by Hiro Ainana
I was trying to replicate the Chinese martial arts I’d seen in a comic, and my “Hand-to-Hand Combat” skill helped make it a reality.
I could kill him in one blow if I went too overboard, so I also used the senses my “Abduction” skill gave me to hold back just enough.
…That was light.
Rather than knocking him out, I had intended to stop the blow just after hitting his body, but I still hadn’t expected it to feel so light.
Looking down, I saw that my fist had gone straight through Zen’s now semitransparent body.
“What?!”
As I stared in shock, something grabbed on to my ankle and lifted me into the air in an instant.
My vision was suddenly turned upside down. Thanks to my “Spatial Mobility” skill, though, I was able to look around smoothly without any complaints from my inner ear.
The giant force that had grabbed me was actually several black tentacles that had shot out from Zen’s shadow.
So he could control shadows?!
I wasn’t taking any damage, but I felt a tingling pain in my captured ankle.
I knew Arisa and I were the same way, but an opponent who could use magic without any chanting was a real pain.
> Skill Acquired: “Shadow Magic”
> Skill Acquired: “Shadow Resistance”
What the hell is “Shadow Resistance”?! I wanted to complain, but now wasn’t really the time for that. Instead, I put skill points into the skill, increasing my ability to combat this unreasonable form of magic.
Thanks to my new “Shadow Resistance” skill, the prickling numbness in my leg vanished.
“What a surprise. So you’re a martial artist masquerading as a merchant, are you? I doubt there are many people in the world of your level who can move quite like that.”
“Well, I had no clue there was such a thing as a sorcerer who could manipulate shadows, so I guess we’re even.”
It seemed silly to continue speaking respectfully toward a hostile opponent, so I decided to be more casual.
Still, I guess he underestimated me since I’d set my level in the networking tab so low. This was a good way to catch someone off guard, but I wished there hadn’t been any need to do so in the first place…
“You’re still talking big in such a position? I’m impressed.”
Another new shadow rose up next to Zen, forming into a fist.
A punch from that would definitely be painful. I slipped my hand into the pocket of my robe, planning to pull out my Magic Gun from Storage.
“Get your hands off my masterrrr!” Arisa cried out desperately. At the same moment, I felt something pulling on the right side of my body.
According to the log, she had used a Psychic Magic spell called Shock Wave.
For just a moment, Zen staggered back.
There was no change to his HP gauge or stamina, but the spell must have had a knock-back effect. His hood fell away, revealing his face to the light.
…It was nothing but a skull.
In place of pupils, two purple flames were ensconced deep in his empty eye sockets. If it wasn’t for my “Fear Resistance” skill, I probably would have screamed. I looked over the rest of Zen’s status, which I hadn’t finished reading earlier.
“…a wraith?” Nadi murmured in a hoarse voice.
Arisa had cast Remove Fear before her attack, releasing everyone from the status affliction.
Nadi’s guess wasn’t far off, but this opponent wasn’t so simple.
“I’m a bit offended to be lumped in with such base undead creatures.”
Looking irritated, Zen turned to glare at Nadi. The shadowy fist that had been ready to attack me shot toward her instead.
I twisted my body in the air, using the Magic Gun I’d just pulled from Storage to intercept the fist.
The magic bullet hit the fist dead-on and vaporized it, but the base of the shadow it had come from kept moving toward Nadi without any loss of momentum.
I pulled the trigger for the next bullet, but the minuscule time lag prevented me from firing.
“Nadi!”
The store manager leaped out in front of Nadi, brandishing his long staff and opening his mouth to begin chanting a spell.
But the tip of the shadow smashed right through the staff, striking him square in the chest.
The sight gave me an idea.
I yanked my bound leg away from the shadows that held it, stomping on the base with my other foot.
The instant I escaped, I dashed forward and punched the shadow that was headed toward Nadi and the manager.
“Absurd! Yes, this is absurd! Hmph…!”
I pulled up my fist from the stone floor that I’d crushed along with the shadow, then stood up. I had assumed that I wouldn’t be able to touch it because it was a shadow, but I’d misunderstood.
If they could interact with us, then we could interact with them, too…
“A shadow whip made with Shadow Magic can only be stopped by magic or magic items.”
…or so I had thought.
I was glad I hadn’t smugly announced that or anything. That would have been embarrassing.
More importantly, the store manager’s HP gauge didn’t look good after that blow to the chest. Destroying the shadow must not have erased the momentum behind it; Nadi, who had caught the manager when he was sent flying, was unconscious as well.
“I won’t gib yew the brinsiss!”
The ratman took up a fighting stance next to me, holding the store manager’s broken staff.
Behind me, I heard Arisa starting to give Pochi and Tama some kind of orders.
“Pochi, Tama, I’m going to distract him. You two take Mia and escape through the back. You can do that, right?”
“We fight together, ma’am!”
“Beat the bone maaan!”
“You’ll do no such thing! You can’t beat him. His level is much too high!”
Just then, Mia spoke up in a trembling voice, rejecting Arisa’s proposal.
“…No. You run.”
“What’s the point of running away and leaving you behind? I’m not just trying to help you get away because you’re our friend. Our master’s wish is for you to escape, so that is my top priority.”
If Arisa weren’t a child, I felt like I might just fall for her.
“But…”
“No buts. I’ll create an opening for you, so please don’t worry about us and just run!”
Was she planning on using a Unique Skill? She used pretty clichéd phrases for such a little girl, though.
If she could break through my defenses, I was sure she’d have no trouble with a mere level-41 opponent.
I fully intended to take care of him before it came to that, though.
“Master Sorcerer. Forgive my ignorance, but would you mind letting us all in on your identity?” I asked, pointing the gun at Zen.
I already knew his identity, of course. The AR display informed me that he was the Undead King.
An undead of the highest rank, equaled only by legends like the Lich King and Nosferatu.
“Hmm. Sometimes a merchant, sometimes a martial artist. Is your true identity a gunman?”
Without answering my question, Zen replied in a tone as hackneyed as Arisa’s, his fleshless mouth moving in an eerie laugh to match his words.
“Perhaps I have many identities.”
If I had to pick one “true” identity, I would suggest “parallel-world tourist.”
“How amusing. Very well, Satou. Let us see if you can add ‘Hero’ to that list of identities—”
“Master, Mr. Rat, move aside!” Before Zen could finish his statement, Arisa’s voice abruptly cut in. “Take thiiiis!”
I leaped out of the way just as Arisa shouted.
Zen took a direct hit from an invisible attack.
He stumbled back—but that was all.
“That was close. To think you’d have a Unique Skill! And that hair… You must be a reincarnation, too,
hmm? I didn’t realize you were wearing a wig.”
Too? Then just as I suspected, Zen must be a transmigration just like Arisa.
“Nngh, he resisted it…”
Arisa’s body hit the sofa with a thud. That attack must have used all her magic and stamina.
The other girls gathered around the fainted Arisa, crying out her name and checking to be sure she was all right.
Having dodged too late, the ratman started leaking bodily fluids from his eyes and mouth, and he passed out as well. It didn’t seem like his life was in danger, but there would probably be unpleasant side effects if he was left alone.
Taking advantage of the chance Arisa had created, I pointed the Magic Gun at Zen’s shoulder and pulled the trigger.
I would have been a little reluctant to shoot at another person, but since he was some kind of undead creature, I had no problem with gunning down a threat.
The magic bullet raced toward him, but a magical barrier appeared before him and warded it off. It looked like a wall of transparent black glass.
So the Magic Gun won’t work…
I couldn’t just use Fire Shot on him inside. If I used it carelessly, there was no doubt in my mind that the whole shop would burn down.
I could probably beat him easily with one of the Holy Swords or Divine Blades I had in Storage, but it would definitely kill him, and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to do that. He certainly looked like an apparition, but I still felt like I’d have a hard time sleeping at night if I killed something with a human consciousness.
Demons like Mr. Eyeball and his friend, the natural enemies of humanity, were one thing, but…
“Using power beyond one’s place is begging for destruction. If you do not want that girl to become a plaything of the gods, you should not let her use that Unique Skill again.”
“I’ll let her know when she wakes up.”
Half listening to Zen’s advice, I tried to come up with a plan.
“Very good. Then I’ll be taking my leave.”
…Was he giving up on capturing Mia?
I was about to feel relieved about Zen’s casual withdrawal, but then I whirled around when I heard screams behind me.
“My strength is gooone…”
“Let me go, sir!”
“Satou!”
Shadow whips had lifted Pochi and Tama up into the air.
Countless shadows had sprung from the floor and wrapped around Mia, who cried out my name desperately as they dragged her down, half her body already disappearing into the dark.
The shadows drained Pochi’s and Tama’s stamina and tossed them onto the couch. Luckily, they didn’t seem to be wounded.
My biggest concern right now was Mia.
“Mia!”
Mentally apologizing to Pochi and Tama, I leaped toward the elf girl.
I tried using my bare hands to tear away the countless shadows around Mia, but they didn’t break, only stretching like rubber.
Fine, then, I thought, and started shooting them with my Magic Gun instead—but new whips formed from the shadows faster than I could destroy them.
Tossing aside the Magic Gun, I grabbed Mia and tried to pull her out of the shadows, but the force with which they were dragging her down was stronger than I’d thought.
Mia let out a cry of pain.
My strength was still greater than the shadows’, but Mia’s HP was slowly but surely ebbing away. If I pulled any harder, she might be torn apart.
“It’s no use.”
Zen scorned me as he sank into the shadows beneath his feet.
Arisa tried to shoot at him with the Magic Gun I’d tossed aside, but just like before, a barrier stopped the bullet short.
“You cannot hope to defeat transcendent power like mine, so you would do well to accept the unfairness of the world. If you do not fear death, come and visit the Cradle. I look forward to your break-in with that ‘wisdom’ and ‘courage’ of yours.”
Leaving his ridicule as a parting gift, Zen vanished into the shadows. He didn’t stay to ensure that Mia was fully absorbed—was it confidence or just carelessness?
My body felt as if it was going to be dragged in, too, for a moment, but my “Shadow Resistance” kept me from sinking more than an inch or so.
“Master!”
“Arisa!”
At that moment, Liza and Lulu returned, crying out when they saw the disastrous scene inside.
I made a decision.
“Liza! Lulu! Please get treatment for everyone. Call Zena or the ex-priest Horn!”
With those brief instructions, I tossed a pouch full of gold coins over to Liza. It was the one containing Viscount Belton’s crest; if the need arose, he might be able to help them, too.
“Don’t worry about me. I promise I’ll come back with Mia!”
Without waiting for their reply, I sank into the shadows along with Mia.
The Cradle of Trazayuya
Satou here. When information is transferred from person to person, its contents are altered. Whether deliberately or unconsciously, each person inevitably filters and changes it.
The place we’d sunk into was pitch-black.
There was no light and no sound, as if we were truly inside a shadow. Of course, there was no air, either.
Naturally, that was a little painful. Slowly but surely, my HP and stamina were decreasing. However, they would periodically recover thanks to my “Self-Healing” skill.
It might even be possible that I can no longer die of suffocation with this body.
But even if there were air to breathe, I was sure not many people would be able to stay sane if they were trapped in a place like this for a long time.
A little dizzied by the lack of oxygen, I couldn’t focus on my thoughts.
…Right. Mia.
I couldn’t even see my own body, so of course I couldn’t see Mia. I tried feeling around with my hands, but I couldn’t even tell up from down, so that wasn’t helping, either.
I took the magic tool called a Tinder Rod out of Storage and pressed the button to ignite it. I thought I would at least be able to see my own body with it, but it did absolutely nothing.
I couldn’t see anyone but myself on the radar, either.
I tried breaking out the old “Search Entire Map” skill. Unfortunately, there was no change to the radar display. Maybe I really am the only person here.
I opened up the map.
The window displayed the following words: No map available for this area.
“Seriously, is this a game?!” I shouted at the top of my lungs.
Then, as if in response to my cry, the shadowy space broke apart without a sound, shattering into fragments like glass and disappearing.
I was now inside a large chamber that looked like a place where you’d have an audience with a king.
It was a huge oblong room, the size of two school gymnasiums lined up side by side. The floor was made of stone, and the walls were lined with thick pillars; attached to each pillar was a candlestick, which filled the room with LED-like magic light.
A throne sat on a raised platform, next to a glowing red orb about six feet in diameter floating at around knee height. It looked like a much bigger version of a monster core.
There she is!
Mia was unconscious on the throne.
Next to it, a beautiful blond woman I’d never seen before was tending to Mia. Her face bore a strong resemblance to Mia’s, as if she were an older version of the girl.
But their body types were quite different, since she had outrageously large breasts. They had to be a D…no, maybe even an E cup.
…But that’s not important right now.
Zen stood nearby, running his fingers across an apparatus like a music stand next to the throne. Before I could run over, he noticed my arrival.
“How absurd!”
He looked surprised but didn’t stop manipulating the music stand.
“Yes—honestly, this is absurd! How did you escape from my
flawless shadow prison?! It should have been impossible for a low-level cur like you!”
Are you surprised, impressed, or just making fun of me? Pick one and be clear about it.
I felt a little unsteady on my feet, possibly as a result of the shadow space I’d been trapped in.
“That’s because I have a talisman of light. Shadow magic won’t work on me.”
Whoops. I was just planning to lie to him, but I got a little carried away. Was my “Fabrication” skill running too wild?
“A trial must be fair. I cannot accept any cheating. Only those who have captured the Cradle can enter this room. That is a crucial rule.”
When he finished speaking, Zen nodded in agreement with his own words.
“Are you playing at being the game master?”
If you want to play a life-or-death game, keep it to virtual reality, please.
“A game, you say! True enough, people cannot die here in the Cradle, but this is no child’s play.”
…People couldn’t die? What did that mean?
“And in order to complete the capture, the hero who’s managed to get to this room must defeat me, the Undead King!”
What was this guy talking about?
Did he want someone to capture the Cradle and kill him?
His objections were starting to anger me a little. Did he cause trouble for Mia and my kids and injure the store manager all because of this nonsense?
“If you want to die, just do it yourself. Don’t drag others into it.”
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha! As long as I have the gods’ blessing, I cannot die.”
For some reason, I sensed an undertone of irony in Zen’s words. The way he said blessing made it sound like it was more of a curse.
It was a little unpleasant, but his lengthy prattling gave my legs enough time to recover.
I crossed the 130-foot distance in an instant, landing right next to Mia. Rescuing her was my top priority.
Just before my fingertips could reach Mia’s clothes, Zen’s hands stopped moving across the operation pane on the stand.
“Now then, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to exit the main stage.”
The feeling of the ground beneath my feet as I ran forward was suddenly different.
More importantly, the scene before my eyes had changed completely.