After Katsuya had woken up, the doctor went over the list of injuries.
Katsuya several cracked ribs, a dislocated shoulder and he even received a mild concussion.
"Also, you have been unconscious for two days." said the doctor.
"Two days? I guess that makes sense with how bad I was knocked around." Katsuya replied.
He was disappointed with himself because of how he was nothing more than a punching bag to the vampire he had fought.
Katsuya then stood up and walked over to the window, looking down at all the cars that would pass by on the street. The reflection showed his right shoulder having a cast. It was painful to even stand but, he slowly found himself adapting to the pain until he couldn't really feel it.
The doctor was worried by Katsuya's sudden movements. In his condition, it wasn't safe to stand.
"Woah, you shouldn't be standing. You could injure yourself more or even cause your ribs to pierce your lungs."
Katsuya removed the cast from his shoulder and began moving his arm in circles. His shoulders and joints all began cracking and popping. To a normal human, those movements would cause great pain but, for Katsuya, the pain wasn't even noticeable.
"Ah...That feels a lot better. I think all I needed was a stretch. It feels like I could run miles now"
Well, he wasn't wrong about that statement, because of his speed, he could travel many miles in only a few seconds.
The doctor was completely surprised, Katsuya was dealing with the injuries rather well, or perhaps, maybe they already healed. Because of the extraordinary healing abilities that some adventurers possesed, thinking that wouldn't be far fetched.
"Are… you really okay?" the doctor asked.
Katsuya walked over to the door, stopping then replying.
"Of course I am. It feels like I don't even have injuries. Well, I'll be leaving now."
He walked out of the room, leaving from sight as if he had never existed.
"I guess that's to be expected from an adventurer." The doctor thought to himself.
Katsuya walked out of the hospital, looking up at the bright sun and clear sky. His head started pounding due to the brightness.
"That...kinda hurts."
"Do remember, it has been two days since you last saw sunlight." Sora's voice replied.
"Oh yeah, that's right."
He had a long day ahead of him as it was the day of the party Jill had invited him to. First, he would have to go to a clothing store and buy something nice to wear, then he would have to walk all the way to the location of the party.
"Sora, give me directions to the clothing store."
Red direction arrows appeared on the ground, pointing many miles ahead. Though, he was the only one who could see them.
{You have 5.3 miles left}
A breath of exhaustion blew from his mouth. He hadn't even taken one step, yet, he could already feel how tired he would be from walking.
"That's a long way, If only I had a ride."
He had overlooked a major detail, luckly, Sora's voice spoke, pointing out what he hadn't realized.
"You do realize you're able to move at impossible speeds, right? Traveling that far should be like walking fifteen-feet for you."
Katsuya was feeling a bit dumb, of course, he should've already knew that. It was just him, still stuck in the past where he was only level 1.
He leaned forward, placing his hand on the ground, as if he were about to run a marathon.
"Hah, I can't believe I forgot how fast I was. Well, I better get…"
An instant movement, he dashed forward, moving like a bullet traveling forward. The wind shook and everyone all around was stunned as they had no idea what had passed them but, as they would turn to see what it was, there was nothing to be seen.
Katsuya finished his sentence as he now stood in front of his destination.
"...going…"
(Central square, Special Occasion Clothing)
Even he was shocked how far he had traveled and how fast he did it.
Only a second ago, he stood in front of the hospital, now, he stood in front of a three story clothing store.
If he could go back in time and tell his younger self about the things people were capable of now, he would've never thought those things were possible.
"...I guess I should go in."
"Yeah, you should. You've been staring at the store like an idiot." Sora's voice replied.
"Well...you're not wrong."
He could hear her let out a gentle sigh of disappointment as she spoke.
"Just get going."
Katsuya spent 1 hour just looking around but had a hard time deciding on what he should buy. He picked out a silver watch for $297 and a pair of black dress shoes for $412. The only thing left to so was pickout a tuxedo.
There was a black one for $120,00 and even gave the wearer 10% damage resistance. Then, there was white one that cost $112,000 that increased the wearer's speed by 5%.
"This feels more like a shop for adventurers than a clothing shop." Katsuya thought to himself.
He intensely stared at the two suits, trying his hardest to make a decision.
Still, deciding was hard.
"Are you finding everything alright?" asked a voice.
Katsuya turned his head and saw a blond-haired lady with blue eyes who stood to his side. She was rather short; Her height was only up to his shoulders. The lady gave off a happy vibe as she stood there smiling, the smell of her perfume ran up Katsuya's nose. One her shirt was a tag which had the name of "Ella" written on it; She was an employee.
"Yeah, I am. I was just about to check out." Katsuya replied.
"Great, I'll help you out at the register." She replied.
Katsuya placed the black-colored tuxedo on the counter and the worker scanned it.
"Alrighty, your total is one-hundred-twenty-thousand-nine-hundred-eighty-seven dollars." Said the lady.
The total was pretty high, Katsuya's past self couldn't have even hoped to pay such a price.
"I'll be using my card." He replied.
He swiped his card and typed in his pin, grabbing the suit after paying.
"Have a good day."
Katsuya's arms moved to the side and his entire body spun with air shaking speed. The lady wasn't sure what she had just witnessed. One moment ago, Katsuya was holding the tuxedo, watch and shoes he had bought.
But, now he was wearing them.
"Oh, and you have a good day as well. I'll be leaving now."
Katsuya walked out of the store, leaving the lady to wonder "His movements, they were faster than I could see. Is he an adventurer?"
After leaving the store, the first thing that Katuya's eyes noticed was the darkness. The moon was already out and the weather had gotten colder.
"I might've taken a little too long while deciding what to buy."
Buzz. Buzz.
His pocket vibrated, letting him know that he had received a message.
He held his phone in his hand, looking down at the screen.
{1 new message from: Jill}
{Jill: Katsuya, are you still coming? Text me back as soon as you see this.}
"Damn, I almost forgot the whole reason why I came to buy something presentable to wear."
His fingers tapped the screen at unrealistic speed, then, the tapping came to a sudden stop. He had typed a response message.
"That should do it."
{You: Sorry, just got your message. I'll be there soon, I'm on my way}
Katsuya leaned over, touching the ground in a running position.
He looked straight ahead of himself as he gave Sora a command.
"Sora, show me direction to Whistirk Avenue, house one-hundred-tewnty-three."
"As you wish." Her Voice replied.
Red arrows began showing the way, along with a distance meter.
{Destination: 9.5 miles away}
Katsuya took a deep breath, then, swiftly let it out.
[You have activated 'Double Speed']
His entire body, launched forward, like he had been pushed forward by a giant rubber band. The air shook and he moved like a bullet.
Swoosh!
Almost right away, he arrived at his destination.
(Whistirk Avenue, House Number: 123)
He stood on the doorstep to a mansion-looking house. It was two stories tall and had a balcony. The walls were snow white.
Just by looking, anyone would be able to tell that someone wealthy lived inside.
"Well, I should probably knock now."
Katsuya held out his hand, tapping it hard enough against the door to create a thumping sound.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
There was no answer.
"Should I knock again?" Katsuya thought to himself.
Right as he was about to knock again, he heard the door unlock then slowly open. Peeking her head out was Jill.
She was utterly surprised.
"Woah...I just got your message. How did you get here so fast?" Jill asked.
"Well, actually, I just happened to be in the area." said Katsuya, which was a lie. He just wanted to avoid looking as if he were bragging about his speed.
"Whatever."
Jill opened the door then stepped to the side, allowing him to walk in. Katsuya noticed the cleaness and brightness of the house, it was beautiful.
The floor was shiny, polished wood; Above them was a large and golden-colored chandelier with small glass crystals on it. Further ahead were two pairs of stairs. The wood it was made of was a darker color than then the floor.
Jill started walking up to them, telling Katsuya to follow along.
"Follow me, this way."
And so, he followed her up to the top of the stairs. At the top was a large room, being nearly 3 times the size of the living room.
There were tables with drinks and food. All Around were the people that were invited. Right away, Katsuya noticed a couple well-known adventurers.
To begin with, there was Jack, a fighter class adventurer. He had black hair and a light beard. Clothing a black tuxedo.
{Name: Jack | Rank: Legendary | Guild: Beast Slayer | Number: 1}
Then, there was Kenshin, a Fighter/Assassin class adventurer. He dressed as comfortable as he always did, wearing a black-colored hooded jacket and jeans.
{Name: Kenshin | Rank: Legendary | Guild: United Power | Number: 1}
There was also Lyra, a mage class adventure. Her hair was long and peach-colored. She wore a long white dress for this occasion, looking like she belonged in a beauty pageant.
{Name: Lyra | Rank: Legendary | Guild: United Power | Number: 2}
Walking over and getting a drink off the table was Nari, a Fighter/Mage class adventurer. Otherwise known as 'Karma'
Shewore the same vampire-like clothing she always wore, a dark-black dress which complimented her long red hair and glowing yellow eyes.
{Name: Nari | Rank: Legendary | Guild: United Power | Number: 3}
Last but not least was Amaya, a strong Fighter/Assassin-class adventurer. Her hair was short and snow-white, her eyes were brown and shiny, her skin was smooth, she wore a grey-colored cloak along with grey-color boots. Her place in Legendary-rank was lower than the strongest adventurers, mainly due to her lack of knowledge; But one thing was for sure, she was in a whole other league than the others as she was able to beat a Legendary-ranked 'Mega Boss' all on her own. That feat alone was enough to prove her world breaking power.
{Name: Amaya | Rank: Legendary | Guild: Connected Worlds | Number: 4}
As Katsuya looked at her, their eyes met and she came walking over.
"Have your injuries healed up already?"
"Yeah, they have. It feels like I was never hurt in the first place." As Katsuya finished his reply, he noticed Jill's confusion as she had no knowledge that Katsuya helped take down the killer from the news. He felt that maybe he should've told her about it when he woke up in the hospital.
"Injuries? What do you guys mean?" Jill asked.
Amaya explained everything that had happened, two days ago.
Jill understood but was surprised, she was the type of person who rarely watched the news so she had no idea that a killer was on the loose.
"At least you're okay." said Jill.
"Yeah, it would've ended a lot worse if Amaya hadn't shown up when she did. I might've been killed" Katsuya replied.
A pounding headache hurt the sides of his head as he leaned over in pain.
Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump. Bump.
"Aghh, what is this?"
"Woah, are you okay?" said Jill.
"I could use my 'Analyze' skill to see what's wrong." Said Amaya.
Katsuya tried to stand normally as his legs would wobble.
"No, I'm fine, really. I just need some fresh air."
He turned and started making his way over to the balcony. As he walked outside, both Jill and Amaya felt concerned by his sudden pain.
"I don't feel like he's actually okay." Jill thought to herself.
Katsuya shut the balcony door as he walked out. He leaned on the wall and looked up at the sky. The devastating headache slowly faded with a slow thumping sensation.
Thump....Thump….Thump...….
In relief, he gently inhaled then blew out a calming breath.
"Ahhh….glad it went away."
[Your skill 'Monster' has evolved into 'Monsterization']
Seeing the sudden notification in his view had left a confused look on his face. This was the first time he heard about skill being able to evolve.
Telepathically, Sora's voice spoke to him.
"That headache you felt wasn't normal."
"What do you mean?" Katsuya replied.
"It was caused by the overuse of the 'Monster' skill. That skill no longer exists within you, it has turned into something completely different. Just look at the description."
A screen appeared in front of his eyes, explaining what the evolution was.
[Monsterization - The first time this skill is used, you will become half monster, causing changes to your body and even personality. Your stats will receive a permanent buff. Hp will increase by 500% | Mp will increase by 150% | Atk will increase by 100 % | You will unlock a new stat called 'Defense' | Speed will increase by 20% | Endurance will increase by 50%
The second time this is used, you will become a full breed monster. The appearance you take will depend on multiple things such as your deepest desires, your personality, your will to fight, your self image ect. You will only have a 1% chance of holding onto your humanity.
This time, your stats will increase even greater. Hp + 1,000% | Mp+ 500 % | Atk + 200% | Speed + 40% | Endurance +100 %]
Katsuya stared and stared and stared and stared and stared. The fact that using this skill at all would cause major and terrifying changes frightened him. In his head, he hoped that there would never be a situation dire enough that he would be pushed into using this. Sure, he wanted strength but not like this. He hated monsters with all his guts so, why would he want to become one himself? The thought rushed around inside his brain.
"This skill really wants me to sacrifice my humanity for power. That's not going to happen. Not unless other lives beside mine are at stake. Only then, I would be forced to use something like this but, even so, wouldn't I become a threat to them as well?"
The door behind him opened gently and Jill came walking out. She leaned on the edge of the balcony, looking back at Katsuya.
"Did your headache go away?" She asked.
"Yeah, it's gone. Did you come out here just to ask that?"
Jill looked up at the sky where the glowing moon floated in the abyss, along with the sharp-lighted stars.
"If I'm being honest, I came to look at the stars. It's a hobby of mine. The dark sky really compliments the light of the moons and the stars."
Katsuya looked up at the sky as well. It gave him a somewhat calming feeling, along with a mysterious feeling.
"It really does." He replied.
Jill's shiny eyes showed the reflection of the moon's light. Her skin looked soft under the dim lighting. Katsuya realized the reason why she looked at the night sky for a hobby. It was because of the heavenly but dark look it had to it, combined with the cold fresh air, it was the perfect feeling. It was like getting a look into heaven.
"You know, I always wonder what's out there. What's beyond our farthest reaches. What's So far out there, millions...no, trillions of light years away. Do you think that maybe it's heaven that is so far away? Or, is it just nothingness?"
"Well, I don't know. Anything is possible. Maybe what's way out there is true peace. A place away from all problems." Katsuya replied.
"Maybe."
A small light shot across the. A rare occurrence, it was a shooting star.
Jill's eyes lit up while she watched the star move across the black sky, before disappearing completely.
"Let's make a wish."
"Good idea." Katsuya replied.
And so, both of their eyes shut and they made a wish. After some silence, their eyes opened back up.
"What did you wish for?" Katsuya asked.
"I can't tell you or else it won't come true." said Jill.
"Right. If it comes true, tell me what it was."
"I will, only if it does come true."
For the second time, the balcony door opened. Standing there was Amaya with her head tilted as she looked at both Jill and Katsuya.
"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt you two love birds."
It was expected for Jill to get upset about that comment but, instead of looking mad, she looked flustered and her face was as red as a tomato.
"W-We are not love birds!" she shouted.
"Oh, well, okay. Anyway, your mom is about to give her speech, it's time to come in." Amaya replied.
"I had no idea that there was going to be a speech.I wonder what it will be about." Katsuya thought to himself.
As the three of them went back inside, there was a lady with brown hair who wore a red dress. She was Jill's mother though, Katsuya did not know her name. Standing around her were all the people.
The red-dressed lady started her speech as she held a wine glass in her hand.
"I'm sure that most of you people that are here are adventurers. Even if you're not, you probably have someone close to you that is. You adventurers have it hard. You're always in constant danger, clearing the dungeons that appeared. Some do the job for the money, some do it to prevent deaths. Whatever the reason may be, I'm sure all of us normal citizens are grateful. If it wasn't for you guys, monsters would be roaming the streets, taking lives. That job comes with many risks. You may lose a limb or you may even lose someone close to you. And unfortunately, sometimes you'll die in the process. It's not possible to prevent every death, of course, you already know that. But, you guys still try your hardest because of what's fueling you. That's all I wanted to say."
She held her glass of wine into the air , speaking the last sentence of her speech.
"To the job of an adventurer."
Gently, everyone else held their drinks in the air and repeated the phrase "To the job of an adventurer." all at the same time.
Even before hearing the speech, Katsuya knew all that already. He had only been an adventurer for less than a month and already, he had seen others lose their lives. It didn;t bother him right when it had happened but, once he let it sink in, the regret weighed heavy in his heart of not being strong enough to prevent those deaths.
Slow music began to play and people paired up, slowly dancing with each other.
"What is this, a romance party?" Katsuya thought to himself.
He looked to the side then immediately regretted doing so. He had made eye contact with Nari. She was the same age as Katsuya but was way stronger than most people. Nari came closer and closer. Each step she took, Katsuya was sure he had done something to make her mad.
As she approached, she made an unexpected request.
"Will you dance with me?"
Though just by looking at her, she was pretty but Katsuya did not find her the least bit attractive, mainly because of the scary energy she gave off.
In fear of angering her, he grabbed her hand, replying "S-Sure."
Her glowing yellow eyes sent chills down his spine.
Kenshin, the Fighter/Assassin class adventurer stood in surprise, watching the two dance. It was all surprising to him. Nari wasn't the type to be into slow dancing, she doesn't even like making physical contact with anyone. However, it looked like Katsuya was the exception.
"She must've taken a liking to him. I wonder why." Kenshin thought to himself.