I made my way to the monster forest located north of Braveheart Kingdom. When I arrived, I encountered a group of Trolls. These creatures were humanoid, but far larger, muscular, with ugly faces, tusks, and wielded stone swords. They're carnivorous too, meaning they'd kill humans without hesitation.
"Damn, I thought I'd run into goblins or slimes like in typical isekai stories. But Trolls are a whole other level!" I muttered, but I had to face them regardless.
This was the path to becoming stronger.I charged toward the three Trolls in front of me. With my speed, they couldn't even react to my attack. I unleashed
Two Trolls were instantly cut down by my sharp slash. They let out loud roars, gushing blood, and died. I noticed that when monsters die, their bodies disappear into particles of light, just like in games, and I got drop items. Envi immediately stored the drop items in my inventory.
The remaining Troll tried to strike back, but I skillfully blocked its stone sword.
"Ugh...!" The attack was heavy.
I barely managed to deflect it. But its follow-up move was slow. I dashed forward, sliding under its legs, then leaped and used Kazekiri!!!
The Troll's body was cleaved in half. But suddenly, another Troll charged at me, swinging its stone sword.
"Uoogh!!" I was sent flying into a tree from the impact.
Even though I defended, I still took damage. I coughed up blood. My HP was down to 1500.
"Hey, idiot, hold on!!!" Envi shouted, urging me on.
Despite being injured, I recalled the movements of a samurai. Back on Earth, I was a total otaku who loved katanas. I always tried mimicking the sword styles of samurai characters. I figured I might be able to pull it off in this world with this body.
"I'll give it a shot... It's now or never." I stood up, resheathed my katana, and took a samurai stance using the Iaido Style.
I attempted to merge Kazekiri with a katana technique to create a new move. I bent my body forward, preparing to draw my sword. The Troll charged at me, ready to swing its stone sword. I dashed toward it. My speed allowed me to reach it first. The Troll hadn't even finished its swing. I drew my katana with lightning speed.
This Iaido technique unleashed a quick, powerful strike when the blade was drawn, like a bolt of lightning splitting the target vertically in half.
SLAAAASSHHHHHH
My attack hit the Troll with pinpoint precision, creating a perfect vertical line that split it into two parts. I was panting, completely worn out.
A sudden notification popped up:
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU LEVELED UP!"
I leveled up from taking down four Trolls by myself. To restore my HP, I drank a potion I'd bought in the capital using the last of my savings T_T. I had used one potion, leaving me with only four remaining.
"Whoaa, that was incredible, Nao! Where did you learn that move?" Envi asked, clearly impressed.
"Oh, that... I just saw it back on Earth. Didn't expect it to actually work here," I replied, still a bit confused myself.
"That's awesome! With your experiences from Earth, maybe we can refine your swordsmanship even further and unlock new skills!" Envi said excitedly.
"That's true... I'll try it again, but it's really draining, you know! I can't use it too often just yet. Alright, let's keep leveling up." I ventured deeper into the forest.
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I've been grinding from dawn till dusk for an entire week.
On the 7th day of leveling, it was already nighttime. I kept hunting Trolls throughout the day and fought Shadow Wolves next.
These monsters looked like ordinary wolves, but they were pitch-black and moved with incredible agility in the dark. Shadow Wolves always traveled in packs—if you saw one, it was only a matter of time before the rest swarmed in.
"Ugh! These things just don't stop coming!" I swung my sword wildly, striking at every Shadow Wolf in range, but they kept pouring in.
"Hey, Nao, you're clearly worn out! Finish this quickly and get some rest. Don't push yourself too hard!" Envi scolded me sharply.
"I'd love to, but can't you see the situation? These Shadow Wolves aren't exactly letting me walk away!" I shouted back at him.
"Hah, true enough!" He replied, laughing innocently, as if he hadn't just pointed out the obvious.
"Wait, I have an idea! Just do exactly as I say. I think I can handle this." Envi suddenly barked out an order with surprising confidence.
"Follow you? What do you mean by tha—Whoa!" I was cut off by an unexpected notification.
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Switch Mode ON
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Suddenly, I couldn't feel my body. It was like I was floating in a blank white space, watching my own movements on a giant screen. Envi had taken control, and as my body moved on its own, I noticed that Naoki's gaze—my gaze—had turned colder, sharper, almost ruthless under his command.
"What the heck is this? Envi! Where are you? What's going on?" I shouted in bewilderment.
"Just sit tight, Nao. This is my time to shine!" His smug voice echoed in my head, laced with her usual sarcasm.
It finally dawned on me—Envi had actually taken control of my body and was fighting off the Shadow Wolves herself.
"Whoa, Envi, when did you learn to do this?!" I asked, genuinely curious.
"Hmm, not sure. It just sort of… felt like I could!" he replied with a mischievous laugh.
"Enough talk! Watch closely as the great Lord Envi takes the stage!" he declared, her confidence through the roof as he dove into battle with a vengeance.
I watched, transfixed, as he hacked her way through the swarm. Her movements were rough but fast and powerful, her strikes unrelenting as he tore through the Shadow Wolves with ease.
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SLASH! SLASH! THUD!
Envi had just taken down two more Shadow Wolves. Altogether, we'd slain 15 Trolls and 25 Shadow Wolves, finally reaching Level 30. It was probably time to head back.
Suddenly, a notification popped up.
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Switch Mode OFF
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Control of my body returned to me as Envi reverted to system mode.
"Not bad, Envi. You actually held your own against those Shadow Wolves. I thought you were just a glitchy system, but you've proven yourself useful," I said, throwing him a compliment with a hint of sarcasm.
"That's the thanks I get for helping you? HAAAH?! Enough of this—I'm exhausted from staying in that mode. I'm going offline for a bit. Goodbye, you coward!" He left with a dramatic flourish, typing out a little middle-finger emote before her voice went silent.
"Even systems can get tired, huh?" I laughed to myself, amused by the idea of Envi somehow needing a nap.
With Envi offline, I pulled up my status screen to review my stats now that I'd reached Level 30. I realized that the higher my level, the more experience points I'd need to progress. That meant I'd have to start hunting stronger monsters to keep advancing from here on out.
Carefully, I allocated my points, focusing on a balanced setup to enhance my swordsmanship and overall combat skills.
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Name: Naoki von Blackmore
Level: 30
Title: Failed Hero
Condition: Exhausted
HP (Hit Points): 3,500
MP (Mana Points): 2,000
Strength (STR): 40
Vitality (VIT): 35
Agility (AGL): 50
Intelligence (INT): 25
Skills:
- Swordsmanship Lvl 2:
1. Blackmore Swordsmanship, First Style: Kazekiri
2. Katana Style Technique: Inazuma
- ??? (Locked)
Goddess Points: 60
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I couldn't believe it! When I tried using sword techniques I'd seen in Earth anime, they actually registered as skills and got added under Swordsmanship! And even better—hey, check it out—Naoki's Swordsmanship skill finally leveled up to 2!
I wonder… would the Blackmore family be surprised if they knew about this? Ha, just wait—I'm going to kick that spoiled brat Mark's butt and make the whole family acknowledge my strength!
I then made my way back to the Blackmore mansion, quietly trying to sneak into my room. I successfully passed the guards and maids on the first and second floors.
As I climbed up to the third floor, heading toward my room, I was surprised to see Lilia still awake. She sat alone in the third-floor garden, sipping tea under the starry night sky.
The heavens were adorned with countless stars tonight. I thought maybe she wanted to enjoy the beauty of the night. Even a cruel stepmother could appreciate something lovely, huh?
I slowly began to pass by the open door of the garden, making my way to my room. But to my surprise, Lilia noticed me and called out.
"Naoki! What are you doing coming home so late like this?!" She scolded, catching me in the act of sneaking in.
"Uh, you noticed? Hahaha, I'm not doing anything strange! I was just practicing to improve my skills until late." I stumbled over my words, my nervousness only making me seem more suspicious.
"Do you really think I'd believe that?! The last time you came home this late, you were out drinking in the city, got drunk, and made a mess trying to barge into the maids' rooms!" Lilia glared at me with a look of disgust.
I was shocked to hear this. If Naoki were standing in front of me, I would have beaten him to a pulp. I CAN'T HANDLE THIS EMBARRASSMENT—YOU IDIOT, NAOKI!!!
"I-I'm not like that! I'm telling the truth right now. Just look at my training armor—it's all torn up, and I'm filthy!" I defended myself, trying to convince Lilia of my innocence.
"Hmph. Fine, I'll believe you this time. Hurry up and take a bath, then get some rest! And don't make a habit of this unless you want me to report you to the Patriarch." Lilia warned me with a frown.
"Alright..." I hurried to my room, leaving Lilia to continue sipping her tea.
Once inside, I went to the bathroom to clean myself up before collapsing onto my bed, ready to rest.
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--Continue to next chapter--