Next Life – Chapter 5

Ten days have passed since my reincarnation.

Perhaps I’ve adapted to my surroundings, as my body no longer aches.

However, I’m getting tired of a diet consisting solely of meat and berries.

I’m starting to crave other things.

(Snakes are edible, aren’t they…?)

Such thoughts briefly crossed my mind.

I vaguely recalled someone in my previous world, perhaps from a special forces unit, mentioning they survived in the jungle by eating snakes.

(I can’t eat feces and all that, but a snake… maybe…)

I was growing desperate enough to seriously consider it.

The forest is vast, far beyond Marius’s expectations, and I haven’t even found anything resembling a path.

Despite that, the variety of food I can obtain is limited.

I still haven’t encountered any other humans.

I had hoped the goblins would act as lures, but I had to consider the possibility that they might be too far from settlements to draw anyone.

I suspect the forest might be around ten square kilometers.

That’s purely a gut feeling, so I’m not confident in its accuracy.

After all, I don’t even know if a day has twenty-four hours.

I don’t have any magic to measure distances.

Nor do I have magic to preserve food or alter its weight.

Marius, who felt omnipotent in the game world, finds himself unable to do many things in this world.

(Today, I’ll seriously focus on finding a path.)

Marius, who can switch his mindset quickly, for better or worse, had already moved on to his next thought.

Until now, I’ve spent my time securing food and practicing magic.

If I dedicate all that time to exploration, I should make significant progress.

With renewed determination, Marius began to walk.

“Wind!”

I fended off an attacking Lake Snake with wind magic.

The Lake Snake, its head split in two, collapsed, spewing red blood.

The fact that only a few trees sustained minor cuts indicates how much Marius’s magic control has improved.

Approaching the dead Lake Snake, I carefully used a dagger to peel off a few green scales.

If I misjudged the force, I could tear them and get covered in blood.

The blood of a Lake Snake is poisonous, and its effect lingers even after death.

Having learned this the hard way once, Marius proceeded with caution.

Currently, I possess dried meat, Black Owl feathers, Lake Snake scales, and Armor Deer antlers and hide.

I’m not inclined to dig out its eyes or beak, and there’s no container for the blood or bodily fluids.

I wrapped the scales in leaves, tied them with a blade of grass, and put them in a bag.

This is to prevent them from touching the meat, though it’s likely just for peace of mind.

(Well, something will work out.)

As usual, I stopped thinking too deeply.

After finishing the skinning, I left the carcass as is and began to walk.

I’m heading in the direction where the sun and moon rise.

If necessary, I can return using Teleport, so I have no hesitation in venturing into unknown territory.

What I must be careful of is whether I’m passing through the same area repeatedly.

I’ve been dropping Lake Snake scales and digging the ground to serve as markers.

I noticed that goblins, Black Owls, Armor Deer, and Lake Snakes all tend to leave their dead behind.

The appraisal magic revealed no special effects.

Perhaps it’s because it’s the highest-level monster I’ve encountered.

Regardless, a dead Lake Snake is useful as a marker, just as its scales are, which is why Marius confidently leaves them on the ground.

“Detection.”

I don’t forget to scan for danger periodically with magic.

Detection isn’t foolproof.

It can detect living beings, but not non-living ones, such as the undead.

Still, it’s one of the most reliable spells I have in my current situation.

(Three contacts, to my front right.)

Black Owls are nocturnal and don’t appear during the day.

Goblins likely move in groups of five.

By elimination, it must be an Armor Deer or a Lake Snake.

I thought Lake Snakes were nocturnal because I encountered one at night the first time, but they seem to be active day and night.

Also, having witnessed one prey on a Black Owl, I suspect that on that night, the Lake Snake intended to prey on me after consuming the owl—or so I felt.

Approaching cautiously, I could hear the sounds of a struggle.

Perhaps an Armor Deer and a Lake Snake are fighting.

Detection can’t even distinguish if a battle is underway.

As I crept closer, trying not to make a sound, I saw an Armor Deer being coiled around by a Lake Snake.

Even the tough hide of an Armor Deer is no match for a constriction attack.

Another Armor Deer wandered around, prodding the Lake Snake with its antlers, but it seemed ineffective.

(This is a good opportunity to intervene.)

After strangling its prey, a Lake Snake would bite and inject poison to finish it off.

If that happened, I’d need poison-curing magic to eat it.

“Wind!”

With a blade of wind created by magic, I severed the head of the Armor Deer and the body of the Lake Snake.

I had gained almost perfect control over low-level spells of Class 10 or below.

However, it’s too early to relax.

A Lake Snake doesn’t die from merely having its body severed.

It began to writhe away from the headless Armor Deer, dragging its body along the ground.

Then, I sliced its head in half with the wind blade.

I made the mistake of letting one go once before, and they attacked me in a group.

And Lake Snakes level up each time they prey.

Individuals that preyed on Armor Deer and Black Owls reached Level 80.

That’s precisely why Marius makes it a point to defeat every Lake Snake he encounters.

Fortunately, they don’t have a habit of gathering at the scent of blood.

I quickly finished dismembering the Armor Deer and cutting off its antlers.

The antlers, like the Lake Snake scales, can be used as markers.

Marius isn’t killing indiscriminately.

However, it’s also true that my resistance to killing living creatures has dulled.

My dismemberment of Armor Deer is now incomparably faster than when I first started.

(I might be becoming hardened.)

Thinking such thoughts, Marius still had some room for reflection.

Once the work was finished, I left the remains as they were and started walking again.

I periodically used Detection to survey my surroundings.

It’s less about being wary of monster encounters and more about practicing my magic.

(No reactions.)

The sporadic monster battles have completely stopped.

I might be walking into a dead end with nothing.

Thinking that, Marius increased his pace.

I felt it was significant to rule out even one empty area.

It’s like wandering through a vast desert with no signposts, gradually piecing together a map.

There’s no time for despair.

After walking straight for a while, I saw a cliff rising before me.

(What, a cliff?)

For Marius, who can use flight magic, cliffs, no matter how high, are not a significant obstacle.

The question is whether there’s a path beyond it.

Marius chose to proceed without hesitation.

“Flight!”

Levitate merely lifts an object, while Flight is magic for flying.

Being unaccustomed to it, I flew at a speed comparable to riding a bicycle in my previous world.

I felt a brief sense of amusement like being at an amusement park, but I calmed myself and used my detection magic.

“Detection!”

To my surprise, there was a reaction.

(What!?)

There were over twenty contacts.

Their location indicated they were on top of the cliff, and beyond it.

My caution against being ambushed while flying led to an unexpected situation.

What was happening beyond the cliff?

Suppressing my eagerness, Marius maintained his flight speed.

Upon reaching the top of the cliff, I saw a mountain path paved with cobblestones.

From beyond a sharp curve, I heard the sounds of metal clashing, shouts, and roars that sounded like monsters.

(Humans!)

Marius’s spirits lifted at the sight of the people he had been waiting for.

While being careful not to get caught in the crossfire, I certainly wanted to help.

And become friends with them!

However, if I died, it would all be for naught.

My caution, which has been manifesting more often since coming to this world, brought Marius to a halt.

As I approached without haste, the first thing I saw was a luxurious carriage surrounded by ten people protecting it.

Seven of them were clad in silver armor, wielding long swords and spears, while the other three wore robes and held wands.

Beyond them, horses lay fallen.

Confronting them were six dragon-like monsters soaring in the sky.

They had gray scales, large wings, talons, and long tails, and they spewed fire from their mouths, menacing the humans.

(Wyverns!)

It was no wonder Marius was surprised.

Wyverns in the FAO world are boss monsters in the early to mid-game.

While their HP and attack power are not on par with dragons, they excel at consecutive attacks utilizing high mobility, and their level is at least 80.

This means it takes at least five players of level 80 to defeat them. They are monsters of a completely different caliber than Lake Snakes.

With six of them, the situation could only be described as dire.

Looking closely, I saw several pairs of boot soles facing upwards at the humans’ feet, utterly motionless.

Several had already fallen.

Even now, the Wyverns swooped at high speeds, cooperating to breathe fire.

The mages attempted to block with barriers, but they couldn’t completely stop the attacks, and they struck the knights. The knights stumbled with what sounded like groans, but they held their ground and tried to retaliate.

The Wyverns easily dodged, and when their allies tried to pursue, they missed, only to be counterattacked by the Wyverns’ tails.

Not a single person showed any sign of attempting to escape.

Their faces contorted, and they gritted their teeth as they fought.

They were undoubtedly defending whoever was inside the carriage with their lives.

This is a common scene in fiction from my previous world, and Marius didn’t feel anything particular about it.

However, the sight unfolding before his eyes now stirred his heart.

(I’ll go.)

If Marius helped, the situation would likely improve.

I don’t care what they think of me.

I just want to save these lives.