Takami no Kago – Chapter 12

“Master, there is something up ahead.”

After we advanced through the forest for a while, Ayla reported so.

“Something? Is it a human? Or a monster?”

“I do not know. It only has a faint presence. It gives a feel like a human, yet it also gives feels like a monster, too.”

The heck is that.

“Got it. I’ll go check it. Crest-san, I’m sorry but could you please stop the horse-drawn carriage?”

“I understand. Please take care.”

“Yes.”

Saying so, I walk following the road in the forest. The width of the road is around 2 meters, so the horse-drawn carriage barely fit through it.
It’s practically just animal trail which only have several small spaces to avoid horse-drawn carriage from the other direction.
And in the middle of the said road, there was a man, collapsed. I can’t say for sure from afar, but it seems he’s still alive.
When I rushed over to him, he let out a groan. Yup, he’s still alive.

“You alright?”

The man looked up, and when I tried to check whether there were any wounds on him, he stabbed my flank with a dagger he hid in his hand.
The dagger pierces through my leather armor, stabbing me.
Even after I try to push him away, the dagger still deeply stabbed in my flank.

“Th-The fuck are you doing?!”

The man who I pushed cackled as he stood up.
His body gradually expanding, tearing through his skin, and frighteningly exposing his skin that lustered with mucus.

“Guggyagya!”

Looking at my wound, he sure was laughing. That was all a trap.
After he completely transformed, he looked like a monster with pig-like head. He was an orc.

“Mutant orc, huh.”

Deciding to use status-reading-ability of [Divine Protection of God of Appraisal], I look at him.
 

Mimic Orc Lv.12
Mutant
5 years old

HP 820
Atk 180
Agi 150
Int 75
Luk 65

▼

That’s the first time I see a symbol ▼.
When I’m focusing my mind there, the status was renewed.

Mimic Orc Lv.12
Mutant
5 years old

HP 820
Atk 180
Agi 150
Int 75
Luk 65

Skill
【Mimicry】★★
Makes it possible for you to mimic living thing you’d ate.
If what you try to mimic is stronger than you are, the ability would be limited.

 
What’s a skill!
I never saw it before!
You could mimic something you’d ate?
No wonder the eye-witnesses’ testimonies are all different!
It seems he believes that he already wins.
He approaches me slowly.
With a club in hand, with the long of my height he got from somewhere.
When I already in his attack range.
He raised the club.

“Don’t underestimate me!!!”

I bent down while holding my stomach, sweeping sideway in a flash, face towards him and hit him.
I manage to cut the oh-so-unprepared orc’s abdomen’s region. Even so,

“Tsk, to shallow, huh.”

Nevertheless, I managed to buy myself some times. I insert my hand into the bag on my waist and take out a potion.
I pull the dagger from my stomach and drink the potion in one go.
I feel a burning pain on my stomach, however it gradually calms down.
Though I don’t know to what extent the potion will cure your wounds,
as expected I couldn’t fight with the dagger still stuck on me.
While facing the blade towards the orc, I confirm that my bleeding has stop to some extent.
The orc is coming, not letting pass the slight opening when I distorted in pain as I touched my wound.

Quite fast.
I somehow withstand it by diverting it diagonally with my shield. However I don’t think I could withstand it for too long.
Though I can counterattack with the other hand, the orc’s skin is not only hard, cursed to some-kind-of-mucuses, it’s also slippery.
I can feel my attack’s slipping.
The wooden shield that receives his blow is letting unpleasant creaking sound.

“Damn! What should I do!”

 
With my current level 10, my status is slightly inferior than his.
My hands’ already full avoiding his fatal strike that could penetrate my defenses.
For me who haven’t experiencing any battle other than relying-on-status battle, this might be my first [battle].
And then, I’ll lose if this goes on. I needed something to win over him.
Surprise attack won’t work on him anymore. He’s already all-prepared thanks to my attack on his stomach before.

“Is there nothing…”

All being said, what I got in my bag aren’t much.
Sake that could ignite, rope, dagger, flint, and some potions.
In my head, I tried to recall the contents of the bag on my waist.

“Hm? [Sake that could ignite]?”

I feel like I saw a chance. I really was something for purchasing sake even though I didn’t drink.
This might also be the effect of having high [Luk] from level 1.
That said, if one’s really lucky he’d not get stabbed, huh. It seems mine’s [Bad Luk] instead of [Luk].

“Then, should I go for the gaudy one?”

While receiving the orc’s attack with the wooden shield, I look for an opening.
Seeing me stopped to bother doing counterattack, the orc starting to attack me to his heart content.
Somehow dodging the large swing from overhead, I glance sideway to the orc that slightly lost his balance, and head towards the forest in full speed.
Following the animal trail, I enter the forest and hide from the orc’s sight.
Though the orc immediately give a chase, many trees hinder him. Opening the bottle of thesake, I dip the rope I’ve cut short with dagger into the sake, moistening it.
Then I take out the rope from the mouth of the bottle, and use flint to ignite it.
Though the rope I’ve dipped in the sake burned unexpectedly more well than I thought, I pay no heed and come back to the animal trail.
Hibiki who created the so-called [Molotov], who no one but God knows when it’d explode, aim and throw it straight to the orc’s face that came out of the forest, chasing after him.
Colliding with the orc’s hard skin, the container break into pieces, raised flames in front of the orc’s face in an instant and obstruct his field of vision.
The flame ignited from the sake that covered the orc’s face burn his throat. The orc who couldn’t breath, fall in his knees while keep glaring at Hibiki.
Hibiki throws his shield, grasps the sword with both of his hand and aims at the orc’s neck, swings his sword with all his might as a finisher.
Maybe because of the orc’s thick fat, the sword stops halfway.
Though the orc raised a loud cries and swinging his arms, his stance is bad that it doesn’t reach Hibiki.
The club’s fall from his hand due to the blow Hibiki deal before.
Putting more of his strength into the sword that cuts the orc’s neck halfway, Hibiki swings the sword. Even though the neck didn’t fell off, the sword came out of the orc’s right side.

“Gugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”

Raising a scream louder than ever, the orc collapses.
Even after collapsing, it seems the orc’s still breathing.
Approaching it carefully, this time Hibiki cut the orc’s neck off the body.

“Haa, haa. Did that got him?”

When he checked the corpse’s status, it displays [Mimic Orc’s Head] and [Mimic Orc’s Body], both was treated as items.
Finally took a breathe, Hibiki sit there.
After some time passed and he calmed down, he checked his own status.
 

Hibiki Jinno Lv. 13
Swordsman
16 years old

HP 750 (+250)
Atk 140 (+49)
Agi 147 (+49)
Int 273 (+91)
Luk 585 (+195)

[Divine Protection of God of War]
Effect : Raise combat-related status (Large)
Doesn’t stacked | Target : Party

[Divine Protection of God of Wisdom]
Effect : Raise magic-related status (Large)
Doesn’t stacked | Target : Party

[Divine Protection of God of Craftsman]
Effect : Raise production-related status (Large)
Doesn’t stacked | Target : Party

[Divine Protection of God of Healing]
Effect : Raise holiness-related status (Large)
Doesn’t stacked | Target : Party

[Divine Protection of God of Appraisal]
Effect : Makes it possible to appraise everything
Target : Self

[Divine Protection of God of Trading]
Effect : Makes trading become advantageous
Target : Self

[Divine Protection of Light]
Effect : Removes all abnormal status
Target : Any

▼

 
I notice the same symbol like the Mimic Orc’s.
However, I was too tired at the moment that I didn’t feel like confirming it.
Let’s just confirm it later when we return to the town.
However, my level went up by 3.
That means Mimic Orc was that strong of an enemy.
Having put my breath in order, I stand up and approach the orc’s corpse.

“Now to collect the drop item and return to the horse-drawn carriage.”

Mimic Orc’s drop item was [Mimic Orc’s Blood].
Returning to the horse-drawn carriage, the other two beside Ayla doubted me when I tried to explain the circumstance.
In the first place, the one who said there was something up ahead is one of my own, so it’s a given if they doubt me.
As for Ayla, as expected she was angry with the two but she doesn’t do anything but glaring at them.
Since there was no choice left, I showed the [Mimic Orc’s Blood] to both of them.
Even though they looks like they don’t know what that is, it’s certain that they haven’t seen this kind of drop item before.
Even Mr. Crest and co. would believe it after they confirm the real things.

“Who’d have thought there was individual that have mimicry ability. I’m amaze you could make it alright.”

“I can’t say I’m alright. I was quite beaten up.”

I also used the quite-precious potions.
If it was not for urgency calling, I’d use medicinal herb. While the recovery amount of the medicinal herb is small compared to potion, I can get it for free since I can harvest it in the forest.
I’d not use potion if it was not a live-death situation.
Beside as though she noticed, Ayla constantly minding me.

“Master, are you really alright?”

“Yeah, no probs. Sorry for making you worry.”

“Nonsense, it is great as long as I know Master is safe.”

After I defeated the Mimic Orc, the trip’s like the time when we departed, not so smooth nor so grave, and that continued for 3 days.
We who arrived at Brett town as scheduled, headed to Mr. Crest’s mansion first.
It’s the bonus-on-completion time.
By the way, the number of attacks we’ve repelled these past 7 days is 28. It’s approximately 4 monsters a day.

Eventually, all my fortunes combined with the recompense of the deferred payment numbered 29,000 Gal, around 3 millions yen.
And if I were to sum the drop item’s selling value I pick from the attacks, too; voila, I’d got 39,650 Gal or around 4 millions yen.
Even I haven’t include the Mimic Orc’s drop item, [Mimic Orc’s Blood] there.
Since I got the feeling that it’s quite rare, I refrained from selling it to the guild.
There’s the sake’s matter too, so I don’t know what’ll prove useful in the future.
That being said, I wonder about receiving the special reward that’s worth manyfold the escort’s reward.
Though I want to ask Lily later about it, the escort’s reward is really cheap to begin with, it seems the normal reward is as much as when I include the special reward.
Well, if the hired adventurer’s incompetent, that means less money is paid, huh.

Then again, I haven’t forgotten about the special reward.
I who have splendidly kill the Mimic Orc of course get the privilege to receive the [Jade Silk] clothing.
Though I was enthusiastic on seeing Mr. Crest asserted to give me the special reward, seeing him giving it so readily was anticlimactic.

“Since I want to be in Hibiki-san’s favor from now on, I want to pass this as a prior investment.”

[Jade Silk Robe (None)]

HP +80

【Effect】
If an element was assigned,
damaged from the element assigned would be reduced greatly.

I see, it’s an equipment aimed at magician, huh.
When I confirmed the status of the Mimic Orc’s corpse I realized,
that my status-check can be used on things too.
Well, [makes it possible to appraise everything] was written, so it’s no wonder.
Since I used it to check the Mimic Orc’s corpse.
So far, I had no equipment that has effect like this.
Even if I check [Iron Sword]’s status,
 

[Iron Sword]

Atk +15

 
was the only thing showed up.
Well, I’ll accept gladly whatever is given to me.
Since I can just sell it if I don’t need it.

“You have my gratitude, for being so generous to me.”

It was already late at night of the day we arrived, when we finished all the processing task.
Even though we were only unloading the drop items from the horse-drawn carriage, we took our time.
Well, it was quite of amounts. And it occupied a little space in the horse-drawn carriage, too.
Although Mr. Crest didn’t say anything about it, he must be quite bothered by it.
Whatever. What’s done is done. Forget that, let’s call it a day.
Tomorrow I’ll go to the guild and look if there’s any good mission.

“My, welcome. Even though you’d just came back yesterday, are you going to work again?”

Lily wore a surprised expression on her face.
Adventurer sure is a wilful job. Since it’s morning when I woke up, then it’s night when I felt sleepy.
You can have a day off as you want, there’s no working on a day off, either.
Almost all adventurers live a disorder life.
However, that being said doesn’t mean we can slack our ass off. Even so, I’m fundamentally a lazy fellow.
If it’s a day off, I’d continue to chill the day off. However, after coming to this world I giving my darndest not to be a shut-in.
While I say all that oh-so-remarkable lines, the sun’s already high in the sky.

“Yeah, is there any good missions?”

“Let’s see, since frequency of the monsters’ appearance is calming down at the moment, there aren’t many subjugation-type missions.”

“I see.”

Heard of monster subjugation, suddenly there was something that bothered me.
About the alchemist girl we met in the forest right after we departed and exited the town.

“By the way, what of the Rookie Amy?”

“Huh?!”

When I asked that, Lily froze.

“What’s wrong?”

Lily, seeming hesitant to talk, started to talk about that person’s present state.