Chapter 34

It’s just before 2 PM, and I’ll call it a day for magic practice.

Now, there’s another reason I came to the forest.

That reason is “gathering medicinal herbs.”

In this world, it seems normal for people to enter mountains and forests to procure food.

Of course, cereal production takes place. Wheat, beans, vegetables, and fruits are sold in the market.

However, medicinal herbs are not cultivated. And as for meat, it involves hunting.

Well, there might be some cultivation, but it’s not something I hear about in this town. It seems like the norm is to gather things in their natural state.

After joining the guild, there are regular training sessions for adventurers.

They teach the tricks of gathering medicinal herbs, provide information about the local terrain, report examples of magical creatures and monsters, and share information about regions where animals suitable for food can be found.

The guild doesn’t want adventurers to go out unprepared, and so, even I, a staff member, sat among the adventurers, drawing some curious glances. But, well, I was a student originally.

So, it’s time to get some wild vegetables and medicinal herbs in this area…

Well, it wasn’t going to be that easy!

I cannot find anything at all… Rather, everything just looks like ordinary grass.

“This is not worth talking about.”

Well, that’s obvious.

It’s not as easy as being told to suddenly go mountain hiking and pick wild plants, especially for an amateur like me.

I took some pictures of the drawings with my smartphone as preparation and helped out at the buyback counter, but…

“Wouldn’t it be nice if it were like a manga… I want something like ‘Appraisal Magic.'”

In the game, named herbs grow by the roadside… My gamer brain intensely regrets not noticing.

However, since I’ve come all the way to the forest, I’ll do my best to find something.

The terrain is relatively easy to walk on.

Gentle hills and flat forests continue.

But I was only looking down as I walked.

As a result, I had long passed the area with tree stumps and hadn’t realized that I was progressing deeper into the forest.

The forest breaks, and a grassy plain appears.

“Oh? It’s a nice-looking place.”

Though there’s no river, it gives off a riverbank-like atmosphere.

It feels perfect for spreading out a bento and leisurely enjoying a picnic or outing.

In front, various flowers can be seen scattered about, and on the right, grass about my height grows thick.

Then, on the left, far in the distance, is a ground covered with stone-like remains of a dried-up river, followed by another grassy plain.

“I see, so that’s where they grow.”

I interpret that I had fundamentally misunderstood the way to search.

While exploring the surroundings in a slightly elated mood, I searched for the desired herbs.

Just as I caught sight of a cluster of grass that seemed promising and moved towards it—

Buzz…

An object crossed in front of me from right to left.

Startled by the sudden sound of something cutting through the air, I stopped and instinctively looked in the direction it had flown.

——Thud.

It was something like a bundle of a pitch-black, dirty mop, flying about 20 meters ahead.

“Huh… What?”

Thud, thud, thud, thud, swoosh, swoosh…

Without a moment’s pause, footsteps approached from the right.

However, it was not visible through the thick grass.

In an instant, a sense of unease overwhelmed me, but it was already too late.

The figure emerged smoothly from the thicket.

The moment I saw it, the words that came to my mind were, “What is this!”

Before recognizing it as a four-legged creature, what appeared before my eyes was a gigantic… pillar… steel frame… is that a horn?!

When viewed head-on, the angles were so large that one might mistake it for a “mini hydraulic shovel arm.”

Wide, curved, thick horns, beside them were round eyes—filled with anger, glowing crimson.

And on the triangular head were cute ears, the body covered in gray, resembling armor.

Just by the color of the horns and body, the name of the creature I knew instantly came to mind.

—A rhinoceros!

No, but it’s not a rhinoceros! The horns are completely different!

I’ve never seen horns this huge.

Can’t think of any creature on Earth resembling this.

Moreover, the color of the horns is strange… black-brown. I don’t know of any horns with that color.

And they’re curved back, their tips exceeding my height, making it impossible to see the ends. I can’t possibly pierce with that!

Rhinoceros horns are supposed to be whitish and short… or was that claws sharing similar components?

Well, that’s not important right now…

That unmistakably resembles the color of obsidian, something I know from the game. It’s very tough.

And it’s huge! About the length of a small car.

It feels like it’s revving up, ready for a drag race.

I’m in a ridiculously excited state.

Wait, is it already hostile towards me?!

Just as I thought that, it faced me directly and slightly lowered its head.

And then, in what seemed like a preparation for a sprint, it kicked its right front leg a couple of times and charged without hesitation.

“What!?”

Strangely, my body instinctively reacted, and I jumped to the left to dodge— but the distance was short.

Thud!

A resounding noise echoed in my brain, and then, I felt intense pain as its right leg kicked, hitting my ankle with its horn.

“Aaargh!”

Enduring the pain, I turned around, only to realize that it had gone about 50 meters away.

Fast! It’s not like any animal’s movement.

No way it can match the speed of a car in a sprint.

I tried to stand up quickly, but my right leg, throbbing in pain, wouldn’t support me.

Probably a cracked bone or a fracture.

“Damn it, it came charging without any hesitation!”

However, perhaps due to the experience of surviving attacks in the city, I wasn’t paralyzed with fear and unable to move in the face of this creature.

If I can’t move, then I have to counterattack.

Alright, it’s time for the “Stone Magic.” I’ll hit it with a big stone projectile. Good thing I practiced this.

“Prepare to witness something amazing!”

《Chant, large stone bullet launch》

Spaaaan!

A 3-inch tank shell launched from the forehead!

The shockwave made the grass on the ground tremble. And it hit the creature perfectly!

Goooon…

However, it was bounced off its skin!

There was a sound like hitting a drum filled with water, and it flew off in an unexpected direction.

“Eeeeeeeeeeeeh!”

Whether it was the wrong angle or the creature’s skin being harder than expected… it was cleanly bounced off.

My most powerful attack had no effect.

At the same time, it meant that an absolute, life-threatening crisis had arrived.

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