Chapter 10 - Meeting an Ogre

Ellen and I haven't exchanged a word since we entered the forest, but it's not like we're mad at each other or anything. Honestly, I feel like if I heard a word from her right now, my guard would drop, and I believe Ellen feels the same way.

In this forest, any mistake could result in death, and even though it's just a simulation, the sensation of dying is uncomfortable. Not that I know what dying is really like, since the first time everything happened so fast I didn't feel any pain, but I suppose it must be extremely painful.

As we moved through the forest, I kept exploring the possibilities of Ether. Was there something else I could do with it besides just pumping it into my heart? I really wanted some sort of locating ability. Despite not being apparent at first glance, this forest was eerie, and the constant feeling of being watched was anything but pleasant.

"Noah, what are you doing?" whispered Ellen beside me, momentarily interrupting my concentration.

With a scowl, I glanced at Ellen, who responded with a nervous smile upon realizing she had interrupted me in the middle of something.

"I'm trying to figure out if I can use Ether to locate enemies. It's not comforting to have this feeling that a monster could jump out of the bushes at any moment" I replied as I continued my training.

I won't pretend: although it might have seemed easy at first, this is much more challenging than I expected. Even with the ability to manipulate Ether, it doesn't fully respond to my commands. It's as if Ether has a will of its own, a life of its own, though it has no discernible physical form.

"Oh, that sounds like an interesting ability... I wonder if I can do something similar" Ellen whispered, more to herself than to me.

Anyway, my training was fruitless. I still haven't found a way to use Ether to locate enemies. I tried to visualize something like a radar, but no red dots appeared, like in the movies. Honestly, even I recognize that this first idea was pretty dumb.

So, I was exploring a second method that I thought might work, although it depended on the validity of my theory. However, both Ellen and I were interrupted in the middle of our training.

Ellen and I, who were perched up in a tree, now watched below us. A green monster, somewhat larger than the Hobgoblin, but noticeably more muscular, with sharp fangs on display, was just seconds ago trying to devour us.

"What do we do now?" whispered Ellen.

"What's the color of the dot above its head?" I asked, turning my gaze to Ellen.

Hearing my question, Ellen nodded and squinted upward, examining the dot above the monster's head. Then, she replied.

"Orange. That means we should stay alert" Ellen said.

"Which also means we can defeat it" I exclaimed, immediately activating the [Identify] skill.

[Ogre] – (Lv: - 8): This monster, akin to Goblins and Hobgoblins, has treaded a distinct evolutionary path, standing out for its tremendous physical strength, far surpassing that of the Hobgoblin.

"I believe we'll be fine. It's only level 8. If we work together, we'll probably be able to beat it... or at least that's what I think" I replied, turning my gaze to Ellen.

My words clearly weren't enough to convince her that this was a good decision, but at this point, Ellen understood that we couldn't keep running. Without a big hunt, we wouldn't get a big reward. So, she just nodded and got ready.

Earlier, we had both decided on a strategy that capitalized on our individual skills: Ellen would be responsible for paralyzing the enemy while I delivered the fatal blow.

Thus, the Ogre, still distracted in trying to locate us, was caught off guard when Ellen leaped onto it. In an instant, her hair began to float, and a crackling sound erupted from her body. In the blink of an eye, both Ellen and the Ogre were engulfed in a cascade of electricity.

I didn't hesitate, quickly pumping mana into my heart, which promptly began its task of distributing it throughout my body. On impulse, I lunged forward, surprised by my own speed, as in the blink of an eye, I was already beside the Ogre.

Ignoring my surreal speed, I gripped my dagger tightly and propelled myself towards the Ogre's neck. With my body strengthened by Ether, I easily plunged the dagger into its neck.

"Ellen, you can let go now!" I exclaimed, keeping the dagger pressed against the Ogre's neck.

Ellen just nodded, and soon after, I felt the rays on my body lessen. As Ellen leaped out of the Ogre, I kept pressing the dagger. Though the monster was tough, it would eventually die. All I needed to do was hold on tight.

As I rode the Ogre, it thrashed and roared, even crashing into trees in an attempt to throw me off. However, amidst this frenzy, I remained steadfast. Every chance I got, I plunged my dagger into its neck, seeking to weaken it.

Green blood gushed from its wounds, staining me again, but I didn't care. If I needed to drink the blood of these creatures to survive, even if it was gross, I would. After all, I'm the only person my sister can trust.

Ellen also tried to help with her bow, though it was evident it wasn't her specialty. However, our joint efforts paid off when the monster finally stopped thrashing, and translucent screens appeared, a sign that we were continuously growing stronger.

You defeated [Ogre - Lv - 8] Experience was acquired.

You leveled up [4] -> [5] and gained 5 stat points and 1 skill point.

With that, I finally reached level 5. If my theory is correct, Ellen must have also advanced by 1 or 2 levels, depending on her previous position before we defeated this Ogre.

You completed a side quest, rewards have been distributed.

(Oh, by the way, it seems there's a side quest available now that I've reached level 5)

Missions

[Main Mission] - Survive for one week.

Rewards: 1 Skill Upgrade Card.

[Side Mission] - Reach level 15.

Rewards: A reward of your choice.

Upon opening the mission screen, the first thing that caught my attention was the change in the side mission. Honestly, it's not surprising, considering I've already completed it. But a reward of your choice? It's so random I hardly know what to say.

Also, it doesn't specify if the reward is a weapon, a power, or something similar. Is the system now learning to send information halfway? Anyway, there's no avoiding it.

"Ellen, what level are you?" I asked as I moved away from the Ogre.

"Level four, gained another level. And you?" Ellen replied with a sigh.

It seems she was expecting a bigger level boost. Well, let's not jump to conclusions. So far, the monsters seem to be relatively balanced with our level. At least, we haven't encountered anything like that glacial sloth so far.

In fact, I'm constantly looking around so as not to be caught off guard by that creature again. I guess having my head ripped off made me a bit anxious to not have another encounter with that sloth.

"Level 5... Well, honestly, I thought I would gain two levels, but since the experience was split, I must be halfway to level 6 or something"

Anyway, I had the feeling that it would soon be dark, although I honestly had no proof of that, since the white sun continued to shine brightly in the sky. However, somehow, I just felt, or rather, the Ether began to gradually cool over time. Why did I relate this to dusk? Honestly, I don't know either.

"Let's go back, Ellen. Honestly, I don't want to be in this forest when it gets dark. This place gives me the creeps"

Saying that, I began to walk back in the direction we came from, while hearing Ellen's murmurs echoing behind me.

"Dark? But it doesn't seem like the sun has moved an inch since we got here"

Even without fully understanding, Ellen began to follow me back. As we walked, I began to reflect on this place. Everything here is so strange. Moreover, can I really say we're still on Earth? If someone told me right now that we're in another world, I would totally believe that.