"*cough*… Are you really sure you want to use such a lethal weapon on your own pet?" Drol asked after hearing my desire to test the newly crafted bow in real combat.
Seeing the worried expression on the middle-aged man's face, I flashed him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry, Drol. I've fought things far more terrifying than a Beginner's Bane," I declared confidently.
Even though he still looked a bit doubtful, the man nodded before expressing his wish to watch.
"Alright then… but can I observe its use in actual combat? Even though I've already tested it, seeing it in action against a monster is completely different," he explained while stroking his unkempt beard.
I nodded in approval.
However, our exchange seemed to irritate my future victim… *cough* challenger.
"Grrr… Human, don't think that toy is going to change the outcome of our fight," growled the monster that looked like a black panther.
But his menacing aura lost most of its impact when Megumin suddenly tightened her grip around his neck while muttering about how cool Chimotsuke II looked.
"Don't be in such a hurry to fight me. I'll even admit that accidentally killing you is a real possibility, haha— ow! What the hell are you doing?!"
As I was casually sharing my thoughts about sparring with a Beginner's Bane, Megumin suddenly whacked me on the head with her staff.
"You're just supposed to punish Chimotsuke II a little, not kill him!" she said, puffing out her cheeks.
I knew the gesture was meant to make her look intimidating, but it only made her even cuter.
That still didn't excuse hitting me on the head!
"Ow! Why did you hit me?!" I shouted back at her, while the little Crimson Demon's scarlet eyes quickly became slightly misty.
Oops.
I think I underestimated my strength stat again while overestimating her durability.
Should I apologize?
Nah.
She started it. I just didn't want to end up as one of those gag characters who gets hit for no real reason.
"Because you're choosing an animal you barely met over your own partner," I shot back before turning my gaze away from her — completely missing the way the arch-wizard's face changed color at the word *partner*.
I could feel her stare burning into my back for a few seconds, but I chose to ignore it.
"Idiot…"
A small, faint voice echoed behind me, but it was surely just my imagination.
Right?
…
"I'll count to three. After that, you can begin. But remember: any lethal attack is strictly forbidden!" Drol declared once we had found a quiet area outside the town of Axel.
"Got it," I replied.
"If the human dies, it'll be entirely his own fault," the monster transmitted through Wiz's magical hat.
Drol's gaze lingered on the beast for a moment, but he eventually started the countdown.
"One…"
At the first number, I drew an arrow from my quiver in one smooth, familiar motion.
Unconsciously, a nostalgic smile formed on my lips as memories flashed through my mind — my years at the archery club, and that stay in the forest not far from the shogun's harem.
The latter had been a dangerous situation… but looking back, it had been pretty hilarious in the end.
"Two…"
The mana inside me surged immediately. Deep down I already knew: like Archer Emiya, close-quarters combat had to become my absolute last resort against any opponent from now on.
A mage and an archer aren't close-range specialists, but I could still compensate for my stat imbalance with combat experience.
My karate wouldn't go to waste, nor would my brand-new Two-Handed Sword Mastery.
"Three — begin!"
The moment Drol finished speaking, Chimotsuke II lunged at me with inhuman speed.
Fortunately, I had just enough time to cast the perfect spell for the situation.
"Haste…" I whispered under my breath, before creating distance and immediately following up with a support spell: Blessing.
A holy magic that boosts luck. Perfect when the outcome of a fight heavily depends on the opening moves.
Something the big black cat hadn't realized — much to my delight.
Chimotsuke II tried to close the gap, but it was already too late for a creature specialized in ambushes.
The monster had lost his chance the moment he missed his first strike.
Without hesitation, I loosed the arrow I had blessed with the buff-type magic Aqua had taught me.
Of course, it hit perfectly just as I landed lightly on a tree branch.
"*Groan* You trash! How dare you!" he roared as an arrow embedded itself cleanly in his right eye.
Megumin covered her mouth after witnessing the injury to her second-favorite pet.
"Why are you taking it so badly? I know a certain pseudo-goddess who could even bring you back from the dead… so—"
My current words weren't just psychological warfare against my opponent — I also wanted to remind Megumin that we had an incredible healer on our side.
That's why I disguised the reassurance as verbal intimidation.
Judging by Megumin's now-relaxed expression, it had worked.
After confirming that, I drew another arrow while a slow, impatient smile spread across my still-youthful face.
"How about we try some different combinations? I wonder how a monster would react if I used a combined reinforcement spell with Haste on an arrow~"
The moment I finished speaking, the new arrow began glowing with white light.
Holy energy that should have been comforting… yet everyone present immediately started feeling pity for Chimotsuke II.
"Miserable human! Fight fair!" roared Chimotsuke the Second as he desperately tried to dodge my opening shots.
At first, he actually managed quite well.
The black panther even succeeded in using trees to brake and evade, attempting to close the distance little by little.
Unfortunately for him, that ended the moment I gained more height and widened the gap even further.
The outcome quickly became obvious — even to the beast.
Chimotsuke II soon realized that facing a magically-enhanced ranged archer was pure suicide.
Especially when I kept reinforcing my arrows with various buffs I had learned from Aqua.
Did I mention my stats were slowly shifting toward those of someone specialized in fast, long-range combat?
Chimotsuke II now had very few options left after failing to end the fight in the opening seconds.
He was quickly cornered.
"Blessing, Powered, Haste, Protection…"
The moment I started combining modern archery experience with support magic, the poor Beginner's Bane ended up looking like a living pincushion.
"Y-you win! Please stop!" he begged, his single remaining golden eye giving me a pitiful look.
Barely ten minutes had passed since I started testing the bow when the monster surrendered.
Honestly… I was very dissatisfied.
I hadn't been able to test my close-range bow mastery, nor had I seen the true combat power of the "young" Beginner's Bane.
I had planned to bring this creature with me to the island, but I had crushed it far too brutally myself.
"What a shame… I wanted to use you as a mount, but—"
I paused briefly, placing a hand on my chin in a thoughtful pose.
"You're just too weak," I said sincerely before dropping from the tree branch and landing on the ground.
The Beginner's Bane glared at me with resentment, yet still adopted a submissive posture.
Without delay, I placed my hand on his forehead and activated the Tamer skill I had obtained from Anya, the pet shop owner.
I had already used it once before, but the little rascal hadn't fully submitted back then because the skill level was too low.
"Hm… status," I muttered instinctively after feeling the connection form between me and the Beginner's Bane.
Name: Renji Takamura
Age: 21 years old
Lvl: 26
Strength: 26
Agility:39
Intelligence:40
Luck:50
Magic Power:70
Vitality: 40
Skill Points: 0
Basic Magic:
• Tinder: Lvl 4
• Freezer: Lvl 4
• Create Water: Lvl 5
• Wind Breath: Lvl 1
• Create Earth: Lvl 1
Intermediate Magic:
• Lightning: Lvl 3
Advanced Magic:
• Cursed Lightning: Lvl 1
Magic Buff:
• Blessing: Lvl 2
• Powered: Lvl 3
• Haste: Lvl 4
• Protection: Lvl 1
• Resistance: Lvl 2
Auxiliary Magic:
• Teleportation: Lvl 1
• Cursed Necromancy: Lvl 1
• Dimensional Travel: Lvl 1
Skills:
• Archery: Lvl 5
• Drain Touch: Lvl 1
• Hand of the Immortal King: Lvl 1
• Tamer: Lvl 1 (New)
• Two-Handed Sword Mastery: Lvl 1
Items:Compound Bow (New), Quiver (New), Chimotsuke II (New), [Magical Thought-Revealing Hat], [Explosive Potion x17], [Lightning Strike Orb], [Stat Enhancement Potion x5], [Wiz's Rosary], [Insect Choleran]
"So you've become my thing now? Haha, poor Chimotsuke II," I said while looking at the sulking beast.
***
Author's note: Indeed, this story is officially back! Honestly, I hesitated to continue it for several reasons (one of them being that readers weren't very engaged with it, lol… just look at the reviews: there are very few).
Anyway, I'm posting a 40-stone bonus, so vote!