Chapter 16 : Chapter 16
Chapter 16. If You Are Not Convinced, Come Fight Me One-on-One!!!
[Report from “Radiant Thrust”] Cleared 9 low-level Skeleton Soldiers at the entrance of the abandoned mine.
Purification effect excellent.
Experience +9.
Suggestion: This type of dark creature can be used as a regular training target.
[ Ding! Your skill “Enhanced Upward Slash” has reached full experience and has leveled up to Lv.2! Power and “Armor Break” effect slightly increased! ]
[ Ding! Your skill “Radiant Thrust” has reached full experience and has leveled up to Lv.2! Speed and “Purification” effect slightly increased! ]
Wu You: “……”
You two workaholics—do you not sleep at night?
You even changed maps?
Do you think this is tourism?
He could clearly feel that as the two skills leveled up, two faint streams of warmth flowed through his body again.
His strength and agility seemed to have increased by a tiny, almost imperceptible amount.
“Hey, what are you muttering about?” Vivian’s voice came from beside him, thick with drowsiness.
“Nothing,” Wu You replied irritably.
“A few ‘ancestors’ of mine refused to sleep in the middle of the night.They went out hunting on their own and are now reporting their battle results to me.”
“…?”
Vivian clearly did not understand.
But she was too sleepy to think deeply about it and merely muttered vaguely.
“So strange… big liar…”
Soon, the soft and steady sound of breathing followed.
She had fallen asleep.
Wu You leaned there for a while longer.
Meanwhile, in his mind, [Horizontal Slash], [Block], and [Quick Step] also sent out thoughts like “We want to go too,” “Take us next time,” and “Let’s compete fairly.”
He sighed helplessly.
Early the next morning, Wu You woke up from the cold.
Half of his body felt numb.
Beside him, Vivian was still curled up in the pile of straw, sleeping soundly.
There was even a bit of dust on her small face.
He stretched his stiff limbs and took out the small pouch containing Slime Cores from his chest.
After submitting the quest yesterday, a few average-quality ones remained.
He had been thinking about something earlier.
Since the skills seemed to require “energy substances” to grow better, perhaps these cores could help.
Although they were low-grade, they were still the condensed essence of magical creatures.
They might prove useful.
He poured out three small cores that emitted a faint blue glow into his palm and hesitated.
“Come to think of it…” he muttered toward the skill panel in his mind.
“You guys do not even have mouths. How exactly am I supposed to feed this to you? Do I have to… swallow it myself? Would that not choke me to death?”
The moment he finished speaking, a sudden change occurred!
One of the cores in his palm suddenly WHOOSHED and turned into a streak of faint blue light that shot directly into his body!
The speed was so fast that Wu You did not even react.
[ Ding! Your skill “Enhanced Upward Slash” has automatically absorbed a “Poor-Quality Slime Core” and gained a small amount of experience! Experience +1! ]
Inside his mind, the icon of [Enhanced Upward Slash] flashed happily and transmitted a smug thought.
[Mmm~ The taste is average. The energy is thin, but even a mosquito’s leg is still meat. Host, you are quite sensible!]
Wu You: “???”
Wait!
I did not even say who it was for yet!
How did you just take it yourself?!
And where did you even learn that “sensible” attitude from?
Before he could finish complaining, his mind had already exploded into chaos.
The icon of [Radiant Thrust] suddenly flared with sharp brilliance, its intent cold and furious.
[“Upward Slash”! You dare to privately devour the host’s resources! Taking without asking is theft!]
[Horizontal Slash] vibrated with violent anger.
[Exactly! Boss! You are way too greedy! There were only three cores total! You swallowed one immediately! Did you even ask us?!]
Even the steady waves emitted by [Block] carried disapproval.
[Resources should be distributed fairly and in order. This action is inappropriate.]
The glow of [Quick Step] flickered rapidly.
[Mine! Mine! My escape energy! Host! She stole my snack! Beat her up!]
Wu You’s head felt like it was splitting into two.
He quickly clenched the two remaining cores in his palm and roared in his mind.
“All of you, quiet down!”
But clearly, the selfish behavior of [Enhanced Upward Slash] had already sparked public outrage.
The icon of [Enhanced Upward Slash] flashed carelessly.
Her mental voice was arrogant and domineering, carrying the fiery attitude of someone who believed herself untouchable.
[What are you all yelling about? It is just a single low-grade core! Look how anxious you all are! I got there first, so it is mine. What is the problem? Got complaints?]
She paused, the light of her icon growing even brighter with provocation.
[Besides, answer me this. Who killed the most monsters last night? Who leveled up the fastest? Who returned the most power to the host? If I eat one extra core, that is what I deserve! Not convinced?]
If you are not convinced, come fight me one-on-one!!!
Let us see if I do not send each of you juniors flying!
“Then let us fight!”
[Horizontal Slash] was the first to explode with rage.
[You think I am afraid of you? Host! Arena! Now! Immediately! Right this second!]
[Radiant Thrust] condensed its killing intent into something almost tangible.
[Just what I wanted. Let me show you what it means to strike later yet arrive first.]
Even [Block] released a calm but resolute battle intent.
[Defense can become offense. I welcome the challenge.]
Meanwhile, [Quick Step] fanned the flames enthusiastically.
[Fight! Fight! I will clear the space for you! Host, hurry and agree!]
Wu You felt as though his head was about to explode from the arguing voices of these “ancestors” in his mind.
What kind of skills were these?
These were clearly five living ancestors who might start an all-out brawl at any moment!
“Enough! All of you shut it!” Wu You roared inside his mind.
“Anyone who keeps arguing will not get food tonight!
No, not just tonight—none of you will ever absorb energy again!
You can all go drink the northwest wind!”
This threat seemed somewhat effective.
The quarrel in his mind weakened slightly.
But the icons still flickered with light, their intentions confronting one another.
Clearly, none of them was willing to back down.
Wu You looked at the two remaining cores in his hand and felt a sharp pain in his heart.
He originally planned to save them and see if they could be sold for money or used for something else.
But now…
For the sake of “family harmony,” it seemed he could not keep them.
He took a deep breath and spoke with the tone of someone cutting his own flesh.
“Alright!
The remaining two—one for Radiant Thrust and one for Horizontal Slash!
Block and Quick Step will wait this time.
I will make it up to you with double next time!
Anyone who still complains will get nothing at all!”
After speaking, he guided the energy of the two cores toward the corresponding skill icons with a thought.
Two faint blue flashes appeared.
The cores vanished.
[ Ding! Your skill “Radiant Thrust” has absorbed a “Poor-Quality Slime Core” and gained a small amount of experience! Experience +1! ]
[ Ding! Your skill “Horizontal Slash” has absorbed a “Poor-Quality Slime Core” and gained a small amount of experience! Experience +1! ]
The icons of [Radiant Thrust] and [Horizontal Slash] gradually calmed down.
They transmitted thoughts like “acceptable” and “next time it must be better,” indicating their acceptance.
Although [Block] and [Quick Step] did not receive any, hearing “double next time” temporarily suppressed their dissatisfaction.
Their thoughts still carried a pitiful longing.
[Enhanced Upward Slash] snorted but did not provoke anyone further.
Having already eaten one and seeing Wu You distribute the rest “fairly,” she seemed reluctantly satisfied.
Wu You stared at his now empty palm, nearly on the verge of tears.
Wonderful.
He had only wanted to feed them some snacks to promote harmony.
Instead, it almost triggered a civil war and completely wiped out his savings.
He glanced at Vivian, who was still sleeping soundly.
Then he sensed the five temporarily “peaceful” ancestors inside his mind.
Suddenly, he felt that raising a troublesome, food-eating chuunibyou girl might actually be slightly easier than raising five skills that constantly wanted to fight each other for resources.
At least the girl would not argue inside his head.