Despite the two of them, Chika and Tokaya, rejected the idea of Tenko doing the defensive role. She herself accepted it and rea.s.sured them that she can do it without them worrying about her.

The group then set out for a journey to a mine, that was set and planned to be their temporary hideout.

Tokaya with her bow and attribute-less mage occupation, Chika with her sharp stone blade and instant appraisal, Anko with her stone mace and healing magic, all guarding the rear. Last but definitely not least, Tenko with her wooden polearm, holding the front.

Walking and walking… heading deeper into the forest.

Their eyes s.h.i.+fted all around, looking out for each other. They came to a halt when they encountered a creature. "Hey, something is coming" said Chika.

*rustle *rustle

They raised their guards and Tenko quickly went into her stance while Tokaya took out her arrow. There is something coming out from the bushes… Chika's eyes widened, "It's a slime!"

Green jelly-like texture, small like the size of a basketball.

In Chika's eyes, some sort of info appeared on it.

[Tiny Slime lv.2]

HP: 20 / MP: 5

"It's quite weak, probably safe to kill?"

"Why do you say it like a question?" asked Anko.

"Well, I mean. I don't know if it's dangerous or not, we just 2 minutes in the game, you know."

"Geh, don't think this like a game, I thought we agree on that."

"Yeah, sure, but can you please focus on the front??"

Ignoring their gibberish, Tenko went and approached it. The slime is not attacking her, she lowered her posture down and walked closer, but then… the slime suddenly jumped at her.

*Bam*

Quickly before it reaches Tenko's face, an arrow was put into its core and it flew away from her. It was Tokaya. Tenko s.h.i.+fted her eyes back to her, but Tokaya yelled, "Don't look at me! Focus at your front!"

Having being told that, Tenko went back into her stance and look out for the slime, but looking left and right, she couldn't find it.

Not until another rustling in the bushes that she does.

*Fwoosh*

The slime flew so fast. However, Tenko has already noticed it. With twice the speed, she rotated her polearm and swing them around without looking at it.

*Bam!*

[Tiny Slime lv. 2]

HP: 3 / MP: 5

"Oh, it's really not that strong after all" said Chika.

The slime quickly recovers and was about to jump again, but…

*Fwoooosh*

Another arrow pierced its core, pinning it to the ground.

[Tiny Slime lv. 2]

HP: 0 / MP: 5

"Nice, we defeated it!"

Tokaya sighed a breath of relief, knowing it's all over.

Tenko went to inspect the slime. Feeling up its bouncy texture, it's like jelly for sure, but softer. And looking at her doing it, made Chika flushed slightly and felt a little bit uncomfortable, "Hey, can you stop doing that?"

"Eh, why?"

"Just stop, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Shortly after, something popped up in front of each of them.

[Details]- Enemy defeated: 1 - EXP gained: 5

[Loot obtained]- Lettuce x1

"Oooh!" Chika's eyes light up, "You guys seeing this?"

Anko nodded, "Mhm."

"Heh, this is really just like a game" said Tokaya, she then pulls a lettuce out of thin air. As she catches it, she asked, "Any of you got anything?"

"Hmm… no, nothing. What about you, Tenko?"

Tenko tilted her head, "Err, I don't get anything either."

"What about the EXP?" asked Tokaya.

"Ahh, yes, it said that I got 5."

Tokaya then nodded lightly, quickly understood how things are working. "So, that means, the loot was sent to the leader of the party, but we all get the same EXP."

"Heeh, so that means you got complete control of our loot?" asked Chika.

"…" having heard that, Tokaya smirked, "Heh."

"Nuh!? Y-Y-You better… you, you—"

"Relax, I'm just kidding."

"Hngh, coming from you, it didn't sound like it."

Tokaya ignored it, and then said, "Let's go, we need to move."

With that welled inside her stomach, Chika sighed as they walked deeper inside the forest.

…

Soon after, they encountered another slime. Now that they know it doesn't really pose much of a threat, they're a lot more confident now.

Tenko quickly moves in and tries to finish it off by herself, but as she swings her polearm at it, the slime dodges her attack. After a slide, the little monster jumped directly at her at super-fast speed. But she too dodged the slime in the nick of time, and as it flew in the air, Tenko holds her ground and swing her weapon right at it.

*Bang!*

[Tiny Slime lv. 4]

HP: 4 / MP: 2

"One more!" Chika yelled.

Propelling herself to the side, Tenko jumped and vertically swing her weapon down.

*Bang!*

[Tiny Slime lv. 4]

HP: 0 / MP: 2

"Nice!"

Short while later, they've collected their rewards, and it's another lettuce. Without wasting much time, they move onward. However, this time, they encountered yet another slime, but there are 5 of them now.

"Wooh! The difficulty jumped pretty high" said Chika cheerfully.

Getting into her stance, Tenko dashed towards them. And with the eyes as sharp as a knife… Tokaya's eyes narrowed down to a slit, she grabbed an arrow from the quiver, and draw it so hard that the bow is slightly bending.

As her eyes widened, she takes the shot.

*BAM*