Chapter 29: Thief (3)

A sloth… no, now I should call it a fast-sloth.

The fast-sloth looked at me with a relaxed and somewhat mocking expression.

But I did not feel anger or anything like that.

Rather, tension began to build up.

Crack.

The arrow it had caught with its hand split into two.

But more than that, what really worried me were its claws.

Claws that had grown in a wild manner.

The moment it hits me with those, my life will end right there.

There is no way not to feel tense.

‘I do not know when it might attack me.’

It has agility like that, so why does it move so slowly?

Could it be something like this?

[!I crouched down to build momentum!]

Sloths normally move slowly to conserve energy.

That is what AllFather told me.

But in the Forest of the Four Seasons that must be difficult, so they evolved in another way.

They only show absurd agility in moments of danger, like just now.

It is a fairly reasonable hypothesis.

This really is a crazy world.

Slow… slow…

The fast-sloth started moving again.

Maybe because I had already seen its agility before, now it looked different.

It did not look clumsy.

It looked like it was simply taking its time.

Now I understood why HeavenlyDemon and AllFather told me to be careful.

‘Could it be that if someone is truly strong, they can notice it even from a video?’

I do not know.

But it is clear that their intuition was correct.

Then how should I deal with it?

First I lowered the crossbow.

Even if I shoot arrows, it will dodge them or catch them with its hand.

There is no point.

‘In close combat, honestly, I think I would lose.’

I am at a total disadvantage in speed.

That thing caught an arrow with its eyes.

And me?

I cannot even follow the trajectory of an arrow.

There is no way not to feel tense.

If I let my guard down, those claws could pierce my neck.

‘No, if it had wanted to pierce me, it would have already done it.’

Then there are only two possibilities.

That fast-sloth is a pacifist or it simply has no intention of killing me.

If it is the first, that would be ideal.

But if it is the second, it is still potentially dangerous.

With that speed and agility, it is definitely a threat.

‘…It could also be playing with me.’

Maybe it does not consider me a threat and that is why it acts so calmly.

While watching the fast-sloth approach slowly, I looked back.

Inside the iron container was the fish I caught this morning.

‘Should I give it to it and make it leave?’

It is not a bad option.

The chances of winning in a fight are very low.

I received an elixir from StarlightLady, but that only works while my body is intact.

If I receive a blow to a vital point, probably not even the elixir will work.

After thinking about it a lot, I slowly grabbed the shield.

I did not take the sword.

I had another plan in mind.

I adjusted the shield to keep it aimed at it and walked toward the container.

All that time, the fast-sloth only kept approaching slowly.

Grrrrk—

Grrrk—

Shortly after, I dragged the container with the fish with one hand.

I wanted to confirm if it was really interested in the fish.

The fast-sloth kept approaching with its characteristic slow movements.

It definitely wants the fish.

But at the same time a doubt arose.

‘But why?’

I had heard that its main diet was leaves.

Then why does it want the fish?

Could it be that the animals of the Forest of the Four Seasons change their eating habits?

‘Or do the fish have something special?’

Suddenly I remembered something HeavenlyDemon said.

The fish I caught was similar to spiritual creatures.

Spiritual creatures that have an internal core.

I still do not know if that is true.

After thinking about it for a bit, I first dragged the container into the cave.

Although it made quite a bit of noise, Wonmo was still sleeping without noticing anything.

One is on the verge of death, and the other sleeping as if nothing.

How unfair.

‘Well, it is a cub.’

Meanwhile, the fast-sloth entered the cave.

There is no way to escape now.

I took the sword and the shield and prepared myself.

There is only one option left.

Attack when it tries to take the fish.

I do not know when it might sink those horrible claws into my neck.

So I plan to kill it.

“……”

Then the fast-sloth suddenly stopped.

It moved slowly, but it had never stopped before.

That confused me.

It was staring fixedly at something.

I also turned my gaze.

What it was looking at was the sack that contained the fasting pills.

Slow… slow…

“Huh?”

No.

Not the fasting ones.

I quickly ran toward the sack.

The moment I grabbed the sack, the fast-sloth looked at me silently.

Tick—

Tick—

It even moved its threatening claws while looking at me.

Anyone would understand what that means.

It is asking for one.

And if I do not give it one, it looks like a death threat.

“…Do you want one?”

“……”

It did not respond.

It just stared at me.

That it lost interest in the fish and focused on the fasting pills is good.

Also, I still have quite a few left.

I carefully took one out.

“Th-this?”

“……”

Tap.

Without saying anything (although it never spoke), it pointed at the fasting one with its claw.

Then it slowly brought it to its mouth.

Even that movement was so slow it made me nervous just watching it.

“Hmm.”

“……”

The fast-sloth moved its jaw up and down as if savoring it.

Even the owlbear and Wonmo spat out the fasting pill immediately saying it was bitter.

I myself eat it only to survive.

Never for its taste.

But this guy chewed it carefully.

Its relaxed expression did not even change.

Tick—

Tick—

“…Do you want another?”

“……”

“That is a bit diffi—”

Swish!

I was about to say that I do not even have enough for myself.

But at that instant the fast-sloth’s claw pointed at my neck at a speed impossible to see.

If it had advanced a little more my neck would have a huge hole.

I felt the blood in my whole body freeze.

I could not even see it with my eyes.

Tick—

Tick—

While swallowing saliva, the fast-sloth moved its other hand.

If I do not give it one, it will kill me.

That was exactly what it conveyed.

“…Ah. Damn.”

What a miserable world.

I sighed and gave it another fasting pill.

Then it withdrew its claws.

After eating it, it seemed satisfied.

Luckily, after two it did not ask for more.

It also did not seem interested in the fish.

I let out a sigh of relief.

Crawling… crawling…

“Huh? What? What are you doing?”

But the strangeness of the fast-sloth did not end there.

It suddenly started climbing my body.

It was careful not to stick its claws into me, so it did not even hurt.

Thunk.

“……”

“……”

In the end it rested its chin on my head.

Does it think I am a tree where leaves grow?

I could not say anything at the absurdity.

I wanted to throw it off, but I could not.

‘If I try to force it off, the one who will get hurt is me.’

With those terrifying claws, I cannot even force it to let go.

Luckily it barely weighs anything.

Curiously, it does not even smell bad.

In fact, it smells good.

‘It probably has ticks too…’

But just in case, I will have to bathe it.

I let out a deep sigh.

It has not even been a week and all kinds of things have already happened to me.

There is only one place where I can complain about this.

Title) A sloth just extorted me in real time

WildGrills

I am the same one who posted about the sloth earlier.

That bastard ate a fasting pill and then threatened me with its claws so I would give it another one ㅠㅠ

Life is so sad.

I never thought a sloth would extort me.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Did you give up just because it showed you its claws?

ㄴWildGrills) That thing can even see and catch arrows and with that speed it almost drove its claws into my neck.

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) Hmm. If that is the case, I can understand it. It might even become a very good training partner.

ㄴWildGrills) You want me to train with a sloth?;;

ㄴHeavenlyDemon) You said you are slower than a sloth, so it would not be a bad idea.

ㄴWildGrills) Ha…

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) What is that sloth doing now?

ㄴWildGrills) It is hanging on my back.

ㄴSwordTasteMaster) What the hell are you saying now?

ㄴWildGrills) It sounds like nonsense, right? But it is true. I will upload a photo later.

ㄴI never thought I would live to hear that a sloth extorted someone and then hung onto them hahaha

ㄴThis is already legendary hahaha

ㄴAre you sure that is a sloth?

ㄴWildGrills) I arbitrarily named it fast-sloth.

ㄴFast-sloth hahaha

ㄴBetter than Fluffy hahaha

ㄴWildGrills) What is wrong with Fluffy?

ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) It is horrible!

ㄴDid the moderator arrive?

ㄴHe appeared suddenly and dropped the truth hahaha

ㄴWildGrills) What have you been doing all this time?

ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) I was running away because I was being chased! Now I am safe! Although I still have to sleep on the street!

ㄴAh…

ㄴAhh…

ㄴAhhh…

ㄴWildGrills) Then you should come here. It is quite comfortable to live here.

ㄴHeroDontThrowAway) I am sorry! The goddess does not forgive suicide!

ㄴWildGrills) How cruel.

ㄴAllFather) Fast-sloth perhaps they have discovered a new species. It is possible that academics will be interested.

ㄴWildGrills) Normal sloths also have many ticks, right?

ㄴAllFather) They do not have ticks. Instead moths or beetles live on them that eat them.

Ah, damn it.

ㄴAllFather) Also, fungi probably prevent infections.

ㄴWildGrills) So for me it is not good at all.

ㄴAllFather) Exactly. It is dirty. Very dirty.

So I will have to wash it somehow.

But I do not know if this guy will come down calmly.

At least I do not have that unpleasant feeling.

As I said before, it does not even smell bad, so I can tolerate it.

‘For now there is no choice but to go like this to hunt the Golden Frog.’

I will hunt the Golden Frog, make the exchange with AllFather and then eat fish at noon.

The sudden appearance of the fast-sloth complicated things a bit, but now everything is fine.

I prepared the equipment with the fast-sloth on my back.

Normally I would have to hang the crossbow on my back, but with the fast-sloth it is difficult.

Slide—

“Hm?”

When I tried to hang the crossbow, it moved slightly to make space.

After I put on the crossbow, it climbed back on top.

It really is an intelligent animal.

I already felt it when it threatened me before, but it seems to have quite a bit of intelligence.

‘Could it be that, like Wonmo, it understands what I say?’

No, it is probably just intelligent.

I carefully adjusted the crossbow so the fast-sloth would not press the trigger by accident.

Maybe it understood my intention, because it shifted forward so as not to get in the way.

Thanks to that I could see its face right in front of mine.

At first glance it looks quite dumb.

And even so it is capable of catching arrows in midair.

The Forest of the Four Seasons is really strange.

Ssss—

I was going up the river where the Golden Frog lives.

Then I heard an unsettling sound near my ear.

Like the sound of a snake flicking its tongue.

After having been attacked by an iron-scale snake before, I immediately became alert.

But I did not see anything.

For a moment I thought I had imagined it.

“Shaaa!”

Something brown that looked like a branch suddenly opened its mouth.

At the same time, its brown body changed to green.

Inside its mouth two sharp and terrifying fangs stuck out.

It was not a branch.

It was a venomous snake.

‘A-a chameleon?!’

A snake imitating the camouflage of a chameleon?

What kind of monstrous combination is this?

I was so surprised that I could not react properly.

From the beginning I had mistaken it for a branch.

I could not even distinguish it.

Fwoosh!

But there was an animal that acted before me.

Everything happened in an instant, so I could not see the process well.

But I saw the result clearly.

“Shaaa! Shaaa!”

“……”

A claw more terrifying than the fangs pierced the head of the venomous snake.

The snake was impaled and began to tremble violently.

It tried to coil around the claw to free itself, but it was useless.

It was much smaller than the iron-scale snake I encountered before.

And once its head was pierced, its fate was already sealed.

Rrrrip!

The fast-sloth grabbed the snake with its free hand and pulled hard.

The snake’s head split vertically.

Thud.

The snake fell to the ground writhing.

The vertically split head was truly unpleasant.

Just in case, I finished it off by stabbing it with the sword to prevent it from biting me.

Shortly after, its body became completely still.

Sometimes the torso moved a little, but it was dead.

“……”

“……”

I looked at the fast-sloth hanging on my back.

As always, it had that calm expression.

As if nothing had happened.

“…Do you want another fasting pill?”

Nod.

The fast-sloth nodded its head.

Slowly, like everything it does.