Overcoming those difficult times, I was now fully enjoying a rare period of recovery. After the middle school graduation ceremony was over, we went on a short break before starting high school.
Realistically, I should have had a part-time job during this break, but that was gone now, because of the group bullying from the other day. Because I was absent that day, I was fired; obviously it wasn't possible to go to it. I was fired from my other part-time job as well, because of all the bruises on my body. I thought it was unreasonable, and I was frustrated, but I couldn't do anything about it.
I wondered if I should do muscle training during this break, even though I didn't think it would change anything. I had a lot of things to worry about, but first I had to find a new part-time job. At any rate, for now, I had a little time to spare, so I decided to clean this house for the first time in a long time.
I immediately got out a rag and vacuum cleaner and started cleaning the house. Even though I often did light cleaning, a thorough cleaning revealed a lot of dirt. My grandpa's house was quite large, so it would have been difficult to clean all the rooms properly without an opportunity like this.
…No, I knew the truth. I was doing this to avoid thinking about what had happened.
During a surge of depression, I went to the washbasin to replace the water in the bucket, and there, like it or not, I could see my face reflected in the mirror. Thin, small eyes. A huge pig nose with small nostrils. Rounded cheeks, and although my cheekbones were defined, my whole face was fat, swollen, and covered in acne and freckles.
My lips were thick, and covered my crooked teeth. My hair was so thin it felt like premature baldness. This was my face. A face that doesn't at all resemble my parents or those twins. When I looked at it now, the accumulated resentment inside of me overflowed.
I yelled in rage, and punched the mirror over and over again, desperately trying to erase the picture in front of me. I kept hitting it long after my fist was covered in blood.
Breathing hard, I then grabbed the big bucket and smashed it into the mirror, breaking it instantly. With the mirror broken, I was able to calm down a little, but mentally, I was still in a fog. Fragments of the mirror fell onto the floor and mingled with my blood.
No matter how much I shout, my situation won't change.
I wanted to undergo plastic surgery if I could. But I couldn't even come close to doing that without any money. The fact was, I had to work with all my strength just to barely earn enough for my living expenses.
In the face of such a sorrowful reality, my heart sank even more. What exactly do I want to be? I couldn't see my future anymore. I wouldn't be able to find a job properly. Considering how things are now, it was only natural that I'd never thought about what I wanted to be in the future.
Dream… a dream, huh? Even if I had a dream, it would be meaningless anyway. I don't have the ability or the will to make a dream come true…
"Fuck!"
Frustrated by my powerlessness, I hit the wall forcefully ― and at that moment…
"Huh?"
All of a sudden, the wall rotated, like a secret door in a ninja mansion, and revealed a room I had no idea existed.
"Wh… What the…?"
I'd lived in my grandpa's house for a long time, and I'd never seen a room like this before.
"What is this place…"
I had stumbled on a mysterious hidden room. I was cautious at first, but soon my curiosity won out, and before I knew it, I was already inside.
"This is…"
As it turned out, this was a room where grandpa put many of the things he collected when he flew around the world. My grandpa was always traveling around and coming back with souvenirs, but I didn't know where he put them all. I was stunned to realize all of them had been stored in a secret room.
When I was looking in amazement at the goods obtained from all over the world, I suddenly got a strange feeling.
"Wha― What the hell is this?"
It was a puzzling feeling, one I had never felt before, and it now guided me through the room. I passed by many things, some of which grandpa had shown me in the past, and others that were totally new to me.
"…What is that? That mask. It's frightening, and it kind of looks like a kijin… hmm? Oh wow… What's that doll?" (PosterNote - A Kijin mask is a traditional Japanese mask that was used to 'portray the devil and bring disasters' or to 'ward off evil spirits.)
It was like the kijin mask, and a mannequin that was bigger than me. There were also some basketball-sized red cubes, and although I didn't know the principle behind it, there were also some strange stones floating around an equally strange pedestal.
Apart from that, there was even a coffin that looked like an Egyptian sarcophagus, the kind that usually contained a mummified pharaoh.
As I walked around, looking at the various objects and artifacts around me, I started to get that funny feeling again, like something was calling to me. I continued on, like being led by the hand.
Grandpa… collected all of this…
In the past, he had often boasted about his collection, but I didn't realize how great it really was. Memories of a casually cheerful grandpa resurfaced, and it was almost enough to make me cry again.
It was grandpa's collection of items, but it was full of things I had no idea what the uses were, so it was almost like junk now. If grandpa was still alive, he would have taught me a lot once more…
"What should I do with all this… hmm?"
Even though I felt a bit uneasy, like something scary would happen if I even touched these items, my eyes were drawn to one particular item placed at the very back of the room. It was a door that existed as if it had been pulled out of the wall. There was a large owl carved on the middle of the wooden door, and trees carved on the edge of it.
"Did grandpa bring this back, too?"
This door? If he brought this back, where would this door lead to? Well, it's just a door anyway, so I should only see the wall behind it, if I open it. But the moment I saw the door, the strange feeling that I was having grew stronger.
"Could it be… from this door?"
I couldn't recognize anything about the door in front of me, but it demanded my attention, and my eyes were glued to it.
I wonder if this door was the thing calling me this whole time…
"Is there anything on this door?"
With that in mind, I reached for the door knob and opened it.
"…Huh?"
It was an unfamiliar room. It's decorated similar to a log house, with a large wooden table and chairs, and a wooden closet. Weapons such as swords and axes were piled up like mountains.
"Huh? Wha-?"
I felt like my head was about to explode upon seeing such an incomprehensible situation. Then, something like a translucent board suddenly appeared in front of me.
"Whoa!"
Since it appeared so suddenly, I cried out like a wimp and fell on my ass. However, the translucent board moved with me, and remained at the same place in my vision.
"W-What is this…"
Feeling flustered, I focused on the translucent board, and saw the text written on it:
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"Huh?"
There, something like a message from games was displayed. A-Appraisal? Endurance? More importantly, a different world?
For now, I got up and went back to my house and checked around the door again.
"A-As I thought, there's nowhere to go?"
The only thing behind the door was just the wall of my house. Yet through the door was an unfamiliar room like in a log house, extending beyond the other side.
"Seriously, what is this thing…"
What the heck is this door?
The moment I thought that, the translucent board that had disappeared suddenly appeared again.
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[Door To Another World] : A door which suddenly appeared on Earth and leads to some other world. Even the Gods do not know why these doors appear, or how. The destination is unknown, and once you cross to a different world, the location becomes fixed. Those who become the door's master can manipulate various functions. The door is indestructible.
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How? Suddenly I know all this information about the door. No wait, I understand it perfectly well, but it's still absurd! At this point, I finally calmed down and arrived at the answer.
"Perhaps… it's the effect of this [Appraisal] skill?"
No, but wait… I'm in the room at my house right now, not in that log house style room. So… why is that thing still showing up?
"I don't really get it, but… is there any way I can check the effect of the skills?"
The board appeared again when I muttered that, and displayed the following:
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[Appraisal] : Skills to appraise various things.
[Endurance] : You have acquired great resistance to abnormal states, mental interference, or physical stress.
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"There it is again…"
I understood it now. I was probably able to examine the door a little while ago because of this [Appraisal] skill. Even so… this was too far detached from reality.
"If that's how it is, can I examine the titles, too?" I muttered, roughly accepting my present circumstances, and the message appeared as expected.
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[Master of The Door] : The master of the door leading to another world. You can use the menu function.
[Master of The House] : The new master of the house where the wise man is said to have once lived. You have obtained ownership of this house.
[Otherworlder] : A person from another world. You will be given a special growth boost, allowing you to obtain more experience than normal. It will also be easier for you to learn skills. Level cap has been removed.
[Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time] : The person who visited another world for the first time. A distinct title that makes it easier for you to invent skills and magic compared to the effect of similar titles such as [Pioneer]. The process of your growth will proceed in an ideal direction. In addition, you will be able to use [Item Box].
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"Oh."
For some reason, despite how amazing it all sounded, it didn't affect me that much.
[Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time] seems to be a superior title compared to [Pioneer], and it also apparently makes me able to use [Item Box].
…What's [Item Box]? And which house is the [Master of The House] description talking about?
Then I noticed the part of the description of [Master of The Door] that mentioned a menu function.
"Menu function? What the heck is that… oh, wow!"
Another message was displayed in front of me.
This is…
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[Door To Another World]
Owner: Tenjou Yuuya
Functions:
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That was displayed.
"Money Conversion? Can I convert something into money? And what are Transfer and Entry Restriction…"
As I asked, the message changed to show detailed descriptions.
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[Money Conversion] :: Everything can be converted into money.
[Transfer] :: The door can be summoned to the owner's current location at any time.
[Entry Restriction] :: Only those specified by the owner can pass through the door.
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"It's more sophisticated than I expected!"
In other words, even if someone finds this place, they can't go any further. In addition, if someone were to try to steal this door, it would return to me…
"I honestly don't know how to use this Money Conversion, but, well, there's no downside from having it, so that's fine for now."
Honestly, everything I've seen until now feels like something you'd see in a game, so there must be something like a status panel, right? I thought about it excitedly, and another message appeared.
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[Tenjou Yuuya]
Occupation: None
Level: 1
Magic: 1
Attack: 1
Defense: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Luck: 1
BP: 0
Skills: [Appraisal] [Endurance] [Item Box]
Titles: [Master of The Door] [Master of The House] [Otherworlder] [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time]
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It's hopeless. This thing can't be serious, all of my stats are 1… even in school, I never had grades this bad…
Well, somehow I knew where that was coming from. Apart from that, what was this BP? And [Item Box] was added to my skill column for some reason…
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[BP] : Abbreviation for Bonus Points. When leveling up, you will receive 10 BP, and can assign them to any stat you like. If you are an otherworlder, you will instead receive 20 BP. If you have the title [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time], you will instead receive 100 BP.
[Item Box] :: You can manipulate a special region of space that allows you to store and retrieve things as much as you like. However, it's not possible to store living beings. There is no capacity or size limit for things you want to store.
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"…Ooh."
First of all, I realized I was able to distribute points into my status, and that was an advantage for me. [Item Box] also functioned like a game's inventory, as I understood it. Well, now that I'd confirmed this much, the only thing left to confirm was…
"That room… that's right…"
There was nobody in there a while ago, but no matter how I thought about it, wasn't that trespassing? So if the other party got angry and attacked, I'd need to bear with it, wouldn't I?
I also got the [Master of The House] title, which I'm not sure about; I hadn't confirmed anything about it at all…
Fortunately, no one else can go through the door except me, so I should be able to manage it somehow if I just run back into my house.
"…Let's take another look."
I decided to go back to that room again.
"There's no one here… right…?"
I peeked timidly out the door to confirm my surroundings, but as I had hoped, there were no signs of people. I stepped into the room again, overwhelmed once more by the sensation of trees and wood all around me.
When I entered the room, I saw a wooden closet next to the desk and chair, and inside that closet were pairs of slim shirts, trousers, and underwear that obviously weren't my size. It was a bit disappointing, since it felt unexpectedly nice when I touched it.
"Oh, I didn't notice it until now, but there's a window in here."
I approached the window and looked outside. And then…
"Whoa…"
The area beyond the window was dense with trees. The house I lived in wasn't anything like a mountainous area. It was in a residential area, and normally you could see cars passing by, both in front and behind the lot. However, this cabin was completely surrounded by forest…
"As I thought, it's a different world… well, the only other possibility is that it's connected to another place on Earth."
I thought the window might just be a super realistic picture, but when I opened the window, I had to abandon that thought. Pure air flowed into my lungs which I couldn't imagine breathing from a city. I couldn't hear the sound of any cars, nor were there any construction noises, just a tranquil silence.
I closed the window and looked around the room again, and noticed a paper on the desk.
"What's this?"
I picked up the paper and tried to read it, but it had strange characters that I didn't recognize.
"I can't read this. Is it a language from this other world?"
Despite my lack of understanding, a message appeared when I stared at the letter for a few moments longer.
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You have acquired the skill [Language Comprehension].
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Hey, hey! What's this useful skill? I appraised it immediately.
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[Language Comprehension] :: A skill that grants you the understanding to read and write in any language.
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It was such a useful skill. If this is also effective on Earth, wouldn't English be a piece of cake?Anyway, since I'd gotten such a long-awaited skill, I turned my eyes back to the letter and was able to comprehend the mysterious script that I couldn't read before.
To summarize, the previous owner of this house had decided to part with this cabin, because his life was soon to come to an end. Because he had no family, if anyone found this house, he would give that person ownership, along with everything inside the house. The registration of ownership was also updated somehow, with the power of magic, such that it wouldn't be possible for anyone other than the owner to enter the house.
This was probably because I got the title of [Master of The House], so I became its owner. From the description of the title, I could understand that a wise man once lived here, but how amazing was he? Personally, I think it's incredible to prevent anyone other than the owner from entering, but was that a normal thing in this world?
How can I put this? I think I was incredibly lucky that the door connected to this place… I'm very grateful for that.
"It's only just now hitting me, but there's something else: this world also has magic…"
No, the situation itself was too unrealistic. Even if it described the existence of magic, it still didn't feellike a fantasy world. [ED: He literally just walked through a magic door…] It surprised me a little, but still, the line about magic caught my interest. Would I be able to use it too?
"Well, whatever… first of all, I'm relieved to know there's nobody else in this house, and that means no one but me will ever come here."
As soon as I discovered this house was mine, all of my wariness went right out the window. Since things had turned out like this, I decided to check out everything in this place…
"Is all this real…?"
There were so many kinds of weapons all over the place. I tried to pick up the first sword I saw.
"Whoa!? It-It's heavy…"
Obviously, my physical strength was pretty low, so just holding up a sword is almost enough to make me fall over. I guess I need to do full-on muscle training. Well, I used to do that in the past, but I didn't get any muscle at all after a whole year.
"Even so… it's a splendid sword."
It was a double-edged sword that gleamed as if it had just been polished, and the blade clearly reflected my face. The handle was almost completely undecorated, but there was still something familiar about this sword in my hand, so much that even an amateur like me could feel it. I immediately tried using [Appraisal] on the sword, out of curiosity.
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[Omni-Sword] :: The pinnacle of all swords. The blade remains shiny without tarnishing, and the edge is always perfectly sharp. It's said to be capable of cutting anything, but that depends on the contractor. Not for sale. Contractor: Tenjou Yuuya.
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"Seriously!?"
It's more incredible than I could have imagined! Moreover, I'd signed the contract before I knew it! Even if you say it's not for sale, there's no way I could sell this kind of thing, right!? It's too amazing!
Wait, what kind of person was that wise man again? To think he'd just leave this sword lying around in that disorderly pile of weapons!? Something this amazing should be handled appropriately…
I was surprised at the wise man who I'd never be able to meet anyway, but I wanted to give this sword a swing.
"As a man, I should try it out at least once, right?"
I don't know who I was making an excuse to, but I just wanted to force someone else to justify my actions… guess that wasn't really necessary. Well, since I wanted to check the outside, I timidly opened the front door of the house.
"Ooh!"
Apparently, the land this house was built on was pretty spacious, and the front area was like a garden. There were also fields to cultivate fruits or vegetables.
"Is this all included as part of the house?"
If it wasn't, I couldn't go out carelessly… but when I wondered about it, a message appeared.
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The inside of the fence surrounding this house is the owner's land.
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Oh, so in other words, no one can even enter this garden! Neat! Now I can go outside and swing this sword to my heart's content! I don't know who you are, but thank you, Mr. Message!
I went outside in high spirits unbecoming to my age. Then I tried to swing the heavy sword however I pleased, but…
"Whoa!?"
It was hopeless. The end result was more like me being swung around by the sword rather than the other way around. I couldn't even swing it properly… No, in hindsight, that result was obvious.
I panted. "Well… uh… that was fun…" Even though I couldn't do anything, I laid down on the spot, with an odd feeling of satisfaction. Then the message appeared again in front of me.
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You have acquired the skill [Swordsmanship: 1]
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"Huh!?"
[Swordsmanship] skill!? Just by swinging it around!? Besides that, what was the number next to it?
When I focused on [Swordsmanship: 1], a detailed explanation was displayed. That's the [Appraisal]skill for you.
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[Swordsmanship: 1] :: Skills to handle swords. The numbers represent proficiency, with a highest value of 10.
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In other words, was I now a super beginner when it came to handling a sword? No, I honestly think it's presumptuous to even call myself a beginner… Still, is this skill something that can be learned so easily?
"Ah, maybe it's the effect of the [Otherworlder] title?"
That might be the case.
"Even so, it's weird that I was able to learn this quickly… what about the other weapons?"
Inspired by my new curiosity, I put the sword back where it was and went out into the garden with other weapons. As a result of appraising them one by one, I started to get the sense that anything I picked up was going to be an amazing item.
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[Absolute Spear] :: The one and only spear that exceeds the Divine Spear. It's said that this spear can pierce anything, depending on the contractor. This spear can't be broken. If you throw it, it will always hit the target and will return to your hand. Not for sale. Contractor: Tenjou Yuuya. [TLN: The kanji is 絶槍. I'm not sure about this name to be honest; if anyone can come up with a good translation, please let me know.]
[Death Scythe] :: A scythe that could even kill the God of Death. It is said to be capable of cutting anything the contractor wants. Any existence cut by this scythe, no matter how small is it, will give a fatal wound. Not for sale. Contractor: Tenjou Yuuya.
[Infinity Gauntlet] :: Not only does this increase striking power, this gauntlet can also be used for protection. One blow is equal to infinite attacks. Not for sale. Contractor: Tenjou Yuuya.
[Formless Bow] :: The ultimate bow without physical form. Depending on the contractor's will, it can produce an infinite number of arrows. The arrows are said to be capable of shooting through the world. It will absolutely hit whatever target the contractor desires. Not for sale. Contractor: Tenjou Yuuya.
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And so on…
Well, there were a considerable number of weapons, but I was able to touch all of them. Therefore, I only have one impression for everything: All of them are stupendous. I don't know why this stuff was just scattered around, and I don't know what kind of person the wise man was, but more than that, it's amazing that of all people, I'm the contractor. Now, this is my current status…
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[Tenjou Yuuya]
Occupation: None
Level: 1
Magic: 1
Attack: 1
Defense: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Luck: 1
BP: 0
Skills: [Appraisal] [Endurance] [Item Box] [Language Comprehension] [Swordsmanship: 1] [Spearmanship: 1] [Scythe Technique: 1] [Hand-to-Hand Combat Technique: 1] [Archery: 1] [Whip Technique: 1] [Axe Technique: 1] [Hammer Technique: 1] [Staff Technique: 1] [Club Technique: 1] …
Titles: [Master of The Door] [Master of The House] [Otherworlder] [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time]
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I no longer understand what any of this means. I first noticed this when I was playing with all the weapons, but it still feels strange. When my face twitched involuntarily, a message appeared.
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You have met the required condition. Integrating all martial arts skills. You have acquired the skill [True Martial Art: 1]
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What's this [True Martial Art]!? I used [Appraisal] immediately, and it displayed as follows:
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[True Martial Art] :: A state that can only be reached by those who have learned all weapons and hand-to-hand combat arts. You can master all weapons and hand-to- hand combat.
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But I can't use it!? It's impossible, no matter what you think! I was just swinging those weapons around! However, regardless of my intentions, the text on my status has been changed, and that massive list of weapon skills has disappeared, replaced with [True Martial Art].
Did Mr. Wise Man also have this outrageous skill…? I guess he did. Without even knowing what was happening, I'd suddenly gotten an incredible bonus.
After that, I tried to tidy up all of the weapons that scattered outside, when I remembered that I had acquired the [Item Box] skill, and decided to use it. However, when I tried to use it, I realized I didn't know how to activate it, and so I tried to chant [Item Box] in my mind, at which point a black space suddenly appeared in front of me.
I was quite startled by that, but when I realized I could make it appear or disappear with just a thought, I threw a ballpoint pen in the house into the black space. After I tried to make the black space appear and disappear again, I timidly reached out into the space, and soon the information about the ballpoint pen flowed into my mind.
After that, I went about my business smoothly, throwing the scattered weapons one after another into the [Item Box] to tidy up. Of course, I confirmed that I could freely store and retrieve things from it. It would be surprising to show it off on Earth.
After I had finished all this testing, I was mentally exhausted, and I went through the mysterious door with halting steps, back into grandpa's hidden room. It's… not a dream…
When I instinctively looked at it from a distance, my stomach suddenly grumbled. I checked my watch, and it was right at lunch time. Now that I thought about it… the other side of that door had the same timeflow as here. I was grateful for that.
I opened the refrigerator in my house to satisfy my hunger, but it was empty. "Aw, man… I thought I already bought groceries, but apparently not…"
It was a real drag, but if I ignored it, I'd collapse from hunger, so I picked up my wallet and decided to go to a nearby convenience store to buy some food. Outside, I was exposed to intense sunlight, even though it was still early spring, and I started sweating immediately.
Yup… it was a result of being fat…
I was already getting tired, but I managed to get to a nearby convenience store, where I encountered an unpleasant scene.
"Hey hey, it's okay, isn't it? Come have tea with us."
"I already said no, I've refused you so many times already! Please, let me go!"
"Don't say that, darlin'~"
A girl about the same age as me was getting caught up in a group of men that really stood out. The convenience store I went to was in a residential area after all, and there were a lot of people walking by. To think that they would try to seduce a girl out in the open like this, and right in front of a convenience store, on top of that…
The girl didn't like it, and tried to get away from the men, but they persistently surrounded her. When I looked around, there were people in the area, but everyone pretended not to see them. Finally, one of the men grabbed her arm.
"Hey, come on, let's go."
"It's okay, nothing bad's gonna happen."
"I don't wanna! Let go of me, please!"
"E-excuse me!"
"…Huh?"
The men all turned to look at me. Their collective gaze was sharp, and it was clear they were looking down on me. To be honest, I was terrified, and wanted to ignore the situation, but if my grandpa was here, he wouldn't have hesitated to help. He was the kind of person who would always help someone if they were in trouble.
I loved my grandpa, and was proud of him for not changing his beliefs, even if he was treated like a hypocrite or a weirdo. With that in mind, I spoke up without even thinking.
"What is it, fat-ass? Do you have business with us or something? Huh?!"
I almost squealed, but kept it under control. "N-no… uh… she… I don't think she likes you."
They almost growled in offense. They ignored the girl and surrounded me instead.
"You making fun of us, huh? You little bastard."
"No, that's not what I…"
"Stop nagging, asshole!"
I cried out as one of the men mercilessly punched me in the face. I rolled into a ball, in so much pain, but the men didn't let up, and kept kicking me while I was down.
"Don't mess with us… you son of a bitch!"
"You disgusting piggy!"
"Die, you fucker!"
My face, my chest, my belly. Every time a sharp kick drove into my body, I felt like I was going to pass out. Then, abruptly, the men who were so viciously beating me suddenly stopped and ran off.
"Hey, police are coming!"
"Man, what!? You gotta be kidding!"
"Someone reported us, let's scram!"
Apparently, someone reported them to the police, and those men quickly fled the scene. My whole body was in pain, but not to the point that I couldn't endure it. It didn't seem like anything was broken.
Jeez, I didn't have to show my usual resistance in a place like this. But thinking about it again, it's a little strange. Until now, I usually would have lost consciousness at a time like this, but now, I managed to stay awake, though just barely. Could it be that the [Endurance] skill activated? I knew I was able to use [Appraisal] at home before, but to think I could also use a skill on Earth as well…
The girl who was being harassed earlier came running over and helped me get up.
"Are you alright? I'll call an ambulance right away…!"
"It-it's okay, it's okay… it's okay, so… I don't need an ambulance…"
"B-but…"
"No, really… it's okay."
I was moved by the girl being so worried about an ugly person like me, so enduring the pain, I stood up.
"It's…"
"By all means, lean on my shoulder, I'll help you walk…"
"N-no, it's okay… it's okay already."
"B-but…"
"It's really okay now… rather than that, you were getting harassed, weren't you? Please be careful from now on."
I don't really know what I'm saying, but I got my distance from the girl who was worried about me. She just got attacked by a man, so she shouldn't want to be by a man's side, right? I think that would be a natural course of action.
Well, it might not matter if she didn't even recognize me as a man, or as a human. The police came rushing over while I was having those self-deprecating thoughts. The police officers were two women and one man, so the girl might be relieved with this.
"We just got a report…"
"Ah, I was surrounded by a group of men, and this person helped me when I was in trouble! Therefore…"
The girl explained to the police in detail that I was the only one injured, so it didn't seem to matter that much. It was like a weird story that I was the only one to get hurt. After a short series of questions, the police officer apparently decided to send the girl home. Then they turned to me.
"We'll send you home, as well. Where do you live?"
"N-no, it's okay… I'll go home by myself, I came here to get groceries…"
"I see… well then, please be careful."
When the police officers started to take the girl with them, she suddenly turned to me and bowed her head.
"Thank you for your help this time!"
"Huh? Ah, no, don't worry about it… I couldn't do anything, after all."
"That's not true! In fact, you made me so happy! Thank you very much. I'll be sure to repay you for this."
"P-please don't mind it… W-well then, I'll take my leave…"
I don't usually talk to people, but I managed to say that much, and cut off the conversation to part ways with her.
…I couldn't look her in the eye at all. In the first place, I rarely talk to women, and when I do, it's just a bunch of swearing directed at me. Because I've been through that experience for so long, I have zero defense against women, mentally.
But that girl, even if maybe she was only being polite, was worried about me. I thought she was a good girl… ah, a girl like that deserves to be happy. Thinking like that, before I bought the other things I wanted, I stretched my legs a little more and went to the supermarket for the groceries, then stopped at the convenience store again on my way back, before finally going home.
After having lunch and cleaning up the house, I went to the other side of that mysterious door again, and outside of the room to look over the garden once more.
"It's so big… I still can't believe all of this is mine now."
No, not only is the garden and the house unbelievable, but also that this is a different world in the first place. It's quite mysterious. However, when I examined the door with the [Appraisal] skill, apparently even God doesn't know where it came from. I mean, wouldn't this imply the existence of God?! God was here!
I looked around, and suddenly had a terrible chill. My body froze up instantly, with a suffocating feeling, my breathing came in stops and starts. Sweat beaded up all over my body, and I was confused for a moment as to why this suddenly happened before frantically looking around.
At the entrance, which was the boundary between the outside of the fence and the garden, I saw the culprit of the chill assaulting me. A creature with the overwhelming aura of a warrior stood there staring at me. Its body was massive, in excess of two meters in height, and its skin was dark red, as if smeared with blood. Its bulging biceps were as thick as my fat torso, and its face resembled an oni, a fictional existence, with the two splendid and sharp fangs growing from its lower jaw.
In the face of that beast's imposing glare, what little part of my rational mind was left tried to activate [Appraisal].
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[Bloody Ogre]
Level: 300
Magic: 100
Attack: 5000
Defense: 5000
Agility: 1000
Intelligence: 500
Luck: 100
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I don't get it. What the hell are these ridiculous stats? All of mine are at 1. In the first place, isn't it weird to pit a level 1 like me against a level 300!?
My heart sank further looking at its name. Bloody Ogre… it reminded me of Araki, my bully; he belonged to a group with a similar name, [Red Ogre]. My confusion only deepened as I read the details of its stats ── and then the monster roared.
I fell on my butt and almost wet myself, but my last shred of pride wouldn't allow that. However, with my terrified self still sitting on the ground and unable to move, the Bloody Ogre rushed toward me. I was certain that I was about to die. However…
The ogre grunted as it stopped short, as if blocked by an invisible wall. It couldn't enter the yard.
"Ah…"
I see… no one but me can enter this property! That's when I remembered it, but that still didn't mean I could do anything about the situation. In fact, the ogre was still banging his fist against an invisible wall at a frightening speed, in an effort to enter the yard. Its thunderous roar echoed through the surroundings.
Just like I couldn't do anything against it, the ogre also couldn't do anything to this house, and continued to uselessly attack it. Somehow, it didn't seem like there would be a problem if I just ignored it. In that way, the moment I relaxed a little, the Bloody Ogre also stopped attacking and reached for a nearby tree. After easily uprooting it, the monster threw it towards the house.
I screamed in fear, in spite of myself. Even if living creatures can't enter, does that apply to other things!? I was absolutely terrified by the Bloody Ogre's assault, but the defensive performance of this house exceeded my expectations, and even the tree it threw bounced off.
It really can't do anything against this house.
Both direct and indirect attacks are blocked. At any rate, I came to understand that the Bloody Ogre was no threat while I was here, but it still didn't give up and resumed its attacks. Even if I know it can't get to me, this wasn't very good for my mental health.
Is there anything I can do…
Suddenly a thought occurred to me. "Can my attacks from inside leave the property?"
Right, all external attacks seem to be prevented, but what happens if something attacks from the inside out? To solve that question, I took out the [Absolute Spear] from [Item Box].
The reason I took out [Absolute Spear] instead of [Formless Bow] was actually kind of shameful: I couldn't draw the [Formless Bow] with my current physical strength. In spite of that, I was somehow still able to learn [Archery].
On the other hand, the [Absolute Spear] was heavy, and it seemed impossible for me to throw it at the Bloody Ogre, but this spear could set its target, and the target was set, even if it only left my hand by a few millimeters, it would surely fly into that target, and return to my hand automatically.
I had confirmed that much when I played around with all the other weapons, and tried [Absolute Spear] right after swinging [Omni-Sword]. In that case…
"Should I throw it?"
As a kind of experiment, I decided to throw the spear at the ogre, which continued thrashing around in front of me. Normally, throwing this deadly weapon at a creature was something I would never do, but the fear of that monster overrode my usual sensibilities.
"Alright."
My decision made, I held the spear firmly. [Absolute Spear] was a weapon specifically designed to pierce the enemy, without any gorgeous decorations. However, it was very easy to use, and even if a super beginner like me held it, it was a good fit. It was still heavy, though, and I managed to throw it while staggering.
The Bloody Ogre seemed to go on alert, possibly due to sensing the intimidating air released from [Absolute Spear]. Even though I threw it with all my might, it was too heavy to go more than a few centimeters, a lousy throw. The monster understood what was happening instantly and put up its guard.
However, as if to say that my power wasn't needed at all, the spear still reached the Bloody Ogre in another instant, and pierced through its entire body without slowing down. Groaning its last breath, the Bloody Ogre fell down with a big hole in its chest, eyes still wide open, as if unable to comprehend what just happened.
"I… I did it…"
Honestly, saying that now might raise another flag, but there was no need to worry. The Bloody Ogre's body dissolved into particles of light, and disappeared on the spot. My legs turned to jelly, and I found myself sitting on the ground again.
For some reason, I haltingly started laughing. The feeling of being alive and the realization that I had killed a living being were mixing together, and all I could do was smile.
However, even though I killed something, I wasn't as shocked as I expected to be. It was probably fortunate that I didn't feel it. I was stunned in place for a while, but I eventually noticed that a bunch of items had fallen on the ground where the Bloody Ogre died.
I wanted to move to look at it, but my legs still had no strength in them. It was pathetic. I felt like if I were to move right now, my hips would come loose, and my knees would just buckle under me.
That was when a message suddenly appeared in front of me
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Level Up
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"Huh?"
I was dumbfounded once again.
L-Level up…? I was confused by that sudden message. No, if I can just calm down for a second, it makes total sense. I'm at level 1 and I defeated a level 300 enemy. Although my attack power was 1, it might be that the attack power of [Absolute Spear] was so high that it could overcome even a 300-level difference.
"This [Absolute Spear] is freaking awesome…"
Moreover, there are still a lot of weapons of the same power level as [Absolute Spear] on hand. It would be terrifying if I could use them all effectively… Anyway, it said I leveled up, so what's different?
I displayed the status and check the changes.
---------
[Tenjou Yuuya]
Occupation: None
Level: 100
Magic: 1000
Attack: 1000
Defense: 1000
Agility: 1000
Intelligence: 1000
Luck: 1000
BP: 10000
Skills: [Appraisal] [Endurance] [Item Box] [Language Comprehension] [True Martial Art: 1]
Titles: [Master of The Door] [Master of The House] [Otherworlder] [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time]
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No, no, no, no… that's too much. But the enemy was level 300, so is this normal…? And for every level I gain, all of my stats go up by 10. I don't know if that's normal for this world's inhabitants.
Even so, it was clear that my BP was very unusual compared to anyone else. I knew that for sure thanks to the description of [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time].
"I can sort out this BP as I please, right…?"
I could do that, but I was more concerned at the moment about the stuff scattered around where the Bloody Ogre was. I went to check on that first.
Still trembling, I walked over there step by hesitant step.
"What is this stuff?"
The items I found included some kind of palm sized jewel that was a mysterious color, and a splendid fang, similar to that which grew from the Bloody Ogre's mouth. There was also some dark red, sinister-looking armor.
"Well for now, let's just take these…"
Thanks to it dying near the gate, I was able to collect them quickly. There weren't even that many items, but they had an indescribable… aura? Like, they were intimidating? Anyway, even an amateur like me could tell these were amazing items. However, I wouldn't learn anything else just by looking at it, so I activated the [Appraisal] skill. I was already starting to activate them like it was natural.
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[Bloody War Demon's Great Fang] :: Fangs of the Bloody Ogre. Its fangs are not particularly massive, but when combined with the Bloody Ogre's bite force, it could easily penetrate the skin of any prey. If processed, it could be made into a sturdy and sharp weapon.
[Magic Stone: Rank B] :: A special ore that can be obtained from magical beasts. The ranks are, in ascending order: F, E, D, C, B, A, S. The higher the rank, the more expensive a stone will be.
[Bloody War Demon's Body Armor] :: A drop from Bloody Ogres, made from their strong skin and muscle fibers. This armor can't be scratched by typical attacks. The wearer's attack power is modified.
[Bloody War Demon's Gauntlet] :: A drop from Bloody Ogres, made from their strong skin and muscle fibers. This gauntlet can't be scratched by typical attacks. The wearer's attack power is modified.
[Bloody War Demon's Waist Armor] :: A drop from Bloody Ogres, made from their strong skin and muscle fibers. This gauntlet can't be scratched by typical attacks. The wearer's agility is modified.
[Bloody War Demon's Leg Armor] :: A drop from Bloody Ogres, made from their strong skin and muscle fibers. This leg armor can't be scratched by typical attacks. The wearer's agility is modified.
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The items were overwhelmingly fantastical. Magic stones and fangs… where can I, an ordinary person, use these? No wait, I couldn't even use armor on modern earth. I didn't know how to wear it, in the first place. The weapons might still have a use, and for magic stones, I could only see that their rank was indicated.
Moreover, the size of the armor didn't fit me, being a fat guy, and it's not possible to equip it. Seriously, how am I supposed to use these?
That said, the body armor was somewhat shaped like the Bloody Ogre's abdominal muscles, and overall, the gauntlet was somewhat thorny. The waist armor looked just as sharp as the body armor and the gauntlet, and the red cloak was attached. Even the leg armor was very cool, with the feeling that its design was adjusted to match the wearer's legs.
"I managed to collect all this, but… I'm not sure how to use it."
I got the feeling that it might not have been good to keep postponing the allocation of BP. With that in mind, I decided to go ahead and distribute the BP this time.
"Hmm… I can't use magic even if I raise it, and I'd like to increase my attack power anyway."
I originally liked physical combat styles in games, so I just increased my attack power. (Actually, since I never owned or even played any forms of entertainment like video games, this was just my own delusion!)
At any rate, that amount of magic was enough, since I couldn't use it anyway, and above all, since I was constantly getting bullied, I felt it was a good idea to also raise my defenses.
"But… even luck…"
Originally, luck, unlike physical strength, wouldn't go up no matter how hard you tried, but actually, it was now increasing by the same amount as everything else when I leveled up. When I thought about that, I was itching to assign even more points to luck.
"This makes me so excited…"
In the first place, to me, who had never played a game, this situation was becoming more and more like a game. Of course, I was afraid to face that killing intent from before, but this strange situation was still fascinating.
Well, my level increased, and my attack power increased, but there were no other changes in particular. I don't really care that much, actually ― it just feels good that I could put points into my stats like in games. I thought optimistically, and assigned the BP as I wanted.
And the results…
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[Tenjou Yuuya]
Occupation: None
Level: 100
Magic: 1500
Attack: 3000
Defense: 3000
Agility: 3000
Intelligence: 1500
Luck: 4000
BP: 0
Skills: [Appraisal] [Endurance] [Item Box] [Language Comprehension] [True Martial Art: 1]
Title: [Master of The Door] [Master of The House] [Otherworlder] [Person Who Visited A Different World For The First Time]
---------
That's how it was. Magic was something I couldn't use, and intelligence, while it would be nice if my pure knowledge would also increase because of it, if I thought about it like in games, it would only increase the power of magic, so that's why I didn't allocate much to it.
Instead, I tried to improve the balance by raising attack, defense, and agility.
I'm not sure, but it seems unlikely for me to have good luck even if I make a great effort, so that's why I assigned most of the remaining points into luck. Anyway, that's what I decided.
"…Nothing's happened, huh?"
After all, the display was just like in a game, so I didn't think it would affect my body, right?
"Well, yeah… anyway, I'm tired. Since so many things happened today, let's go home…"
Wait, this was originally inside my house. While having stupid thoughts like that, I put in a great deal of effort into moving my body (which was no longer disabled from fear like before), and approached the [Door To Another World].
Suddenly a message appeared in front of me.
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Items can be converted into money. Would you like to cash in [Bloody War Demon's Great Fang] [Magic Stone: Rank B] [Bloody War Demon's Body Armor] [Bloody War Demon's Gauntlet] [Bloody War Demon's Waist Armor] [Bloody War Demon's Leg Armor]?
---------
"Huh?"
C-Convert into money?
I didn't know what it meant for a moment, but then I remembered there was a thing called [Money Conversion] in the door functions I was able to use by acquiring the title [Master of The Door].
"What will happen… if I use this money conversion?"
I didn't know, but I certainly had no use for those items. However, I removed the pieces of armor from the candidates because I might wear them someday, and used [Money Conversion] on the rest.
[Blood War Demon's Great Fang] cashed in for 500,000 Yen. [Magic stone: Rank B] cashed in for 1,000,000 Yen.
"Huuuh?"
I let out a stupid voice on reflex. Bundles of paper fell from an empty space, as if to deal me the final blow.
I didn't understand what was happening. When I looked closely, they were bundles of ¥10,000 bills. I picked them up in stunned silence and confirmed the total was indeed the 1.5 million yen displayed in the message.
I used every method I knew of to see if the money was fake, but it was absolutely authentic. Instinctively, I used the [Appraisal] skill to examine it.
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[1.5 Million Yen] : Obtained by cashing in items from another world. Genuine ¥10,000 bills created by manipulating information on Earth, such as serial numbers, so as not to disrupt the global economy.
---------
I was so confused. What was that about manipulating information on Earth!? No wait, I know it's genuine! But… I didn't know how much I could believe in [Appraisal], but if the contents of the appraisal were true, I had just earned 1.5 million yen.
It may have been vague so far, but I could only think that it had told the truth so far. In the first place, this door seems to be something that even God doesn't know much about, and it wouldn't be strange that it could manipulate information on Earth. My brain was fried from all the new information coming in, and I could hardly think anymore.