Finally, we reached the 3rd stone statue of the day.
It was far.
Very far.
My feet were already tired and sore since my heal is no longer working.
And I still have to go back.
「I guess this is what they called despair」
That aside, I have to smash the stone statue.
I at least have to crush it for making me go this far!
「Shatter」
Ah, by the way, its pose is…is it praying? Its hands are crossed over its chest.
The expression on its face is….holy cow!
It looks expressionless but the impression its eyes give is….how do I describe it, eerie?
How can someone praying have that expression?
Maybe it’s not praying, maybe it’s cursing?
It is made by those guys so that’s possible.
-0-
But still, a curse called magic eye, cursed bones, and stone statues that’s cursing.
How psychotic are they?
-0-
This statue will probably be the last stone statue that will shatter before me.
I move my aching leg to find the 3rd stone.
The second stone was subtle so I hope it’s somehow powerful.
As I moved the rubbles, I found a black stone.
I know it’s the one but the blackness of the stone made me flinch a little.
The first stone I found was also black but it’s shiny black.
The stone before me is scary black. The type of black that seems to swallow everything in its path.
-0-
A little nervous, I took the stone.
I was relieved when nothing happened so I checked the stone.
I know it is this stone but….I don’t feel its power.
Is it something else?
No, I certainly feel that it is this stone.
「It should be this one, right?」
I showed the stone to Light Blue who’s nearby.
Light Blue is wary and moves a little away.
「It’s this stone alright.」
Then, let’s go home.
….yeah, it’s time to go home.
From here, it will be a little over half the distance we just ran.
Right, half.
That’s close.
So, I should be at a running distance.
Assumptions are important.
「I can run it.」
And I can’t wait to deliver the stones.
I have to do it.
I started running with all the strength I was able to muster in my aching legs but I had to stop soon.
「This is the most painful pain I’ve ever experienced.」
Healing magic is already ineffective.
Should I use my new power>
But……
Let’s check the state of my body.
My fever has calmed down a lot.
I don’t think it’s a problem to use it but I don’t want to start an uproar by using it on me.
Huh, I guess I can only try.
-0-
I removed one of my barriers.
I had put up barriers on me to prevent myself from using this new power by mistake.
I’m aware that if I’m not careful, this new power will go out of control.
「Heal」
The fatigue and pain that had built up in my body suddenly disappeared.
It seems like there won’t be any problem if I run right away.
However, I stay still and check the power.
My fever seems to have risen a little but it soon calmed down.
That’s great.
-0-
I tried to move my body.
There’s no problem.
「Okay, let’s go home.」
I started running by putting all my strength into my legs.
Areh?
My legs don’t feel right.
It’s not pain….what is it?
It’s not a negative but a positive discomfort.
Hnn, I don’t know what it is but….ah, my speed is increasing.
I’m running much faster than I ever have before.
It must be the effect of the new power.
It is an effect that I didn’t expect.
I’m lucky because I can get back home faster.
-0-
As I run, I look at the sky.
The sun is slowly beginning to set.
I’ve really been running all day today.
My body is not tired at all though it is thanks to the healing power of my new power.
It’s not magic power, divine power, or the power of the dog monster.
What is my new power?
-0-
I can now see my residence.
I check my side and see Light Blue flying.
I looked at the other side and I saw Ai and the others running.
None of them look tired.
They seem to be okay.
「Too tough」
Not like me, who used healing magic many times.
The dragons seem to have some sort of other-dimensional power but I had underestimated Ai and the others too.
-0-
We arrived at the rocky mountain where we built my abode.
I look out to the field to see the farming corps preparing for harvest.
The field is lush and green.
A bountiful harvest no doubt.
I’d like to help when everything settles down.
-0-
I enter the house and head to the living room.
Next to the dog-like creature’s crib is the earth dragon Flying Lizard.
It’s been there the whole time.
During the first day, it felt like a surveillance but now, I guess it’s only checking on it.
-0-
I approach the bed and place all the 3 stones I have collected today on the crib.
I have already experienced the first one, that time when the dog-like creature absorbs the power of the stone.
After watching for a while, I saw a red light from the second stone, a dim light from the 3rd stone, and a poisonous black light from the 4th stone. They were absorbed by the egg.
Is it okay now? Or is it still not strong enough?
As I watch, the egg begins to change.
The egg, which originally had been transparent, absorbed the power of the 1st stone and turned cloudy white.
This time, it became darker and darker.
The egg is now completely black.
……..so, is it really a devil-related dog?
The expressions on the three faces of the dog seemed a bit calmer though.
「I hope what I just saw wasn’t my wishful thinking. Get well.」
But still, I was tired.
I feel better physically but not mentally.
I accept the tea that Kuuhi brought me and take a rest on the wood deck.
-0-
After taking a break from drinking tea, I look up at the sky.
Aren’t there anyone watching over?
Or even a visit….
-0-
It has been six months since the day god-sama told me about this world.
I’m sure of it because every morning, I drill one hole in a wooden plank.
Six months and three days.
-0-
I was in a bit of a mess that day, trying to sort all the information I had heard.
It was so different from the common sense I had cultivated.
That’s why I overlooked so many things.
For example, I remember that god-sama said that the place where the “fruit of the world” that created this world was located at a “place that only god candidates can enter”.
However, why would gods leave such an important thing in a place that only god candidates can enter?
Usually, they wouldn’t leave such an important thing in a place where only candidates can enter.
Was it a misstatement? Or did they really put it in such a place so that the apprentices could steal it?
-0-
Another one is that there is “no god is watching over this world”.
What I think of gods are “someone who watches over” or “someone who guides”.
Well, perhaps from a god’s point of view, it may be “watching over worlds”.
-0-
Speaking of watching over, it was the same in the beginning.
When the apprentices were fussing over their summoning of a hero, god-sama came to them and shouted “Used summoning even though you’re only apprentices!”
He shouted “used” which means the summoning had already been invoked.
If so, he must have known that there were beings involved in that summoning.
However, no one looked for me.
-0-
It was immediately after that day that I realized these things.
And I was at a loss.
Was the god I spoke of an ally? Or an enemy?
So, for now, I’ll have to stand neutral as if I don’t know anything.
I have to consider the possibility that I’m being “watched over”.
God-sama also said “We’ll select a god to watch over this world”.
-0-
To be honest, I wanted god to be an ally.
However, god said “this world is now safe”. How can I believe that?
And there’s also the “Do you want to be a god?”.
It was as if asking a child.
For a brief moment, I felt something uncomfortable, something close to fear.
At that time, I didn’t think about it too much because I thought god is an ally.
-0-
I feel like my hope that he was on my side was something being induced in my mind.
And I felt that for god, this world doesn’t really matter.
The answer I made for myself is “don’t think about anything”.
-0-
The three apprentices are idiots and scum but they are not stupid.
They created this world and thought of a way to utilize the power of the dragons for this world to use.
There’s no way no god noticed what they were doing.
In particular, the god that came here is certainly a superior god.
Because he’s in a position where he can “choose a god to watch over this world”.
He is definitely not a low-ranking god.
Unfortunately, that god is not on my side.
-0-
I need to gain a lot of knowledge about a lot of things.
To do that, I have to keep my guard up.
Ignorance, stupidity, and not thinking are the key to success.
And thinking that there was a watchful eye, I had to spend my days slowly and sluggishly.
It’s painful to keep watching over something that doesn’t change.
With that, the watchful eye will get bored and watch less.
Though I’m not sure if that will work against that god.
I don’t even know if he’s really monitoring me or not.
「Maa, that cursed bone incident broke my heart. I wasn’t acting that time. I was really sloppy.」
Forgive me for going against you, god-sama.
However, if you ever try to destroy this world, I won’t forgive you.
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