The Price of Inexperience
“Haa…!”
—*Squelch!*
Once the monster subjugation began, it didn't stop. I threw myself into it desperately, driven only by the thought that I needed to gain real-world experience and grow stronger than I was now. Even though I still felt nauseous whenever I saw the insides of a monster, I endured it somehow, forcing my hand to keep gripping the spear.
“Haa… huff… it’s so exhausting…”
I had encountered three groups so far, and with Belial’s help, I had managed to take them all down. There hadn't been any major difficulties in the subjugation itself yet—except for the fact that it required far more stamina than I had anticipated.
“Runi, look at me.”
“Hm?”
I was panting, leaning heavily on my spear, when I finally lifted my head. Belial wiped my face with a small handkerchief. It seemed that while fighting the monster horde, blood had splattered onto my face.
“You’re very tired, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, the biggest thing is that it requires way more stamina than I thought.”
“You trained your stamina while learning spear techniques from your father, but reality demands even more than that.”
If the monsters I’d faced so far were like training targets that fell the moment they were struck, there wouldn't have been any trouble. But reality wasn't like that. A monster I thought was a corpse would suddenly rise again to attack, or more creatures than I could see would pop out from nowhere. It was full of variables. And those variables were the hardest part for me right now.
“And… huff… huff… my clothes are so uncomfortable.”
I had packed only the most comfortable clothes I owned, thinking about how much I’d be moving. But they were more of a hindrance than I’d imagined.
“I have to tear them.”
“Hm?”
—*Riiiiiip!*
I changed my magic-created spear into a dagger and immediately tore my long skirt roughly, shortening it.
“You’re quite bold, our Runi.”
“It’s much more comfortable now.”
“If we find a place to get clothes, I’ll have to buy you some pants first.”
“Aren’t you uncomfortable, Belial?”
“Is there any reason I would be?”
I suppose she was right. She could wipe out a whole group of monsters with just a few light movements.
“Is your mana alright?”
“Yes, I have plenty to spare.”
Having shown a talent for magic since I was young, I could confidently say I was proficient in all branches. But everyone has one type they are most accustomed to, and for me, it was creation-type magic. Condensing mana to create a physical weapon and wielding it directly. I suppose that was thanks to the training I’d received from my father since childhood. Because of this, the mana stored in my Soul Mark hadn't been depleted despite the continuous fighting.
“What happens if the mana in the Soul Mark runs out while fighting monsters?”
“What do you think? I’d just have to fill Runi’s womb to the brim with my cum.”
I never wanted to face a situation like that.
“You say that as if you’re looking forward to it.”
“Ayy, it’s just your imagination. Anyway, what will you do?”
Her tone was asking me to choose whether to keep pushing forward or to turn back and take a rest.
“Let’s do a little more.”
I still had plenty of mana in my Soul Mark, and there was still time before it got dark. In a situation where I had the luxury, I wanted to gain as much real-world experience as possible.
*
Clearly, until just a moment ago, monster groups had been appearing endlessly, but at some point, I couldn't find any sign of them. Given the sharp claw marks on the trees throughout the forest, they were definitely living nearby.
“Kieeeeeek!”
“Hm?”
“Runi, above you.”
A cry so loud it made my ears ring forced me to look up at the sky. A bird-like monster with two heads was flying fiercely toward us.
“That one’s going to be hard to handle with a spear, isn't it?”
Since it was a flying monster, it wasn't a target I could deal with using just spear techniques.
“Keeeeek!”
—*Clang!*
“Ugh!”
I blocked the monster’s sharp beak with the spear I was holding. Whether its beak was harder than steel or not, it didn't have a single scratch on it, even though it had collided with a spear condensed with a significant amount of mana.
“Kieeeeek!”
The monster soared high and dove toward us again with ferocity. I stretched my hand forward, aiming at the monster’s head, and concentrated my mana to create three or four arrows in mid-air.
“Akrasia!”
With the incantation shouted to increase accuracy and hardness, the arrows flew and struck the monster’s head precisely. It didn't even have time to scream before it hit the ground with a thud.
“Our Runi is amazing.”
“No. If you hadn't been here, I would have been in big trouble again.”
I was only able to respond because Belial had told me in advance that the monster was diving from the sky. I wanted to subjugate the monsters without receiving any help from her, but the situation of constantly being helped was repeating itself. I suppose that just meant my practical experience was lacking.
“Let’s go a little deeper. The fact that monsters are appearing again like this means…”
“Kieeeeek!”
“Kyaaak!”
—*Splat!*
It was clearly a monster that had been lying limp like a corpse. But the head that hadn't been hit by the magic arrow suddenly moved and attacked me. I couldn't react to this ambush at all, and its sharp beak grazed my side, leaving a wound that was by no means shallow.
“Ugh…!”
Just as I was clutching my side, staggering and sinking to the ground—
—*Thwack!*
A black spear that had fallen from somewhere severed the aggressively moving head. Naturally, it was Belial’s.
“Runi, are you okay?”
“U-ugh, yeah…”
“You shouldn't ignore a monster just because it collapsed like a corpse. You must always confirm the kill.”
Through this advice, I realized that Belial had already known the characteristics of this bird-type monster. I wasn't angry that she hadn't told me the information she knew. What made me angry was my own complacency.
“Belial, from now on, please don't tell me the characteristics of the monsters in advance.”
“Yes, I understand. I didn't say anything because I thought that was what Runi wanted.”
“Thank you. Ugh…!”
“Let’s start with treatment.”
As Belial’s touch slowly drew near, I firmly grabbed her wrist. Then, I shook my head. Treating the wounds caused by monster attacks was also one of my capabilities. I placed my hand directly on my bleeding side and used healing magic.
“Estra.”
With a green light, the deep gash on my side slowly began to knit together. Since healing magic was my least proficient field, using it frequently led to the depletion of my mana. I needed to be more careful when dealing with monsters.
“That’s it. Let’s go again.”
“Runi, it’s getting dark.”
“I want to subjugate just one more, Belial.”
“…If that’s what Runi wants, I will follow. Because you are my master.”
The more monsters I hunted, the more I realized what I was lacking. I wanted to face just one more monster. I intended to fight it to subjugate it, and apply everything I had realized so far.
—*Boom!*
“Belial, what was that sound?”
“Hmm, I’ll tell you this much: it’s certainly not a welcome sound for the current Runi.”
—*Cr-r-rack!*
“Uh…?”
Not long after the strong vibration echoed through the forest, the giant tree in front of us snapped like paper. Along with it, what revealed itself was a monster in the form of a bear. But it was so massive that I had to tilt my head back as far as I could just to see its head.
“B-Belial…?”
“Runi, what will you do? Are you going to try it alone this time too?”
I wanted to, but…
“ROOOOAR!”
Isn't this a bit… too much?
“Phew, I’ll try.”
I was overwhelmed by its massive size and roar, but I bit my lip firmly and steadied my spear.
“Yes, I understand.”
Belial left me behind, walked over, and leaned against a tree with a relaxed air.
“Grrr… ROOOAR!”
—*CRASH!*
“Yaaah!”
A heavy paw slammed into the ground. It was a fairly slow attack, so I had no trouble dodging it.
“If that hits…”
My body would be crushed just like the ground that had shattered with massive cracks. I had no idea where to start attacking. In that case, I should start by stopping its movement.
“Belserion!”
I placed my hands on the ground and concentrated my mana. Soon, dozens of chains erupted from the earth, binding the bear-like monster tightly. No matter how powerful a monster was, for a while at least…
—*Clang!*
“ROOOAR!”
Isn't it cheating to break out in less than 10 seconds?
“Akrasia!”
In that case, the only way was to block its vision. I created arrows with mana and fired them toward its eyes. The monster raised its front paw and blocked them perfectly with its thick hide. It meant this was a monster with enough intelligence to recognize that I was aiming for its eyes.
“Ugh… Akrasia!”
I fired an arrow one more time, but it led to the same result. I couldn't stop its movement. I couldn't block its vision. How on earth was I supposed to deal with that monster in this situation?
“I wasn't going to use this unless I had to…”
There was one way: mixed magic. Using two or more spells simultaneously required a significant amount of mana. I could buy one second of time with binding magic. If I fired a magic arrow along with that, there was a chance for victory.
“ROOOAR!”
I stretched my hand toward the monster that was rushing at me, crushing all the trees like paper.
“Akrasia, Renuar, Belse…”
—*Throb!*
“Huh?”
The moment the mana began to gather, my vision suddenly blurred. Immediately after, the strength began to drain from my body, and I sank to the ground, losing my balance.
“Hnnng…”
My body began to heat up uncontrollably in a way I couldn't manage.
“Why… now… of all times… hnn…!”
This reaction was a signal that the mana in my Soul Mark had bottomed out.
“ROOOAR!”
The monster reached right in front of me. Just as its hideous front paw was raised high—
—*SQUELCH!*
A giant black hand appeared from nowhere and tore the monster’s front paw to shreds.
“You pushed yourself too hard, Runi.”
“Ugh… Belial…”
Belial walked over slowly, dressed in her demonic attire. Her right hand was wrapped in a black aura.
“ROOOAR!”
“You’re noisy.”
—*BOOM!*
The moment the giant black hand crushed the monster, Belial blocked my view.
“You shouldn't look at things like this, Runi.”
In the darkness where I couldn't see anything, the heavy, rupturing sounds of bones breaking and muscles tearing continued to echo. With my eyes still covered, my body was pulled into Belial’s arms. It seemed we were heading somewhere, but my body was so hot that even speaking was a struggle.
“Haa… huff… hnn-ng…”
While my whole body was burning like a fireball, my lower abdomen felt particularly, intensely hot. It was accompanied by the sensation of my womb trembling madly, as if it were desperate for a cock to enter.
“Runi, are you okay?”
When my vision cleared again, I was lying in a cave.
—*Grip!*
I immediately grabbed onto Belial’s collar.
“Belial… cock… give me your cock…♡ Right now… I, I think I’m going to go crazy…♡”