Next up is the book about language.
I have been waiting for this!
First of all, the Danaan language is comprised of an alphabet with 30 different characters. This system is similar to the English alphabet. Which is actually a life-saver. Learning Kanji and Jukugo would take too much time.
As for the grammar and pronunciation, they’re actually astoundingly similar to Japanese. The grammar structure is almost the exact same replica. The vocabulary… is different, of course, but the way to pronounce the words seems to be almost the same as Japanese. For example, Kajitsu(Fruit) in Japanese is called Kazumu in Danaan. While the words are different the pronunciation for Kazumu is exactly the same as how they’re pronounced in Japanese.
This might go more smoothly than I thought.
Even though I cannot speak, knowing what other people are saying is already helpful enough. Also, even if I can’t speak I can just write. Communication should be well within possibility.
Except for the fact that I’m a monster, and they taste good.
Well, if they feed me something nice I might not eat them.
Maybe.
Elf language seems complicated, I’ll look into that later if I have time to spare.
For now, I’ll take my time study Danaan language, it should be helpful later on.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Putting the language book aside, I open another book that covers a subject I’ve always been curious about.
[Arte]
“What is an Arte exactly? Ever since I’ve arrived in this world that question has always been on my mind. Looking at it simply it seems to be the super natural powers people in this world possess. Some said it was a gift from god, some said it’s the true identity of mankind.
Whichever the case, it seems like it’s something limited to the resident of this world, there were no such powers back in Japan.
However, when I traveled to the kingdom of the elves, out of curiosity I checked myself using the magic tool called the “Monolith of Tuatha”, and to my surprise I found out I also possess an Arte.
Moreover, it was an unique in-born Arte called the [Magic King]. Owner of this ability will have increased magic power, easily absorb any magic knowledge and techniques. Finally an unparalleled insight into the depth of magic. Using this ability I spent many years investigating the true nature of that which we call an [Arte]”
-A mutation of the soul-
Apparently that is the answer the Sage arrived at.
In order to understand [Arte] one must first take a look at the composition of the life forms in this world. Save for the animals which don’t have any mana, humans, demi-humans and monsters are made of three major parts. The physical body, the soul and the force that flows in-between called mana. Mana is stored inside the body but at the same timed it is connected to the soul.
The human in this world are actually not too different from the humans on Earth. An average untrained man will have about the same strength as an average untrained man on Earth. However, because they possess mana in their body the potential in their body is higher.
There’s such a thing called “limit of humanity”. Basically no matter how much you train there’s a wall you cannot surpass because of the limitation of your body. In the case of the human in this world, they have a higher limit than an Earthling due to the mana reinforcing their body. With that being said, having a higher limit doesn’t mean they’re automatically stronger. If one is untrained they’re no difference from Earthlings. With proper effort however, they can reach heights Earthlings would never be able to reach.
Using an unit called power level to compare, the average untrained human here would be 50 points and the same go for earthlings. A physical laborer would be at 100 points. A trained soldier or regular adventurer would be at 200 points and a veteran adventurer or elite soldier is 300->400 points.
Hmnn… if I’m not wrong a trained weight lifter on earth would be twice as strong as an untrained person and an elite would be three times as strong. So they’d be about 100 and 150 points? There’re world records of athletes being able to lift an object three times their weight. But a trained soldier here is even stronger than that? And what’s with veteran adventurer being at 300 points, that’s like twice as strong as the world record on earth isn’t it!
I guess that makes sense now how the armored nii-san was strong enough to slice a panther into two and he was so fast despite wearing heavy armor. He must’ve been at least 300 points.
What an absurd world.
The properties of the physical body and mana are made clear, but what about the soul? The answer isn’t much different from earth’s concept. A spiritual body that is the core of the physical body’s life. However, the soul itself is also an enormous power source like mana. It is much more complex and mysterious however, not much is understood about the soul.
What is understood, however, is that [Arte] is something that directly sprouts from the soul. Whether it be in-born or acquired through hard work, an [Arte] is something that belongs to the realm of the soul alone. What the Sage suspected was that the reason for this mutation is because of mana. There is no difference between earthlings and the human of this world, yet they have powers we don’t. On top of that, an earthling gained an [Arte] when traveled into this world. The theory in this book states that when an earthling comes here, the mana that fills this world seeps into their body, comes into contact with the soul and causes a mutation the same way it does to this world’s residents.
However, that is not limited to humans alone, but even monsters can acquire Arte, as long as they have mana there’s a possibility. Conversely, just because one has mana doesn’t mean an Arte will manifest.
Take the Medusa Spider for example, some specimen manifest an ability to petrify the prey just by looking, however some doesn’t. What is interesting is that their other features such as thread weaving and poison does not count as [Arte], which is obvious because those skills belongs to the physical body of the spider.
In the same way, one might have talents at fighting, a body suitable for martial art, a mind that excels at politics and strategy, but at the same time they can also be reinforced by an [Arte] from the soul such as [Sword Talent]. In this case just because one doesn’t have the Arte doesn’t mean they’re not talented. They might have the aptitude for the job normally. An Arte just adds on to that.
Heeh…Artes are really amazing huh…
Mine was super weird though…
Since it’s not definite that an Arte can manifest so maybe I should just be happy that I had one at all? Now that I think about it I really want to investigate mine again. Who knows, I might have more Arte hidden? That’d be really cool!
According to the information though, the “Monolith of Tuatha” are rare magic tools and at the same time big and heavy. They only exist in big cities so not even towns and villages will have them.
That’s quite troubling… I can’t just waltz in the middle of a crowded city now can I?
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Since I’ve gotten most of the info I wanted, I can just take it easy with the other books.
There’re magic books here but I think I’ll leave them for another time. Magicians seem to be rare because aptitude and talent are very important for a magician, even more so than martial art.
Putting that aside, there was another thing I’m interested in.
I wanted to search for it as soon as possible.
That is the method to revive my son!
…which I didn’t find.
No spell, no drug or method was mentioned.
And you call yourself a Sage!?
Apologize! Say sorry to your title right now!
____________________________________________________________________________________________
Ahem!
So, while I’m feeling very sad and frustrated, I found a different thing of interest.
So let’s take a look at that now.
The Dragonfly Fairy.
Fairies exist in this world, they’re tiny humanoid creatures with wings that is very adept at using illusions and magic. They’re illusive and rarely show their selves to human, at the same time they’re mischievous and often play tricks on not just humans but any creatures that stumble upon their turf. They actually share the same origin as elf and dwarf and even in some studies considered to be the ancestor race for those two.
There are various fairy tribes, however, the most unique one among them is the Dragonfly Fairy. This particular species has an unparalleled pair of eyes. Their eyes can actually peek into many different dimensions. Some says that they can see mana, life force, spirits and even the soul.
The Sage believed that these fairies can see through a person’s [Arte] and the [Monolith of Tuatha] was actually a magic tool made by the ancient giants to reproduce part of the power of the Dragonfly Fairy’s eye.
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He tried to catch these fairies, but because their eyes were able to see through anything, no one has ever managed to catch them. They could see how strong a person is or any danger that approaches them and flee before the danger even managed to get close. The Sage tried to use magic traps but they were able to see through hidden magic formations too.
“If there’s no way to catch them off guard, then make it so that they would willingly get caught”
Or so the Sage thought, and he made Wagashi (Japanese confectionary) and put them in the middle of the magic trap.
He continued to do so for 2 years and finally one Dragonfly Fairy couldn’t take it anymore and decided to eat it at the cost of its life…
Um… how do I say this… that’s quite a bizarre way to die.
What were those fairies thinking anyway.
That Sage too, to continue doing such a stupid trap for 2 years.
And it actually worked.
I have no words…
Err… anyway, since it’s going to benefit me, I won’t say anything bad about it.
On one of the shelves, there’s a transparent container with something like a clear green liquid inside, and in that liquid is a specimen that looks like a humanoid that can fit into your palm. The head looks like an insect head, and there’re wings that’s like a dragonfly wings.
So is this that fairy specimen he caught?
Looking at it this way it really looks like an insect… I wonder if I eat this I’ll be able to analyze it like other insects? It was named Dragonfly Fairy right? Maybe it’s related to arthropods in some way?
Either way there’s no loss for me, I’m not interested in researching so even if I fail this thing holds no value for me. That’s why, sorry, Nobumasa-san, you caught it with great pain but allow me to have it as my meal. Since you’re dead you can’t complain right? This is my revenge for pitting that Beetle-kun against me.
I break the container and put the fairy inside my mouth.
Hmmnnn… it’s quite soft and crunchy. Tastes a little bit like elf actually. It’s fairly delicious.
Maybe thanks to the preservation liquid it didn’t go bad.
It has been 700 years though, just what the heck is in that liquid.
My stomach won’t go bad because of this right?
Good news is that I seem to be able to analyze this thing’s structure normally. The body isn’t at all strong and there’re no notable features either. If these wings are the same as a dragonfly then it would be quite amazing actually, however I’m unable to fly in the first place. Even though so far I can use the traits of most insects, only flying was different. There’re certain limitations to this body. Though I don’t understand it very well, perhaps something coded into the genes, so that instead of flying away this insect will settle down and build a nest on the ground. To put it simply even if you attach wings on my back I won’t be able to fly.
The eyes on the other hand, is ridiculously complex. Is this even biologically possible in the first place? Usually insect compound eyes are made from around 6000 facets (small eyes), but a dragonfly eye has 30 000 facets (small eyes). And it seems that the Dragonfly Fairy is the same in this aspect. However, within each facet is a massive network of microscopic nerves with a bio-structure unlike anything on earth. No… even the material is completely alien.
This will take sometimes to analyze…
I decided to call it a day and go to sleep.
________________________________________________________________________________________________
The next day I returned to the village in the morning, Ari-chan jumps at me in a flying tackle to welcome me back while rubbing it’s jaws on my cheek.
What a cute fellow.
Even though it’s just an ant, I’m glad to have someone attached to me.
If I was a human I’d have died from that tackle though.
Ari-chan has made a complete recovery as well, so we’re well set. It’s about time to leave this village. I never planned to stay here forever in the first place. The slaughtering that I did here will become exposed one of these days. Not to mention the troublesome group of people that came here before. All I know is that they were looking to find Sage’s hideout, I have no idea whether they were acting on the order of someone else, are they knights employed by a kingdom or just some vagabond looking for riches. Either way, it’s getting increasingly dangerous to stay in this place.
There’s the Sage’s room as well, so I’ll migrate there. It’s deep in the forest where traveling takes a lot of effort. One can’t easily bring a horse inside and walking on foot will take many days of supplies. People will probably not venture in that place. In the event that those three were acting under someone’s order and they have a spare map then they might find me there but I’ll deal with them then. I already had my wasp babies circling around the forest as scouts so if it gets too dangerous I’ll just pack my stuff and run before they reach me.
After gathering clothes, equipments and food that I need to bring with me I call Ari-chan and we head toward the Sage’s hideout. Since Ari-chan cannot go as fast as me it might take about 2 days to reach there.
______________________________________________________________________________________________
On the morning of the third day, we reached the place. This will be our new home for the time being.
Just after I finished placing my stuff inside the house, my body finished analyzing the fairy eye and successfully reproduced it’s structure.
Amazing, me.
Now then, to test that ou—
“GIIDUHUUUUUGUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU~~~~!!!!”
It hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts, it hurts.
What the heck is this! My head is spinning!!
Every fiber in my brain is screaming in pain as if they’re delicate strings that would snap at any moment.
Countless images and information from many layers of space and parallel dimensions assault my mind violently. The shock was so strong even my body is shaking and my mouth is foaming bubbles.
“GuHaah….haaaaa…………”
I let out some painful sighs as I turn off the functions of the new eyes.
D…Dangerous.
I think I came the closest to death just now, even when taking into account the many dangers I’ve faced before.
Just what was those Dragonfly Fairies made of to be able to handle this kind of impossibly massive amount of information? Since there was nothing irregular in their bodies, maybe it was the soul?
Let’s seal most of this eye’s functions away.
For now, all I need to do is to be able to see a life form’s physical body, mana and soul’s [Arte]
Calming myself down, I restructured my eyes again, making sure again and again that the functions were properly toned down to a reasonable degree.
With this… at least I won’t die right?
I’m so scared to look.
………….
Ok, let’s try again…
And as I look at myself…
[Arte]
None
Um… There’s really nothing. My soul is empty, there's nothing attached to it, no mutation, no tumor, no abnormality. That Arte of mine was something that can only be used once…so I guess it just disappeared once it’s done the job? I’m alive thanks to it, so I’m not going to complain.
I had thought to push my luck a little bit and see if I had another, but reality isn’t so sweet. People with more than one Arte seemed to be incredibly rare too.
The thing that was available to my eyes weren’t only the Arte though. There’s a blue aura flowing around my body through veins much like blood veins… is it mana? I can also see a colorless energy seeping out from my muscles. Every time I move, a little of it is used up and dispersed into the air. Is that my physical strength?
According to the Sage’s notes, the physical strength an untrained male adult is around 50 points, so those villagers from before should be around 80 to 100 points because they do heavy labor daily. Compared to those villagers, the armored nii-san from before should be around 300 points and my own strength back then was around 350. If I compare my strength right now to before… I should be at an estimate of 800 points?
The amount of mana is low compared to that though. I have no one to compare to, but it just seem to be low. I don’t think it’s higher than 100.
It’s a little bit disappointing.