My Parasite Skill System

"Hahaha. I know this may sound silly coming from us to you … but we're going to make a good adventurer of you yet, little man!" exclaimed Leader.

"Mm!" groaned Slug.

"Ain't you already the finest, though, hehe!" guffawed Bumped.

"… We are going to educate you, indeed," muttered Sorceress.

"Huhuhu," happily giggled Clumsy Babe.

This was before. Now, we had entered the grounds. And now: everyone was silent.

It had been quite a long time since we'd entered that forest … yet, we hadn't even stumbled upon even one group of goblins.

This happened. Only sometimes. It was rare for it to be this silent and calm, the party let me know.

Maybe this forest's goblins aren't doing too well, lately. Only maybe, though. This hunting spot wasn't especially known for being targeted as a hunting place by most people.

So it should be swarming with goblins, already. It being so calm and empty left things quite abnormal.

Swarming is a big word, in fact. But at least shouldn't there be a few of them, hm? Assuredly, this wasn't normal.

Though maybe, we just had to wait. Wait for it. Wait for them to come at us. Maybe they were only scared of the Party since it grew its number up.

There weren't five, but six members, today. And as this last and new member happened to be me–the strongest monster ever!–there was more than one reason for the goblins, poison spiders, and fang wolves to be afraid.

Then again, though, maybe we just had to wait, heh.

That, maybe if it took so long for us to find some monsters to hunt … we just had to wait more.

Wait more, while patrolling and going in circles at the same spot the party was used to.

Wait, and observe.

Wait. And observe.

Wait. … And observe.

Wait. … … … And observe till … "Well, no!" I firmly stated.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" and Babe retorted, keeping her voice low. "I say 'yes,' so it's 'yes.' Can't you understand, my boy?"

"I know you say 'yes,' and I still say 'no!'" I added in the same tone.

"Good grief … what are we going to do with you, mm? If you go like this, who knows when you'll bring about troubles to our very, very kind party, mm? This is bad, bad. … Do you want me to tell the vile goblins to eat you … mmm??"

"I'm not afraid of gob-goblins, you know, big sister," I stuttered.

Don't make me laugh. Such playful threats wouldn't work on me. She's a little player.

"Sure," she retorted. "Not of normal goblins, yes? The goblins I'll fetch, especially for the bothersome task of eating you, my agitated boy, they're big, big, bigger, and stronger than Slug, muhaha! Will you be afraid of these ones, now, mm??"

Impossible, simply impossible is what she says to me!

"I won't!" I stomped my foot on the ground. "Slug is big and strong, but not so big, and but not so strong."

"Mhm, heuheuheu…" and the mindful slug silently laughed a bit to himself, being amused by this conversation.

But I tell you and assure you, there was nothing to be laughing nor amused about.

"No, but this is the truth, guys!" I insisted.

"Hehehe, but you're amusing us to no end, kid!" Bumped laughed at me too, now.

"Mm-hm. The truth. My little boy says it's the truth, so it ought to be the truth," and Clumsy teased me more.

"And what if it is the truth, Emerald. We shall only wait for them to come, indeed." Heh, and even Sorceress joined them in on that.

The only one who didn't let himself be disturbed was Leader. Still guarding the front with all his might of mind, I doubt he even listened to our loud whispering.

"You may laugh, but I'm for real," I frowned at them all. "I can see there're no goblins around. I'm telling you guys it's one of my skills … but none of you can see the System's messages, heh."

"The System's messages! Hah! And they're supposed to be invisible to us! Kid! Let your imagination fly up and take you fa-a-ar … you nearly got us all!"

"And … what was the name of that skill of yours again?"

"Ma–Mana Perception."

"Heh, my boy," Clumsy patted my head again. "Well, giving this much too convenient skill a name, I'd have rather called it, mmm … Magic Sense!"

"Nah! But nah, Clumsy–I said it already: 'Mana Perception' is cool enough of a name for that skill the kid's imagined … no 'Magic Sense'–"

"–But this is for real," I insisted one last time.

I could sense our surroundings. This is for real. This is what [Mana Perception] allows me to do. But since it's "way too convenient, way too convenient," they wouldn't believe it.

I could see around. And we passed by a few goblins already. They were all farther away from us, though. None of them dared stand in our way.

So I proposed, hey, why not simply go out of this way and spot in order to go further in the forest. Since the goblins were obviously so fearing us, why not just go chase them ourselves?

We kept going in circles at the Party's usual hunting grounds. And there was no way they'd go wandering out of their usual spot.

I insisted, but there was nothing I could do. They wouldn't believe me, I think … and they wouldn't wander off in the forest.

This wasn't too dangerous–but you never know when things go south, they said.

So it was better to them to stick to their ways; that would be it, they also said.

Also, given the fact I was a non-fighter, due to my (damn) special circumstances, I shouldn't even propose any plan of any sort, Clumsy added; she was amusing and irritating.

I could guide them into the forest since I knew where the monsters were if I concentrated enough.

Since they wouldn't believe me, though (again, I guess having this kind of passive skill must be super rare), they wouldn't hear me.

I didn't insist past that. If there was no way, that was just it.

Let them just wander here with no end for more than the three hours they usually spent here, and they'd be having no loot when calling it a day.

Thus, I was disappointed and that was that.

Although, surprisingly, at some point, Leader spoke:

"Guys, let's come to a stop and talk it through," he began his speech.

Everyone came to a stop, including me, and we heard him out with attentive ears. They sure held their party leader in great esteem. Our whisperings came to a stop.

He didn't know about that super convenient ability I was telling them I had, but I was right still. After a few dozens of lengthy minutes spent there; we hadn't come across any goblin.

Maybe they should do something about it, he proposed.