“Zahala’teel garusch Xohulotel! Hisch’kaneel Plesia mefhi’kushtel za!” a primal war cry boomed from the edge of the bandit camp, rumbling the very air and shaking the earth.
And at the very next second, a fire explosion thundered. The bright light flared up the dimmed sky in crimson red, eradicating not only a part of the fence but also the tent that served as the armory. Nothing was left untouched, turning it all into ash and molten metal.
Seeing as how the flames had a tint of crimson, it was indisputable that these flames were mine. To be specific, from my bombs. Including that loud war cry, it was about time we began this bandit suppression.
“W-What-Fuck, this shit hur-ARGH?!”
“My arm! Ahh, my arm-WURGH!”
Somehow, no bandit actually died from the explosion, as they weren’t close enough to ground zero, but none of them came out of it unharmed as the shockwave sent them flying away like ragdolls. Pain contorted their faces as they held onto their wounds, a mix between burn marks and bits of wood and stone sticking in their flesh.
Their wails should’ve been dedicated to their pain but, instead, all of them screamed in surprise, as tentacles of water tangled around their legs. They were abruptly pulled up into the air, dangling around as these magical tendrils hung afloat from their magic circles
“Depth’s Call,” a lanky raptor-like beastman monotonously called out. “Krim. Grazlahta. Subdue the bandits. Akasht. The prisoners were protected by Hestia’s wind barrier, get to her and transport all of them out. Only return upon my summon. ‘Depth Serpents’, Xohulotel, laruz!”
Mister Kushlek’zar appeared from all the smoke, commanding the charging saurians like the commander of a battlefield.
““Xohulotel, laruz!”” the red and green carnosilian duo shouted in unison, before rushing in with their shields and weapons, treating any retaliating bandits as fodder.
“Gruuuuuuarrrrgh! Xohulotel, LARUZ!” Akasht, the massive sarcosilian rampaged like a tank, swinging around his mighty hammer en route towards me.
“Sorry, move. Wind Blast.” Realizing that he wouldn’t stop before he reached me, I activated my spell and sent Macklemor flying away in a gust of wind. “Terra Wall.”
Not wanting to see him harmed, I imprisoned him in an earthen cage to take him out of the battle immediately. Bandit or not, it felt better to judge him through the law, than to stomp him down into pulp.
“Lady Hest-!” he wanted to cry out but was quickly silenced by my wall.
Once Akasht arrived, smashing a few bandits into smithereens on the way, I greeted the intimidating giant with a wave and smile before turning around to the ex-prisoners. "Everyone, this is my friend and a mercenary that has accepted this bandit subjugation Quest! I swear to the Goddess of Light that he is a faithful follower of Plesia, the Water Goddess of Order, Honor, and Tradition. He will bring you to safety, so please go with him!”
However, despite shouting from the top of my lungs, all of them were in shock, moving their eyes between me and Akasht, uttering, “What is that giant monster?!” and “The Priestess is a beastman?!”
Scheiße, they’re taking too long!
I seriously underestimated the shock value that all of this would give the fatigued villagers. They were hesitating, unable to choose what to do as they gazed at the chaotic camp, the giant saurian hulk, and my new form. We had to round up all the bandits as soon as possible, and that meant that we couldn’t have the prisoners around.
I had to persuade them quickly, which meant I needed to activate my charisma-based skills. [Noble Aura] will help me cajole them. [Benevolent Aura] was to calm them down. Lastly, [Leadership], [Royal Etiquette], and my newly acquired [Admiration] were passive skills so as long as they could see me, I should be able to persuade them eventually.
“Please, listen to me! Mr. Glenn! Mrs. Linda! You must snap out of it, now. Your daughter is waiting for you back at Carine village! Please, leave with Akasht now, otherwise we can’t fight the bandit without worrying for your safety,” I explained to them.
The villagers and farmers turned their attention to me, only keeping watch of Akasht from the corner of their eyes. They still had looks of doubt, clearly intimidated by him.
Fortunately, the first group to snap out of their delirium were the mercenaries, showing their experience to adapt to the situation. They began pushing and ordering the other prisoners towards Akasht, trying to take their mind away from the chaos that was ensuing around them. As some of them were unconscious, the mercs, both women and men, carried them onto the massive sarcosilians.
Looks like my healing helped.
Akasht sheathed his hammer and began putting the humans into his empty bags that were originally used to haul the saurian’s belongings. He might be huge, but there were still over 20 prisoners. However, surprisingly, he managed the feat as everybody was essentially clinging onto him for dear life.
“Me. Go,” he stated with his growly voice.
“Be safe, Akasht. Here, Air Shield,” I wished him as my spell surrounded him in a protective shield before he charged back into the forest.
Ok, time to give that bastard a visit-woah!
[Foresight] warning me, I turned my body and dodged an incoming [Fire Spear]. Considering the trajectory origin and how there was only one other fire mage, I couldn’t help but be surprised at what happened.
“Don’t count me out yet, Lady Hestia, or are you a noble at all, dragonewt?” Macklemor announced with heavy breath, looking outside a cracked wall from my earthen cage.
“You’ve burned yourself, Mister Macklemor,” I pointed out the slightly burned skin on his hands, which was carrying a slightly charred wooden staff.
“A real embarrassment for a fire mage to be burned by his own fire, but I must admit that this wall was too sturdy. A fire mage, a wind mage, an earth mage, and you also have an amulet of Plesia? Young lady, you’re embarrassing me here with how talented you are,” Macklemor exclaimed with a wry smile, but the agitation and anger raging inside his eyes told me he didn’t take this too well. “Still … I knew you had the potential for a fire mage, but little did I know that you were this powerful. You held onto that [Flame Spear] like a sword, without being burned at all. What are the depths of your abilities?!”
“… Surrender. Frankly, I don’t want to fight you, Mister. You don’t deserve to be here,” I declared with a troubled frown, as I cast [Sacred Field] under him.
“…! A-A W-White Grace?! You’re a woman of the church of Aurena, also? Wha-this is frustrating …” Macklemor grimaced, clenching his now healed hands into a fist. “Were my words worthless in the end? So much talent at such a young age just like my younger sister and the young mistress … This is frustrating. What have I worked so hard for, for my whole life, just to be outmatched by someone younger than me, again and again? Danterno, was I never worthy of your honor?”
“Mister Macklemor, I-”
“No, stop it, please, Lady Hestia. I-I can’t take this anymore. Do not show any more pity for me, I beg you. I am unworthy of your attention,” Macklemor cradled his head as tears flowed out of his eyes again. “Danterno, I have sinned. I have lied to you! A new fire mage won’t be born today, as she already exists! Her fire flaring so beautifully like a gleaming ruby.”
At that moment, Macklemor pointed his staff forward, muttering an incantation as a magic circle appeared before him. Noticing this, I couldn’t help but shout, “Stop! I told you I don’t want to fight you! Stop it now, Mister Macklemor!”
“Enough!” he wailed, showing an expression so deranged that you would believe his mind had shattered. “If I cannot serve my god by converting someone to him, then I shall offer up something else. Fire consumes fire. If I cannot be useful as a mage, then I shall entrust the next generation with my faith! I would ask you for a final favor, Lady Hestia. Show me. Show me the depths of your power and knowledge! I beseech you, grant me the honor of witnessing your all-consuming inferno!”
Before I could say anything else, he threw his spell at me.
*********************************
“Fucking hell, this damn leg! Damn those fucking Depth Serpents!” a bulky beastman with a rhinoceros body blurted out in pain, massaging his still broken leg as he limped through the woods in a rush.
The “Depth Serpents” was the party name of Kushlek’zar’s group, which I overheard when he shouted it during the initial engagement of the raid. I wasn’t sure what it meant when he stated it back then, but after stalking this person for a bit, I believe I have all the information together. He talked to himself quite a lot, thankfully.
The “Depth Serpents” were a new up-and-coming mercenary party that seemed to have gained some renown since last year after they registered at the mercenary guild in one of the northern territories of the Kingdom of Artorias. No wonder Kushlek’zar and the others were only rank C, despite their levels.
Known to always announce their welcome with “Zahala’teel garusch Xohulotel! Hisch’ka Plesia mefhi’kushtel za!” which directly translated into “Beware the might of Xohulotel! In her grace’s name, Plesia, we bring down justice!” Nothing was more fearsome and intimidating to hear than their combined “Xohulotel, laruz!” before they charged in, meaning “Xohulotel, witness!”
With the zealous show of their faith and how they would always accept bandit subjugations and headhunting Quests, always coming out of them almost unscathed, their reputation grew. Kushlek’zar’s party was feared as extremely aggressive when it came to chasing down criminals.
And that was why the moment this beastman heard that shout, he ran away, abandoning his group without a second thought, only wishing to preserve himself. And as Tasianna was responsible for the initial distraction, Kushlek’zar and his party for the main raid, and Hestia for securing and protecting the prisoners, it was left to me to chase down any stragglers.
The only problem was that the person I was chasing was also the strongest fighter in their group.
Calm down, Saori. This is exactly what I wanted!
I saw his status board. This rhinoceros named Narube was far weaker than the saurian frontliners, but to me, he was a major threat. I could fight him to a standstill as a Cadejo, but my wolfkin form might not be strong enough to fight against him. I could call the saurians for help, but I doubt they’d arrive in time. They were all preoccupied with the many weaker bandits at the camp, and they prioritized numbers over bringing justice to a single wrongdoer.
I knew I should give up and retreat … however, there was a matter of pride in this hunt. He hurt Hestia.
Last time, I could only watch through my [Shadow Snake] as my friends were getting hurt by that giant leviathan. I was the one who told Hestia off for trying to help others while delving into the unknown, risking herself in the process. I was infuriated by her disobedience, and it felt like she was doing the same thing as my father. I didn’t want to lose her like him.
So, when I saw the leviathan appear through the [Shadow Snake] I snuck with Rajah, I couldn’t help but feel like history was repeating itself. I wanted to sprint towards them and help, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t able to remember their path nor was it physically feasible for me to make it there on time. I was helpless.
And then Hestia’s accident happened where she got [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)] due to my mistake. I should have listened to her opinion instead of stubbornly sticking to my own plan. What was good about trying to stay safe when you hurt the ones around you?
When I was still a teacher on Earth at Shirako High, my seniors did mention that I was “too much of a control freak” and that I should “loosen” up more as a teacher. Apparently, even for an “education-first,’ competitive, Japanese high school where rich and talented students would gather, I was still too strict. Even my students joked about it.
Back then, I didn’t want to believe it. I laughed it off as just a joke. Me? A control-freak? Nonsense. I just wanted things to just … work for me. Make enough money for my family, pay off the debts so we could be free. I thought I should push my students to be the best … not to mention, if they ranked high in their tests, I would gain bonuses. I needed the money.
So, what a surprise everything was far from perfect even now. Despite how much I wanted to handle things how I wanted to, things just wouldn’t come into play. Hestia was her own person, Tasianna had PTSD, and I was a giant wolf now.
I wasn’t flexible enough back then. I should have gone with Hestia to help the lizardmen. I should have done something to soothe Hestia when we spent a week in that cave. As an adult, I should have done something more.
So, how could I make that mistake again? I always worry about her safety and recklessness, so why did I agree to sneak her into that bandit camp alone? Was I so confident that Hestia could do everything, that I let it obstruct my decision-making? I wanted to adapt after all that happened, but making these decisions felt hard for me. I guess getting over my “control-freak” nature was harder than I thought.
… However, there was one thing I would not allow. Something rational couldn’t just tell me to ignore it. When I saw Hestia getting hurt, I couldn’t accept it anymore. I couldn’t let my friends and those I valued so much get hurt anymore. I had to stop acting like everything would turn out well when I controlled things, I had to accept imperfection could be better than perfection.
So, that was why…
“Fuck off!'” Having finally noticed my presence, Narube the rhinoncerum threw a spare throwing axe at me, which I avoided by delving into the shadows with [Shadow Dash] to appear somewhere else. “Fucking bastard! I can see you!”
His detection skills were below my hide-based skills, so it was unlikely that he could actually detect me, however, he was speaking the truth when he said he could see me, for red blood mist was being emitted from my eyes. My race, the [Young Shadowstalker Cadejo], was a wolf monster that would emit its distinctive red mana mist from its eyes when it was ready to hunt and kill. In this dark wood, these eyes and my red scarf stuck out like a thumb.
“Rargh!”
Narube dashed over to my second location, swinging down his now unsheathed two-handed axe, but I quickly melted back into the shadow to appear somewhere else. This went on for a couple more times, where I would mix in certain skills and spells to misdirect him even further.
One example would be creating [Shadow Clone] to confuse him while I would stay somewhere else, activating [Bloodlust] at the moment he was about to strike my clone to tense him up.
The idea behind this whole tactic was to unnerve him. Physically, due to [Humanize (Moderate)] I wasn’t as strong as him and I didn’t think I could beat him in a slugfest. He seemed trained and experienced with his usage of his weapon, while I was untrained and unarmed. This difference must be respected.
That was why I was taking advantage of the fact that he had [Broken Knee (Left) (Moderate)] and [Numb Arm (Right) (Minor)]. Not only was he limping, but I also realized from this dodge tactic that his reaction time with his right arm was definitely slower.
I had to be sure that I wasn’t going overboard with my mana usage, to not build up too much arcane corruption, but seeing his Stamina lowering while he became more and more enraged made me feel like I could do it. Confidence was surging through me as my movements became more refined.
“Fucking mutt! Aeeerrrrrgh!” frustrated from how none of his attacks hit, Narube screeched like a steam tank, before his legs began to tense up, ready for a charge. “Bulldozing Rhino!”
Like a spring, his legs instantly released the tension, launching his massive rhinoceros body forward in a straight line, tearing trees down as if they were nothing but styrofoam. Anticipating this, I dodged to his right but was immediately greeted by [Prediction] and [Danger Perception] warning me as the beastman jumped into the air, raising his axe above his head.
“Flying Axe!”
Without a second delay, I shrouded myself in a veil of darkness, blending into the darkness perfectly besides the red mist around my eyes. My new clothes were already darker-toned so it was already harder for people to detect me when it's dark, but I honestly felt like I was a part of it now, like nothing could defeat me while I was in this state.
As this counted as a “shadow,” [Shadow Tendrils] erupted from my body, clutching the trees behind me and pulled me out of the path of Narube’s thrown axe. Seeing as it was able to dig rather deeply into the ground, I probably wouldn’t have survived if I had taken it head-on.
Before Narube could pick it up, I kicked it away with [Shadow Descent], a shadow armament-only attack where I would extend the veil to increase the reach of a kick. With the axe flying away, I then shot out a few [Dark Bolt] at the humanoid rhinoceros.
“Natural Armor!” he called out. “Ha, these attacks tickle! My tribe would gore you for these attacks, wolfkin!”
Humanize.
My cadejo form was my trump card here. I couldn’t show it now, however, with my [Shadow Armament] covering my whole body, I could hide the fact that I had [Humanize]. I was really fortunate that he didn’t have [Identify] like Kushlek’zar.
Using the mana mist that would be emitted whenever I activate [Humanize], I cast [Shadow Clone] once more and ran beside it towards Narube. With 2/3rd of my original stats and the blessing spells that Kushlek’zar cast on me prior, I threw away my previous tactic and engaged the tall beastman in guerilla warfare, now that he was unarmed.
Compared to Hestia’s buffing spells, I received only a few from Kushlek’zar, however, I could tell that they were equal in effectiveness, or maybe even more. Job and custom spells were definitely something that our party must look out for if we want to become stronger in the future.
“Kuck! Damn, rat!” Narube cried out, trying to hit me but he continued to fail.
His skin is tough! All my attacks are too shallow even in this form?
Hit-and-run was what I did best considering my spell element and skills. I was able to take multiple weaker enemies out at once and power up with [Lifetaker], however, I couldn’t use this skill to its fullest potential when I was fighting one strong person, first.
I couldn’t overwhelm him. I had to slowly chip him away, whether mentally or physically. The first phase was for me to analyze his movement while tiring him out. The second phase was for me to dig deep into his skin with my claws, applying one of Hestia’s toxic concoctions to cripple him. However, with how shallow my cuts were, it was hard to execute this part.
“Crash Horn!” he roared, slamming his head onto the ground, creating not only a minor shockwave but also cracks in the ground, sending rocks and earth up into the air.
Using my veil of shadow like an extension of my body, dodging through all of this was no problem as countless [Shadow Tendrils] wiggled around to keep me from harm's way. With my balance recovered, I launched my own unarmed ability on him.
“Just Blink!”
Despite the weird name that I gave it, it did just that. Using my shadow armament, I played a little trick to him, making it seem like I just vanished. The shadows shrouding my body, activated by mana, erases my presence and line-of-sight to me for a single second. “An invisible strike” was the thought I had when I created this move.
Combined with my stealth skills, my Agility, and how my shadows hide my form, I continuously reproduced a fast strike until the System recognized the move. Improved by the System, this was how [Just Blink] was born.
So, in this single second, my claws almost ripped out his eyes, before I reappeared. I wasn’t fast enough to take advantage of the ability. Narube flinched because of my lacking Agility. This was sadly one of the weaknesses of this ability, as it depended on me being fast enough to attack during a one second window.
… Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t fighting alone per se. I had a [Shadow Clone]. A clone of shadows from which I could use as a second pair of eyes or as another combatant able to use my spells and skills. She was the one who used [Just Blink], taking his attention from my real body. The real me jumped onto his back and wrapped thin mana strings around his neck which I took out of my storage magic, strangling him with them after I got a good grip.
“Kriiiack!” Rampaging like a bull, he was swinging me around as hard as he could but I didn’t let go. These were my mana strings. As long as I can fuel them with mana, they would never tear apart. Fortunately, as he kept on struggling, it made it easier for my clone since she could continue attacking him while my mana strings started to cut his neck, finally drawing blood from him.
Venom applied!
As I could apply Hestia’s venom on my claws, so could I do it with my mana strings. They were all tools I used in my battle style. She might not be a venom dragon, but no one around could make a stronger venom than her by simply sweating.
The venom immediately showed its effect despite only being minor, making it harder for him to breathe. Eventually, he did manage to grab my leg and pull me off him, throwing me away like a ragdoll. While I was in the air, Narube used [Bulldozing Rhino] to charge over to his axe.
“DIE! BLAST RUSH!”
Like a rocket, the massive rhinoncerum shot through the battlefield in a mad rush, having fully descended into madness through his wrath. My shadow clone had to sacrifice herself to buy me a few precious seconds, which I needed to land back on the ground, get back on my feet, regain balance, and then dodge out of the way.
However, before I could breathe, the mad rhino swung down his axe and then continued with a flurry of slices, unconscious of where he was going and swinging.
He was a walking wrecking ball, without a doubt. He couldn’t control himself and his movements were reckless and unpredictable, leaving me no room to counterattack. His Agility didn’t increase but he wasn’t stopping his assault anytime soon. There was also the fact that even a simple hit could possibly kill me at this point from how much his Strength was increased by these two skills.
Hang on! Hang on! You have to hang on, Saori! Everything is going as planned!
The woods were turned into a field of carnage as if a twister just appeared and uprooted and destroyed all the trees and vegetation in the area. I tried to use [Shadow Dash] to move away from it but Narube would simply use [Bulldozing Rhino] or [Blast Rush] to shorten the distance in a second, literally.
He wasn’t giving up and despite using everything in my repertoire to dodge his attacks, whether it was skills like [Evasion] and [Air Walk] or [Shadow Tendrils] pulling me away or [Shadow Dash] towards a faraway point, it mattered little. He would never stop, just like a real rhino, charging forward the first moment it felt threatened.
He was relentless … and I couldn’t keep up with it.
“Arrrrrrrgh!” Not managing my breathing correctly, my movements dulled for a moment and I was slammed by the blunt sides of his axe. I was blown away and crashed onto a nearby tree.
“Uuuurgh, hie, urck,” I moaned.
I had [Absolute Pain Tolerance] just like Hestia but I still wasn’t too used to intense pain. It only got me around its tip, but the damage was still done. My arms rattled like crazy and crashing with my back on the tree made it hard for me to stand up properly.
I wanted to lie down and rest, but instincts drove me back up onto my feet as Narube, once again, [Blast Rush]ed to me.
“Purgatory BEAST!” Grabbing his massive axe with both arms, he swung it down with pure impunity, slicing the very air in half as an image of a demon was invoked in my mind.
The very earth quaked, ripping apart anything unfortunate enough to stand in the way of this monstrous attack, calling forth a blast wave of wind to send chunks of ground flying.
As the dust settled, the silence was broken by my pained weeping.
“You actually survived that?” Narube said with widened eyes, having deactivated both [Berserker Mode] and [Destruction Path], before chuckling with a sadistic smile. “… Heh heh, I guess this is a better result. You know, you’re just like that fucking bitch. That damn ‘White Winged Dragoon.’ All she did was play around with me as she stomped on my pride as a warrior, while her fucking knights destroyed everything I built up!”
Urgh, my a-arm … it’s n-not m-moving … at all.
"… I wanted to crush her, my wish is to make her squeal and beg for a pitiful life as I stomp her bones to dust … but she's a giant wall … you will do, for now, wolfkin bitch,” he announced with blood-red eyes, grinning like a lunatic. “You don’t look the same but you remind me of her too much. I will have you wish that you had never angered me. Narube! A great warrior from the great plains! BLAST RUSH!”
I didn’t listen to anything he said. I was able to hear it but nothing stuck in my head as my brain was more pre-occupied by the large amount of pain that was surging around my bloodied arm, broken to the point I couldn’t move it around anymore. I needed Hestia’s healing, now!
… But I wasn’t that much of a novice that I didn’t notice his hostile intentions. I stood my ground, regardless, because …
“Kruck-?!”
Got you.
“ARCK!” Unable to stop himself, Narube tripped over a thin mana string as electricity streamed through his body, flying over me and crashing into a thick layer of mana strings I had set up in this area prior to my ambush.
Putting on a bit of pressure on a nearby string, Narube was immediately constricted by a colorful grouping of mana strings.
Red, cyan, purple, green, red-brown. All the colors of our group's available elements.
“W-What the fuck is- ARCK!” he tried to speak but I prevented that by tightening the string around his throat.
“T-thank you for falling into my trap,” I said with a quivering voice, still affected by the pain.
As my job was to hunt down any stragglers, I’d set up my mana strings in the area to intercept the bandits. Up until now, I primarily used [Elemental Mana Weaving] to create clothes with the colored mana string, but that wasn’t the skill’s main usage. These mana threads created from an element’s mana could produce their element if I sent mana through them.
That meant red mana string would emit fire while purple strings could send lightning through your body. Unfortunately, they actually didn’t show this effect when I turned them into clothing. Hestia did mention that it would be cool if I could make a purple dress that continuously shot out lightning, which I honestly questioned why that would be awesome. The problems with your hair, oh my.
"Your trap-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed as the red-brown mana string began oozing out lava, scorching his arm.
“Your [Berserker Mode] was too much for me to handle but otherwise, everything worked just like I wanted,” I answered.
The first and second phase was dedicated to unnerving Narube, causing him to rage. To make sure that he wouldn’t figure out my plan, I had to risk it and cause him to go berserk. The only reason why I believed I could execute this plan was because my Agility was so much higher than his with the addition of my dark spells and [Shadow Armament], helping me outmaneuver him.
The first phase was to reduce his Stamina, so he had to use [Berserker Mode] while the second was to cause him to go use [Destruction Path] to counteract the venom. I honestly wanted to inject a more lethal venom into him, but at minimum, I only needed him to be annoyed by being poisoned. The venom also slowed him down, so that was good.
With those two phases succeeding, he would go crazy and I could lead him around, easily bringing him into my net of mana strings. The only problem was that [Purgatory Beast]. I saw its effect with [Identify] but it caught me out of surprise with how strong it was.
I hadn’t said this very often, but I was honestly in love with my [Dark Magic]. Although it was neither as strong as Hestia’s multitude of spells nor Tasianna’s [Ice Magic], it still had the power of deception. I could outmaneuver anybody if I was skilled and fast enough.
Why was I saying this? Well, I only survived that attack due to [Shadow Dash]. I simply dived into the darkness but unfortunately my arm couldn’t make it inside fast enough, so it literally broke from the shockwave of his attack. The pressure was so high that it damaged me without even hitting me.
“Goodbye …” I uttered, pouring mana into a nearby string.
I could only call it a firework with how colorful it was. Numerous mana strings activated, sending out lightning, flames, ice, lava, and wind as they began to tear through Narube’s body, ripping him apart with magical power.
This was a victory due to [Identify]. As Sun Tzu said, “If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Knowing his skills and stats was enough for me to plan out this rather risky fight, despite it being smarter to just ignore him and retreat.
That was Hestia-level of recklessness if I do say so myself, but I guess that is what I need to do to catch-!
Seeing Narube’s Health decreasing at a good rate, I was confident that I had won. I was about to turn around and return back to the camp when my [Prediction] once again did its job and warned me like a trusty alarm clock from the axe that flew past me.
“Heh, heh …” Narube laughed with laborious breathing, smiling as he held a glass bottle with his teeth.
Identify.
What did he drink?!
“Hahaha, this potion was pretty damn expensive, you know. You don’t know how much you just made me lose, but you will feel the power of this potion right now!” Narube said with a wide smile, having broken free from my mana strings, blood-red eyes filling his … wait, has his left eye gotten redder than last time?
As I was wondering that, Narube roared out in pain, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYE!”
Suddenly, blood began flooding out of his eye, as it slowly started to wrinkle up, necrosis having started to set in. The pain was excruciating enough for the rhinoncerum to fall onto his knees, holding onto his eyes as his wailing became louder and louder. Any pride he had as a warrior crumbled in this moment. He slumped down, as his other eye also began to show similar symptoms, turning black while blood flowed.
“P-please, h-help me …” he pleaded, having fully lost his eyesight as his grey skin turned into a deadly purple, pus spewing out from his pores. “AHHHHH … argh! H-Help! Th-this is not h-how I want-ted to die.”
… She did mention that she made a venom that would only work after an extended time.
I could never forget this sight. The last time I saw this venom in effect was when I personally poisoned a troll while rescuing Tasianna. Who gave me that venom? Hestia. Who wanted to improve her venoms to be less conspicuous to avoid the status boards? Hestia. Who spat in Narube’s eye while she was playing prisoner? That crimson-haired brat.
This sight is as dreadful as always … but I guess I should thank her. Humanize.
[“I might have considered helping you in the past,”] I said telepathically, staring him down with my cadejo form’s eyes, unwilling to forgive this person for what he did. [“However … you hurt my family.”]
“Wha-ARGHHH!”
I pounced on him, holding his arm back with my sharp claws while I pierced his neck with my sharp fangs, ravaging through all the blood and flesh until I had a good grip on his neck. The tall beastman struggled despite how much in pain he was, unwilling to die even in his final moments. With a simple crunch, the death cries finally ended.
… Yeah, I definitely am conscious that I have killed somebody similar to a human. Good. At least, that will keep me from doing it too often. That is one concern handled.
It seemed like killing monsters like it was nothing until now had fortified my mental state. Psychologically speaking, I believe I was okay after killing this beastman—a half-human. Well, it also helped that I was angry at him, making it a bit easier for me to get used to it.
Thankfully, my mind was still human. I was worried how I would fully turned into a feral monster, so it was reassuring to know that I still felt some guilt after this assassination. I was grateful I wasn’t addicted or had fun doing this. Maybe I could enjoy a peaceful life after all of this.
… Pah, what naïve thought. This world demanded me to be strong to live up against the world’s injustice. The books I read on the medieval era, whether it was feudal Japan or Europe, depicted a world filled with strife and conflict. Humanity was greedy and that was especially true for people in power.
Moving alone. Away from the group. No backup. Gosh, how risky did I have to do it for myself? All this recklessness always excites Hestia … but it feels so nerve wracking.
Hestia, the poor girl, was worried Tasianna and I weren’t strong enough to stop her if the day were to come where she went berserk. Admittedly, it was true. I didn’t have the one-woman party strength Hestia had. It wasn’t even debatable. As such, I needed to become stronger, no matter what to reassure my friend.
Killing Narube was a good chance to finally catch up to my companions, especially now when Hestia and Tasianna weren’t sharing EXP with me. I needed to evolve … and how did I get it? Through a battle like this. It wasn’t perfect, considering the state of my arm, but I felt good about my performance.
They mean too much to me. I don’t want to lose them.
I had no blood relatives anymore. I died before my mother on Earth. My garm family in this world were all dead. I was alone. With how that giant leviathan talked about my “heritage,” I personally didn’t want to accept it as I felt no kinship to anybody now.
… Aside from two people: Hestia and Tasianna.
During the time when I most needed her, when I was just born and when I nearly died against those chameleons, she was there for me. She helped me. She taught me. She was the reason why I survived in this world despite only being a month old.
Then there was Tasianna, the little fairy that would always treat me like I was the “head retainer.” It was annoying at first, but it eventually grew on me. Her cheerfulness while she kept going through whatever training she had to do to become stronger. I admired hard work, so it went without question that I became fond of her.
I know I am technically the youngest among us three, but I can’t help but think of them as little sisters. Little troublemakers.
So, that is why it pains me so much when both of them are so tormented by their own problems. Hestia and her doubts about her humanity and Tasianna about her trauma. I am glad that Hestia got over her fear of performing as an idol, but it seems our party’s problems aren’t over yet.
Well, that is my job. Can’t have my new family be torn apart, right?
With that handled, I should get back to the rest. Hopefully, everything was alright on their side.
“Lady Hestia! Stop! You have to stop!”
“Enough! Hestia, control yourself! The battle is over!”
“Young scale, get a grip of yourself!”
“Dammit, Kush, call Akasht back now! My tail is tingling and it ain’t a good feeling.”
“O, flames, so beautiful pyre! Grant me your divine purification! Cleanse me of my sins in the inferno!”
Voices? Who are they? No, I thi— URRRRHH! My head! GUUURAAAAAAAAAAGK!
“O, gather with me, o tiny embers
Weave yourself in my divine mana
Oh grow, oh feast, never smother your potential
From darkness you grow, shining brightly to cast your origin away
O, Inferno, your form so mighty
Dance with my melody, my song
Hear my voice, hear my decree, your ruler of crimson
Blaze in power in a sea of red and yellow
Oh dear flames, listen to my music, my grand orchestra!”
Arrrrrgh! A voice! What is this?! Who is speaking?! [Imperial Hellfire]’s chant? Why are those words storming into my head?!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
‘Original Mind!’
‘Parallel Mind #1, she’s losing it! We can’t stop it anymore, Manager Mind!’
‘Where the fuck did this title come from! Ahhh, stop those words! Something is here! Something fucking ripped out our spells and skills! Gaaargh!”
‘#2! 3#! Get a hold of yourselves! The moment we lose consciousness, too, it’s all over for Original Mind! We need to control her! [Telepathy]! Yes, get the others to stop our body! Now!’
Voices. My voices? Something was happening, but I couldn’t think of anything. This piercing pain in my brain, no, it felt like my soul was being ripped apart. All these messages weren’t supposed to be here. My mind wasn’t handling them.
Yes, my parallel minds. They were keeping me sane. The roars from my pained body. I could think. Was I going berserk again? [Battle Frenzy]? But how? How? No, this wasn’t the time for that, I told myself. I had to get mysel—
Kuek!
And in that moment, my mind was pushed down a void as it felt like a sword was pushed right through me. My mind stopped thinking. Went to sleep. Allowing …
“Huh? Mister Kushlek’zar, what is going on with Lady Hestia?!”
“Miss Saori! You’ve come at the perfect timing, Hestia-!”
“Symphonie des Feuergottes!”
… the dragon inside to awaken.
AbyssRaven … Did this god just send a Divine Message? To a mortal? Not like Aurena said how Hestia's soul couldn't handle a damn god's words!
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“Zahala’teel garusch Xohulotel! Hisch’kaneel Plesia mefhi’kushtel za!” a primal war cry boomed from the edge of the bandit camp, rumbling the very air and shaking the earth.
And at the very next second, a fire explosion thundered. The bright light flared up the dimmed sky in crimson red, eradicating not only a part of the fence but also the tent that served as the armory. Nothing was left untouched, turning it all into ash and molten metal.
Seeing as how the flames had a tint of crimson, it was indisputable that these flames were mine. To be specific, from my bombs. Including that loud war cry, it was about time we began this bandit suppression.
“W-What-Fuck, this shit hur-ARGH?!”
“My arm! Ahh, my arm-WURGH!”
Somehow, no bandit actually died from the explosion, as they weren’t close enough to ground zero, but none of them came out of it unharmed as the shockwave sent them flying away like ragdolls. Pain contorted their faces as they held onto their wounds, a mix between burn marks and bits of wood and stone sticking in their flesh.
Their wails should’ve been dedicated to their pain but, instead, all of them screamed in surprise, as tentacles of water tangled around their legs. They were abruptly pulled up into the air, dangling around as these magical tendrils hung afloat from their magic circles
“Depth’s Call,” a lanky raptor-like beastman monotonously called out. “Krim. Grazlahta. Subdue the bandits. Akasht. The prisoners were protected by Hestia’s wind barrier, get to her and transport all of them out. Only return upon my summon. ‘Depth Serpents’, Xohulotel, laruz!”
Mister Kushlek’zar appeared from all the smoke, commanding the charging saurians like the commander of a battlefield.
““Xohulotel, laruz!”” the red and green carnosilian duo shouted in unison, before rushing in with their shields and weapons, treating any retaliating bandits as fodder.
“Gruuuuuuarrrrgh! Xohulotel, LARUZ!” Akasht, the massive sarcosilian rampaged like a tank, swinging around his mighty hammer en route towards me.
“Sorry, move. Wind Blast.” Realizing that he wouldn’t stop before he reached me, I activated my spell and sent Macklemor flying away in a gust of wind. “Terra Wall.”
Not wanting to see him harmed, I imprisoned him in an earthen cage to take him out of the battle immediately. Bandit or not, it felt better to judge him through the law, than to stomp him down into pulp.
“Lady Hest-!” he wanted to cry out but was quickly silenced by my wall.
Once Akasht arrived, smashing a few bandits into smithereens on the way, I greeted the intimidating giant with a wave and smile before turning around to the ex-prisoners. "Everyone, this is my friend and a mercenary that has accepted this bandit subjugation Quest! I swear to the Goddess of Light that he is a faithful follower of Plesia, the Water Goddess of Order, Honor, and Tradition. He will bring you to safety, so please go with him!”
However, despite shouting from the top of my lungs, all of them were in shock, moving their eyes between me and Akasht, uttering, “What is that giant monster?!” and “The Priestess is a beastman?!”
Scheiße, they’re taking too long!
I seriously underestimated the shock value that all of this would give the fatigued villagers. They were hesitating, unable to choose what to do as they gazed at the chaotic camp, the giant saurian hulk, and my new form. We had to round up all the bandits as soon as possible, and that meant that we couldn’t have the prisoners around.
I had to persuade them quickly, which meant I needed to activate my charisma-based skills. [Noble Aura] will help me cajole them. [Benevolent Aura] was to calm them down. Lastly, [Leadership], [Royal Etiquette], and my newly acquired [Admiration] were passive skills so as long as they could see me, I should be able to persuade them eventually.
“Please, listen to me! Mr. Glenn! Mrs. Linda! You must snap out of it, now. Your daughter is waiting for you back at Carine village! Please, leave with Akasht now, otherwise we can’t fight the bandit without worrying for your safety,” I explained to them.
The villagers and farmers turned their attention to me, only keeping watch of Akasht from the corner of their eyes. They still had looks of doubt, clearly intimidated by him.
Fortunately, the first group to snap out of their delirium were the mercenaries, showing their experience to adapt to the situation. They began pushing and ordering the other prisoners towards Akasht, trying to take their mind away from the chaos that was ensuing around them. As some of them were unconscious, the mercs, both women and men, carried them onto the massive sarcosilians.
Looks like my healing helped.
Akasht sheathed his hammer and began putting the humans into his empty bags that were originally used to haul the saurian’s belongings. He might be huge, but there were still over 20 prisoners. However, surprisingly, he managed the feat as everybody was essentially clinging onto him for dear life.
“Me. Go,” he stated with his growly voice.
“Be safe, Akasht. Here, Air Shield,” I wished him as my spell surrounded him in a protective shield before he charged back into the forest.
Ok, time to give that bastard a visit-woah!
[Foresight] warning me, I turned my body and dodged an incoming [Fire Spear]. Considering the trajectory origin and how there was only one other fire mage, I couldn’t help but be surprised at what happened.
“Don’t count me out yet, Lady Hestia, or are you a noble at all, dragonewt?” Macklemor announced with heavy breath, looking outside a cracked wall from my earthen cage.
“You’ve burned yourself, Mister Macklemor,” I pointed out the slightly burned skin on his hands, which was carrying a slightly charred wooden staff.
“A real embarrassment for a fire mage to be burned by his own fire, but I must admit that this wall was too sturdy. A fire mage, a wind mage, an earth mage, and you also have an amulet of Plesia? Young lady, you’re embarrassing me here with how talented you are,” Macklemor exclaimed with a wry smile, but the agitation and anger raging inside his eyes told me he didn’t take this too well. “Still … I knew you had the potential for a fire mage, but little did I know that you were this powerful. You held onto that [Flame Spear] like a sword, without being burned at all. What are the depths of your abilities?!”
“… Surrender. Frankly, I don’t want to fight you, Mister. You don’t deserve to be here,” I declared with a troubled frown, as I cast [Sacred Field] under him.
“…! A-A W-White Grace?! You’re a woman of the church of Aurena, also? Wha-this is frustrating …” Macklemor grimaced, clenching his now healed hands into a fist. “Were my words worthless in the end? So much talent at such a young age just like my younger sister and the young mistress … This is frustrating. What have I worked so hard for, for my whole life, just to be outmatched by someone younger than me, again and again? Danterno, was I never worthy of your honor?”
“Mister Macklemor, I-”
“No, stop it, please, Lady Hestia. I-I can’t take this anymore. Do not show any more pity for me, I beg you. I am unworthy of your attention,” Macklemor cradled his head as tears flowed out of his eyes again. “Danterno, I have sinned. I have lied to you! A new fire mage won’t be born today, as she already exists! Her fire flaring so beautifully like a gleaming ruby.”
At that moment, Macklemor pointed his staff forward, muttering an incantation as a magic circle appeared before him. Noticing this, I couldn’t help but shout, “Stop! I told you I don’t want to fight you! Stop it now, Mister Macklemor!”
“Enough!” he wailed, showing an expression so deranged that you would believe his mind had shattered. “If I cannot serve my god by converting someone to him, then I shall offer up something else. Fire consumes fire. If I cannot be useful as a mage, then I shall entrust the next generation with my faith! I would ask you for a final favor, Lady Hestia. Show me. Show me the depths of your power and knowledge! I beseech you, grant me the honor of witnessing your all-consuming inferno!”
Before I could say anything else, he threw his spell at me.
*********************************
“Fucking hell, this damn leg! Damn those fucking Depth Serpents!” a bulky beastman with a rhinoceros body blurted out in pain, massaging his still broken leg as he limped through the woods in a rush.
The “Depth Serpents” was the party name of Kushlek’zar’s group, which I overheard when he shouted it during the initial engagement of the raid. I wasn’t sure what it meant when he stated it back then, but after stalking this person for a bit, I believe I have all the information together. He talked to himself quite a lot, thankfully.
The “Depth Serpents” were a new up-and-coming mercenary party that seemed to have gained some renown since last year after they registered at the mercenary guild in one of the northern territories of the Kingdom of Artorias. No wonder Kushlek’zar and the others were only rank C, despite their levels.
Known to always announce their welcome with “Zahala’teel garusch Xohulotel! Hisch’ka Plesia mefhi’kushtel za!” which directly translated into “Beware the might of Xohulotel! In her grace’s name, Plesia, we bring down justice!” Nothing was more fearsome and intimidating to hear than their combined “Xohulotel, laruz!” before they charged in, meaning “Xohulotel, witness!”
With the zealous show of their faith and how they would always accept bandit subjugations and headhunting Quests, always coming out of them almost unscathed, their reputation grew. Kushlek’zar’s party was feared as extremely aggressive when it came to chasing down criminals.
And that was why the moment this beastman heard that shout, he ran away, abandoning his group without a second thought, only wishing to preserve himself. And as Tasianna was responsible for the initial distraction, Kushlek’zar and his party for the main raid, and Hestia for securing and protecting the prisoners, it was left to me to chase down any stragglers.
The only problem was that the person I was chasing was also the strongest fighter in their group.
Calm down, Saori. This is exactly what I wanted!
I saw his status board. This rhinoceros named Narube was far weaker than the saurian frontliners, but to me, he was a major threat. I could fight him to a standstill as a Cadejo, but my wolfkin form might not be strong enough to fight against him. I could call the saurians for help, but I doubt they’d arrive in time. They were all preoccupied with the many weaker bandits at the camp, and they prioritized numbers over bringing justice to a single wrongdoer.
I knew I should give up and retreat … however, there was a matter of pride in this hunt. He hurt Hestia.
Last time, I could only watch through my [Shadow Snake] as my friends were getting hurt by that giant leviathan. I was the one who told Hestia off for trying to help others while delving into the unknown, risking herself in the process. I was infuriated by her disobedience, and it felt like she was doing the same thing as my father. I didn’t want to lose her like him.
So, when I saw the leviathan appear through the [Shadow Snake] I snuck with Rajah, I couldn’t help but feel like history was repeating itself. I wanted to sprint towards them and help, but I couldn’t. I wasn’t able to remember their path nor was it physically feasible for me to make it there on time. I was helpless.
And then Hestia’s accident happened where she got [Battle Frenzy (Moderate)] due to my mistake. I should have listened to her opinion instead of stubbornly sticking to my own plan. What was good about trying to stay safe when you hurt the ones around you?
When I was still a teacher on Earth at Shirako High, my seniors did mention that I was “too much of a control freak” and that I should “loosen” up more as a teacher. Apparently, even for an “education-first,’ competitive, Japanese high school where rich and talented students would gather, I was still too strict. Even my students joked about it.
Back then, I didn’t want to believe it. I laughed it off as just a joke. Me? A control-freak? Nonsense. I just wanted things to just … work for me. Make enough money for my family, pay off the debts so we could be free. I thought I should push my students to be the best … not to mention, if they ranked high in their tests, I would gain bonuses. I needed the money.
So, what a surprise everything was far from perfect even now. Despite how much I wanted to handle things how I wanted to, things just wouldn’t come into play. Hestia was her own person, Tasianna had PTSD, and I was a giant wolf now.
I wasn’t flexible enough back then. I should have gone with Hestia to help the lizardmen. I should have done something to soothe Hestia when we spent a week in that cave. As an adult, I should have done something more.
So, how could I make that mistake again? I always worry about her safety and recklessness, so why did I agree to sneak her into that bandit camp alone? Was I so confident that Hestia could do everything, that I let it obstruct my decision-making? I wanted to adapt after all that happened, but making these decisions felt hard for me. I guess getting over my “control-freak” nature was harder than I thought.
… However, there was one thing I would not allow. Something rational couldn’t just tell me to ignore it. When I saw Hestia getting hurt, I couldn’t accept it anymore. I couldn’t let my friends and those I valued so much get hurt anymore. I had to stop acting like everything would turn out well when I controlled things, I had to accept imperfection could be better than perfection.
So, that was why…
“Fuck off!'” Having finally noticed my presence, Narube the rhinoncerum threw a spare throwing axe at me, which I avoided by delving into the shadows with [Shadow Dash] to appear somewhere else. “Fucking bastard! I can see you!”
His detection skills were below my hide-based skills, so it was unlikely that he could actually detect me, however, he was speaking the truth when he said he could see me, for red blood mist was being emitted from my eyes. My race, the [Young Shadowstalker Cadejo], was a wolf monster that would emit its distinctive red mana mist from its eyes when it was ready to hunt and kill. In this dark wood, these eyes and my red scarf stuck out like a thumb.
“Rargh!”
Narube dashed over to my second location, swinging down his now unsheathed two-handed axe, but I quickly melted back into the shadow to appear somewhere else. This went on for a couple more times, where I would mix in certain skills and spells to misdirect him even further.
One example would be creating [Shadow Clone] to confuse him while I would stay somewhere else, activating [Bloodlust] at the moment he was about to strike my clone to tense him up.
The idea behind this whole tactic was to unnerve him. Physically, due to [Humanize (Moderate)] I wasn’t as strong as him and I didn’t think I could beat him in a slugfest. He seemed trained and experienced with his usage of his weapon, while I was untrained and unarmed. This difference must be respected.
That was why I was taking advantage of the fact that he had [Broken Knee (Left) (Moderate)] and [Numb Arm (Right) (Minor)]. Not only was he limping, but I also realized from this dodge tactic that his reaction time with his right arm was definitely slower.
I had to be sure that I wasn’t going overboard with my mana usage, to not build up too much arcane corruption, but seeing his Stamina lowering while he became more and more enraged made me feel like I could do it. Confidence was surging through me as my movements became more refined.
“Fucking mutt! Aeeerrrrrgh!” frustrated from how none of his attacks hit, Narube screeched like a steam tank, before his legs began to tense up, ready for a charge. “Bulldozing Rhino!”
Like a spring, his legs instantly released the tension, launching his massive rhinoceros body forward in a straight line, tearing trees down as if they were nothing but styrofoam. Anticipating this, I dodged to his right but was immediately greeted by [Prediction] and [Danger Perception] warning me as the beastman jumped into the air, raising his axe above his head.
“Flying Axe!”
Without a second delay, I shrouded myself in a veil of darkness, blending into the darkness perfectly besides the red mist around my eyes. My new clothes were already darker-toned so it was already harder for people to detect me when it's dark, but I honestly felt like I was a part of it now, like nothing could defeat me while I was in this state.
As this counted as a “shadow,” [Shadow Tendrils] erupted from my body, clutching the trees behind me and pulled me out of the path of Narube’s thrown axe. Seeing as it was able to dig rather deeply into the ground, I probably wouldn’t have survived if I had taken it head-on.
Before Narube could pick it up, I kicked it away with [Shadow Descent], a shadow armament-only attack where I would extend the veil to increase the reach of a kick. With the axe flying away, I then shot out a few [Dark Bolt] at the humanoid rhinoceros.
“Natural Armor!” he called out. “Ha, these attacks tickle! My tribe would gore you for these attacks, wolfkin!”
Humanize.
My cadejo form was my trump card here. I couldn’t show it now, however, with my [Shadow Armament] covering my whole body, I could hide the fact that I had [Humanize]. I was really fortunate that he didn’t have [Identify] like Kushlek’zar.
Using the mana mist that would be emitted whenever I activate [Humanize], I cast [Shadow Clone] once more and ran beside it towards Narube. With 2/3rd of my original stats and the blessing spells that Kushlek’zar cast on me prior, I threw away my previous tactic and engaged the tall beastman in guerilla warfare, now that he was unarmed.
Compared to Hestia’s buffing spells, I received only a few from Kushlek’zar, however, I could tell that they were equal in effectiveness, or maybe even more. Job and custom spells were definitely something that our party must look out for if we want to become stronger in the future.
“Kuck! Damn, rat!” Narube cried out, trying to hit me but he continued to fail.
His skin is tough! All my attacks are too shallow even in this form?
Hit-and-run was what I did best considering my spell element and skills. I was able to take multiple weaker enemies out at once and power up with [Lifetaker], however, I couldn’t use this skill to its fullest potential when I was fighting one strong person, first.
I couldn’t overwhelm him. I had to slowly chip him away, whether mentally or physically. The first phase was for me to analyze his movement while tiring him out. The second phase was for me to dig deep into his skin with my claws, applying one of Hestia’s toxic concoctions to cripple him. However, with how shallow my cuts were, it was hard to execute this part.
“Crash Horn!” he roared, slamming his head onto the ground, creating not only a minor shockwave but also cracks in the ground, sending rocks and earth up into the air.
Using my veil of shadow like an extension of my body, dodging through all of this was no problem as countless [Shadow Tendrils] wiggled around to keep me from harm's way. With my balance recovered, I launched my own unarmed ability on him.
“Just Blink!”
Despite the weird name that I gave it, it did just that. Using my shadow armament, I played a little trick to him, making it seem like I just vanished. The shadows shrouding my body, activated by mana, erases my presence and line-of-sight to me for a single second. “An invisible strike” was the thought I had when I created this move.
Combined with my stealth skills, my Agility, and how my shadows hide my form, I continuously reproduced a fast strike until the System recognized the move. Improved by the System, this was how [Just Blink] was born.
So, in this single second, my claws almost ripped out his eyes, before I reappeared. I wasn’t fast enough to take advantage of the ability. Narube flinched because of my lacking Agility. This was sadly one of the weaknesses of this ability, as it depended on me being fast enough to attack during a one second window.
… Unfortunately for him, I wasn’t fighting alone per se. I had a [Shadow Clone]. A clone of shadows from which I could use as a second pair of eyes or as another combatant able to use my spells and skills. She was the one who used [Just Blink], taking his attention from my real body. The real me jumped onto his back and wrapped thin mana strings around his neck which I took out of my storage magic, strangling him with them after I got a good grip.
“Kriiiack!” Rampaging like a bull, he was swinging me around as hard as he could but I didn’t let go. These were my mana strings. As long as I can fuel them with mana, they would never tear apart. Fortunately, as he kept on struggling, it made it easier for my clone since she could continue attacking him while my mana strings started to cut his neck, finally drawing blood from him.
Venom applied!
As I could apply Hestia’s venom on my claws, so could I do it with my mana strings. They were all tools I used in my battle style. She might not be a venom dragon, but no one around could make a stronger venom than her by simply sweating.
The venom immediately showed its effect despite only being minor, making it harder for him to breathe. Eventually, he did manage to grab my leg and pull me off him, throwing me away like a ragdoll. While I was in the air, Narube used [Bulldozing Rhino] to charge over to his axe.
“DIE! BLAST RUSH!”
Like a rocket, the massive rhinoncerum shot through the battlefield in a mad rush, having fully descended into madness through his wrath. My shadow clone had to sacrifice herself to buy me a few precious seconds, which I needed to land back on the ground, get back on my feet, regain balance, and then dodge out of the way.
However, before I could breathe, the mad rhino swung down his axe and then continued with a flurry of slices, unconscious of where he was going and swinging.
He was a walking wrecking ball, without a doubt. He couldn’t control himself and his movements were reckless and unpredictable, leaving me no room to counterattack. His Agility didn’t increase but he wasn’t stopping his assault anytime soon. There was also the fact that even a simple hit could possibly kill me at this point from how much his Strength was increased by these two skills.
Hang on! Hang on! You have to hang on, Saori! Everything is going as planned!
The woods were turned into a field of carnage as if a twister just appeared and uprooted and destroyed all the trees and vegetation in the area. I tried to use [Shadow Dash] to move away from it but Narube would simply use [Bulldozing Rhino] or [Blast Rush] to shorten the distance in a second, literally.
He wasn’t giving up and despite using everything in my repertoire to dodge his attacks, whether it was skills like [Evasion] and [Air Walk] or [Shadow Tendrils] pulling me away or [Shadow Dash] towards a faraway point, it mattered little. He would never stop, just like a real rhino, charging forward the first moment it felt threatened.
He was relentless … and I couldn’t keep up with it.
“Arrrrrrrgh!” Not managing my breathing correctly, my movements dulled for a moment and I was slammed by the blunt sides of his axe. I was blown away and crashed onto a nearby tree.
“Uuuurgh, hie, urck,” I moaned.
I had [Absolute Pain Tolerance] just like Hestia but I still wasn’t too used to intense pain. It only got me around its tip, but the damage was still done. My arms rattled like crazy and crashing with my back on the tree made it hard for me to stand up properly.
I wanted to lie down and rest, but instincts drove me back up onto my feet as Narube, once again, [Blast Rush]ed to me.
“Purgatory BEAST!” Grabbing his massive axe with both arms, he swung it down with pure impunity, slicing the very air in half as an image of a demon was invoked in my mind.
The very earth quaked, ripping apart anything unfortunate enough to stand in the way of this monstrous attack, calling forth a blast wave of wind to send chunks of ground flying.
As the dust settled, the silence was broken by my pained weeping.
“You actually survived that?” Narube said with widened eyes, having deactivated both [Berserker Mode] and [Destruction Path], before chuckling with a sadistic smile. “… Heh heh, I guess this is a better result. You know, you’re just like that fucking bitch. That damn ‘White Winged Dragoon.’ All she did was play around with me as she stomped on my pride as a warrior, while her fucking knights destroyed everything I built up!”
Urgh, my a-arm … it’s n-not m-moving … at all.
"… I wanted to crush her, my wish is to make her squeal and beg for a pitiful life as I stomp her bones to dust … but she's a giant wall … you will do, for now, wolfkin bitch,” he announced with blood-red eyes, grinning like a lunatic. “You don’t look the same but you remind me of her too much. I will have you wish that you had never angered me. Narube! A great warrior from the great plains! BLAST RUSH!”
I didn’t listen to anything he said. I was able to hear it but nothing stuck in my head as my brain was more pre-occupied by the large amount of pain that was surging around my bloodied arm, broken to the point I couldn’t move it around anymore. I needed Hestia’s healing, now!
… But I wasn’t that much of a novice that I didn’t notice his hostile intentions. I stood my ground, regardless, because …
“Kruck-?!”
Got you.
“ARCK!” Unable to stop himself, Narube tripped over a thin mana string as electricity streamed through his body, flying over me and crashing into a thick layer of mana strings I had set up in this area prior to my ambush.
Putting on a bit of pressure on a nearby string, Narube was immediately constricted by a colorful grouping of mana strings.
Red, cyan, purple, green, red-brown. All the colors of our group's available elements.
“W-What the fuck is- ARCK!” he tried to speak but I prevented that by tightening the string around his throat.
“T-thank you for falling into my trap,” I said with a quivering voice, still affected by the pain.
As my job was to hunt down any stragglers, I’d set up my mana strings in the area to intercept the bandits. Up until now, I primarily used [Elemental Mana Weaving] to create clothes with the colored mana string, but that wasn’t the skill’s main usage. These mana threads created from an element’s mana could produce their element if I sent mana through them.
That meant red mana string would emit fire while purple strings could send lightning through your body. Unfortunately, they actually didn’t show this effect when I turned them into clothing. Hestia did mention that it would be cool if I could make a purple dress that continuously shot out lightning, which I honestly questioned why that would be awesome. The problems with your hair, oh my.
"Your trap-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" he screamed as the red-brown mana string began oozing out lava, scorching his arm.
“Your [Berserker Mode] was too much for me to handle but otherwise, everything worked just like I wanted,” I answered.
The first and second phase was dedicated to unnerving Narube, causing him to rage. To make sure that he wouldn’t figure out my plan, I had to risk it and cause him to go berserk. The only reason why I believed I could execute this plan was because my Agility was so much higher than his with the addition of my dark spells and [Shadow Armament], helping me outmaneuver him.
The first phase was to reduce his Stamina, so he had to use [Berserker Mode] while the second was to cause him to go use [Destruction Path] to counteract the venom. I honestly wanted to inject a more lethal venom into him, but at minimum, I only needed him to be annoyed by being poisoned. The venom also slowed him down, so that was good.
With those two phases succeeding, he would go crazy and I could lead him around, easily bringing him into my net of mana strings. The only problem was that [Purgatory Beast]. I saw its effect with [Identify] but it caught me out of surprise with how strong it was.
I hadn’t said this very often, but I was honestly in love with my [Dark Magic]. Although it was neither as strong as Hestia’s multitude of spells nor Tasianna’s [Ice Magic], it still had the power of deception. I could outmaneuver anybody if I was skilled and fast enough.
Why was I saying this? Well, I only survived that attack due to [Shadow Dash]. I simply dived into the darkness but unfortunately my arm couldn’t make it inside fast enough, so it literally broke from the shockwave of his attack. The pressure was so high that it damaged me without even hitting me.
“Goodbye …” I uttered, pouring mana into a nearby string.
I could only call it a firework with how colorful it was. Numerous mana strings activated, sending out lightning, flames, ice, lava, and wind as they began to tear through Narube’s body, ripping him apart with magical power.
This was a victory due to [Identify]. As Sun Tzu said, “If you know your enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Knowing his skills and stats was enough for me to plan out this rather risky fight, despite it being smarter to just ignore him and retreat.
That was Hestia-level of recklessness if I do say so myself, but I guess that is what I need to do to catch-!
Seeing Narube’s Health decreasing at a good rate, I was confident that I had won. I was about to turn around and return back to the camp when my [Prediction] once again did its job and warned me like a trusty alarm clock from the axe that flew past me.
“Heh, heh …” Narube laughed with laborious breathing, smiling as he held a glass bottle with his teeth.
Identify.
What did he drink?!
“Hahaha, this potion was pretty damn expensive, you know. You don’t know how much you just made me lose, but you will feel the power of this potion right now!” Narube said with a wide smile, having broken free from my mana strings, blood-red eyes filling his … wait, has his left eye gotten redder than last time?
As I was wondering that, Narube roared out in pain, “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! MY EYE!”
Suddenly, blood began flooding out of his eye, as it slowly started to wrinkle up, necrosis having started to set in. The pain was excruciating enough for the rhinoncerum to fall onto his knees, holding onto his eyes as his wailing became louder and louder. Any pride he had as a warrior crumbled in this moment. He slumped down, as his other eye also began to show similar symptoms, turning black while blood flowed.
“P-please, h-help me …” he pleaded, having fully lost his eyesight as his grey skin turned into a deadly purple, pus spewing out from his pores. “AHHHHH … argh! H-Help! Th-this is not h-how I want-ted to die.”
… She did mention that she made a venom that would only work after an extended time.
I could never forget this sight. The last time I saw this venom in effect was when I personally poisoned a troll while rescuing Tasianna. Who gave me that venom? Hestia. Who wanted to improve her venoms to be less conspicuous to avoid the status boards? Hestia. Who spat in Narube’s eye while she was playing prisoner? That crimson-haired brat.
This sight is as dreadful as always … but I guess I should thank her. Humanize.
[“I might have considered helping you in the past,”] I said telepathically, staring him down with my cadejo form’s eyes, unwilling to forgive this person for what he did. [“However … you hurt my family.”]
“Wha-ARGHHH!”
I pounced on him, holding his arm back with my sharp claws while I pierced his neck with my sharp fangs, ravaging through all the blood and flesh until I had a good grip on his neck. The tall beastman struggled despite how much in pain he was, unwilling to die even in his final moments. With a simple crunch, the death cries finally ended.
… Yeah, I definitely am conscious that I have killed somebody similar to a human. Good. At least, that will keep me from doing it too often. That is one concern handled.
It seemed like killing monsters like it was nothing until now had fortified my mental state. Psychologically speaking, I believe I was okay after killing this beastman—a half-human. Well, it also helped that I was angry at him, making it a bit easier for me to get used to it.
Thankfully, my mind was still human. I was worried how I would fully turned into a feral monster, so it was reassuring to know that I still felt some guilt after this assassination. I was grateful I wasn’t addicted or had fun doing this. Maybe I could enjoy a peaceful life after all of this.
… Pah, what naïve thought. This world demanded me to be strong to live up against the world’s injustice. The books I read on the medieval era, whether it was feudal Japan or Europe, depicted a world filled with strife and conflict. Humanity was greedy and that was especially true for people in power.
Moving alone. Away from the group. No backup. Gosh, how risky did I have to do it for myself? All this recklessness always excites Hestia … but it feels so nerve wracking.
Hestia, the poor girl, was worried Tasianna and I weren’t strong enough to stop her if the day were to come where she went berserk. Admittedly, it was true. I didn’t have the one-woman party strength Hestia had. It wasn’t even debatable. As such, I needed to become stronger, no matter what to reassure my friend.
Killing Narube was a good chance to finally catch up to my companions, especially now when Hestia and Tasianna weren’t sharing EXP with me. I needed to evolve … and how did I get it? Through a battle like this. It wasn’t perfect, considering the state of my arm, but I felt good about my performance.
They mean too much to me. I don’t want to lose them.
I had no blood relatives anymore. I died before my mother on Earth. My garm family in this world were all dead. I was alone. With how that giant leviathan talked about my “heritage,” I personally didn’t want to accept it as I felt no kinship to anybody now.
… Aside from two people: Hestia and Tasianna.
During the time when I most needed her, when I was just born and when I nearly died against those chameleons, she was there for me. She helped me. She taught me. She was the reason why I survived in this world despite only being a month old.
Then there was Tasianna, the little fairy that would always treat me like I was the “head retainer.” It was annoying at first, but it eventually grew on me. Her cheerfulness while she kept going through whatever training she had to do to become stronger. I admired hard work, so it went without question that I became fond of her.
I know I am technically the youngest among us three, but I can’t help but think of them as little sisters. Little troublemakers.
So, that is why it pains me so much when both of them are so tormented by their own problems. Hestia and her doubts about her humanity and Tasianna about her trauma. I am glad that Hestia got over her fear of performing as an idol, but it seems our party’s problems aren’t over yet.
Well, that is my job. Can’t have my new family be torn apart, right?
With that handled, I should get back to the rest. Hopefully, everything was alright on their side.
“Lady Hestia! Stop! You have to stop!”
“Enough! Hestia, control yourself! The battle is over!”
“Young scale, get a grip of yourself!”
“Dammit, Kush, call Akasht back now! My tail is tingling and it ain’t a good feeling.”
“O, flames, so beautiful pyre! Grant me your divine purification! Cleanse me of my sins in the inferno!”
Voices? Who are they? No, I thi— URRRRHH! My head! GUUURAAAAAAAAAAGK!
“O, gather with me, o tiny embers
Weave yourself in my divine mana
Oh grow, oh feast, never smother your potential
From darkness you grow, shining brightly to cast your origin away
O, Inferno, your form so mighty
Dance with my melody, my song
Hear my voice, hear my decree, your ruler of crimson
Blaze in power in a sea of red and yellow
Oh dear flames, listen to my music, my grand orchestra!”
Arrrrrgh! A voice! What is this?! Who is speaking?! [Imperial Hellfire]’s chant? Why are those words storming into my head?!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!
‘Original Mind!’
‘Parallel Mind #1, she’s losing it! We can’t stop it anymore, Manager Mind!’
‘Where the fuck did this title come from! Ahhh, stop those words! Something is here! Something fucking ripped out our spells and skills! Gaaargh!”
‘#2! 3#! Get a hold of yourselves! The moment we lose consciousness, too, it’s all over for Original Mind! We need to control her! [Telepathy]! Yes, get the others to stop our body! Now!’
Voices. My voices? Something was happening, but I couldn’t think of anything. This piercing pain in my brain, no, it felt like my soul was being ripped apart. All these messages weren’t supposed to be here. My mind wasn’t handling them.
Yes, my parallel minds. They were keeping me sane. The roars from my pained body. I could think. Was I going berserk again? [Battle Frenzy]? But how? How? No, this wasn’t the time for that, I told myself. I had to get mysel—
Kuek!
And in that moment, my mind was pushed down a void as it felt like a sword was pushed right through me. My mind stopped thinking. Went to sleep. Allowing …
“Huh? Mister Kushlek’zar, what is going on with Lady Hestia?!”
“Miss Saori! You’ve come at the perfect timing, Hestia-!”
“Symphonie des Feuergottes!”
… the dragon inside to awaken.
AbyssRaven … Did this god just send a Divine Message? To a mortal? Not like Aurena said how Hestia's soul couldn't handle a damn god's words!
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