Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 141 - Weaken-er Calling

"Can't die and get...old? ......Err, is this about humans?"

"The same human, you can think of. I just can't die, no matter how much I flail around. Of course, neither get old. ......Look carefully."

Kujira-sensei said that and picked up an expensive looking ballpen placed on the side of the desk. It wasn't a plastic body as a common ballpen would have, but one of those metallic and pricey pens. She extends her hand in front of Tenji as if to give him a good look, and exposes the wrist of her to the tip of the pen.

An unpleasant hunch struck Tenji. He was about to stop her when Chisato, standing behind him, stopped him from doing so by grabbing his shoulders and pushing him down as she told him 'keep watching' in a hushed tone.

The tension within Tenji involuntarily intensified as he broke out in cold sweat. And then------

Kujira casually pulled out the pen tip and stabbed her own radial artery with a force. Slash Blood splattered in the surrounding area.

"It hurt as hell as usual."

Kujira stated as a matter of fact, then promptly pulled out the pen from her arm. The fresh blood pumping out of her blood vessel scattered across the nearby floor, computer, lighting etc. A bit of it also splattered on the cheek of Tenji.

Kujira-sensei, however, just muttered 'it quite hurts' in a low voice, while he silently watched all of it happening when he shouldn't have.

Then, just when she think it's the perfect timing, she said to Tenji.

"It's about time for it to come back."

---What is?

Tenji was about to ask that when it happened with no prior warning. The copious amount of blood that had splattered dripped on the floor, the blood scattered on the computer, and the gaping wound---all of it, as if reversing time, flowed back into Kushira-sensei's body and returned into her wrist. The wound immediately closed once it was over and in the end, Kujira-sensei stood before him, all unhurt, as if she never stabbed her artery.

Tenji was literally speechless. It wasn't something that could simply be explained as a healing ability, this seemingly inexplicable phenomenon, making the reality itself waver, made him hallucinate as if the very god was present there.

It should have been impossible, not even the explorers with first grade healing calling possessed the ability of 'Time-Reversal Healing'. Time reversal should have been impossible, even if she was the holder of a well-known zero grade healing calling.

The ability of healing was said to create new tissues and cells through MP atom mediation, forcibly activating the natural healing power of the person in the shirt. He never heard of MP atoms having the effect of using the very concept of time. There hasn't been any such theory in the database of association as well.

The shock petrified Tenji, as his mouth agape at what he had seen. Having taken a good look at Tenji's unrest, Kujira started weaving her words once again to explain.

"My calling is a first grade <Cursed Black Mage>, categorised as weaken-er type. Do you know of it?"

"N-No......"

"Well, there are only three people, including me, who have that though. Normally, we can only use some ordinary skills. Like putting a heavy weaken-er on a monster to make it heavier, clouding its vision or weakening the vestibular system."

"Aren't these all the typical characteristics of a debuffer."

"Yeah, it's just a commonplaceweaken-er calling that you can find anywhere. The only thing different about my calling is it is sorted as first grade, a rarity for a weaken-er type."

"Ah, yes. I truly haven't heard much about first grade de-buffer calling."

Kujira was impressed by the wealth of information Tenji possessed as an explorer and paused there for a moment, seemingly searching for the word on how to proceed from there. Twirling the pen she had been holding a few times, Kujira spoke again.

"And this is where the 'compensation' that I mentioned earlier comes into play. Compensation means just what it implies; it takes away 'something' as a price in exchange for strengthening the ability by removing the calling's restriction. A part of the bunch just like to call it 'Overlimit'. If only it was so easy......The truth is far more obscure, heavy, and something...that shouldn't be touched."

"Wait, so Kujira-sensei's body is the......"

"I understand what you want to say. Your guess is probably correct."

A chilling fear began to grip Tenji as he learned about the forbidden act of 'Compensation' for the first time.

If one just looks at the first part of explanation---paying 'something' as a price in exchange for stronger ability---it hardly sounds like something that needs to be concerned with. It was a common setting in anime or games.

But as he looked at the effectively immortal woman named Kujira in front of him, and her eyes drowning in regret, he deduced the price wasn't something far removed from 'simple'. Compensation was something far more terrifying.

Should he continue to listen, or not? Tenji groaned in dilemma for a moment, but eventually encouraged himself to ask. He just couldn't help himself from wanting to know about her past, what actually happened with the woman named Kujira, and what she acquired by compensating with what.

"If you don't mind......can you fill me up more about this?"

"Of course. This is going to be a bit long trip on memory lane, though"

Afterward, Tenji spent some time listening to the past of Kujira.

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