Chapter 14 - Third-Rate

[Narrator: Author]

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"Oh, come on!"

"Seriously?"

"A boar?!"

Daichi's eyes bulged wide, his heart hammering against his ribs like a frantic war drum. His first encounter, and it was with a predator – a creature that saw him as prey. Fear coiled in his gut, cold and sharp.

What would happen to Daichi?

Would he get kill or be killed?

No one could tell, but only me, the author.

"Think, Daichi! Think!"

"What do you do when a boar charges?"

"Play dead?"

"No, that's for bears."

"Climb a tree?"

"Am I Tarzan now? This isn't the jungle!"

Fear surged through Daichi — simultaneously, his adrenaline kicking in. He didn't launch into a sprint, he erupted in a desperate flight. His legs pumped furiously, churning over the uneven ground as he scrambled to put distance between himself and the monstrous boar.

"No way! This can't be happening!!", Daichi gasped, breaths ragged.

Daichi tore through the undergrowth, his legs a blur as he weaved between towering trees. Dead branches snapped underfoot, sending showers of leaves cascading around him. His lungs burned, his breath coming out in ragged gasps.

Snort! Snort—!

With every desperate turn, he could hear the boar's enraged snorts close behind, the pounding of hooves a relentless drumbeat against the earth. Daichi pushed himself harder, twisting his body through impossible gaps, his arms flailing wildly to clear clinging vines. Panic clawed at his throat, blurring his vision, but he refused to stop. He had to find an escape, a hiding place, anything to break the boar's pursuit.

"How do I lose this thing?!" he muttered, frustration and confusion mingling.

Panic clawed at him, but then he spotted a rock about the size of his fist. He snatched it up and launched it with all his might towards the boar. The rock smacked right into the beast, making it flinch and squeeze its eyes shut.

"Ha! I ain't just Mishima High's pitcher in name only!"

Daichi pumped his fist in triumph, a goofy grin plastered across his face. Then reality hit him like a line drive.

"Oh crap, gotta hide!"

He wasted no time, scrambling behind the thick trunk of a nearby tree. He pressed his back against the rough bark, trying to melt into the shadows. His chest hammered against his ribs, his ears straining for any sound. The forest held its breath for a moment, broken only by the soft rustle of leaves in the wind.

But the peace didn't last long. A bloodcurdling shriek tore through the quiet, making Daichi jump a mile. He whipped his head up, heart pounding like a drum solo, to see a bunch of monkeys hanging out in the branches above. Their beady eyes were locked on him, and their creepy claws scraped against the tree trunk like fingernails on a chalkboard. Shivers danced down his spine.

"Seriously? Monkeys now?!" Daichi groaned, a mix of disbelief and annoyance in his voice. "Is this some kind of jungle gym or something?"

Realizing he was back on the menu, Daichi didn't waste any time. He bolted, legs pumping like pistons, leaving the creepy monkeys behind.

The monkeys swung effortlessly through the trees, their agile movements almost funny despite the situation.

As Daichi's pursuit intensified, his breath grew ragged, legs burning with exertion. The screeching monkeys seemed relentless, claws threatening to catch him.

SLASH!

Then, a searing pain shot through his arm as a monkey's scratch drew blood.

"—KAH!"

A sharp gasp escaped Daichi as he glanced at the crimson stain on his skin. 'B-B-Blood?'

Realization hit him like a punch to the gut. Fear and determination surged through him, fueling his resolve to escape this nightmare.

"I need to get out of here, or else I'll die!" Daichi's voice trembled with intensity, determination shining through the fear.

And just then, a floating, yellow-hued system panel like he saw on video games appeared before him.

「 NOTICE | Due to the user experiencing a pursuit by hostile entities, Passive Skill — [Elusive] has been activated. DEXTERITY stat has been increased by 10% of the base dexterity stat. 」

「 NOTICE | Dexterity Stat: 20 → 22 」

'S-Skill? Am I in some kind of game now?'

With every pounding heartbeat, Daichi's determination grew like a raging fire. The will to survive surged through him, igniting a new reserve of energy. His body felt lighter, his strides extending effortlessly. It was like he'd tapped into a hidden wellspring of strength and agility he never knew existed.

Unbeknownst to him, a faint white glow shimmered around his body, unseen but undeniably real. This ethereal light was the physical manifestation of his desperate will to survive, granting him a boost in both speed and power.

'Is this the trait of that skill?

As he sprinted through the trees, Daichi felt different.

Stronger.

Faster.

A steely resolve coursed through him, sharper than ever.

"T-This is awesome…!", he stammered, bewildered by the sudden change.

His legs pumped like pistons, propelling him forward with an unnatural swiftness. The world became a blur of greens and browns as he dashed through the forest.

Every step was calculated where his body anticipated obvious obstacles – a low-hanging branch here, a gnarled root there – before his mind even registered them.

He deftly leaned to avoid a branch that would have smacked him in the face. He leapt over a root that would have tripped him with a perfectly timed stride.

"Woah...!"

As Daichi weaved through the forest, his movements showcased his newfound speed and agility. His senses heightened, he perceived subtle shifts in the environment. He anticipated every twist and turn, every obstacle, and reacted with split-second precision.

"Aha…"

A smile crept across Daichi's face. Exhilaration coursed through his veins, filling him with disbelief and joy. He marveled at his abilities, his reflexes doubled, his movements heightened to a supernatural level.

Back in the day, Daichi was the slowest schmuck on the Mishima High baseball team. No matter how much he practiced, he could never catch up to the captain, a speed demon who left him in the dust. All they did in practice was basic sprints to build stamina, nothing fancy — but it still give him an unpleasant feeling. Memories of those days flooded his mind as he sprinted through the forest.

"I was always third, even as a senior, but the captain... he was always first, and the newcomer coming second..." Daichi's thoughts drifted back to the field, where he gave his all, only to watch the captain and the newcomer dash ahead, leaving him behind.

But here, in this forest, everything had changed. Daichi felt liberated, the weight of past struggles lifting.

"I'm running... but it feels like flying!" Daichi's voice mixed awe and excitement, his words trailing like whispers in the wind.

With every dodge of the monkeys' attacks, every leap over obstacles, Daichi reveled in defying his previous self. The impossible became possible as his body responded with unwavering precision.

He raced through the forest, heart pounding with excitement. He saw a glimmer of light ahead, knowing it was his way out. He pushed harder, determined to reach the light before it vanished.

Emerging from the dense foliage, Daichi stood between the forest and the clearing. Before him stretched open space, bathed in golden sunlight. A deep canyon lay just steps away, its depths concealed by mist. The sound of rushing water hinted that there was a hidden river below.

As he pondered his next move, his senses heightened and vision doubled, he saw a familiar group of figures to his right. It was his classmates, emerging from the forest.

"Oh...! Guys!"

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[POV: Reiji & others]

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Reiji walked, recalling what the three had told him.

'Mizushima-san's a Wind Archer… she could be useful for scouting. If I can convince her to take that role,' he mused, remembering how stubborn Kaori could be.

'What about the Light Bearer class, though…? What does that even mean? The one who holds the light? Shouldn't there be a description for each class?' He frowned, frustrated. 'Forget it. The most important role here is Nakamura-san's… a priestess. Healing and buffs, right?'

'Ah! I forgot the most important part!', Reiji was thinking of asking them their skills, after all, that was the most important part.

"Guys!" Reiji called out, but he heard someone else shout the same. He turned and saw Kaori looking in the same direction. "Um… it seems Daichi Kimura-kun is heading toward us. Behind him, there are monkeys with blade-like arms."

Reiji's gaze followed Kaori's, his eyes narrowing as he strained to see the figure running in the distance. Despite his efforts, the distance proved too great for his eyes to discern the details.

"Daichi? But more importantly… how did you see that far, Kaori?" Reiji asked, confused. He knew she was near-sighted.

'Did she lie? But why would she lie about that?' Reiji's mind raced.

Tears welled up in Kaori's eyes. "I-I wonder why?"

When Reiji saw her crying, he knew she wasn't lying, not in the slightest. He then remembered her class. "Archers usually have keen sight and hearing. Maybe your class fixed your near-sightedness."

Kaori listened silently.

"In any case, did you say monsters are chasing him? I'll—" Reiji started to step forward, his hands hovering to the hilt of his dagger, but Kareus blocked his path, his eyes steely.

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|TO BE CONTINUED|