"His strength.." Prana was baffled. The monster could evolve in the battle too? And he even learned a new skill.
With no time to think about Goliath's new skill, a left jab was followed.
BOOM
Prana dodged the strike by leaping sideways.
"My current form will be pushed around by him," He thought this, and continued to think while running and avoid the strike.
'Eight-Fold, I could strike it once in the air. But, without a proper foothold? My mana wasn't recovered much, it's only bordering around 20%. I can't waste it to make grasshopper'
He didn't want to get slapped to the ground by the Goliath once he was airborne after attacking his top. Also, with the mid Regeneration rate, it could recover the lost part quickly if it focused.
"Not much a choice. The new technique should be tested either way". He began to distance himself from the Goliath.
'Thunder Core: 10% Open'
BURST.
Several Lightning snakes coiled around Prana's body uncontrollably.
'Control the Lightning. Integrated it to every fiber of muscles, to every nerve in every part of the body'
The Lightning snakes were shrinking. It changed to the sizzling sound of a high compressed electric fully armored on his body.
"GodSpeed"
It was Prana's new form. It was the last stage of the Lightning Breathing: First Stance. In this state, Prana's reaction speed, raw speed, was increased by 50% in every 10% of Thunder released from the Core. If it was fully released, Prana's strength could rival the speed of the Peak Lv. 6 Adventurer. Also, the greater speed, the greater the impact of velocity it would be generating.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do it yet. Now his maximum percentage of thunder that could be released only around 72%. Give him time to adapt, in a week or two might be possible to fully excrete the thunder.
Goliath who saw Prana's transformation attacked once again, with its magic continuously.
Whoosh... A bunch of Wind Pressure was on the way.
With his greater speed, Prana's body began flickering around, he moved quickly and change his route in less than a second; as a result, he was leaving afterimages one by one.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
The magic which Goliath released only hit the ground.
Prana who was already below the Goliath began to swing his Odachi around, to cut its flesh deep.
Goliath who was being cut was furious. Even though, he had 'Regeneration' the pain was real, it couldn't be nullified. Goliath began stomping around and smashing Prana's afterimages.
Once, in Luck Goliath's blind attack managed to find Prana's movement. He also couldn't avoid it, since before he gained the foothold, the attack already before him.
With his insane reaction speed now, his brain began commanding the nerves to execute an action.
He gripped the Odachi tightly, and swing slashes as quickly as possible to the incoming hand.
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
The slashes connected to the hands. The hand was ripped into five parts. The fingers, the palm till the joint to the wrist were dropped to the ground and began dissipating.
In normal times, with its mid-level 'Regeneration', the hand should be able to grow almost in a second. However, right now, after being slashed by Prana, the Lightning residue spread toward its body and numbed every part of it. Unfortunately for the Goliath, it's also slowing the ' Regeneration' effect.
[Ding...]
In the midst of executing the slashes, there was a system announcement in his mind. However, since he didn't have the time to think about it he put it on hold.
After Prana cut the hand, he directly jumped to the monster's head after he gained a foothold.
He intended to pierce his head with his long Lightning Odachi.
The Goliath was still crying his heart out after his hand was being cut. He didn't see Prana's next action at all. Since he was busy roaring and holding his right hand.
Prana's who wanted to stab the Goliath's head initially began changing his next action.
Prana jumped above the head. Imbued his Odachi with Lightning to make it longer and sharper. He spun in the air and positioned his Odachi to vertically strike the Goliath.
"HYAAAAAAA!!!" He roared while swing the Odachi's down.
SWISH!!!
The slash went in and out quickly. The Goliath still didn't know what was happening. Seeing the one who cut his hand that almost regenerated airborne, he took a step forward to punch the hell of him.
THUD!
After the Goliath took the move to step forward, its body began to split apart, and he began to crumble, leaving a giant magic stone behind.
***
Outside of the dungeon, near the entrance, Loki Familia was seen having a rest at Dian Cecht Familia's clinic.
"Hey, isn't that Apollo Familia?"
"Yeah, it seems that they were beaten by the Goliath"
"Jyahaha!!"
Sneer and jeer kept coming from the Loki's Familia members who joined the expedition. It was so satisfying for them since the one who chased (even according to the rule is right) them was beaten beautifully right now.
While the other members were jeering and sneering. One of them directly relays the situation to Finn.
A man wearing a tattered cloth was seen outside the dungeon's entrance. Some passersby thought that he must be faced with difficulties while diving through the dungeon. While some also thought that he must be pretty weak and overestimate himself while diving the dungeon.
"Argghh, I'm beaten" Prana slumped down to the ground. His HP and MP was quite low right now. "I need food, and *sniff sniff* hurriedly need a bath"
He rested for ten minutes on the ground. Then, stood up and walked away to get some food to fill his stomach.
---
After he killed Goliath, the magic stone it dropped was laying still on the ground as it's remained.
He didn't get any reward from the system except the 500 free status for killing him.
He thought that as a mini-boss, Goliath would drop a treasure chest alongside its magic stone. But he was utterly disappointed that's not the case. Until...
When Prana wanted to transfer the magic stone as points. He saw a glimmering parchment below, near the backside of the stone.
He crouched down to inspect the parchment. From the outside, it looked like something that had been aged. Prana held the parchment and unfurled it.
GASP
"This thing could be obtained?" He was shocked; he was amazed even slackjawed by this thing.
[Blueprint: L115A3]
That's what was written on the top of the parchment.
L115A3 was an Arctic Warfare Magnum or AWM for short in his previous world. This thing was designed by the UK. AWM was very useful in the assassination, it could engage the targets out of 1500 meters in his world.
"Damn man. This rifle is great. Even silencer is included in the design"
The designed content was really detailed. If he could manufacture and combined this with this era of magic and enchant it according to his attribute. The result should be awesome.
He directly put the parchment to his inventory, and the magic stone, of course. The gun needed money.
He rushed up himself and ran throughout the floor shortening the time.
---
Right now. In the morning market.
Prana was holding several buns, bread, and chicken legs as his appetizer with a new cloth donned while walking to the Hephaestus Familia Shop.
The shop was located on the top floor of the Babel Tower.
He didn't know that the shop was located there. Thus at first, he went to their Familia Mansion to get their best blacksmith to craft his weapon. But, from what he heard from the members, the best blacksmith in their Familia was Tsubaki (still in the expedition) and their Goddess.
Therefore, right now he set his mind to visit the Goddess herself. Why settle for the human when there was Goddess in the open?
After scurrying and asking around where the Hephaestus shop was. Finally, Prana got the right direction.
When he arrived at the destination, he could see many flashy weapons being shown in the windows.
He walked toward the shop's door, and gently knock it.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
Prana didn't get an answer from inside.
Thus, he knocked on the door once again with a little force added.
Then he could hear a soft grumble from inside. Then, the door was opened.
"What?" an annoyed voice and expression adorned the female face.
"I want to meet Goddess Hephaestus. I need her help"
"And then?" the woman sounded so impatient to Prana.
"I have a unique blueprint. At least, I want to meet her"
The woman chuckled, "I am Hephaestus"
"Huh?" This woman was Goddess Hephaestus?
Prana assumed that as a blacksmith she didn't look like this. His impression was blacksmith was linked to dwarfs. He thought that the Goddess would be like that too.
"What are you guffing here for? I am busy, find someone else." without hearing the request, Hephaestus rejected Prana's intention.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! I have a unique blueprint. From the content, I am sure most of the blacksmith here, don't know the mechanism." Prana spoke hurriedly. He wanted to convince her to craft his new weapon. "Besides, you might even interested in this" Prana pulled out the old parchment.
With one glance, she could guess that the parchment was quite an antique. Then, when she looked closely at the parchment, she could feel the divine might that usually God/Goddess emit.
"Where do you get this?" Hephaestus was curious about the parchment.
"I can tell you, but I need your promise to make this thing for me," Prana said while pointing at the parchment.
"No. I craft what I want. No one told me to do it." She firmly rejected Prana. "But, at least I can consider it after seeing that first and can keep silent if it doesn't interest me" She crossed her hands across her chest and leaned toward the door while saying that.
Without further ado, Prana decided to agree with that condition. He was sure that she would be interested.
"Come in" Hephaestus beckoned Prana to follow her inside.
While Prana walking behind her, he began to scrutinize her. From behind, she had a great figure. Her curve really accentuated in the best place. Her red hair and her crimson eyes before really give the premonition that she was the flame.
"Sit, Name yourself," Hephaestus said while holding a glass of wine.
"Prana. Non-affiliated adventurer." He answered curtly. Somehow, he was nervous right now. It was like the time he wanted to get a job in his company before, being interviewed. Also, her bearing was pressuring him.
"Okay. Prana, let me see the parchment"
"Here. Please keep your promise."
Hephaestus began identifying the blueprint. Prana was sure that she would be shocked. However, from her expression, it didn't seem to. It was still a cold expression with fiery eyes.
Prana began to worry about this.
After reading the blueprint for a while, Hephaestus began to sigh and put it down on the table. She put it on the table, leaned her back, and crossed her dainty legs. Then, she said,
"Where did you get this?"
"Yes!. In a dungeon, some kind of monster drops" Too nervous too anxious.
"Care to share the story?"
"Ugh" 'If I tell her I got the blueprint from Goliath. She could connect the dot and suspect me like the Apollo Familia attacker for sure.'
"I got this from a mutated monster" It was true, not a single lie to the sentence. It just, he foregone the details.
"Hmmm?" Hephaestus was suspicious. Adventurers, especially men usually love to brag their account to women about how they were dealing with monsters. 'Heh, it seems that's more to it' She chuckled.
Prana was having cold feet when Hephaestus began to look at him closely.
"Fine! I won't pry!" Hephaestus relented. "For this, what's your requirement?" She said while pointing at the blueprint on the table.
"You agreed?"
"Yeah. This thing is special. I can't let my children come in contact with it" She reasoned, 'It is imbued with Divine Might, only Gods and Goddesses could read it. And... He is also special to be able to read it'
"OHhh Great!!" Prana was overjoyed and began to clap his hands while laughing. He knew that the blueprint was special, and no one should understand the mechanism behind, and the reason why it was made in a separate part.
"My requirement is simple, the materials should be able to perfectly conduct the lightning" He calmed himself and followed with his requirement.
"Next is about my fee?" Hephaestus smiled. "How do you intend to pay for my service?"
"How-" Prana was about to spoke but was interrupted and choked by her words.
"You see, I don't need money" She stopped her sentence while maintaining her playful smile. "How about you join my Familia?"
"Ugh" What a tricky request. Prana didn't really want to join any Familia. "I will owe you a favor" This was the best condition he could put.
"What your favor could amount to?"
"Hey, don't belittle me. Even though I am young, I am already at Level 5 and could fight with Level 6 Adventurers and might win it. Also, I can kill anyone who barred their fangs to you or your Familia, or even be your personal Assasin and even butler if you need for a fixed time. Besides, I can ascend to Level 6 in no time"
After saying this word, Prana began regretting it. How could he blabber his secret like that?!!!
"Hooo, you are pretty high leveled and you can ascend while don't join any Familia. I've come more interested in you rather than your blueprint right now"
"No. No... I mean, I can ascend it in no time after joining any Familia. And, please don't be interested in me" Prana was very flustered and very troubled right now. Any interested woman would be equal with trouble; and now she was a GODDESS, which would spell greater trouble.
Besides, from what he saw, she didn't buy his explanation and likely hell-bent on believing his previous sentences.
Hearing Prana's erratic answer, Hephaestus only giggling her way.
"Come here the day after tomorrow. It should be ready"
"Yes," Prana answered and stood up hurriedly. "Excuse me, Hephaestus-sama" Then he ran through the door.
-----
Outside.
"Hufhhh.." Prana sighed. 'How can I become so timid in front of her?'
This was the first time he was soo nervous while sitting with a beautiful woman; either in this new world, or his previous world.
"At least she agreed" This was the only comfort in his heart at the moment.
He began to walk to the lift.
Ting. The lift stopped in front of him while the fence door opened.
----
When he was descending, in the middle of the way the lift stopped.
Prana raised his head to see the newcomers. One of them was the assailant dark beauty from before who wear a minimum dancer cloth. The other woman in front of her was also another dark beauty, with a purple dress adorned to her body.
From the way she dressed, Prana could deduce that she might be an exhibitionist. If not, why should she wear a dress which minimally covers her ni**les, if not for the strap in the dress, hers might be bare for public eyes to feast.
"Hello, Isn't this the erotic dancer I met before?" He waved his hand toward Aisha and the other woman beside her.
"You're still alive?" The shock was written on Aisha's face.
"What's your name, boy?" Ishtar interrupted.
Her voice was too flirty for Prana's ears, it is like she was moaning. How could someone's voice manage to do it as if it is her natural voice?
He absentmindedly answered. "Oh me, you could call me Mr. P (P-san)"
"Then Mr. P, thank you for your care for my Familia" Once again Ishtar said with the same voice.
"Hehe, your welcome. Your Familia also interesting, they keep clinging on me like a plaster" He said, 'So, this woman is Ishtar'
"Then, why don't you visit our Familia, so those girls couldn't bother you so much outside?" She advised in a suggestive tone, her eyes' pupils also changed to the color of pink.
Aisha who was behind her knew that this was her Goddess's move to charm his mind. Her suggestive and seductive tone coupled with the addition of her divinity as Goddess of Beauty would make every man succumbed to her bidding.
From her Goddess word, the men who she charmed would be instinctively wanted to jump at her and have a go for eternity.
She knew that this man already in her Goddess's hand at any moment.
Ishtar began raising her hand, she wanted to caress Prana's cheek.
However, Prana began to step back to the wall behind him. 'This dark beauty is dangerous'
At the moment her pupils changed, he could feel his mind being hammered and he felt as if his body was being sucked into her body. It was a fortune for him that he bought Sharingan before.
Since the moment he felt something was really gone wrong. The picture of the spinning tomoes appeared inside his mind. It brought a cooling sensation to his mind.
After he stepped back from her approaching hand, he exclaimed, "Wow, your pupils changed in color, It's pink"
The situation really surprised the women duo. How come he managed to resist?
"It seems we are the same. Look, look at my eyes, I, also able to change my eyes color" He continued to talk, and began activating his Sharingan to put them in Illusion.
When Aisha and Ishtar heard his voice, both of them were drawn to see his eyes. It was just an instinctive action.
And then, the scenery around them changed. They were in the middle of a jungle, and they were being chained by roots to the big tree behind.
They couldn't move.
They couldn't shout.
Many tendrils were slithering below.
Caw. Caw. Caw.
Black crows were flying above their heads.
Slowly, the clear sky was covered by a flock of black crows.
Lots of tendrils began moving to their location.
'Where is this? How come we are here? Illusion? It's too real to be an illusion!' That was what on their mind. They didn't know how they appeared here all of sudden, all they remember was they were inside the lift.
The tendrils were right in front of the two. 'What are they gonna do?' Aisha was trembling, she didn't know whether this was reality or illusion. While Ishtar was still in disbelief state.
Ishtar knew that this was an illusion, but it felt too real for her. The sounds, the feels, the air, even her heartbeat could be heard clearly right now.
Then, suddenly the tendrils moved quickly.
PIERCE. PIERCE. PIERCE.
It pierced their body - specifically their thighs, their wrist, their right lung, and their stomach.
It left a gaping hole and dripping blood behind. Two beauties were being treated like this. The sight was truly cruel.
They were screaming, but no sounds coming out. The pain was real, it really transmitted to their brains.
Caw. Caw. Caw.
Before both of their minds could rest from the attacks, several black crows began descending in their direction.
The crows began to feast their flesh.
Aisha and Ishtar were having a mental breakdown from this. The pain given by the crows when each of them torn their flesh was excruciating.
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!"
At long last, they could shout their desperation before 'dying'.
Ting. Ting.
The sound of the elevator reached its destination sounded.
Prana who was inside began swagger away. He didn't care about those two, for now. Fortunately, there were no people nearby.
Both of them were slumped to the ground, fainted, with their white eyes open, and some fluids flowing in some part.
'It just a little payback.'
***
While walking in the Guild's direction, Prana decided to check his status once again.
'Oh yeah, I still have unread notification from before'
He began scrolling the system log and found the notification.
[Ding... Congratulations, the host managed to comprehend the sequence stances from Lightning Breathing himself.
{Lightning Breathing, Second Stance: Lightning Ball.
Strike the enemies five times in one second. Each slash will be imbued with 100% percent user strength.}
As a reward, the host is given to freely choose one of the sequence technique listed below:
Third Stance: Buzzing Mosquito Thunder. Generate waves of Lightning in all user directions.
Fourth Stance: Distant Thunder. Generate multiple ranged attacks toward the enemies.
Fifth Stance: Heat Lightning. A concentrated scorched lightning strike toward the enemies.
This reward only happens one time. So, please choose wisely]
"This..." He was surprised by the system's generosity. Prana suddenly stopped in the middle of the road and got yelled at by others.
'Which one should I choose? Ranged attack? or Melee?... The third stance purpose might be almost the same with my defensive blade. I lack ranged attack, but I can cover it with my acceleration. The fifth stance must be a sure-kill skill.'
While Prana was in thought, he was already in front of the Guild's door. He entered the building and went to one of the free assistants.
It was a pink-haired girl.
"Hello, can I help you?" Her voice was quite coquettish and pairing with her expression, it made her quite cute.
"I want to sell these magic stones" Prana began unloading his bag, "I am a non-affiliated adventurer"
Usually, adventurers would have a special counter at the side when they wanted to sell their MS. However, for the non-affiliated adventurer, they need to ask the assistant to help them process the goods.
The girl was quite surprised seeing the MS amount. 'For non-affiliated to get this many'
"Umm, please wait a moment, I will process it" The girl ran off in the name of processing the goods.
He waited for ten minutes, then the girl from before came out with an additional person.
She was Eina, the previous half-elf that explained everything in this city to me and Haruhime.
"Ya, Eina, fancy meeting you again"
"Yes, here's your valis. 2.7 million valis after deducted from tax" she gave the bag full of money. "I am relieved that you're still alive. Since I heard that Ishtar Familia pushed you to the pit in the Minotaur's nest."
"Haha, yeah. My luck doesn't fail me" Prana laughed it off, and prepared to leave
"Please be careful with them" She advised him.
"Okay, see you" Prana waved his hand.
----
When he walked out the door.
"System, I choose the fifth stance"
This stance would be the most useful for him. From his notice board, he knew that three days for now the Gods and Goddesses would have a meeting, and three days later, the tournament would start.
---
It was daytime right now.
Half of the day passed by already.
Right now Prana was walking to his rented house direction. He wanted to sleep in peace and got a good bath thoroughly.
The shop below his house wasn't open today. He climbed the stairs and arrived outside the door. Strangely, the door was unlocked.
Prana opened the door. "I am bac-"
Next, he was having a nosebleed. "What a wonderful opening" Prana commented without moving his body, and still feasting the scenery inside. He even gave double thumb ups to them.