Newly Summoned Demoness - Chapter 18 – Steak and Introspection (Patreon)

Elania made her way through the labyrinth of caverns, keeping an eye out for any signs of danger. Her senses were on high alert as she picked her way through the quiet buzz of the underground’s flora and fauna. The meat would probably attract predators and she didn’t want to run into another [Darkwalker] so she did her best to hurry while keeping out of sight.

Eventually, she found a small clearing surrounded by large boulders right in the center of a stream. The river stones had been scoured clean by the water, and the entire area lacked a coat of moss on the ceiling. The center of the boulders was dry, too.

It was a nice place to set as a fire-safe makeshift campsite.

Elania wasted no time getting to work. First, she fetched water from the stream, and rinsed the meat thoroughly, removing the lingering dirt and grime that had attached itself. She left it on a javelin skewer leaning against the boulder wall. Then she gathered wood from a nearby [Tower Cap] that was harder than the normal fungal growths.

It was harder to cut its flesh, but with the metal knife, it was possible. It had a harder texture and was less springy, but was also less fleshy and wet. With a little help, she thought it would burn.. She had a little idea on how to use tinder to start a fire. She’d never have attempted it without a lighter or fire source.

Luckily, she had one built-in now.

She arranged a pile of stones in a small circle, then began to create a pile of shavings. The rest was turned into thin slices. A few larger chunks she saved to build a little log teepee. The kindling went inside. Drawing on her [Mana Manipulation]she pulsed a small wave of [Power]into the base of the kindling pile and it instantly ignited.

Magic sure was nice.

She watched the kindling burn and fed it more lengths until the fire was a steady crackle and a base of embers had formed underneath the logs. It was finally time to cook the meat. She brought the steak over and sliced it up into multiple cuts with the Mushroohum knife, then stuck each one on its own skewer.

Setting up two big rocks, she balanced the meat skewers over the fire. As the meat slowly roasted over the heat, it began to drip and sizzle. As she slowly rotated them, tantalizing aromas filled the surrounding air, and for the first time, she thought she felt the stirring of hunger.

When each cut was finally charred to perfection, she removed them from the heat. She took a moment to admire her handiwork before taking the first experimental bite. Rich flavors exploded on her tongue—juicy tenderness mixed with a slightly crisp exterior and a smokey undertone that reminded her of a home-cooked barbeque back home.

Relief filled her as she swallowed the mouthful with no odd or adverse reaction. It appeared that she was still able to enjoy normal human pleasures after all. With a newfound enthusiasm fueling each bite, she devoured the simple meal.

It was almost a shock when there was none left.

The warm fire, the meal, and the copious amount of recent exercise and fighting left her feeling sleepy. Using her arm for a pillow, she nodded off to sleep.

A chill draft woke her, eventually. The fire had burned itself out, hinting at the duration of her sleep. She felt rested and re-energized. She needed to figure out her next plans. Without thinking about it she opened up her [Status] to confirm her progress.

[Status: Elania Reyes]

[Level 13 Lesser Demon (Summoned Potency 9999+)]

[Karma: 12345]

[Power: 59/152]

[Perks: (Summoned from Another World!) (Regeneration)]

[Class: Survivor]

[Skill Slots: 3]

[Slotted Skills: Improvised Combat (Rank S+), Stealth (Rank A), Mana Manipulation (Rank B)]

[Affinities: (Demonic), (Mana)]

[Magical: Demonic Aura (Rank B) (Deactivated)]

[Physical: Darkvision (Rank B) (Deactivated), Throwing (Rank D), Tracking (Rank E), Survival Crafting (Rank C)]

[Mundane: Identify (Rank D), Universal Speech (Rank S), Reading (Rank A), Writing (Rank B), Crisis Management (Rank C)]

One thing was sort of clear: leveling was slowing down. The first ten had gone by in a flash from defeating the cultist and the Bone Demon. The fights with the Mushroohums and the animals had only gained her two. She wasn’t sure what levels did, though, if they even did anything at all.

Annoying. At least her skill ranks seemed to be helpful, even if some of them were fuzzy in that department. Certainly, some skills seemed much more useful and tangible than others.

The rate she’d been increasing them seemed quick as well, since it appeared S+ was the highest they could go. Although the hint that she should develop a more advanced skill seemed relevant.

Did that mean she could change her [Improvised Combat] skill to something with a better grade or something?

Martial Arts? Super Heroic Fighting Style? Martial Supremacy?

She was able to think of all kinds of fancy names for skills that would probably be better than [Improvised Combat].

What she really needed was someone who knew how things worked to explain it to her, although she was putting some of it together herself, at least.

Elania let out a sigh. She still needed to get two-thirds of her [Power] stat refilled. Which meant more hunting. There was no way she was going to infiltrate the Mushroohum village without it maxed out. Ranking up her skills, especially [Stealth], seemed like a good idea, too. A few more Darkwalkers would probably help in that regard.

Before hunting more, she needed to deal with her new gear. The leather belt fit her since it was capable of tightening with the buckle. It looked relatively modern, actually, although it was made from what she assumed was real leather. The metal buckle was free of rust and felt sturdy.

She wasn’t sure what she’d used the pouches for, yet. They didn’t have a ton of volume.

Swapping out [Mana Manipulation] for [Survival Crafting] was a temporary measure, but even if the help was minimal, what she wanted to do was slightly more complex than what she’d been doing before. So, she figured every bit would help and would be worth starting a slot swap cooldown.

What she wanted was a holster for her javelins. With the knife, she cut off a small splinter of wood and then used the point to make a needle hole. A tatter from her robe provided thread and the material to make some loops. Adjusting the pouches to her back, they made a suitable base.

Next up was to make some new javelins to replace the ones she had left behind in her mad hunting scurry. She shaved off ten new shafts and then used the knife to whittle spear points for them. That went much faster than using her stone wedge.

It took almost two hours to carefully complete both projects, but she was satisfied with the results. Standing up, she slid three javelins into the loop and pouch. Bouncing around a bit, she tested the fit, and they stayed secure on her back. As long as she didn’t do anything too crazily acrobatic, they’d stay put long enough for her to draw them and then throw.

Still not as fast as just keeping a few extra in her left hand, but sometimes she needed both hands.

Satisfied with her new weapons and equipment, she decided it was time to go. Her destination was easy to determine: the pond where she had ambushed the [Ralfot] herd. She’d stupidly left her shield behind on the stone outcropping, and getting it back was a good idea.

If just only because wasting her effort making it rankled.

The shield’s effectiveness would be low against a [Darkwalker] or charging [Ralfot], but if she engaged with some more of the Mushroohum warriors, it would probably be good.

Once she fetched it, she could make a loop for it and hang it on her back or something. Even if that meant she’d end up looking like a LARPer or something.

Remembering to swap out [Survival Crafting] for [Mana Manipulation], she took the further step to swap [Improvised Combat] for [Throwing]. Being able to hit her targets from a distance would be a more effective use of her ammunition. And she could still use her [Mana Manipulation] to fortify herself in an up-close fight.

Even though the caverns were maze-like, she had a pretty good idea of which way to go. Halfway there she spotted the old blood trail, and her [Tracking] skill made it much easier to spot when she traveled back through the red-hued caverns. When she reached the pond-cave, she couldn’t believe her eyes.

The [Ralfot] herd was back!

Minus three of their number. She crouched down, thanked her increasing level of stealth, and made her way over to the outcropping. Sure enough, her shield was right where she left it. She sat down and watched the herd, wondering what to do.

There were nine left. That’d be ninety points of [Power] conservatively calculated. But she wasn’t confident in a full sweep, and there were two younglings that she wasn’t keen on killing, and killing the entire herd was probably… too much?

Elania frowned. She needed the power. Her sympathy for the herd and their losses conflicted with her own needs. She decided to wait and observe and see if she could learn more about the animals. It was clear it was a habit that they come to this pond to drink, especially considering there was still evidence of the earlier battle in the form of dried blood all over the cavern.

Other than the macabre décor, [Ralfot] watching turned out to be sort of relaxing. The moss glimmered, and the Ralfots went about their business munching on plants and mushrooms while getting drinks. The big bull stood guard, keeping an eye out.

Lulled to peacefulness, she nodded off into a nap.