Novel:
Author: Karumi Ayumu
Chapter 3: Didn’t You Think That’s the Hero’s Opening Diet?
The slasher squirrel appeared from the barrel. The hero and the king got into battle position.
"Sir hero! Grab a weapon, quick!"
"Alright." The hero confronted the demon, holding a 60-cm long stick.
"H-hey, sir hero?! What will you do with a weapon like that?!"
"Well, I'm still just level 1."
"Hahaha, you really are underestimating me!"
The slasher squirrel moved at high speed. The hero lost sight of it, while the king was trembling, unable to move. "It's fast! I can't see it anymore!"
"Muahaha, given up already? Muahaha! Then I'll kill you just as I please!"
The slasher squirrel jumped at high speed. The hero and kings' clothes flapped in the wind, disheveled by the swift movement.
"Aghh!"
The hero attacked. The slasher squirrel received 4 damage.
"Gyaah! How… did you?!"
"So your movements are simple, even though you're fast? Well, I guess it's because this is the tutorial."
The slasher squirrel trembled at the hero. The king started talking, as if suddenly understanding something.
"Now I see! The clothes made of cloth! You're reading the demon's next move from the wind after the demon moves! And then you chose not a sword that excels in offensive ability, but a stick you can easily wield indoors!"
"Haah, so you realized from the weight of the barrel that I'm the type that uses light, flexible movements?"
The king and the slasher squirrel both jumped to conclusions. The hero was bewildered. "I just had a feeling if I waved something about I'd end up getting a hit in…"
"But hey… Don't even think for a second that I'm weak!"
The slasher squirrel attacked. The hero received 8 damage.
"Ah—it really does hurt…" The hero started bleeding.
"Sir hero! You demon bastard!" The king attacked. He missed, and didn't hit.
"I should've delivered the finishing blow when the hero hit me earlier! Stop talking now!"
"…!"
The slasher squirrel attacked. The hero received 10 damage.
"Gah!"
"Sir hero!"
The hero received a lethal wound. The slasher squirrel laughed boldly.
"Muahaha, with a wound like that you can't move at all! And now, you can watch as I rip the poor king you're supposed to be protecting to shreds!"
The slasher squirrel attacked. The king received 3 damage and his clothes got torn.
"Eek!"
"Hah, so you were a woman!" The slasher squirrel looked at the king with a lewd gaze. "Heh, looks like you were trying hard to act like a man… I haven't eaten shredded abs like that before, but I guess the human males haven't had a piece of you either, hahahaha!"
"You sleazebag!"
The king pointed her sword towards the demon. The slasher squirrel cackled loudly. Along with that sound of laughter, a sound rather like a cow eating grass came from somewhere.
"Munch munch…I've heard there's quite a demand for heroines like you lately."
The bloodstained hero stood behind the demon. The hero attacked.
"Huh?"
"Agh!"
The slasher squirrel was blown to the front by the hero's attack, hitting the sword the king had pointed at it. The slasher squirrel received a critical hit: 18 damage.
"Gah… How are you moving…?"
"Huh? You have 1 HP and you can still move like normal?" Mumble mumble.
The king and the demon stiffened. The hero attacked.
Clunk!
The slasher squirrel received 3 damage. The hero defeated the slasher squirrel.
"So much willpower… you have…" Saying that, the demon turned into dust and disappeared. The dazed king returned to her senses.
"….Sir hero?! Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I used the medicinal plants. Crunch crunch, cough."
"Um, sir hero? You swallowed the medicinal plants…"
"Yeah, so?"
"You're supposed to apply the medicinal plants on your wound, not eat them…"
"Eh? …Then my HP is…"
"Well, it wasn't useless since you can move properly, but if the bleeding doesn't stop… Sir hero!"
The hero collapsed. The king rushed to the hero; her crown had slipped off, unfastening her long hair which waved in the wind.
"Really… If I just had some more strength…" The hero fainted.
"Sir herooooo!!!"
Around that time, the goddess up in the heavens said:
"Oh, hero, collapsing in the first level - how shameful. Well, everything will work out somehow if you don't die, so keep up that pace please."
The hero leveled up to level 2.
"I'll take this opportunity to give you some extra. To be honest, I meant to grant you this after you'd eaten a hundred items, but it won't affect your status so it should be fine."
The hero got the title 'Vegetarian'.
Sorry for the delay this chapter, guys! I’ve been a little too busy with IRL things… But I’ll try to update this at least once a week, hopefully twice if I have time!
Also, did you notice the new title banner? The author made that, hope you guys love it as much as I do ♥