Chapter 179

There was a loud sound and the pot was overturned .

The fire under it had been trampled on by someone and went out .

A–ah, we lost our lunch .

We spent time making it, but it went to waste in an instant .

I had witnessed everything from behind Tsuda-kun’s shield .

The monsters will attack regardless of whether you were eating lunch or if you’re being vigilant .

This had happened many times since entering this forest .

There were many times where we couldn’t eat lunch .

I am just saying, although I didn’t have any means to attack the monsters like everyone else, but someone who was as strong as Oda-kun probably never missed lunch, nor had he ever run away until the sun set and it was dinner time, even if he was by himself .

Thinking up until there, I softly laughed in self-mockery .

This was not something someone who was currently being protected by Tsuda-kun’s shield should be thinking about, and I was utterly disgusted with my thoughts of having Oda-kun save us if he were here and leaving everything to him .

Rather than sacrifice someone in order to save everyone, I would rather… .

And then, suddenly, Waki-kun, who was next to me, shouted as he held the trembling monkey and cat .

「What, there’s a robot in a forest like this!?」

I felt myself come back to reality when I heard that voice .

What was I thinking about just now .

The one who interrupted our precious lunch was something that boys really liked, but was inconsistent with this world, a robot that walked on its own two legs .

Even though we called it a robot, its movements were smooth and agile .

People might be convinced if told that there were people inside .

However, it was unmistakably a robot, and its silver armor had a dull sheen to it, surely standing out within this forest .

Or rather, it was obviously man-made .

It was as big as a normal human, but it was too resilient and not only did our attacks not do anything to it, its attacks were so dense that even Shiori-chan who had good reflexes and could avoid the attacks of the whale monster wasn’t able to sidestep it, and some of those attacks contained poison .

Incidentally, its attacks were also short-ranged, and would switch to long-ranged if we distance ourselves .

It was truly a nightmare .

Just what kind of grudge did the person who made this robot have with us .

Furthermore, according to Shirori-chan, it was most likely operating on magic power, so as long as we cut its magic power off, it wouldn’t be able to continue moving, it seems .

Conversely, we could also make it so that it runs out of magic power, but I feel like we would be defeated before that happened .

Incidentally, Shiori-chan’s『Gluttony』couldn’t get close to it in the first place, so it couldn’t be used .

「Ueno-san! Sorry, but can you neutralize poison remotely!」

I quickly raised my head when I heard Tsuksa-kun’s voice, and it seems that he was hit by its long-ranged attack as his left arm was loosely hanging by his side .

It was most likely a paralysis-type poison .

What’s worse was that, if Tsukasa-kun was taken out now, Nanase-kun and Zeal-san would die .

As I nodded in a panic, I suddenly realized that something happened, causing me to have those thoughts that were unlike me just now .

I had a faint sense of waking up from a dream due to Waki-kun’s voice .

It felt similar to when I was cursed at the castle .

At an Adventurer Guild somewhere, I seem to have heard that all mind interference-type skills gave off similar sensation when applied… .

Thinking up until here, I found my answer .

Since it had been highly efficient .

It wasn’t strange even if it had one or two skills .

「This robot, is disorienting your mind as well!! Be careful!!」

Sensing that everyone became more vigilant, I used Dispel on myself while holding my hand out, getting as close to Tsukasa-kun as I could .

Fortunately, Tsukasa-kun was within range .

It reached him, though it was just barely .

Unfortunately, that was not the case for the other two people .

Tsukasa-kun’s left arm was enveloped in a faint light .

Even though I could neutralize it faster if I was closer .

「Tsuda-kun, won’t you move closer? I can just barely reach Tsukasa-kun, but I can’t for the other two…Tsuda-kun?」

The shield that was always firmly raised and protecting me was shaking .

When I looked up at my classmate who looked much more like a girl than I did, his eyes were blank .

Damn it, I unconsciously bit my lips .

If I thought about it a little, then I would’ve realized that if I had been afflicted with it, then Tusda-kun who was standing in between the robot and I would be as well .

Just like I thought, in this way, Tsuda-kun had fallen victim to it because he was protecting everyone .

I grabbed Tsuda-kun’s arm and continuously called out his name .

Perhaps he did not recognize that it was me, as he resisted .

I realized it because I was an exorcist, but even though it wasn’t strange that those of other occupations didn’t notice it, they were muddleheaded to such an extent .

However, if I devote myself to dispelling Tsuda-kun now, I wouldn’t be able to detoxify the three people who were fighting if they were attacked .

What if at that time, they were injured because of the poison?

What should I… .

… . as expected, perhaps I am no good .

If it were Shirori-chan, she would probably do better .

As my thoughts turned chaotic, someone patted me on the back .

It was Shiori-chan .

「Get a hold of yourself! If Yuuki-chan stops now, then we’ll be in trouble! What should we do to help? Only Yuuki-chan can dispel it . 」

Those eyes filled with firm determination pierced into me, and I unconsciously held my breath .

For a period of time, I had hated and hated those eyes of hers, couldn’t tolerate them, but now, there was nothing more dependable .

Although I say that, I had never really looked at Shiori-chan .

I had compared myself to the perfect Shiori-chan, but that wasn’t who she was .

I took a deep breath, and slapped my cheeks to motivate myself .

「For now, Waki-kun, hold onto this shield, and Shiori-chan, support the front lines, give me some time . 」

I grabbed Tsuda-kun’s shield, who had a vacant look on his face, and said this .

It was a bit violent, but if I didn’t do this, I wouldn’t be a match to those with a combat occupation .

Besides, in the end, Tsuda-kun was a boy as well, so I was not as strong as him .

It would be best to dispel Tsuda-kun before he did something .

「Got it!」

「I’ll leave Tsuda to you!」

As the two people did their respective tasks, I dispelled Tsuda-kun .

During that time, my thoughts turned .

It seems that that robot could inflict mind interference magic, such a troublesome thing, without doing anything .

On top of that, it could freely use poisonous attacks that needed to be detoxified, so it wasn’t hard to guess what the situation was for the three people who were fighting .

Aah, so busy .

Moreover, while I was using Dispel, someone might fall victim to the mind interference magic once again .

Really, it’s never-ending .

「If only, there was something like a vaccine at a time like this . 」

I was surprised by what I had unconsciously blurted out .

That’s right, wouldn’t it be fine if I created something like a vaccine?

Something like the immunization for the influenza .

If I remember correctly, there seems to be some sort of theory where a small amount of bacteria was put into the body to create the immunization .

It was a sensory thing, but fortunately, I’d already been inflicted with the mind interference, and as for the poison, I knew what it was as I had cured Tsukasa-kun of several of them .

To begin with, if I was told that I could acquire immunity to poison, or rather, magic, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from tilting my head in confusion, but I was merely trying to see if I could .

However, what if it failed?

Not to mention that we were in the middle of a battle right now .

What if one mistake killed everyone?

One after another, those dark thoughts came and went .

At that time, the voice that I liked drifted down from above .

「Ueno, do you have any ideas?」

Waki-kun, who held up the heavy shield just as Tsuda-kun did, asked me who was absentmindedly casting Dispel this question .

I saw Waki-kun and suddenly got an idea .

Come to think of it, didn’t he ask me about the way to acquire a skill or something just now .

「Waki-kun, won’t you tell me how to obtain a skill? Even if it’s just that robot’s poison, I might be able to do something about it . 」

Could it be turned into a skill?

If I’m lucky, it should be able to take care of the mind interference as well .

「Really!? What Hosoyama told me was… . 」

As we didn’t have time, he simplified it, but I nodded after he told me .

I see, you certainly wouldn’t be able to do it in a short amount of time, and if you’re unlucky, your body would disintegrate .

「Are you really going to try it? If you’re careless… . 」

「I’ll disintegrate, right? It should be fine . 」

The light surrounding Tsuda-kun disappeared when the dispelling was complete .

I confirmed that the light in Tsuda-kun’s eyes had returned, and then stood up .

With this, I could try to see if I could obtain a skill .

I stood next to Waki-kun who held up the shield .

「Shiori-chan, thank you . Come back . 」

I called out to Shiori-chan who healed Tsukasa-kun and the others while standing at the outermost edge of the shield and closed my eyes .

At that time, when Shirori-chan obtained『Gluttony』, I saw it .

Due to the nature of my occupation as an exorcist, I would feel the flow of magic power within people .

Where the magic power was concentrated at that time, I saw what Shiori-chan had felt .

「Even though things may seem like this, I’m angry . Not only can you use both short and long-ranged attacks, but they’re poisonous as well? And when I think about how you can also use mind interference magic and how not a single one of Tsukasa-kun and the others’ attacks are effective, and how you came to kill us, and on top of that, the poison is not lethal… . 」

The things that I was thinking about smoothly fell from my lips .

This was the first time I’ve been this angry .

Acquiring a skill required a strong heart .

Anger would work as well .

Shiori-chan probably obtained the skill because she wholeheartedly wanted to save everyone, but I did not have the heart of a saint like Shiori-chan .

「Really . If you’re playing around, then won’t you go back . We’re not messing around and we’re serious though!」

I remembered the Shiori-chan at that time, and I circulated my magic power throughout my body as if I was casting Dispel on myself .

My body warmed .

I’ve obtained skills when I defeated a monster or when I leveled up my occupation, but the temperature of my body had not been this high .

Acquiring an essential skill yourself was surely different from when you obtained it naturally .

After a while, the circulation of magic power calmed down naturally .

I couldn’t adequately explain it, but it was definitely different from before .

Didn’t this mean that I was able to safely acquire it .

I immediately opened my eyes and opened up my status .

Seeing the new words there, I unconsciously assumed a triumphant pose .

「You really did it!?」

Giving a sidelong glance at Waki-kun who sounded surprised, I immediately invoked the skill .

The name of the skill was『Immunity』 .

I could raise our resistance to the attacks that we had received or ones that I had dispelled or detoxified before and lower their power .

I was slightly dissatisfied that it couldn’t completely negate the effects, but it was also effective towards mind interference magic, and I could cast it on other people, so let’s put up with it .

Besides, if I wanted a much more powerful skill, I have a premonition that my body would disintegrate .

Certainly, this skill acquisition method was dangerous .

「Nn?」

Everyone here was faintly glowing .

Just because we were behind the shield didn’t mean that we were completely safe, so even I thought that it was a wise decision .

「It is a skill that weakens the strength of the poisons that I had detoxified before! It is effective on mind interference magic as well! However, the effects are not completely negated, so be careful!!」

When I explained the effects in a simplified manner, I received everyone’s good-natured responses .

It seems that they had been cautious of the poison and the mind interference and were not able to go on the offensive .

They had been on the defensive up until now, but the three people switched into the offensive with ease .

Their attacks didn’t connect, but even so, it was better than before .

「Nice, Ueno . 」

「But, it’s not over yet . If the composition of the poison changes, then it would be troublesome . 」

It was truly troublesome .

We could only leave it to the three people on the front lines .