2. Marge, the Skill Lender (2)
Learning skills is like turning a waterwheel.
Even though water is flowing in slowly, the huge water wheel will not move. It will only begin to move once there is a certain amount of water, and as the amount of water increases, its rotation increases.
It is the same for skills. There is a numerical value called skill point, and when it exceeds [1000] in training, it becomes a skill. After that, points will increase by using the skill, and the effects will increase accordingly. It is said that when the points are raised to the maximum, it may transform to a higher-level skill.
Apart from ordinary skills, there are also people who develop unique skills between the ages of eight and twelve at times.
Such skills sometimes have unique performance and characteristics, and the especially powerful ones are often sought after by powerful parties and research institutions. I’ve even heard that the master of a super prestigious guild came to meet an eight-year-old girl and tried to secure her by writing up a contract on a napkin on the spot. The child apparently refused.
My [Skill Lender] is one such unique skill. The effect is that I can lend my skills to others.
On top of it being up to me to learn the skills myself, the only people who can put those to use are others – it is an unfortunate skill in that regard. For example, if I learn [Slash Enhancement] and swing my sword, I will get the minimum amount of power out of it. But if I lend it to [Sword Saint] Altora, the power produced will be tens of times stronger. Rather than a napkin contract, all I can remember is the VIPs who came to see me leaving with a wry smile on their faces.
Even so, if I put in the effort, learn a lot of skills, and lend the right skills to the right people, I should be able to contribute to the party. I worked desperately with that in mind. The reason I was invited to join this S-class party must have been because I lent my skill [Hawk Eye] to Altora, who I had a relationship with at the time because we both had a unique skill.
「Activate [Sword Saint]. Don’t get caught up in my range! Especially you, Marge. Stay on the ground and don’t you bloody move! If you move, I’ll kill you!」
However, for Altora, who was hailed as a child prodigy even back then, I might have been nothing more than a convenient skill storage. Now, he doesn’t even ask me what skills I have learned and lent to him.
「I expect you to not get in the way. It can’t be helped that you can’t protect yourself from the enemy, but at least make an effort not to get in the way of your allies.」
「……Got it.」
As Eria instructed, I lay down on the ground at her feet and kept my head as low as possible. Monster’s body fluids coated my entire body, and the stench filled my nose.
「[Sword Saint], Activate!」
Altora’s sword shone, and a flash of light ran across the cave. The fungus-type monsters that filled the path were cut into two without even a wail. The sword blade grazed slightly above my head. Was that a sign that if I had raised my head even a little, he would have really cut my head off?
「[Sword Saint], huh…」
He must have used the various skills I lent him, such as [Hawk Eye] to increase his dynamic vision, but as far as I can remember, he has never mentioned this fact out loud.
After confirming there was nothing else moving in the passageway, he kicked me up.
「Hey, how long are you going to be lying there, dullard! Get moving! Shit, you got dirt on the luggage too. You can’t even carry the luggage properly?」
「Yuck. Please don’t come near me.」
「I almost feel sorry… But it can’t be helped. The lent skills won’t be effective unless he is within a certain extent.」
Gordon and Tina openly distanced themselves from me. I proceeded through the dungeon behind the four of them, walking just far enough so that the effect of [Skill Lender] will not weaken. It seemed like the four of them were having a lively conversation in front of me, pretending I wasn’t there.
「Even so, considering that it’s called the deadliest dungeon, it’s not that big of a deal at all. Is this the “Abyss Where Evil Comes From”, which is also known as the S-class killer?」
「Agreed. There are only a large number of monsters, but their strength is somewhere in the middle. Occasionally I see traps, but they have almost no effect.」
「I guess we must be that much stronger. Tina’s [Angel’s White Wings] seem to be working as well.」
「My power isn’t such a big deal…」
Yes, it really isn’t a big deal.
This floor is full of deadly poison. The monsters emit poisonous gas from their entire body, and the traps spew poisonous mist that erodes the adventurers’ body and robs them of their freedom.
Many of the strong have met their end in the “Abyss Where Evil Comes From”. Our predecessors who survived such hell gradually accumulated knowledge and discovered effective countermeasure skills one by one.
It’s only because I’m lending them the skills I’ve learned that the four in front of me are able to walk so leisurely.
「…I guess there’s no point in saying that.」
If I did, the bread for dinner will be from six days ago rather than four. Nothing good comes out of internal discord inside a dungeon.
Anyway, I can’t leave their side. Naturally, the skill I just lent them last night was still at [1000]. If the distance between me and them weakens even a little, the effect will disappear.
「Hey, look behind. Marge is freaking out!」
「I’ll let it slide. He’ll die in one hit, after all. Kukuku…」
In other words, if I take three more steps away, Altora and Gordon, who were laughing at me, will inhale the poisonous air and pass out. I won’t do it because it’s pointless.
RELEASE RATE
Skill Lender Get Back His Pride
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 90 hours
so far i love love love it! keep up the good work and ty for translating!