Chapter 208: The "Hero" Appears!
"Aqua, did you say you deciphered the 'Falna'?"
"Mmm, that's right!"
Kobayashi, who thought he had misheard, confirmed with her again and received an affirmative answer.
Seeing his surprised and hesitant expression, Aqua puffed out her chest and proudly took credit. "Who do you think I am? I am Aqua, the Goddess of Water and Wisdom! A mere 'Falna' from another world... deciphering it is an easy task for me! So! ...I still owe 200,000 Eris at the guild, and they're really hounding me for it. Please, Kobayashi, help me!"
Her attitude suddenly changed, and she turned to him, whimpering and asking for help.
This woman...
He couldn't help but suspect that she had only hurried to decipher the Falna because she was in debt and was being chased for it.
Other people might not do that, but the idiot goddess in front of him was very likely to do such a thing.
Did she use my name to run up a tab at the guild to buy alcohol again? When will she ever learn from Kazuma and earn her own money to buy sparkling liquor (or go to the succubus shop)?
To be honest, he really wanted to teach her a lesson.
But, forget it.
By deciphering the [Falna], she had indeed performed a great service. If he were to teach her a lesson now, he might discourage her enthusiasm.
He thought for a moment. When he came back to his senses, he saw her looking at him timidly, with a cowardly expression, afraid that he would get angry. By the way, if you're so afraid of being blamed, then don't do it in the first place!
If he didn't know that her nature was unchangeable, he would really suspect that, just like the perverted knight, she had some special hobby and was doing this on purpose.
He let out a deep sigh.
"I'll go and pay off the debt later."
"Really?!"
"But! Your reward for this time is gone. Got it?!"
"...Y-yes!"
He lowered his gaze, successfully teaching the idiot goddess a lesson.
Of course, it was only temporary.
Make a mistake, correct it, then make it again. After making it, correct it again. After correcting it, make it again. Tempered a thousand times—she was the perfect reflection of what a certain famous sketch comedian had said.
Afterward, he gathered all his companions and informed them of the existence of the [Falna].
He didn't directly say it was something he had obtained from a god in another world, but rather said it was something she had tinkered with, a permanent buff that could allow everyone to break through their original class limitations.
After hearing this, they all expressed their interest.
Needless to say for Kazuma. As an Adventurer, his stats were the lowest, and he couldn't change his class at all, so he wanted to rely on the Falna to make a beautiful comeback.
As for Megumin, as long as it could increase the power of [Explosion], she was willing to give it a try.
Darkness had the same thought. As long as she could take even more vicious beatings... pah, as long as she could withstand more damage and protect more people, she was also happy to give it a try.
"Well then..."
He readily took off his shirt.
Seeing this, Darkness's face immediately flushed, and she stammered, "K-K-K-Kobayashi, what are you doing? I've never heard of having to take off your clothes to get stronger! D-don't tell me... we also have to take off all our clothes? Is this going to be a...!"
"How could it be!"
He interrupted her strange fantasy.
The [Falna] needed to be unlocked by carving it onto one's back with divine blood, which was why he had to take off his clothes.
"I-is that so."
Darkness let out a breath of relief, but what was with that disappointed expression?
"Wait a minute, Kobayashi-senpai."
Kazuma suddenly called a halt.
He asked, puzzled, "Is something wrong, Kazuma-kun?"
"This idiot goddess... is she really trustworthy? To be honest, I don't have any expectations of her anymore. She's always useless in the strangest of places, and she's always dragging us down... This 'Falna' she's tinkered with... I have my doubts."
"What did you say?! You idiot Kazuma! Are you trying to pick a fight?!"
Hearing someone question her, Aqua immediately flew into a rage.
But she was stopped by him.
He sighed. "Kazuma-kun, haven't you heard? Verifying the truth always requires someone to make a sacrifice. If no one verifies it, how can we ensure that the 'Falna' is effective?"
"But..."
"Or, how about you do it, Kazuma-kun?"
"I refuse!"
Kazuma had a look of disgust on his face.
It was precisely because he didn't trust her that he had said that. To have him try it... was absolutely impossible.
After being screwed over by her so many times, if he didn't learn his lesson, he would truly be a great idiot on the same level as her.
Seeing their worried looks, he consoled them, "Rest assured. Aqua is a goddess. Even if an accident happens, I can be resurrected, so there's no need to worry."
If one goddess isn't enough, then just bring another!
Aqua and Eris... with both goddesses working, even if he was reduced to a speck of dust, he could be forcibly resurrected by their divine authority. It could be said to be the ultimate perverted ability.
This was also the source of his confidence.
Aqua also puffed out her chest and guaranteed, "Rest assured! The 'Falna' I've deciphered is absolutely fine! And even if there is a problem, I can still resurrect you, Kobayashi! There's no need to worry!"
"Is that so... Kobayashi-senpai, if anything feels wrong, you have to stop immediately."
"Oh, I will."
For some reason, the feeling of unease in his heart grew even stronger.
Every time she said that, something would go wrong and they would be thrown into a panic.
Then, he sat cross-legged on the bed, his upper body bare. Aqua, on the other hand, knelt behind him, closed her eyes, and mobilized her divine power. Her signature goddess's haori appeared behind her, floating in mid-air.
An Aqua with such a goddess-like aura... it made the others slightly surprised.
Seriously, who is this?
Under their expectant, nervous gazes, she bit her finger. A drop of liquid, crimson with a hint of blue and full of divinity, dripped onto his back, and then, like a drop of water, it rippled and merged into him.
Ding—
A sound that only he could hear appeared in his mind. A feeling of breaking through shackles welled up in his heart.
At the sameF time, a water-blue magic circle appeared on his back. The surrounding text was extremely complex, but it also carried a trace of holiness. And the pattern surrounded by it was, of all things, the crest of the Axis Order.
Before they could examine it carefully, the light dissipated, and the pattern on his back was hidden again.
In the blink of an eye, it had returned to its original appearance.
"Mmm? It's over?" Kazuma blinked and blurted out words that would make any man feel ashamed.
That was anticlimactic.
This was the expression that appeared on everyone's face.
The divine phenomenon just now was indeed magical. The only regret was that it was over before they could see the whole process clearly.
"How does it feel, senpai? Do you feel stronger?" Kazuma asked anxiously.
He smiled and said, "Kazuma-kun, the 'Falna' isn't something that can make you stronger right away. It's just a catalyst, a seed on the path to becoming strong. It needs to be continuously honed to increase proficiency... Gah!"
Before he could finish, he suddenly clutched his chest and cried out in pain.
"Kobayashi-senpai?!"
Kazuma saw his twisted expression, and the unease in his heart was finally confirmed.
Pain! It's so painful!
He just felt his heart contract violently, and his whole body was in pain. A fierce burning sensation was constantly roaming through him.
And it wasn't just his body!
Deep in his heart, and even where his soul resided, it was all in agony.
My brain! My brain is trembling!
Don't tell me... there was a problem with Aqua's deciphering? Or was it that Goddess of Beauty who set a trap?
The intense pain interfered with his ability to think. Groaning and howling could effectively alleviate the pain, but right now, he couldn't squeeze any sound out of his throat. He curled up, his body trembling violently, his face twisted to a degree that could rival a certain Sin Archbishop of Sloth.
"K-Kobayashi-senpai?!"
Kazuma wanted to touch him, but he was afraid of causing even greater harm. He could only turn his head and spray at the dumbfounded Aqua, "Hey! You idiot goddess! What in the world is going on?! Hurry up and explain it to me!"
"I... I don't know either! By the way, stop blaming me all the time! My own thinking ability is being interfered with!"
She was also in a panic.
She had clearly followed the instructions on the parchment. Why would this happen? She had no clue.
"You have thinking ability?" Kazuma really wanted to teach her a lesson, but now was not the right time. "Then hurry up and use your 'thinking ability' and think of a way to alleviate his pain!"
"I know! Stop rushing me!"
She also hurriedly used healing magic on him, but this, on the contrary, was counterproductive.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
He let out a loud, pained howl.
It was like water being poured into a pot of hot oil. His pain level had gone up another notch! But fortunately, his throat could make a sound, and like a floodgate being opened, there was a strange sense of relief.
No, I'm not a pervert!
He had never been in such a pathetic state.
Seeing this, Kazuma quickly questioned her, "Hey! You! What in the world are you doing? Why is he in even more pain?!"
"Huh?! I'm not doing anything strange! I just used healing magic! And, in order to heal him better, I even used my divine power!" she retorted, unhappily. After all, in her eyes, she hadn't done anything wrong, and had even used her divine power.
But he had a feeling it was because of the divine power.
"That's enough! You'd better not do anything!"
"It wasn't my fault in the first place!"
As if to prove that it wasn't her problem, she increased the output of her divine power. But she hadn't expected his howls to become even louder.
"—Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!"
"...Huh?"
This time, even the idiot goddess had to admit that it was her fault.
Darkness, at the side, seeing his pained expression, had her eyes shining, with a look that said she wanted to take his place and try it.
For those who know, he's suffering. For those who don't, they would think he's enjoying it.
"S-so good! I... will I also be in this much pain later? This is the price to pay for obtaining power, right? This unbearable, intense pain... Ah! This is the necessary trial to obtain power! What to do? What in the world do I do?! It can't be helped! To obtain power! To obtain the power to protect my companions! I can only endure the pain! That's right! Endure the pain!"
Hiss— hah— hiss— hah—
Meaningless panting came from her mouth.
The perverted knight was eager to try!
Kazuma couldn't help but retort, "Please stop giving yourself unnecessary screen time! You perverted knight!"
Megumin also looked at him with concern and couldn't help but say, "Aqua, is there really no way? Kobayashi... he looks like he's in a lot of pain."
"W-well..."
Aqua scratched the back of her head, with a strange beauty of "brain-stem-missing."
The group looked at him with grave expressions.
Perhaps because Aqua had opened the switch, his pain was able to be relieved by his howls, and it continued at a strange frequency.
Five minutes... ten minutes... thirty minutes...
Megumin couldn't help but say, "What's going on? I don't feel nervous or worried at all."
"Mmm, indeed."
"Same here."
Aqua and Darkness also chimed in.
"You should be worried!" Kazuma couldn't help but retort. But in reality, in this situation, he couldn't get worried either.
Come to think of it.
It was like a child next door, crying loudly because of something. You might feel sympathy, or you might be annoyed. But when he starts to howl at a subtle frequency, the sympathy and annoyance instantly dissipate.
The few of them were in this kind of mood.
Gradually, his howls weakened, turning into a faint groan. His body still twitched from time to time, but his eyes were bursting with a different kind of light. Clear, translucent, and containing a trace of divine charm.
Kazuma hurriedly leaned in and said with concern, "Kobayashi-senpai, how does your body feel? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"
"No... on the contrary, this feeling... is better than ever."
He unconsciously clenched his hands.
Does the Falna have this effect?
It had been very painful just now, but in the process, he had felt as if his entire body, and even his soul, had been thoroughly purified. When it was over, he had a feeling of being reborn.
"—I'm so HIGH right now!"
"Kobayashi-senpai..."
If he hadn't known his real personality, he would have suspected that he, just like the perverted knight in the party, had a strange hobby.
At this time, Aqua came over again.
The idiot goddess said, with a mixture of annoyance and pride, "I told you! The 'Falna' I deciphered is absolutely fine! How about it? You should believe me now, right!"
"...Are you serious?" Kazuma had a new understanding of her shamelessness.
Aqua, however, argued, "I told you, it wasn't my fault! Besides, in order to let him successfully receive the 'Falna,' I even condensed my divine power and merged it into my divine blood! In theory, it should be easier to bestow it! So, hurry up and apologize! Hurry up and say you're sorry!"
"That's it! That's it!"
Kazuma immediately grasped the key to the matter.
Under her "I-did-nothing-wrong" expression, he couldn't help but spray, "You idiot! It's definitely because you condensed your divine power into your divine blood and did something unnecessary that senpai became so miserable!"
"...Eh?"
"You! You're like this every time! Why do you always have to do things that are superfluous!"
"Eeeeh—!!!"
Only then did she realize that it really was her fault!
"K-Kobayashi..."
The idiot goddess suddenly looked at him with watery eyes. It wasn't because she was ashamed of her mistake, but because she was afraid he would get angry and punish her.
"Forget it. I'm not angry."
The ordinary [Falna] didn't have any additional effects. As he had said before, it was just a catalyst, a seed. It wouldn't make one stronger.
But this time, it was clearly different. He had a premonition that the [Falna] she had modified would be of great benefit to him.
My stat sheet after receiving the Falna... I'm really looking forward to it.
"Aqua."
"I know! Wait a minute, I'll carve it down."
This time, the light was very brief. After a flash, his stat sheet was carved down, and it was also thoughtfully converted into the text of the Konosuba world.
[Kobayashi ???]
LV 1
Strength: I 0
Endurance: I 0
Dexterity: I 0
Agility: I 0
Magic: I 0
Skill: [Hero from Another World (SoChing_Hero)]
Magic: [Clumsy Imitation]
[Hero from Another World (SoChing_Hero)]
—You have made up your mind, you will not allow a single sacrifice.
To save others and ask for nothing in return,
is called Justice;
To save others and ask for no affirmation,
is called Sacrifice;
And to sacrifice oneself for justice,
is to be a Hero!
—Oh, Hero!
The people of this continent will not understand your so-called justice, nor will they be aware of your sacrifice.
However, justice is still justice, and sacrifice is still sacrifice.
In this stagnant world, will you still choose to continue to be a hero?
The [Demon King] is right in front of you.
As long as you are willing, you can surely catch up.
Now, it's all up to your choice.
Effects:
Arrogance and Humility: A small increase in insight ability, a small increase in learning ability.
Demon King Slayer: A super-enhancement to attacks against enemies with the [Demon King] attribute.
The Water Goddess's Favor: Immune to all negative effects in battle, a super-large increase to all abilities, and continuous recovery of stamina and spiritual power.
(End of Chapter)