Arc 3: Demi-Human Hero
I stayed the day at the guild tavern, the next day Mitsude had shown my mission location.
"Let's see, I will suggest you fight low level fruit monsters instead of rouge goblins. They are pretty though so please, don't get yourself killed"- Mitsude looked surprised the moment I grabbed the knife and began slicing through fruit and vegetable monsters with ease, I was cutting through them like butter, it's almost like this knife can cut anything no matter how though things get
"Thanks Great Sage"
"No problem Daisuke."
The first fruit monster I had to encounter were faster than I thought, It took only one stab to kill them, but more of them started grouping
"Great Sage, how long is the cooldown for Feral Frenzy, and how do I use skills?"- This is what I didn't know if they start grouping like this it will mean trouble if they group up like this in a short amount of time, I don't know if I can handle them all. I am afraid it will be hard to deal with all of them
"Well, your cooldown is about 30 seconds"
"Can I use it now?"
"Yes, just think about the skill and I will use it automatically
*Use skill: Feral Frenzy*- Feral Frenzy, this skill grants me speed for 20 seconds, more than enough to kill all the fruit monsters, all the extra speed helped me a lot, there were like 15 of them, I managed to cut down about 13,
I stabbed the last 2 monsters, I collected all the loot they had, with the help of Mitsude I could carry it back to the guild
At the guild:
"You are back, let's see what you have"- I handed Petra the monster loot like giant peach or plum pieces that I had gathered along the way
"So, will I be able to pay?"- I didn't think this is enough
"Yes, the night is 1 silver and all these pieces are around 20 silver pieces, so here you go 17 silver pieces"- Petra handed me 17 silver pieces, my first money I worked for, I feel rather happy about this
"Here, 7 more nights. I will go again tomorrow to see what monsters I can battle"- Petra didn't smile, but the way she looked at me changed
In the next 8 weeks I fought monster like a madman, well low-level monsters, in the next 3 days I killed even more monsters
The 4th day I was out trying to increase my level a little more
"Great Sage, can you tell me my level?"
"You are level 5 Daisuke, kill more monsters, I want you to be at least level 15"
"Should I move on to higher level monsters? Can I gain more levels here?"- Is it even worth it to kill monsters this low-level
"I think you should kill stronger monsters, but be careful. The XP gains lower the higher your level, moving to a higher level monster will help you level up faster."
"Any suggestion on what monsters I should kill, Great Sage?"
"Well, try some giant insect next, just head to the swamp south of here. The insect should be just like those found in your world but bigger, in the swamp you can meet other giant variations of animals"
I headed south as Great Sage told me, and he was right about the insect
it was hell of a day, but I managed to get 25 silver this time only for a few insects, they were though to dodge and hit, almost impossible if I didn't use Feral Frenzy
At the Tavern:
"So how was your day?"- Mitsude sat near me while I was eating at the table
"Well it was good but though, I had a hard time hitting and dodging insects, I have been using my skills a lot"- I was eating a salad with pork, it tasted pretty good
The guild was also a tavern for adventurers where they served food, the monster loot shop was closed because of the tavern. Here you can sell monster or animal for profit, the monster loot shop is just next to the tavern
"Well did any of your skills evolve yet?"- Mitsude was a little more open with me, she smiled more and was willing to spend more time with me, Petra was still mad at me
"No, not yet"- Skills evolving? Money is what I need now. Like I have saved up a lot of money, well not a lot to pay the tavern, there is no free-time for me here, from dusk to dawn I battle monsters to earn a few pieces of silver, but if my skills evolve maybe they will do more damage
"They will evolve Daisuke, just use them more, maybe someone else will help you"- I remember I can always ask Great Sage about skills. What the hell now?
"So what is your goal for now Daisuke?"- Mitsude in the meantime got herself a meal as well
"You are pretty much in your head aren't you?"- She slapped my shoulder
"You are right about it, I should pay more attention to reality, so what were we talking about?"- I made an effort to look at Mitsude
"About your short-term goals"- I looked at her, smiling and comforting me
"Well, I need to get stable financially first, I need to get more money. I am here for 8 weeks but only level 5, maybe level 6 or 7 after the slaying insects, but level is too slow"
"Well, there is a level cap where you stop getting XP. So you wasted your time killing fruit monsters for 8 weeks. You earn XP 30 times as fast, like you get around 30 to 60 XP, XP required for next level is about 5000 XP points to get to level 7 or 8. Now let me tell you about currency"
"That's a great goal. We have copper, silver, gold, platinum, adamantine and cobalt coins. 100 copper is 1 silver, 100 silver is 1 gold 100 gold is platinum, 100 platinum is 0.1 adamantine and 100 adamantine is 0.01 cobalt coins"- Wait, the last ones? Why isn't it 100 to 1?
"Can you explain the conversion again, I mean, how are we going to get that money?"
"Well, copper and silver are the easiest to get and cobalt are the hardest, you will need 100,000 platinum to get 100 adamantine and 10,000,000 adamantine to get 100 cobalt so yeah a lot"- Is this hyperinflation? Or is it an easier method of international trade
"Well, there are noble families that have a few million cobalt coins stashed, so it isn't impossible. Look, why don't you try to battle bigger monsters, with your knife you can do way more damage than any level 20 or even level 100 adventurer"- Mitsude pointed at my knife
"I will try, but what monsters should I battle?"- If insects aren't going to cut it, what will?
"Well, you will have to fight giant spiders and serpents. I will help you if you want"- Mitsude was now sitting near me. When did she get here?
"No, thanks, I will do it on my own."- Mitsude started to look worried
"Are you sure?"- She asked me one last time
"Say the truth Daisuke, it will benefit you"
"Well, I, I don't want to make people worry about me. You can come if you want, but…."- I don't know what words to choose
"It's ok continue"- Mitsude looked at me trying to comfort me
"I am not used to people caring so much about me. I rarely got asked or rarely asked for help. I am not used to this"- Mitsude looked a bit at me and laughed
"I never heard where you were from. But how did you get here. And I understand where you are coming from"
"Well, came here from another world, I did there, and I got transported here. That world was easier to live in, well for some. My life there wasn't ideal, it was crap, didn't really have any friends, my dad was absent most of the time, my mom did nothing to help, my older sister was the only person to give me some help."
"I get you, kid. Look, Petra is a little more rough to people. She doesn't really take the fact that you are a kid in consideration. If you need any help for carrying items and suck, ask me ok?"- She left smiling
"Thanks Mitsude"
"It was good. Don't be so though on yourself kid."- Great Sage, speaks in my head most of the day, encouraging me, telling me what I got wrong, he is a real help
"Why is that Great Sage?"
"Look, I care about you kid, I can't be near you physically but at least in your mind I can give you advice"
"I miss Haruhime. She is the only person that I can say cares about me for real, I really miss her hugging and comforting me. Will there be a chance to see them again?"
"Kid, the truth is yes, you can go back, but it will be harder this time. For now, try to find someone here to care for, there will always be a person"
"If there is a chance for me to go back, I will take it. In that world did I really die?"
"Yes, I will announce you if there is one"
"Thanks. One thing, you were human once, right?"
"Yes, what do you want to know?"
"Well, more about you. How were you as a human?"
"Well, in my world, things were different we had magic, but it was way different from this. I left people behind as I was exiled"
"Exiled for what?"
"For genocide"
"Why? What the hell? Why would you do something like this?"
"Didn't have a choice, it was my only option. Anyway, it's getting late kid, go to sleep"
1 week of monster slaying later
I was fighting again deeper in the swamp, I am on the lookout for anything suspicious, Mitsude followed me after that night, I am grateful for it
"The loot is great and your XP gain is even higher now. Better be careful tho"- I had been fighting stronger monsters now but some huge ones I had to use my skills, a turtle monster had been passing around and catching up to us
*Use skill: Insidious*- I waited for a giant turtle monster to pass, I can't kill it just now, for how slow it sounds the monster it is pretty fast
*Insidious skill has evolved into Shadow step, you can now crouch move while using Insidious.*- Ok, now I am getting my first skill evolution, great!
I tried to move while using shadow step, it only allows me to move when crouched
"Okura and Noni go on the opposite sides as I cast magic. Sakamoto you use ranged attacks"- A group of 4 people was in a battle formation
"Watch it, it has a hard shell"- One of the people fought with a spear, one with a sword, the female that seemed to command them is a mage and the guy defending her an archer
"What is that idiot doing there near the turtle?"- She spotted me somehow? How could she?
"Get out of there"- All of them were shouting at me
"Why isn't the turtle noticing him yet?"- All of they looked at me in surprise
"Great Sage, why can she see me?"
"She is a strong mage, she cast a spell that revels hidden things to them, the spell doesn't affect the turtle"
"Great Sage, can I go into auto battle mode?"
"Sure"
*Great Sage: Auto Battle Mode*
Great Sage took control of my body, I jumped with the knife in my hand, I landed with the knife on the shell, I dragged the knife down reaching the turtle's head, the knife extended into a katana able to cut the turtle's head
"I forgot, to tell you that the blade is extendable"
"He is powerful alright"- They had come near me
"I am ok, don't worry"- I could barely stand, Great Sage's Battle Mode takes a lot of energy out of me
"Don't go running off like that Daisuke, you are making me scared"- Mitsude looked at me grumpy
"Hello Mitsude, you know this guy, he is strong, killed the turtle with ease"- The mage girl pointed to me
"Ohhh, Daisuke, I don't know, his weapon is. I follow him to gather the loot monsters drop"- Mitsude turned around and began gathering material from the turtle
"You are Daisuke, right? I am Senri"- She helped me get up
"I am, Noni, I use the astral spear, Okura here fancies a sword and the Archer class is Sakamoto. Curious what class are you"- Noni shook my hand. All of them looked like respectable people. Noni and Sakamoto were twins, the only differing feature was their hair and eye color.
"I am Daisuke Suzuki, it's nice to meet you"
"Come with us Daisuke, we have something to tell you"- The 4 people grabbed me, I don't know where they were dragging me
"Where are we going?"- What are they planning, these guys are the 4 heroes of Wiefra
"I want to talk to you, we will introduce ourselves fully later"
We walked to their house, it was a big mansion south of the town
They dragged me into the living room
"Take a seat"- Senri sat near me
"What do you want to ask me?"
"We are the 4 heroes of this town. We are level 40"- Senri poured me a glass of water
"Heroes? I heard a little about you"- Sakamoto chuckled at my comment
"Well, you aren't from here are you?"- Noni laughed before sitting near me
"Well, I am not from here. Nice to meet you. I am level"- I forgot what my level was
"You are level 10 Daisuke"
"I am level 10"
"That isn't right, a level 10 can't defeat a giant turtle of level 25, we struggle with it at level 30, how the fuck could you do it?"- Senri laughed
"Are you sure you are level 10?"- Noni came closer to me
"Yes"- All of them seemed uneasy
"He really is level 10. There should be something else here that might help him"- Okura gaze was upon me, he looked like a machine scanning me
"Then how the hell?"- Senri was going through my stuff, all of my equipment, Okura turned to scan my gear as well, I brought the shield as well but rarely used it
"That knife, it's level 2000."- Okura pointed to the Crimson knife
"Ok, how the hell is he able to use it? Maybe it's an error on my part, Great Sage never failed until now"- Okura tried to pick up the knife, the moment he laid his hands on it the knife sent a small spark of electricity through his body
"A special weapon, I read about weapons like this, they are made by gods and given to people, only those with a blessing by that god are able to use them"- Senri glared in awe at my knife
"No, it is different but also similar to what Senri said. This weapon is"- Okura paused for a bit
"What is it, man?"- Noni and Sakamoto were worried
"As Senri said, this weapon is made by a god, a god of calamity to be precise. That's why he can use it without any drawbacks, unlike us. He can use it and this knife cuts and kills almost everything that moves, there is only one conclusion all of us know"- They gazed at me again, the looks, I can't describe them.
"He is reincarnated here from Earth, maybe from Japan due to the sound of his name, a god had given him this gift while he was reincarnating. Well good to have another person like us then"- Senri got closer to me now, she was at ease for whatever reason. Wait, they were reincarnated here too? I can't believe it.
"You, too, guys?"- My voice got low since
"Yes, 4 years ago we died and got reincarnated here. We lived long enough to know this world, and we built a home here. Do you have a place to stay, Daisuke?"
"Daisuke, stay near them at all time. You will profit more this way"
"I was a student at a school, had gone out with my friends and got into a fight with a person, he flung me into the street where a car had hit me"
"You are keeping more than you are letting on. Tell us the whole story"- Senri pouted
"I don't trust any of you yet. We just met, maybe after we get to know each other better I may open up more, anyway I got to go."- I got up from the sofa I was seated on
"We will come tomorrow at the guild. We could use your help. Take care now"- Okura handed my knife back, apparently you can grab the knife if you put it in a sheath first.
Tavern:
I was entering the guild's tavern, Mitsude and Petra are chatting at a table.
"How are the 2 of you doing?"
"We are good, here is the money"- Mitsude handed me 50 silver pieces
"Here, your payment"- I gave Mitsude 20 silver pieces
"Thank you"- She smiled and hid the money in her pocket
"So the 2 of you went monster hunting?"- Petra was drinking ale
"Yes, it was actually fun, he took down a giant turtle monster"
"Is that so?"- Petra maintained a Stoic expression
"Yes. He even met the 4 heroes"- Petra turned her head to look at me
"4 heroes? Did they kick his ass or something?"
"No, they were actually friendly, Noni and Daisuke asked me to go and sell the monster loot"
"I will go to sleep for today. Take care you 2"
I couldn't sleep too much tonight, it was hell, having a nightmare of high school. I guess this is the 2nd chance, better not fuck it up like I did with my life back there. Before falling asleep, I took one last look at the pendant Haruhime gave me
"Daisuke, remember, you are not alone in all of this"
"How I am supposed to know you are telling the truth?"
"Well, you have to, otherwise you will be unable to make a connection with stable people"
"I am here for you kid, I can always read your thoughts. I always know what you think"
"Do you really understand me?"
"Trust me kid I know, most people from where I came from had a though life, including me, anyway, it's getting late kid, you need to be rested"
"Well, it must suck for you too"
"Get to sleep, kid. You need to rest for tomorrow"
The next day in the morning Senri and Okura arrived at the guild
"We are here Daisuke, come down!"- I could hear Senri shouting on the lower floor of the tavern
I changed my clothes and got down to them
"I am here"
"Ok, so now you will come and train with us"- Senri dragged me out of the tavern, well more by force, and now I have to fight monsters with them
The swamp:
They have dragged me here again, maybe I can do something useful here.
"So Daisuke what is your class, you never told us that"
"I have 2 classes, one is shielder and the 2nd is Assassin"- All of them looked at me dumbfounded
"Ok, how is it possible?"- Sakamoto stared at me
"Just tell them the truth Daisuke"
"When I reincarnated in heaven, there was a goddess that gave me the shielder class, then a fox demi-human. He came near me and asked me if I want another class and I accepted he gave me the assassin class"- They were still looking weird at me
"I don't understand, it should be impossible for 2 gods to do it. Mostly because on god will strip the blessing of another"
"I never heard anything about a kitsune god."- Senri was the only one curious about this
"So, what did this god said?"- Senri continued to look at me. We are in the swamps waiting for monsters to spawn, but Senri wants to chat with me
"Should I tell them this too, Great Sage?"
"Yes, tell them about me. And I don't consider myself a god"
"Well, his name is Great Sage, he gave me the skill Great Sage, and he cursed and blessed me at the same time"- I hope they are buying it, even for this world this sounds like an ass pull
"You also possess the Great Sage skill?"- Okura looked at me again
"You too?"
"Well yes I do have it, she sounds like a robot without emotions, the previous scan didn't show me any skill, like something blocking me from reading. Makes sense now."
"You said Great Sage cursed you, right?"- Senri was worried
Whenever Great Sage take control of my body, my consciousness seems to weaken and faint if the control is for too long. I start to take more of his appearance, even with my eyes changing
"Something is strange about his eyes. They suddenly changed"- Noni seems to be the one noticing small detail
"What is happening to him?"- My vision went dark, I could only hear the others
"You wanted to see Great Sage in action?"
"Yes, it's still you, Daisuke?"
"No, it's Great Sage, the curse allows me to control his body and influence his mind. He isn't used to it yet, so he may faint after this, take care of him"
"Ok, this ability is nothing like my Great Sage. One question, what were you before being a god?"
"I was a shape-shifter before all this, well I still am one. My voice and appearance can be tweaked, I can't do it to Daisuke's body, it's not compatible."
"Ok. That seems great."
"Yeah take care of him, he will faint after this"- After Great Sage gave control of my body back I began to get weaker, eventually fainting
After waking up, all of us were killing monsters that day. From that day forward, for an entire month, I was killing monsters with them. For that whole month I was using shadow step a lot to the point it evolved again, after a whole month. Today was the day when my skill evolved into Shadow walk. Also, the heroes allowed me to stay at the mansion from now on, having my own room
"On your right Daisuke!"- I dodged the first hog-goblin
"You are getting better at it"- Noni was complimenting me
*Use skill: Shadow Step*
Shadow step is useful. Well I want the ability to walk upright but crouching will do just as fine
"Defend Senri"- Noni pushed in Senri's direction. The giant bugs and animals we were fighting got stronger and faster, I can barely keep up with them, I am lucky I have a high-speed status
"Great Sage, can you say my stats?"
"Strength: 15, Defense: 500, Luck: 100, Speed: 200, Magic Energy resource: Infinite, Health: 2000"
"Wait, infinite Magic Energy?"
"Yes, that is what my blessing, Infinity does, and your health and defense is increased because you are a shielder"
I was in auto battle mode now
"Wow, that was great man!"- Sakamoto helped me get up, I didn't see what I did, the more I use auto-battle mode my vision gets brighter but still fall unconscious unless I use it in small bursts
The 4 of them began opening up a bit, got used to fighting in a group.
"More coming!"- Sakamoto was fast at shooting with his bow, he has pinpoint aim
"Daisuke, we will take care of the other. Senri is casting a big Area of Effect spell"- I looked at Okura, he is a good strategist, and has good sword skills, just now I can see him dodge attacks and not waste an opportunity at attacking
"Keep your position Daisuke"- Noni was most skilled with a spear, he has a peculiar way of dodging big enemies. He will leave his spear with the bladed tip up and letting the monster jump into the spear, the spear is known as an astral spear that teleports to the owner after some time
"We make a good team, don't we?"- Noni patted me on the back
"Yea, are any of your skills evolving guys?"- I sat down exhausted
"No, no skill evolved for me like in 2 years"- Okura had more stamina than any of us there
"Can someone carry me? I am exhausted"- Senri was panting on the ground
"Sure"- I didn't know why, but I carried her on my back to the house.
"Thanks Daisuke"- Senri has the lowest stamina out of all. From what she demonstrated, her spells can destroy Wiefra 2 time in one spell
"So, Daisuke, did any of your skills evolve?"- Senri was talking almost 24/7
"I don't know, let me ask Great Sage"
"Great Sage?"
"Yes, your skill Shadow Step evolved into Shadow walk, basically it is Shadow Step, but you can now walk instead of crouch"
"Yes, Shadow Step has evolved into Shadow Walk"- Can she read my skills?
"Shadow Magic is hard to understand. The skill Shadow Sense can help you identify shadow magic skills, it's a legendary assassin skill but can be learned."
"Great Sage?"
"Shadow Magic involves you manipulating shadows, your skill is an exception, this can create shadows and make you look invisible in any context. Don't worry too much about it, Daisuke"
"Fine, Great Sage"
"So, still don't want to tell us about your life in Japan?"- All of them were pressing me with this question for the past month
"I still don't want to answer it, I don't trust you guys a lot"
"Why? Don't you even trust me enough"- Senri pouted? The most time in this month was spent with Senri, helping her do magic, she also taught me magic, my affinity seems to be ice, I also learned how to do more spells than before. Affinity to certain element that only means more damage
"I don't know what to say, maybe one day I will"
"Was it that terrible you don't want to tell us, at least tell me, I am curious?"
"I just don't want to tell you Senri nor anyone, let's just drop the subject"- Senri pouted
"I want to know!"
"Drop it, he already said no."
"Thanks Okura"
"Get things set in your room, let's go"- Sakamoto and Noni helped me to carry the things from the tavern, they decided to let me stay here permanently. The last month, I just leveled to 15 and farmed money with them.
Another month passed at the mansion, in the last 2 week we're taking on stronger monster, a few levels above ours, so we could earn more exp. We were doing it in the dark forest, it was a long 2-hour walk until you reach, but the exp makes it worth it. It looked like a forest but darker, the leaves were of a darker green than normal leaves
"Ghouls live here, keep an eye out"- Noni was scouting ahead
"Ghouls? Is there only 1 type?"
"Yes, Ghouls and AGhouls. AGhouls are just humans who look like Ghouls or are half Ghouls. Don't bother, they don't eat humans but just like the demi-humans they are shunned and not accepted in any community, so they had to build one here. They are quite friendly"- Okura as usual had the most info on everything
"That's sad to hear. It's sad to see them treated like this"
"So, got something special for demi-humans? You into nekos or kitsune? Or maybe dog girl?"
"We need to level up, not think about dating Sakamoto"- Noni dragged him further away from me
"The swamp is awfully quiet today"- Noni started looking around the forest
"This is the dark forest not a swamp"- Senri looked around
"Noni you are hallucinating again, there is an illusion or something!"- Sakamoto screamed at him
"Daisuke, on your right, grab your knife and stab the tree with white leaves in its bark"
We were still in the forest, but the surrounding started to change, we can make out houses and people, these are Ghouls that looked scared
"Hello"- I tried talking to them
"Hello"- They said back, very suspicious, the place was quite nice
I looked at the tree, I broke the amulet holding the illusion
"Don't worry, we won't do anything to you"- Senri was already talking with the kids of the village, I am still frozen, meeting new people is the biggest challenge I can face. Damn it
One of the ghouls walked up to me, well ghouls look human, but they have black eyes and use weapons made out of their flesh in fighting, along with the benefits of being monsters
"I am Daisuke"- He was taken back
"Draken"- We shook hands
"Great Sage, have you seen something like this before?"- I never could imagine seeing this much horror on people's faces
"Yes, many times, in all the world, I had seen this. Better not bother with them"
"You aren't kidding?"- I was a little taken back
"No, don't bother too much, you can't end this by yourself"
"But"
"You can't do anything right now, just leave it at this"
"Are you ok, Daisuke?"- Senri was snapping me out again. In the last few weeks whenever Great Sage talks to me, I space out a lot, consciousness still remains, I don't faint like the other times, but it's hard to get used to
"Sorry, I was talking to Great Sage"- I followed her
"This monster village is so peaceful. I am surprised they were exiled"- We moved on from the village as we didn't have enough time, we have to level up
"So, what monsters can we expect to find here?"
"Heads up, we have the dark variants of normal creatures here. I am getting a bad vibe"- All of us were in battle formation, dark wolves and boars started attacking us, also some dark slimes spawned in the area. I didn't know this forest's monster's density was this high. The fight well, everyone aside from me and Senri got trashed. I still had to carry Senri home as she used too much magic, I was attacked and bitten by wolves and trampled by boards, due to my defense the damage taken was reduced but still was painful. Things were too fast paces today.
"I will go take a bath"- Noni went upstairs
"I will be in the kitchen to eat"- Sakamoto, followed by Okura gone to the kitchen, only me and Senri remained, We were sitting on the couch
"Senri, I promised I will tell you about my life in Japan"- She moves closer to me
"How was it, was it that horrible?"- Senri looked at me with concern
"Well, maybe."
"Ok, you can begin"- Senri was somewhat comforting to me, she seems to listen carefully
"In Japan, as a kid I didn't socialize much, but whenever I tried to I will always get picked on and bullied by everyone"
"What did they do to you?"- Senri's voice was getting lower
"Well, first because of my long hair, They will smear it with honey and then throw breadcrumbs on it or flour. And whenever I will read manga, they will make fun of me"
"That horrible. Did it ever stop?"- Senri moves even closer to me, putting her right hand on my shoulder
"Yes. In Japan, I was the number 1 student at grades and everything else. From bullying, I developed this kind of freezing reaction, I will just stare at people without any reason. I stopped hanging out with the boys and started hanging out with the girl instead, but this freezing when trying to talk ended up being labeled as a pervert by them. And this isolated me from everyone"
"I am sorry Daisuke"- Senri ran her hand through my hair, patting me
"What did your parents do about this?"
"My dad is always working and is rarely home, my mom is bothered by this, she always tells me that I am a shame to her, the only person that could understand me was my older sister Haruhime"
"Haruhime, I would like to meet her if it is possible"
"It's not possible, she didn't reincarnate here, I was the only one to die."
"Anyway, I want to get some sleep"- Senri grabbed my arm
"I will go with you"- Wait, what? I didn't know why would she want to go with me. Well the journal, writing all this makes me cringe to this day, but what can I do now?
"One question, how come all of you trust me so much?"
"You didn't figure it out. Well most of us can handle ourselves, so we don't ask for help often, you always helped us even with stuff we could do. Noni and Sakamoto are the quietest of them all, so it figures the 2 of them won't talk to you. Remember that time when he confused stinking flowers with lilies"- Yeah, I remember that time when Sakamoto confused the flowers and the house was stinking for weeks. Those plants appear around spring time, Senri needed them some time ago to make a potion
"Well, for me personally. You just stuck around me, learned magic with me, you always seemed interested in magic, listened to me complaining all the time. Took care of me while I was sick. Enough reason for me to trust you"
That time when she was sick:
"Daisuke, can you please hand that a towel?"- Senri was laying in bed, sick with her nose running, she could barely breathe or speak. I was isekai'd here around the beginning of winter, season work differently here, or the climate at least, it didn't snow or was that cold, everything was still green. Senri got cursed by an ice elemental while trying to level up.
"Wiefra doesn't get much snow, Daisuke"
"Here"- I hand her the towel.
"There are supposed to be medicine in the first floor of this house, bring them here, and I will prepare them"- Senri tried to stand up, but she was in no shape to do anything now. Why didn't Okura, Noni or Sakamoto take care of her until now?
I descended the stairs to look after the medicine, well I have the entire floor to look after, after 30 minutes I could find the medicine ingredients in a drawer with Sakamoto's name on it, I climbed up the stairs
"Here"- I put the ingredients on the table, Senri again tried to stand up and prepare the medicine herself
"Don't get up you are gonna fall down"- I stopped Senri from getting up
"Are you sure you can handle making it?"- She looked at me weakened
"Yes, Great Sage will guide me"
"Thanks, Daisuke"- She is laying in the bed looking at me
"So how should I do it Great Sage?"- I was looking at the bottle, Spirits, Licorice bark, Holy water, Angel Feather, and Fire tree bark
"Mix Licorice and Fire tree bark, put the spirits on to boil, once it boils add the Fire-Licorice mix. Boil the Angel Feather in the Holy Water. After the mixes had been boiled, mix them in one pot and stir them, after that you should have a fabric-like material to soak it in the mix. Get to work"- I boiled the holy water and spirits and then mixed the barks. It was working somehow wait I have my skill Great Healer and, I think I can lift the curse, waited for a while to get the brew and soak a cloth in it
*Use Skill: Great Healer*
"Here we go"- I cleansed the curse from her hands and feet, she could move a little, the curse is slowly lifting. She didn't hide the curse, she wanted to cure it but let it evolve to this stage, it's
"There are 3 more curse points, 2 of them are on my back"- I rolled her over to cleanse her back
"Ok, the last point?"- I didn't see it anywhere
"Just cleanse it faster."- She pulls her shirt up to reveal the last curse spot, it was in the middle of her chest, Senri got beet red looking at me, I froze again, what a way to blow it
"Are you ok? Something happen?"
"No, sorry"- Senri looks ashamed of herself, I don't know why. I reach with my left hand to clean the last spot
"Ok, it is done"- Senri smiled a little, she was in a little less pain than before, or so it seemed
"Thanks, Daisuke. You can go now it's late"- Senri was in no shape to do anything, I am not leaving her
"I will stay, in any case the curses resurface"
"Really?"
"Yes. If you don't mind, why did you look so embarrassed?"
"Are you this curious, or haven't you noticed yet?"
"Notice what?"
"I am flat like a plank"- She pointed to her chest
"Ohhh, hmm, I don't see a problem with it"
"You don't but other people do. Somehow it's considered shameful, or other classmates when I was in high school told me that I look like a kid."
"It shouldn't matter either way. The way you look should matter this much
"It would be good if everyone had thought like this Daisuke"- Senri chuckled
"Well, yes"
"It's late, please go to sleep"
"I told you, I will stay here to see if the curse resurfaces"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"- She fell asleep after 15 seconds of me accepting.
I stayed in the room for the entire night, or feel asleep. After 3 hours I could hear Senri's moans of pain, the cursed resurfaced, cleansing her again was easier this time. Senri was getting agitated, no curse marks appeared anywhere, is she having a nightmare? I tried to offer her comfort by holding her hand, she seemed to calm down after some time. In the morning the 2 of us woke up, I woke up first, but a few seconds after Senri woke up, she saw I was holding her hand
"Thanks Daisuke"- She climbed out of the bed, the curse is completely gone
Reality (out of memory lane)
"Yeah, I remember that. You helped in more than just the curse like you helped me in doing magic, crafting, listened to all of my crap"- I could hear a knock, I still was on the couch
"Yes, come in"
"I don't disturb, do I?"- Noni entered the room fresh out of the bath, soaking the floor
"What were you doing?"- Sakamoto and Okura followed
"I was remembering things we did with Daisuke"
"Well, I remember he helped me in battle, like he took the role of a punching bag to defend me"- Noni smiled and began recollecting a few moments of me saving him
Noni's memory
We were fighting a giant thorny plant, Noni was using his spear to slash the vines it had created.
"Daisuke, see the yellow gem? Take it and stab the place the gem was held"- Noni was trying to keep up with the plant's vines
"On it"- Jumping up to the head of the plant where the gem is located. The vines spread towards Noni, too fast for him to dodge
*Use skill: Feral Frenzy*- I used Feral Frenzy to get reach the vine faster and save Noni, no good there were 4 more, so I decided to push Noni out of the way, and after that I took some hits from the plants
Noni cut the vines, it seems to take a little damage but not enough to kill it
Noni jumped in the air and threw his spear at the plant, but the thorns were about to stab him, I jumped in the air to push Noni, in the process my chest got slashed. He used the time the plant was occupied to throw the spear at the core and kill the plant for good
"Thanks, man"- He grabbed me off the ground and brought me to Senri to be healed
Real World:
"I have one to"- Sakamoto was the next one to share a memory of me
Sakamoto's Memory
I was in the field where Sakamoto trained his aim, and made new ranged attacks or arrow combination attacks
"Daisuke, can you bring more arrows?"- Sakamoto pointed to a green quiver
"Here"- I grabbed the whole quiver and gave it to him
"Thanks"- I could see his body was strained, his hands shaking violently, he was forcing himself to have a steady aim
"You could use a break, you look about to pass out"- He let the bow down for a bit and looked at me
"I can keep going a little more"- He was stubborn and didn't want to listen to me, his hand is shaking so bad
"No, you won't better rest if you don't want a big muscle fever"- He looked at me again
"Not until I can reach this new skill"
"What skill are you trying to get?"
"Well, I need to get the skill holy arrow, but I can't seem to get it, any ideas?"
"Great Sage?"
"Yes, holy magic. It is based in belief, not necessarily a god it can be anything and anyone, if you trust them enough then you can direct that belief at them"
"It is simple, you just have to believe in someone. Just think of a person or thing you believe in and direct all that energy into the arrow"- Sakamoto drew another arrow, the more he held the bow drawn the arrow it began to glow in a white light
"I did it!"- He smiled and fell on the floor panting
"Let's get back inside"- I grabbed him off the ground and put Sakamoto on the sofa in the living room
"I like some time alone, but it is ok if you want to stay"
"What is it? If you want to tell me, that is"
"My life here, it's 10 times better than the one we had in Japan, I can't talk about the others tho. Noni and I are brothers, we grew up without any parents"
"I am sorry to hear this"
"No, we still had many friends in Japan, but there was a thing missing. We felt as outcasts every time our friends will bring their parents over or even talk about them. There were many things me and my brother had done and achieved, all alone, but"
"But what?"
"We still missed something, like a part of us being dead"
"I don't really get it"
"We wanted to have parents, well we one day got them, we were 16 years old back then"
"I can't follow the timeline, explain again"
"Yes, the things I told you before we had done them as kids, we had to work and make money for ourselves. The 2 of us would usually fight illegal boxing matches, and we will win big time, no one knew this about us"
"That's hard"
"Well it was, keeping up at school was the hardest thing imaginable"
"Ok, I get it now, you can continue. What happened when you got parents?"
"A shitshow for short. But before I tell you more, please don't judge or say anything stupid, ok?"- He covered his face with his shaking hands
"I won't, don't worry"- I moved closer to him
"Well, when we were adopted by that family we got a new sibling, a little sister."
"Ok, pretty normal, I had a sister too"
"Well, the interactions were great but"
"But what?"
"Well, let's say that the 2 of had the biggest sister complex imaginable"
"Elaborate please"
"Our little sister was 15 at the time. Well, we had broken some barriers siblings shouldn't break"
"Just say without hiding it. It's confusing"
"The 2 of us fell for our little sister"
"Did this create a divide between the 2 of you?"
"No, not between us"
"I don't understand, what was the problem then?"
"Well, we didn't fight or argue, we helped each other to get on with our sister, keep in mind that on Earth we were twins"
"You were twins?"
"Yes"
"That's surprising"
"We asked for different bodies in this world so no one will recognize us. Well at least my brother did, I how he should have looked"
"So, what happened next?"
"Well, we got the big bombshell at 18 after 2 years there that those people who adopted us were our biological parents"
"I think I understand now. You were made at your parents for abandoning the 2 of you?"
"More or less. Our sister complex was exposed a little after this. They didn't kick us out, they were blaming themselves for everything"
"So after this? How did you die?"
"It was a few months after this, we took a hike with our sister to clear our minds and see how life would progress for us from now on."
"That day we were on a mountain trip, we reached a high point and all of us slipped, my brother was killed first, my sister and I were still alive"
"How did?"
"We got here at the same time, he waited for me in limbo. I was the only one with the least injuries due to me landing on top of them. My sister perished due to internal damage a few weeks after"
"So then, how did you die?"
"I killed myself. That was simple, I have no regrets of doing it now, I am with my brother again."
"What about your sister?"
"I don't know much about her"
"Great Sage?"
"Yes, she is in this world, in the northern region, in the mountains"
"Look, I talked with Great Sage, she reincarnated here and there is a good chance to find her in the northern mountains"
"Is it really true?"
"I think so, it's worth a shot?"
"That area is for level 80 and above, We wouldn't stand a chance fighting there, or trying to find her"
"Well, I am sorry for the 2 of you. Hope you find your sister"
"You are joking"
"No. Good luck"
"Thanks for listening Daisuke"
Reality:
"Who, I knew you had the sister complex face, I was right"- Senri giggle while Noni and Sakamoto looked at her mouths agape
"Well, I guess it is my turn"
Okura's memory:
I was sitting in a library, helping Okura with sorting books
"Makes sure to handle the books with care, we need them"
"Ok"
"I am done"- After sorting them I went back to Okura, he was resting on a chair in the library
"Ok, you are free now." Do whatever you want
"Are you sure?"
"Well, I forgot, I want to tell you something, we need to go back to the mansion first"
Okura's room
"Take a seat. I need to tell you a story first"
"Go on, I am listening"
"Well, this amulet here, is very important for me"- He handed me a coin-shaped amulet
"Ok, look. Senri is my little sister. This amulet is our only connection to our family. All 4 of us died at different times, all of us meet once or twice before we died."
"Ok, go on"
"Senri is my little sister, she is just 17 years old, although she may look older. Almost all of us here are older than 20 years old"
"Ok, what about you and Senri? What happened in Japan?"
"We had a normal life, Senri was a popular girl at school, had a boyfriend, the normal stuff."
"Ok, continue"- I was inspecting the amulet, I was cleaning it
"Well, we got burned alive at a concert we were going to. An accident happen, everyone ran for their lives, my sister and I got trampled and stuck in the fire, her boyfriend was the only one to get out. When coming to this world Senri didn't remember much, she remembers a little about them, but that's all, she lost most of her memories of Japan"
"I am sorry to hear this"
"Daisuke, can you promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"Take care of Senri"
"I will"
"Look, you spend 70% of your day with her. She wasn't willing to spend her day with anyone. Promise me that you will get her mind off things, maybe she will forget completely. I gave you the amulet and replace the photo with the 3 of us, her birthday is 2 weeks from now
"Ok, don't worry Okura, Senri is in good hands"
"Thanks Daisuke"
Reality:
Well, Okura didn't tell the memory the same way I remembered it, leaving the 'take care of Senri part out'
"It is getting late, I will go to sleep"- Noni was tired and the first to go
"Us 2. Come on Okura, let's get the least 1 game of cards before bed"- Sakamoto and Okura left, leaving only me and Senri in the room
"You don't have much to worry about, Daisuke, we trust you here. Maybe you should tell them more about your life in Japan"
"Maybe"
"Hey, can you come to my room?"
"Got cursed again?"
"There is something I wanted to ask you, I need your help with something, it's a little embarrassing"
"Ok"
"Come on then"- She grabbed my hand and I entered her room. It was like that night when she got cursed
"It looks messy"- As I looked around her room, I could find her clothes being thrown all over the floor
"Sorry, this is the thing I needed help with. I am quite messy, so if you want to help me I would be grateful"
"Ok, no need to worry, I need a bag"
"I just stood in bed all day, sorry Daisuke."- She searched for a bag and a broom to clean her room, she stumbled a few time before giving me the bag
"I will clean there, don't worry, you helped me enough"- When I got to clean under the bed, she stopped me
"I can do it myself, Daisuke"
"It's ok"- I put my hand under it, I could grab a bottle from under there, from the first one 4 more followed
"I am sorry Daisuke"- Senri tried to hide her embarrassment, she threw the bottles in a cloth bag
"Great Sage, what the hell is happening?"
"Alcohol bottles. She has been drinking quite a lot."
"Ok, Senri, tell me what is this really about?"
"Okura told you already, didn't he?"
"About what?"
"About me and our family"
"Yes, let's go outside first. It's good to take a breather"
Outside, the night was beautiful, the sky, the crickets, everything about today was good, Senri was an exception
"Let's sit here"- We walked outside the mansion to a pasture adjacent to it
"So, tell me what Okura told you. What really happened in Japan? How was my life before loosing all of my memories"
"Well, you had a normal life, friends, a boyfriend etc."
"Ok, but, what happened to them, what happened to us?"
"You died along with your brother, there was an uncontrolled fire at a concert, you and your brother got burned and trampled to death. Your boyfriend and everyone else escaped aside from you and Okura"
Senri began to shake
"Ok, but, I wonder what happened to them after this."
"Great Sage?"
"Kid, maybe you shouldn't tell her this but"
"But what Great Sage?"
"Well, you know the car that hit you?"
"Yes"
"The people in there were Senri's family, they survived, but they are all in prison"
"Daisuke, what happened to you?"
"Senri, hmm, Great Sage told me about your parents."
"What did they say?"
"Well, you know, I got hit by a car to get here. That car was your parents' car, they are arrest now"
"You are joking, right?"
"No, it's hard to believe, but it's true"
"What the actual hell"- Senri fell on her knees
"I am sorry"
"How the hell would you know something like this?"
"Great Sage is a god of knowledge, I showed you already that he can talk through me"
"You know what, forget it"- Senri covered her face using her hands
"I am sorry. Let's get back to your room"- Senri grabbed my hand, dragging me back
"Daisuke, please. Just try to ask him once more
"No kid, I am sure they are arrested"
"Senri, I am sorry, it's true"- Senri body began to get limp, she fell on ground
"Great Sage?"
"She fainted from shock, she will likely have amnesia and remember nothing. Better see Okura"
This turned out bad. I carried Senri back to her room.
I visited Okura's room afterward, my hands were shaking by the mere thought of confronting him about what happened, I can't rely on Great Sage to do everything for me, here we go
"Yeah, what happened?"- Okura, whispered from the other side of the door
"Something bad with Senri. I will explain everything"- Okura's body shot up, maybe by instinct or fear
"What did happen?"
"She asked Great Sage about your family and what happened to them"- Okura was stiff, like a statue
"What happened to them!"- From his stiffness, he bounced back and looked around the room
"The car that hit me when I reincarnated, it was your parents, they are arrested. Senri fainted when she heard this"- Okura's jaw dropped, his face was locked in this position, eyes wide open
"Well, at least I have closure. Anything else left to say?"- By his tone, he needs alone time
"Yes, Senri took a drinking habit because of this. I found many alcohol bottles in her room. Now, what should I do with her? I promised something to you so?"- All this time we didn't make eye contact, the sinking feeling, the anxiety about this, I failed Okura
"This is the worst time for this to happen. We are supposed to get a mission from the king soon. I will come to see what I can do about Senri. Until then, watch over Senri in her room"
"Ok, I am sorry"- I bowed
"Don't worry, I just need alone time"
Before going to Okura I placed Senri on her bed, she didn't look good at all.
Her face was red, she is hyperventilating
I tried to put my hand on her forehead. I try to stay awake the entire night to watch over her but ended up falling asleep