Kopii hadn't descended into the dungeons for a week. He had two important reasons for this: firstly, the wound he sustained in a battle he barely survived thanks to luck, and secondly, unbearable muscle pain.
He thought it would pass, because when he regained control of his body, there wasn't such intense pain – only later did he realize it was shock. When he woke up the next day, every cell in his body ached, demanding more rest.
He couldn't even go to Naaza for recovery potions, let alone get out of bed, let alone do that. So he spent a week lying in bed, doing nothing.
"I need to eat properly," he thought, looking at his reflection in the mirror. It was such a horrible sight that it hurt to look at. He hadn't eaten well all week, and it had consequences.
He looked like skin stretched over bones. If it weren't for the muscles, he would have been scared to imagine the picture. After quickly taking a shower, he lay down on the bed and picked up a sheet from the table.
"And how are we going to learn Elvish?"
"Why do you need to learn it? Just find an elf and have her translate. What's so difficult?"
"No. He said…"
"So what? It doesn't change the point."
But no matter how he peered at the sheet, he couldn't understand what was written there. Throwing it on the bed, he quickly got dressed and headed for the exit.
"Where are you going?"
But he hadn't gone far when he felt a piercing gaze in his direction. Under that piercing gaze, he felt completely naked. He looked around, but couldn't find anyone, peering into every corner. But it was all in vain, until the feeling completely vanished, as if it had never been there.
"What's wrong with you?"
"I felt someone's gaze! Didn't you…"
But, understanding what he wanted to say, he fell silent, realizing how silly it sounded, because he couldn't possibly feel that gaze - it was just in his head. After looking around a bit, he continued on his way.
"So where are you going?"
"Those people took all our equipment… So we need to go back."
Leaving Orario, he opened a map and began to study it intently. He remembered roughly where it was, but didn't want to spend too much time searching for it, so he had no choice but to ask.
"Do you remember where it is?"
"Why would I know?"
"What?! Are you kidding me! How can you not know if you came back using this map?"
"Oh? Did I?"
"Yes!"
"But then I remember."
Kopii's eye began to twitch at these words. He understood perfectly well that he was being mocked, but there was nothing he could do about it. Looking around, he saw strange looks from people passing in and out of Orario, especially from the guards.
"I should have moved further away," he thought, realizing how it looked from the outside: a gaunt guy who looked like he hadn't eaten in a month was talking to himself.
But Kopii wasn't as worried about it as before. He somehow didn't care about the looks he got anymore. Either he had gotten used to such attention, or he had copied someone again. But he quickly dismissed these thoughts: he didn't want to burden his head with useless information, and refocused on the map. Kane's answer was not long in coming.
After confirmation, he immediately went to the place he had indicated. It didn't take him long to arrive. The smell of rot confirmed it.
Going in the direction where the smell intensified, he finally arrived.
"Caw. Caw. Caw."
"Shoo!"
Chasing away the crows, he could finally make out the attackers, well, a smaller part of them. While they were getting here, Kane gave him a rather logical idea: to search the corpses for valuable items or money.
"Ugh."
Turning over a corpse, he felt the smell intensify so much that he tried his best to hold back from releasing his morning snack. When he saw the worms that completely covered his back, Kopii's face twisted in disgust.
"How disgusting."
"Come on, search him, what are you waiting for?"
"No. I won't! Ugh."
"Start searching, part of the bandits' debt."
"What?! You think the debt will pay itself off!"
He froze at the mention of the debt. Without thinking, he overcame his disgust, returned to the corpse, and began searching it, trying his best not to puke, which wasn't going very well, and not a second passed…
"Blech."
He emptied his stomach. After he threw up, he couldn't help but agree that it was easier to search them, but it wasn't long before he emptied his stomach again, now completely clearing it.
"There's one. Ha-ha. Now the second."
But he was able to search him more calmly, but found nothing useful at all, except for arrows. Hesitating for a second, he still decided not to take them simply because they smelled of rot. But, not having gone far, he returned, took the arrows, and headed towards the entrance to this building.
He couldn't understand what it was - either a castle or a fortress. He didn't care. He mentally prepared himself for the upcoming sight and smell. If there was such a smell in the fresh air, he was afraid to imagine what it would be like in a closed room.
Without even going ten meters, such a pungent smell of rot hit his nose that hints of tears appeared at the corners of his eyes. But, trying to ignore the whole smell, he rushed forward until he reached the room where everything had happened.
"Ah, how pleasant."
Falling exhausted on the bed, he didn't regret at all that he had returned there, because he not only returned his equipment, but also earned quite a bit of money. From this, a smile of relief involuntarily appeared on his face, because he didn't have a penny, and he didn't want to ask his family for money.
Reaching for the sheet, he began to study the amazing patterns again.
"And how am I going to do this? Why are you so sure I can copy the Elven language?"
"Well, I don't know? Maybe because that's your skill. You somehow copied cooking skills."
"Isn't my skill passive?"
"No, are you stupid? You copied the essences of monsters."
"And that? It's just a coincidence. An exception to the rule."
"If you don't like it, you know there are two ways to solve this problem."
"Well, I'll try… Who's stopping us from trying."
"Aha, auuu. Ran away. What a bad idea."
"What else did you expect? Have you seen yourself? Who would like it if such a monster looked at them, without taking their eyes off them, and even being all red like a tomato? So I'll ask again: what the fuck are you doing?"
"Well, if you shut up, I'll be more focused on trying to copy her knowledge, but no, you have to describe every curve of hers, what you would do with her, and in what positions. Why are you doing this? Are you doing it on purpose?"
"Well, of course, it's my fault. Who else's? Whose else's fault could it be but mine? It's me who started following the elf like a tail, without taking my eyes off her for a second. Of course, it's all me. I admit it, caught red-handed, I admit it. Well done!!!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Me!? How dare I, your Grace."
"There they are!"
Kopii hadn't fully rested when he was chased again. He's been doing this for several days now, and maybe rumors have already spread of some pervert stalking elves, and even worse.
"Ran away again!"
"You think you'll get away with this so easily?"
Hearing the footsteps getting further and further away, he climbed out of the ruins, but first surveyed the area for enemies.
"I won't do this anymore."
Firmly deciding, he began to return home.