Last night I only slept for four hours, but thanks to my ability, I wasn’t tired at all; in fact, I had a lot of energy and optimism.
Yesterday, I managed to unlock “Multilayer Barrier” thanks to “Speculator,” so today I would try to unlock other skills I knew and that Rimuru would unlock in the cave after devouring Shizue.
Although I started the day by cutting down a few trees with my wind magic —you know, to contribute to the construction of the village—, there weren’t many new things to urgently analyze at the moment, so with “Speculator’s” consent, I could allow myself a bit more freedom.
Now, why am I trying to learn the skills that Rimuru will acquire after devouring Shizue at this moment?
The answer is that I’m simply going to take another one of my self-growth trips like the one in the cave, but this time the intention is to gather more information for my evolution.
After devouring Shizue, Rimuru would take at least two days to meet with the ogres, and by that time, I would try to have all the possible skills learned.
Simply because, while Rimuru experimented with the “Unique Skill: “Degenerate” that he will obtain, I was planning to go to the destroyed ogre village and analyze how the “Unique Skill: Starved” works.
This was a bit risky because if I didn’t return in time to witness the evolution of the ogres into Kijin, then the trip would be practically a waste; but I decided to take the risk because during the battle with the Orc Lord, I wouldn’t have enough time to analyze the information.
So until tomorrow, which if I’m not mistaken is when the adventurers Kaval, Ellen, and Gido along with Shizue should arrive, I would try to learn as much as possible.
I started my practice by consulting with “Speculator” about what was really possible to learn today, and the answer saddened me a little.
“Speculator”: -Due to not possessing the “Unique Skill: “Degenerate” of the individual known as Shizue Izawa, combining abilities to unlock the skills “Dark Flame” and “Black Thunder” is not possible at this time.
My recommendation is that today you try to convert, with my help, your control over the elements into abilities of this world such as “Water Manipulation.” By doing this with various elements, it is possible to acquire the extra skill: “Molecular Manipulation.”
-So that’s it.
I already know what I have to do today.
“Speculator,” how about I launch some attacks with each element and you try to turn it into the skill we’re looking for?
“Speculator”: -Affirmative, that option is viable.-
Before starting to shoot elements like crazy while still in the village, I first went to where Rigurd was.
-Hey, Rigurd, there’s something I would like to ask you.
-Good morning, Kaelion-sama.
What do you need?
-If possible, try to store the construction materials you gather over the next few days at a good distance from the village.
I will be practicing my skills and I wouldn’t want to waste all our work.
“Of course, I will let everyone else know, don’t worry, Kaelion-sama,” he replied cheerfully.
Why did I do this if from the beginning I planned to stay far away from the village to train?
Well, actually my training was just an excuse to have the materials moved so they wouldn’t be burned during the fight with Ifrit like in the original story.
All to save us work in the future.
I really care about the village, you know?
The faster we develop, the better for our future.
After my conversation with Rigurd, it took me no more than half an hour to get far enough from the village to start my training without the risk of destroying or damaging anything valuable. Get faster updates on g.com.
Being the element I controlled the most, I started with fire techniques and spells.
So that “Speculator” could officially turn it into a skill, I formed fireballs, arrows, spears, walls, and all kinds of fire creations.
Why so many things?
Well, without “Degenerate” and without the Voice of the World, it wasn’t as easy as just using three techniques of each element; I really had to demonstrate the control and manageability I had with this element.
Thank God, after following the instructions of “Speculator,” such as creating shapes with the respective element and casting enough spells, I obtained the “Extra Skill: Flame Manipulation.
This spectacle of throwing techniques into the air had its result, but the little joke had cost me 35% of my magic, which, by the way, from using them so much these days, had made my natural reserves grow a little more.
I suppose turning my elemental control into skills with all the elements is not possible today.
I guess I’ll keep going as far as I can.
I repeated the same process of casting and creating shapes with light, simply because I like it a lot, and then with ice and water, achieving their respective “Extra Skill” with a total of four elements.
I also wanted to do it with darkness—which I liked just as much as the light—but I couldn’t.
After this, there were only about six hours until dawn, and I had already been using magic without rest since the morning.
Still, it would give me time to recover a good amount of mana and continue with other elements, but I didn’t.
During the remaining hours, I was going to try to use the ability to draw inspiration from other works of my “Speculator” to create a support technique.
Now, what I was trying to create was something normal for those in this world, but again, being an oddball, it didn’t apply to me.
I was referring to naturally absorbing magical particles from the atmosphere.
The technique I would try to recreate was the Mana Rotation from the novel “The Beginning After the End” (TBATE).
The problem was that my “Blind Core” operated independently of the atmospheric magis, so this technique would only work for my natural reserve; but well, being able to use more magic is good both in battle and for situations like today’s.
The more magicules, the better.
In this way, I set out to try to replicate the technique with what I remembered from the work, and I must say that at first, it seemed impossible, but slowly the effects of “Speculator” began to bear fruit.
By the time night finally fell and I was back in the village, I had managed to be able to absorb the magicules very slowly while standing still.
Surely I could have made more progress if I had let “Speculator” do most of the work, but honestly, with my current strength, I’m not in danger even from Charybdis, and I prefer to develop things on my own rather than simply relying on my ability.
After all, the growth of my spirit and will affects both my abilities and my evolution, so I suppose personal growth also influences it.
Just as I was about to head back to my tent with my dinner —which, by the way, I had started having every day just for the sake of it—, Rimuru called me.
“Hey, Kael, wait a moment!” the slime said to me.
-Mmh!
Do you need anything, Rimuru?
—I asked him.
“Nothing important,” he replied to me.
I just wanted to tell you that Rigurd told me about moving the materials, and I wanted to say that I don’t think it’s a bad idea; beside, having done it makes it easier for us to move around the construction sites, which make things easier —he said cheerfully.
-I’m glad you liked my idea —I said—.
If you can, I would like to talk to you for a moment —I asked my recent but good friend.
POV RIMURU
I accepted Kael’s request to talk to him without any problem.
Honestly, if it weren’t for his help in managing, collaborating, and giving ideas to improve the village, we surely wouldn’t have progressed this much; I am truly grateful.
Although I must say that he is even stranger than I am.
An unknown race and, on top of that, beyond the analytical capacity of my “Great Sage,” which has never happened to me before except with him.
I hope not all reincarnated beings are as strange as us.
“Well, now that we’ve been in this world for a while, and the village seems to be growing well, I wonder if you’ve already discovered a clear goal or dream in this new world,” Kael suddenly asked me.
This question caught me off guard, but after thinking for a while, I answered sincerely:
-The truth is that there are still many things I don’t understand about this world, so it’s not that I’ve found some kind of dream I want to fulfilll —I replied.
-It’s normal.
Even having experienced so many things in these few months since my arrival, I feel that I still don’t fully understand or assimilate the situation I am in.
I wanted to ask you out of curiosity, to see if you felt the same way I do —I express sincerely.
-It’s really a strange feeling, but I can say that I have adapted quite well to the situation I’m in, so right now I don’t have much of a problem.-
“It’s good to know that,” he told me while smiling calmly.
Even on his non-human face, it seemed to me a very pleasant and sincere smile.
“I really have a good friend by my side,” I thought.
POV KAELION
After our conversation, Rimuru didn’t take long to leave my tent.
If you ask me if there was any reason or strategy behind the conversation, the answer is no.
It was simply a conversation I wanted to have with Rimuru to see where he was at, and although I didn’t want to admit it, to sincerely express how I was doing as well.
It’s not that I missed my past life or anything like that, it’s just that I was simply struggling to find another reason to become strong apart from not being powerless against all the great powers that appear in the future.
Don’t get me wrong, that’s a compelling reason, but once I achieve it, what am I supposed to do?
But well, I guess time will give me my answer.
I didn’t take long to fall asleep with the gentle sound of the wind in my tent.
Tomorrow would probably be a busy day and I would have to make the most of it.
Sorry for the delay; I was watching the World Cup.
Congratulations to everyone who was rooting for Spain.