kscans

Chapter 93 - An Amulet

An Amulet

Three days after we went to the spirit dungeon.

We were now in late June, and the sweltering humidity was only getting worse. Warnings about heatstroke were becoming more frequent on TV.

With a few exceptions like my high school, most schools hadn't started summer vacation yet. Experts were on TV talking about proper hydration during PE classes and what have you.

As it turns out, even Awakened Persons aren't immune to that stuff. We're ridiculously tough, so it's not like we'll collapse from heatstroke easily, but it's not an absolute guarantee.

Hot is hot, and when you die, you die. At the end of the day, an Awakened Person is still just human.

Get your throat slit with a knife, your brain destroyed by a rifle, or your whole body engulfed in flames, and you'll die just as easily. In that, there's no difference between an Awakened and a non-Awakened person.

"And so! The magical tool I'd like to introduce today is this one right here!"

'Hold on a moment. This started rather abruptly. Am I supposed to be the straight man today?'

"Whoa?! Only 1980 yen?!"

'Too soon, too soon. It's not time for that reaction yet, Erina-kun.'

We were out exploring a dungeon again today. Under the grand justification of work and level grinding, I'd successfully escaped my summer homework.

Near the Dungeon Store's changing rooms, I took a purple drawstring pouch out of my backpack.

"Here you go."

'If you're going to commit to a bit, see it through to the end.'

"Greetings, Kyouta-san."

'So Erina-kun is continuing the bit... or is this just her normal self?'

After handing her a pouch, I took out my own.

"Oh, don't take the item inside out with your bare hands. I used mercury in it. My alchemy should prevent it from vaporizing or anything, but just in case."

"Hoh. Roger that."

"I mean, I don't think it'll stick to you if you just touch it, but I'm still worried."

It was my first time working with mercury, after all. Considering how tough Awakened Persons are, I doubt you'd get mercury poisoning unless you chugged it from a teacup, but still.

I untied the string on my own pouch and partially deployed my Arcane Gear gauntlet. I took out the contents to show them.

"...An egg?"

"It's something shaped like one. I used alchemy to compress 'mercury, sulfur, and salt.'"

It was about two sizes larger than a chicken egg from the supermarket. Its pure white surface was adorned with a golden pattern, and four stones pulsing with magical power were embedded in it.

These stones were the very same 'Spirit Stones' we got as drops from the salamanders and undines the other day.

'Paracelsus's Four Great Spirits.'

In ancient Greece, it was believed that the world was made of four elements: 'water, wind, fire, and earth.' ...Or so one theory goes.

The famous Swiss alchemist, Paracelsus, proposed that each of these four elements housed a spirit.

In modern times, his theories were dismissed as mere ramblings, but since the Day of Awakening, his work was being seriously re-examined as potentially true.

In fact, legends and myths from all over were being revisited by every country. After all, things they'd thought were occult were now manifesting in reality.

Well, that aside. Many parts of the theories Paracelsus left behind are impossible for modern alchemists to ignore.

One of them is the four elements and the four great spirits.

Furthermore, in alchemy, 'sulfur' and 'mercury' are fundamentally analogized to male and female, respectively. And 'salt' is used to fuse these two opposing attributes.

I'll skip some of the explanation, but by enclosing a space with these four elements, you create a pseudo-'world.' By placing a mixture of mercury and sulfur—representing the 'perfect human' in which male and female are united—at its center, this magical tool is completed.

By the way, there's no particular reason for the egg shape. It has nothing to do with a 'world egg' or the 'sum of all life's information.' I just thought it looked the part.

"The effect of this is to generate a 'barrier.' It deploys a shield if an object larger than five millimeters in diameter approaches within thirty centimeters of the wielder's body at a certain speed or higher. Though, to be honest, it's not much more than a comfort blanket in terms of strength."

It replicates a 'world' and a 'person,' temporarily isolating the wielder from their surroundings.

However, it's just a pseudo-world and person. It can't be deployed for long within the real world, and above all, it's a single-use item.

"It self-destructs after activating once, so when you dispose of the mercury inside, please follow the instructions from your local municipality or the government. Also, it's not just auto-activation; you can also trigger it by gripping it tightly and channeling mana into it."

'I feel like I've seen something just like this online...'

"Well, they are for sale. Any alchemist can make one."

There's even a recipe for it floating around the internet. That's why I felt it was okay to make one myself.

Though, as usual, the recipe online was incredibly hard to understand compared to the one in my Arcane Gear book.

"Hoh. I guess you really are a full-fledged alchemist now, Kyouta-chan."

"Not really. I'm serious."

'...There's a lot I want to say, but what level of attack can it block? The ones sold online have different barrier strengths depending on the price.'

"I had a makeshift golem hold it for a test. It can barely withstand one of my full-power punches. When I tried slashing it with my sword, the momentum was significantly reduced, but it still pierced through. And it's completely useless against Concept Interference. It doesn't just pass through; it actually gains momentum."

'I see. So it can even withstand a punch from a gorilla.'

"I'm going to punch you."

'But your fist is clearly more powerful than a shotgun.'

"...Well, yes. Still, it's just a comfort blanket against reasonably strong monsters, and like I said, it's single-use and breaks after one activation, so..."

A fist stronger than a shotgun. When she puts it like that, I really have become something far from human.

And yet, I'm still human. Not just mentally, but physically.

In terms of simple brute strength, I surpass Orc Champions. But the difference in size between a human and a monster is significant.

Being big means having mass. That makes their strikes incredibly heavy.

This barrier probably couldn't withstand a full-power attack from a powerful monster. It would be shattered with ease, and the weapon would undoubtedly reach the wielder.

"So yeah, just keep it as a good luck charm. I have some for Aira-san, Ooyama-san, and Busujima-san, so please pass them along."

"You got it!"

'Wait.'

"Yes?"

'...I just checked online, and a magical tool with the same shape and performance as the one you made is being sold for two million yen each.'

"Well, I'd expect that from something made by a pro."

I looked it up myself out of curiosity, and when I saw that even the cheap ones were over 500,000 yen, I wondered if I'd miscounted the digits.

But on second thought, the price makes sense.

First of all, Spirit Stones themselves are difficult to obtain. Only C-Rank adventurers, aside from the SDF, can get drops from C-Rank monsters. And adventurers of that rank are still few and far between.

And if you try to create Spirit Stones artificially, you have to spend a full day using a large cauldron to make them one by one.

The materials for that can be gathered from anywhere. After all, they're the 'four great elements that make up the world' for a reason.

Then there are the labor costs. Production-class skill users are rare, you know...

Even if you manage to gather the materials, a typical Awakened Person doesn't have enough mana to create even one of these tools, even if they pour all of it in. It requires either the cooperation of multiple alchemists or a high-level Awakened Person to do it. Either way, mass production is impossible.

On top of that, the strength of the barrier varies depending on the amount of mana poured into it during creation. If you try to avoid making a half-assed product, people will start collapsing from mana exhaustion left and right.

Well, in my case, I can just pump mana into it without worrying about running out.

The Sage's Nucleus really is on another level... I guess that's what you get from something with the power of a Philosopher's Stone.

Normally, you can't make several of these in such a short time, so I can't give them to anyone outside my inner circle. If I gave it to someone who wasn't willing to turn a blind eye to my unique skill, they'd get super suspicious about the 'Nucleus.'

"Mine's a homemade item from an amateur. Please don't worry about it."

"Nope. I'm going to pay you properly."

"Huh? No, I made it on my own... It'd be like forcing you to buy it."

"No. We have to be clear about things like this."

It was rare to see Erina-san with such a serious expression outside of a dungeon. Come to think of it, she was the type of person who completely rejected the idea of 'it's free because we're friends.'

I think that's a good way of thinking, but this time, it was something I made without even consulting her. I don't want to feel like I'm forcing it on her.

"...Come to think of it, you're always helping me carry Byakuren, so couldn't we just call it even?"

"In that case, it is settled!"

Is it really?

I'd only said it as a long shot, but if Erina-san was satisfied, I had no intention of saying anything more.

"Alright then, for Aira-san and the others, they're free to take it or leave it, and if they want one, we'll call it an interest-free loan with no deadline..."

'That's very kind of you, but... Kyouta-kun.'

"What is it?"

'You know, you seem like the type who'll ruin himself doting on a hostess someday.'

"Isn't that a little harsh?"

Though I can't deny it. I have a feeling I'd screw up if I ever went to a place like that.

Actually, I've already given one to my mom and dad for free. For a while, they were both worried about my... preferences after looking at the Alchemy Enthusiasts Club website, but they seem to have stopped recently.

So they don't know the market price and just see it as a good luck charm their son made for them.

For my part, I'm more comfortable with them thinking of it that way. If my parents knew the price, they'd probably refuse to take it. I wish I could equip them with a dozen of these things, though I can't since identical magic tools interfere with each other.

Call me overprotective, but both of my parents have been caught in monster stampedes twice now. What's wrong with being worried?

"If carrying Byakuren is the payment for this... then we'll be working together for about ten years! Kyouta-chan!"

"Oh, is that how it works out?"

"Looking forward to working with you!"

"Right... Well, it's not something to be that grateful for, so just use it normally, okay?"

"Got it. I'll use it about ten times so we can team up for a hundred years. The bonds of a ninja are eternal!"

"I'm not a ninja."

"Aww, really?"

Anyway, how long are we going to stand around chatting near the changing rooms? Even if the Dungeon Store is quiet, we've been talking for too long.

"Let's head into the dungeon. Aira-san, we're heading to the gate room now."

'Understood. You two haven't forgotten anything, have you?'

"Nope."

"No problem, senpai! Lately, I've been using my space ninjutsu to keep most of my stuff in my Item Box anyway!"

"Is that really a good idea...?"

I smiled wryly at Erina-san, who was puffing out her chest with her hands on her hips.

Knowing her, she probably keeps track of everything she has in there.

With that, we made our way to the gate room.

Alright. Time to dive into the dungeon again.