Chapter 148.2. Ash
[Changed the Administrator authority of Fairy Machine 665 Naja]
[Now Naja is freed from the commands in her deep consciousness. She can do as she pleases from now on.]
"Maybe she was better off being bound by those commands after all."
The future where she does as she pleases seems far from peaceful. I wonder if everything will be okay. It's natural to feel a bit anxious, right?
[You could put a collar on Naja or a ring on her finger. That should give you control.]
"I'll consider it. So, is this going to be a long story from here?"
I hope it won't be too long. I don't need stories about fate or anything like that. I'm not interested. I only want to hear things that concern me and have either benefits or drawbacks. I don't need stories about the past.
[Hehe. That's right. You can reach the truth without being told. Hearing it now would only trouble your mind. Well then, just one thing. Dungeons are a part of nature. Humanity is destined for defeat.]
The mysterious voice tells me quietly, but...
"Huh? I don't get it. Does that mean we can't win?"
Considering the information from Shizuku and the battles so far, that might be true. But I can't accept defeat, can I?
[Think about it. With combat, production, and destiny aligned, you should be able to achieve victory over the dungeon.]
"You're saying we're doomed to defeat, but also that? That makes no sense. Well, I'll think about it."
I hold back my protest. I don't know what I want to say, but this riddle requires deep thought.
"Well, never mind. I have one more question. Is the Extra Life Skill really about controlling surviving Fairy Machines?"
I think so since I've protected four Fairy Machines already. The Extra Life Skill. As the name suggests, it protects surviving units. Hidden beneath its surface performance, I've always thought its true ability lies there. Shizuku, Serika, the little girl, and Yukihanaa. That little girl isn't a fairy. I don't have such naive thoughts. She's too unnatural. I still don't know her name. I've only recently noticed how unnatural she is.
[...Your greatest strength isn't your magical talent; it's your intelligence. I'll take my leave now, Sakimori-san. We'll meet again someday. Oh, and thanks to absorbing the ash, I've leveled up. Let's continue working well together.]
With those words, light shines in, brightening the surroundings...
I wake up.
[Equivalent Exchange Store level up to 5]
Seeing the pleasant message on the status board, I select from the lineup while lying down. Something interesting catches my eye.
[Crystalization of Sales Skill: Elemental Core C1. The price doubles due to the crystallization fee.]
It seems there's a new way to use Elemental Cores. I currently have three. Without hesitation, I get it.
While only the purchaser of an ordinary bought skill can use it, if it's crystallized, I can pass it on to someone else. The crystallization fee is high, oh well. It's difficult to gather 1000 Rare Cores to unlock the sales lock for a chain store, and I don't plan on selling them to the public anyway.
Alright, maybe absorbing that ash was more valuable in terms of experience points than absorbing from monsters. It could have been dangerous if the Equivalent Exchange Store hadn't sucked it up like a vacuum cleaner.
I focus my mana on my body and decide to raise my other skills to level 5. Taking a deep breath and focusing my consciousness on the skills.
I feel a small spark in my head, followed by a click, and a sensation that all my skills have reached level 5.
[Shared with all]
I also raise the skills of those under my control equally. It seemed appropriate to do so once they reached level 5. The lack of a response indicates that they were already at level 5. That would be Serika.
I'll have to check the power of level 5 skills later with a cynical smile.
"Um... Why do you ignore me while I gently comb your hair as a pillow for your knees, Sakimori? I'd like an explanation of what you're doing."
Apparently, I thought it was a soft pillow, but it was Serika's knees. Also, it was the albino girl who was touching my hair gently. And for some reason, Serika can't see the Equivalent Exchange Store. Since Yukihana can see it, maybe those already there can't share skills?
[Do you grant the browsing permission of the Equivalent Exchange Store to Kamishiro Serika?]
Of course not, [No]. I turn my face towards Serika, pretending not to know.
She blushes slightly and pouts, approaching with dissatisfaction. Well, that's to be expected.
"I prioritize checking my own benefits and rewards. I don't need your event scenes."
"Wow, that's harsh. Isn't this where you should welcome me back with a gentle smile?"
Apparently, I fainted. Cream-colored ceiling, clean linoleum floor. I'm lying on an unfamiliar floor, but it should be the original fifth basement floor. Yukihana is sitting cross-legged beside me, looking bewildered, and Shizuku is floating as a ghost, glaring at Serika as if the time limit has come.
"There's only one kind word for someone who self-destructs. What's the reward?"
"I am the reward! That's the kind of priceless reward it is, right?"
Serika happily smiles with exaggerated gestures, raising both hands.
I see. That's how it is. It's reassuring to have a Craft Skill user join us. The problem is that I can't really trust her.
"That's truly priceless. I'll take that as the reward."
If she pays well, I can trust Serika.
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