C19 The Female Swordsman Super Thigh!
The next morning dawned.
Rinn opened his eyes and rose from the ground, calling out to Dorothy, who was sprawled not too far away, "Dorothy, morning's here. Time to wake up!"
But Dorothy didn't stir, her eyes sealed shut as she continued to slumber deeply.
She looked quite lovely in her sleep, reminiscent of a fairytale's sleeping beauty.
Her sleeping pose, though, was a bit alarming—limbs outstretched, forming a sprawling "X" with her body.
Rinn didn't have the heart to wake her; the aftermath of her diarrhea was supposed to last three hours.
Meaning, Dorothy had suffered through it for three whole hours the previous night before finally finding peace in sleep at midnight.
"Ah well, let her sleep. I'll go clear some nearby mobs," he decided.
Rinn rekindled the dead campfire, grabbed the Chaos Hammer, and set out.
...
The local monsters were thinning out.
But after a thorough sweep, Rinn still managed to find a few that had slipped through the net.
By the time he got back to camp, the sun was well up.
Dorothy was just coming to, rubbing the grogginess from her eyes.
"Where'd you go, Rinn?" she mumbled, still half-asleep.
Rinn dropped the game he'd caught onto the ground and said with a grin, "Went hunting."
"Oh."
Dorothy was pale, clutching her stomach, "I'm starving! So weak, so drained!"
"Why not lonely, alone, and cold?" Rinn muttered to himself, picking up the carcass to clean and roast over the fire.
"Is this a pheasant?"
Dorothy peered at the half-eaten meal; with only the lower half remaining, the carcass looked bizarre.
"Yep, it's a Red-Tailed Chicken," Rinn confirmed.
"But the Red-Tailed Chickens I've seen don't look like this."
Confusion spread across Dorothy's face.
"That's because its upper half got smashed to bits," Rinn said, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, that explains the missing head. I thought it might be a new species!"
Dorothy had her moment of enlightenment.
"…"
Rinn was starting to have his doubts.
Was this adorably clueless girl really up to the task? Could she truly be his hunting partner?
...
Having finished their breakfast, the pair finally set out on their journey.
Rinn had been trailing behind Dorothy for quite some time.
He harbored a genuine fear that the naive girl might blurt out, "Oh no, I've forgotten the way."
That would be the epitome of awkwardness.
Anxious to avoid such a scenario, Rinn couldn't resist asking, "Dorothy, are you sure you know the way to Beast Valley?"
"Of course, I do. The villagers said it's straight west. We're heading west, aren't we?" Dorothy replied, her confusion evident as she glanced back.
Rinn was at a loss for words.
Setting off with just your sword and such scant information?
At the very least, you should have secured a map or something!
As the thought of a map crossed his mind, Rinn remembered he was in a game. Shouldn't he have access to a map feature?
The system picked up on his thoughts and responded, "With each increase in the host's level, additional functionalities will become available."
The implication was clear: level up first, and don't bother with these trivial concerns.
"Great, the lower your level, the fewer privileges you have. Looks like I need to level up faster," Rinn muttered to himself. Just then, Dorothy's excited cry rang out, "Look! There it is! Beast Valley is really here!"
Rinn focused his gaze and, indeed, there lay a valley dominating the distant horizon.
It was too far to discern its true size, but judging by its prominence against the sky, the valley itself must be even more astonishing.
Overcome with excitement, they quickened their pace toward Beast Valley.
...
Time passed unmeasured.
Finally, they stood before the mouth of Beast Valley.
A colossal valley lay before them, its entrance a vast fissure.
To call it a mere crack would be an understatement—it was wide enough for five carriages to pass through abreast.
"Is this Beast Valley?" Rinn wondered aloud, his eyes catching sight of numerous exotic plants along the path.
"Spicy Fish Grass, known for its fishy scent and fever-reducing properties..."
"Five Horn Flower, with its unique aroma and mild toxicity..."
Information flooded in as Rinn, without a second thought, began gathering the valuable flora, tucking them into his pack.
He had no choice. A simple outing to level up by slaying monsters wasn't enough; he needed to gather some medicinal herbs as well.
Dorothy, however, wasn't one for such idle diversions. "Warrior, let's move," she said before boldly striding into the valley.
Rinn watched her go, a sense of unease washing over him.
Just strutting in like that?
Does she even know the meaning of 'danger'?
But since she was his teammate, Rinn had no option but to follow, albeit reluctantly.
As they passed through the narrow valley mouth, a sweeping vista opened up before them.
"Ding! Congratulations to the host for discovering the Misty Area, Beast Valley. You have been awarded 200 experience points..."
The system's voice rang out abruptly, and Rinn's spirits soared.
Holy cow!
The experience points for finding a Misty Area are this substantial?
That's like the equivalent of hours spent grinding on wild monsters!
He glanced at his personal panel once more.
Name: Rinn
Level: 2
Title: None
Profession: Elementary Blacksmith
Attributes: Strength 3.3, Agility 1.8, Intelligence 2.0
Profession Skill: Elementary Forging Technique (4,258/10,000): "The Elementary Forging Technique has a 95% success rate, a 20% chance to forge blue weapons, and a 1% chance to forge purple weapons..."
Combat Skill: None
Skill Points: 1
Attribute Points: 1
Experience Points: 956/1,000
Gold Coins: 5 silver, 72 copper.
Rinn's experience meter had been at 756 points.
With the discovery of the Misty Area, his experience had surged.
Now, he was tantalizingly close to leveling up!
"Where are the wild monsters? I need to find wild monsters to fight and level up!"
Rinn's eagerness was palpable as he scanned the surroundings.
Suddenly, he realized Dorothy had disappeared.
What the—where did she go?
Then came the sound of metal striking metal.
Following the noise, Rinn saw that Dorothy was already engaged in battle on a nearby lawn!
She was up against a pack of dark-furred hyenas, each as large as the leopards from his past life, with razor-sharp claws and a spiked tip on their tails.
"Eating Corpse Hyena, Beast, Level 3, Strength 2.1, Agility 3.5, Intelligence 1.0..."
The data flashed before Rinn's eyes, sparking a mix of shock and elation within him.
The monsters of Beast Valley were truly formidable!
Right at the periphery, he stumbled upon a pack of Level-3 hyenas!
What would happen if he ventured deeper? Would the monsters' levels soar even higher?
Could there be Devil Beasts lurking within?
And if he managed to slay them, wouldn't his own level skyrocket?
"Killing Eating Corpse Hyena earned 10 experience points..."
"Killing Eating Corpse Hyena earned 10 experience points..."
"Killing Eating Corpse Hyena earned 10 experience points..."
Lost in his daydreams, Rinn's screen was suddenly awash with experience points.
His breath quickened as he gazed at the scene unfolding not far from him.
In the time it took him to ponder, Dorothy had already slain many hyenas with swift strikes of her sword.
The ground was strewn with hyena remnants – some gutted, others beheaded...
Simply put, they didn't stand a chance against Dorothy's blade, not even for a second.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Dorothy's longsword danced in her hands, each movement bringing another hyena to its end.
"Hiss!"
Rinn inhaled sharply, unable to contain his awe.
A Level-8 Swordsman against Level-3 hyenas was nothing short of a slaughter!
Glancing at his experience points, he realized he had effortlessly reached the milestone of 1,166 – more than enough for an upgrade!
"In just a few minutes, I've earned more experience than from half a day's grind on the plains. Is my leveling about to blast off like a rocket?"
Beyond astonishment, Rinn was brimming with excitement.
His gaze intensified as he watched Dorothy's figure in battle.
My dear Dorothy!
You're no fool.
You're a powerhouse!
I'm absolutely smitten!
