Overpowered Reincarnation Perks! - Chapter 2.3
“Magic stone?”
“The core stone of monsters. Don’t you know?”
How would I know that?
“……Looks like you really have lost your memory.”
Senes narrowed his eyes and looked me up and down.
‘He seems to believe my excuse, but why does it feel unpleasant?’
Magic stone. In other words, the core stone of monsters.
Just as humans have hearts, monsters move by the power of core stones, and monster hunters make money by killing monsters and extracting their core stones to sell.
When processed, core stones can be used for various kinds of magic, such as starting fires, producing light, or transmitting sound over long distances. That’s also how Callion and Senes exchanged signals.
‘I guess it’s like the magic stones or magical tools that typically appear in fantasy worlds.’
Come to think of it, Senes’s bag also has a light green jewel embedded in it. Callion’s bag had something similar attached to it too. I wonder if that’s why they can stuff so many things into it like an inventory.
“It’s interesting that while monsters eat humans, their magic stones are actually useful to us.”
“A very long time ago, they were called divine beasts and were close and friendly to humans. When the divine beasts went extinct, the remaining magic stones became the cores of monsters.”
So it’s a kind of apocalyptic worldview. I nodded at Senes’s explanation.
Although I still couldn’t fully understand this world, it was good to learn some interesting facts.
“To forget even such common knowledge, I wonder if there’s anything left in your head.”
……No, this isn’t good.
This jerk suddenly sharpened his tongue.
“Well, if my brother was flustered enough to send an emergency signal, you must have been quite troublesome. Weak body, no grit, looking all flimsy like thrice-frozen spinach, and now lacking even common sense. You must be slow on your feet and sluggish in your movements too, right? It’s obvious just by looking at you.”
“Now, listen here.”
“It’s predictable. Even if Callion told you to hide somewhere safe, you probably ran out impatiently and got spotted by monsters. Unable to fight or even avoid monsters, you must have clung to Callion begging for help. What did you do beside Callion while he was fighting monsters? I bet you did nothing but scream hysterically.”
I hesitated for a moment at his unexpectedly sharp observations.
Does he have surveillance cameras in his eyes or something? How does he know?
But he missed the most important point.
I ran out of the cave because of that damn system window’s trick, encountering the monster was a sudden quest, and I screamed beside Callion not because I was scared, but to give him an acceleration buff, you know?
I even healed his wounds!
Although I wanted to refute each of his rude comments, I kept my mouth shut.
It’s doubtful whether my explanations would be believed, and even if they were, it wouldn’t benefit me much.
─ It would be better to keep your ability to heal through touch a secret as much as possible.
I understand why Callion had such concerns.
While healers are essential in party play, this place where I’m staying isn’t just a game focused on combat, but a space-like reality.
That means there’s no guarantee of fair play.
Revealing my healing ability to others in a situation where my safety isn’t secured would be like carrying a lit stick of dynamite.
I might get kidnapped or forcibly taken away.
Moreover, with the activation condition being touch, who knows what might happen to me.
‘It’s better to take the insults and let them go in one ear and out the other.’
The problem is that if I hide my ability, I’ll look like a useless person or a troublesome troll.
Callion, being as kind-hearted as he is handsome, took good care of me even though I seemed to be drawing aggro, but it’s hard to expect others to do the same.
Especially not this jerk.
“I’ll properly recover you and send you to the village, so just stay put like the luggage you are. Don’t cause any more trouble.”
“……”
What a textbook example of a jerk. I pondered over his words.
Should I keep my mouth shut even after hearing such things?
Is this karma for collecting only trash-talked favorite characters while indulging in 2D?
‘No, I never picked characters who speak so rudely though.’
My favorite characters are those who are outwardly polite but slightly insane inside. They’re normal most of the time, you know.
That way, when their twisted nature is revealed, you can feel the gap moe.
Anyway, the more terrible the personality, the more my heart races, but that’s limited to 2D. In reality, I prefer polite and kind people too.
In other words, this jerk is not my preferred type at all.
Of course, his deep gaze matched his striking appearance, his manly neckline, straight collarbone, the firm muscles visible under his glossy skin, slender waist, and perfectly symmetrical artistic abs are noticeable, but that’s all.
Although the rippling muscles that surge with every movement create a harmony of wildness and sensuality, exploding with testosterone, even that failed to capture my attention.
The protruding wrist bones below his forearms and his large hands looked rough at first glance, but thanks to his neatly trimmed and tidy nails, they gave an elegant impression, yet I didn’t even give them a glance.
Every time he moved his arms to adjust his clothes, revealing his physique like a living sculpture… even if that’s the case, what’s the use?
After all, he’s still a jerk!
“Ju-in. Your expression doesn’t look good. Are you in pain somewhere?”
“Waaah! Callion!”
A shrill scream escaped me at the handsome face that suddenly popped up beside me without warning.
“Callion. The water?”
“Here it is, brother.”
Callion naturally handed the water container to Senes, who took it and poured it into the steaming pot. With a sizzling sound, hot steam rose along with a delicious aroma.
As I stared with my mouth agape, Callion explained with a gentle smile.
“Unlike me, my brother is good at cooking. You can look forward to it.”
No. I don’t want to look forward to it.
***
This can’t be happening.
“……”
“Ju-in. Does it suit your taste?”
There’s no way that someone who appeared out of nowhere, picked a fight, and then suddenly pulled out ingredients and cooking utensils from his inventory to start cooking in the middle of the mountains could produce a normal result from such an absurd situation.
‘So this must be abnormal.’
It was abnormally delicious.
‘This is impossible.’
It felt like my tongue was shedding tears of joy.
The sensation of the soft, buttery eggs sliding over my tongue was nothing short of heavenly.
It felt like even my old fatigue was melting away.
This is truly a healing course meal……
Although the jerky Callion shared was made from quality meat and wasn’t bad in taste or texture, freshly cooked food was definitely on another level.
Who would have thought I could eat freshly made food in the middle of these mountains?
No matter how much this is a game world, I didn’t think cooking would be possible on a hunting map. I wonder how this world was created.
……As soon as I thought that, a new window suddenly appeared.
[Senes] has cast [Skill: Heal by Feeding!] on you.
Your health has been restored.
For 2 hours, your health recovery rate is doubled.
Accumulated fatigue has been reduced.
For 2 hours, you will not accumulate fatigue.
You have been freed from poison, curse, and fear status effects.
For 2 hours, your resistance to poison, curse, and fear status effects is quadrupled.
※You are not currently in a party with this person.
All effects are reduced by half.
“……”
I wasn’t surprised that there was a recovery skill, but I was amazed that it was activated through cooking.
