CRACK

“Kuiii!?”

My stomach churns as the barb breaks off, and the tip of her tail along with. Thick, green fluid splatters the dirt. Spreads.

CRITICAL HIT

「Mother Caterpine」’s HP -6!

「Mother Caterpine」is [Enraged]!

Her bottomless eyes flash crimson. A ‘popping vein’ emoji flashes overhead, and I can already imagine my Health bar dropping to black.

“Nice,” Antoine remarks. I can’t tell if that’s sarcasm or a show of admiration. Either way, now’s not the time for commentary! I could be two steps from death!

The 「Mother Caterpine」curls into a twelve-legged ball of murder and rolls back. Uh oh, she’s winding up. I launch myself at the nearest tree just as she barrels forward, intent on flattening me like a coin.

Oof. Thank Valeria for this SPD boost! By the grace of RNG, I scramble up to safety after an inelegant collision with the trunk.

Warning: Stamina at 50%

Are you serious? No wonder my lungs are burning. While the 「Mother Caterpine」unwinds, I consult my HUD.

NPC_RND_4394

No Title - No Class - No Party

HP: 30/40

MP: 0/0

SP: 20/40

Gah, that’s embarrassing. I’ve knocked my HP down by a quarter. Besides the 「Sour Jellies」 that tackled me, I’ve only taken damage through my own fault. I puff a regretful sigh.

Sheesh… I wish Valeria would’ve given me an INT boost, too.

WHAM

A thundering slam scatters my thoughts. I squawk in surprise, the tree shuddering under me.

WHAM

WHAM

Leaves rustle and fall. I cling to the limb supporting me, watching in horror as the 「Mother Caterpine」rams her leathery head into the tree. Ah, bless this tree. It’s an exemplary work of nature, but I don’t want to test its hardiness under mortal peril.

My SP drops one point whenever she strikes. Vibrations race through the branches and seep into my bones. Phew! Desperate clinging costs more energy than it seems.

“Creatures affected by [Enraged] gain a [Strength] boost, while their [Dexterity], [Luck], and [Intelligence] suffer.” Antoine’s voice carries over the clamor. He stands near the edge of the path, taking notes in a small window. “This little lady’s not at her most perceptive--see if you can use that to your advantage.”

“Thanks,” I reply, and mean every letter.

Alright, Quinn, stay calm. Everything’ll be fine. You’ve got… oh, jeez. 20 minutes only, huh?

I clench my jaw. Okay, okay. What are the key points of my circumstances?

There’s a 「Mother Caterpine」 beneath me, blind with rage My SP can’t recover until she leaves me alone I have too little HP to experiment with dramatic maneuvers 「Mother Caterpine」 herself should be down to 8 HP

I draw a slow breath and close my eyes. This situation isn’t that hopeless. I’m still a [Classless] newbie, so much as I hate it, and newbies overreact. Breathe.

Mindful of my holstered pistol, I inch through the leaves. The 「Mother Caterpine」pays no mind as I relocate myself one tree left. Just as I hoped, her attention remains trained on the one I first escaped to.

Now, where’s a good vantage point? I shield my face from angled branches and snagging leaves, struggling to find a position that gives me access to her wounds. Strength seeps back into my muscles as I slip between two sturdy limbs and line up a shot.

I squint at my target and concentrate--

Ding!

Proficiency requirements met. New [Mastery] unlocked.

“Shh!” I don’t know if mobs can hear notifications, but just in case, I hush the window that almost surprised me out of hiding. “Jeez, what the...”

This is exciting and all, but I’m down to 17 minutes and this 「Mother Caterpine」 won’t kill herself. I don’t even know what [Mastery] is, exactly. Ahh, whatever! I’ll check later.

My world narrows again to the 「Mother Caterpine’s」tattered backside. This time, when I prepare my attack, a translucent crosshair appears. It alternates between red and black whenever my hand wavers, bringing her weak point in and out of alignment.

Hmm. Whatever [Mastery] I acquired comes with a valuable gimmick. Must be some kind of ‘ranged weapon proficiency’ thing… I hope this helps me identify future enemies’ weaknesses.

【Concentrated Strike】

Assisted by my newfound ability, my bullet flies straight and true. Another chunk of tail shreds away.

CRITICAL HIT

「Mother Caterpine」’s HP -5!

「Mother Caterpine」is [Enraged]!

She makes a shrill noise that stabs at my eardrums. Who knew 「Caterpines」could scream? I almost drop my pistol in surprise, half-expecting my HP to decrease from the ruckus. My head’s ringing.

“Kuiiii!”

She whips around and faces me. I duck into the foliage, evading a shot of white thread by a pixel. I expect it to tangle in the leaves, but it tears through them with razor efficiency. My pulse skyrockets. Panicked, I clamber to the nearest branch…

And curse as it breaks underneath me.

I drop through limb after limb, losing several HP throughout my descent. Antoine winces in the distance. The language filter bleeps with every collision. I hate, hate, hate gravity.

WHUMP

NPC_RND_4394

No Title - No Class - No Party

HP: 15/40

MP: 0/0

SP: 25/40

I will kill myself at this rate. Everything hurts. I stagger to my feet with the help of a flowering bush. For good or ill, I fell deep enough into the underwood that the「Mother Caterpine」lost sight of me. I want to check her status, but the lack of visibility’s mutual.

Using the lull to recover some, I grab a hefty wooden stick. I have neither skill nor interest in spears, but I’ll need a backup weapon in case I can’t put enough distance between us to kill her via pistol.

【Equip [Pointy Stick] in Weapon Slot 2】

… … …

Ding!

Failed to equip [Pointy Stick]!

Argh… how much time and Stamina can I burn spamming [Makeshift]? Still, I’ve gotta try. Tension knots the space between my eyebrows. Keeping an eye on my SP, I reactive the skill. Then I do it again. And again. And again…

Ding!

[Pointy Stick] has been successfully equipped!

Ah, there we go! My spirits soar. With a final glance at the 「Mother Caterpine’s」shadow, I review my new weapon’s details.

MAKESHIFT SPEAR

(Unique) (Weapon)

MEMO:

A sharp branch broken by a clumsy newbie. Leaves Speed-reducing splinters in wounds inflicted by its point. Binds on equip. Cannot be sold, traded, or enchanted.

ATK +3

CRIT +2%

Durability: 100%

I can’t capitalize on that CRIT boost with my meagre spearmanship, but that ATK bonus helps terabytes all the same. How much Health does she have? 4 HP? I can do this.

Out of sight, the 「Mother Caterpine」shuffles along the fringe of the woods. I sneak towards the path. She’s no longer [Enraged]... guess I should’ve expected that.

While she’s facing away, I dart from the foliage. Her injured tail’s just within reach. I throw my weight into a downwards stab, only for my target to whip aside when its owner turns.

“Kuii!”

I tug the spear free from the ground and duck a short, stringy projectile. She spits a follow-up quicker than I can dodge it, though, and a stinging sensation races through my arm when it tears through my sleeve.

Don’t underestimate 「Caterpines」! HP -1!

“Dammit--”

Could be adrenaline dulling my senses, but the wound feels shallow, if somewhat wet. I’ve still got 14 HP.

Oh… that’s one small number. As the prospect of death draws closer, my nerves start to fray. I interrupt another volley of string by shooting her mouth. She doesn’t suffer any damage, though, since the substance absorbs my bullet.

Looks like this incident calls for a change of plans. With a trademark squeal, the 「Mother Caterpine」 rolls up. I glance over my shoulder. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice…

Well, I hope I’m smarter than that.

“C’mon, c’mon…”

I scramble up the slope behind me and stand between two sturdy trees. The gap’s just large enough for someone shrimpy. Thankful, for once, for my unimpressive character model, I goad the 「Mother Caterpine」 with a high whistle.

As expected, she cannonballs forth.

WHAM!

The trees shake from the force, creaking while leaves rain around me. The 「Mother Caterpine」unwinds. I only wanted to shield myself, but fortune smiles upon me, and reveals her head’s lodged tight between the trees.

Eheheheh…

I’m not always above a cheap victory.

“If it means anything,” I say, raising my improvised spear, “I didn’t mean to break your hatch.”

I shut my eyes and drive it into her forehead.

O V E R K I L L