CH 374

We keep advancing above the mountain range while fighting back the occasional enemy attack.

Ahri takes the lead and takes down enemies with a lot of energy, but I’m curious about something.

Yes, there it is again. What is it, Ahri?

She’s peeking at me again, so I give her a light nod. I feel like between the enemy attacks, our eyes are meeting more than usual.

Is it because it’s easier to notice where her eyes are without the cloth or magic item?

The wind blows and makes her cloak flutter.

“We’ve been going up, so the wind is getting pretty cold. Let’s take a break after we deal with that group of enemies.”

I say to Ahri, because the wind is really starting to get cold. I’m guessing that’s why her cheeks and ears are getting red.

“Very well.”

After she responds, Ahri starts moving her fingers, and the red light appears on her spear again.

As I watch this and the enemies coming for us, I think about the question I didn’t ask before.

Ahri might be a descendant of players. I’m pretty sure of it. Those hand movements she makes are the same as when I operate the system window, even though it looks like she can’t see it.

Ahri takes down those flying enemies one after the other while I’m lost in thought. I still have scrolls active, but I’m mostly leaving it to her.

In fact, that tribe in the west that has a lot of people with magic eyes might just be descendants of players who retained skills. Those skills probably changed into the magic eyes we know, as they were passed down through generations.

But then I have the opportunity to attack for the first time in a while, so I immediately jump at the chance and strike the enemy coming at me from above with a 《Restrain》 scroll.

Ahri looks a bit sad. I feel like I should say something, so I make a little joke.

“Ah… Looks like I managed to actually do something.”

Ahri doesn’t really respond. I shrug, make the scroll go back to hovering around Seilook, and start thinking again.

But that just brings me more questions. System windows used by players known as demons, primordial magic from dragons, the prayer to god the undead dragon showed me, divine protection granted by god, curses that use emotions as fuel… Is this all connected?

After checking to see that all the enemies around us have been dealt with, I give Seilook the signal to land on the mountain surface.

I see a hollow spot where rocks will shield us from the wind, so I tell Seilook through our bond to land there.

My specialty is alchemy, so I know more about it than the average person, but I’m starting to lose confidence. I mean, I transmuted something sourced from curses, and I can’t even tell if it’s influenced by primordial magic or divine protection or what…

“There’s so much I don’t get. It’s actually starting to get interesting…”

“Did you say something, Master Rust?”

“No, nothing.”

I mumbled something without thinking, and it reached Ahri’s ears even through the strong wind.