Its Time!
Ya know you never realize how valuable time is until you lose it…
Ahh saying that makes me sound more profound than I wanted. I was only referring to the ability to keep track of time, not time itself.
What has it been? One week? two? three? Not sure but then again not like I need to. I'm not going to die without it and if I really wanted to I could just keep track of the days by counting.
However, that doesn't mean I'm in a predicament right now. Yes, my inability to keep track of time has led to my downfall.
"It's too cold out here!" I complain.
It must be Christmas by now or something cause it's as cold as Christmas just without the snow. My light jacket sure is helping keep out like 1 degree of the cold.
"It's funny you say that as you have fire coming from your hand." The girl I was with says.
Well yes, it's true I'm casting fire to keep myself warm it's not like it covers my entire body. It's a horrible cycle of being way too cold or way too hot.
"What and you're not?" I verbally return back slightly shivering
"Well, I got my coat from the market. You should try it!" She says with a cocky smile.
"Don't mock me…"
"Hehe" Mara lets out a little laugh.
Mara, one of my friends from this new world, stood next to me suspiciously standing with her hands behind her back. Mara knows my one and only weakens way too well... My inability to talk to people.
What? Sure it's a dumb weakness but still a weakness. People are more scared of public speaking than anything else you know. Well, I'm not too sure if that holds up here tho…
"Hey come on hurry up!" She says impatiently.
"Ya, ya, I'm on it… Appraisal!" I say the last bit more energetic than normal.
Strength 125 + 20
Speed 172 + 20
Defense 148 + 20
Intelligence 146 + 20
Yup, that's what feels like a month of work will get ya. Skills and stats are the direct result of hard work so it makes sense. You wanna know what doesn't make sense? The A rank skill she has!
Ya sorry to disappoint but not even I have even seen a skill close to "Heroic". It doesn't even make sense! What about Mara is heroic? From what I can see, nothing much.
Now you may say that I'm a bit peeved because she got an a rank skill. Which I am but it's just the fact I have no idea how she got it! What heroic acts has she been doing? Also, how can I get it?
It's kind of obvious that a higher-lettered skill will be better so I can only imagine how powerful that skill is. The best I still got is C. I mean other than that one skill she really doesn't beat me. Here let me show you.
Strength 349 +20
Speed 324 +20
Defense 278
Intelligence 310 +10
Quick learner(Rank E) Advanced Appraisal(Rank E) Stealth(Rank F) Mana Consume(Rank C)
Better Balance(Rank F) Fast Thinker(Rank E) MP Efficient(Rank C) Mana Creation(Rank C)
Ya, ya, ya. It's cool and all but you know what would have been cooler? If I got an A-ranked skill! Now being more realistic it's true the two skills I got are useful. In fact, they actually play into each other.
How it works is by-
"Well?" Mara interrupts me.
Whoops, I guess my fast thinking skill can only get me so far. I'll explain later.
"Well, you finally hit one thousand.."
I say the obvious but it doesn't stop Mara from looking excited.
"Does that mean we're ready yet?"
Hmm…
"Actually I think now is a perfect time," I say triumphantly.
Mara's face somehow glows even more than it was before.
"Ya mean it?! Like, mean it, mean it?!"
"Hmm, I don't see why not…"
"Yea!" Mara says, thrusting a fist into the air.
Look I'm not Maras' mom or something, if she wants to do something she should go do it. All I'm supposed to do is be a friend and as a friend, I shouldn't limit what they can do just cause I don't want them to.
That's why I finally agreed for Mara to help me take out the goblin village together. But of course, there's something I must say first.
"Mara?"
"Akari?"
"Wiggle?"
Wait, wiggle? Looking down it's Kira, my slime friend. Does he want something as well?
Oh no. It can't be. Not a situation like this. I can't believe we just talked at the same time!
Why am I getting some déjà vu?
No! This is important! I mustn't let my lack of communication skills stop me this time!
I grab both of Mara's shoulders and speak.
"After we do this you have to let me pet your head again."
Wow, I'm glad I was able to say it. Not like the request is that out there. She already let me pet her before. I can kinda tell how ambering it is for her but that only makes me want to do it more. Ya know?
As if to prove my point of how uncomfortable it makes her, Mara's mood becomes much more passive and I can see her ears and tail move accordingly. Must suck having your emotions so visual.
"I- well if you really want to I-I guess it's fine…" She says looking at the ground.
It's that easy folks. Now to see what she wanted.
"Great, now did you want something?"
"Right! Oh oh, well. How about I tell you after. For now, I want you to take this." She says as she hands me something.
Passing the object to me I take it and unfold the fabric. As it comes undone I realize what it is. It's a piece of apparel very similar to what a certain edge lord I know wears. It's a cloak-like apparel that comes with a comfy hood.
In fact, feeling the entire cloak reveals how insulated the whole thing actually is. In comparison to the clothes here, it's leagues above them. I bet I would feel totally snug in this!
…
Uhh, a little minor itti bitti negligible issue…
It's similar to what a certain evil buddy of mine wears…
For some reason, I get the feeling Mara might have thought this looks cool. Maybe at some point, I would have thought the same. However, now it has the attitude that you think you're better than everyone.
The color is even totally black! Geez, and the gray outlines are not helping.
Mara is looking at me expectedly so I must be right that she thinks that it looks cool.
How much did she even spend on this thing? You can't just buy something like this either. How did she get my measurements? Did she ask Ren?
In the end the effort Mara must have put into getting this outways the cringe I feel for even having something like this. So I surrender, deactivating my fire spell, and put the dumb cloak on.
As soon as I have it on I notice Mara's delighted exasperation which only makes it harder for me to wear this thing.
Now it's time for the last thing. It seemed Kira wanted something as well. So I crouched down to him and see what he wants. However, he doesn't seem as interested as he was before.
"Guess you can tell me when we get back," I say and pet Kira.
Getting back up I walk past Mara, who is once again having a glaring contest with Kira.
"Come on let's go already," I say thinking of just leaving her behind.,
"Oh right now?! Uh ok then!"
With Mara close behind me, we enter the forest and hurry towards the village. It doesn't take long for Mara to disappear from behind me. Soon after random dead goblin bodies are laid out randomly in the forest.
Mara must be cleaning the way as we go. I mean all that means is that I get to get there sooner. So I decided to pick up the pace. At this speed, the trees are more of an obstacle than any goblin.
Thankfully I'm able to avoid them and catch sight of a goblin just inside my vision. But it doesn't take long for that goblin to fall and by the time I get to it, it's already fallen to the ground.
It's really nice having someone to clear the way for you. Not only that but she seems to be keeping up with me while she kills any goblin in the way and because of that, it doesn't take long for us to reach the goblin village.
As soon as I hide behind a bush just on the outskirts of the village Mara appears next to me. Now that we're finally here I guess it's time to start.
"Stick to the plan," I whisper to Mara.
And just like that Mara gives a node and disappears. I wait there for a moment and mentally prepare myself. This is something we've been training for a month for and here it is.
"Alright, let's do this I guess~," I say, sighing.
Taking one and then two steps out from the bush I walk into the open in view of the entrance of the goblin village. It's an open village so there really isn't an entrance or walls for that matter but this still seemed like the most entrance-like place.
After walking farther than I thought I would need to, goblins finally start to notice my presence, and once enough of them do I speak.
"I, Akari have come to slay you mindless beast! Lay down and die or fall to my sword!" I yell as I take out my sword.
Ya like that? Of course, it was practiced so I feel like I did a good job. Seeing as I basically have the entire village's attention I guess now's the time to get in there.
Just before I take a step I hear something from the village.
"What a grand opening that was. I do hope you can back it up with your sword."
The old man that said that revealed himself from the village. That old man. That's the guy that I lost my humiliating first fight to…