Chapter 19: Life-Size
I woke up feeling chilly, as if I had kicked off the straw while sleeping.
It was still dark, but unlike before going to bed, my eyes had adjusted to the darkness, and I could faintly see my surroundings.
The muscle soreness is terrible, just as I expected. It's because I, a physically inactive ronin student, have been doing too much physical labor since coming here. The sleeping arrangements are bad, and the bed is too narrow to turn over properly.
To check the level-up in my dream, I put the straw on my head again for warmth and looked at the status screen.
It seems that defeating a solo level 11 thief gave me a significant amount of experience points, as my level had indeed become 7, just as I saw in my dream. I wonder if this is thanks to the "growth bonus" that the god mentioned, as my level increased by three overnight.
[Job: Adventurer (Level 7) / Slave (Ownership: Cecily Istrefi)
Skills: Doll Play (Level 5)
Clay Play (Level 6)
Discernment (Beginner)
Swordsmanship (Level 1)
Throwing (Level 1)
HP Increase (Medium)
Perception
Party Formation
Map
Discovery
Riding (Level 1)]
My skills have also increased.
The last one, "Riding," must be because I rode Triuma. I didn't obtain this skill when Cecily let me ride behind her on the first day, so I guess I have to ride alone to acquire it.
Also, it seems that I obtained "Map" and "Discovery" through the increase in adventurer level.
I thought that the level increase and the number didn't match, but when I looked closely, "HP Increase" was labeled as (Medium). Well, it probably means that my stamina has increased even more. I didn't really feel the effect of "HP Increase (Small)" though.
And there's "Doll Play Level 5." It seems that clay play increases faster after all. When I touched it, the newly added content in the display was "Growing bigger."
What does that mean? Does it mean that Lina will become bigger?
Inside the straw, next to me, Lina was not asleep but in a negligee state, resembling a tuna. As an experiment, I whispered, "Grow bigger."
! I panicked.
A life-size negligee girl was snuggled up to me.
She had slender, long legs and a model-like figure.
She opened her eyes sharply and asked, "What are you planning?"
"N-nothing," I stammered.
In the cramped cell, Lina and I unintentionally ended up in a posture that made us hold each other. I've never had an experience like this before.
Lina feels cool unlike human skin. After all, she is a doll. However, my body temperature suddenly rose.
"Ugh, please shrink, become smaller."
I was a coward.
I should have already overcome my DT.
Rina had safely returned to her original size.
By the way, when you grow bigger, the costume also grows bigger. Well, it would be troublesome if it didn't.
If every time someone said "H○-Flash!" and the costume burst, it would be excessive service.
Inhale, exhale... Take a deep breath. Calm down, me.
I'm not a lolicon. And I'm not friends with weirdos who are into playing with dolls. So it's fine. Of course.
For now, I need to check my other skills.
That's right, that's right.
Stop giving me those piercing eyes.
As for the "Clay Play" skill, perhaps because I exhausted my MP yesterday trying so hard, I've been promoted two ranks again. It's a shame that my job level hasn't increased as much though.
When I touched the display, the newly acquired abilities were...
"Abundant Clay" and "Firing and Hardening." What's this?
"Abundant Clay" probably means being able to produce a large amount of clay as the name suggests.
I wonder if it increases the efficiency of MP consumption when producing clay, even in situations like yesterday. As for "Firing and Hardening," I'm not sure, but it gives me the image of pottery or ceramics.
Come to think of it, I've heard that things like New Ceramic or Fine Ceramic are also a type of pottery, part of the ceramics family. So you could say they're related to clay.
I've heard that high-temperature engine parts can also be made from ceramics, and I've seen materials like ceramic knives that are incredibly hard.
In that case, can I make a hardened ceramic sword...? Thinking that, I imagined a ceramic sword like the one in the manga Wind of ○'s ○shika.
It's done.
The lack of detail in the craftsmanship must be due to the lack of specificity in my imagination. It's been quite a long time since I last saw it.
I'm sorry, Mr. Miyazaki. I preferred the manga in Ani○ge rather than your work.
Gradually transforming, it took about five minutes to reach a satisfactory shape.
I wonder how durable it is in practical use. Maybe I should have Rina wield this?
No, not just for cosplay, though that's part of it. It might actually be usable as a practical weapon.
Even if Rina grows up, those fake swords made of soft vinyl won't be of any use in battle. They're really only for cosplay contests.
In comparison, a hardened ceramic sword would be much more durable, and if someone were struck with it, it would definitely draw blood.
"Rina, try swinging this sword."
Whispering so that no one else could hear, I resized it to life-size again. It seemed that I could adjust it to "life-size" within certain limits, and if I wanted, I could make it a head taller than me.
For now, let's keep it at a normal JC size.
It may be a small space like a capsule hotel in terms of area, but it has a high ceiling, so there is enough space for life-size Rina to swing the sword straight.
And even though it was still before dawn, I thought it wouldn't matter if there were sounds and signs of swinging swords. The reason being that I already sensed the presence of someone swinging a sword somewhere else.
Using my detection skill, I sensed it was Greon. In the nearby cell, he seemed to have been awake and doing some early morning training for a while.
Diligent and respectful. It's probably not unusual for a combat slave to move and train even in a small cell. After all, the body is their asset.
This might be the secret to surviving and fighting for many years, but I don't think I would last long if I were in that situation.
Rina stood at the back of the cell and swung the ceramic sword with both hands, like practicing swordsmanship.
Swish, a sharp sound echoed. I don't know much about sword skills, but her form is impeccable. Yeah, yeah. Rina seems to have high physical abilities too.
Each time the girl doll swings the sword, the hem of her translucent negligee flutters, but it doesn't disturb me, of course. It's like the state of mind of a trainer who calmly observes the horse's progress.
It's dark, so Rina's fair skin stands out even more, but I don't think of it as lucky or a feast for the eyes.
Because it's a small space, I have to watch closely to ensure safety.