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Your Race level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

Your Job level has increased. You acquired 1 SP.

The 【Tail Strike】 level has increased.

You learned the 【Tail Strike】 martial arts Bite Tail and Tail Slash.

The 【Staff】 level has increased.

The 【Scythe Arts】 level has increased.

You learned the 【Scythe Arts】 martial art Grain Harvest.

The 【Intelligence Enhancement】 level has increased.

The 【Mental Enhancement】 level has increased.

The 【Precise Mana Control】 level has increased.

The 【Dark Arts】 level has increased.

You learned a new spell: True Death.

The 【Linguistics】 level has increased.

Your tamed monster's Race level has increased.

Your tamed monster's Job level has increased.

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For the next several days, we explored the area around the riverbank. We fought all sorts of enemies, catching fish, exterminating crabs and shrimp that appeared along the riverbank, and hunting beasts in the grasslands beyond the embankment.

Their minimum level was an astonishing 70. Apparently, level 70 monsters were considered small fry on this continent. It truly was a continent of carnage.

However, the enemies' high levels meant that our own levels rose rapidly as well. I was surprised that even Kal's level increased. From my experience so far, I knew that a Dragon like Kal required a tremendous amount of experience to level up. This seemed to be an excellent hunting ground.

That did not mean the monsters were weak. In addition to the Elder Wise Fish among the various river fish, there was also the Elder War Fish, a monster focused entirely on physical attacks. The Great Rock Crabs and Crystal Armor Shrimps along the riverbank specialized in defense, and defeating them took an interminably long time.

The grasslands were troublesome in a different way. The main monsters were all incredibly fast beasts, such as the Sprinter Flight Rabbit, which fled at terrifying speed, and the Air Blade Weasel, whose defining feature was its long, knife-like tail and which hunted those rabbits. We often thought we had cornered them, only for them to escape.

In addition to the various drop items we obtained from battle, we also collected medicinal herbs that could be used as potion ingredients and ores whose uses were unknown. Iris and Shiitake would surely keep experimenting until they made some high-quality items from them.

As my Skills leveled up, the number of martial arts and spells I could use increased as well. Bite Tail and Tail Slash were martial arts that made my transformed tail bite and slash, respectively. I probably could not have learned Bite Tail if my tail's shape had not changed. I should continue modifying it as far as my imagination allows.

Grain Harvest was an area attack that swept across roughly 120 degrees in front of me. Its area was narrower than the Spinning Slash I had learned before, but its recovery time after activation was shorter and its power was greater, making it very easy to use. It also allowed me to gather plants growing over a wide area without reducing their quality. Who would have expected the scythe's original purpose to come into play? ...Maybe I should try farming once we establish a base.

True Death, from the 【Dark Arts】, was a powerful instant-death spell. Though it consumed a great deal of mana, its chance of failure had apparently become extremely low. That said, since the monsters on this continent were almost all stronger than me, it did not succeed very often.

"Anyone here?"

After logging in, I entered Shiratsuki's lounge as usual. I first checked whether anyone was there. If there was, I would go outside with that companion; if not, I would go with just Kal.

"Oh, Izamu-sama. Good work."

"Oh, Uesama has arrived."

Mikelo and Nenashi were in the lounge. They had been partners for a long time and got along well. Unless there was a particular reason, they generally acted together.

"...I've told you this countless times, but don't address me as -sama. We're both players."

"No, no. It is only natural to use an honorific when addressing someone I respect."

"Just as you say, Uesama."

However, talking with those two sometimes left me rather tired. It was because of the way they addressed me. Mikelo called me Izamu-sama, and Nenashi had started calling me Uesama a few days ago, perhaps just jumping on the bandwagon. What are you playing at? Role-playing? No, please, spare me.

The worst part was that both of them were perfectly normal apart from those strange forms of address. I was the only one it actually affected, while Jigoro and the others even jumped on the bandwagon, addressing me with honorifics to tease me. Was I just going to have to give up...?

"Phew, let's leave this topic for later... If neither of you has any plans, would you like to come with me?"

"Of course. I'll go."

"I shall accompany you as well..."

"Mikelo, are you here!?"

Just as the three men and Kal were about to head out exploring, Toji came rushing into the lounge. She was normally cool-headed, but she looked unusually frantic. Perhaps some kind of emergency had occurred.

"I'm here. What happened?"

"Izamu's here too. That's good. I'll explain later, so just come quickly for now."

Mikelo, Nenashi, and I looked at one another, then nodded in confirmation and hurried after Toji. It seemed our plans for the day had been decided.

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Toji led us to a small river island in the middle of the great river. Although the river was deep, it actually had a surprising number of shallow spots. Crossing one of them made it possible to reach the island. It did not matter to us, of course, since we could fly.

"Hey, what happened, Eiji? You're beat up!"

"Hahaha... I'm sorry..."

Eiji was there, missing his entire left arm from the shoulder down. For some reason, Alvy was clinging to his legs and crying, while Shichiko and Shiitake stood beside them looking worried. What on earth was going on?

Since Shiitake always carried potions, Eiji's health had already been restored. However, his marker was lit up with the troublesome status condition Dismemberment. Ordinary healing could not fix it; he needed a specialized spell or potion. Without either of those options, he would have had no choice but to respawn.

"So that's why you were looking for me. Then... Restore."

That was why Toji had been searching for Mikelo. His 【Healing Arts】 and 【Regenerative Evil Eye】 could treat Dismemberment. A warm light gathered around Eiji's shoulder, and his powerful arm slowly but surely regrew. As expected of a healing expert.

"How did this happen? Can you explain?"

"A-Alvy did it! Alvy was bad!"

When I asked what had happened, Alvy, who had been crying until then, looked up and explained. Her childish account was somewhat disjointed, but apparently a fish monster had eaten Eiji's arm when he protected her.

The monster had already been defeated, and they had safely collected its materials. However, Toji had apparently run back alone to call Mikelo, since she was uneasy about leaving Eiji, who served as our tank, in that condition and returning without him.

"You protected her well, Eiji."

"Haha, it's a wound of honor."

Unlike NPCs, for whom one death was the end, we players could respawn as many times as we liked. Protecting Alvy had therefore been a great play.

While we were talking, Eiji's left arm had regrown perfectly. However, the armor that had been torn off along with it had not returned. We might have to make a new one. We had just gathered some new materials, so perhaps this would be a good opportunity to have Iris show off her skills.

"Big Brother, are you okay?"

"I'm fine! See?"

Trying to reassure Alvy, who was looking up at him anxiously, Eiji stood up, hoisted her effortlessly with his new left arm, and placed her on his shoulder. Since Eiji was enormous, his shoulder made a more than adequate seat for Alvy's tiny backside.

Alvy seemed surprised to be lifted so suddenly, but she was delighted by the lofty view she could not normally enjoy. Good, she seemed to have cheered up. If she kept crying like that, I would have had no idea what to do.

"What are Eiji and the others going to do? Are you heading back?"

"Once we've escorted Alvy somewhere safe, yes."

"I'll stick with you until then. Can I come along afterward too?"

"I'll do the same, then."

"Hmm... Then Shiitake-san will hole up in the workshop. We've gathered enough items, after all."

We all returned to Shiratsuki, after which Eiji and Shiitake would stay behind while the rest of us continued exploring. I had wondered what was going on when Toji first arrived, but it was safe to say that things had settled down.

"Big Brother, where are we going?"

"Hmm? After everything that's happened, you're tired too, aren't you? Let's go home for today."

"...Please don't start hating Alvy."

"Of course not. I'm perfectly fine!"

...Yes, soothing a little girl was impossible for me. For now, we'd leave Eiji in charge of Alvy. Even if we got into a fight, the other five of us and one beast could handle things.

After fighting several more monsters, we returned to Shiratsuki. A large crowd of figures had gathered in front of it. However, their appearance was not entirely unfamiliar.

"Big Sis! Big Siiis!"

Everyone was wearing the same distinctive woolen garments and face paint, and their hair and skin were the same color as Alvy's. Among them was a beautiful girl with long, silky hair swaying in the wind whose features resembled Alvy's. She must have been Alvy's big sister.

Their reactions to Shiratsuki varied. Some gazed at it with curiosity, while others had clearly drawn their weapons in alarm. If a suspicious metal ship were moored nearby, such reactions were only natural.

When Alvy called out, everyone who had been absorbed in looking at Shiratsuki turned toward us at once. At the same time, fear spread across their faces. Alvy's sister, however, turned deathly pale and glared at Eiji as if she could kill him with her eyes.

"...That's the normal reaction, right?"

"I reckon so. It's my first time appearing before ordinary people, though."

The reason they were showing such open hostility was almost certainly that Eiji had Alvy sitting on his shoulder. To ordinary people, we would look like a group of various armed monsters.

I was humanoid, but I wore a suspicious three-eyed skeleton mask. There was also the ferocious-looking Eiji and Mikelo, who looked like a manifestation of evil floating in the air. To top it all off, we had Kal, a Dragon who seemed like the embodiment of violence. Anyone who did not fear us would have to lack reason—or be a powerhouse on the level of a boss.

I did have a fondness for villainous theatrics, but I had no intention of antagonizing the natives for now. It would be a waste of time, and I expected that establishing friendly relations would definitely pay off later. In that case, we should begin by negotiating and try to put them at ease.