Lance looked at the Dragon's Eye Knife in his hands. It was very different holding the blade than just looking it in a glass case. The rough texture produced with scales was similar to sandpaper and its refined design, made in reinforced steel, only made it even more beautiful.
Brian Majors' sword was more than enough for not just one weapon, but for the entire group to be armed. Venya opted for an incredibly powerful red crystal retractable spear. While Hermann preferred a small saber made of dungeon steel. And the ugly doll, of course.
Venya swung the spear, throwing it upwards almost hitting the ceiling of the hotel room, the spear fell back into her hand and she jumped with her legs in the air and her head practically hitting the floor, landing beside a wall in attack position. Practically a gymnast from another world.
She looked at Lance who seemed to be extremely focused on the newly acquired knife, his eyes chasing every little detail he could find. He opened the knife stats.
[Dragon's Eye Knife of King De'Haast]
[Damage: 159-320 (x2 if below 35% max health)]
[+25 Vitality for user if equipped]
[5% critical damage]
[25 elemental resistance if equipped]
[Utility: 400/400]
[Passive skill: Spiritual protection from fire (user is resistant to certain fire magic levels]
[Imbued skill: 21% increased attack speed if equipped]
[Imbued skill: Ability to find rare items in dungeons increased by 5% if equipped]
[Curse of the Dragon King imbued: Buffs cannot be used on this user if the featured item is equipped (does not affect buffs already installed)]
[Belongs to Lance Fehrman]
'Curse of the Dragon King'. 'Buffs cannot be used on this user'. This means that Lance could not ask the King of Kaiju for help while using the knife? Would he still be able to become a Kaiju? He then remembered the part that said 'does not affect buffs already installed'. His Kaiju form was a buff instilled, wasn't it?
Lance would have his questions answered in a few minutes.
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 12 minutes and 23 seconds]
He got up towards the bathroom. Venya, now seated, was feasting on the noodles and steak the hotel had brought in earlier. It wasn't red wolf meat, but she found it delicious nonetheless.
"Aren't you going to eat?" she asked. Lance looked at her before answering. "I'm not hungry. You can order more if you want." a childish look came over the woman's face, and she smiled and immediately tried to call the hotel's restaurant to order more food.
"Something bothering you, Mr. Fehrman?" Hermann was right behind playing with his newly acquired porcelain doll. "It's the potion, isn't it?" Lance didn't respond. "You're back to normal and now you're going back to your form... what's the name..."
"Kaiju." said Lance.
"Yes! Kaiju! I was so close." Hermann rose from the wooden floor towards the slender, red-haired man. "You swore to end this world, but deep down you're a human being. There's nothing wrong with accepting who you are, Lance."
Lance entered the bathroom without a word, the door closed, locked.
Human being. What exactly is being human? Killing each other without purpose? Provoke unexplained wars? Coerce entire nations into joining international sanctions that could make life even more difficult for millions of people?
"No." thought Lance. "That's being a monster." his hands gripped the marble sink so hard it cracked. His superhuman strength still resided deep inside him.
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 34 seconds]
Lance began to feel muscle spasms like endless cramps growing between his arms and legs. The transformation was about to begin. He heard the screams of Venya and Hermann in the room.
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 21 seconds]
"Human being." he said in a whisper. His jaw practically shifting from where it normally should be.
He touched his face one last time, looking at his old face, his eyes, his hair, his clothes.
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 9 seconds]
Lance spent a lot of time wondering 'what if?' and not 'why not?'. Why not just be who he promised to be? Why not go after the hunters already?
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 5 seconds]
"Yes. I'm a monster." he said through the screams.
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 1 second]
The screams stopped for a moment, all the noise around him, all the memories disappeared without a trace. Lance finally understands who he is.
"I'm the Kaiju who will destroy this world."
[Time until end of potion effect: 00 hours, 00 minutes and 00 seconds]
Then his screams echo throughout the hotel.