Chapter 20 - Knowing the importance of time (1/2)

Knowing the importance of time

Now— what are the monsters eating here?

What are they drinking here?

At first, I thought there were food and water for the monsters.

But this is a different world.

There are things in this world that can’t be explained by my original world’s common sense.

What if…?

What if these monsters here are…

What if they don’t necessarily need food or water?

My last hope would then be lost.

For example, what if their purpose of killing people is not for predation?

Such as– a game.

What if killing people here is just a game?

It may be that it’s just for entertainment.

[……..]

I stopped walking at once.

There was nowhere I could really go to now…

Should I go back to that area?

In that deserted area where there is literally nothing?

The transfer location…

It’s the direction where the minotaurs had fled to instead of the birdheads.

Should I go there instead?

No– fighting while I’m really hungry is dangerous.

I may not be able to activate my skills in time.

I have no power left to exert.

I have no power left within me.

I feel like my head is going crazy.

[Ah, that’s right…]

My leather bag.

I have to pick it up.

I blankly looked at the leather bag.

The shining magic item.

The unique item summoned at the same time as the E-Rank Hero.

[What the?]

The jewel in the leather bag.

It’s subtle, but… isn’t the color different?

The jewel certainly is colored yellow and green.

I think it was closer to having a tinge of yellow on an emerald color but…

There’s suddenly a bit of purple in it’s bottom part.

I rub my eyes.

Did I finally go crazy?

Or was this shade here from the beginning?

I remember that time when this is handed to me by that sh*tty goddess.

The yellowish green jewel comes to my mind.

At least, the bottom part shouldn’t have been discolored like this.

But the jewel now is clearly visible.

The bottom part is certainly purple.

What is this?

This purplish part…

Was the jewel poisoned?

…No, there’s no way.

[…..ah.]

The light in the leather bag is weakening.

It must have been lacking in magic energy and is slowly depleting…

Let’s put in some more magic energy.

I inject magic energy.

[What ‘s happening?]

Is the purple part increasing?

[……..]

No way… Doesn’t this look like a gauge?

Does this purple part increase with the amount of magic energy injected?

………..

Anyway, I have a lot of MP thanks to my level.

It may be just absurdity.

It may be that I’m just a fool.

Anyway, I just want something to “change”.

Is it because I’ve went around a repeating scenery too much earlier?

I wanted to see something that changes.

There’s such a desire within me.

As for the skill usage, let’s see…

Should I set aside about a hundred shots?

I injected more magic energy into the jewel.

I want something to change.

Even if it’s just the color of this jewel, it’s extremely important to me.

A few minutes later, the color of the jewel have completely changed to purple.

A gauge filled with purple.

The jewel now also emits a stronger light.

It’s quite beautiful…

I felt some strange satisfaction even if nothing special have happened.

[Ku, kuku… fu, hahaha….]

I let out dry laughter.

My throat is already dry.

My laughter is dry, but it can’t be helped.

I mean.

How can someone not laugh in this kind of situation?

I stand up even if my legs were tired.

Should I go now?

To the direction where the minotaurs have fled.

My feet should be still be able to move.

[Let’s go.]

I’ll move until I can’t.

Until I’m exhausted.

If even with all my might I still can’t move, then it can’t be helped.

After all, there’s still other things I can do.

In fact, I already did.

It was changing the color of the jewel by injecting it with magic energy.

I still have the power to change something.

I understand– this is a really dangerous place.

I have to struggle until the very end.

The disposed hero — Mimori Touka.

I have to struggle.

Until I can’t struggle anymore.

[It’s easier to let go and give up.]

F*ck you.

I laughed as I’m walking.

[Fu, fuhahaha…]

It’s starting to get fun again.

Has my head finally became crazy because of hunger?

I advance and advance until I’ve walked a few meters from there–

[………heavy!?]

Eh!?

What’s this feeling?

This subtle feeling of heaviness?

Did my legs finally get numbed?

Or am I attacked by some kind of monster?

I check my surroundings.

There’s… nothing.

Then…

What is this feeling of heaviness?

[Ah…]

The leather bag?

Hmm?

The jewel has changed color again.

It’s now… gray?

Eh?

W- Why did it suddenly turn gray?

It seems though that the bag is still emitting light.

Wait.

Wait, wait.

There’s something else in there.

That something is in my leather bag.

Is that heavy thing the dagger?

No, that’s not it.

I remember.

I left that dagger with its blade melted next to the mountain of corpses.

Then,

[What is it?]

What is in there?

Timidly, I turned my leather bag upside down.

Boto ~tsu

korokoro…

kasa ~tsu

[Ah–]

A familiar package.

So nostalgic, I used to be quite fond of these.

[Please give me a break…]

I would certainly feel nostalgic.

Because this is something not found in this kind of fantasy world.

It just came out of my bag.

[Have I finally began to hallucinate?]

A 500ml PET bottle of cola and a bag of beef jerky.

v

Right from the start, I haven’t thought of all the “why”s.

I could not afford to think about it.

There’s no reason to.

[Something… to drink—]

Liquid…

Liquid,

Liquid, liquid,

Liquid, liquid, liquid,

Liquid, liquid, liquid, liquid.

I immediately jump unto the PET bottle.

I could see the water droplets from the outside.

It’s cold.