234. Backlash

There are six evolution options in total.

For now, I’ll look them up using the Question Right.

『Evolution Options』

• Overhuman

  A high-tier evolved species of human. Explosively increases the effect of existing skills.

  Various stats increase significantly, and the level of all currently possessed skills increases by 3.

  Appearance is no different from a normal human.

• Hermit

  A high-tier evolved species of human (Rare). Excels in magic.

  HP, MP, Magic Power, and Magic Resistance increase significantly, and species-specific skills are obtained.

  Lifespan is greatly extended, and aging slows down.

  One becomes able to live without eating as long as MP is not depleted.

  Appearance is no different from a normal human.

• Origin

  A high-tier evolved species of human (Rare). Excels in Strength and Endurance.

  Strength, Endurance, Agility, and Dexterity increase significantly, and species-specific skills are obtained.

  Enables the acquisition of skills that are normally impossible for humans to obtain.

• High Elf

  A high-tier evolved species of human. Excels in magic.

  MP, Magic Power, and Magic Resistance increase significantly, and multiple species-specific skills are obtained.

  Acquisition of magic-type skills becomes easier, and proficiency levels rise faster.

  Ears become pointed, and appearance becomes extremely beautiful.

  Lifespan is greatly extended, and aging is significantly slowed.

• High Shadow

  A high-tier evolved species of human (Rare).

  Five senses and physical abilities are significantly strengthened, and multiple species-specific skills are obtained.

  MP, Strength, Dexterity, Agility, Magic Power, and Magic Resistance increase significantly.

  As long as there is shadow or darkness, the body will not perish.

• Demi-God

  A high-tier evolved species of human (Ultra Rare).

  All stats increase significantly, and the effects of possessed skills increase significantly.

  Lifespan is greatly extended, and aging slows down. Multiple species-specific skills are obtained.

  Completely neutralizes all diseases, poisons, and curses.

  Enables the acquisition of rare skills that are normally impossible for humans to obtain.

Hmm, as expected of the new evolution options. All of them have broken performance.

Among them, Demi-God gives the impression of being a head above the rest. The “Ultra Rare” status, the unique skills, and the fact that you can get rare skills impossible for humans are intriguing. There are many interesting parts to the other races as well.

Just then, Ichinose-san peeked over at me.

“Kudo-san, what are you looking at? Ah, is that the new evolution thing?”

“Yeah, I thought I’d at least check what kind of races are available.”

“Heh, what kind are there?”

“There are six candidates. First—”

I explained the evolution options to Ichinose-san and the others.

“…There are cheats. There are actual cheat races here.”

And that was Ichinose-san’s first reaction.

Well, I’m not going to deny it.

“Ah—I feel like Kudo-san is going somewhere further and further away…”

“No, Ichinose-san, you’ll be able to evolve soon too. You’re LV27 now, right?”

Ichinose-san and Momo’s levels also went up in this battle.

Depending on training and monster hunts, they should be able to evolve within two or three days.

I should check everyone’s levels and skills later.

I also got plenty of points this time, so I’m looking forward to distributing my stats.

“Well, that’s true, but… hmph.”

Ichinose-san pouted and started fluffing Momo.

Ah, wait, don’t hog her. I want to fluff her too.

“Phew, I thought I’d finally caught up, but I’ve been pulled away again. I have to do my best.”

Rikka-chan, who said that, is currently LV13.

There is certainly a gap, but she has rapidly picked up the pace in the last few days and truly become strong.

“If you’re saying that, I only just evolved recently, you know?”

Nishino-kun let out a sigh.

Well, he did literally just evolve moments ago.

Still, if he uses the skill bonuses of a Celestial, he has a good chance of winning even against higher-ranked opponents.

I don’t think he needs to be that depressed.

For now, I’ll punch the magic sword on behalf of the depressed Nishino-kun.

『Why!?』

Shut up, be quiet. It’s your fault for not breaking.

Ah, that reminds me, there was something I wanted to ask.

“By the way, how did you get inside the ‘Safe Zone’?”

I had made various guesses, but it’s best to ask the person—no, the sword—directly.

Arrogance made a sound like a snort.

『You really do lack a sense of danger, don’t you?』

“What…?”

『It’s obvious there was a collaborator. Since humans can enter here freely, it’s just a matter of brainwashing a few humans I caught when they went outside using my skills.』

“…”

So that was it.

I had considered that possibility during the battle, and it seems Arrogance had indeed spotted the loophole in the “Safe Zone.”

“…Who did you brainwash?”

『Just residents whose names you wouldn’t even know. I brainwashed them when they went out for exploration. You all have been moving quite a lot lately. It was easy to set things up.』

“…”

Certainly, while we were training lately, Fujita-san, Nijo, and the others had greatly expanded their range of activities outside.

Thanks to that, the effective range of the “Safe Zone” expanded and the number of residents increased, but as the scale grows, the checks become laxer.

Currently, with Igarashi-san being the only one with Appraisal, leaks are bound to happen.

Arrogance exploited that opening.

『Any party of five or fewer would have done. I only needed myself and Sayaka Katsuragi to join. Sayaka Katsuragi can store an almost inexhaustible number of monsters using the Wolf King’s “Darkness.” And monsters tamed by a “Monster Tamer” are treated as exceptions in the “Safe Zone,” just like your party members. For a place that claims monsters cannot enter, I’d say it has far too many holes.』

“…That’s true.”

I slammed the magic sword because I was annoyed, but what Arrogance said was logically sound.

Loophole methods for the “Safe Zone” definitely exist.

If someone has the power to think and the ability to see through things like this guy, the “Safe Zone” would collapse quite easily. Well, there are also brute-force methods like those of Peony or Titan.

『In the first place, perfect things do not exist. When even the world and the system are imperfect, there is no way a skill created from that system could be perfect. It’s only natural that there are flaws and loopholes.』

That’s true enough, but hearing it from him is irritating.

In the first place, it’s because you attacked that we ended up in such a dire situation.

Irritated, I hit him with the Battering Ram one more time.

“Hey, I want to ask one more thing. Why is it that you died, but Katsuragi and the other undead are still alive?”

According to the email from Nijo, Arrogance had turned people related to us, like Inoue-san and former city hall staff, into undead to attack us.

It was an extremely malicious tactic. It must have been very hard for Fujita-san and Nijo’s group who fought them.

They are currently being restrained, but it’s hard to judge how to handle them.

『I’m sorry, but I don’t know that either. Normally, as you say, if I—the master—died, the skills cast on them should have been undone and they should have died again. But since I am surviving like this as a magic sword, it’s reasonable to think some kind of anomaly has occurred with them as well.』

“…”

I should look this up later with the Question Right.

If by some chance they go berserk, it’ll be trouble.

Normally, I should just kill them again before that happens, but I should set up a meeting first. Deciding this on my own has too many problems.

“By the way, you’re answering quite honestly.”

『…As long as you are the owner of this magic sword, I am unable to lie to you. Honestly, it’s loathsome.』

“I see. Thanks for that.”

I gave him a Battering Ram as a thank-you.

Then, Ichinose-san tugged on my sleeve.

“Kudo-san, Kudo-san.”

“What is it?”

“I understand the circumstances, but right now, from the outside, you look like a creepy person muttering to yourself while hitting a sword.”

“I know that, so please don’t say it!”

I was annoyed, so I hit Arrogance one more time.

Afterward, I met up with the Mayor and Fujita-san to check the situation.

I also saw Inoue-san and the former city hall staff, who had become undead, being restrained together in one place.

While we were talking, Chief Shimizu and Nijo also arrived.

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I faced Nijo properly.

“Senpaaaaai! I was so scared!”

“Yes, yes. You did a good job.”

And then, Nijo suddenly hugged me.

It was extremely annoying, so I peeled her off and pushed her toward Chief Shimizu.

“Why!?”

“Well, because it’s annoying.”

“Ts—!? Chief Shimizuuuuu…”

Nijo wore an expression like it was the end of the world and buried her face in Chief Shimizu’s chest.

“Ugh, Senpai treated me so roughly… even though I did my best… even though it was our first conversation in ages… ueeeh…”

“Kudo-kun… you should think about her feelings a little more…”

“No, even if you say that…”

It’s just plain awkward for me.

Chief Shimizu let out a sigh.

“I’m not telling you to reciprocate her feelings, but stop treating comrades who fought with their lives on the line so dismissively. You are the strongest force here, so if you act like that, it will have a negative impact on those around you. What if people start thinking ‘if you have power, any attitude is permitted’?”

“That is… true. My apologies.”

“The one you should apologize to isn’t me, it’s her.”

“…Sorry, Nijo.”

“…Okay.”

I felt like I was being scolded by a mother.

But it’s true; lately, I’ve been acting separately from Chief Shimizu and the others for so long that I wasn’t mindful of that at all.

“…By the way, I’d be happy if you’d put me in your party too.”

“No, that’s impossible. the slots are already full.”

“Gaan…”

I feel bad for Nijo and her teary eyes, but I have no intention of changing the members now…

Nijo was looking very teary-eyed, and for some reason, Ichinose-san was wearing a smug face.

Arrogance made a sound like a snort.

『How trivial. How one uses their power is a matter of personal freedom. Telling someone to consider their impact on others is ultimately nothing more than weaklings lining up convenient excuses for self-preservation. If you don’t like someone’s attitude, you just have to become stronger than them.』

“…That’s the logic of the strong.”

Not everyone can become strong, and not everyone can have their way.

The majority of humans have to live within a group and cannot ignore the opinions of those around them. …Well, when the world first became like this, I was so afraid of being swept away by others that I avoided contact with groups…

But while surviving in this world, I was forced to realize—to a painful degree—that humans ultimately cannot live without others.

“Because humans are weak, they can’t become strong unless they are with someone. Just having someone beside them is what makes humans creatures that can grow strong.”

『I have no intention of denying the act of flocking together. I can also understand the spirit of wanting to remain a weakling forever. But if you take advantage of your position while only asserting your rights, then you are just a parasite. Well, it is also providence that those who have built themselves up with power are suppressed by those with even greater power. …Just like me now.』

This guy’s tongue really does run on.

As I was getting fed up, Chief Shimizu handed me something like a floor plan for an apartment.

“…This is?”

“It’s the apartment where we’re living. Your living quarters were destroyed, so please use this. The rooms are next to mine and Nijo-chan’s, so please bear with that, okay?”

“No, this helps a lot.”

Because of the battle with Arrogance, the living area where we stayed was in tatters.

I was prepared for the worst—sleeping outdoors in a tent—so this was a lifesaver.

“Eh, Senpai, are you going to live next to me!??”

Nijo’s face brightened instantly.

“Yeah, Ichinose-san, Nishino-kun, and the others will be staying there with me. Looking forward to it.”

“Ah… right. The party members are with you too. Of course they are…”

She immediately turned gloomy.

This girl really is expressive.

Well, there are two rooms, so it’ll probably be me and Nishino-kun in one, and Ichinose-san and Rikka-chan in the other.

“Yay, I’m with Nat-tsun again!♪”

“Wait, Ri-chan, don’t cling to me…”

Rikka-chan looked happy to be sharing a room with Ichinose-san.

If I were to be greedy, I’d think about being with Ichinose-san, but that’s… well, not allowed.

“Kudo-san, I look forward to working with you.”

“Yeah, same here.”

On the other hand, Nishino-kun seemed to have no complaints about sharing a room with me.

I’ll just let Libera-san sleep in the living room for now.

Momo stays in the shadows, and Kiki will probably sleep wherever.

Sora is fine outside, and Shiro will probably crawl into my futon on her own.

“Eh, Senpai, are you going to sleep with that boy… I guess that’s an option… no, but—”

I don’t know what Nijo is saying and I can’t hear her.

“Well then, we’ll head to the apartment ahead of you.”

“Yes, get some good rest.”

“Okay.”

“Ehh, Senpai, stay with us a bit longer—”

“…Sorry, but I’ll see you later.”

Cutting the conversation short, we headed toward the apartment.

I was bothered by Nijo’s lingering gaze, but time was running out.

“Well then, Nishino-kun, sorry but I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Yes, leave it to me.”

After entrusting things to Nishino-kun, I lay down on the bed.

The reason I hurried to end the conversation was because the effect of “Heroic Hymn” was about to wear off.

Once “Heroic Hymn” is activated, it cannot be canceled voluntarily.

The duration is one hour.

And once the effect ends, there is a constraint where you are hit with an overwhelming sense of fatigue and intense pain, making it impossible to move properly, and all skills become unusable for 72 hours.

Well, since the fatigue and the inability to use skills only apply to me, the activator, it’s a relief that Ichinose-san, Momo, and the others are not affected.

(Sigh, evolution and stat distribution will have to wait until two days from now.)

I’ll probably be bedridden all day tomorrow.

Just in case, Aka and Nishino-kun are keeping an eye on Arrogance, so I can lose consciousness in peace.

When I wake up, I have to evolve.

As for the evolution candidate, it’ll probably be that one, right?

(Ah, the skill effect is about to—… AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!)

At that moment, I was hit by an incredible fatigue and intense pain, and I lost consciousness.

Addendum:

The backlash of “Heroic Hymn” cannot be neutralized by resistance skills.

It’s a “modest” risk, but the triple combo of pain—like being pricked by needles all over, being beaten with a blunt object all over, and being eaten from the inside out—lasts for several hours. Then, skills cannot be used for 72 hours.

End of 234