Chapter 23: Theft Only Brings Debuffs

Item Name: “Reality Marble: Unlimited Blade Works”
Rank: A
Note 1: Your S-class item “Gate of Babylon: Ea, Sword of Rupture” has been replaced with the A-class item “Reality Marble: Unlimited Blade Works.”
Note 2: World Adjustment, Power System Revision: Creating and using items will directly consume your stamina.
Note 3: World Adjustment, Special Restriction: There are no limitations on the methods of producing or using items.
Remark 1: The “Inscribed Name That Doesn’t Exist,” the “Somewhat Earthen Youth,” and the “A with a tuft of green on his head thanks to his former self” are all distinct from you. We solemnly declare that we have no connection whatsoever with Type-Moon Heavy Industries.
Remark 2: To help you adapt to your items and this new world, we created 108 magical circuits of overwhelming quality inside your body. However, we later realized this was unwise, as the differing power systems of various worlds would inevitably conflict. In the end, we opted for a fundamental revision… Someone once suggested a deeper level of body modification, but we suspected personal grudges were involved, so we refused.
Remark 3: Even so… despite everything… you’re still a “Swordbone.” Truly, a Swordbone.

It was obvious that due to Qiubai’s “stowaway” actions, under the established premises of this “world,” his top-tier item had been confiscated and replaced with a lower-ranked one.

But to be honest, he didn’t think there was much difference; “Unlimited Blade Works” was already more than enough for him. Although it was a pity to lose Ea, in many respects Unlimited Blade Works was actually advantageous… Well, perhaps he was just consoling himself. At the time, he had cried—he had lost his chance to become a walking cheat code.

Still, the strength of Unlimited Blade Works lay in the fact that it was more than merely an item—it included the ability to create and store items, as well as to use them.

Thus, at the cost of “stamina,” Qiubai could use the technique known as “Projection and Reinforcement Magecraft.” This was precisely why he placed such high value on his stamina—without sufficient reserves, he simply couldn’t deploy his reality marble.

It was also thanks to his power to create that Qiubai was able to replicate the “Shikizaki Kiki” sword series. Since he had made them himself, they were the blades he favored and used most often.

In theory, he could also use the Archer’s skills like “Clairvoyance,” “Mind’s Eye,” or even “Broken Phantasm.” However… the first two were beyond him, which was why he brought the Sea Kings into close range for combat. At distances greater than fifty meters, his hit rate would drop below fifty percent.

In this world, he was a sniper who couldn’t aim.

The reason was that these skills conflicted with the following description, negating their effects.

Skin Name: Dispassionate/Lustful Gowther
Rank: B
Gender: Male
Race: Doll/Human
Penalty 1: You have become fully human, losing the resistances of a doll. If your head is chopped off, you’re dead.
Penalty 2: You have lost all abilities related to mental invasion and control.
Penalty 3: You have lost all bonuses to archery.
Penalty 5: You have lost all magical power, physical strength, and energy of a former Adamant-class knight, and regaining the Demon God’s power is impossible.
Remark: This is a stolen item, stripped of all value a B-rank skin should possess.

Unwilling to become a cross-dressing big shot, much less a bona fide female powerhouse, Qiubai had, at a critical moment, grabbed a male skin and fled. As a result, this originally B-rank skin brought him no benefit whatsoever—in fact, it only burdened him with debuffs.

The character “Gowther,” in theory, could also be considered an Archer, though most of his skills were mental manipulation. Regardless, “Penalty 2” was particularly punitive—it neutralized the auxiliary abilities implied by Unlimited Blade Works.

As for the rest, Qiubai didn’t mind. As a B-rank skin, doll-Gowther had a certain degree of immortality—even dismantled, he could survive, and could use his own head as a ball if he wished. Still, compared to being a doll, even if it meant being harder to kill, Qiubai would always choose to be human.

The only real regret was losing the power of “mental manipulation”… Yet he was content enough; after all, as an illegal stowaway, the fact that he hadn’t been caught and sent back for reprocessing was already an incredible stroke of luck.

He really shouldn’t have mouthed off to the Administrator—or perhaps, he should have accepted the “Storkin” skin without complaint.

So, while Qiubai seemed to possess all the qualities of an Archer, he actually had no long-range attack capability. For attacks beyond mid-range, he would always miss for one reason or another… which was also due to his lack of innate talent as a marksman.

Unless he could acquire some miraculous sensing ability, or unleash sword energy that would hold its form over great distances, this situation would not change.

For now, he could only fight the Sea Kings up close.

The nearest Sea King’s blood splattered across the hull of the Titan, while specks of thick, dark red rapidly spread across Qiubai’s clothes, staining the already less-than-clean fabric.

The white bear at his back was almost entirely red now.

Having witnessed all this, the captain could finally confirm that bringing Qiubai and his companion aboard was absolutely the right choice—he was not mistaken; two Sea Kings he considered “invincible” had already been taken down.

“Don’t stop, row faster!!”

Qiubai certainly didn’t feel he had any advantage; he roared this command.

It went without saying he was shouting at the crew below deck, for at that moment, the Titan’s speed had actually begun to slow.

Come on now—he’d only taken out two Sea Kings. Including the one half-dead from Ain’s throw, that made just three. Next, the Calm Belt would surely spit out thirty, three hundred, even three thousand more beasts. Even if Qiubai used up all his stored weapons, even if his marksmanship were flawless, there was no way he could wipe out every Sea King in the Calm Belt.

Much less so, since he was anything but a perfect marksman—he could only shoot where he pointed.

Maybe the crew was simply paralyzed with fear at the Sea Kings?

Thankfully, no. At Qiubai’s urging, the Titan’s speed surged desperately once more.

Now, they were truly in the same boat; both Qiubai’s and the crew’s strengths were indispensable—one for battle, one for escape. Everyone simply had different roles.

Qiubai drew another weapon, but this time it wasn’t a spiral sword—all his weapons were fakes. Since the spiral sword could pierce two at once, it proved that this level of sword was a bit too destructive as an arrow. So he drew his most plentiful self-forged weapon… the Thousand Blades: Execution—a favorite he often sold to scam people.

The skill he used, “Broken Phantasm,” was originally designed to destroy Noble Phantasms infused with vast magical energy, causing the weapon itself to explode as a vessel of power. In theory, all items created by Unlimited Blade Works were magical constructs, so the two were highly compatible.

But Qiubai had to conserve his weapons, not knowing how many more shots he would need before leaving the Calm Belt—nor whether his stamina would last.

All he could do was this: maintain deadly attack power while trying to last as long as possible.

Fortunately, they were not in the dead center of the Calm Belt—this, at least, was the one piece of good news in an otherwise dire situation.

Qiubai took a deep breath and set another blade to the bowstring… for more Sea Kings were already closing in.

A considerable number of Sea Kings.

PS:
Ahem, this chapter bears a faint connection with the afterword of my previous book…