Deep in the forest, leaves floated through the air as light flowed through the trees. A young man around 20 years-old awoke lying in the sparkling grass as a drop of rain fell from a tree on to his face. His name was Senku. The man had dark-red hair with orange eyes. He wore brown worn-out rags, similar to what most peasants wore.
"W-where am I?" Senku sat up with his legs crossed as he saw the low-quality clothes he wore. "What's going on...this place...these clothes, they seem unfamiliar to me. It's as if my very memory has been erased" As the confused male took a step forward, Senku heard movement in the bushes nearby.
Suddenly a large boar lunged out of the bushes headed right for him letting out a loud squeal. "What!?" Senku managed to evade the coming animal as it rushed past him, hitting a tree before turning around coming back around for another charge. Without thinking, he grabbed a stick lying on the ground to defend himself from the coming beast.
"S-stay back!" Gripping his only weapon with both hands, Senku struck the boar in the head knocking it to the ground as it laid motionless for a moment before vanishing in a burst of wisps of blue light.
[Level 2 unlocked]
"Sigh, I feel pathetic at the fact I got scared by a mere boar. I'm not sure how strong others are in this world...but if I want to survive, I'll have to get stronger than a mere animal" Looking at the mere stick he held in his hand he tossed it aside in frustration as he ventured through the forest until finding a path that lead through the forest.
Before Senku could step out onto the path, he heard cries for help nearby. The man hurried through the forest making sure to stay out of sigh as the cries grew louder. Crouched behind a tree Senku spotted a carriage surrounded by two bandits dressed in brown clothing as they aimed their knives toward a young girl with brown hair dressed in a white dress.
"Hehe, just hand over all your gold and we'll be on our way, or would you rather we slice you up!?" The two men were ugly with scars but muscular. That's when a voice called out to the young man from within his subconscious:
"Warning : hostile's level exceed own current level, recommend retreat" It sounded like a male AI voice in his head as he could also see their levels with a lock-on focused on them like a video game. (I'm not sure who you are, but I won't let them harm an innocent girl even if they are higher than my current level!)
Senku saw that they were lvl.5 while he was merely a lvl. 2 but knew if he didn't do something fast, the girl would be hurt or worse. Getting as close as possible, the young man lunged out of the bushes right for one of the bandits, sending a punch to the assailant's abdomen as they staggered back landing on the dirt path dropping their knife. Quickly he swiped the blade from his target just as the 2nd bandit attempted to stab him.
"you bastard, you shouldn't have interfered in our business now die!" The standing thug lunged at him with his knife when Senku stepped out of the way just in time causing them to just pierce his shirt before hitting the ground.
"I'm not really one to hurt others, but those who threaten the innocent, aren't worthy to be considered people anymore" With a cold expression on his face he gripped the blade firmly going straight for the kill as the two bandits closed their eyes waiting for the strike...
They opened their eyes to see Senku aiming the blade towards them with a serious expression. They shook in fear running away as the man lowered his hand, his heart racing. (Wow, I can't believe that actually worked)
[Skill obtained: Weapon Affinity] - Increases efficiency in all weapons by 75%
He sighed in relief before turning to the young girl. "Are you ok?" She nodded responding: "Thank you for your help, I'm the princess of Xuvria. If you would like, I could help you find some better clothes instead of mere rags"
With a slight smile Senku nodded. "That would definitely help, but are you sure it's ok? I don't think I deserve such a reward just for stopping those bandits"
She stopped him and ensured him the least she could do was provide him with decent clothes. They got in the white carriage making their way through the forest as they sat inside, the inside was covered in fancy pink cloth with jewels...
After about an hour of traveling the kingdom of Xuvria came into view. Senku looked out the window to see the large kingdom below the hill as they made their way to the gate where a Tall figure in dark armor stood guard along with three fellow knights who seemed weak in comparison to the knight in black.
The carriage came to a halt as the knights of Xuvria carefully inspected the carriage before spotting Senku. "Lady Nasara, do you know this man?" One of them questioned as a blade was aimed inches from the man's throat.
"Stand down knight, this man saved me from bandits who attacked me in the forest, I just wish to help him get some clothes and a room in the tavern inn so he may get a better start in Xuvria"
The knight glared at him with suspicion before lowering his blade as the gate was raised letting them through. "Sorry about that, as you can see the knights as well as my father the king are very protective of me. Don't worry I'll make sure they don't try anything" She smiled at him with her hands in her lap as they made their way through the medieval town as they came to a stop in front of a market filled with merchants selling many different items.
She placed a small sack of gold in his hand telling him: "Make sure to find Something decent clothes and a room in the inn" with a nod Senku stepped out of the carriage waving to the young princess before making his way over to a merchant who was selling many types of clothing. To keep things simple he picked the first piece of clothing he liked which was a white cloak with a collar and matching white pants. (There, this will definitely make me look more approachable rather than seen as a peasant.
Senku pushed open the tavern doors to see many different adventurers wearing mercenary uniforms as well as heavy knight armor. A few of them glared at Senku as he made his way up to the bar where a young woman with long blue hair and purple eyes wearing a black uniform stood behind the bar wiping the bar down before looking up at him. "Hello sir, how may I help you today?"
"Yes, I'm new in town and would like to know if you had any quests for me to do for some money" (I've read many fantasy manga and know they usually have quests to kill a certain creature or save someone)
"Actually yes, we have many jobs on our board over there, sadly you'll only be allowed to take on D rank quests since we start all mercenaries and adventurers at D rank"
Senku turned to see a board with many quests pinned on the board. As he made his way over, an armored foot came out, causing him to stagger that's when he felt his body move on it's own as his hand stopped his fall before flipping back onto his feet. Everyone turned their attention on Senku who was glaring at a tall buff man dressed in black armor. He had long blonde hair with blue eyes and a smug look on his face.
"What? You have something to say to me?" The man clinched his fist as a voice in his head announced: "Analyzing" Senku watched as the stats appeared in front of him/ (Hmmm, the adventurer is level 25. As much as I would like to kick his ass, he's in a completely different league than my own for now. But in time I shall catch up with him)
With a sigh Senku walked past the adventurer over to the board. "Yeah that's right, seems you know who's stronger haha!" Senku thought about pulling out his knife he had taken from the bandits but knew such a common weapon would do little good against an adventurer like him.
The woman behind the bar put down her rag calling out: "Knock it off Syrus, this is your 2nd time bothering customers. One more disturbance and you'll be thrown out" The blonde man glared at her as they started one another down intensely before Syrus chugged his mug of beer before slamming it down on the table storming out.
"Don't worry about Syrus, he's stubborn but he's never actually hurt anyone without a good reason" Senku pulled off one of the sheets that had a D rank stamped on the top left of the paper.
Quest: Kill five boars in the forest outside Xuvira two options popped up in front of him: Accept or Decline. He pushed accept as the paper crumbled into wisps of blue light as the objective popped up on the left side of his vision.
CHAPTER 1 The 1st Quest
Making his way past the kingdom's gate, he realized the sun was going down as it gave off a pink glow. "Looks like I don't have much time to look for these boar" Pulling out his low-quality knife he made his way off the path into the forest, carefully searching the area for any signs of movement. He checked nearby bushes and behind trees but found no sigh of any animals.
"Hmm, where could they be?"
"Analysis....most wildlife tend to stay by water sources such as ponds or rivers" The AI voice informed him. "Alright before I go any further, who are you? Or am I just going insane?"
"Answer: I am your system's AI, I can help you when you are in need such as answering certain questions or sensing danger nearby. I have no name so you may call me whatever you wish"
"Alright...then I shall call you Senjin"
"Optimizing....optimization complete, I will know respond to Senjin" Without another word the low-rank adventurer made his way through the forest until coming across a stream that flowed through a part of the forest. He carefully followed it where it flowed into a large lake where many different kinds of wildlife had gathered such a deer, rabbits and boars.
(Alright there's our target, now I just need to catch them by surprise and kill them) Making his way to the other side of the lake while crouching behind trees and grass he managed to get within just a few meters of a few boars drinking from the lake. Gripping the blade firmly in his grasp, he jumped out from cover, advancing straight for the group of animals.
Each boar scurried off in a different direction while Senku kept his eyes focused on one specific one. With a deep breath he tossed his knife right for the boar piercing it in the back as it let out loud agonizing squeals. "Damn, I didn't realize how fast boars are and they're merely level two creatures"
Using Senjin's analysis skill, he watched as the boar's HP slowly dropped from the bleed effect from his knife. As it's HP flashed red nearly depleted it collapsed into the grass before perishing bursting into light. "One down four to go" He quickly retrieved his blade from the puddle of blood washing it off in the lake before spotting another target hiding in a tall bundle of grass.
"Focusing on target...target locked" Senjin notified him as his eyes glowed purple from his AI's skill. Closing the distance between him and the hiding boar, he threw the knife right for the boar, piercing right through it's face giving him an instant kill.
"Sigh, that focus skill really comes in handy. Now then, where are the last three boars?" That's when he spotted the remaining three running from the water source going deeper into the forest. "Tsk, I don't have time to retrieve my knife and catch up with them, I'll have to come back for it.
"I suggest activating auto mode, you may only use it for a limited amount of time for now but could help in chasing multiple targets"
"Sigh alright fine"
"Activating Auto mode" Senjin announced as the man's orange eyes gleamed purple. His body dashed through the forest at a super-human speed, with auto mode active, his perception and reactive time was far greater, with each step the AI could sense everything around him within several meters while locked on to the three boars.
The boars ran up a hill with Senku right behind him. Snapping off a branch from a tree the fast-moving warrior threw it right for the boar to the right knocking it to the ground leaving two left as they ran inside a large cave. Senku landed in front of the defeated boar as his eyes reverted back to normal.
"Auto mode deactivated" The AI informed him as Senku realized he was back in control of his body. "Hmm, seems at my current level I can only use auto mode for 30 seconds or so. But from the sound of it, if I get stronger, I should be capable of extending the length at which I can stay in that state. Though, it would be boring if I just always stayed in auto all the time so it's best to just use it in dire situations"
Making his way up to the large stone cave, he noticed something off, there were lights set up within the cave. (Strange, who would want to live up here in a cave, I have a bad feeling about this but the last two boars are in here and I need to kill them before I can head back to Xuvira"
Carefully making his way inside he followed the small lights that aligned both sides of the stone walls of the cave. As he ventured deeper within the cave, he entered a large open part of the cave where he felt his breath stop as he found himself standing before a large dark-green troll sleeping before him.
(S-senjin...analysis) The frightened man ordered mentally. "Analyzing...troll, level 10 weakness is fire" Senku knew he stood no chance in fighting a troll at his current level. That's when he saw one of the boar hiding near the sleeping troll.
(Tsk that little shit) Taking a deep breath he picked up a rock and threw it right at the boar knocking it out before picking up another rock aiming for the remaining target. Suddenly it let out a loud squeal as it echoed through cave. Senku froze in place as he stared at the troll who stirred in it's sleep before it began to wake up letting out a deep groan.
(Oh shit, Senjin is auto ready yet!?)
"Auto mode still on cool down, estimated 30 seconds until available" The red-haired warrior watched as the troll stood up standing about 10 feet tall with it's head nearly touching the ceiling of the cave. It spotted the squealing boar before kicking it across the cave instantly killing it as it hit the wall beside Senku. At that moment, the troll spotted him.
"Human, I shall crush you and crush on your bones!" It picked up a massive wooden club before lunging right for him. At that moment auto mode was finally ready as Senjin activated it just in time. Senku's eyes glowed purple once more as his perception and reaction time multiplied. The troll struck the floor of the cave with it's club with such force the cave shook with a large crack in the spot it had struck.
"Where are you human!?" That's when the troll spotted Senku run out of the cave racing down the hill. The warrior looked back to see the troll come crashing out of the opening of the cave charging after him. "I won't let you get away!" As the human slid down the hill he watched as the troll leapt from the top, descending down after him like a bolder. (Shit, I have just a few seconds of auto mode left!)
As he slid down the hill, he abrupply caught a branch pulling himself onto a tree just as his eyes once more reverted back to normal. He watched as the troll stumbled down the hill hitting the ground as half it's HP was lost from the impact. "Wow, it worked, maybe now I can take this monster on"
Carefully making his way down the hill he stopped right in front of the injured troll who slowly rose to it's feet covered in bruises. "You are a very clever human, I may be hurt but still have enough strength to crush you here!" Clinching it's fist the troll threw a punch right for Senku, luckily he managed to doge it mere moments before it could connect.
The red-haired human could feel a gust of wind brush past him from just the sheer force of the troll's strike. With his target wide open, the warrior jumped into the air and kicked the troll across the face. The monster didn't stagger but it seem to do just enough damage to lower his HP.
"Huff...you may be bigger and tougher, but that doesn't mean I can't win. I'll show you that strategy can beat strength!" Charging right for the monster once more, Senku jumped into the air just high enough to meet eyes with the troll as he tossed sand into the creature's eyes blinding him.
"Aaagh! You putrid human! Only you would pull something so desperate!" With his foe blinded, Senku sent a barrage of punches to it's abdomen as it's HP decreased more and more until it was at one HP. "Heh, seems strategy really does surpass strength" As the warrior prepared to throw the finishing blow, the troll's vision came back. It spotted Senku and kicked him with all it's strength sending him staggering through the sky landing in a tree.
He let out a cough before hitting the ground with a red flashing outline around his vision alerting him that he was near the brink of death. "Y-you've got to be kidding me! Eight levels higher than mere or not, this is just bullshit! He clinched the grass in front of him as blood ran down his bottom lip as he slowly got up making his way back to the troll.
The tall dark-green monster looked in surprise to see Senk approaching him with a cold expression on his face as his red hair covered his eyes. "Why did you come back human, you had a chance to escape yet you approach me once more. You're either even more of a fool than I thought or you just don't care if you die"
"I-I won't die here, but I won't run away either. If I'm going to become stronger, than I need to finish what I started" The troll once more went to kick the warrior when Senku evaded the coming attack advancing right for his foe, punching him in the leg as the creature's health reached zero causing it to vanish like the rest.
"Huff...huff. I-I won't run away from a fight if I know there's a chance I can win"
[Level 5 Unlocked]
[Skill Obtained: Self-Healing- HP recovers over time]
Senku watched as it faint HP went up by one each second. "Good, looks like I've gained minor regeneration from beating that troll. It'll definitely come in handy next time I'm fighting a higher level opponent. Though slight healing isn't nearly enough to take on that guy Syrus. Maybe I should look for a sensei to teach me new skills to help better my fighting skills. Relying on auto mode is a lazy way to build my strength. Question is: what class should I learn from first?...
After completing the quest, Senku made his way back to Xuvria as night fell and all you could see were street lights that lit up the kingdom.
Senku wandered the streets until he spotted a man dressed in a dark-purple hooded robe with a red "R" inside a silver sun on the torso and back of his clothing. (Hmm, guessing by his clothing he must be a rogue or an assassin. If I'm right, this is probably the kind of thing some RPG have where you have to find the mentors throughout the world. I see myself more as a cleric or mage, but at my current strength I need all the help I can get)
The young warrior approached the hooded man sitting on his knees beside a small house. "Hello? I was wondering if you could teach me so I can perfect my fighting skills against stronger opponents?" The hooded man looked up at him with a menacing glare as his blue eyes glimmered in the street light.
"If you wish to learn the skills of an assassin, you must devote yourself to training and perfecting each skill until you know each skill as if it is 2nd nature to you" A screen popped up in front of him asking: "Learn Assassin Class?" Senku pressed yes as the screen shattered to pieces as if made of glass.
[Novice Assassin Class Unlocked]
"Would you like to begin your 1st lesson Senku?" His Sensei asked still sitting on his knees. "Yes I'd like to start training now sensei" The assassin rose to his feet and looked at him with his back to the warrior. Senku watched as his mentor abruptly vanished without a trace.
"What!?" He quickly looked around for the assassin but couldn't find any trace of him. That's when a kunai was aimed at his neck just inches away as his teacher stood behind him as if ready to end his life at that moment.
"What you just witnessed is known as the shadow step, this is one of the basic yet most useful skills of an assassin. To master the shadow step you must block out distracting thoughts and focus only on the direction you're going. Though it may sound easier said than done, you must focus all your movement into one thought therefore maximizing your speed"
His teacher vanished before reappearing on the roof of the tavern a few houses down. "The best way to teach you shadow step is by having you try and reach me. You have a minute to reach me before I move to another location" Senku climbed onto the roof of an old house and focused all his attention on the assassin. (Block out distracting thoughts...focus on the direction I'm going) Taking a deep breath he charged towards his target as fast as he could, only to miss the jump by mere inches and hit the dirt.
"Damn it!" Once more he got onto the roof and cleared his head of all other things besides his task. Instead of getting frustrated he let his muscles relax as he closed his eyes and shadow stepped just one roof away from his sensei.
"Impressive, not many can even use the shadow step so early on in the training more or less get so close. You can't seem to move to the location you want, but you're beginning to understand how to let go of thoughts and feelings that would normally slow one down"
Just then the hooded man vanished once more before appearing several houses down towards the castle. Senku smirked beginning to understand how to use the shadow step. As he relaxed his mind, he focused on the assassin's location before vanishing in an instant and reappearing face to face with his mentor. The man flinched from Senku's speed but smiled at how fast he learned.
"Well done Senku, you've learned the shadow step and at an incredible time I may add. Continue to improve with the skill I've given you and we'll start our next lesson tomorrow"
"Thank you sensei" He watched as his mentor vanished leaving him standing on the roof of a building...
[Skill Obtained: Shadow step]
The next day Senku awoke in his room at the tavern inn as sunlight shined through the window illuminating the small wooden floor as he got out of his white bed walking over to the window to see more people than usual walking around the tavern's entrance. He quickly made his way downstairs where Syrus and a few high-ranking adventurers one seemed to be a female Archer with long blue hair, green eyes wearing black mercenary garments. While the other was a young girl with long pink hair wearing a white hooded robe.
(That must be Syrus' party, not surprising his party Consists of women, he gives off the toxic masculine vibe that seem to attract women even in this world) Making his way over to the bartender he asked what was going on.
"Every now and again adventurers will raid dungeons in hopes of acquiring a rare relic. If you go with Syrus' party this could be your chance in obtaining a rare relic. If Syrus tries anything he knows he'll lose his rank as an adventurer" Syrus gave the bartender an annoyed expression before turning to Senku. "I'll allow you to come with us to the dungeon, but if you get either of my party members killed...I can assure you I'll kill you myself regardless of the penalty"
Senku frowned but just gave a nod. The archer approached him introducing herself. "My name is Asumi, I specialize in light-based long-ranged attacks as well as the scout of the party" She looked at him with a neutral look neither mad nor happy. Next was the young pink-haired girl in the white robe. She walked over with a smile. "Hi my name is Sohira, I'm the healer and support of the party!"
"Nice to meet you" The red-haired adventure greeted. He was surprised one of them would act so friendly towards him. (I'm not sure about the archer, but Sohira seems genuinely happy to meet me. I might have to persuade her to join my party and leave Syrus at some point, but for now I'll just leave it alone for the time being)
The buff warrior turned his back on Senku and informed them that they needed to head for the dungeon while the sun was still out so they wouldn't have to venture back in the dark once they completed the dungeon. "Senku, I'm disgusted at the very thought of you joining my party for this raid, but I shall allow you to join us in hopes it will make you stronger and a possible rival for me to crush"
"Thanks, I guess" The young adventurer responded unsure whether that was an insult or a compliment...
They made their way out of Xuvira going north instead of south where the young adventurer had first entered the kingdom. "Making our way north shall lead us to the dungeon, though if I was informed correctly, we'll be cutting through the forest of undead. Keep your guard up, I'm told it's filled with many creatures that won't hesitate to kill anything with a pulse"
Senku was uneasy but knew if he wanted to grow as a warrior, he had to overcome many hard challenges. The party marched down the dirt path when a white mist came into view. "There it is...the forest of undead, some tales say if you get lost within the mist, you begin to hear voices that slowly drive you insane" The tall-armored man commented.
Senku could feel a tightness growing in his chest as they grew closer towards the mist. The once healthy and blooming trees were now dark and rotting trees with no leaves along with dead grass and the mist flowing around them. They continued forward as the green forest vanished behind them with nothing but the feeling of death and despair surrounding them.
As they ventured through the forest, a skeleton lunged out from the fog right for Senku. Using the shadow step, the young warrior reappeared behind the undead, gripping it's bony heel before slamming it to the ground causing it to fall to pieces. (Sigh, that shadow step really comes in handy though it still takes a good amount of stamina to use so I shouldn't use it in succession unless it's my only option)
"Hmm, not bad novice, though that was merely a level one undead, let's see if that same tactic will work on the high-level undead deep in these woods" The party leader commented making his way forward. Just then Asumi signaled the party to stop by illuminating her body in an aura of golden light.
"I hear movement ahead and it sounds like more than just a few mere undead" She whispered quickly pulling out her bow manifesting an arrow made of golden mana. Before she could find her target, an arrow came darting out from the mist ahead of them, piercing the side of her cheek causing her to stagger, landing on her back.
"Asumi!" Syrus pulled out his large black great sword. It seemed to be made of a black steel with a silver handle. "Those who attack my party shall be cut down where they stand!" Without thinking Syrus charged into the mist leaving Senku and Sohira beside the wounded archer.
The pink-haired girl aimed both hands at her fallen teammate. "Heal!" Senku watched as a green light surrounded the archer, healing her wound before slowly fading. She stood back up gripping her bow once more. "Thanks Sohira, they caught me off guard, but it won't happen a 2nd time" With a determined look in her eyes, the archer prepared to fire as she listened closely in the mist hearing where their leader was fighting..."There! Holy arrow barrage!"
Four arrows of holy magic fired from her bow as they soared into the mist striking four different targets defeating them. Senku was tired of just listening and charged through the mist, only to see Syrus fighting of a legion of the undead as if they had been waiting for them. Syrus spun in a quick 360 motion knocking a group of them back as they were defeated in mid-air but more and more surrounded him. "Tsk! You undead are so tiresome, I would've liked to have saved my MP for the dungeon, but seems I'll have to fight a little more seriously if we're going to get past this"
Gripping his great sword with both hands, he raised it up as flames engulfed it with immense power. "Blazing strike!" Syrus struck the ground before him as a trail of flames split through the crowd of undead leaving a path in front of them between the two crowds of undead. "Sohira, clear the rest of them out so we can hurry to the dungeon" Their leader commanded as he pointed forward.
"Yes captain" Putting her hands together she closed her eyes while Syrus blocked any skeletons who attempted to get close. "Holy magic: Dome of purification!" All watched as a massive barrier of green mana formed around a mile of land, instantly turning all the undead to dust from the holy damage.
"Ah, great work Sohira, let us make our way to the dungeon before anymore show up!" Syrus suggested placing his sword back on his back before running down the path with the others close behind him.
[Level 9 Unlocked]
(Hmm? Strange why did I level up? Could I be getting exp from them since I'm doing a raid with them? I know some RPG have shared exp I guess it's possible since this world has similar rules of an RPG) With a smirk on his face he followed right behind them as they ran through the woods before coming up to a large door that was attached to the side of a mountain as if someone had randomly put a large door there.
Syrus approached the door slowly placing his palm against the massive black door as a loud creak rang out. Senku watched as the large doors slowly opened reveling a ray of blinding purple light. Raising his hand to cover his eyes he realized they weren't outside anymore, he found himself in a large steel hallway with no doors or windows.
They cautiously made their way through the dark and empty hall with only Sohira's floating sphere of pink mana being their way of seeing within the darkness. "This doesn't feel right, what rank did the tavern woman say this dungeon was?" Asumi questioned with slight fear in her voice.
"She said it was a mere B rank dungeon, though this doesn't feel like your normal B rank area, we could possibly handle an A rank but even that would be a slim chance. We'll just have to hope the boss isn't too difficult"
"So, what's are plan captain?" Asumi asked...but there was no answer. They looked around, only to realize Syrus had vanished. "C-captain?" Sophira choked out now filled with fear as her hands shook. The archer placed her hand on the healer's shoulder letting her know it'll be ok. "Don't worry, this isn't the 1st time something like this has happened. Captain said if this happens that I'd be captain for the time being until we find him"
(S-senjin...analysis) The AI prepared to scan the area when purple rifts began manifesting from both walls beside them. Tentacles made of darkness grabbed the two girls as Asumi was pulled into the left rift while Sohira was pulled towards the right. Senku quickly grabbed the healer's hand trying to save her, but with nothing to hold onto, he was pulled inside along with her.
Senku opened his eyes to hear the ominous sound of water dripping on the floor along with chains rattling slowly. He helped Sohira up as they found themselves in what looked like an old dungeon. The floor seemed aged with dried blood on the floor. He slowly walked down the sone path with cells on both sides of him. The bars were rusted with corpses lying in their cells with horrific expressions on their skeletal faces.
Sohira walked behind him gripping his cloak tightly as they kept walking with faint light from the lanterns that slowly swung above them. "I'm scared Senku, I want to leave" The young warrior nodded as he saw more and more death along the path. Just then they came to the end of the hall where a figure made of shadow manifested before them. A sadistic smile appeared on it's face as it looked at them.
Senku lunged toward him throwing a punch right for it, only to pass right through it and hit the wall leaving a crack. He looked behind him only to find no one there. "W-we're just seeing things, we need to hurry before something else happens" She nodded grabbing his hand as they managed to find a rusty door. Senku kicked it down as they were blinded by a blinding light. Opening their eyes the pair found themselves withing a throne room, though the room seemed to be made of dark mana.
Senku looked to see a dark muscular figure sitting on the throne without a face. It's cheek rested on it's fist. When it noticed them it vanished. Seku looked away for a second before finding the figure inches from his face moving at immense speed. As it reached for the warrior, Senjin activated auto mode just in time to evade the coming foe as it staggered past him before stopping itself just a few feet behind them.
(Analyzing...target level 30...chances of victory...1%) Senku began to quake with fear on the inside while his body remained in auto mode. He knew he'd only have 30 seconds before it ran out. The dark figure charged toward him, throwing a barrage of strikes at great speed luckily auto mode increased the warrior's reaction speed to nearly instant as he moved his head out of the way with each coming blow before sending a kick to the target's abdomen sending him staggering back. (Shit, if I don't think of something it's all over)
Just then Sohira threw both hands out aimed right for her ally. "Heaven's blessing!"
[Buff activated: Stats increased by 10%]
The warrior's body outlined with a golden aura as he felt his body tingling with power. (This isn't nearly enough to beat him, but should be enough to keep me alive) The pair advanced toward one another as the figure shot it's fingers out like tentacles nearly missing the enhanced warrior. With his enhanced stamina and speed added to the fact he was in auto mode, Senku began using shadow step repeatedly, Sohira lost track of her ally as he struck the boss in the face with a fierce kick, vanishing before striking him in the back with a sheer blow as he continued to strike the Manique-like creature when he suddenly stopped landing onto the dark surface as auto mode deactivated.
"Damn I'm out of time!" He watched as the dark-purple figure moved straight to him grabbing him by the throat as it looked into his eyes. The fact it had no face just made it that much more terrifying. As Senku closed his eyes waiting to be killed, he heard a slice from a sword as Syrus came falling from a whole in the darkness above.
"Hehe did you miss me you dark bastard!" With a grin Syrus swung his blade down on the boss as it struck the entity with imense power causing a shockwave sending Senku staggering across the room landing on his back. He watched as the armored warrior aimed his massive steel sword toward the boss. "Hehe, been waiting for a challenge. Not sure what you did with Asumi, but that just gives me another reason to kick your ass! Blinding pierce!" In a sudden barrage of slashes, the boss was sent staggering back with slashes of red light covering it's body.
Just then the room began to shake as a purple aura radiated from the figure's body. "Oh? You're actually fighting serious now? Then let's see it!" Syrus charged toward his opponent when he abruptly threw his great sword right for the boss. The massive blade struck the entity in the abdomen causing it to stagger giving the armored brute an opening to attack. Syrus charged in striking the figure with fierce blows to the face with a grin on his face as black blood-like liquid spewed out of the enemy.
Just as it seemed like victory was assured, the dungeon bosses' right armor formed into a blade as it pierced the warrior's armor with ease. The party members watched as blood dripped from his armor. "Hehe, your dirty bastard, seems you'll do anything to kill me huh? Well, if I'm dying here, I'm at least taking you with me!" Grabbing the figure by the back of the head he head-butted it repeatedly, the strength of his head shaking the floor. "Heh, choke on that you b-bastard"
Senku watched as Syrus fell to the ground in a pool of blood just as their healer aimed her palm toward him. "Heal!" Green light filled the room but her captain didn't get up. "S-sohira, it's too late for me...I'm sorry I couldn't kill this bastard like all the others, please continue to grow as a mage and help those in need. I may have been a bastard...but that doesn't mean I never cared about my party members, you and Asumi were the only ones who stood by me even at my worst...Senku, though you may be weak, I appreciate you protecting Sohira even if it was just to buy time. You have my thanks, I appoint you p-party leader while I'm gone, d-don't fuck it up...you...bastard"
Sohira broke down in nears as the light left Syrus' eyes, his body lying motionless before the boss who had a slight crack on it's faceless head. "Sohira, don't cry just yet, I'll get us out of here so your leader's death wasn't in vain. I thought he was just some cocky asshole, but in his final moments, seems he really was a good guy deep down"
Using shadow step Senku moved to Syrus' great sword before reappearing back beside the healer. "This sword is heavy, but thanks to my weapon affinity, I can still fight with it even if I'm a little slower. I might not know much about Syrus, but if he's willing to put his trust in someone as weak as me, then I won't fail here!"
Using shadow step constantly, he moved right for the assailant, swinging the blade with all his strength as he struck it's head with fierce force. The crack began to grow as Senku moved as fast as he could with shadow step, striking him with the great sword before thrusting it into the bosses' cracked head, breaking through as the entire figure cracked apart with dark mana flowing out of it. "This is what happens...when someone puts their trust in you"
Sohira watched as the boss burst in a blinding ray of pure light. Senku dropped the sword as he fell to his knees out of breath drained of stamina. That's when a door of golden light appeared in front of them by the throne The warrior was out of breath when he spotted a white ring with a golden aura around it which meant it was a legendary item (A legendary?) He reached out picking up the high-tier item studying it closely.
(Analyzing...results: Ring of mammon, perk - Gain a random skill from defeated enemies) Senjin informed him after scanning the item. (No wonder this is a legendary item, a ring with the ability to steal skills from anyone I defeat is definitely awesome!) As he slid the ring on his middle finger he turned back to Sohira who began to cry at the feet of her fallen party member. Senku placed his hand upon her shoulder letting her cry as he looked down at the warrior lying in a pool of blood. He kept a calm look but felt bad that his only friend had to go through such a hard loss.
"Not only did we lose Syrus, but Asumi is nowhere to be found. We should get out of here before something else appears, I know the boss is dead, but that doesn't mean there isn't more creatures lurking nearby" Sohira looked up at her party leader with tear-filled eyes before nodded getting up and wiping the tears away. The young adventurer hugged the girl before they made their way towards the exit...
[Level 13 Unlocked]
[Passive Skill Unlocked: Lethal Prediction - Sense when an opponent attacks. Attacks of Super-sonic or above aren't sensed]
(Alright my first passive skill! With this ability I should be capable of dodging attacks from most humans and mid-tier monsters. Though, even with lethal prediction there's still many warriors and high-tier beasts that could crush me with ease, better not let this go to my head)
CHAPTER 2 Power Beyond Human
Senku returned to the tavern with Sohira, wielding Syrus' great sword on his back as to honor his friend's fallen ally. "Welcome back Senku and Sohira! Where are Syrus and Asumi?" The red-haired warrior looked down at the bar with a guilty expression on his face before answering: "Syrus is dead...as for Asumi, I'm not sure if she's dead or not, there was no sign of her body but I couldn't risk Sohira's safety looking for her ally. If it turned out she had been killed as well, it was best to leave rather than possibly finding another horrific scene she'd have to live with"
"They're dead? I knew Syrus was a jackass, but the thought of him dead...it just hurts me inside. He was a jerk but when things got rough, he was there to help in his own way. Well, I'm sorry you lost your party members, I know it won't help much, but here's your reward for completing the dungeon"
She set a small sack of gold down in front of them before going back to wiping the counter as she always did when she wasn't serving other customers. Senku looked up at her with a guilty look and told her: "Before he died, he appointed me as party leader with his dying breath. Me, a mere low-rank warrior. The moment he said that, I knew he wasn't the cold-hearted brute I thought he was. I now carry this sword on my back as a symbol to him and will grow our party into a thriving guild he would be proud to see"
Sohira gasped Turing to him. "A-a guild!? Are you sure!? Growing a guild is difficult, not only do you need an immense amount of gold just to buy a base for the guild, you'd need to buy utilities and many other things along with finding enough people to form the guild!"
"Don't worry Sohira, I said I'd grow this party into a guild and I will, no matter how long it takes! Are first step would be to find two more members to add to our party, no one will take us seriously if our party isn't even full" Senku gave her a smile placing her hand on her head as she looked up at him with a surprised look.
"Y-yes captain!" She agreed with a smile on her face. "Let us build up our strength before doing another dungeon, when we enter our next dungeon...we'll defeat the boss with ease" The sun began to go down so Senku gave the bartender two gold pieces as their rent for the night. As Sohira made her way upstairs, Senku asked the blue-haired woman what her name was. She blushed telling him that no one's ever asked what her name was before.
"M-my name is Masuna Katsuya. She blushed more before looking at him. "What about you Senku, do you have a last name? The man shook his head informing her how he couldn't remember anything before walking up in the forest wearing merely rags.
"Since all I had on when I awoke was mere rags, I assume I was poor or some kind of peasant. But thanks to this 2nd chance I've gotten, I've slowly climbed up from being a weak nobody to an average adventurer. I'm not where I want to be, but for now it's progress. Masuna poured a mug of beer and passed it to Senku with a smile on her face.
"You started with nothing but got back on your feet and are stronger for giving yourself a 2nd chance. You'll never know how powerful you actually are until you're pushed to the limit. Have a good night Senku" He gave her a nod drinking the beer in one gulp before placing it on the bar and making his way up to his room.
He opened the door to find Sohira's healer robe on the floor with her only wearing a red bra and panties. Senku blushed quickly looking away. "Sohira why are you just wearing bra and panties!?" The pink-haired girl looked at him with a smile responding: "This is what Syrus said I should wear to bed since it would be more comfortable so I've just been going to bed wearing this ever since"
The warrior kept his eyes closed thinking: "Syrus you perverted bastard, I may like admiring girls but only if it's a girlfriend, not this!) Lowering his hand he sighed getting in bed facing away from Sohira as she climbed in beside him before wrapping her arms around his waist resting her head on his back.
Senku blushed more. "S-sohira...how old are you?" She raised her head responding: "I'm 19, why is this making you uncomfortable?"
"N-no just was making sure" (Sigh, at least I know she's only a year younger than me. Fantasy world or not I at least know what's bad and what's acceptable)
The next day...
Senku woke up with sunlight shining through the window onto his eyes blinding him for a moment before he sat up rubbing his eyes. As his eyes came into focus, he looked over at his great sword resting in the corner of the room. The adventure carefully got out of bread letting his friend sleep while he placed the sword on his back making his way downstairs to the tavern.
As he walked towards the bar, Senjin announced: "Warning incoming threat" In an abrupt motion, Senku stepped to the left just as a fist came flying past him. Looking behind him he saw three buff guys wearing heavy armor stood in front of him with hostile looks on their face. The middle guy wore golden armor with long green hair and hazel eyes while the left had bronze armor with short blonde hair and blue eyes. The one on the right wore silver armor with long brown hair and hazel eyes.
"You bastard! You killed Syrus didn't you!? I was informed you joined his party to the dungeon when he died! Kind of suspicious the moment you joined his party he happen to be killed. Admit it!"
Senku glared at him with a calm but serious look. "I had nothing to do with his death, I may have hated him at first, but never wanted him dead. Not only that, Syrus made me the party leader just before he died which further proves I wasn't the cause of his death"
The man in gold gritted his teeth in rage preparing to strike once more. "THAT PROVES NOTHING!" Those in the bar watched as the enraged warrior threw a punch straight for Senku once more. The instant his assailant prepared to attack, the red-haired warrior could see a transparent duplicate of his attacker moving a moment faster giving away the direction of his attack. Senku evaded the attack once more as the blow was so powerful it sent a wave of force past him knocking over tables and chairs.
His dark-red hair blew in the breeze before walking past them heading for the exit. "Where you going!? We aren't done here!" In a calm tone Senku responded: "I'm not running, I just don't want to cause any more trouble for Masuna with you brutes trashing her tavern. If you want to fight, then I'll take each of you one on one outside" With his index finger he motioned for them to fall as he walked outside.
"Outside or inside doesn't matter, either way you're going to pay for killing our friend!" They stood outside in the middle of the street with the three men standing before him with furious expressions. Senku held his hand out motioning for one of them to attack as a crowd began to form around them watching the growing tension.
"TSK! JUST DIE ALREADY!" The one in gold charged toward him pulling out a blazing sword, going right for the man's throat. Once again lethal prediction gave away his target's path as Senku used shadow step to vanish for a moment appearing behind the enraged brute. (I might not be that strong, but fighting someone blinded by rage should be simple)
With a sudden movement he struck the armored foe in the back, sending him staggering forward as they landed on their stomach in front of the crowd. "Flailing around like an animal will get you nowhere. I may seem strong, but it's merely the fact you don't think when you attack. If I didn't use my skills strategically then maybe you'd be an actual threat"
Shaking with rage the golden warrior stood up gripping his blade tightly. "Sai, Keno...attack him all at once!" The pair nodded as the other two pulled out an ice and lightning sword. The trio lunged toward him from different directions as Senku closed his eyes...
(Auto mode activated) His eyes snapped open glowing purple as the world around him seem to immensely slowdown from his perception and reaction speed moving many times faster. Pulling out Syrus' sword, he used a barrage of shadow steps to pierce through the assailants in a fierce combo of slashes.
(Auto mode deactivated) As his eyes reverted back to normal, time began to move normal again as slashes of blue light pierced through his targets causing them all to collapse to the ground motionless.
Analyzing the trio's stats, he saw they all were at 10% health. "So, are we done here? I'd rather not kill friends of Syrus or Sohira. But if you attack once more, I'll have no choice but to finish you off" He lowered his sword standing over the wounded group as the crowd watched in shock and amazement.