Proficiency requirement fulfilled. [Sacred Magic Lv. 2] evolved into [Sacred Magic Lv. 3] Proficiency requirement fulfilled. [Sacred Magic Lv. 3] evolved into [Sacred Magic Lv. 4]. 3800 SP remaining Magic gained: [Sacred Field] [Banishment Beam]

Sacred Veil. Keep healing her…Sacred Field. Moderate Heal.

‘Is this really all I can do? Constantly casting healing spells to keep her stabilized. Isn’t there a better way?’

‘What are we supposed to do then, original mind? She’s in this state ‘cause of you! Be happy that [Sacred Field] is something like an automatic heal.’

Sacred Field Creates a field of sacred light in an area. All friendly targets in the area will be basked in healing light, while enemies will be assaulted by holy light Sacred Veil Materializes a holy barrier around the caster. Improves the Wisdom and Arcane Corruption Resistance of the caster

“Nein, of course, we will continue this. I don't want her to die. It just concerns me that her [Arcane Fever (Moderate)] hasn't weakened yet, despite being in the middle of midnight. We might actually have to stay up the whole night."

‘Stop complaining. Your inattentiveness caused her to be hurt. This is your fault! Not sleeping isn’t enough of a punishment for what you…’

‘Stop it already, #2! She already knows that she’s at fault and you’re trying to make her feel even worse? What the hell is wrong with you, you incompetent parallel mind!’

‘W-Wait, I-I…’

‘You’re taking this self-deprecation too far now. Are you seriously trying to rile everybody up? Grow up already.’

‘I-I…I-I’m sorry…’

Silence filled my mind now that nobody was talking anymore. Everybody was concentrated with casting healing spells so we can keep Saori’s Health from dropping to zero.

Ever since I found Saori beside that dead chameleon, I’ve been doing this long enough that I could see the moon in the sky.

Fortunately for the forest, rain fell and extinguished the huge forest fire I caused, otherwise, this whole place would’ve turned into an inferno just ‘cause of my mistake.

Without the sound of the falling raindrops, everything was eerily quiet.

Time just flew by in this state, as I wasn't in the mood to do anything else. I felt bad that my carelessness caused everything that happened today. It is nerve-wracking to sit here, not knowing when Saori will recover, or if she will wake up at all.

‘Come on, we can handle this. Try doing something to cool yourself down.’

“…Nah, let’s keep it a quiet night.”

I declined my parallel mind’s offer to rest and continued with the task at hand throughout the night. It was a constant rhythm of healing and waiting, occasionally recasting [Sacred Field] and [Sacred Veil] in between those moments whenever those two spells expired.

As the night dragged on, I eventually had to comply with my parallel minds. My stomach was growling, loud enough that it was actually attracting some unwelcome guests.

Leaving Saori's unconscious body undefended was not an option. Still, I had to defend us somehow, so I took a more defensive approach and constructed walls around us, marking that I was here. To further dissuade them, I flaunted my power by creating a large bonfire. It worked out pretty well, even outright scaring a few of them away, but I had to, occasionally, increase the intensity of the flame when some daredevils got a bit too close for comfort.

With the flames burning brilliantly, I began making some roasted food for myself. Eating was comforting. It helped me take my mind away from the worry, but as I began feeling more relaxed, my internal clock told me that my body needed sleep. I could stave off drowsiness, thanks to [Torpor Resistance Lv. 10], but my body still needed sleep.

I had to start occupying myself with different activities to stave off this boredom.

Playing with magic is a great way to kill time especially when it doubles as training. Using [Aerokinesis] to enlarge [Air Shield], I was able to stop the sound from reaching Saori, but that didn’t last very long. Fire spells also ate up oxygen, like a normal fire would, so I was literally suffocating myself inside this air bubble.

I then went on to do some concoction mixing. I had a huge surplus of poisonous and venomous fluids that I needed to use up, and it also helps that watching the viscous bubbles popping in the concoctions has a calming effect on me.

Am I creepy?

Proficiency requirement fulfilled. [Poison Creation Lv. 2] evolved into [Poison Creation Lv. 3]

Unfortunately, that didn’t last long as I wanted it to, as my stock wasn’t enough to last even a night. I could have tried mixing the mixtures with each other, but I felt something bad would happen if I did that.

From then on, I defaulted to making stuff out of wood, while playing whatever melody came to my mind by using [Aerokinesis] to practice simulating different instruments. I honestly thought I was slowly getting the hang of it, that I might be able to play my very own battle theme during fights. It sounds kinda fun…for me.

Not for the monsters. I don’t think the monsters would appreciate getting killed while I’m jamming around.

Ack, scheiße. I broke another fork…

My control over my strength has progressed to the point that it wouldn’t affect my everyday life too much, but it isn’t perfect yet. I’ve been able to make plates and bowls out of wood, albeit of low quality, with my current abilities but things like utensils, stuff that needed perfect handling? Impossible. The forks and spoons just break.

Hmm, maybe I should make them a bit thicker?

The days just went by at this point. I couldn’t sleep nor was I able to go hunting. My mind and body were dedicated to keeping Saori’s Health in the green, not allowing [Arcane Fever] to kill her.

Thankfully, it slowly deteriorated over time and finally vanished after five days.

“Mhmmpf…”

“Saori?!” I reached out to Saori and began sharing my mana again, allowing Saori to use [Telepathy].

[“Urgh…Hestia?”]

All sorts of emotions, ranging from elation to relief, surged up simultaneously when I heard her voice. Her [Arcane Fever] was gone but these past five days have taken a toll on her body, turning it skinny and feeble looking.

Overwhelmed with emotions, I gave her a big hug, frantically shouting, “Thank goodness!”, as I embraced the warm, fluffy fur of my companion.

In my dragonewt form, I would usually shrink to the height of a mere eight-year-old, but Saori as a [Young Garm] was not any larger than a medium-sized dog. It felt great to wrap my arms around her.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. It was all my fault. I’m sorry. I fucked up so hard!”

Inside this storm of emotions was also guilt and fear. Guilt that I wasn’t able to protect her properly. Fear that my failure nearly cost her, her life. I was at the mercy of five days’ worth of pent up emotions.

[“Hestia…How-How long was I asleep?”]

“Too long…far too long. I’m so sorry. I fucked up big time.”

We didn’t say anything else from there. Resting our bodies on each other, we just allowed time to move on unperturbed, giving both of us enough time to calm down and gather our thoughts.

We eventually began talking, again, after I released her from my arms.

[“…Your face, Hestia…Did you stay up all these nights for me?”]

My fingers gently touched my face, being carefully guided around so my claws wouldn’t accidentally leave a scratch. Reaching up to my eyes, my fingers could feel the result of five days of sleepless nights. The look on Saori’s face suggests that I must look terrible with these puffy bags under my eye.

[“I’ve dragged you down so much. I’m sorry for being a useless companion…”] Saori was distraught of her own powerlessness, enough to drop any formalities. [“It’s frustrating. How am I supposed to travel with you, when I can’t even protect myself? I’m not worth being your retainer nor am I suitable to cooperate with, at this state…”]

I could relate to this. The feeling of hopelessness. Realizing that despite all your efforts, you weren’t progressing fast enough. It pained me to see this.

“…I-I made some skewers.” I timidly said. “We can talk about everything over breakfast. Sounds good?”

[“…Sounds good.”]

*******************

“So, that is what happened.”

[“Yes, the monster only had stats close to a D rank, so it wasn’t very armored. If I was only better with using magic, I wouldn’t have been in that much danger.”]

It seems having a meal was the correct call. When I first gave Saori a skewer, she wolfed it down so fast that even I was a bit shocked. She would keep on eating and eating until her stomach couldn’t take it anymore. Her mood hasn’t changed but her liveliness returned. Eating your worries away helps, I guess.

Well, it doesn’t matter how; it just matters that she’s feeling better. Taking her elevated mood as a cue, I asked if she was willing to retell what happened when she was abducted by that chameleon. I already knew she won, but I wanted to know the details.

The short version is that she got lucky with a [Dark Tendrils] snare that allowed her to end the chameleon’s life using her close combat abilities. It was a messy fight, in which she continuously fumbled her magic casting.

“You still won at the end though! I’ve also had some close calls, but I made it out of all of them alive. What counts is that you survived.”

[“I still would have died, if it weren’t for you. Due to my incompetence, I had to use more spells than I could handle and was inflicted with [Arcane Fever]. That didn’t even deserve a passing grade.”] Her tone was harsh and strict, as she criticized her own performance. I wish she would chill a bit more. She's demanding too much for herself.

“Come on, that’s such a rigid viewpoint” I waved my hands to deny her statement, trying to make my point that her mindset was wrong. “Take it from me, somebody who nearly died multiple times. It doesn’t matter how you won; it only matters that you survived. I mean, you can evolve now. That’s such a perfect 'What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger' moment.”

[“How will becoming a rank higher make me any better as a fighter? You said it yourself, 'Stats alone won’t make you stronger'. I might gain new power, but I won’t truly be stronger.”]

Now, she’s using my own quotes against me? I’m trying to cheer you up here, Teach. Sheesh.

“Urgh, you’re being too harsh on yourself. Even I didn’t start out as a good fighter, but I learned from every fight, growing up well enough. You gotta stay optimistic!” Channeling my inner Idol, I brought out a big smile and forced myself to sound peppy, despite the mood.

[“I'm optimistic that I don't seem to have a talent for this.”] Saori said it with downcast eyes, bitterly shaking her head. [“I want to stand up straight with my own four legs, but I’m relying on you, over and over, again! It’s been a month and I’m adapting too slow.”]

My mouth was sealed shut, unsure of what the correct response to this is. I couldn’t work up my courage to say anything else. My whole pep talk fell on deaf ears…

The silence grew between us. I was racking my brain to find an appropriate answer to solve this whole situation. It really helped that I had [Thought Acceleration] at this moment, as I urgently needed time to think of a perfect reply.

Urgh, what can I do to solve this? Think. Think! Her main complaint is her lacking combat prowess, but I’ve been teaching her everything that I knew. From what I do before a fight begins, from how I handle different scenarios, identifying opportunities of attacks, and so on.

All my knowledge that I gained by living in this place.

Everything, from which skills are good choices to prioritize, how to fight using your new quadrupedal body, even how you can best use your magic and cast spells…wait. Identify!

Saori's Status Board Profile: Name: Saori Segawa Level: 20 Race: Young Garm Age: 1 Month Status: Health: 731/731 Mana: 316/316 Strength: 489 Intelligence: 189 Vitality: 299 Wisdom: 305 Agility: 571 Stamina: 491/491 Effects: None Skill Points: 2050 Skill: Magic skills and related

[Arcane Mind Lv. 1]

[Mana Control Lv. 2]

[Dark Magic Lv. 3]

[Cast Revocation Lv. 1]

[Mental Stability Lv. 1]

[Mental Warfare Lv. 1]

Physical skills and related

[Mana Strike Lv. 1]

[Enhanced Claws Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Fangs Lv. 4]

Senses and movement skills

[Primal Senses]

[Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 3]

[Evasion Lv. 3]

[Acrobatic Lv. 3]

[Prediction Lv. 3]

[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 2]

Resistances

[Physical Resistance Lv. 2]

[Pain Resistance Lv. 2]

[Poison Resistance Lv. 1]

[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 2]

[Fire Resistance Lv. 1]

[Earth Resistance Lv. 1]

[Wind Resistance Lv. 1]

[Dark Resistance Lv. 1]

Stat growths and related

[Health Recovery Lv. 1]

[Mana Recovery Lv. 1]

[Stamina Recovery Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 3]

[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 3]

Others

[Identify Blocker Lv. 1]

[Identify Lv. 2]

[Mana Weave Lv. 1]

[Sewing Lv. 1]

[Royal Etiquette Lv. 1]

[Cooking Lv. 4]

[Dismantle Lv. 1]

[Telepathy]

Spell List:

[Dark Bolt] [Dark Tendrils] [Shadow Dash]

Titles:

[Belzac’s Successor] [Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Hestia’s Retainer]

Wait, she's been diligently doing magic practices with me, so why are her Mana and Intelligence so low? Weren't mine, when I was an E rank monster, so much higher than hers?

On the other hand, her Strength and defensive stats have been growing at a great rate. Her garm mother’s magical stats were pretty high so I thought she would inherit that, but it seems she inherited the ones from her garm father?! Urgh, getting reminded of that guy is not pleasant.

…But I think I now know what’s wrong.

“Saori…I think I know the root of your problem.” Saori merely moved her eyes to me, making no effort to turn her whole head. “I think I am the problem.” Those words, however, made her snap her head up, confusion clear as ice on her face.

“I think that you have been relying too much on my fighting style. You’re trying to imitate me too much and I’ve been supporting you too much with this endeavor. I don’t want to sound rude but…you’re not a very good mage.”

[“…I think I knew that already.”] Her dismissal tone seems to suggest that she believes that I was making fun of her.

“Chill, Saori. Hear me out, first.” I attempted to diffuse the situation. “First, you should know that we are different monster races, right? You’ve seen me fight for a whole month, so how would you describe it? I personally would say I like to be flashy, confrontational and direct, just like what you would expect from a dragon in stories. I do have some tricks in my sleeves, due to my wide spell arsenal, but I prefer to end a fight quickly with powerful fire magic and dragon abilities.”

Until I had that fight with the garm leader, I could only describe my fighting pattern as shallow. I didn’t have much to offer besides bombarding things with strong spells.

I had to learn from these mistakes. I had such a large list of skills and spells, but I only did the minimum needed to learn how to use them. Experiment to “game the system”, that’s what a gamer should do, right? Always have tricks, like [Poison Creation] and [Trap Creation], under your sleeves to tip the scales.

Honestly, I still have much to improve. I still find it hard to divert from my gung-ho fighting style, a style that enabled me to survive for four months.

I can’t have her imitate my mistake. She still has some time to find her own path.

“Not only are you focusing on something you aren’t good at, but you are also neglecting what makes you strong.”

[“And that is?”]

“Your [Primal Senses] skill.”

[“…But that skill doesn’t help me fight better.”]

Those words were what I wanted her to say! Leaning forward, I gave her the answer she needed. “Why do you have to fight in the first place?”

[“Eh?”]

“Haven’t you noticed that your senses are near equal to my own. You’re a garm, right? A wolf type monster. Wolves hunt in packs to take down larger prey. Some chase down and exhaust the enemies, while others skulk to ambush the chased prey. So, why don’t we do the same thing!”

Thinking back to our travels, she has been able to keep up with my detection skills without any problems. Her real potential lies within her own “cheat” skill, not with what I tried to teach her. For her to “game the system”, taking inspiration from how the garms fought is a good start.

“Considering how game-like this world is, you can say that I am the mage of the group, while your potential seems to fit a scout or saboteur. You can sneak behind and immobilize enemies, while I’m confronting them.” I was feeling excited. Theory-crafting isn’t my forte, but it gets my blood pumping, nonetheless.

[“Y-You think I would do better with this?”]

"Uh-huh! Your growths are amazingly suited to being a melee combat specialist, and we can't forget about your preferred elemental magic. Dark Magic.” My memories of being snared by [Dark Tendrils] and being tricked by [Shadow Clones] resurfaced. “You can rely on ambushing enemies. You can’t mess up a spell if you have the time to prepare.”

[“…But what if this also won’t work.”]

"Then we start from zero. We will work as much as we have to until you can get into a style that you find comfortable to fight with." I beamed her an optimistic smile, having re-entered my Idol mode. "You can’t overthink these kinda things.”

[“I understand what you’re saying but…”]

“Nah ah, no! I’ll take the blame if this isn’t perfect for you. I’ll help you intensively to make sure that you will 100% shine in this new role. I know you don’t like relying on me this much, but please let me be the light that illuminates the path in your life!”

Saori burst out laughing, not able to hold it back anymore. [“Ahh, Hestia. You sound so much more excited than I am. You’re really good with cheering when you get into it.”]

“I know, right? Come on, show some spirit now! Can I hear a 'ja'? Can I get a 'ja', please?”

It seems my words got through Saori! I was feeling pumped, delighted that I was finally successful. All that was left is her confirmation.

Showing a wry smile, Saori sighed. [“A teacher should be the one to support and encourage her students, not the other way around.”]

“Nonsense! I’m not your student, I’m your friend.” Putting a hand beside my ear, I pointed it at Saori. “Can I get a 'ja', please?”

[“…Ja. Let’s do this. Enough feeling bad for myself, when I can give my all to become better!”]

“Awesome!” I jumped up into the sky cheering, having successfully brightening Saori’s mood. “Ok, first choose your evolution and we’ll wait until you feel better. When you’re ready, operation 'Make Saori an Assassin' will commence!”

[“…That sounds terribly dangerous, Hestia.”]

Having successfully chosen our next goal, I immediately went to bed. I slept like a rock, until the next day.

Hestia's Status Board Profile: Name: Hestia Atsuko Level: 8 Race: Young Spark Inferno Dragon Age: 5 Months Status: Health: 3761/3761 (+690) Mana: 13488/13488 (+1919) Strength: 1842 (+329) Intelligence: 2927 (+636) Vitality: 986 (+174) Wisdom: 1125 (+204) Agility: 3581 (+594) Stamina: 1847/1847 (+289) Effects: [Damaged Mana Paths [Left Wing] (Minor)] Skill Points: 3800 (+3750) Unique Skill:

[Spark Fire Dragon Lv. 7]

[Spark Fire’s Fire Boost]

[Spark Flame Veil]

Skill: Magic skills and related

[Lava Magic Lv. 1]

[Holy Magic Lv. 10]

[Holy Amp]

[Holy Magic Efficiency]

[Sacred Magic Lv. 4] (+2)

[Fire Magic Lv. 10]

[Fire Amp]

[Fire Magic Efficiency]

[Inferno Magic Lv. 4]

[Earth Magic Lv. 10]

[Earth Amp]

[Earth Magic Efficiency]

[Terra Magic Lv. 1]

[Wind Magic Lv. 7]

[Wind Amp]

[Space-Time Magic Lv. 4]

[Space-Time Magic Efficiency]

[Draconic Magics]

[Draconic Barrier Lv. 2]

[Silent Casting Lv. 6]

[Magic Power Enhancement Lv. 5]

[Mental Stability Lv. 2]

[Mental Warfare Lv. 2]

Physical skills and related

[Unarmed Technique Lv. 4]

[Draconic Claws Lv. 2]

[Draconic Roar Lv. 1]

[Draconic Fangs Lv. 2] (+1)

[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)

[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)

[Crushing Enhancement Lv. 1]

Senses and movement skills

[Stealth Lv. 8]

[Accuracy Correction Lv. 5] (+1)

[Prediction Lv. 6]

[Danger Perception Lv. 1]

[Probability Correction Lv. 1]

[Detection Sensor Lv. 2] (+1)

[Enhanced Auditory Sense Lv. 1]

[Enhanced Olfactory Sense Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Vision Lv. 4]

[Tracking Lv. 2] (+1)

[Night Vision Lv. 7]

[Presence Killer Lv. 6]

[Evasion Lv. 10]

[Acrobatic Lv. 9]

[Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 2]

Resistances

[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1]

[Absolute Pain Tolerance]

[Abnormal Status Nullification]

[Holy Resistance Lv. 4]

[Inferno Resistance Lv. 1]

[Terra Resistance Lv. 1]

[Wind Resistance Lv. 2]

[Water Resistance Lv. 1]

Stat growths and related

[Health Recovery Lv. 4]

[Stamina Recovery Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 6]

[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv. 8]

[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 7]

[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 2]

[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 7]

[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4]

[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5]

[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]

Others

[Singing Lv. 4] (+2)

[Dancing Lv. 2] (+1)

[Poison Creation Lv. 3] (+1)

[Trap Creation Lv. 3]

[Identity Blocker Lv. 1]

[Identify Lv. 10]

[Noble Aura Lv. 1]

[Battle Mind Lv. 4]

[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2] (+1)

[Leadership Lv. 1]

[Cooking Lv. 7]

[Dismantle Lv. 7] (+1)

[Thought Acceleration Lv. 1]

[Parallel Thoughts Lv. 6]

[Humanize Lv. 6]

Pyrokinesis]

[Aerokinesis]

[Telepathy]

Ability List:

[Flame Blast]

[Spark Claws]

[Spark Flame]

[Spark Fire Breath]

[Spark Fang]

Spell List:

[Imperial Hellfire]

[Lava Ball]

Holy element

[Minor Heal] [Cure] [Modest Heal] [Smite] [Light] [Holy Protection] [Holy Strength] [Purify] [Sacred Smite] [Sacred Veil] [Sacred Field] [Banishment Beam]

Fire element

[Fire] [Firebolt] [Imbue Fire] [Fire Ball] [Strengthening Flames] [Flame Spear] [Petal Flame] [Flame Explosion] [Inferno Blast] [Blazing Twister] [Inferno Beam] [Scorching Sun]

Earth element

[Earth Wall] [Rock Blast] [Earth Strike] [Rock Bullet] [Sturdy Earth] [Earth Spears] [Earth Crash] [Earthen Shackles] [Terra Wall]

[Wind Bullet] [Wind Cutter] [Air Shield] [Wind Slash] [Swift Winds] [Wind Blast]

[Haste] [Storage Magic] [Warp Point: Entry]

[Shine] [Sanctuary]

Titles:

[The Light] [Bearer of Kargryxmor’s Blood] [Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Princess]