At the top of the Tower of the Ogre princess, a petite woman with chalk white skin stared at a screen, surprise written all over her face.
"Well now, I certainly didn't see that coming," she mentioned offhandedly. The scene she just witnessed was not one she ever expected to see. After all, who in their right mind could have foreseen that?
A wet, squelching cough drew her attention away from the screen and to the woman who shared nearly every physical characteristic with her, chained to the wall. A smirk found its way on her face as she turned away from the screen and approached her bound doppelganger.
She looked her prisoner up and down, noting the new red stains covering her white shirt. From her coughing no doubt. Her face was pale from blood loss and her body was wracked with pain as she took desperate gasps for air, her entire body shaking from the effort.
The woman casually placed her index finger under the trapped woman's chin, gently raising it up to look her in the eyes, which were one of the only differences between them.
Her skin, her eyes, and her hair. Those were the only real contrasting elements that separated Hiyori from her Hollow. Besides her clothes, of course, but only so long as they were wearing them. Thankfully, at least to Hiyori, they still were.
"Tell me Hiyori, was that painful? The two of you shared senses after all, so I imagine having a hole blown into your stomach must have hurt," she asked, licking her lips with an almost erotic look on her face.
"F-fuck you," Hiyori stuttered out, spitting a glob of blood on her face. The Hollow frowned, wiping the offending substance from her cheek.
"Honestly, what a rude little whore you are," she said, before her small fist found its way into Hiyori's stomach. The blonde haired girl gagged, throwing up more blood than before, adding it to the ever growing pool beneath her. It wasn't that the blow itself was overly powerful, it was more that it added to the phantom pain she was already feeling from the bullet eviscerating her intestines.
Or her double's intestines, at any rate.
"But you know, I am surprised that one of my ogre's would betray me in such a manner. That, I admit, I didn't see coming. Tell me, was he that good of a kisser?" asked the Hollow with a coy smirk, making Hiyori's face turn as red as a tomato. An impressive feat considering her lack of blood.
"What the hell are you talking about! There's no way I liked having that stupid baldy kiss me!" she shouted, embarrassed. Her Hollow only raised an eyebrow, sending a disbelieving look the girl's way.
"Is that so? I could have sworn I heard someone moaning while it was happening. Someone who wasn't on screen. Must have been my imagination," the Hollow said with a mocking shrug.
"You're damn right it wa-hurk," Hiyori groaned, her face going from red to pale again in record time. Only this time, there was also an unhealthy amount of green that came with it. Her gagging drew the Hollow's attention, as an excited grin lit up her face as she watched Hiyori attempt to hold in her vomit.
"Is it time!?" she squealed, skipping up to the bound girl. She placed her hands under the other girl's shirt, rubbing her smooth, flat stomach enthusiastically, the action getting an angry, "Hey!" from Hiyori. But other than the increased amount of squirming, she could do little else.
"Oh, I can feel it! It's about to hatch!" she said with a grin, making Hiyori pale even more.
"What's about to hatch!? What are you-argh-talking about?" she demanded. She remembered the bitch in currently fondling her forcing her to swallow something before, but the Hollow wouldn't tell her what it was. She just gave a playful, "You'll see," and that was it.
"Don't tell me it's some kind of parasite?" she thought, as her stomach gurgled painfully, seemingly confirming it.
"You'll see," she said playfully, making Hiyori want to punch her in the face. She then heard a loud scream of pain and agony coming from the screen. The two looked up to see Ushio, kneeling over the body of a Shadow Ogre, fists raised to the sky as he belted out his frustrations.
"Oh, looks like he discovered what happened. I don't think he's too happy about being catfished. He did seem pretty eager to stick his tongue down your throat. Think he'll be mad at you?" asked the Hollow, giving Hiyori another condescending look, who blushed and looked away, "Like I care if that dumbass is upset with me."
"Mmm, so shy. Is this what the kids call, tsundere? It's rather adorable."
"S-shut up!"
"Honestly, no manners whatsoever. Well, let's just watch shall we? I can't wait to see what happens next."
Back with Ushio.
I stared at the form in front of me with an uncomprehending look on my face. No, it's not that I didn't comprehend it, it's that I didn't want to. I know it's better than the alternative, but still.
I made out with an ogre! Not just that, a male ogre! I knew it was a trap, I knew it, but why did it have to end up like this!? I checked for bulges and everything! Oh god his tongue was in my mouth all wet and wriggling! I'll never be clean again!
Hey there, you-pfft-you ok?
"Now is not the time for laughter Sarah! Can't you see I've been traumatized!? Now I'll never be able to get married!" I shouted. Was I being a bit melodramatic? Yes, but you need to understand, I was violated.
Turns out, Hiyori wasn't Hiyori at all. She was actually the second Shadow Ogre Boss in disguise. How or why, I don't know, and frankly, I don't care. All that matters is that a sacred trust was broken, and I may never recover from this.
Oh come on, it's not that bad. And hey, you were apparently such a good kisser that he fell in love with you and betrayed whoever's in charge, so that's something, right?
"No… no it's not. In fact, I actually think it makes it worse. I don't know how, but it does," I commented, my voice lacking a certain something that signified I was alive. A zombie would have more life in him than I do right now.
Come on, you can still rob-I mean, recycle their belongings. Would that make you feel better? A little bit of looting?
I sniffed, rubbing the tears from my eyes. "I don't know… Maybe…" I said petulantly.
Well what are you waiting for? Let's see what goodies they were hiding.
"Ok…" I agreed, placing my hand over the Shadow Ogre Boss.
Would you like to loot the body of the Shadow Ogre Boss?
[Yes] [No]
Hitting yes, I watched as the body of that accursed creature disappeared. Good riddance, I hope you rot in hell. I mean, thanks for saving me and all, but still, fuck you!
From the not so dearly departed I obtained two more pieces of the Silent One set, bringing my total up to 4. Just two more to go and I will have them all. The two I got this time were the torso and arm pieces. Wanting to see what they looked like, I Equipped them right away.
The torso piece was black, sleeveless and form fitting. The chest area, back, and stomach were all reinforced with armored segments, providing extra protection without hindering my movement.
Next were the arm guards. They were black, made of black steel etched to look like chainmail. and reached up to my elbow. Each one had three dull, silver metal pieces running up the length of it. The parts that covered my hand were fingerless, perfect for a self respecting edgelord ninja like myself, with a rectangular piece of silvered metal placed on the back of the hand.
The part that was really cool about them was the claws inside the three metal pieces. Scared the crap out of me when they popped out, but after making sure I did not make boom-boom in my pants I properly admired them. They were bright silver and about a foot long, give or take, and they looked like I stole them from Wolverine.
I doubted they were made of adamantium, but they looked cool all the same.
Almost made me look like a real ninja, believe it! If only I wasn't wearing a loincloth. That just made me look like a pervert. Made me feel like one too, but I really didn't want to put on the wet and bloody pants!
Actually, the loincloth was wet and bloody too after I opened up the big guy's neck. Guess it didn't really matter. Giving in to the ocd part of me that couldn't stand the mishmashed aesthetic, I Equipped the pants, cringing at the feel. I get the feeling I'm going to have to get used to being covered in blood.
I also noticed some weird slots on the pants for the first time. Six of them to be precise, three on each leg, going down the outer thighs. They looked like they were supposed to hold some knives. Or would they be kunai to go with the ninja motif?
That being said, without the Bandit's Vest on, I did feel a bit colder. Not much, thankfully, but it was still noticeable. With the Blue Ogre defeated and all the heaters running at full capacity, it wasn't exactly freezing out anymore, just a wee bit nippy.
Ignoring my diamond hard nipples, I continued to check my Loot. I got money, of course, along with a map for the second Shadow Ogre lair. This time it would actually be useful. Next was the key for the chest that was likely in their treasury, and the second half of the broken key.
Looking at it in my Inventory screen, I wondered how I was supposed to fix it. I mean, I can't exactly shove a broken key into a lock now, can I?
Try clicking on it.
Doing as the voice in my head suggested, hoping it didn't get me into trouble this time, I clicked on one of the broken key halves, and a pop down menu appeared.
[Inspect]
[Discard]
[Combine]
I didn't need to inspect it, as I already knew what it was and what it looked like, and I sure as shit didn't want to toss it away, so that leaves only the completely obvious choice for me to pick.
Clicking Combine, the Inventory screen darkened, with only the two halves of the broken key illuminated. Clicking the second one, a new screen appeared.
Would you like to combine [Broken Key] with [Broken Key]?
[Yes] [No]
Hitting the yes button, because why the hell wouldn't I, I watched as one key moved over to the other and a bright light engulfed the screen. Once it was done, there was a new Item for me to inspect.
Prison Key
A key to open a cell door in the secret prison beneath the Tower.
Now just hold the damn phone a minute. A prison? Am I really going to have to go through a big ass prison too? That's a bit much, don't you think?
Don't get your panties in a bunch. The prison is more like a small county jail. Or at least, it's supposed to be. I think… I mean, I'm pretty sure that's what the code said…
"Your words do not fill me with confidence…" I stated blandly with an unimpressed look on my face. "But I do wonder who they have prisoner? Hiyori? I guess that would make sense. I rescue her from the bottom and we climb the tower together and kick everybody's ass. Sounds pretty romantic actually," I said, thinking to myself.
That's your idea of romance… Good thing you like tomboys I guess…
"Oh come on, how is that not romantic? I save her from a jail cell and we climb a tower full of vicious enemies, beating everyone in our path before taking out the final boss together. Textbook romance!"
I think you're reading the wrong textbook. But it's good to see you're over the ogre thing at least.
"What ogre thing? I have no idea what you're talking about."
You know what I mean.
"..."
…
"...?"
Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about!
"I don't know what you're talking about!"
Liar! You know exactly what I'm talking about!
"I do not! I have no recollection of any ogre or their tongue!"
I never mentioned a tongue…
"..."
…
"...It's a beautiful night, don't you think?"
Hah, I knew it! You do remember!
"I'm sorry, did you say something?"
You are not Kakashi!
"Just let me have this!"
After bickering with Sarah for a bit, and not remembering anything that happened with any ogre of any kind, I collected my Kusarigama that somehow wound up all the way over here before walking over to the other ogre I have yet to collect my rightful rewards from.
Would you like to loot the body of the Blue Ogre?
[Yes] [No]
Why yes, yes I would. His body disappeared and I started to read what goodies he left behind. It better be something good for all the trouble he caused me. Nearly froze my damn balls off in this place.
The first thing was the Blue Orb, which completed the set. I was half expecting it to give me a map leading to the Blue Orb or something. That seems to be how my luck usually turns out, but it seems like I wasn't getting fucked with at the moment.
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Next was money, which was always appreciated. If nothing else, this venture proved to be fairly lucrative. I gained over 20,000 Yen from the whole thing, and I wasn't even done yet.
Next was a Moderate Healing Potion. Shockingly enough, I didn't need one this entire district, though that was mostly due to the heaters helping me recover. After that was another Ring of Resistance, this one for the cold. Not the best, but at least it was consistent. They may be worth upgrading though, get that sweet, sweet immunity.
Oh, hello there, Head Captain Yamamoto. Oh what's that? Fire? Hah, your silly little flames have no effect on me, for I am immune!
Um, yeah… about that…
"Stop bursting my bubbles Sarah!"
The Secret Key was next, and just like I thought earlier, this big blue jackass did have the key to the Shadow Ogre Lair. Well at least I can properly rob them all now.
After that came the Crystal of Power, this one increased my Intelligence by 5. I quickly used it, practically feeling the wrinkles forming in my smooth brain as my Intelligence rose to 20.
Look ma, I'm average!
However, as good as making my brain bigger was, the next items are what really caught my attention. So much so I nearly wept with joy. Turns out nearly getting frostbite was worth it after all.
The Debate Ender (Rare)
A .44 magnum, double action revolver with an 8" barrel. If you find yourself having an argument you can't win with words alone, just whip out this bad boy. You'll win 9 out of 10 times! Be careful though, that recoil is a bitch.
-Damage 1,500
-Ammunition 6/6
-Durability 12/12
Upgradeable
Gun Holster (Uncommon)
A belt made to hold the Debate Ender. Made of sturdy leather, this is a cowboys best friend. Along with a gun, this belt also holds an additional 12 rounds of ammunition. An indispensable item for the up and coming gunslinger.
-Ammunition 0/12
-Durability 18/18
Upgradeable
I pulled the gun out and just stared at it. It was heavy, which you would expect from a large gun made of solid steel, and had a luminous silver sheen to it, not a mark to be seen on her.
But don't worry, daddy will break you in real soon.
The handle was made of a black, rubberized material that was actually rather comfortable. Made for an excellent grip. The 8" barrel had 4 vents along the top for reasons I'm not well versed in, but it looked cool, which was the most important thing about a gun. The whole thing resembled a Colt Anaconda if I was honest.
Even holding it, I still can't believe it. I actually got a hold of a .44. I just… the words won't come. I'm just so happy! And that damage! Holy crap. I don't see many things posing much of a threat in this place, not anymore. Especially since I can summon Shadow with one of these bad boys.
Too bad the belt didn't come fully stocked, but oh well. Hopefully in the future I can roll up with a full belt of fuck you, but for now, I'm more than happy with my plunder. Not to mention that without any ammunition, it definitely wasn't better than my Girdle of the Great Giant, which upped my Strength by 20.
But with that, I have received the last of the loot from the Blue Ogre. Now, I must away to rob the Shadow Ogres of all their worldly possessions.
Try not to make out with any this time!
"Damn it Sarah!"
Before making my way to the Shadow Ogres Lair, I decided to make a quick pit stop at ye olde heater to recover my everything. It also gave me the perfect opportunity to check out my Stats, since I, you know, gained a Level and everything, bringing me to 10. After placing my 2 points into Spirit, this is what I'm looking at.
Stats
Level: 10 (75/1,200)
Health: 1,178/1,178
Stamina: 670/670
Reiryoku: 822/822
Strength: 61 (109) {129}
Agility: 22 (70) {92}
Vitality: 38 (86)
Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 25
Spirit: 48
Charisma: 8
Unused Points: 0
Lookin real good here. Real sexy. But with me making it to Level 10, I also got another Perk Point. There were several I wanted, but I wonder if it would be better to save them up and get some of the more powerful ones.
Like one that upgraded my Inventory. Not only would it expand how much I could hold and the size of what I could put in, it would also allow me to open my Inventory anywhere within 100 feet of me, and that just sounded boss as hell.
"Ushio, use Rockslide!"
And I could do it too. Just open up my Inventory way above them and drop it like it's hot. And by it, I mean a shit ton of big ass rocks. That barely even scratches the surface of the tactical advantages it would give me.
But there was also one called Weapon Master that would allow me to use my Street Fighter Skill in conjunction with basically any weapon, which I currently couldn't do. Not only that, but it would give me a basic understanding of how to properly use them. Right now I'm just using my superior strength and speed to give me the edge, cause I have no goddamn clue how to use those things the right way.
Kind of surprised I haven't smacked myself in the balls while spinning the Kusarigama around, but maybe I shouldn't look that gift horse in the mouth.
The last one that caught my attention was one called Quick Change, which would allow me to swap my physical body with my spiritual one without leaving what might be confused as a dead body behind. No idea where my body would go exactly, but it sounds better than dealing with a Mod Soul.
If only they didn't cost 2 points each. But seeing as I was still in imminent danger and nearly ready for the final stage of this Dungeon, maybe I should bite the bullet and buy one anyway. Like Inner Strength, which increased my Spirit by my Level, effectively giving me plus ten to my Strength, Agility, and Stamina.
Both have merits, waiting or spending, but I'm leaning towards waiting to get a more powerful one. Not that improving my Stats was a bad choice, but I've made more than enough decisions based on my fear of not surviving. I can't continue that way.
Plus, if I need it I can always spend it later. Nodding my head at my decision, I watched as my Hp, Stamina, and Reiryoku finally maxed out.
"Well, time to get to work," I said with a sigh. I stood up and wiped the mud off my bloody pants. A bit pointless, but it made me feel at least a little cleaner.
I casually made my way back to the Shadow Ogre Lair entrance. No point in running and wasting my energy if I don't have to. I stood in front of the massive metal doors with a smirk, placing the key inside.
"Knock, knock. Is anybody home?" I said as I opened the doors and walked inside. The second lair looked like a cave, with small lights strung up on the ceiling providing a dim glow to guide my way.
I wonder if there's a Darkvision Perk. That would be nice for my budding career as a ninja.
This time I also had a Map right from the get go, so I could see exactly where I'm supposed to go. These little bastards can't hide their treasure from me.
The entrance opened up to a somewhat wide area, the lights above creating distracting shadows along the walls and stalagmites. My hand went to my sword, ready to attack at the slightest provocation.
After making my way to the center of the room, a silhouette shifted to my right and I heard the sound of something cutting through the air. Consider me provoked.
Zannkimaru flashed through the air as I activated Deflect, a metallic clang ringing out. Looking down, I saw a kunai laying innocently on the ground, like it didn't just try and impale me. But I wasn't deceived.
I looked to where the kunai came from, noticing another movement in the gloomy light. I raced towards it, swiping another kunai out of the air. Once I got close enough, I could see the Shadow Ogre properly as it went for the Kusarigama dangling on his side.
"Too late," I said, sword singing through the air. I hit his arm and for a second, it looked like nothing happened. That is, until a line appeared where I hit, and the lower half of his arm fell to the ground.
He roared in pain, clutching the stumpy remains of his appendage. I grabbed him by the mouth, silencing him. "Shh, you'll wake up the neighbors," I whispered to him, before taking my sword and sliding it across his neck. I stepped away before the blood coud exit his mouth, stealing his Kusarigama as I did so.
That makes three!
He died choking on his own blood, clutching at the wound I inflicted. But I doubted that nobody heard him screaming, and figured it was only a matter of time until someone came along to investigate. Guess I need to work on my assassination skills.
Well, no time like the present! I left the body there for his buddies to find before taking Samantha out of my Inventory as well as a barrel of sake. I left the alcohol near the body before walking a bit further away and hopping inside my girl.
Now it was time to wait. Could I have charged in and taken them all out right, quick, and in a hurry? Probably, but where was the fun in that?
It didn't take very long before a trio of his coworkers appeared, with two of them hanging back, knives in their hands, ready to throw. Kind of weird that the Shadow Ogres from the last lair didn't have any kunai or shuriken, but I guess this side has been more about ranged attacks.
The first one approached carefully, tiptoeing closer without making a sound. That's something else I need to learn, because my footsteps sounded like a lumberjack walking over broken glass.
He stopped in front of the body, kneeling down to inspect it. Once he saw exactly what happened to his buddy, he let out a growl, saying something to the others in a language I didn't understand.
He then stood up and went to the barrel, opening it with trembling hands. He jerked the lid away, ready to flee should he need to. But when he saw what it was, he let out a confused grunt.
He placed the lid back on, looking around in suspicion, before his eyes fell on Samantha. He made his way over to us, and as much as I hate the thought of another man's hands all over my girl, it was a necessary sacrifice for the element of surprise.
The other two goons made their way to the sake barrel somewhat excitedly, eager to wet their whistles and get shitfaced, like there wasn't a dead body right next to them. Too bad I was about to crush all their hopes and dreams.
The Shadow Ogre opened Samantha's lid with far less worry the second time, which would prove to be his undoing. "Surprise!" I shouted when I could see his face clearly. He had just enough time to appear shocked before I reached out and yanked him inside the barrel, jabbing him in the throat with the blades on my gauntlets. I then pulled it out and stabbed him repeatedly, making sure there was no way he would survive the encounter.
I let go and pushed him away, hoping to keep some of the blood out of Samantha. I'll clean you up later, I promise, but right now, daddy has work to do.
Not sure if I should call myself that after being inside of her…
The ogre staggered back, making gagging noises as he did so. My shout attracted the other two's attention, and they stared flummoxed as their leader fell over and convulsed on the ground before dying.
That's when I made my grand entrance, jumping high into the air. I wish I could have shouted, "Dynamic Entry!" but alas, I was in no position to kick them.
Next time.
But what I could do is throw a rock in an asshole's face, so that's exactly what I did. The ogre made a squealing noise as his nose shattered. The third one looked over at his friend in shock for a moment before returning his attention to be.
Or tried to, at any rate. Because I was nowhere to be found. But where could I have gone?
"Over here!" I shouted from behind him as my sword cut through the air and then his legs. Have I mentioned how much I love Shadow Strike?
He didn't have long to suffer at least, as I twisted my body around and cut off his head with a Power Slash.
And then there was one.
The ogre with the now crooked nose recovered just in time to see me decapitate his friend. His eyes widened in fear as I slowly turned to face him, a savage grin on my blood soaked face. Mostly for fun, as the effects that made me more bloodthirsty were no more.
I then charged at him, placing my sword back in the inventory for now. I wanted to play with my new claws. He thought about running, I could see it in his eyes, but I wouldn't give him the chance.
He tried to throw a kunai at me, but it turns out I can deflect them with my claws. Pretty neat, huh? I guess any bladed weapon counted. Time to go all Wolverine on his ass.
I leapt at him, claws extended, piercing into his chest. Six, foot long pieces of steel in your lungs couldn't feel good, and judging by the desperate, ragged breaths he made, I was right. I yanked the claws out before retracting them back into the gauntlet, allowing all of the blood to enter his lungs.
His Hp quickly fell to 0 and the light left his eyes. He was dead. That makes four now, I wonder how many are left? Guess I'll just have to find out the old fashioned way.
After looting the bodies and putting my stuff back, I made my way further into the lair, summoning Shadow as I did. No reason to save resources at the moment when I know the boss is already dead. Besides, he deserves to have some fun after getting pwned like he did, though I couldn't remember how exactly. My mind went blank trying to think about it.
No homo!
"Well that was random. Honestly Sarah, try having some class," I chastised, and I'm sure if she was able she would be rolling her eyes at me.
Anyway, the two of us, Shadow and me, walked into the next area, which was far bigger than the previous one. But I didn't have long to contemplate it as another kunai came whizzing towards me. I deflected it, staring out into the dark room, counting around 10 figures watching me, though it was hard to tell for sure.
"You ready Shadow?" I asked, looking at him from the corner of my eye. He adopted an aggressive stance, and I swear he looked eager.
That's my boy!
"Then let's do this!" I shouted, as we charged into the fray once more.
*Line Break*
You know, I thought fighting the remaining Shadow Ogres would be the hard part of their lair, but as it turns out, the real challenge was finding the treasure. Sure, the room itself was marked, but I couldn't for the life of me find the damn chest.
"Where are you, you son of a bitch!" I shouted. I didn't have to worry about enemies as me and Shadow killed them all. I did have to worry about traps, but overall, they weren't too hard to deal with.
There was one that would have dropped me into a hole filled with snakes. I might not be afraid of them like Indiana Jones, but that was still a big nope from me.
I wandered around the lair, thinking there must be some kind of secret entrance to the room that wasn't listed on the map. I hate it when games do that. I mean, I killed all the bad guys and everything, the least you could do was give me the damn treasure without making a bitch about it.
If they thought, whoever they are, that this would be enough to stop me, they have another thing coming! I'm not leaving here without my loot!
10 minutes later…
"Where the hell is it!"
20 minutes later…
"Olly-Olly oxen bitch!"
30 minutes later…
"Are you serious! I've been up and down this place three times already! Why can't I find this damn thing!?"
Sixty minutes. It took me sixty whole freaking minutes to find the entrance. And of course when I did, I felt really stupid. Because that's always how it works, isn't it?
The entrance was above me, with a small ledge on the outside to enter from. But that wasn't the part that tripped me up, because I've looked up, down and all around this place.
The part that got me was the optical illusion they used to hide it. The actual entrance was behind a rock, but everything looked the damn same, it was almost impossible to tell it was an opening and not a solid wall.
Sneaky bastards! It was like that one wall in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. That damn thing took me forever to find!
But once I did I was home free. I could finally get my much deserved treasure. I've already robbed them of all their booze, so there was no way I was going to leave the job half finished. There was also the Quest I have yet to complete, Secrets in the Shadows.
-Quest-
Secrets in the Shadows
You have found a secret Dungeon within a Dungeon. You know what that means! Show them who the real Dungeon Master is!
Rewards
-500 Exp
-3,000 Yen
-Elite Shadow Operative Gear
I assume the Elite Shadow Operative Gear was a piece of the Silent One set, and there was no way in hell I was leaving that behind!
I made my way through the secret entrance until I finally found the hidden room. Looking on the map, it was right where the treasure room was. I let out a deep breath as I calmed myself down.
I shoved the key, gently mind you, into the lock. If this was like the last chest, then I did not want to set off a bomb. The chest opened, and I gleefully robbed them of everything.
First was a set of potions, all minor, one for each of Health, Stamina and Reiryoku. Second was 2,500 Yen, which I pocketed greedily. And last but not least, the scroll.
Secret Scroll of the First Shadow
A scroll containing the secret technique, Substitution.
Would you like to learn the Secret Technique: Substitution?
[Yes] [No]
I hit yes, of course, and the scroll unraveled, the letters glowing a faint gold color, peeling off the scroll and flying around the room before they forced themselves into me. It was just freaky, not gonna lie.
But I now had another ninja technique to add to my arsenal. One more, and I could become a Genin!
Substitution (Rank *)
A technique that allows the user to switch with an object stored in the Inventory to avoid damage. The item will look like a log. The use can then appear anywhere within a 25 foot radius of where the Substitution took place. Be careful, if no item is selected to be used for this technique, then a random item will be selected instead. Items used for Substitution are destroyed.
Cost: 25 Reiryoku
Cooldown: 60 seconds
Not the most ideal restrictions, but I can see the tactical use for it. Not to mention my Inventory is already full of rocks, so that shouldn't be a problem.
But with that I also completed that Quest. Like I thought, the gear I received was definitely for the Silent One, the headpiece specifically. It covered my beautiful bad head completely, and it had a dull, silver forehead protector shaped like an eagle. Looking at myself in the Equipment page I had to admit, I looked pretty badass.
I can also confirm the slots in the pants were indeed for kunai. I now had six deadly knives I could whip out in a moment's notice. I did manage to figure out how to throw them as well, getting a Skill called Shurikenjutsu.
Shurikenjutsu (4/100)
The ability to accurately throw small, bladed weapons. Higher levels increase accuracy and damage.
-Increase accuracy by 4%
-Increase damage by 2%
I may have been having a little bit of fun with it, robbing them for their kunai and then throwing them at them while they ran for their lives. Too bad they didn't do much damage, but that did allow me to increase the Level a good bit.
It was the complete opposite of the magnum. I summoned a second Shadow Double with the gun just to see what it did to the last Shadow Ogre and let's just say, the results were completely as expected.
In other words, his head exploded. And boy was it loud!
Beyond that, I also made it to Level 11. I didn't expect that, but I'll take it! With nothing left to do I left the lair and headed for the heater to get myself to full. After that, I made my way back to where this whole thing started.
I looked up at the looming tower in the twilight sun. I took a moment to settle my nerves, breathing in and out deeply, eyes closed. This is it. Time to end this whole thing and save that little psycho.
Are you ready for this?
My eyes snapped open with a determined glint to them. "Yep. Let's do this."
I took the orbs out of my Inventory and placed them in the slots, which were inside the mouths of large metal ogre sculptures, one on each door. The eyes of the ogres lit up with the same color as the orbs before a question appeared before me.
Would you like to enter the Tower of the Ogre Princess?
[Yes] [No]
I hit yes, and the doors started to grind open.
Finally, it was time to end this.