More Talented Than Expected
I might have more talent than I thought? When the Rune Golem struck the young Nepentula across the face, I found myself clenching my fists without realizing it. That's insanely cool! There was something about watching two giants over two meters tall clash that stirred a man's sense of romance.
Grk-grk-grk. "Kiiiiiik!" As the two giants grappled, the adventurers realized the Golem was on their side and erupted in cheers.
"Argo, you ridiculously awesome genius!"
"This is the skill of someone who's only been an adventurer for a single day?"
"I admit it! Your Mystery isn't animal affinity—it's summoning!"
The praise was so over the top that my face burned, but it meant they were glad I was still alive. The playful smile on my face was probably just my imagination.
With the appearance of the new summon, the tide that had been slowly turning against us began to shift. Thanks to the Rune Golem drawing all the aggro, Karam, who had been tanking in front, finally had some breathing room. Freed from the need to support him, Lahan focused entirely on offensive magic, and wounds began to accumulate across the young Nepentula's body.
"Kigik." The young Nepentula had always regenerated wounds almost instantly, but as the damage piled up faster than it could expend calories to heal, it stopped recklessly charging into the cave. Even the monster knew that forcing its way in here would only get it killed for nothing. If it had any sense, it would give up now. Monsters were still part of the ecosystem, after all—living beings with instincts.
"But what if a black mage showed up right now?"
"W-what did you say?"
"Go on, black mage! Show that thing the dense black mana you've got!"
"Hiiiik?!"
When I dragged the black mage out of the corner where he'd been hiding, the young Nepentula—which had been hesitating just moments before—suddenly forced its way into the passage, its plant stalks flushing red. It looked as though the very existence of something so horrifying was unacceptable.
"Let go! Let go of me! I want to live!"
"Oh, just hold still a little longer. Thanks to you, the aggro effect is working perfectly."
The black mage panicked and tried to flee, but I was far stronger than someone who wasn't even an adventurer—especially a black mage from the Central region. Probably because he was raised in a research lab, his struggles to escape were weaker than the young Nepentula's desperate attempts to get inside. Even while being pummeled by the Golem and the adventurers, its gaze remained locked on the black mage. What on earth had these people done to earn such hatred from a monster? Had they eaten some kind of "hate-attracting herb"?
"The effect is definitely working."
"Hiiik! Hiiiik!"
I ignored the black mage's screams—like a pig being dragged to slaughter—and wore a satisfied expression. His mental state had taken a serious hit in the process, but so what? He was a black mage anyway. If he were an officially recognized one from the Church, maybe things would be different, but an unlicensed black mage could be killed in a crowded square and it would still be legal. That wasn't just talk—every country's laws stated exactly that. Thanks to that, I could legally use a black mage as live bait while watching my summons perform in battle.
Thud! Boom! The massive 2.5-meter Rune Golem swung its fists. Covered in moss and ancient traces of time, with a mysterious rune engraved at its center, it resembled a guardian of nature. The fists it swung carried the weight of nature's fury. Beside it, three Ikelos fought fiercely against the young Nepentula—wolves tearing with savage jaws, soldiers thrusting sharp spears, and a storm of fragments slashing everything apart. Seeing my summons attack in such distinctive forms, I found myself seriously considering something.
Are my summons more competent than I am? Maybe I don't even need to step in—perhaps I could manage with just summons alone.
"Kii!"
"It's coming into the cave!"
"Scatter!"
While I was lost in idle thoughts, the young Nepentula finally forced its way inside. With its massive bulk, it charged straight at the Rune Golem as if to repay the humiliation it had suffered in the narrow passage.
Kugugugung! Every time the Rune Golem was pushed back, the ground trembled. As if declaring that it was now its turn, the monster's actions snapped me out of my distraction. I drew my sword. It was a shame that its movements were no longer restricted, but in exchange, the young Nepentula had taken considerable damage. The four plant tentacles it had maintained were reduced to one, and the wounds on its legs showed no signs of healing. It had burned through all its stored calories. At this point, even if its movements were no longer restricted, the damage was too severe to matter.
But we had taken heavy losses as well. The adventurers looked like they had reached their limit, struggling just to stand, and even my summons—who had taken the brunt of the attacks—were far from unscathed. Realizing I was the only one still in decent shape, I charged forward to finish this properly.
"Hup!"
I leaned back to dodge a swinging tentacle and slashed with my sword. The tentacle that had just passed over where my head had been was cleanly severed, splattering sap. Leaving that behind, I closed in on the young Nepentula. Seeing this, it tried to turn and attack in earnest, but the Rune Golem threw its creaking body forward and pinned it down. The monster thrashed to break free, but it couldn't overcome the sheer mass of the Golem's size. Thanks to that, I reached it without major interference and quickly climbed up its leg. The young Nepentula went berserk at the sensation on its skin, but I maintained my balance with ease. In just a few steps, I reached its head and drove my sword into its eye.
"Kiiiiiik!"
"Now!"
Signaling through the eye—which could easily be mistaken for a fruit attached to a plant—the three Ikelos rushed in and destroyed the remaining eyes one by one with their respective methods. Having lost all four eyes at once, the young Nepentula screamed and thrashed violently. With each movement, the Rune Golem's restraint weakened as its body was gradually chipped away, draining its life force. Just as I worried I might need to jump down, ropes appeared between the young Nepentula's legs and bound it. Recognizing the binding magic the adventurers often used, I reflexively turned my head. Lahan, his face pale from squeezing out every last drop of mana, shouted.
"This is our last chance! Finish it quickly!"
"Right!"
Not wanting to waste the opportunity Lahan had created, I steadied myself atop the thrashing young Nepentula and reversed my grip on the sword. While the monster struggled desperately to survive and escape, I drove the blade deep into its ruined eye socket. The sharp sword slid in without resistance, stirring through its brain. But this wasn't the end.
"Rata!"
"Kiit!"
Ratatoskr, the sky squirrel, burst from my pocket and climbed onto the back of my hand, raising both paws high. Crackle. Sparks danced above Ratatoskr's focused hands, growing stronger until they transformed into electricity.
"Kiiiiiiit!"
With Ratatoskr's resounding cry, lightning surged through the sword and into the Nepentula's brain.
"Kii.....ik"
Though the Nepentula's vitality was immense, even it couldn't withstand having its brain thoroughly cooked. Leaving behind a short death cry, it collapsed.
"Huu..."
That had been close. If its resistance had been even slightly stronger, I wouldn't have been able to respond and would have missed the chance. Thinking that it was all thanks to the adventurers wearing it down, I smiled awkwardly and looked at the adventurers sprawled across the floor.
"Is everyone all right?"
"We're fine. More importantly, that last attack was excellent."
"It's a little embarrassing that I'm the only one still standing."
"The best thing a summoner who should be in the rear can do is not step forward."
As I scratched my head at the fact that I was the only one unscathed while the adventurers who had fought lay on the ground, Liliye's rabbit ears perked up, her eyes sparkling.
"More than that, what was that movement you showed earlier? Your sense of balance was way better than ours."
"No, it was only possible because all of you wore down the young Nepentula's strength."
"What are you talking about? Your senses are better than most active adventurers."
After saying this, Liliye glanced at her companions for agreement. Both Karam and Lahan nodded.
"Liliye's right. Your skill is definitely outstanding."
"You said this is your first quest since becoming an adventurer? Considering your lack of real combat experience, your talent is clearly on a different level from others."
At their words, I wore a doubtful expression. Was I really that skilled? That good? When I still looked unconvinced, Liliye turned to the black mage cowering in the corner with an exasperated look.
"Hey, black mage."
"Y-yes?"
"What do you think of Argo's abilities?"
"H-his abilities, you mean?"
After pondering her question for a moment, the black mage gave his assessment.
"H-he's definitely strong. He might be lacking in mana, but his combat sense is better than most knights from the Central region."
Though Central knights might pale in comparison to those from other regions, they were still knights—recognized as skilled fighters. Being told I wasn't inferior even to them made Liliye nod as if it were obvious.
"See? Someone like you would be called a genius even in the city."
"I'm from a village. There were two people above me."
"Two?"
When I said this, her eyes widened in disbelief. Lahan, who had been quietly listening, nodded.
"As I thought."
"What do you mean?"
"It seems Argo has been comparing himself to the real geniuses in his village and doesn't realize how exceptional his own talent is."
At Lahan's words, the two adventurers and the black mage looked at me expectantly.
"Is there anyone here who could climb onto a rampaging Nepentula's back and precisely pierce its eye?"
"Impossible."
"Can't be done."
"E-even with my magic, it's impossible."
The immediate, decisive answers made Lahan give me a knowing look.
"As you can see, no one else can pull off that kind of technique."
"No, that's only because all of you exhausted the young Nepentula..."
"Even taking that into account, they still can't do it."
They couldn't? I wore a confused expression at Lahan's words. If you just had the sense for it, you could climb up, right?
"Argo. This is your first real battle, isn't it?"
"Yes? Well, it is."
"Then this is also the first time you've climbed onto a Nepentula's back."
"It is?"
"Normal people don't attempt something like that in their first real fight."
"......!"
At Lahan's words, realization dawned on my face. Only after hearing the analogy did I understand just how absurd what I had done was. At the same time, I realized exactly who I had been comparing my skills to all this time.
'Pretty decent skill. You could've become an adventurer with this.'
'Lacking skill? You're already better than most adventurers.'
Grid's sudden praise resurfaced in my mind, and I finally understood the truth I hadn't known until now.
Me. Maybe I have more talent than I thought?