abcnovels
Chapter 77: The Skill I Created For An Experiment Had An Unexpected Side Effect
Chapter 77: The Skill I Created For An Experiment Had An Unexpected Side Effect
Chapter 77: The Skill I Created For An Experiment Had An Unexpected Side Effect
After entering the town of Sharka, we could see most of the Wings of the Heavenly Dragon.
“… How big…?”
Next to me, Iris was pointing and looking up at the Wings.
Me, Aine, Rafilia and Iris are on our way to meet a merchant in this town.
On paper, Iris is on a trip for rest and we are her escorts, so we’re obligated to report to the Lord’s acquaintances about her safety. It’s just a formality, though.
On the way there, we stopped at the central square of the town for “just a moment,” and we were glued to the Wings of the Heavenly Dragon.
By the way, Cecile and Rita are with the carriage.
For security reasons, we decided to take turns sightseeing.
There are a lot of people gathered in the square besides us.
The town of Sharka is a transit point for travel, so many different races come and go. The reason why you see wagons is because there are caravans sending cargo from Ilgafa to the Magic Research City.
The main reason why this town is bustling with people is probably because the Wings of the Heavenly Dragon Blansharka are still here. You can see the legacy of a legendary creature right in front of your eyes, so it is bound to attract people.
… Eve so, there are a lot of people.
The wagons, merchants, and people who look like they belong to one group are all huddled together. Some of them are sitting down. It’s like a bus stop waiting for a bus in a traffic jam. It seems like there are too many people here just because it’s a major transportation hub. Everyone looks tired.
We are in the main street of the town, the central square at the end of the street to be exact.
This town is surrounded by walls, and there is a square at the far end of the street where there is an altar for the Wings of the Heavenly Dragon.
Apparently, it is customary for ordinary people to see the Wings from here, pray for safe travels, and put money in a box.
However, we can only see the upper part of the Wings, about two-thirds of the way up. The lower part is hidden behind a stone wall. At the end of the wall, there is a building of an organization that honors the Heavenly Dragon, and they are in charge of the Wings. I guess it’s like an important cultural asset management center.
In front of the wall, there is a stone monument that describes the legend of the Heavenly Dragon.
“The Heavenly Dragon is immortal and will regenerate when the time comes”, “can transform into a human at will”, “currently waiting for the right time”, “has changed into a spiritual body”, “is fighting against the Demon Lord for us humans and demi-humans” and so on and so on.
Maybe you should tidy up your writing a bit…?
The Wings are about 20 to 30 meters high.
Their surface is pure white, without a scratch. The top part is shaking, probably because of the strong wind.
But it’s still huge.
I wonder how big the main body of the Heavenly Dragon was. I can’t imagine the sight of it flying around in the sky. If the Heavenly Dragon was still alive as an ally of humans and demi-humans, the Demon Lord would not have existed, and I would not have been summoned from my world.
“But … if that thing falls, this town will be destroyed…”
“It says so right there on the sign.”
Aine pointed to a stone monument in front of the altar.
“‘It has not fallen for hundreds of years, so it will not fall in the future. Please rest assured.'”
“And they say that only half of the Wings are above ground, brother.”
“They say half of it is buried underground.”
Next to me, Iris and Rafilia said while nodding.
“It is said that no one has ever been able to scratch the Wings. I heard that a King once tried to make a shield out of it, but even with ten workers, he couldn’t scratch the Wings. Nowadays, anyone who tries to scratch the Wings is immediately put to death.”
“It’s an important cultural asset.”
“And there are many anecdotes about ‘Wings’. I’ll tell you about it tonight… carefully.”
“All right. I’m looking forward to it.”
I want information about this world no matter where it comes from.
I’ve managed to secure a place to live, but I haven’t yet develop the skills to live without working, and I’m still not sure if I can work and live normally in this world.
This trip is partly a company trip for everyone, but it’s also for me to learn more about this world.
“There’s a big difference between hearing about the Wings of a Heavenly Dragon and seeing them in person.”
Iris and Rafilia are still staring at the Wings.
Today is a holiday, and they can stare at it as until they are satisfied.
Aine glanced at me and looking satisfied, sitting next to me watching the town. Perhaps it’s because it’s a transit point for journeys, but there is no Adventurer’s Guild or skill shops here. I wanted to buy some rare skills… no, I am on a trip, so I can’t waste my money. It’s not a school trip. If we don’t have enough money for the return trip, it’d be too pitiful.
“Oh, by the way, there’s something I need your help with, Aine.”
“My help?”
“Yes. I want to create some versatile skills for this trip. I’d like you try them out and let me know what you think.”
“Of course I will, Na-kun. But what kind of versatile skills are you talking about?”
“A skill that can be used for many things, I want to use it to increase our overall strength. I think it’ll make our life easier.”
I always need to stabilize our skills after an incident.
But that’s not very efficient, is it? Because it inevitably becomes a ‘specialized skill’ to solve the case in front of you.
The biggest problem is me using [Quick Restructure] on the girls on the fly.
I have to stabilize the concept of skills later, and that increases a lot of work for everyone. I can no longer use [Quick Restructure] on Rita. If she’s not careful, she might destabilize her skills in battle.
So I want use trip to see if I could create a universal skill set.
“For example, I bought a [Massage LV1] for experiment, and I want to combine it with [Appraisal LV1].
[Massage LV1]
Skill to “ease” “tension” in the “body”
This is one of the skills I bought before the trip. I want to use it recover from fatigue.
[Appraisal LV1]
Skill to “determine” the “value and effect” of an “item”
This one is the last of the housekeeping skills that Iris gave me.
She said that they are often installed in maids to help them understand the value of their employer’s belongings and to treat them according with care.
If I were to restructure these two to create a versatile skill, it would be…
One of the formed skill will definitely be useful…, but I’m not sure about the other one.
Oh well. It’s just experimenting, so let’s try it.
“[Skill Restructure LV4] Activate!”
I activated my skill.
The newly formed skills are…
[Dynamic Observation LV1] (R)
Skill to “determine” “tension” in the body
“So, I’ve created a skill that could be used for a variety of things.”
“You’re quick, Na-kun.”
“By the way, Aine, it’s been a long time since you’ve been on a road trip, are you tired?”
“… I am totally fine.”
Aine tilted her head, as if it was obvious.
Yeah. She has her usual soft smile. She’s not sweating, and her chestnut-colored fluffy hair is a bit messy. As usual, she is the Aine, the “big sister maid” who’s holding the “Mop of Steel” and looking nonchalant in front of me.
But what will happen if I use this skill?
“Activate [Dynamic Observation LV1]”
When I activated the skill, my vision changed.
I can still see Aine infront of me but it looks like she has a colored filter on her.
Some … parts of Aine’s body is glowing orange.
Are around her waist and back is orange whereas some parts of her legs are red.
“Aine, are your legs tired, especially from the knees down?”
“… huh?”
Aine looked surprised.
This skill allows me to see the strained parts of the person I am looking at.
That means that Aine’s hips and back are a little tense, and her calves are pretty tired.
“Also, your hips and back are a little tense. I guess it’s because you’ve been sitting in the carriage all day. You’d better get some rest early today. Let’s quickly finish our report to the merchant and go back to the inn. We’ll be on the move again tomorrow.”
“Na-kun …, how do you know that much about my body? “
“This is a skill that allows me to see the tense parts of the person I am looking at. Right now, I’m looking at the tense parts of your body.
For example… try to lift your leg? You don’t have to lift them.”
“… like this?”
“You are trying to lift your right leg, right?”
“Can you tell that by using that skill too?”
“Yes, but only if you move slowly.”
I learned in my previous world that when you try to move your body, some of your muscles contract or relax. [Dynamic Observation] shows that contracting or relaxing part via different colors.
However, it seems like it’s only possible if the opponent is moving slowly.
For example, Rita will successfully kick or punch me before I can even read her body movements.
“That’s an amazing skill. How do you know?”
“It’s like… I can see through the clothes of the person in my line of sight and see the area around the ‘tense muscles’ glow.”
“It’s like my body is floating above my clothes?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“So, what about, Iris?”
“Iris is…”
Iris is vaguely looking up at the Wings of the Heavenly Dragon with Rafilia. She is wearing a thin dress and a jacket, and her entire back and legs are stiff.
I can see her thin legs rising from her dress.
“Well, what about Rafilia?”
“Rafilia…”
Rafilia seems to be all right. Both her legs have only turned orange.
Also, there’s a slight reddish glow on the front of her body. It’s around her chest. Her two bulges that somehow fit into the leather armor are orange, almost red. Large, round, soft-looking things. I can even see their shape and that the muscles around it are tired from supporting that much weight…
“… Na-kun, how does Rafilia look?”
Smiling Aine
“You can see through clothes and see the shape of our body, right? That’s a great skill, Na-kun.”
“Wait. Let me explain.”
“Don’t worry. I know that Na-kun didn’t create the skill for that purpose.”
As expected of the ‘big sister’ of the party.
“If you want to see Aine like that, I’ll take a bath with you anytime. It’s more of a reward for me. That’s why you don’t need such skills.”
…… As expected of the ‘big sister’ …
“… You know what, Aine?”
“What? What?”
“I want you to have this [Dynamic Observation LV1]. You are everyone’s big sister, so if someone is tired, please help her.”
“Yes. I got it.”
This [Dynamic Observation LV1] … had an unexpected side effect…
I’ll use it for my experiments for the rest of the day, and give it to Aine tomorrow.
There’s no need to rush.
We are on a company trip right now, so I can take my time.
We start to look at the Wings again, vaguely.
I will never get tired of looking at it.
It makes me want to imagine what the owner of these Wings looked like, or what humans and demons were like in that era.
Iris and Rafilia were also staring at the Wings as if they were mesmerized.
But I have to get to the merchant soon.
“Iris, Rafilia. We are ret…”
I put my hand on Iris’s shoulder.
At that moment, my vision blurred.
It was as if there was another filter in front of my eyes.
A woman I didn’t know was standing between me and the Wings.
She was a white.
Her skin and the clothes were pure white, and her hair was glowing platinum blonde.
Only her eyes were blue, as if they were a reflection of the sky. She looked little older than me.
“I greet the Ancient blood and their Master.”
She said.
“[Dynamic Observation] Activate!'”
I activate my skills and looked at the girl.
But I can’t see any ‘color’ that indicates muscle tension.
The girl stands up, squats down, and bows. She does it all over again and again.
But if I can’t see her colors through [Dynamic Observation], then she’s an illusion.
I removed my hand from Iris’ shoulder -and she was gone.
I put my hand on Rafilia’s shoulder to check- I could see her.
I put my hand on Aine’s shoulder- but I couldn’t see her.
I asked Aine if she could see the white girl, but shook her head.
The … phantom girl in front of me was repeating the same movements.
All she does is stand up - squat down - bow, and say a few words of greeting.
There was no mention of this anywhere, where you can see the vision of a beautiful girl greeting you while watching the Wings.
A vision that only Iris, Rafilia, and I can see? I wonder what that is.
“… Now’s not the time.”
There’s more and more people around us, tourists and merchants carrying their goods.
It seems to be the time when the caravan arrives. The area around us was starting to get unusually crowded.
“Iris, Rafilia. We are going.”
I shake both of their shoulders a little harder.
“Huh?” “Oh, Master?”
They finally noticed me.
I pulled them both of them aside and start walking. Aine followed behind me.
It was not that hard to get through the crowd. With the help of [Dynamic Observation] I could at least see if the other person would avoid us or not. We walked quickly through the crowd and headed towards the inn.
As we turned onto a small road, Iris pulled me by the hand, looking excited.
“Brother, just now, there was a strange person in front of me…”
“I saw it too.”
“What’s that?”
“I think it’s a ghost or a residual thought.”
Come to think of it, that’s what happened when I met Cecile, too.
That was a collection of residual thoughts of the Demon race, though.
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, since that’s how things are done in this world.
“We don’t know who it is, at least for now.”
Iris and Rafilia saw that girl as well.
And me, while I was touching one of them. Aine couldn’t see her.
I’ll talk to others about it back at the inn.
Either way, as long as I don’t know who they are, I won’t get actively involved.
I don’t want to kill ghosts, and we’re on vacation.
“… Ancient blood.”
Iris has the blood of Sea Dragon’s daughter.
There are many mysteries surrounding Rafilia. It’s not surprising that she has the mysterious ability to see residual thoughts, since she was installed with a strange skill called [Bad Luck Invocation].
“Let’s hold off on that one. We don’t have enough information, and we’re not being asked to investigate. If we’re going to get involved, it’ll be after we get some information from the Magic Research City. I think we should just leave it as it is for now.”
“Yes. Big brother.”
Iris nodded at me. She seems to be concerned though. Rafilia too.
I looked up at the Wings from across the street.
Jeez, even though we are on our vacation.
And when I went to inform the merchant who has a relationship with the Ilgafa family about Iris’ arrival…
“The road to Mishlira is currently considered a danger zone.”
“Why?”
“The day before yesterday, a B-rank monster appeared on the road. Currently, guards are posted on the side of Sharka and the Magic Research City, and those who must pass through are asked to do so at their own risk. Are you really going to go, Lady Iris?”
“… is paid leave or anything similar a taboo in this world …?”
At the inn, I said while holding my head.
Every time I try to take a holiday… we encounter a problem.
Maybe black work is the default in this world, and if you try to give them some fair treatment, you’ll get in trouble because you’ll be caught in a global contraindication. … No, no, no, no, no, no.
After meeting the merchant, we returned to the inn.
We decided to rest in our room and discuss what we were going to do.
“So, to summarize the merchant’s information…”
- A Wyvern has appeared on the road from the Sharka to the Magic Research City and Mishlira
- A caravan transporting goods was attacked and some people were seriously injured the day before yesterday
- The Adventurer’s Guild in the Magic Research City is currently preparing a strike force. However, the other towns are also in trouble, but their preparations are not going well
- Therefore, if you want use the road, do so at your own risk
- Also, the illusion of the girl we saw earlier. What’s that about?
As for that last one…
Looking at the map, the road from Sharka to the direction of Mishlira will take us towards the mountains. After that, the road splits into two, one going to Mishlira (on the coastal side) and the Magic Research City (on the mountain side). This road is the only way to go to Mishlira through land and it is being blocked by a Wyvern. The only other way is to use the sea route, but it’s quite difficult because of the headwinds in this time of the year.
We don’t know when the Adventurer’s Guild will be able to take down the Wyvern.
And because of the accumulation of merchant caravans, the inn we are currently staying in is very crowded. It was also very difficult to get a room here. Moreover, I heard that the accommodation fee would be raised tomorrow. We can’t take our time and take it slow here.
Considering all this information, the conclusion that can be drawn is…
“No matter, let’s go back to Ilgafa.”
“”Ehh??!!!!””
Rita and Iris shouted in unison.
Cecile slumped her shoulders and put her hands on the floor. Aine was rubbing her back. Even Rafilia was sitting there in a daze.
I knew everyone was looking forward to it.
“I want to go on a vacation with everyone as well but we can’t do anything if a monster appears. I can’t risk the life of my slaves just for a few days of enjoyment… I am not some Black King.”
{He’s referring to this World’s King who summoned him}
“… So, Master…, that ‘ Bureikou’ …?”
“Maybe we can do that when we get home.”
I wan’t make you girls work just because we can’t go to Mishlira. I will still give everyone the holidays on the trip days.
Maybe a week-long “’Bureikou’ holiday can substitute the trip.
“… Mhmm.”
But Rita was biting her lips in deep regret.
Did you want to go on a vacation that much?
“… I can’t accept compromises on this thing.”
“That’s right, big brother. After all… atmosphere is important in these things, isn’t it?”
“I wanted to make it a precious memory. …”
“When I was back home, I thought that if we would be in the villa, maybe I would be brave enough…”
“I was looking forward to it…”
Rita and Iris leaned forward, gingerly.
The black sword against the wall was shaking as well.
I didn’t know you were so excited about it too, Reggie.
But… I see.
Unlike the previous world I was in, there are not many opportunities to travel in this world. There are even people who don’t leave the place they are born in for the rest of their lives.
And I know that you all were really looking forward to the trip because you weren’t in a position to have much freedom. I know, but …
“I have a question, Na-kun.”
Aine, who was rubbing Cecile’s back, looked at me.
“We all are ‘Cheat Characters’, right? Can’t we just kill the Wyvern?”
… Huh?
“We’ve killed Golems and Large Serpents and Aqualizards before, haven’t we? Wyverns are just low-level Dragons, you know. Even if we can’t kill them, I think we can at least fight them off.”
Aine began to talk about the specs of a “Wyvern”.
“Wyvern
A low-level Dragon.
They are 10 to 20 meters in size.
They are fierce and attack livestock and humans from the air.
Thay can’t use breath-based attacks.
They attack using their hind legs and tail.
They may be hiding treasures and valuable things.”
“And if we are going to continue being adventurers, I think it’s better for us to know our limits as ‘Cheat Characters’. You can just create a skill in case of emergency as well, can’t you Na-kun?”
“… I can do that.”
That’s a former Guildmaster apprentice for you. She gave a good argument.
Our goal is not to kill the Wyvern, but to pass through.
So we can just kill them if we can or run if we can’t. There’s no need for us to fight a life or death battle.
The Wyverns main threat is their speed and flying capability.
With the cheat skills we have, we can put up a barrage of combos… and if we fail… just run away.
“We left from Sharka early in the morning and got lucky to have not met the Wyvern on the way.”
This can be our excuse as well.
Yeah. I think we can handle it.
“All right. I’ll think of a plan. However, if it looks dangerous, we’ll run away as fast as we can. You got it?”
The moment I said it - a cheer went up.
Cecile, who had the eyes of a dead fish, jumped up, and Rita caught her.
Aine was smiling with eyes like a mother’s, and Iris was hugging Rafilia.
Even Reggie turned into her human form and jumped around on the bed.
Did everyone want to go on a vacation so much? …
“I’m sorry, Na-kun…no Master for making such a selfish request.”
Aine held her breasts in her maid’s uniform and looked down apologetically.
“It’s okay. Speaking of which didn’t I say we were taking a Bureikou.”
“Isn’t that after we get to Mishlira?”
“No way. It starts from today evening.”
Everyone’s movements suddenly came to a halt.
“Oh, um, Nagi. Are we starting tonight?”
Cecile was sitting upright on the floor, looking at me with her eyes wide open.
Huh? Didn’t I say so this morning?
“I thought I told you that we would be on ‘Bureikou’ every evening and night on the trip.”
“But, but… There are only two rooms available at the inn today, is that okay?”
“Two, right?”
“Will you and someone else be sharing a room?”
“I have to.”
“Everyone can see … things and hear … things, you know? Are you sure it’s ‘Bureikou’ in that state?”
Cecile was shyly twiddling her fingers, squirming.
… Well, it’s ‘Bureikou’, isn’t it?
Maybe they were all planning to have a ‘Girl’s Talk’?
It happens all the time, doesn’t it? Like a slumber party on a trip.
Then they’d be uncomfortable with me.
I’m soooo … curious, though.
“Okay. I’ll see if there’s a single room available.”
“What are we going to do now? What are you going to do?”
“How about we blindfold him and plug his ears?
“How can that happen? What are we supposed to do to him in that state? What should we do?”
Cecile and everyone else turned bright red or rolled over.
After a while, everyone settled down - and we agreed to save our energy for tomorrow, and we went to our respective rooms. The room assignments were drawn by lot.
Fortunately, there were two beds in the room, so Cecile and I slept in separate beds.
I had an Anti-Wyvern strategy in my mind, but more importantly, I…
“I greet the Ancient blood and their Master.”
I was curious about that voice I heard during the day.
If it is a residual thought of someone - like Astarte, which was a residual thought of a demon tribe - it might be trying to tell me something.
I couldn’t get that thought out of my head.
[Dynamic Observation LV1]
Nagi created it during his versatile skill experiment.
You can use color to “determine” the “tense” parts of the “body” of the person in your sight.
If the opponent is moving slowly, you can read their subsequent movements to some extent, but it is quite difficult to use it in close combat against a fast-moving opponent. Or rather, they might hit you while you’re reading their colors.
You can read their stiffness and massage it to make them happy.