154 Mountain Bounty

Another dawn broke.

Ah, I was tense.

So tense I couldn't sleep properly.

A first conversation with the world's administrator? That's an absurdly high bar, isn't it?

It's like telling someone naturally shy like me to meet the prime minister on the spot.

In truth, this person holds a position even above the prime minister in this world.

D?

That's an exception. Not counted.

I would've preferred a simple villager C at first.

Why C?

Just a feeling.

Anyway, it seems Guryuguryu won't be involved for a while, so that concern is resolved.

That person is even more affectionate than I imagined.

Well, if they weren't, this wouldn't have happened.

I'm utterly helpless.

Then, let's forget about Guryuguryu and head toward the mountains.

I relaxed too much yesterday. Let's increase the pace a little now.

Moving forward at a pace faster than yesterday, while conducting鉴定.

Stopping briefly only when identification reveals a plant not seen yesterday.

Wanting to hurry, but unavoidable curiosity forces a pause.

Passing through the plain, entering the forest.

No path exists. Dense foliage makes progress difficult, but using spatial mobility, jumping between trees to advance.

No animal trails. No signs of monsters.

Are there no monsters in this area?

Possibly just few in number.

Ah.

A vine-like plant bearing red berries detected.

[Bonkura: A plant widespread across the Kasanagara Continent. Flowers periodically, bears fruit. Fruit is sweet, but contains a minor amount of paralysis-inducing compound.]

Hmm.

Name is terrible.

Paralysis, huh.

F—no abnormal status effects can affect me. That stuff won’t work.

Therefore, I’ll begin.

Sweet… delicious.

Slight tartness adds a pleasing刺激.

Delicious.

U—ma—i—zo—!

By the time I noticed, I had eaten all the fruit growing on that vine.

Ah… already finished.

Tasted good.

Gochisousama.

Fresh fruit really is different.

The last one I ate was dried.

Yes.

Juicy.

Not an especially rare plant, so probably more can be found if searched for.

Hmm.

Still, the primary objective is the mountain.

If found along the way, I’ll secure it.

Bouncing forward through the forest.

Encountered Bonkura several times along the way.

Naturally secured.

Spatial magic’s storage function proved useful for the first time.

Kūnō is a spatial magic that allows storage, akin to an item box.

A magic that stores objects in a separate dimension, making them retrievable at any time—extremely convenient for humans, but in my case, it had remained unused because I never carried items to begin with.

I never used it before because I either ate food on the spot, transferred it with my home, or created a new home at the location.

The convenience of the home system is the problem.

I sometimes wonder if the home alone would suffice.

Kūnō was tested upon acquisition.

It consumes MP upon activation, and again upon retrieval.

The MP cost increases proportionally to the size and weight of the stored object.

MP consumption upon retrieval is slightly lower than upon storage.

However, if MP is critically low and a mana recovery potion is stored, retrieval might fail—leading to a tragic outcome.

The item is stored in a pocket dimension, but it deteriorates over time.

Time does progress within the pocket dimension.

Yet, due to the nature of the space, the rate of deterioration is slower than normal.

Thus, properly preserved foodstuffs could remain viable for extended periods.

Possibly, there exists a dimension magic that halts time entirely—similar in effect, though not identical.

Perhaps I’ll learn it once my level increases.

In any case, the previously fatal spell of empty storage proved useful.

Ordinarily, this spell would not be considered a death spell.

Upon reflection, I seem to lack many skills related to death.

There are also things I’ve picked up simply because I needed them, but even abilities acquired by title alone have proven useful.

Some skills, like poison synthesis, seemed unusable at first, but ended up being invaluable. Others, initially ineffective, evolved and suddenly became much more practical.

Shadow Magic itself I cannot use, but its derivative, Dark Magic, has been highly effective.

The only ones still without a clear role are skills like Naraku and the Dominator ability, aren’t they?

Dominator abilities reduce divine domain, so I don’t plan to use them again.

As I was thinking along these lines, we arrived at the mountain.

More precisely, I realized we were already inside the mountain.

Ah, well, the boundary between forest and mountain isn’t always clearly marked in nature.

But unlike the forest, the trees are spaced farther apart, and there’s less undergrowth.

This terrain should allow walking on the ground.

Hmm?

Scattered biological readings are registering on my perception.

The only creatures caught in the forest were small animals, no larger than birds or mice. Yet within the mountains, a relatively large anomaly registered.

Examine the nearest signal first.

I could use clairvoyance, but since I'm already here, I'll move closer and observe with the naked eye.

One monster stood there.

Hmm.

What is this thing?

Pig?

The creature had a pig-like face, but its body resembled that of a gorilla or similar, with additional tentacle-like appendages growing from its back. An aberrant form.

U—uh.

Chimera pig?

Doesn’t look particularly appetizing.

Moreover, its appearance contrasts sharply with its low stats.

Slightly above 100. A weak monster by dungeon-tier standards—upper-tier, but weak.

An unbalanced creature. Appearance and power do not align.

It is frozen in place, overwhelmed by my presence.

The intimidation skill has evolved into a tyrant.

Effect remains—intimidation power boosted.

Constantly active, combined with the title effect of "Bearer of Fear," stealth abilities are nullified.

In that sense, stealth could be considered a dead skill.

Anyway, dispatched quickly.

More precisely, one moment with the Eye of Evil.

Outside, the Eye of Evil is off, but the instant it activates—ascension.

Namu.

Not particularly appetizing, but I’ll eat it anyway.

W-what…!?

Tastes good!?

This is mountain power.

Even something so obviously inedible can become delicious when nurtured by the mountain.

Mountains are powerful.