I Don’t Want to Die as a Mob in My Second Life! ～A Story Where I Kept Training from Inside the Womb and Ended Up Being Mistaken for a Monster～ - Chapter 14: 'Object Imbuing,' Combos, and an Assassin!?

Chapter 14: ‘Object Imbuing,’ Combos, and an Assassin!?

“Maintain Spirit Hosting. Keep your focus and listen carefully.”

Forming a sword gesture over my chest, I concentrated on the rhythmic beat of my heart beneath my fingers, using it as an anchor while listening to my father, Michitaka.

“To perform Spirit Hosting, you must precisely grasp the ‘form’ of the Conceptual Spirit’s soul and envelop it with your spiritual energy. This connection is what allows you to unite it with your own soul.”

“Understood…”

“But be careful not to use too much spiritual energy for the enveloping. Excessive energy not only increases consumption but also blocks the conceptual information from the spirit’s soul, disrupting the unification process.”

“Yes… I understand.”

“On the other hand, if you use too little spiritual energy and fail to properly envelop the spirit, Spirit Hosting will fail altogether. Think of it like a capsule medicine—you need to keep the powdered medicine contained and ensure it dissolves smoothly in the stomach. Likewise, the spiritual power, like a medicine’s effects, must be applied to the body seamlessly.”

With my eyes shut, I focused intently in the darkness, continuously adjusting.

I carefully balanced the amount of spiritual energy and refined the form to best envelop the spirit, striving for the most efficient Spirit Hosting state.

Don’t forget it once you have it. Then be ready for change, ready to flow at a moment’s notice.”

“Once you’ve mastered this balance, never forget it. From there, you must learn to adapt instantly, keeping your energy flow flexible and preparing for any changes.”

…This was tough. The spirit’s emotions could cause their soul to waver like flames, and my spiritual energy had to adjust accordingly.

That’s why I had been relying on overwhelming the spirit with a larger amount of spiritual energy—it kept the hosting stable, even if the spirit’s soul fluctuated.

But Dad told me that approach wouldn’t help me improve.

“I’ve seen all your techniques, Kanata. Without a doubt, you’re already at a level that will pass the test. But that’s not your ultimate goal, is it?”

“Exactly…!”

I thought about the Reisoushi I knew from my past life who had died in the line of duty.

I was determined to save them this time and prepare for the eventual appearance of the highest-ranking Conceptual Spirit of [Regression].

I wanted to live a life free of regrets. I couldn’t afford to take things easy with looming dangers ahead.

“Then training is the only way forward. Let’s focus on Spirit Hosting first. This technique, which enhances your body with a spirit’s power, drastically increases your survival rate when mastered. Before worrying about any secondary weapons, you need to upgrade your main body’s specs.”

“Understood.”

—And so, the training began in earnest.

Twelve grueling hours later, starting early in the morning and continuing without a single break, my body pushed through until nightfall…!

◆　◇　◆

“Kanata, are you okay? You’ve been training on your own the whole time I was resting to recover my spiritual energy.”

“Yes, Father. I seem to have been born quite resilient, thanks to you.”

“‘Resilient’ might be an understatement…”

Dad gave a wry smile.

Currently, we were taking a break in the living room. My body was still fine, but I was starting to feel hungry.

(Ahhh, having a body that doesn’t get tired is amazing. Training feels so enjoyable now!)

With seemingly endless stamina and boundless spiritual energy, I could breeze through a level of training that would’ve left me completely drained in just three hours in my previous life.

Since my body didn’t get fatigued, I even had the mental capacity to stay sharp and focused.

“Haha… I know you’re incredible, Kanata, but don’t push yourself too hard, alright?”

“Yes, Father.”

As Dad and I were talking, the sliding door suddenly opened.

“Dinnertime is served!”

Maro entered, carrying a tray piled high with an assortment of dishes—Japanese, Western, Chinese… you name it!

Dad and I couldn’t help but swallow hard at the sight.

“Ah, Mr. Maro, thank you! I never expected someone as esteemed as a member of the Godaiin family to prepare us a home-cooked meal!”

“Hehe, think nothing of it. Maro is a connoisseur, you see. Dissatisfied with the skills of most chefs, I started cooking myself, and it became a hobby!”

Maro efficiently laid out the dishes, and before long, the table transformed into a culinary theme park.

Brightly colored sashimi platters.

Roast beef adorned with gold leaf.

Crispy, juicy whole fried chicken in the style of Yurinchi.

And that was just the start:

Miso-marinated grilled cod with a rich white miso flavor.

Salmon cream mousse accented with caviar and dill.

A steaming pot of mapo tofu bursting with the aroma of doubanjiang.

Delicate chawanmushi garnished with thinly sliced truffle.

Beef Wellington, tender filet wrapped in golden pastry.

Golden, crunchy spring rolls.

Vibrantly colorful steamed vegetables.

And vivid green roasted Brussels sprouts sprinkled with bacon.

It was an overwhelming feast!

“Strong-bodied Reisoushi tend to eat a lot. I made plenty for you, so be grateful.”

“Incredible, Maro! I shall praise you for your efforts!”

My body seemed to agree, its satisfaction practically radiating.

But then Dad stepped in with a disapproving, “Hey, now.”

“Father?”

“You need to use respectful language when speaking to someone older than you. And don’t forget to properly thank them.”

…A perfectly reasonable point.

But listen, Dad. My unruly “body self” tends to rebel against me no matter what I say, so even if I try—

“I understand… Thank you, Mr. Maro.”

Whaaat!?

Y-You won’t listen to anything I, your own consciousness, say, but you obediently follow what Dad tells you? Seriously?

What a child!

…Oh, wait. Right. I am a child. Actually, I’m the most child-of-child there is—a literal baby.

“Hohohoho! Well done, Michitaka! To think you’ve managed to discipline this monster!”

“I am his father, after all. …Also, Mr. Maro, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call my child a monster.”

“Wha—ah, my apologies!?”

Whoa, Dad even spoke up against someone as influential as Ujimaro.

Maybe gaining the confidence to accept me really strengthened his resolve.

…This is the same father whose excessive timidity literally caused his death in my previous life.

“Hmm… (Ten years from now, in the battle against the high-level Conceptual Spirit of [Violence], he stayed behind as rearguard to ensure members of a noble family could escape…)”

And now here he is, calmly calling out Maro of the prestigious Godaiin family. 

Meeting me in this second life seems to have caused some big changes in him.

Even during my training, it feels like he’s been using the opportunity to sharpen his own skills too.

“Alright, let’s eat.”

“Ah, thank you, Mr. Maro. Let’s dig in. Come on, Kanata.”

“Yes, let’s eat.”

As we put our hands together to say grace, Maro grinned and declared, “Yes, eat with gratitude!”

Alright, let’s start with a spring roll… Whoa—so good! 

The moment I bit into it, the juicy meat and richly flavored filling burst into my mouth. It was piping hot but absolutely delicious! Pairing it with a mouthful of rice? Unstoppable!

“Next, let’s try the salmon… This is amazing too!? That’s delicious!? This is incredible!!! Mr. Maro, I need more rice!”

“How can you eat so fast, huh!?”

Well, the food is just way too good. Plus, my body seems to demand a ton of nutrients. With muscles and organs built to high specs, it feels like every part of me is constantly crying out for nourishment.

“So good… ummm…!”

Ahh, the high-quality nutrients from this top-tier food are soaking into every fiber of my being. It’s pure bliss.

“More rice!”

“Again!? How much can you eat!?”

By the end of the meal, I’d had ten bowls of rice and nearly wiped out all the side dishes.

What a feast! It was absolutely amazing.

◆　◇　◆

It was the middle of the night.

Even with my high-spec body, I still needed sleep.

So there I was, lying in the room prepared for me, trying to get some rest…

“Snuggle time!”

“…!?”
“Can I strangle you!?”

I was being entangled by the Conceptual Spirit Trio.

[Doll] was sprawled on my chest. She was fine—didn’t bother me too much.

The problem was the two clinging to me from either side.

“Hey, [Blank Shot], [Ittan-momen], get off me!”

Their appearances right now were extremely problematic.

[Blank Shot], with her face hidden and black hair styled like a young girl in a cheongsam, gave off serious “criminal vibes” just by being this close.

Then there was [Ittan-momen], the blonde, completely nude except for a few strategically placed bandages. Her existence alone felt like a walking crime.

And here I was, sandwiched between the two. This scene would be catastrophic if anyone saw it right now…!

““”Mmm… Spiritual energyyyyy…”””

“Gah!?”

All three of them suddenly bit into my neck. I could feel their sharp little bites piercing just through the skin, sipping up my spiritual energy like it was a late-night snack.

“Hey, cut it out! You can absorb as much as you want in the Spiritual Domain, can’t you!?”

“Ehh~. We’ve always done it this way, though?”

“Urgh…”

Well, yeah, that’s true…

In my previous life, I thought of them more like pets. [Doll] stayed the same as [Doll], [Blank Shot] was just a fish, and [Ittan-momen] was basically a giant towel.

I used to let them cling to me, sip spiritual energy from my skin, and even sleep with them curled up around me.

“Alright, fine, but don’t stick so close, okay?”

““”Slurrrp slurrrp slurrrp slurrrp!”””

“Gahhh! Stop sucking up so much spiritual energy!!!”

It tickles!

◆　◇　◆

The next day.

After stuffing myself with a delicious Japanese-style breakfast, I dragged Dad out to the garden. I had a lot of things I wanted to try.

“Father, today I’d like to focus on ‘Object Imbuing,’ the technique of embedding spirits into objects.”

“Oh? Not Spirit Hosting?”

“Well, technically, I’ll be doing Spirit Hosting while performing Object Imbuing. Let’s begin.”

First, I hosted [Doll] within my body. Then—

“Command: Generate Spirit Thread.”

“Got it.”

From the tips of my fingers, glowing blue threads shot out.

Dad, watching closely, nodded in understanding.

“I see… This thread is a manifestation of [Doll]’s ability. It’s made from particles and debris in the air, correct?”

Wow, leave it to Dad, a skilled user of [Dove], to notice that detail so quickly. Sharp eyes!

“Exactly. When I was born, [Doll] casually created clothing for me, so I figured this kind of thing would also be possible.”

It’s something she couldn’t do as a lower-class spirit. It’s one of the perks of evolving into a higher-class spirit.

When a spirit’s rank increases, their ability to control multiple or larger-scale elements expands significantly.

For example, a lower-class [Fire] spirit can only ignite itself. 

But once it evolves, it can ignite a distant area just by glaring at it. It achieves this by controlling the surrounding oxygen and compressing it into a single point to spark a flame.

Similarly, [Doll] can now take control of debris in the surrounding space and form threads from it.

“Since the concept of [Doll] includes ‘threads,’ it’s basically an unlimited supply.”

“Haha! My wife Hinako would love that. She’s a big fan of sewing. But, uh, can threads really be useful in battle?”

“Like this.”

I activated a technique in my hosted state.

“Object Imbuing, activate. Reside within the thread, [Ittan-momen].”

“Can I strangle you!?”

Pulling the nude, blonde, bandage-clad menace [Ittan-momen] from her latest binge of bondage-themed videos in the Spiritual Domain, I imbued her into the threads extending from my fingers.

The threads immediately came alive, wriggling and moving with eerie fluidity. At my command, they wrapped around a nearby stone and lifted it into the air.

Dad, startled, exclaimed, “Whoa!?”

“I see, you combined the abilities of the spirits. First, you used [Doll] to create the threads. Then, since [Ittan-momen] is based on the concept of moving cloth, it can inhabit thread-like materials. Once imbued, it allows you to manipulate them freely.”

“Exactly. And with a spirit imbued, the material properties also change. The threads can stretch to some extent and become strong enough to lift objects.”

This is something I used to do with a scarf wrapped around my neck in my previous life.

With [Ittan-momen] evolving into a higher-class spirit, the enhancement rate for imbued objects has increased. Now, even a single thread can perform impressively.

“It could be stretched for movement or used to control multiple weapons at once.”

“That’s great, Kanata! Being able to synchronize with multiple spirits is a rare talent. Keep combining their abilities and expanding your repertoire.”

Dad was genuinely thrilled, ruffling my hair enthusiastically.

Gah, this is so embarrassing! Especially since Maro is watching me with an exasperated look, muttering, “Is he getting even stronger…?” Stop it, Dad, please!

“So, how are you planning to combine [Blank Shot]’s ability?”

Oh, [Blank Shot], huh?

“…!”

“Honestly, I haven’t thought of anything for [Blank Shot] yet.”

“!?“

Inside the Spiritual Domain, [Blank Shot], the black-haired girl in a cheongsam, looked absolutely devastated, like a loud clang of shock had just hit her.

Sorry, okay? I’ll come up with something eventually, so cut me some slack.

“Hmm, for now, the only thing I can think of is embedding [Blank Shot] into talismans and scattering them…”

As I was mulling this over, a strange tingling sensation ran across my high-spec forehead.

Feeling something was off, I tilted my head back, and—thunk!

“Hmm?”

A kunai stabbed into the ground behind me.

It had passed exactly where my head had been a moment ago.

What the heck just happened…?

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