Reforming from his death in a pile of ashes, he looks around. Then, his ears heard the sounds of sobbing. He turned behind him, and there she was, Brynhild, the one that killed him all of a sudden.
"Why… why… why… no, I… why…"
She repeats words like a broken record. She was cradling herself, sobs and whimpers coming from her every second.
"B-Brynhild?"
"Kyaa!"
She jumped the second Seichi spoke out her name. A faint halo appears above her head, but disappears immediately as she turns around.
"O-Oh Odin! T-Thank the Allfather you're okay!"
She immediately jumped to hug Seichi, sobbing and bawling her eyes out on his shoulder.
"I… I thought I killed you. A-Again, like what I have done to countless that I have loved."
"I'm fine, my dear Brynhild. I'll be fine, even if you kill me again."
"N-No! I can't possibly kill you again!"
"It's fine. I am practically immortal, so kill me as much as you like to calm down whatever that was."
"Y-You… Seichi."
She leaned back, her teary eyes glistening from the bright starlights above.
"Oi~! We're ready to go back, you two!"
From a distance, Assassin shouts to Seichi with Paladin standing behind with her arms folded.
"Oh…''
Thinking for a second, he remembers what he's sent here to do. Attack the Warmongers, the ones they were battling before sunset.
'Agnes says attack… but she doesn't say to what extent.'
The idea of gaining power now interests him greatly. The Survival mini-game gave him something to think about, how he's still weak, how he's still the scared boy from his past life.
'I need more power.'
The intense sense of fear was what made him this way. The fear of being chased away, the fear of getting caught, and the fear of not reaching the Light. He was still afraid, afraid that the past will still be the present and future.
'I must… get stronger.'
But, he wasn't blinded by the need to grow stronger. Not yet. First, he asked Brynhild a question.
"Brynhild, will you accompany me?"
"Y-Yes? Oh, well, of course. We're now bound with one another, my darling."
She smiled, radiating a shockingly cute face that made Seichi blush intensely.
"Oi~! Did you hear me, you little shit?!"
"You guys go back ahead. I'll stay back and fight some more."
"What?!"
Assassin was shocked, while Paladin unfolded her arms. They were both taken aback, but they sighed. It wasn't their business if one of them died. If anything, the one who should worry is the one who summoned them.
"Then we'll go back first! Don't die!"
"I won't!"
'It's impossible for me to die completely anyway.'
And so, the group separated ways. One goes for power, while the others retreat to safety another day.
[It is currently the beginning of Nighttime]
[The Night spawns the Undead lurking within the shadows]
[Beware of powerful Variants!]
These windows appear before his eyes, informing of the special Nighttime within the second floor. Aside from the churches who are sometimes hostile to each other, there is also the common enemy, the Undead. They rise up from the ground at night where no light is present. They sometimes spawn as groups to bulk up power, or as powerful Variants who have unique attributes.
'Ohh… looks like I don't have to kill people after all.'
He was thinking that he'd have to kill those soldiers, but it seems like this will be his main source of EXP for the night. Daytime, he could go explore this place, maybe take out more soldiers and those hard fought elites.
'Hehehe…'
Drunk on the motivation, he sets off into the dead of night of the tall grass field.
......
"Krraaaa…"
"Hup!"
Slicing and slashing away at the horde of zombies, he gains little by little scraps of EXP. It was so little, but progress is still progress.
'Eighteen more to go.'
Brynhild didn't help, of course. He's the one who's supposed to protect her, and with just a zombie horde it was nothing that he couldn't handle by himself. His Stats are more than plenty, and now that he has some Skill in it he's just breezing through.
[You've slain 42 Rotting Zombies]
[You've gained 47 EXP]
That much corpses, but just a little bit more EXP. These are trash, but with numbers it wasn't bad for a repetitive experience since they die so easily. It was what Challengers who came to the second floor grind if they weren't on Quests given by their churches. It was boring, but most Challengers just suck it up. For Seichi, however, it was exhilarating.
'Such power… I wonder how strong I must get before I can one-swing this entire group?'
He heard from his Teacher that a sword can also split and carve mountains. He wondered how that would look, how the Stats looked like, and how it feels to do it. He was once powerless, but now given with power that he himself made, it was the most pleasant, gratifying feeling ever.
He wipes the Lost Sword's blade of the murky, black blood and turns to face Brynhild.
"Alright, let's keep going."
"Yes, darling."
She was understanding, and her kind smile warmed his chest that felt cold for as long as he'd been alive.
Their travel was long, and with many hordes of zombies to slay.
Along the way, Brynhild took pity on the hard working Seichi and used one of her Rune Miracles, Valhalla's Light, to strengthen him. A Rune was carved on his back, but he doesn't notice it, just the change in his movement and strength.
This went on repeat, hours spent just killing zombies on the tall grass field, no words spoken, just the sounds of corpses dying and groaning. However, even with this dull experience, the two were still not bored, because they have each other's company.
[You have Leveled up]
[You have Leveled up]
[You have Leveled up]
Gaining three Levels in the span of six hours, practically going through the entire night.
It was now quiet, no sounds except for the blowing wind and the breaths of the tired Seichi.
"Shall we take a breather, darling?"
"...Sure, anything as long as it's with you."
Seichi couldn't utter the name of his companion. It felt weird somehow, like the moment wasn't right or something. They gave the repetitive grinding a rest and sat down with Brynhild sitting inside Seichi's lap. She was small, comparable to his early days and past life.
"Brynhild… who are you, exactly?"
"Ah… it's a question that I won't be answering anytime soon, darling. Reserve such a question when you get to the 20th floor, then I might tell you."
"The 20th floor… how long would that be, I wonder?"
He looked up to the stars. It was beautiful, glittering like a treasure trove and each star shone brightly as gemstones and gold coins. His face smiled faintly, wondering what the 20th floor might look like.
"But… why did you let those kids bully you? How could you? You clearly had more than enough power to kill them in self defense, but you took it."
"Fufufu, darling, you haven't known me for long. You will know why, give it some time."
None of his questions were answered, but he wasn't sad nor disgruntled. He empathizes to the best of his ability, to understand her and accept the answers he's given.
"Alright, I understand. I'll be patient, like I have always been."
His melancholy couldn't be hidden. His sadness of the past seeps out, dampening the serene atmosphere that the two shared. Brynhild, who noticed some of that sadness, couldn't help but to snuggle herself backward into him more.
"Woah, woah, I'm gonna… fall!"
She did it so much that Seichi lost balance and fell back against the ground. She giggled a little, amused by what she did before her voice resounded like a melody.
"Dear, don't be like that and dampening the mood. I hate that~."
"Oh, s-sorry. I didn't know that I was doing it subconsciously. I'll be more careful next time."
"Hehehe, I might not be able to tell you my story, but can you tell me yours? Who you are?"
Seichi, thinking on Brynhild's request as he gazes up at the stars, sighed and spoke a short tale version of his life.
"A rock once shunned from life, no blood nor water took pity on the rock, all they did was wither and wear it thinner and thinner. A boy once thought, why is the world so unfair, but none see it that way and bury his question with cynical laughter. A sheep once lived happily with the farmers he loved, until they painted him black and tossed him to the wolves outside. Now, Undead and with one cause, I wander with one direction, which is ahead. But, a light appears in my eyes, a girl, a lovely, beautiful bride in a white dress one day."
He spoke with words he found fitting to a certain extent. Even the final sentence was made up on the spot and passed to his mouth to speak out.
"A tale that describes yours truly from his final year to his happiest days. Does this tale entertain you?"
"...It is sad, but it is good enough to let me know you, darling. You've lived in a sad little world, haven't you?"
"Huhu, well, it wasn't all that bad, now that I think about it."
It still is, it still pains him to remember the humiliation, the laughter of ridicule, but now he must be a better person, he must be better than his past self.
'I must deny him…'
It was the conclusion he arrived at.
"But… that last, part. Darling, do you… think I'd look beautiful in a white dress?"
"....."
Seichi, unable to understand what Brynhild asked, took his time to answer. He didn't know that what he said was practically a proposal, but due to his skewered common sense, or lack thereof, he just said what was best for the moment.
"Yes, or would you like a different color?"
"N-No! It's, fine. I-I like white."
Relieved he'd answered correctly, he let out a faint breath as he finally registered the body heat of Brynhild.
'.....!'
It took him a few seconds, but now that he'd snapped out of his sad trance, he could feel the comfortable, soft feeling of a girl's body. Although separated by a piece of cloth, it was still thin. He doesn't know how to respond to the sudden male thoughts he's having, as he'd never been treated like a proper human being until now that he'd gained power.
'Shit shit shit! Something… is heating up down there!'
His crotch was the source of a growing heat. He was unfamiliar with this sensation, so he began to slightly panic inwardly.
'Should I move Brynhild away? No, that would ruin the mood we have! But if I don't do something fast, this heat might do something weird!'
He's wearing a rather loose pair of pants, the ones he'd been wearing since he first materialized in the Tower. Along with the shirt that has three buttons at the neck and stopping at the middle of the chest, it wasn't anything fancy. It was commoner clothes if one wants to describe it.
The pants were the problem. It was too loose, and the heat was starting to take shape as something slowly rose up.
'Calm down, calm down!'
Terrified of the new, natural sensation, something finally happened to take the two's attention.
"Graaaahhhh!"
A Variant, the first one of the night, showed up. Seichi was the first to act, picking Brynhild up in a princess carry and standing to his feet.
"Grak!"
A strange sound was heard.
[Activating Burst Instinct]
[Increasing Perception Speed]
He looked back, while also moving, and what he saw was a green sludge that spread a vapor as it slowly traveled through the air.
'Shit…!'
He narrowly dodged the incoming projectile. He was also slow as the sludge projectile, as only his Perception Speed increased, not his Agility nor Running Speed.
"Behind me!"
He puts Brynhild down and begins to engage in combat.
The Variant was a Spitter Mob, indicated by the small window above its head. It's a bulky, frog-like monster with a skinny humanoid body, long arms that acted as front legs while its legs are smaller and shorter in length, and the most distinguished feature was the bulging throat that glowed a faint green color.
"Hraakk!"
This time, instead of just spitting one projectile, it spews out a torrent of its disgusting liquid that melts the air and then the grass and ground. Its throat returned to a normal size, which Seichi took as the moment of its weakness.
However, betraying its slim and fragile frame, the strength it packed behind a wide and fast swing was no joke. It made him falter towards the left, his feet leaving the ground briefly from the unbelievable strength.
'What the…!'
Realizing his mistake in judgement, he falls back as the monster presses with its long arm attacks. Outmatched in length, he decides to do the next best thing he's taught. Redirecting.
'Arms like steel swords, that should be good enough for practicing redirection that Teacher taught me.'
It was in the Basic Understanding of Swordsmanship lesson. Instead of just dodging which will wear one's stamina down, redirecting strikes from your opponent will leave them with a moment of vulnerability. Capitalizing on that moment, a decisive victory can be drawn.
"Right!"
He made verbal cues of where the attacks will come from. It was to train his body and mind, since the mouth can sometimes be faster than the brain.
He moves his sword to the right side of him, and the arm slams on it. He moves as he'd been instructed and uses surprisingly very little force to redirect the impact upward.
Surprised that its strike was redirected, a moment of vulnerability was revealed to Seichi. He moved as if it's second nature and inflicted a wound its stomach.
"Grraaahhhh!"
It roared, and the bulge on its throat once again enlarged and out came the green liquid. He duck and rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding the fluids once more. It tries to redirect with him, but he had a better time dodging since he's so close to the monster.
With several more good slashes, deep cuts and wounds appear on the skinny frame of the monster. It was whimpering, spewing out less liquids as it actively tried to distance itself from him.
"Die!"
With a shout of victory, he aims his blade and decapitates the Variant, ending its short life on the second floor.
[You have slain a special mob, Spitter Mob]
[You have gained 74 EXP]
[You have Leveled up]
'Good…'
He was tense, even though the threat was subdued he still was on alert.
Brynhild walked over to him, watching as the undead monster wither and waste away at a rapid pace.
"Are you feeling any pain, darling?"
"Oh, Brynhild, no. I'm fine, thanks for your concern."
Seichi was reminded of what happened prior to the sudden ambush attack. His heat started to travel elsewhere, but he managed to suppress it.
"W-Well, should we resume our traveling?"
"Sure, if you're feeling more refreshed from our break."
And so, our protagonist went on with his journey to attain more power.
......…
"We've reported that, in total, close to 50 soldiers are lost at the Tall Grass Field. They've been confirmed dead, from the signals that're blinking from the stones."
"Damn… that's from the Followers of Wisdom's side. Looks like they're fearful of their own destruction, so they're trying desperately to resist. What an admirable, but ultimately futile attempt."
In a war room, lit with candles that have five times the efficiency of normal candles and flame, a man wearing armor that has an overcoat and red cape sat at the end of the room, while subordinates reported to him what happened at the Tall Grass Field.
"Send out a scout team, assess the total damage accurately and then recover the body. We still have usage for them."
"Of course, as you command, Grand Bishop."
The man was on the older side, but due to his large body frame and toned face muscles he still looked quite vibrant and youthful.
"Make it quick, oh, and if they encounter the trespassers, kill them."
"Yes, would you like us to dispatch the Ruvald team?"
"Sure, they are promising talents, let them taste the blood of battle."
The priests of the Warmonger church all wear red and black as their signature color scheme. Their wears are like most common priests of other churches, but rather it's more combat adapted than to look ceremonious and grand.
"Hmm, it's been a while now that I've encountered such a bold church."
A battle of the deities. It's the most common thing on the second floor, since its other name is False Deity's Battlefield.