“Hmm?”
Inside the carriage, Xi En did not intend to speak again. Suddenly, he looked alarmed as he casted his gaze toward a certain direction.
‘Is it… an enemy?’
Xi En’s “Perception of Enemy” was tingling, signaling to him that there was a foe.
‘The reaction isn’t very strong so its level shouldn’t be very high and there’s only one of it.’
Xi En made his assessment swiftly.
However, he did not warn Vivian and the girls. After all he was only a newbie Adventurer who had yet to pick up a skill. Warning them would only invite a lot of questions later. Hence, Xi En decided to continue monitoring the situation and act accordingly.
Perhaps, he had underestimated the team members.
“Vivian!”
In the next moment, Diyeer who had been quiet suddenly lifted her head, calling out in alarm at the coachman.
Vivian who was driving the horse carriage perked up and pulled in the reins, stopping the cart as the horse responded with a long neigh.
Lumiya and Meilica immediately stood up in the carriage, fully on guard.
Xi En was initially stunned as he struggled to appraise the situation.
‘Have they discovered the enemy?’
He watched Diyeer who hopped out of the carriage at the double.
The young lady probably had “Perception of Enemy” similar to Xi En, but her skill level must be low as she sensed the enemy’s presence much slower than he did.
Vivian and the girls were probably aware of the danger since they were instantly alert at Diyeer’s warning. Their speedy responses were commendable and their cooperation as a team shone.
Xi En then followed Lumiya and Meilica, carrying his parcel and sword as he hopped off the carriage.
The group gathered in front of the horse carriage and looked toward Vivian who was soothing the horse which was growing anxious.
Vivian appeared calm when she looked at Xi En.
“Look over there, Xi En.”
The girl pointed at a rock which was moving slowly. It then turned into a gigantic statue as it flexed itself to get up.
“This monster is named Golem. It’s just a rock mixed with some special magic mineral but since it’s near the magic source, it has turned into a monster.”
Vivian filled Xi En in.
“Mages sometimes conjure such monsters too with their magic, controlling them for battle and work. They can appear anywhere. The higher their level, the bigger their size. If the Golems happen to be in certain secret areas, they may have precious minerals in them which the people covet. Nonetheless, there are also Golems such as this that masquerade as rocks on the roadside and attack the people passing by.”
In any case, such a Golem had very little magic minerals in it and a low level. Otherwise, it would not have left its habitat near the magic source and waited by the road to attack any passers-by.
“They target vendors who transport minerals or Adventurers such as ourselves who wear or carry weapons and equipment made of precious metals and minerals. Consuming the minerals is the best way to increase their strength and level as well as to change their bodies’ quality.”
Vivian informed Xi En while she kept her eyes on the Golem which was headed toward them.
“Judging by the size of this Golem, it’s probably around Level 15. Most likely, it’s not over Level 20. It shouldn’t pose as dangerous opponent for you.”
Xi En gathered what Vivian meant.
“I’ll leave it to you then,” Vivian told Xi En. “Let’s find out your capability.”
Ever since he became an Adventurer, this was his first assessment after joining Vivian’s team. Xi En noticed that Diyeer, Lumiya, and Meilica had shifted their gazes upon him.
In front of them, the giant rocky Golem was fast approaching with its stomping footsteps.
“I understand.”
Xi En nodded at the group and approached the monster as he pulled out the sword by his hips.
As they moved toward each other, the distance between the human and the rock shortened. Vivian, Diyeer, Lumiya, and Meilica watched from behind.
Feeling their gazes trained on his back, Xi En began to ponder and plan.
‘To what extent should I show my capability?’
Since he was playing the role of a newbie Adventurer who had yet to learn a single skill, he must not display his strength wantonly.
‘First off, I can’t use “Extreme Evolve” and I can’t show any defense skills to avoid being hit.’
Permanent skills were literally different from an active skill such as “Extreme Evolve”. They were perpetually effective once they were acquired. The choice of whether to use it or not was not an option. Hence, Xi En could only avoid triggering the permanent skills.
Therefore, he had to slow down his actions. He should be moderate in his approach and be cautious in his defense so that the “God of Military” and “Deflect” skills were not revealed.
As for the Sacred Sword, he must never use it.
‘Neither can I perform poorly.’
If Vivian and the team thought that he was incapable and had no potential as an Adventurer, he would get a lackluster assessment of his performance. Ultimately, Xi En would fail in his quest to become an Adventurer.
In conclusion, Xi En had to display a certain degree of capability, but he must not excel in it. At the same time, he had to keep his many skills hidden and not expose himself in the process.
‘This is so hard…’ he bemoaned inwardly.
The monster, however, did not empathize with Xi En’s feelings. With each heavy step, it was in front of Xi En now.
“Come on.”
Pushing aside his thoughts, Xi En focused his full attention on the Golem in front of him. The latter dashed toward him. It raised its hefty arm and swung a rocky fist at Xi En.
“Deflect” responded immediately, steering Xi En’s body to evade the attack. To conceal the skill, Xi En restrained it as much as he could, twisting himself away when the Golem’s fist got incredibly near him. He managed to avoid the blow in a rather stilted move.
A strong gust of wind brushed past Xi En.
Bam!
With a deafening noise, the Golem’s heavy punch landed on the ground wheezing past Xi En to cause a quake which stirred up the dust and gravel.
Xi En skidded to the side abruptly. He took his chances when the Golem was momentarily rigid after its attack.
Clank!
His sharp broadsword drew an arc as it landed heavily on one of Golem’s legs, causing it to kneel on the ground.