| Author: TA☆KA | Original Source: Kakuyomu / Syosetu |
| Translator: Jiro | English Source: Re:Library |
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“How was it? You’re okay, right?”
“Well yeah, you could say that… but it did hurt.”
“But you looked like you took it well.”
“Well, it did hurt, but I could still bear it, so maybe that’s why.”
“I did hit you pretty hard after all. I put enough strength where a normal person wouldn’t be able to bear it.”
“Really? Well yeah, it hurt. Though I’m pretty fine now.”
“This just goes to show how useful ‘kata (stances)’ are.”
“What was it called again? Sanchin1?”
“Yeah. However, you still haven’t mastered it. What you did was nothing more than an imitation of it.”
“Are you making fun of me now?”
“You should close your fists starting from your pinky and concentrate your Chi in this part of your arms just like I taught you. If you do that, it’ll have a better effect.”
“You know, the side of the arm from the elbow to the base of the pinky? It felt warmer there when I became conscious of it.”
“When it comes to ‘kata’, it is crucial to not only perform the movements correctly but also be aware of what you’re doing. This way you’ll be able to draw up the full power of that ‘kata’.”
“That sounds complex.”
“To put it into perspective, imagine you are kneeling and supporting yourself with just six fingers. If you visualize a pole pushing upward from the center of your chest, you’ll find you can stand up without much effort. Even if there is pressure pushing down on you from above, you can still rise using just a bit of force.”
“So you’re telling me that we should all strive to be like Yamato Nadeshiko2?”
“Japanese manners and gestures are made in a way that helps the flow of Chi. When you use your chopsticks correctly, you allow Chi to flow properly. How do you feel now that you’ve learned the proper manners?”
“I don’t know. What I do know is that I want to learn a technique similar to the Sanchin you taught me. Something that will make me stronger. Come to think of it, will I become immune to pain if I master the Sanchin?”
“No. You’ll still feel it.”
“What? Really?”
“Look, pain is quite important as a piece of information. After all, if you don’t feel pain, you won’t know what condition your body is in. If you didn’t feel pain, you wouldn’t know how much more you could push. That is why it is important to embrace and understand the pain, not try to push it away.”
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Yesterday, I ended up back at the waterfall where I had first camped. I found the trail when I headed north on the road through the woods, and I figured it would be quicker to follow it if I wanted to find a place to set up camp.
Besides, I also wanted to check something in a shallow area of the forest.
“If I want to try taking damage, I should start by wearing low-rank equipment, or better, no equipment at all! If I put on my best gear, I doubt any of the Mobs here would be able to hurt me.”
At any rate, I didn’t want to suddenly be attacked by a wolf’s or bear’s claws while defenseless. I wanted my first time to be gentler. With a weaker enemy.
It could come off as hypocritical given I’d already slaughtered, ran over, and made mincemeat out of god knows how many Mobs, but I didn’t want to dig into this matter.
First, I decided to take a shower under the waterfall. It was only natural given what I’d been through today.
“Given that it’s not that cold even in the morning, it must mean that it’s either July or August now.”
I stood under the waterfall, letting the water hit me, and absentmindedly muttered to myself while shaking my shapely breasts. Then, a very cute sound echoed through the area.
“God, I’m so hungry.”
I muttered sadly as I placed my hand over my stomach. After all, I’d only been eating whenever I couldn’t bear the hunger any longer. The reason was, of course…
“Another tasteless meal! I’m starving, but just thinking about the food makes me depressed…”
The food I had was practically flavorless.
After soaking in the waterfall, I walked up to the shore. Pulling a towel from my Inventory, I wrapped it around myself, spread my legs, and sat on the nearest rock. It wasn’t appropriate for a young girl to wear something this exposed in public, but it wasn’t as if I was a girl on the inside, so it was fine!
I once again opened my Inventory and pulled out a stew to sip on. The stews were always freshly made and steaming hot, but…
“It’s so bad.”
I gulped it all down in one go as if it didn’t matter what it tasted like as long as I got something into my stomach.
“I shad tank baut wat ta da bout faad.”
I should’ve remembered not to talk with my mouth full.
Regardless, I quickly devoured the stew forcefully.
“Ahhh… I should head to that human settlement ASAP! I’m not convinced that people can live without tasty food!”
After forcing myself through the meal, I let out a deep sigh and stood up. I removed the towel, put it back into my Inventory, and instantly swapped on my D Rank equipment.
“Wait… Now that I can hunt without making everything explode, maybe I can start hunting for food! Should I try with a bird or something?” I muttered, looking up excitedly. “That’s right! I can do this! Let’s go and gather some food!!!”
I chuckled to myself as I gazed happily toward the south.
“Either way, it’s about 50 or 60 kilometers to the settlement. I should be able to find a bird or two on my way there!” With that in mind, I quickly took off towards the south.
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In conclusion, everything was chaotic. I came across a huge, boar-like Mob. I forgot its name, so let’s just call it Something Boar for now. Seeing it, I immediately thought, ‘I am eating that!’
So I opened with Fire Magic. It burned. Turned to charcoal. The only taste I could make out of it was that of burnt ash.
Next, I sliced it up and picked out what seemed like the right parts. Since I had no idea what I was doing, I just took some red meat, chopped it up, and grilled it.
It turned out to have an awful gamey smell, almost as if the meat was rotting. I realized I probably needed some herbs or something to mask the odor. Regardless, I forced myself to take a bite, only for tears to well up in my eyes. This strong, awful taste was not what I was hoping for. I cried, genuinely upset.
I started thinking that maybe Mobs, or monsters, weren’t meant to be eaten.
So, I decided to try something different and went for a bird like I’d originally planned. There was a big eagle-like creature nearby, so I picked up a pebble, covered it with Chi, and shot it from my fingertips. I successfully hit it, and the creature went down easily.
“Okay! Let’s cook it!” I thought.
But similar to the boar, I had no idea how to prepare it. It was at that moment that I realized I had zero survival skills.
