"Hmm?　Another demon. ......
Slime again?　There's been a lot of them lately.

　It's been a few months since we started logging in the northern forest.

　We've been killing scalps and apes that have been attacking us frequently since the beginning, as well as orcs from time to time, but lately we've been encountering slimes more frequently.

　In the past, I'd only seen one slime a day, but now I was often dealing with several in a single logging session.

　They are not a serious threat in themselves, but we can't leave them unattended because we don't want to get our feet stuck in them.

　But fortunately, I haven't encountered any ogre so far.
　Is it luck, or is the encounter itself an exception?

No, it's not a slime. Maybe it's a monster I don't know.
"Oh, an ogre at last!

"I wouldn't be so calm. I'd say it's stronger than a hobgoblin, but weaker than an orc.

I see. But you've never met an ogre, have you?　With the amount of demons we've encountered so far, it seems like there should be adventurers coming around here to harvest them.

"It's a matter of frequency. Even with a logging and transportation speed as fast as ours, we still get attacked by demons every time.　In our case, the time it takes to cut down the trees is much shorter than usual, not to mention the hauling with the magic bags.

　In addition to Toya's high physical abilities, I, Haruka and Yuki are now able to use magic suitable for logging, so we can cut down even huge trees at a considerable speed.

　Another advantage of using magic for felling is that it makes less noise than using an axe.

　If you use an axe, the sound will probably echo in kilometers.

Then there's the Bind Viper. For us, they're small fry nowadays, but they can be quite dangerous if you can't detect them. They've been known to fall victim to the hauling of downed trees.

It's hard to make a day trip when you're hauling them.

In addition, we are already one of the best in the city when it comes to fighting ability. We're already the best in the city when it comes to fighting ability. ...... Normally, people leave LaFang when they become strong, though.

　It's a good thing that you're not the only one who has a problem with this.

　By the way, we are the best in terms of combat power, but our rank as adventurers is still 4.

　It seems that we're still ranked high in Rafan, but our recent tree cutting business is not reflected in our achievements as adventurers because we don't go through the adventurer's guild.

I thought we were talking about a new demon.　Don't you have to go?
"Oh, that's right. I think we should go check it out. What do you think?
Yeah. It's not a good idea to wait around.

　From the response of the spotters, it seems that the enemy is not very strong, but in case it is a difficult enemy to deal with, it is necessary to run away.

　In such a case, the advantage would be to go for confirmation rather than waiting for the opponent to come.

"Well then, Nao, show us the way.
"Okay. This way.

　It took a few minutes for me to switch my logging tools into weapons and move in the direction of the response. The enemy I saw was, in a way, very fantastical.

"...... skeletons, right?
Yes. It has no tendons or muscles, but somehow its whole body is connected.
No, is that the point?　It's probably connected by some kind of Coulomb force or something.

　A skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton, a skeleton.
　They were rusty, but they still had their swords and shields.
　There were three of them.

"Spears aren't very good against that thing. It's too scrawny.
My cleaver is ...... adequate.

My sword is best suited for that. It's almost a blunt instrument.

I'll just observe for now, okay?　I think I can get away with this little sword, but there are only three of them.

　If you're talking about blunt weapons, there's an iron bar in your magic bag, but you don't need to use it.

　If they appear frequently, you might want to consider getting a hammer, flail, or some other skeleton-friendly weapon.

I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what you need to do.

"Okay.

　Once the plan was decided, all that remained was to execute it.

　Toya was the first to jump out, followed by Natsuki.
　The skeleton's reaction to Toya's move was slow.

　Just as they were about to prepare their swords for Toya, Toya's sword swung down on the first one, instantly shattering it from skull to collarbone.

　The second skeleton managed to catch Natsuki's attack with its shield, but the skeleton's bones were too thin for the centrifugal force of the attack.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but it's not always possible.

"Wow ...... is it more fragile than I imagined?

It's more about Natsuki's physical strength. These days, even bind vipers can be cut into rings. ......

I know. It doesn't look any different.

　The first time he encountered a Bind Viper, he had a little trouble cutting it off, but nowadays, the moment he finds one, Natsuki's cleaver flashes and slices off its head.

　The quality of the weapon and Natsuki's skill may have had an effect, but his simple strength must have improved as well.

　However, this does not mean that Natsuki has become macho, but rather that he is affected by the [Strengthening] skill and the level that increases by defeating demons. It's not like his arms are thin or anything.

I'm sure you've seen the skeletons on ....... I'm not dead yet.


She's a skeleton, so I think she's dead, but I don't think we killed her.
Toya, on the other hand, seems to have stopped moving.

　After shattering the upper half of the body, Toya struck another blow, perhaps shattering the pelvis, and the skeleton stopped moving.

　On the other hand, the one that Natsuki attacked was still moving its head and lower body.

　Seeing this, Natsuki frowned and hit the skull with a stone-pelting blow, then crushed the leg bones and the pelvis in half.

It's pretty messy!

　It's a bit of a pain in the ass!" Toya said, but then, realizing that he wasn't very strong, he struck the remaining skeleton with the belly of his sword, shattering its bones and killing it in an instant.

It's not strong, but ...... it's definitely a bit of a pain.
I was wondering what would happen if he had a sword and shield, but ...... it's useless if he's that weak.
"Sure. What's the point of a shield if the arm that catches it comes off?

　You can't use your shield to catch and attack, so it's almost pointless to have it.

　In the event that you have a lot of money, you may want to take a look at the following tips.

If you're looking for the best way to do this, you're going to need to look at the following: ......
Demon stone. ...... Where was it?
Maybe in the skull?

　The magic stone that Toya picked up after fishing through the shattered bones was bigger than he thought.

　I thought it would be smaller than that, given its strength, but it's probably a little bigger than a sculpted ape.

If it's in your skull, it's not going to be easy to crush. ...... There's a chance you might crush it by mistake, though.
That's true. But it's ...... not a good idea to worry about it and attack.

It's okay.　Even if it shatters. We don't have that much money.
Yeah. Fortunately, it looks like you didn't break any of them this time.

　He stood up and put three magic stones in his hand.

　It seems that none of his attacks hit the magic stones, even though he was attacking very roughly.

If it's not broken, then there's no need to worry about it.　Behind you!

　Toya's reaction to hearing my voice was swift.
　I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on.

"No!

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

What the hell is this?

　What was there was something translucent, like a black mist.

　If I had to describe it, I would say it was something humanoid wearing a black robe.

　But it had no legs, no hands, and the part of its face that was in contact with the light was just darkness. I think I can see something glowing behind it, but it's all translucent, so it's a bit vague.

"Undead with a skeleton connection?

　Toya shouts and swings her sword again, but it only passes through the haze.

　As the miasma approaches Toya, his knees nearly buckle and he jumps back in panic.

"When I touch it, I kind of lose my strength!
"Toya, get back!　Fire Arrow!

　He unleashes a spell that has served him well in the past, but it slips through the fuzz and sets the tree behind him ablaze.

"No!
"Fool, Nao!　EXTINGUISH FIRE!

　The one who immediately followed him was Yuki.
　Yuki immediately followed up and extinguished the flames in an instant.

"Sorry!　I'm not sure what to do.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"Nao, what about Holy Fire?
Can you use it?　It's level 7!

　I shouted back at Haruka, who said something absurd.

　It's an attack spell that seems to be effective against the undead, but it's only level 7 in the grimoire.

　Although the skill level displayed in the status does not necessarily correspond to the level of magic that can be used, the level in the grimoire is proportional to the level of difficulty. It's not a spell I can use yet, and I haven't practiced it because I didn't expect to meet an undead.

　Moreover, this demon appeared out of nowhere without even being caught in my search.
　It couldn't be just a small fish, could it?

　I don't have any magical weapons that would be effective against the undead, nor do I have any kind of holy water.

　I'm unprepared for this.

"d*mn it!　We're retreating!

　I shouted as I looked at the haze that was slowly approaching.