Read Novel Full Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Chapter 68 – Crumbling Assumptions
“Loki? Are you okay?”
“…Y-yeah, I’m fine.”
I answer, but I can’t stay calm.
What does that mean?
In Zink-kun’s party, Zink-kun is the only one in charge of the attack.
In other words, he must have killed a lot of Hooley Mole with his last attack.
Since Zink-kun’s Presence Detection is level 2, it’s not surprising that he also has level 2 Earth Magic.
“…You did the status check the other day, didn’t you?”
“Yes. I checked all my skills.”
“Is there any Earth Magic among them?”
“No, there isn’t. I probably don’t have any aptitude for magic. I’ve never practiced it.”
“…..”
W-wait, wait, wait… What does that mean?
When you defeat a monster, don’t you get the skill experience it has?
Isn’t that the rule in this world?
Or is there an aptitude for each person, and is there such a thing as skill experience that can be gained and skill experience that can’t be gained?
If that’s the case――
“By the way. Zink-kun, do you have a skill called Rush?”
“What kind of skill is that? I’ve never heard of it.”
“I see… I’m sorry for asking you such a strange question. Hahaha…”
The Horned Rabbit is undoubtedly the one Zink-kun would have hunted the most.
Besides, the Rush skill does not seem out of place for Zink-kun, who has been in melee combat for a long time.
But… he doesn’t have it either.
Why not?
He doesn’t seem to be hiding it.
If he is hiding it, it is unlikely that he would tell me the level of his Presence Detection skill.
If that’s the case, why does he have Presence Detection but not Earth Magic and Rush?
Or am I fundamentally mistaken in my thinking?
――No, I can’t keep up with my understanding.
The assumptions of this world that I took for granted are crumbling…
I could only respond to the conversation after that, and I returned to the city of Bezart, having forgotten my planned demonstration of Wind Magic.
▽ ▼ ▽ ▼ ▽
In my room at the inn after dinner.
I was checking my watch on the table, sitting on a chair, and looking out the small window.
The thing with Zink-kun.
No matter how much I thought about it, I could never find the right answer to my uneasiness.
However, it’s not so unimportant that I can’t leave it alone just because I don’t understand it.
The only way to find out is to ask the Goddesses, who know more about this world than I do.
Of course, there is a risk in asking the Goddesses.
They are on the lookout for “dangerous outsiders.”
In the worst case, if one of my predictions turns out to be correct, I could be targeted for elimination.
The option of not daring to tell anyone has not disappeared.
But… so far, Divine Communication has been used almost every day unless I fall asleep.
We must be communicating quite well.
The Goddesses seem to be very interested in information about Earth, and for some reason, most of the content is the Goddesses asking questions and me answering, which makes me want to rush in and say, “It’s the other way around, isn’t it!”
They would not take such a barbaric approach as suddenly imposing divine punishment. I’d like to think so.
Then let’s discuss it.
Sorry, I will be asking the questions today.
Fuh…
Divine Communication.
“Hello, this is Loki. Who is this today?”
“(It’s been a while, this is Alicia. Loki, how are you?)”
“Huh? Alicia-sama! Have you recovered?”
I was talking to the goddesses in rotation, but Alicia-sama was the only one who was out of rotation because she was recovering.
I only heard the voice of the dying Alicia-sama from time to time, so I knew she was really alive, but…
I haven’t been able to speak properly since the first day I met the goddesses.
“(Although I’m finally able to talk to you. It seems like you’ve been able to interact with everyone a lot… and I’ve been jealous of that, you know? Please teach me about Earth today.)”
“No, Alicia-sama, that’s not what I originally planned to do――and today is not the time for it!”
“(Eh?)”
“Alicia-sama. It’s very difficult. It may be an incident. It may be related to the rules of this world, the very foundation of this world, but please tell me about the skill!”
“(N-no way! I was looking forward to it! No, it’s nothing. What do you want to ask me?)”
“I’m sorry. I’ll tell you what you want to know next time, Alicia-sama. I thought the rule in this world was that when you defeat a monster, you get the experience value of the skills that monster possesses. Is there such a rule in this world?”
“(Skill experience from killing monsters? As I recall, experience is a quantified contribution to the world, right?)”
“Ah… how can I explain it… but that’s how it is. In addition to performing actions related to that skill, for example, if you defeat a monster that has the Fire Magic skill, you can also acquire the Fire Magic skill. Is that right?”
“(It’s hard to say. It was Felza-sama who created the monsters in this world, and it was also Felza-sama who decided how to give the skill to people. I’m sorry, but as lower deities, we have no control over that content.)”
“I see…”
The Goddesses are not omniscient, although they give the impression of being close to omnipotence.
They probably know things that other people don’t, so if the Goddesses can’t help me with this…
I also wonder if I should ask Yagov-san or Amanda-san.
However, there is a possibility that they will just make me feel uncomfortable and not give me a proper answer, and unlike the Goddesses, there is also the fear that my information will be spread.
It is a method of confirmation that I would prefer to avoid if possible.
“(By the way, how much contribution―is it possible for you to acquire a skill when a monster is defeated?)”
“If there is a skill that I have not learned at all, and if the monster has that skill, then I can get that skill by killing five monsters. Technically, it’s five at the most, since the skill level of that monster is also relevant.”
“(…Heh?)”
――Oh, I get it now; I get the reaction.
Maybe something unexpected will work for me.
“(B-by the way, what skills have you gained from killing monsters so far?)”
“Let’s see, I have acquired Rush, Presence Detection, Earth Magic, Wind Magic, and Poison Resistance. Oh, and I also acquired Stick Art in this pattern.”
“Rush…? What kind of skill is that…? Please join us, everyone! Who here knows the skill Rush?)”
“(I’ve heard of it. I don’t know the Rush skill either.)”
“(I don’t know it either. From the name, it seems to be an offensive skill?)”
“(Probably a skill that people couldn’t handle! Why would Loki-kun have it? I’m just saying!)”
“(As expected from an outsider. I feel it’s dangerous…)”
“Gyaaa! Wait, Ria-sama! I’m normal! I just live a normal life!”
I was finally able to have a little conversation with the elusive Ria-sama, and then…
As I quickly silenced her disturbing remarks, the Goddess of Life, Phiril-sama, made a confident remark.
“(First of all, it is definitely a skill for monsters only~. So it’s no wonder that we don’t possess this skill~)”
(((((Eh?)))))
“(In the past, I have looked into monsters with the God’s Eye~. I remember that they possessed that Rush skill back then~)”
“(Was that when your split entity was sent down to the lower world to investigate the area of possibility for the people to survive?)”
“(Yes～. I peeked in once out of curiosity at that time~)”
“(I don’t think it’s the right thing to do either… but isn’t that conclusive enough?)”
“(Yes, it is. Somehow Loki also has a skill that only monsters have.)”
(((((…..)))))
“W-wait a minute! I don’t really understand why I have it either! And even if I did, I just live a normal life!”
・
・
・
“Oh―the Divine Communication has already been cut off…”
Huh――…
I unintentionally relaxed, letting all my weight rest on the back of the chair.
I knew something was wrong, but I had no idea it was a monster-only skill…
Was it a mistake to ask for advice?
If I had kept it a secret, the Goddesses would never have found out.
But still, if I had not known the answer, it would have come out sooner or later.
It is a hundred times better to reveal it myself than to be found out later.
I guess that’s all I can do, right?
The rest was just the same old “what will be, will be.”
At that moment, a sound interrupted my thoughts.
“(Loki-kun, this is Alicia. I’m sorry, but I need you to come to the church tomorrow. It’s urgent, please.)”
“(I knew the Oracle would come…)”
As you can imagine, I know I can’t refuse in this situation.
It is a matter of great importance to me and to the Goddesses.
Then, I have no choice but to be determined.
So, depressed, I rolled over in bed and went to sleep.