3 bar menu

29. Wolf’s Hidden Village (2)

「Marge! Mother and father aren’t breathing! And they’re badly burned!」

「Don’t worry.」

「T-The healing skill you used on Guran!」

Shizuku’s parents had suffered severe burns, but Seraph’s Grace instantly healed all injuries. They had passed out from inhaling too much smoke, but should wake up in a while.

While protecting Shizuku as she carried her parents into safety, I turned towards the village.

「……What is this?」

Looking around at the devastation in the village, my thoughts escaped my lips despite myself.

「Just what in the world is this?」

My thoughts wavered at the sight of the werewolves, who were once unparalleled warriors, helplessly being trampled, eaten, burned, and running about trying to escape.

The strong rob and become stronger, and the weak are robbed and become weaker.

That is the law of nature. These are rules that nature has forced upon all living things. However, humans have created civilization, culture, and wisdom in order to resist such nature. That was supposed to be the case.

But what about the scene in front of me right now? Those who were once robbed now do not even possess the strength to face the natural disaster of a dungeon, and are now robbed of their land, their families, their dignity, and are about to have their lives taken away from them. If this is how it always ends, why do we go to the trouble of building a society even at the cost of war and crown ourselves a king?

If this is inevitable, what on earth are civilizations, academics, societies, countries, and kings for?

「Master?」

「…No, it’s nothing. Let’s move.」

「Should we help the residents?」

「We’ll leave that to Shizuku.」

Monsters were springing out from the dungeon. In that case, no matter how many monsters we wipe out here, it will never end.

I have to strike down the “King” at the center of the dungeon.

「Can you handle it, Shizuku?」

「That’s what endemic skills are originally for.」

「Then I’ll lend you this.」

[The loan process will begin. Please select the loan recipient and loan skill.]

What I need to lend to Shizuku now is not fighting skills. There is no skill that can overcome this situation with the lowest value of [1,000] skill points. Even if I lend a powerful skill like [Subspace Rupture] at the risk of incurring debt, she won’t be able to control it and will only hurt herself and others.

[Debtor: Shizuku Skill: Scout’s Intuition has been selected.]

「It’s a skill that allows you to detect danger. Accept it.」

「[Scout’s Intuition]…? Why use such a skill when the enemy is right in front of me?」

「To escape.」

「!!」

「I am lending it to you so that you can escape safely by yourself when there is nothing else you can do.」

Shizuku’s shoulders trembled. Trying her best not to scream at me.

「I won’t run away, even if I die! There’s nowhere to even run!」

「Yeah, I know. Even I don’t accept the idea that “Everything was taken away from me, but I alone was able to escape and survive, so I’m lucky”.」

A wild animal’s mindset is that if you’re alive, you’ve won. But for humans, just being alive is not the same as living.

「Then why?」

「Even so, it is human nature to want people to live if possible.」

So, this is also my selfishness.

There was no time to be troubled. Shizuku paused for just a second and then nodded slightly.

「I accept.」

[Starting the loan process.]

「I’ll be back.」

I took a big step forward, accumulating power in my six invisible arms. The faint sound of Shizuku fighting could be heard from behind.

「Koe-san.」

「When looking down from the sky just now, the source of the monsters seems to be on the west side of the mountain. It seems that is where the entrance to “The Farthest Ends of the Blue” is.」

「Alright, let’s go west.」

I knocked down the monsters that stood in my way and advanced.

According to Shizuku, the residents of the village often entered the dungeon. As if to exemplify this, at the end of a well-trodden road, a stone gate stood wide open. A large number of monsters were crowding together, blocking the path to the underground.

The number was incomparable to the “Monster Tsunami” that is said to dye the sky black, but right now I have to sweep them all at once.

「Koe-san, please.」

「Yes, master.」

「[Skill Lender], activate. Execute seizure.」

[Skill has been selected. Executing process.]

[Obsidian] has been seized from debtor Gordon.

[Obsidian] has evolved into [Vajra Barrier].

[Debtor Gordon’s points for all skills have reached the lower limit of [-999,999,999]. These are the skill points that can be collected at the moment.]

[From now on, the full amount will be automatically seized every time the debtor acquires skill points until the payment is completed.]

Gordon’s unique skill, [Obsidian]. It is a “shield” technique that greatly increases the hardness and weight of the body.

「[Vajra Barrier], activate.」

The evolved [Vajra Barrier] is also basically the same type of skill. The barrier that covers the body like a membrane repels all attacks. It is heavier than lead and will not waver under any heavy blows.

Hard and heavy. When combined with a charging force, it transforms from a “shield” to a “cannon”.

「Grab on.」

「Yes, master.」

「[Asura’s Six Arms], full activation.」

Power surged through the six arms. I clutched onto the ground with all that power. And charged. Forward and forward and forward.

「[Great Ram]!」

A single armor-piercing cannon crushed the monster blocking the entrance and rushed into the dungeon.