It was morning when Nova and Ena began their journey to the city while following a black ball named Zero that floated in front of them. Dense forest still surrounded them with giant trees towering high.
"Wait a moment," Ena stopped in her tracks while looking at Nova with confusion. "Earlier you mentioned copying language and installing it? I don't understand what you mean at all."
Nova, who was walking while holding his sword at the ready because forest monsters often attacked without warning,
"It's simple," Nova explained while cutting down a three-tailed wolf that suddenly jumped from the bushes. "You asked earlier how we could communicate with the inhabitants of this world, right? The problem is language. We can't possibly understand their language automatically."
Ena nodded while following Nova's steps as he continued moving forward. "So how do we solve it?"
"Zero has a special ability," Nova pointed toward the black ball floating in front of them. "He can copy someone's language structure and then implant it into our minds. So, we need to meet with the native inhabitants of this world first."
"Oh..." Ena nodded slowly, though she still looked slightly confused. "So it's like downloading a new language into our brains?"
"Exactly like that."
Ena then noticed the mask Nova was wearing. "By the way, what's with that mask? Does it have a special function or is it just an accessory?"
Nova touched his mask briefly. "This mask gives me see-through vision ability. I can see through walls, trees..."
"Hey! Can that also—" Ena immediately panicked.
"Relax," Nova interrupted with a flat tone. "Unfortunately it can't. This ability is more useful for seeing enemies hiding or observing situations from a distance."
Ena sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. But is that the only ability it has?"
"I don't know," Nova shrugged.
"What do you mean 'I don't know'?!" Ena shouted in frustration.
"Well, I don't know!"
"You're impossible!"
After walking for hours through a forest filled with strange monsters, they finally reached the edge of the forest. The scenery that greeted them was very different from what they had imagined. Before them stretched a vast grassland with large scattered stones and several large trees growing sporadically. However, what caught their attention wasn't the scenery.
"What... what's happening over there?" Ena murmured while staring toward the middle of the grassland.
There, a fierce battle was taking place between a red-haired man and a giant silver robot. The robot was holding a large firearm that shot energy projectiles, while the man retaliated by shooting fireballs from both hands. The sounds of explosions and battle cries echoed throughout the grassland.
"It looks like the road to the city is over there. But we have to pass through that battle area."
"So what should we do?" Ena asked while glancing toward Zero, who was silently observing the battle. "We can't just wait here, can we?"
"Why not?" Nova answered casually. "It's better if we wait until the battle is over. Besides, this is a good opportunity."
"An opportunity for what?"
"I told you earlier, didn't I? We need someone from this world to copy their language."
Ena slapped her forehead. "Oh right! I forgot."
"That's why we just need to wait for whoever wins, then—"
Suddenly, a stray fireball flew toward them. Nova quickly swung his sword, splitting the fireball in two before it could hit them.
"Who are you two, HUH?!"
They turned and saw the red-haired man who had been fighting now standing in front of them. Behind him, the giant robot lay collapsed with its body burned and emitting thick black smoke.
"I don't understand what he's saying at all," Ena whispered in Nova's ear.
"Zero, now!" Nova gave the command.
[Very well,] the black ball emitted red light from its eyes, shining toward the red-haired man.
"What?! What the hell is this?!" the man screamed in panic seeing the strange light shining on him.
[Language copying process complete. Now I will perform installation,] Zero then emitted red light toward Nova and Ena.
Both of them felt a strange sensation in their heads, as if new information was being forcibly inserted into their brains. After a few seconds, the sensation disappeared.
[Language system installation complete.]
"Complete? Complete what? I still don't understand what's happening!" Ena shook her head.
"Oi, BASTARD! I'm talking to you! ARE YOU PRETENDING NOT TO HEAR!" the red-haired man shouted angrily. "Don't you know how to respect a Sage?!"
Nova was surprised to hear the man's voice. This time he could understand every word spoken.
"Your mouth is quite foul for someone who claims to be a Sage," Nova responded with a flat tone.
The man who introduced himself as a Sage was Kirano. He was Sage Kirano.
"What did you just say, HUH?! How dare you speak like that to a Sage! It seems you're really looking for death!"
Fire began dancing in both of Kirano's palms. He prepared to launch a massive attack toward Nova and Ena.
Kirano threw a giant fireball toward them. However, Nova didn't panic. With a very quick movement, he swung his sword in one perfect horizontal motion. The fireball was not only cut, but Nova's sword swing continued and split Kirano's body into two parts.
"Hah!" Ena, who was beside him, was clearly shocked by what she saw.
"You... killed him?" Ena asked with a trembling voice.
"What else could I do?" Nova answered while looking toward Ena. "If I didn't do it, we would have died. He attacked first, so it's his own fault."
Ena remained silent, trying to process what had just happened. "So... this is what you meant by copying language earlier, right?"
"Correct. Zero has copied the language structure from that person and installed it into our nervous system. Now, when we speak with the inhabitants of this world, our brains will automatically use their language. But when we speak among ourselves, we still use our original language."
Nova walked toward Kirano's severed corpse, blood still pooling on the ground. He began searching through the man's robe without any disgust.
"What are you doing?" Ena asked while holding back nausea seeing the blood-soaked corpse.
"Looking for money, of course. We need capital to go to the city." Nova pulled out a small leather pouch from inside Kirano's robe. When opened, dozens of gleaming gold coins were visible inside.
"Turns out this world uses a coin currency system," Nova weighed the pouch in his palm. "Quite a lot in here too."
"Zero, copy these coins!"
[Command received] Zero emitted red light toward the pouch.
[Copying process complete. I can now produce coins in quantities as needed]
"Ooh, so that's how Zero works? Whatever he sees and copies, he can produce again as much as we want?"
"More or less like that." Nova put the pouch into Zero's red eye.
"I can also put anything I want through his eye, even though his eye isn't that big."
Ena still stared at Nova with a mixed expression of admiration and horror. "I didn't expect you could be this cruel. And what's stranger is, why am I not as shocked as I should be seeing you kill someone?"
Nova looked at Ena for a moment. "Maybe because you're starting to adapt to the reality that this world is totally different from our world. Here, the law of the jungle applies. The strong survive."
"Maybe you're right. Besides, we've been in this world for two days, haven't we?"
"Okay, forget about that. Let's move to the city," Nova said while putting his sword into Zero's eye along with his mask.
"Since we're about to reach the city, I don't need to fight anymore, right? So I'll store them inside Zero."
"Wait," Ena held Nova's arm. "Are we just going to leave this corpse like this?"
Nova turned with a puzzled expression. "Do you want to bring him along?"
"That's not it! I mean, wouldn't it be better if we buried him? After all, he's also human."
Nova was silent for a moment, then let out a long sigh. "You're too kind-hearted for someone who attacked us without clear reason earlier. But alright, if that makes you feel more at ease."