20
Chapter 20
I am a rolling Teddy Bear.
I roll swiftly and speedily wherever I please.
Whoosh-!!!
While using my Rolling skill.
I roamed the forest relentlessly like an unleashed biker.
I was once frustrated because I lost my way back, but that is now a thing of the past.
Depression mode deleted!
Entering enjoyment mode!
I decided to adopt a positive mindset.
I am not a lost Teddy Bear.
I am simply a wandering Teddy Bear on a journey.
Yeah, having an adventure like this isn't so bad.
It's not every day you experience Reincarnation in a Fantasy World, so staying cooped up in one place feels like a waste.
Exploring here and there is the proper way to truly enjoy this new life!
As long as I keep surviving, I will eventually find a way back home.
Surely I won't go my whole life without reuniting with Jjokkomi Tosuni, right?
I forced myself to picture a bright future.
And so, I endlessly rolled and dashed through the forest.
Whoosh-!!!
I wasn't traveling at top speed.
Admiring nature is also one of the great joys of traveling.
While traveling at a leisurely pace, I took in the beautiful natural scenery.
Vines that grew upside down toward the sky.
Trees with surfaces that shined like mirrors.
Brilliantly sparkling pebbles.
Rocks with red liquid flowing from their cracks.
Grass with leaves resembling tentacles.
Now that I look around, there are a lot of uniquely shaped plants.
It is a forest that exudes a unique yet mysterious feeling.
It's fun just looking around.
Whoosh-!
I kept rolling and rolling.
While taking in nature like that, I inevitably encountered various monsters.
[Moss Giant lv.25]
└Pw.75
└Rnk.Superior
This was the first guy I met.
A monster made of moss-covered rocks.
It was a creature that reminded me of a Golem often seen in games.
Its species name was Moss Giant.
I decided to call it Moja for short.
Hello, Moja!
Do you want to be my friend?
I stopped Rolling and happily waved my front paw.
"Intruder detected."
Whir-
Moja's eyes flashed red.
Soon after, red beams shot out from its eyes.
Yikes.
I immediately rolled to dodge the beam.
It was a relief there was a warning before the attack.
"Eliminating Intruder."
The beams continued to fly at me.
I guess it had no intention of being my friend.
It seemed quite angry that I invaded its territory.
Sorry.
Goodbye!
Whoosh-!
I rolled away quickly to escape the area.
The guy chased me from behind, but since it was a slowpoke, it couldn't keep up with my Speed.
After parting ways with Moja.
It wasn't long before I encountered another monster.
[Barrier Spider lv.27]
└Pw.81
└Rnk.Superior
A Spider monster was crawling on silver threads spread between the trees.
A protective barrier seemingly made of threads floated around its body.
Hello, Mr. Spider.
Would you like to be friends with me, if you don't mind?
I bowed my head politely in greeting.
"Kieeeek!"
The Spider shot out a thread at me.
I dodged the thread attack by quickly Rolling away.
You're just as vicious as you look.
Showering me with attacks even when I greeted you so kindly.
Fix your personality, Spider.
You'll never make a friend in your life at this rate.
"Kieek!"
Threads flew at me in rapid succession.
But I was never hit by any of those threads.
Because I had already slipped away and was rolling somewhere else.
After parting ways with the violent Spider.
The next one I encountered was a familiar monster.
[Thunder Ant lv.10]
└Pw.20
└Rnk.Uncommon
"Kii?"
Is this the same Thunder Ant I met recently?
It had the exact same level as that guy back then.
It might actually be the exact same entity.
"Kiiii!"
The Thunder Ant saw me and ran away in a flash.
I don't want to be friends with you either, punk!
I thought about chasing it but gave up.
I do need to replenish my Mana soon, but like I said before, I'm a bit reluctant to mess with Thunder Ants.
I planned to avoid hunting them if possible.
The monster I met after the Thunder Ant was a black Wolf.
[Shadow Wolf lv.41]
└Pw.82
└Rnk.Uncommon
Hello, Mr. Wolf.
Would you care to build a strong friendship with me?
I greeted him with a respectful ninety-degree bow.
But the result was just as expected.
"Awooooo!!!"
Along with a howl.
The Wolf's shadow swayed and soared upward.
The shadow soon transformed into the shapes of multiple wolves.
It looked like some sort of Shadow Clone Summoning Technique.
The Shadow Wolf prepared for battle without a second of hesitation.
With a fierce roar, it ordered its clones to attack me.
What a fierce personality you have.
Excuse me. I'll be taking my leave now.
I rolled and quickly ran away.
Since there was no chance of winning even if I fought.
"Awoooooo!!!"
A Wolf was indeed a Wolf.
Unlike the previous guys, it had quite a bit of Speed.
It was fiercely in hot pursuit of me.
But the sound of its paws gradually faded away.
No matter how fast they were, they fell far short of my Rolling speed.
Those High Orcs that chased me last time were just abnormally fast.
After shaking off the Wolf.
I stopped Rolling and briefly leaned against a tree.
Phew.
In the end, I didn't meet a single monster that could become my friend.
I had planned to make several friends if possible while enjoying my travels.
Because having reliable allies would be better than being alone.
But it all ended in failure.
The barrier between species is truly hard to break down.
Why is everyone so violent?
It seems like making new friends in this forest is a lost cause.
I guess the monsters I met back in my hometown were just unusual.
Hup!
I got up from my spot.
I should just go back to enjoying my travels.
Making friends was only a secondary goal anyway.
It's not like I completely gave up on the idea of making friends, either.
If I keep traveling, I'll probably meet a few monsters I click with.
While thinking that,
I was taking a Rolling stance to move when it happened.
[Thorn Boar lv.20]
└Pw.40
└Rnk.Uncommon
I encountered another new monster.
It was a Boar monster with thorns growing out of its body.
For a second, I thought it was a giant hedgehog.
"Oink?"
What is it, punk?
Do you want to be friends with me?
If you want to, there's no reason we can't.
As long as you don't bare your fangs first, I am ready to embrace anyone.
"Squeeeal!"
Disappointingly, the Boar bared its fangs.
This guy was also a vicious monster.
"Squeal!!!"
Whoosh-!
Thorns shot out from its body.
The thorns surged forward, aiming right at me.
Hey! Do you want to die?
Who do you think you're attacking?
I didn't run away this time.
Why bother running away when it's an opponent I can easily beat?
This works out perfectly.
I was thinking about doing some hunting soon anyway.
[Using the [Bloodsucking Enhancement lv.1] skill.]
Maximum Mana output!
Visibly blood-red Mana wrapped around my entire body.
I didn't hold back my Mana at all.
Because I'm going to kill and eat that guy to replenish it anyway.
[Spinning Teddy Bear lv.19]
└Pw.38 (+6)(+20)
└Rnk.Uncommon
My additional power rose to its maximum limit.
I could feel a corresponding large amount of Consumption Mana being drained.
Clink-! Clink-!
The thorns flying toward me bounced helplessly off the blood-red Mana.
Wow, what is this?
It had a defensive function too?
I was surprised even though I was the one who blocked it.
"O-Oink?"
That Boar seems surprised too.
It was slowly stepping backward as if it were flustered.
Uh-uh.
You aren't getting away.
Now that you're designated as my prey, there's no way you're leaving alive.
[Using the [Flame Manipulation lv.3] skill.]
I created two fist-shaped flames.
It doesn't matter if the Spicy-Sweet Fist effect doesn't activate.
Because this flaming punch alone is lethal enough.
Now then, gladly accept the punishment for not becoming my friend.
Fire punch!
The flaming fists flew as they cleaved through the empty air.
The flames instantly and completely engulfed the Boar's body.
"Squeeeal! Squeeeeeeeal!"
A scream filled with agony echoed through the forest.
The Boar engulfed in flames writhed madly and rolled on the ground.
Even so, the flames did not die down.
They only burned more intensely.
Step, step.
I walked over to it at a leisurely pace.
Mr. Boar.
Can you feel the difference in power?
"Squeeeal, squeeeeeeeal!!!"
That's why you shouldn't have attacked me.
You should have been wise like me and picked your fights carefully.
Fwoosh-!
I created another fist of flame.
Goodbye. Congratulations on becoming a whole roasted Boar.
I mercilessly delivered the finishing blow.
If you don't become my friend, there is only death.
***
I completely absorbed its blood.
The remaining carcass was made into a dish.
[Boiled Pork Slices]
└When fully consumed without leaving any leftovers, Mana consumption from using skills is halved for 1 hour.
└Its tender meat that melts on the tip of the tongue and savory flavor are excellent.
I don't know why it turned into boiled slices.
But I didn't find it strange.
Because it's a skill that originally produces random dishes out of nowhere.
Munch, munch.
But this is really delicious.
It was much tastier than the Zapping Ant Sashimi I ate last time.
Is this the true power of the Gourmet skill?
I was very satisfied.
After finishing my meal leisurely.
I also swallowed the Thorn Boar's Mana Stone that I had saved with a gulp.
[Spinning Teddy Bear lv.20]
└Pw.40 (+6)
└Rnk.Uncommon (Limit Breakthrough Impossible)
[Skill]
[Helper lv.1], [Evolution lv.2], [Action lv.2], [Teddy Bear Camouflage lv.1], [Bloodsucking Enhancement lv.1], [Flame Manipulation lv.3], [Synthesis lv.1(Unavailable)], [Rolling lv.1], [Gourmet lv.1]
[Current Physical Adaptability is 30.]
My level went up by 1.
Along with that, my Physical Adaptability reached 30.
I guess I can use the Evolution skill again now.
Just as I was about to check the Evolution list right away.
"─── ──?"
"── ─── ──!"
I heard murmuring voices nearby.
What is that? It sounds like people are having a conversation.
I put Evolution on hold for a moment.
And carefully approached the direction of the sound.
With the Teddy Bear Camouflage skill activated, of course.
The more I moved,
the closer the sound became.
The owners of the voices seemed to be just beyond the bushes ahead.
Peek.
I slightly poked my head through the bushes.
...Huh?
A familiar-looking species completely filled my vision.
Ooooh! Humans discovered!
They were the first Humans I encountered since my Reincarnation.
The information displayed by the Helper skill also clearly stated the species name as 'Human'.
"■■■□ □□■■■."
"□■□■■□ □■□■?"
"■□□■■□ □■■□■■■!"
But what are they saying?
Can I not understand the Human language?
The Humans conversed for a bit, then soon started walking towards somewhere.
Out of curiosity, I stealthily tailed behind the Humans.