I basically believe monsters and animals were the same as long as they didn’t try to harm me. Like with the blue wolves. I only took them down because they were trying to kill me. I wouldn’t kill them if I had developed emotional attachment with them like I did with Ash. Or rather, there was no way I’d kill something as cute as Ash. Ash was really the cutest in this world.

    One morning, I saw a goblin had gotten caught in the ankle snare trap. There was a club near him. He might’ve dropped his weapon. He must be unable to move due to the paralyzing effect from the gleene anesthetic.

    Donned on my protective gear, I approached the goblin and removed the ankle snare trap from his leg.

    Perfect. Just when I need to raise the level of ‘fortress’.

    I picked the goblin’s club and placed it near him. Then I waited for the paralyze effect to wear off.

    ◇◇◇

    “Gugya? ….Gugya!!”

    The paralyze effect finally wore off. The goblin took up his club and started to hit me.

    “Fortress.”

    BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

    His club was repelled by my shield. I didn’t even flinch from the attack. The goblin kept on brandishing his club for another 30 minutes, hitting me mindlessly.

    『Individual Name: Keigo Okuda has acquired Fortress level 4.』

    I kept this up while munching the berzin herb that I had stuffed into my mouth.

    “Gugyagya?”

    The goblin’s shoulder was heaving, he was breathing heavily. I guess this was the limit of his strength.

    “GIGIGYAAA!!”

    The goblin turned on his heel and ran toward the direction of the river.

    I didn’t really do anything to catch him. If he was going to run away then so be it. Judging from his condition, I doubt he’d try to come near here again. But still, if he tried to attack me again, I’d bring him down.

    Which reminded me. I just realized I hadn’t been attacked by any blue wolves recently.

    At this point, I was still completely ignorant that the reason for this was because Ash, a type of high-level Blue Wolf, was already emotionally attached to me.