It's fine when you do it yourself, but it's annoying when someone else does it to you, isn't it?

Dodge the incoming fireball.

Two.

Perhaps two. But avoiding them now is simple for me.

A quick glance revealed two tatsu no otoshi goro.

Apparently, there are many tatsu no oto shigo around here—swarming everywhere.

Not gathered together—each moving about freely, seemingly at random. Yet when circumstances align and they happen to be in the same place, they may attack simultaneously.

They don’t swarm like apes, at least that’s a relief.

Dodge the flaming orb hurtling through the air.

Due to habitual solitary living, coordination is not particularly effective.

The sensation of individually summoning fire orbs at will.

Even if we coordinate, a fireball won't hit me, now will it?

But that one.

Annoying.

Cheating, fighting inside magma?

Taking advantage of me being unable to act, they launch long-range attacks unilaterally.

Can't we settle this fairly?

Don't you think that's dishonorable?

Don't you have any pride?

Huh?

Boomerang?

What are you talking about?

I don't get it.

I never did anything underhanded.

I've never holed up in a nest and attacked unilaterally.

Look, I'm a pure and innocent maiden.

Aren't I?

Say it, you brute.

But then again, they're not as completely secluded in their nest as I am.

One of them is about to run out of MP.

Here it comes, here it comes.

Tatsu no Otoshigo—don't know why, but it doesn't retreat.

It keeps coming no matter what.

No escape for the emperor, they say. But are they of the emperor's bloodline too?

Incidentally, they are at least somewhat dragon-like.

Well, in that case, when MP runs out, they emerge from the magma.

After that, it's all ours.

Quickly dispatch them with poisoned claws.

Just in time, the second one climbed out of the magma as well. Stabbed it the same way.

[Experience points reached threshold. Individual, Small Poison Talact, leveled up from LV5 to LV6.]

[Base stats increased.]

[Skill proficiency level-up bonus acquired.]

[Proficiency reached threshold. Skill 'Poison Enhancement LV2' upgraded to 'Poison Enhancement LV3'.]

[Proficiency reached threshold. Skill 'Dodge LV3' upgraded to 'Dodge LV4'.]

[Skill points acquired.]

Oh!

Level up!

HP was quietly decreasing too—appreciated.

HP lost during shedding has recovered.

The tatsu no oto shigo is relatively easy to defeat, but making contact inflicts damage on the attacker.

One or two might not matter, but when multiplied several times over, the damage becomes substantial.

With recovery only possible through level-up restoration, even minor damage is undesirable.

Incidentally, the food cools down if left for a moment, so it is eaten after cooling.

Would have been nice if either fire resistance or HP auto-recovery had increased this level-up, but life isn't that kind.

Fire resistance remains at level one. HP regeneration remains unchanged.

It is unavoidable that fire resistance does not increase.

I am apparently inherently weak to fire. Overcoming that will not happen overnight.

HP regeneration, while convenient, advances in level slowly due to its utility.

Healing magic is typically a late-game ability, available only in the final stages of most games.

Achieving it without spending skill points was already sufficient. To expect further rapid growth from there—was, admittedly, excessive ambition.

You won’t make a profit unless you think of it as a gain just by possessing it.

In truth, I wouldn't have considered breaking through this mid-tier level if not for automatic HP recovery.

It's impossible, that's all.

Entering an area that inflicts constant damage without automatic recovery is no different than going to commit suicide.

No inclination toward suicide, and if that were the case, I’d likely be wandering the lower levels searching for a vertical shaft.

The lower levels where that earth dragon resides.

Ah, there’s another takinoshigo again.

Continuing this way, they’ll be found.

Could escape if I wanted to—though that feels… unnecessary.

Try throwing rocks like a monkey?

Seems better than doing nothing.

Can't hold rocks with a spider's body, but can tie them to a thread and release.

Immediate experiment.

First, find a suitable stone.

Yes, stones of appropriate size are scattered everywhere.

Grab one with the thread.

Swing, swing.

Hey—!

Oh, hit it.

Probably due to throw and accuracy.

But HP didn't drop much.

Ah, counterattack—fireball incoming.

After exchanging rocks and fireballs, the takinoshigo's MP eventually ran out, forcing land combat.

Hmm.

Better than nothing, perhaps, but not much change either.

Still, might work against a single target.

Throw and accuracy skills would improve. Not wasted effort.

Still, better to focus on evasion when facing more than one opponent.

Drawing attention to oneself and getting hit by a fireball would be ill-advised.