Relics.
Supernatural powers, similar to skills or gifts.
In this world, in place of magic, skills, or gifts, there were Relics.
A fair number of people had Relics.
Even one was at least a sliver of hope for surviving in this harsh world.
I was born with four of them.
Whether that was because I'd reincarnated, I didn't know.
I'd probably never find out for the rest of my life.
For that matter, I didn't even know if I'd truly reincarnated, or whether this was the work of some god.
There were many gods worshipped in this world, and I had no idea which one it might be.
But thanks to having four Relics, I was managing to get by, one way or another.
And I didn't plan on telling anyone about them, or teaching anyone about them.
Someone had once said—
Rarity robs you of freedom.
Even I thought my four Relics were strange and abnormal.
The fourth one in particular.
I didn't want to rise through the ranks, or achieve glory, or become a hero.
I just wanted to live a normal, happy life in this world.
Because it was my life.
The next item after the ring was an unbroken iron sword.
Of course iron sells. And this one could be sold as a proper weapon.
The green light revealed: first, a belt from an older era. Second, a compass with intricate engravings.
Third, a copper dagger in near-pristine condition. Fourth, a charm shaped like the horn of plenty Cornucopia.
"Alright. That's about it for today."
I'd spend the rest of my time digging.
Four months ago. A series of earthquakes struck a remote region near Hydrangea.
The tremors were strong enough to affect the dungeon as well.
An investigation team was dispatched, and the site remained closed for nearly a month until they determined there were no anomalies.
When I entered the Junkyard after the lockdown was lifted, several of the garbage mounds had collapsed from the quake.
The red danger points had multiplied.
Among them, I held my breath.
There was a blue light inside a white safe zone.
That's right — super ultra rare.
It was at the center of the mound at the far right.
The only way to get it was to dig straight through that garbage pile.
Little by little, I made my way inside and kept digging.
I concealed the entrance so that only I could get in.
I made the passage so narrow that without my Relic, Danger Discernment, you'd be lucky to escape with a serious injury instead of death.
And even with it, you could die if you weren't careful.
My life's on the line too.
Every kid who comes to the Junkyard isn't just a rival.
They're the enemy.
Yeah, the enemy.
That's why I don't know a single name or try to get friendly with anyone.
The Junkyard has a strict no-fighting rule, but once you leave, it's a lawless zone.
I try not to stand out, so I haven't been attacked yet.
But you'd better assume the danger of being targeted is always there.
You have to be that cautious and timid just to survive.
I slip through the hidden entrance into the heap of junk, trying to look used to it.
The inside isn't that spacious. I spot a blue light.
The blue light was shining from just below my line of sight.
The light was small.
That was proof that a super ultra rare was nearby.
I held my hand over the blue light, shielding it.
I held it away a little and used my third Relic, [Banish].
A transparent sphere appeared in my palm.
With it, I started erasing the pile of junk—the armor, the shields, the rusted and broken blades.
The Relic [Banish] can make whatever it touches vanish.
This transparent sphere only appears in the palm of my dominant hand.
It doesn't leave my hand, stretches and contracts freely, and at its smallest is the size of a marble.
At its largest, it can grow to about the size of a basketball.
[Banish] can distinguish between what to erase and what not to.
First of all, it has no effect on me whatsoever.
Just by visualizing, I can decide what to erase and what to keep.
For example, I can erase someone's clothes without harming their skin.
It's also possible to erase just the treasure chest without erasing its contents.
So even if I chip away at the pile, a super ultra rare won't get erased.
But that doesn't mean I can just hack away at it all at once—there's a risk of the junk mountain collapsing, so it's tricky.
Without rushing, I'll carefully excavate bit by bit.
"...I think I'll call it a day here. Hmm."
I'm tired, so I'll stop.
The blue light has grown much stronger and clearer.
Just a little more.
I hold back my impatience and save it for tomorrow and beyond.
Leaving the Junkyard, I wave goodbye to Gauro, the gatekeeper—there's somewhere I want to stop by before heading home.
On the main road toward the back alleys of the slum district south of Hydrangea—
"Hey. Look at that."
"That thing? That's insane."
"Whoa... that's more than just beautiful."
"And all three of them are Rank III delvers, right?"
Rank III!? I couldn't help but follow the gaze of the people chatting nearby.
There, three delvers were walking along with effortless poise.
It was as if color had suddenly been splashed into that one spot—a vividness that hit me like nothing I'd felt before.
The first was a beautiful beastkin girl of the catfolk, with light green hair streaked with white highlights.
She wore a black robe, one eye hidden beneath her hair. She carried a wooden staff.
Two white tails of different lengths swayed gently behind her.
The second had long golden hair that reached her waist.
A beautiful elf, clad in distinctive white full-body armor.
She carried a large round shield on her back. A tank, maybe?
And the third—a beautiful girl with short, peach-white hair.
Her red eyes held a drowsy look to them.
She wore a black jacket with red accents on it, and... what was that... that thing.
It looked like some kind of highly futuristic, mechanical white bodysuit.
And she paired it with tattered jeans-like pants. Quite the outfit.
What really caught my eye, though, was the monolithic blade hanging at her hip.
Its construction wasn't fantasy. It was sci-fi.
She was almost certainly not someone from this world.
Where had she come from? The sea of stars?
They were the kind of people who made everyone—young, old, men, women alike—turn their heads at least once.
There had been such radiance to them.
"...?"
A sharp intake of breath.
For just an instant, the cat-folk beauty and I locked eyes.
But that was purely coincidence.
And just like that, they were gone.