Chapter 12 - Forest Level

After finishing his leveling up and acquiring the new skill, Sasaki decided it was time to investigate the whereabouts of the enigmatic figures he had been tracking. He instructed Shadow to fly above the spot where they had been resting just hours ago.

As Shadow circled above, Sasaki's anticipation grew, but his expression turned to dismay when Shadow did not find them there. It was to be expected; after all, they had been resting in the open forest for hours.

Determined not to lose their trail, Sasaki urged Shadow to continue tracking them. With Shadow's exceptional senses, it didn't take long to pick up their trail again. Sasaki realized they were heading towards the graveyard where he had initially found himself after reincarnation.

"This is becoming troublesome," Sasaki muttered, a furrow forming on his brow. "I can't risk getting involved to save someone I don't even know."

Taking a deep breath, he reassured himself, "I need to focus on my own strength for now."

Sasaki weighed the situation carefully. It was clear that whoever had captured the high-level witch possessed some serious power despite their level very low to her, enough to make even her surrender. Without knowing more about their capabilities, it would be foolish to risk a confrontation. Sasaki's instincts told him there was something suspicious about their activities.

Deciding to let them be for now, Sasaki turned his focus to his own path. As he used Shadow to reconnoiter the area before venturing into the forest, he gained insight into the inhabitants. Each ruling over their own territories based on their strength. With the help of Shadow's reconnaissance skills, Sasaki gathered information about the different levels of the forest and the monsters that resided within.

The forest was like an RPG game, divided into levels based on the strength of the monsters. Sasaki could identify three main levels: level one, ruled by goblins with levels ranging from 5 to 25; level two, governed by hobgoblins, evolved forms of goblins with levels between 30 and 70; and level three, dominated by orcs with levels ranging from 50 to 70.

Realizing that he could further divide the forest into ten levels, Sasaki understood that the deeper he ventured, the more he would learn about the monsters and their levels. It was a journey of discovery and survival, each step will bring him closer to mastering this new world.

The reason why Sasaki did not want to exit from forest was the harsh reality of his appearance. His grotesque visage, more reminiscent of a ghoul than a human, filled him with unease. He feared the repercussions of being perceived as a monster rather than a fellow human being. 

His decision was fueled by a desire to find a solution, a remedy to conceal his ghoul like form. In a world shrouded in mystery and magic, he knew it would be futile to seek assistance from humans who had shown cruelty to his previous body's owner. And their are organizations who work in dark to erase any evidence by any means as it happened to previous body owner and he reincarnated into the same body. 

With a determined fist raised high, Sasaki vowed to forge his own path towards finding a cure, rather than relying on the aid of others.

In the second level of the forest, hobgoblins lived in organized packs, each led by an alpha hobgoblin. These hobgoblins exhibited a greater level of coordination in hunting. Unlike goblins, who typically hunted alone or in small parties, hobgoblin teams moved in sync, with the leader directing their fellow members during hunts. The collective efforts of the group, under the command of the hobgoblin leader, made their hunting endeavors significantly more efficient. Furthermore, each hobgoblin within the group specialized in a specific weapon, such as swords, battle axes, hammers, or bows, whereas goblins commonly wielded wooden mace-like weapons.

Sasaki observed the hobgoblin group hunting with keen interest, noting their intelligence and coordination, which rivaled that of humans. His expression turned serious as he analyzed their tactics and individual skills. The hobgoblins' higher levels, with the leader at level 60 and the others above level 50, presented a formidable challenge. Their robust health bars indicated they would be difficult to defeat, making Level 2 of the forest seem very challenging for Sasaki.

With only his "Epidemic Eruption" skill for ranged combat, Sasaki realized he would need to act swiftly and rely on his agility to set traps effectively. He understood the risk involved in engaging them and knew he would have to evade detection while setting up his traps repeatedly. Despite the odds, Sasaki found solace in the hobgoblins' apparent lack of agility compared to him, seeing it as their one weakness he could exploit. Determination etched on his face, Sasaki resolved to proceed cautiously, knowing the stakes were high.

"This hunt is risking it all," Sasaki admitted, his tone heavy with the weight of the task ahead. "I've got to be quick with those traps, counting on my agility to keep me out of sight."

"It's all about flawless execution," he pondered, his resolve firm. "I've got to pull this off without a hitch, staying one step ahead. And hey, if their agility isn't up to par with mine, that's a chink in their armor I can work with."

Sasaki devised a plan to leverage his agility against the hobgoblins. He decided to set traps swiftly, ensuring he wasn't caught in the process. Once a trap was triggered, he would immediately move on to setting the next one. With the ability to deploy two traps simultaneously within a ten-meter range, the damage inflicted on the hobgoblins would be doubled compared to his encounters with goblins. This strategy relied on his speed and precision, maximizing the impact of each trap while staying ahead of the hobgoblin's reactions.