The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

Lightning bolt.

It's the thunder weapon held by Zeus, the chief god of the famous Greek mythology. It is said that when Zeus wields this weapon, it has enough power to melt the world and scorch the universe. In terms of area-of-effect attacks, this would be the ultimate.

Of course, that power comes from Zeus being an omnipotent being, and as a standalone weapon, it probably doesn't have enough power to destroy the world... I think.

"Mythical Manifestation -- [Keraunos]"

What appeared in my right hand was a small, lightning-shaped metal.

Despite its palm-sized appearance, it consumed an enormous amount of magical essence. But even with this energy, it probably doesn't have enough output to destroy the world. At most, it might take out tens of thousands of monsters.

If it blows away the entire Stoania capital... well, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it. Maybe they'll forgive me if I grovel.

As I gazed at the small metal in my right hand, I thought,

"I'd like to drop it somewhere that won't involve our allies... Alright, that area looks good."

In mythology, Keraunos was dropped from the sky.

I'll follow suit.

"[Relative Transfer]"

I moved to a spot slightly behind the center of the monster army -- in the air above it.

Even from the sky, the monster army stretches as far as the eye can see. The monsters are packed so tightly they cover not just the plains but even the mountain ranges as they invade. Even Stoania's national defense forces probably couldn't have stopped this.

"I hope it reduces their numbers by about half. Well then, I'll leave the rest to you, Keraunos-kun."

I let go, dropping the metal.

I immediately transferred back to my original position, and at that moment...

The world screamed.

■　■　■　■　■

The demon general Remioron was wide-eyed with astonishment.

Riding a large monster at the rear, he had been observing the battle with the Stoania Kingdom's army.

His monster army had been steadily breaking through the defenses, and he thought that at this rate, they would be able to ravage the capital in a few days -- that's when it happened.

Incredibly powerful bombardments released from the capital began to blow away the monsters at the front lines.

Remioron couldn't understand what it was, and was simply bewildered. Its power clearly exceeded the limits of human magic. There's a forbidden composite magic called "Explosion," and this had power close to that.

But it seemed to reach its limit soon, and the attacks stopped after a few minutes. As a result, quite a number were reduced, but it still didn't even amount to one-tenth of their forces.

This level of damage was within the margin of error. There was nothing to worry about.

That's what he thought when it happened.

Something fell from the sky.

Remioron never noticed until the very end.

In the instant before he could think of anything, Remioron vanished along with the monsters.

□　□　□　□　□

...It disappeared.

That's the only way I could describe it.

Keraunos's power wasn't simple heat or lightning, but more like a quantum decomposition or melting attack. Everything within range vanished, and as far as the eye could see, the plains and forests had all turned into a wasteland.

The area from the foot of the mountain range to the plains was within Keraunos's range, and the tightly packed monsters had completely vanished.

"No way..."

I accidentally slipped into Kansai dialect.

Nearly a hundred thousand monsters were instantly killed. The few monsters that remained outside the range seemed to have regained their sense of self and were hurriedly fleeing.

No one could say anything.

An eerily quiet stillness fell over the battlefield.

For some reason, the clouds had disappeared and the sky was clear, with the dazzling sun shining down on us from directly overhead.

...I feel like I might have overdone it. As expected of Mythical Manifestation, its power is immense.

As I stood there dumbfounded, my notification panel pinged.

---------------------

> You have acquired a new skill [Transcendent One].

> Skill [Numerology 0: Eye of Fiction] has evolved into [Numerology 0: Eye of Mystery].

> Due to acquiring [Transcendent One], your race has been changed.

---------------------

...Huh? Race?

While acquiring or evolving skills is one thing, that notification was certainly concerning.

I hurriedly tried to appraise myself, but suddenly I was hit with intense dizziness and nausea.

"Whoa, this is ba--"

I couldn't stand.

The world was spinning violently. It's worse than anemia. This might be the worst I've ever felt.

Unable to endure, I collapsed weakly. My consciousness was fading.

"H-Hey, you..."

"Are you alright?"

The nearby soldiers immediately rushed over to me.

"Master--!"

From beyond them, Seori, in her dragon form, came flying in a great hurry.

Ignoring the soldiers who flinched and stepped back, Seori immediately transformed into her human form and landed next to me. She cradled me in her arms and tried to make me drink a Sugo-dama.

Even though Seori should be dazed from the side effects of leveling up...

"M-Master!"

"I'm... fine. Don't push yourself, Seori..."

With those final words, my consciousness sank into darkness.

■　■　■　■　■

In a room within the Stoania Kingdom's royal castle.

While listening to the hurried footsteps of officers rushing about, Karmarike was dampening a towel with water.

After the war ended thanks to Ruruk's efforts, and while the knights were hunting down the few remaining monsters, Karmarike had been invited to the royal castle along with the unconscious Ruruk and Seori.

Ruruk had obliterated the monster army in one shot.

It was hard to believe, but there was no denying the fact that had occurred before their eyes. Though the battlefield was in confusion, the Guild Master and the Knight Commander had sheltered Karmarike and the others.

Now, Ruruk and Seori were sleeping in beds. It seems both of them had rapidly increased in level, causing them to develop high fevers and collapse.

Karmarike herself had also leveled up, resulting in a considerable increase in her status. Since it wasn't a sudden change, she hardly felt any fatigue, but there was still a slight sense of discomfort.

"...But it's not as bad as Ruruk-sama, right?"

The Guild Master, who could use appraisal, had told them to hide in this room.

Apparently, Ruruk's level had become something that defied common sense.

She didn't understand what that meant exactly, but she could see that the level increase was putting an incredible strain on Ruruk's body, given how much pain he seemed to be in.

He probably wouldn't wake up anytime soon.

"But I'll protect Ruruk-sama."

As she replaced the towel on his forehead, Karmarike gently stroked Ruruk's brown hair. She also neatly combed the pink hair of Seori, who was sleeping next to him.

On Karmarike's left arm was a beautiful gauntlet. This was a transformed version of the "Holy Bow," which had the ability to change shape just by thinking about it.

According to Ruruk, some weapons have owner recognition, and these kinds of secondary effects can only be manifested by the recognized owner.

When she heard about this last night, she couldn't believe that the secret treasure of the Elf village had recognized her as its owner.

It was a weapon that had been sleeping in the treasure vault for thousands of years. It seemed presumptuous that she should become its master just because she was good with a bow...

But since she had been recognized, she had to master it.

If it was for protecting Ruruk, she would have to handle it with ease. With Seori also asleep now, she was the only one here who could truly believe in Ruruk from the bottom of her heart.

"--However, even if he's the hero who saved the country, the responsibility--"

"--It's troublesome. He's an adventurer from another country, so we can't decide on our own--"

"--But how can we be sure he has no ambitions? That power--"

"--Please calm down. We're waiting for the council's decision--"

The voices leaking from the hallway were all about how to deal with Ruruk.

It's not unreasonable for them to think -- what if that power Ruruk just displayed were to be turned against their own country? Not just Stoania, but no country could probably win against it.

Some might decide to assassinate Ruruk before he wakes up.

It wouldn't be strange for someone to make such a judgment, given the magnitude of that power.

Karmarike continued to stay alert, sensing the surroundings.

She kept concentrating so as not to miss any voice or presence.

She was truly grateful for having acquired the [Heavenly Eye] skill.

□　□　□　□　□

"...Huh?"

It was an unfamiliar ceiling.

Come to think of it, I feel like there was an anime with that kind of subtitle. Maybe because the memories of my previous life are starting to feel quite distant, I can't remember clearly. Well, it doesn't matter.

"Ruruk-sama, you're awake! Thank goodness!"

"Whoa, Karmarike, what are you--"

She hugged me.

Her body was trembling slightly. Despite the warm room temperature, she felt quite cold, and her lips were quite blue. Rather than physical condition, she looked mentally exhausted.

As I patted Karmarike's head while she clung to my chest, I said,

"Did I worry you?"

"Yes... because, because..."

"...Ah, I see. No wonder you're exhausted."

I nodded in understanding as I used my x-ray vision to look around.

Fifteen people.

Under the floor, behind the walls, above the ceiling... there were people with weapons hiding their presence all around. Karmarike can also use [Heavenly Eye] for x-ray vision, so she must have been waiting while being on guard against opponents who could attack at any moment. That must have been tough.

Karmarike's complexion was improving, though she still had tears in her eyes, probably relieved now that I had woken up.

"You saved me. Thank you."

"No, I'm just glad I could be of use to Ruruk-sama."

The petite elf smiled happily like a puppy.

Even I was a bit moved by that.

"Ruruk-sama?"

"N-No, it's nothing."

No, no, I should count prime numbers. My type is older women. In other words, beautiful older women like Mererosu-san. It's absolutely impossible for me to be charmed by an elf who looks younger than me. It must be just a fleeting feeling.

"A-Anyway, how much time has passed since then?"

"About three hours. The sun will start to set soon."

That means things are probably still quite hectic.

It was unexpected even for me to defeat that number of monsters, but the Stoania Kingdom must be in even more of a panic. After all, most of the preparations they had made became unnecessary.

I'm not very familiar with national operations, but there must be a mix of joy and confusion spreading.

They're probably quite troubled about how to deal with me as well.

Karmarike, still leaning on my chest, looked up at me. It's a bit heavy, but since she seems to have been watching over me while I was sleeping, I'll let it slide.

"By the way, Ruruk-sama, what happened to your level? The Guild Master was surprised."

"Oh, shall we take a look? Can you cast a soundproofing spell?"

"Yes. [Sound Curtain]"

A soundproof barrier enveloped us.

Now, let's check my status.

---------------------

[Name] Ruruk Muuteru

[Race] Kaito

[Level] 264

[Health] 3150 (+18470)

[Mana] 0 (+1)

[Strength] 2310 (+17410)

[Endurance] 1990 (+16140)

[Agility] 3540 (+20610)

[Intelligence] 2070 (+18100)

[Luck] 101

[Theory Proficiency] 1080

[Magic Proficiency] 1

[Mystical Arts Proficiency] 13470

[Skills]

<Automatic Type>

"Transcendent One"

"Numerology 7: Domain Mediation"

"Calm and Collected"

"Status Ailment Immunity"

"Adversity Breakthrough"

<Activation Type>

"Conqueror's Radiance"

"Spirit Summoning"

"Familiar Summoning"

"Equipment Summoning"

"Transcription"

"Color Change"

"Refinement"

"Blade Transfer"

"Fist Transfer"

"Kick Transfer"

"Rending Bullet"

"Landmine"

"Reflection"

"Light Bullet"

"Threshold Compilation"

"Relative Transfer"

"Spatial Transfer"

"Phantasm"

"Word Soul"

"Mythical Manifestation"

"Numerology 0: Eye of Mystery"

---------------------

...

......

......There are too many points to comment on, I've become calm in reverse.

First, the race.

What's a Kaito?

Since both the species and clan have disappeared, it might mean I've become a race unique to myself. Have I finally ceased to be human... No, wait, wait. It's probably just special but still part of the human species. That must be it... right?

Well, whatever. Next is the level... 264, huh.

But this confirms what I've been vaguely feeling.

Normally, the level cap is 99. But my level didn't cap.

There can only be one reason for this.

This body, unlike others, has three souls. Me as Nanairo Gaku, Ruruk himself, and Roze's soul.

I've been questioning the very concept of levels from the start. You level up by killing different species, but not by killing your own kind. This is certain because Nagi didn't gain even 1 level despite defeating so many high-level demons.

I thought that the phenomenon of leveling up must be related to the quality of the soul. When you kill a different species, you incorporate a soul of a different quality. You grow by using that as nourishment, and your soul becomes stronger. If you incorporate a strong soul, the rate of increase is higher -- that's leveling up.

My level increased significantly because I killed nearly a hundred thousand monsters. And because I have three souls, the limit isn't 99. That's probably how it is.

By the way, the additional stats have become ridiculous.

I'm no longer in a position to call Saaya a cheat. I could probably fight the Dragon King with ease now.

Also, what's changed are the skills.

["Transcendent One"

 > Unique skill without rank.

 >> A skill indicating an existence that surpasses the principles of the world. The level limit disappears and the race changes. Growth in experience points, resistance values, proficiency status values, etc. are no longer restricted by race. Plus Ultra.]

So there were growth restrictions based on race in the first place, I didn't know that.

Is this insane status increase due to those restrictions being removed? Thinking about it that way, the Transcendent One skill is amazing. It seems there's no level limit either, so from now on, the more I level up, the more my stats will increase.

...Well, there doesn't seem to be much point in raising them any further.

Now, lastly is the evolved numerology.

["Numerology 0: Eye of Mystery"

 > Supreme-grade skill.

 >> Allows you to project your viewpoint regardless of location and view all information. The eye of the world that sees through everything. However, information is limited to the current point in time. The eye of the world.]

"...Oh, regardless of location? Then, Saaya and the others--"

The moment I focused, images flowed into my brain.

I could see inside the dungeon of the Mataisa Kingdom. I saw Elen annihilating monsters that were spawning in a stampede, trampling through the maze that had become almost a straight line, and Saaya and the others defeating any monsters that were missed.

If I focus further, I can even know Saaya and the others' status, information about the monsters, and details about the dungeon levels. It was truly a complete upgrade of the "Eye of Fiction." As expected of an evolved form.

"Hey Ruruk-sama, what happened?"

"Oh, the level. It became 264."

"...Huh?"

Karmarike blinked her eyes and tilted her head.

"You didn't mishear. It's 264."

"...I see, I guess things like that can happen too. It is Ruruk-sama after all."

She accepted it in a mysterious way.

Well, it's better than being suspected of lying. As expected of a loyal dog... never mind.

After finishing the talk about my personal information, I had her remove the soundproofing magic.

As for the new numerology, it was quite convenient to be able to project my viewpoint without closing my eyes. While my actual vision remains the same, other images and information flow into my brain, and it seems my brain has also evolved to be able to process them simultaneously.

Or is this due to the race evolution?

Anyway, it seems I can view any place while going about my normal life.

It can't be used for attack or defense, but as expected of a supreme-grade skill.

That's why I can sense people approaching this room in advance.

"Let me in!"

The one who burst in without knocking was a woman in her 30s wearing a beautiful red dress.

Seeing Karmarike and me embracing, she muttered with a somewhat distant look in her eyes.

"Fufu, I had that too... A time when I was lovey-dovey with my husband, disregarding the place."

"We're not being lovey-dovey though?"

I reflexively made an excuse, but thinking about it, it's natural to see it that way when we're embracing on a bed.

"Sorry to interrupt. But let's save the intimate activities for the night!"

"I told you, we're not doing anything."

"I just need to wait until night! I got it!"

"You, be quiet."

I pinched Karmarike's cheek, and the older woman laughed.

"The hero who saved our country is quite an amusing fellow."

"Being called a hero is a bit... Um, and you are?"

"Oh, pardon my late introduction. I am Rifare. Rifare Li Stoania. I serve as the queen of this country."

To think it was Her Majesty the Queen.

I feel like I've just raised quite a significant event flag.

What should I do?

------------------------

Author Notes:

  [Afterword Tips ~ About Kaito ~

  The newly introduced term "Race: Kaito"

  As there are no plans to explain this in detail in the main story, it is described here.

  Originally, races have a broad category of "XX species", and when there are multiple variants within that species, they are called "▲▲ clan". If there is no clan designation, it is not listed.

  Example: Human species → Human clan (direct lineage)

              → Beast-human clan (mixed blood with beasts)

              → Elf clan (mixed blood with tree fairies)

              → Dwarf clan (mixed blood with earth fairies) and so on

  Currently, Ruruk is of the Kaito species.

  As Ruruk is the only individual of the Kaito species, the word "clan" has disappeared. If other Kaito appear, it would become Kaito species Ruruk clan.

  [Kaito

  > Higher stage of Human species.

  >> Basic specs are the same as Human species. However, physical age stops changing from the point of evolution, becoming an immortal existence. Evolution conditions are to be above the royal existence and to break through the level limit. Children born through mating will inherit characteristics of the partner's race. As a higher species, it becomes more difficult to have children, but in exchange, the desire to reproduce increases compared to the Human species. Furthermore, upon death, they can be reborn once with their memories intact. The species of reincarnators]

  In other words, Kaito is, as the name suggests, an existence that transcends the principles of the world, guaranteed to have one "Strong New Game+" (the ability to start over with retained power and knowledge). However, whether Ruruk will use this power when he dies depends on his life from now on.

  Incidentally, the reason Ruruk felt a twinge for Karmarike might be because he became a Kaito... perhaps.]

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