Hilda Karlyle: As the first step of this quest, I request that you aid me in capturing a wanted criminal.
Di Qi Ju: What kind of criminal is he?
Hilda Karlyle: That man…made a wish for an ability to steal another’s abilities.
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: Steal another person’s abilities?
Hilda Karlyle: Wishes that are directly related to wish points or wish abilities are strictly forbidden by the Divine Hall.
Hilda Karlyle: In order to gain these abilities, one must first undergo a stringent examination by the Middle or Inner Ring.
Hilda Karlyle: You said it yourself, God blessed sentient beings with limitless possibilities, yet this sort of possibility is a constant threat to the order created by God himself.
Hilda Karlyle: We must maintain the order within the realms and put an end to the human criminals who do not qualify for such abilities.
Di Qi Ju: How do I aid you?
Hilda Karlyle: This criminal appeared two years ago during the congested Three Battles, after which he disappeared.
Hilda Karlyle: After two years under the radar, he seems to have resurfaced once more seeing as there has been word of a new victim.
Hilda Karlyle: Back then, there were only a few victims and they only lost a few wish points. This coupled with the fact that the criminal disappeared quickly made it impossible for us Middle Ring clergyman to track him down.
Hilda Karlyle: However this time is different, a victim has appeared who has lost over 10 wish points.
Hilda Karlyle: This man…might have the ability to continuously strengthen his stealing ability, and according to my deductions, he might even have an ability to convert the wish abilties he stole into wish points.
Di Qi Ju: ……
Di Qi Ju: Do you have any clues on the criminal?
Hilda Karlyle: All we have are the victims’ testimonies and nothing else. In short, we have nothing much on him.
Di Qi Ju: You…aren’t thinking about setting some impossible task in order to make things difficult for me are you?
Hilda Karlyle: No way, the test is set this way because I know that you have a guarantor by your side who has the ability to find this criminal.
Di Qi Ju: –!
That’s right, Breman has an ability to see the changes in another person’s wish point count.
Hilda Karlyle: What you have to do is simple: contact the victims, take part in the Three Battles then report any clues you find to me.
Di Qi Ju: …huh?
Di Qi Ju: Why must I participate in the Three Battles?
Hilda Karlyle: Use your brains a little Di Qi Ju, this is most likely his motive.
Hilda Karlyle: All his crimes had taken place during the Three Battles hosted by Skills. The criminal might just be a participant trying to win a lofty position for himself.
Hilda Karlyle: As a participant of the Three Battles, you’ll have a greater chance of finding clues on him.
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: ……
That was true…but…
Engaging in mortal combat with another person…battling another human…even if it’s just a small scuffle…you wish for me to stick my head right into the abyss once more? Even though I had just narrowly avoided it recently?
But…this was something I had to do for Poppy.
Di Qi Ju: …before that, is there any other step after I finish this portion of the test?
Hilda Karlyle: If you’re able to finish this perfectly then there’s only one more matter which needs to be made up for.
Di Qi Ju: And what’s that?
Hilda Karlyle: The position of “language” requires a successor.
Di Qi Ju: …alright then.
Hilda Karlyle: Can I take that as an affirmative then? In that case, let me give you a gentle reminder.
Hilda Karlyle: Until your test is over, the bounty on Poppy will remain as before. If you let me find her, your test would be counted as a failure.
Di Qi Ju: I understand…
Find Poppy? I don’t believe she would allow herself to be found so easily, seeing as she managed to evade the Divine Hall for some time already. If not, Hilda wouldn’t have tried to use me as a breakthrough point.
Besides, even if they managed to find her, I would not allow them to take her away.
But…the ability to steal abilities huh…
Sounds scary…
What if my ability got stolen…
What if this criminal refuses to submit…
Di Qi Ju: …
Thinking about that, my body was hit with a strange sense of fear. It was a fear that was completely different from the fear of death. Yes…it should count as a type of fear as well…
The fear of losing something.
How strange…am I still afraid of loss?
Haven’t I lost everything already, except for this desire to live no matter what…to think I actually still had something I was afraid of losing…that’s right, I did have something like that, and that something had grown rapidly since I came to this world to the point where they were now as important as my life.
–that was the answer given to me by my body.
……
By the time I left the Divine Hall, the sky had mostly turned dark. As I continued walking towards the Checkered Path, I continued mulling over that strange sense of fear. Without my knowledge, I ended up in a narrow alley in the midst of my distracted strolling. By the time I came to my senses, I found myself surrounded by foreign buildings.
Di Qi Ju: …errr…am I lost?
If only I could ask Conney to give me a lift back to the Checkered Path, but then again, it’s not like she’s a clergyman of “going home”; that would be a little inappropriate of me to do so.
Either way, I should first return to my familiar route…
–*bang*
Just as I turned around, I collided right into another person. To be exact, because I suddenly stopped, the person couldn’t react in time and ended up colliding into me.
I looked up and saw a man who was slightly taller than me.
With the scant lighting of this alleyway, the first thing that struck me was his black, straight long hair.
Di Qi Ju: …
???: …
Di Qi Ju: …I’m sorry.
Seeing that he was silent, it fell onto me to apologize first, yet as I did so, the man glared furiously at me.
Di Qi Ju:??
Di Qi Ju: What’s the matter?
???: …what do you mean what’s the matter? Are you blind or something?
Di Qi Ju: …you’re the one who knocked into me and yet you call me blind? I even apologized to you.
I instinctively talked back to the man upon hearing his displeased tone.
???: …
???: Shove off.
Di Qi Ju: …huh?
I didn’t smell any alcohol on him so this guy was probably just in a foul mood due to some other matter and wanted to vent his anger on me because I seemed weak.
However, I wasn’t in a pleasant mood either having just been suppressed by Hilda. As I stood in this deserted alleyway, my desire to fight back grew even more.
Di Qi Ju: It’s not like I’m a shovel or something. If you want to shove off, do it yourself.
???: I’ll say it one last time, SHOVE OFF!
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: Your last time is over.
With an inexplicable sense of anger, I grabbed the man’s hair and gave it a forceful yank; thus making him shove off.
Hmm, I didn’t even use that much strength; I guess his feet weren’t as firmly planted to the ground as I thought.
???: ……
???: You–!
The man slowly rose to his feet, and without a moment’s delay, charged at me head lowered. With his long hair covering his face, I couldn’t see the expression on his face—
—a second later however, I saw it extremely clearly; it was one that didn’t hold a shred of warmth as it appeared before my very eyes. At that same time, I felt an icy sensation pierce my chest.
Di Qi Ju: ……
I slowly lowered my head and saw, with wide open eyes, a dagger stuck right into my chest. As I did so, his eyes caught every inch of my frozen face.
???: …hmph.
???: You asked for it.
???: You can have that as a funerary gift, it’s not like I’ll miss that dagger anyway.
???: Goodbye forever, person who insulted me.
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: ……
Di Qi Ju: ………
Di Qi Ju: —Ah!
As I stared mutely at his back; as he disappeared around the corner, I finally came to my senses. In that very instant, I truly thought that I had died.
Ever since I came to this world, I had never felt this sensation of having my skin pierced before. While there were a number of times that I had been severely “injured”, but my body had never once been affected in such a way; plus those weapons never actually pierced my skin.
However this time was different, I clearly felt a chill pierce right into my heart.
That weapon had actually pierced my skin and reached my heart; it wasn’t some visual illusion.
Why…why was this weapon able to do so? Was it so sharp that it could actually damage my body?
…something’s not right here.
I didn’t feel any pain, only a chilling sensation. My heart was still beating as always and my chest wasn’t bleeding at all…what’s going on here….
I gripped the dagger’s hilt and tried to pull it out but—
*crack*—
Di Qi Ju: ……
It broke.
The moment I tried to pull it out, the blade snapped off from its hilt. Wait…how was I going to get that blade of out my chest then?!
What kind of crappy dagger was this!? It’s nothing but a piece of scrap metal!! How the heck did this junk pierce my skin!!
Di Qi Ju: …
Di Qi Ju: Is it…a wish ability?
Di Qi Ju: Exactly what kind of wish ability did that fellow have??
……
By the time I got back to the Checkered Path, there was no longer any guests in the dining room except for one.
Seated around a dining table with a yellow translucent drink in front of him, was Breman who was quietly sipping on his drink.
I walked up to him and made my report for the day, making sure to mention the matter of me being brought to the Divine Hall. Naturally, I left out any matters concerning Poppy. All I told him was that the clergyman requested that I help her find a suspected criminal. At the same time, I request his aid in doing so.
(TL: Breman will be referred to as a “he” while he’s using this identity. When he reverts back to Breiya, he will be referred to as a “she”. She’s a she.)
As for that encounter with that strange man in the alley, I left that out as well. Rather than cause more trouble for him and increase his burden, I might as well ask Mo Chuan and the others.
As for that blade in my heart, I’ll deal with that tomorrow…today was just such a tiring day.
Breman: …I understand.
Breman: Tomorrow I’ll accompany you to Skills as my other identity. It’s a lot more convenient that way and that clergyman knows of my other identity anyway.
Breman: As for your friends, I’ll keep them busy for now with some other missions. There’s still no need for them to follow us.
Di Qi Ju: Alright, thanks.
Breman: By the way, Di Qi Ju…
Breman took a sip of his drink and motioned for me to get a cup of my own.
That taste…it’s almost like beer but it didn’t have any alcohol in it; it’s definitely made from Theat.
(TL: Theat-> Tree+ Wheat from the earlier chapters. Yes, the name is wonderful, you’re welcome.)
Breman: Did you make a wish today?
Di Qi Ju: Huh? No way, why would I?
Breman: ……
Breman paused upon hearing that, his brows jumping in that instant.
Breman: Your wish point count has changed, Di Qi Ju.
Di Qi Ju: !?
Breman: I don’t think that clergyman allowed you to gain any wish points from the Sacred Rite Hall, right?
Di Qi Ju: Of course not…
Breman: Then why…
Breman paused mid-sentence at that; I didn’t dare to continue thinking along that line either.
A moment later however, she said it.
Breman: Even though it’s impossible but I sense a familiar sensation from it…
Di Qi Ju: …what familiar sensation?
Breman: My ability doesn’t return me a direct result but instead returns a sensual experience of sorts.
Breman: There’s a certain sensation, it’s the sensation I felt not long ago from those combat pets right after they lost their wish points to Starfall…
Breman: I sense a similar sensation right now.
Di Qi Ju: ……
Di Qi Ju: What????
