[alert: monster wave subsiding, most monsters are on the city walls, in under 5 minutes it is safe to continue]
"haahhh... idiots... all of them" somehow, I feel like I've changed... is it arrogance?
never mind that for now, I wonder if I'll be able to hide from them?
[note: party last seen is now fighting in the walls, the city is under attack underground]
wait... what's happening?
[sources of ether can be read underground, non-human--- object--- scanning------- not created by an anomaly]
I'm confused right now... System, what's happening?
[answer: decision given by goddess of Maritika; save, destroy, leave]
huh? wait wait wait... System, tell me what's going on!
[rephrasing--- anomaly Isabelle Civia has been acknowledge by Goddess of Maritika, now considered as resident than visitor]
so what's this decision for?
[...]
no answer... erm... what do I do here? just choose from the three?... I'm not really a fighter and I'm currently going to the western pacific... haahhh... can I somehow save them without them noticing?...
[suggestion: time manipulator can be used]
oh, right... well how do I kill them?
[analyzing vital signs of all living beings within 10 yards--- complete, giving lethal spots]
!!!!
"system stop!!... haahhh... my mind won't take it... I'll just run... system, can you show me any chances of them surviving?"
[analzing--- complete, city has 100% chance to survive with deaths]
oh... I'll be off then. I want to help them but... I'm a bit in a hurry...
[...]
--------------
"Hello, excuse me, I'm here to find a girl from the central Island."
"Sorry but we have a lot of convicts here from a skirmish, find her if you can but to release her you'll have to pay"
I'll just hand him the few gold I have right now
"here, keep the change"
"t-thank you, sir!"
it's comparatively useless to anomalies anyway but best not to give it all... I wonder how much I'd actually pay if I know these numbers...
...
...
...
I can't seem to find her... "hey, can I ask you where the convicts from the last skirmish are? I'm searching for a certain person here
"lower floor, most of them are locked up than chained so be careful down there"
"I will, thank you"
「sir, there's a person looking for the sentrinians 」
「command all from the lower deck he might have information on them」
「yes sir」
...
hmmm, he's right, most of them are just locked up, they don't seem to be fighting, so they're just civilians?
"what's the meaning of this?"
"convicts from Centirillion, all of them fought back so we just knocked them out"
"hmm... you guys seem righteous, why? considering your pride for your home country shouldn't you guys be killing them off?"
"we would if we were ordered to, we have our pride sir but killing innocent civilians just because they're from a different country is unjust for our vision"
"ehh?... well I guess that's good"
I'm thankful that they all have a good head... I might've broke Mae out of jail if that was the case
"are you looking for them?"
we passed a section of convicts that seems to be just civilians, all I see is them chained to the wall, some are chained in a cross to restrain them further
"it is needed for protection purposes, I assure you we are not harming them in any other way"
"then I guess this is fine, but considering they're convicts then they won't give in..."
looking at his arm it looks like it's been bitten, slashed with something or probably much worse...
"oh! there she is"
"she's the one you're looking for?"
"ahh... yeah, can you let me in with her?"
"yes but do be careful, she's the most dangerous one here, along with some others from the upper floor"
"thanks for the warning". he opens the door and I enter Mae's cell, no noticeable injuries... clothing's intact... nothing bad happened huh? but just to be sure, I crouch down and look at her injured face... seems like they needed more force on her huh? considering that Ether doesn't respond well with Mana here than she's obviously weak, her skill is second to none but without her Ether or any skills that only eats her Ether then she's in danger...
"uhhh... Ma'il? is that you?"
"you finally awake? how'd you call me anyway?"
"miss Mae has an emergency program on my system, to call you if I happen to be in danger"
"well... just glad you're okay, but this really isn't a good example for Isabelle you know?"
"I know... forgive me"
"everything's fine, you don't have to worry, you're letting her train skill after all and it might be good to have a practice partner if you're having trouble"
"... Thank you..."
「Everything alright there? I assume that she's not berserk?」
"everything's fine, I'd like you to release her please, and don't worry, I already paid for it at the entrance"
"then I'll release her right away"
he unlocks the chains and cuffs, Mae looks at the guard rather like a predator... even I'll be scared from it
...
...
...
we finally finish the papers and Mae's walked beside me for the whole part, she's like a child in a stranger's party, it's cute
"how'd you get captured anyway?"
"I was fighting in a ship full of Histereans we're currently in a small war against them then they suddenly tried to capture some of the innocents there, women and children are of no exception..."
"I didn't see them injured though... I don't know what they're planning but if they're not harming any innocents then It's fine by me"
"you'd say that since you don't live here"
"yeah... I guess I have no idea on what this world experienced so I'm not a great judge, let's meet up with Isabelle why don't we?"
"What about my weapons!?"
"here, but don't you dare try and spy the people or the higherups here, it's Isabelle's training so I recommend restraining yourself"
"... affirmative..."
"there's the Tama that doesn't want to talk again, please be social with Isabelle, she might have Tria but she can't converse with her"
"affirmative..."
"haahhh... you're hopeless... but that's the Mae we know. we'll wait in the inn for now"
this'll be a long day huh?
----------
I've been walking in this somehow limitless forest... I haven't seen anything here but trees, fruit or dirt... It feels like the first day I became an anomaly... Nick was so cautious... I wonder why... right now he's just an uncle... wonder who's the father here... Ma'il perhaps? he seems-
[report from Tria: hey, I smell food over at the ease over here, why don't we go?]
"and I thought that you won't talk to me unless it's important! but I guess I am a bit hungry..."
it seems to be an encampment of some sorts, but it's a bit more formal for some adventurers...
「halt! who goes there!」
"shoot..."
raise your hands, just raise your hands
"state your business!"
"I'm only here travelling, please don't capture me..."
[alert: you can stop time]
oh right...
"what's this all about?"
"prince Felhorn! a stranger has entered our premises"
"hmm... weird, I could've sworn I planted magic warning and hallucinosis on the trees... well, that it's in the past, you two! check the sigils all over the place, check if something's wrong, and you, how'd you come here?"
this handsome fellow is a prince!? an elf too, but...
[alert: stats can be showed or saved momentarily, please choose]
just save it until I check it
"I was just headed to the western coast but... I got hungry and I was lured by the smell, and the smoke can be seen a mile away"
"I see... we might need to reconsider then... if a mere traveler was able to come to a protected area then we won't be able to wage war..."
"mind if I..."
"oh, please help yourself then"
"thank you very much! I promise I won't be long"
well, thank you, and thank you, I'll take some more for the night
"why don't you come with us for the night? I'd hate to let a lone maiden sleep in some forest"
"ehh? really? well... if you want..."
Damn it anxiety, not now!
...
...
I can't believe I really did sleep with a bunch of strangers... I think I'm safe though... I can't imagine these elves are going to hurt or do something to me in my sleep...
"so, why are you traveling right now?"
"hmm? erm... didn't I say that I'm going to the western port?"
"oh, I might not have heard. why"
"I'm going to meet up with a friend who's going to train me, all the skills and spells that I need to learn."
"oh, how old is your friend??"
crap... can I say it to him that she's an anomaly?
[response: no, approximate age is 300, looks 17]
"she's 17 years old but I think she's much older than me..."
"oho? I'd like to meet her them, if they could train me then it's probably for the best, this war won't be lasting for long anyway"
"I'm not gonna say anything about the war, you seem to have experience with combat, can you teach me?"
"I believe I'm incapable of teaching you, are you in a rush?"
"no, I believe not, why?"
I... am I forgetting something?
"Why don't you visit my town? it's the same direction you're headed in so you could come to ask for training while you're in town"
"oh! then why don't we spar?"
"Sorry... but I must rest early, you can ask one of the guards here, give them this"
a golden crest with a symbol... I guess this is proof?
"well... see you morning?"
"yes... thank you very much..."
well... might as well put this to good use...
---
"umm... can I ask someone to spar with me? I have this..."
「it's the prince's crest...」
「why would the prince give her something so valuable...」
"I'll be your partner, but if I win then you have to do everything that I say"
"then w-what about me?"
"hmm... I guess we can give you gold, of course, all of us will"
「you're getting cocky again」
「gambling again senior?」
"well... I don't really have much need for it... what about, no one will do anything to harm me?"
"I see... fair deal then, well pick out a weapon, I wouldn't want to win underhanded"
in a smug aura, he chuckles, System, try not to let Tria run Amok if I lose
[response: affirmative]
[...]
I pick out the simple wooden sword, he picks a rapier looking sword, it's made of plastic...
"well, your move missy"
"fine [Shiva!]"
the area became monochromatic again...
well... I guess I can hit him like this...
[alert, cannot injure non-moving entities that have stopped by time]
oh... so I have to stop the skill huh? okay then [stop!]
everything became normal again and on notice, Isabelle was already behind him with the sword aimed at his back
"your loss"
he raises his hand symbolizing Isabelle's win
「did you see that!?」
「I'm experienced at fast based battles but it was like she teleported behind him」
「that's impossible right!?」
「we can't even lay a finger on him...」
a few murmurs spread but another soldier stands in the middle
"I believe you haven't properly, so am I, Charles Fredwiegen. race, Human. the strongest royal guard for the prince"
another one...
"Isabelle Civia, uhh... race, Human. traveler... or for now anyway"
"why don't you show me that again"
he aims the giant rock sword at me like it was a feather
"so this is another spar?"
"yes, please, you move"
[notice: you can signal your hands/feet/body motion/ eyes to execute a skill]
ehh? do I need to?
[response: optional but makes things more silent, you don't need to shout or speak in your mind]
I see... then if my pinky finger stands for about 3 seconds then I suddenly swipe it then execute the command
[affirmative: registering--- register complete, skill can be used as said]
hmm... is that why some of Project makes weird action? well not that I care...
I raise my pinky, then swipe it suddenly. the action worked, the skill executed
this will be-... he's looking at my pinky when the time stopped... he was inspecting my every motion... I guess I can't be too careless with him... I'll just move on his left side
[notice: the skill can be stopped by repeating the action or registering a different action]
ohh... keep it like that then
I play the time again and he suddenly swipes in a spinning motion, he seemed to be prepared, thankfully I noticed him inspecting my movement
"... a miss... seems like it's not a skill that lets you teleport on the back of your enemies... so is it your movement? are you slowing down time? no... that's impossible..."
you were close...
[note: once everything stopped objects that is not touching you will be stopped by time, making it constant, you can manipulate such things to jump through objects thrown in the air while time is stopped]
oohh~ so that means as long as it's not moving then I can use them as a foothold might as well test it out
"what... want me to move?"
"ahh sorry, just trying to make a strateg-"
he suddenly strikes, it was so fast that I barely dodged it, it even broke some of the landscape here
"so you actually dodged that... I'm surprised"
[you cannot slow down time]
oh... that's too bad...
[...]
{she's forgetting a fatal skill right System?}
[affirmative]
what?
[nothing]
hm...
...
I toss my sword in the air and stop time, checking on the theory yes... it does stop them in time, I can't move this even suspended in the air I can even do some pull-ups here...
but... it looks like that's not available... also, my pocket currently has coins in them... I'm not touching them so what's wrong with it? shouldn't I be stuck in place?
[a 4-centimeter radius for objects with no life are excluded as to convenience the person using the skill]
oh! guess that makes things easier... more or less...
I tossed these coins earlier to test my theory... no it doesn't stop in time, time's still moving for them so with or without a radius, as long as they're outside of my field then I can utilize them...
hey system... I'm gonna change the execution
[affirmative]
...
...
...
done!
[warning: ether count has been decreased more than half, approximate time to exhaust: 25 minutes]
oh... I forgot I was using the skill... well I don't need to prolong this any longer
time continued as per my action, and I stopped time again the moment I tossed the rock, I continued this for a few minutes and then stood to his front, the rocks I threw were at his sides so I'm safe
"!!"
he seems surprised, well... I guess that's a given, stones began to hit him in his body and he flinched the moment the rocks hit
"if those were knives then all of them would've eventually lead to a fatal hit"
I say that but that wasn't even accurate.
"I lost... I admit defeat"
"I'm still inexperienced so I'm glad that I managed to win this spar"
「miss Isabelle, It's time to stop sparring, get to sleep all of you, soldiers with night shifts remain」
I guess it's time to pack up for the night... I got good training out of it though