LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 94
“That was pretty close. Maybe you should consider switching from being a merchant to an adventurer?”
“You say that like it didn’t even make you sweat…”
“Well, you’re the same, aren’t you?”
—
The combat training with Saioji lasted only a few short minutes.
However, swinging around a multi-kilo practice spear with full force left me more drained than I expected. Ever since I was reincarnated as Asfial, I had never been out of breath, but even after the brief session with Saioji, I found myself slightly winded. The intensity of the training was no joke.
“Your moves are good, but your technique selection is still immature… Are you the one choosing the moves?”
“Mostly, yeah. It’s not fully automated; it’s more like I have strong assistance… if that makes sense.”
For me, it feels like controlling a character in an action game. There are several move commands, and once I decide on one, the Access Gear integrates it and executes the most optimal action.
While the Access Gear provides recommended actions, the final decision always rests with me.
“I was following the system’s optimal choices, but did it seem off?”
“There were some openings in your movements. But this system isn’t the latest version, is it?”
“Yeah, I heard they installed a simplified combat system for this session.”
“Hmm… This is the simplified version, huh?”
The nanomachines themselves are similar to military-grade ones, but according to Nias, the combat system installed in my Access Gear is from several generations ago.
“If you’re the one making the final decisions, you can definitely improve with practice. But…”
“Yeah, I know. It’s going to take some testing to see how it handles magic or enhanced magic in combat… or fighting against monsters.”
“Right. We can’t use enhanced magic in the training grounds at the Team House, but if we have time, I’d like to test it outside the capital.”
Even though the weapons are shock-absorbing, if Saioji were to use enhanced magic and swing her weapon at full strength, the nearby buildings wouldn’t be left standing.
Enhanced magic is something that anyone can use, even without aptitude as a mage.
As long as you have even a little magic within your body, you can use it. Its official name is Body Enhancement Magic.
“If Saioji hit full strength with enhanced magic, the Team House would be more than half-destroyed, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah, when you use enhanced magic at full strength, it’s hard to control. It’s dangerous to use it in training.”
Even without enhancement, people here have much higher physical capabilities than those on Earth. With full power enhanced magic, you could easily crush someone’s hand just by shaking it.
Enhanced magic is difficult to control in crowded places like the streets, so its use is generally banned… though, that goes for most magic, not just enhanced magic.
“Most adventurers can only manage it for a few seconds, though. Even the members of the brigade can only fight at full power for a few minutes. Except for someone like Laphin or Kuar, of course.”
Enhanced magic dramatically increases physical abilities, hardens the skin, and boosts defense, making it an excellent all-around combat magic. But the recoil is huge, consuming a lot of magic power and placing a strain on the body.
“You’ve got a sturdy body, so you’ll be fine. But for an ordinary person who hasn’t trained, using enhanced magic at full power could kill them from the recoil. So, in the end, building up your natural body strength is just as important.”
“You don’t look like you’ve been training much yourself, Saioji.”
Saioji, who is far more skilled in combat than me, says that while enhanced magic is a simple spell that anyone can use, it has far greater drawbacks than most people realize.
For an ordinary person without any combat experience or proper training, using enhanced magic at full power could result in torn muscles, and in the worst-case scenario, their organs could be put under so much stress that they might die.
“I think it’s fine for something like carrying heavy loads. But yeah, there are always idiots who push it too far, so it’s better not to use it.”
“Yeah, a drunken brawl with enhanced magic could cause real problems.”
Compared to Earth—especially Japan—the people of Kainriese tend to be more aggressive. They’re quick to start fights, and once trouble breaks out, it escalates quickly.
If you go to a lively tavern, you can witness multiple brawls in a single night, with onlookers cheering them on like it’s some kind of spectator sport.
Since joining the brigade, I haven’t been to such places, but when I used to live in the city of Eracton, fights like that were common.
For this reason, in Kainriese, you need a valid reason to learn enhanced magic. It’s treated like a driver’s license on Earth. The main professions that require enhanced magic are adventurers, soldiers, or those in heavy labor.
“You haven’t learned enhanced magic yet, have you, Allen?”
“No, I only know the basics.”
“Then I’ll teach you. You have a lot of magic power, and it could be dangerous if none of the other brigade members can stop you.”
Reincarnators and world travelers tend to have unique skills, in addition to having more magic power or stronger bodies than average.
Among the common folk, people like me and Saioji are referred to as “Children of the Gods,” while the nobility calls us “Awakened Ones.” Both terms refer to the same thing, individuals who possess remarkable talent.
“Now that you mention it, I have the ‘World Travel’ skill. What did you get, Saioji?”
Like other reincarnators, I have a resilient body, abundant magic, and the ‘World Travel’ skill.
I’ve made a living using this skill, but I’ve never heard what skills Saioji, another reincarnator, possesses.
“It’s supposed to be a secret, but since I know about your skill, it wouldn’t be fair not to share… Fine, I’ll tell you.”
Saioji extended her right hand and seemed to prepare to activate something.
Instinctively, I stepped back to observe whatever secret skill she was about to reveal.
“『Dark』.”
From her outstretched right hand, a Dark sphere, about the size of a ping-pong ball, materialized.
The sphere floated slowly forward like a dandelion puff, gradually making its way toward a basketball-sized rock in front of Saioji’s hand.
“It… disappeared?”
The moment the Dark sphere touched the rock, it rapidly expanded, silently enveloping the entire object.
Then, in an instant—almost like a frame had been skipped—the enlarged Dark sphere vanished without a trace.
And so had the rock. Where it had been, the ground was now neatly carved out in a smooth, hemispherical shape.
“My skill is called 『Dark』. It generates an energy that erases anything it touches… I slowed it down to show you, but it can usually move as fast as a bullet, and I can shape it like a sword.”
Saioji then extended the Dark energy from her right hand, shaping it into long claws, as if to demonstrate.
“That’s… pretty incredible. Your skill is perfect for combat.”
“Yes. That’s why, strictly speaking, I don’t need a weapon… With 『Dark』, I can slice through any armor or defensive magic with ease.”
Saioji casually swung her extended 『Dark』 claws toward a patch of grass in the distance. The grass was cleanly cut along the line where her claws had passed, scattering in the wind.