“Ah… wait a second. That outfit… looks like those followers of Yakuou.”
“…Now that you mention it, that gloomy dark green hood… I’ve seen it before. Creepy group.”
“Hmm, being here must mean… we’re on the right track, aren’t we?”
“Ah!”
I couldn’t help but let out a small scream.
The oppressive aura radiating from these men—it was overwhelming. No, this was something else entirely…
～～～～
Gaiteki no Satchi (Detecting External Threats): Enhancement Conditions Cleared
- You can now sense potentially lethal attacks as a feeling of unease.
- If your combat evaluation deems the situation as “inescapably lethal,” you will enter a state of fear.
- During the fear state, various status boosts will apply.
～～～～
“My skill gets an upgrade… now of all times?!”
I muttered without thinking.
Of course, they didn’t miss it.
There were three enemies in total.
One of them, a rough-looking man, furrowed his brow.
“Huh? You just said something. And that arm… are you a Skill Holder? Hey, Lavinia, use your appraisal skills. Check for any Unique or Class Skills.”
“I already did. The Unique Ability is an E-rank Dokushu. A boring, low-tier status ailment skill. As for the Class Skill… huh?”
“What is it, Lavinia?”
“…It’s something I’ve never seen or heard of before. A Class Skill called… Yakushi? What could that be?”
“Yakushi? What the hell is that?”
“—Oh? Yakushi… could it be… no, but… still…”
The bespectacled knight scrutinized me closely.
“You there. It seems you possess a remarkable talent. Could it be… are you a real Yakushi?”
“…”
“Ha, silent, are we? But I’ve already pieced it together. You must be a Hakamori (Gravekeeper). Who would have thought we’d find one here?”
What is this guy talking about?
A Gravekeeper? Did he mistake me for someone else?
Denying or agreeing both seemed like they’d make things more troublesome.
Best to stay silent.
“…”
“Your silence is as calm as the black robes of our Eternal Darkness Father, the King of Death, Seath. If you obediently tell us the graveyard’s location, I promise no harm will come to you.”
This guy… he’s oddly poetic.
But no matter how cultured he tries to sound…
“I can’t trust the words of someone who abuses dogs.”
“Is that so? What a pity…”
Crack!
I felt a jolt of electric pain shoot through the back of my neck.
I staggered, nearly falling—
Whoosh!
“Oh? No way.”
When I turned, I saw the rough-looking knight standing behind me, holding a staff.
He moved… in an instant!?
I didn’t see anything!
Where my head had been moments ago, the staff stabbed violently through the air.
“Hahaha, he dodged! That weakling avoided a surprise attack from someone 100 levels higher. That’s embarrassing.”
“Golddran, rough him up nicely, but don’t kill him. He might be a clue to the graveyard.”
“Well, that depends on him!”
The rough knight raised his black staff high.
～～～～
Gaiteki no Satchi Warning: A single hit will kill you.
“Eek!”
Zing!
This time, my face felt the sting of electricity.
I fell on my rear, desperately trying to evade. The staff came crashing down a moment later.
Thud!
The ground where it struck caved in as if a small bomb had gone off.
How could any human generate such destructive power?!
The only reason I was still alive was thanks to my Gaiteki no Satchi skill.
Without it, I’d be dead already…
“Oh? You… this isn’t just a coincidence. Did you predict my move…? No, maybe some kind of danger detection skill?”
“This guy has some strange skill, aru. Gaiteki no Satchi…? A Class Skill I’ve never seen before. Not even a Scout-type job, yet it has evasion capabilities?”
“Hahaha, as expected of the esteemed Gravekeeper… Golddran, make it just an arm this time, okay?”
These people… they have no hesitation about hurting others.
They’re nothing like the delinquents or petty criminals back in reality. These are real, unrepentant thugs—an actual violent gang!
“Kyuuun…”
…!
I heard a faint, pitiful whimper.
The dog was watching me, still lying on the ground, its expression almost worried.
And then it hit me.
These men, with their overwhelming strength and weapons…
“Huh? What’s with that face? You scared now, huh?”
The rough-looking man sneered at me, towering over me.
I’m scared.
Terrified. But even more than that, a searing heat bubbled in my mind, drowning out the fear.
“—You did it, didn’t you?”
“Huh?”
“With that kind of weapon strength!! You hit the dog, didn’t you?!”
～～～～
Dog Lover Activated
Effect: When an enemy harms a friendly dog, all actions receive a massive positive boost.
～～～～
Drip…!
My right hand felt hot…
Squelch! The ground my hand touched began to melt, spreading into something like a poisonous swamp.
It expanded rapidly, trapping the knights’ armored feet.
“This guy…!”
“Awakening…!? No, this is different, aru! His skill’s scale just skyrocketed—”
“—This is bad! Golddran, kill—”
Shivers raced through me, from my toes to the top of my head.
Before I knew it, I was running.
I touched the ground with my Dokushu!
Drip, drip, drip.
The ground liquefied, becoming a poisonous swamp that encircled the area.
The knights hesitated, their movements halting as they assessed the situation—
“Fools!!”
I changed direction instantly, darting around their flanks and heading straight for the dog, who was lying limp on the ground.
The chain was in the way!
“Dokushu! Melt it!”
Sssssssss.
I gripped the silver chain connected to the dog’s collar with my poisonous hand.
It was a gamble, but if I could turn the ground into poison, maybe I could melt this chain too—
Clink.
The chain dissolved and fell apart.
“No way!! That was mithril chain!!”
“You… you’ve gone too far!! Do you know how much that artifact costs?! Even if we sold a thousand of your hearts, it wouldn’t cover the price!!”
The armored knights were shouting something.
I didn’t care!! What does it matter, the possessions of people who mistreat dogs?!
“Woof… woof…”
The dog I cradled in my arms was incredibly weak.
It was limp, its eyes dull and lifeless.
Ssshh…
Damn it. The poisonous swamp was thinning.
Apparently, I had to stay in contact with the ground for it to persist.
“Woof…”
The dog nudged my arm with its nose, as if trying to push me away.
Damn it… this poor thing must have gone through hell with these guys.
“Oh? So, the poison swamp’s run its course?”
“I take back what I said earlier, aru. Your ability isn’t a weakling’s skill. It’s an annoyingly troublesome weakling’s skill, yo.”
“Hahaha, you gave us a scare there. If our magical protection had faltered even for a moment, our flesh would’ve rotted off. But, Yakushi-dono, this is the end of the road.”
The armored knights wouldn’t fall for a second poison swamp.
This is it… I’m done for.
“…Ku~n.”
“Sorry. It’s because I’m weak…”
The dog let out a soft, sorrowful whimper.
In the end, I can’t do anything.
I have nothing of worth.
Even in another world, I’m still just a weak, nameless mob.
Damn it.
I shouldn’t have jumped in like this.
Was I caught up in the excitement of being transported to another world?
Damn, damn, damn.
I got ahead of myself. Acting all big when I’m nothing but a weakling—a mere extra.
“You’ve got such a pathetic look in your eyes. That’s the look of a loser, you know.”
“How touching. The two of you—man and dog—are so close. But don’t worry, you’ll still die, aru.”
“Now, now, both of you… Gravekeeper-dono, this is your final chance. Hand over the dog. Answer our questions, and we’ll spare your life. How about it?”
What did he just say?
Spare me?
Is there still a chance for me to make it out alive?
…Yeah, yeah, that’s right.
I was panicking because of this whole other-world nonsense.
What am I doing, risking my life for this?
This dog—just a dog I met today.
It’s not a person, not even anything that matters to me. It’s just a dog.
It’s got nothing to do with me, right?
Yeah, I should listen to the bespectacled knight.
“We’re not exactly patient. If you waste any more of our time… we’ll kill you.”
The bespectacled knight’s tone left no room for doubt.
“Y-you’re really going to let me go if I hand over the dog?”
The dog’s breathing stopped.
It closed its eyes, laying still, as if resigning itself to its fate.
“If… if I give you the dog, if I hand it over… you’ll really spare my life?”
The bespectacled knight gave a gentle smile.
“Of course. I promise—now, hand over the dog.”
I held the soft, fluffy body close.
The dog looked at me, its eyes curious.
“—But I refuse.”
“Huh?”
“What?”
“…What did you just say?”
I said it.
I actually said it.
I went and said it!!
It came out entirely on impulse!!
My brain was flooded with regret, but the words that spilled from my mouth were clear and unwavering.
Yeah, I know.
I can’t do this. I shouldn’t do this.
But I can’t hand over the dog.
I was terrified, but somehow… I didn’t feel bad about it.
“I hate bastards like you the most in this world. There’s no way I’m giving it to you, you savages.”
The men froze, stunned by my defiance.
“““Then die.”””
They’re going to kill me.
At this rate, I’ll definitely die.
[Poison is the means by which the weak defy the strong].
The skill “Dokushu” (Poison Hand).
The only thing I’ve done since coming to this world is train this skill.
There must still be something I can do… something…!
“Die.”
A chilling sensation crawled over me.
This was real bloodlust—the kind only someone capable of killing could exude.
Damn it… I…
Rumble, rumble, rumble.
The ground trembled.
The earth cracked open.
“Huh?”
“Woof?”
““Huh?! ””
Shiver, shiver, shiver.
It felt like my skin was peeling off from sheer terror.
In that instant, my instincts knew.
This world—this is no fantasy. This is a real other world.
Screeech… screeeeech.
A centipede.
Segmented, black, writhing, with antennae and massive jaws.
A centipede.
A giant centipede, over five meters long, burst through the ground beneath the armored knights.
“““Wha—?!”””
Hisssss.
The centipede’s tendrils lashed out, wrapping around the three knights in one swift motion.
Ssshhhh.
It sprayed them with venom.
“Agh! G-gahhh!! M-my body… it’s melting!!”
“This can’t be!! Why is there an S-class native lifeform here?! Why here, of all places?! Aaaaagh!!”
“No way… is it possible the poison swamp summoned the Great Poison Centipede?! Yakushi, you… you really are a servant of Yakuou—”
The knights, now covered in sticky purple venom, stopped moving entirely.
Crunch, crunch, crunch… gulp.
No way…
The giant centipede ate them like they were nothing more than snacks.
It was horrifying…
But, well…
They were dog abusers, so… fair enough.
Still…
Screeeeech… screeeeech.
The giant centipede raised its body, towering over us, glaring down.
Yeah, this thing isn’t an ally.
…I might die.
◇◇◇◇
◇Modern Day—Smartphone and PC Owners Worldwide◇
A new video channel suddenly appeared on a popular streaming platform that day.
The videos showcased an unbelievably realistic fantasy world, and they spread across the globe like wildfire.
“Hey, check this out.”
“A stream? Wait, what? Is this CGI?”
“No, it’s not! This is about the VTuber disappearance thing, isn’t it?”
“Is he protecting a dog?”
“Who is this? A VTuber?”
“Dunno. The channel was just created.”
“The channel name is… ‘Elder Frontier Official Channel’?”
“‘Day One Highlights’? What does that mean?”
“Can you comment on it?”
“No, comments are disabled.”
“The dog’s cute.”
“Is this guy a good person because he’s protecting the dog?”
“They’re calling him ‘Poison Hand Ossan.’”
“Poison Hand? What’s that?”
“Sounds weak, doesn’t it?”
“Oh, he’s definitely dead.”
“Elder Frontier—that’s the game where all the participants disappeared, right? It was in the news!”
“Wait, then what’s this video?”
“Lol, the centipede showed up.”
In a grand spectacle that captured the world’s attention, 1,000 VTubers and 10,000 beta players suddenly vanished.
While most of the public focused on the missing VTubers and other celebrities, a small group of people discovered the struggles of an ordinary, middle-aged man.
[…Wow, I didn’t expect a battle on the first day. As expected of Tomomura-sensei. He’s no ordinary guy~♪]
While other players were still trying to grasp the situation, holding meetings or succumbing to despair, one player had already engaged in combat with a monster immediately after arriving.
It didn’t take long for the game’s administration to mark him as their favorite.