Chapter 21

Summary of the previous episode ------------------------------------------------------

Yuki, who had been transferred to another world with Sakizuki.

After being told not to use [Skill Copy], she followed Sakizuki, who started walking for no apparent reason.

A suspicious man watched the two of them, but he quickly disappeared.

"Alright, Sakizuki! I'm going to talk to you!"

The walk with Sakizuki was just a walk.

While talking about the world's prices, the Adventurer's Guild, and common knowledge about money, they simply walked.

They walked from the dock to the city gate and then came back here, doing nothing else.

They peeked into a few stores, but it wasn't anything significant, right?

"I understand. First, let me explain the dangers of [Skill Copy]."

Sakizuki explained the restrictions in a very matter-of-fact and serious tone, and I felt the blood drain from my face again.

"W-What do I do? Am I done for? Is my life over!?"

"Calm down, Yuki. Indeed, you are currently useless."

*Stab*.

I can't deny it, but it hurts, Sakizuki.

"But, if it's copying, we can still manage. If I copy my skills, it should be fine."

"Y-Yeah! We can manage! You're the best, Sakizuki! I can rely on you!"

If someone teaches me a skill, I can get it too!

I thought I had wasted 100 points, but that's not the case, right?

"Well, I don't know how to teach it, though."

"*Cough!*"

Indeed!

For skills like cooking, it's one thing, but even if I were told to teach [Pierce], I wouldn't know how!

"But I think practical skills can be taught, so don't be discouraged. If we can meet up with Yū and the others, I think we can learn more skills."

"Right! ...But where is Yū?"

"Probably not in this city, I think. And I have a feeling he's with Shō."

"Ah, Chizen is probably with them too. Those three should be able to figure things out even in that state."

At the moment I was told to attach to a familiar soul, I only vaguely sensed Sakizuki nearby.

If Yū had been nearby, I would have noticed, I hope...

But those three seem to have a way of recognizing each other even if they are a bit apart.

"If those three transferred together, we can expect a lot. They seem to be doing better than us."

"Yeah, those three have that kind of trust."

Tough, strong, or efficient?

Chizen can be a bit restless, but with Yū, he should be fine as a stabilizer.

It might be safer for us two girls to wait rather than search around.

"Then, about [Skill Steal], it's even worse."

I was stunned by the details she explained with a sigh.

"Hey, does that mean if you use [Skill Steal] indiscriminately, you die?"

"Yes."

"Whaa~! I was in a close call! Thank goodness I followed my conscience!"

If I had succumbed to temptation and taken [Skill Steal] then, I would have died. Almost certainly.

"...Huh? Then, what was the walk for? Isn't this more important than the walk?"

Of course, I had no intention of using [Skill Copy] because Sakizuki told me not to, but this explanation is very important, right?

"There's a hint in the current explanation."

"The current explanation...?"

The explanation of [Skill Steal]?

The part about 'transferring 4% of the stolen skill's level to the target's lifespan' from [Help]?

We were walking around a city where a classmate with [Skill Steal] lives, so casually.

"...Did you intentionally let them steal it?"

"Yes. Didn't our statuses temporarily show a skill earlier?"

"At that time, someone was using [Skill Steal] on us?"

"The possibility is high. For someone with [Skill Steal], it makes sense to target classmates."

If there's someone with [Skill Steal], there's a chance they could steal your [Skill Steal].

'Take it before it's taken from you,' that's exactly what Sakizuki is saying.

"Besides, it's not a bad idea to let someone who can share their lifespan, right?"

Sakizuki smiled, but... she's dark! She's dark, Sakizuki!

But it's effective, I can't deny that!

Considering our safety, it might be safer if someone who would use [Skill Steal] suddenly disappears.

It's a harsh thing to say, but it's true.

"Also, the same goes for [Skill Copy]."

"Huh?"

"Letting someone copy skills from us is a weakness for them."

"True, they're limited."

Once they copy from us, they can't use the skill unless they bow to us and ask for it.

That alone gives us an advantage over them, so walking around as bait is, in a way, logical.

It's a bit dark, though.

"Other skills like [Heroic Potential] or those that harm others are also troublesome, but we can avoid them if we don't get involved."

"What if they ask us to act together?"

"Huh? Of course, I would refuse. Who can we trust in this situation?"

"Maybe no one?"

We didn't have a wide social circle.

Well, to be precise, we had a wide but shallow one.

We got along with people at school, but we didn't interact much outside of school.

We didn't know each other's homes or meet on weekends.

It would be quite stressful to act with such people for a long time.

"They're not enemies, but there's more uncertainty than trust."

"Yeah, that's true. --Is there anything else to be careful about?"

"No, not really about your skills... I just noticed something strange about how you obtained them."

"Huh, really?"

"Yes. ...Let's write down our skills on the ground for now to discuss."

"Okay."

We sat down and wrote down the skills from our status screens on the ground.

It would be convenient if we could show the status screens directly, but since people in this world don't recognize them, it could cause trouble.

"---Done."

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[Skill Copy] [Common Sense of Another World] [Earth Magic Aptitude]

[Fire Magic Aptitude] [Water Magic Aptitude] [Space-Time Magic Aptitude]

[Pierce Lv.1] [Earth Magic Lv.1] [Toughness Lv.1]

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"---I'm done too. Let's start with Yuki."

"Okay."

"Let's skip the copy. [Common Sense of Another World] is great. I didn't even notice I had it."

"Probably added later at someone's request? I didn't notice it at first either."

This skill only costs 5 points but is quite useful.

It might only be useful when we first arrived in this world, but it's an important skill for getting through that period safely.

"[Pierce] is related to copying, right? The most concerning thing is that you have so many magic aptitudes, but you only know Earth Magic."

"Well, aptitude is innate, right? It's more cost-effective to use points on aptitudes that seem impossible to learn rather than on magic that seems learnable. Of course, if I had extra points, I would have learned magic too."

For example, in sports, you can improve your skills through practice, but you can't improve your aptitude.

Conversely, if you have aptitude, even as a beginner, you can see the results of practice more easily.

I don't want to think that you can't do something because you lack talent, but to become proficient, you probably need some talent.

I don't think the difference between professionals and amateurs is just the amount of practice.

"So, if 'talent' can be obtained freely, it's a loss not to take it, right?"

"That's the reason. But it's a good move. Actually, humans can't learn magic without aptitude."

"Really? So if you don't have aptitude at birth, no matter how much you practice, you can't learn magic?"

"That's what I think. And there's no way to check skills, right? It must be difficult for people in this world to learn magic."

"Well... yeah, it seems there are few human mages."

My [Common Sense of Another World] doesn't mention that you need aptitude, but if you can't check your status, you can't know if you have aptitude.

In this world, it's common knowledge that if you can't use magic after training as a mage's apprentice, you can't become a mage.

But there might be cases where someone couldn't become a mage because they had an aptitude for a type of magic their master couldn't use.

Thinking about it... the path to becoming a mage is quite harsh.

It's completely dependent on innate talent.

"I could have copied [Light] from you if I had it."

"Oh, you have Light Magic?"

"Yes, Level 1. It's scary to get injured in places without proper medical care. --But why did you only learn Earth Magic?"

"Among the magics, it seemed the safest to earn a living. You know, earth can be used in many ways, right?"

Since I didn't know what kind of world this was, I thought about it in terms of the real world, but most magics don't seem very useful in daily life.

Water -- There's plumbing.

Wind -- Fans?

Fire -- You can't even have a bonfire in your backyard these days.

Light -- Healing seems convenient, but can you make a living with low-level magic?

Darkness -- Hmm, maybe for a dare?

Space-Time -- It's a dream. Just a dream.

Among them, earth has uses.

It can be used for construction and agriculture, and there seem to be many daily jobs.

In places where machines aren't used, it could be valuable.

Of course, the situation is different in this world, but the idea of being useful in daily life is the same, right?

When I explained this to Sakizuki, she was oddly impressed.

"I was thinking about eliminating dangers... but you're more grounded than I imagined."

"More grounded... isn't that a bit harsh?"

"You don't seem like someone who took [Skill Copy] lightly."

"Don't say that!"

It's already a black mark in my history!

"Instead, show me your skills, Sakizuki!"

"Sure, here they are."

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[Help] [Toughness Lv.4] [Disease Resistance]

[Poison Resistance] [Night Vision] [Spear Talent]

[Spear Mastery Lv.4] [Light Magic Lv.1] [Light Magic Aptitude]

[Throwing Lv.1] [Martial Arts Lv.3] [Pharmacology Lv.3]

[Trap Knowledge Lv.1] [Lockpicking Lv.2] [Invisibility Lv.2]

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"Hmm... indeed, your skill set is focused on eliminating dangers. Lockpicking is a bit thief-like, though."

From her slightly frail health in the original world, I can see she's been taking care of her health with [Toughness], [Disease Resistance], and [Pharmacology].

[Toughness] alone seems to prevent illness, so she might be quite tough now.

She still looks like a delicate and beautiful woman.

[Spear Mastery] and [Martial Arts] are not surprising since she practiced naginata and aikido for physical training. The levels are a bit high, though.

"I don't plan to steal, but I thought it might be useful if I were locked in somewhere."

"Tough, stealthy, can move at night, and knows martial arts. --Yeah, you look like a special forces member."

If you used a knife instead of a spear, it would be even more fitting.

"I aimed for survival... Is Yuki's Earth Magic useful?"

"Of course. ...Let me check the status."

At Level 1, you can use 'Earth Manipulation' and 'Sand Spray.'

Let's start with the easier one.

"Here I go! 'Sand Spray'!"

As I chanted and extended my hand, a handful of sand shot out from my palm and flew forward, then fell.

"...It's a blinding technique. I can do that too. Look."

Sakizuki grabbed the sand at her feet and threw it.

No, you don't have to do it!

I know it's a bit weak!

"This... yeah, it's hard to notice if you chant suddenly, right?"

"Well, yes. You don't need to secretly pick up earth."

I nodded, and Sakizuki smiled gently. I waved my hands frantically.

"It's okay! I have another one! 'Earth Manipulation'!"

*Crack* The ground I pointed at sank about 30 centimeters.

"......Maybe it's useful for disposing of garbage?"

Sakizuki's smile became even gentler.

No, that's not right!

I thought it would be more impressive!

This can't even be used for gardening!?

"No, no, wait! My potential isn't just this!"

It's my fault for using it without thinking, yeah.

If I imagine the result more clearly and put more effort into it...

"'Earth Manipulation'!!"

*Thud* A hole about 1 meter in diameter and 2 meters deep appeared in front of me.

"Alright!"

At the same time, my body wobbled, and I almost fell into the hole. Sakizuki quickly caught me from behind.

"Are you okay? Yuki!"

"Y-Yeah. I suddenly felt weak... but I'm fine now. Thanks, I almost fell in."

I felt a sudden sense of exhaustion, but I could stand after a moment.

Is this the feeling of using magic?

I need to get used to it, or I won't be able to use it at full power in battle.

"This is it. Magic depends on the used magic power and the image in your mind, so you need to have a clear image when using it. So, look."

This time, I raised the ground a bit.

It only created a 10-centimeter bump, but if I can use it quickly, I might be able to trip someone.

"Wow, impressive. But, Yuki?"

"What?"

"Don't we need to fill this hole?"

"......Yeah, you're right."

Leaving a hole of this size would be too much of a nuisance.

If someone falls in, they could get seriously injured.

I took several breaks and used my 'potential' to return the hole to its original state.