Chương 11: Spineless

I could scarcely recall a moment more humiliating than the indignity I had just endured. Having parts of my own body plucked away one by one inflicted not only physical pain but a far deeper wound upon my pride. Every venomous spine that wretched elf twisted free had felt like another reminder of how utterly powerless I had been beneath her grasp. Even now, I found it difficult to believe that I had survived the encounter at all.

If there existed any force keeping me alive beyond simple biology, it was undoubtedly the bitter hatred burning within me. One day, I swore to myself that I would see that elf again, and when that day finally arrived, I would kill her. Elves always did take their long lives for granted, but all that longevity truly guaranteed was that she would still be alive when I finally came to collect what she owed me. But for the moment, vengeance remained a distant ambition. I had survived, yet at a steep cost.

Every venomous spine that was on my body was gone, leaving me stripped of my most effective offense and defense. Until they regrew, I could no longer pursue prey with the same confidence as before. Recklessly throwing myself at larger creatures and trusting my venom to finish the job was no longer a viable strategy, particularly against beasts protected by thick hides or hardened scales. Without my spines to pierce those defenses, delivering my poison would become considerably more complicated.

Worse still, I could very well find myself repeating the same absurd strategy that had served me at the beginning of this second life, deliberately allowing myself to be eaten by a predator so I could kill my attacker from the inside. Well, either that or I could try hurling myself again against a creature that has weaker natural defenses. But despite my battered condition and my limited options, my resolve had never been stronger. If anything, the elf's cruelty had only tempered my spirit.

The places where my venomous spines had once adorned my body still felt raw, and I had no desire to aggravate those injuries by relying upon my favored method of transportation. As enjoyable as it had become to soar through the forest using String Shot, I'd have to resort to crawling until I recovered enough.

The following several days proved thoroughly unpleasant in more ways than one. At one point, I came alarmingly close to being trampled beneath the hooves of a passing deer. Fortunately, "almost" remained the operative word. Rather than crushing me, the animal clipped me with one of its hooves and sent me tumbling away instead. That did not feel pleasant at all, obviously, but it was better than being flattened. Without my venomous spines, my ability to dispatch prey had been reduced significantly.

Most days I survived by nibbling leaves to at least gain some experience. On one occasion, I stumbled across the carcass of a forest rodent, which I consumed without the slightest hesitation. My newly acquired Corpse Eater Trait ensured the remains provided at least some additional experience, but the gains were relatively modest. By the end of several days of wandering, I had failed to earn even a single level. My objective, however, remained unchanged.

Somewhere within this forest, I hoped to find a magical beast or some other similar creature worth killing. Thankfully, although my venomous spines had yet to regrow, my wounds had healed enough for me to use String Shot to swing from tree branches again. Crawling had served its purpose, but I had grown thoroughly tired of moving like an ordinary caterpillar. Before long, I was once again swinging through the forest like I did before that elf assaulted me.

[A Skill has been Upgraded] [String Shot I >> String Shot II] After landing on a pile of leaves, I turned my attention to one of the shorter trees nearby. Choosing a branch that was neither too low nor too tall, I angled my body and fired a strand of silk, curious to see the limits of my newly improved skill. The silk shot out much faster than before, and its maximum range had increased as well.

Estimating distances as a caterpillar was hardly an exact science, but I judged the strand capable of reaching roughly the height of a deer's shoulder, or maybe around three feet. Eager to test the limits of my newly upgraded skill, I climbed the tree and launched myself into the forest canopy once more. The improvement extended beyond mere speed and distance.

Firing another strand in the middle of a swing now felt even easier than before somehow, allowing me to chain one arc into the next without first landing to regain my balance. I had managed the maneuver a handful of times before with a lot of luck, but now I could do the branch to branch swings more reliably. My swings came to an end when something unusual caught my eye below. Well, "came to an end" was perhaps a charitable description. In reality, I elected to release my silk and then tumbled onto the ground.

After I stopped spinning, I took some time to reorient myself before looking around. Lying a short distance away was the carcass of what appeared to have been a large wolf. A swarm of ants had already claimed the corpse as their own, stripping away what flesh they could. Fortunately for me, ants lacked both the size and the means to pose any genuine threat, so I saw no reason to surrender an opportunity merely because a few other scavengers had arrived first.

I joined the feast, tearing away whatever meat I could reach. Predictably, the ants took exception to my presence and swarmed over me in impressive numbers. One after another they bit into my flesh, only to perish moments later from my poison. Their bodies accumulated around me almost as quickly as I consumed the wolf itself, though they scarcely warranted more than a passing thought. It was only after I reached the wolf's ribcage that I noticed something peculiar.

Deep wounds marred its side, and embedded within those gashes were fragments of ice that had yet to melt. As far as I have seen, I was currently within a place where naturally occurring ice had no business existing. So, the only reasonable explanation was magic. Whatever had slain this wolf possessed the ability to conjure ice, and judging by the jagged nature of the wounds, it had almost certainly relied upon claws rather than any artificial weapon.

I was likely searching for a magical beast rather than a mortal spellcaster. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings. The corpse itself appeared relatively fresh, perhaps only a few days old at most. That suggested its killer might not be too far from this location. Once I had extracted everything of value from the carcass, I would begin searching for the elusive creature responsible.

Finding a magical beast had been my objective for a while now, and fate had just been considerate enough to provide me with a lead, albeit a small one. [Experience Awarded] [You have Leveled Up! 14 >> 15] [Vitality +2] By the time I finally pulled myself away from the wolf's remains, it was already night. Between the experience gained from devouring the carcass, dispatching the ants foolish enough to attack me, and the progress I had accumulated over the previous days, I had finally earned another level.

It had taken longer than I would have liked, but it was better than nothing. Lingering beside an increasingly picked-over carcass would accomplish nothing further, so I decided it was time to continue the hunt. I climbed up until I reached a tree branch before closing my eyes and extending my Basic Mana Sense as far as it would reach. Sadly, I detected nothing remotely noteworthy. Then again, expecting a still-developing skill to locate a magical beast across an entire forest had perhaps been a touch optimistic.

Its range remained limited, so the failure was not surprising. The experience did, however, remind me of something else. Despite the considerable increase to my Mana after consuming those strange crimson bulbs, I did not actually feel all that much stronger. Certainly, I could use my existing skills for longer without exhausting myself, but beyond that, the additional Mana accomplished precious little. Until I acquired more mana-related abilities, it remained little more than untapped potential.

Eventually I would need to improve my mana circulation and learn to wield that growing reserve properly. Tsk... curse that blasted elf. Had she not decided to indulge her sadistic curiosity at my expense, I might have been able to progress much faster than I am now. Though, part of me did wonder what exactly had that elf intended to do with my venomous spines. Considering her dark attire, I could not help but wonder whether she was some manner of assassin.

If so, I almost pitied whoever eventually found themselves on the receiving end of my venom should that elf decide to use it. A practical, if admittedly morbid, thought occurred to me then. I found myself almost hoping that elf intended to make liberal use of my venom. Although I had yet to benefit from any cooperative kills in this life, I knew the System rewarded anyone who contributed meaningfully to another creature's death. The experience granted would be diminished, but it was not necessarily insignificant.

During my previous life, it was not uncommon for legendary blacksmiths to attain high levels despite rarely setting foot upon a battlefield themselves. Their weapons slew countless monsters and enemies in the hands of others, and the System deemed the craftsmen worthy of a share of that experience. If forged steel could earn its creator levels, then hopefully venom harvested directly from my own body could accomplish something similar.

Should that insufferable elf decide to poison some powerful target with my spines or something made from the venom within, I might receive a modest reward for her efforts in the form of a few levels here and there. Of course, entertaining pleasant fantasies did not mean I neglected my surroundings. My attention soon shifted to an owl perched silently upon a nearby branch.

For the better part of a minute, the feathered opportunist had stared at me with predatory intent, no doubt convincing itself that I would make an easy meal. Hmph, I planned on showing that creature who was truly the easy kill soon enough. The instant it launched from its perch, I prepared myself and took aim. When the owl was within my range, I opened fire. Strand after strand of String Shot shot toward its face. The first two missed as the owl twisted through the air, but the next three found their mark.

Silk plastered itself across both of the creature's eyes, robbing it of its vision. Disoriented and unable to correct its course, the owl slammed headfirst into the trunk of a nearby tree with a thud. While the dazed bird frantically clawed at the silk covering its eyes, I redirected my attacks toward its wings. One strand after another wrapped around the feathers until one wing was so thoroughly bound that it became dead weight.

The owl attempted to take flight regardless, but the effort ended exactly as one might expect. It lurched awkwardly into the air before tumbling onto the forest floor. It was still alive, for now. I crawled beneath my branch, secured a strand of silk overhead, and carefully lowered myself until I hung directly above the struggling bird. After building a small amount of momentum with a swing, I released my grip and dropped onto its body.

The owl's feathers initially spared it from the full effects of my poisonous body, serving as an effective barrier against direct contact, but that protection did not last long. I writhed and rolled across the bird's body, forcing contact wherever I could. Once that happened, the outcome was inevitable. [You have killed: Forest Owl (Level 10)] [Experience Awarded] This morning was a good one for Ronald.

His wife was finally getting better after taking the medicine he had made for her, and the weather could not have been better for working the fields. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he dug up the last of his potatoes and tossed it into the basket beside him with a smile. Today, he got himself a good harvest. On his way back to his house, he waved to one of his neighbors as they passed. In a little frontier village like theirs, everyone knew everyone else.

The forest surrounded them on nearly every side, leaving the villagers to rely on one another more than anyone else. Ronald figured he'd stop by the tavern for a quick bite before heading into the woods to gather some firewood, but first he wanted to bring the potatoes home. Hoisting the basket ofpotatioes onto his shoulder, Ronald started toward his house. He had only gone a short distance before he stopped dead in his tracks. Ronald saw that someone was walking toward the village.

From this distance, all he could make out was a lone figure dressed entirely in black. Visitors almost never came this way, even merchants and adventurers avoided this place, so who in the world would be coming here now? As the stranger drew closer, Ronald's curiosity slowly gave way to unease. That unease became fear once he saw that the approaching stranger had pointy ears. Ronald dropped the basket of potatoes, sending them spilling across the dirt, and broke into a run toward the village hall.

Everyone needed to know. When he burst through the doors, several villagers looked up in surprise. A few mothers sat chatting while their children played nearby, and at the front of the room the village elder was trying, with limited success, to teach a handful of children their letters. The old man looked over as Ronald stumbled inside, breathing hard.

"Easy there, lad, you run all the way here because a potato bit you?" Under any other circumstances, Ronald would have laughed at the old man's attempt at a joke, but not this time.

"No... an elf's coming."