That evening, the five lay neatly in their sleeping bags, but the tent held little of the calm before sleep.

Day High: Ha... The money’s all gone. Not a single Wish Point left either.

Li Weishe: As expected of Boss Day High—the man from the math-savvy nation.

Seventh Ju: ...Is that really something to brag about?

Li Weishe: Of course. If it were me, I’d lose control of my lower half instantly and rack up debts.

Li Weishe: Then I’d be scorned, humiliated, beaten bloody, and forced to sign a labor contract to pay it off.

Seventh Ju: What exactly have you been through in life...

Half Moon Outflow: Wasting energy on women right after departure? That’s pretty dumb.

Day High: Not at all. Women are eternal romance for men.

Day High: By the way, Outflow-chan.

Half Moon Outflow: Outflow... “chan”?

Day High: Earlier, I saw the knife-hand you pressed against that guy Aibin’s neck. You must have some skills, right?

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Half Moon Outflow: Is having skills so strange? Most people in this labor crew are capable.

Li Weishe: Naturally. Everyone’s here to join the military, get promoted, and make a name for themselves.

Seventh Ju: What’s that about?

Day High: Little Ju, you didn’t know? Foreigners must work one year in a labor crew to join Sincere Kingdom’s army or Pioneer Team.

Day High: Even heroes with ten thousand Wish Points can’t skip this.

Seventh Ju: No wonder there are so many folks with unique vibes.

Li Weishe: Little Ju really is a country bumpkin.

Day High: Since we’re now an action group, can we... share our Wish Powers? Just a bit?

A brief silence fell over the tent.

Half Moon Outflow: Discussing such private stuff makes me uneasy.

Li Weishe: Yeah, more uneasy than being stripped naked, tied up in the street, and forced to crawl like a dog.

Seventh Ju: Seriously, Li Weishe, what have you even lived through...

Day High: If it’s unsettling, I’ll start.

Day High: Me! The man from the math nation—I inherited its calculating talent!

Day High: So I dumped 40 Wish Points into “calculation and scheming abilities”!

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Li Weishe: As expected... Boss Day High. Truly bold.

Li Weishe: Wishing for such a broad power must be hard to control without talent—and barely useful.

Day High: Exactly! I’m a genius! I still have plenty of Wish Points left!

Seventh Ju: If only you weren’t so full of yourself.

Li Weishe: For me... 10 points in “not telling others when I’m bullied”; 18 points in “not getting angry or resisting”...

Li Weishe: ...20 points in “withstanding hits and healing internal/external injuries”; 10 points in “crafting bows and arrows”; 32 points in “using bows and arrows.”

Li Weishe: I’ve used every single Wish Point the gods gave me. Not one left.

Seventh Ju: ............

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Day High: I mean... Weishe.

Li Weishe: Just call me Li Weishe.

Day High: Li Weishe... Why spill everything so openly?

Li Weishe: Well, if we’re sharing, I might as well tell all.

Li Weishe: Everyone else can share as they like.

Half Moon Outflow: You don’t have to put yourself that low.

Seventh Ju: And what even are “not telling others when I’m bullied” and “not getting angry or resisting”?

Li Weishe: Wishes forced on me by others.

Li Weishe: Can’t help it—I’m bullied in every circle I join.

Seventh Ju: But today, you boldly aimed your bow at that big guy Aibin.

Li Weishe: He’s not in my current circle.

Li Weishe: Why bow to outsiders?

Seventh Ju: ...That’s oddly specific.

Seventh Ju: In the language of a certain species I know, you’d be... a “total uke.”

Li Weishe: What species is that?

Seventh Ju: Uh... Forget I said anything.

Day High: Alright, Outflow-chan’s turn next.

Half Moon Outflow: “Outflow-chan” again...

Li Weishe: What wishes did you make, Outflow-chan?

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Half Moon Outflow: None.

Day High: Huh? You’re twenty and haven’t wished yet? You’ve got patience.

Half Moon Outflow: No.

Half Moon Outflow: I... was born with zero Wish Points.

Half Moon Outflow: The gods didn’t favor me. My Wish Points are naturally zero.

Seventh Ju: ............

Li Weishe: ............

Day High: Then... you must have some natural talent stronger than non-wishers, right? The gods wouldn’t ignore someone completely.

Half Moon Outflow: I... see well in the dark.

Half Moon Outflow: Even at midnight’s deepest black, I can see everything within sight.

Half Moon Outflow: Besides that, no special skills.

Day High: ............

Day High: Ah—Little Ju, how about you?

Seventh Ju: Oh, me...

Seventh Ju: I wished for anti-injury abilities like Li Weishe’s. Where I lived was so remote, an accident could kill you.

Li Weishe: Oh! Is that ability useful? Before wishing, I’d pass out after a dozen hits. Now I last nearly a thousand.

Seventh Ju: Is that really “useful”...

Day High: Anything else?

Seventh Ju: Also... my village was isolated, with a heavy accent. I could barely talk to outsiders. So I spent 10 points on language skills...

Day High: ............

Day High: Ten points on language?! Do you think you’re a Divine Officer at the Divine Temple?!

Seventh Ju: I had no choice... I never even got to learn writing.

Mentioning illiteracy now should be fine.

Since no one dug deep into Li Weishe’s wild story, they’re reasonable—even about taboos.

Plus, my Wish Power didn’t warn of danger when I planned this.

Li Weishe: I know characters, though.

Seventh Ju: Ah, can you teach me some?

Li Weishe: Sure. What do you want to learn?

Seventh Ju: How to write my name and numbers.

Li Weishe: Easy. I’ll teach you at breakfast tomorrow. Use me however you like.

Seventh Ju: That last part wasn’t necessary...

No weird reactions. I passed this hurdle.

Now my literacy might catch up to average illiterates... What a low starting point.

Day High: Last is...

Day High: Ink River?

Ink River: ...

Ink River: ............

Half Moon Outflow: He’s asleep.

Day High: Ha... So unsociable. Didn’t say a word all night.

Li Weishe: He only talks to Little Ju.

Day High: That won’t work! Tomorrow, I’ll find a way to get him into our circle.

Li Weishe: Yeah, yeah—even as the bullied one, you can’t survive army social life without fitting in.

Seventh Ju: Stop pushing that abused survival philosophy, okay?

Ink River: ...

Ink River: Don’t misunderstand—

Li Weishe: ...Ah!!

Day High: ...!

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Ink River’s sudden words startled everyone.

Ink River: —I don’t plan to isolate myself. I’ve just grown used to being isolated over this past year.

Day High: Then...

Day High: At least join our chat?

Ink River: You want to pry into my Wish Power?

Day High: Uh... no... wouldn’t dare...

Ink River: ............

Ink River: Ha...

Half Moon Outflow: Day High, that attitude won’t do.

Half Moon Outflow: Making him feel you’re scared is another way to isolate him.

Day High: Mm.

Li Weishe: Actually, up close, Ink River’s no different from Aibin—just with hair down his back and a tail.

Seventh Ju: Please don’t make such unpleasant comparisons.

Ink River: I have a question first.

Seventh Ju: Go ahead.

Ink River: Li Weishe... why do people bully you everywhere you go?

Day High: ............

Half Moon Outflow: ............

Ah, a question that strikes a weak spot—freezing the mood instantly.

How would Li Weishe answer?

Li Weishe: Oh, that?

Li Weishe: I always say things that anger people. So they bully me.

Li Weishe: “Born with a poisonous tongue”... is also a gift from the gods.

Seventh Ju: ...I’m starting to see why.

Day High: Mm... poison that even spares himself.

Li Weishe: I’d ask why you get along with Little Ju, Ink River.

Ink River: ............

Ink River: In my year among humans, he’s the first to speak to me openly, naturally, as an equal.

Day High: Oh! That’s guts.

Half Moon Outflow: Guts...

Li Weishe: Just a fearless kid bumping into an easygoing little Seasonal Wolf.

Day High: Li Weishe... want to be bullied in this circle too?

Li Weishe: Uh... no... my mouth just blurts things out before my brain stops it...

Ink River: By the way, I got this for you, Day High, while you were bathing.

Ink River, sleeping on the far left, passed a paper toward Day High on the far right.

It passed through my hands too, but since I can’t read, I waited for Day High’s reaction.

Day High: ............

Day High: Good news, comrades.

Li Weishe: What?

Half Moon Outflow: The only “good news” for us is that one thing.

Half Moon Outflow: It was bound to happen, but faster than expected.

Seventh Ju: ...??

Day High: Tomorrow, we skip hauling cargo.

Day High: We’ll join the labor-guarding soldiers for “garrison duty.”