Akira, swung his scythe endlessly with a toned body of the result after five years, dripping with sweat. But for today, Akira had finally finished his training.
Akira panted as he completed his final training and sat down on the massive log of wood.
Akira's body was fully ripped but appeared thin as a result of his 5 years of training, and he was now stronger. A black-haired young boy from five years ago had turned into a fine grown man.
Sora appeared and applauded him cheerfully. He was proud of Akira's accomplishment. After many years, he now lived in the village and stayed at Akira's home.
Akira thanked him and owed him so much for training by his side for 2 years. Although not fully, he thanked him for teaching him everything he knew.
Sora patted Akira's shoulder and said to thank himself. This was because of Akira's determination that made him go this far.
Sora gripped his fist and rooted for Akira because tomorrow would be his journey to Celesta. Akira was now ready for the next day and would pack his belongings before traveling.
His training had accumulated an increase in strength and speed, which he focused on since he didn't have a prioritized use for magic.
Undergoing training, he exceeded the limits of his strength, making him fully muscular. But he decided not to be so bulky as to slow him down, so he could achieve his goal of becoming the strongest.
He had eight packs of abs, despite the fact that the muscles in his arms and legs appeared small. They had been buffed as well. It could be visibly shown if he hardened his muscles. Even though he had drastically changed, his body appearance was thin. This was because he had no intention of getting bulked up. From what he thought, being bulky would mean slowing down his speed but would increase his durability and strength in exchange. However, this was his opinion and belief. He was covered in dirt after his training.
He sat down and drank water from his gourd, and shouted for his system after 2 years
_________________________
[LEVEL: 72]
[EXP: 298,560/780,000]
Stats:
Strength: 95,821 Mana: 3,250/3,250
Speed: 632 HP: ∞
Durability: 11,200.
Bonus stats:
Exp bonus: 5%
Strength bonus: 7%
Skills:
- Keen instincts Lvl: 5 (max)
Danger instincts: Lvl: 5 (max)
Mana cost: 0
- Weapon summoning (Light) (30) Lvl: 4 (max)
Mana cost: 50
- Weapon summoning (Heavy) (15) Lvl: 4 (max)
Mana cost: 150
- Blood manipulation Lvl: 3
Mana cost: 100
3 more...
________________________
Akira, feeling curious in comparison to him and the warriors in Celesta, then questioned Sora.
"In terms of strength, do the warriors of Celesta have higher strength than mine? Mine is almost a hundred thousand."
"Well yes, it can be a million or a trillion or more than that. It's no surprise too. And as a matter of fact, I've never seen mine." Sora answered and stated that he was still not at that level. Though, it was only his assumption since he couldn't see people's systems.
"Wha-?" Akira was shocked and made his jaw drop. He couldn't believe that he was still low compared to others. He thought that he had surpassed the limits of all in the world, yet, he didn't expect people could have a trillion in strength.
"Hahaha, don't be so surprised like that. In terms of strength and level, you're above average!"
"What do you mean by that?" Akira tilted his head.
"Oh well, whatever. You'll understand once you get there, I'm a little too tired." Sora sighed, approached Akira, and held his shoulders.
"The hell did you were doing?"
"Then again, if you're successful one day. *Whisper* You don't mind giving your money to the village and me too, do you?" Sora whispered.
"..." Akira's face went flat.
"Are you sure? If I recall, I borrowed you "my" money, and you ended up spending it all on gambling. Why should I give you more?" Basically, Sora funded Akira for his training regimen so he could indulge in his gambling habits and waste all that money on one game. If the money was all out, he continuously borrowed his money just for gambling, and that was why Sora was broke. Until now, he didn't even pay his debt.
"Shhhhhh, were you trying to ruin my image!" Whispered Sora while frantically closing Akira's mouth.
"Relax, there's no one here beside me and you," Akira spoke with a muffled voice.
"What if they heard us? Or their main ability is supersonic hearing?"
"That's just you trying to live up to two different lives and keep one of them a secret so they could accept you," Akira stated facts after getting freed from Sora's hand.
"Watch your mouth! My life is perfect!" Sora disagreed with Akira
"Whatever" Akira humored him and went home to pack his things.
A day later...
Akira had already packed everything and carried it with him in his system and backpack. The system couldn't store large items and could only transport small items such as clothing, stones, jewelry, and so on.
He was dressed in a black jacket that matches his jeans and a white shirt. Because he was the only one who wanted to go to Celesta, the villagers and his family went to say their goodbyes to him.
"Take care out there, son!" Said his dad while hugging his son, his father burst into tears of joy.
His mother then hugged him tightly, prayed for him, and cheered for him, as did the other villagers.
"Are you not accompanying me, Julia?" Akira offered Julia to accompany him to Celesta.
"No thanks, I'm staying with my family. Besides, the city is full of danger and I'm not ready for it." Julia declined. Though she had already fully recovered from her trauma, she couldn't risk herself after knowing the city was overrun with criminals and monsters. She knew because her grandfather told her.
"Well, they say it's the safest city. And by that, I don't know the truth. What about you, Sora?" Frankly, Akira didn't know the real truth behind the city's condition since the stories he heard were both bad and good.
"Nah, I'm fine. Thanks to you, I have a new home now, so don't worry about them and your family. I'll be sure to protect them and be their guardian angel. Psst, and don't forget our deal" He winked and whispered to Akira's ear.
"Yeah yeah, gotta go now! You all take care!" Akira, at last, started his journey and said goodbye for the last time. The villagers cheered for Akira and waved him goodbye.
2 days later...
His journey from afar took him on an exciting journey through the woods and mountains.
Despite this, he eventually found his way to Celesta. He finally arrived at Celesta after a two-day journey.
His journey was very bothersome. He lost many clothes in just 2 days. He packed four pairs, but it wasn't enough in the end. He had never gone through the woods very far; he lost his way each time there was a two-way path. He had been bitten by many sorts of animals and insects. Of course, all of them had a very unpleasant feeling.
"Phew, alright! I made it! " Akira shouted in delight as he saw the view of the city. He began feeling relieved after all he went through. The most annoying part was that he was stung by a bee. Thankfully, he healed all the swollen parts in a short time, thanks to his ability to heal.
Flying cars, people on brooms, wagons, metro stations, massive castles and skyscrapers, and a mix of modern and simple lifestyles...
These were all new to Akira. After all, he had never seen these in his entire life in the village and had only heard about them from stories. Akira then went to the Celesta gate on the side of the highway road.
Excited and thrilled, it was as if he was walking on a different planet, full of wonder and joy. Akira took a look around; there was a shop, a vehicle shop, a park, and lots of new things. He was very surprised by how expensive items were in the city. He barely could even buy one.
He then bumped into a random person.
"Hey, watch where you going! Don't you see people are walking here?!" The stranger yelled at Akira for not focusing on walking.
"Sorry..." Akira apologized. He was distracted by many kinds of new things he never discovered, hence, he was a commoner.
"It's my first time in here, so yeah, hehe" Akira rubbed his head.
"Huh, so you're a peasant? Go back to where you belong, you weirdo!" The stranger yelled and went back walking.
The crowd around Akira was a whirl of whispers, their unkind words prickling at his ears. He shook his head, dusting off his jacket with more force than necessary. "Sheesh, talk about attitude. Father was right..." he muttered under his breath. With that, he set off towards the warrior registration exam.
The examination field had the grandeur of a gladiator arena. Akira quickly signed the registration form and waited for the exam to begin. With a last glance around the arena, he ventured outside, seeking a change of scenery.
"I wonder if 2,500 Gols could last me a week?" Akira pulled out his wallet and contemplated the sum inside. He was unsure if it would suffice for a week's worth of meals, let alone accommodations. The prices at the local shops were making him dizzy. With a sigh, he decided to find the cheapest lodging he could.
"Hmm?" Shortly after, Akira's danger sense was activated. He then dashed to the danger in order to locate the potential threat.
He found two people lying on the ground who seemed to have been sucked dry in the alleyway. Their mana seemed to be dry and non-existent.
Then, the eyes of a monster appeared behind Akira and started launching its attack with its slimy tentacles. Akira turned around and summoned his scythe, slicing off the tentacles while backing away from it.
"Who's there?" Akira tightly held his scythe and placed it in front of his body.
"Nice move!" The monster commended with a deep voice and then showed up from the dark. Its figure was a slimy monster who was thirsting for magic.
"(It's not the same slime as I fought last time in the woods...)" Akira stated in his thoughts that the slime appeared different compared to the village.
"Give. Me. FOOD!!!" It proceeded to attack again, but more aggressively. Akira dodged and attacked as well. With great speed from his swing, he sliced the monster to pieces, but it didn't work.
"GAH, you're annoying! Huh?" The monster revert to its original form and took notice of a person who has higher mana.
"BWAHAHAHHA SEE YOU LATER, BRAT!" The monster changed its prey to the stranger.
"I SENSED A DELICIOUS MANA COMING FROM YOU!" The monster got closer to the man.
"No, wait!" Akira dashed to rescue the man, but it was too late.
"HAHAHAHAHA, THANKS FOR THE FOO-" The monster gradually came closer and near to the man. However...
Before it even touched the stranger, he exhaled a cold breath and froze the monster to ice. He didn't flinch, as if he knew the monster was coming toward him.
"Guh-?" Frozen, the monster couldn't move an inch.
The long-haired man appeared to be searching for this monster.
"How revolting!" The man grunted. He touched and crushed the frozen monster, mercilessly slaying it to pieces.
Akira's eyes widened, after which he saw that man easily eliminate the monster.
"You!" The man pointed at Akira.
"You're supposed to be in the exam, don't bother to help! You'll get seriously hurt. There have been many casualties around here, and you shouldn't be here. Now go!" The man yelled and ordered him to stay in the exam field.
"Yes sir!" Akira nodded and went back to the exam center.
The examiners' voices rang out through the speakers. "Future warriors of Celesta! Thank you for your bravery in undertaking this exam. This test is not just to acquire a warrior's license but also to determine your ranking. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask!"
The crowd was silent, their focus entirely on the examiners. It seemed no one had any questions, and the announcement continued without interruption.
"Very well, I'll continue explaining the rules and what's inside. First things first, these are the dos and don'ts."
A holo screen appeared.
a. Do's
1. You may team up with others.
2. You can bring your weapons.
3. Bring healing items or boosts if you want.
b. Don'ts
1. Do not sabotage other examinees
2. Do not use your magic at other examinees (except boosts and healing)
"And these are what's inside this portal: There are giant monsters to test your survival and your strength. You can survive without doing anything until time's out. You will have 3 days to survive, and these places will change with different monsters each day. These places are:
1. The desert.
2. The forest.
3. The snowy land.
And these bosses are:
1. The scorpion king.
2. The snake king.
3. The dragon.
"Fear not the lack of food, for we shall summon boars, pigs, and other edible creatures. Your survival is paramount. Every three hours, following skirmishes with lesser monsters, you will confront a boss. Each stage features its own distinct boss. And above all, don't die. That concludes the announcement. Thank you for your attention!" With a bow, the examiners finished their address.
"Wait, what?"
"Don't die?"
The examinees were puzzled by the unclear explanation from the examiners regarding the potential lethality of the monsters.
Moments later, the gate portal opened.
"To the gate, everyone!" the examiners directed.
Akira joined the other examinees at the gate and was suddenly transported to a random location.
"What the?" Akira was bewildered by the sudden teleportation.
A screen materialized in the sky.
1,000/1,000
"Hmm, what does that mean?"
Then a countdown appeared, signaling the impending start of the stages.
3...
2...
1...
Start!
The ground trembled as monsters materialized. Akira's instincts screamed at him to steer clear. Leaping away from the sand, he found himself face to face with a colossal scorpion. Summoning his scythe, he braced for combat, but the scorpion's pincers loomed to crush him.
[INFINIX SLASH]
A mysterious figure executed a lightning-fast slash, severing the scorpion's entire arm and, in a twist of fate, saving Akira from the impending strike. The dismembered limb crashed to the ground, triggering a cloud of dust. Emerging from the haze, the enigmatic savior loomed like a shadow.
"You should leave, or you might get hurt. And don't try to act tough," the stranger warned Akira, unaware of his ability to take on such formidable foes.
"Huh? I can clear it no problem, I don't need your help."
"I saved your life and now you don't thank me? What a miserable guy you are." The stranger ridiculed Akira as he giggled. The stranger didn't mean anything rude, he find it funny that Akira responded that he could handle them.
"Yeah, I'm not thanking you for that! Who're you calling miserable, hah!?" Akira felt offended because he could not die and yet was saved by an unknown man. The dust was all gone and his face was clear, smirking at him.
"Hahaha, I'm just kidding. Your response had me cackling. Nice to meet you, oddball." A face of a young man with black short hair and the same age as him smirked.