Chapter 98
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Chapter 98: Only Through Suffering Can One Grow Stronger
Squelch—
The dagger pierced through the slime’s gelatinous body, crushing its twin cores.
The slime deflated instantly, viscous fluid splattering in all directions.
"Eek!"
Amber-hued slime splashed across the little girl’s face. She yelped and frantically scrubbed at the sticky substance clinging to her skin.
After clearing her vision, she instinctively checked her Attribute Panel. Her eyes widened as she saw her level progress from LV.1 to LV.2, accompanied by a +10 increase in Health Value Limit.
I did it!
Just like Sister White Feather said – defeating about a dozen slimes would make me level up.
Compared to goblins, these slimes were pathetically weak. Even someone like me could handle them easily, though their translucent bodies made them annoyingly hard to spot.
The girl squinted at the crimson-streaked horizon.
The sun dipped dangerously low.
Maybe I can hunt a few more before full darkness makes combat impossible.
As this thought crossed her mind—
Rustle… rustle… crunch!
Wh-what’s that?!
The sudden noise behind her made her whirl around, dagger clutched in both trembling hands. Her wide eyes fixed on the quivering undergrowth.
The rustling intensified.
A green shape tumbled through the foliage—no, not jumped. It was hurled into the clearing!
Goblin!!
Her breath hitched as she recognized the squat green creature… and what emerged behind it.
Definitely goblins.
Memories flooded back—the searing pain of a stone axe biting into flesh, the sickening crack of wood against skull. Jilly’s limbs went leaden as phantom pains shot through old wounds.
The fallen goblin scrambled upright, yellowed fangs bared in a snarl.
Wait—it’s unarmed! No weapons!
Maybe… maybe I can do this?
"Graaah!"
The creature lunged without warning, putrid breath washing over her.
Pure instinct made Jilly thrust forward.
Thud—
"SKREEE!!"
Steel met flesh. The goblin’s shriek pierced the air as warm blood coated her blade.
Did I…?
Her dagger gleamed crimson in the dying light.
"G-graaah!"
It’s still moving!
Jilly yanked the blade free. The wounded goblin staggered back, clutching its bleeding flank. Its beady eyes darted between the dagger and something behind Jilly before freezing in terror.
"N-no running!"
Her high-pitched shout sounded foreign to her own ears.
The dagger plunged into its chest with wet crunch.
"Die! Die!"
Up. Down. Up. Down. The blade pistonned mechanically.
"Kill you! Kill you!"
Her voice climbed hysterically. Even after the goblin collapsed, she kept stabbing—twenty, thirty strikes—until muscle fatigue forced her stop.
Kneeling in gore, she gasped for air. Tremors wracked her blood-smeared hands. Coppery warmth trickled down her chin.
"I…I did it…"
When her breathing finally steadied, Jilly wiped away tear tracks cutting through the grime on her face. With a sickening schlick, she retrieved her dagger from the mutilated corpse.
Her Attribute Panel shimmered:
[LV.2 → LV.4]
[Health Value Limit +10]
[Magic Value Limit +5]
The goblin was indeed formidable; even unarmed, it remained terrifying. Yet regardless, she had finally managed to defeat it.
Perhaps startled by the abrupt battle, Jilly stared dazedly at her blood-smeared hands for a long moment.
Regaining composure, she turned her gaze to the goblin’s corpse.
The creature’s intact teeth could be salvaged.
Gritting her teeth against the revulsion, the girl inserted her dagger into the goblin’s maw…
After considerable effort, she extracted two rows of bloodied fangs, discarding the cracked, malformed, and broken ones. Only fifteen intact teeth remained—likely worth four or five copper coins in town.
Next was the goblin’s flesh.
Such meat could only be sold in villages, as transporting it to town would risk spoilage.
But returning would waste precious training time in the forest…
What to do with the meat?
Without flint, she couldn’t cook it…
Left with no choice, she abandoned it.
Finally, the goblin’s…
That too couldn’t be preserved—doomed to rot.
Jilly’s eyes briefly flickered toward the offending organ before she hastily averted them.
By the time she finished processing the corpse, sunset painted the horizon with fading amber.
Scrubbing bloodstains away with sandy soil, Jilly climbed a tree as darkness fell.
After nibbling a meager flatbread, she secured herself to a branch with rope against nocturnal tumbles.
Mosquitoes swarmed the forest night, but the girl blessed her foresight in packing repellent ointment.
Coating exposed skin with the salve, she gradually slipped into uneasy slumber.
…
Lin Yu and Stealth One lurked behind neighboring foliage, observing the treetop child.
"Mom isn’t returning?"
"No."
There was nothing awaiting them anyway. Watching this cautious forest exploration proved oddly entertaining.
With eight Stealth Ants—including Stealth One—hidden nearby, Jilly faced no true peril. Even today’s goblin had been strategically tossed by Stealth One for training purposes.
Gradual progression—first acclimating her to combat, then incrementally reducing interventions until critical moments demanded action.
No armor, no healing items, no comrades—yet these weren’t flaws. Survival through such trials would forge true strength.
Though one matter required addressing—not as "Mom" but as "Sister":
Food waste was unacceptable!
Consuming raw meat granted experience, yet Jilly remained oblivious. Did the human race truly not know? Understandable perhaps—few could stomach uncooked flesh, and leveling required consuming substantial quantities…
Once certain the girl slept soundly, Lin Yu directed Stealth One to store the goblin remains in extradimensional space.
She’d preserve this meat for Jilly’s future… consumption.
Hmph! I endured months of raw meals—you’ll share this path!
True strength blooms through suffering.
What? Deranged pleasure?
Forcing a child to eat raw meat while reveling in her anguish? Perish the thought!
