035 – Monk (1/2)

Chapter 35 – Monk

It appears that one needs to defeat a monster barehanded to gain the Monk job.

Roxanne, who delivered the finishing blow, acquired the job, but my jobs didn’t increase even though I participated in the battle.

There’s no helping it; to acquire the Monk job, we’ll have to continue with the experiment.

“I’ll deliver the finishing blow. Roxanne, just encircle it, but don’t attack.”

I take on the Needle Wood that didn’t fall down after being shot with magic.

There have been instances where they’re defeated with a single shot, so it must have sustained considerable damage.

Even saying so, facing it alone is pretty dangerous.

Or perhaps, impossible.

We both surround it.

Doing so, I’ll only receive half the attacks.

Whoa.

Sometimes the branches that miss Roxanne can reach me too.

I don’t know if a Needle Wood has a front or back side.

After all, it can swing its branches and attack in any direction.

As expected of a strange wooden man.[1]

I have a hunch that we don’t have an advantage surrounding it from the front and back.

However, it does decrease the number of attacks from the monster.

In reality, I’m the only one attacking, but I’m not the only target of the Needle Wood.

No matter how you look at it, Roxanne is stronger than me.

Seems it can’t ignore her.

Roxanne, as usual, is avoiding the monster’s attacks by a paper-thin margin.

The Needle Wood’s branches are completely missing her.

What’s with those movements?

Roxanne lightly moves aside, avoiding the monster’s attack.

Once a gap is open, I give it a punch.

It swings its branch; I avoid it with large movements.

Its upper body is knocked back, but the monster aims for Roxanne.

Roxanne, again, easily avoids the thrown attack.

Since some time ago she’s been doing it repeatedly.

Occasionally it’s different; the monster’s attack hits me.

Of course it misses Roxanne.

Possibly, from the Needle Wood’s point of view, it looks like its attacks are hitting Roxanne, or maybe not.

At a glance, it doesn’t look like a close battle.

That’s if you see everything perfectly.

Since I’m the only one attacking, the battle takes a long time.

After the jab, I hit one, two straights.

I transfer force to it by rotating my hips.

It’s not like it isn’t taking damage from my fists.

I avoid a swung branch in a hurry.

There’s a chance when the opponent misses, but since I messed up my posture, I can’t follow up with a counterattack.

Next, the monster attacks Roxanne, but misses.

I simply use [Rush] here when it counts.

I take a step forward and another. I throw a straight punch while advancing another step.

Finally, the monster falls down.

I overcome this long mortal combat.[2]

Of course, this mortal combat was between me and the Needle Wood.

Since I was the only one attacking, I’m certain I delivered the finishing blow.

I cast [Job Setting].

Monk Lv1

Effects:[Mind Small Increase] [MP Minute Increase]

Skills: [Medical Treatment]

This is it.

I set the job immediately and use [Medical Treatment].

The top of my shoulders are in pain because I got hit by the monster’s attack several times.

“Certainly, the pain has subsided. From now on, if you suffer the attack of a monster, I can use a skill to heal it, so make sure to always tell me.”

I inform Roxanne.

“You can do that?”

“Yes. Keep that a secret.”

“I… I understand. Master is amazing.”

Roxanne can speak fluently in the Brahim Language, but…

Generally, I have the feeling she’s told me a lot of times that I’m amazing since a while ago, but it’s only because I have multiple jobs. [3]

I feel like a fraud.

From my chat with Roxanne, it seems the monk’s skill can only cure light injuries.

In case of large wounds like getting an arm cut off, the higher tier nourishment tablets are necessary.

But in short, it can be managed somehow or another with money. I’m relieved.

After further verification, we return through the wall in the Adventurer’s Guild.

Also we properly verified if wands have effects.

[Fire Ball], [Fire Storm], [Breeze Ball], [Sand Ball], their power probably isn’t increased.

I increased my Strength to 99 with bonus points, and swung a copper sword, but I couldn’t beat it with a single strike.

Basically, magic has more power than a sword.

I wonder how powerful Durandal is.

After returning to the Inn, I eat breakfast with Roxanne.

Then, once we entered our room.

“It’s very helpful having Roxanne around. I’m counting on your help from now on.”

I expressed my thanks to her after sitting on the bed.

Honestly, she’s really helpful.

First, having the ability to search for monsters, we could find them quickly.

I haven’t ever defeated as many monsters in a single exploration as we did this time.

To an extent, we didn’t spend a long time inside the labyrinth. We only explored the first level, but we got every monster. Furthermore, for experimentation and acquiring the Monk job, one portion was spent in pointlessly long battles.

Inside the [Item Box] there are two slots full of branches and a third with a single branch.

Explorer is Lv27 now, so [Item Box] can stack up to 27 of the same item in a slot.

To sum it up, this morning’s exploration earned us 55 branches. Additionally, we got 6 leaves.

Also, with Roxanne, I can let her be the vanguard and safely attack with magic.

Today, Roxanne didn’t get hit by any monster’s attack.

She effectively dodged everything.

While in the company of Roxanne I can bring out Durandal.

Any time I want, I can use Durandal to absorb MP from an enemy, so efficiency has gone up.

“Yes. Thank you. I look forward to working with you.”

Roxanne bows her head while standing at the room’s entrance.

Even if she lifts her head, it doesn’t look like she’ll move from there.

“I’ll be counting on you.”

“This is the first time I’ve defeated so many monsters. Master is amazing!”

“No. It’s my first time too. It’s thanks to Roxanne guiding me. Roxanne is the amazing one!”

“That’s not true. We defeated so many because of master’s overwhelming strength. And you did many amazing things.”

Somehow, we end up praising each other.

“Now, come sit here.”

“Y… yes.”

I beckon Roxanne.

Looks like I have to tell her to do everything.

“From now on, inside the room, you can sit whenever you like. Or, it’d be good if you were close to me whenever possible, as in sitting beside me. It’s not like I’ll push you down if you sit beside me, errr, I can’t say absolutely not, but I won’t do it much.”

Because Roxanne came next to me, I want to embrace her very much.

I can’t endure it any more.

I peek down the neck of her tunic at her unreasonably seductive white skin.

“I… It’s all right. I don’t mind it, ah…”

Because she said such a pleasant thing, I may have spontaneously embraced her.

I think now Roxanne is at fault.

Saying I don’t mind, do you mean us lying down in bed?

Ah. Or does she mean it’s all right if we just stay like this?

Dammit!

It can’t be helped. In exchange for not getting laid, I’ll calm down by playing with her dog ears.

They’re elastic and soft; they feel good.

“May I taste them?”

“Ehh. T-that… I don’t think they’ll be tasty.”

No, I’m sure they’ll be delicious.

Ahh, what am I saying?

Roxanne looks troubled as she hangs her head down.

That’s not it.

I won’t eat them.

I want to eat them, but not in that way.

“I’m not really going to eat them, just play with them.”

Just hold them in my mouth and taste their sweetness.

“Y-yes.”

“Is it ok if I touch your ears this way? If in any way you feel displeased or in pain just tell me. I’ll stop.”

“As long as you don’t do anything strange, it’s all right. Besides, well… It feels good when you caress them.”

Roxanne, whispering that while averting her gaze, is extraordinarily cute.

As expected, it’s ok for me to eat them?

However, her dog ears are reminding me of something.

A puff of baby powder, that’s not it. Something edible.

Not a cream puff, sponge cake, or marshmallows. Something more springy.

That’s it, Isobeyaki. [4]

These droopy ears have the stretchy feeling of fried mochi rice cake.

They’re floppy and dangle helplessly.

They are moderately elastic and soft, being very charming to the human heart.

Isobeyaki?

It’s a food I like, but I might not get to eat it again in this lifetime.

I wonder whether or not there’s mochi, soy sauce, and nori seaweed in this world.

“Do you know if one can find Isobeyaki in this region?”

“Isobeyaki?”

“Yes. It is a food I like from my home town”

“I don’t know about this region, but if we go to the ocean, I think we can grill and eat some fish at the beach.”

That’s the literal meaning of Isobeyaki.

Maybe, it’s translating literally into Brahim language.

So, even if it’s translated, some concepts don’t necessarily exist.

“Is that so, well, let’s try searching for it?”

“Er-errmm. …Master, will you someday return to your home town?”

Roxanne asked.

As expected she’s curious.

“My home town?”

“Yes.”

“Rather than returning to my hometown, I’ve acquired something even better.”