A Lesson Learned with Ribs (2)
A Lesson Learned with Ribs (2)
First, I sat down and took a mouthful of the coffee I had ordered.
Since it was "molecular coffee," the hot liquid contained no actual coffee beans.
But for citizens of this cold cyberpunk world, organic compounds were essential, so even the caffeine wasn't missing.
I savored the caffeine stimulating my central nervous system, sharpening my mind.
[Welcome! An astonishing and innovative taste! This is the Center Plaza branch of 'Quantum Coffee'!]
The noisy promotional message from the café's unmanned kiosk pierced through the soft background music.
Right.
I was in a café now.
Not only had I entered a café alone, but I was even enjoying an impromptu tea time.
It seemed the time was finally arriving for me to evolve from an I-type to an E.
Well, it was about time. I savored the flavor of (bean-free) coffee aroma while indulging in the typical delusion of loners.
And there was a valid reason for me to be spending my time thinking such strange thoughts.
First of all.
That was because my planned, simplest, most basic, and most anticipated 'Rumble-Tumble Gym Grand Operation' had ended in failure.
I should have realized sooner that in a cyberpunk world, a miracle (drugs) is needed for a human to overcome machines with sheer strength.
I racked my brain to find another way.
As I've said many times, because I have a shitty physical trait, I eliminated 'cyberware surgery' as an option for now.
I even seriously considered asking Chairman or Eve to replace my entire body with a 'bioware prosthetic body,' but...
...it was too much of a mental burden.
Exercise wouldn't work, surgery wouldn't work.
Honestly, what the hell was so special about that 'kiss' that I was agonizing over it like this?
.......
But I couldn't just flash back through my life again.
I had received all the treatment safely, but maybe it was my imagination; my ribs still throbbed a little.
Anyway, I had to find some other method.
Just then, a wheeled order robot came toward me, cutting off my thoughts.
[Customer, the allotted usage time for your ordered 'Quantum Molecular Coffee' has expired. Would you like to place an additional order?]
I couldn't even sit comfortably in a café.
"Uh... yes. Same menu, please."
[Confirmed. Have a pleasant day in Neon City.]
After answering what was likely a staff member controlling the machine from behind a camera, the order robot rolled away and disappeared.
Had I really been sitting there that long?
I checked the clock, and it hadn't even been 20 minutes since I entered the café.
What a crazy capitalist world...
Just then, I noticed a notification blinking in my vision interface.
It was a notification that a call was incoming.
Let's see the name...
[Merlin, a slightly less great Mage]
"......."
I thought it used to be just 'Great Mage.'
When did he change his display name again?
Come to think of it, that old man existed.
I answered the call, thinking the timing was good.
32. A Lesson Learned from My Ribs (2)
Mage Merlin.
He was someone I'd met recently.
Because of that, instead of greeting him happily, I asked him his business first.
"What is it this time?"
[Haha, that question stings a little. It makes it sound like I only call when I need something.]
"......."
We're not exactly that close, are we?
Anyway, I pushed that thought aside and asked Merlin.
"Well, the timing was good anyway."
[Huh?]
"Because I have something to ask you too, Master."
[Haha, calling me Master... such a lofty title is a little embarrassing.]
"Teacher. Got it."
[......]
Merlin's face, wearing a slightly disgruntled expression, appeared on the hologram screen.
It was just as awkward for me to see the sulking old man's face.
I quickly changed the subject.
"Um, I was wondering if I could ask you some questions about magic, Teacher."
Merlin's face brightened as he answered.
[Ho-oh! So you have something to ask, ask away. Naturally, you should come to me. Now, what is it? What are you curious about?]
It seemed that he felt bad about not being able to tell me much during the last magic lecture at the café.
[Actually, I have quite a knack for teaching people. I'm famous even in the Neon City mage community. Haha!]
"A mage community? There's such a thing?"
[...Were you perhaps not invited?]
"No."
[...Then just pretend you didn't hear that.]
It felt like I'd just heard about a group chat that everyone but me was invited to. I'm a pretty famous mage in my own right, too...
Only after Merlin firmly promised, "I'll definitely invite you later!" could we proceed with the next topic.
I almost got depressed for the first time in a while.
Anyway, I asked Merlin my question.
"Is there magic that strengthens the body?"
[?]
Merlin made a weird face at my question. As I'd thought before, this old man was very emotionally expressive for his age.
[If you mean strengthening the body...]
"So..."
How should I explain it?
I simply stated what I wanted.
"Magic that increases the body's durability or something. Or transformation magic is also fine if that exists."
I didn't say why I needed it. The secrets of my cohabitants must be protected.
But it seemed my question wasn't on the 'list of questions' Merlin had anticipated.
Merlin, who had been full of energy just moments ago, suddenly fell silent.
[...Well.]
Merlin slowly opened his mouth.
[I'm not sure if you know, but...]
"Yes."
[The truth is, my body has more cyberware installed than not. About 60 percent of it, that is.]
"Ah."
That's right.
Come to think of it, that's true.
I still remembered what Eve had said when I first met Merlin last time.
I also remembered that she said, 'I do not recommend engaging this individual in close combat.'
Merlin, looking at my expression, clicked his tongue and scratched his head.
[If such magic existed, I would have had no reason to get cyberware surgery.]
Ah, I got my hopes up for nothing.
"So there's none, right?"
[...But I can't say for certain.]
When I said that bluntly with a disappointed look, Merlin's eyes widened and he continued.
[Turning the impossible into the possible, that is the essence of magic. It's impossible now, but you can't say it will be impossible forever.]
"No, I meant you don't know right now—"
[First, you're right. I don't know now. But other mages might know, and just because they don't know doesn't mean no one does.]
"Anyway—"
[First, when I have time, I'll contact other mages. No, rather than that.]
"......."
[You could probably create the magic you need on your own. After all, you're the 'only mage' who's made a name with magic, aren't you? Yes, that would be best.]
No, this old man.
Why was he so chatty?
Anyway.
That was the conclusion.
I adjusted my vision interface to slightly raise my voice output.
"So you don't know right now, right?"
[......]
Merlin made an apologetic face.
He could have just said he didn't know.
I didn't know why he was making such long excuses.
Merlin, suddenly drained of energy, couldn't hide his dejected look.
I felt a little sorry seeing that, but I still felt I had done my part by listening this much.
"Why did you call me?"
If my tone had become a bit arrogant, it was just my imagination.
[...Ah, that.]
Merlin stroked his beard a little.
[As I said last time, I told you I'd contact you after figuring out a new magic system.]
"Oh, you figured it out?"
Then you should have started with that—
[Not yet.]
"......."
He never meets expectations.
Merlin showed behind him through the hologram screen. An old, rusty iron door was visible.
[But I did find a clue. Do you know about the city's 'underground layer'?]
"The sewers?"
[Including the sewer lines.]
I knew the gist of it.
It was overflowing with hidden criminals, full of toxic substances, and had an enormous number of mutants.
In the game, it was treated as a 'dungeon' area. It was also a place where there were more people who couldn't be reasoned with than those who could.
"Well, I know as much as anyone else."
[Then it will be easier to explain.]
Merlin stared at me through the hologram.
[There's a rumor that mages have appeared in the underground layer. That means a new magic system might be down there.]
"......What?"
[It might be hard to contact you once I go underground, you see. That's why I called you today in advance.]
"You're going down there just because of a rumor?"
[For the sake of inquiry, of course.]
"......."
I wanted to stop him.
But the old man's eyes were serious.
In that situation, there was only one thing I could say to Merlin.
"...Uh, take care of yourself."
[Of course.]
Honestly, I couldn't bring myself to say I'd go down with him.
With that, I ended the call.
.......
Hmm.
Make the magic myself?
It wasn't like I hadn't thought about it.
Because all the magic I'd used so far was the result of my own independent research.
It was just that I'd been very cautious because I had to use magic within my own body.
Still.
Since Merlin had said so, should I give it a try?
I lightly circulated the mana I had gathered inside my body. And I imagined an image. Similar to when I used a shield, but slightly different.
...Nah, no way this will work.
If I could just think up a spell and make it, all my worries and hardships so far would be for nothing—
"......."
It worked.
I stared at my hardened skin and thought.
* * *
My steps were lighter than usual.
I moved to the Golden Smile Condominium and pressed the elevator button with a practiced hand.
"...Huh?"
What? Why won't the button press?
Is it broken?
While I was thinking that.
[You may come up one more floor.]
Eve's voice sounded in my head.
Since my residential floor was the 13th.
It probably meant to come up to the 14th.
.......
Why the 14th floor all of a sudden?
I felt an inexplicable ominousness.