After a while of conversation, Rui turns his back on us, his gaze fixed on the Olive Forest ahead. Though we share the same path, he seems to have a different purpose in mind.
"Well, I'm going now. I have a monster hunting request today," he says.
"What? Let's go together! Where are you headed?" I ask eagerly.
"Deep into the Olive Forest, to the fairy village of Lenette..."
"F-fairies!" Ivy interjects, her voice rising with excitement. As I suspected, she responds overly to the mention of fairies. I can't grasp their allure, but she's clearly captivated.
Rui, on the other hand, looks utterly exasperated by her enthusiasm.
"I'm still in the middle of my explanation..."
"Fairies! I want to meet them! Can we actually see them?"
"Yes... how exhausting," he replies, resigned.
Going deep into the forest means we'll diverge from our journey towards the royal capital. But judging by Ivy's current excitement, it seems she'll insist on tagging along. This could complicate things further...
Ignoring the now-animated Ivy, Rui tries to head into the forest alone, but Violet calls out to him.
"Hey, can we come with you? I'm worried about you going alone."
"That's none of your business. Please leave me alone," Rui snaps back.
Despite his snarky remarks, he's clearly not open to discussion. But since he's refusing, there's no pressing matter to argue.
...Considering this guy's personality, maybe if I push a little, he'll come around? Just as I was thinking this, Ivy stepped in.
"I want to meet a fairy. Please! Let me join you!"
"...Is it absolutely necessary?"
"Absolutely!"
Rui sighed happily and began walking toward the Forest.
"Well... if you're that determined, I suppose you can come along. Just follow me."
I wonder if he's secretly lonely. He must have been hoping we would invite him to join us.
Could it be that he envied watching Ivy and me train? If that's the case, maybe if we help him with his emotional struggles, he'll join our guild.
Rui, the proud boy with a single braid, will be adding his strength to our party as we head towards the fairy village of Lanette.
Before departing for the Forest, I stepped away from the three of them and stood alone in the meadow.
Before me lay a stone engraved with a name. I murmured softly to it,
"I… I'm leaving now…"
When I return here, will I have grown a bit stronger?
My heart is filled with anxiety, but even more so with anticipation. Armed with my rare skill, "Miracle," I made my way back to Violet and the others.
The four of us entered the Olive Forest from the Seradon Plains.
Wrapped in warm light and surrounded by deep greenery, this Forest perfectly embodies the essence of a first dungeon, the "Dan John." If one follows the proper path, it's likely that everyone would conquer this Dan John first.
"Olive Forest... this is our first Dan John."
"Huh? What about Ebony Forest...?"
"Our first Dan John!"
I'll bury the memory of storming Eld Forest at level 1 in shadows, never to see the light of day again. This Olive Forest is truly the first Dan John for Ivy and me. Unlike Eld Forest, this one is bright and peaceful, creating an inviting atmosphere where fairies seem likely to emerge, lifting Ivy's spirits even higher.
The monsters in this Forest include the Killer Bees and Mandragoras we encountered in the plains, along with new foes: Mushrooms and Worms.
Mushrooms are troublesome creatures that frequently inflict status effects. They can poison, put you to sleep, or paralyze you randomly, making them quite the nuisance. Thankfully, being resistant to these effects, I have nothing to worry about.
The real bother, however, comes from the Worms. They are simply disgusting—truly off-putting. I've made it clear that I hate bugs! Giant caterpillars? No, thank you. Some players might find themselves stuck in this Forest because of them...
Their attack method involves rolling and crashing into you. At this early stage, they aren't too strong, but they remain utterly revolting.
As I navigate through the Forest, my level rises to 7, and I acquire a new skill: "Wrench Proficiency Up." Really? Now I get a proficiency skill?
Ivy has reached the same level as me and also acquired the skill [大針適正up], which indicates we won't be expanding our strategies much further. Well, these two are passive skills; they grow on their own over time, so while they're important, I can't rely solely on them.
I take a moment to review my skills. Among them, the skill [奇跡] stands out with its unusual aura. It seems to function as an automatic skill that won't strengthen unless I allocate skill points to it. This skill is unique; currently, I'm the only one who possesses it.
However, someone had it in the past, so there might be some information available. I decide to ask Violet if she knows anything about this skill.
"Violet, do you know about the skill [奇跡]?"
"Oh, I know that one! It's from a girl who was a summoner, right?"
So, information about its previous owner is circulating. From what I've heard from Help, that woman has likely stopped playing the game. What could have happened to her?
"Isn't that just an urban legend? It sounds ridiculous," says Rui, dismissing Violet's comment as a myth. Urban legend? What exactly does that mean? The two knowledgeable friends turn to explain it to me.
"Apparently, a summoner had that skill. She was scorned as a cursed girl. Due to a grave mistake, she ended up losing a monster she cherished, and after that incident, she seemed to have lost her mind."
"Despite being a summoner, she was terrified of harming monsters and would often shield them with her own body. There were also times when she shouted at her reckless fellow summoner, 'What do you think life is?!' and started to lash out..."
"She cried uncontrollably during an NPC's death event, saying, 'This game is insane! It's crazy...' before ultimately quitting. It's truly frightening when one cannot distinguish between reality and a game."
"Hey… hey… this is no joke…"
"Right, the ability of 'Miracle' allows one to see the souls of dead NPCs. It's a crucial skill tied to the truths of this world. But with such weight comes immense responsibility."
"The summoner girl may have been crushed under that burden. This is information better left unknown..."
"Speaking of distinguishing between reality and the game, Lenny mentioned something similar yesterday. She said this world isn't normal..."
"Oh, about that… For now, please look at my skill list…"
"Hmm? What is it?"
Violet and the others examined my skill list, where they spotted the skill I had mentioned earlier.
**Miracle**
The moment they saw it, the three of them instantly backed away from me.
"Y-You're okay, Lenny! It's fine, just stay back!"
"L-L-Lenny! Don't worry! I'm right here with you!"
"What's with that reaction? What happened to the kindness you showed yesterday?"
Stop looking at me like I'm a monster! This skill is incredibly rare, deeply sacred, and vital to the very fabric of this world...
"First the impaled player, now the cursed player? Please, spare me."
"Don't call it a curse!"
Rui dismisses it with that one word. He's not wrong, but come on, that's just harsh...
"Don't worry, Lenny! Even if you are cursed, I believe in you!"
"Little Ivy, that doesn't really help."
Is it still a curse after all? Someone please recognize the value of this skill. It's exclusive!
Just as I think that, Rui finally speaks up.
"But it's amazing! This is a limited skill."
"True... when I think about it calmly, it really is impressive. You have talent (curse)."
"Please stop with the (curse)."
It seems Violet has already branded this skill as a curse in her mind. Has there ever been a limited skill treated this poorly? Probably not.
"For now, the [Miracle] skill seems to function automatically, so it's best to hold off on enhancing it for a while. I doubt you can harness it effectively at your current level. You'd just end up like the Summoner Girl."
"I know. My only partner is someone with [Status Resistance Up]."
The girl using the summoning skill was likely exhilarated by the idea of it being a unique ability, leading her to undergo significant enhancements. As a consequence, she became overwhelmed by her own power and fled this world. It was probably wise of her to retreat before her mind shattered. I need to consider my escape route as well.
We pressed deeper into the forest. A new monster had appeared: a dark fairy. Aside from being smaller than a human, it looked almost like a girl... and it was more challenging to defeat than a dog.
Yet, Ivy and Rui sliced through it with ease. Are you guys demons or something? Still, it was true that we had to finish it off quickly because this monster wielded magic.
"Thunder!"
With those words, a lightning spell shot from the fairy's hand. Rui took the brunt of the attack, but since it was early in the encounter, the damage wasn't severe. He quickly closed the distance and retaliated with a skill.
"Skill: [Sleeve Slash]!"
He slipped past the frontline Mushroom and cut only the dark fairy in the back. That skill seems to counter magic attacks. It looks difficult to use, though.
But as expected of a combat class, unlike us crafters, they unleashed powerful attacks one after another. With that kind of skillset, they'd never struggle with a lack of techniques. I can't help but feel a bit envious.
To be honest, we were strong. The other two had high skills and effortlessly cleared out monsters with their limited moves.
Of course, I have no intention of dragging anyone down. The attacks from the simple-minded monster are easy to just guard against, and I also have the [Status Resistance Up] buff. By expertly using the status recovery Ivy item given to me by Violet, the support from the two of us is flawless. Everything has been going smoothly, which feels great.
However, a crisis suddenly strikes.
As we near the end of the Forest, an enigmatic voice echoes out of nowhere. This voice clearly seems to be directing us. It is like a spell cast specifically at us.
"The twinkling of the Stars… the overwhelming power of the galaxy… the mysteries of the universe… the supernova explosion…"
"What is this bizarre chant…?"
"This is bad. It's definitely a monster…"
Huh? That voice and what it's saying sound oddly familiar. It's a charming girl's voice, but I can't make sense of the words. Could it be…?
"Giiiiiiiiiingaaa!"
"Skill: [Initial Blade]!"
"...Kyaa!"
Suddenly, a girl in a pointy hat leaps out from the bushes, and Rui skillfully slashes her. The blade strikes her abdomen, delivering a critical blow that sends her flying. Eventually, the girl struggles to stand up and shouts at Rui.
"Wh-What are you doing…?!"
"You're not a monster…"
"Of course not! I'm human!"
"That seems to be the case."
I immediately use the healing item I purchased to treat her. It's unfortunate, but she brought this on herself, so there's no helping it. If she didn't want to end up like this, she should act normally from now on.
I check her face. Sure enough, she's the young sorceress I met in the town of Epinaal. It seems she remembers me too, as she starts speaking.
"You're that boy from back then…!"
"Ah, did you manage to meet your master?"
"Yes! But I lost track of him right away…"
"That's no good."
She lost him again? What is it about their movements that never seems to align? There must be a reason behind it.
Once her healing is complete, the girl pouts.
"R-right! I need to find my master…!"
"Hey, why do you keep losing him? Are you bad with directions?"
"N-no! It's because my master keeps running away…!"