-Reyha Kingdom; Gallo's Outskirts; Goblin's Lair; 10th Floor-
Being faced a much more feral-looking Rakuia with a bluish glue overflowing from her as if it was blood coursing through her body, giving her this imposing aura.
"I don't care what you did, I will not be defeated, especially not by someone who isn't taking this battle seriously at all!" Rakuia declared and dashed at Kymani, with a serious expression and her lips contorted together with a light frown.
"While I imagine how you're feeling, that was not my intention, and you are jumping to conclusions. I know my words won't change how you see things now, but I hope my actions can prove my point instead." Kymani responded with a noticeable level of seriousness on his face, not because of the danger of the fight, that was something he was already getting used to it... What made him serious was Rakuia, it seemed something was off besides the whole crisis state thing.
"Enough talking!" Rakuia retorted as they clashed and their weapons met. Their eyes did the same, as she looked down at the currently shorter Kymani.
Utilizing his understanding of Rakuia's battle style acquired during this fight, Kymani was able to parry her attacks while avoiding getting his weapons destroyed, but he came to realize his hands were getting numb due to the difference in strength. Rakuia was much stronger and every strike made it harder for Kymani to keep up.
In a stroke of misfortune for Kymani, his daggers broke as their durability got reduced until they gave in, and were not able to handle the overwhelming force anymore. Not allowing himself to fail on this, he pulled out his new bone daggers from the inventory, of which he still had 21 to pull from, not to mention other weapons. This was not going to stop him.
"Water Dancing Warrior technique: Brutalization Bite!" Coming out much faster than the last time, and not just that, but also much more than the last time as now 8 bluish lines were launched out and soon closed out creating 4 oval bluish figures.
'It's this again... But I shouldn't act rashly, unlike Iketica who's more straightforward; Rakuia seems to be more tricky. I'll wait the very last moment, and attack then.' It didn't take long before Kymani felt the pressure on him, and had an idea of what type of move this one is, he decided to wait it out, rather than just using
The pressure increased more and more until
Once again a trade of blows initiated and Kymani found himself outspeed by Rakuia, who was slowly but surely wearing him down by taking small openings and smashing him multiple times.
The slowly bloodied Kymani found himself in a predicament, since if this continued he would actually lose.
'I guess, I have no choice, but to try it out now.' Kymani concluded.
"Sand Dance Technique: Yellow Sun!" Kymani chanted as he emulated Iketica's movements perfectly.
[You have acquired the skill Mirage Step]
[Mirage Step: This skill allows its user to gain a mana-fueled speed boost with the added bonus of creating afterimages with the residual mana leaked through the movement made while using this skill, as they are mana out of your mana and in a way an extension of you, they are referred to as mirages and can be commanded, though unable to intact with anything in a physical sense. Mirages dissipate naturally after a while.]
Moving in the same square formation he had witnessed before at a very him speed, Kymani used what was his first active skill, since
Doing it as he had seen, Kymani sent his mirages in sending 8 at once from the get-go. Forced Rakuia to copy him using a spinning attack to stop things from getting worse for her, but this also told Kymani what he wanted to know. 'She probably can't go unscathed by her pressure attack either, otherwise, she would have used it by now. So let's actually go in.'
Following up, Kymani sent in 13 mirages, 10 on the ground from different sides and 3 from the top, making a mess for Rakuia, as all the mirages came at her. Not having too much of a choice left, used the spinning attack again to ward the ground level, then gambled on each one of the sky mirages would be the one.
[You have acquired the skill Mirage Exchange]
[Mirage Exchange: This skill allows you to change places with your mirages for a high mana cost.]
Changing places with the one closest to her back, Kymani used this chance to attack.
[You have acquired the skill Light Conversion]
[Light Conversion: Utilizing whatever light source you have, then you focus it through your mana to create a pseudo aura capable of coating any object you choose as a weapon, but be warned it is not suited to directly coat your body how the actual aura is. Mana is consumed before and during the process.]
Using this skill, Kymani gave his daggers a faint violet glow that fully covered them, as he once again stabbed Rakuia in her shoulder and waist, causing her immense pain as she clenched her teeth and hit the ground with both her swords, causing the blueish energy to be unleashed and form a double circle around them.
"If I'm losing, you're not winning.... Water Dancing Warrior technique: Sea Warth!" Rakuia uttered with a weak voice, and before Kymani could say anything in response, a water geyser erupts from the ground engulfing both of them.
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-Later-
Kymani woke up in his room, and he looked at his hand surprised to see that he was a human again. He got up from bed and walked around the house, but found nobody until he got to the living room, where he found his mother watching TV.
"Oh, it's you, sweetie, you can just in time. That one animu we usually watch together is about to be on." His mother smiled at him and signaled him to come and sit next to her.
"It's anime, mom..." Kymani corrected her not knowing how to feel about the situation at all.
'Was all that stuff really just a dream?' Kymani questioned in his mind.
"Hey! I know the animus, and even if I'm as much of a fan as you, I watched some before you were even born! Now come and sit here!" Mother said jokingly.
"Yeah.." Kymani agreed and sat next to his mother. She then pulled him in and let him lay his head on her shoulder while caressing his hair. It made Kymani begin to tear up as he remembered his mother, and various moments just like that one began to flash before him.
"Are you okay, honey? Is there something wrong?" Mother immediately asked upon noticing his state.
"No... I'm just a bit sentimental today..." Kymani said.
"Awww! My baby needs mom's hugs today! Why didn't you say so?! You don't have to be embarrassed of me all the time, you know?" Mother added.
"I'm not... Not this time." Kymani smiled softly.
"Ahh, you little scrub! How can you say something so mean in such a kind tone?! I can't get mad at you that way." Mother began messing Kymani's hair up.
"Hey! You can't do that, I'm emotionally disturbed!" Kymani refuted but didn't actually resist.
"Oh really? You don't sound like it." Mother retorted.
"That's... Hahaha!" Kymani just burst out laughing.
"Shhh! I want to actually watch the animu" She said.
"It's anime, mom..." He responded.
"That's what I said." She insisted.
They then watched the series together as it followed the adventures of a loner powerful protagonist, who preferred to solve things without violence, which had its positives and negatives attached.
"Hey, What do you hate the most about this animu?" Mother inquired.
"I don't get why he doesn't just kill Beknon! It would have solved like half of his problems ever.... I guess that's the worse part, and it's anime, mom." Kymani answered.
"Hum, I see... That's a bit extreme but i understand why you would think that way. For me, the worst part is how much he tries to always do by himself, it's so frustrating to know there are a bunch of people who would have gladly helped him, get left in the dark all the... Things could have been much easier if he just accepted some help... Honestly at this point this is pretty... What do you kids say these days? Mid-show was it? So, why not go full in and give him sidekicks or maybe a love interest, two, a trillion? I don't care, it's just sad to see such a lonely person just stay that way." She explained.
"I'll keep that in mind then..." Kymani responded and sighed having come to see something. "You can come out, I noticed."
Soon the whole space changed and once again Kymani was met with the immensely humongous creature from when he became level 5.
{I was not trying to hide from you child.} It responded.
"That's why you made an illusion of my mother? How cruel of you, but I guess I should have expected something like this." Kymani narrowed his eyes in full seriousness, not a hint of fear.
{Hahaha, it was no illusion, you underestimate me, child, I need no such tricks. I simply intertwined your dream with hers and connected you through the different layers of totality, but that's not something you can worry about with how weak you are.} It retorted.
"And I'm supposed to believe that?! Give me a break. What even was the point of that?! Even if you are somehow, saying the truth, why?!" Kymani was very clearly not happy with this.
{Why else? To test you, child, and I'm sad to inform that you have FAILED. It was not enough for you to lose the system just yet, but keep doing so, and things won't end well for you. As a host for the system I created, you are only decent, but since you showed promise, I decided to let it roll. Do yourself a favor and do not waste my kindness or you will regret it dearly. To repent this mistake, kill the dungeon guardian yourself and I'll think about your situation.} It explained not giving Kymani time to respond at all as everything went black for him.
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[Challenge #1: A Real Warrior(Complete)
Description: You must prove to be a real warrior, one who can fight under conditions that do not favor you. In line with the dark cave tunnels in which you find yourself, show what you got and do it blindly.
Objective: Defeat Rakuia the great, without being able to see.
Failure conditions: Defeat, utilizing your eyes during battle, or death.
Rewards: Random Skill, +1 Willpower, +2 Magic, +2 Dexterity, +1 Agility, +1 Luck]
[You have acquired the Skill Rabid]
[Rabid: You are empowered temporarily in an extreme and uncontrollable frenzy, that will backlash once it is over.]
[You have gained an additional +1 Willpower, +2 Magic, +2 Dexterity, +1 Agility, and +1 Luck]
Once the water gazer stopped, Kymani was still standing albeit very obviously hurt and unable to move too much without immense pain, while Rakuia was knocked out cold, and equally damaged... No, she was in a slightly worse state, this due to Kymani's resistance, protecting himself from a lot of the damage anyone without them would have taken.
"Master!" Kymani heard Lavenica call out to him as his vision began to fade to black and he passed out.
"What a mess... Rakuia... Let's take them in, and I'll call the village shaman, he knows some healing magic and can make healing potions." Iketica informed as he got Rakuia.
Lifting Kymani gently, Lavenica also took him.