Certainly.
In addition to its tough spider silk, the Hangman Spider also carried a form of venom.However, the creature needed to physically bite and inject the toxin into its prey —a process far too slow to pose any real threat to someone with Minori's speed.
The iron sword flashed through the air.Each stroke burned with residual heat, and the sticky mucus on the blade evaporated instantly into an acrid stench, thickening the already foul air.
Time slipped by unnoticed.
The sound of the blade cutting through flesh intertwined with the shrieking of the spiders, forming a chaotic symphony.
—
A short while later—
Minori stood in the middle of a bloodied battlefield, breathing heavily, one hand resting on his knee.
Around him lay the shattered remains of dozens of Hangman Spiders.
He had slain roughly two-thirds of their number — nearly a hundred had attacked.The survivors had already fled into the dense jungle beyond pursuit.
A pity.
Minori took a deep breath—then immediately regretted it as the nauseating stench of burning ichor and flesh filled his lungs.
There was no helping it.
The means he currently possessed did not allow for large-scale area attacks.
Minori estimated that the Hangman Spiders' strength was around level 2 to 3.
Do not be deceived by how low that sounded.
In the Kingdom of Re-Estize, the average level of a trained soldier was about the same.
A single Hangman Spider was roughly equivalent to a soldier in combat power.
However, if the two forces clashed in equal numbers within the forest environment,the soldiers would almost certainly be massacred.
After all—
Even Minori found it difficult to maintain high mobility in these thick woods.
Minori furrowed his brow.
These Hangman Spiders must represent one of the strongest groups of monsters in the outer areas of the Great Tob Forest,likely situated between the territories of the Wise King of the Forest, Hamsuke, and the ogres.
Now he finally understood why the mere mention of the Tob Forest caused the locals' expressions to turn pale, filled with terror and taboo.
And this was only the outskirts.
Deeper inside, the true rulers of the forest—monsters of heroic-class strength—held dominion.
Only a handful of adventurers in the entire Kingdom could even dream of surviving encounters with them.
Minori suppressed his heavy breathing, the stench of burnt blood making him nauseous.
The superheated sword was effective—but the resulting odor was nearly unbearable.
Still, the victory had been worth it.
Minori opened his status panel with a mental command:
[Status Table]
Experience Points: 2985/1000
—
A flash of satisfaction crossed Minori's expression.
"Enough to level up twice..."
He chose to level up immediately.
—
[Status Table]
Natural Ability: [Player]Overall Level: 9Experience: 685/1500
Classes:
Basic Class: Genius Lv1 (Warrior, Priest, Pharmacist, Alchemist, Magic Caster, Thief)
Advanced Class: Sword Master Lv8
Skill Points: 13
Passive Skills:
Item Box
Slashing Increase (+8%)
Active Skills:
Warrior: Instant Reflex, Quad Slash, Quick Slash, Stealth
Magic: Papermaking (First-tier), Heating (First-tier), Minor Heal (First-tier), Magic Arrow (First-tier), Odorless (First-tier)
Professional Skills:
Medicine, Alchemy
"Finally broke into the next stage," Minori muttered, a small grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Level 9.
The strength difference from before was almost tangible.
—
Minori pulled out the second-tier magic scroll he had purchased earlier:Item Appraisal.
He was about to use it to unlock the corresponding magic skill—but then, noticing something on his panel, he froze.
The two first-tier spells he had upgraded earlier...No "↑" promotion mark appeared behind them.
Minori slapped his forehead.
"Idiot. My caster level hasn't improved yet."
The joy on his face faded into mild helplessness.
While his overall level had risen, the majority of his gains were in his Sword Master class.His caster level, tied to his Genius class, remained at Level 1.
"No choice but to prioritize my martial growth first," Minori concluded.
He sheathed the iron sword and surveyed the battlefield.
The Hangman Spiders' venom sacs still had value.
He methodically began harvesting the relatively intact sacs from the corpses.
However, most of the spiders had been badly damaged by the heat of his sword.Even so, after considerable effort, he managed to collect twenty venom sacs in usable condition.
Satisfied for now,Minori left the blood-drenched clearing behind, moving about seventeen or eighteen meters away to a massive old tree.
Here, at least, he could rest.
Given that the remaining spiders had fled,the risk of another monster attack here was low—temporarily, at least.
Furthermore—
Minori judged he must be nearing the edge of the ogres' territory.
He crouched down and casually picked up a broad leaf from the forest floor.
Using it as a rag, he wiped the blood off his iron sword.
The Heating enchantment had already dissipated, but—
Reflecting on the battle, Minori realized:
Enhancing a weapon's destructive power by increasing its temperature was a highly effective strategy.
Almost like a primitive form of enchantment.
Of course, constantly heating the blade came with its own risks.
It would affect the weapon's durability and his own handling.
Still—
Minori gripped the hilt with one hand and experimentally swung the iron sword a few times.
The blade sang as it cut through the air.
The improvement in strength and skill from leveling up was obvious.
If the numbers on his status panel were the surface manifestation of his growth,then the way his body now naturally handled the sword was the practical result.
This realization astonished him.
In YGGDRASIL, a character's power was only statistical.
Here—
Leveling up meant he truly, physically, and instinctively mastered new techniques.
For example:
Previously, when attacked by venomous insects,Minori could instinctively counter with precise sword strokes, without needing conscious thought.
Even against larger monsters like the forest vipers,he had blocked and evaded with fluid, trained movements.
Movements he had never learned in his past life.
It was the Sword Master class shaping his body and instincts.
Minori rested for about half an hour, recovering his strength.
Then, feeling ready, he rose once more.
He picked up his sword.
And continued eastward—deeper into the Great Tob Forest.
The further he traveled,the fewer beasts he encountered.
Instead, the forest grew eerily silent, broken only by the occasional calls of strange birds with dark feathers and distorted shapes.
Birds unlike any Minori had ever seen.
They would swoop between branches, or perch in silence, watching.