Congratulations! Feat: Against all odds III achieved!
Against all odds III. Skills level up +75% faster. Gain +150% experience. All stats increased by +30
Congratulations! Feat: Will to survive V achieved!
Will to survive V +10% vitality.
Everything was black and his ears were ringing. His body was wracked with pain. He deftly felt a warm energy slowly flowing into him, pushing away an icy darkness. He couldn't comprehend if it was a result of his own skills or if his companion was doing the work. He tried to open his eyes but his body wouldn't respond.
He groaned, or at least he thought he did. He was sure he would have been panicking if his brain could just process simple thoughts. As it was he merely got bits and pieces of the voice of his conscious. The rest was the dull ringing pain..
After laying there for what felt like forever, clarity finally began returning to his mind. He sat up and slowly peeled open his eyes. The sun was blotted out by a cloud of dust and ash. That was probably for the best because his head was pounding.
He was on the outer edge of a crater that was at least ten meters deep and three times as wide. The Fang, mangled and maimed, was lying in the center. A dull fire was slowly petering out in its mouth. Smoke rose from the fresh carcass of the beast and its eyes pulsed with a slowly fading red glow. Miraculously, it seemed the beast was still alive… But nothing would save it now, it was dying.
Most of its back half was gone but somehow the upper torso and head were entirely intact. There was a large man standing beside the beast but Vincent was too wounded, his vision too blurry, to properly make out any features. He could definitely tell the guy was tall. The giant bent down and shoved his considerably large arm directly into the chest of the beast, ripping out what appeared to be a crimson sphere about the size of a car battery.
Congratulations! You have defeated the 'Fang of Flame' (Mythical) lvl 61!
Monster's level is too high, no XP will be rewarded.
Congratulations! Sneak (Uncommon) has evolved into Stealth (Rare) !
The following benefits have been procured…
50% harder to detect while standing still.
100% harder to detect while crouching.
Triple sneak damage.
+25 agility!
All skill levels will be maintained!
A fire had been lit in the center of your soul… effects unknown.
His eyes widened. Vincent was surprised by the fact that he got the victory even though a third party technically killed the Fang.. perhaps it was because of how hard he struggled. Plus he did do literally everything, after all. He tried to focus on the sphere in the man's hands.
A blazing red energy pulsed from the object and Vincent knew even without being able to see the thing clearly that it was the heart of the Fang. The man slowly began to stalk toward Vincent, carrying the heart in one hand and the Fang's carcass in the other.
Vincent was sure the man was going to finish him off and take his heart as a trophy as well, but try as he might he could do little more than crawl. After fumbling pitifully for a bit he sighed. Giving up he sat with his feet pointed forward, head down and hair matting his bloodied face.
He slowly looked up as the hefty individual approached. His eyes were barely half open but from here he could sense the individual's energy well enough. A lopsided grin appeared across his exhausted face. "Gildarts.." He huffed out.
He was sure now that it had been his own abilities drawing in energy to his body as it was apparent his companion had been knocked unconscious. Effectively that meant he had lost his entire life, gained a second wind, lost that, and used his companions life to stay alive.
"You know that's mine right..?" He joked weakly with a cough. His smile slowly turned into a frown as he sensed more than saw the disdain adorning his green friend's features. There was a pregnant silence for a while before the Mohawk clad Orc spoke.
"I am sorry. This victory is yours.. truly.. but I am taking the heart of the Fang. If it's any consolation I'll leave you this… You are truly mighty Vincent.." As he spoke he tossed the carcass of the Fang beside the now scowling human. The man deftly sealed it into his inventory and glared.
"Yeah.. you told me you wouldn't let me take the heart. Not very.. honorable of you." He sighed bitterly with a wince of pain. He could tell by the tension in the air, the Orc was equally as dissatisfied about the situation as he was. He had trained for so long to reach level fifty and defeat the Fang.. only for a much weaker outsider to come in and take the hunt for himself.
"I am truly sorry, but for this.. I must cast aside even my honor. I must become the king of my people. I am the only one who can save them." He explained sincerely. Vincent huffed and spat. His finer motor functions were beginning to return to him and he groaned. He resisted the urge to vomit as he leaned forward and pushed off his knee forcing himself into a standing position.
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
"Save them from what? A shittier king or something?" He demanded. This time the Orc's face turned stony. He was afraid he'd receive only grim silence in response until the Orc finally said.. "From themselves."
Vincent couldn't help the feeling of dread that rose in his stomach as he processed that information. He wasn't even sure why. Maybe he didn't mean it the way Vincent was interpreting it but.. it really sounded like he was saying he was either going to commit mass genocide on his people or rule them with an iron fist. Both of those thoughts caused Vincent to heavily frown.
Bile filled his mouth and this time he did vomit. After wiping his mouth and catching his breath he tried to think about it logically. Given that his origins were that of a nomad, sort of the peasants to the nobles, it was possible Gildarts harbored a serious grudge against the current royal families as well. To be entirely honest Vincent was too afraid to ask the Orc to elaborate much further, lest he learn a dark truth. Some things were better left unsaid. Besides right now he honestly just felt bitter and tired.
As his savior, turned rival, began to walk away the towering behemoth beckoned over his shoulder. "Come.We shall go to Zar-Rhah." Vincent frowned once more, which he seemed to be doing a lot these days. He had nearly forgotten that this task was one that was originally imposed upon him by another… Since then it had become personal and he more or less adopted the mission as his own..
It had been sort of a personal vendetta to defeat the creature that had nearly killed him in their every passing since he had first arrived here in Garkahn. Would the swordsman still train him after taking so long to complete the mission? Nevermind the fact that he technically failed, as another acquired the heart. Even if it was an ally.. It didn't change the fact that the grayed old Orc required the heart for his own purposes.
The man from Earth tisked, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He supposed he was about to find out.
With all of his energy fully restored courtesy of a crimson essence potion the journey took less than half an hour. The duo could have arrived much quicker but neither of them were in a hurry. Vincent was currently dealing with a boat load of existential turmoil and Gildarts was facing his own internal dilemma on account of his dishonorable victory.
Vincent used this opportune mix of free time with what amounted to a body guard and his erratic emotions to study his flows of energy. He remembered his companion and how his flows seemed faster compared to Vincent's own. Focusing on each individual skill's structure he tried to force them to move faster and faster but each time he did so it would begin to desynchronize with the other skills he possessed, thus becoming less effective overall.
Not only that but as soon as he stopped focusing on one skill in favor of the other, the former began to return to its original shape and speed. The only way he could possibly think of making this work would be to activate every single skill at once, force them each beyond their limit, and then somehow maintain that focus constantly in battle. A feat which.. Vincent was far from being capable of doing with his current abilities.
He supposed intelligence and possibly agility would be the most beneficial stats to increase in that regard. The actual effects of stats were hard to deduce, especially since Vincent's were so synergistic they basically all of them enhanced his abilities in some way shape or form. Hell at this point even a point in Endurance had a noticeable effect on his mage-like skills such as Comet.
His skills were impressive, and he used most of them constantly on a daily basis. Even if two people had the exact same skill level and stats there was an unseen layer of non-system based experience and efficiency that came into play that could only be obtained through sheer hard work and repetition.
Even though swinging a sword one hundred thousand times wouldn't necessarily increase your skill level according to the system, you would grow much more intimate and familiar with your skill, strengthening it overall. Sometimes experience and a firm understanding of the basics were the key factors when deciding the outcome of a battle…
Upon arriving at the cave of the old swordsman the pair found the man hammering away at a wicked curved blade. He stopped hammering and turned his one visible eye to them as they entered. "Hmm.. aren't the pair of you a strange sight indeed.. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever see the two of you again." He hummed.
He looked between Vincent and Gildarts for several long seconds before his vision came to rest upon the heart of the Fang within the hands of Gildarts and not his much smaller companion. His gaze settled into a frown before he snorted.
"Bah." He spat bitterly. "Even after a year and some odd months the task I set before you was too difficult. I knew your potential would be wasted here in this country where you cannot even level up. You are not worth my time." The master of the mystic arts dismissed.
Vincent felt as if he'd been slapped. Honestly he had expected as much from the grizzled old master. Why would someone with so much skill and power waste their time building upon someone else's foundation? Especially when the investment seemed to promise so little return considering the earth man's handicap. Even still.. It hurt to hear it said out loud.
Gildarts walked up to the much older Orc and in a gesture that shocked both of the other two individuals in the cave, the mighty Gildarts took a knee. This was especially surprising to the old man as only he truly had any sort of kinship with Gildarts and hence could appreciate the full severity of this action.
"Wait.. please allow me to be placed into your debt so that the human may receive your training." The warrior pleaded. The old war Master gasped. "But why..?" He asked. Gildarts rose to his feet and said with truth in his eyes, "Because truly the boy defeated the Fang on his own. I merely confiscated the spoils in the aftermath. I must become king."
The quizzical look remaining on his face, Zar-Rhah now focused his gaze on Vincent behind the mountain of a man named Gildarts. "Truly..? The level 1 actually defeated a creature over level fifty by himself? Fascinating.. and impressive. I expected him to take advantage of a formally engaged affair.. but I must say to fight the beast head on and win, that I never expected. I am surprised by you. Such growth is unprecedented for someone who cannot evolve.." He finished quietly, turning to face Gildarts once more.
"And you… Such a dishonorable action in the name of becoming king.. we both know you have more than enough potential to eclipse the other candidates without controlling the Fang's flames. Are you certain you're not doing this so that they do not go after the boy?" He inquired.
At this Vincent was confused. 'They..?' He wondered. Was it possible Gildarts had actually stolen the heart with the intention of somehow protecting Vincent from others who may seek to use it? If so Gildarts's honor was tarnished for his sake alone, and that made him feel a bit guilty for so hastily judging his friend before.
"Hmm. My reasons are my own." The warrior dismissed with a wave. Vincent stepped forward, so that he could speak directly with the swordsman. "Listen.. I'm not gonna pretend like I know much about the way of the Orcs or whatever but I do know this.. there's something out there that threatens us all, regardless of affiliation or origin." He said seriously, narrowing his eyes and looking back and forth between the two massive men. He naturally felt a bit intimidated by their stature in comparison to his own..
Still he tried his best to project confidence. He had always been on the shorter side anyways, it never bothered him. "I have to grow powerful enough to stop them or I can never protect the precious few bonds I've struggled to forge in my time here. I refuse to be weak and helpless ever again. Like it or not we've all got a stake in what's to come." The old swordsman seemed annoyed by the brashness of the human being before him.
As Zar-Rhah studied the human and his energies he noticed how much he truly had changed over the last year. His genetic makeup had undergone a transformation on a cellular level, beginning to forge him a body capable of handling his rapidly increasing abilities.
"Very well.. It has been over fifteen years since I've trained another being that yet lives, and never in all my life has it been an outsider but.. this one time I shall make an exception. Do not disappoint me, boy." He demanded. Vincent for his part couldn't help but smirk in triumph.
As it was Vincent was beginning to reach a plateau in his growth as far as his efficiency was concerned. He could still create new skills if he put enough effort into it but oftentimes they were arbitrary and added very little benefit to his power overall. Maybe studying underneath Zar-Rhah he would at last he would learn what it truly meant to be a master of the sword and shield; a state of being that he was leagues away from despite his fairly high skill level.
He was sure that mastering his primary offensive and defensive abilities in the way the Black knight had, would cause his power to grow and evolve in an explosive way it hadn't yet. So far all of his boosts had been meager and countless hours of grinding apart. It was only because there were so damn many bonuses adding up together that his stats were as formidable as they were. If he had a more powerful base skill that was further amplified by his efficiency and plethora of skills… But first he needed more experience and knowledge to make the most use of his rapidly accumulating power.
With guidance he could expand upon that firm foundation he'd slowly built over the last three years. Beyond that there was also engraving, a whole new branch from which he could grow and gather more strength. He felt that learning from this master was the key to reaching the next tier of power. His eyes lit up in hunger and anticipation. He craved more power in a way he really hadn't ever experienced before.
In prior instances he really just wanted to grow more powerful so he wouldn't be crushed by the most insignificant creatures of the Nexus. But now that he'd had a taste of what it was like to stand at the top things had changed. Vincent was becoming drunk on the power that the system could provide. He wanted more. He wanted to test his limits and shatter them. He wanted to be the strongest..
The feelings the human man experienced while facing down the Fang of Flame was surpassed only by the emotions he'd known when he somehow won. He'd earned his right to exist. For once, endless possibilities stretched out within arm's reach before him. This confirmed that if Vincent tried hard enough, he could accomplish anything... The man had never felt more alive.
Looking down at his left hand, he clenched his fist in determination. "This is just the beginning.."