Trading City Oyaimo 4
I confirmed the motionless demonic ape and sat down on the ground.
The log completely struck the monkey monster's head, and the creature seemed to have lost consciousness.
Looking back, it was quite reckless. I'm just glad it worked out.
All at once, his strength drained away. He'd nearly used up all his magic stones.
Perhaps that was the feeling of death.
He suddenly remembered something from when he first arrived in this world. I guess I'm still too weak to survive here.
If it hadn't been for luck this time, I'd have died easily. I need to get out of this forest as soon as possible.
The monkey monster hasn't fully regained consciousness yet— I have to escape before it wakes up.
He walked slowly through the woods.
His leg felt like it had been struck by a shattering magic stone. He'd sustained more damage than expected.
A significant amount of blood was flowing.
遠くに街の明かりが見えてきた。もう少しだ。
だが・・・
「ヴォオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオオン」
木々に反響し、林の中から体の芯から震えるような唸り声が聞こえる。
「くそッ アレでもまだダメなのかよ。」
魔獣の生命力を侮った。
こんなにも回復力があったなんて。
A dull, explosive sound echoed behind him as he turned around—there was no sign of the monkey monster.
A clearly defined, massive shadow loomed closer.
He caught a glimpse of it above, but it was too late.
A crushing blow struck the left side of his body, wrapping around him from above.
How far was he thrown? His entire body went numb, unable to rise.
The monkey monster slowly approached, its mouth wide open.
Was I supposed to be its meal too!?
Is this really how it ends here?
No!
I couldn't accomplish anything in my original world. I can't do anything here either. I don't want to die like this.
With my right hand barely moving, I reached into my bag and felt the magic stone. There was only one left—the high-purity light and fire magic stones.
With my current strength, the fire stone only activates when it touches something it can burn.
I can't afford to worry about form anymore. I grasped the stone instinctively.
Summoning all my strength, I pulled out the magic stone and thrust my arm into its open mouth.
At the same time, I shut my eyes and focused, imagining a torrent of heat flowing through me.
With everything I had, I activated the magic stone.
Instantly, I felt something being sucked out from every part of my body.
The mouth of the monkey-like monster glowed pale blue, and electric shocks surged through my entire frame. My body convulsed violently, then finally expelled smoke from its mouth before collapsing backward.
I had been completely defeated.
I lacked the strength to confirm it, and immediately lost consciousness.
When I came to, I was lying on the bed where I had been staying. My entire body was wrapped in bandages, clearly having been treated.
"Oh, you're awake? Just wait a moment, I'll go get the captain right away."
The lodging facility's sign girl peeked over me. Nearby were some water and my torn clothes.
Looking at the date, a full day had passed. After a while, the squad leader came in.
"Hey, how are you feeling? I was really shocked when I heard the news."
From there, I learned the full story of the incident.
The magician Crona was found at the edge of town missing one arm, and while soldiers were treating him and investigating, twin children arrived, allowing us to rush into the woods immediately.
When we rushed into the woods, we found the fallen me and the monkey demon beast.
The monkey demon beast was completely dead, its entire body charred beyond recognition. It was definitely the demon beast we had been searching for, and all the damage it had caused had been confirmed.
I've got bruises and cuts all over my body. My left arm is broken, my right leg has a hairline fracture, and there's a deep bite wound on my right shoulder. I'm a mess.
I'll need to rest for a while.
After finishing the situation report—prioritizing recovery—I fell asleep once more.
That night, the twin children, along with my boss Yuri and his wife, came to visit.
"Thank you, Taro-kun, for protecting the children."
"No, I was just doing my best—I was only saved in the end. Please don't be so formal."
"Still, you waited for my family. I won't forget this kindness. I'll repay you someday."
I thought further refusal would be rude, so I accepted the gratitude with a humble heart.
"Thank you, big brother, for saving us."
With that, Ellie handed me a beautiful pressed flower.
A few days later, I received treatment from a doctor.
"Your basic treatment is now complete. You can move around somewhat vigorously, but please be careful—your bones haven't fully healed yet."
"Thank you. This magic stone is truly convenient, though."
"This is a type of light-based magic stone.
We don't fully understand how it works, but it enhances healing effects. Unfortunately, few people can use it, so we're struggling with the shortage."
The doctor shows it to me while saying so. It's called a healing crystal. We don't understand how it works at all, but it seems capable of treating injuries.
Things that are only partially advanced can actually be quite inconvenient in daily life. Those who can master such troublesome crystals seem to make a living specializing in them.
As we leave the dormitory and stroll through the city, a merchant caravan is preparing to depart.
Since the imperial forces have withdrawn as planned, we'll be leaving the city accordingly.
Incidentally, we still haven't found the dungeon, and it remains unclear why the monkey monster was in the city.
"You'll be a burden for a while."
Noel came over to tease me again.
"You're always picking fights, aren't you?"
I shot back as usual, but suddenly his smug grin vanished.
I came here today with a question. How did you fight the monster all by yourself?
He's being unusually serious.
I can't really remember how I finally managed to knock it down.
This was found nearby. It's valuable, so I've been holding onto it for safekeeping.
I received the high-purity magic stone.
It's... a gemstone of light.
It turned out later that the magic stone I used wasn't a fire stone, but accidentally grabbed the light stone.
I have no memory right after attacking, so I don't recall exactly what happened.
But for some reason, I clearly remembered the image of using the magic stone.