Chapter 136 - Let's Eat Then

"Go on," said Ronove. "You must be hungry so don't hold back."

Getting that words I went back and forth looking at the old lady then Brown Scorpion's corpse.

I was silent not knowing what to do.

Ronove peered into my eyes and my fox's ears twitched uncomfortably because of it.

"What? Did you worry that I'll reveal these, weird eating habits of yours to other people?" She interrogated me. "People might accept if you ate monster meat in front of them. But, I warn you, never eat a Magic Stone in front of them. And you should know, you don't have to worry about the possibility that I'll reveal your secret. Did you forget? You also know my secret."

I hit my palm with the bottom of my fist after learning that explanation. And yes, I forgot, or perhaps, I didn't think that the matter she was a Necromancer fall under a word of secret. 

It happened because, maybe, in my heart, I still thought of her as a Quest Giver, an NPC that was known to everyone.

I got the green light from her so...

< Acquired a skill! Hard Carapace |Lvl 1 >

< Skill of same nature detected! >

< Which one will you choose? >

< Hard Scales or Hard Carapace? >

< Unchosen skill will be converted to Exp for the chosen skill. It also applies to the next Magic Stones from the monster of the same race. >

Hmm... Hard Scales give me beautiful blue scales that are capable to form armor. It was different from the Brown Scorpion's carapace which is overgrown with soft disturbing fur.

Yup! That's right. The scorpion carapace is disgusting and I don't want my body to be covered by it. That's the reason why I chose Hard Scales.

Seeing the difference, in an instant, I decided without hesitation or regret.

< Hard Carapace has been converted to Exp. >

Then, I ate another Magic Stone.

< Hard Carapace has been converted to Exp. >

"Hmm... Isn't this interesting? The Mana from the Magic Stones you eat didn't swallow your Mana. Instead, things that happen were the opposite," Ronove said suddenly.

My fox's ears twitched. I won't deny that I was interested in the true meaning behind that words. So... "You can see Mana in someone's body?"

"By using Spell."

"What kind of spell?"

"I can't tell you because it's a secret I must keep."

My fox's ears fell because of it. I didn't give up, so I repeat that question sometime later. And yes, I got the same answer from her.

So, our journey to the nearest city continues.

And that's right, I don't eat Brown Scorpion meat.

I don't have time to cook it. As for eating the monster's meat raw, I didn't want it even though I could do it.

It was too much and I didn't want the kids together Ruciel and Ronove to know about it.

I don't want to be a monster in their eyes.

Because of that, I'm saving Brown Scorpion meat for me to eat later.

"You in here to explore this place so, what's your goal, Ronove?" I look at the old lady on my right.

"Hmm..." Making a strange sound, she rubbed her chin. "We have a rare opportunity to wander around inside the infamous Uncertainty. I want to look around to satisfy myself. But then, when I heard this place had monsters I had never seen before, I decided to hunt a few of them down."

"Is that all?"

"Yes, that's all. What about you?"

"I wonder how many floors I can conquer before Dishonesty calls me."

Ronove nodded. "How long will we be here before she calls you?"

"... Sorry, I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"Yes, Dishonesty didn't say when and just told me to wait. I'm afraid this exploration will last longer than it should be. I hope you don't get angry considering that you have other plans."

"I had a rare experience so I will forgive you."

"Sorry and thank you."

Small talk passed. 

We walked across this slightly hot savanna towards a small rectangle in the distance. Yes, the small rectangle I said just now is the wall of a city we want to visit.

If we keep walking without pausing, we'll probably take half or maybe an hour before setting foot in that city.

Turning my face from the city in the distance, I saw the panorama in this savanna. I could see a huge elephant-like monster - which was a Boulder Mammoth - wandering around a small pond. 

Not only that monster, but I also saw Zebril, Girgraffe, Devil Horn Buffalo, and Tear Antelope.

There were many monsters and that meant there were many Stat Points as well as Skills.

I'm in a state of distress, should I follow my original plan or, should I use my time to hunt down the monsters in this place to get the maximum bonus from the Heart of Monsters?

"Please give me your opinion on this," I asked Ruciel and Ronove after telling them what I was thinking.

"What will you get after conquering a few floors as quickly as possible?" Ruciel asked.

"...a sense of accomplishment," I replied, a little reluctantly.

"Then you've got your answer," said Ronove, who massaged her forehead.

On the other hand, Ruciel made a massive sigh.

The kids? They fought against another Brown Scorpion. The monster tried to ambush us by hiding behind a rock. 

Minutes passed and by accident, I noticed a Small Earth Lion in the distance.

A monster named Small Earth Lion has caramel-colored fur while its eyes are golden. Its stocky body was close to three meters long. Quite remarkable, the monster could use Earth Magic.

I don't have compatibility with Earth Element. So, if I ate the Magic Stone of that monster, would I get a skill that is Earth Magic and be able to use Earth Spells?

To find out the answer to that question, I said, "[Swift Movements]"

Then, I dashed towards Small Earth Lion swiftly. And yes, the monster that showed me its back didn't realize what I was doing.

In a short period, I shortened the distance between us to less than fifteen meters.

The monster's ears twitched. As it raised its head with intent, perhaps to look at me, I jumped with a blast of energy I thought was enough.

Small Earth Lion didn't notice that I was looming high in the air thanks to High Jump.

And never did I imagine, as I gliding, I discovered the fact that my speed as I fell decreased. Right now, instead of falling from a height, I feel like I'm drowning in seawater.

It was extremely strange but because of it, I have perfect control to direct where my body will fall. Along with that, I can aim for my target without having to rush.

I saw the Small Earth Lion on the ground, returning to walk casually. The monster never noticed me.

It was a golden opportunity. So, I filled my arm with energy. 

Sometime later and just before I hit or landed on the monster back, I said, "[Crimson Impale]"

My spear which is enveloped by a deep red light shot out to pierce through the monster's back.

Bham! Splat!

"RAWRR!" The monster roared in pain as I managed to nail it to the ground.

Of course, the monster didn't stay silent. It tried to tear my body apart with its claws that is covered in red light.

I who didn't want to be hurt jumped backward. I left my spear on the monster's body.

Then the monster roared again, "RAWR!"

An eerie loud roar made me feel a little scared. And strangely enough, for some reason, my body became a little stiff.

A moment later, a dozen thorns made of stone were created in front of me. They're the dangers that want to stab my body.

I dodged to save myself. Lucky or unlucky, I got some wounds because of the stone thorns.

Yes, the stone thorns were made by the Small Earth Lion.

I, the one who was wounded look back at the Small Earth Lion. The monster thrashed around trying to break away from my spear.

I'll say, the monster was unlucky. 

"[Sword of Light]"

I who have no intention of letting the monster live take a detour. I entered the monster's blind spot to stay away from its Earth Spells.

A moment later, I stood next to the monster's back. 

Without hesitation, I used the most efficient way to kill a monster. I pierced its head and burned its brain with a sword of light.

After convulsing several times, the monster finally died.

Time passed and Ruciel finally came to me.

She said, "Can you tell me that you want to hunt monsters before you just run away?"

I apologized to her. After that, Ruciel did her job. A moment later, a Magic Stone covered in blood was in the palm of my hand.

Yes, I ate it. 

The kids know what I'm doing. However, I didn't let them see the moment I ate the Magic Stone. I showed my back every time I ate the stones.

< Acquired a skill! Roar |Lvl 1 > 

[Roar |Lvl 1] [SP -10] 

[+ Voicing a Loud and Scary Roar to inflict fear to the enemies. 

+ Reduce the strength and speed of the enemies by 5% for 30 seconds if they enter a state of fear. ]

Oh! Is this a skill that gave me a stiff feeling some time ago? 

I never got an answer to that question.