18
Chapter 18
I had just run into a massive crisis.
Not even a minute had passed since I set off.
I had encountered a group of monsters blocking the way back.
Their species: High Orc.
Terrifying monsters of the Rare grade.
There was no way I could beat them, no matter what I tried.
I wouldn't stand a chance fighting just one of the lowest-level ones, yet there were dozens of them gathered in one place.
I quickly made a decision.
To make a U-turn and run away.
This was a very wise judgment.
Because there was absolutely no way I could pass through there.
The chances of them being docile monsters?
The possibility that they were friendly to me, or would let me pass peacefully behind them?
It was obvious there was zero chance.
Because Killing Intent was practically pouring out from the High Orc who stood at the very front, looking like the leader.
Beeeaaaaar-!!!
I naturally turned around and went into reverse.
The High Orcs quickly gave chase.
Run away!
"Catch it!!!"
"Don't let it get away!"
"Stop right there!"
Screw you! Stop for what?
Would you stop if you were me?
You should at least make some sense!
I had a rough guess as to why they were chasing me.
Their village had suffered Destruction.
The Slow Stone must have caused the Destruction as it rolled through.
And it seemed they judged that I was connected to that Slow Stone.
Since I was also rolling around just like the Slow Stone.
Guys, this is a misunderstanding!
I'm not the culprit who caused the Destruction of your village!
I'm just a harmless Teddy Bear that has nothing to do with the Slow Stone!
Even if I explained it like this, it would be useless.
It would be hard to convey my meaning since I couldn't speak their language.
And even if I could handle their language, the chances of them believing my words would be slim.
Argh! This is so unfair, seriously!
...No, wait a minute.
Is it actually unfair?
Come to think of it, those guys weren't misunderstanding anything.
The truth is I am connected to the Slow Stone, and in a way, I really am the culprit behind the Destruction of the village. Ahem.
I'm sorry, High Orcs!
It wasn't intentional!
As I apologized in my heart, I suddenly found myself back at the place where the Slow Stone's corpse was.
It was just a stone's throw away from the High Orc village.
Naturally, I sped right past this place too.
I didn't stop and kept on rolling away.
Because their pursuit was still continuing.
"There it is!"
"Catch that bastard!"
How long are you going to chase me?
These guys are seriously persistent.
For such huge guys, they sure run fast.
Their Speed is almost at the same level as mine.
If I didn't have the Rolling skill, I would have been caught a long time ago.
The chase showed no signs of ending.
The High Orcs fiercely chased after me without resting even once.
They truly had amazing persistence.
Don't they ever get tired?
Please, just give up already!
***
At the end of the long chase.
It had already gotten dark.
Fortunately, the High Orcs were no longer in sight.
Their booming voices searching for me could no longer be heard either.
Phew. I finally shook them off.
Those obsessed stalker bastards.
I let out a sigh of relief and slowly climbed up a tree.
I planned to spend the night up in the tree today.
I couldn't force myself to travel in the dark.
Setting aside the danger, I wouldn't be able to see properly and would definitely get lost.
Plop-
On top of a thick branch.
I sat down comfortably.
Then, I looked up at the starry night sky and fell deep into thought.
How do I get back home now?
There was only one way to return to where I originally was.
Simply following the path left behind by the Slow Stone's rolling tracks.
However, the village of the High Orc tribe that was chasing me just now sat right on that route.
In other words, my only way home was blocked.
Sigh.
It would be great if the High Orcs just relocated elsewhere since their village was destroyed anyway.
I doubted that would happen.
Because rebuilding a ruined village was much more efficient.
I racked my brain, trying to think of a way to pass through that village.
First of all, bypassing the village was impossible.
If I could just go around it, I wouldn't be worrying in the first place.
Why couldn't I detour?
I saw it earlier, but there was a thick fog covering both sides of the village.
If I went into that fog, it was obvious I either would never make it out, get caught by the High Orcs, or lose my life.
Because it wasn't just ordinary fog.
It was a fog that emitted a faint, ominous Mana.
It was probably something like a Barrier that the High Orcs set up on both sides of their village.
I couldn't take a wide detour around the village either.
How could I when I didn't even know the geography of this forest?
Getting stronger and defeating them all would also be difficult.
Realistically, this was an even more impossible method.
If I put in the effort, I might become stronger than the High Orcs someday, but that would take a very long time. I wanted to return as soon as possible.
Utilizing the Teddy Bear Camouflage skill was also tricky.
The High Orcs had eyes.
They weren't sightless like the Slow Stone.
Even if I hid my Mana, I was done for if they saw me moving.
It might be possible if I disguised myself and waited for the perfect opportunity.
But it was too risky of a gamble.
Ah, I don't know.
I will think about it when morning comes.
For now, I should experiment with the Synthesis skill I couldn't use earlier.
To return safely, I needed to use everything I had to get even a little bit stronger.
***
[Spinning Teddy Bear lv.19]
└Pw.38 (+6)
└Rnk.Uncommon (Limit Breakthrough unavailable)
[Skill]
[Helper lv.1], [Evolution lv.2], [Action lv.2], [Feeding lv.1], [Magic Chef lv.1], [Teddy Bear Camouflage lv.1], [Bloodsucking lv.1], [Spicy-Sweet Fist lv.1], [Flame Manipulation lv.2], [Synthesis lv.1], [Hero lv.1], [Rolling lv.1]
[Using the [Synthesis lv.1] skill.]
A list of skills aligned before my eyes.
I fiddled with the letters in the air with my hands.
As I did, I checked to see how the Synthesis skill worked.
It wasn't anything grandiose.
True to its name, it was an ability that allowed me to combine skills.
In other words, I just had to view it as combining multiple skills into one.
But the degree of freedom here was insane.
I thought there would be a set list of skills that could or couldn't undergo Synthesis, but that wasn't the case.
There were no limitations on combinations.
It was possible to perform Synthesis on any skill.
I could even combine three or more skills.
In addition to that.
Designating a primary skill and performing Synthesis.
Combining skills equally without a primary skill.
Things like this were also possible.
This is going to be fun to mix and match.
When a skill underwent Synthesis.
It seemed to be one of two outcomes: the other skill would be incorporated into the primary skill, or an entirely new skill would be created.
I didn't rush into attempting a Synthesis.
I planned to think it over carefully before proceeding.
It seemed there was no chance of failing a Synthesis, but there was no guarantee that the combined skill would be unconditionally better than the previous ones.
Hmm. What should I try synthesizing first?
First, should I try combining these two?
[Synthesis Skill List]
└(Primary)[Flame Manipulation lv.2]
└[Spicy-Sweet Fist lv.1]
I set Flame Manipulation as the primary skill.
I could consider this a type of insurance.
Because I couldn't afford to make a mistake and lose my current main attack skill.
I didn't want to return to being an incompetent Teddy Bear again.
[Would you like to proceed with Synthesis?]
Yep!
[Proceeding with Synthesis.]
[......]
[Synthesis is complete.]
[Flame Manipulation lv.3]
─(Flame Manipulation skill description)
+Can generate fist-shaped flames.
+Thrusting an arm forward rapidly fires the generated flame fist to the front.
+The Spicy-Sweet Fist skill can be activated through the flame fist.
─(Spicy-Sweet Fist skill description)
Ooooh.
A flame fist capable of a ranged attack!
On top of that, it even fully retained the effects of the Spicy-Sweet Fist!
With this much, it was practically a massive success.
Because while perfectly maintaining the abilities of the two skills used in Synthesis, the new ability called flame fist was even added.
I wanted to use it right away.
I was dying to throw a flame fist, even if it was just into the empty air.
But I barely managed to hold myself back. There might be monsters roaming nearby, and I couldn't expose my position by starting a fire.
I should try using it when morning comes.
I'm really looking forward to it.
Now then, which skill should I synthesize next?
Grin.
I slowly began to scan the skill list with an even more elevated mood.
This is somehow enjoyable.
I felt like I had found a new source of entertainment.
***
Going back in time.
The day the Teddy Bear was born.
At the same time, a Human woman gave birth to a baby on a certain continent.
"Congratulations! It's a healthy and lovely... Huh? Um, lovely...?"
The other woman who had delivered the baby.
She was engulfed in shock upon seeing the appearance of the baby she had just delivered.
Unable to process the absurd situation, she couldn't speak any further.
"Aaaaaaaah!!!"
Soon, the woman let out a terrified scream with a face full of horror, dropping the baby she held in her hands onto the bed.
What the mother had given birth to was not a Human.
Furthermore, it wasn't even a living creature.
Its true identity was none other than a Doll mimicking the appearance of a human.
The reactions of the others nearby were no different from the first woman's.
Everyone was paralyzed by shock, unable to utter a single word.
"Y-you! What did you just do!? Are you crazy?"
The mother panted heavily, using Mana to barely support her exhausted body.
She then glared murderously at the woman who had delivered her baby and carefully lifted the infant that had fallen onto the bed.
The mother belatedly checked the baby's appearance as well.
"W-what is this...? My child, where is my child!?"
"......."
"I'm asking where my child is!!!"
"W-well, you might not believe it, but... the baby you are holding right now... is the baby... you gave birth to......."
"What...?"
The mother hurled curses, telling her not to lie.
She continuously screamed in anger. She demanded her real child back immediately.
She couldn't believe it.
The last remaining hope the mother had completely crumbled away.
Her husband, who was also a Monster Slayer like herself, had died in battle during a monster subjugation mission when she was six months pregnant. Her other family members had all passed away long ago, leaving this baby as her only remaining family.
"This makes no sense, it can't be... There's no way...."
Denying reality over and over again, the mother ultimately fainted.
On this day.
The rumor about the Doll baby the mother had given birth to spread throughout the entire village in an instant.
The villagers spoke in unison.
That it was definitely a Doll cursed by a Demon.
That they had to burn it immediately before it brought misfortune to the village.
When the mother regained consciousness.
The villagers were preparing to burn the Doll in the plaza.
The mother stared at the scene with hollow eyes.
Then, she let out a hollow laugh like a woman who had lost her mind.
Whoosh-!
Just before the Doll caught fire.
"......."
The mother instinctively used the 'Swiftness' skill.
She snatched the Doll, hugged it to her chest, and ran aimlessly.
No matter if it was a Doll, it was still the child she had painstakingly given birth to.
No, there was absolutely no way this Doll-like thing could be her child.
These two thoughts constantly clashed in her mind.
But when the baby was actually on the verge of death, her thoughts quickly leaned to one side.
This Doll is the child I gave birth to.
I can't just let it die.
In the end, the mother accepted the Doll as her own baby and began to run away, evading the people shouting that the Demon's Doll must be killed.
Time passed since then.
The mother confirmed that the Doll also possessed life.
She also finished confirming that it harbored a Mana Stone inside its body, just like a monster instead of a Human.
There was no way she could raise such a bizarre creature mingling among people.
After much deliberation, the mother received help from an acquaintance in the Slayer Guild and joined the Expedition Team heading to the Unknown Continent.
Vowing to raise this child in a place without Humans.