Chapter 10

This is the second part of a double-post.

"Does this mean... that's what it means?"

For a moment, he thought this man might have been killed by a 'Seizure' skill user, but probably not. When he searched the student handbook yesterday, he felt the chest, and there should have been no hole.

Moreover, there wasn't a lot of blood around the hole. It was natural to assume that the heart was crushed some time after death.

Why did someone crush the heart of the corpse?

There was no need to think about it. The acquisition condition for the skill was to crush the heart, not necessarily of a living person. As proof, when he checked the student handbook of the deceased, 'Temporal Magic' and 'Magic Capacity' were gone.

"To succeed with a near-zero probability, and to keep trying until it succeeds... but it's impossible because of the condition to crush the heart. Since two people have succeeded, it must be that the conditions for the 'Seizure' skill are met."

How did they raise their status and skills?

Moreover, since more than two skills were stolen, it means the 'Seizure' skill must be at least level 2. What's going on?

I don't think there was a skill that reduced skill points when acquiring a skill. I searched every corner for such a trick skill, like one that makes it easier to raise skills by increasing the experience points gained. None of those skills existed.

The only other issue is the level. If the conditions are met, it must mean they raised their level to increase points. The 'Seizure' skill doesn't apply to opponents of a lower level.

"Am I misunderstanding something?"

"You're not wrong."

A voice came from behind!

"Who's there!"

Before he could shout and turn around, he extended three threads to shield his back. He stretched the threads between the trees and poured all his 'Ki' into them.

"Wow, you're quite something, aren't you?"

The threads were sandwiched, and a boy was looking at him with a playful expression.

He looked to be in his mid-teens, like a middle or high school student. He had brown hair and narrow eyes. His face was androgynous and well-featured. His face value was quite high. He must have been very popular in school. His confident expression was almost annoyingly charming.

He was wearing a blazer-style school uniform. It was a rather ordinary outfit.

"Hmm, threads, huh? Is this the power of magic, or a thread-related skill? You're quick on your feet, yeah, that's good."

He smiled and nodded repeatedly, seemingly delighted.

Is this guy really a 'Seizure' skill owner?

"Hey, hey, mister."

"I'm still in my mid-twenties. Call me 'bro'."

"Sorry, sorry. I thought you were an older guy because you were wearing a hood and your face wasn't visible."

Come to think of it, the rain from yesterday was annoying as it dripped from the leaves, so he had kept his hood on. Plus, the morning sun was behind him.

"So, bro, don't you have something you want to ask me?"

Without losing his cool, he continued in a condescending tone, looking down on him. He must be very confident in his abilities.

"Do you have the 'Seizure' skill?"

"Correct! Bro, you're quite sharp. You're calm in front of a corpse and don't let your guard down even while thinking. You seem like you could survive in this world."

"You also crushed the hearts of the schoolgirl in the student uniform and this man, and stole their skills, right?"

"Yeah, it was me."

The boy answered before he could finish his sentence, clearly eager to boast about being the owner of the 'Seizure' skill, the main character of the story.

"You shouldn't have enough skill points, so how can you activate the 'Seizure' skill?"

"Right, you'd think that! I knew it too, but I couldn't give up on the 'Seizure' skill because I admired it! I used 300 points for the explanation, so I clearly didn't have enough points and didn't know what to do."

So far, his thoughts aligned with mine. The question is, what did he do next? If I just listen, he'll probably spill everything.

He's riding high on the power everyone envies. His self-display of overwhelming strength is evident.

"I did take the prerequisite 'Theft,' but it was far from enough... Still, I decided to keep trying and cautiously explored the area after coming to this world. Then, I heard a scream!"

He seemed quite excited as he spoke, his voice unnecessarily loud.

"So, I went to check it out, and there was a fat old man attacking a girl! The justice-loving me jumped in right away! I picked up a big rock nearby and smashed it on the old man's head!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and the corners of his mouth were upturned, revealing a hint of madness.

He seemed vulnerable now, but without knowing his true strength, I should avoid rash actions. Besides, I'm genuinely curious about what he'll say next. There's a high chance of getting valuable information.

"Did you know? People die so easily! When the old man died, I thought the girl below would be grateful, but do you know what she said? 'Murderer!' ... Isn't that strange? I helped her, yet she called me a murderer! I didn't do anything wrong, I didn't do anything wrong..."

I didn't blame the boy for his repetitive actions. Killing was too much, but it was just a result. His instinct to help was commendable.

The girl he saved was also a corpse in a situation of being attacked. She must have been in shock and blurted it out.

"Sorry, I got a bit upset just thinking about it."

"Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, thanks. By the way, call me Shunya. Oh, where were we? Ah, right. After killing the old man, the girl cursed me and ran away. I was depressed for a while, but then something in my chest started glowing. I checked and found a student handbook."

Finally, he's getting to the point. The introduction was too long, but I'll keep a serious expression. People like this can get upset over small things.

"So, I opened the student handbook... and my level had gone up by 10!"

"Huh?"

"Hahaha, you finally showed a surprised face! Isn't it shocking? My level went up by 10 just by killing one person. And, get this... I got 1000 skill points on top of the points from leveling up!"

You've got to be kidding... If what the boy says is true, he's at least level 11. No, he's definitely over 11.

Moreover, getting 1000 skill points means the points from the person he killed transferred to him.

"Nice expression! I like you, bro!"

"That's... thanks."

"Yeah, yeah. So, with my level up and new skill points, I met the conditions for 'Seizure.' Here, take a look."

The boy threw the student handbook with a big smile. I grabbed it, keeping him in my sight to avoid any danger, and opened it next to his face.

The photo in the student handbook matched the boy's face. His name was Rai Gouji Shunya. He had an unusual last name.

The level listed below was—29.

"Level 29..."

I let out a gasp without realizing it. Shunya's face next to the calm photo beamed with genuine joy.

"Isn't it amazing!"

"Amazing, but too amazing."

I nodded in genuine admiration. Well, it was mostly true.

"You get it, bro!"

His innocent, joyful expression seemed younger than his age, but I wasn't going to let my guard down, considering what he had done.

Looking down, I saw the status section.

From what I've seen of student handbooks, I think the average status value is around 10. Anything higher than that means above average.

His—Rai Gouji's—status was all 15, and he had raised it to level 3. So, all his stats were 15 x 3 = 45. His physical abilities surpassed mine in every way. Only his strength was close to mine.

"Hmm..."

I glanced at him, and he was proudly puffing out his chest, his eyes full of expectation. Shunya was waiting for praise.

"Your stats are incredible. I'm embarrassed to compare myself to you..."

I made it look like I was amazed and muttered. It seemed to meet his expectations, and his face lit up with pride.

I was afraid to look further, but I told myself I might find a solution and focused on it.

There were 13 skills listed in the skill section.

The first thing I saw was 'Seizure' 5. He had indeed raised the skill level. Level 5 means he can steal—15 skills.

It was beyond threatening. There were still other skills.

'Theft' 3, 'Explanation' 3, 'Common Language' 3, 'Status Abnormality Resistance' 3, 'Magic Resistance' 3, 'Environmental Adaptation' 3, 'Temporal Magic' 3, 'Magic Capacity' 3, 'Concealment' 3, 'Wind Attribute Magic' 3, 'Magic' 3, 'Magic Conversion' 3

'Theft' and 'Explanation' were definitely skills he originally had. The rest were probably stolen with 'Seizure.'

'Status Abnormality Resistance,' 'Magic Resistance,' 'Environmental Adaptation,' 'Wind Attribute Magic,' 'Magic,' and 'Magic Conversion' were new skills. They were probably obtained from the old man and the girl, or someone else.

'Temporal Magic' and 'Magic Capacity' were definitely stolen from the corpse at his feet.

'Concealment' was also owned by the second corpse I found, but I don't think he stole it from there. That person had 'Consumption Reduction' and other useful skills.

With plenty of empty slots now, there was no reason not to acquire them. Having more than two skills from the same person proves he can do it.

"Why are all your skills at level 3? Is there a reason?"

"You noticed that. Good eye. I'm a bit of a perfectionist, and it feels wrong if the numbers don't match."

Then, why not match it to 'Seizure' 5? You have nearly four digits of skill points left.

"So, you're wondering why I didn't match it to 5, right? I wanted to, but skills get a lot stronger from level 5, but the consumption points are insane from level 4. So, I'm saving points to raise everything to 4, then 5 all at once!"

Is that so? I have 'Synchronization' 5, but I didn't need that many consumption points. Maybe it's because the ability is considered weak.

There's one more thing I need to ask.

"I have one question. I remember reading that the 'Seizure' skill can't be used on opponents of a lower level."

"You remember that? Yeah, that's true. But that's only up to 'Explanation' 2. When you raise it to 3, a new note appears. It says, 'However, if the target is a transferer, it's possible even with a level difference.'"

That's the worst. I thought raising 'Explanation' would increase the information, but it seems important parts were still hidden.

"Oh, right. Since I saw your student handbook, show me yours, bro."

"Ah... sure, no problem."

I pulled out a student handbook from my item box, checked the contents, and lightly threw it to Shunya.

With Shunya's strength, he could easily cut through the threads separating us. But he's maintaining a certain distance, probably because he's a bit wary.

He wants to check if I have any abilities that could threaten him. And another reason to check—whether I have any skills he wants.

With 'Magic Resistance' at level 3, he can probably withstand minor magic. Plus, his high stats.

'Status Abnormality Resistance' gives resistance to mental and physical abnormalities. With his already high level and high 'Mental' stat, he's resistant to magic and mental attacks. Skills like poison, mind control, and confusion wouldn't work on him.

The 'Concealment' skill, as the name suggests, is for hiding. It's probably why he wasn't detected by my 'Search' and why I didn't notice him behind me.

"Hmm, so you're Iwamura Masaya, bro. Hey, your status section is torn."

"Please, spare me. After seeing Shunya's stats, I didn't have the courage to show mine. I tore it in a panic."

"Ah, it's fine. You're only level 3, after all. Compared to me, you're pitiful."

The arrogance of a strong person. He's not suspicious of my obviously suspicious explanation. He's probably confident that I can't surpass him in stats.

Plus, Shunya is more interested in skills.

"Hahaha, you have a lot of weird skills. You even have 'Concealment' like me! 'Water User'... Haha, did you get hooked, bro? Having 'Appraisal'... Hahaha."

Hey, that's rude. Apologize to the second transferer you met, who was reduced to pieces.

Shunya's laughter showed more ease and carelessness than before. Probably because he didn't find any skills that could threaten him.

"Huh? There's a cross in the item section. You have a mithril scythe and hoe."

"That's right. I was threatened by one of the reincarnators and had to give them up. The opponent was a complete fighter, so I had no chance and reluctantly handed them over."

I have two item boxes on my waist, but I hope they're not visible under my thick hoodie.

"Hmm, you've had bad luck. Still, a mithril scythe and hoe... You wanted to do farming, huh? Yeah, you seem nice, so it might suit you. I might overlook it... but I want 'Consumption Reduction.'"

He pinched the threads protecting me and pulled them lightly, giving me a seductive smile. His medieval features made the smile seem almost menacing.

Of course, that's how it would go.

I was afraid of having my skills stolen, so I used the hood and backlight to hide my face and gave him a student handbook I found from the second person. But it didn't seem to matter.

If he wanted the 'Consumption Reduction' I also have, I might not have needed to take the risk of revealing myself and angering him.

I tore the stats section to hide my self-destruction.

"Hmm, but why can you control threads? Are these made of cotton or something?"

"Yeah. 'Plant User' turned out to be surprisingly useful, even for me."

It was good that I used sewing thread without thinking at the time.

"Hmm, then I'll take 'Plant User' too."

Gripping the threads, Shunya was about to step over and tear them. I said this to him.

"Will you let me go?"

"What—Hmm, sure. You understand, and I want a fellow countryman around. Plus, if you're going into farming, you won't interfere with my path to heroism."

He suddenly changed his mind, let go of the threads, and smiled innocently.

"Well, my dream is to live a peaceful life in a remote rural village."

"You're really different, bro. I'm heading northeast from here. So... don't get in my way."

"I understand. I'll head south."

Is the smile hiding the twisted mind of someone with immense power? Honestly, I never want to deal with him again.

"See you, bro."

"Yeah... see you."

I watched as he ran off at an abnormal speed until he disappeared from sight, then all my strength left me, and I sat down.

"I survived. It was a miracle given the difference in abilities."

If Shunya hadn't changed his mind, I would have been easily killed and my chest mutilated.

He let me go not because of luck or a whim—

But because I activated 'Synchronization' through the threads I was holding.

I synchronized with my words, "Will you let me go?" and forced him to think, "Maybe it's okay to let him go."

He had 'Status Abnormality Resistance,' but the skill description is:

"Resistance to physical and mental abnormalities that negatively affect you."

Synchronization doesn't harm the person; it just makes them agree with your opinion.

My skill level was higher, so even with the difference in mental strength, it wasn't a bad bet. It seems to have worked.

"He might change his mind and come back. I should keep my distance."

I picked up the student handbook Shunya had dropped and bowed to the transferer I had never spoken to.

"Thank you for saving my life."

I decided not to go near the northeast where he headed and activated 'Search' to head west.