It was a success.
What am I talking about? Naturally, Ogrekichi’s confession.
Before our usual morning sparring session, which had become a part of our daily routine, he blushingly reported the good news. I wasn’t surprised; I had expected it to go well.
Ogrekichi hadn’t noticed, but Asue had liked him for a long time, too. As it turned out, Asue had been confiding in Dhami, who had relayed the information to me. So, I wasn’t too worried about a negative outcome. In fact, during our strategy session yesterday, I used the ear cuff communicators to secretly coordinate with Dhami, setting the stage for the confession.
So, the result was as I expected.
What concerned me was whether Asue had overexerted herself last night. She’s in charge of mining Spirit Stones and rare metals in the area affected by Velvet’s Vault, and if she were incapacitated, it would significantly reduce our work efficiency as a whole. After all, Asue is essentially a living drill now. Depending on her condition, various schedules may need to be adjusted.
From what I heard, though, she seemed fine. This was probably because Ogrekichi wasn’t her first. Asue was really quite tough, and Ogrekichi had managed to control himself, as we had discussed during the strategy meeting.
The whole thing was pretty heartwarming.
That said, Ogrekichi was overly energetic during today’s sparring session, and I ended up taking a few good hits. My knees were wobbling for the first time in a while. In fact, his energy was so overwhelming that I thought it might be best to let him work it off by fighting a few Black Skeleton Knights. I immediately put this plan into action.
When training ended around noon, and I was about to go capture a Hind Bear with Ogrekichi, Dhami and Asue said they wanted to join us. I asked Asue if the mining work was on schedule, and she said she had met her morning quota; it wouldn’t be a problem.
So, the four of us went hunting together for the first time in a while.
We didn’t encounter any Hind Bears, but we did manage to hunt five Stamp Boars; six Poison Mantises with their giant scythes that dripped a toxic purple liquid; four Megabeetles with black, meter-long, iron-hard exoskeletons and large horns; five Golden Spiders; four Demonic Spiders; three sixty-centimeter-long Gray Grasshoppers; and eleven Yellow Monkeys with their thick, long tails and bright yellow fur.
This was an area we hadn’t explored before, so there were many new monsters to try. While none of them were exceptionally delicious, they were all edible, at least. That being said, the Poison Mantises were somewhat of a concern due to their potent venom, which was capable of killing ogres, and the hard-shelled Megabeetles were not suitable for consumption by anyone other than me. They didn’t exactly make for great souvenirs.
It was a bit of a disappointment. Quite unfortunate, to be honest.
So, we stripped our prey of any usable parts and stored them in the Item Box. The rest we munched on together.
[Ability learned: Molting!]
[Ability learned: Elytra Generation!]
[Ability learned: Deadly Poison Blade: End Edge!]
[Ability learned: Silent Assassination: Silent Kill!]
[Ability learned: Frontal Breakthrough: Horn Blow!]
[Ability learned: Dissonance!]
[Ability learned: Parasitism!]
[Ability learned: Leap Strength Boost!]
[Ability learned: Resilient Life!]
[Ability learned: Exoskeleton Armor!]
[Ability learned: Wrought Iron Exoskeleton Armor!]
[Ability learned: Rising Combat Instinct!]
[Ability learned: Cold Weakness!]
I felt like a hero as I went through my transformation sequence.
Upon activating the Exoskeleton Armor ability gained from eating the Megabeetle, my armor, made from Red Bear materials, was instantly absorbed. It transformed around me into a humanoid figure over two and a half meters tall, covered in a unique, glossy red-and-black exoskeleton resembling that of a stag beetle.
I wondered why eating a Megabeetle turned me into a stag beetle, which was clearly a different kind of beetle. It was likely due to my horns. It felt right, anyway.
When I focused on my twin horns, which curved like blades, I found I could move them freely, opening and closing them. I tested them out on a tree, and effortlessly sliced through it with a clean cut. They were incredibly sharp.
I spent some time experimenting with the exoskeleton. It was remarkably flexible yet extremely durable. To test its strength, I had Ogrekichi punch me. The impacted area dented slightly but then gradually returned to its original shape over time, suggesting that the exoskeleton had self-healing properties.
Plus, there was almost no pain. The exoskeleton seemed to have mechanisms to disperse shock and reduce damage. It felt just like the bio-metal powered suits deployed at my previous job before reincarnation—so well-fitted that I barely felt like I was wearing anything. It didn’t hinder my movements at all; in fact, I felt even more agile than usual.
The exoskeleton also provided full-body power assistance, allowing me to run faster and boosting my strength to levels equivalent to using physical enhancement abilities. There appeared to be no significant drawbacks to Exoskeleton Armor. Standing out too much could be considered a downside, but otherwise, this was an exceptionally beneficial ability.
That being said, deactivating Exoskeleton Armor left me completely naked. Very inconvenient. Since the armor used my previous protective gear as raw material, it was inevitable. Luckily, I had prepared a spare pair of pants in advance. I had no interest in stripping; I didn’t mind anyone seeing me, I just didn’t particularly want to show off.
Losing the armor I’d made after my fight with the Red Bear was a bit of a sentimental loss, but I consoled myself that its shape had just changed. In fact, focusing my thoughts displayed a menu in my mind:
Ability: Exoskeleton Armor
Registration 1: Might of the Mountain Lord Registered
Registration 2: Empty
Registration 3: Empty
Registration 4: Empty
Registration 5: Empty
Four more forms can be registered. Which form would you like to equip?
So the armor wasn’t completely gone; it could be swapped out based on the situation. Clearly, this ability was highly versatile and useful. I intended to register forms for aerial and naval combat soon.
Moving on, the Elytra Generation ability allowed me to create insect wings for flight, but I found controlling them to be harder than expected. Balancing was challenging and seriously tiring without practice, so I resolved to do some flight training upon returning to the base.
This hunting trip had yielded highly satisfying results. I returned in high spirits, my spoils in hand, and enjoyed a hearty meal. The Stamp Boar meat was absolutely delicious.
[Ability learned: Headlong Rush!]
[Ability learned: Tail Attack!]
After eating, I practiced flying and worked on some projects in the workshop until night fell, then I slept soundly. It was a productive day.