The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

A glowing purple collar appeared out of thin air, faint streaks of electricity flickering along its surface. Reika watched closely, impressed by the seamless effect of the sub-ability.

How cool...!

The collar hovered for a moment before gliding toward the dragon’s neck. It widened slightly as it approached, adjusting itself to fit before wrapping around the neck with smooth precision.

After a brief pause, it clicked shut, signaling that the process was complete. Reika noticed something unusual—the collar was slightly larger than the dragon’s neck, as if designed to allow for future changes.

Reika carefully unwrapped the chains binding the dragon, inspecting its condition with a watchful eye.

"So... how do you feel?"

The dragon didn't respond right away. Instead, it examined itself, moving its limbs and stretching its neck as if taking inventory of its state. After a thorough assessment, it finally looked back at her.

"The weakening process has stopped," it said. "Though I haven’t recovered, the fact that it hasn’t progressed further is... remarkable. Almost a miracle."

Reika let out a relieved sigh.

So it can stop the weakening process, huh? My intuition was right all along!

The dragon slowly stood, spreading its immense wings. Then, to her surprise, it lowered its head in a deep bow.

"Though bowing before an inferior race is beneath us dragons, gratitude toward a benefactor is essential. I thank you, human."

Reika smiled. "Don't sweat it~! Think of it as my apology for, well... you know, killing you and weakening your soul this much."

While in the middle of their conversation, Reika felt a faint tremble ripple through her subconscious space. She frowned, puzzled by the strange behavior of her surroundings.

"It seems your body is about to wake up..."

Reika glanced around. "What’s happening? What will become of this space once I wake up?"

"Anything except your soul will be expelled," the dragon explained. "Once you regain your consciousness, your soul will take full control of your body."

Before she could respond, Reika felt an unfamiliar sensation deep within her. Her soul quivered gently, as if bracing for what was to come. Then, in an instant, her entire vision went dark.

Before she knew it, Reika found herself lying on the forest floor. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her blurry vision.

Glancing around, she spotted a familiar figure, Silas, speaking with a group of people she also recognized.

"Is she okay?" Silas asked Soru.

"I have no idea," Soru replied abruptly.

Sylva, noticing Reika's gaze, quickly alerted the others. "Sir Silas! Reika’s awake!"

Both men turned to see Reika struggling to push herself off the ground. Silas immediately hurried over, extending a hand to help her.

"Ugh..."

"Take it easy, kid," Silas said gently. "Are you alright?"

With his support, Reika managed to stand. As she regained her balance, a sudden, loud thud echoed from the forest ahead.

"W-What now?" Reika muttered.

Reika quickly scanned the area using her ability and spotted several spiritual bodies racing toward them.

Damn it... Why do problems keep coming one after another? Can’t I catch a break for once?!

In the distance, a figure dashed through the forest, panting heavily. His movements were frantic, his body battered and bloodied.

"Huff... Huff..."

The man’s dark brown skin glistened with sweat. His powerful, muscular frame hinted at years of rigorous training, though even that seemed barely enough to keep him going.

The man, Völun, was not alone. A woman, with skin the same dark brown as his and a similarly muscular build, ran beside him. She gripped a weapon tightly, glancing over her shoulder as they fled from their pursuers.

As they pushed through the dense forest, the woman suddenly stopped, her eyes catching a flicker of light breaking through the thick canopy above.

"Völun, I see a light up ahead," the woman called out. "There must be an open space further on!"

Völun didn’t hesitate. He swung his massive warhammer, aiming for a tree in their path. With a sharp crack, the tree split in half, crashing to the ground with a thunderous roar, momentarily blocking the way behind them and buying them a little more time.

In the distance, Reika, Soru, and the others heard a loud thud reverberate through the forest.

"What was that?!" Silas exclaimed.

Soru's gaze noticed two figures stumbling toward them, both heavily wounded and struggling to keep their pace.

Völun and his companion quickly halted as they spotted the group of humans in the clearing. The sight of them immediately put Völun on guard.

Humans...? What are they doing here, in a place like this?

His companion also noticed the group and stopped. However, they've failed to realize that the pursuers caught up to them already. With no other choice, they retreated to the center of the clearing, cornered.

Reika, Soru, Silas, and the others, though unsure of the situation, cautiously moved toward the center as well, drawing closer to avoid being surrounded by the hostile forces closing in.

"Tell us where that king of yours is hiding!" one of the pursuers demanded.

Völun and his companion raised their weapons in unison, pointing them directly at the pursuers. The tension in the air was palpable as both sides braced for what was to come.

"Even if we die here tonight, none of you shall learn the king's whereabouts!" Völun shouted.

Among the crowd of pursuers, one man stepped forward, casually tossing his dagger into the air before catching it with a smirk. His eyes glinted with dark amusement as he stared at Völun and his companion.

"Well, well," he said, his tone mocking. "Even if you won't say anything, I'm sure that person will find him sooner or later!"

Völun's eyes twitched at the mention of the mysterious individual.

"He was a skilled swordsman," the man continued. "With his ability, finding your king will be a lot easier."

The words hit like a blow, and both Völun and his companion immediately took battle stances. The grim realization settled in—they were running out of time, and the stakes had just risen.

"We must deal with them quickly to assist the king!" Völun exclaimed.

His companion, Aeden, nodded silently, acknowledging the need for swift action.

"Aeden, take the front and left side! I'll handle the rest!"

Caught in the escalating conflict, everyone gathered at the center, following Silas's lead. Reika, still drained from her battle with the dragon, moved with difficulty, struggling to keep up.

"Hyaa! HAAAH!" A shout rang out, marking the start of the battle as the confrontation erupted around them.

CLANK! Swoosh!

The clash of weapons echoed throughout the area as ther blades collided. The villagers crouched low to the ground, trying to stay out of the heated battle's path.

From the bushes, three archers emerged, their bows drawn and aimed at the villagers. Aeden quickly spotted them and swung her axe toward the threat.

"HYAAA!"

In an instant, all three archers were struck down, their bodies falling to the ground. The axe returned to Aeden's hand, but in the chaos, one arrow had already been released. It shot through the air, racing toward its target, unnoticed by Aeden.

Tsk! The arrow!

Aeden swung her axe swiftly once more, aiming to intercept the arrow, but the difference in speed was too great. Her axe won't be able to intercept the arrow in time.

Damn it!

The arrow quickly shot toward Soru, who stood motionless. Despite noticing the threat, he didn’t move. Instead, he raised his chin slightly and muttered something under his breath.

"..."

Aeden’s eyes widened as she saw where the arrow was heading to. In urgency, she shouted, "Hey! Watch out—"

Aeden fell silent as the arrow hit Soru and simply bounced off his body, as if it had struck a solid wall.

Eh?

"KUARGGGGH! GAHKK!"

The cloaked pursuers groaned in unison, their bodies faltering as they collapsed one by one. Völun quickly noticed the cause—each of their chests was bleeding heavily, as though struck by an invisible force.

Aeden looked around in disbelief, her mind struggling to comprehend what was happening. The cloaked men fell and died on the spot.

What is happening...?

In the midst of the confusion, Aeden's gaze fell on Soru. The human boy was holding the head of one of the dying cloaked men, his fingers gripping tightly as the man coughed up blood.

"Just... Who are you people... Koff!!"

With a final groan, the man lost consciousness and died, his body going limp in Soru's hands. Without a second glance, Soru dropped the corpse to the ground and stepped back, carefully avoiding the blood splatter that might stain his shoes.

Aeden stood frozen, unable to process the sudden deaths of the cloaked men. Her mind raced, still trying to make sense of the impossible scene she just saw.

Völun hurried over to the villagers, offering Silas a hand to help him stand. The rest of the group followed suit, with Sylva assisting Reika to her feet.

Meanwhile, Soru walked toward the confused Aeden, who was still processing the chaos around her. She didn't notice him approaching until he spoke.

"What's their deal with you two?"

Aeden snapped out and turned to face him. Her eyes widened slightly at his sudden presence.

"They're hired assassins," she explained quickly. "They were sent to deal with us."

Soru looked around in silence. The area was littered with the bodies of the pursuers, their blood staining the ground. Each of them had been pierced by some invisible force, their chests marked by strange, fatal wounds—wounds caused by his unknown power.

On the other side, Reika froze in confusion. It wasn’t the pursuers that caused it, but something else.

Wait, wait, wait, wait!

Reika glanced around, trying to make sense of things. Soru speaking to Aeden, the dark-skinned woman, and Silas talking to Völun so easily left her baffled. It wasn’t just them—she was confused by the rest of the group too.

Why are all of them talking in Japanese!?

Reika's eyes widened as she overheard Völun speaking Japanese fluently. She had expected him to speak another language, but hearing him converse effortlessly in Japanese left her baffled.

"Heh... Surprised?"

"Hwuhh?!!" Reika jolted, her eyes widening as she heard a strange voice beside her. She turned to see a glowing figure floating to her right.

"You... I-Is that you, Veylir?"

The figure had crimson skin with a hint of woody undertones. It wasn't translucent, but it faintly glowed, radiating a soft, otherworldly light.

"But... What happened to your body?"

Veylir grinned. "Cute, aren't I? I morphed my soul into my younger state to conserve my spiritual energy as much as possible. Along with my voice, I became like this!"

Reika leaned in for a closer look at Veylir, puzzled by the transformation. She reached out to poke its chubby cheeks, but her finger simply passed through its soul-like body.

Out of a sudden, Reika murmured, "So, about the situation right now..." 

Veylir suddenly remembered the topic they had left off earlier.

"Ahem! About that... I do have a theory in mind, but it seems you inherited my ability Translator for some reason."

Reika paused for a moment, thinking, and then recalled her third ability, Subjective Link.

"I don't know what method you used," Veylir continued, "but you can only acquire it after learning other languages—it depends on luck. And judging by the look of things, you're far too young to have traveled the continent and learned them all on your own. So, I simply assumed that your Translator ability came from me."

Reika nodded, realizing Veylir’s theory made sense.

Veylir's right. Subjective Link can access the abilities of the subjects I've binded with my ability...

"That Translator ability... How does it work?"

Veylir closed its eyes for a moment, thinking. Reika waited patiently, listening to the distant mutterings of the others in the background.

"Ah! The words that come from a speaker vibrate through the air. But if the speaker is using a language you don't understand or haven't heard before, Translator takes over."

"It converts the vibration of the incoming frequency, matching it to a language you're most familiar with, and vice versa. With that ability, you never have to worry when speaking to someone whose language is different from your own!"

Reika looked at the group around her, each focused on their tasks. A smile appeared on her face as the realization settled in. The power to understand anyone, no matter where they came from or what language they spoke, was something she hadn’t fully appreciated until now.

With this ability, I don't have to hassle myself by listening to their gibberish language!

"How convenient this ability is!"

As Reika marveled at the usefulness of her newfound power, the group was interrupted by a loud explosion in the distance. Aeden’s eyes widened, and she suddenly remembered their king’s situation.

"Oh no... Our king!"

Aeden quickly turned toward Völun, and both of them exchanged a brief, knowing glance before rushing toward the source of the explosion.

Silas, noticing the direction they were headed, grew worried.

"That direction... Don't tell me something happened to the village!?"

The tension in the air thickened as everyone rushed to follow, fearing the worst.

Upon arriving at the village, the group was met with a devastating sight. The wooden walls that had once surrounded the village were reduced to rubble. Several houses lay in shambles, their remains scattered across the ground, and trees had been violently uprooted.

There were no villagers in sight, and the area was eerily quiet except for the occasional explosion and loud tremors that shook the earth.

"They must be at my house," Silas said, his voice tense. "It's the largest and safest structure in the village. Sylva, everyone, come with me!"

Sylva and the village men nodded and quickly followed Silas. However, Reika stayed behind, her gaze scanning the area. She noticed with growing concern that the dwarves were nowhere to be seen.

BOOM!!

Reika heard another explosion in the distance and immediately turned around. Without a second thought, she headed straight for the source of the disturbance.

She was about to take another step when Soru appeared in her path, blocking her way.

"Where are you going?" he asked, his tone calm but firm.

"I'm going to investigate what's going on ahead..."

Soru didn't say another word. Instead, he simply followed her in silence, his presence a quiet support.

The village was small, so they quickly reached the site of the battle. As they arrived, a figure flew toward them from the chaos, greeting them with a swift approach.

Both of them quickly stepped aside to avoid the impact.

THUD!!

When the dust and smoke cleared, they saw Aeden embedded in the wall, coughing weakly.

"Cough! Cough! He's too strong..."

Reika rushed over without hesitation, grabbing Aeden's hand and helping her to her feet.

"Are you okay?"

Aeden groaned in pain but managed to reach out and steady herself.

"Y-Yeah..."

Her eyes shifted to the battle raging in the distance. Völun and another dark-skinned man were locked in a desperate struggle against a single, overwhelming opponent.

"I must help them... Ghk..!" Aeden muttered, trying to move.

"Take it easy!" Reika urged. "You must have suffered injuries from that fall!"

Aeden sat on the ground, trying to catch her breath and regain her strength.

Normally, a three-against-one battle would seem unfair, but what Reika saw defied logic. The lone fighter dominated the battlefield with overwhelming strength, effortlessly outclassing the three struggling to fight him.

"The man wielding that giant sword... who is he?" Reika asked Aeden.

Aeden, still resting, glanced at the figure in the distance with a sharp, focused gaze.

"That man the king and Völun are fighting… he’s ranked in the Top 40 of the Swordmaster Rankings. His name is Agnar."

As she spoke his name, Aeden’s grip tightened around her axe. Her expression turned grim, the weight of Agnar’s reputation evident in her tone.

"I can't believe they hired him to take the king's life!" Aeden exclaimed. "Even with the three of us combined, we could barely hold our ground against that monster. He's an abomination!"

Aeden steadied herself, gripping her axe tightly as she forced her body to stand.

"Now that I've rested, I must assist the king!"

Without hesitation, Aeden charged back into the fray. She closed the distance swiftly and swung her axe with all her might. The blade hurtled toward Agnar, but he skillfully parried the attack and deflected it with ease.

Agnar stepped back, creating some distance. Then, before they could regroup or prepare, he drove his massive greatsword into the ground with a heavy swing. A pulse of energy erupted from the impact, rippling outward like a shockwave.

The force of the blast sent Aeden and Völun flying through the air, landing several meters away as the ground trembled beneath them.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A booming laugh echoed through the shattered village, its source unmistakably Agnar.

"Surrender yourself, Ex-King Alguis!" he bellowed, his voice dripping with mockery. "Even if we reduce this entire village to rubble, you have no chance of defeating me!"

The former Dwarven King, Alguis Fellad, stood hunched, his breaths labored and uneven. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth as he coughed weakly. His once proud and imposing frame, built of brown, muscular strength, was now marred with wounds and streaked with blood. These injuries were not only the result of his clash with the fearsome Swordmaster Agnar but also remnants of battles fought before reaching this village.

On the other hand, Agnar, whose muscular frame matched Alguis’s, bore only a few minor injuries. His torn black shirt hung loosely on his powerful body as he held his massive greatsword with ease, radiating confidence.

"You coward!" Alguis growled. "Using this entire village to restrict me… You disgrace the title of 'Swordmaster'! Ptoo!"

The Dwarven King spat blood onto the ground before Agnar, his contempt clear.

Agnar smirked darkly. "Hah! Who cares about that title anyway? As long as my clients pay me a fat sum, none of it matters!"

Agnar lifted his greatsword, pointing its tip directly at Alguis.

"Now, let’s swing our weapons to our hearts' content and see who will emerge victorious!" he said, his voice carrying both challenge and anticipation.

Alguis gripped his hammeraxe, Götheimmer, tightly. He took a stance, his body battered but his spirit unyielding, preparing for Agnar's inevitable strike.

On the other hand, Agnar raised his greatsword high into the air, his movements deliberate. He exhaled deeply, his focus sharpening as the tension between them grew further.

<Aura Energy Conversion!>