Been a While
After leaving the orphanage, I skipped Randorainam city, going straight to commercial city, Vinfitt and went on a shopping spree.
Walking around while chomping on a turkey leg sold by the usual stall old man. The city was bustling as usual.
I ended up buying 15 legs in the heat of the moment. I have no regret. Ah, is it just me or my wallet feels lighter...
I was thinking of dropping by the guild but I had no real acquaintance there since lolimast seemed to be absent.
Apparently, despite the destruction of Demon Citadel and its Demon Chief, demons lurking all over the place haven't stopped their destructive activities on this continent.
...This doesn't fit with what I heard, what's the deal Menu-san. Don't demons retreat once their chief is dead?
<<Previously, demons fall back once a Demon Chief has been defeated and the Citadel is destroyed. However, the present batch of demons have made many inexplicable actions including not retreating.>>
Any idea why?
<<...It is but a conjecture, however it is thought that the current Demon King is unprecedentedly special.>>
Special? In what way?
<<The current generation Demon King may be the reincarnated form of a past Hero. He has been exercising his previous life's knowledge, experience as well as Menu Function as a Hero and an earthling.>>
....
Wait. Wait a minute.
Hero's reincarnated form? Demon King? He can use Menu?
<<Menu Function is only usable to those with the soul of an earthling. As such, the only other being that can use Menu besides Kajikawa Hikaru is a hero.>>
<<Normally, once a Hero that has defeated a Demon King passed away, their soul returns to earth per the system.>>
<<But one among past heroes attempted to reincarnate into this world, and succeeded transferring over his knowledge and memory, or rather his record. However, it is thought that the personality transfer did not finish.>>
<<His personality may eventually resurface had his reincarnated form were not Demon King. But now, his personality is that of a Demon King as a base. He is utilizing his knowledge and power as a reincarnate to eradicate all of humankind.>>
...My head can't catch up with this long and grandiose story beat.
Err, so summed up.
1. One of the past heroes wanted to change character, so he reincarnated again. Man, gotta be courageous.
2. He did it but while he retained his knowledge and such, his personality didn't transfer over. What a blunder~.
3. Moreover, in a strange twist of fate, the being he reincarnated into is Demon King. LOL.
4. Now he's making use of his knowledge to corner humanity in a never seen before play. All of you, die~.
Do I get that right?
<<.....That is the presumed gist of things.>>
That's the worst ever. The heck you doin', past hero.
I get the huge advantage of owning your past memory.
He can keep redoing his life if he succeeds even once, so it's not like I don't get him.
Heck, there's a Skill or apparatus that let you do that easily out there?
<<The means basically do not exist 'in this world'. Reincarnating or reviving the dead is not possible by way of Skills. However, there is a method to obtain the power to make that possible.>>
Eh, for real. There's really one?
Shouldn't the world be full of reincarnates if that exists?
<<However, this method has an extremely low probability of surviving and there is a near zero chance of obtaining the correct power. Hence the success rate is, for all intents and purposes, zero. It is virtually a miracle for this past hero to obtain the power.>>
Why'd he cause a miracle for this stuff. The world's in a huge trouble thanks to you.
Heck, what's the method anyway? Do you gotta get in a contract with some real bad devil? 'Get in contract with me' or something?
<<It is done by obtaining a 'Useful Bug' or an 'Otherworld Artifact' in the place where the world's distortions, bizarre phenomenon, alien objects, anomalies, everything that can be categorized as bugs are all gathered.>>
That place sounds like a dumping ground of bugs. You're saying he trash dived there and found a trash, I mean a tool that let him reincarnate?
<<Your perception fits.>>
...He wanted to enjoy a New Game Plus through bugs huh. It's not my place to comment, but man guy sure was reckless.
To sum it up, the reason why demon invasion this time has been way more intense than ever is because the Demon King was a reincarnated hero.
Apparently it's all circumstantial so nothing conclusive but it's probably correct. Stuff like this is when it's inconvenient.
One last question.
Where is this dumping ground of bugs located anyway. Uh, I'm not going there, just curious.
<<It is a dungeon near Daijel, on floor 21 and below.>>
Ah, wasn't that the dungeon I frequented with Alma together?
The shallow floors there look like an ordinary dungeon though. So it's full of bugs once you breached floor 20?
<<Affirmative. From Floor 10 down the dungeon is considered A-rank. Floor 15 down is proliferated with S-rank magic beasts. It's a highly difficult dungeon, hence even reaching that floor is an ordeal.>>
Oh okay. Not like I'm going there though.
Daijel huh. I haven't seen that material shop granny in quite a while. Guess I'll drop by.
Gotta thank her for those mana recovery pills at least. She must be waiting for my next shopping spree.
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
I Fast Travel-ed to Daijel and went in the said material store.
...This place is as eerie as ever. An old woman shopkeeper flashing a wicked smile makes it all the more ominous.
"Hihhihi, welcome. Oya oya, it must be half a year since you last came by. I thought for sure you kicked the bucket already, hihihi."
"...I got lotsa things to deal with. Sorry for not turning up often, granny."
"Kihihi. Oh I know about it, a nobleman hit the girl you were with and you punched him hard as a payback. You left this town to get away from him, am I wrong?"
"Nope."
By the way, Alma Parents had a 'Little Talk' with that pig noble. He was last seen being carried away while unconscious after which he's been like an invalid ever since.
He apparently recovered recently but all his greed and fat seemed to have withered away. He's spending all his time tending bonsai at home. What are you, an old man.
I don't believe he's gonna come for me again, and frankly, we probably didn't need to run in the first place... Might have made a hasty judgment back then.
"This store is as ominous as ever. Why'd you upgrade all those skull ornaments into full blown skeletons. Literally why. Heck, you're gonna drive away potential customers."
"Hihihi, you're my only guest this month owing to that. Guess it's about time to fold shop."
"Are you even trying. Put some effort into promoting your stuff, just do something will you."
"Told ya before, too many customers is a pain. These old bones can't defend themselves."
"Nobody can touch you even if they tried. Can't believe you saying that with all these tight securities in place."
"Hyahaha! Yer' the only one who saw through 'em. Good eyes as always. You've gotten monstrous since the last time I saw you too. And you look like a gentle man at a glance hiihihi."
"Oh shut it."
...Why do I drop my formal tone whenever I speak with this granny? I usually cannot not use polite speech with older people. What a mystery.
By the way, a barrier will automatically develop around her if anyone tries to attack. It then attacks back the assaulter with incessant high voltage electricity until they pass out. This magic formula covers the entire store.
This whole store itself is like a giant magic tool. Even a swing from my greathammer likely won't hurt this granny. I'm gonna meet an electrifying end instead. Scary.
It's a powerful defensive measure but you apparently need to carve a stupidly complex magic formula with severe restrictions. By yourself at that.
This is probably the only store equipped with such a pain in the arse magic formula. Hiring some bodyguards is enough in most cases.
"Seeing that you're here and all, go on and buy a lotsa stuff. Come and warm my pocket will you."
"Okay okay. Err, this and that, also these claw things... Hold it right there, is this a hand grenade?"
"Ah, that thing was left by a past hero. Some noble somewhere wanted to declutter or whatnot and sold it to me. Thing's apparently a disposable item with a questionable value, so I got it for cheap."
"Do you got other stuff like this here?"
"Sure, only a few though."
Umu this thing that looks exactly like a grenade appears to be an exploding tool that has a different mechanic than Julian-made magic stone mines.
Those mines explode by running the magic formula engraved inside wild and overloading the installed magic stones. This one does by igniting highly explosive powder with a magic formula inside.
Despite the similar end result, they can't be anymore different. Julian might have an eureka if I hand him this over.
"Lemme see, that'll be 1,215,750 en in total... Can you pay?"
"Pricey. Can't you go a bit lower?"
"Nope, no can do. I pretty much sold you that grenade thing at buying price, you see? I'm bleeding dry just for you here~."
"...Got it. This enough?"
I put gold, silver coins on the counter.
Ah, my wallet got lighter once again. Would get it all back by selling some S-rank magic beasts mats though.
"Oho, you can. Ain't you a big earner now. I gotta pat myself on the back for pulling you in my store."
"I'll drop by again soon. Don't fold up till then."
"Hihihi, you too don't even think about dying. Use anything you can use, be it your friends, this store's tools, anything. So make sure you come by again."
It's ominous yeah, but this is a nice store.
It's focused on the finest details, you can find useful items here and there, and chatting with granny is fun.
All the more now that I'm lonely... When can we meet again I wonder.
Now then, guess I'll go to the guild.
I'll bring some booze to guildmast as thanks for all his help.
"F, F, F, Found youuuuuuuu!!"
!?
Someone screamed their lungs out behind me as I was making my way to the guild.
That voice sounds like a young girl's? ...Her tone feels kinda familiar.
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