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The Paper User: Exiled for a ‘Trash Skill,’ Awakens True Power and Rises with Two Unique Skills ,Volume 2 - Chapter 38

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Chapter : Zeldia’s Information

Five days after we left Tansa—

In the dark forest night, the four of us—Alminé, Piln, Kinako, and me—sat around a campfire, sipping steaming honey tea. The sweet aroma drifted in the air as the fire crackled and popped.

“Hey, Kinako,” Alminé spoke up.

“We’re almost at the Eknis Plateau. Mind telling us what you know about Zeldia?”

“…Yeah.” Kinako set her wooden cup down and looked at each of us.

“Zeldia looks like some old man—easily over a hundred. Tall, but thin. He’s got two red horns growing out of his forehead.”

“He sounds weak,” Piln said flatly.

“A grandpa demon like that? Piln could crush him in berserk mode. Instant kill.”

“Don’t underestimate him,” Kinako shot her a glare.

“Zeldia can use three different magic attributes, and he’s good in close combat too. Plus, his weapon’s nasty.”

“What kind of weapon?” I asked.

“A ‘Living Sword.’”

“A… living sword?”

“Yeah. It’s got a will of its own. Flies around on its own and attacks freely.”

“That… sounds really dangerous.”

“Pretty much. It’s like fighting two enemies at once.”

“In that case, we’ve got four people!” Piln held up four fingers.

“Our teamwork is unbeatable!”

“‘Unbeatable’ is a stretch.” Alminé tapped Piln’s shoulder with a laugh.

“But honestly, we do have great synergy. A martial artist, a berserker, an alchemist… and on top of that, Yakumo the paper-user.”

“True. Yakumo’s abilities are unpredictable,” Kinako said, looking straight at me.

“Even someone who’s lived for centuries like Zeldia probably hasn’t fought a paper-user before.”

“Exactly. And Yakumo’s been getting stronger every day. Even against a Six Demon Star, we’ve got a real shot.”

“Yeah. We’ll take Zeldia down for sure!” Kinako’s words made us all nod with conviction.

A few hours later, I was on watch, sorting through the paper stock in my magic pocket.

Defense papers: strength levels five through ten—good. Wind Shuriken and Control Paper Birds—no issues. But the paper for Golden Paper Blizzard… running low. With this amount, its power’s going to take a hit.

“If only we had more time…” I muttered under my breath so I wouldn’t wake the others.

I’ve been making extra sheets to build up stock. Can’t be helped. It’s all for that new technique. If I can pull it off, I’ll have a completely different way to fight. Depending on the situation, it could turn everything around.

And then there’s that other paper…

Just then, a single leaf drifted down from above. I focused and pulled out a sheet from the magic pocket. The moment the leaf touched the paper’s edge, it split clean in two.

This paper vibrates at an invisible speed—tiny oscillations so fast they can’t be seen. If I use that vibration right, I can make an insanely powerful weapon.

The problem… is manifestation time.

The paper floating before me vanished instantly.

Which means I’ll need to combine it with other effects. Make a technique that can end the fight in one hit. Something that can take down a giant monster and smash through magic barriers…

I suddenly remembered a picture book I read as a kid.

The story of Bald, the God of War, who split the earth with his great sword.

“The God of War… Bald…” In my mind, I saw him—clad in magical armor, wielding a golden greatsword.

I admired him so much back then. Wanted to be that strong.

“Reality’s harsh,” I sighed, looking at my skinny arms.

The next day, we arrived at the Eknis Plateau.

A sea of green grass spread out before us, with a massive forest looming in the distance. The plants were different from the lowlands, and the air felt crisp and cold at this altitude.

“First thing’s finding the Dolls Church’s hidden village,” Alminé said.

She pulled a long, rectangular card from her magic pouch—blue-black, semi-transparent, with red gems set in each corner.

Holding it close to her eye, she scanned the scenery.

“What’s that?” Piln pointed.

“A magic tool I made to track the village. Look through it, and any spot with magical traces will glow pale blue. Handy, right?”

“Sounds useful,” Kinako admitted.

“The hidden village should be covered with large-scale illusion magic, making it invisible from afar. If we can detect it, we’ll move a lot faster.”

“Exactly. Aren’t you glad I came?” Alminé winked.

“You can thank me by letting me touch your paw pads.”

“Tch… Three minutes, no more,” Kinako muttered with an annoyed click of the tongue.

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