Reincarnated As A Demon

Chapter 26 Let's learn about my abilities!

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“If you don’t answer my question honestly, know that I am ready to devour your soul anytime. So, tell me, where the hell did you come from?"

W-why is she so serious?!  “I-I already told you. I came from another world." 

“What world? What kind of world?" 

Looks like I should just tell her that I got reincarnated, and was a human in my past life. I was planning to keep it a secret from her, sigh.

“I came from the modern world." 

“Modern world...? What?" 

“As expected, you don't know the modern world. The modern world is where I came from. It’s a world without magical powers, although we have smart people like scientists, doctors, and so on. We don't use magical items but we have advanced technologies…”

Huh? Scientists? Doctors? Technologies? Alice was confused. It was her first time hearing those words. 

“It’s where modern people or should I say modern humans live.” Zerha sighed. “To tell you the truth, this is my second life. I got reincarnated. I was a human back then. I died because I save a child that was about to be hit by a truck..."

Truck?

“And now you see, I got reincarnated and became a demon. As much as I want to go back there, I can't anymore. It's impossible..." Dejection was creeping back into Zerha’s heart as she said this.

“Saving a child? Pffft! Are you trying to become a hero?” Alice broke into laughter.

“Why the f*ck are you laughing? What matters now is that the child is safe and I have a second life!” Zerha’s sadness was quickly replaced by annoyance.

“Pffft! Hilarious! Do you think I believe that? You? Saving a kid? Looking back on how ruthless you were while killing those demons?” Alice laughed again.

“I did save the kid! And if I didn't kill those demons, there’s no doubt they would target other innocent people!”

“Haha,” Alice laughed. “Anyways, that explains why you don't know how things work in this world, especially being a demon."

“Yeah."

“So, may I know what abilities you have now?” 

“Oh. I can make this..." Zerha let out small threads in her hands, forming a little spider web. “I can make this as well..." Zerha threw some venom on a small rock, and it melted. “And the last one is healing powers."

“Perhaps it is only normal that your abilities are unique, since you got reincarnated, though where did I see that venom again?” Alice asked, trying to remember when did she saw it.

“It's from the serpent. You said you're the one who killed it, right?" 

“Ah! So did you get that ability from the serpent? Or did you have that ability from the very start?" 

“The venom? I don't think so. When I fought that big spider, I suddenly wanted to have venom from the serpent to melt its threads and I successfully created it..."

“Hmm... And then, I assume those threads you're using right now are from the spider you defeated in the cave?" 

“Yes."

“Let me think... Oooh! Then maybe you can steal someone's ability?" Alice remarked excitedly, even though she felt sleepy all of a sudden. I feel sleepy again, she thought.

“Did I steal it? We can't know if I stole it since they're already dead." Zerha was thinking that they didn’t have proof that she stole their abilities. If those beasts were still alive, they could check if they were still capable of using their abilities again after what Zerha did. If not, then Zerha did indeed steal their abilities.

“Hmm… Oh, maybe you can copy their abilities. That's the most reasonable answer now. Perhaps after you got reincarnated, you gained a unique ability which is Copy. Oh? The weak demon is becoming useful now?" Alice mocked.

“U-useful? I’ve been useful from the beginning! Tsk. And Copy? Maybe you’re right, but when I tried to copy the invisibility power from these wolves, it didn’t work---wait!” Zerha suddenly realized something. She was not sure, though she thought that the reason she was able to copy the beasts’ abilities back at the cave was that they hurt her. She remembered that they did inflict harm upon her. She was hit by small drops of venom when the serpent tried to spit on her. The same went for the spider and the dragon. She was cut and burned by their respective abilities, although the wounds were not too severe.

“Kimchi, try to bite me---ouch!”

Kimchi bit her even though she didn't finish her sentence.

“I didn't even finish saying it!” Zerha sobbed.

“Woof!" Kimchi licked her arm where he bit it.

“Hey, why did you tell him to bite you?" Alice got confused.

“I think I can only copy abilities if I got hurt by them. Kimchi bit me. I'll try to copy his ability again."

Zerha closed her eyes. Yes, this is the same feeling when I tried to learn the ability from those beasts in the cave, she thought and suddenly opened her eyes. Not even a minute had passed, and she successfully learned invisibility from the wolves.

“I think you successfully copied it." 

“I'm not quite sure since I can see myself. I don't know if the others can see me..." Zerha said as she looked at her own arms and legs.

“With this kind of invisibility, you are only visible to yourself. I can feel that this invisibility is a high-level one. It conceals not just your body but also your breathing and your magical power." 

“Really? Then, Sushi, remove your ability for a sec and tried to find where I am. Okay?"

Zerha stood beside the tree while Sushi was removing his invisibility. Sushi started to look for her. Zerha was merely in front of him, though Sushi didn’t see her. Sushi tried to find her using his nose to track the scent of Zerha but failed.

“Woof?” Sushi whined when he didn't see her.

“Sushi, look, I'm just in front of you! Oh my gosh, so I successfully copied their ability?!" Zerha grew excited as she removed her invisibility.

“Hm. So you can only copy someone's ability if you get hurt by them. About the healing ability, where did you get it? Did a human hurt you?" 

“Ah, no. I defeated a dragon, although it's not that big and strong like Garren." 

“You defeated a dragon?! How? A weak demon like you defeated a mythical creature?!”

“Of course, that's because I'm strong!" Zerha answered proudly. Though, it's not as strong and big as Garren. If that dragon was Garren, then I probably ashes by now! Zerha thought.

“How arrogant." Alice scorned. "Anyway, dragons have a fire ability, right? Do you have that as well?" 

Zerha recalled how the dragon breathed fire. She didn't try to copy it back at the cave since she forgot about it.

“Let me try." She started to imagine the fire that came from the dragon, with her eyes closed. In her palms, a fire began to form. 

“I did it! I'm invincible now!" Zerha let out a maniacal laugh.

“Ugh. Do not get cocky." 

“So to sum it up, I can copy different kinds of abilities from those who hurt me!”

“Now you are useful." 

“What useful? I'm not just useful, I'm super strong! Wahaha---" Zerha suddenly stopped laughing when she remembered something. “T-The backpack!”

Alice frowned. “What?" 

“When I was still in that cave, when I mouthed the word 'bag' it suddenly fell in front of me. And the bag that I was picturing in my mind was exactly the same as the backpack that appeared! Do I have another ability besides copying?" Although copying sounds like I'm cheating or something. Zerha groaned.

“Huh? What is a backpack?"

“It's a thing we use in the modern world. It's used for carrying belongings. You can carry it on your back. It's convenient, right?" This item, the storage ring is more convenient, though. Zerha thought.

“Your world surely is strange. So when you wished to have a back-something, it suddenly popped up out of nowhere?" 

“Yes. I think I read something an ability like that..." Zerha tried to recall the novels and the animes that she watched in her past. “Ah, maybe it's summoning ability?"

“Oh? You are familiar with summoning?”

“That's because I read fantasy novels in my past. Let's try,  I summon you, my stuffed toy, teddy bear!"

Nothing happened.

Alice burst into laughter.

Zerha cleared her throat. “Looks like it's not summoning," she said awkwardly. She was about to give up when a big stuffed toy fell on top of her head.

“Ouch! What was that---Ah! Alice! I think I just summoned my teddy bear!!" 

“What the hell is that thing?"

“I told you it's a stuffed toy. I should summon something that can help me survive in this world... A shotgun!" She shouted, though minutes passed and there was no shotgun that appeared. “Revolver? Rifle? Bomb?"

They didn't come out? Let's try to summon another thing. “T-shirt!" The t-shirt materialized immediately. Zerha was confused why the weapons that she mentioned didn't come out. Then she realized that perhaps the things she hadn’t touched or seen in person would not come out.

Though those guns may not be that useful in this world, since they use magical powers here, she thought.

Right, a t-shirt... Should I summon comfortable clothes? Yes, I should do that. Wearing a dress is too much hassle. I can’t move freely. Zerha summoned a loose white t-shirt with a CHINIXX word on the front, black jogger pants, and a pair of black slippers. Each article of clothing that she summoned fell under the brand CHINIXX.

Zerha looked around first to see if there were any demons before she undressed and donned the clothes that she summoned. Afterward, she put her robe and hood back on. Ugh, this big horn is in the way. Hold on, I can just make my horn disappear. I remember Ecanus saying that I can make it disappear on my own accord. Zerha made her big horn disappear. She noticed that her hair was too long, so she tied it into a ponytail. Her outfit was her usual style in her past life. Even though she only wore simple clothes, she still looked attractive; she even looked like the model of that outfit. She stored the dress that she got when she was in her demon form inside her storage ring.

“What is with your clothes? It is strange."

“These are the clothes I usually wear in the modern world. It's comfortable compared to that dress earlier."

“I-if we find my body... G-give me some comfortable clothes like that! That is an order!" Alice envied the clothes Zerha wore. She wanted to try wearing comfortable clothes, not dresses that made it difficult for one to move freely.

“You can just ask nicely! You don't have to raise your voice!"

“Hmph!" Alice merely felt embarrassed to ask. She yawned. The sleepiness she was fighting earlier won over her, and she passed out.

“So that's it, I have a copying ability and a summoning ability… Can I summon beasts or other things that are not just in my previous world? Just like the summoning ability in fantasy novels---" Zerha did not finish her sentence when she noticed that some demon thieves that were wearing the same robe as Zerha were running towards her. They were trying to escape from the demon knights that were chasing them.

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