"What… are you doing?" Finn asks upon exiting the tent and seeing me doing what I'm doing.

Finn is dressed in a new outfit, his hair slightly ruffled, a little bit of sleepiness still in his eyes. I'm going to guess that he put most of his things in his Inventory after socketing his Crystals, since we didn't bring any bags or anything for this trip, seeing as the camping part wasn't planned.

Does that mean he didn't have a coat at all? Or did he only put in some things and not everything? He did put in some clothes, as evidenced by his new outfit.

The tunic he's wearing looks nice on him, it's dark blue, and it contrasts well with his hair and make those blue eyes of his really pop out. Those blue eyes that are both beautiful and filled with confusion at what I'm doing.

Right now, I'm standing while holding up my left foot, keeping it pressed to my ass while balancing on my right leg. I'm really, really good at keeping balanced but this isn't actually balancing practice. No, I have a spot for that! This is for something else!

"Stretching every day makes the shortness go away!"

"…what?"

Finn looks absolutely confused by my statement. Isn't it obvious that I'm stretching, especially after what I said?

"I'm stretching in the hopes that it will help me grow taller."

It hasn't worked yet, but I can still hope that regular stretching will help me hit another growth spurt. I stretch almost every morning, unless I'm in a rush for some reason. The reason Finn hasn't seen me stretching before is because he's slept longer than me the last couple of days.

Since I only just started stretching, I'm still working on my legs, rather than my torso and head. Those are next on the list for me to do, just as soon as I finish this one!

"Oh."

"Breakfast is sitting on the stone by the fire," I tell him. "It's cooled off a bit now, but you can heat it back up with the coals if you want. Once we're ready, we're setting off. There's another island I want to take you to today."

"Okay."

Finn sits at the fire and eats his breakfast as I finish stretching, then I pull out my sword and practice some moves for a bit, not using Warp for this. Just because I can use the Skill, it doesn't mean I should.

I spend half an hour training, practicing strikes, slashes, stabs, jumps, twists, flips, and more. Finn begins watching me as he eats, and when I grin and give him two thumbs-ups, he blushes deeply. Does he find me attractive, too? Or is he just embarrassed to be caught watching someone train?

There's nothing embarrassing about that! Finn needs to be more confident in himself! If it's the other, then I'm really happy! I like him, too, and want to show off for him, so I continue training, spending almost forty-five minutes in total doing so. Finn does his best to watch me without being caught, after I made it clear I had seen him doing so.

It's adorable.

Once I finish my morning training session, I put my sword away, then take a few minutes to cool off.

"Do you always train like that?" Finn asks as I plop myself down next to him, his face reddening again. Maybe there is something there? "In the mornings, I mean. I know you have that place you to go for training."

"Nah," I answer. "Sometimes, I practice my martial arts, or just do some physical exercises like a run or pushups and situps and pullups and squats and lunges. A warrior has to keep his body fit and perform more than one type of exercise in order to do so. What kind of exercises does Sara have you do?"

"Just… basic stuff," he shrugs. "Some martial arts, and I sometimes go for a jog. Um. I do some of the stuff you mentioned, like pushups and situps. I don't really like it, though."

"Well," I poke him in the stomach. "If you do at least situps and planks every morning, you can tone your abs. It's not an overnight thing, though, so you'd have to do it probably six months to a year if you really want results. Strengthening those muscles can help you with other things, too."

"Like what?" He asks.

"Balance," I answer. "They also help with posture, breathing, and I think digestion. I'm not sure on that last one."

Finn grabs the collar of his shirt and pulls it away from himself as he looks down at himself, then he looks at my abs.

"Don't compare us," I tell him. "I've been doing physical exercises since I was a toddler, for more than a decade. I'm fitter than pretty much everyone in town."

I slap my stomach.

"These don't form overnight, after all!" I tell him. "Don't worry to hard about shaping them, though. Even if they help with balance and posture and stuff, you're already fit enough for that. They would only help you more."

"O-okay," he nods, then looks down his tunic again.

I roll my eyes.

"You're a mage," I tell Finn. "You don't need strong muscles, you just need to be fit enough to run from a monster that's too much for you. My dad taught me that one."

Finn nods, then we sit in silence as I continue to rest after my morning exercise. Well, I also pull out some jerky to munch on, because Dad said eating after an exercise is a good idea, and to eat something like meat or eggs. While I do have eggs I could cook, I'd have to restart the fire from the coals to do that, and that would just make more for us to deal with before leaving.

Once I've rested, I smother the coals of the fire, then Finn and I set off, with him sitting in the boat and me rowing, as usual. As usual, Finn watches our surroundings, examining the view without a sound.

"So!" I say after a few minutes after we've left the island. "What are you hoping for as a second Skill Crystal? Something in a category you still have a slot for? Or something for once you reach Level 25 and earn a new slot for all of them?"

Every 25th Level, adventurers receive one additional socketing slot for every Crystal category – meaning each Skill type and Stat type can add one more Crystal. That much, I at least know is true. There are also Titles that can award additional slots, Stats, or even Stats-on-Level. Earning Titles is insanely hard, though.

With all of the adventurers I'd talked with, only one had a Title. Then again, Sara and Finn said those weren't 'true adventurers, so it might be easier for someone who actually goes and does proper adventures.

Does Sara have any Titles? I bet she does, having been an adventurer for over a century.

"More Black Magic," Finn answers. "Or maybe [Scan]."

Scan is a White Magic spell that can give basic information about a monster. It doesn't work on people, just monsters, but it can tell the user things like if it has weaknesses, things it's strong against, things it absorbs, and some of its Stats.

"[Scan] would be useful," I nod. "Any time you come up against a new monster you don't know, you can use it and find out if you have something more effective than your original strategy would have been."

"Yeah," he nods. "What about you? A new Technique at Level 25? Or a Skill in another category?"

"I don't think I could be a mage," I tell him. "So Techniques, Blue Magics, and Elemental Skills are all I'll go for."

Blue Magics are Skills obtained from monsters. Just like other Skill Crystals, their Rarity depends on how powerful or rare the Skill they grant is, but they're actually on the rarer end, I think. The chances of dropping a Skill Crystal is already rare enough, but a Blue Magic Skill Crystal has a significantly lower chance in particular because different monsters have different Skills and not all monsters have a Blue Magic they can grant.

Another advantage to Blue Magic is that many of them don't require the invocation – they can be used without speaking the Skill name. For example, if I had [Venomous Bite], all I'd have to do is bite with the intent to injecting venom, and I would.

Not that I'm likely to obtain that Skill or anything. If I wanted something like [Venomous Bite], I'd need to kill probably thousands of something that has that particular Skill. That's true for most Crystals, but especially true for Blue Magic Skill Crystals.

I look at Finn, whose mouth is as closed as it always is, his fangs hidden. Venomous Bite might actually be useful for him, if something gets too close. Those fangs of his mean his bites are more effective, able to break skin much more easily.

"A melee fighter," he nods. "I take it you'd rather melee Blue Magic Skill Crystals over ranged ones?"

"Yeah," I answer. "Some ranged things might be good, but I work better at close range."

Finn enters deep into thought, so I let him be as I continue rowing. The trip takes about three hours of navigating around and between islands, avoiding the domain of a sea beast that I know is beyond our ability.

That thing caught me off-guard once, and never again. Fortunately, I'm a strong swimmer, so the fact that he destroyed my boat back then wasn't too much of an issue. I was more worried about him chasing after me, but he didn't once I left his domain.

We reach the island, and Finn looks around what part of it we can see. Rocks, cliffs, and forest galore.

"Want to try training together?" I ask him. "Rather than fighting separately? You attack from a distance, and I attack with my sword?"

"Like in a party?" He asks. "Won't attacking the same thing mean we'll gain less Experience once it's dead?"

"Sure, sure," I say. "But if we attack something stronger, we'll gain more!"

"I don't know about that," he hesitates. "This is an island with stronger monsters, isn't it?"

"It's nothing I can't handle with my skills," I assure him. "I could handle some of the more moderate ones in a one-on-one fight, sort of like the water beasts or frost beasts. Now that I'm using [Warp] and am at Level 3, though, they'll be a little bit easier. If you're helping me in the fight as well, then we can probably take on a small group together."

"Okay," he gives a shaky nod. "What-what kind of monsters are here?"

Great! I haven't been able to fully explore this island because some of the monsters were stronger than I could handle! But with our current abilities, my stronger body and might, the use of Warp, and his magic, we should be able to reach Level 5 or 6 within an hour, I'm sure of it! With that much extra Strength and Constitution for me, and that much extra Mana and Mana Regeneration for both of us, I bet we'll be able to get close to halfway to the center of the island

"There are lots of beasts!" I tell him. "This isn't like an area around a town, where there are only a few things, Finn! See, the islands I've shown you? They were more docile places. This one? It's a beginner party's training fest!"

"Oh, dear," his face falls.

"It's a full ecosystem!" I tell him. "Wolves, foxes, deer, boars, snakes, bird, turtles, frogs, slugs, and more! Then you have to consider the plant monsters-"

"Those are always annoying," he mutters.

"Yeah, but your magic should help us out," I say. "See, I can't fight them without getting close. You can!"

"R-right."

"Let's start hunting!"

"C-can we wait a few minutes?" He asks. "S-so I can prepare myself?"

"I just spent three hours rowing a boat, Finn," I draw my sword. "And the island won't wait for us to collect ourselves."

I run past him, slicing with my sword as a 'vine' began to bolt toward him. The snake attempts to avoid my sword, but I readjust my aim and direction quickly enough to cut through its body, killing it.

+4% Experience!

"This island," I tell Finn. "Really likes to attack people who are on it!"

"Great," he mutters.

"Come on!" I tell him. "And make sure to pay attention to your back, something might sneak up behind ya!"

Though with his wolf-like hearing, he might hear anything trying to. It was easy for me to catch something sneaking up behind me before I gained 3 Perception more, and Finn's Perception is higher than mine was before I gained any Levels.

We begin our advance into the forest, only making it a few yards before a deer comes into view. The brown nature of its antlers tips me off that it's one of the deer that manifest and shoot stones through its antlers. I could handle these before socketing a Crystal and gaining a few Levels.

But Finn needs Experience.

"Finn! You go!"

Since we're within his attack range, Finn steps to the side of me, slashing with two fingers in the air.

"[Wind Slash]," he quietly says as he makes the motion.

The attack flows out of his gesture, soaring to the deer. Jumping to the side, the deer avoids his attack and fires off a series of stone shots as Finn tries to cast again. I use my sword to protect us, stopping the deer's attacks, and it takes Finn two more [Wind Slash]es to actually cut the deer.

Because the damage isn't deep, I decide to end the battle and charge forward, shifting to the side of the attacks, slashing at its antlers with my sword. After cutting through those and sending them to the ground, I pivot, bringing my sword back and cutting through the deer's neck.

+9% Experience!

"That was fun!" I exclaim. "But you've gotta have more confidence in yourself, Finn! You looked so hesitant attacking I thought I was gonna burst!"

He gives me a bewildered look, then raises his and releases a [Wind Slash] past me. Since his range is limited by his Magic – meaning he can only shoot up to ten feet away right now – the attack strikes its target before I can turn enough to see it. The blade cut into a vine (an actual one this time) that had begun to whip at me. I slice through the vine, then Finn and I continue on our trip.

A few minutes pass before I hear a slap. I glance behind me to find that Finn has slapped his arm. He shrugs at me, and we continue on. A moment later, he slaps his arm again.

"You okay?" I ask.

"How do you stand the bugs?" He asks.

"What bugs?"

"The ones," there's another slap. "That keep biting me. Mosquitoes?"

A feeling like he's being bitten by bugs?

"Finn," I turn around. "There aren't any mosquitoes here."

"Yeah, there are," he slaps his neck. "They keep biting me."

"We don't have mosquitoes here," I tell him as I focus on the air, watching. "Look for a distortion in the air around you. You're being bitten by an invisible creature that normally doesn't come this way."

"What?"

"Invisible," I say. "Cannot be seen. Sort of. It's actually using some sort of light magic to hide itself. If you can see the distortion, then it's a weaker one. If you can't see the distortions, it's a stronger one."

"I can't see anything!" He protests. "These are mosquito bites, not monster bites."

"Finn, we don't have any mosquitoes here," I finally spot the distortion, it's very faint. "Don't move."

"But-"

"Seriously," I hold my sword out, ready to strike. "[WARP]!"

Finn squeals, but fortunately for him, his jump is too slow and in the wrong direction for me to strike him by accident as I warp by him. There's a bit of resistance as I pass by, and though my arm jerks back a little, I still manage to cut through the monster.

Though there's blood on my sword, and we can see blood dripping on the ground, the creature manages to maintain its illusion. I've never actually killed one of these things before, but the ones in the area I've managed to travel have stopped attacking me. Without using a Skill, I was just as annoying to them as they were to me.

"There!" I point with my sword. "Slash it!"

Responding automatically, Finn flicks his wrist in the direction I'm pointing.

"[Wind Slash]."

There's a small shriek from the creature as Finn's attack slices part of it, carrying some blood with it. Two strikes and it's still maintaining that spell. Fortunately, we can get a rough idea of where it is, and Finn shoots another [Wind Slash] as I wait for the right moment.

When the second [Wind Slas]h cuts into it, the beast begins to flee. At least, that's what it looks like based on how the three wounds begin flowing away. I begin a downward slash with my sword.

"[WARP]!"

Space warps before me with the activation of the Skill, and I zoom forward, my sword cutting into the beast. Interestingly, I cut it in two spots rather than one. It seems the beast was snaking its body rather than traveling straight. That would explain why the injuries seemed to 'flow' in their motion.

"[Wind Slash]," Finn speaks.

A Wind Slash shoots beside me, slicing into the beast again, this time near the front of the distortion. At the same time, I take a step forward, beginning a slash with my sword.

"[WARP]!"

My aim is a little off, but I manage to hit around where Finn's latest [Wind Slash] did, and the entire creature seems to start to go down. There's a small 'sting' on my arm, as if something bit me, and Finn shoots another [Wind Slash].

I wait until his Wind Slash strikes, then swing my sword into the same spot. Since I'm not warping, I'm able to aim my strike precisely. Then I shift my body and jump a little, focusing forward.

"[WARP]!"

My body shifts forward, my blade cutting through the beast all the way this time, and its illusion fades, revealing its form to us as a notification appears in my vision.

+31% Experience!

Sweet! That's a lot of Experience!

"Oh!" I realize something. "I can finally see what it looks like!"

Finn snorts as I take a look at the irritant, getting my first glimpse of what it actually looks like. I never really knew what to expect of its appearance because the way it moved always baffled me. It always seemed to just shift around, and the warping in the air was always too blurry to properly make out properly every time. Sometimes it was snakelike, sometimes it was squarish, on one occasion it looked like a scorpion.

The answer is that it's more like a worm, with no obvious head, but a bunch of little tentacle-thingies. The creature itself is about fifteen feet long, and it has a few dozen of the tendril-tentacle-whatever things running down it in two lines, as if showing the edges.

Those must be what creates the feeling of being bitten by an insect. I reach forward and touch the tip of one, feeling a light 'bite' when I do. Yup, it's those.

It's amazing we didn't cut any off with our attacks, but that explains how their forms seemed to be different – they could coil, wrap, stack, whatever. I probably never faced several at once, despite having thought I had, because of how they could sting spots all over so fast. Since I can't see wings, I'll assume they just had a basic flight magic or something.

"Why do you keep poking it?" Finn asks.

"It's longer than the others I've encountered," I stand and face him. "I'm pretty sure, anyway."

"How much easier was the fight?" He asks. "Than the others you've fought."

"Oh, I never fought them."

"Huh?"

"They were always too much for me," I tell him. "And they mostly just did that sensation like they were insects biting. They're actually injecting a mild toxin. If they inject too much, you die. But it takes a lot for that to happen."

"I could have died?" He pales.

"We're fighting monsters," I tell him. "We could die at any time. The danger adds to the thrill! And no, you wouldn't have – I keep antidotes for the toxins I know of in my Inventory. If you somehow got stung enough to suffer ill effects, I'd give you a dose."

"O-oh," he says. "Thanks."

For a few moments, Finn thinks about something.

"Why do you want to go on adventures," I ask. "If you don't like the idea of possibly dying?"

"I just want to explore," he tells me.

So he's not in it for the thrill of the hunt and adventure, but to explore places? He's the kind of guy who's happy just seeing new areas, I take it.

"Well!" I say. "With me in your party, we can explore for eternity! Come on! Let's-"

"[Wind Slash]-" he fires off a [Wind Slash] behind me, then swipes his fingers across the air again. "[Wind Slash]."

Turning around, I prepare to attack whatever he wounded. Time to do battle with… another deer!