MTLNOVEL Chapter 56
Chapter 56
—–CROW—–
Alcatel’s Jewelers.
Despite its name, upon entering, it was clear that the shop was more of an antique store selling various miscellaneous items.
However, this shop held an incredible secret, a secret known perhaps only to a select few even among the most veteran players of “Save Earth Hero.”
*Thump. Thump.*
“I-Is that an earthquake?!”
-Old man! Hurry up and get over here! Something’s wrong with me!
The shop’s interior suddenly vibrated.
The startled player, SparkleSparkle, and the talking sword in her hand seemed to know the cause of the tremors, as the sword called out to someone with a welcoming tone.
*Thump!*
“Eek?!”
“I came up here because someone supposedly touched my things, and it seems that was true.”
The tremors stopped as a mysterious man suddenly appeared in the shop.
Boasting a height well over two meters, the man spoke, looking directly at the outsider who had entered the shop.
“Huh. How did you bypass my alarm spells?”
The man scratched his head, finding this quite peculiar, and proceeded to walk towards her without hesitation.
*Thump. Thump.*
‘J-Just walking makes the shop shake like that?!’
Every step he took towards her caused an intense tremor that made her whole body shudder.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the dagger in her hand and met the man’s gaze.
‘T-This is scary! He looks like he’s going to kill me! Senior, what should I do?!’
The man’s face looked like he was ready to pounce on someone.
Meeting his gaze head-on, she recalled her senior, El Grace, who had brought her here.
‘R-Right! 10 minutes. He said I just had to endure it for 10 minutes!’
He had told her to maintain eye contact for 10 minutes without showing fear.
He had said she only needed to pretend to attack, so even though she was terrified and wanted to flee, she had to endure.
“Hmm? You’re a feisty one!”
-Old man! Stop your strange muttering and fix me! I’m suddenly moving on my own!
“What are you talking about?”
Alcatel, the shopkeeper, scoffed at the talking sword.
“This lovely customer is holding you right now.”
-Huh? Customer? There’s no one here but you and me, old man?
“Hmm? What’s that… Oh. I see, so that’s it.”
Alcatel, momentarily confused by the sword’s words, looked at SparkleSparkle and nodded.
“A power too great for a human to possess.”
“Y-Yes?!”
“Anyone weaker than me wouldn’t be able to detect your form, your voice, or even your presence. I wonder if this is a blessing from the Goddess, or a curse.”
Fortunately, the small human before him held no malice.
If someone with such talent were a murderous fiend filled with killing intent, it would have caused great chaos in the world.
“Well, with talent like yours, you’re certainly worthy of my treasure.”
“B-But it hasn’t been 10 minutes since we made eye contact.”
“I don’t know where you heard that from, but you’ve shown me your splendid talent, so there’s no problem.”
*Thump. Thump.*
“This place is just a front filled with junk. Let’s go inside. Follow me.”
“O-Okay…”
-Hey! Did you just call me junk?
However, SparkleSparkle didn’t follow Alcatel as he moved.
There was only one reason: she needed to inform her senior about this and ask if it was alright to follow him.
└(Author): The shopkeeper told me to follow him. Is it okay to go?
└? That old lizard is acting strange. Go ahead and follow him.
└(Author): Okay!
The reply came back, giving her permission to proceed.
Only then did she start to walk.
Alcatel, who had stopped briefly to check if she was following, was once again surprised inwardly as he watched her walking towards him.
‘Huh, even seeing it right in front of me, I can’t believe it.’
Even though he was watching her, he couldn’t perceive her movements.
Whether she stepped with her right foot, how many steps she took, her speed, her direction – none of it registered.
It was a strange feeling, as if the world itself had a will and was erasing all traces of her actions.
Alcatel, unbeknownst to her, narrowed his slitted pupils and activated his Dragon Eyes.
‘I wonder how long you can resist my, Alcatel’s, eyes.’
If the world erased her traces, Alcatel’s eyes would uncover the very process of that erasure.
This was Alcatel’s unique ability, utilizing his Dragon Eyes and various self-developed spells to penetrate the principles of all things, including physical objects.
In his eyes, the fading traces of the customer began to reappear.
*Crackle. Crackle.*
‘What’s that?’
The traces were gradually becoming more visible.
However, something else caught Alcatel’s attention more than the traces themselves.
A mysterious blue something was floating in the air.
SparkleSparkle continuously gazed at the rectangular blue mass, seemingly “reading” something within it.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t discern the content within the blue mass, but he could recognize the power emanating from it.
‘Why is the Goddess’s power emanating from there?’
That was undoubtedly the power of a Goddess.
Could this child be a hero chosen by the Goddess?
He wasn’t sure yet, but whatever it was, the customer who had arrived was undoubtedly connected to a Goddess.
And although initially obscured by the Goddess’s power, a faint power he now noticed irritated Alcatel.
‘An Imugi?’
A trace that would have gone unnoticed if not for the masking effect of the Goddess’s power.
It was undoubtedly the trace of an Imugi.
Those who wielded Yeouiju, different from the orbs of Dragons, striving to become true dragons.
Since the relationship between magic-wielding Dragons and lesser dragons wasn’t particularly good, Imugi preparing for ascension weren’t viewed favorably either.
‘But how can an Imugi…?’
How could an Imugi possess such power?
Just from the faint traces emanating from the blue mass, Alcatel realized that the Imugi’s power surpassed that of an ordinary dragon.
He had lived in human society for hundreds of years, carrying his entire dragon lair with him.
The appearance of this unprecedented monster, a first in his long life, made Alcatel stop in his tracks and ask the customer a question.
“Who is that Imugi?”
“W-What? An I-Imugi?”
“Don’t play coy. The reason you came here must be because of that Imugi.”
SparkleSparkle’s face paled.
Seeing her obvious fluster, Alcatel became certain.
“H-H-How do you know about DragonSnack?!”
“DragonSnack? Is that the Imugi’s name?”
DragonSnack. Quite a powerful name.
Especially considering the nuance, it meant the master of a “gallery.”
And that “gallery” was probably a place where individuals with unique abilities like the customer before him gathered.
‘The master of such a place. Indeed, it makes sense that an Imugi would possess such power!’
“P-Please answer me! How do you know DragonSnack?!”
“Hmm. I just saw it with my own eyes…”
*Crackle. Crackle.*
“…”
“H-Hello? Shopkeeper?”
SparkleSparkle tilted her head, puzzled by Alcatel, who had suddenly gone silent and still.
She mustered her courage and waved her small hand in front of Alcatel’s face.
“H-Hellooo?”
“…”
“A-Are you ignoring me? If you suddenly ignore me like this, I’ll really be hurt…”
Only when tears welled up in her eyes, almost to the point of crying, did Alcatel react.
“What? Why did I come out here?”
“Please don’t tease me.”
“Ugh. Why does my head suddenly hurt so much?”
“A-Are you alright?”
She must have been startled by his strange behavior mid-conversation.
Unfortunately for her, the surprises weren’t over yet.
“What? Customer? How did you get all the way here?”
“…Huh?”
As if he were seeing her for the first time.
Frowning, Alcatel began to observe her, muttering about why the bell, the floorboards, and his warding magic hadn’t activated.
“Oh. That talent. Indeed, anyone less skilled than me wouldn’t have noticed. Truly, a power too great for a human to possess. I wonder if this is a blessing from the Goddess or a curse.”
“U-Umm? I’m starting to get scared… are you joking… right?”
Why was he repeating the same things he said when they first met?
Just as she noticed something was amiss and was about to ask…
*Ding.*
As if to interrupt her, a notification sound rang out, and for the first time, the system spoke to her with what seemed like its own volition.
[If you want to save this world]
[That action you’re thinking of]
[Don’t do it]
“…Hic.”
*Thud.*
With the system’s message, which felt like it possessed its own will – a first in this world – she was so shocked that she collapsed on the spot, unconscious.
—–CROW—–
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