Volume 3 - Prologue

Prologue – Departure From Surier

One day, I, Kou Kosaka, was suddenly transferred to another world.

With the help of the [Creation] and [Dexterity] cheat skills I was given at that time, my life as an adventurer began to develop, and then a major incident occurred.

The Black Dragon of Extreme Destruction.

The existence that drove the ancient civilization of this world to extinction 4,000 years ago, the calamity… has resurrected.

I managed to defeat it and received a commendation from the Adventurers’ Guild headquarters in the royal capital, and I left the city of Aunen with Iris, a Dragon-folk female adventurer.

Our journey was fraught with trouble, with the appearance of a Devil Treant in the city of Toue and another “great calamity” with the Gluttonous Dragon in the city of Surier, both of which we somehow managed to defeat after fierce battles.

Especially in the battle against the Gluttonous Dragon, it was thanks to the help of Lily, a priestess of the God of War religion and a [God of War’s Shrine Maiden], the damage was reduced to zero.

It was truly an unquestionably happy ending.

A few days later than originally planned, we were leaving the city of Surier.

Many people came to see us off at the city gate, including Count Maillard, the lord of the city, and Cal, a D-rank adventurer.

We were very grateful to them, even though they must have been very busy.

“I will never forget what you did for us. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you ever need anything, you can always count on us.”

Count Maillard said and held out his right hand to me.

I shook his hand and replied.

“Thank you for your concern. By the way, will you be at the awards ceremony in the royal capital?”

“Of course, I will be there. I have to tell His Majesty the King about your heroism. As soon as I am ready, I will leave immediately.”

Count Maillard replied with a smile on his face.

After shaking hands with the count, a wheat-skinned female adventurer ── Cal, called out to me from the side.

“See you later, Kou-chi! Don’t forget about me!”

“Yeah, you too.”

“Of course! You really make an impact, don’t you, Kou-chi? I mean, you’re the god of impact, you know that? Even if we have amnesia, we’ll still remember you… something like that?”

“No, that’s excessive, isn’t it?”

“No, that’s just how it is! You think so too, don’t you, Irin?”

“…Eh?”

Iris was standing right next to me, but she didn’t expect the conversation to turn to her, and for a moment, she sounded puzzled.

By the way, “Irin” is a nickname Cal gave her.

“Well, yes.”

Iris replied with a small nod.

“Kou does some pretty spectacular things everywhere he goes, and he makes a big impact. I was really surprised when he summoned the Black Dragon.”

Come to think of it; there was a time when that happened.

In the battle against the Gluttonous Dragon, I used the [Calamity Summoning] skill to summon the Black Dragon of Extreme Destruction.

The situation of a former strong enemy fighting with you as a friend… is a typical situation in anime and manga, but it is still very heartwarming.

When I was thinking about this, the back of my left hand became hot for a moment, and a crest that looked like a frontal image of a dragon’s face floated up ── and then vanished.

I felt it as if the Black Dragon was saying to me, “I am looking forward to working with you in the future.”

I am glad to work with you too.

I called out to the Black Dragon inwardly while turning my gaze to the back of my left hand.

Our means of transportation was a huge carriage called the Grand Cabin. Its overall length exceeded 15 meters, giving it the appearance of a mobile fortress.

Normally, more than ten horses would be needed to move such a large carriage, but in my case, I had solved the problem by other means.

“We’re leaving!”

Dest’s voice echoes from outside the Grand Cabin.

Dest is a kind of nickname, and his official name is the “Destroyer Golem.”

He was now integrated with the Grand Cabin by《Golem Combined EX》and was acting as a substitute for the horse.

About 30 minutes after we left Surier, we gathered in the living room on the first floor to discuss our future plans.

“Our next stop is Fort Port, right?”

It was Lily, sitting on the sofa across from me, who first spoke up.

She was holding Surara, the Helper Slime, in her lap and hugging him tightly as if he were her favorite stuffed animal.

She looked like a little girl and was quite adorable.

If I had a younger sister or daughter, she might be like this.

“Yeah.”

I nodded and answered.

“The next stop after Surier is the port town of Fort Port. From there, we’ll take a boat to the royal capital.”

“Wow! A boat trip!”

Surara shouted happily.

“Have you ever been on a ship before, Surara?”

“No, it’s my first time!”

Well, of course, it is.

Surara was born 4,000 years ago, during the time of an ancient civilization.

Until this trip, he had been in the underground city, so this would be his first time on a boat.

“Swing, swing. The boat is going to swing, swing, swing.”

Surara’s eyes twinkled as he hummed an impromptu song.

Just looking at his innocent appearance is enough to make you feel relaxed.

“Fufu.”

To my left, Iris was smiling.

She was probably thinking the same thing I was.

There are two main routes from Surier to Fort Port.

One is a direct route through the mountains and forests, and the other is a roundabout route that goes through several inn towns while veering off to the west.

Since there is a ferry schedule from Fort Port to the royal capital, we decided to take the direct route this time. Since there were no inn towns along the way, we stayed overnight at the Grand Cabin.

The Grand Cabin is fully equipped with a bath and kitchen, and Surara, a slime, takes care of everything for us. It’s a perfect place to stay. Since we are the only ones on board, we don’t have to worry about other guests. It was the ultimate comfort.

When it was getting late, we decided to go to bed to prepare for the next day.

“Good night, then.”

“Until tomorrow, Kou.”

“Good night, Kou-san.”

“See you later, Master-san!”

There are three bedrooms in the Grand Cabin, one for me, one for Iris, and the last one for Lily and Surara.

I went into my bedroom and lay down on the bed.

But my eyes were still somewhat dim.

I had been lying around for about 30 minutes, but I didn’t feel sleepy at all.

“…Maybe I should experiment with my skills.”

After the last battle, I have acquired two new skills:

The first is the [Spatial Manipulation], and the second is the [Limit Break].

Since I have the time, why don’t I try out the effects of these skills?

“Okay, let’s do it.”

I made up my mind and jumped out of bed.

In my mind, I open the [Item Box] and select full battle gear.

A blinding light enveloped my entire body, and in an instant, my armor was equipped.

My body was covered in layers of Armored Bear armor and a Fenrir coat, and both of my arms were protected by Black Spider gauntlets. The gauntlet on my left arm was half-destroyed during the battle with the Gluttonous Dragon but it was now completely restored to its original state. It seemed that weapons and armor created by [Creation] were automatically restored when stored in the [Item Box]. What a convenient feature.

Now that I had finished changing my clothes, I was ready to leave.

It would be nice to leave the room normally… but wait.

The [Spatial Manipulation] is the power that I took away from the Gluttonous Dragon, and by consuming magical power, I can interfere with space and cause a variety of events.

One of them is “short-range warp.”

It is a skill that twists space and allows one to move to another location in an instant.

“Let’s try going outside with warp.”

When I mutter this, the [Full Assist] automatically activates, and a voice echoes in my brain.

Short-distance warp by [Spatial Manipulation] is performed.

Please specify the destination from within your field of vision.

I opened the bedroom curtains and looked out the window.

This is a hilltop with a great view, a short distance from the street.

A full moon shines in the sky, and the wind gently caresses the grass.

It was a perfect night for a walk.

I set a spot about 20 meters away from the Grand Cabin and activated [Spatial Manipulation].

I felt my body float, and my vision was momentarily distorted.

I was standing on a grassy field.

Looking back, I saw the Grand Cabin parked at the top of a hill.

Ahead of me, I could also see Dest, which had dismounted.

Dest is a magical weapon and does not require sleep.

This makes him a perfect night watchman.

He has been acting as the horse of the Grand Cabin for the entire trip, and I would like to give him credit for that at some point.

Dest seems to have noticed my appearance, leaves the Grand Cabin and walks over to me.

“Master! Are you going out?”

“Yeah. I’m going for a walk.”

“Understood! Please enjoy your walk.”

Dest saluted me and saw me off.

The way he moves is very human-like, and I chuckle to myself.

While I was walking on the grassland for a while, 30 seconds had passed, which is the cool down time for [Spatial Manipulation].

After that, I tried several short-distance warps, but the maximum distance I could warp was about 30 meters.

“It seems that I can warp quite a distance…”

I felt like I was getting something out of this.

While I was thinking about this, I heard the inorganic voice of [Full Assist].

I have created shortcuts for the three abilities included in [Spatial Manipulation].

Thereafter, you can activate each of the abilities by reminding them under the names of [Short-distance Warp], [Invisibility], and [Spatial Restraint].

Oh, wow.

As expected of [Full Assist], he is an excellent assistant.

It may be a minor change, but on the battlefield, a split-second difference can mean the difference between life and death.

In that sense, it is quite an important change.

Now, let’s see.

So much for the verification of [Short-distance Warp]. Let’s try [Invisibility] next.

This is the ability to slip through enemy attacks by distorting space.

If possible, I would like to try this out in a real battle, but I wonder if there are any monsters around.

──Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

Oops.

As luck would have it (?) I heard the cry of a monster.

Since I’m here, I’ll let it accompany me in my [Invisibility] experiment.

I focused my attention on my ears and activated Armored Bear armor’s granted effect… 《Hearing Enhancement A》.

I picked up the surrounding noises and headed for the monster’s location.

It was in a forest a little off the main road.

After running through the dense foliage, I eventually came to an open area.

“Kishaaaaaaaaah!”

There, a huge scorpion was waiting for me. It was about the size of a light truck.

It had sharp scissors on its left and right front legs, from which lightning bolts were gushing out. It looked quite strong.

I activate [Appraisal].

White Scorpion: A large scorpion-shaped monster. It is highly intelligent, ferocious, and brutal. It can shoot lightning bolts from its left and right shears. The paralyzing venom secreted from its tail is extremely powerful, so be careful. It is at odds with the Black Spider and is sometimes seen fighting with it.

The eyes of the white scorpion turned toward me with a glare.

Then, raising the shears on either side, it roars violently, its entire body filled with murderous intent.

“Shaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!”

It’s incredibly loud.

Why is this White Scorpion so excited?

Is it because of my equipment?

The gauntlets on both of my arms are made of Black Spider.

As for White Scorpion, it may be under the illusion that an irreconcilable rival has appeared.

Well, never mind.

It’s convenient for me that the White Scorpion is turning against me.

I can experiment with [Invisibility].

“Kishaaaaah!”

The White Scorpion closed the distance with the speed of a gale, lifted its tail, and delivered a series of stings like a torrential downpour.

“…It’s pointless.”

I activated [Invisibility].

As a result, my entire body becomes translucent, and all of the White Scorpion’s stabs slip through.

…I wonder what in the world is the principle of this.

According to the explanation of [Full Assist], “by manipulating space, it creates a state of ‘being here but not being here.'”

…I see. I don’t understand.

Anyway, I was now in a kind of invincible state.

The White Scorpion had given up attacking with its tail and now fired lightning bolts from its left and right shears.

However, it only passed through my body and scattered the trees behind me.

At this point, about three seconds have passed, and my MP is down to just over half.

The maximum duration of [Invisibility] is about six seconds.

Next, let’s try [Spatial Restraint].

…I was going to try it, but…

I changed my plans a little.

The reason is that a girl was lying by a tree a short distance away.

She did not seem to have any noticeable external injuries, but she was unconscious.

If she has been poisoned by the White Scorpion’s paralyzing venom, she should be treated as soon as possible.

In order to do that, I first need to get rid of the White Scorpion in front of me.

“Sorry, but I’m going to have to end this now.”

I open my [Item Box] and take out the magic sword Gram from there.

“Haaaaahhhh!”

Then, in one fluid motion, I slashed at White Scorpion with a single vertical slash.

One then two slashes.

The White Scorpion splits in half and dies.

Its corpse vanished in a flash due to the effect of [Automatic Collection].

It was a trivial enemy.

I put Gram back in my [Item Box] and headed for the girl.

The girl is still unconscious, lying on her back on the ground.

She was probably around 17 or 18 years old. Her clothes are undisturbed, and she has no noticeable injuries.

Her face was beautifully shaped, and her long golden hair glistened in the moonlight.

If I had to sum up the overall impression in one word, I would say that she is a “young lady” or a “princess.”

Clearly, she did not have the air of a commoner.

She was of certain status.

“Are you all right?”

I asked, shaking the girl’s shoulder.

She immediately opened her eyelids.

“Ara…?”

After blinking a few times, she looked at me with deep blue eyes.

“Who are you…?”

“I’m just a passing adventurer. Are you okay?”

“Eh, yes…”

The girl slowly gets up as she answers.

After looking around, she turned to me and said with a serious expression on her face.

“Kind adventurer, this place is dangerous. Leave me alone and run away.”

“What’s the matter, all of a sudden?”

“A White Scorpion is living in this forest. Even if you were an A-rank adventurer, you would not be able to defeat it alone.”

“That’s all right, then. I already defeated it.”

“Eh?”

The girl showed a bewildered look on her face.

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No, I’m not. I have the proof right here.”

I told her that and went to take out the “White Scorpion Corpse” from my [Item Box].

…No, wait a minute.

The corpse split in half on both sides is indeed too stimulating, isn’t it?

The other party is a young woman, so a milder method should be used.

I thought about it for a moment and then activated [Dismantle].

The target is, of course, the corpse of White Scorpion.

As a result, I got the shell, scissors, tail, and poison bag.

Now, which of these would be the easiest to show as evidence of my subjugation?

I would have to say the shears.

When I pulled out a pair of “White Scorpion Shears” from my [Item Box], the girl’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she let out a cry of surprise.

“This big, white pair of scissors… surely belongs to White Scorpion.”

“Do you believe me now?”

“Yes. There is no doubt in my mind with this proof.”

The girl nodded and looked up at me.

“Adventurer-san. I’m sorry to ask you this, but could it be that you are Kou Kousaka?”

“Yes, I am. …Have we met somewhere before?”

“No, we have never met. I only know you unilaterally. I am sorry for the delay in introducing myself. My name is Leticia di Meteor, and I am an A-rank adventurer. Please call me Leticia.”

With these words, the girl stood up, picked up the skirt of her dress with both hands, lifted it lightly, and bowed.

Her gesture was very refined and showed her good upbringing.

“I have heard about your past accomplishments, Kou-sama. Even though you have only been an adventurer for a short time, I hear that you have accomplished many great things. Perhaps the word “hero” refers to someone like you.”

“That’s an overstatement. I don’t know what kind of stories you have heard, but none of them were made possible by me alone. It was all thanks to the help of my friends.”

For example, the battle with the Gluttonous Dragon would have ended in a cruel defeat if it had been just me.

Iris, Lily, and the tens of millions of souls that were sacrificed by the Elder Lich.

I believe it was a victory supported by many things.

“Fufu.”

Leticia put her hand over her mouth and smiled.

“You are as humble as the rumors say. I love it.”

“…Is that so?”

I can’t help but feel embarrassed when I am praised directly.

I decided to change the subject while looking away from Leticia.　

“By the way, why were you lying in such a place?”

“Come to think of it, I haven’t told you what happened, have I?”

Leticia coughed and began to speak.

“The actual fact is, in the past few days, there have been a series of sightings of large monsters in the vicinity of this area. I was visiting the forest to investigate, and I’m ashamed to say that I was caught off guard by the White Scorpion…”

“So you were knocked unconscious.”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“…I see.”

I look at Leticia again as I give her my opinion.

She is tall, with long, slender arms and legs.

As for clothing, she is wearing a classy dress with green as its base color.

It is a fashion that would not normally be appropriate for a forest inhabited by monsters, but it is strangely appropriate.

A beautiful woman looks good no matter what she wears.

However, there was one thing about the way she stood there that was not right.

I asked her, choosing my words carefully.

“Is the White Scorpion considered a strong monster?”

“It’s an A+ danger level, and I think it would take at least eight A-rank adventurers to defeat it. If there are less than that number of adventurers, they will most likely just be eaten.”

“Let me make one more confirmation. Leticia, are you physically injured?”

“Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine, as you can see.”

Leticia said that, and then she spun around on the spot with a graceful twirl.

The hem of her skirt fluttered around.

It was as if she was dancing.

The way she moved, it was probably true that she was uninjured.

If so, it was too unnatural.

How could she have lost consciousness during the battle with the monster and not suffered a single wound?

Moreover, the opponent was the White Scorpion, a ferocious and brutal scorpion monster.

To borrow Leticia’s own words, she should have been eaten alive by now.

With the utmost caution, I use [Appraisal] on Leticia.

But what echoed in my brain was a message I had never heard before.

Error.

The subject is presumed to be an existence that deviates from existing concepts.

We will now move on to the analysis process.

“Ara.”

Leticia let out a small smile.

“You just used [Appraisal], didn’t you?”

“…You can tell?”

“I am very sensitive to the way people look at me. You are surprisingly forceful, Kou-sama, to want to uncover the secret of a woman you just met. …But, I’m not opposed to that kind of thing either.”

After saying that, Leticia approached me with a natural gait.

I didn’t move from that spot.

I was, of course, still on high alert, but I didn’t sense any hostility or murderous intent from her.

“As I expected of you, Kou-sama, you are not perturbed by this level of violence, are you?”

Leticia’s face was right in front of mine.

It was so close that we could feel each other’s breath on our faces, but there was no such thing as a man and a woman’s sweetness and tenderness.

“Please allow me to introduce myself.”

Leticia whispered.

“I am Leticia di Meteor, an A-rank adventurer, and I am a great calamity dragon summoned from the outside of this world, a natural enemy of all life ── The Bright and Arrogant Dragon.”