Walking in Another World

ore, so I’d rather not have to depend on it.

“I haven’t seen you before.
Are you an adventurer?”

“I’m going outside for the first time, because I accepted a medicinal herb picking quest.”

“…I see.
You shouldn’t say the contents of the quests you accepted.
You never know who might be listening.
Also, the forest in the outskirts should be fine, but monsters sometimes wander in, so be careful.”

I pass through the gate and follow the road for about thirty minutes, until I see a forest to my left and head that way.
There’s a river flowing through the forest, and medicinal herbs grow near its banks.

I see there are others who come here to pick medicinal herbs, because there’s a trampled path that makes it easier to walk through the forest.

I walk carefully with presence detection active, but don’t feel any living beings around me.

I walk for another thirty minutes, and reach the medicinal herbs I’m here for.

I use Appraisal to only pick medicinal herbs in good condition, and pick magic energy herbs that are mixed in here too.

I can’t forget vitality and detoxing herbs too, but I heard that it’s common courtesy to leave some, because if I pick too much there won’t be any left.

Still, I think I got a good amount.

This is what Appraisal is all about.
There are simple herbs mixed in here too, so it would be necessary to memorize the herbs’ shapes in order to not pick them by mistake.

Also, freshness is important, so withered and immature herbs get a bad evaluation.
In some cases, they might not even count and be discarded altogether.

I put the herbs in a bag made specifically to preserve their freshness.

I get up, as I’m thinking it’s time to go back, and my Presence Detection picks up something.

Six presences coming this way, and moving very fast.

I hide while making sure to pay attention to the presences.

Just as I’m done hiding, I see six things jumping out, two people and four monsters.
Are the monsters wolves? I read that they’re very agile and hard to take down, but if one can deal with that speed, they’re not much of a threat.

One of the two people steps forward with twin swords in hand, and the other is holding a staff, and steps back.
The person holding the staff is breathing heavily.

A wolf jumps at the person with the twin swords, who skillfully evades it.

The twin swords owner is about to use that opportunity to strike, but another wolf gets in the way.

I thought the one holding the staff would support the other, but that person is still just trying to catch their breath.

I figured their opponents were just too fast, but apparently that’s not it.
The one holding the staff is using it to support their body.

It takes me a second to think, and another one to act.

As a wolf is starting to jump, I throw my knife used to take monsters apart.

The wolf can’t dodge in mid-air, and the knife pierces it.
It’s just luck.

After I got lucky with my sneak attack, I swing my sword at another one, whose movements have been dulled.

It feels like I got it, and after checking that it’s not moving, I look for my next prey.

But what I see are three wolves lying on the ground, and the twin swords user standing tall.