The frequency of battles against the sprites had increased, rendering Ryuji''s skills and powers less valuable. He found himself reduced to a mere flesh wall, a frustrating position. Ryuji yearned for a proper fight, but the forest was devoid of any worthy adversaries, populated only by sprites and small animals.

    After an hour, Erika''s condition improved, enabling her to walk and fight. Her extreme level of speed allowed her to take on the sprigs and sprites, much to Ryuji''s annoyance. He couldn''t help but feel the limitations of his axe in comparison.

    ''I wish I could use magic... That strange feeling in my stomach, will it guide me again?''

    "Don''t worry about it, Ryuji. It''s rare for you to get a rest," Simon said, patting Ryuji''s shoulder with a laugh.

    Ryuji released a sigh; he wanted to fight and kill beasts and monsters, not small sprigs and sprites. He was an axe-wielder, not a baggage handler! He watched Paul showing off his magic missiles and flame bolt that caused the small sprites to pop like little balloons.

    "Paul, tech me magic..."

    "Ryuji, your elemental affinity is low. It would take years to learn a simple light spell. Forgive me. I am too old to teach you that long."

    Ryuji returned to his brooding as Paul laughed it off and walked ahead of him. Ryuji stayed in a poor mood as they walked through the forest, filled with vibrant green trees and colourful flowers.

    There were lovely plants and herbs, but only Alicia knew what they did and handled them—the one Ryuji touched caused his fingers to bleed.

    "I see..."

    —Level Up

    Status

    Name: Ryuji Vincenzo

    Title: Deathbringer (Kobold), Murderer (Human)

    Class: Berserker: Lv.12 /?????????: Lv.3

    Rage: 0/120 (0 Reserved) [40% damage resist]

    Rank: C

    Attributes

    Strength: 40 - 42 (+4)

    Agility: 20 (+2)

    Stamina: 21 - 22

    Grit: 53 - 55 (+5)

    Intellect: 16 - 20

    [New Spell Learned]

    Your irritation about magic awakened the innate element within your bloodline.

    Hand of Blood - The spell conjures a hand of blood in the air that grabs the target. Crushes small targets. While causing bleeding damage, the hand holds large targets in place.

    ***

    ''Eh? Magic? I have magic!?''

    "We have the spices. The meat will be amazing tonight because Sheila is cooking!" Simon threw his hands in the air before returning to serious mode. Their target was a small cave located around a mile from their position. They had an hour''s walk, giving them plenty of time to enjoy the view.

    "Umm... does anyone hear that?" Sheila asked. She stopped dead in her tracks and held her hand out, silencing the group as they listened.

    "It sounds like something galloping." Alicia leaned down, her Elven ears near the ground, absorbing the vibrations. "Lots of them, towards this direction."

    Ryuji sniffed the air, then laughed, grasping his massive axe. "Not to worry, it''s just extra meat for dinner."

    Yumiko cracked her neck and wrists before taking a position that caused Ryuji to freeze for a moment; her beautiful blonde hair cascaded over her shoulder, her hips pushed out, and her tail swayed. She mastered his mother''s offensive stance so quickly that it shocked him.

    "Really?" She smiled at Ryuji before tilting her head, her long ears flopping from side to side. "I won''t hold back like last time, don''t worry."

    Yumiko''s figure gleamed brightly. He felt like she had swallowed the sun and the moon. The only sound that Ryuji could hear was his heart throbbing at her beautiful image. It was the first time he had seen her fight seriously.

    "Okay, shall we fight them?"

    Ryuji patted the hilt of his axe and licked his lips. He couldn''t wait to kill things in front of Yumiko to show off a little and impress her.

    "Everyone! Prepare for combat. The enemy are Mutated Unicorns." Simon called out.

    "Unicorns?" Erika sighed as she straightened up her stance with a look of sadness. "I thought they were gentle creatures?"

    "In the legends of your world, they are gentle creatures, but in this world, they are very dangerous beasts with horns that can penetrate steel armour. Their blood is an incredible medicine, and they taste excellent when cooked, especially with a sprinkle of salt."

    Yumiko licked her lips and stood two steps behind Ryuji, ready to enter the battle.

    "Is this something I should kill as well?" Ryuji asked Simon while casting a glance at his girlfriend.

    "Ryuji, let me tell you something. The price for their horn is ten gold a piece!"

    "Let''s kill them!" Simon chuckled.

    Ryuji pointed at the entrance of the forest, where the unicorns burst through the trees with their horns and bodies, charging right at them.

    They were nothing like the unicorns that Erika or Ryuji expected: muscular bodies over seven feet tall. With a horn at least a metre in size, shimmering with a silver light, their eyes bloodshot and sharp teeth like that of a predator. Their hooves smashed the ground with every step as they charged forward.

    "THEY ARE UGLY!" Erika yelled, her lips curling into a smile. "I really hate things like this!" It seemed she could fight them, her resistance vanishing the moment she saw them appear.

    Meanwhile, Ryuji and Yumiko, like dogs at the races, shot forward after the gunshot, chasing the rabbit.

    Yumiko''s crimson-stained claws dug into its neck as it thrashed wildly, desperately trying to throw her off its body. The horn missed, unable to find her body because of her lower position.

    She didn''t waste any time and reached down and sliced off the horn with one graceful movement of her free hand. She grinned while staring at Ryuji as he cleaved another unicorn in two, its bones shattering from the impact.

    Yumiko could only look envious as the one she mounted bled out, slowly falling and dragging along the dirt.

    "Those two are monsters..." Simon whispered while they trapped a unicorn as a group and killed it with Paul''s magic.

    A humane and less violent way of slaying them.

    "Are those guys our allies, or just tamed beasts?" Paul whispered, Ryuji''s axe slicing another unicorn''s legs off as it passed him...

    Paul shuddered at the gruesome sight while Erika skillfully killed a unicorn with her curved Elven blade.

    In the end, the party collected enough meat for several nights and seven horns.