It is often seen in games and animations, and is a fragment of the remaining thoughts in this world.
Yes, it's not surprising that such things exist. We're in a fantasy world.
It's a fantasy world. I'll accept it.
But...
What do you mean by demons? You're not like the Demon King?
''No! A demon king is a demon king who scares humans. He's a completely different species from humans. But we demons are a type of demi-humans. We're a subspecies of humans.
I see.
Well, I thought it was unnatural that the Demon King's companions, who were supposed to be fighting in the frontier, were in the middle of the royal capital like this, and in a slavery shop.
...... Then why was the demon race destroyed?
We are close to humans in shape, but because of our extraordinary magical powers, we were warned by humans. Before long, we were called 'demons' as an abomination. And then they were destroyed. We were creatures that didn't like to fight. ......'
How did this residual demonic thought come to me?
"A visitor away from the protection of the royal family is no better than a lone demon.
Well, that's what happens when you leave something to die.
"I don't want you to take care of Cecil forever. I only want you to buy me out. It would be better to be one of the visitors than to be among those who discriminate against the demons.
Will you teach me how to use my skills instead?
"If you promise to buy her outright with the money you've earned with your skills.
I wouldn't say right away. She'll be in that shop for the next few days. She hides her demonic identity, and the shopkeepers think Cecil is a dark elf. They say the price is 120,000 Arsha and cheap for a slave.''
Don't make it sound so easy.
"Contract," huh?
That means once Ashtarte teaches me how to use the skill, I'll have to let that girl go. No, wait. Isn't this just as black as the king?
The girl can stay in that store until I make some money, but what if someone else buys her out?
How far will I follow her?
Because that's what 'contract' means.
Hmm.
In short, you just need to understand how to use the "Ability Rebuild 《Skill Structure》 by yourself.
I'm used to this kind of thing.
I used to make doujin games in between my black jobs. It's because I read on a website that it's called "The Story of How I Became Big in Doujin Games". I thought I could make a lot of money from it.
In reality, though, it wasn't like that at all, it was just my site getting burned.
Regardless, we're talking about understanding the skill system, right?
Let's do it. You can make a deal with Ashtarte afterwards.
I activate "Ability Rebuild" again.
I set "Hard Strike" to the window that comes up.
Hard Strike Level 1.
(1) A skill that deals powerful damage to low-level monsters.
The text appears.
But there's still space in the window.
What happens if I set another skill here?
Come on. Cleaning level one.
"Cleaning LV1
(2) The skill to 'clean and tidy' a 'room' with 'cleaning supplies'.
I'm set.
...... Somehow, I'm starting to understand the system.
'Ability Reconstruction' allows me to deconstruct the content of a skill.
Or, to put it more succinctly, "Conceptualizing Skills.
Can you take it apart and dismantle it ...... and maybe even reassemble it?
For example, what would happen if you replaced the content that makes up the skill?
I touch the window with my finger.
I knew it, I can move the sentences in "Low Level Monsters" and "Cleaning Supplies".
So, that's how it works!
(1) The skill to "clean up" "low-level monsters" with "cleaning tools
(2) A skill that deals 'powerful damage' to a 'room'.
Run! "Ability Rebuild [Skill Structure]!
I press the word 'Execute' that appears in the window.
The skill that reconstructed the sentence changes!
All right. Okay!
To put it another way, this is like breaking down curry into "meat and vegetables", "curry roux" and "water". If you turn "Curry Roux" into "Soy Sauce and Sugar", you can reconfigure it into meat and potatoes.
A skill that can be rewritten.
That's what Rebuild Ability is all about.
There are two skills created by this "Ability Rebuild".
Fiend Sweeping Lv 1: Use your cleaning tool to blow low-level fiends away.
Slamming Buildings Lv 1: Deals damage to the walls and interiors of a room. Destruction: "Brick" and "Wooden Wall".
What about ......?
No, I guess I did well for a start.
In the meantime, let's save up some money and buy another skill to try.
'So, sorry, Ashtarte. I didn't need you to tell me.
"...... I'm sorry.
I'm good at this stuff.
"I'm afraid I misjudged your vessel. What were you in the world you came from?
I was doing douchebag games and stuff.
It wasn't very popular.
On the contrary, it was terrible because I made it.
After tinkering with 260 parameters to make up your character, and distributing the attributes of earth, water, fire, and wind to attack and defense, quickness, sturdiness, kindness, and other parameters in up to 690 ways, you start the game by creating magic and skills. If you don't see through the 16 lies they tell you when you meet the king, you'll be placed in an area with a very strong monster and you'll be stuck, and when you set up galaxy-quality choices, events and favoritism when recruiting your party mates, you'll get a lot of flack for being free.
"I don't know, but I understand you're a man of logic.
I'm sorry I couldn't get a contract with you.
"...... No, no, it can't be helped.
I appreciate the information you've given me about this world.
I paid off the hem of my jacket and stood up.
My ass was hurting from sitting all the way down.
We know what we're going to do. In the meantime, let's just aim for normal happiness.
In order to do that, we need information.
I need someone who knows the world and can help me correct the gaps between me and this world.
It's better to have someone you can trust and know what kind of person you are to some extent.
'Hey, Ashtarte. I'll just call it a ramble from here on out, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to. What's the market price of your skills?
"......? Yes, a common common skill is a few dozen to a hundred arsha. A slightly rare Uncommon skill is a few thousand arsha. Rare skills range in price, from a few tens of thousands, and some of the more expensive ones are trading for over a million.''
Okay. Well, I guess I can handle it, then.
"......! No way you ......?
So.
I opened the door of the shop that dealt in slaves.
There was a little man with a beard at the entrance. Is this guy a slave trader?
Well, never mind.
I'm a customer. Let's make it snappy.
"There's a girl here who wants to take you.
I said to the slaver.
'Her name is Cecil. She's brown-skinned, petite, with long ears, and the most beautiful girl in the shop.
We're in a hurry. Let's get you here as soon as possible.
Because it can't be helped, can it?
Ashtarte gave me some information about this world, in case you were wondering.
The Contract. Everything can be bought and sold.
There's a big difference between knowing that and not knowing that.
Ashtarte taught me that rule before I made the 'contract' - in other words, I can trust it.
He was introduced to me by Ashtarte, which means he's the closest person I know.
In other words, Cecil Farot is the most appropriate source of information in this world.
Welcome. Sir, is this your first time buying a slave?
The slaver said.
He looks at me as he folds his hands and prices us out.
The man claps his hands, and the middle-aged woman in the shop gets up from her seat. She opens the back door and goes to another room and comes back a moment later.
A girl of the demon race who looks like a brown dark elf──.
With Cecil-Farot.
She was wearing white, sleek clothes.
It's called a piercing robe, in which the cloth was made into a sack with holes in the head and hands.
She is wearing a leather collar. It doesn't have a leash on it, but it doesn't show any signs of escaping.
She had beautiful brown skin, just as Ashtarteh had done.
His long ears hang down lethargically, and his downed red eyes are not looking at anything.
Her long, silvery hair was probably groomed by the woman from earlier. It seemed to glow in the light of the lamp.
She was considerably smaller than me in height.
I mean, if I walked around with a collar on this girl, I'd smell an amazing crime.
''I wouldn't recommend this girl for the first time. She's a dark elf, and she's a very difficult one to deal with. I picked her up from the war, but she wasn't very friendly.
...... Hmm.
His name is Cecil. He looks young, but he's probably about the same age as our guest. I've heard that some dark elves grow fast and some slow. I have a good aptitude for magic. But they have a temperament that isn't friendly, so I don't see any use for them as combatants either: ......
I need to talk to this girl, if you don't mind.
The little man nodded, and I moved closer to Cecil.
She glanced at me with her red eyes and quickly looked away.
'Ashtarthae asked me to do something for you. 'Cecil-Fallot.'
I whispered in a whisper so that the slavers wouldn't hear me.
'Well, it's not much of a match. I'll buy you out. In return, I want you to give me information about this world. To be frank, I want you to be my teacher.
"...──?
The girl's eyes are wide open, as if she's seeing something incredible. But she quickly gets down.
Ah, I had this look on my face when I was working part-time, too.
I'll raise your hourly wage - I can't do it," is the combo I got.
That kind of thing makes me sick of having hope.
"So, shopkeeper. How much is Cecil's sales price?
''It's 180,000 Alsha. It's a valuable dark elf.
120,000 arsha?
He must have realized that he had seen through the market.
The light that looked down at me disappeared from the little man's eyes.
''Sir, excuse me, but do you have the money to pay for it? We're all about quick money.
How about paying with skills?
With skills?
'Skills are traded for money here. There's also a skills shop next door, and it's probably faster there than going to the trouble of cashing in.
May I call an appraiser?
I don't mind.
A small man yawns at the clerk.
A middle-aged woman in the back of the store runs to the next store and brings in the skill shop clerk.
Ashtarthae says, "With your consent, you'll know what skills you've taken out.
In other words, without consent, you don't know what skills you have.
I guess I'd better keep my "ability rebuilding" under wraps.
So, that's why.
'What we want to sell you is 'the skill to blow up low-level demons with a cleaning tool'.
I place my hand on his chest.
I call up "Demon Wipeout Lv 1".
A slippery feeling.
A crystal ball that can fit in the palm of your hand comes out.
"...... 'Demon Wipeout Lv 1'? I've never seen anything like it.
The bespectacled skill shop clerk said.
Well, I guess so. I just made it.
'The effect is ...... yeah, this guy is right. How much do you want to sell this for?
"120,000 Arsha.
Hmm.
The skill shop clerk has a difficult look on his face.
'It would be quicker if you could see the effects in action. I'd like to borrow a broomstick. Also, is there a harmless demon out there somewhere?
The slime is for magical targets.
Is there such a thing?
The skill shop clerk brings a colorless slime from the shop.
He seems to use magic to hold it in place.
We walked out of the store.
Cecil looks at us. It's like he's giving me a little more of a look than before, you know, like he's expecting something.
Yeah, it's nice. It's cute.
I'll give you something to look at, too.
"See if these skills are worth 120,000 arsha's worth.
I put the 'Demon Sweep' back in my chest and hold my broom.
It's a skill I made for myself. I know how to use it.
I lightly sweep the motionless slime with my broom. And then...
Huh────────────────────────────── U────
The slime flew.
Like a golf tee shot.
It flew over the heads of the people in the square and over the buildings.
Oh no, it flew. More than I thought it would.
It flew at least 300 meters though I couldn't see it clearly because it was transparent. Wow.
What do you think?
...... No, I'm just saying, "How's it going? What do I get out of it?
The slavers have a strange look on their faces.
Oh, Cecil is nodding. I think she's getting the idea. She's got a handle on what this skill can do.
Well, now it's time to start negotiating.
"Since you are a slaver, you travel to trade in people, don't you? Aren't you often attacked by demons? I think I could use these skills.
'No, we're hiring bouncers too, and we won't go anywhere near a demon we can't defeat.
The slaver shook his head, saying it was out of the question.
"We have all the best players here. There's no need to go to the trouble of relying on your strange skills...
Can we defeat a demon if we fight it?
Yes, sir.
So how long would that battle take?
I said.
The slaver's face changed.
"You're traveling from town to town. If you get into a fight with a demon on the way, it will cost you time. If you don't get to the city by nightfall, you'll be out in the open. The danger of getting attacked by a monster is even greater. If I can get rid of the weaker demons with this skill, I can save that time.
I continue.
"You're slaves to your cargo, but you're human. If they are killed by demons on the run, they are worthless. If they are injured or become ill, their value decreases. The more time you spend with them, the greater the risk.
......
Well, it's not the skills I'm selling, frankly.
I took out my 'Demon Sweeping LV1' once more and said, "I want to sell you 'Time'.
''What I want to sell you is the 'time' I can reduce with my skills.
And is it worth 120,000 arsha?
That's your call. Just think about it. How many times do you encounter demons during your stocking trip? How long the battle takes. The delay in travel. The cost of food for the bouncers, yourself and your slaves. How much money would be spent on the maintenance of weapons and healing herbs and other necessities for the battle. Most of all, you'll have the peace of mind of knowing that you'll be able to get rid of low-level monsters for the duration of your journey. Time to come home early and spend time with your family.
Let's call it a no-go around here.
If it's not worth 120,000, I'll just go sell it somewhere else.
This is the only one I've created in 'Rebuilding Capabilities' and it's the only one here. It's a one-off skill in a way.
In fact, I'm sure there are other people who want it, and I can do whatever I need to do to just sell it.
Ugh. ......
The slaver looked at the skill shop with a sideways glance, as if asking for help.
''There's no doubt that it's a rare skill. The value of the rare skill ranges from 50,000 to 1.5 million arsha. It's up to you, the buyer, to decide whether or not you find value in that.
The skill man shrugged.
'I get it! Let's trade 'Demon Cleanup Lv 1' for this girl!
The slaver folded his arms for a while and snorted, then finally nodded.
Good!
Gutted in my mind.
I managed to bluff my way through the whole thing ...... good.
I was wondering what I would do if it didn't work out.
"Then it's official: 'Contract'.
I say, trying to keep my cool.
I say, "Yes, sir. I'd like a medallion, please.
The medallion: ...... Ah, so this is it.
I remember when I transitioned to this world, a pendant appeared on my chest.
It's gold in color and has a crystal key on the pendant head.
Ashtarte taught me how to use it earlier.
It is said that humans can use this to make a 'contract' with each other.
"In the name of the 'contract' god.
"Mutual agreement to trade the skill 'Demon Cleansing Lv 1' for 'Cecil'... 'Contract'.
With a clink, the key that was discussed shines.
At the same time, Cecil's collar rings, and a ring is born on my left hand.
It was a ring with a small red crystal ball on it.
A proof of the master-slave contract, I suppose.
You'll be able to find out more about this. As for Cecil's skills, please go back to the inn and check it out. You know that my master (master) can do it.
Yeah.
'So you weren't an amateur after all. Customer ...... and all that.
The slaver and the skill dealer looked at me with probing eyes.
''Where in the world did you get this rare skill?
I just came from the East. It was my grandfather's memento. There are some dark elven acquaintances in my hometown, and they asked me to help them with Cecil.
Improvising scenarios is a skill I developed when I was making doujin games.
Oh, and of course what I was making was for all ages, right?
I see. Well, let me know if you have any other skills to sell.
I'll think about it. Bye.
I have no intention of coming back.
I wave to the slaver and the skill dealer and leave.
They look at me curiously, hand in hand with Cecil.