Chapter 12

“Meat! Meat!”

“You guys eat anything as long as it’s protein, huh?” I’m diligently hunting with the gnoll to observe the ‘Power of Meat.’

Of course,

“Me- Gasp?!”

“Don’t climb on me.”

The gnoll tried to hunt me whenever it got a chance, but it never even came close to succeeding. Isn’t it too weak? Even looking at its status window, I can’t figure out why.

[Name] Arrow-Cracked Fang

[Level] 6

[Blessing] –

[Curse] –

It’s said that this gnoll miraculously survived when an arrow shot by an elf happened to hit its fang and ricocheted. That’s how it got the name Arrow-Cracked Fang… Its fang is indeed broken. “Are you really Level 6?” “Yes! Proof!” It proudly showed me its brown and green hair wrapped around its wrist like a bracelet.

A gnoll’s medal of honor, you could say?

The gnoll who makes the greatest contribution in a hunt gets the elf’s head, and when the head rots, they take only the hair.

“Elf meat! Elf head!” “Calm down.” “Promise! Elf head!” “Answer my question. Why are you so weak, you who hunted two elves?” “It’s unfair! Talking meat! Strong! Strange meat!”

“Hmm…”

Arrow-Cracked Fang, the gnoll, was a strong one who had hunted elves twice.

That’s why it could become the 13th husband of the young and beautiful chief, it proudly told me again.

….Is this for real?

The gnoll chief was living out a reverse-harem fantasy. The female students in a class full of unfilial children would have been overjoyed if they had reincarnated as gnolls, wouldn’t they? “Talking meat! Weak meat! But strong!”

“Can you see my level?” “No! But I know! Level 1 meat! Easy meat!” “Does it know instinctively…?” I was able to obtain various pieces of information besides gnoll characteristics.

For instance…

“Over there! Over there!” “What’s over there?” “Elf meat! Many!”

“Really?”

I was able to pinpoint the location of the village where the elves who attacked me on the first day lived.

As a bonus…

“Lost to meat!”

“To elves?”

“Elf meat! Bad!”

I also confirmed that the past the village chief had described was not a madman’s delusion but undeniable truth.

I don’t care about the food chain of the fantasy world, though.

“Meat- Gasp?!”

“Don’t you ever get tired?”

Applause for my patience in not killing this gnoll that charges at me every chance it gets! “Almost there.”

I could clearly see the changes occurring in its body.

Rabbit, deer, insects, eggs, pheasants… Every time it ate something, a little bit of power accumulated in the gnoll’s stomach. It was much simpler and easier than the village chief’s method of stealing an opponent’s lifespan through a Black Magic contract. Though less efficient.

“Meat! Good! Rabbit meat!”

The gnoll’s belly sloshed as it gulped down the freshly caught wild rabbit in one bite.

The gnoll, swollen like a balloon from gorging itself in a short time with my help, looked quite comical. “Are you full now?” Instead of answering, it bristled its fur and trembled. Then it roared. “Full! Feeling great! Don’t want to be hungry! This is good! Meat! Need more meat! More meat…!”

Flash! The gnoll’s two eyes began to glow red like traffic lights. The change didn’t stop there. Flex! Flex!

Its plump body, like a balloon, instantly compressed and transformed into powerful, muscular mass like a bodybuilder’s. “Cool.” “Talking meat! My meat!”

Whoosh!

The gnoll’s ambush was noticeably faster, just like its transformed physique. It wasn’t surprising, as it had been doing this whenever it saw an opening. More importantly… “Thank you so much.” Thanks to it, I clearly realized why gnolls call this the ‘Power of Meat.’ “M-meat?!”

I didn’t dodge, instead taking a step forward to close the distance, then thrust my right hand, sharpened like a blade, into its abdomen.

Thwack! The gnoll’s thick hide tore, and its waist was severed in two.

Thud, thud… Crushed organs and broken vertebrae flew everywhere, and a large amount of blood gushing from the cross-section stained the gnoll’s gray fur red. “T-talking meat. Strong?”

“Of course.”

“How…?” “It was a short companionship, but a useful one. Arrow-Cracked Fang, it was thanks to you.”

Swish…

The gnoll, which returned to its original form as soon as it lost its lower body and power, blinked its eyes repeatedly. Its face showed disbelief at what it saw. It squeezed out its remaining life and asked me, “Is meat also a gnoll…?” “No. I’m human.” My eyes, answering that, glowed red like a gnoll’s.

The majority of heroes who couldn’t finish their teacups gave up on the path of the sword and switched to magic lessons. But Prince Arsuth wasn’t disappointed and continued the lesson.

“Magic requires talent, but anyone can learn swordsmanship with just money and time.”

The heroes, who had eaten plenty of sweet pastries to soothe their tongues and were now in a food coma, were nodding off.

Still, Prince Arsuth’s smile didn’t waver. “O-one more glass…!” If there are those who fall behind, there are always those who forge ahead. And if these pioneers don’t give up and survive to the end, they are reborn as ‘Warriors’ capable of fighting a thousand, and further, as ‘Knights.’

“Hahaha! Hero Choi Kang-min. You can stop drinking for today. Drinking too much at once reduces its effectiveness.” “Ah…”

Hero Choi Kang-min, who had been drinking the medicine with tears and snot, expressed his regret. He had to get stronger as soon as possible! He wanted to quickly escape the ‘uncomfortable situation’ of being treated the same as other heroes. Prince Arsuth offered Choi Kang-min ordinary honey tea and said,

“Consistent long-term use is important. One cup a day. If you’re greedy, two cups are fine.” “Two cups every day. I’ll try it.” “Hero Choi Kang-min. The Warrior’s blessing isn’t something that can be achieved quickly by rushing. Just as a child can’t become an adult overnight just by eating well.” “How long…?” “It varies greatly from person to person. But if you don’t lose your initial resolve, you’ll gain it within a year.” “A year…? Huh?”

Hero Choi Kang-min, talking to Prince Arsuth, felt a mysterious sensation and quickly checked his status window.

[Name] Choi Kang-min

[Level] 1

[Blessing] Hero F, Fighting Spirit F

[Curse] –

[Payout] 1.11

It’s a blessing! He wanted to cheer and jump for joy, but he pretended to be calm.

Hadn’t he seen what happened to Jang Mi-yeon when she boasted about getting a blessing?

He took a deep breath, then carefully examined the blessing as if scratching the foil of a lottery ticket.

[Fighting Spirit]

▶ You become stronger and greater the longer the fight.

▶ If your will to fight is broken or you are defeated, the effect resets.

“Amazing…”

Choi Kang-min, who was trying to act calm, inadvertently mumbled as soon as he saw the blessing’s effect.

A certain God of Fighting brags about how amazing they are.

A certain God of War snorts. “Congratulations, Hero Choi Kang-min. A Blessing of Fighting Spirit! My expectations are very high.”

“You flatter me.” Choi Kang-min, who answered humbly, secretly clenched his fist. Yes! This is what I wanted! The current that thrilled through his body every time his friends’ envious gazes fell upon him.

“Hero. From now on, cultivate the habit of hiding your status window. Blessings are more advantageous when concealed.”

“How…?”

“You just need to earnestly wish not to show it even to trusted vassals and family. The blessing’s effect cannot prevent people from secretly looking, but in most situations, you can hide your status window.” “Ah!”

Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop…!

As soon as he finished speaking, the heroes’ status windows vanished. Even while attending class with eyes like rotten fish, they were strangely good at grasping immediately useful information. Prince Arsuth looked at the heroes with satisfaction, then rose from his seat. “From now on, we will move to the Chamber of Meditation. It may not be easy to understand without a blessing, but so that you can use it in practice as soon as you gain power…” “Prince! When do we start swinging swords? My body is itching from just sitting!”

A physically fit hero, like an athlete, recoiled at the mention of meditation and quickly asked.

The prince replied with a slightly troubled tone.

“Hmm. We don’t specifically teach how to swing a sword impressively… But if you wish, I can arrange for you to learn during free time.” “That’s a bit much…”

The physically fit hero retreated obediently with an even more displeased expression.

Extra lessons during precious free time?

Absolutely not. “If there are no other questions, we will move quickly. I have prepared high-quality tea to stabilize your mind and body, so you can look forward to it.” “Ah…” “Yes…”

The swordsmanship class I imagined wasn’t like this…

This was the common thought of all the heroes. A certain God of Swords is visibly disappointed.

A certain Water God pats their friend’s shoulder.

My pupils, reflected in the dead gnoll’s cornea, shone brightly. “Amazing.”

Even though I had just used it, I couldn’t precisely determine its mechanism. The gnoll’s desire to maintain its full stomach.

The gnoll’s body, caught up in that intense emotion, underwent a chemical reaction (?). “Emotion, huh…”

I gave up on logical analysis.

From the moment I started dealing with lifespans in a fantasy setting, a scientific approach was already futile.

What’s important now? Poof!

I feel my power burning noisily like coal in a steam engine.

The power that the outcast had dwindled was reset by the blessing just before it was completely depleted. And then it diminishes again. Infinite loop! A certain god is bewildered by the outcast’s change.

A certain god firmly states it’s the power of meat. “Looks like not just anyone can use it?”

Without the cheat-like blessing, one would die from lifespan depletion as soon as they used the Power of Meat.

Fantasy being fantasy, what kind of fantasy is this?

If I think about it seriously, I lose. “Hmm. It’s subtly cool.” Flash! Every time I see my eyes glowing red, I feel like my hidden chuunibyou sensibilities are about to burst out.

I thought I was past the age to be thrilled by such things…

A certain god chides me for being very childish. “Ahem. Let’s go quickly.”

I ran west towards the human village with ‘Power of Meat’ activated.

There’s not much time.

I need to deal with the elves who betrayed me before they scatter and become difficult to find.

[Outcast]

Fortunately, I don’t get tired. No sleep, no rest needed!

Although I wasted a good deal of time researching the gnoll ecosystem, I don’t think the elves, whose bodies are not in good shape, would have already left the village.

Moreover, it’s the middle of the night. It’s not a good time to cross a forest teeming with cannibalistic monsters. On the other hand, me? “Well, well…”

Flash!

My two red-glowing eyes illuminated the path ahead like a flashlight.

I found a use for the chuunibyou effect that I thought was just for show!

Last night, I endured the night using my smartphone’s flashlight function. It turned into scrap metal after half a day, with a cracked screen and dead battery. “Lucky me.” I had planned to lie in ambush near the village and wait for dawn, but that’s no longer necessary. “M-meat?”

“Meat? Where?”

I spotted gnolls that happened to block my path as I traversed the forest. “Move.”

Thud! Thud!

Without stopping my run, I hit them each once with an elbow and a fist, and they simply died. A certain god is extremely bewildered.

“I know, right.”

I’ve gotten too strong, haven’t I?

But I wasn’t happy at all. In the first place, if I were on Earth, I wouldn’t need such power. At this time of day? I’d be finishing my homework and comfortably lying in bed, fiddling with my smartphone. Sigh. I wouldn’t be wandering through a forest infested with cannibals, holding such an ominous dagger.

A certain god points to the left. “Oh! Thanks!”

A faint light was visible through the dense trees. Proof that I had found the village correctly without getting lost in the forest. “Alright, then…” Let’s go punish these fantasy barbarians with fantasy power!