Lessons Learned and a New Development

After the battle, Momo and I moved to a corner of the sales floor―――a place where we could see the entire store―――and sat down on the floor.

"I'm exhausted."

Perhaps the tension finally left my body, because a wave of fatigue suddenly washed over me.

No matter how high my level gets, I don't think I'll ever get used to this fatigue.

I wonder if there's a Skill like 'Fatigue Resistance.'

Since there are Stress Resistance and Taunt Resistance, it wouldn't be strange for one to exist.

"Woof!"

Momo licked my face as if to say, "Good work."

Adorable. In return, I gave Momo a good fluffing.

Momo let out a happy whine.

What a win-win relationship. This is so healing.

After enjoying Momo's fluffiness for a while, my mind finally settled down.

It's hard to know when to stop petting something so fluffy.

When I try to stop, Momo looks at me as if to say, "You're stopping? You're not going to do it anymore?" That look... I just can't resist it.

People who declare they're quitting smoking and then end up smoking anyway must feel like this, too.

Whew. What a relief.

Now that my head had cleared, I reflected on the battle we'd just fought.

The new Skills and my improved stats made it a good test, but there still seemed to be plenty of room for improvement.

My teamwork with Momo, as well as the Tabasco ball and Item Box strategy, to name a few.

Still, realizing that tricks like the Tabasco ball were effective against monsters was a major discovery.

It might be worth checking out a home improvement store or drugstore, too.

If I could get pesticides and other chemicals, I might be able to create things with even more powerful effects.

But the biggest problem was 'me.'

More precisely, my body.

I felt like my senses couldn't keep up with the dramatic improvement in my 'Agility' stat.

Could I describe it as 'being tossed around by my own body'?

The gap between my 'body' and 'mind.'

I needed to get used to this and adjust as soon as possible.

I managed this time, but if I don't correct this kind of discrepancy every time, it could cost me my life.

No complacency. Ever.

"All right, next is distributing my points."

As usual, 20 SP and 10 JP.

For JP, I'll raise 'Assassin' and 'Hunter' to LV 3 each.

That way, the Skills I acquired will level up, too.

Just as expected, each of the nine newly acquired Skills went up by one level.

However, the two Skills I acquired as 'Spy' that hadn't been integrated into higher-tier Skills didn't level up.

Since my 'Job' changed, I should assume that the Skills that level up have changed, too.

I used the 20 SP to raise Item Box to LV 9.

It's the core of my battle tactics, after all.

I'll save the remaining 3 points for now.

I gave all the magic stones I'd obtained to Momo.

"Here you go, Momo."

"Woof!"

Momo happily crunched them down.

Incidentally, the stone dropped by the Hobgoblin was displayed as 'Goblin Magic Stone (Small).'

So an ordinary Goblin drops a 'Tiny' one, while a Hobgoblin drops a 'Small' one?

Huh? Come to think of it, the magic stone from the Shadow Wolf I ran over at the very beginning was also displayed as 'Small.'

If the size of a magic stone reflects a monster's strength or rank, does that mean Hobgoblins and Shadow Wolves are on the same level?

I can't say for sure, since I never fought the Shadow Wolf.

Well, I suppose I'll find out by fighting more monsters and comparing their strength.

I don't have enough information yet.

Ah, if only I had 'Appraisal'...!

After that, I looked around the store and put whatever I could into Item Box.

It seemed the Goblins had eaten through quite a lot of the vegetables and meat, so there was less food left intact than I'd expected.

"Hmm, the prepared foods and boxed lunches are... pretty close to expiring..."

They even had half-price stickers on them, so I might as well leave this stuff alone.

It's not as if I'm exactly short on food.

"Well then, should we get moving?"

"Woof!"

There was no point lingering.

Those Goblins we'd driven out might come back, so we should move on quickly.

I could lie in wait and hunt them if there were only that many, but they might bring back several Hobgoblins or even stronger monsters.

I had Momo slip into my shadow, then left the co-op while activating 'Presence Concealment' and 'Silent Movement.'

There's a drugstore nearby, so maybe I'll head there next.

I want to stock up on medical supplies as well as food.

I'll increase my stockpile of daily necessities while hunting monsters.

That's why I raised Item Box's level, after all.

Still, when I think about it, not being able to go to the shopping mall really hurts.

Almost everything would have been available there.

If only that High Orc weren't there...

I'm pretty sure that High Orc is still holed up there.

The direction I came from.

I can still feel that 'unpleasant presence' telling me not to go near it.

That's why I've been heading in the opposite direction.

"...Hm?"

What is it?

As we walked, I heard a strange sound.

A flapping sound. Is that... the sound of something cutting through the air?

And it's coming from overhead.

Could it be...!?

Momo and I looked up at the sky.

A single camouflage-patterned helicopter was flying overhead.

"That pattern... could it be the Self-Defense Forces...?"

Had they come to rescue people?

Or to kill monsters?

I wondered why they'd come to the suburbs rather than downtown, but either way, this was good news. The armed Self-Defense Forces wouldn't be outmatched by monsters.

I should join up with them... right?

But where would that helicopter land?

This area was in the suburbs, far from downtown.

If there was a place where evacuees from this area were likely gathering and where a helicopter could land safely, it would be―――

My thoughts ground to a halt.

"...the parking lot of a large shopping mall."

As if confirming my guess, the Self-Defense Forces helicopter passed overhead and headed in that direction.