Chapter 63

Why are we clearing Rifts?

Back when the Rifts first appeared, roughly a year ago, when goblins emerged en masse and wreaked havoc, there was no doubt as to the necessity.

That day, goblins invaded through the Rift. So it made sense that whenever Rifts started popping up around the city thereafter, they had to be closed before anything could emerge from them, almost compulsively. For some reason, I avoided fully grasping the situation and just went along with it, but according to Yumina, the social atmosphere at the time was very compulsive.

But now, that’s no longer necessary, right? At the time, it was a reasonable judgment to act that way, but now it isn’t.

Because Rifts, if left alone, don’t really cause any harm. When ignored, they just remain as they are. Nothing emerges from them unexpectedly, there’s no uncontrolled chaos, and the inside monsters don’t grow stronger. If anything, Rifts have become popular photo spots for social media, but that’s not particularly meaningful.

If there really was any kind of threatening change, self-proclaimed Rift managers who are underage Magical Girls armed with guns or self-proclaimed Explorers who are just in it for the quick buck would have already caused trouble by now. Although it pains me to say this about Do-yugeon, it’s the truth. Anyway.

There wouldn’t be this absurd situation where underage Magical Girls manage Rifts if there had been proper overseers. According to Yumina’s chatter, there are probably over thousands of Rifts across the country. They keep appearing despite not being cleared. Managing them costs a lot of taxation, but leaving them alone doesn’t seem to cause issues. So the matter has been continuously postponed indefinitely. Odd as it may be, why isn’t there anyone with a sound mind who’s willing to volunteer regardless of the repercussions, or those without substantial results? Maybe the parties involved are conspiring behind the scenes? I wouldn’t know, since I don’t watch the news.

Whatever the case with those people, why is Do-yugeon clearing Rifts?

Is it because of his competitive spirit? He did start his Explorer activities early on, but could it be because he’s lagging behind others in level-ups and Items since he’s still a Student? No way. While he might be frustrated, he’s not the type to be swept away by such emotions. Still, I should have consoled him somehow, though the moment has passed.

Is it for the thrill? He does seem to enjoy the thrill, but it feels more like he’s having fun along the way rather than it being the actual purpose. Hmm… probably. Kids his age might do such a thing. It’s not a big problem. Overdoing it wouldn’t be good though. But since I’m around, he should be fine. I’m a bit worried, but excessive interference wouldn’t be good either. Even if interference were good or not, persuasion doesn’t seem to work on him so it’s a dead end. Threatening him isn’t an option either. Though it’s possible, doing so would likely cause significant blowback for both our sides. People easily fall prey to charm, so convenience isn’t a good solution either. Sigh. I’m worried, but he’s not following along, how disappointing. Usually, he listens well, so why is he acting like this?

I glanced at Do-yugeon walking beside me.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing.”

“Nothing you say, but you’re staring.”

“It is nothing.”

With that, I finished my train of thought.

Could it be a sense of deprivation? He shows reluctance when offered mArpenia before heading into dangerous situations. Nowadays, it’s manageable, but in the beginning, he outright refused it. Could the price tag be causing any burden? Looking at the pitiful item drop rates, that could be the case. When exploring Rifts, items do occasionally drop, but so far, I’ve only seen F-grade ones, and occasionally E-grade. D-grade should drop too, but so far, it hasn’t.

Dropped F-grade or E-grade items aren’t useless. Even if F-grade items are rarely pulled from free gacha, they still exist. Items like the body temperature maintenance ring my mom uses or mArpenia aren’t comparable, but they’re still better than being bare. Item distribution is a headache, so we’ve roughly decided to pile them up in a communal storage area.

He doesn’t use them though. I’m not quite sure why. He doesn’t wield a shield in his remaining hand while holding a sword because it’s not cool, or so it seems, but is that the reason? It wouldn’t be unreasonable to say it isn’t either. But, perhaps there’s a more complex reason? For instance, why does he silently gaze at the items we’ve piled up when he won’t use them? Hmm. I’m not quite sure.

Ultimately, the problem lies in the system that makes C-grade items seem expensive and extravagant. The system, in itself, lacks proper functionality. Quickly producing system-independent items that Do-yugeon doesn’t notice could be a solution.

The mArpenia mass production plan has either made progress or hasn’t—there’s no clear conclusion. The so-called research mostly amounts to child’s play since all it involves is staring at magical circles until a sudden insight strikes. “Ah, this does this.” It’s akin to observing a needle and concluding it’s sharp and hard based on prior experiences with needles, toothpicks, or iron plates.

Until now, we’ve relied on past observations and experiments with magical circles as data to understand new ones. Merely doing this doesn’t provide fundamental insight, but rather unconscious realms of perception likely recognize the flow of mana within the magical circles and analyze the patterns and results to create a deeper understanding. Mmm… That’s enough philosophical musings. I lack expertise in philosophy and aesthetics.

In simpler terms, playing around with magical circles had already brought me to a point where intuition took over. Though, it’s embarrassing to admit this.

Through this intuition, I managed to make F-grade items but whether this constitutes progress is questionable. This isn’t due to the notes in the magic book cum research notebook stating “Long-term observation and deep contemplation” making me feel embarrassed—it’s the worry whether this non-systematic method would work on higher graded items.

Science developed scientific methodology precisely so that it doesn’t rely purely on intuition without reason. Tools that defy biases formed from knowledge and experience are more reliable than over-reliance on intuition when understanding the unknown. Of course, there are scientific methodological approaches based on intuition, but they’re much more systematic than this and thus incomparable.

There is progress, yet the future is uncertain, so despite some achievements, it feels like there’s none at all.

Glancing down at the mArpenia I had subconsciously lent to him, I found myself making brief eye contact with Do-yugeon. I flustered slightly. Why is he still staring?

“What are you looking at?”

“You’re worth looking at.”

“Ah…?”

Hmm… well, I do look good in various ways. Yep, definitely worth looking at. Flushed and embarrassed, I averted my gaze. How could someone keep staring while I’m deep in thought?

“Yeah, you’ve gotten quite good at flattery.”

“You don’t need to be embarrassed about the truth.”

“True. You’ve grown up. I’m proud of you. You’re smart.”

Clapping my hands, Do-yugeon stifled a giggle. Why does he have to suppress laughter upon hearing compliments? Confused, I stared. He quickly calmed down. It’s an awkward turn of events. But since my mood has improved, I’ll just overlook it for now.

Laplace, who had been walking ahead, turned his head and groaned. Is he picking a fight? Ugh, when will he ever die?

Since Yumina has accumulated a backlog of work, Laplace offered to guide us through this Rift instead. I thought Yumina should guide while Laplace handles his own responsibilities, but since Yumina often digs herself into holes, let’s just move on. However, if he’s just going to hand it off halfway to someone else, doesn’t that seem a little irresponsible?

“Here we go. As I mentioned earlier, but I’ll repeat it. Inside, it’s a marsh, so be careful not to sink. There are lizards; they’ll die in a whoosh. The big lizard will fall to a bang.”

Whoosh, bang?

Why are they still alive?

[Entry Confirmed.]

A flooded jungle spread out before us. The leaves nearly blocked out the sky, creating a faint shadow. My shoes being soaked in water bothers me.

[Rift Quest – C Grade]

Complete the objectives.

A C-grade Rift, I’ve never been here before. I’m quite anxious. Since I’ve already clashed with Do-yugeon, I won’t suggest we turn back.

In the short time we’ve been inside, I extensively checked the surroundings. There doesn’t seem to be any immediate threats. I hovered into the air to shake off water and mud, which drenched out of my shoes. My shoes look terrible. Checking my feet, my socks are in the same condition. Using magic, I filtered out the foreign substances and moisture. They’re not fluffy, but good enough. Magic really is handy.

“The atmosphere here is not to my liking.”

“Yeah, it’s inconvenient to move through.”

Do-yugeon took a few steps, frowning. It looks like his feet are getting stuck, but judging by his words, he moves quite easily. As his level has increased, his physical abilities are definitely no longer human.

I sensed a Lizardman nearing. The jungle setting makes me expect poisoned needles, but the weapon in his hand is a crossbow.

From a distance obscured by the jungle, an arrow was fired from the crossbow. Imparted with the principles of wind and forest, the multitude of leaves and plant shoots in its path obligingly moved out of the way. The arrow arrived before my eyes without any resistance or sound.

Casually, I caught it with magic, while simultaneously a sword strike deflected it. The arrow resisted breaking upon impact, but since it was held by magic, it broke instantly.

“What? How did you know that?”

Asked in surprise, Do-yugeon seemed puzzled.

“Uh? I just sensed it?”

“Mana?”

“Not that. More like… a vibe? Or gut instinct? Anyway, I just knew and swatted it away.”

I have no idea what that unscientific sensation is. Magic at least acknowledges the existence of mana and relies on willpower to manipulate it, making it fairly scientific. Seeing how he can just slice through rocks with ease implies he’s exhibiting solo superpowers.

The Lizardman fled. Whether they are utilizing the environment for guerrilla tactics or calling for help remains unclear, but guerrilla tactics are likely the intent. Had summoning allies been their primary strategy, they’d have gathered them beforehand.

I observed the arrow hovering before me. The tip appears slightly damp and a different color.

“The chances of the arrow’s tip being randomly damp and differently colored are incredibly slim, right? Compared to the very real possibility of it being poisoned, at least.”

Do-yugeon also looked at the arrow and nodded, seemingly in agreement.

Poison. How troublesome. Can healing magic also detoxify? The healing magic I use mimics the system’s healing magic, so its efficacy is trustworthy.

However, I’ve never tested it for detoxification. I’ve contemplated trying it, but the scope of toxins is somewhat ambiguous. Without expertise in toxicology, it’s problematic. For instance, shampoo in the modern era could technically be considered a toxin—yet suggesting drinking shampoo and testing it with healing magic is absurd.

Besides, I’m not the kind of person to catch wild animals, like stray dogs or cats, to conduct animal experiments.

First, if the system separates healing magic and detoxifying magic, I’d just be using the healing magic without detoxifying properties. Imagine being a mage skilled in life extension but useless against poison-induced intoxication—quite impressive, isn’t it?

Nevertheless, the effect of prolonging life seems attainable. Essentially, toxins harm parts of the body leading to death, so even if I can’t detoxify, I can still help recover damaged parts. Though if the brain is affected, it becomes nearly impossible.

Ah, but this is fantasy, after all. Concepts like toxicology or modern science shouldn’t be an issue here. There’s the possibility of soul-destroying toxins that harmlessly affect the body but cause sudden death.

That same Lizardman who fled earlier is approaching from the opposite side. At the same distance and position where we couldn’t see him earlier, perfect.

Using magic, I separated the poisoned arrowhead from the broken arrow and manipulated it towards the Lizardman. The arrow pierced through bushes, strangely maneuvered around trees, and passed through leaves. It struck the arm of the Lizardman who was aiming his crossbow.

The reaction was instantaneous. The Lizardman screamed as golden experience powder erupted from the arrow-hit arm, which then fell off and transformed into experience points. How gruesome.

Still, the result is unique.

“You’ll stand still for a moment.”

I flew towards the Lizardman. The Lizardman I could see was camouflaged. The camouflage was effective to the point that had he not screamed or if I couldn’t sense magic, finding him would’ve been difficult.

The severed arm still dispersed golden powder. A typical scene, except it was caused by poison. If this occurrence wasn’t due to poison, it would be ordinary. Therefore, this is indeed a fantastical poison. The effects are instantaneous, and the phenomena are bizarre.

The Lizardman’s scream interrupted my thoughts. The agony must be severe.

I watched for a moment as he held the injured arm and writhed on the ground. But why hasn’t he died yet?

Considering such fantastical poisons, the victim should’ve either died instantly upon being hit, or by now, at least. Or, the person should be incapacitated. Ah, they are incapacitated as in completely defenseless though there’s an opponent right in front.

Still, something’s off. I’ve avoided excessively approaching cosmic horror in this fantasy world recently, but if the effect is this limited, it’s odd. It feels as if there’s a one-shot poison that just happens to wound.

I temporarily considered the Lizardman as a human to evaluate the situation. One wounded individual, the screaming continues and will possibly persist until the voice gives out. This is a jungle, the surroundings are hostile.

Then does this poison function to summon other Lizardmen? Such a purpose might exist in part, but it seems unlikely as the primary intention.

Given that this Lizardman returned after the initial failed attack without bringing others. If numerical superiority were key, at the point of the failed poison attack, they should have realized the low chance of causing a human’s scream, and thus sought other means—brought along fellow Lizardmen or launched new attacks.

Unless Lizardmen mutually see each other as adversaries alongside seeing humans as enemies, but the similar armed state observed through magic renders this possibility small.

Another explanation could be that this Lizardman lacked rational judgment, discarding such lines of thought to act on whim, but cases like that make rational assessments painful, so let’s set it aside.

Judging roughly, the scream can be considered a side effect, so perhaps the real intention is to incapacitate through injury but not necessarily fatal.

No, there’s cultural differences too, isn’t there? Perhaps, in Lizardman culture, throwing a poison arrow is a sign of goodwill, and this level of injury is considered cute or amiable. What cute and agreeable behavior. Would love to befriend one.

My thoughts wandered.

My brain seems sluggish from lack of use. Whose fault is it? It’s Do-yugeon’s, right? It seems whenever I suffer hardship, it’s always his fault. Urgh, not that I want to cut ties with him…

I gently sensed the surroundings with magic. Do-yugeon was waiting where he was told, standing still.

This way, I feel guilty again for harboring such frivolous thoughts.

I briefly apologized inwardly and scanned the surroundings again to regain focus. A swamp, a jungle. Subtle insights arose from unconscious judgment and intuition. Although there’s not enough information to be entirely certain, I roughly get it. I spent too much time pondering what’s so straightforward.

Honestly, in this life, intuition seems to work better. My brain seems sharper in this life than in my previous one, so a rough guess often hits the mark. Judging first then reviewing is more efficient than the other way around, enhancing efficiency based on brain capacity. Is this the difference between mediocrity and genius? What? I was pretty smart in my past life too, so it’s better to say this is the difference between talent and genius?

The Lizardman kept screaming. Now I know, so please stop yelling already. I cast healing magic on him. The poison dissipated, and the experience powder from the wound stopped dispersing. If it’s correct to conclude that healing magic includes detoxification, alternative possibilities still exist.

The Lizardman instantly pulled out a knife and charged. I suppressed him with magic, and his eyes glinted menacingly as teeth were bared. So frightening. Could it be some kind of magic from his eyes, like the evil eye? I instinctively avoided his gaze but felt it might not be effective enough. Still, seeing no other problems, it’s likely not such magic. After all, that’s more fitting for snake-like creatures.

I levitated the Lizardman with magic, moving him across the swamp. Resistance grew stronger at a certain point. Here.

Releasing the magic, the Lizardman sank into the swamp, quickly disappearing underwater. It submerged deeper than a few meters. As it continued sinking past tens of meters, I ceased observation.

Silent poisoned arrows fly while comrades, disabled and screaming, call for judgment; while crossing a swamp that kills you once submerged—C-grade Rifts ask too much of people.

Hearing the screams, Lizardmen are gathering from a distance. Since I checked Do-yugeon earlier, it’s best to retreat quickly.

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