My Protect skill can take my life but it can also help me flirt and make love with cold beauties!
Chapter 22: Grassland Battle

Eva continued to search for and excavate the ore, but when I offered to help, she told me that I wouldn't be able to do it properly without mining skills.

Mining Skill.

Furthermore, I also realized that there was some knowledge that seemed absolutely essential for adventuring, yet I was completely unaware of it.

Skills were a common feature in games, but I never imagined that this world would have a similar system. Levels, attributes, skills, monsters, and materials—it’s all so much like a video game.

Fortunately, with a bit of explanation, I was able to understand it, so I resolved to ask El about this world's system when I have the chance. Eva continued to work hard at mining, but I had nothing to do and was getting bored.

Although the orange jelly-like monsters were all around, they weren't attacking. As I was staring into space, my stomach rumbled loudly.

When I looked up at the sky, the sun was at its highest point, so it must have been lunchtime. However, I suddenly realized that I hadn't brought any food with me.

Since I had never eaten lunch at work before, the idea of bringing lunch to work had completely slipped my mind.

"Shall we have lunch soon?" Eva noticed my hunger and began to put away her mining tools. Although I had a water bag, it wasn't enough to satisfy my hunger.

"It's lunchtime, but I didn't bring anything to eat," I said apologetically.

"Oh, that's perfect!" Eva replied happily. "I made lunch for Kazuya too, so please eat it."

She opened the lid of the basket she had been holding so carefully, revealing sandwiches, salad, and fruit. There seemed to be enough for two or more people.

"Really? Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah, I made it for that purpose," she said with a smile. We found a soft patch of grass to sit on. I wiped my hands, and immediately grabbed a sandwich.

"Thank you. Let's eat!"

I stuffed a rectangular sandwich with smoked meat and vegetables into my mouth. The mustard had a spicy kick to it.

"Mmm, delicious!"

"Really? That's great. But, I just put some ingredients together."

"Still, the amount of mayonnaise and everything is exquisite. You're really good at cooking." It wasn't just flattery. It really was delicious. I finished the first one in two bites.

"Are you surprised that I can cook? My mom passed away earlier, so I've been the one making meals at home."

"Oh, I see..." I said casually, not knowing how to respond.

"Sorry, don't worry about it. It was years ago."

Eva noticed my discomfort and tried to smooth things over. But it wasn't a topic to delve into, so I just kept eating my sandwich, enjoying its taste.

As a result...

"I almost ate them all... I'm so sorry…"

The big basket was filled to the brim with sandwiches. I think Eva only ate two at most.

"It's okay, it's okay! I made them for Kazuya to eat, so it's fine! I'm actually glad you liked them so much!" Eva said with a

She went through all that trouble, and I couldn't just waste her effort by lazing around. Even if no enemies showed up, I had to devote myself to my guard duty.

It seemed like God granted my resolution because soon after, we encountered an enemy. It happened when we were about to resume our mining operation after lunch.

It appeared right in front of us. It was slightly smaller than an orange jelly. Its body looked like a hairless chicken with a large lizard head attached to it.

It stared at the basket with its nose flaring, emitting a panting sound. Maybe it was lured here by the scent of food. If the basket was its target, it might be better to give it to the creature and leave.

However, it shifted its gaze from the basket to Eva. It licked its lips, revealing fangs that didn't seem to belong to a lizard. There was no avoiding a fight.

I unsheathed my sword and assumed the stance that Raul had taught me yesterday.

…

What is the monster in front of me? For a moment, I searched for El's figure. Whenever I didn't know something, I would ask El. Without realizing it, I had relied heavily on El.

But now, El wasn't here. I had to overcome this difficult situation alone. The rooster lizard continued to snort and look at me. Its occasional head tilting gesture was bird-like.

"Stay behind me."

"But I…"

Eva took out a pickaxe from her tool bag. Its tip was sharp, but the handle was short. I couldn't imagine her fighting with it.

"Just protect yourself. But don't ever try to help me, okay?"

"O-Okay."

Honestly, I have no idea how strong the enemy was compared to me. Is it stronger or weaker than me?

"Kokuo."

Perhaps sensing my hesitation, the rooster lizard let out a short roar. It was more like a beast's voice than a bird's. At that signal, the rooster lizard opened its mouth wide and started running towards us.

"Dei!"

Although its head seemed large and unbalanced, it ran skillfully on its two legs. However, it wasn't so fast that I couldn't deal with it. I swung my sword straight down like I had practiced yesterday.

"Giwaa!"

At the last moment, the rooster lizard jumped sideways, avoiding a direct hit to its face. But I left a rough cut on its body. Compared to the orange Gelatin, it was definitely more sturdy.

Blood dripped from the cut, but the creature still had fight left in it. I continued swinging my sword and gradually moved this monster away from Eva.

The rooster lizard also retreated little by little, avoiding my attacks. It was strong enough compared to the Orange Gelatin, but I can win against it alone.

I swung my sword even more fiercely. Even if my form was sloppy, I had to end this quickly.

"Kazu-ya!"

I can win. Eva's voice interrupted my complacency. When I turned around, I saw another rooster lizard emerge from a large rock nearby, wobbling towards us.