Chapter 23
What the hell? What is he doing here?
I watched as Zaimokuza jumped around with wide, awe-struck eyes. He was looking around at the area where he, Riko, and I stood, spouting things about being the chosen savior of the new world and defeating the Demon King. I would have smacked him upside the head to shut him up if it hadn't been for the fact that I was still stupefied that he was now in the Realm of Chaos.
"Where is she?! Where's the cute girl that summoned us?!"
"Will you shut up already?!" I yelled, causing Zaimokuza to freeze. "What the hell is wrong with you? You just jumped into a portal, and you had no idea where it led, and now you're prancing around like an idiot!"
"Ah, I, well…"
"Tch. It doesn't matter. I'm sending you back."
"Wait!" Zaimokusa jumped over to me with a pleading look on his face. "You can't send me back just yet!" He was much too close, and I really couldn't stand how demanding he sounded.
"The hell I can't!" I glared at him, and Zaimokuza backed off a fair distance with a scared whimper. "This isn't a game, Zaimokuza. You're not in a world that will be kind to you."
"I-I…" He put his head down, shoulders slumping. "I know that, but wouldn't you want to see a world that's unlike yours?" He timidly raised his head to look at both of us. "I don't know anyone who wouldn't want to explore a whole new world with things they've never seen before." My eyes narrowed in thought, but he took that as me glaring at him and put his head back down again.
Tsk, trying to gain my sympathy won't work.
With that in mind, I began to raise my hand to open a portal.
Riko stepped forward and placed a calming hand on my arm. "Master, please wait." She was looking at Zaimokuza with a thoughtful look on her face. "I think this may be the perfect way to continue Zaimokuza-san's training. And besides, he already has knowledge of this world. I doubt he would drop this revelation just like that."
"Even so." I frowned and turned to Zaimokuza, who was standing still with his head down while occasionally peeking at us with a nervous expression on his face. "This place is dangerous. He's not ready for this."
"Perhaps, but I think it should be fine. Maybe. He has you watching over him, after all."
I hummed and placed a hand on my chin. Could Riko be right? Should I let Zaimokuza stay and train here by fighting actual magical beasts? If it weren't for the fact that Zaimokuza currently had the defense and strength equal to my current level, I would have flat-out refused. I would have preferred starting him off easy by entering E-Ranked Gates back home, but would this world be better? Unlike the Dungeons in Gates, this world was more open and free. We wouldn't be confined to the usual tight cave systems or the uncertainty of what type of environment there was with every Gate. Here, I would have more control over the environment.
"Fine," I said with an annoyed sigh. "He can stay."
Before Zaimokuza could celebrate, I vanished and reappeared in front of him in the blink of an eye. His eyes widened in shock at my display of speed. His feet tripped on each other, causing him to fall on his butt.
"Listen to me, Zaimokuza. I won't be repeating myself." I crouched low in front of him and leveled a severe, deadly expression at him while placing a hand on his shoulder. Immediately, my hand began to glow as I healed him of the injuries from yesterday's training session. "This world isn't some isekai scenario. This world is very real, and the dangers are just as real. If you play around in here, you will die. From here on out, what I say goes. Is that clear?"
He gulped. "…crystal."
I nodded and stood to my feet. I extended a hand and helped him get to his feet. Once on his feet, I opened my crafting menu and began to place my resources into place.
[Wolf Bane Fire Sword | Class: B | ATK: 64 | A sword crafted from the fangs of Elemental Dire Wolves. Using the flesh of a Fire-based Elemental Dire Wolf, The sword can emit fire to amplify its attacks.]
I grabbed the space in front of me, and sparks of red lighting rippled into life. Slowly, I pulled out a knight's sword with a red and black grip. I waved the sword around and then flipped it so that my hand was on the silver razor-sharp blade. Zaimokuza looked at the sword in awe as tears began to fall down his face.
"Use this," I said and then crafted a quick sheath. "You're going to need it."
"A-amazing!" Zaimokuza whispered and grabbed the sword slowly and carefully as if it were made of glass. Once in hand, he held the sword horizontally as if it were a holy artifact. "I shall name you Shogun's Hand."
"Its name is Wolf Bane Fire Sword."
"…ah, is that so?"
I threw the sheath at his chest and walked over to Riko. She was smiling at us both as she watched our annoying interaction. I reached out beside me and pulled out the Battle Axe of the Undead. I held the weapon out to her, and she quickly accepted it.
"I hope I don't regret this."
"Knowing you, Master. You probably will."
I ignored her comment and opened the quests for the area.
[Notification: Main Quest received: Defeat the Crimson Mane Centaur | Reward: ?, +3000 XP]
[Notification: Side Quest received: Defeat 15 Death Worms | Reward: Random Item, +1000 XP]
[Notification: Side Quest Received: Defeat 10 Steel Fanged Tikbalang | Reward: 2 A-Class Crafting Items, +1500 XP]
l closed the quest's screen and turned to both Riko and Zaimkuza, who now had their respective weapons holstered onto their bodies. The sword sat in its sheath on Zaimokuza's right hip, and the battle axe rested on Riko's back. My twin scimitars sparked out of my inventory and into my hands.
"Alright, let's get to it."
x x x
Traveling through the Red Passing has been relatively uneventful so far.
I had expected the path to have been littered with magical beasts, but so far, the most we've encountered were bugs and the occasional weird-looking bird. From what I could gather from the old tracks left behind on the reddish-orange dirt trail, I could see the remnants of footsteps and horseshoe outlines. While I wasn't sure how old these tracks were, it clued me in enough to know that this path or road was used to get around.
Meaning that my quest objectives wouldn't be found along the road's path. With that in mind, my small party of Riko and Zaimokuza traveled away from the path towards the east, where giant boulders littered the environment. Trees have also become more and more scarce the further we go, while the environment becomes rougher to maneuver through. Well, if you were an average person, at least.
"Ah!" Zaimokuza yelled as he tripped and fell face dirt onto the dry dirt. He quickly hopped to his feet to see Riko and me looking at him with tired eyes. "A-apologies! It seems this armor is harder to get used to than I thought."
"I'm sure you'll get used to it, Zaimokuza-san. Otherwise, you won't last long." Riko said with a friendly smile, but her voice became hushed towards the end.
I looked over the light armor I had crafted for the Silver Ostrich. It wasn't anything too impressive, but it offered him some much-needed protection and defense. I used some of Gloomloo's exo skeleton and some of the steel I mined in the Trion Plateau.
The armor consisted of forearm guards and a breastplate over his flabby chest. Shin guards were strapped onto his legs while his feet rested inside steel boots.
"I'm just not used to all this added weight to my person. But like every other obstacle, I'll overcome this in no time!" Zaimokuza said with a hearty laugh while banging a fist into his chest plate.
We continued further north until I was finally able to pick up several faint mana signatures squirming around in the ground. I held my hand up, causing my party to stop in their tracks. Zaimokuza looked around nervously and laid a hand on his sword's grip. Riko focused her own senses and grew frustrated that she wasn't able to pick up the faint signatures as well.
I looked around the barren area and saw several large boulders and dried-up fauna. I continued looking around until I found something that grabbed my attention. Without caution, I headed over to the object and saw that it was a few spare ribs. Human ribs. It was at that moment that the ground beneath us began to rumble. It started off light and ramped up until strong tremors vibrated at a constant rate.
"Look alive." I said as I bent my knees.
Several loud cracks resounded around us as five giant red and black worms shot out of the ground. Their skin was tough and dry while short razor-sharp teeth wiggled around as their 'heads' turned to us. Zaimokuza yelled in fright and clumsily drew his sword. Riko calmly brought out her battle axe from behind her and looked around with steady eyes.
[Death Worms]
These guys are weak. The beasts had white and yellow titles over their heads as they looked down at us from their height. Then again, I did level up a bit in the Red Gate. I guess the System really intended for me to move from area to area to get stronger.
"Riko, Zaimokuza. You two handle these guys." I said as I walked over to a large rock and took a seat. Paying little attention to the snarls and groans from the Death Worms.
"W-what?!"
"Understood."
One of the worms seemed to have understood my dismissal and growled in anger. It quickly slithered through the air towards me, its sharp teeth primed to rip me apart. Zaimokuza yelped and yelled my name in fear, but I paid him no mind. I slowly looked up at the Death Worm and swiped my hand lazily across the air in its direction.
The Death Worm fell into two on the ground, its blood splattered underneath it. Its head twitched a few times before it finally realized its body was torn in two from my Shining Slash.
"I-incredible." Zaimokuza whispered in awe, but a quick kick from Riko brought him out of his head.
"Zaimokuza-san! They're coming!"
"Okay!"
Now, then, Let's see how you two do.
x x x
I jumped high in the air and watched as one of the Death Worms crashed into where I once stood. I squeezed my battle axe tightly and used its weight to launch me down towards the beast. The axe's momentum caused me to spin while my body was propelled straight at the Worm.
"Hah!" I yelled while I brought my axe down into the Worm's body.
The blade of my weapon sunk itself deep into the beast's flesh with a wet, squelching noise. The Death Worm growled in agony as it wriggled around, trying to dislodge my weapon from its body. I used the handle from my axe to push myself off its body and into a spin. While in mid-air, I lifted my knee and slammed my foot down onto the back of the Worms head with as much strength I could muster. I was rewarded with a sickening crack from within its body.
I smiled in pride at my defeated foe but quickly dashed back to avoid another incoming Death Worm who tried to bite my head off. I grabbed my battle axe and looked around the three Worms surrounding me. I patted my maid uniform and raised my axe towards them with a challenging grin.
"Come at me."
x x x
"Take that! And that!"
I yelled at the top of my lungs as I swung my legendary sword, Shogun's Hand, around in front of me in quick, decisive slashes. Despite my great skill, my foes were too fast and maneuvered around my faster-than-light attacks.
Indeed, you are worthy foes! Our battle will go down in legend!
…is what I would like to say.
Seeing an actual magical beast in front of me and not behind a computer screen was a terrifying experience.
I yelped and jumped back as one of the large Worms growled and pounced towards me. I was too slow to get out of its way and felt its sharp teeth scratch along my armored boots. If it weren't for them, I was sure that I would have lost a few toes. I scampered away with a cry of fear and clumsily waved my sword in front of me.
"Get back!"
My words went ignored as the nasty-looking Worm growled and sped towards me again. I felt my hands shake as I lifted my weapon in front of me, and the Worm's large head slammed straight into the sword's blade. Launching me backward while my body rolled on the dirt.
"Zaimokuza-san!" Riko yelled as she was about to run to my aid but stopped when Hachiman held a hand out.
"No, he has to do this on his own."
No! I can't! Help me!
Before I could yell those words, I quickly jumped to the side to avoid another Worm who tried to clamp its sharp teeth down on my head. I felt my eyes burn with tears as fear filled my body.
What is this? Is this what it means to be a Hunter? This isn't what- This isn't what I wanted!
"Agh!" I yelled in agony as several sharp teeth clamped down on my left thigh. I looked down and saw that one of the Worms had dug its way under me to catch me by surprise. I cried in surprise as my body was suddenly jerked into the air by a twist of the Worm's head. I gasped out all the wind in my lungs as I impacted the hard ground. My sword clattered beside me as I wrapped my arms around my chest.
"Master!"
"…"
It hurts. This hurts!
I turned my head up just in time to see three killer Worms slither towards me. Their disgusting mouths were wet with saliva.
I'm going to die!
"…when you're fighting magical beasts," Hachiman said as he parried my awkward punches. Riko was off in the background practicing with her wooden battle axe. "You can't freeze up or let your fear control you. If you do, you'll die. Simple as that. But there's one trick I picked up early on in my career as a Hunter."
Hachiman then grabbed my fist and offered me a slight grin. The secluded part of the park we were in grew silent, as if they, too, were listening to his words. "Death isn't scary. What terrified me was leaving my sister behind in a harsh world like ours. So, I pushed past that fear because the thought of leaving Komachi alone was more terrifying than any stupid magical beast. You get what I'm saying, right?"
I closed my eyes tightly and saw the images of my parents and cousins. They were the people who never made fun of my eccentricities or tried to make me change. I didn't want to leave them crying with the news of my death!
But as precious as they were to me, I needed to dig down further!
Why…?
What was my motivation? What's the reason for me to step into this life, dangerous as it was?
…why am I here?
That's right, a burning question that's always raised in the back of my mind.
Every time I ended up in front of that building, the headquarters of the Hunter Association, it was always the question that I asked whenever I couldn't bring myself to step inside.
But I always knew why.
I have a wish, a burning desire that compels me to become a Hunter, not for personal gain, but to protect the innocent and be a beacon of hope in times of despair.
It was not for money or fame…
I watched, completely enraptured, as the TV showed the video of a colossal man saving so many from the rubble of the destroyed building. His shield guarded them against the falling debris, his mighty hammer smashing against all of his monstrous foes.
His back was strong, and he could lift any number of people he needed to with such ease!
With him there, all of the people under his guard were safe from harm, even with the fire and the destruction surrounding them all.
Most reassuring of all was his smile. Broad, determined, and confident, he never let the people he was saving see him without it. His smile held a promise that they would all make it through this.
And it was for that reason that the people knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that they were saved.
This man was more than just a Hunter, I had thought with absolute wonder… he was–
–A hero!
In my heart, in my very soul! Ever since my childhood, all that I have done and all my actions have come from that one pure wish!
I don't just want to be a hero. I yearn for it! It's a desire that burns within me, driving all my actions and decisions with unwavering determination.
I don't want people to see me as a delusional weirdo. I want them to see me as a hero, someone they can depend on in their darkest hour. I want to be the person whose presence alone makes them feel safe and whose actions earn their respect and recognition.
Someone who's back they'll see and think: "I'm saved!"
Just like Murata-sama!
And I would not reach that wish by being felled by a mere bug!
My eyes snapped open with a snarl as comfortable, warm energy flooded my body. It was my mana. I finally understood what it meant to feel and channel it through my body. It was intense and wild, but I couldn't stress over controlling it at the moment. No, I just needed it to do as I said, no matter what!
I slid onto the ground and grabbed Shogun's Hand. Much to my surprise, I watched flames come to life alongside the blade. I quickly got up and spun on my feet with a yell of defiance.
"Ragh!"
A loud metallic shing rippled through the air as a burst of flames exploded out in a violent wave of death. The incoming Worms never stood a chance as my weapon tore them apart while magical flames burnt them down to charred husks.
I fell to a knee in sheer shock and awe at what I had just done. Slowly, I looked down at my shaking hands as my weapon clattered. Too lost in my thoughts, I missed the floor bursting behind me. I jerked back and saw even more Worms rush me. Grunting, I tried to spin around and repeat my earlier feat, but I found it impossible.
"Good. Nicely done, Zaimokuza."
A black and red blur moved in and out of the Worms in the blink of an eye. Sliding to a stop in front of me was my comrade, Hachiman. He had his twin swords in his grasp as he looked down at me with a satisfied smile. My attention was stolen away when the four Worms of Death exploded into chunks of meat and blood. They never stood a chance against my battle brother's prowess.
I sighed in relief and turned to my old gym partner.
"Hachiman…" I said slowly.
"Yeah?"
"You… weren't going to let me actually die, right?" I eyed him suspiciously. "This was a test, right? Right?!"
"…sure. Let's call it that."
That didn't sound very honest!
x x x
Zaimokusa's question was fair, but I wasn't about to actually let him die. I wanted him to think that I would have let that happen to see if he was capable of pushing past his fears to do what was necessary to survive. Besides, killing those worms was easy enough, so he was never in any real danger as long as I was around. Unfortunately, the Death Worms barely got me any EXP.
But it was still enough for one level.
[You have leveled up!]
[You have reached Lv. 42! You have unlocked a new skill!]
[Skill: Fire Magic | Lv. 1 | An Advanced Form of magic that allows the Player to cast magical spells through flames.]
"…fire." My eyes widened in surprise. I haven't gotten a new magical skill since Light Magic twenty or so levels ago. Considering the potential and power behind Fire Magic, this new skill would be an amazing addition to my repertoire.
I dismissed the notification and turned my attention back to the battlefield. More Death Worms were slithering in and out around us, but I'd decided that they were weak enough that Zaimokusa and Riko could use them to gain more much-needed battle experience. I occasionally took some of them down myself so I could complete my side quest. This gave me a good opportunity to experiment with my newest element, fire magic.
"Both of you!" I shouted. "Come back over to me, now!"
"Yes, Master!" Riko responded immediately, sprinting to me and narrowly dodging a swipe from one of the Death Worms.
"Uh, okay!" Zaimokusa called out and hurried to join us.
"Stay behind me," I ordered, my voice brokering no argument. Riko didn't question my order and went behind me. Zaimokusa gave me a weird look but ultimately did the same. "Alright then…"
Imagination was essential in using magic. Without it, one couldn't properly cast their intended spell. Fire magic was a lot easier to imagine than Light Magic. After all, I've watched Nakano use it firsthand enough times when we were fighting back-to-back in the Red Gate.
I raised my hand, focusing on the image conjured through my mind. Flames and sparks burned to life only to gather into a ball in front of my open hand. The small ball of fire began to grow larger and larger as I focused more mana into it. With an excited grin on my face, I directed it toward the swarm of enemies slithering our way.
Fire Ball!
The effect was instantaneous. The huge ball of flame was quickly hurled towards the Worms and exploded upon contact. The leader of the pack was immediately engulfed in the ball of fire while the rest of the swarm was swatted by a wave of fire from the aftermath of the explosion. The group of Worms scrambled away with burns and charred skin, skittering back from us warily.
[Notification: You have learned a new skill!]
[Skill: Fire Ball | Lv 1 |Type: Fire Magic| 50 MP| Description: Launches a powerful ball of flame at the target that explodes upon impact.]
"Hah!" I exclaimed, feeling elated at seeing my new spell in action. Theoretically, I could have pumped more mana into the spell and pushed it to the size of a building. Scary, but it felt awesome.
"What!?" Zaimokusa yelled, jumping in front of me with a look of naked jealousy. "Since when did you know how to use Fire Magic!?"
"Since right now."
"That's amazing, Master!" Riko clapped her hands in excitement, her battle axe on her back. "You've grown more powerful than before!" She showered me with more praise, looking at me with stars in her eyes. I turned away, feeling a bit embarrassed. I doubted I'd ever get used to her being such a hype man–eh woman.
"Can I do that too?!" Zaimokusa said mostly to himself and then held his hand in front of him. "Come out, my burning flames of passion! I summon thee to fight!" He made grunting sounds as he tried to summon flames from his hands, just like I did, to no avail. "… there's nothing." He deflated, shoulders slumping down. He then shot me a demanding look. "How come you can do that, huh?!"
"… that's for me to know," I told him plainly, smirking as I refused to answer.
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at me and opened his mouth again.
"You know we're not done fighting, right?" I interrupted him and tilted my head towards the rest of the worms.
They were now coming back around, ready to attack us once again. Riko raised her axe and jumped back into the fight without hesitation.
"Grrr." Zaimokuza ground his teeth, casting me one more suspicious look before readying himself again, "I will uncover your secrets, my comrade! This I swear!" He said before charging back into the fray with a yell.
"Good luck with that."
So, what else can I do with this new magic?
Oh, I know.
I sped over to one of the Death Worms, my left hand splayed out in front of me. I could feel its surprise at my sudden presence, but it was too late to react.
A large stream of flames jetted out of my palm, quickly wrapping the Worm in a searing blanket of fire. It screamed in pain and agony, scaring the rest of its kind away from me. I continued focusing my spell on it, the fire spewing out relentlessly from out of my hand until it finally died. Seeing it slump over, I stopped casting the spell and looked down at its smoldering remains.
[Notification: You have learned a new skill!]
[Skill: Flame Thrower | Type: Fire Magic | Lv 1 | Description: This spell allows the Player to use a stream of sustained fire aimed at a target to burn them to cinders. Consumes 10 MP per second when active.]
Interesting.
This spell was equally as dangerous but less destructive than using Fire Ball. I tried to make the stream of fire more powerful by pumping more mana into the spell but failed. It seemed that there was a maximum level of damage the spell could currently do. Not to mention that it eats away ten mana points per second. If I carelessly used the skill without care, I could end up wasting all of my mana.
Still, I glanced at the burning remains of the Worm. This spell is gonna be quite useful for crowd control.
Now then…
I turn my attention back to the remaining worms, a smirk on my face. They were still hostile, but I could feel the fear emanating from them as they cautiously looked at me.
Good.
I cracked my knuckles and prepared myself, feeling a rush of excitement swell within me.
Time to do a bit more experimenting.
x x x
I came to a stop in front of a large cedar door, raising my hand. I knocked lightly on its hard surface and took a step back to wait patiently to be called in.
"Come in." A voice said from the other side of the door.
"Guild Master." I greeted Yukinoshita as I closed the door behind me. I quickly looked around at her large office.
The office itself was located on the very top floor of the Guild building. It was large in size, with its ceilings almost four meters in length and pristine, bulletproof glass making up the entire east wall to give a fantastic view of the City of Saitama. Inside the office were several organizers and bookshelves stacked with books of all kinds. On the south wall were several pictures of Yukinoshita and various different people. They varied from Hunters from other nations to politicians in the Japanese Diet. Next to them were several awards Yukinoshita has earned over her short but still impressive career as a Hunter.
Deciding to get to the matter at hand, I looked away from it all and walked towards my Guild Master until I stood in front of her desk. I gave her a polite bow in greeting.
"Kawasaki-chan," Yukinoshita said as she looked up from her laptop—a pair of blue light glasses on her face. She smiled kindly and motioned for me to sit on one of the twin chairs in front of her work area. "Have a seat. What brings you here?"
"I know you're busy preparing for the upcoming Jeju raid, but I'd like to know if you've had the opportunity to review the assignment you've given me." I asked, eyes flitting over a familiar folder on her desk.
"Hm, I have." Yukinoshita gave me a thoughtful look, no doubt noticing my attention on the folder. "I'm happy to see that you've lived up to my expectations. Good work." She said as her hand reached over to grab the folder I'd worked on over a few months.
"Thank you, ma'am." I accepted her praise with a slight nod. I watched as she flipped through several of my handwritten reports and documents. "Have you thought about our next course of action? Are we bringing in the Association to help?"
I knew that the Jeju Raid was important. Possibly the most important raid ever to be executed in Hunter history. Despite that, I couldn't ignore what the Spinning Star Guild was doing. This many Dungeon Breaks within such a short period of time was highly abnormal, and it put the public at large in jeopardy. What they were doing couldn't be excused by saying it was due to the Guild being composed of weak Hunters. That is simply not true. The Spinning Star Guild had several powerful and skilled Hunters in their ranks. No, this was borderline intentional negligence. They needed to be confronted and stopped before any innocent bystander got caught in the chaos from their Dungeon Breaks.
"Unfortunately, I don't think bringing in the Association would be of any help," Yukinoshita said with a frown. "The number of Dungeon Breaks is too high. They should have stepped in and corrected the issue, but they didn't for some reason. I suspect that they're involved in some way. Most likely, someone higher up the company ladder that stands to benefit from the Gates being opened for so long."
"What?" I exclaimed in disbelief. "You can't be serious."
"Quite."
"But that isn't right! Those Dungeon Breaks are putting people in danger!" I said heatedly, outrage blossoming out from my chest. I felt my teeth clench tightly in anger. "How could they let this happen?!"
This was wrong. I knew that the Association had its problems. Every organization had them. But I didn't think the establishment set up to manage and organize Hunters so we could better protect the public would fall to corruption as well! How could I have been so naive? Where there was money to be made, there were most likely illegal and morally wrong deals going on.
"As you know, the Association gets a huge cut from the profits a dungeon raid makes." Yukinoshita began to explain, turning to a random page within my folder. "It doesn't take a genius to see that the Spinning Star Guild is optimizing their earnings by extracting everything within the Gate. Doing that takes a long time, long enough to cause a Dungeon Break." Her gaze hardened as she studied the documents.
"And they've caused one too many, enough that the Association should have found out about it a long time ago." She continued while flipping another page, her lips pursed in displeasure. "Someone influential in the Association is willfully ignoring this, prioritizing their own financial gain over the potential threat of a Dungeon Break, since it doesn't affect them personally but does maximize their cut from the Spinning Star Guild stripping the Dungeon bare."
"...all this for just money?" I didn't hide the look of disgust on my face. I clenched my hands and stood up from the chair in rage. "We need to do something about this! We have to go over there and—!"
"Calm down," Yukinoshita's voice cut through the heated air, her tone cool and authoritative. I quickly reined in my emotions, realizing my outburst and the disrespect it implied. "I'm glad you feel strongly about this, Kawasaki-chan," she continued, her tone both firm and reassuring. It was enough to settle my frayed nerves. "But we can't fix this just by being angry and acting irrationally. We have to do this the right way. Going in guns blazing won't solve anything."
"But… I can't just do nothing." I muttered weakly and retook my seat.
Yukinoshita nodded and closed the folder with a calculating look on her face. "There is something we can do." She said, catching my attention. "We keep a closer look at all of the Spinning Star's movements. Once we have undeniable proof of their actions and negligence, I'll have Sensei bring them to court to punish them to the fullest extent of the law. For now, I'll have Nijimura-kun do more patrols near the areas of the Gates they purchase. I doubt they'll risk a Dungeon Break with that man so close by."
That sounded…reasonable. It wouldn't be suspicious if Nijimura started patrolling around the areas near the Spinning Star Guild's purchased Gates. It wasn't out of character for Nijimura and his group of volunteers to move around throughout different cities since he's always been known to keep watch of the streets to keep the people safe. That would mitigate some damage from possible Dungeon Breaks.
Even so…
"...will that be enough?" I asked, still feeling unsure. Despite Yukinoshita's plan, Nijimura couldn't be everywhere. Innocent people would still be in danger. What if someone died due to their greed? An innocent life, gone in an instant. All due to money-hungry bastards.
Yukinoshita sighed and spun on her chair slightly to look out at the city behind her. "Even if we do file a case against them right now, they could simply say that we're trying to harm their reputation and file a counter case for slander. That will result in a prolonged legal battle. While we have Sensei and the funds to handle that, we don't have undeniable proof that they were truly negligent and that they allowed the Dungeon Breaks to happen intentionally. We need a stronger and unbeatable case before we can do anything." She then tapped on the folder with a finger. "What you've gathered is circumstantial proof. It won't hold up in court."
"You're… right. We need more evidence." I let out a frustrated sigh, crossing my arms.
I hated politics.
"Indeed," Yukinoshita agreed as she leaned back on her chair. "I don't want you to do anything foolish before we get a better footing, understand?"
"...yes, ma'am," I answered reluctantly. If only we could catch them in the act. We could bring them down in one swift move.
"Good." Yukinoshita nodded, before her expression became inquisitive as she looked at me.
"...what?" I scrunched up my brows as I asked. "Is there something else?"
"Oh, nothing." A mysterious smile slowly formed on her face. "I'm just noticing how similar you are to my sister, is all."
"Eh?" I blinked at her in surprise. I don't have a good recollection of Yukinoshita Yukino to try and understand what she meant, but I do remember how the younger Yukinoshita was a bit cold and calculating. That didn't sound like me. "Uh, in what way?"
"Mmm." Yukinoshita tapped her finger on her chin, her eyes thoughtful. "Your idealism, for one thing. She'd probably react the same way you are, if a bit less… loud."
"Huh." That was… quite weird to think about. "I figure she'd be more like you, Guild Master."
"You'd be surprised." Her smile became warmer, with an underlying fondness coloring her tone, something I could relate to as an older sister myself. Then, it took on a more teasing tilt. "Both of you also have a particular taste…in men."
"Keh!?" I could feel my face light up immediately. Not this again! I've had enough of this from Shimizu and Ishida! I didn't need any more from my Guild Master, of all people! "Don't start—!"
"That reminds me," Yukinoshita interrupted me by snapping her fingers as if a brilliant thought popped into her head. She grinned at me and leaned forward. "I heard a rumor that Hikigaya-kun and Yukino-chan were on a date last night…"
…what?
"...with their friend, Gahama-chan!" She finished with a dramatic flourish. Her eyes twinkled with amusement as she watched me. "Oh, you should see the look on your face!"
"Guild Master!" I clenched my hands into fists. Hot embarrassment heats my whole body. I hopped to my feet and began marching out of her office with a huff. "I'm done here!"
"Don't be so jealous!" She called after me as I reached the door. "You could always just take a day off so you can go see him! You've racked up a lot of PTO as it is!" She sang the words in a playful melody.
"Goodbye!" I closed the door to her office and stomped my way back to mine.
I am not jealous!
x x x
After Zaimokuza overcame his fear and managed to defeat the Death Worms at the beginning, a flame lit under him. It pushed him to fight Worm after Worm with a newfound bravery. It also helped that after my display of fire magic, he had it in his head that if he continued pushing himself forward, he would also unlock the skill. Unfortunately for him, that's not exactly how things worked for awakened humans.
Still, he was a slow learner. His skills were subpar, and his instincts were laughably minimal. Even so, he managed to defeat his group of Worms through the skin of his teeth. That in itself was a massive victory for him.
On the other hand, Riko was growing at an incredible rate. With each new foe, she improved where she was weak with prodigal intuition. After her seventh, defeated Death Worm, she and her battle axe moved as one. It was as if it was an extension of her body.
As for me, killing the rest of the worms I needed while allowing my companions to get their fair share of battles was a cakewalk.
[Notification: You have completed: Side Quest received: Defeat 15 Death Worms | Rewards have been delivered!]
[Notification: You have acquired: A Random Item Box, 1000 XP]
Completing that side quest barely got me another level, putting me up to level forty-three, but it did get me a game-changing reward from the random item box. The box itself came in the form of a small red present box with a yellow bow.
[Necklace of Recovery | Rank: A | An enchanted necklace that will absorb 10MP from each defeated enemy and transfer it to the Player.]
The fire magic on its own was already a great addition to my list of growing skills, but adding on an item that can help recover my MP over time made today feel like Christmas. The Necklace of Recovery was a pure gold necklace with green gemstones decorating a round pendant at the end of the chain. It was a little cold around my neck, and I wasn't one for jewelry, but the benefits it offered made it worth it.
With all our enemies in this place eliminated and one of the area's side quests fulfilled, the three of us continued onward and traveled through even more challenging terrain toward the fast-moving mana signatures further North. Most likely the Tikbalang.
"—my comrade, you must enlighten me of your powers!"
"Nope."
"Oh, come on!"
Zaimokusa stomped in frustration as we walked towards our next destination. He's been badgering me about how I got my new skill, and I declined to answer, refusing to reveal the true nature of my powers.
"You have to give me something here, Hachiman!" He pleaded desperately.
"No, I don't."
"B-but aren't we battle brothers!?" Zaimokusa seemed to think that saying this would make me feel guilty, but that disgusting term only made me more determined not to tell him anything.
"That's just in your head."
This time he pointed accusingly at me. "We literally just got out of a fearsome battle together with our new comrade Riko!"
His statement made Riko pipe up. "I suppose that is true, Master. Although, I'll argue that you're the new comrade, Zaimokusa-san." She gave Zaimokusa a poignant stare, an action that caused him to back off just a bit.
But he was too stubborn to quit, and with a gulp, he kept pressing: "But Hachiman and I have fought countless battles together before!"
"That was just gym class." I reminded him.
"Urk!"
Riko had a smug look on her face, chin raised high. Defeated, Zaimokusa crossed his arms and began to sulk.
Well, honestly, I am starting to feel a little bad about not giving Zaimokusa at least a little bit of info about my powers.
"Hey," I called out to him, and he looked at me with a still moody face. I held up my right, and a small ember of flame manifested above my open palm.
"Magic's supposed to be about imagination, you know?" I explained to him, and he watched the flame in my hand quizzically. To emphasize what I said, I made the flame do a small circle around my hand. "Spells are formed from the image in my head, and Fire Magic's new to me, so I haven't come up with other stuff yet."
This caused him to raise a brow and for Riko to look at me in curiosity. "So, I was thinking…maybe you can help me make some up?"
His eyes lit up like a Christmas Tree, and he jumped up in excitement.
"You mean it?!"
"Yeah, yeah." I sighed. I'll compromise by letting him do this just so he'll stop being annoying about it. Fire magic's not something he'll ever get, no matter how hard he tries, after all. Well, unless he finds a rune stone that grants him the ability.
I could at least make him feel a little better by allowing his ideas to help me form some new spells. But, judging from the excited grin on his face, I might just end up regretting it.
With the green light to start giving me ideas, Zaimokusa started listing off a bunch of attacks with ridiculous names. They were unimaginable and, frankly, quite embarrassing to even think about, so I wasn't enthusiastic about ever trying them out. After he listed quite a few that I just flat-out refused, I told him to consider that it was me who would use it, not him and his overly imaginative mind. This had the surprising effect of calming him down and making a thoughtful face.
After a few seconds, his face lit up with an excited grin, and then he started telling me more plausible ideas.
One of which caught my attention.
So when we found our new batch of enemies, I decided it was time to put it to good use:
I stood over three charred corpses of what one would call a freaky cross between a large bodybuilder and a horse.
[Side Quest: Defeat 10 Steel Fanged Tikbalang | 3/10]
Seven to go.
And there were plenty more of them, four of which were right in front of me, neighing in outrage at their fallen kin.
"Who's next?" With a taunting smirk, I raised a hand and beckoned them.
My gesture had its intended effect, as all four of them huffed in rage and started to run at me at the same time.
Grinning widely, I slid into my boxing stance and activated my new spell. Gathering fire magic in my arms, I allowed it to engulf my fists with a thick layer of fire, yet the flames didn't burn me at all.
[Skill: Flaming Limbs | Type: Fire Magic | Lv 1 | Description: Coat arms and legs with all-consuming flames that allow the Player to deliver devastating blows. Consumes 20 mana per second when active.]
Let's go!
With blinding speed, I lunged at my enemies, catching the lead Tikbalang off guard by moving into its personal space in the middle of its charge. Before it could even react, I delivered a devastating punch across its face with my flame-covered fist. A sickening crack echoed as its neck snapped while being sent crashing into the ground. It left a deep impression on the earth with its lifeless body, flames still flickering atop its charred head.
[+ 10MP]
I won't lie.
When Zaimokusa suggested the idea for this spell, I couldn't resist and indulged in my love of anime, manga, and video games, something that we shared. The best part was how it also gave me a significant boost in attack power. So far, I was limited in only being able to cover two of my limbs at the same time.
I shifted my focus to the three remaining Tikbalang, their eyes blazing with fury as they spotted their fallen ally at my feet. With shouts of rage, they charged at me with reckless abandon.
Casually, I raised my hand and sent a fireball hurtling toward the nearest attacker. It detonated on impact, reducing the creature to a smoldering heap in an instant.
Without glancing behind me, I dodged to my right as my next opponent was able to get close enough to take a swipe at me with its fist. I twisted my body to throw an uppercut at its horse-like chin with a fist full of flames, sending it up into the air with a resounding crunch as its head was nearly torn from its neck. Its still body landed on the ground as a lifeless sack of meat.
The last Tikbalang, despite seeing how effortlessly I took down its comrades, still barreled towards me, now more enraged than ever. I effortlessly side-stepped its charge and the clumsy attacks it tried to hit me with. I moved to the side and watched as one of its fists missed me by an embarrassingly wide margin. I took advantage of the opening and positioned my left palm directly in front of its horse-like face.
"Burn."
I unleashed a fierce torrent of fire that consumed it entirely. Its agonized cries echoed in the air until silence fell as it perished, the remnants of its charred form blown by the gusts of wind.
With all my new spells tried and tested, I looked at the new notification that popped up.
[Side Quest: Defeat 10 Steel Fanged Tikbalang | 7/10]
[You have leveled up!]
Damn. After all that, just one level?
"Maybe I should stick to hand-to-hand fighting for now. This isn't challenging enough." I said and turned to watch Riko fighting her own Tikbalang while Zaimokuza yelped and avoided his own foe. "Still, they're perfect training dummies for them."
I watched as Riko spun around a wild left swipe from her opponent with the grace of a dancer. The Tikbalang was covered in several wounds caused by her battle axe, and blood flowed freely from the mangled stump that was its left arm. The Tikbalang panted in anger and pain while Riko glared at the beast, and a few scratches marred her face. Without warning, Riko dashed towards the beast and swung her axe across its stomach. The Tikbalang moved back to avoid the swipe and grinned as the battle axe narrowly missed eviscerating it. That grin soon transformed into a grimace as Riko aimed a palm toward its face and unleashed a small stream of fire.
The beast roared in agony as the flames burned its face and eyes into black char. Riko grunted, and her stream of fire quickly stopped; despite that, she moved in and brought down her axe straight down the center of the Tikbalang. Blood and entrails plopped onto the ground as the beast's body fell down with two thumps. Riko gasped lightly and looked around the rocky terrain to see no more horse monstrosities around.
Very nice. She's getting better at using the elemental affinities from the Elemental Dire Wolves.
"Take this! Swing of the Heavens!"
Zaimokuza swung his sword toward his own opponent at a fast speed. The Takbalang raised its muscled forearms in front of it and grunted when Zaimokuza's blade sliced through its tough muscles. The beast then moved in and sent a powerful punch into Zaimokuza's stomach, causing the Chunni to gasp in pain. Despite that, he didn't falter and used the pommel of his sword to strike deep into the Takbalang's solar plexus. The beast coughed and stumbled back while its hands flew to hold its chest in an attempt to smooth its pain.
"Hah!" Zaimokuza yelled as he jumped high into the air towards the distracted beast. He flipped his sword around so the blade would be upside down just in time to stab deeply into the Tikbalang's neck and straight into its chest, causing them both to fall onto the dry dirt. "Soul burn!"
Fire erupted from the blade of Zaimokuza's sword and burned the Tikbalang from the inside out. The beast spazzed and jerked around in an attempt to remove Zaimokuza but ultimately succumbed to the fire. Zaimokuza pulled his blade out of the runnier corpse with a huff.
"Zaimokuza-san, behind you!" Riko shouted and ran towards Zaimokuza as fast as she could.
Zaimokuza dashed back just in time, thanks to Riko's warning, as the last Tikbalang of the group slammed its large fist where Zaimokuza once stood. Zaimokuza grunted and swiped his sword toward the beast, but his blade was quickly caught between the horseman's sharp steel teeth.
"Hey! Let go!" Zaimokuza said as he tried to pull his sword away, but the beast refused to release the blade.
Riko slid beside the Tikbalang and brought her battle axe down towards the beast's chest, forcing it to let go of Zaimokuza's blade. With his weapon free, Zaimokuza stepped beside Riko as the two of them entered a stare-off with the Tikbalang. The beast neighed loudly and burst forward with incredible speed, catching both Riko and Zaimokuza off guard.
I see. It's using some sort of dash skill.
Just before the Tikbalang's fist could crush Zaimokuza's skull into mush, Riko jumped in and used her axe's flat side to block the attack. A loud metallic clang echoed around the open field as Riko struggled to hold back the beast's strength. After a moment's hesitation, Zaimokuza spun around Riko with his now flaming sword and thrust its blade toward the Tikbalang's stomach.
The beast jumped back to avoid the attack and kicked a large cloud of dust and dirt into Riko and Zaimokuza's faces. They yelled as their eyes and faces were covered in dirt, momentarily blinding them. Grinning in satisfaction, The Tikbalang used its dash skill again and sped towards Riko. The beast opened its mouth wide and clamped down its sharp teeth towards her neck, fully intent on ripping her throat out.
"Okay. That's enough."
I used my swiftness skill and blurred between them both. My left hand flew up and caught the beast's jaws with an iron-tight grip while my other hand rested on its chest. The Tikbalang looked at me in shock, but it was unprepared for the beam of light to burst through its torso and its heart, killing it instantly. I let go of its body and watched as it slowly toppled over with a thud.
"Not bad, you two. We have to work on your recovery, though." I said as they finally managed to clear their eyes of the dirt. They blinked around slowly with red eyes and found there would be a killer on the ground with a steaming hole in its bloody chest.
Riko frowned in disappointment and nodded towards me. Zaimokuza wasn't as disappointed, but his eyes held a shimmer of shame over them. Not that I could blame them, they did almost die to the oldest trick in the book.
Pocket sand. Er, I mean dirt in your eyes.
"Sorry, Master."
"Are you ever going to tell me why Riko calls you 'Master'?"
I ignored Zaimokuza as I crouched next to the beast's corpse and began carving away. "Why don't you ask her?"
"Oh." Zaimokuza said with a surprised expression. He turned to Riko and repeated his question. So then turned to me as if to make sure it was alright.
I paused mid-carve and debated whether or not Zaimokuza should know the truth or not. Ultimately, I decided that he should know the truth. It would be hard for Riko to shift into her slime state and absorb the defeated magical beasts if we kept hiding her real identity, especially if Zaimokuza ended up being a permanent member of our little party.
I nodded to Riko and continued my task.
"You see, Zaimokuza-san." Riko laid her battle axe down and suddenly changed into her small slime form, causing Zaimokuza's mouth to drop and his eyes to grow as wide as saucers. "I'm actually a slime..."
Riko began telling an abridged version of how she and I met all that time ago. She kept our more intimate and private talks to herself, but she told him how I saved her from her pursuers and how our accord came to be. Zaimokuza listened to it all with an unusual level of seriousness as he sat still on one of the rocks. By the end of the story, Riko had transformed back into her human appearance.
"I see… you've been through many hardships," Zaimokuza said as he looked at Riko with a somber expression. "Worry not, Riko. You being a slime does little to change my opinion of you. I look forward to continuing being your comrade in arms."
"Zaimokuza-san… thank you," Riko said softly as her stiff shoulders relaxed.
Despite myself, I smiled at the two. I was glad that Zaimokuza took the truth well. With the truth of her slime identity now known to Zaimokuza, Riko began to absorb all of Tikbalang's corpses to add to her strength. An action that baffled Zaimokuza as he watched her break down all the corpses down to nothing. When she was finally done, we began our search for the area boss.
"Now, where could that centaur be?"
"A… centaur?"
"Hachiman, my comrade. Are you trying to get us killed?"
x x x
"What was the telegraph first invented for?"
"Oh! Um, to allow train stations to communicate to prevent crashes!"
"Hm, correct, next. According to Platonic thought, earth is to the cube as water is to the..?"
"Hm... Ah! Octahedron!"
"Wrong. It's Dodecahedron."
I watched as Komachi rubbed her hair in frustration at getting another question wrong. Frankly, I was lost on what they were talking about for the past thirty minutes since the study session started. Despite that, I paid attention and did my best to help encourage Hikki's little sister as best as I could!
"It's okay, Komachi-chan! You can do this!" I said with a small fist pump.
"Mm-hm! Yes! Just you watch, Yui-san! I'll climb the hurdle that is Yukino-san!" Komachi declared with a determined grin and a victory sign, her spirit undeterred by the previous question.
Yukinon sighed while she looked at me with exasperation. "Yuigahama-san. Please stop interrupting; I need Komachi-san to focus on the task at hand."
"Heh-heh, sorry, Yukinon!"
"Hah... let's continue, Komachi-san."
"You got it! Let me have it!"
This was to prepare Komachi for the upcoming Battle of the Brains competition, a prestigious event that the school will be holding pretty soon. The competition was a big deal for Komachi, and she was determined to do her best. As for me, I was here to support her and learn a thing or two along the way.
Usually, I wouldn't care too much about events like these since they were pretty dull to me. But when Iroha had made a request to Yukinon to help Hikki's little sister prepare for the event, I was more than happy to help them both in any way I could. Even if I couldn't really add to the long list of questions, since Yukinon was asking like a machine gun. Komachi did her best to keep up with the number of questions that were being asked, but she ended up getting a lot of them wrong due to how quickly Yukinon asked them. Each of us had a unique role in this study session, with Yukinon's rapid-fire questions, Komachi's determination, and my support and encouragement.
Yukinon sure isn't holding back.
I could see that Yukinon was not just teaching but truly enjoying herself. The slight smile she gave off as Komachi got a question right was a clear sign she was having fun, and her genuine joy in helping Komachi was palpable in the room.
"During which of the following time periods did Europeans NOT greatly contribute to atomic thought?"
"Oh! The Middle Ages!"
"Correct. Next, which element did Mendeleev predict?"
"Geh... Ga-Gallium?"
"That's correct. Please have more confidence in your answers."
"Right!"
I nodded in agreement with Yukinon and noticed that she was beginning to run low on her tea. Deciding to make myself useful, I stood up and grabbed the warm teapot. I walked over to Yukinon and refilled her mug. Yukinon thanked me with a warm smile. I smiled back and then filled Komachi's own mug as well.
"Thank you!"
"Mm, you're welcome."
I placed the teapot down and re-took my seat. I let my thoughts drift away as the two brainiacs continued in their smart talk.
Let's see. Where to go? Where to go? I pulled out my phone and began scrolling through the internet to see what fun things Yukinon, Hikki, and I could do. I did promise them that I would take care of finding something for us to do. Oh! How about Chiba City Zoo? Or maybe Kamogawa Sea World? Oh! Oh! I know! We can go to Destiny Land! That seems super duper fun! You're such a genius, Yui! Hah-hah! I could already imagine the excitement on Hikki's face and the thoughtful look on Yukinons as we planned our day out.
"It's settled then!"
"Yuigahama-san. Please don't interrupt."
"Awah! Sorry!"
The door to the clubroom opened quickly as Iroha stepped in with a giant smile on her face. "Hello! Hello!"
"Iroha-senpai, Hello!"
"Yahallo, Iroha-chan!"
"Isshiki-san, please knock."
"Sorry, sorry!" Iroha said cheerily as she walked over to our table. "So how's my investme- I mean, my dear Kohai doing?"
You were totally about to say investment, weren't you?
"Our first session is proving very beneficial. Komachi-san will surely reign supreme by the time the competition begins." Yukinon said confidently while looking through her stack of papers. They were full of questions she had drafted up ever since Iroha first came to her last week.
"Excellent! I'm happy to hear that!" Iroha said with a sickly sweet smile as she leaned in to see some of the questions. Her face twitched as her eyes looked down the list of questions with a lost look. "Ah, yes. You have a nice list there, Yukino-senpai."
"Are you here to join us, Iroha-senpai?" Komachi said with a large smile as she finished writing down a few notes in her notepad.
"I'm afraid not. I have some Council business to take care of in a few minutes. I just wanted to stop by and see how things were going." Iroha said as she walked over to Komachi to see her notes. "Wow. You did all this today?"
"Yup! Yukino-san brought a lot of great questions from various topics and subjects," Komachi said with a hungry grin as she flipped through several pages, surprising Iroha.
"A-ah, I see..."
Iroha then looked over to me, more specifically, my phone. Her eyes zeroed in on the homepage for Destiny Land. Slowly, a small smile that made me inch back slightly grew on her face.
"Hoh... what do you have there, Yui-senpai?" Iroha said slowly as she sauntered over next to me with her hands behind her back. Her eyes were closed as that odd smile remained on her face. "Seems super fun. Are you planning a trip or something?" Her sudden curiosity piqued my interest, making me wonder what was going on in her mind.
"Oh, ah, something like that." I said with an awkward smile and leaned away slightly from the suddenly overbearing Iroha. Wah! What's gotten into Iroha-chan?!
"How nice! Anyways! I have to run back to the Student Council Room. Keep up the hard work, everyone!" Iroha said with a wave as she left the classroom.
I sighed and looked over to Yukinon and Komachi to see if they noticed how odd Iroha was acting, but they quickly got back to their questions. I rubbed my head and chuckled lightly.
Maybe that was all in my head. Yeah! That's what it was!
...right?
x x x
"This doesn't look good."
I looked down the hilltop that my small party and I were standing on to see a speeding caravan pulled by two horses. Sitting in front of the caravan was a panicked man. He snapped the reins in his hands and yelled at his horses to increase their speeds, which they tried to achieve but were already at their maximum output. I focused my eyesight and saw a young brown-haired girl who seemed to be around Komachi's age sitting in the back of the caravan, holding onto dear life.
The first humans I've seen in this world.
Chasing behind the caravan were ten more Tikbalangs and the area boss as well. The Centaur itself was huge. Its horse half was the size of two large horses with rippling muscles. Its upper human half was a mammoth of a man with long, crimson hair that bellowed in the wind as it galloped toward the caravan. Its human face was twisted into a hungry and excited expression as it stared into the back of the caravan. In its large hands was an old battle axe that it swung around menacingly.
"Hachiman. What do we do?!" Zaimokuza said in a panic as we watched the chase continue across the orange dirt road at the bottom of the hill we were on. "We have to help!"
I said nothing and watched as the man guided his horses towards the far-off forest a few miles away. At the speed they were going, the beasts chasing them would catch up in a few minutes or so. They wouldn't escape.
"Riko." I turned to my slime companion, who looked calm and uninterested in the fates of the two people below. "Do you know where they're going?"
"Yes. I believe they're trying to head to a Terran settlement a few kilometers away into the forest."
I nodded and ignored Zaimokuza's anxiousness. I watched as the Centaur's expression grew excited, and its eyes focused on the girl in the background of the caravan. The beast roared to the Tikbalang on its sides, and they all began to run even faster. I narrowed my eyes at this and brought out my twin Scimitars.
After we had defeated Gloomloo in Highwolf Castle and retrieved the first piece of the Dragon King's treasures, I collected everything from the king's treasure room. Most of which were treasures, scrolls, books, and parchments. During my free time every night, I began absorbing their knowledge using the instant learning ability the System had granted me.
Several of the books had deep information and knowledge on the magical beasts in this world. The information the books provided told me everything about what kind of creatures lived south of the world and what abilities or behaviors they had.
One of the beasts in the books was the Centaur, like the one below. They were always described as large and powerful creatures. Capable of tearing off a man's head with a single punch. Their main form of offense was their strength, speed, and knowledge of how to use weapons. It made them a fearsome enemy. The book advised a large team of warriors or knights to take down a Centaur for the greatest chance of victory and minimize the loss of life.
That all didn't matter to me as I paid more attention to the biography and history of the beast. It has been long recorded that Centaurs took on more of their human half's interest and inhibitions. That meant that they often gave in to their desire for battle and lust for sex. Throughout the ages, these creatures have been depicted as seizing individuals of all ages and genders, taking them back to their homes for their own desires. The aftermath often revealed a horrifying scene, with the victims discovered dead and mutilated, reflecting the savage ways in which the Centaurs exploited their captives.
I shifted my attention back to the girl in the caravan. She seemed incredibly young, and if I was right, this Centaur had dark intentions that I wouldn't wish on her, just as I would never wish them on my little sister, Komachi.
My eyes narrow as my decision becomes set in stone.
"Riko, take down the Tikbalangs. Zaimokuza, guard the people on the caravan. I'll take down the Centaur."
"As you wish, Master." Riko said and jumped down the hillside and began sliding down towards the bottom.
"O-okay!" Zaimokuza nodded and began to charge his legs with mana. He then leaped down the hillside and began sliding down as well.
I took a deep breath and activated the charge skill into my legs. Once it was ready, I activated the swiftness skill and exploded in a burst of speed through the air.
I blitzed past the throng of Tikbalangs, my swords slicing through their ranks with deadly precision. Four of the creatures collapsed in a gruesome heap of blood and severed limbs. Ignoring the remaining Tikbalangs, I brushed aside the notification of my completed side quest, my attention locked onto the imposing Centaur. As I surged towards it, the beast pivoted its human head, raising its battle axe just in time to deflect one of my blades aimed at its neck.
I spun in the air and landed in front of the Centaur with the caravan behind me. The large human-horse beast growled in anger and slid to a stop. We both stood still and sized one another up as Zaimokuza ran past us. I gave a quick glance and saw his speed had increased to twice what I thought possible for him.
Questions for later.
Off in the background, I could see Riko fighting through the remaining Tikbalang in a dance of blood and violence. Unlike before, she was no longer having as much of a hard time due to having accumulated more power from absorbing the previous groups of magical beasts.
I pointed one of my Scimitars at the Centaur and glared challengingly. Its orange-red title hangs over its head.
"Show me what you got."
The large human-horse beast roared in rage as it flexed its large muscles. I gave his little act of intimidation little care and dashed next to him. The Centaur looked surprised at my burst of speed but quickly recovered and swung his battle axe towards my head.
I weaved under the strike and felt the wind from its weapon push back my hair. I spun around and sliced a deep gash into its front left leg. The beast grunted but made no move to slow down. It then lifted its weapon over its head and sent it crashing down to where I stood. I jumped to the side and brought my blade down towards the battle axe's handle with a clean slice, snapping it in two.
The Centaur jerked back at the sudden loss of its weapon. As it stumbled, I moved to its hind legs and swiped my twin weapons across them.
[Effect: Bleed has been applied.]
The beast roared in pain as blood gushed out of its open wounds. I didn't stop there; I somersaulted over its back and sent down waves of Shining Slashes down onto its horse half. The blades of light cut deep into the beast's flesh but were unsuccessful in cleaving it in half.
Tough bastard.
The difference in our strength was not that large. But the difference in our skills and maneuverability was like night and day.
I resist the temptation to prolong this fight more than necessary. I'm fully aware of the monstrosity this creature embodies, and part of me craves to toy with it to ensure it experiences the same agony it inflicted on its victims. But after the events of the Red Gate, I swore to myself as the blood of Osaki's comrades littered the grass that I wouldn't underestimate my enemies whenever there were people within my vicinity. My goal was to defeat any enemy I faced with everything I had as quickly and efficiently as possible.
"Ragh!" The Centaur roared and swung one of its large, muscle-bound arms towards me.
Just before its large fist could smash into my still airborne body, I erected a barrier of light between us that tanked the Centaur's powerful blow. Once my feet landed on the ground, I dashed back to gain some distance and sent an immense ball of fire toward the Centaur. The beast growled and used its impressive speed to dodge the attack, but due to the slices on one of its hind legs, its speed was hampered––Resulting in the fireball burning away its tail, causing it to roar in agony.
Seething in rage, the Centaur used its dash skill and charged. I dodged by rolling to the side at the last second to avoid its wrath but found that the beast managed to grab my left leg. I was pulled into the air with a jerk. The Centaur swung me down to slam me into the ground but suddenly looked confused when my body didn't crash into the ground. Instead, it looked off to the side and saw that its right arm was missing from the elbow down.
"Garahh!"
It held its bleeding stump and turned to see me standing a few meters away with its large cut-off arm in my grasp.
"Looking for this?" I smirked, unable to resist waving the appendage at it tauntingly.
"GRAAAAH!" A large wave of red and purple mana enveloped the Centaur as it unleashed a mighty roar into the sky. I observed the raging mana billowing out of the muscled creature's form.
So it's got a berserker buff too.
That would grant it more power in its attacks in exchange for cognitive functions.
I tossed the limb away carelessly and motioned for the beast with my hand.
"Let's finish this then," I gave it one more mocking smirk.
Predictably, the outraged Centaur unleashed one final earth-shaking roar and galloped toward me with a ferocity that shattered the ground under its heavy hooves. Despite the imminent threat of the Centaur's furious dash, I took a deep, calming breath and felt the world slow to a crawl as I focused on what I was about to do.
First, I activated my Charge skill, empowering my legs.
Then, I stacked it with my Swiftness skill, enhancing my speed.
And finally, I ignited my legs with Flaming Limbs, enveloping them with a layer of raging fire.
With all of this set, I released my breath—
—And sped towards the raging beast head-on, my Schimtars poised for the kill.
Like a thunderclap, the pure speed at which I crossed the distance between me and my enemy broke the sound barrier, a forceful rush that silenced the world around me in a vacuum. Yet I still felt that squishy, wet squelch as we passed one another.
It was a delirious sensation unlike anything I'd ever felt before—
—and it was all over in less than a half of a second.
My blazing feet skid across the ground, coming to a stop with a burning trail ignited behind me.
The Centaur's raging gallop gradually diminished as the shimmering aura of mana that enveloped it slowly faded away. Then finally, it came to a complete halt.
A moment of silence hung over us, shattered abruptly by a resounding thud. I flicked the blood off my Scimitars and turned to witness the Centaur's severed head tumbling on the earth, its mouth agape as if releasing a silent wail. Moments later, the headless form crumpled to the ground, sending a plume of dust swirling into the air.
[You have defeated: Crimson Mane Centaur!]
[You have leveled up!]
[You have leveled up!]
That was risky... that was the fastest I've ever been. I almost couldn't control it.
Dismissing my twin weapons into my inventory in a shower of red sparks, I looked over at Riko, who was in her slime form, to see her finishing up on absorbing her defeated enemies. Off on the other side of the road, the caravan had come to a stop. The two horses who were pulling the caravan were gasping for air as they panted in exhaustion.
Zaimokuza stood in front of the caravan while waving his arm towards me with a look of relief; standing behind him were the man and the young girl from the caravan. They were looking over at me in awe and amazement.
I waved my arm back and turned to the system notifications to see what rewards I received from completing both the main quest and the remaining side quest. As I read them, I began carving away at the Centaur's body.
[Notification: You have completed: Defeat the Crimson Mane Centaur | Rewards have been delivered]
[Notification: You have acquired: Crystal of Rebirth, +3000 XP]
[Crystal of Rebirth | Rank: S | A one-time use item that can restore the Player's HP, MP, and Stamina to 100%.]
Holy shit! My first S-Rank item!
[Notification: You have completed: Defeat 10 Steel Fanged Tikbalang | Rewards have been delivered]
[Notification: You have acquired: Infusement Gem, Spiritcore Ore, +1500 XP]
[Infusement Gem | Rank: A | A rare gem that can be crafted into a weapon or armor piece to help channel elemental magic.]
[ Spiritcore Ore | Rank: A+ | A special Ore that can boost any item, weapon, or armor piece to a rank above its current level.]
Interesting. These are incredible as well. I have to choose what I use them on carefully. I doubt these are common.
I didn't have to wait long for Riko to catch up to me in her human form. Once beside me, she quickly consumed the downed Centaur and we began walking towards Zaimokuza and the two people from the caravan.
It was time to meet the people of this world.
------
[Bonus Content | Character Sheet]
Name: Nijimura Murata
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Eye Color: Gray
Hair Color: Black with Silver Streaks
(ooo)
Likes: His two children, helping the community, building, Japanese Beer, hard-working people, Red Heads.
Dislikes: Selfish Hunters, Bureaucrats, Sycophants, People without regard for their community.
Dreams: To expand his relief foundation worldwide.
Hobbies: Taking care of his Bonsai trees, watching Baseball.
Personality/History: Muruta is a passionate and hard-working man who loves helping out his community. He is known for his strong sense of Justice and unwavering morals that push him to help Japan's Police officers detain Hunters who decided to use their abilities for crime, and he is beloved for his willingness to put the people first in times of danger over just killing monsters. This is what earned him the title of Japan's Superman, especially because Murata can rarely be found without a smile on his face and a rumbling laugh that sets those around him at ease. He uses his own Construction company, Nijimura Construction Co. to help rebuild the buildings and structures damaged or destroyed during Dungeon Breaks.
(ooo)
Status: Hunter
Rank: S-Rank
Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild
Class: Tanker
(ooo)
Weapons: A large shield created from the scales of a Basilisk and a war hammer crafted from the bones of a Manticore.
Skills: Shield Master, Incredible contractor, great judge of character, Sumo Wrestler.
Talents: Good Singer, Woodworking, Artist, Natural Charisma.
(ooo)
Image Link: imgur dot com /LUIfg49
A/N:
Thank you for reading today's chapter,
Please leave a review or comment. It helps me gauge your interest in the story and because I enjoy reading what you all have to say.
Until next time!
------
[Bonus Content Character Sheet]
Name: Nijimura Murata
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 32
Eye Color: Gray
Hair Color: Black with Silver Streaks
(ooo)
Likes: His two children, helping the community, building, Japanese Beer, hard-working people, Red Heads.
Dislikes: Selfish Hunters, Bureaucrats, Sycophants, People without regard for their community.
Dreams: To expand his relief foundation worldwide.
Hobbies: Taking care of his Bonsai trees, watching Baseball.
Personality/History: Muruta is a passionate and hard-working man who loves helping out his community. He is known for his strong sense of Justice and unwavering morals that push him to help Japan's Police officers detain Hunters who decided to use their abilities for crime, and he is beloved for his willingness to put the people first in times of danger over just killing monsters. This is what earned him the title of Japan's Superman, especially because Murata can rarely be found without a smile on his face and a rumbling laugh that sets those around him at ease. He uses his own Construction company, Nijimura Construction Co. to help rebuild the buildings and structures damaged or destroyed during Dungeon Breaks.
(ooo)
Status: Hunter
Rank: S-Rank
Affiliation: Yuki-Ryoshi Guild
Class: Tanker
(ooo)
Weapons: A large shield created from the scales of a Basilisk and a war hammer crafted from the bones of a Manticore.
Skills: Shield Master, Incredible contractor, great judge of character, Sumo Wrestler.
Talents: Good Singer, Woodworking, Artist, Natural Charisma.
(ooo)
Image Link: imgur.com /LUIfg49
------
A/N:
Thank you for reading today's chapter,
Please leave a review or comment. It helps me gauge your interest in the story and because I enjoy reading what you all have to say.
Until next time!