“Please, I beg you, come to my village!”

While we were continuing east along the highway in a shared carriage, a sharp-eyed woman suddenly jumped out in front of us and shouted at us.

The carriage came to an abrupt stop at her sudden action, but the woman in front of us didn’t show even a hint of fear at the horse that had stopped just inches from her.

She was a young woman with hair that looked dark green depending on the light, tied back into a single bundle. Since she had a sword at her waist, I thought she might be an adventurer, but she wasn’t wearing armor.

Her appearance wasn’t bad, but the deep dark circles under her eyes and the bloodshot look ruined everything. She appeared to be around twenty years old.

She was clearly desperate, lacking composure. She didn’t seem like a bad person, though.

The merchants and adventurers sharing the carriage with us looked at her suspiciously in response to her intense demeanor.

“What the hell are you saying? We’ve got business in a town way up ahead. Outta the way, move it.”

The coachman waved his hand as if swatting away a bug, but the woman didn’t budge. Clearly, she had no intention of moving.

She was tense like a cornered beast. Touch her and she might bite.

“A horde of monsters is going to appear in the village up ahead! That’s why—I need your help!”

“A horde of monsters? This is a safe zone where only weak ones show up. The villagers should be able to handle that. Besides, we’ve got some top-notch adventurers here, but we’re busy.”

“Damn right. Ain’t got time to mess with some low-level monsters.”

One of the adventurers rolled up his sleeves and tried to show off his strength.

I had just used Appraisal earlier, and the three adventurers riding with us each had skills that suggested at least intermediate-level strength. Like he said, if it’s the kind of monsters that show up around here, they shouldn’t have any problem.

“That’s not it! They’re not low-level. A much more vicious group of monsters is coming in a horde!”

Rather than feeling reassured by the adventurer’s words, the woman looked like she was about to burst into tears as she continued to plead with us to come.

She didn’t seem to be lying or joking, so I activated Psychology. I determined that she wasn’t lying.

Psychology can read mental states to some extent, but it’s not perfect. If someone has a high Acting skill, they can fool you.

However, with my level of Psychology, even a famous stage actress would have a hard time deceiving me.

“A horde, huh? If you’re gonna lie, make it a better one. And you said they’re ‘going to appear’? How do you know that?”

“Th-that’s because I have the Precognition skill!”

That’s a lie. Psychology tells me so.

Even without activating a skill, her uneasiness made it obvious.

“Tch. Don’t go spouting such obvious lies. If you really had that kind of rare skill, you’d handle this yourself. If you’re not gonna move, don’t complain when you get run over! Yah!”

The coachman whipped the reins, and the horses began moving without hesitation.

The woman jumped out of the way in a panic, and the carriage rushed past her.

“Damn it, damn it all! Why—why won’t anyone understand me?! Am I going to fail again?! I’m so powerless... How many times do I have to repeat this? How many times do I have to watch everyone get killed?!”

She collapsed to the ground, weakly, pounding her fists into the dirt over and over.

After saying goodbye to the others in the carriage, I jumped off and quietly walked toward her.

“Would you mind telling me more about your story?”

She probably hadn’t expected anyone to stay. She looked up at me with tear-soaked eyes, stunned.

It’s true I was curious about what she said, but more than that, I was interested in the skill I had barely managed to glimpse using high-level Appraisal.

Return by Death

This is likely a unique skill—an Unique Skill.

“My name is Ripure.”

Ripure bowed deeply. Seeing I had stayed behind, she seemed relieved and looked like she was about to cry again.

Even now, she bit her lip hard and clenched her fists, desperately trying to suppress her emotions.

“I might not be of much use on my own…”

“No, even one person is reassuring. You were the only one who listened. If you don’t mind, could you tell me your name?”

“It’s not really a name, but people call me the Skill Collector.”

“Skill Collector…?”

I’m fairly well-known among the city dwellers and the powers that be, but it seemed Ripure hadn’t heard of me. Not surprising, since I’ve never visited this region before.

“I buy up unnecessary skills, useless skills, and even obstructive skills for high prices.”

“You buy skills? I’ve never heard of that before.”

Since it seemed there was still time before the monster attack, Ripure and I walked side by side toward the village, exchanging introductions and explaining the situation along the way.

“I’d like to keep this confidential, but my skill Trade, which enables the buying and selling of skills… is an Unique Skill.”

“An Unique Skill…?”

Ripure gasped and lowered her head. Then, silently, she continued walking without a word.

As expected, she reacted to that term. If her Return by Death is also an Unique Skill like mine, then I figured she’d show some response.

I deliberately said Trade instead of lying and calling it a Purchase skill, hoping she’d trust me for being honest.

“In this world, there are rare skills said to have been possessed by only a few people in the past. Even more precious are the skills that have only ever existed once, including both past and present. Those are called Unique Skills. Have you heard of them?”

Even though I already knew about Ripure’s ability, I decided to ask her anyway.

She lifted her downcast face, and as if she had made up her mind, she slapped her cheeks with a sharp clap and met my gaze.

“I know. I know better than anyone. I also have an Unique Skill... ‘Return by Death.’”

“So, your so-called ‘Precognition’ was a lie, and your real skill is ‘Return by Death’?”

“Yes, I’m sorry for lying. But no one would believe me even if I explained my skill.”

Unique Skills are often too unusual to be trusted unless witnessed firsthand.

In her case, it’s not something she can easily show others. Just the name alone makes that clear.

“I can make a rough guess, but could you explain your ability in detail?”

“Yes. When I die, time rewinds to roughly a day before. Only I retain my memories.”

“Time rewinds... you say.”

I had suspected it, but hearing her say it aloud made it hard to believe.

Even I, who can see skills, almost doubted her. It must be even harder for an ordinary person to believe.

“I want to believe you, but I’d like some kind of proof, something decisive.”

“In that case, the time is almost here. In just a few minutes, an earthquake will occur in this area. The entrance to a cave, which had sealed away monsters, will collapse. After that, a horde of monsters will emerge... It’ll turn into a living hell.”

She spoke plainly, and yet her words felt almost unconditionally believable.

Her eyes and expression had a compelling intensity and truth that left no room for doubt.

She fell silent, looked up at the sky, and murmured, “It’s coming.”

Suddenly, a tremor so strong it made standing difficult struck us from below.

This must be the earthquake Ripure spoke of. Now I was sure. She had, at the very least, experienced this future once before.