“How is it? Surprised?” The boyish voice asked with an irresponsible tone. “I took inspiration from your world for this bonus stage. Feel at home?”
“Is this a trick?” The voice continued before anyone could answer Yen’s question.
“Well, don’t get too comfortable. The festival is your best chance to survive the third trial so don’t waste the time you have. The trial is simple. Take on the challenges from the consoles in front. The better you do, the more tokens you get. If you do really good, you’ll even get a ticket. That’s important for later. There’s lots of games so don’t complain if you find one you’re not good at. There’s only one rule. Any player that kills another player gets kicked out. Have fun~”
A notification appeared before all members of the party with a timer counting down from 24 hours. They waited a few moments but the voice said nothing further.
“...that can’t be a real god, right? What happened to the goddess with all the Shakespearean elegance?”
“If they take in all worlds like ours, there’s probably all sorts.” Donny reasoned, not taking any particular interest in the topic as he looked around the hall of players and consoles.
“There is only a day for this ‘part’, we shouldn’t waste time.” Kamala spoke up. “My patron advised me to acquire traits here. We should find out how.”
“Why traits?”
“She could not say.”
“Mine said the same thing. Even gave me hints about which ones.” Donny mentioned.
“Must be nice having a god give you the answers…” Yen grumbled.
“Choose more carefully next time.” Kamala glanced before telling her. “I find it hard to believe there isn’t one powerful god willing to give you a greater blessing.”
Yen opened and closed her mouth in silence as she processed Kamala’s words. “Can’t you just compliment people normally… Hey!” She yelled at Donny and Karla who started to wander towards the arcade games. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The two stopped and turned back, though only Donny spoke. “He said to have fun.”
“A bonus stage is still a stage, and stages are all bullshit. Let someone else test the water first so you don’t die like some goons.”
“You worry too much, you know.”
“It’s called using your fucking brain.”
“She has a point.” Kamala sided with the mage.
“Maybe. But doesn’t look like anyone else is stepping up.” The party glanced down either direction of the hall filled with players and parties loitering around, none seeming eager to challenge a game.
Shin hopped by a lone player without a word, startling the man whose nerves seemed frayed enough already. “I’ll give you this if you try the game.” A rare tier longsword appeared in his hands as he propositioned the lesser lord swordsman.
“That…” Shin waited only a moment at the man’s reluctance before starting to head over to someone else. “Wait!”
The prize offered moving on seemed to relieve the swordsman of much of his apprehension. He gathered his resolve and looked towards the arcade console. In an instant, his eyes glossed over as though asleep on his feet. Barely six seconds passed before he jolted awake, his breathing heavy and expression tense with fear. A hand moved to his neck on reflex and confusion with a tinge of relief set in as he found no wound nor blood.
“What is it?” Shin asked.
“Goblins…” The man seemed to ask on reflex. “They just kept coming. No matter how much I killed… so I ran. I ran…”
His hand found his neck again before glancing up as he changed the subject. “You waited here?”
“Yeah?”
“I was in there for 10 minutes… I think. I’m not sure…”
“What did you get?”
“Huh? Oh… 89 tokens… A ranking. Five hundred and twel- thirteen.”
Shin tilted his head in thought before putting the promised longsword in the player’s hands and pulling out two more rare tier items and holding them out.
“Try again. Do better this time.”
The man’s reluctance was almost tangible but among the silence he glanced at the items and then the console, thoughts running through his mind. He equipped the gear Shin offered and once again his body fell into idleness. Shin prodded his shoulder and without warning slashed at his neck, stopping just short of drawing blood, but the man gave no reaction. He stored the blade and waited patented until the man returned, lasting roughly 11 seconds this time. His expression thoroughly troubled but he took notice of Shin standing in front in silence, as though waiting on a report.
“I got 74 more tokens… My rank, huh, it, um. The score didn’t change. My rank’s getting lower though.”
“Skills?”
“What? Oh, a couple went up.”
Shin left just as unceremoniously as he appeared, hopping back over to the party who had taken to waiting on his experiment.
“It’s fine.” He declared.
“Okay, so…” Yen organized the information in her head. “We get tokens and listed on the scoreboard. We can try more than once but it only gives more tokens, only the first attempt counts for the score. Dying in the game doesn’t mean dying in real life. Skills can level up in the games and there’s some time dilation. A hundred times? That means we get a hundred days of training basically.”
“Not really.”
“What do you mean?” Yen questioned the knight.
“Looks like we’re target practice on the outside when we’re in the games. Some of us need to stay on the outside to protect the ones inside.”
“Killing’s against the rules.”
“You only get kicked out. Doesn’t really stop some dickhead taking our bags and killing to run away.”
Yen seemed to realize how thin the protection of the rule was now, but moved on quickly. “Then we just need to take turns. One person standing guard at a time. More importantly, with how the rankings are, we should chose a type that we won’t rank high in no matter what and just grind until near the end. Then we can aim for high scores. Probably where the tickets come from.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Donny walked over to a console painted with a goblin pattern and fell into a daze. Karla followed after. Yen sighed in slight annoyance at the lack of a full plan and joined them, an endless horde also very much ill suited to her build.
“I will try the Ogre Waves then.” Kamala assessed the described of a different console besides them before looking to Shin.
“Okay.”
With that Kamala entered her training as Shin waited patiently as the lone guard. Though he didn’t have to wait for long before Yen snapped back to her senses with a foul expression on her face. “Little bastards… Let me level up a bit more before I need to guard?”
“Sure.”
Yen plunged back into the challenge lasting only a few more seconds than the first time. “Fuck!”
“Yeah, it’s not pleasant.” Donny said as he returned the same time, though he didn’t seem too bothered by whatever gruesome fate ended his first attempt.
Kamala returned from her round as well, her expression unchanged.
“Top 10?” Yen checked the priestess’ ranking. “Why did you choose that one, it’s such a waste.”
“There are others I will perform better in, and the highest priority now is to improve our skills with the time we have.”
“I guess…” Yen glanced at the blue haired shaolin. “Has she come out yet?”
“No.”
“Probably enjoying every second of it…” Yen steeled her resolve and plunged back into the game.
“Want a turn?” Donny asked Shin.
“Yeah.” Shin hopped in front of the goblin horde game. As with Kamala, it was a waste to tackle something he’d perform well in later, but there were others better suited to him and he too wanted to increase his skills.
Shin focused his consciousness into the console and his surroundings changed in an instant. He found himself in a barren rocky wasteland stretching without end, tinged in the gloomy brown of an early dusk. And bearing down on him from all directions was an endless horde of green skinned goblins. Some nearly bare with primitive weapons, some lightly geared, and some heavily, but all consumed by a battle craze to the point of madness.
A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
Shin blurred and an axe cleaved clean through the necks of two goblins. The goblins near had barely started to register his presence before his arms flickered, shredding them apart. Black hair flared in the spiral of gust and Shin burst forward, carving haphazardly through the horde with abandon, reaping a red harvest from all he came near.
Two spiralling green orbs fully concentrated behind with a ferocity of crazed violence and shot off, boring holes clean through goblin and armor alike. Like murderous wisps they frenzied through the enemies afar, leaving a field of corpses in their wake. Just as ruthlessly Shin’s weapons flickered, draining aura via the Rapid skill he had no need to use and replenishing it at the cost of mana.
[Invigoration has reached lvl. 3.]
Shin’s attacks slowed as he felt his stamina drop low, leaving enough to fight with nothing more than stats and skill, but he killed them just as easily as she had. The spirit gyros shattered apart at the end of their durability and three more concentrated to take their place. Shin guided them as best his intuition and senses felt, honing his control more sharply and precise with each passing moment. As soon as he felt the progress of his mastery slow, he created another orb, adding several more until he became the center of a storm of death.
[Channelling has reached lvl. 4.]
[Spirit Gyro has reached lvl. 6.]
The orbs broke one by one but none replaced them, Shin’s mana nearly depleted. But his movements did not slow. Arrows and magic fell upon him with the blades and clubs but none so much as grazed his skin. An impassionate massacre was all their attempts were met with as he patiently waited for his energy to recover. He had many skills to level and as much training dummies as he needed.
---
Shin struck a goblin with his bare fist and the life left its eyes. Far from the result it wanted. He slashed open a path by the sword in his other and focused more intently. The skill as it was, wasn’t enough. He didn’t need it to dent or crack, he needed it to break. Shin struck a second goblin and its soul fractured on impact, shattering away like glass.
[Greater Soul Strike has upgraded to epic tier Lambast.]
A far more lethal and far more effective attack, though he would have to level it later. A white fox masked woman appeared by his side, ethereal and graceful, and without hesitation began an eager slaughter of her own. Shin stood still as he cast a transparent purple cube over him. Arrows and spells struck the walls of the ward immediately as did the weapons of the common goblins but the sanctuary held and the attackers executed by his sorcerous kitsune partner in a flash.
Shin stored his weapons and pulled up his status, his demeanor relaxed and nonchalant as though he were not surrounded by an endless horde of vicious creatures.
[Human Onmyoji (epic) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 200 (260)
Agility - 600 (780)
Constitution - 50 (65)
Vitality - 115 (149)
Dexterity - 33 (43)
Perception - 300 (390)
Force - 24 (31)
Spirit - 700 (910)
Control - 150 (195)
Willpower - 100 (130)
Skills:
Heal lvl. 3, Mystic Protection lvl. 10, Summon Sorcerous Kitsune Guardian lvl. 4, Grand Martial Combat lvl. 10, Rapid lvl. 10, Befriend Spirit lvl. 10, Mana Meditation lvl. 10, Invigoration lvl. 10, Harvest Soul lvl. 1, Invoke lvl. 10, Tremor lvl. 10, Channelling lvl. 10, Spirit Gyro lvl. 10, Ward lvl. 5, Soul Fusion lvl. 1, Lambast lvl. 1, Greater See Through Spirits lvl. 10,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King, Ethereal Soul, Spiritkeeper, Survival State,
His skills were progressing swiftly as one would expected after two full days of constant fighting. He had only Inari, Lambast, and Ward to max now for his immediately plans within this challenge. Heal could be done later in a more suitable game and Greater See Through Spirits wasn’t much of a priority.
Inari leveled slowly, at least her designated skill did, but that was only naturally. She cost a staggering 600 mana to summon which is why Shin had put an extra 122 into Spirit, in line with what Onamuji said he could.
[Ward has reached lvl. 6.]
His standing barrier advanced once again from the furious attacks of surrounding goblins, who were quickly engulfed in a surge of Foxfire. Shin glanced at the smoldering ash and the bodies beyond. Soul attacks worked on these creatures and they appeared normal in his prismatic eyes, but the moment they died, their souls became dormant, wooden almost, as if they were mere imitations. Harvest Soul naturally wouldn’t work which meant he had no fuel for Soul Fusion. If that were the case or all games, which he suspected it was, it meant those skills would go neglected this bonus stage.
Although, even if this wasn’t the case, they likely would anyway as he had a more important task, and one that seemed it would prove quite difficult. Raising his skills to legendary tier. He had tried several skills so far to no success, the difficulty exponential compared to epic tier.
He had decided on Combat for his first skill but these goblins weren’t nearly enough of a challenge to spark an upgrade. He’d need to utilize another game for that. As for this run, Tremor was a frontrunner, as well as the now far more deadly Lambast.
Shin glanced up as Inari spit a giant ball of Foxfire towards him, just barely avoiding the ward as it arced over and crashed into the goblins behind. The corner of her mouth raised in a smile as she blurred around, ever eager to show off. Shin was happy she was having fun. With little else to do, he watched her fight for the hour she had as she wanted. When her level increases, he’d be able to keep her out near constantly.
---
Shin stood motionless in a state of calm primordial focus. The blue mist surrounding him broke into shattered light and became denser.
[Mana Meditation has upgraded to the legendary tier Greater Mana Meditation.]
Time seemed to jump ahead in hazy steps. The walls of his ward broke and replaced, Inari faded away and reappeared into the battle. Still, Shin did not move. He thought of only the feeling of rapid movement, of lightning strikes. The fingers on his hands started to twitch as his mind drew closer to the ideal, something instantaneous and complete. The walls of his ward dispelled away and he vanished. The crack of a kick snapped a goblin’s head around before it knew it was dead. Shin’s body flickered from his one legged stance inbetween a group of four goblins still stepping towards where his ward had been. His arms blurred and they fell headless into oblivion.
[Rapid has upgraded into legendary tier Greater Rapid.]
[Achievement: Skill Upgrade III. 100 Attribute Points rewarded.]
‘Upgrade 30 skills.’
Shin burst through the horde slaughtering everything he came near, draining the aura for his skill as it recovered. The days blurred together in the endless fray. He raised a sword to a charging armored goblin and his palm thrust into the chest of a cloth draped creature. An explosion of blood and flesh painted its comrades behind as violent instantaneous vibrations destroyed any trace of the goblin.
[Tremor has upgraded to legendary tier Quake.]
Shin stomped the ground and the jagged pulse of Quake sundered the ground in a wave, shards of rock shredding through the horde like shrapnel. He burst off and grabbed a goblin by the head, blood spurting from its orifices as contained vibrations turning the inside of its skull into slush.
He stood among the carnage, sometimes still, sometimes he fought. Inari danced around him, a blade in each hand, and faded away as Mara and Kong took her place. Thunderous fists and sonic blasts kept the horde at bay as he felt for the bond within. Shrine priest clothing adorned his body, five white fox tails grew behind with elegant red markings and his hair changed to match. A white fox mask covered the top of his face and he moved.
[Invoke has upgraded to legendary tier Greater Invoke.]
He rent through the horde like blades of glass, a gladius in each hand. An ethereal white god of death descended upon the land and the invoke around him faded away. Sometimes his body flickered, sometimes he sunder his foes with quake, and sometimes he invoked the power of his spirits, and sometimes they fought alongside him with as much devastation as he brought himself.
There was no end to the slaughter, no end to the progress of his mastery. The challenge provided no food nor water nor could he access his own within his spatial bag. He controlled his body, dominated it to function as efficiently as possible allowing for no waste.
Still, his athleticism withered, his health decayed in the unforgiving nature of a hopeless challenge. But Shin persisted, willing his body past its limits, demanding more, urging longer. His focus changed naught whether sitting behind the walls of ward or amidst a sea of enemies.
His movements began to slow, gradually at first but more and more noticeable as time went on. Cuts and wounds began to find his body but were healed away and the infections forced out. Shin raised a weapon and collapsed to a knee as his legs gave out, and the goblins fell upon him. Life returned to Shin’s eyes standing outside the console and he was met with immediate notifications.
[Goblin Horde Challenge Score - 9 hours 51 minutes 36 seconds]
[536,524 tokens rewarded.]
[Rank 1. Shin]
Shin turned his attention to his skill sheet first and foremost, which had undergone an immense difference.
[Human Onmyoji (epic) - Greater Lord]
Strength - 200 (260)
Agility - 600 (780)
Constitution - 50 (65)
Vitality - 115 (149)
Dexterity - 33 (43)
Perception - 300 (390)
Force - 24 (31)
Spirit - 700 (910)
Control - 150 (195)
Willpower - 100 (130)
Skills:
Heal lvl. 3, Mystic Protection lvl. 10, Summon Sorcerous Kitsune Guardian lvl. 10, Grand Martial Combat lvl. 10, Greater Rapid lvl. 10, Befriend Spirit lvl. 10, Greater Mana Meditation lvl. 10, Invigoration lvl. 10, Harvest Soul lvl. 1, Greater Invoke lvl. 10, Quake lvl. 10, Channelling lvl. 10, Spirit Gyro lvl. 10, Ward lvl. 10, Soul Fusion lvl. 1, Lambast lvl. 10, Greater See Through Spirits lvl. 10,
Traits:
Body Supremacy, Eyes of the Spirit King, Ethereal Soul, Spiritkeeper, Survival State,
In the time spent, he had upgraded four skills to legendary tier and maxed them all, along with every skill he currently could in battle. By the pattern of classes, he likely needed six legendary skills to upgrade his class. Two more during this festival was well within reach.
“Hey, he’s out!” Yen called out to the others, having noticed his return before turning back to him. “Seriously, do you know how long you were in there?”
“41 days?”
“10 fucking hours. How is that even possible. Second place isn’t even close.”
“So how much did you raise?” Donny asked.
“Four.”
“Maxed?” Yen added.
“Yeah.”
Yen bore a look of exasperation mixed with one that already expected as much and was rather dulled to it.
“Me and firebird are up to two. Think Kamala’s on three. Dunno about Karla.” Donny informed him.
“Mm?” Karla returned from her latest run of the goblin challenge.
“How many legendary skills you got?”
“Four~” Karla beamed.
“Another Shin…” Yen groaned. “What’s even the criteria for…”
Yen’s voice drifted off an a wide grin of pride and pure elation replaced her casual frustration.
“Blessing?” Shin asked.
Yen held her grin for a few moments as if building up anticipation for the announcement. “Falcon of the Two Horizons.”
“Oh. That’s a good one.”
“Very.” Kamala joined in the conversation, having returned to see the rest talking.
Yen showed a look of slight disappointment and annoyance at the ruined mystery she planned to flaunt. “Does murim just teach everything or what? These are earth mythologies anyway.”
“Most of it seems to be relevant.”
“Isn’t that weird?”
“There are a few probable reasons.” Kamala said though she didn’t share any of those theories.
“Who are your patrons anyway?” Yen moved the conversation forward having moved on from her slight disappointment.
“Master of The Great Land.”
“Lord of Slaughter.”
‘Mercenary Queen~”
“Maiden of the Midsummer Lake.”
“Do we know all of them too?”
“All but the Mercenary Queen.” Kamala answered, looking to Shin.
“Don’t know either.”
“So is she new or just obscure?”
“By the nature of this ‘system’, it stands that players can become gods, which is likely true for those born within the Tower as well.”
“Well, yeah…” Yen figured as much herself. “But I mean-”
A terrible stifled wail sounded from a player in the distance. The party turned their sights to find the source pierced through the back by a blank eyed player. The victim fell flat and the man disappeared as dozens, hundreds of blank eyed players swarmed around the corner towards them like mindless zombies.