Awakening to a Special-Grade Explorer
Vol. 4 - Ch. 144 - The way to invoke Compensation

Haa, Kujira released a sigh after a moment of stare-off with Tenji. Her face wore a defeated expression, as if complaining 'don't come to me crying later.'

"Whatever, I honestly don't care. Chisato-chan, I think you should check out on Fuyuki-kun. He may appear brave, but he is just as sensitive mentally."

"Ok~ay. I think he would be fine though. Despite how he looks, he has good control over his emotions."

Although she said so, Chisato left the room, chasing after the silhouette of Fuyuki.

Once there were just two of them, Kujira asked Tenji, "I will ask one more time. Are you sure you're not going to regret it later."

"Yes."

"Fine, but I will say it only once. So make sure you listen properly."

Kujira paused there for a moment to moisten her mouth with coffee while exhaling a sigh. Then, she adjusted her line of sight as if to avoid looking at Tenji's eye, as if she didn't want to look at his conviction.

"You have to kill yourself with your own hands to use 'Compensation.' It will activate as long as you're filled with intense regret at that time."

"K-Kill myself by my own hand?"

"Yes. In most of case, others has usually bit on their tongue in an attempt to suicide like me to avoid to defy the fate of being killed by monsters while being pushed into a corner by them. Some also have use their weapon etc to stab their own heart."

"I see. Killing yourself...huh."

As he repeated the words, Tenji suddenly recalled how he was like back then? He seemed to have performed a similar action the day he had his one foot on death door. Putting up a final struggle against monsters barehanded, having eyes eaten and pushed to the brink of death. It all seemed strikingly similar to what Kujira explained about 'Compensation.'

'But it shouldn't have any relation,' Tenji thought and stopped recalling that moment.

"Still, I would advise against using it by any means. After all, what you hold is different from other explorers."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't have a clear recollection, but something related to your calling usually happens after compensation activation. Take my case, it 'cursed' my future. And you, your calling itself is related to hell...in most probable cases that I don't even want to imagine, incredibly loathsome event may happen to you."

"......That's a plausible scenario, and I also think so. The word Hell in itself is unsettling after all."

Tenji said and smiled it off as if it hardly mattered. A hint of anxiousness swirled inside Kujira when she saw the smile of the young boy in front of him.

Afterward, their long discussion kept on. By the time they realised, it was already nighttime and they decided to call it a day. Before he left, Kujira informed him 'I will send the detailed report on another day to your home', which he would eventually get later.

Tenji left the laboratory behind and arrived at the road to his home. It was a fruitful day for him, especially a lot of things he got to clear up after their conversation.

First was, of course, his calling confirmed to be even more higher-ranked than zero-grade calling according to statistics. It would be wrong to say if he had never contemplated this possibility, but this hunch of his now was backed up by Kujira's analysis and ample data at the very least.

And another was---

Although it still lacks any concrete evidence, the grade of beings and items like goblin, Snow Demon, Flame Demon or Flame Demon Sword weren't on the page as the grade used on Earth. Well, given that this result had come out after thorough analysis of Kujira, it could as well be considered the final result.

To be more precise, she said, "---I am sort of word on how to put this......the grades I know are all something that exhibit fixed value. Like, a first-grade item's parameters would usually hover between these values, but the same is non-applicable to hell related grade. It's just...it's just at my tip of tongue but hard to roll on. They're something like...resonating with mind? ...Even I don't get what I am saying to be honest. Ah, geez! At the end of the day, this is what it is. Incomprehensible! Honestly, it seems so out of this world that I don't think I can analyse it."

This was her opinion. Resonating with mind---Tenji, who had hardly thought in this direction, was surprised to his core when he had heard the result. To back it up, Snow Demon, who just happens to be present there, also nodded 'that's right' surprisingly, affirming her guess. Though, rather than affirming, Snow Demon's expression was as if he was just confirming the obvious like ‘sun rising from east.'

And finally, the force called <Compensation>.

Unlike the definitive abilities like skills, Compensation was a sort of limit break type ability that activated at the juncture of death. A power that must not be used, a power that comes with the debt that will strip you of your humanity.

"I feel like this is something I absolutely must not use. For rather than dying, will I find myself in a state closer to death huh. ......I don't even know what I am blabbering."

Amidst the deep veil of darkness, and illuminated by the radiance of the moon, Tenji murmured on his way back. He felt he had further stepped into the dark side of explorer.

An explorer's life wasn't as rosy as it seems as danger runs hand in hand with it---Tenji vividly understands this aspect. He was truly shaken this time, even if only a short bit. Was being an explorer truly the right way to live?

"I know it's a waste of time fretting all over it by myself. Ah, whatever. I am just going to work hard and gun for my aim, the 75th floor! That's right, work hard, me!!"

Tenji hurriedly shook away the sinking feeling swamping him. If there was anything that still persisted, it was the faint realisation about his life.

There was no going back on previous life ever since he awakened the calling called 'Hell Beast Summon'. For all that matter---there was only a path there for him and that was to keep advancing.

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