"Give this old man some of the fun then." Jack grinned. "If only we could see the level of that thing, I really want to just simply look at it from a close distance. You know? Because I'm just that of a curious cat."
[I'm sure that this is the reason why male humans have a higher dying percentage rate than their female counterparts.]
<<Level 300 Cube Slime isn't comfortable with your existence>>
"Okay, now we know the level of that thing, that's neat." Jack realized that it was slowly coming after him. "Wait, that is definitely not neat!"
With a tentacle between his legs, he dashed out and decided to search for more prey in another place. He might craft a map for the sake of it if he had the material because of the fun exploration he had. The former old man felt like his childhood was reignited again.
Because he was more prepared than yesterday, he decided to take some of the time to forage some herbs and mushrooms throughout the forlorn and fauna. Because he knew that his stomach was an innate black hole, he wasn't afraid to take a bite and then regret the taste afterwards.
After numerous findings and meeting with animals that were impossible to hunt, he finally encountered something sizable and decently conquerable for the time being.
"It's been a while since I've eaten any pork. Well, more like a million years of not eating anything until that bland steak."
[Your face looked like you're in heaven when eating that bland steak, though.]
It was a big boar twice the size of an adult man. Its tusk could even impale a whole lion. With a delighted expression, the boar feasted on the giant black truffle that it dug.
Jack could only drool by the sight of two dinner ingredients in front of him.
Feeling creative, he tried to use the tentacle suckers to help him climb onto the tree near him.
[Petra Tentacle> Kinetic Strength: 33kg(+3)]
He carved his own path through the numerous intersections of the large branches numerous meters up from the ground. Slowly but surely, Jack was close enough to deliver a surprise attack to the boar.
With two swords on each hand and the double bladed staff on his tentacle, he jumped.
"We'll dine in fine wine tonight!"
He sunk deep both of the blade onto its flesh, with the blade from the staff piercing through the boar's skull. The death was instant that there was no notification of the boar even knowing that Jack existed.
[Petra Tentacle> Length: 115(+2) | Weight: 16(+1)]
[Petra Tentacle acquired new body feature> 'Weapon Usage']
"Ohoho! Petra knows what's up now! That is fast."
Just like that, Jack acquired both of the giant truffle, and the unknown giant boar species.
Only by then he met with a predicament.
"Now how in the world do I bring these two gigantic things onto my place?" Jack smiled with confusion.
[I did remember you said that you want to get yourself 'jacked', Jack. Why not do some exercise by just brute pulling these things?]
"I'm thankful for the advice." Jack sarcastically widened his smile as he squinted. "But it would be better if I still have my back intact."
In the end, he decided to skin and take a small chunk of the meat, the leather, tusks, and the giant truffle back to his base. His tentacle seemed to be able to hold a heavy enough object to help with the carrying.
[Petra Tentacle> Kinetic Strength: 37kg(+5)]
It would be more fascinating if he could acquire all of the material but he could only do as much with his mediocre strength and the lack of tools.
When he arrived at his base, he was met with four unfamiliar figures. Jack only glanced a glimpse of it but he didn't want to let himself be seen so he immediately hid between a tree.
He was still within the area with many trees beyond the glade. Jack then ducked as he quietly swept his belongings aside. Slowly, he crawled through the grasses and bushes trying to see whose scoundrel was trying to loot his base.
Before he even had the chance to peek, a notification appeared in his view.
<<Level 317 Player detected you>>
'Player?'
A second later, a strange sound of a dwindling fuse fizzled. Followed by a flaming projectile aimed at Jack's location.
'The hell!?'
The projectile exploded, sending numerous fragmented blades. Jack couldn't move fast enough to avoid the blast completely.
[Petra Tentacle's Health> 70%(-30)]
The shockwave threw him onto another three, giving him a nasty wound and a broken spine. One of the sharp blades mutilated his left hand. He was speechless, breathing the smoke of the gunpowder mixed with the smell of his own blood.
[Hurry, Jack! Redeploy the Petra Tentacle!]
At first, Jack didn't know what his partner meant. His head was clouded with headache and tremor. Pushing through the adrenaline, he finally realized that by deploying Petra Tentacle, he could stop the bleeding.
Jack replaced his missing arm with a tendril. It felt a lot weirder to him than having the tentacle placed anywhere else, but it didn't matter as much if it was able to save him.
Sadly, that alone wasn't enough.
He was almost on the brink of his consciousness, until he heard a female voice and a blurred humanoid figure covering his sight.
"The heck you're doing you moron!"
Jack then felt a surge of energy being transferred to him. Those energy began to accelerate his healing and slowly patch his wound.
Jack then heard a man's voice, it was a little bit cocky to his taste.
"Woah, woah, just chill a little bit, Vea." The man with a dense fur cloak approached, still holding his giant cannon with both arms. "It's just an NPC, not like we'll get a hidden quest or something. Wait, holy shit! We might get a hidden quest or something!"