"Greetings Lightning Emperor. Long-time no see."
"You too Hel. You look even younger than the last time I saw you. I'm worried that next time I meet you you'll be a toddler."
"Ahahaha! There are quite some complicated reasons for this."
"Still shady as always. Well then, the one with some business with me isn't you right now."
"Oh, that's right! Hahaha! I forgot."
The two of them exchanged words for a short time. They look like old buddies that reunited after a long time. That is without taking their appearance into consideration.
After the man, the Lightning Emperor, hinted that it is now his turn, Zeus took a step forward.
"It is an honor to meet you, Lightning Emperor."
"It's not like this is the first time we meet. And I hate formalities."
"Is that so…"
"Yeah. Then, about your skills."
"That is, I want to upgrade Evasion and Warrior's Heart."
"Hmmm. Then, as a symbol of defeating me, allow me to upgrade them to 4 stars."
- - -
- Skill, Evasion has been upgraded to a 4* skill. Evasion will increase greatly.
- Skill, Warrior's Heart has been upgraded to a 4* skill. Health will increase greatly.
- - -
"Thank you very much. But I don't think I have a chance of winning if you fought seriously there."
"Hahaha! I gave my word at the start so it can't be helped. If I didn't I would have been forced to fight with you on equal terms."
"Please. I am nothing but a newbie that has just started traversing the path of the sword. There's no way I can be of equal footing with a master."
"Don't be modest. Here take this. A symbol of your accomplishment."
The Lightning Emperor handed a sword to Zeus. Its sheath was covered with many intricate carvings. Electricity, or what seems like it, was running up and down the carvings. Zeus squinted his eyes.
"… I am glad about the offer but I already have a sword that I use."
Zeus tried to decline modestly and hinted at his Magic Sword. He was feeling a little something in the air that makes him refuse the offer.
"...."
"Did he pass?"
"… Sigh… Okay. He passed. He wasn't drowning in his power nor was overpowered by greed. I think that he is perfect."
"I told you right?"
"W-What are you talking about…?"
Zeus felt cold sweat running down his back. He feels like he will be caught up in another messy plot.
"Ah, it was about my successor. I was searching for successors since the start that I worked here but you are the first to actually pass both tests. In other words…"
NOOOOOOOOOO! I KNEW IT!!!
"… I will personally name you as my successor."
"I REFUSE!!!"
An instant answer. However, the Lightning Emperor Lives up to his name.
"REFUSAL REFUSED!"
"HAHAHAHA! This guy is much more stubborn than you think!" Hel laughed by the side.
Then, before Zeus could make a run for the door, a burning pain crept at the back of his left palm.
"Ouch!"
He flailed his hand in reflex. When he checked it, he was shocked.
"What's THIS?!"
Behind his left hand, a black mark was printed.
"The symbol that I pass to my successor. Those who possess that symbol are able to learn my skills."
"Not THAT! I mean, why is THIS THING in MY hand!!!"
"Hahaha! I told you he is stubborn."
"That mark cannot be removed easily. Don't worry. That mark will leave if it deemed you unworthy. Wait 5 minutes. If it left, then you are not qualified to learn my skills."
"Guuhhhh…."
He wanted to hit the man in front of him but didn't do it knowing the difference in their strengths. If he ever gains the chance in the future, he will definitely make this man pay.
Zeus couldn't help but watch the mark in silence. There are moments when the mark will become so hot that he felt like wanting to cry. However, Zeus still patiently waited.
Time flowed like a river but Zeus lost track of it. Cold sweat ran down his forehead as he waited patiently.
'There's no way this mark will stay, there's no way this mark will stay, there's no way it will stay!!!'
Chanting those words in his head, he continued watching the brand.
Then, a hand was suddenly placed on his shoulder.
"Give up. 6 minutes already passed. You are deemed worthy of my skills."
With his words, the previously black-colored brand turned red and changed shape. At first, it looks like random scribbles, but now, it clearly depicts something.
A circular shape formed by countless symbols that is too small to identify. In the middle, two streaks of lightning bolts were crossing each other forming an X shape. 4 yin-yang symbols were drawn on the four cardinal directions. Each with different angular orientation.
After the red mark finished the image, black lines started lining the extremities of the symbol. Then, in less than 7 minutes after speaking with the Lightning Emperor, he immediately became his first official successor.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
"The north gate… Yes."
"Hahahahaha!"
Zeus fell down on his knees.
"I got dragged into something I don't want to do once again!!!"
"Don't worry brat! This man's skills will surely be useful in the quest that I gave you."
"I don't want to hear that from you!!! And your quest is the first thing that I don't want to do in the first place!!!"
For any gamer, having the privilege to learn unique skills and strong skills is something to be happy about. However, for Zeus, the current situation is a bit hard to swallow.
"In the first place, how does being a successor benefit me?! There are no benefits right?!"
Zeus shouted at the Lightning Emperor. The Emperor just frowned and tried thinking for a moment.
"Besides having the privilege of learning my skills, being my successor means that your name will be famous all around the place."
"That's a lie, is it?! Nobody knows who the Lightning Emperor even is?!"
"… If you complete the traineeship, you will have the chance to learn my unique skill."
"T-That's not what I want!!!"
"Is there anything else… Ah. You're under the North Gate's blessing, so I can teach that to you."
"… T-That? What's that?"
"You're ambidextrous, right? That means dual wielding fits you perfectly."
"Y-You mean…"
"Yeah. This sword is one of my favorites. I will pass it to you as a sign of you being my successor."
The Lightning Emperor once again gave the sword to Zeus. It is still releasing sparks as electricity runs back and forth the sheath.
"Y-You can't bribe me!!!"
"Oh, right. Your sword has a spirit right?"
"Y-Yeah… And so?"
"I may be able to help that spirit to power up. Especially if its element is compatible with mine. What's the name of your spirit?"
"Slyfer."
"… Slyfer? Is it that self-named wind dragon? So he died… Well, try calling him. I got some history with that dragon."
He crossed his arms as he stared at Zeus. Zeus gave up a long time ago and is just trying to increase his benefits. Everything was according to his plan.
'Not greedy? I am the representation of greed!!'
Then, he quietly summoned his dragon.
"Slyfer, come heed my call. Dragon Summon."
Gusts of winds roared around the three. Then, in their middle, a small black dragon appeared.
"You called––"
Slyfer floated around freely. He scanned the faces of those around him. Then, he froze.
"Yo, Slyfer. So you really died."
"THOR?! Why are you here?!"
It was the first time Zeus saw Slyfer panicking like this. His overbearing aura was nowhere to be seen.
"I-I-I got something to do–––"
"BIND!"
"GUHH!"
"You can't escape. We have so much to talk about."
"I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!!!"
"I'm not asking anything yet. Or is it that you have a clue about what I'll ask?"
Slyfer was instantly bound by a cage made of lightning. The poor dragon, who was just about to return to his ethereal form, was stuck inside the cage. The mana consumption of the skill stopped too.
"So? Who is the new Sky Dragon King?"
"I have the right to remain silent! Hmmph!"
"With your size now, I'm pretty sure I can compress the cage smaller. Care to try how it feels?"
"W-Wait!!! I think, L-Lugh! Lugh is the new King!"
"Oh… So that lizard managed to usurp the throne… Well, works fine for me. Brat. Looks like I can help with this thing's power-up."
"Wait wait wait… Sky Dragon King? What's that?"
Zeus's curiosity once again kicked up. Hearing the term King he can't help but be interested.
"Could it be that you don't know?"
"Yeah."
"… Well, you better ask him yourself then. It's a hundred times better than hearing it from me."
The question was magnificently dodged. However, Zeus didn't give up easily.
"Hel, do you know about that?"
"About your pet lizard being a past king? Of course!"
"Care to explain?"
"I refuse~! Hahaha! Explaining will probably be a bit complicated, just as the emperor said, asking your pet directly would be better."
She evaded the question too. Zeus then stared at Slyfer who was cowering into a ball inside the cage.
"Slyfer, as your new master I demand the truth. Speak."
"I-I don't wish to burden my master with my failures so p-please don't dig any further regarding my past!"
"Acting humble at this stage is too late. Tell me. What is a Sky Dragon King?"
Zeus's voice as he was interrogating Slyfer was relaxed. However, under that calm visage, his curiosity was almost overflowing.
Based on the name, it would certainly be a high-level monster that could drop legendary and unique items!
And his curiosity was boosted even more by his greed as a gamer. It was to the point that he forgot his current situation.
- - -
Hours passed after the encounter with the lightning emperor.
Zeus was now standing in front of a large mansion a fair distance away from the town.
After upgrading his skills through the lightning emperor, Thor, he went to the blacksmith to upgrade his magic sword.
He even passed by the town center to gather information about random things. He paid the guild a visit too as he passed.
Then, having finished his goals he headed out of the walls and to the mansion that was stated in the advertisement he found.
When he arrived, a long line of adventurers was seen.
"Woah! What this?"
All of those that are standing quietly seem strong. Probably about level 40 and above. Their glittering equipment was igniting a slight envy from Zeus.
Zeus changed his set as soon as he left the gates so he was now wearing his default armor set. A plain one with sufficient defense.
"Just wait and see… as soon as I am able to equip the Dragon's Magic Armor set… Hu hu hu…"
An evil smile appeared on his face. Those who saw his smiling face felt a chill run down their spine.
Zeus then joined the long line of participants. Being the only one with plain armor equipped, he was standing out like a sore thumb. Still, he was not bothered that much.
Hours passed and the line slowly shrank. It was now enough for Zeus to hear the conversation between the participants and the attendant.
"So it was like this…"
As he heard their conversation he finally got the answers to his questions. One, the long line is the queue for attempting to clear the monsters inside the house. Each group is given 10 minutes to head from the ground floor up to the attic and open the attic's window. If they successfully achieved this goal, then they are legible to buy the estate.
However, a problem appeared while he was listening.
"… I didn't know that a group of at least 3 is needed…"
To challenge the mansion, a group of at least 3 members up to 10 must enter. The monsters inside the mansion will prevent the adventurers to reach the top. In short, being alone, he cannot challenge the mansion.
"Guh… I should have brought Faye and Marielle…"
Then, while he was feeling bitter, he heard a bark from behind.
"Arf!"
When Zeus turned around, he felt something weighing down on his head.
"Are you done with your conversation with Thor?"
Zeus just ignored the dog that settled atop his head and spoke with the newcomer.
"Yeah. He even asked me to tell you about the details of your training."
"I don't want to listen."
"Hahaha! Don't be like that. He said that he will visit you once a week starting tomorrow."
"Visit me?"
"You heard it right. In short, you must need a permanent address… By the way, what are you doing here?"
"Trying to obtain a permanent address…"
Even if he forced Hel to join as a filler, he still need one more person to gain the right to challenge.
Most of the adventurers that are lined up were staring at the newcomer with slack jaws. Since almost all participants are male, there's no helping that they were ensnared with Hel's appearance.
Zeus speaking with Hel easily became the center of attention. Zeus started to feel uncomfortable from the gazes that he was receiving.
Then, Zeus heard the conversation between the Attendant and one of the participants.
"… I'm really sorry but rules are rules… If you don't have a group of at least 3, you can't participate…"
"It's fine… I don't need a party… I alone can… handle this mansion."
"Please understand that rules cannot be broken easily. I'm really sorry… Next!"
The person was pushed aside. That person was wearing a thick set of clothes. A thick brown hood covers that person's head with a red scarf covering half of the person's face. The long mantle was enough to conceal the person from head to toe. Probably due to the scarf, the voice seemed to be a little hoarse.
Zeus realized this opportunity and approached the person.
"Are you alone? Want to join my group? I need one more filler so you came at the right time."
"…"
The person just stood silently and stared at Zeus. However, this alone cannot stop Zeus.
"If you join, we can share the house. Half would be mine and the other half yours. How's that?"
"... What about… that girl?"
"Oh her? She's with me so don't worry."
"... If you lie... I'll hunt you down…"
At the person's words, Zeus felt chills.
"D-Don't worry! I wouldn't lie when trading!"
Of course, it wasn't out of goodwill too.
'If I share half with him then reinforcing this mansion will be a lot easier! There's also the advantage of having him guard the place. Lucky!'
Zeus was grinning wide internally. His devilish side was laughing out loud.
"… Deal…"
The person finally agreed. Then, their group waited for a few more minutes in line.
After approximately 24 minutes, their turn came.
"Good day. How many members are there in your group?"
"Three."
"Your group is legible to enter. A fee of 10,000 D per member must be paid."
Zeus immediately paid for his and Hel's fees and passed them together with the other person's fee.
"Please remember that you are only allotted 10 minutes to reach the top. After 10 minutes, your group will lose the right to buy this estate."
"I understand. Is there any group that managed to clear this mansion?"
"As of now, none. If there is a group that managed to clear it, then the test will immediately be stopped and the mansion will be theirs."
"That's good to hear."
"Well then, please enter the front door when you're ready. The timer will start after the front door is closed."
The three immediately headed towards the front of the door. Before they enter, Zeus confirmed their roles.
"I will act as a vanguard and you as rearguard. Hel will…"
"Watch you two from afar! Hahaha!"
"I thought so… Can you provide us some support at the least?"
"Hmmm… I could use some buffs if that's fine with you."
"That would be great."
"Speed Boost! Guardian Angel! Healing Wind!"
After Hel chanted continuously, Zeus felt his body becoming lighter.
"… Amazing buffs… Speed, Defense and Auto heal… Duration of over 15 minutes…"
Their final member spoke quietly while admiring Hel's skills.
"… Let's go!"
Then, they kicked the front door open. As soon as the three of them entered, the door closed behind them. Still, nothing happened.
"… Where are the monsters?"
"Hey, brat. You got a time limit, right? Why don't you just run as fast as you can to the top?"
The mansion was over 4 floors. With a span of 200 meters. It is too large for a single person to live in. running straight to the top floor will take up approximately 3 minutes. The time will increase depending on the strength of the monsters that will appear.
"There's no time to waste… We'll break through with speed!"
Zeus then immediately ran across the hallway. Since the stairs leading to the next floors are scattered here and there, they have many options to choose from. He headed for the nearest one.
As soon as he turned around the corner, he stopped and jumped back. A loud crash was heard and a gigantic axe was buried where Zeus was supposed to be a split second earlier.
"So they are hidden…"
In front of them is a rusty armor wielding a large axe. In terms of level, it is categorized as level 80. With Zeus's current stats, he could barely handle one. However, his luck wouldn't allow him to live in peace.
"... We're… Surrounded…"
Over a dozen of rusty armors were surrounding them. Where they hid before was a mystery.
From under the thick mantle, their third member drew a short sword.
"*Tsk*… Eliminating all of them will just take up our time. We must ignore those behind us and rush forward. Dragon Summon!"
Zeus immediately used one of his aces. Slyfer immediately appeared along with strong gusts of wind.
Unlike his earlier appearance, Slyfer was now larger than a dog. Almost reaching a meter in height with a length slightly over 2 meters. Slyfer was silently gliding in the air.
"Slyfer, use lightning divinity. Break through their defenses!"
"This is perfect for blowing off steam!!!"
Slyfer was then covered with sparks of lightning until his whole body was covered by it. Then, he flew up the stairs with extreme speed. The Rusty armor that was in front of Zeus had a large hole opened in the chest area.
"We're moving! Hur––?!"
When Zeus looked back, the large number of rusty armor were all decimated and their armor parts were scattered all around the floor. Standing in the middle is the heavily dressed person in their group.
'He's quite good. It didn't even take 10 seconds to clear that many level 80 mobs.'
Unfortunately, Zeus didn't see how it happened. While thinking this, their group immediately started to move.
When they reached the second floor, a large number of rusty armor were scattered on the ground. Slyfer was still running amok on the other end of the corridor.
"… The power-up really is useful…"
Due to Thor giving Slyfer a power-up, he is now on par with a level 120 mob. Even the mana cost was reduced to 10 per second. Zeus can't deny that fact.
'I better try my new skill too.'
Thinking this, Zeus ran towards the nearest stairs leading to the next floor. It was about 50 meters away from their position. The two of them covered the distance in an instant. Then, they reached the 3rd floor.
"3rd floor in less than 3 minutes. Not bad."
"… Enemy…!"
The monsters on the third floor were different from the other two floors. There's quite an assortment of monsters.
Elder Specter, Elder Ghoul, Zombies, Flame Hounds, and Golems. All monsters were in the range of level 90 and above.
"Time to test my skills. Lightning Draw!"
Zeus stepped forward and swung his sword horizontally with an unbelievable speed.
"Guh!"
The 5 Zombies in front of him ended up being blown away. The two Elder Specters were stunned with sparks covering their visage.
"The recoil of the skill is quite bad. My level is probably still insufficient to use this skill properly."
Using the skill once earned him a slight burn and extreme muscle pains. Though thanks to the Auto Heal spell that Hel cast, the pain slowly faded away.
Zeus crouched and avoided a ghoul's attack. He then jumped back to gain distance before activating another one of his skills.
"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
His sudden shout, Beast's Roar, stunned almost all the monsters in front of him. Without missing a beat, he drew near and attacked. In a span of 1 second, he managed to slay 1 Elder Ghoul and 1 Zombie. By the time the stun wore off, almost half of the monsters in front of Zeus died.
"SLYFER!!!"
Zeus shouted. Almost instantly, a ball of lightning came smashing at the Flame Hounds that were about to pounce at him.
"Clear the monsters in front! Use Lightning Blade!"
"GUHAHAHAHA! Die! Die, Die!"
At his command, Slyfer released wind blades covered with lightning. Monsters that are hit with the attack were stunned. If a critical point was hit, the monster will instantly die. A boost in damage and critical hit chance with a bonus chance of stun.
With Slyfer's help, the monsters in front were reduced to powder. Decimated until only drops remained.
Around 100 meters away, they could see the stairs leading to the next floor. However, monsters were swarming the path toward it.
"Looks troublesome… Slyfer, support me."
Finally, Zeus decided to use the souvenir he got from Thor. He drew another sword from his right waist. The moment he drew the sword, electricity ran amok around the room.
"Haaah!"
Zeus jumped towards the swarm. Then, he swung the two swords as if he was dancing. He executed an endless chain of attacks. The monsters around him slowly reduced in number. Slyfer, as ordered, provided supporting fire as Zeus cleared the hallway.
In a little over 2 minutes, the swarm of monsters was reduced to a pile of loot. When the battle finished, Zeus remembered that there was another member of the party and stared behind him. The state was similar to his. All monsters were killed and reduced to loot. The said person was quickly walking towards Zeus. Hel was nowhere to be seen.
"… Better hurry… Above… A strong opponent…"
"Where's Hel?"
"… The girl… Went ahead… Recon…"
Hearing that, Zeus immediately dashed upstairs. He then turned towards the other side of the corridor. There, he could see Hel, leisurely walking in the middle of a swarm of monsters.
"Oh, brat! Looks like there's a fitting opponent for you here! Bet you can't defeat it alone."
"What are you doing?! Don't mess around!!!"
"Hahaha! These are the last ones. You seemed to have hunted all the monsters."
The two then immediately jumped toward the monsters and slashed continuously. In less than 30 seconds, the monsters around Hel turned to dust.
"So, where is that strong enemy you are speaking of?"
"At the attic. He's alone there so don't worry."
"… Level?"
"Based on the looks, about 125. Based on the Aura about 175 so overall it is equivalent to a level 150 boss monster. Care to try?"
"…"
Level 150. With Zeus's current state, there's no way that he could beat that. However, he was not alone. With Slyfer's assist and Hel's buff, he could barely battle the boss monster alone. With the addition of another member, their winning percentage was about 50-50.
The three then headed towards the attic. They still have a little over 3 minutes left.
It is better to open the window immediately if there's a chance.
Thinking this, they entered the attic. The moment they opened the door, a low growl could be heard. Then, slight vibrations combined with loud thuds followed. In front of them, a monster was standing.
It was about twice Zeus's size. It has silver hair covering his whole body. The long tail was swinging left and right as if excited after finding more food. The long snout with a series of sharp teeth was dripping with saliva.
It was a Silver Werewolf. It also has a large butcher knife about 2 meters in length equipped dragged along the attic floor.
"… As expected of a Level 150…"
"…!"
"Hoho… Looks like it got stronger suddenly…"
The space was enough to allow a fierce battle without damaging the house completely. However, if that wolf swung its weapon toward the house, it will surely be destroyed easily.
"… Slyfer. Plan C."
"What's that?"
"I explained it to you an hour ago right?! Plan C!!!"
Zeus then ran towards the Werewolf. The monster was not panicking despite all the movements happening.
Zeus slashed at the Werewolf. However, the only thing he managed to cut was air. The monster jumped up and prepared to smash Zeus flat against the floor.
Zeus immediately decided to block the attack instead of evading it. He crossed his two swords and braced himself for the incoming attack. Then, an unbelievable weight hit him.
Zeus was immediately sent flying and then smashed against a pillar. By then, the winner was already decided.
"… That hurts… But it was a success…"
The window of the attic, the only window in the whole room, was now opened wide. Now, whether they manage to defeat the boss monster or not, the mansion is all theirs.
"… Good job Slyfer."
"Piece of cake."
Slyfer was currently floating outside the window. The werewolf howled and ran towards the window, probably aiming to attack him.
"Come you ugly mutt!"
In open areas where the air is abundant, Slyfer is much stronger. There's no problem for Slyfer to hold the Werewolf alone.
"...! This is bad…!"
However, their third member started panicking. He tried to block the werewolf but failed. The monster slashed at him with the large knife. Luckily, only the mantle was hit. However, due to the force, it was reduced to tatters.
Then, the werewolf performed a spinning kick and hit him with great accuracy. He was sent flying out of the window. The werewolf quickly followed.
"….! Slyfer! SAVE!!!"
Slyfer immediately caught him and evaded the werewolf that almost managed to grab them.
Zeus jumped out of the window. There, he saw something he didn't want.
"… What the…"
The moment the Werewolf landed in the middle of the long line, a thick black miasma covered it. Then, it seemingly became much stronger than before.
The werewolf once again let out a loud howl. This time, the howl was mixed with some sort of skill. Almost all that heard it ended up in a state of fear.
When Zeus realized his mistake, it was already too late.