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～

Please Rate this Novel 5★ on NovelUpdates!

Chapter 30: “Absolutely, don’t cause any trouble, okay!?”

“You know, for all your reputation, you’re surprisingly serious. You could’ve skipped the exam altogether, couldn’t you?”

The fox-loli Special-Class teacher, Moyoko, said this to me.

“Well, yeah… (It’s about that [Hihiirokane] thing.)”

There are two ways to pass the Spirit Conductor Qualification Exam:

-Passing through sheer ability. This is the normal route.

-Being recognized for a unique trait or an extraordinary achievement.

If you meet the second condition, you can bypass the exam entirely—essentially a free pass.

Thanks to capturing [Hihiirokane], I was informed with a grumpy look by Ouma Shiranui that I qualified for the exemption.

Naturally, I turned it down.

“In the end, it’s important to have an accurate measure of spiritual energy and skill, don’t you think?”

“True enough.”

“If that’s the case, then it’s better to go through the same process as everyone else.”

I mean, I want to get along with everyone.

If someone already unpopular like me skips the exam, it’ll just make me even more hated, right?

So, I thought I’d work hard alongside everyone, pass the same test, and maybe become comrades through shared struggles!

“That’s why, everyone, I look forward to working with you!”

I smiled warmly, glancing around at the people nearby.

For some reason, their faces darkened.

Why?! I’m clearly making a friendly move here!

“Y-You’re… truly wicked, huh? You’re planning to crush everyone under the guise of fairness, then bask in the glory of it all, aren’t you…?!”

What are you even talking about, Miss Moyoko!?

“I saw you fight on TV. There’s no doubt you’ve got exam-worthy skills.”

“Thank you.”

“‘Thank you’?! That’s not the point! In the second half’s mock battle, you’re planning to obliterate your opponent, aren’t you!? Using power that would make even seasoned pros run away in terror!”

Ehh? That’s not my intention at all!

“Ugh… The second-half mock battle is a pure meritocracy. Complaining about matchups is strictly against the rules, but even I want to call it a garbage game sometimes…! What kind of game spawns the final boss in the first dungeon?!”

Her comparison was surprisingly youthful.

Moyoko, despite being three (and technically three hundred), plays video games, huh?

“Well, I don’t intend to kill anyone.”

“Of course not! And don’t just stop at not killing—don’t maim anyone, sever their limbs, or leave them permanently disabled either! That stuff happens occasionally, but the proctor always gets blamed for it!”

Moyoko looked genuinely nervous.

Does she really have that little faith in me? Geez, what a pain.

Fine, then. I’ll just have to turn her opinion around. I’ll fight my match like a proper instructor—showcasing my skills while being gentle enough to earn respect.

“Miss Moyoko.”

“W-What is it?”

“I’ve decided. By the time this exam ends, I’ll make sure you see me in a completely different light.”

As I made my declaration, Moyoko started trembling even more violently.

“A-Are you planning to brainwash me and make me your minion?!”

No! That’s NOT it!

◆　◇　◆

“Damn you, Kanata Soranaki…! I won’t let him lay a hand on Professor Moyoko…!”

“What’s he planning to do by brainwashing her!? She’s got the body of a beautiful three-year-old loli!”

“He’s one to talk, looking like a pretty loli himself!”

Some of the Reisoushis were whisper-shouting ridiculous things in the tiniest of voices.

But thanks to my high-spec body, my hearing is exceptional. When I turned and gave them a sharp look, they shrank back with a “Hiee!”

Sigh. When will people finally realize I’m a good guy?

“Now, let me explain, everyone~!”

Perched on the shoulders of a black-suited agent, Moyoko addressed the group.

Behind her stood a massive, pure-white crystal.

It was at least ten times her size—easily around ten meters tall.

“This here is the ‘Killing Stone.’ It’s a stone created using the power of my [Nine-Tailed Fox] to absorb souls.”

Wow. That’s one seriously dangerous rock.

But for Reisoushis, it should be fine.

“Don’t worry. Your souls are protected by the overflowing energy of your spiritual power. Therefore, only your spiritual energy will be absorbed.”

Then, Moyoko glanced around at us.

“Using that, we’ve established a method to measure your spiritual energy with absolute accuracy!”

The method for measuring the spiritual energy of a Reisoushi primarily relies on its wavelength.

Much like sound waves traveling with a buzz, Reisoushis can generally sense each other’s spiritual energy.

Techniques like Presence Concealment work by severing this detection.

“Spiritual energy is the essence of life. Machines cannot measure it, so it’s usually left to the vague intuition of the person observing. However, with the ‘Killing Stone,’ it’s different.”

Moyoko placed her hand on the massive crystal.

The once-white Killing Stone began to slowly turn red, starting from the bottom and moving upward.

“The more spiritual energy it absorbs, the more this stone turns red. This allows us to visually measure someone’s spiritual energy!”

Looking closer, I noticed the stone had markings engraved on it, like the kind you’d find on a height chart.

It was literally like measuring someone’s height. The amount of red on this ten-meter stone determined the person’s spiritual energy rank.

As Moyoko explained, she listed the rankings as the stone continued to change color:

Over 1 meter: Spiritual Energy Rank F

Over 2 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank E

Over 3 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank D

Over 4 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank C

Over 5 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank B

Over 6 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank A

Over 7 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank S

Over 8 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank SS

Over 9 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank SSS

Reaching 10 meters: Spiritual Energy Rank EX (Unprecedented)

Moyoko explained further.

Since each meter requires double the spiritual energy of the previous one, getting close to the top tiers becomes exponentially harder.

For example, if someone’s reading goes up to 1.5 meters, it gets rounded and marked as “Spiritual Energy Rank X+”.

It sounded a little silly, but hearing her say “X+” in that playful tone was pretty cute.

“Now then, as for my spiritual energy… 8.6 meters! That’s an ‘SS+’!“

Over 80% of the massive crystal turned red.

The children and other Reisoushis in the area erupted in cheers. “Oooohhhh!”

A spiritual energy rank of S or above is incredibly rare. As expected of a Special-Class Reisoushi.

…For reference, in my first life, my spiritual energy was Rank D. Ugh.

“If only I could increase it a little more. But even though my body’s young, my soul has aged and ripened. So, this is as far as it’ll go. Ure-ure, as they say.”

Spiritual energy is something Reisoushis can increase significantly in their youth.

That’s because their souls are still immature, flexible. It’s also why sudden infant death syndrome happens—an overabundance of energy destabilizes the soul.

As people mature, their souls become fixed, stopping any further growth.

“Hmm… (That’s the difference between me and Miss Moyoko.)”

—Her ability is resurrection, a process that moves forward. Her soul remains intact through each cycle.

—In contrast, the event I experienced is regression.

My future soul was hurled into the past and merged with my own soul from when I was still a fetus.

Before my consciousness fully awakened, I was told my spiritual energy was already double that of an average person. So yeah, it’s pretty clear what happened.

From there, I took full advantage of my fetal soul’s malleable state, tweaking it however I wanted to increase my Spiritual Pathways and massively boost my spiritual energy.

Thanks to that, I’ve got some confidence for this exam.

“Oh, and by the way, this Killing Stone is a gentle Killing Stone. If you mentally chant ‘Give my energy back,’ it’ll return it. So don’t hold back—pour everything into it until you’re almost spent~!”

◆　◇　◆

“U-Um, A-Azaka Toudou, fifteen years old, please to meet… er, I mean, pleased to meet you!”

The stammering girl, who bit her words hard, drew a few chuckles from the onlookers.

Right now, the Spiritual Energy Measurement was underway.

Children, from toddlers to mid-teens, lined up in front of the Killing Stone, turning it red one after another.

Occasionally, adults were in the mix too—those who had recently awakened to spiritual energy or had found a compatible Conceptual Spirit later in life.

“Mmmnghh…!”

“Ooh! Six-point-three meters! Toudou Azaka, your spiritual energy is Rank A! Very impressive!”

“Hah… hah… N-No, compared to my sister, I’m nothing…”

The girl looked oddly unsure of herself.

Rank A spiritual energy puts you at a first-class level.

It’s eight times higher than a D rank, for crying out loud.

If I had that little confidence back in my previous life, I wouldn’t have even been able to breathe.

“Next up!”

At Moyoko’s call, a blonde-haired boy stepped forward with a sharp huff.

It was my older brother, Michio.

“Michio Soranaki, ten years old. Pleased to meet you.”

“As arrogant as ever, aren’t you~?”

Moyoko chuckled wryly.

Apparently, he always carries himself with the same smug attitude at the academy. The other kids’ gazes toward him were filled with pure annoyance.

He’s probably been flaunting his superiority and grinding everyone down with his snide remarks.

“Go ahead and start.”

“Yeah.”

Michio placed his hand on the massive crystal.

In an instant, the red hue climbed rapidly from the bottom…

“Whoa! Six-point-nine meters! Almost an S rank—Spiritual Energy Rank A+!”

“Hmph.”

The crowd burst into murmurs of awe. “Oooohhh!”

As expected of a genius. Even at his age, he’s that strong.

The adult Reisoushis showered him with praise, marveling at his incredible talent.

Even among professional Reisoushi, few possess that level of spiritual energy.

And since he’s only ten, there’s still room for him to grow.

“Hey, listen up, everyone! I’m exceptional! Hinami and I don’t carry the inferior blood of the Soranaki family. If you’re thinking of aligning with us or proposing marriage, now’s the time to offer the best terms!”

Michio declared this boldly, as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Moyoko, however, quickly interjected with a sharp, “Now, now, now!” shaking her head in disapproval.

“Don’t use exam time for self-promotion! Good grief, I know you’re talented, but enough with the overconfidence!”

“Yes.”

Michio nodded obediently and stepped back.

Though honestly, it didn’t seem like he planned to change his attitude at all.

“…Hmph!”

As soon as our eyes met, he let out an exaggerated snort.

What’s with that reaction? Blow your nose, man.

“Next is… ugh.”

Moyoko glanced at the next name in the applicant file and made a face like she’d just bitten into something sour.

“Alright, next up, Kanata Soranaki.”

“Yes, that’s me.”

The atmosphere in the field shifted instantly.

An even bigger stir ran through the crowd than when Michio went.

The Reisoushis, who had been whispering shady conversations like, “Michio is truly remarkable—I’d love to marry my daughter to him,” and, “I heard the head of the family scolded him harshly. Perhaps now’s a chance to buy custody,” all stiffened up, their expressions tightening.

The field was suddenly filled with tension, fear, and caution.

“…Greetings. Kanata Soranaki, zero years old.”

Internally sighing at the overly dramatic reactions, I stepped forward.

“Looking forward to this, Professor Moyoko.”

“Y-Yes… But really, declining an exam exemption, and at zero years old no less… It’s bizarre. You’ve already set an eternal record as the youngest examinee in history.”

“Uh, is that a compliment?”

“I’m freaked out, you fool!”

Moyoko shouted, angrily smacking the head of the black-suited man carrying her on his shoulders.

Poor guy’s scalp is probably taking some damage… though, wait, why does he look so happy about it?

Hey, Professor Moyoko (physical age three), you realize that guy’s got some seriously questionable preferences, right? You’re basically stepping on a landmine here.

“Alright, we’re running out of time. Kanata Soranaki, get started.”

“Understood.”

At her cue, I placed my hand on the Killing Stone.

Alright, this is essentially my second go at this test. No way can I let myself produce a disappointing result as a second-time player.

“Here we go.”

I channeled my spiritual energy and began pouring it into the stone.

The red glow spread rapidly, surpassing my previous life’s Rank D, climbing through C, then B, and shining brighter as it advanced.

“Oho! You’ve reached Rank A! And… S?! As expected, you’ve surpassed your brother!”

Moyoko exclaimed, while Michio ground his teeth in frustration.

But I wasn’t stopping there. I kept channeling more energy.

“S+, SS, SS+…! Oh my, you’ve matched me! Wait—SSS?!”

The red glow now covered 90% of the stone, and it began to tremble visibly.

“W-Wait, wait, wait, hold on a second! You’re already at SSS+?! That’s the same as Ouma boy! You can stop now… oh no, it’s fully lit up!? EX rank reached~~~!”

The Killing Stone was now entirely filled with a deep crimson glow.

The sight of the towering ten-meter crystal shining like a divine artifact was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

But…

“Looks like I can keep going.”

“What!?”

My spiritual energy wasn’t even close to running out.

I kept pouring more and more into the Killing Stone, which began to tremble violently, rattling with an ominous clatter-clatter-clatter.

“If I max it out once, will it start turning blue from the bottom, like a second phase?”

“There’s no such thing as a second-phase feature!!!”

Wait, really?

Just as I was thinking, Oh, that’s bad, and tried to pull my hand away—

A sharp crack sounded, followed by an earth-shaking BOOOOOOOOOM!!!