Returning home after an adventure is... strange. More than just an adventure, it almost feels like I just returned from an overseas vacation, as if I've entered the house for the first time in years. And that was after just five days of being away. I left home this morning, and now I'm back in the evening.
"I'm home!"
"Welcome back, Masachika-sama," my maid, Yuki-san, greeted me as I entered, her usual calm expression making me feel happy to see her again.
After five years of university living in a share house with people of unbelievable personalities—who were more than just passing faces in my life—I felt a bit down. The house is so big, yet it's just me inside.
I had grown fond of this lovable airhead dollface hitwoman with exceptional knife skills, particularly because I'm new to the area. While I'm a sociable person, I still feel like a newcomer.
"How did your vacation go? Did you encounter any problems?"
"No, everything went well. My sister and I got what we wanted and decided to come back, so put the knife down, okay?"
She's definitely an assassin...
---
Since it was almost time for dinner, I decided to share our exploits in another world's France with her, who was the only other person, apart from my sister, aware of my abilities. This led Yuki-san to tell me about her own experiences in the capital of pearls.
I learned just how easy it is to kill silently when surrounded by many people, and she appreciated sights like the Arc de Triomphe like a normal person. Not that I had imagined otherwise, but from what she shared about her life, she wasn't always fully functioning due to her muted emotions and other effects from her past.
Interestingly, living a normal life seems to be benefiting her. She is slowly healing from past scars she had been unaware of. The smile and light in her eyes as she listened to my story were clear signs of that.
"Now, this is a souvenir for you. I hope you like it."
I handed her a little snow globe, inside of which was a miniature Eiffel Tower.
"This is... for me?"
The moment I placed it in her hands, her gaze remained fixed on it. I don't think she even knew what a snow globe was.
"Why don't you shake it?"
"But won't I destroy it?"
Yeah, this was the first time she had held a snow globe.
"Trust me, if you like it now, you'll love it after you shake it."
Still hesitant, she moved it slightly, and when she noticed that the statue inside hadn't disappeared, she shook it more vigorously.
"Woah! How wonderful..."
She was mesmerized by the glitters floating inside the glass. I didn't spoil her fun. I just stood still, watching her shake it every time the glitters began to settle.
Then she hugged it and gave me the most gentle smile I had ever seen on her face.
"Thank you, Masachika-sama. I'll treasure it."
I knew Yuki was beautiful, but I had never seen her look quite like this before.
"It was a pleasure. Also, now that we've finished our talk, why don't you help me a bit? We need to prepare a room for you since you'll be crashing here sometimes. I also have everything you brought back from the trip in my inventory..."
"Understood, Masachika-sama," she replied.
We spent the evening cleaning the room and organizing her clothes in the wardrobe. Meanwhile, I chuckled to myself, realizing that the only two people to whom I had revealed my secret both had the same name: Yuki and Yuki-san. There would surely be no misunderstandings.
---
The next day was perfect for working on some skills I had let lapse, and what better place than inside a dungeon?
"Gihi!"
An armed little green monster was sprinting toward me, and I prepared to take the challenge head-on. I didn't dodge; I stood firm, ready to take the hit.
When it swung its club at me, I inhaled and moved my left hand to intercept the attack—not to block it, but just to graze it lightly with the tip of the finger gloves I wore. The moment it made contact, I felt the strain in my body as the energy from the hit transmitted through me. Then my right hand neared its weapon, and I released my breath.
Chi You - Armor Form - Heavenly Hand of Defense.
The club did not stop; instead, it blasted backward toward the green monster, striking it on the head with enough force to cave it in.
//
You have defeated Goblin Lv.21
+210 EXP
You've obtained 21 Shard
Heavenly Hand of Defence Lv.1->2
//
The screen confirmed the kill, and I let out a sigh of relief.
"Damn, this is tough."
I had acquired Chi You, a martial art that enables a mortal to kill a god, through a stroke of luck—my first-ever gacha pull—and it was a skill I wanted to keep. However, despite practicing it for four years since I was ten years old, its level hadn't even reached double digits. Not a single one of its forms had improved.
I suspect that practicing its katas and using the skill in direct combat are completely different experiences. To truly master Chi You, I needed a stronger body. Thankfully, drinking the Marauder Pathway potions was helping with that.
I had just acquired the [Heavenly Hand of Defense] skill because it was my first time using it directly, and it was only the third time I had attempted it. This skill involved transferring and amplifying energy, making it physically taxing on my body. I had reached my limit, and there was no way I could master this martial art without investing more points into my physical stats. My body wouldn't sustain the stress required to execute those moves effectively.
Continuing the dungeon dive wouldn't be wise; I'd put enough points into my abilities to know better than to make foolish decisions. Just as I was preparing to leave the Goblin Dungeon, another green menace came charging toward me. I decided to take another shot at using my martial arts, but I wanted to avoid overextending the muscles in my upper body, so I opted for a different approach.
The goblin launched a similar attack to the one I had encountered before, so this time I sidestepped to the left. I positioned myself right in front of it, lifted my right leg, and swung in a crescent arc.
Chi You - Halbeard Form - White Tiger Crescent Moon
[You've obtained the skill: White Tiger Crescent Moon]
I delivered a powerful kick that utilized all 24 of my strength points and 44 points of dexterity. The force of the kick surpassed that of the [Heavenly Hand of Defence]. It was so strong that I ripped the skin on the goblin's neck where my foot made contact. The goblin was sent flying several meters, and I could see that its head was now loosely attached to its body.
//
You have defeated Goblin Lv.19
+176 EXP
You've obtained 22 Shard
//
One hit, one kill. It would be better if I didn't feel like my leg was on fire from the muscle strain. "But the power, me likey... Hao."