Chapter 21: Originium Arts, Kid!
Fortunately, Steven's performance didn't lose its impact due to the simplicity of the method. If anything, the little Inquisitor next to him was completely stunned.
In less than a minute, what had once seemed like an endless ocean of Sea Terror was reduced to scraps of flesh and bone. The air was thick with the aroma of grilled fish, and the once-overwhelming swarm was now nowhere to be seen.
Only after finishing this task did Steven shake his hand and pull the Netherite Sword from the ground.
True to his word, he had promised to handle the pursuers and ensured Irene didn't have to wait long.
What annoyed Steven, however, was how stingy these so-called Sea Terror were.
As monsters seemingly irrelevant to the larger story of this world, they hadn't dropped even a single World Acknowledgement Point after being wiped out.
An entire minute of effort and almost a full stack of cobblestone—just for this?
It confirmed to Steven how thankless it was to play the good guy.
Next time, he'd think twice before lending a hand just because someone complimented him.
"...How did you do that?"
After a long silence, the Liberi girl behind him finally spoke, her voice filled with bewilderment as she asked the question weighing on her mind.
Irene wasn't unfamiliar with the strength of powerful fighters. She had even witnessed Saints in action. Yet, none of them had ever left her as awestruck as the boy in front of her.
Throwing a one-meter-wide block of stone wasn't impossible on this land, but to hurl it so effortlessly and at such speed? Irene was certain no ordinary person could manage it.
"Uh, just a little bit of technique, diligent training, and a touch of terrain-based gravity manipulation?" Steven answered with the utmost sincerity.
This tactic was something he had improvised while testing the mechanics of this world.
After all, it seemed that this world's physics still respected some of the principles laid out by a certain Newton, whose coffin remained firmly shut.
The blocks he conjured couldn't float unaided, so throwing them as projectiles had become a viable option.
Of course, this limitation also dashed his dreams of building a floating city, at least for now.
He'd have to investigate this world's characteristics further before revisiting that idea.
"So... this is your Originium Arts?" Irene asked, swallowing hard as the implications began to sink in.
She was starting to understand why her superior treated Steven with such friendliness.
If this guy seriously wanted to resist them, even she and Dario together might not be enough to stop him.
It was a hard truth to accept, but it was the only explanation for Steven's unwavering confidence.
With power like his, neither the Inquisition nor the Church of the Deep would pose much of a threat.
"Uh, how'd you guess this was raw stone arts?" Steven replied, slightly taken aback. "To be precise, it's raw stone throwing arts. Don't let my casual demeanor fool you—every throw requires a solid foundation of technique, you know."
"Did you know raw stone can be used in all sorts of ways?"
Steven, unaware of the difference between the terms Originium (Source Stone) and raw stone, genuinely believed Irene had accurately identified the blocks he was throwing.
Delighted by her apparent insight, he began enthusiastically bragging to the girl about his newfound "arts."
In that moment, the terrifying, inhuman image he had just built crumbled entirely. Irene's expression became increasingly complicated as she looked at him, her gaze shifting to one of mixed curiosity and exasperation.
Even the strongest person is hopeless if their brain's broken.
"You... don't even know what Originium is, do you?"
Irene's worldview had taken another hit. Yet by now, she was starting to feel a strange sense of resignation.
When it came to Steven, it seemed like nothing made sense—and somehow, that made everything about him seem logical.
"Huh? Are you saying the stone you're talking about isn't the same as the one I'm talking about?"
Steven froze for a moment before realizing that the Originium Arts she mentioned might be entirely unrelated to the blocks he casually carried around as basic building materials.
"What do you think?"
"I have no clue."
This time, Steven was genuinely stumped. He hadn't played Arknights before, so his understanding of its world was limited to hearsay: the game had a convoluted story, a grim backdrop, cute characters, and a rabbit-eared protagonist often memed as a "donkey."
Oh, and there was something called Rhodes Island. That was about the extent of it.
"You're... really something else."
Irene covered her face, unsure how to even describe him at this point.
"If you don't know what to say, then don't. Anyway, this isn't over yet," Steven responded nonchalantly. "Those monsters were just appetizers. The main course is probably on its way."
From her subtle expression, Steven could tell Irene's comments wouldn't be anything flattering, so he shifted the topic to something more pressing—like the looming arrival of a boss monster.
But as he scanned the area, he suddenly realized a critical issue.
"Wait a second. Where's my daughter? My adorably clueless daughter?"
It was only now that Steven noticed that Gladiia, who was supposed to be by his side, was nowhere to be found. His face darkened.
He had barely spent a few minutes showing off, and now his "daughter" had vanished.
Having fully embraced Gladiia as his unofficial adoptive daughter, Steven had no hesitation in referring to her as such in front of Irene.
"Wasn't she glued to you the whole time? How should I know where she went?"
Irene, too, had just realized the problem.
She'd been so stunned by Steven's ridiculous display that her brain had nearly short-circuited. She hadn't had the bandwidth to keep an eye on the silent girl who always clung to him.
And given Gladiia's speed while running away earlier, a few minutes would have been more than enough for her to vanish into some unreachable place.
"Figures... showing off never ends well—especially when it's deliberate. Karma strikes fast."
With a wry smile, Steven sighed but didn't seem too worried about Gladiia's safety. She might be naive, but she was still combat-capable.
Besides, finding her wouldn't be much of a challenge for him.
After all, he had a minimap Mod installed, didn't he?
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Tn: In China, Originium is also called as [Source Stone], it sound similar to raw stone when spoken, hence Steven confusion.
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