across a female Lonely Wolf.
When I casually checked it with [Appraisal], a surprising fact was revealed.
Lonely Wolf (Female) A wolf-type monster that prefers solitude. They mate during mating season and prey on males when they become pregnant.
Preying on males makes it seem like a praying mantis, doesn't it…?
I wonder if the reason the hoard of male Lonely Wolf ran away was to avoid being eaten alive by the female? If that's the case, it made sense. Everyone wants to save their own life, don't they?
"Grrrrrrr!"
The female in front of me attacked me with a ferocious growl.
I'm indeed a male, but I'm not a Lonely Wolf, you know.
I don't want to become food, so I swing my hikino wooden sword to strike back.
Then I heard a voice announcing my level up.
With this experience gain, you are now level 16, your HP and MP have increased, and your physical abilities have improved!
I was only level 8 when I left the city of Aunen, so I've leveled up quite a bit.
It's time for me to check my status properly once again.
Kou Kousaka, age twenty-nine, male, human, level 16, HP200, MP3100
Skills: [Transmigrator] [Full Assist] [Creation] [Dexterity] [Artisan's Divine Eye] [Item Box] [Dismantling] [Appraisal] [Automatic Collection]
[Automatic Collection] was learned in this battle, but I wonder if more skills would be added as I level up. If so, I'm looking forward to it.
As I was walking down the mountain thinking about this, I found a large spring.
The view was not bad, and there was a rock to sit on.
Just as I was about to take a break for lunch… I noticed two adventurers sitting a short distance away.
A boy in armor and a girl dressed in white.
If I were to describe them in RPG style, I'd say they were a swordsman and a priest.
Both were young and had the air of novice adventurers. They were both gasping for breath- perhaps they escaped from a monster?
Anyway, since they were adventurers, I thought I'd at least say hello.
"You look like you're in trouble. Are you okay?"
As I approached, the two slowly turned to look at me. Both of them had complex expressions and seemed to be terribly frightened.
"That armor… are you perhaps the 'Bear Killer'?"
The swordsman boy asked me, and I nodded.
"I'm Kou Kousaka, an F-rank adventurer. Please call me Kou instead of 'Bear Killer' if you can."
"Um…"
The priestess looked up at me as if she wanted to say something.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, um, I think you should get off the mountain if you can…"
"Did you get attacked by an Armored Bear?"
I asked, and the swordsman boy answered, "No."
"It was a huge spider-like monster. It was big and fast, and we were no match for it. …maybe it's a Black Spider."
"The Black Spider is an A+ danger level monster, and if it were real, it would be living farther into the mountains."
The girl added.
"But somehow, it seems to have made its way out to this area…"
When I asked them about the situation in detail, they told me that they were new adventurers who had just become E rank. Today, they were visiting Fatos Mountain for a gathering quest. It was a job that was appropriate for their rank and should have been less dangerous.
However, they had the misfortune of running into a Black Spider.
The Black Spider was much more powerful than the Armored Bear, and there was no way that either the boy or the girl would have survived.
"But then an A-ranked adventurer happened to pass by."
"She was a woman from the dragon-folk tribe… I think her name was Iris."
I was a little surprised when a name I knew suddenly came up.
The first impression of Iris was that she was an indifferent and cold woman, but she was kind at heart and quite good-natured.
It seemed that she confronted the Black Spider single-handedly to let the boy and girl escape while she fought it.
"It is said that about fifteen adventurers of B rank or higher are needed to defeat the Black Spider."
The priestess muttered with a dazed expression.
"Iris-san was badly injured because she protected us, and I'm sure that by now…"
"…I wonder about that."
The body of the dragon-folk tribe was much stronger than that of ordinary humans.
Iris might still be alive.
Then maybe I should go and help her. It is possible that it is too late, of course, but I want to believe in her survival.
"Do you know where the Black Spider is? Just give me a general direction."
I asked, and the boy pointed across the fountain.
"Over there. Don't tell me you're going to…"
"I'll go find Iris. You two go down the mountain first."
"Kou-san, that's impossible. It's too dangerous."
"I'm not trying to fight the Black Spider. It will be fine."
"But…"
The boy looked at the girl with a troubled expression as if asking for help. But what came out of the girl's mouth were not words to persuade me.
"I understand. We will go down the mountain and ask for help from the adventurer's guild. Please take care of Iris-san."
"Eh? Wait a minute."
The boy made a puzzled voice.
"Why didn't you stop him? In the first place, we don't even know if the adventurer Iris is still alive."
"I heard the voices of the spirits. They said that we should let Kou-san go."
The priestess told him in a clear voice.
…Spirit?
Spirits had a familiar presence in fantasy anime and games, but its position varied greatly from one work to another. What kind of existence is a spirit in this world?
When I tilted my head, the priestess immediately answered my question.
"Spirits are invisible beings that control various natural phenomena. I have a skill called [Spirit's Guidance], and sometimes the spirits call out to me.
"…We've been saved by the [Spirit's Guidance ] many times before."
The boy muttered to himself.
"If the spirit says so, I won't stop you anymore. But please don't overdo it."
"Please be careful, Kou-san. ──May the gods and spirits bless you."
"Thank you, both of you. I'll be back."
I thanked them both and left.
With the armored bear armor's"Hearing Enhancement A"in effect, I continued along the mountain path.
"Iris, please, please stay alive…"
A cold sweat slipped down my right cheek. The worst-case scenario flashed through my mind, but I told myself that it would be okay.
I thought I was the calm and cautious type, but it seemed that I was mistaken. I guess I just haven't encountered anything that would shake me up until now.
Aah…
Hmm?
I think I just heard someone's voice from my left.
"I better go check it out."
In my experience, it's better to follow my instincts in such cases. I turned to the left and continued my search for Iris, looking for signs in my surroundings.
Soon, the landscape around me began to turn a little more disturbing.
The trees were torn to shreds, and the corpses of Lonely Wolves were lying everywhere.
Was this the result of the Black Spider's rampage?
As I continued, I found an extraordinary sight.
It was an open area.
Most of the trees had been cut down from the roots, and at the far end of the clearing… About thirty meters from here, Iris was lying on the ground. A pool of blood spreads out around her.
──Ugh.
I could hear her breathing painfully.
It seemed that Iris was still alive.
I continued to be vigilant as I approached her, step by step. To be honest, I wanted to run to her right now, but I considered the possibility of a trap.
And I was right.
I was about fifteen meters away from Iris when I felt my feet shake violently. I jumped back reflexively and saw something crawling out of the ground with a cloud of dust.
It was a giant spider, about the size of a light truck, with sharp fangs peeking out from its mouth.
Could this be the Black Spider?
I immediately activated my [Appraisal].
Black Spider: A giant spider-shaped monster. It is highly intelligent and hunts its prey with a speed that is unimaginable from its huge body. Its body is covered with a special shell that makes it extremely resistant to magic. The paralyzing poison secreted from its fangs is very powerful, so be careful.
The thread it spits out of its mouth is extremely viscous but can be specially processed to become a high-grade material for clothing.
As for the Black Spider, it must have been hiding in the ground with the intention of ambushing anyone who came to save Iris.
That's smart for a monster. That's what I'd call an A+ danger level monster.
"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
With a cry, the Black Spider moved.
It closed the distance with an unimaginable speed from its huge body. It bore its fangs, and tried to bite me.
"Kuh…!"
Of course, I'm not going to be beaten silently.
I took out the wooden sword from my [Item Box] and activated [Dexterity].
"Haaaahhhhh!"
The slash that I launched as a counter, however, was dodged with a flutter. The Black Spider's movements were as light as a butterfly.
I didn't let down my attack. I stepped in and slashed it in succession. Some of the slashes inflicted shallow wounds on the Black Spider, but they were far from fatal.
"…Tch!"
I couldn't help but click my tongue.
My objective was to rescue Iris. She's been injured quite badly. She needed to be treated as soon as possible.
With that in mind, I didn't have time to play around with the Black Spider, but the fight was becoming a back-and-forth stalemate.
If this continued, I wouldn't be able to heal her in time, so I had to settle this quickly…
"Shaaaaaaaaaa!"
But my attack failed to deliver a decisive blow, and on the contrary, I was met with a counterattack.
It was a physical attack that took advantage of a momentary gap. I could not defend or evade and was flung away by the Black Spider's huge body.
My body slammed into the ground, rolling over and over, and eventually crashed into the base of a nearby tree.
The impact was so severe that the bones of my entire body could have been torn apart, but the damage was not so severe.
Thanks to the defensive performance of the armored bear armor and having my body strengthened by the level-up.
The only damage I sustained was that I had to let go of my hikino wooden sword.
The weapon had fallen about five meters away.
I was about to stand up immediately when the Black Spider lifted its body and released a white thread from the tip of its tail.
It was as sticky as birdlime and stuck to my body. The thread was also entangled in the tree behind me.
I tried to get out, but I couldn't. I was in a crucifixion-like situation.
"Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The Black Spider roared in delight.
I've got you. It felt like it was saying that.
I look for a way to escape. But my body doesn't move a muscle.
Meanwhile, the Black Spider was right in front of me. Sharp fangs peeked out from its large mouth.
Once that thing is thrusted into my throat, I'm sure I wouldn't be able to survive.
It is said that when a human being is about to die, their concentration increases to the extreme in order to survive.
I was in that very state right now. Everything seemed to slow down.
Thoughts are sharpened and accelerated, and time is stretched to infinity.
In this moment that seemed like an eternity, my mind drifted back to the moment after I had been transported to another world.
I touched the hikino tree and stored it in the [Item Box]. The [Item Box] can store any object that is in contact with my body.
If so, then maybe…
"…..!"
It was a close call.
I evaded the Black Spider's fangs just in time and rolled around on the ground to get away from it.
The thread that had been attached to my body and the tree behind me disappeared from the spot without a trace.
As for what I did, the answer is simple.
I stored everything in my [Item Box].
I wasn't sure if it was actually possible, but apparently, the goddess of fortune hadn't given up on me yet.
"Shaaaaah!"
The Black Spider's eyes glazed over, and it let out a surprised grunt.
That's good. Now let's fight back.
I picked up the hikino wooden sword that had fallen to the ground and I noticed a large red spear lying near it. It's Iris's spear. I picked it up as well. I want to help your master, so please help me.
I held the wooden sword in my left hand and the large spear in my right.
Of course, I have activated my [Dexterity].
"Haaaaahhhhh!"
I closed the distance at once and unleashed a slash.
I avoided the Black Spider by a hair's breadth, but by that time, I had already moved on to my next attack.
A spear thrust. It gouged deeply into the Black Spider's body.
"Kiiiiii!"
A scream echoed.
I didn't let down on my attacks.
I slashed with my sword and pierced with the spear.
Every time I did, blood splattered from the Black Spider's body.
The struggle I had just endured before seemed like a lie.
Perhaps its impatience for the match had prevented it from exercising its true abilities.
"Shhhhhh!"
The Black Spider, perhaps realizing its disadvantage, jumped back.
It turned its back on me and tried to run away.
"…As if I would let you escape."
I took a running start and threw the Iris spear. It flew in a magnificent parabola, pierced the Black Spider's body from above at an angle, and plunged into the ground.
"Kiiiiiiiiiiii!"
The Black Spider screamed in agony.
It was stitched to the ground by Iris's spear and could not leave the spot.
"This is the end."
I swing down the hikino wooden sword.
The Black Spider was sliced in half on both sides and died.
Immediately after that, an inorganic voice sounded in my head.
With this experience gain, you are now level 24; your HP and MP will increase, and your physical abilities will improve.
Since you have reached the specified level, a new skill── [Auto Mapping] has been unlocked!
Apparently, a new skill had been unlocked.
This was the other world's version of a map application, and when activated, a semi-transparent window appeared in front of me, displaying a map of the surrounding area. If I specified a destination, it seemed to be able to guide me along the route.
Normally, I would have tried various things, but I had more important things to do right now.
I turned off [Auto Mapping] and hurried over to Iris.
She was still alive, albeit barely. Her breathing was shallow, and it was clear that she was on the verge of death.
If she weren't treated immediately, she would die soon.
"…Let's do that."
In my [Item Box], I had a stockpile of potion ingredients. If I used it all up, I might be able to save Iris.