By a small stream in the Jura Great Forest, Gu Jie, who had been lost in the forest for three days, was on the verge of a breakdown.
"Three days!!! Where is the village that blue jelly (Rimuru) built!!! If I don't find it, I'm going crazy!!!"
During these three days, when Gu Jie was hungry, she would hunt for monsters that looked edible, and when she was thirsty, she would pick fruits to quench her thirst. While hunting monsters, she also familiarized herself with her own skills, but those monstrous-looking creatures were always instantly killed.
Just as Gu Jie was still having a fit, a giant spider, crashing through numerous trees in a wild rampage, charged menacingly towards her.
Looking at the giant spider charging in the distance, Gu Jie asked,
"System, what kind of spider is that? Can it be eaten?"
"Host, this is a Gun-Leg Tarantula, one of the monster species of the Jura Great Forest. Because it possesses an armor-like carapace and its enormous size, it preys on various large monsters. Its meat is delicious; I suggest the Host use it for hotpot?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, Gu Jie wiped the corners of her mouth and charged with her sword towards the Gun-Leg Tarantula.
At this moment, the Gun-Leg Tarantula seemed to be in a panic, fleeing desperately as if some terrifying presence was chasing it from behind. It completely disregarded the human charging towards it not far ahead, intending to simply crush Gu Jie, because from the Gun-Leg Tarantula's perspective, Gu Jie was nothing more than a "normal human" with no magical power whatsoever.
Just as the Gun-Leg Tarantula was about to crush Gu Jie, she leaped into the air, and a terrifying surge of magic power instantly erupted from her, reaching the sky. Seeing such a terrifying Gu Jie, the Gun-Leg Tarantula, which had just realized what was happening and wanted to flee, was already too late.
At this moment, Gu Jie, who had leaped into the air, instantly activated her combat skill—Sky Rift Flying Light.
Gu Jie concentrated her power on the Tan Hua Sword, and then a beam of energy light infused with ice elements shot straight at the Gun-Leg Tarantula, instantly piercing through it. As the Gun-Leg Tarantula's massive body fell, a rustling sound also came from the forest, clearly the sound of someone moving quickly through the tall grass.
When Gu Jie landed on the Gun-Leg Tarantula's corpse, several figures quickly emerged from the forest as she looked towards the source of the sound.
And when these people who emerged looked at the Gun-Leg Tarantula on the ground, pierced through with a single blow, their expressions also showed a hint of solemnity.
Gu Jie looked at the six people in front of her. Although they looked very much like humans, they all possessed a common characteristic: horns on their heads and fangs in their mouths. Through these two characteristics, Gu Jie already knew who these individuals in front of her should be.
The first, a man in full Sengoku armor with fiery red hair, should be Hong Maru.
The second, a pink-haired girl who looked like a girl next door, should be Zhu Cai.
The third, a hot-bodied older woman with a purple ponytail and a wolf-tooth hammer in her hand, should be Shion.
The fourth, a handsome man with short blue hair and an aloof aura, should be Souei.
The fifth, a white-haired old man who looked profound and unassuming, should be Hakuro.
The last one was a black-haired man, holding a large hammer, with a fierce expression. Gu Jie said she couldn't remember him at all, simply couldn't recall, because he appeared too few times when she watched the story.
At this moment, Hong Maru, who had not yet been named, looked at the Gun-Leg Tarantula on the ground, pierced through with a single blow, and his expression towards Gu Jie was clearly filled with vigilance.
Seeing this scene, Gu Jie understood that she had stolen their prey, but if she stole it, then she stole it; she wasn't a good person anyway.
Just then, Hong Maru spoke.
"Esteemed guest, this is the prey we discovered first. May I ask if you would be willing to return it to us?"
"Oh? But? It seems I was the one who killed this Gun-Leg Tarantula, wasn't I? When did the prey I killed become yours? However, this prey isn't something I can't give to you."
"Esteemed guest, are your words true?"
"True, but it won't be given for free. As long as you can wound me, I will give this prey to you."
To be honest, Gu Jie intended to subdue them, not only because of their later combat power but also because Gu Jie liked Zhu Cai and Shion in her previous life.
At this moment, Hong Maru began to think. The Ogre Clan village had already been destroyed, and he and the others had been fleeing for days, finally reaching here and encountering prey that could provide a full meal. His sister and subordinates hadn't eaten for several days. To be honest, Hong Maru was a bit tempted.
However, what Hong Maru didn't know was that Gu Jie's killing of the Gun-Leg Tarantula was just a casual strike, but Hong Maru thought that Gu Jie had used most of her magic power to activate a high-level magic to kill the Gun-Leg Tarantula with one blow.
After much deliberation, Hong Maru decided to take a gamble.
"Good! We agree to your request, but we also hope that you will keep your promise."