Trapped as an NPC in a Dating Sim

Chapter 121: A Mysterious Gaze!

“Look at its poison sac,” Professor Kael said, pointing at the large toad monster pressed under the foot of his pet Wyvern, Pyrospike.

The creature was easily the size of a carriage, its bloated body pressed into the damp forest floor. Its slick green hide glistened under filtered sunlight, and its throat sac twitched faintly beneath the pressure.

“Did you see it flaring up and down rapidly? That means it is currently spewing its venom into the air. I know you guys can’t see it, but that’s what makes this Venomcloud toad so dangerous.”

“Despite being only a level 25 monster, if a hunter isn’t careful, it can kill even a level 40.”

Kael spoke solemnly before signalling his Wyvern with a glance.

*Roar!*

In an instant, Pyrospike let out a light roar before spewing crimson fire from its mouth toward the toad beneath its talon.

Swish!

However, before those scorching flames could incinerate the toad, an invisible barrier appeared out of nowhere, slightly stopping the fire in its tracks, greenish sizzling as if the very air around it had thickened into a protective shield.

“See? Not only can those venoms act as a stealthy killer, they even form a protective barrier around the toad. In fact, they can become so viscous that even an arrow will lose its target before it reaches the creature.”

Kael spoke again when suddenly the sizzling barrier collapsed on its own, and the toad was directly hit by the Wyvern’s breath, getting incinerated on the spot.

It was too low-level after all. So much so that the Wyvern showed faint disdain on its face before directly changing its shape and perching lazily on Kael’s shoulder.

“So today you saw how a marsh environment can have a wide variety of monsters. Generally, you can expect them to be poisonous or venomous in some way. And don’t think they need to bite you to get you every time.”

The professor warned lightly,

“Even a level 25 monster can spew dangerous venom that can kill beyond its rank. What about stronger monsters?”

Kael began to lecture his students, who listened to him raptly.

“However, as hunters, our knowledge is limited, and we cannot know each monster’s abilities. So the best thing to do in such a case is to look at the environment where the monster is.”

“Also, look at its behaviour, physical characteristics, patterns, food chains, and so on, if possible,” Kael continued.

“And apply safeguards accordingly. Don’t blindly trust your strength. Devise strategies for each monster differently.”

He paused briefly, letting the words sink in, then spoke again,

“Remember, as a hunter, being strong is necessary, but being smart is even more so. Strength can win battles, but knowledge and observation save lives. I know it sounds like a chore, but even a little careful study can mean the difference between life and death in a dungeon.”

Professor Kael gave a wide smile before clapping his hands.

“Okay, that’s it for the lecture today. I think I covered everything you need to know. Now, let’s start the actual practical training.”

“As you see, this is the area where amphibious monsters lurk. So today, you guys will fight them in small teams. You can form your own groups, and you will earn points as long as you defeat five different types of monsters.”

Kael gave the task,

“Don’t worry, you won’t be all alone. I have already asked a few senior students to spread around the entire field. They won’t help you fight, but if something happens, they will at least save your life in time.”

“Take this chance to level up and hone your combat skills and strategies. I will also be nearby, and you can ask me any questions you want.”

As Professor Kael systematically began to organize the training, Soren, on the other hand, let out a big yawn, causing droplets of tears to form at the corners of his eyes.

He rubbed them quickly, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness, though his mind remained half-drifting even as the instructions continued.

’So tired.’

He didn’t sleep a wink yesterday. After seeing the current emotions in Elise’s tabs, his sleep vanished like smoke.

All night long, he turned over again and again in his bed, but this constant guilt refused to let him rest.

—

[Current Emotion: Longing, In Love, Restless, Confused, Vulnerable, Hesitant, Anxious, Yearning, Infatuated, Melancholy, Fearful of her own feelings, Avoidant, Hopeful]

—

’Sigh… I fucked up…’

He really fucked up so bad.

As much as he wanted to think those feelings of Elise were natural, he knew they weren’t.

Well, at least they were influenced by that Twin Ring of Lust artifact somehow. Otherwise, there was no reason for Elise to fall for him this deeply in a single day.

Soren wasn’t narcissistic enough to think like that.

But this made things quite difficult for him.

’What should I do?’

For a moment, Soren thought of meeting Elise and explaining things clearly to her.

After all, he did use that artifact to save her life. In a way, she owed him.

However, he quickly shook that thought aside. Looking at Elise’s emotions toward him, she clearly wasn’t the problem.

The problem was her background and her sister, Elara. If they found out he used some underhanded method to seduce Elise, things could get ugly.

He wasn’t sure whether the effect of the Twin Rings of Lust could be detected by anyone, or if he could remove it silently.

“Sigh…”

Soren couldn’t help but sigh while rubbing his aching forehead. He really didn’t know how to solve this issue.

Maybe he should meet Elise and talk things out? His thoughts kept looping with no end in sight.

“Hey, Soren… are you alright? Didn’t you sleep properly last night?”

Just as Soren was feeling groggy, Aria nudged his arm from the side and whispered curiously, a hint of worry in her eyes.

It seemed she was paying attention to him.

“Yeah… I am fine. Just a bit tired, that’s all.”

Soren smiled slightly and controlled the urge to yawn once again.

By now, Professor Kael had already explained everything, and everyone was slowly leaving with their teams.

“Hey, let’s go too?”

Sylvia suddenly asked after everyone gathered near Soren, including Evan and Aurelia. Only, Soren noticed how Aurelia stood a bit farther away, silent like an aloof girl, avoiding his gaze slightly the moment their eyes met, her cheeks flushed red.

Aurelia had been ignoring him for a while now. Although he knew her anger had calmed down from her panel, she still refused to talk to him at all.

’This girl…’

As much as Soren wanted to tease her, he was already too preoccupied with Elise. Not to mention, he was too tired and wanted to relax during this so-called practical training.

His teammates were more than enough for such things.

“Let’s go then. This time, let’s not rush to complete the test. We can take our time to slowly digest what Professor Kael taught us just now.”

Soren habitually guided them, then asked them to walk in a certain direction, while he himself lagged behind alone.

Although he was indeed tired and sleepy, he wasn’t idle. All this time, he was silently practising his Concept.

To be honest, he already made it a habit.

Currently, his fingers moved in a specific rhythm, slowly weaving an invisible string out of his body. However, unlike the normal string, the one extending from his hand moved like a snake, gliding through the air completely in sync with his thoughts.

In no time at all, it extended to one meter, then two meters, until…

’Hmm?’

The string snapped on its own as if it couldn’t bear its own strain, as if it reached its limit.

’It seems currently I can only extend it up to two meters.’

Soren wasn’t surprised. The Concept he got by eating that GoldenHeart fruit was in an elementary form, which he had to train from the very root, nurturing it like a fragile ember rather than wielding it like a blazing flame.

’Wait… what if I lace it with my mana? Will it get stronger?’

Soren suddenly had a thought.

Sure, using his mana would nullify its unique invisible nature, but if it became stronger, he might be able to use it in many different ways.

Just as Soren decided to once again use Resonant String, this time laced with his mana, he suddenly felt a piercing gaze from behind.

“Hmm?”

The gaze was brief yet quite intense, and Soren jolted in surprise and turned around, only to find nothing there.

“What happened?”

His reaction immediately drew attention, and Evan quickly stepped forward, positioning himself in front of Soren as he asked with a frown.

He thought some monsters appeared, as they were already quite deep into the forest.

“I don’t know. I just felt a strong gaze from somewhere.”

Soren shook his head while scanning his surroundings with his ’Keen Sight’, only to see that no one was there.

However, he was sure someone was behind him, looking at him just now.

’Is it that mysterious person again?’

For a moment, Soren felt a bit alarmed, but then he immediately shook his head.

’No, it can’t be. Although faint, that gaze definitely belonged to a monster.’

Besides, he doubted he could sense such a high-ranking person’s gaze like this. Not to mention Professor Kael was quite near their location.

“Let’s leave this place for now. Maybe I was just mistaken?”

After seeing that nothing was near them, Soren told his team to leave. However, he did quietly keep his guard up, taking out the Crimson Queen Lash from his inventory and wrapping it around his arm, just in case.