Chapter 96 - Giant Frogs

In front of the giant frog, I kept my knees slightly apart and bent my knees, ready to attack.

The frog stared at me, its big yellow eyes glaring at me. A growl came from the monster's stomach, showing that it had quite an appetite. Whether I was considered food or a threat didn't matter, because I wouldn't give this thing much time to decide.

When the frog jumped with a clumsy leap, it opened its wide, gooey mouth, ready to swallow me in one gulp. I lunged forward, swinging my blade, which dug deep into the creature's slimy skin and had no trouble ripping it open, spraying greenish blood everywhere. My blow was accurate, but I was still surprised when the frog went down and didn't get back up.

I stabbed it with the tip of my sword. Nothing happened. The frog died the moment my blade sliced through its abdomen.

[You have gained +50 XP.]

"That was... easier than I expected," I muttered, almost surprised. The sword was still clean in my hand. The black steel seemed to have the ability to repel blood, as if it were immune to dirt.

I looked around, expecting another frog to appear, but everything was quiet. The rustling of leaves and the distant sound of birds flying overhead created a surreal contrast to the battlefield I had just experienced. There were no challenges, no cries of warning - just the silence that precedes the calm of a simple fight.

"Well, I guess I got used to it wrong... I also can't forget that my base attributes, for being a devil, are 50 points in each physical attribute. I'm way above normal humans in this world, and monsters like this shouldn't be a problem... At least, it gives me a considerable amount of experience. The problem is that I need just over 200 to reach level 7. That means I have to kill five giant frogs... Maybe I'll find more of them if I go further away from the city."

At that moment, I heard a faint sound coming from behind me. I turned around and saw a group of adventurers between the trees that separated the road from the area where I had found the frog.

The sound was coming from the road, and whoever it was seemed to be passing by. Still, I decided to check it out, and I was lucky, because the group of adventurers in question was one I knew very well.

There were Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin and Darkness walking casually along the street. Kazuma was in front, as always, with a slightly bored look on his face, while Aqua was making exaggerated gestures with her hands, probably complaining about something. Darkness, always wearing that armor that seemed a bit impractical, stood next to Kazuma, and Megumin, with her staff firmly in her hand, was right behind her, looking up at the sky with that dreamy expression that only she could make.

Looking at them like that, they seemed... normal.

For a moment, I thought about approaching them and calling out to them, but I hesitated. Maybe it would be better to watch a bit more, to see what they were doing. I was curious to know what part of the anime I was in, so directly interfering could drastically change what would happen.

Staying in the shadows, I began to follow them through the vegetation along the road. That way, if they looked back, they wouldn't see me.

Kazuma walked with his hands in his pockets, obviously in no hurry, and Megumin said:

"I tell you, Kazuma! I deserve a feast for all the hard work I did this morning! I defeated that giant frog with such skill that you didn't even notice!

Kazuma sighed heavily. "You've been swallowed, Megumin. Literally. Again. How is that 'skill'?

"But I was the one who made it easy for you to defeat her! She was so afraid of my magic that she jumped and..."

"Of course, of course..." Kazuma replied unconvinced. "As you wish..."

At this point, Darkness suddenly stopped walking. Her shoulders rose slightly, as if she had noticed something the others hadn't. For a moment, her eyes swept over the surrounding trees before settling on a point not far from where I was standing.

"Wait." Darkness ordered, bringing the group to an abrupt halt. "Kazuma raised an eyebrow in confusion."

"What now, Darkness?" Aqua asked. "Don't tell me you saw another frog?"

Darkness' eyes slowly turned in my direction, and I realized that what she had noticed was my presence. Of course, Darkness was an experienced warrior, so her senses were much more heightened than most people's, but I thought she was just a hot woman with muscles.

"Whoever is watching us, I suggest you come out immediately and show yourself." She said at the same time as she drew her sword.

Kazuma and the others exchanged confused looks.

'Damn. She really noticed me,' I thought.

With Darkness' clear perception, there was no reason for me to hide anymore. I let out a small sigh and slowly stood up, stepping out of the shadows of the trees. As I walked towards the group, I kept my sword hidden and raised my hands to show that I wasn't a threat... at least not yet.

"Calm down, calm down," I said, making my voice sound as casual as possible. "I'm not here to fight."

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