"Ughh." Nathaniel slowly opened his eyes, he blinked a couple times then sat up checking his surroundings. He was most likely in the guild hall he figured.
He slowly rubbed his temples. Calming down somewhat he clinched his fist however the immense strength brought him no joy.
" It's not enough. " His eyes gleamed as he pondered further. ' Right now I have somewhat of an idea of my power. I can't say I have mana or anti-magic, its more like a combination of the two. Both physical and cosmic. But right now I can only focus on one path. I need strength and specialization right now is the quickest way to get it. But which path to specialize in?'
" Lets leave it." Nathaniel got off the bed, after checking everything he left.
What welcomed him was an expansive hallway with a dozen doors, heading down the stairs he entered into the reception area. Like Rosewood village the large room had a reception desk, large cabinet of files and a massive board of quests. Few adventurers were silently choosing their quests.
" Ohh, you are awake." The male receptionist exclaimed, he was indeed surprised. Nathaniel had taken a beating few could recover from within a day.
" Yeah." He turned walking to the desk," Who was it? Who did this to me?" Nathaniel's voice was calm but his face slowly twisted as he thought back to the moment, his pleas and the rage on his face blossomed...
" Haa, I will tell you but first pay your treatment fee. 15 silver coins." Receptionist said shaking his head. His dismissive attitude laid bare.
" Bang!" The adventurers turned to the desk, 15 silver coins were firmly smashed on the table. Nathaniel was shaking at this point. HE was through, ' Fuck this shit. WHY do these fuckers keep thinking they can step on me like some rag?'
" Tell me." With a low tone Nathaniel said. " Who the fuck was it?! I am trying to reasonable but Arnold don't push me." He grit his teeth as he spoke breathlessly, mana flared up....
" Think it through." Was all Arnold said as his eyes narrowed. His friendly self lost. 'This dipshit. He needs more beating.' The condescending attitude of the nearby receptionist did not help either.
" Alright, alright ..." Nodding his head he continued, "I will think it through after I have killed all you son of a bitches on this fucking planet!" Magic circles appeared as Nathaniel prepared an onslaught.
" Hey, yo...ugh" " Crack." "Boom." " Ahhhh."
Civilians in the room screamed and like glass the shield covering Arnold was broken, his neck firmly in Nathaniel's grasp. Arnold turned blue as Nathaniel clenched his fingers about to snap his throat.
" Let him go!x4" Some pleaded attempting to diffuse the situation.
" Smack" " Smack x4" A fury of punches hit Arnold's nose," Cough-coug--" The hall become dead as only the sounds of Nathaniel's fist resounded as he kept hitting Arnold.
' These fuckers, everyone of them. Who the fuck do they think I am. I have been patient, calm and understanding but...' " No more. It seems you all understand one thing. Now tell me who the fuck was it?" Nathaniel's voice was now bordering insanity.
" Put him down, you fucker!" "Smack" "Ughh" Nathaniel blocked the incoming punch and was flung backwards.
" It's you!" This time he could see, her long black hair. The dark velvet armor and two sheathed long swords that sat on her waist. She looked no older than 25 but he knew better. A savage grin adorned his face.
" This is the guild you dipshit. Behave yourself or do you want me to educate you again on proper etiquette." Dorothy's words invoked Nathaniel's revulsion. " You bastards, I am gonna enjoy this." His strongest opponent thus far. Though he didn't know her rank, he could tell she was dangerous.
" You speak bold words weakling." She set aside her swords as her gauntlets clenched, " No one will save you this time." She exclaimed.
" There's no need. You will be dead!" Nathaniel stood forward his figure had more meat on it unlike when he came into the city.
He lunged forward throwing a fist, she rapidly dodged catching his extended arm and she threw him at the wall. " Booom" Wall fractures appeared but then she raced to the wall " Booom" Her fist dug into the wall. Nathaniel dodged her fist, his knee hit her stomach "ughh" She stumbled back.
" You can hit for a skinny freak." "ptuh" Nathaniel spit blood as he licked his bloodied lips.
A layer of anti-mana subconsciously covered him. " Come." He lunged again, unlike before he went for a fury of jabs. " Woosh" " Woosh" The wind fiercely parted.
Dorothy avoided his jabs with minimal movement, smirking in between.
" IDIOT. This is how you throw a fucking punch!" A right cross landed on Nathaniel's face. " SMACK." Rather stepping back, a left cross landed on her. " Ptuh" She spit blood. Her fingers wiping the blood. " Alright, die then."
Like an unleashed tiger, a canopy of fists blasted Nathaniel's figure. With each body shot he stumbled backwards. Overhead, sideways etc he had no retreat.
"Bang-Bang-Bang" Nathaniel also fired back, exchanging blow for blow. However it clear she had more experience than him.
" Bring it!" He kept punching, harder, faster, more.... Their exchanges lasted a few minutes as they separated from another. He ignored tearing sensation of his shoulders and his heavy arms. He was not through.
" Fuck" Nathaniel was vexed, he was landing his shots but he was also taking more significant damage.
What he didn't know was that his layer on anti-mana although it didn't damage her, it slowed her body's regeneration using mana.
This time she lunged at him, a forward kick pushed her back. ' I need to something.' He quickly looked at his bloodied hand . 'What is magic? It is essentially matter manipulation using mana. However precise visualization into what exactly is needed. ok, I got this.'
With a gentle surge of mana, ice materialized on his fists layering them. His naked fists now looked like they adorned gauntlets as the shape morphed from ice encasing his fists to rough gauntlets.
"Haa, I did it." He murmured, Visibly tired. His gaze redirected to her, she was stunned. Not by his mana manipulation but at his rank. It wasn't wrong to think that mana manipulation was dictated by visualization but the key was manipulation. Current magician systems aimed to heighten mana manipulation. To visualize and manifest magic exactly as visualized took decades of practice unless you have exceptional mana sensitivity even then you need control a cut above the rest but that aspect alone need experience.
" Alright, show me what you got." An overwhelming amount of force surged coating her and negating the tiny amount of anti-mana. She was about to use her aura.
" Lets stop here. Entertaining as it will be, that's enough!" A man in oversized clothes stepped between the two. His presence alone silenced the female knight's raging aura. He didn't look a day over 20. "Gulp" Many within the room felt suffocated by him. His presence though not overwhelming it was still, very still.
"A-" Her words were cut short by his smile. A chilling sensation washed over her. "Look at that. Someone saved you again weakling. " She picked up her swords and walked out of the hall.
" Nathaniel was it? There is no need for violence. Lets talk." The man spoke, his smile reassuring. He extended his hand for handshake.
" Fuck off." Nathaniel's words stopped Dorothy's steps. ' Ignorant bastard.' She immediately rushed at Nathaniel. Out the corner of his eye, he saw her and he clenched, a fist met her enraged self.
" BOOOM!" Her aura exploded sending shockwaves. " Rabid dogs need to be put down guild master." Dorothy was serious, in her mind Nathaniel deserved death and even it was not enough to atone for his actions, his words.
" Dorothy." The guild master spoke, " Leave us." "Tch" Annoyed Dorothy and everyone descended the stairs leaving the hall.
Nathaniel gazed at the man, his smile was dwarfed somewhat. No longer friendly. " I am going to warn you once." His tone raised Nathaniel's hairs.
" Leave." The man said.
" Yes." Nathaniel involuntarily responded. His back filled with trepidation.
Going down the stairs he saw Dorothy, she was staring at him. Her disgust towards him was palpable.
"Don't think I haven't figured out that someone leaked the coordinates of my teleportation scrolls. Here, you can have them." Throwing the scrolls, he left.
She merely huffed and turned to her team.
Back in the reception hall.
" Guild master..." Arnold's weak voice resounded. Withdrawing his hand, Lagos gazed at Arnold. " Clean yourself up, fucking weakling. " "Tik" "Tik" He tapped his fingers on the table. " Nathaniel was it? Its been a long time since I have killed someone unworthy." He turned to the mess and disappeared to the floors above.
Though it was subtle he had sense the disjoint feeling of mana around Nathaniel as if something was interfering with its flow.
Nathaniel walked the streets of Liberia feeling frustrated but his feeling did not halt his steps.
1 hour later....
After filling his stomach, he stood before a massive building adjacent to the city hall, it was the city library. He now had an idea of his ideal combat style, he just needed more info on it.
Stepping into the expansive building, towering book shelves drowned his figure as some floated and despite the plethora of people silenced reined.
He walked over to the information desk at the center of the first floor.
" Hello..." He said, the receptionist buried in his book hardly looked at him, " So?" The receptionist replied. Holding it in, " I need books on warrior and magician combat systems."
" Second floor, west wing. Just hold onto the floating orbs and think about what you want. It will come to you. 30 silver per hour." The man said in one breath.
Nathaniel placed 3 gold coins on the table. " 10 hours." Taking a time plague he left for the second floor.
(AN: 1000 Bronze coins= 1 silver coins, 100 silver coins= 1 gold coin. 1 mithril coin= 10 000 gold coins)
Having reached the second floor, he did as the receptionist said and 2 dozen books floated to him. He had place very little restriction on the kind of information he was looking for, not only how the fought but also enhancing elemental affinity and public theories developed by magicians.
( AN: The next chapter will involver a thorough out look on the combat system, monster ranking...Something for the reader to reference as the story progresses.
Any errors or questions, please let me know. :)