"Hey, I can use more spells now!"

Since I was using Shadow Spirit Arts while moving, my proficiency in spirit arts was gradually increasing. It's rising more slowly than when I used it inside the barrier stone, but that's probably because it's harder to level up as my rank has increased.

【　Shadow Spirit Arts　】

First Rank Spell Formulas

・Shadow Sight　【Night Vision】　Proficiency 66

・Shadow Form　【Shadow Runner】　Proficiency 87

・Shadow Void　【Shade Shift】　Proficiency 0

・Shadow Storage　【Shadow Bag】　Proficiency 0

Third Rank Spell Formulas

・Shadow Manifest　【Darkness Fog】　Proficiency 66

"It looks like I've unlocked the ability to use 'Shadow Void' and 'Shadow Storage' now."

"Shadow Shift... I don't really get it, but... Shadow Bag... a bag?!" According to

the description that pops up when tapped, a Shadow Bag is literally the ability to store items within one's own shadow. For me, who had

been walking for ages carrying loads in both hands, my arms numb from exhaustion, it was like a godsend. "Shadow Bag!" A dark opening

appeared within my shadow. I

tried putting a nearby stone inside, and it slipped in

smoothly. I could somehow sense what was stored inside the Shadow Bag. It seemed

I could pull things out by reaching into the shadow. I took out a stone, then stuffed

the three spirit stones I'd been carrying, the rope, and the

flowers I'd picked yesterday into the bag. The capacity was roughly equivalent to one backpack.

It's more than enough for me right now.

"But how exactly does this affect my spiritual energy...?"

Spiritual energy is dangerous if overused—it can cause sudden loss of consciousness, so caution is necessary.

The Shadow Bag must be a spell designed for continuous, long-term use; otherwise, it wouldn't make sense.

"…………Hmm."

It feels… slightly, almost imperceptibly, like my spiritual energy is steadily decreasing.

It's nothing like the sharp, sudden drop I felt when using Dark Fog—it's more like it slips away quietly from time to time…

"Spiritual energy perception is so hard to pin down…"

It's just a feeling.

Just as fatigue can't be measured precisely, so too is the decline of spiritual energy difficult to quantify.

I can only sense it vaguely—like a feeling of depletion, or a sense of restoration returning.

Going out into the city and asking someone knowledgeable might reveal another way of perceiving things.

In any case, it seems I can keep using the Shadow Bag indefinitely.

"Maybe I should try Shade Shift too. The explanation is incomprehensible anyway."

Here's what it says:

'A shadow duplicate appears right beside you. Its effect is weak in bright areas.'

It's far too vague. Maybe the point is that you're supposed to figure out how to use the technique yourself, or ask someone in town for clarification...

"Shade Shift! Oh...!"

While the description made it seem incredibly dull, a duplicate made of shadow appeared, overlapping my own form.

It can't be touched, and you can only see it—but it should be more than enough to confuse an opponent.

Though it's made of shadow, it's not completely black; it looks like a dimly lit version of myself, with proper three-dimensionality.

In bright light, it's painfully obvious it's a fake, but in the dark, you might not be able to tell which one is the real thing. As rank increases, precision should improve further.

"Finally, something usable in combat has arrived. All I've had until now were just support items."

I don't plan on fighting, but having options is helpful.

If I have surplus spiritual energy, I'll work on improving the skill level of this as well.

◇◆◆◆◇

Thanks to the Shadow Bag, my hands are free, and I can now toss anything I find on the way into it, making travel a bit more enjoyable.

Whether this is a feature of this world or because the forest hasn't been touched by humans, upon closer inspection, I've discovered a surprising amount of edible items.

Plump little animals, fruits, berries, and mushrooms grow wild here.

I couldn't go around using crystals to鉴定 every single item, so I just gathered them and stashed them in the shadows.

If I need them later, I can examine and eat them; maybe I'll even be able to sell them if I survive.

I had grown a little careless.

My spirit magic level was rising steadily, and I hadn't encountered any dangerous creatures.

Though the distance was still great, I was sure I'd manage somehow.

I'd even acquired the Shadow Bag, and I still had plenty of points left.

That's why I didn't notice my physical condition.

Fatigue and lack of sleep.

I didn't feel any shortage of spirit energy, but I had failed to notice the changes in my body.

———— Hah… hah…

—— Hah… hah… hah…

"……!? Ggghh! W-what's this!? Uwaa!!"

A massive dog had bitten into my arm.

The stench of a beast clinging to my nose.

Jagged, filthy fangs sink into my skin, and I feel only intense heat.

Why? When did this happen?

I can't comprehend how this came to be.

No matter how hard I try to shake it off, the dog violently shakes its head, resisting as if trying to rip my arm off.

"Guh... Darkness Fog!"

Confirming several large dogs—no, wolves—were surrounding me, I instinctively cast the spell.

The wolf biting my arm flinched for a moment, but clearly has no intention of letting go.

The wolves around me seemed to be deterred successfully, fleeing beyond the range of Darkness Fog and lingering just outside the darkness, watching the situation.

My arm burns as if on fire.

A wolf.

A huge wolf, covered in gray fur like a bear.

I must have lost consciousness due to exhaustion and lack of sleep.

That was the only explanation I could think of.

　

"Let go! This...!"

I struck the wolf with my remaining arm, but it had no effect at all.

The wolf was massive and strong—my punches barely seemed to register, like mere hairs.

Instead, the wolf remained calm, dragging me forward and pulling me out of the darkness.

"Hah! Hah! Hah! Damn it...!"

I'd been suddenly attacked and lost my composure.

No weapon, no experience, no strength left.

If only I had had a way to attack using shadow spirit magic, I could've struck at close range.

"T-That's right! The barrier stone...!"

After being dragged for about thirty meters, I finally remembered it.

Yet, the thing I should have been holding all along seemed to have been dropped somewhere, and my hand was empty.

It wasn't anywhere around me.

Even if it were, I was being dragged further and further.

"Guh...! Damn it...!"

Even in this situation, I could still open my status board.

I exchanged a new barrier stone for one point and immediately shattered it.

Instantly, a thin film barrier unfolded from the stone as its center.

"Gooaaaaaah...!"

The wolf was forcibly ejected outside the barrier.

It ripped off the flesh from my arm, where it had been biting.

My left upper arm was exposed, bones visible, clearly beyond any use.

Sensation had long since vanished.

Cold sweat poured from every part of my body.

If I don't treat it, it won't just be a matter of the arm.

Soon—

I'll die.

Blood keeps flowing uncontrollably, my life being chipped away second by second.

"H-Holy crap... Seriously? This is bad—really bad!"

I have to do something.

Right now.

I rapidly swiped through the items on my status board.

Blood gushed from my arm in time with the relentless pounding of my heart, staining the earth a dark red.

My vision narrowed rapidly.

"Huff! Huff! Huff!"

Covered in sweat and blood, trembling, I finally found the item and tapped it with shaking fingers.

'Great Healing Scroll – 3 Points'

I don't have time to read the description.

The scroll, exchanged for points, emerged from my status board.I grasped it with the last of my strength, broke the seal, and unrolled it.

Though I was unsure of how to use it, it seemed to activate immediately upon breaking the seal—scroll vanishing in a pale blue flame, replaced by a gentle light enveloping my body.

"O… ooh…"

I stared in silence as my arm, once shattered down to the bone, gradually but surely began to restore itself.

I had been uncertain whether it would heal at all.

After all, even with only three points, such deep wounds might be beyond repair. But my fears were unfounded.

Considering it was an item meant for healing in a world where monsters existed, it had to work dramatically on physical injuries.

Within minutes, I was completely restored to full condition.

Not even pain, nor any sense of anemia from blood loss—nothing at all.

Such a terrifying effect.

"Hah... hah... I guess this means I could've gotten by with just a two-point scroll...?"

Calming down, I reviewed the scroll's description: one point for "Minor Healing" to recover from superficial wounds, two points for "Moderate Healing" to heal fractures and deep lacerations, and three points for "Major Healing" to restore lost body parts.

Whether "Moderate Healing" would have been enough in this case is hard to say. My arm had lost half its flesh, and its function had surely been completely severed.

Given that a two-point scroll failed before, using "Major Healing" was definitely the right choice.

"Haa... Huh... This is really something."

I quickly spent the three points I'd earned from harvesting the glowing grass. I still had a long way to go before I could exit the forest, and then there was that wolf.

On the other side of the barrier, the wolves were still prowling, sniffing the ground.

I was seeing a real wolf for the first time—different from dogs, with a large, imposing build.

Though it wasn’t as monstrous as that giant ape, it was equally unbeatable.

Plus, they moved in a pack, and at least eight of them were visible in my range.

And my remaining points were only five.

I’d already used four points on the barrier stone and the large healing scroll.

"Haha... well, I guess it's just going to have to work out however it can."

There was still hundreds of kilometers to go before I could leave the forest. For me, who had so far to go, the points were nothing short of lives—equivalent to the number of lives I had left. Five points remaining was an utterly hopeless number.

"……Should I just sleep?"

While using the barrier stone, my body had learned to associate it with rest, making me drowsy. Whether it was the rebound from rapidly healing wounds, or simply because stamina doesn’t recover through scrolling, I didn’t know.

Either way, there was nothing else to do. For now.

There was no doubt that sleep deprivation had caused this situation.

I set a timer and flopped down right where I stood.

Hoping that when I woke up, the wolves would be gone.