Splish-splash, splish-splash...
Water pouring from the tap washed the dust off Alistair's hands and into the sink, flowing down the drain.
After washing his hands, Alistair shook off the water and pulled out a pendant from his pants pocket.
The pendant consisted of a cord of unknown material and a small, circular charm. This small piece was colorless and transparent, looking somewhat like glass or crystal. There seemed to be a pattern in the center of the charm; when Alistair held it at a certain angle to the sun, he could faintly make out the outline of some kind of figure.
Alistair found this pendant on the ground where the "shrine" should have been. He was about to leave and had already passed the two buildings situated in front of that area. However, he inexplicably looked back at the grassy patch again and saw a slight reflection. So, Alistair turned back and finally found this small pendant lying in an angled corner.
The appearance of the pendant was the same whether Alistair viewed it with his normal or special vision, seeming like a perfectly ordinary object. However, Alistair suspected it was definitely not useless.
Whether it was intentionally discarded by the culprit or accidentally dropped, the fact that it was there suggested it had some purpose Alistair didn't know.
Alistair's demonic ring had no reaction, indicating that this was certainly not a naturally occurring artifact. Man-made anomalous objects were considered junk by Alistair's demonic ring and wouldn't elicit a reaction; the object on Professor Ariel Hatsufuji's hand was a good example, though this was only Alistair's guess and needed further verification.
If he could discern the pattern inside the small charm, he might find some clues. However, even when positioned correctly, the pattern inside was indistinct, and Alistair couldn't clearly make out what it was.
Also, the black cord stringing the small charm felt very comfortable to the touch—smooth and silky, perhaps like... silk? Unlike regular ropes that felt somewhat coarse, this cord was exceptionally smooth. Moreover, the black color of the cord didn't seem dyed; it looked perfectly natural, suggesting it was the object's original color.
The connection between the cord and the small charm was seamless, indicating the cord couldn't move freely to the left or right and was fixed at this angle. This didn't pose a significant issue, as the cord's smoothness meant it wouldn't cause any chafing on his neck.
Alistair put the small pendant around his neck. The cord indeed felt comfortable and was slightly cool, which was pleasant during the season of gradually rising temperatures.
"What is this thing used for?"
Alistair cupped the small charm with his left hand. The crystal-like pendant shone brightly in the sun, sparkling faintly.
At the same time, the eye-like gem on Alistair's middle finger ring seemed to come alive. The pupil trembled slightly, its color seemingly deepening. The previously unfocused pupil slowly concentrated, and an invisible, colorless aura emanated from it, enveloping Alistair's entire body.
"Hmm? Why do I feel something strange?"
Alistair lowered the pendant and looked around, finding nothing. He looked at himself and also noticed no obvious anomaly. Everything appeared normal, but Alistair had a feeling that something had happened to him or that he was under some influence. Although Alistair couldn't see or feel it with touch, having gradually entered the realm of the supernatural, his sixth sense was also being reinforced. Alistair sensed some change in himself through this seemingly vague sixth sense.
Could it be this?
Alistair suddenly thought of the ring on his finger, flipping his hand over to look at the eye-like gem, but it looked no different from its usual appearance. It didn't seem to be the source of the effect.
As Alistair lowered the small pendant, it rested against his chest. The invisible aura surrounding Alistair also enveloped it, then seeped inside. Subsequently, the pendant began to clear, as if condensation were being wiped from foggy glass, slowly revealing areas of clarity from the blur. However, this change was almost imperceptible, and the rate of "clearing the fog" was extremely slow; there wouldn't be any noticeable change in the short term.
The ring itself possessed a certain illusionary effect; otherwise, carrying such a conspicuous object to school every day would certainly lead to rumors. Alistair had worried about this initially, only to later realize that in other people's eyes, the area was blank; his left middle finger bore no rings or similar ornaments. Although the principle was unclear, this saved Alistair a lot of trouble.
However, there was one issue: if this item could change its appearance to others, was its appearance in Alistair's eyes necessarily real? After all, it had been confirmed through identification that the item no longer possessed the consciousness of the abyssal demon itself; otherwise, Alistair would find a way to get rid of it.
But since removing the soul didn't eliminate the biological instinct of the demon's genes, its innate abilities could still spontaneously activate at unknown times. Alistair's understanding of this item was minimal, which sometimes proved troublesome. The sudden, strange sensation he felt earlier, although he couldn't see or touch it, was something he perceived through his gradually enhanced sixth sense.
"Forget it. There's nothing I can do anyway. I'm going back. Let me check the Baseball Club first. I have a date tonight."
Alistair stopped dwelling on it. All his abilities were acquired through the [Acquisition] ability he had leveraged from the driver during his transmigration. This ability could acquire not only information but also extra items. It was useful, but the limit of three uses per day was frankly annoying.
Even if he couldn't cope later, he could always resign himself to living the life of a rich sansei (third generation). Given his grandfather's means, if he could obtain this ring, resolving any side effects it caused shouldn't be a major issue. With a bit of luck, perhaps he would draw something amazing that would allow him to soar?
Things like the Sharingan Eye, the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, or some kind of divine authority. If he drew any of those, it would be a dimensional attack on this world.
After fantasizing about acquiring divine authority and sweeping the world, building a massive harem, Alistair returned to reality. Right now, he couldn't even deal with Hachishaku-sama in the demi-human district. Thinking about anything else was pointless. That place had all kinds of cat girls, dog girls, even cow girls, and elves, yet Alistair couldn't go there. It was depressing.
Whoosh—!
Splat!
Alistair instinctively reached out and caught a small object flying through the air—a baseball. He pulled back his slightly numb hand and looked at the ball.
Alistair raised an eyebrow. The baseball had flown outside. Wasn't the field large enough? Which powerhouse hit the ball so far? This was fortunate, as he was already heading to the Baseball Club and could find out who was strong enough to hit that far. Alistair, even with his physique enhanced far beyond the average adult, would need to use the Ox Talisman's power to hit it that distance. Had someone used body enhancement?
Alistair held the baseball and continued walking toward the Baseball Club's stadium. Soon, a student in the club's uniform ran toward him.
"Student, are you looking for this?"
Alistair stopped him, holding out the baseball.
"Ah? Yes, that's it. Thank you for your help, student."
The student gratefully took the baseball Alistair offered and thanked him. He turned to go back but was stopped by Alistair, who placed a hand on his shoulder, preventing him from moving.
"Is there something else, student?"
The student asked with a friendly expression.
Though he was just a low-level member tasked with fetching balls, he wasn't foolish. He had been picking up balls for a while and regularly trained. Yet, this slightly thin-looking boy held him firmly with one hand. The gap in physical strength was obvious, so despite any impatience, he maintained a gentle expression.
"I wanted to ask who hit this ball? The force was quite significant; it flew right out of the stadium."
Alistair looked at him with curiosity.
Relieved that Alistair wasn't asking for anything troublesome, just who hit the ball, the student's expression turned slightly surprised.
"To be honest, I didn't expect the ball to fly that far either. Shouya Katase hit this one. I don't know what kind of supplement he took today, but he just suddenly exploded. He used to just be a substitute, but today, every hit has been outstanding. That last one flew out of the stadium with his powerful swing. Everyone was shocked."
Shouya Katase? The one Akane Nanao likes?
Alistair released the student's shoulder, allowing him to quickly run back. He stood still, thought for a moment, and gave a slight smile before following the student back toward the stadium.
Explosion? A sudden burst of power? Interesting. The Baseball Club collectively slacking off today was already strange. Although he didn't know why they resumed training, the sudden surge in strength of one member was clearly suspicious.