Chapter 2 - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Episode 2
It's absurd.
Even if it's random magic, was it necessary to include such gambling-like elements?
The two exclamation points attached to the end, as if it's something significant, are infuriating.
For something that only lets you use a one-time magic spell.
But at the same time, this thought crossed my mind.
"....Could there be game developers or something?"
'First-time limited' is a very contrived phrase.
It feels like an ability artificially imbued by someone.
Then who?
It seems like it would be the original Oz or someone equivalent to the game developers....
This isn't something I can figure out just by thinking about it right now.
"Still, it's better to have a purpose for anything."
Considering Oz's appearance in the game, the primary objective is survival.
But to live only conscious of that felt too pathetic for my existence.
I was possessed for unknown reasons, but I didn't want to live without knowing why.
I should set finding the answer to this as my second goal.
"Then, Spatial Barrier is...."
[Spatial Barrier Lv. 1]
[──]
"Nothing there."
Did they leave it unfinished?
If the game had been released like this, countless trucks would have gathered in front of the company's main gate.
Now that it has become reality, it feels like an even more broken game.
[Contemplation - Deactivated]
The more I maintained [Contemplation], the more nauseous my vision became and a headache rushed in, so I decided to deactivate it for a moment.
It felt like my mental strength was being drained.
I should check it later once I've organized my thoughts.
For now, I've confirmed three things.
The existence of [Contemplation].
It allows me to think deeply even about the same things.
Knowledge related to magic.
I understand the flow of mana and how to utilize it, but I don't yet know about magic circles that constitute magic.
Information about skills.
The few techniques I can use right now.
I have to rely on these for now.
It feels like the tutorial is over with this. Then, the next precautions are....
"Oz-nim, may I come in?"
At that moment, a knock accompanied by a young woman's voice came.
I checked the clock on the wall and then reconfirmed the schedule written on the sticky note, but I wasn't supposed to meet anyone.
Then was it an uninvited guest?
"Hmm...."
It might be better to pretend I'm not here.
If the woman outside was someone close to Oz, like family or a lover, things could get quite complicated.
I could needlessly ruin a relationship. In a situation where I don't know what might happen, it's not good to act rashly.
"Oh? Are you pretending to be absent? Hide-and-seek? But I can feel Oz-nim's mana? Did something happen? You don't seem to be sleeping.... Should I force the door open and check?"
Come to think of it, there was such a setting.
The characters in this game had the ability to pinpoint someone's location by detecting their mana.
Thinking about it now, it's a setting optimized for stalking.
I respond in a manner as similar as possible to the in-game Oz's personality.
"No, there's no problem."
"Ah, you were there after all. If it's alright, could you please open the door?"
"....Alright."
Since I'd been discovered, there was no helping it.
Here, it would be best to obediently go out and try to resolve the situation as much as possible....
"......."
Just as I was about to move to open the door.
I saw the sticky note I had been checking lying on the floor, stepped on by my foot.
That small note caught my eye. If this was Oz's arrangement, it wouldn't be just a simple instruction manual.
Do not stop [Contemplating].
Thinking about it that way, the sentence seemed meaningful.
It wasn't simply 'Do it,' but 'Do not stop,' was it?
Why?
Was it implying that I had to be suspicious of something even in daily life?
"Don't tell me...."
What if the purpose of this note wasn't simply to teach me the ability, but to warn me about something that would happen in the future? The meaning of {Things to Read Absolutely} might be just that.
[Contemplation - Activated]
Just in case, I reactivated [Contemplation], and I saw an ominous aura leaking through the crack in the door like fog.
I couldn't tell just by looking at that.
So I slightly moved my foot and checked the next sentence that had been hidden.
Do not trust anyone until you escape {Spellerge}.
The Mage King's Kingdom {Spellerge}
In the game, it was the name of Oz's home country.
Oz's title itself was [Successor of the Mage King], wasn't it?
Then where exactly was I right now?
A luxurious room like a hotel.
The view outside the window matched the background of the {Spellerge} region in the game: colorful stars and a purple sky.
The ominous aura emanating from the crack in the door.
And the subtle silence hanging in the air despite being in such a bustling city.
And the killing intent felt from every word the woman spoke.
"Are you almost ready?"
"......."
It seemed she wasn't a guest but an enemy.
Perhaps an assassin who intentionally approached Oz.
It seemed my starting point was a thrilling escape room game.
Now, what should I do? There weren't many options.
"Oz-nim? Is something the matter?"
Moreover, I didn't have much time.
Seeing the ominous aura getting thicker through the crack in the door, it seemed she was starting to suspect me as well.
"Just a moment."
"Yes?"
First, I look around the room while maintaining [Contemplation].
The room was sealed.
Hiding now was pointless since she knew I was here through my mana, and hiding in such a narrow space was meaningless.
The scenery outside the window was the sky.
Since I couldn't see other buildings, it was likely a very high-rise building.
--Then there was only one door I could escape through safely.
The direction where the suspected dangerous woman was.
There wouldn't be a fight right away. If that was her intention, she wouldn't have acted so intimately.
But I'd stalled for too long. If I went out without an excuse, it would be hard to avoid suspicion.
Then, at least with an attitude befitting Oz....
"I'm changing clothes, so wait a little longer."
Speaking in Oz's characteristic arrogant, noble voice, the opponent's ominous aura considerably faded.
"Oh, is that so? I'm sorry. I was being inconsiderate."
Had the suspicion cleared somewhat? The ominous aura seen through the crack in the door seemed to have faded a bit.
Since the other party was also feigning intimacy, it was probably a stage of gathering information about each other.
So I should maintain my composure and face her.
Then the opportunity would come.
"Come in."
"Yes, Oz-nim."
Opening the door, I saw a woman with red hair and yellow eyes.
She looked younger than I expected.
She was wearing a red dress that matched her hair color, and in one hand, she held a small bag.
[Erosion Rate 14%]
Was it because of nervousness? Or concentration? The [Erosion Rate] jumped up at once as soon as I faced her.
"Was I a bit sudden?"
"Well...."
It wasn't just a bit, but extremely sudden. However, I don't show it in my attitude. The Oz in the game wouldn't have shown such a reaction.
"Have a seat."
I lead the red-haired woman, who might be an assassin, to the table.
With some distance between us and both of us sitting, her movements would be somewhat restricted in case of an emergency.
"Then, excuse me."
The woman sat demurely on the chair.
Whether she was some noble lady or a trained assassin, her demeanor was quite elegant.
"Ah, come to think of it, I brought some wine...."
The woman took out a bottle of wine that looked expensive from her small bag.
"....I'm sorry, but I have an appointment, so I don't want to drink."
"Oh.... That's too bad."
Barely suppressing a groan that was about to escape my lips, I refuse as naturally as possible. An overtly ominous aura emanated from the wine.
"It's delicious wine, so it's a shame.... Then I'll leave it here so you can have it later."
"Alright."
Was she thinking of poisoning me?
But what surprised me more was that such a large object fit in a bag the size of a handbag.
Since it's a fantasy world, it wouldn't be strange for there to be convenient items like subspace bags....
I started to worry about what else she might be hiding in there.
The information I obtained while talking to the assassin woman was as follows:
Her right hand had more calluses compared to her left.
It was a difference that would normally be hard to notice, but perhaps due to [Contemplation], or perhaps due to extreme tension, I could discern it.
It wasn't actually enough to be called calluses, but the right side of her hand was more trained than the left.
Being trained like that meant she frequently swung something large and heavy with her right hand.
"Hmm, this is delicious."
And although she was suspicious, she wasn't wary of me.
As if she was certain I wouldn't touch her.
As if she hoped this situation wouldn't change. As if it couldn't change.
Her objective was likely to assassinate me, but she was clearly enjoying this moment together.
Was it Oz's plausibility that even captivated an assassin?
...Or perhaps they were originally that close.
She might not have been an assassin, or perhaps Oz had betrayed her expectations.
Since the Oz I knew had a self-righteous side, that could be the case.
"Ah, is your time alright? I heard you had quite a busy schedule today...."
And above all, there was no way Oz wouldn't have noticed what I had noticed.
It seemed the woman in front of me had been looking for a chance to kill Oz for quite some time. And Oz, knowing that, allowed her approach.
Perhaps it was because he was a weak-hearted fellow, contrary to his cold exterior and arrogance that believed he could handle everything alone.
The assassin and Oz.
I didn't know exactly what their relationship was, but it was clear that they were continuing a relationship that shouldn't be continued, without any countermeasures.
"This is...."
"Is something the matter?"
Did she notice the bitter expression on my face? The assassin woman spoke with a worried expression.
Disgusting.
That expression, hiding a sinister killing intent, was disgusting.
Yes, it should be disgusting, but....
[Erosion Rate 16%]
Oz's feelings, accounting for only 16%, seemed different.
"Stop it."
My heart felt heavy.
If it was like this with just 16%, how suffocated must the original Oz have felt? This relationship had to end.
If the [Erosion Rate] continued to increase like this, even I might not be able to escape this relationship.
"Let's stop lying to each other and get to the point."
"......."
The woman, who had a bright smile just a moment ago, instantly became expressionless.
As expected, she too had noticed the strange situation where they were both lying to each other.
The red-haired woman eventually asked with a crazed smile, "So, what are you going to do? Are you going to stop this childish game and kill me?"
"Well...."
Honestly, I wasn't sure if I could subdue her, unlike the original Oz.
I had the knowledge but couldn't use magic yet.
It was like having the ingredients for cooking but not knowing the recipe.
I knew how to process mana itself, but I didn't know any spells.
"If you give up and go back, I don't intend to stop you."
"You're joking, right?"
Was it no use after all?
The woman put her hand into the small bag she had taken the wine from and started to be wary of me.
It was a good thing I'd investigated beforehand.
I knew she was strong.
Compared to Oz, who was SSR-rank, perhaps her strength was somewhere between SR and SSR rank?
Furthermore, it was also likely that she wasn't a mage but a close-combat specialist.
The calluses on her hands proved that.
If I moved recklessly, my head would fly off.
"May I ask you one thing?"
"Anything."
"If you intended to end this childish game today, why didn't you attack me from the beginning?"
"Probably for a similar reason as you."
As soon as I said that, the woman frowned and spoke as if displeased. Did I guess wrong?
"That's why.... Because Oz-nim acts so foolishly, the situation has become like this."
Even if she said that, I didn't know.
What I could understand by the 16% was that Oz had also made up his mind.
No, it should be seen as resignation.
It was strange that it felt so distant even though it was my emotion.
"Then...."
I got up from the table and slowly walked across the room.
I didn't go towards the door.
She would be wary of the door, so if I headed that way, she would react immediately.
So, as if trying to organize my thoughts, using Oz's demeanor.
I headed towards the window.
"Amazing."
Looking down from the window, I could see. As expected, this room was high up. No, it's higher than I expected.
Then, it was time to make up my mind.
[Mana Dominator Lv. 1]
[★First-time Limited Commemorative SSR-rank Magic 100% Appearance!!]
It was somewhat comical, but this was the only offensive means I could rely on right now.
However, this single time was both an opportunity and a penalty.
SSR-rank magic was usually on a scale to confront an army.
Even in the game, they were wide-area or incredibly high-powered skills.
If I used it in this narrow room, I wouldn't be able to handle the aftermath.
"Let's meet down below."
Normally, it would be unimaginable. To think of jumping from such a
height would be impossible unless I'd lost my mind.
But it was different now.
[Erosion Rate 17%]
My current 17% was occupied by the sturdy mental strength of a mage with the highest talent in the setting.
Mages calmly and composedly assess whether they can or cannot do what's in front of them.
And this could be done.
"What...?!"
As the red-haired woman cried out in bewilderment, I threw myself out without hesitation.