I woke up that morning feeling good because I knew that Gorgon eggs would sell for a high price, so I was already anticipating what I would buy with the money. I had also gained some levels from them, so things were looking great. It's not much, but now I should be able to defeat some weaker monsters. I just need to carry the eggs with me, and then... I suddenly froze. In my excitement, I had forgotten all about the logistics. How am I going to carry it? I thought as I slumped to the ground like a defted balloon, robbed of all enthusiasm.
"I'm an idiot," I said to myself as I cradled my head in my hands. This wasn't the first time I had forgotten about something so important. It used to happen a lot before I was transported here. I remembered my boss, teachers, coworkers, friends, and some of the things they would say: "How many times do I need to remind you, Dougs?!" "How could you forget about that?" "What do you mean?" And other such things. They probably thought I was an airhead, and sometimes, I thought so, too, but that's beside the point. I couldn't just sit there and beat myself up over one mistake, so I started thinking about what I could do to fix the mess I was in. "Besides, even if I had a bag, carrying three Gorgon eggs around would weigh me down." It sounded convincing enough, so I got up and went outside.
The fresh air was reinvigorating, so I took a deep breath before looking around for twigs. I was looking for an especially twisted one but found none. Guess my luck's already running out, huh? I thought as I sat down under a tree. I took the nearest twig I could get my hands on and started carving it with one of my arrows into the perfect shape. I called it Lockpick-kun, as it would help me actualize my pn.
Once I felt ready, I returned to the cave. This time, I would be going deeper inside. It was extremely reckless, but I didn't care. In fact, I was rather thrilled! If I could come out of this in one piece, everyone would want me on their team! It was wishful thinking, but it was a good start, as I was finding more and more reasons to support my pn before long.
The cave was extremely spacious, with jagged, irregurly shaped rocks everywhere and stactites hanging from the ceiling. A unique species of mushroom illuminated the cave with dim blue light, so I could make out some figures wandering around at a distance. They were a group of Skeleton Lancers, so I hid behind a rock and started mentally going through my options. I didn't want to just cut my losses and leave, but at the same time, I had to wonder if I could win against a group of Skeleton Lancers.
"If only Boulder-kun were here to help," I muttered. At once, the realization struck me like a lightning bolt. Stactites! I could use the environment against them! It would take a few tries, and I would probably waste a couple of arrows, but it would ultimately help me proceed, so I took my bow and started shooting at the stactites. I wanted to bring down as many as possible to wipe out much of the group. If any remained, I would take care of them myself, and to my surprise, some of them shook and then fell on the group of ten, killing eight and injuring two. I gained 104 EXP, and the panel appeared before me.
DaphneLV 6HP45Str7 + 1Dex16 + 3Spd12 + 1Luck 8P-DEF5 + 1M-DEF9Status-----Compatibility-----Yay, my strength went up this time! I celebrated internally as I came out to finish off the remaining two. I gained an extra 26 EXP and skipped along happily. The victory was like sweet wine to me. I had pulled off an overwhelming victory against the odds. Maybe I'm not so dumb, after all, but once again, I was a bit too quick in thinking this because a spear came flying at me faster than I could react on time. I twisted my body to dodge, but it still managed to graze my side, so I gritted my teeth in pain and gred at the unwelcome visitor. It was a Skeleton Lancer that had managed to hide away from the group completely undetected. Now, it was quickly closing the distance, and I knew I had to act fast.
I tried to shoot, but it closed the gap between us and thrust its iron nce at me. I quickly ducked and rolled onto the floor to get behind it, but it turned and attacked with a sweeping strike that would have been fatal if it connected. Ugh, I'm really not suited for close combat, I thought as I ran around the room. I wanted to gain some distance, but it wouldn't let me, as it pursued me relentlessly. What did I do to make you pursue me like this? Did I kill your parents? Or are you seeking to avenge your friends, Mr. Skeleton? I tried to joke about it, but I knew better than anybody just how dangerous my situation was. I had broken the golden rule that all archers were supposed to follow: "Always keep your distance," and I was already paying for it.
My speed stat was the only thing keeping me alive right now, and I knew it would be all over if I failed to dodge. I was beginning to run out of steam, and as I dodged a bit too te, it grazed me a second time. My HP, depleted already from the fall, started dropping to worrying levels, and my enemy wasn't going to let the chance slide. It drew the nce back and thrust with killing intent, but just then, I happened to step on what felt like loose soil. What? It crumbled under my feet, and I fell... and fell... and fell... till I hit my head on something and lost consciousness.
