Chaos POV
The priceless look on my champion is adorable! Aisha was not expecting such a present. I never told her what it was. Still, this will give Aisha an edge for later. Despite the elf's timid nature, she will love Aisha. She will connect with her and vice versa. The Elenaril are the ancestor of all elves. Of course, some people will track her down, search for her, hunt her, but she is in safe hands. Nowadays, the elves worship these survivors as divine beings. They will protect them by all means, no matter who they are. Blood, dark, moon, sun, wood, and night elves will protect Esta. Aisha will realize Esta's worth in a few hours. I still frown at her parent's death. They protected her, but Esta was betrayed by the nearby human settlement. They took advantage of a defenseless elf. Stroking my chin, I was surprised at the appearance of another champion. At the very least, I was on friendly or mutual terms with Xyelia. Correction, I was amazed at Aisha's bold move. Kissing another champion? In public?! Hahahaha, my girl is crazy!
I have to say, I am thankful for such a special champion. Aisha is a deadly warrior with or without my chaos magic. The [Defeat Inheritor] is a fearsome manmade perk. Amelia's connection with her old buddies really paid off. No divine beings could make such a perk without any sort of backlash. We can see everything, but we can't really see everything for we are restricted in a way. If my little assistant did not find Aisha, I would have ignored the mortal world for a long time. Ultimately, I would have made Aisha my champion though. When she has the power to actually use chaos magic, news would spread far and wide. Then, my ears would have pick up this news and grant her my title.
Ah, the world and its love for games. Scratch that. The divine beings and their love for games. Skills are nothing more than the things you can get from an action or something tied in with the action. [Bow] is not an action, but using the bow and arrow is. The skill level in a bow will correlate with the type of bow one can use. Not every action can be a skill though. [Sex] cannot be a goddamn skill although one might need skills for such actions for their love life. Or for their indulgance. Honestly, we, the divine beings, can say, "Hey, that can be a skill," then a few minutes later, boom. It's a skill. I seriously hope that no idiot would actually make [Sex] a goddamn skill. I will most likely veto against that action. Spells can tie themselves with the skills and techniques. Techniques and perks can be created from these skills and the skill levels. Perks can also be obtained through various actions, titles, reputations, events, and us. These are the basics.
Laws and theories are a different matter entirely. They affect skills, perks, and techniques, but on a whole new level. This is how geniuses become geniuses. They take something and bend it in a different way. Laws tend to be easier to deal with compared to theories. Theories are a system of ideas meant to explain something. The theory of energy, the theory of mana, spells, all of these are general ideas that a lot of people accept and follow. It's like Darwin's theory on evolution. Laws, on the other hand, are the understanding of a certain technique. Take the technique [Heal]. This is a very common spell for most [Healers], [Priests], or any class with a support and light role. Even the [Paladin] class has this. [Heal] can recovery a good portion of one's health depending on the skill level and the class of the individual. [Heal] cannot rejuvenate the undead. It deals damage to them. [Heal] cannot cure status ailment. Knowing the law of your technique can allow the ability to increase in skill level, obtain a new skill, or make a new technique. Casting [Heal] on someone over and over again might unlock [Regen] or [Greater Heal]. Using [Heal] on the undead might unlock [Smite], and so on. It has the same principle in doing the same action over and over again, like obtaining a certain perk, but it ties in with the laws. This is an alternative methond to unlock new techniques and obtain new skills. If you are lucky enough, you could even create your own technique or law. Hence the birth of geniuses; they somehow create a new technique and law.
Using Valarie and Brynhild, they defy the norm. They created a lot of new theories and laws, skills, techniques, perks, and curses. Those two are exceptional characters. With their progress and achievements, they will have the chance of becoming divine being themselves. Well, Valarie had that opportunity but turned it down. This is a good, for my case and opinion. She would most ikely die the moment she came under these stupid rules we have in this realm. Also, she would not become a valuable ally. Brynhild has not reach the right rank yet to get an invitation from us, but I got a strong feeling that she, too, will decline the offer. Despite her publicity, she would rather be with a small group of friends or shut herself away from society. With that being said, she would have a lot of worshippers cause they like the shy ones.
Yes, worshippers are a key factor to a divine being's strength... to a certain degree. Divine beings can gain a tremendous amount of strength from praise alone. In doing so, they can overpower another divine being. Duels are allowed in our realm. Winning a duel will increase their rank and popularity in the community. The loser will lose a rank. Killing and deaths must be justified and go through the proper procedures. Other than gaining reputation and prestige, the amount of worshippers and champions can tie in with one's standings. As an old divine being, I do not need such things. Yes, I do want to be noticed, and yes, I want my old position back. But I need more champions. And they need to establish a deal.
Champion and divine being need to make a contract. They set their goals for each other. They make a promise. Closing my eyes, I rub my forehead. I lost too many of my champions because of my selfishness. They blindly followed me and look at where I am now? Lying on my bed, trapped in my own domain. Frustrated at my past, I rub my forehead and look forward. Glaring, I get up from my bed. In an instant, I teleport out of my chambers into an old storage room. Here lies most of my foot soldiers. My chaos knights. Without any champion, they remained dormant. They are big warriors, clad in bulky dark armor. They have horns ontop of their helmets, but they are no demons. Noticing my presence, they slowly snap out of their frozen state, moving ever so slowly. They roll their shoulders, they crack their necks, they ball their hands into fist, they are back in service! Showing my devilish smile, I prep myself for the upcoming battle. Anger fuels my thoughts, my body burning away the pajamas I wear. A wispy dark purple flame coats over me, clothing me in my dark armor. Most of my body is covered from the neck down. A sword and shield form from my own chaos energy, taking into a sharp and physical form. Even if it is from my own energy, my weapons thirst for vengeance. They want to devour my foes. They want a feast.
"I will defy this setup for now." I said this to no one in particular, "My plans will not take away my only champion. I may get more along the road, but for now, I will keep my grand schemes for myself. Aisha... continue to grow, and someday, you will know my goal. My promise will lead to my eternal damnation."
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Aisha POV
Why do I have a sudden urge to throw the table at someone and sneeze?
After our meal with Abaddon Morrin, she guides us through the city. She was doing this out of our safety, knowing that the other parties from the auction will try to do something. We casual chat about how we got to Zezrious, hiding most of my backstory about Valarie and Leilatha's earlier attempts on kidnapping. From what Morrin told us, Warrington is not an ideal city. Because of Leon's stubborness and competitive nature against Len, his city reflects the growing military might. With that being said, the king has diverted most of his wealth towards the training, equipment, military installations, and wages. I got mixed feelings about that. Do you really want to spend that much money on the military? Len seems to have a good control on his military and his city's prosperity. Well, at the very least, my question to why there was a poor class has been answered. Still, is Leon that obssessed with winning against Len? Better yet, has he won against Len?
As we travel down the streets to exit Warrington, Morrin asks me, "So why exactly are you here? To become adventurers? From the sounds of it, you did not plan everything out accordingly."
"Excuse me?" I look at the champion. Her and Alice share a sigh.
"You are definitely new to this. You stick out like a sore thumb. People can see your inexperience in many things. The way you walk, the way you are openly calm about the atmosphere, your oblivious nature to danger, and much more. I can carry myself because I am dangerous. I have a reputation." She hints at the people avoiding our group. They avoided us on purpose. Even their eyes hint at their fear as they evade Morrin's gaze. "You attract trouble. With your beauty, this is a huge con. Why do you think people will want to mess with you? Granted that you have the power to defend against scumbags, what will happen if you attract someone of my caliber? Know that not all people are nice. If I wanted to, I could have demanded a duel to get Esta from from you..."
Hearing this, the elf girl hugs me. Trembling a bit, she looks at Morrin with fright. This bothered me slightly, but Morrin laughs it off. "I wouldn't do that now. Don't worry. Your 'master' gave me a delightful treat." Slipping this under her breathe, "Actually, it was a one of a kind sort of kiss."
"Quiet." Alice coldly ordered. Morrin could not help but flash a grin at Alice. I blink at how flashy Alice is. I mean, isn't she in the same boat?
"How about Alice? Isn't she in danger?" She stands out just like me.
"People would think otherwise because of her rank. The way she is dressed might also raise a couple eyebrows. Although it'll depend on other factors. You are just weird in a way. Huh, I went off topic. So what is your goal here? You want to become an adventurer, but then what do you want to do? You know that Zezrious will be attacked. A Crusade is no laughing matter." I chewed on my lip. I have not thought things through. Hearing this question, I can feel a bit of sweat forming. Honestly, I just thought that I was going to do a bunch of missions unless there are other perks to being an adventurer. I read about multiple tales of different adventurers going on epic quests. These books, interesting as they are, did not disclose the actually process on how they did certain things. Could I say that I need money? Do a couple of quests to get the feel of things? Waiting patiencely, I can feel my body temperature going up.
"One of the guild receptionists will inform Aisha about being an adventurer." Alice saves me.
"Is that so?" Morrin looks away from us. She says nothing for the rest of our walk. As we exit Warrington, she points towards a nearby forest, "You need to hunt seven rank two red dire wolves? They can be found in this area. Do not venture too far. I will be close by. Once you are done, just come back here. Good luck on your task." Nodding at her words, we head towards the forest. I know why Morrin was staying behind. It's an obvious reason; I have to do this task myself. Although once we at a good distance away from Morrin, I start to formulate my plan. This mysterious enemy of mine will surely regret his attempts to kidnap me. Better to do it now before I forget. At the same time, I used my enhance hearing to scout out any nearby lifeforms before I grabbed Leilatha's attention.
"Leilatha, I have a task for you." She turns to me. "Tomorrow, I want you to find the mastermind targetting me. The sooner I deal with this threat, the better."
"I will do whatever I can." she tells me. I can see that she was observing the surrounding area to make sure we weren't being heard as well.
"I will assist her in this task. There are a few things I need to do as well." Alice added.
"Oh? Like what?" Even with my question, Alice just gives me a soft smile.
"Personally matters and meeting up with someone. She might want to see you." Alice gives a light laugh, raising some questions. I refrain from asking them due to the incoming movements. Noticing their presence, Alice says, "We will be on standby. As a higher rank, we do not wish to aid you in your task." She pause, assuring me. "You'll be fine against them." I just flash her a smile. knowing full well that this was going to be easy.
Backing away from me, I can see seven wolves burst out of the nearby bushes. Revealing their red fur and sharp fangs, their yellow eyes lock onto me. Leilatha and Alice are off to the side- Esta was still next to me. Huh? Wouldn't it be better for her to be off to the side? She's trembling. Is she new to this? I guess I forgot to ask her that. When we were eating lunch, we asked her about her past and how she was captured. Her family was with a bunch of peaceful elves until some bandits attacked the place. Not knowing the difference between the usual elves and the Elenaril, they killed Esta's parents. They sacrificed themselves for Esta's safety. Fleeing from these bandits and seeking refuge from the nearby human village, the humans took the chance to sell her for a stupid amount of money. Just hearing this story pissed me off. It reminds me of my idiotic dad. He would have done the same action the villagers did.
"She is your partner from here on out. Technically, as a slave, she has the same right to become an adventurer. She will carry on the same tasks that you have. If SZ-060 does not allow this, I'll ask Abdul for help. Also, she, too, is a bigger green thumb than you. In terms of fighting, I doubt she killed anyone." Alice leans against a tree. Leilatha somehow climbed the tree and sits on a branch.
Ah... My mind brings up my past, recalling the times when I killed people. I had to kill to defend myself. To live. I did not think too hard on it, understanding the basic notion, 'killed or be killed.' Looking at Esta, hearing the word 'killed' made her uneasy. I think I am a bit.. envious of Esta to a certain degree. She is still pure, untainted by these foul things like killing or fighting. I am really wanting to give her a better life far away from me. I know for sure I- Losing my thoughts, I quickly focused on the battle to come.
"Esta, I'll protect you if things don't go well." I stated. She nods her head as I take a quick glance of her outfit. She has the clear image of a mage. The color scheme is light blue with white and some black. Black buckle shoes covers her soles. Underneath these shoes, her white stockings travels up her leg, stopping a bit above the knees. Her skirt rides below her knee as a white ribbon wraps around the girl's waist. The tie sticks off of her back. Covering over her light blue tight button sweater, a cape coats over her shoulder and a bit of her back. Finishing it off, the girl has her white gloves while her head has a little light blue witch hat. Well, her weapon is an ice staff to top it off. Esta's element isn't ice though since she uses light magic which consists of protection spells, buffs, and heals. She has some offensive spells, but she is still young. I doubt she has the nerves to kill. I only gave her an ice staff to match her appearance. Esta grips her staff with both hands. The material of these clothes are quite sturdy. Out of my remaining gold coins, it did not dent my wallet as much. The owner of the store was nice. Then again, I got a feeling that my perk sort of influenced her in a funny way.
The wolves let out a low growl, reminding me of their presence. Pulling out two cheap swords I brought from the market, I point at them. This will be quick. Leaping at me with no hesitation, the wolf bears its fangs. I calmly swing one blade towards him. The wolf moves underneath my swing, but my other blade found its mark. Slicing in an upward motion, I slain the wolf in one move. Surprised at this, the other wolves lung at me. Three of them jump high into the air as the other three charge at Esta. This would work if I was inexperienced with combat or fighting with a partner. Taking my past lessons seriously, I remain calm and figured out a way through their strategy. Activating [Piercing Tornado], I blew them away. My blades slash against their bodies like a grinder. I rip through their fur with ease. Their bodies ram against the nearby trees, dying once they hit the ground. Esta, not knowing my secrets, awed at my strength. Alice and Leilatha knew that I'll come out victorious. This was child's play. I mean, I am acting like my rank... a bit.
Defeating these enemies, I receive this notification:
Defeated seven rank two red dire wolves
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Obtained Skills:
[Level 29] Claws
[Level 27] Bite
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Abilities Gained:
[Claw]
[Bite]
[Howl]
[Growl]
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Obtained Perks:
[Pack Leader]
[Lesser Bloodlust]
[Keen Smell]
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Because of your heigtened hearing and senses, a new perk has been made:
[Animal Instincts]
Animal instincts? Seriously? Why would I need something like-
"That was amazing! You are quite strong-"
"Over here, now!" The instant I obtained this new perk, I felt a weird sensation surge through my body. Danger was coming towards us. Yelping at my sudden action, my other two companions got ready for combat. Heavy clanking rings through my ears. The footsteps are heavy as they run at a moderate pace. These beings are closing on our position. Turning towards my right, armored beings stand before us. Three of them. If a human stands in front of one of them, the body towers over a human. Their width is two times wider than a human, looking like miniature golems. Bearing a dark metal color, one can see the blood stains perfectly against their armored bodies. Are they a robot like SZ-060? No, I can smell a foul odor in the air. Sweat? So they aren't machines. The blood on them seems fresh. Did they kill nearby animals or... Looking through their strange helmets, I can see their green skin.
Orcs.
But I have never seen orcs like these before. Hell, aren't they wearing a bit too much? Usually orcs would be revealing their flesh or wear primal clothings. Actually, these might not be the tribeal orcs I have read about. Their weapons are made out of some weird material. I know it is not metal. The blades of their axes resonate with a dark red tint. I could say that these orcs are imitating our armored knights. Or are these orcs an embodiment of technology devouring them?
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"Humies!" screamed one of them through their heavy helmet, "I was right! We kill all!"
"But two weak." another pointed out, raising their bloody axe. "Not worth."
"They see us. No one survive." The last one stated. Upon saying this, the other two orcs nod at this.
"Why are they talking in our tongue?" This was directed to no one in particular. Couldn't they speak in their orcish tongue. Why would they warn us?
"Cause you humies can't understand orc! Humies stupid! Now die!" The three of them split. One for Alice, one for Leilatha, and one for Esta and I. The reason why my senses were screaming at me was because of their rank. Rank thirteen warriors. As I raise my blades against the incoming orc, a strange sensation warns me about this action. I feel- no, I NEED to drop my weapons. It was like something bad would happen if I didn't. Contemplating against this weird feeling, I decided to trust my gut. The moment our weapons were about to touch, I release my weapons and back away. My swords shattered from his downward swing upon impact. Is this the power of [Animal Instincts]? I would have taken a good amount of damage if that hits me. Swapping weapons, I empower my hands with chi. Charging at me, I evade his parallel strike from both of his axes. At the same time, I slam my fist into his chest. Recovering from his failed attack, he swings one arm towards me. I backed away from the orc, evading it. As he charge me, he swings his axe at me. The moment where I evade his one strike, he follows it up with his other axe. Using my speed alone, I appear past his movement and gaze, standing right beside him. Laying a jab, my attack has no effect. I try one more time to test my attack by appearing on his other side. Putting a bit more power in my punch, I made the orc skid away from me. Unfortunately, he is unfazed. Even with my powered attacks, the armor nullifies my punches. He lets out an orcish laugh.
"Fists too weak. You die!" Before he can do anything, Esta flashes him with a bright light. Ignoring the orc's curses and screams, I pull a mace out of my storage ring. I knew that buying other weapons would come in handy although I have to consider this man's levels. The armor he is wearing is stupidly sturdy. One, it must be because of the material. I remember the times where my black knights charged through everything because of their armor. Whatever material is used for their armor exceeds the standard materials used on most of the armor outfitted by most armies. It was nothing of metal, silver, copper, or iron. My knights never told me what the material name was. The orc's armor may have that same concept, being an unknown material that is stronger than most. Secondly, his level influences the effectiveness of my attack. Along with my own weapon level, this mace might shake him a bit, but it will not kill him. Hell, I might not even hurt him as much unless I can find an opening. Taking a peek at Leilatha and Alice, it seems like they got their hands full. Leilatha is having a rough time with her opponent. As a slight variation of a rogue and an assassin, the Elven Tempest aims with decisive and precise strikes. They end their fights swiftly. Yet she cannot do that because of the orc being all armored up. On the flip side, Alice is pushing her opponent back. I marvel at her physical and magical combinations. Even though the armor can protect their bodies from slashes, it does not prevent indirect methods on killing them. Since the armor is armor, it will conduct heat. Alice is casting fire spells on her attacker.
But is it working?
The material on these orcs are different from the ones I know about. For all I know, the armor can ignore the heat. The orc could tackle through this and rush Alice. Yet, oddly enough, the orc is afraid of Alice. How come? Snapping out of my thoughts, I test my mace on my opponent. The orc, while I was observing the nearby area, was about to come to. As I swing the mace across his face, my weapon did not dent the armor. Even if it is blunt weapon, like I said, the level of my weapon and his level with his armor will determine the results. His head only turned towards the right. Pissed at my action, he lets out a warcry. Esta felt the effects of his cry, trembling in place. Unaffected by this, I did back away. Appearing right before me, I was startled at his presence. His movements are a bit faster than before as he swings his axes with renewed vigor. I barely evade his swings, ramming him with my mace. Even with this power up, the orc was sloppy in his attacks. I made sure I ram my mace against his armored body everytime he missed me. However, I am pissing him off. I can hear his low growls and grunts after each one of my strikes connect with him. A mere rank one warrior was delaying her death and is whacking him pathetically with a shitty mace.
Elves, dwarves, arachnids, lamias, orcs, goblins, anything that isn't a human have a special racial perk. I want to know what these guys can do. I WANT to see what their special perk is. I might be pushing this a bit too much though. I am getting a bit cocky, knowing that I can handle whatever this orc can throw at me. Ramming the orc in the head, he lets out another warcry, this time, it emits a fierce aura around him. His roar made me flinch, halting my movements. As he swings his axe, I have a nagging feeling telling me to pull back. Get away. I ignore this sensation. Why would I need to-
"Ugh!" My chi armor protected my chest, but the impact of his knee rams into me. I gasp for air, my vision losing its focus for a split second. My body was lifted off the ground as I watch him. He follows up with his elbow., aiming for my head. Directing most of my chi around my face, I lessen the impact. Not by a lot though. My body rams against the truck of a tree. I can hear the crunching noise from the impact as I slowly got up. Grasping my head and shaking it for a few seconds, I curse at my arrogance. I should have been a bit more cautious. Regaining my vision, the orc was upon me. I quickly snake around the tree and backed off. The orc cuts through the truck with ease, making a huge mistake on his part. The tree falls toward the right, landing ontop of his ally. His ally allows the tree to fall onto him, slashing the tree into bits. Cursing in their orcish tongue, the ally of his point an axe at my orc. The orcish language seems like a bunch of gibberish with a bunch of hissing, barking, and hollaring. It seems like the orc ignored Leliatha to complain to my opponent. Leilatha, irritated by this gesture, does her best to get his attention again. Her opponent ignores this, continuing his conversation with his ally. Given this ample opportunity, I reflect on our engagement. My mace has no effect against him. I doubt I have anything in my arsenal to bypass his armor. HIs defense is too tough. Whatever material that armor is, it was abnormal. Something I may want to know about for later usage. There are a couple ways around his defense, however, I will be in jeopardy. Abaddon Morrin will realize my true powers, and I have no clue if she plans to let me be. I mean, I do want to use my powers to end this silly farce, but Abaddon Morrin is close by. Revealing my true power will be a bit troublesome. I could kill this orc if I had better swords. Although it may take a while, I can kill him. My true sword skill is higher than his armor level. Then again, repeating myself so many times, his armor is different from the norm. My blades may never pierce it.
Esta, snapping out of her fear, casts multiple buffs on me. I can feel a warm feeling coat around me, giving me renewed vigor. The slight pain from before has disappeared as well. I secretly thank her for patching me up as I stare at my distracted opponent. Taking this opportunity, I decided to use a different approach. Charging at him, I appear before him in a few seconds. Surprised at my charge, I lift the orc over my body and slam him into the ground. Using my strength alone will force his hand. He will give me his undivided attention now. His nerves are getting the best of him compared to his actually wits. Getting up from my attack, he lets out a warcry again. Esta tries to ignore it, but it still got to her. She is trembling in her spot again. For some reason, seeing Esta like that, agitates me. I will seriously beat the hell out of this orc for scaring my girl. Unaffected by his warcry, I took the chance and flip him over me. Making sure to add a bit more force when I did so. I still got the same results though - a very pissed off orc. He immediately gets back up, charging at me with reckless rage. His axes are quick once again. They barely touch me as I evade at the last minute, using my new found traits to avoid them with ease. Although I realize his warcry boost him in speed and strength. Cursing in his own tongue, the orc continues his advance, cutting everything around me. Thankfully, his focus is on me. If he realize how defenseless Esta was, I would be forced to use some of my hidden abilities. As his axe missed my face, he stops his assault. He begins to talk in his language, getting a response from his fellow allies.
It looks like they are going to reveal their special racial perk. The three stood there for a moment, waiting for something. We did not attack them, waiting for them to make the first move. After a few minutes, nothing happen. The orcs chat amongst themselves, bickering. The leader of the three raised his voice, ordering the other two to do something. He motions his head towards the forest, barking out some commands. Nodding, the two orcs left him.
"Oh no you don't!" Alice unleashes a magical slash from her blade. The commander stood infront of her attack, emitting a deadly aura around him. This one sent a chill down my spine. Run! Flee! Any action to retreat start to cloud my mind.
Ushering in his tongue, the orc's rank increased by twofolds. He was a rank thirteen warrior. Now, he stands as a Lesser God. Hitting us with his [God's Realm], Alice, Leilatha, and Esta were forced to kneel. I am the only one standing. The pressure around me was quite heavy, but it was nothing to Brynhild's [God Realm]. I broke a couple bones when I rebelled against her [God's Realm]. This was just a slight blunder. It has blurred my vision a bit, hindered my actual speed, but this wasn't so bad. I can resist his realm for a long while. I can still breathe although I have to drag this stupid orc away from this area if I want to win. Esta, Leilatha, and Alice are defenseless.
Yeah, of course you will look at me like that? How could a rank one stand up against your [God's Realm]? My question to you is how come you got a quick level up? It might be his racial perk. For a few seconds, I remember the same moment when my knights gain their level up when they were dying. Agitated by little reminder of Gale's death, I crack my neck a bit. I will beat the answers out of him. I will close the distance and force him away from this area. If I plan this correctly, I can lead him to a safer area where I can use my true traits. The moment I hear him open his mouth, I charged right at the armored being. Following with my plan, I dragged his sorry butt through the forest.
We ram through multiple trees, creating a ruckus. Forest animals got out of the way while the birds scattered away. Letting a few seconds pass by, I finally toss the orc with all of my might towards the ground. He dent the ground a tiny bit, yelling in his orcish tongue. Having a few seconds to spare, I back away from the downed orc. Using my enhance hearing, I checked the area.
I pray that I created some distance for my friends. Also, I hope that Abaddon Morrin will not see me using my full powers. Actually, what can I use against this orc? I am one level above him, but his armor is the main issue here. I cannot dent it with my martial arts alone, my chi, or my swords. The mace I have will only irritate him because of my level with maces. I doubt the new skills I obtained from the wolves can tear through his armor. I could use the abilities I gain from Tessa although the abilities may not pierce through the armor.
Leilatha's traits are handy for enemies who aren't covered in armor so thoroughly. Or against machines. Or even undead opponents, thinking about it. I could evade the orc, yet that will defeat my purpose on dragging him out here. He might venture back towards my party and kill them. The orc rammed me out of my thoughts. Being a rank above him, I should have saw that coming. I ram through a bunch of trees, seeing him on me in a manner of seconds. I barely evade his axe as it lands next to my head. Pumping my chi into my hands, I punched him off of me. Getting off of the ground, he swings his axe, disappearing at the last second. I felt his presence behind me. Diverting most of my chi towards the back, he reappears at the last millisecond in front of me. Unable to divert my chi back towards my front, his axe slash at my stomach. I can feel his blade tear through my clothes, blood oozing out of the cut he made. My face twist at the wound.
I really wish I had my armor and my actual blades.
"Die! Now!" He does the same trick, trying to fool me with his teleportation. Losing my patience, I activate my own secrets. I teleport behind him, kicking him in the head. Surprised at this, he flies into a tree. He gets back up, staring at me in disbelief. Yet I can hear a laugh ooze out of his helmet.
"You strong! You hid it!" As if I just encouraged him, he continues his assault. When he appears near me, I counter at the last second, teleporting close to him. Despite the orc's usual intelligence, this armored man would counter with a teleport. Instead of hitting one another, we will end up trying to out teleport one another, making it a stupid who can get the first hit off of each other. I would certainly kill this orc if I had something.
I needed some time to think. This orc will not grant me that time unless...
Teleporting behind a tree, I activate [Silent Feet] and [Masked Presence]. The orc appeared at a clearing. Frustrated at my disappearance, screaming, "Where are you girl!? You fight me! Don't run!"
I am not running, I need a breather and figure out how to kill you. Mending my wound with [Heal], I skim through my traits. I need to be quick before he threatens me with my party members unless they evacuated out of the forest and head to Morrin. There was one move that I could use. I have been contemplating this option because... it is foreign to me. At the corner of my eye, I see movement in the bushes.
Shit.
Another armored orc, the one I was not currently fighting, came out of nowhere and swung me away from my spot. Flying through a couple of trees, I wince at the damage I took. I was able to raise my arms up to protect my chest, but I did not develop a thick coat around my arms. Feeling some crushed bones, I rolled on the ground, forcing myself to get up.
As I was in some clearing, I see the other two orcs from before. Did they plan this out?
No, the orc commander eyes at his two surbordinates, asking them why they were here. At the same time, I can see that his Lesser God rank disappeared. So he can only jump in ranks when his buddies aren't around? I need to know how and why he can do that, but this will only work if I can kill one of them. Even if he got a rank down, I have-
"Others dead." one of the orcs stated in human language. Why did he say that in human tongue?
"How?" asked the leader.
"Don't know." the orc shrugs, "She threat?'
"She strong."
"Nah, can't be. I kill her." The orc on the left charge me.
"Fool, wait!" Glaring at the incoming orc, I decide to gamble on something. Even though levels can affect your actions, you still have a chance for something to work. I need to [Disarm] him. I could steal the weapon, but I feel like the other orc does not know of my true nature. If I can still mislead them, I will. Using my martial arts, I flip the orc over me. Knowing full well that it does not actually damage him, I plan to annoy his senses. When disarming your opponent, knowing the enemy's pressure point is very handy. You want to stun them for a while to grasp their weapon. Hit them in the neck, twist their arm in an awkward way, force them to kneel, anything really. Gale taught me how to do this in my self-defense lessons. The biggest issue was against someone with armor because you really can't deal with their pressure points as much. Gale laughs this off, giving an answer to this.
"Annoy their senses. They are wearing armor where they can't really see as much, but guess what, they can still hear a lot of things. If you can flip them for example, make sure to give their head a huge ruckus. They won't see what you are trying to do and won't react that quickly. In those few seconds, disarm them."
The orcs are use to my martial arts. Annoying them, they sense no true danger from this. Luckily for me, I can use that to my advantage. Once I flip him over me, I latch my body around one of his arm. Despite the armor protecting his nerve, I twist his arm and hand to move in an awkward way. He lets go of his one axe, yelling at me.
Evading his other axe, I rearm myself with his axe. With my rank, there was no issues with the process. Usually, if one picked up a weapon below their level, they would be unable to use it. As the two orcs realize the danger before them, I step forward and slash the axe right at his neck.
Whatever material his axe is made up of, it cleanly pierce through the sturdy armor.
Upon his death, a box appears before me:
Skills Gained:
[Level 1] Disarm
[Level 1] Rearm
[Level 1] Axe
[Level 1] Wrestle
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Skills Increased in:
[Level 5] Heal --> [Level 7] Heal
[Level 2] Regeneration --> [Level 4] Regeneration
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Congratulations, you hit Rank Two Warrior!
Everytime you rank up in warrior and/or mage, you get a new perk that will grant you a bonus. This will change depending on your class, the traits you have, and the other factors.
Choose one of the following:
1. Death Increase - helps the user skills (level 1-19) increase by five points for every kill.
OR
2. Death Focus - allows the user to select one skill (level 10-30) from a defeated foe to level 40.
This screen will not disappear until you choose your new perk.
Note: Life will be frozen for this moment till you make your choice.
Time is frozen? Looking around, I notice the same grey color coated over this forest. Staring at my orc enemies, they were unmoving. I try to move from my spot, but it seems like I can't. I can still move my arms though, but I guess I have to select my new perk.
If I thought I was ranking up rather slowly, these two perks will boost my next rank up. The first choice, Death Increase, will surely get me to rank three in a manner of seconds depending on the number of foes I have to face. Death Focus, on the other hand, can grant me a huge boost with specific skills. Yet it might be a huge waste and a gamble. What skills do I need to have at a higher level? Like General X stated, if I bump into a certain individual with the right levels, I can kill them. Or somehow acquire their high level skill.
I will go with Death Increase. Upon my selection, I can feel my body being... renewed?
The text inside the box changes.
You have obtained the special perk:
[Death Increase]
----------------------------------------
Killed Rank Thirteen Ironclawz Orc
Obtained Class: Berzerker
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Obtained Skills:
[Level 129] Inspect
[Level 12] Spear
[Level 10] Beast Taming
[Level 5] Beast Training
[Level 5] Barter
[Level 1] Cooking
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Skill Increased in:
[Level 1] Axe --> [Level 128] Axe
Due to [Death Increase], the following has earned a level up:
[Level 1] Alchemy --> [Level 6] Alchemy
[Level 1] Bow --> [Level 6] Bow
[Level 1] Disarm --> [Level 6] Disarm
[Level 1] Rearm --> [Level 6] Rearm
[Level 1] Wrestling --> [Level 6] Wrestling
[Level 1] Cooking --> [Level 5] Cooking
[Level 4] Regeneration --> [Level 9] Regeneration
[Level 5] Enchantments --> [Level 10] Enchantments
[Level 5] Barter --> [Level 10] Barter
[Level 5] Beast Training --> [Level 10] Beast Training
[Level 10] Beast Taming --> [Level 15] Beast Taming
[Level 6] Crafting --> [Level 11] Crafting
[Level 7] Heal --> [Level 12] Heal
[Level 9] Holy Warhammer --> [Level 14] Warhammer
[Level 12] Kidnapping --> [Level 17] Kidnapping
[Level 12] Spear --> [Level 17] Spear
----------------------------------------
Abilities Gained:
[Chop zem to Bitz]
[Orc'z Rage]
[Buff, Buff, Buff]
[Warcry]
[Fearlezz Gaze]
[Strongz ze Best]
[Berzerkerz Wrath]
----------------------------------------
Obtained Perks:
[Orc Tongue]
[Orc Language]
[ironclawz Orc]
[Warrior Boost]
----------------------------------------
Stats Increased in:
Strength
Vitality
Stamina
----------------------------------------
Unlocked: Larger Health Pool, Enhanced Smell
Obtained Special Art:
[Smazh Rockz]
[Endlezz Fury]
[Fight to Death]
----------------------------------------
Obtain Racial Special Arts (aka Divine Arts):
[Outnumbered Resort]
[Orcz Stand]
Seeing the bottom of this list, I can guess how they got a rank up out of nowhere. I can feel a slight smirk spread across my lips.
I can beat them. No enemy can stop me. If I can kill these two, I can become a rank three warrior...
"Just because you obtained more power, does not mean you should abuse it." A new voice coats me in fear. It was instant. My body cannot stop shaking, the cold snaring me up. "Orcs in cursed armor were suppose to put up more of a threat. A pity." A male's voice appears all around us. It was young, but it has a demonic air to it. My body, despite its High God rank, cannot resist the fear creeping inside of me. My instincts screams at me to run.
Dark wispy flames appear right before us. Covered in dark bandages or cloth, the masked man with messy black hair steps out wearing dark armor that reminds me of my black knights. But his appearance screams out evil. Staring at this masked entity, I realize that this man out of my league.
I cannot read his rank.
The orcs, who I thought were fearless even in the face of this new opponent, quake in their buff armor.
"Who-"
The man stabs his armored arm into the orc's body.
"Silence." The other orc tried to jump him. He got an increase in his rank, going to a lesser god. The man did not shift his head, staring at the orc in front of him. In a flash, bones erupt from his back, piercing through the orc's tough armor. Ending their lives in a flash, I watch in horror. These orcs were giving me a rough time, but this man killed them with his bare hand and bones. Casting [Regen], I slowly got up from the ground. The man toss the bodies onto the ground, muttering something in a strange language. It reminds me of the harsh gibberish sounds of a demon, but it seems a bit more... tamed. If that's a thing. He cleans the blood off of his arm, knowing full well that I was there. "You server Chaos, right?"
He can tell? No, I must remain calm even if he is influencing me with fear.
"I am?"
"Don't play dumb. I can SEE it."
See? Puzzled at his statement, he sighs.
"Do you really want to play dumb with me? Answer my question. Or else." The bones from his back transform into two demonic wings. Skeleton hands are at the tip of these wings, moving on their own violation. I tried to stand before him, but a dark force has engulfed us. It was no [God's Realm]. The pressure was different, the effects I was feeling was eating away at me. My mind is in disarray. I would have asked this man so many questions, but this fear was out of this world. I know it's fear, but this... was outside of my understanding. It drived deep into my heart, filling it with utter despair and madness. It felt like the insanity that Valarie holds within her, the insanity I felt when I was a demon, but this was a force that went beyond that a tiny bit.
Because of you exposure to so many unknown, harsh elements of insanity and darkness, you have obtained the perk:
[Shadow's Blessing]
The evil energy around me slowly disappears. I regain my senses, confused at the little notification.
"So... she is watching?" The man stands above me, looking down at me. "[Defeat Inheritor] huh... Got to admit, whoever made it is surely a genius."
"Who are you?" I quickly activate my [God's Realm], teleporting from my spot. He seems unfazed by the sudden pressure, still looking my way. With the bandages around his face, I found a lot of discomfort talking to him.
"Me? If you can survive for a bit, I might tell you who I am." The man rolls his armored shoulder, "I guess I can also teach you a few lessons about gambling and using EVERYTHING that you have." Once he disappears, I try to find his presence. Looking around frantically, I could not find it.
"Lesson number one, you use your senses when you cannot pick up something like a presence." He appears right in front of my gaze, unleashing a huge blast with his dark purple energy. Using a good chuck of my chi, I surround it around my body. Senses? How can that help me?
"It will, trust me." His words were right behind me! When did he- Empowering my axe, I counter his blast of energy, but he had more force behind his move. It forced me through the air, crashing through a ton of trees.
"Be quick on your feet girl." Even with my chi armor, I am taking a lot of damage. My body aches from the burst of power he unleashed at these ranges. Turning around, he caught the blade with his index finger and thumb. He shakes his head, activating another blast of energy. I teleport away from that spot, feeling him elbow me hard in the gut. I got on my knees as he slam my face into the ground.
My vision was blocked by darkness. He stands over me. Shaking his head in disappointment, he says, "You lack the actual training and usage of your powers. Shame that whoever gifted this to you gave it to an idiot."
Enraged by his words, I finally lost my cool. I activate [Tempest Rage] along with [Orcz Stand]. Amplifying my [God's Realm], a gust of wind swirls around my body. It cuts anything near me, giving me a deadly defense. The man has backed off, amused by my development.
"I'll make you eat those words." I growled.
"You better." The man cracks his neck, "Should have done this a few minutes ago. You had these powers, but you didn't use them. How come? Ignorance." He appears before me as I feel like darkness itself was coming onto me. Despite my anger and my mind hoping to win against this foe, his existence still makes me shake. And his words, the words he ushered as he appears before me, renewed my fears.
"I am Shadow the Imperator. A forgotten, true demigod of my OWN world. Knight of the man who was known as Lucifer, the man who once served the almighty...
Fear me."