The dry sound of the horn breaking echoed through the dungeon. The black blade of Kanshou sliced through the air, cutting with absolute precision, while Altera Sefar's white horn fell heavily to the stone floor.
The white titan placed its hand on the wound, as if for the first time feeling real pain. Its red eyes glowed with renewed fury, and a roar echoed through the dungeon walls, making the entire environment tremble.
Altair, however, did not retreat. He stood firm, with Kanshou and Bakuya raised in a defensive position. His gaze was fixed on the monster before him, analyzing every slightest movement.
'This strike wasn't enough to bring it down…'
The truth was that this was a test. A test to see if he could cut something that had, until then, seemed unbreakable. And now, with the proof before his eyes, he knew he could go further.
The Contra-Guardian remained still, watching Altera Sefar with calculated patience. The monster was furious, but also cautious. For the first time, it saw Altair as a real threat.
Altair's breathing was controlled. His muscles were relaxed, but ready to explode into action at any moment. He spun Kanshou and Bakuya in his hands, adjusting his grip for the next strike.
The roar of collisions echoed throughout the floor, each impact raising a cloud of dust and cracking the ground beneath their feet. Altair and Altera Sefar moved with inhuman speed, leaving trails of light and shadow as they exchanged fierce blows.
Zoom! Boom!
With each strike, Kanshou and Bakuya collided with the creature's armored fists, creating bluish sparks in the air. Altair's face remained hidden in an enigmatic shadow, but within it, his silver eye glowed with a supernatural gleam, reflecting every movement, every fraction of a second of the battle.
The creature's mind began to try to adapt. Altera Sefar attempted to predict the attacks, seeking patterns, analyzing as a true predator should... But something was wrong.
The Dungeon was limiting its growth. The System was interfering.
"It's not time yet... Velber 02 cannot complete itself now..."
Altera Sefar roared in fury, charging at Altair with a heavy strike, but the Contra-Guardian dodged at the last second, sliding to the side and deeply cutting the creature's flank. Sparks and crimson liquid flew through the air.
The air around Altair trembled. A strange chill ran down his spine as words escaped his lips without him even thinking about them.
"I am the Bone of my Sword..."
The phrase echoed through the empty space of the dungeon, carried by an invisible and ancient force. It was instinctive, unconscious... yet, the chant resonated like an absolute truth in the world.
In the next instant, a flourishing green light traced across his bronzed skin, forming intricate patterns like mystic circuits on fire. His mana surged, overflowing like a raging river that could no longer be contained. A wave of power enveloped Kanshou and Bakuya, their blades vibrating in response to their master's call.
Altair vanished.
Or rather, his speed became such that even the sharp eyes of Altera Sefar could not track him. The Counter-Guardian reappeared beneath the creature, his swords slicing in a fluid and lethal motion.
Shnk!
The scales on the belly of the white entity cracked as if they were thin paper.
Shnk!
The chest was torn open, a silver gleam dancing between the cuts.
Shnk!
The right arm fell limp to the ground, a gush of black blood staining the dungeon stones.
Shnk!
A leg was severed right after, throwing the creature off balance.
Before it could release a roar of pain, Altair raised his leg with calculated precision and delivered a brutal kick, his heel sinking into the monster's mutilated body.
Boom!
The impact sounded like thunder, hurling Altera Sefar through the air like a cannonball. The white monster crashed violently against the wall of the floor. Cracks spread through the cold stone as the creature tumbled to the ground, its form attempting to recover.
But there was no time.
A shadow cut through the air.
Kanshou!
The black sword flew like a spear and struck the fallen creature's chest. The blow wasn't deep, but it was enough to make her shudder.
Altera Sefar tried to rise, but her body failed.
Altair appeared before her, his eyes cold as death itself.
He raised Bakuya and, with a precise movement, pressed the tip of the white blade against the hilt of Kanshou, forcing the black blade to sink even further.
The resistance lasted a fraction of a second.
Crack!
The sound of something breaking echoed through the floor.
Altera Sefar trembled, her red eyes losing their shine. The energy that kept her alive was crushed the moment her heart ceased to exist.
For a moment, everything fell silent.
Then, the white entity passed away, defeated.
[Mission Completed!]
[Rewards Received: Random Skill Book, Status Increase]
A golden light enveloped his body, and Altair felt a warm wave flow through his muscles and nerves. It was the sensation of growth, the feeling that he had taken another step toward the power he needed.
Looking down, he saw something glimmering among the ashes of the defeated monster. A white fragment, resembling a piece of armor.
Altair crouched down and picked up the fragment, feeling its cold texture against his fingers.
[You have obtained: Fragmented Core of Velber 02]
He didn't know exactly what it meant, but something told him it would be important.
"It looks like it was worth it..." He murmured to himself, looking at his hands, where the green marks slowly began to fade.
Altair smiled, then opened his Status.
==========================
Basic Information
Name: Altair
Race: Human
Nicknames: None
Level: 1
Family/Falna: Hestia
==========================
Status
Strength: G 201
Resistance: H 199
Dexterity: G 213
Agility: G 205
Magic: SSS ??????
(Upgrade applied)
=========================
Abilities
Spatial Mark
Allows the user to mark objects or locations with an invisible mark. They can then teleport anything marked to their hand or nearby.
Mana Drain
A skill that allows the user to absorb mana from a target by touching it. As long as the contact is maintained, the absorption continues at a steady and considerable rate.
Counter-Guardian
"I am the Bone of My Sword" (?????)
Mind's Eye (True)
An invaluable skill that grants clarity even in desperate situations. It allows the user to analyze an enemy's strength as well as the surrounding conditions to deduce available means of survival. Even if the chances of success are minimal, this ability makes it possible to devise and execute a strategy. The more experience and discipline the user has, the more effective it becomes.
===========================
System Inventory
Kanshou and Bakuya
The legendary "married swords" of Chinese origin. These are extremely powerful anti-monster weapons, capable of easily killing creatures such as the Gorgon or the Nemean Lion.
Counter-Guardian Suit
An advanced and durable equipment that absorbs much of the physical and magical damage received. In addition to its protection, this suit can automatically restore itself through the System.
2,237 Magic Stones
Stones that fall from the corpses of dungeon monsters, they can be sold for value depending on size and quality.
Random Skill Book
Grants a random skill of random rank.
Fragmented Core of Velber 02
(?????)
===========================
The heavy silence of the dungeon was broken by Altair's hesitant voice.
"SSS Magic?"
For a brief moment, his eyes flickered and trembled, as if a digital glitch was corrupting his vision. A glitch? No... it was something different, something strange. A shiver ran down his spine, but before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, he shook his head, brushing off the uncomfortable feeling.
"Huh? What? Did something happen? ...No, it must be nothing."
With a sigh, he decided to ignore the anomaly for now. His eyes turned to the inventory, where a newly acquired item was gently glowing:
[Random Skill Book]
Altair clicked his tongue, pondering for a moment before making his decision.
[Do you wish to use the item?]
He didn't hesitate.
"Yes."
The book glowed brightly, dissolving into golden particles before completely disappearing. At the same moment, a new screen appeared before him, filling his vision with unexpected words.
[Magecraft (Rank A): Practice orthodox magic. The category of your strong point is unknown.]
Altair raised an eyebrow.
"No strong point? What a shame," he murmured, a faint tone of disappointment in his voice. A powerful ability, but with no defined specialty... it was a bit frustrating.
But before he could reflect further on it, the screen trembled and glowed once more.
[Analyzing specialty... Programming ability...]
Altair's heart raced. Something was happening. Something that even the system itself hadn't fully predicted.
[Complete analysis! Strong point identified: Space, Projection, and Absorption. Ability programmed.]
"Huh?!"
His eyes widened as he saw the interface change once again. The text that had once indicated a generic magic was now rewritten much more precisely:
[Magecraft (Rank A): Exercise orthodox magic. The category of your strong point is Space, Projection, and Absorption. Can cast spells related to these elements. The power of these spells will be enhanced, and your mana cost will be significantly reduced.]
Altair stared at the screen for a few seconds, processing the information.
Space. Projection. Absorption.
The three concepts intertwined in his mind, awakening countless possibilities.
A satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"So this Magecraft isn't a completely generic ability... It adapts to my natural talent?"
He crossed his arms, reflecting on what this meant. Space, Projection, and Absorption... These three elements fit perfectly with his existing abilities.
Spatial Mark was directly related to space control. Maybe now he could expand its applications. Mana Drain was connected to absorption, meaning his potential in this area could grow even further. Counter-Guardian, and that strange chant... could it be related to Projection?
Altair shivered as he thought about it. He still didn't fully understand that ability, but it was not something he could ignore.
"If I can enhance Kanshou and Bakuya even further using projection..."
He looked at his hands and instinctively tried something. Mana flowed through his body, and for a moment, something shone around him—fine lines and light green circuits appeared on his skin.
— Trace, on.
A replica of Bakuya appeared by his side, but it lasted only a few seconds before dissolving into particles.
"Hahaha, got it!" A confident smile appeared on his face. Not only had he received a powerful ability, but something that could enhance his existing techniques. But he felt like he had seen this ability before... but where? He couldn't remember... How strange.
"Well... looks like this dungeon was really worth it." He sheathed his swords and stretched. Now, it was time to decide the next step.
Altair took a step forward but hesitated. The instinct to continue exploring the dungeon pulsed in his chest, but the reality of his physical state made him stop. His body was marked by the fierce battle against Altera Sefar, his muscles protested with every movement, and a constant throbbing pierced his ribcage.
He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
"That's enough for today."
The fight had been intense, and in the end, even with the victory, he didn't emerge unscathed. Altair touched the side of his torso, and a sharp pang made him furrow his brow.
"It hurts," he muttered, feeling the fractured bones under his fingers.
The pain radiated from his rib, a reminder of the devastating blows from Altera Sefar. He could endure it, but he knew that continuing in such a state would only increase the risk of a bigger problem.
With a resigned sigh, Altair straightened up as much as he could and began to retreat along the path he came from. The priority now was to recover.
Altair ascended the dungeon floors with ease, each step lighter than the last, giving him time to reflect on his journey up to that point. He looked around, observing the empty streets and the sky still tinged with the first rays of sunlight, a reminder of how much time had passed since he entered the dungeon. The intense battle with Altera Sefar, the victories, the achievements—everything felt like it had happened more than a day ago, even though it had only been an entire night of battles.
"Damn, it's already morning," Altair thought, gazing at the clear sky, already warming with the high sun. He frowned when he realized he had lost track of time. "Goddess Hestia is going to kill me."
With an exasperated sigh, he headed to the Miach Family store, where he bought a healing potion. The price was higher than he would've liked to pay, but there was no choice. The pain he felt in his body was far from negligible, and the potion would be crucial for his full recovery. He knew the cost would be worth it, because without the healing power, his injuries could delay his progress on the journey.
As soon as the potion was bought, he made his way back to the Hestia Family church, his steps slower now, as if the weight of the mission had finally settled on his shoulders. Upon reaching the entrance, he took a deep breath, feeling a slight fatigue, but nothing that would stop him from facing what was to come.
"I'm back!" he shouted as he entered, with a light smile on his face, preparing for what he knew would be an explosive reaction from his goddess.
The basement door opened, and suddenly, Hestia appeared, her expression showing a mix of relief and contained anger. The concerned look quickly turned into one of pure energy.
"Ah! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!? I HAVEN'T SEEN YOU SINCE YESTERDAY!" Hestia yelled, rushing toward Altair. He had to brace for impact, positioning his body to avoid falling as she enveloped him in a tight hug. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH I WORRIED!? I THOUGHT YOU HAD ABANDONED US!"
Altair couldn't help but smile. Seeing Hestia so worried, yet still full of affection for him, made his fatigue disappear almost instantly. He returned the hug with a calm smile, feeling the goddess's concern in a warm way.
"Sorry, goddess, but I'm back." He replied with a light smile, softening the words so she would know he was okay, despite the difficulties.
Hestia looked at him with shining eyes, a mix of relief and exhaustion, before releasing him, still with a hint of reproach. "I know you're strong, but you don't need to take such risks! I'm your goddess, you know?"
Altair just laughed, shaking his head while feeling the pain in his ribs, but at the same time, he felt that it had all been worth it.