It was almost a full day after that event happened.
Every time I look up towards the cloudless summer sky, my heart felt heavy. A tinge of sorrow mixed with the feeling of emptiness gave birth to this emotion.
Though, my condition was far worse three hours ago, and I'm comparably calmer now. Ever since that occurred, I travelled towards the general direction of my destination with a blank mind. Slaughtering anything and everything that went my way. When I came to, the scenery already changed from the wide plains to the thick of a forest. I tried recalling the events so far and cloudily remembered that my current location is the forest near Sky's destination, her hometown.
When I checked my status, I noticed that I had leveled up quite a bit with the current me at level 53. Some of my skills also gained some levels. I also learnt another skill - Berserk. When I first saw this skill, I was filled with rage again, making me remember the brothers. It took a while for me to gain composure and when I was able to think logically, I deduced that it wasn't really a bad skill to have. In the right situation, it may even save my hide.
"Skill window." I spoke up, to check on my current skills.
'Ding!'
SkillsSleight of Hands (Active/Passive)
Intermediate Level 3 - 25%
Better arm and hand movements (Passive)
Attack speed + 13% (Passive)
Attack damage + 13% (Passive)
Can steal random items on contact (Active)
Attacks will cause bonus 25% Dark Attribute damage (Active)
Mana Cost: 50 Initial cost, 8 per second drainWild Cards (Active)
Mastered
Throws three cards forwards that passes through enemies.
Damage doesn't calculate the opponent's armor.
Range depends on Strength and Agility stat.
Mana Cost: 100Pick A Card (Active)
Mastered
When first activated, card deck would change in color.(Current colors: Blue, Red and Gold.)
When activated again, the cards will deal effects that vary depending on the color selected.
Mana cost: 100(Mana cost will apply on the second activation)Stacked Deck (Passive)
Mastered
Every fourth basic attack deals bonus Magic Damage. Random elemental attribute will be applied (5% Damage).
Attack Speed + 30%
Note: These effects only work when the weapon used is a Deck of Cards.Destiny (Active/Passive)
Mastered
Field of vision + 10% (Passive)
Vision range + 50% (Passive)
Passive effect doubled to all party members (Active)
Vision of stealthed and invisible opponents to all party members (Active)
Mana cost: 50. Additional 10 per 30 minutes.
Note: 50 Total mana cost for 30 minutes
110 Total mana cost for 60 minutes
180 Total mana cost for 90 minutes
260 Total mana cost for 120 minutes
(0+50, 50+60, 110+70, 180+80, etc)Gate (Active)
Mastered
Teleports anywhere within the line of sight, anyone you've previously encountered or anywhere you've physically visited.
Warning: A wrong imagination of the place/person might send you in an unfavorable place. Use at your own discretion.
The mana cost and channeling time depends on the distance from one place to another.
Minimum mana cost: 10 per transfer
Minimum channeling time: 0.5 seconds
Mana cost and channeling time would be doubled per extra person
Maximum capacity: 5 people
Stamina cost rises depending on how much concentration needed.
Maximum distance rises with your mental statsObject Transformation (Active)
Beginner Level 7 - 23%
Transforms an object into another of similar property.
Can only change the physical form of the object.
Mana cost: Varies
Warning: At this current level, there is a mana cost over time.(Unless cast with preservation spell)Body Transformation (Active)
Beginner Level 9 - 86%
Transforms part of your body using your imagination.
Can only use simple transformation at your level.
Mana cost: Varies
Warning: When an NPC sees something unusual with you, they may get afraid.Cooking (Passive)
Beginner Level 5 - 12%
Allows your food to become more appetizing and delicious.Fishing (Passive)
Beginner Level 2 - 3%
Health + 200
Helps improve the quality of catches.
Can use fishing rods as weapons.Bandaging (Passive)
Beginner Level 1 - 59%
Makes closing wounds easier.
Heals a small amount of health.Berserk (Active/Passive)
Beginner Level 6 - 26%
Strong emotions fills your mind, causing you to lose your sanity to bloodlust.
Your physical stats improves by 80%.
Pain is dulled by 3% more.
The effects depends on the skill's level, bloodlust stat and the intensity of your current emotion.
Activates automatically after passing a certain threshold of emotion intensity, though it can be activated manually once every 48 hours.
The automatic activation can be turned off.
Warning: As this skill causes you to lose your sanity, your body might not do what you want to do under its effects, this may lead to attacking friendly units.
*I see* I thought. This solves many of my questions, especially how I was able to reach this far with my body only moving by instinct. My anger and sorrow was off the charts that the berserk's buff was abnormally huge, which is probably the case why it's skill level reached level 6 despite being a new skill. I could also vaguely remember spamming my skills while on berserk.
"Wait, bloodlust?" I said to no one in particular. Just to be sure, I went ahead to check my stats.
"Stats window."
'Ding!'
NameTwisted FateLevel53RaceHumanClassMagic GamblerTitleCard Master, Cold-Blooded Torturer, Demon of SlaughterFame5Notoriety560StatsHealth3970Mana5800Strength87(+20)Agility136(+60)Intelligence240(+30)Wisdom210(+30)Vitality82(+20)Leadership0(+20)Luck118(+70)Bloodlust68(+20)Sadism46(+20)Offense152Defense81Class Bonus/Penalty:
Luck +40
Agility +30
Intellect and Wisdom +20
All other Stats + 10
General Luck +25%
Can learn Magic, but improves at a slower pace compared to Mages
Class related magic improves at a regular pace
Gains bonus 1-6 Copper/Silver/Gold every unit kill
Against Enemy lower leveled by more than 10 Levels: Copper
Against Enemy 10 Levels below to 10 Levels above: Silver
Against Enemy higher leveled by more than 10 Levels: Gold
*Bosses, Mini-Bosses and Named Mobs Would drop bonus gold until 30/20/10 Levels under respectively.
"Eh?" I let out a dumb sound as I stared intently on the floating window. There are so much question that flowed in my mind as I read this. Why did I gain 'Sadism'? I know I killed two players, but when did I get that much notoriety? And, most of all... What the hell is with those titles?!
As if reading my mind, a voice answered my query.
"Vers...?" I muttered, now I'm even more confused.
"C-calm down, Vers... You understand, right? You coulda' return after dying, but that ain't gonna happen with Sky..." I said in panic. She's emitting a scarily dangerous aura filled with killing intent.
"Gah! Kaah!" I coughed up some blood while holding my stomach. "Arghh, tha' was too much!" I complained with all I had, causing my wound to worsen.
Vers then went my way and casted her healing magic. After it finished, she kicked me lightly then turned her face away with a 'hmmph'.
I looked at her for a while and broke out into a smile. Seeing her act normally like this is hope within despair, dissipating my anxieties and replacing them with relief...
After noticing myself starting to stare at her, I quickly turned my head forwards and looked for something to distract myself.
"Show information on the recently gained stats." I said, since the stats I just gained were the first thing that came into my mind.
It took some time before the system could understand my command. Some seconds afterwards...
'Ding!'
BloodlustFighting ceaselessly while giving in to your emotion caused you to release an abnormal amount of bloodlust.
-An improved version of Fighting Spirit.
-Gives extra points to health, offense and defense.
-Monsters with low fighting spirit gets debuff in your presence.
-Monsters with high fighting spirit's debuff gets lower.
-The higher this stat is, the smoother you can control and higher the maximum intensity of your bloodlust.SadismIndulging in the pain you caused to others, you've tortured creatures, sentient or not, using excruciating means.
-The pain you cause increases, the higher the stat is.
-A little bit of health can be regenerated by inflicting pain to others, the amount varies on the stat's level and how much pain you've caused.
-Notoriety increases a little by doing meaningless torturing.
-The higher the stat, the more likely someone or something would submit to you when tortured.
I stared blankly for a while, blinking a few times, checking whether my eyes are playing with me.
"What the hell is this?! I'm not a certain 'Madman of Zaun'! When the hell did I take pleasure on inflicting pai---" I stopped myself from continuing as I remember taking out my anger on the centaur archer. "No, other than that time, it's not really lik---" I stopped again as I remembered the destruction that I've done the past 24 hours, and the strange feeling of fulfillment and elation after doing so... Nope, never felt anything.
I tried convincing myself with some empty words as I became gloomier and gloomier. Vers noticed me and somehow, as if knowing my inner turmoil, poured oil... No, combustible natural gas into the fire.
I glared at her for a while. Then, I averted my gaze in resignation after seeing that no matter what I do, I'd be played for a fool for the days to come. All I'd be able to do is just endure.
"Haaa..." I sighed. "Show titles window." I muttered under my breath, I was rather exhausted with the continuous fighting the past few hours. Probably, the only reason I was able to snap back from my berserk state was hunger and fatigue. I was shocked when I first saw my satiation meter in the red a few hours back, I was almost unable to move so finding a way to eat was a real chore, even more since I wasn't able to clearly think with hunger, fatigue and negative emotions piled upon each other.
'Ding!'
Primary TitlesCard Master - (Equipped)
The master of cards, the Ace, the King, the Joker, ---Twisted Fate.
Luck + 30
Agility + 30
All other Stats +10 when equipping cards
How to gain:
Become the greatest in the world in regards to manipulating cards.Secondary TitlesCold-Blooded Torturer (Equipped, Slot 1)
In his hands, insanity is a relief, death is a reward. The emperor of pain, Twisted Fate.
Sadism +20
Controlling someone through fear and pain would work smoother.
Pain inflicted can be controlled.
When torturing someone without killing intent, the target won't die unless you willed it.
How to gain:
Inflict pain to a thousand creatures without batting an eyelid. Keeping an emotionless face all the while.Demon of Slaughter (Equipped, Slot 2)
The might of a thousand, the tempestuous slaughterer. The hand of Death, Twisted Fate.
Bloodlust +30
Sadism + 10
Will cause fear against your opponents in battle.
How to gain:
Kill a thousand of creatures with the weakest at 20 levels below, without a single moment of rest.
"Damn!" As I read the description, I remembered clearly the events that happened since yesterday, those that I pushed to the furthest region of my subconsciousness. Endless fighting, killing, murdering, slaughtering, using the least amount of movement to conserve energy... This happened for a straight 15 hours, which is the reason why my physical stats increased so much without having to allocate stat points.
"Urghh..." Even after taking a break just some time ago, my body, aching everywhere, was hit with fatigue. I really need some well needed rest.
My eyelids felt heavy and I unknowingly started dozing off.
Was that Vers? I'm not sure anymore... I just need some rest. I'll just ask her later, when I wake up.
Unable to think straight anymore, my mind blanked out and made its way to dreamland.
------------------------------------------
-At the same time, in a cave dungeon near Eric Town of Lasalle Kingdom-
'Boom!' A loud sound echoed in the cave, scaring away the gathered mobs of Drill Moles.
Drill Moles are a type of moles with sturdy and sharp claws that mines gems and shiny metals as a hobby. Because of this, their home caves are usually adorned with their treasures. But handling them with care is a must, though it doesn't reach the level of a diamond, their claws are sharper and much sturdier than your average steel, turning warriors into mincemeat with ease.
"Woah! That's amazing!" An excited male voice shouted next to me. Darn brats... So loud and annoying.
"It's nothin' great." I said with a gentle smile. All my years as a conman trained my acting skills. My thoughts would never appear on my face unless I willed it so.
"But Mr. Graves, that is gun is really amazing! Just where did you get that?" A small female voice asked me.
"Well, it's sumthin' made by an eccentric gunsmith. Though, I don't know where he is right now, he was just somebody I was referred to... I asked him to modify a shotgun to my specifications..." I explained while patting the head of my timid female companion, a girl a little over the height of my chest and was holding a short bow on one hand.
"Hahaha, Lily, you shouldn't go peering into secrets... Just let it go if Graves doesn't want to tell." The previously excited voice spoke with a hearty laughter. He's another archer like Lily. His name is Aim, a long bow wielder that unlike Lily who goes for speed, Aim, on the other hand, uses precise shots that critically damages the enemy.
I've met the two of them inside a tavern. Whenever I went, curious gazes were directed to me and my gun. I only found out few days back the things about this world. About NPCs, about players, about levels, about Royal Road. How did I stumble upon this knowledge? When I first entered the Town of Eric, a floating window popped up in front of my vision asking me whether I would like to do the tutorial. Though the term tutorial seemed suspicious, having no information at all, I had to take the gamble. After I confirmed my wish to try out the tutorial, a blue light covered my body as I was made to behold something like a movie explaining the history of this world.
After the trailer like introduction was done, I was sent into town filled with people, a floating window then explained things to me so it went rather smoothly. This tutorial took a whole day before I could finish, and when I did, the blue light blinded me again and when I opened my eyes, I was back to the Town of Eric.
Without any idea of how to find Fate, which is my goal in coming to this world in the first place, I decided to train to get stronger and just let destiny do its trick.
Just a few moments before I resolved myself to what I'd do, Aim and Lily came up to me. A few others asked me before, but I've turned them down since I have no idea what they were talking about back then. But since it was a good chance, I decided to take up the two's offer.
Though, before we set off towards the drill moles' nest, we looked for a rogue that would help us map the dungeon and resupplied our consumables. We didn't bother taking a warrior with us since a tanker would just be rust under the drill moles' blades... or claws.
"There is a group of 7 drill moles at 9 o' clock." A calm and composed voice brought me back from reminiscing. This came from the previously mentioned rogue, known as Serpent, who just returned after scouting the perimeter. I've upped my pace towards the direction he just mentioned. The other three followed after me in succession.
"Smoke Screen" I muttered after encountering the said drill moles. After a soft glow of light, a gas canister appeared on my hand out of thin air. I threw the canister which spun after it landed, releasing a smoke cloud in the tunnel like location.
While the moles were still in a state of confusion, me and the other ranged units of our part started attacking ceaselessly into the dense smoke. Arrows and bullets barraged the drill moles, causing groans of agony, and perhaps the sounds of their death throes resound the tunnel like cave system.
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After my eyes got used to the smokescreen in the darkness of the tunnel, I upped my attack speed. At this time, the smoke thinned, enough to make out the silhouettes of our enemies. There are three of them visible to me right now.
"Quickdraw" I softly said to no one in particular. All of a sudden, my attack sped up by at least 70%, making my movements seem like a blur.
I alternately shot at the three silhouettes I saw. The bullets caused a straight path through the smoke, making them visible for a few seconds before the smoke covers the opened path again.
Their shell of the drill moles are quite thick so I was sure that my hits would only be able to severely injure them at most.
"Buckshot" I spoke under my breath. Three bullets quickly flashed towards the three moles, piercing them through. The hole made within the smoke screen were way bigger than the previous shots, making it seem like a small tunnel appeared from the yellowish smoke. Since the canister already stopped releasing smoke screen, the remaining smoke dispersed along the wind, starting from the three rings that appeared from my previous attack.
As the smoke cleared out, I noticed that the injured drill moles were struggling to escape, but the wounds of some of them were rather severe.
"Don't die, yet! Heh, that was only a warning shot." I taunted. This rekindled the flames within the eyes of the moles. The least injured one, who also seemed like the leader of the pack rushed towards me on all fours. The speed was rather terrifying to tell the truth. Good thing that he was injured and my other comrades sends arrows its way which disturbs its concentration.
When he reached 3 meters away from me, I used the strongest skill in my arsenal at the moment.
I've concentrated and aimed between the drill mole leader's brows. I released the charged bullet which hit straight on its' target. I could use my skills without saying their names, but using the skills' names as an incantation makes multi tasking easier, though not necessary.
Since the drill mole leader was hit with a powerful bullet capable of denting metals of the highest sturdiness dead on, it immediately disintegrated into dust, leaving out its drops. This is because the other parts were unusable anymore.
The huge bullet about the size of a fist that just collided with the mole made a small explosion which then caused its shrapnel to hit the other injured drill moles, killing them.
I looked back at my companions who stared at me with their jaws dropped. Seeing them like this is quite fulfilling, actually.
I went on my way towards them to prepare for our next fight.
------------------------------------------
-Inside Solitas Forest, a forest relatively near Fortunas City-
"Booooooring~!" A female voice resounded as she slashed through the hordes of Blood Wolves, deep into the wilderness of the forest. Howls of pain echoed with each of her strikes, causing the other inhabitants escape in a hurry. The soil was soaked red with the blood of the crimson colored wolves as they struggle in vain. The blood that permeated the soil caused different types of plant-life to bloom, weeds, vines and flowers alike. This is a special characteristic of the Blood Wolves, a symbol of life and death.
"Calm, down, Dawn..." A small voice spoke up with an admonishing tone. Though, her breathing was rather erratic due to exhaustion, speaking while panting in between. She was firing arrows at an amazing rate while speaking.
"But, but, but!!! It was more exciting when we're with Fate, fighting hordes of undead endlessly... Even remembering it gives me shivers! Entering a dungeon, retracing history, hoarding treasures, meeting a legendary person... Isn't that like an epic? Plus, chatting with Vers was also fun." Dawn energetically replied. Even after hours of continuous battle, she still maintained her cheerful smile and energetic behavior... It's truly a mystery where this girl gets her energy reserves.
*Well, I agree...* Dusk, the archer, thought to herself. "Then why don't we visit him, he told us he's on a caravan towards Mantichoras Forest, right?" said Dusk.
Dawn, whom at that time just killed the last of the pack of blood wolves, started shaking uncontrollably... She suddenly turned around and held her friend's hands. "Dusk, you're a genius!!!" Dawn loudly voiced her opinion with a huge radiant smile plastered on her face. Partnered with her golden hair and deep-blue sapphire-like eyes, it was an immaculate appearance.
"Ummm, yeah?" Dusk answered quizzically as she was still baffled with her friend's sudden outburst. "But, we shouldn't really bother him, should we?" Dusk worriedly said to her friend who acts as if their future plans are already set.
"No worries, no worries... We'll train on the way so we won't hold them back." Dusk happily replied, ignoring her friend's protests. "Should we tell him beforehand? No... That won't be fun... It would be better to see his surprised reaction, wouldn't it?" Dawn started mumbling her plans as she was lost deep in thought.
"Haaa..." Dusk could only sigh at her friend's insistence... Hoping that the troubles that would befall to Fate wouldn't be too much. "Alright..." Dusk muttered in resignation, using an inaudible voice as she followed the back of her cheerful friend. A small smile bloomed upon her previously emotionless face, but neither her friend nor she herself had noticed the small change. As to why she smiled, nobody knows as of yet.
------------------------------------------
-Back to Lasalle Kingdom-
"Huff... Huff..." Aim's ragged breathing became louder and louder. With the exception of Graves, exhaustion could be seen in the face of the party members. Though, Serpent, the rogue, was still fine, though traces of fatigue could be seen.
"You should replenish your stamina. The boss room is up ahead." Serpent announced, to which caused the two archers to sigh in relief. Graves didn't care either way, he just doesn't want them to get in his way with killing the monsters inside.
"This is as far as I can take you, I'd rather not lose my skill proficiencies." Serpent said calmly.
"Eh?" Lily let out a strange sound while Aim understood Serpent's intention. "Alright, we've only agreed on scouting anyways..." Aim said, as if reminding Lily.
Serpent nodded a little then went away, disappearing quickly.
"B-but... Doesn't that mean we have to fight the boss with just the three of us?" Lily worriedly asked.
"Yeah. But as long as we wouldn't get surrounded, we'd be fine... Probably." Aim said as he started getting the jitters.
"Don't worry... We'll be alright." I said with a smile... lying through my teeth... If things go south, it's always good to have a bait which would help me escape.
The two looked at me with eyes of respect. My words seemed to have a great effect and calmed them down.
"Well then, it's time..." I went up the entrance and pushed the door open.
Inside, we saw a dazzling amount of jewels. Apparently, this place has never been conquered yet so the stockpiled gems were of a huge amount. Every single intruder has fell under the claws of the drill mole king, a boss mob with the name 'Mole King Garras'. A drill mole the size of a bear with fur as strong as a steel plated armor and claws as sharp as a blade made by a master blacksmith.
Garras roared as it noticed our presence. A mob of warrior moles charged towards us headfirst.
"I'll draw the attention of the boss, the two of you, attack the minions." I gave out commands. This is just like jungling at the fields of justice with the boss as a large minion, or perhaps someone like Baron Nasshor or the Dragon.
The 3 drill moles that charged towards us quickly became porcupine under Lily's watch, then a single shot in the vital spots ended their short lives, coming from the sharpshooter Aim.
I shot Garras in between his brows at my maximum speed, but my bullets couldn't even leave a scratch on its skin. All it did was enrage the bear-like mole as it ordered more of the moles to attack. I need to close in the distance so my gun's power would be amplified.
I ran full speed towards the monster, Aim and Lily supported me in panic, shooting down those that came near me. Their skills are quite astounding, as they never missed. At least, I never saw them miss.
As I was now within the monster's reach, he swung his huge arm downwards. I managed to evade at the last moment, only giving me a small cut. His sword-sized claws got embedded into the floor as he struggled removing them. Not wasting this opportunity, I tried closing in the gap. Though, I was interrupted by his other arm and I almost lost my head in the process.
*Scary.* I thought to myself. Those claws are definitely sharp, looking at the way it embedded deeply into the floor with ease. A good hit would definitely dismember me into pieces.
"Easy, partner." I said as I moved around him. Garras blindly swung whenever I moved close enough to him. Though his attack pattern was simple, the sheer gap in power between us covers for that weakness.
I continued firing into which Garras howled with rage and annoyance.
It charged towards me for the first time, shocking me for a moment. I was able to escape getting turned into barbecue by a hair's breadth, as his claws got deeply embedded into the walls. That strike was enough to cause a minor quake within the whole chamber.
I forcefully jumped up and stood on it's shoulders. It glared at me and showed me its fangs, attempting to bite me. I aimed my gun and muttered.
"Collateral Damage" I said solemnly. A huge bullet came out of my gun which went straight into the monster's eyeballs. Even if your defense is as strong as steel, you can't train your eyeball's sturdiness. Some of the shrapnels grazed me, but my passive ability 'True Grit' was enough to block those.
For the first time, Garras let out a howl of agony. It glared at me with it's remaining eye as his other eye was red with blood. Some burn marks could be seen on the wound.
"Woah!" I unknowingly said. Garras suddenly shook its own body, causing me to slip off my footing as I was stepping on him. He then used his hind leg's claws to slash me, I was able to avoid mortal danger but it still caused a huge wound. Though its' hind legs' claws weren't as sharp as its front leg's, it was still sharper than a normal drill mole's.
"Gah!" I coughed up some blood as I retreated to cure my wounds. But at that time, Garras already removed the claws that were stuck on the walls.
As his claws were about to reach me, a pair of hands pulled me back, saving me from the hands of death.
"Graves!" I heard a female's worried voice. I looked at her and saw Lily with tears welling in her eyes as she treated my wounds in panic.
"Li... ly?" I muttered dumbly, puzzlement is evident on my face.
I looked back at Garras and saw Aim trying to draw its' attention. His legs are shaking but he tried to act composed... Really, you guys... I was overcome with a strange emotion.
"Idiot mole, o-over here!" Aim taunted with fear showing in his face. He shot an arrow straight into the wounded eye. It's amazing how he doesn't let fear cloud his abilities.
The mole roared as it went prepared to charge towards Aim, which caused the latter to contort his face in terror. Facing a bear-sized monster with nothing but a bow at hand is a menacing experience.
"Stop, Graves! You're injured!" Lily said as she restrained me from standing.
I pat her head and spoke. "I ain't got time to bleed." I smiled. A smile that truly came from my heart. *I wonder how many years since I last smiled?* I thought to myself. An old me ory surfaced, me and an old friend of mine laughing heartily after fooling a Zaunite official and businessman. I shook my head to forget about those times, when that man, Twisted Fate was still my friend. "I promised you we'd be alright, didn't I?" I smiled again, though a little forced this time.
She looked at me as she teared up. She unwillingly agreed as she looked at Aim's situation.
"Please... Please stay safe..." A voice entered my ears as I was on my way to the battle. I decided to focus on the fight first and worry about the small stuff later.
As Garras was about to strike down Aim who was trembling loudly, with his teeth chattering and eyes bawling, I aimed at the mole's hand and fired 'Collateral Damage'.
The bullet hit the hand and caused a small explosion. Good thing that the shrapnel only grazed Aim at most, since the direction I was firing was deliberate to minimize the possible injuries for him.
After the bullet hit Garras, he roared in pain. One of the claws of his left hand (paw?) got severed from its root. He glared at me with anger and killing intent. I felt pressure as if I gravity intensified but I let out my own fighting spirit to negate it's effects.
'Ding!'
You've gained a new stat!Fighting Spirit
Decreases the pressure that NPCs and other players can give off due to having a higher level than oneself
Possible to cower creatures of a lower level than oneself with a glare
Temporally call on superhuman strength
You may not distribute bonus stat points to Fighting Spirit
A floating window appeared on the edge of my vision, but I decided to ignore it for now.
"Buckshot, Buckshot, Buckshot, Buckshot, Buckshot!" I said. A good thing about this world is that cooldown doesn't really apply to most skills. I could spam skills like this as much as my mana could hold. Garras used his hands and arm to block my attacks.
The charging of the Garras was interrupted with the barrage of my skill. I can't hold this out for long... My attacks couldn't give a fatal hit. What can I do?
I was deep in thought as 'that thing' entered my vision. I smiled evilly as I decided to go with my plan.
"Let's settle the score." I muttered. Garras' fur stood on their ends, as if understanding my intentions. This is the final clash which would decide who lives and who dies.
I ran full speed towards Garras. Shooting my gun with inhuman speed suppressing him from charging. When I was within a meter away from him, inched closer and swung horizontally. I ducked and rolled forwards. I moved into his blind spot, which caused confusion to the injured mole.
I took 'that thing', a sharp blade-like object that came from Garras himself... His severed claw.
I clumsily handled the blade to stab straight into the monster's heart. Piercing him with a satisfying sound. He let out his death throes as it struggled in vain. Light vanished from its eyes as it stood unmoving, as a corpse.
'Ding!'
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
You have leveled up!
I gained a lot of experience points, reaching level 48 in no time. Another notification appeared an instant afterwards,
'Ding!'
You have gained a new title for killing a named boss monster 20 levels above yours.The Wise Warrior
Power and Wits, two sides of the same coin. The possessor of this, Malcolm Graves.
+20 Wisdom
+10 Intelligence
+10 Strength
How to gain:
Defeat a boss monster under special circumstances.Titles 'The Outlaw' and 'The Wise Warrior' merged.The Mastermind
Domination and Deception, a Hero and a Villain, the hand behind the scenes, Malcolm Graves.
+30 Wisdom
+20 Intelligence
+20 Leadership
+500 Fame and Notoriety
+10 All other stats
How to gain:
Have both 'The Outlaw' and another title about your wit.
I went towards my companions, who was composing themselves, watching me with eyes of respect, unable to believe what just transpired.
I smiled towards them in which they smiled back. The three of us went and looted the boss chamber. Jewels, golds and many other stuff filled our inventories, when suddenly...
"Well... I certainly didn't expect that..." A voice appeared from the entrance.
The three of us stopped and glanced suspiciously, tensely gripping our weapons.
"Oh, it's Serpent!" Lily said as she stood up to walk towards the rogue.
I put my arm in front of Lily and glared at Serpent.
Serpent looked at me with an amused face and said.
"Oh, you really are interesting... How long did you knew?" Serpent said with a dangerous aura accompanying his words. The two of us well understood each other's thoughts.
The other two looked at me blankly, trying to decipher our conversation, but I've ignored them for now.
"The moment I laid my eyes on you." I said in a serious tone.
Serpent, who was already smiling... "If that was a lie then it's worth nothing, but..." Smiled even wider, this time it was a savage smile. "If you're not bluffing, then you're really something." He said, amusedly.
I glared at him and spoke again.
"Haaa... Enough with that act, just bring out those 'interlopers', so I could deal with them quickly." I spoke with the air of indifference.
"Hoooh..." Serpent said with interest. "I see, then there's no use in hiding it is there?" He then snapped his fingers. Moments later, thirty men holding daggers gathered behind him. "My name is Serpent, leader of the black guild --- Forbidden Fruit." He said, in which the people behind him, as if in reply, emitted killing intent with expressions filled with greed and bloodlust.
"Ahh... Ahh!" Lily and Aim hyperventilated as they finally understood what just occurred. I placed my hand into Lily's shoulder to calm her down.
"Try me." I muttered in an audible voice, wearing a savage smile of a wild dog let loose.
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Author's Note(Grumblings):
Greetings, this humble one apologizes for his transgression. Forth I hast sinneth... To have createth a cliffhanger at the chapter's conclusion... Forsooth, 'tis amongst the gravest of offenses for a writer such as one...
Damn, I offer the white flag, writing in archaic is annoying as hell. Anyways, I wrote a cliffhanger here since the chapter was getting too long. My writing speed improved a fair bit ever since I wrote this FF, compared to my past stories.
Anyways, I thank thy patience and my acquittal. Fare thee well.
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