I face the chief demon across the stream.

I want to run away…! I can’t seem to get my body to move though…I’m not sure if I would be able to get away even if I could move.

This thing…is definitely something that will chase and attack you if you try to run! 

What’s the best way to deal with this situation…? I think it’s a good idea to keep my eyes on the demon and back away slowly…

As soon as I take a step back, the demon takes a step forward to close the distance I leave between us.

I know…He’s not going to let me go.

Oh, when I wondered where the demon’s eyes were, I noticed they were on top of the torso at the base of the neck. So maybe the neck is more like an elephant’s trunk than a neck on a rokurokubi?[1]  No, as I watched, there was something like a set of eyes under the mouth at the tip of the neck as well! Are there four eyes combined on the body and the end of the neck…?

His eyeballs twitch menacingly at me.

What should I do?

How will I make it through this?

The distance that bastard is from me is about eight meters…I think?

Will I be able to escape if I dash away?

I don’t know how fast this thing can move, but I’ve had my speed boosted by thirteen physical enhancements. It can probably move as fast or faster than a normal cat…

The problem is, if it is quicker than a cat, then running is out of the question…

…It’s definitely faster than a cat, isn’t it?

I’ve never seen it run, but everything in the forest seems to move fast.

The chance of successfully running away, however, is not zero.

If I were a normal cat, I would’ve ended up being eaten, but I have something that ordinary cats don’t have.

—[Collector]

Although it is by no means abundant, there are several types of items in large amounts in my Collection Box. I’ll somehow make use of it to escape…!

I tried to make my move to escape, but my body just trembled and couldn’t move right.

…Stupid body!

Get yourself together! You’ve been in another world for three days and can’t just stand here and let your life end a second time!! It’s not like we’re on a three day, two night excursion.

If you don’t want to die, you have to live like you mean it!!

You can  live through this! Even in a cat’s body—!

My trembling has stopped.

“Myaah!!!”

With a menacing cry, I run away from the demon into the forest.

Immediately—

“Guruaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”

A roar so loud that it shook the trees bellowed out in response to my cry.

A moment later, the demon chases after me.

The big mouth is folded over its torso, probably because the long neck gets in the way while running. Its figure right now makes it look more like a normal beast, doesn’t it? …It’s not the time to be thinking about this nonsense! 

Run.

Run!

I run at full speed not worrying if my legs are sore or if I’m running out of energy. 

I run to get behind a tree, but the demon is right on my tail.

—I knew it was coming, but it’s too fast!

Oh no! They’re right on us…!

I need something—something…to stop them!

No, wait a minute. If I hurt it, it should run away, right? I’m pretty sure I heard on TV that animals on the hunt will retreat in alarm if they receive an unexpected counterattack!

I have Slingshot, so we can attack without getting too close. Fortunately, I have the maximum amount of projectiles in stock!

The demon is already two meters behind me. The moment I get within range of it, it’ll try to extend its head toward me.

I’m aiming for that moment!

I throw the stone from the collection box!

Hmm? Huh? Well, that’s fine.

I throw the stone at a bad trajectory and it hits a tree beside me.

This is to be expected. I threw it without looking back, so it wouldn’t hit anything anyway.

The demon suddenly slowed down, startled by the stone that suddenly passed before its sight.

That’s what I was aiming for!

The gap between us widened slightly.

—I have time to turn around and aim!!

“MiiMii!”

I turn my head to look back while still moving forward.

Lock on—FIRE!

“Myaah!”

A stone fires out of empty space—What the hell? I felt something strange when I released the stone.

I knew immediately what that strange feeling was.

The stone that I released hit one of the eyes at the base of the demon’s neck…which was outstretched towards me.

Then—the eye that was hit by the stone burst and scattered.

What?

The demon fell to the ground, struggling against the pain.

Eh? What? What’s so powerful about this now?

I was expecting it to hit with a bang, but it actually felt like it released with a bang, right? I don’t know how to explain it well with onomatopoeia…

If the projectiles used to be the power of an ordinary person throwing with all their might, then the power now is like shooting a crossbow.

Why?…There’s only one reason for this.

It’s the [Shot Boost] I got from the ability gacha yesterday.

Since all of the items in the Collection Box can be checked for more details, I tried to check the Shot Boost effect before bed but…

“[Shot Boost]

The power of throwing and indirect weapons is increased.”

It is short and easy to understand.

…I didn’t expect that the Slingshot would be boosted…It’s not a weapon. It’s just taking items out of the Collection Box really fast.

This is such a nice miscalculation on my part!

I mean, [Shot Boost]-san isn’t a bad gacha at all!? Rather, it’s a super useful skill for me now! I’m sorry for dissing such an excellent guy! Yes, I’m sorry, that’s my bad!!

The demon stands up steadily, probably because it has recovered from the pain of having one eye blown apart…No, it hasn’t recovered just yet, has it? Its legs are still wobbly.

My unexpected attack scared you, didn’t it? You can’t stand the pain, can you? Just turn around and go home then. Please leave!

The demon’s remaining eyes look at me as its legs are shaking.

I glare back at it.

Go home, go home…I pray, chanting in my mind like a Buddhist monk.

But, my prayers aren’t answered.

“Gahhhh!”

It emits a cry of rage…!

At the same time, it lunges at me.

Whoa!? Seriously!?

He’s not the type to run away when he takes damage, but instead bears it and tries to kill me!

The damage to his blown out eye, however, has slowed his movements considerably. Now, the chances of getting away are much higher.

But…is it a good idea to run away?

Am I really supposed to run away?

I knew I needed power to survive in this world. That’s why I put so much effort into throwing items in the Collection Box.

Seeking power means trying to be stronger than those who attack me.

If that’s the case—maybe I need to move from being the hunted to being the hunter.

“Power is only for self-defense,” is something that can only be said in times of peace.

In a world where there is only the weak and the strong, power is something that strikes, knocks down, destroys and kills others.

If you are a weakened demon against me, I have a good chance of winning.

I’m ready.

I’m here to kill this demon!

If there’s a staircase that leads to becoming strong, this is the first step for me.

I’ll do it—!!