I was Reincarnated as an Incompetent Leader with Zero Popularity who met his downfall early on. Instead of banishing the hidden cheat Protagonist, I decided to embrace him, and somehow, I ended up being treated like a Hero instead. - Chapter 36

“By the way, is this the only way to acquire skills?”

The question suddenly crossed my mind, so I asked Elena. She responded that it wasn’t necessarily the case.

“Skills require specific conditions for activation, and as long as someone understands how to trigger them, they can use them.”

“In other words?”

“You either learn how a skill works from someone else or figure it out on your own. It’s similar to following a recipe when cooking.”

I nodded in understanding.

Indeed, in battle-focused manga and anime, there are often scenes where a protagonist inherits a secret technique passed down through generations or gains a special ability through intense training.

Elena had compared it to cooking, but in Chrono’s case, he already possessed the necessary ingredients. That’s why he was able to complete the magic sealing technique simply by learning the method.

On the other hand, I lacked the essential components, which is why I could only barely manage to use the Slime Slash skill when the time came.

If that’s the case, then I should be able to acquire skills by myself using the copies of skill books Elena gave me.

By studying the names and activation conditions of the skills recorded in those books, I might be able to obtain them through my own efforts.

“It’s not impossible. In fact, there have been people in the past who developed their own unique skills through similar methods,” Elena confirmed.

“However, those independently developed skills often differ slightly from the original ones,” added the Goddess of Knowledge, reading my thoughts. It really was just like cooking.

“Receiving a skill as a divine blessing simply bypasses the research, training, and time needed to ingrain the technique into both the mind and body.”

Simply put, the benefits were enormous.

There was no way I could have figured out the mechanics of Slime Slash just by swinging my sword a hundred times. And as for Magic Sealing, I barely understood what it even did.

“You don’t have to force yourself to rationalize everything. Some skills come naturally to certain people, while others don’t,” Elena said with a wry smile, closing a thick book.

As I found myself wanting a copy of that book, she sighed and reminded me, “You already have one.”

Right—she had already gone over the skills I had been granted this time. I felt a little embarrassed by my own dullness.

“It’s understandable. Right now, your body is in critical condition—covered in potentially fatal wounds, with multiple heavy impacts to the head leaving you in a comatose state. Only your soul has managed to come here,” she explained.

Rather than just coming here, it seemed like she had forcibly dragged me over.

The Goddess smiled sweetly, but there was something eerily unsettling about it.

As I hesitated to respond, Elena’s expression softened into one of concern.

“While I do watch over you, you need to understand that a soul detached from the body is quickly drawn into the cycle of reincarnation. Do not take near-death experiences lightly.”

“Reincarnation…?”

So in this world, people are reborn after death. Or maybe, since this world is based on my novel, it simply reflects my own interpretation of life and death.

In a world shaped by my story, what would happen if I, its author, died? What would I reincarnate as?

“Stop entertaining such ominous thoughts!”

Elena scolded me firmly.

“And don’t assume that you’re special enough to avoid death entirely,” she added for good measure.

“Yeah, yeah, I got it.”

“Do you really understand?”

I may not have the ability to read minds like her, but I could tell she didn’t trust my answer.

So I really can die here, huh? The realization sank in.

I half-expected Elena to keep pressing the issue, but instead, she shifted the conversation.

“It looks like your body has finished healing. Thanks to someone Chrono brought along, you even avoided losing sight in one eye.”

“Someone he brought along?”

“Yes. They don’t seem to be a healer, but they possess high-level healing magic. Interestingly, they’re also dressed as a swordsman, just like you.”

Was this the “more reliable person” Chrono had mentioned?

At the time, what I needed wasn’t healing but physical reinforcement through support magic. Could this person use both high-level healing and reinforcement magic? If so, they were incredibly skilled.

And considering they also wielded a sword, they seemed almost too capable—practically a one-person army.

Wait… so I really was on the verge of losing an eye? That only added to my growing resentment toward the self-proclaimed vigilantes.

“Your body has recovered. It’s time for your soul to leave the temple.”

Elena’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

The last time I was here, I was considered missing for an entire week, even though it had only felt like a few hours.

The flow of time in this temple must be different from the world I normally live in.

By now, at least half a day might have passed since I defeated the giant slime.

“If you don’t wake up soon, the women taking care of you will become even more exhausted.”

“Chrono Nightlay, in particular, is under immense stress. If this continues, his relationship with Mian Cloverell may worsen again.”

The Goddess of Knowledge delivered that last part so nonchalantly that it made my stomach churn.

Realizing I had no time to waste, I hastily declared my return to my body.