155

My search for the new function, “Assault Mode,” which had started with speaking the keyword out loud, did not go well.

I tried everything I could think of, but there was still absolutely no visible change.

About an hour had passed by now, and I was starting to think, “Maybe this needs a different approach.”

Based on everything so far, it seemed like it would be either “easy once you consciously intend it” or “requires extremely high concentration,” but the problem was that I had no idea what kind of change Assault Mode would cause.

When I discovered Stealth Mode, it happened when I casually let my thoughts drift to “how should I move in stealth,” sensed a tiny change, and after some trial and error, I had managed to obtain it.

It had not taken long, and I assumed that if I had even a rough sense of direction, I would find it without much trouble… but as you could see, my expectation was wrong.

‘Am I testing the wrong direction? Or am I missing something?’

I clearly remembered that enhancing my long-range vision had required an intense level of focus.

Meaning, in the worst case, it might require the same level of concentration I had needed when I expanded that ability during the surveillance mission.

“Like hell I can do that!” I slammed my fist into the ground.

Telling me to reproduce that level of focus without any bait dangling in front of me was beyond unreasonable.

Unless some ridiculously strong, impossible-to-beat beautiful elf in a sexy outfit told me, “If you win, I’ll do something nice for you,” it felt like it would be impossible.

I excluded humans because they would not even be competition, but in any case, without a reward that big, recreating that level of concentration would be difficult.

“…Could it be that there was no visible change, but something had actually been enhanced?”

I could not rule out that possibility.

I tried punching a nearby rock, but… I could not tell any difference.

Next I did shuttle runs, but again, it did not feel like anything had changed.

I kept testing for another hour or so, but I could not confirm any change I could actually feel.

“Is the premise wrong? Or is it that normal mode is Assault Mode after all?”

Unfortunately, I found no answer, and it seemed this was not a power-up event.

For now, I would end this here and put something in my stomach.

So, the prey I went out hunting and took down was this—a goat.

I remembered eating it back when I was human, but this was wild.

Figuring it was better to treat it as something different, I started butchering after draining the blood.

I finished preparing the meal efficiently and grilled slices of meat cut to a reasonable thickness on an iron plate.

The seasoning was simple—salt only—but it turned into a fairly satisfying meal.

If I had to rate it, I liked it more than venison, which I ate most often.

I liked it enough that I could actively hunt it whenever I found it.

“It’s already this late, huh.”

Since it had been such a late lunch, the setting sun shone down on me as I cleaned up.

With winter approaching, the sun was setting earlier and earlier.

I was not about to start preparing dinner now.

I would spend time at the base until morning.

And so, the next morning.

I ended up spending time on magic training and exploring the facility, but I made an unexpected discovery.

This—an extremely well-preserved book about home gardening, and various unopened packets of vegetable seeds.

They were undoubtedly brought in by the facility staff, but for someone working in a place like this, it was surprisingly wholesome as a hobby.

Anyway, if I used these well, my meals would gain some color and variety.

The problems were securing land and the season.

Even a home garden needed land that would not be ravaged by other living things.

The same issue that came up when I previously thought about agriculture was still hanging around here as well.

I thought, “If only I had planters,” and then a good idea struck me.

“Right. I’ve got an acquaintance who seems like they’d know plants.”

It had been a while, and now I had a reason to visit.

I also had not been “supplementing my skin-tone content” lately, so I wanted to get back to the surveillance mission I had been neglecting.

Once I decided, I moved fast.

I sorted through my backpack, packed only what I needed, left my equipment in the warehouse, and then checked one last time to make sure I had not forgotten anything.

Finally, I locked up properly—fully prepared.

All right, to the land where the elves lived!

I felt pumped, but I moved along the river while suppressing my presence.

You never knew what might happen, so I stayed hidden and checked across the river as I made my way downstream, being extra cautious.

I only spotted elves twice before reaching my destination.

The first time was a mixed group of men and women, and they seemed to be investigating something by the river.

I hid and listened to their conversation, and it sounded like they were studying the surrounding ecosystem.

The reason was that after confirming the existence of the test subject called the “Nightmare” and me, there might be some kind of abnormal change occurring in the forest.

That included a bit of guesswork, but I was pretty sure that was what they meant.

The next time was a lone female elf.

Her age was unknown, but she looked young, so it was not a big issue.

She seemed to be taking a break—lying on a rock with her shoes off, soaking her feet in the water and relaxing.

Maybe she was too relaxed, because her legs were spread wide, so I adjusted my angle to see if I could catch a glimpse of her underwear, but after a while, perhaps satisfied with her rest, she did a quick little shout and sprang into a handstand, then slowly lowered her legs back onto the rock.

Her posture—and the white—were beautiful enough to leave me transfixed.

The trip had gone like that, but from here on, it was the real thing.

Arriving at my familiar observation point, I immediately stayed alert and checked the time.

It was almost dusk.

If nothing had changed, this was the time when Number Six and her companions would come around.

I waited in Stealth Mode and focused my awareness on the sounds ahead.

I had not forgotten my purpose.

It was just that everything had priorities.

Preparing for the moment to come, I stayed hidden and quietly watched the far side of the river.