CHAPTER 7

Purple salmon. I’m looking at a purple salmon swimming in a river. I want to know if it tastes like a normal salmon—normal to me at least. I know that I’m not fast enough to catch one, but I’m starting to wonder if I can fish them using my metal arms. The idea is to extend the metal into a thin line. It needs to be thin enough that it can function like a fishing line. As I extend this thin metal, it become more wobbly the longer it becomes. I estimate that the longest length it can go is half a meter. As an additional test, I use it to lift a rock the size of my palm. That works just fine. The worm is ready, my makeshift fishing rod is ready, and my stomach is more than ready.

Come on fishy fishy fishy. Go for the bait. It’s delicious.

I got one! I reel it in. A 20 centimeters purple salmon! Score one to Suzanna! Wait. I just realized that I don’t have any bucket to put the fish. Oh well, let’s try to prepare one first.

First, I make several spikes to descale the fish. That works as expected. Next, I turns my fingers into claws. This takes a bit of practice, but once I’m used to it, I can cut and prepare the fish. With claws, I can have between one to five knife at the same time. After that, I grill it on the flat part of my gauntlet. Time for a test taste.

It’s DELICIOUS! Just like the normal salmons! I want more!

I think I ate 3 salmons before I stop. Man, they’re good. Maybe I should stay here. Maybe I should give up trying to go home. This can be my new home. This can be my little corner of haven.

Wait. Something is wrong with the water.

Black water is spreading. Is something polluting the water?

Oh. It’s them. The corpses of the faceless men. It seems that summoned creatures in this world won’t just disappear after they die. Maybe this world doesn’t need to save RAM to keep rendering them.

The black water is scaring the purple salmons. Even if he isn’t here, my stalker can still ruin my life. I can continue to live in the cave, but I won’t have my salmon now thanks to the corpses. Time to move.

I walk besides the river. My aim is not to go to Bread Village. This time, I just want to live away from the pollution. Maybe there’s a cave somewhere else that I can use as my home. I’m going to miss my first cave.

I walk and walk and see something in front of me. There is an energy wall blocking my path. The wall is higher than what my eyes can see. It doesn’t just cut me off from the other side, it also cut off the river. The pollution cannot pass through the energy wall. Since the water doesn’t overflow, it’s not impossible that there is an opening under there.

I jump into the water while activating my Dwarvel’s abilitiy. My body sink to the bottom of the river due to the extra weight on my arms and legs. I try to look for any opening. Unfortunately, I can’t find any. However, the purple salmon can swim through the energy wall. My best guess is that magic cannot pass through the energy wall. Anything with zero magic can. Since, I’m a Sorcerer, that excludes me too. Sorcerer is made out of magic. My arms and legs must be my magic.

There must be a way to pass though that. Before that, another round of drying clothes first.

After drying my clothes, I have no choice but to rely on the unreliable floating words. Yo, any idea how to break this energy wall?

DETAIL CHECK
This blockage is the result of the
activation of a Keyward Stone.

W-what is that?

DETAIL CHECK
Keyward Stone is a stone that can be
used to cast a protective spell in an area.

I don’t suppose that you have a workaround?

DETAIL CHECK
If a Keyward Stone is destroyed, then
the protective spell will be eliminated.

Just in case, will it blow up if I destroy it?

DETAIL CHECK
In some cases, Keyward Stone will give a
person from a World Number 1 a new
subclass if it was destroyed.

Hmm, there’s a chance that I can get a new subclass? Sounds interesting. I’m already a blacksmith and a chef. Maybe I can add pilot as well. Can you locate a Keyward Stone?

DETAIL CHECK
I will mark any Keyward Stone that can
be observed on your vision.

Oh! There is a floating stone not far from me! It’s also glowing red! Floating words, stop marking for a moment.

DETAIL CHECK
Order confirmed.

As I expected. The red glow was made by the floating words. But… something is familiar with this stone. I’ve seen it before. Where did…

That stone! The weird stone that I saw beside me when I first got here! It’s the same kind of stone! I can make the stone?

No. That doesn’t work. Floating words, how can someone made a Keyward Stone?

DETAIL CHECK
Keyward Stone cannot be made.

Okay. How can it exists in this world?

DETAIL CHECK
Keyward Stone can only be manifested
when an Adventurer arrives to World Number 39
under specific conditions.

Specific conditions? Explain.

DETAIL CHECK
Check failed.

Of course. What did I expect. Anyway, if it’s here and Adventurers can come and go, why is the stone still here?

DETAIL CHECK
Only Adventurers from World Number 1
can see and destroy a Keyward Stone
after it was activated.

That means that either I or my stalker can destroy it. Even if I leave it behind, he might find it! He could keep getting stronger and stronger! That’s bad! It is also blocking my salmon and the way to Bread Village! This little rock blocks a lot of things! It must be destroyed!

Wait a minute. Floating words keep mentioning numbers How many worlds are there?

DETAIL CHECK
Approximation: 70

So we’re both must be really special to have specific interactions with the stone.

If I “made” a Keyward Stone when I came here, then that means that my stalker has it too. But… no. If he has it, then he would’ve used it to capture me in his fantasy nightmare. There is an untold condition here. Hmm. Just in case. What else can I use Keyward Stone besides making an energy wall?

DETAIL CHECK
Check failed.

I should’ve expected that. I should just do something else at this point.

Now then, I should destroy it right? Burning and spiky gauntlets! Do you thing!

One hit! Oh! You’re a hard one! Second hit! Third! Forth! Five six seven eight nine ten!

A crack! Let’s see how many hit can you take!

Punch punch punch punch!

Finally! It breaks! 99 punches! Just shy one more to 100.

I can hear something fizzles around me. The energy wall is gone. I take a step forward and nothing stops me. It’s definitely gone. Now the next question. Do I get a new subclass?

DETAIL CHECK
Subclass achieved: Steam Sapien.

Since I can’t count on you to tell me about its mechanic, what is its lore?

DETAIL CHECK
When an air, water, or fire elemental
want to be a human, they must undergo
a ritual. If successful, they will be a human
will the ability to use steam in their magic.
This trait is passable to their future descendants.

Okay. That should be fine enough for a starting point. Let’s try it!

Something sprout out of my head. Two things. Whatever they are, they keep getting longer and longer. I touch it. Metal. That must be…

Yep. Just as I expected. I have two exhausts on my head. They look like horn. Unless my reflection on the river is lying to me. Am I some sort of Demon? Well, whatever. Let’s try making some steam!

I can breathe steam from my mouth! I’m a steam dragon! Steam also spouts out of my head-exhausts. Cool! Steam out of my hands. Okay? There’s no hole for the steam to come out of my hands, but they work. That’s cool. What can I do with all of this steam actually?

Ah! It makes everything harder to see! This should be good to hide myself! Wait. I can do multiple things with my Dwarvel’s metal. There must be some sort of multi-purpose uses for these steams. Steam weapons?

No. Nothing. Exhaust as club?

Doesn’t work that way either. Can I pull my exhaust out of my head?

OW! I can’t.

Steam Sapien is… rather niche. Wait. I have two subclasses right? Can I use both?

YES! I have exhausts as horns, moldable metals on my arms and legs. I’m pretty!

Now then, what should I do with my life? The energy wall is gone. The polluted water is spreading in the river. My delicious food supply keeps swimming away from the pollution. I should keep walking until there’s a spot that I can fish properly.

Footsteps.

Oh, yeah. I never considered why someone would make the energy wall in the first place. I’m about to find out why.