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Despite everything that just happened, Dan wasn't satisfied with his recent attack.
Thanks to the power of his Authority—Perfect Synchronization—his Sharingan could analyze and trace the flow of magic even in this fantasy world, allowing him to recreate spells by mimicking the energy patterns he observed.
But still...
Even though he swore he'd gone all out just now, the result was far from what Ryuu could pull off with the same magic.
He had watched her repeatedly while she cleared out the food storage earlier, carefully studying every move with his Sharingan.
And yet...
Dan muttered to himself in confusion,"Is it just lack of practice... or is it because of my mana and level cap?"
His Silence Suzuka boost only lasted for seven days. If he couldn't find a physical-type talent before then, his base stats would inevitably drop.
Magic, on the other hand, though limited by mana, could help make up for his lack of firepower—if he could use it properly.
But at this point... it was clear he hadn't figured out the trick.
Lyra, watching him with what looked like a troubled face—but to her, it looked more like he was showing off—couldn't help but roll her eyes and stare blankly at the ceiling.
"Hehehehe... damn it, why, God?! Why was a weak little Pallum like me born in the same world as a freak like him!?"
Fuming with frustration, she barked orders at the familia, directing them to wipe out the remaining monsters.
They scored a good haul again—lots of loot dropped as usual—but everyone's mind seemed to be elsewhere.
Even Celty, usually calm and composed, sat there holding her head in disbelief.
"No way…"
"If it were just mimicking sword skills or techniques, I could maybe explain it with talent," she muttered, "But copying magic too? Can a human really do that!?"
Maryuu was crouched on the ground, doodling circles in the dirt with a stick as she spoke in a dazed voice,"Don't forget—Dan hasn't even been blessed yet. He doesn't even have a Skill to trigger miracles."
This had probably been the easiest expedition she'd ever been on. Not a single injury, and they'd completed their objective with flying colors.
Since Dan joined, she had started to feel her own role becoming less important—but instead of feeling bitter, she was actually kind of relieved.
"No one got hurt. That's amazing..."
She didn't have to stay constantly on edge, conserving her stamina and spirit for healing spells.
Besides, deep down, she always had a secret dream: to fight up close—like a real warrior.
"A true healer is someone who finishes the enemy before they even get the chance to hurt anyone!"
By contrast, Celty, their magic-caster-turned-adventurer, had taken the biggest emotional hit. She looked completely defeated—basically becoming useless fairy #2, squatting on the floor like a wreck.
"Ughhhh..."
Ryuu herself seemed a bit unsettled by the fact that Dan had managed to use her magic. But what really had her looking conflicted was something else entirely.
"Rho—"
Before she could even take a step forward, Lyra stepped in front of her, hands in her pockets, half-lidded eyes piercing through Ryuu's hesitation.
"Ryuu... is there something you want to say?"
As mature as she was, even Lyra was this close to being flat-out jealous of Dan's abilities—but since he was one of them now, all she could do was contribute her own strengths and protect him until he grew strong enough to protect himself.
That was her only option.
Ryuu looked torn, clearly troubled."I... I just don't understand why Dan attacked those people so mercilessly… it was like he wanted to kill them…"
Hearing that, Lyra suddenly missed Kaguya. If she were here, she'd probably slap this stubborn fairy upside the head.
"Ryuu, you do know, don't you? Sure, some monsters only ambush adventurers because they have no other choice. But more often than not, they're just lowlifes who prey on others to survive."
"Just imagine… what would've happened if they had ambushed adventurers who weren't as strong as us?"
Ryuu stared at her slender fingers, fidgeting with them.
"I get it... I do... but even if they did something awful, does that give us the right to just take their lives so easily? Is that really justice...? I don't know anymore…"
It wasn't that she disagreed with what Dan had done.
It's just... the way those people tried to emotionally manipulate them, paired with her own long-standing belief in pure, righteous justice, had created a contradiction so intense that it started to shake her own convictions.
"...."