Y/n Pov
'What could O want?' For a moment I thought the worst, that he was breaking our deal due to not receiving anything from me for a month. Gamers Mind swiftly inhibited the panic I was close to having, letting me think with a clear mind. 'That wouldn't make sense, O said himself that he watched events unfold in several universes. Meaning he is quite patience, so a month is nothing to him.'
With a sigh of relief, I let curiosity got the best of me, mentally swiping the screen for the dungeon away for the time being, instead focusing on the message as I opened it.
'Hello again Y/n. The reason for this is message is simple. Consider it an investment, to aid in your growth.' A screen opened up beside it, showing a list of rewards consisting of skills, perks and a bunch of stat points. Ignoring it for the time being, I continued to read the message. 'I look forward to the mysteries you will uncover. May the odds be ever in your favor.'
The message closed as the screen with the rewards remained, looking over them closely, I couldn't help but smile. 'Quite the generous investment. Better get started.' Accepting the rewards, several screens popped up, showing the new skills and perks I got in greater detail, along with the number of stat points I had at my disposal, which was a little shocking.
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[Skills]
Resilience (Passive) - Lvl 1
Reduces Physical damage received by 10%. Increases to 25% when Hp falls below half.
Sprint - Lvl 1
Increases movement speed by 20%.
Mana Cost: 20 per second
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[Perks]
Darkvision - Grants the ability to see in the dark. Range 30 foot.
Physical Boost - Adds 5 points to Str and Agi for 1 minute when a critical hit is made. Usable once every 10 minutes.
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[Points]
+50 Stat Points
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Composing myself from the shock, I closed the screens to view my stats, wondering which ones I should add my points to. 'Should probably focus on my physical ones for the time being, I'll put some into the others when I get the chance.' After thinking it through, I decided on how to allocate my points.
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Str/Strength - 3 ---> 21
End/Endurance - 8 ---> 20
Agi/Agility - 2 ---> 15
Sen/Sense - 3 ---> 10
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Hp/Health Points - 150 ---> 1350
Happy with my decisions, I closed the screen. 'No time like the present, let's get to work.' Turning to the fountain, the dungeon screen returned. With a confident smile, I mentally pressed yes. The area around me began shifting, turning pitch black as the world disappeared. My eyes adjusted quickly, Darkvision already showing it's worth.
Before I was in a beautiful courtyard, but now I'm in a dreary cave, water dripping from stalactites on the ceiling, the walls covered in moss. Pulling the rusted machete from my inventory, I walked deeper into the dungeon. 'Should keep quiet, don't know what could be in this cave.' As I walked through the cave tunnels, a rumbling sound was heard, the ground shaking beneath my feet.
Sensing danger, I ducked into an alcove, holding my breath instinctively. Not a moment later, something big passed by, causing the ground to tremble more violently. It nearly took up the entire tunnel, moving at a fast pace. A crash shook the cave momentarily before the rumbling started again, growing distant with each second that passed. Letting out a relieved sigh, I exited the alcove.
'Glad that thing didn't notice me, fighting something so big in a tight space is suicide.' I continued walking, keeping my eyes and ears peeled for anything suspicious. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as a strange feeling crept into the air, sending a shiver down my spine. I swung the machete behind me, catching something off guard as I heard a loud hiss, the feeling growing more intense.
Spinning around, my eyes widened in surprise at the creature in front of me. A small lizard-like creature with a scaly black hide, yellow eyes staring daggers at me, blood dripped from its now missing tongue. It backed away slightly, seeming to gauge me as I did it. Seizing the chance, I use Observe on the strange creature.
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[Grimlizard]
Rank: E+
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'It doesn't feel as dangerous as the thing from before. Should be easy enough.' As I thought this, the Grimlizard hissed, pouncing toward me. It's claws barely missed me as I ducked, swinging the machete upward and slicing through its underbelly. The monster let out a gurgling screech as I pulled the blade free, its blood staining the rusted steel.
It lunged at me again, jaws snapping shut as I dodged to the side. Using the momentum, I stabbed the machete through its skull, silencing it forever. Its body collapsed in a heap, dissipating into black smoke moments later. Once the body vanished, I heard the System ring, and a notification appeared.
[You have Leveled up!]
'Felt way too easy, but O did give me a head start. Well, not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth.' Checking the screen, I saw all my stats increase by one each, which was too be expected. 'Not bad, but I know levelling up will get slower from here. Might as well kill anything I come across, but that thing...' It was quite fast for something so large, the crash it caused was probably its body slamming into a wall.
''The rumbling suggests its heavy, which means it must be slow but once it gets momentum, it will be hard to stop.' I let out a groan, not looking forward to fighting it. Not wanting to waste time, I ran through the caves, my senses spread out to detect any enemies. A few Grimllizard tried to ambush me, but they were slain as fast as they appeared. After killing around a dozen, my level had gone up a bit, but it was still a slow process.
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Level - 5
Hp - 1750/1750
Mp - 450/450
Str - 25
End - 24
Agi - 19
Int - 19
Wis - 16
Lck - 9
Sen - 14
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Looking over my stats, I knew I would start putting points into Intelligence when I gained a magic related skill. 'Wonder if there is anything else in this dungeon, Grimlizards don't give much of a challenge.' As if to answer my question, a soft tapping caught my attention, it was outside my vision range, but I could tell it was getting closer. My eyes widen as a shiver momentarily goes down my back, my grip on the machete tightening.
A long, thin, dark leg came into view, followed by a second, then a third and fourth until the face followed after. 'Why did I have to jinx myself?!' The spider was around the size of a dog, if not bigger, its eyes blood red, mandibles twitching, a hissing noise coming from the back of its throat. Despite the giant arachnid remaining still, its blood red eyes locked onto me, I still heard the tapping coming from behind it.
Thats when horror nearly crept in as more legs appeared, all belonging to another spider just as big as the first, with more hiding in the darkness. 'Great, there is more of them. Why did I have to jinx it?!' I shook the thought out of my head, knowing I had to act. Not wanting to take chances, I pulled the 9mm from my inventory carefully while using Observe on the monsters.
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[Mirage Widow]
Rank: D
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Following the same train of thought, I activated Sprint, the effects almost instant as I moved. 'I can only use this for so long, have to make the most of it.' The spider lunged at me, it's jaws open. I took the chance and shot two bullets into its mouth, the loud noise echoing off the cave walls. It squealed, prompting the others to charge forward.
Using the cave to my advantage, I bounce off the walls, slicing any and all limbs in sight, blood covering the ground and walls. I used the 9mm when needed, but the arachnid's numbers kept increasing. 'How many fucking spiders are in this dungeon?!?!' It made no sense to me, by now a minute had passed and I already killed seven of them, and I was starting to get tired.
I could hear the clicking sounds from their mandibles as they grew impatient, lunging at me recklessly. I dodged and parried as many attacks as I could, until I was hit from behind and fell as another spider pounced, its mandibles clenched hard around my arm. "Fuck!" I yelled in pain, trying to ignore the burning sensation in my arm.
[Widow Venom afflicted! -5 Hp a sec]
[Hp - 1545/1750]
'Fuck, gotta get it off me now!' Aiming the 9mm, I unloaded several rounds into it, yet its grip didn't loosen. Seeing the machete close, I dropped the 9mm, gripping the handle tightly, stabbing the blade into its eyes repeatedly. As it went limp, I saw two notifications from the System appear, one I couldn't but grin at while the other gave some clarity on the situation.
[Physical Boost activated! +5 to Str and Agi]
[You have Leveled up!]
"I see now. Your name makes a lot of sense now." A grin spread across my face as I stood, blood dripping from my arm as I held the bloody machete, 9mm held in the other. Focusing my senses more, I was able to see past the illusions and find the real spiders, not just the false copies. "Let's get this party started!" The Mirage Widows couldn't keep up with me now, the boost in stats was just the edge I needed.
The only issue I had was the venom affecting me, my Resilience being triggered after a bit, but since the Mirage Widows could no longer touch me, it wasn't needed. The fake copies were quickly disposed followed by a few of the real ones. The main difference between them was their durability, the fakes took little effort to cut apart while the real ones needed far more effort. The fakes also didn't give any experience either.
[You have Leveled up! X3]
[Gamers Body has purged Widow Venom]
[Hp - 865/2150]
The burning sensation in my arm had faded, much to my relief. Three Mirage Widows were all that was left, each one badly wounded and unable to fight, I chuckled a bit while spinning the machete, blood dripping off it. Before I could go in for the kill, the cave began to rumble, the spiders hissing in fear.
'Now of all times!? There isn't anywhere for me to hide!' Seeing nothing within Darkvision range, I pull the flashlight from my inventory, switching it on and scanning the tunnel. On the cave ceiling, I saw a gap big enough for someone to fit in, just. 'Better than nothing, might as well risk it.'
Using the Mirage Widow like a springboard, I leapt into the air, using my free hand to grip the edge of the opening. With a grunt, I heaved myself up, just in time as the walls began to shake before stopping with a loud crash, the hissing of the spiders becoming quiet. Crunching and tearing sounds could be heard, I ignored it as I took the time to tend to my arm, wrapping the wound in some bandages, cleaning the wound best I could with what little water I had.
Curiosity got the best of me, so I slowly peaked over the edge of the gap. Using the flashlight to shine a light, my jaw nearly dropped at the sight. It was the same giant creature from earlier, only this time I could see it clearly. It was like a merger of an alligator snapping turtle and ankylosaurus, spikes protruding from its back and tail, sharp teeth ripping into the spiders, the sickening crunching noises echoing off the walls.
In my shock, I dropped the flashlight, its light illuminating the cave below. The creatures gaze fell upon the light, allowing me to get a better look. Its shell was a dull gray color, with moss and a strange green slime clinging to it. It's skin was a dirty yellow, the spikes and teeth a mix of green and gray. Seeing no better chance, I use Observe.
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[Kralock]
Rank: D+
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'Definitely the boss monster, not surprising.' The Kralock growled softly before crushing the last Mirage Widow. It started to walk away, slowly gaining speed until the cave began to rumble till it grew distant. Dropping back into the cave, I retrieved the flashlight, turning it off to save the battery. 'I'm still too weak. Might as well grind a few more levels before taking it on.'
Narrator Pov
With a plan set, Y/n spent a few hours running through the tunnels, killing any Grimlizard or Mirage Widow he came across. His level finally reached 14, though he wanted to continue the grind. While looking over the random drops the monsters gave his, his attention was drawn to an interesting drop.
[Concentrated Widow Venom]
Rank: D
A concentrated form of Widow Venom. Can be applied to weapons.
'That's useful, might work on the Kralock.' As He put it back in his inventory, he leaned back slightly, avoiding the tongue of a Grimlizard. Swiftly, he grabs it by the extended tongue and pulled, smashing his fist into its face. Its body hit the ground hard as it dissipated into black smoke. Sensing another threat behind, he threw the machete, the blade embedding into the face of a Mirage Widow before spin kicking it, sending the body flying into the wall.
[You have Leveled up!]
[Daily quest reward Pending]
Pulling the machete free, he cleaned the blood of it while looking over the notifications. "Nearly forgot about that, no point in waiting. Accept." With the five stat points in hand, he opened the stat screen to see his progress so far. After some thought, he poured the points into Wisdom to increase his Mana.
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Level - 15
Hp - 2750/2750
Mp - 1950/1950
Str - 35
End - 34
Agi - 29
Int - 29
Wis - 31
Lck - 19
Sen - 24
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'Looks decent enough, might as well get it over with. Can't put it off forever.' After a brief mental break, he followed the distant rumbling which only grew stronger. It stopped as he reached a tunnel he hadn't been through yet, his hand trembled a bit, gripping the machete tightly. 'No going back now, no point in wasting time.'
Taking a deep breath, he walked through the tunnel, glancing at the machete as he did, several chips and cracks were evident. 'This won't last much longer. And I only have 10 bullets left. Make them count. Hmm?' His train of thought was interrupted as he reached a dead end, the only signs of the Kralock coming this way were the cracks in the ground it left in its charge.
"Where the big bastard go?" Kneeling down with the flashlight in hand, he looked around the floor for any hints, a slimy substance catching his attention. 'Could this be...' Looking closer it seemed like a trail, as he followed it with the light, it made its way up the wall and into a large hole just above. His eyes widened, dropping the flashlight as fight or flight kicked in. 'Fuck!'
Like a blur, the Kralock dropped down, shattering the ground where he previously stood. It didn't give up though, swinging its tail and hitting him hard, sending him flying through the wall and into a new separate tunnel. He crashed hard to the ground, the wind knocked out of his lungs, pain shooting throughout his entire body.
[Hp - 2139/2750]
'Glad I leveled up before fighting this thing. Could've been worse.' Slowly, he lifted himself off the ground, catching his breath, the machete had shattered, only the handle with a bit of the blade remained. "Oh, come on!" Glancing at the human-sized hole, the Kralock glared through it before trying to break the wall down.
He knew if he just ran it would catch up once it got through, taking the chance and pulling out the 9mm, firing off four shots, three of which hit its tough skin, dealing very little damage, the last shot hit its eye however, making it roar in pain. "That's right, you ugly fuck!" Enraged, it put more effort in breaking through the wall, not wanting to stay and see how long it took, he ran.
It wasn't for long however, coming to stop at another dead end, only hope in the form of light shined through the literal cracks in the wall. 'Better than nothing!' Holding the broken machete in a reverse grip, he began to chip away at the wall, slowly making the cracks bigger. A loud crack echoed throughout the cave as the Kralock finally broke through the wall, letting out an earth-shaking roar.
'Come on!' He began punching the wall with his free hand, putting all his strength into breaking or tearing off a chunk of rock. While his progress was slow, the Kralock was moving quickly, each step shaking the ground. The crack was opened wide enough to catch a glimpse of the other side, an open cavern with glowing rocks in the wall.
Sensing the Kralock growing closer, he knew there wouldn't be enough time to widen the gap more, so a change in tactics was needed. Taking the Concentrated Widow Venom, he applied it to what remained of the blade, coating the jagged end in a thick layer of venom. "Just a bit more." Mumbled to himself, the Kralock drawing near. Sensing it was close enough, he thrust the machete forward just as the Kralock entered his range of sight.
Blood dripping down from its wounded eye, while the other brimmed with hatred. The cracked wall gave way, breaking off in chunks as he was sent flying, the Kralock following just behind. Pain shot through him internally, blood coming out his mouth, but despite that, he wore a large grin.
[Hp - 1253/2750]
[Resilience activated! Physical damage reduced by 25%]
[Kralock has been afflicted with Concentrated Widow Venom! -20 Hp a sec]
[Physical Boost activated! +5 Str and Agi]
Seeing the notification, his perception of time slowed as his eyes darted to the now blinded Kralock, blood and venom staining the shards of the fully shattered machete. 'Now or never!' The moment he touched the ground, he rushed forward, using Sprint to build up momentum. Despite being blind, the Kralock still had its heighted sense of hearing. As it turned, Y/n's fist slammed into the side of its armored shell.
He wasn't surprised to have bounced off, leaving only a dent while his hand throbbed in pain. 'Damn, that hurts.' It tried to swing its tail but missed as he jumped over it. Not wanting his boost to go to waste, he unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, only stopping to avoid the snapping jaws or tail aimed at him. He had thought of shouting a certain battle cry, but knew it wasn't the time for it.
Cracks had formed on the shell, but his fists were beginning to ache from the strain. The venom was doing its job though, slowly eating away at its health, but this didn't mean it was slowed down in anyway. Y/n switched dodging once his boost wore off, clicked his tongue in anger at how little damage he had dealt. 'I can't keep going like this. Need a different approach.'
A thought struck him as he looked up, noticing the stalactites hanging above, being composed of rock and metal, with one standing out among them. Leaping back, he dodged the jaws as they snapped shut, then he rushed forward, using the Kralock's head as a springboard. Jumping off it, his hand gripped the tip of a stalactite, just barely hanging onto the metal spike.
The Kralock growled, snapping its jaws and swinging its tail around in an attempt to find him, completely unaware of his current position. As he pulled himself up, the Kralock stopped moving, sniffing the air for any scent, a low growl coming from its throat. He slowly moved across the stalactites, careful not to alert it.
Once he reached his target, he let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. 'This one should be heavy enough to kill it, or at least break that damn shell.' He didn't waste time and punched the base with everything he had. It didn't budge. He winced a bit, noting it was tougher then the Kralock's shell. He ignored the pain and looked down at the Kralock, seeing it still looking around, growling in anger.
His focus was shifted elsewhere, a mental nudge pushing him to look at his legs, his Sprint skill flashing in his vision. 'What does that have to do with anything?' He thought before a familiar sensation filled his mind, urging him to remember the feeling the skill gave. 'This sensation, it's you, the being O said was dormant.' He felt it pulse in his head, before pushing him to remember.
Following its advice, he remember how it felt at first, the mana required for the skill being pushed into his legs. The pulse grew stronger, making him focus on his arms. He smirked slightly, mentally thanking the being as the sensation cleared. 'Let's try this then.' Focusing on his mana, he pushed it into his arms, the tingling sensation growing stronger until a new notification appeared.
[New Skill acquired! Mana Infusion]
He ignored the screen, making a mental note to check the skill later. Taking a deep breath, he struck the base of the stalactite again, only this time a large crack formed, making the Kralock aware of his presence. The crack grew slowly, the weight of the stalactite worked against it. Y/n cursed under his breath, seeing that single strike took more Mana than he thought.
[Mp - 1650/1950]
Seeing he could damage the stalactite, his plan changed a bit, dropping down with mana flowing to his arms. He lowered the amount of mana used, curious if it would work, he would see soon. Once he landed, the Kralock was already upon him, jaws wide open. Ducking under, he aimed his fist up, right at the bottom of the Kralock's chin.
Its head reeled back, the mana imbued uppercut staggering the creature. Before it could recover, Y/n struck the shell with his other fist, breaking a part of it off. Looking at his mana, he saw it both strikes had only taken a hundred each. 'Not bad, this could work.' The Kralock roared, swinging its tail at him, narrowly missing as Y/n jumped back.
The distance between them grew, the Kralock readying itself to charge, Y/n glanced at the stalactite as the crack spread halfway. 'See if I can speed it up.' Now focused on the Kralock, he gestured for it to come, taunting it. Despite being blind, its other senses picked up on him, charging with a deafening roar. Just before it reached him, he stepped to the side, mana surged in his arm before striking it in the face, making the beast stagger and hit the wall.
As the cave shook, Y/n noticed the crack had spread further, small bits falling off as it swayed, indicating it would fall soon. 'Worked better than I thought, have to time it just right.' As the Kralock recovered, Y/n charged most of his mana into his arm and leg, patiently waiting. The Kralock didn't wait and charged again, its mouth open and ready to chomp down.
Y/n charged as well, but at the last second, he slid under the Kralock, a smirk on his face as his fist connected with its leg. As it tripped, he performed a round kick from the ground, the impact landing the Kralock on its back, just under the falling stalactite. With a thunderous crash, the stalactite cracked its shell as it pierced right through, impaling the Kralock.
[You have Leveled up! X4]
[You have acquired items]
Y/n stood slowly, his hand shaking a bit as his leg throbbed, but that didn't stop him from grinning. Relief washed over him as the System screen opened, falling on his back, laughing to himself.
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[Kuoh hospital Dungeon Cleared!]
[Main Quest cleared!]
[Daily Quests cleared!]
[Secret Quest: Prove your worth has been cleared!]
[Rewards will be granted shortly]
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Sitting up, Y/n noted the cavern began to shift, breaking away to show the courtyard again, the sun shining above. 'So the dungeon will disappear once I've killed the boss, good to know in case I wanna grind for a bit.' Getting up, he stretched a bit before noticing his ruined clothes. "Damn it, I just got these as well." Sighing, he sat on a bench nearby as his rewards appeared.
The main and daily quest rewards were given first, being set aside for later as Y/n couldn't help but be curious about this secret quest.
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[Secret Quest: Prove your worth]
Rewards: 20 Stat Points, D-Rank armor, 10 Skill Points, 10 Perk Points
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Y/n's eyes widened, his jaw dropped at the sight of his rewards. 'Note to self, secret quests give amazing rewards.' After accepting the rewards, he opened his inventory to check the armor, only to stop once he saw how cluttered it was. He decided to take care of this issue now, separating his quest rewards from the monster drops, the only exception was the Kralock's drops.
'Now how to get rid of them, don't think the hospital will like finding parts of large lizards or spiders in their dumpsters.' While going over his options, he remembered the shop in the System, pulling it up and finding the option to sell items. After selling the items and getting around two thousand gold coins, which seemed to be the currency for the shop.
He decided to browse it for a moment, noting there was tabs for Weapons, Armor, Potions and Miscellaneous. After a bit of scrolling, he came across a repair kit, only costing 100 gold coins, in the Miscellaneous tab, the description saying it could repair any clothing, no matter how damaged. 'Saves me getting questioned and finding new clothes.' After buying it, the prompt came up asking if he would like to use it, already mentally clicking yes.
The clothing repaired quickly, all the tears and holes fixing themselves, not a trace left of their former damage. 'Now I can check the armor, after that I can sort my stats.' He thought, checking the D-Rank Armor.
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[Kralock Shell Armor]
[Rank: D] [Item Type: Chestplate]
Attacks from behind are reduced by 10%
+15 End
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It held a similar appearance to leather armor in fantasy, only pieces of the Kralock's shell were added on, protecting the wearer without losing too much mobility. Equipping the armor, Y/n noted how it fit him perfectly and almost weighed nothing. 'Decent, but I should take it off for now, don't want people to think I'm cosplaying a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.' Before he put it away, a nurse called out to him, catching him off guard momentarily.
"There you are, Y/n. Doctor Hasegawa asked if we could do another X-ray, just to ensure your healing properly." With Gamers Mind composing him, he nodded before following the nurse. He was slightly puzzled as to why she didn't comment on the armor until he looked down, seeing the armor wasn't there anymore, yet he could still feel it and a quick look at his stats showed the bonus was still present.
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Y/n L/n
Title - none
Race - ???
Job/class - none
Sub-class - none
Sacred gear - none
Level - 18
Hp - 3050/3050
Mp - 2250/2250
Str - 38
End - 37 (+15)
Agi - 32
Int - 32
Wis - 34
Lck - 22
Sen - 27
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'I should learn more about the System later, might be useful.' As he went to get the X-rays done, he made a mental note to sort his stats out before opening the weapon box, hoping a higher Luck stat would help.
Timeskip - Y/n Pov
Three days have passed since I finished the dungeon, I was let out the next day after a quick checkup. Chisato stating because I had no present issues, they had no reason to hold me, but to still take it easy. Not a problem for me, the System seemed to be going easy on me, the daily quests being the same for the past three days.
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[Daily Quest - Pursuit of Strength]
Push-ups - [83/100]
Sit-Ups - [100/100]
Squats - [0/100]
Run - [0/10Km]
Rewards: Status Recovery, +3 Stat, Skill and Perk points
Failure: Penalty Zone
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'84...85...86...87...' After I finished my push-ups, I grabbed the water bottle beside me, taking a sip as I sat down on my bed. 'Only half of the requirements left, though I am curious as to what this Penalty Zone is.' While I was curious, I avoided failing the quest on purpose, one reason being I wanted the rewards and another, I didn't want to worry my mother again, she was stressed enough.
While I was still at the hospital, I used Observe on several people and items to level it up and learn more about the skill. Most items were given the rank of Junk, also showing a brief description. People were given no rank, but they were all given a description, most being a name and age. Though there was one strange occurrence when I tried it on Chisato, it still gave her name, but...
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Chisato Hasegawa
Age: Ẹ̶͝r̷̜͝r̷͍̅ō̵̭r̷͚̃
Rank: Ẹ̶͝r̷̜͝r̷͍̅ō̵̭r̷͚̃
Race: Ẹ̶͝r̷̜͝r̷͍̅ō̵̭r̷͚̃
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I was shocked at first, but after composing myself I tried again, only to see the same results. 'It was quite strange, but I'll leave it for now. Better to focus on something else. Now what was I thinking of?' I sighed a bit, the result of not doing anything interesting, like the dungeon, for the past few days had led me to boredom, the Daily Quests being a distraction.
"I would spend the day with mom, but she is at work. I still need to pay her back for everything she has done." My mind wandered a bit, going over different options before deciding on a simple one. 'I could make dinner, be a nice surprise for when she gets back.' With a plan in mind, I headed into the kitchen, grabbing the cookbook from the shelf.
'Should make it simple, not trying to impress Gordan Ramsay. Bet he would call a novice like me an idiot sandwich.' After flipping through the book a bit, I found her favorite dish, one she would only make for special occasions. "Exceptions can be made however, just gotta follow the instructions." I said to myself, checking around to see a few ingredients were missing. 'Quick visit to the store, maybe I can finish the Run part as well.'
While grabbing my wallet, I opened the System shop, scrolling down to an accessory in the Armor tab. 'I wanna do something fun and this should help.' A kitsune mask appeared in my hand, an E-Rank item which only cost me 500 gold coins, which was a bargain compared to how pricy the other E-Rank items were.
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[Kitsune Mask]
[Rank: E] [Item Type: Accessory]
Adheres to the user's face, can't be removed unless the user wants to
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As I equipped the mask, it perfectly adhered to my face, moving with it and feeling like a second skin. I checked in the mirror to confirm if the mask was invisible like the armor, which thankfully it was not. "Time for some fun." As I walked out the door, I checked to see if anyone was around, my Sense stat helping, confirming no one was nearby.
Grinning under the mask, I charge mana into my legs before leaping to the top of a nearby house. After pulling my hood up, I took off, jumping from building to building. As the wind flowed past, my grin widened as the excitement grew, even laughing a bit as I did. 'Mana Infusion has more versatility than expected.'
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Mana Infusion - Lvl 1
Mana is infused into the user's body, giving a boost to Physical abilities, defense and Magic defense. Boost is proportionate to the amount of Mana used. Focus is needed to maintain the boost, if not it will fade after a single use.
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It did take some time, but I could comfortably maintain the skill while moving around. I also figured out that while the boost was lost once my focus slipped, the mana used was put toward the action it was lost on, thus enhancing it further. 'Bad thing is it eats through my mana, so really it's better to maintain it.' After a small detour, which covered more than half of the run requirement, I reached the store. Dropping into an alley, the mask went invisible as I head in.
As I grabbed the ingredients needed, I remember a few ingredients being wrote in, particularly just to make an extra spicy version of it. 'She did say work has been stressing her out, maybe the extra spice will help.' Once I got everything needed, I left the store, placing my shopping into the inventory.
As I made my way back, I took another detour only through the streets this time, since the mask wasn't visible, people didn't pay me any mind, though I was also holding back on the speed a bit. 'So glad Mana Infusion doesn't affect my base speed, this is just more practice at this point.' While running however, I came across one of the old shrines, though I never paid any mind to them, this one was different.
"A quick visit won't hurt..." I mumbled, heading towards the shrine. As I stepped past the torii gate, nostalgia hit me as I noticed how little it changed. It brought a smile to my face, memories from the past flashing in my mind. 'Still remember how you dragged me here.' I thought, remembering the time my sister and I came here together, it was a nice day.
While walking along the path, I reminisced about the past. Sitting under the Sakura tree, enjoying the peace and quiet as the wind blew through. Giving donations, making a wish, all the little things I would do with her, the smile on her face brightening my day. "Might as well." Taking some money out, I placed it in the donation box before kneeling at the shrine.
'Don't know what to wish for, haven't believed in wishes since that day, but...' Closing my eyes, I clapped my hands together and prayed. 'If there is someone up there, I hope you can grant this single wish. Please let everyone be happy.' With that, I opened my eyes, a sense of calm washing over me as I stood up. The peace was soon broken as the System beeped, a new quest being assigned.
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[Sudden Quest! Exorcise the Spirit]
The shrine you entered has been plagued by a vengeful spirit, who seeks the death of those who enter. You have been chosen to banish the spirit.
Rewards: 10 Stat Points, Knowledge Book, Friendly relation with ???
Failure: Destruction of the shrine
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As I read the prompt, I grit my teeth in annoyance, glaring at the screen. "Of all the places, why now?" Sensing a malicious intent coming from the shrine, I took a deep breath, pulling my new weapon out as the mask appeared, the sword fitting comfortably in my hand. "Let's do this."
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[Monolith]
[Rank: C-] [Item Type: Greatsword]
35 Dmg + Str
A greatsword made from an unknown material, very durable and resilient but also heavy
50 Strength needed to wield the blade in one hand
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Y/n L/n
Title - none
Race - ???
Job/class - none
Sub-class - none
Sacred gear - none
Level - 18
Hp - 3750/3750
Mp - 2250/2250
Str - 51
End - 44 (+15)
Agi - 32
Int - 32
Wis - 34
Lck - 35
Sen - 35
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"Good thing I put points into Strength, this thing is heavy as is." I muttered, facing the shrine as I gripped the handle tighter. The spirit didn't waste time, the moment it had taken shape, it was already rushing toward me, a spear forming in its hands. I dodged to the side, swinging the sword at the spirit's back, though it showed no reaction as the blade cut into it. With distance between us, Observe was swiftly put to use.
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[Wrathful Spirit]
Rank: C
Race: Apparition
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It turned toward me, the spear ready to impale me, but a swift dodge saved me. The spirit didn't falter, swinging the spear wildly as it followed my every move. "Persistent, aren't ya?" It only responded with a snarl, lunging at me. I evaded it easily, but it vanished in that instance as well, though I could still sense its malice. 'No point in hiding when you can't hide your bloodlust, dumbass.'
Feeling it reform behind me, I swung my blade around, aiming for its head. Instead, the blade passed through it, the spirit screeching as the spear pierced my arm. I backed off quickly, surprised with how much damage it had done. 'Took over a sixth of my Health, the damage should be reduced by my Endurance, but it felt like it didn't.' Focusing back on the fight, I kept Monolith raised.
The spirit lunged, thrusting the spear at me, but as I blocked, it phased through the blade. 'Shit.' As the spear neared my shoulder, I threw a punch with my free hand, and surprisingly, it hit. The spirit recoiled, backing away as I saw what looked like black blood ooze from its mouth. 'Monolith passed through it each time, dealing no damage, so why did a normal punch do something?'
While I was confused, the spirit was furious, vanishing again, its bloodlust increasing tenfold. 'Starting to get annoyed with that whole vanish trick, feels like I'm surrounded by Mana when it does.' It clicked instantly; I had been maintaining Mana Infusion the entire time. "Makes sense, a mana-based being can only be harmed when mana is applied." To confirm my theory, once the spirit reformed, I used Sprint to close the distance instantly, focusing more mana into my fist.
The spirit tried to back away, but was too slow, my fist hitting it square in the chest. It let out a gut-wrenching scream, the force throwing it against the shrine. It wasn't finished, the rage within it only increasing, it charged at me again. While I couldn't apply Mana Infusion to Monolith, the new skill I got along with it could be used.
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[Mana Edge]
Applies a mana layer to any weapon, adding magic damage equal to half of a weapons base damage.
Mana cost: 500 on activation, 50 per second after
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Once Monolith had the purple outline, the spirit halted its charge, backing off instead. "You can sense it right, your demise at hand." Not wanting to waste any more time, I rushed the spirit, the blade leaving a purple streak. It backed away, fear etched into its face as Monolith cut into it. Every cut, slash and stab was met with resistance, the spirit's movements becoming slower and more erratic.
Overcome with rage, it let out an ear-shattering shriek, the malice from it becoming visible as it grew in size. "Throwing a tantrum now, are we?" The spirit didn't hear nor care, taking a swipe at me, only destroying the ground as I dodged. It followed after me, attacking in a blind rage, only a few opportunities to attack arose, each attack driving the spirit deeper into madness.
The spirit didn't give in however, taking a slash to the chest before grabbing Monolith, halting any attempts to move the sword. It grinned down at me, black blood pouring from its mouth. I smirked up at it, catching it by surprise. "You can hold it for now, I don't need it for the finisher." It caught on swiftly, sensing the mana infused in my hands grow, its grin quickly turned to a fearful grimace.
It couldn't react in time, a flurry of blows rained down on it. Every hit dealt more and more damage, the spirit's form beginning to break down, cracks forming across its body. Before the final strike could be delivered, I heard a faint cry from within it, my fist halting an inch from its face.
The cries slowly grew louder, becoming clear to me, the sound of a child. "Mommy...mommy please help me..." Focusing on the spirit intently, I saw a vague outline within it, the form of a child. As the spirit tried to cover the cracks, I saw the annoyed and angered look in its eyes, not even a hint of the child within. 'This thing is keeping the kid captive, must be a parasite to ghosts.'
Tearing Monolith from its grasp, I swung the blade several times, cutting around the vague form of the child. It didn't take any damage, but the spirit did. It shrieked, trying to keep a grip on the child until I reached in and pulled the child out, kicking the spirit into the wall. Now free, the child looked up at me, fear still in her eyes. "Don't worry, I'm here to help. What's your name?"
"K-Keiko..." She stuttered out, gripping my hand tightly as I set Monolith down. The spirit had recovered, pulling itself together before letting out another ear-piercing shriek. 'This guy is really getting on my nerves.' Keiko whimpered as she covered her ears, her form shaking. "Close your eyes Keiko, and when you open them again, this thing will be gone." I reassured her, turning to face the spirit.
She didn't look convinced, yet my tone of voice seemed to give her hope. As she closed her eyes, I grit my teeth beneath the mask, my anger growing as the spirit glared at us. Gamers Mind kept my mind calm, not letting the anger blind my judgment. 'No time for fancy tricks, best way is just brute force.' With that, I used Sprint, appearing in front of the spirit, or as it was now called, Minor Curse.
----------------------------------
[Minor Curse]
Rank: C
Race: Apparition
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I didn't hold anything back, punch after punch, kick after kick, the curse couldn't retaliate, only able to shield itself as it took the full force of the attacks. It did the same vanish trick again, but the moment it emerged, I was already upon it, a strong blow sending it flying. The curse couldn't take anymore, shrieking once more, not in anger, but fear.
"Shut the hell up." I growled, slamming it to the ground, a small crater forming from the impact. As it groaned in pain, I picked Monolith up, applying Mana Edge to it before holding the blade above my head. The curse spotted Keiko, who was still keeping her eyes closed and covering her ears, a wide grin forming on its face as it tried to rush her instead.
"No. You. Don't." The curse couldn't react, a swift and forceful strike cleaved it in two, the sound of thunder following the blow. A moment passed before I gently shook Keiko, opening her eyes slowly to only see me, no evidence of the curse left. "Is it gone?" She asked, tears threatening to fall. I gave a nod as I knelt down to her, she wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my chest as she sobbed heavily.
I held her close, whispering words of comfort. I glanced at the damage done to the shrine and surrounding area, wincing slightly. 'Sorry sis, wasn't able to keep it pristine...' My thoughts were cut off as the System beeped, all the damage that was there before seemed to vanish, like the battle never happened. 'Was it all fake? No, otherwise Keiko would have vanished as well. More to the System than I thought.'
"You alright?" Keiko's sniffling brought me back, looking down at her, she nodded weakly, rubbing her eyes. "Y-yeah, just a little scared." I couldn't help but chuckle, wiping her tears away. "Well, you were brave, and the big scary ghost is gone." That put a small smile on her face, hugging me tightly once again. "Thank you, mister. That meanie said no one would help me, but you did."
I ruffled her hair gently, a smile forming under the mask. After storing Monolith away, I picked scooped Keiko up in my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. 'What to do now? The shrine is repaired and the spirit dead, maybe helping Keiko is another secret quest? Wait a minute, I didn't get a notification, meaning the quest wasn't completed!' Snapping from my thoughts, I sensed malice once again, quickly dodging with Keiko still in my arms.
'How the hell is it still alive, I cut the damn thing in half!' Looking back, the curse was there, though its body was in worse shape. Keiko's grip tightened, her trembling returning as the curse snarled at us. It was far more ferocious than before and judging from the amount of bloodlust it was emitting; it didn't care about getting Keiko anymore. It was focused solely on killing.
Despite its new ferocity, I was able to sense where it was going to strike, using its own bloodlust to my advantage. That combined with the wounds that slowed it down, I was able to keep pace while ensuring Keiko's safety. 'I can't attack it and protect Keiko at the same time, plus it could just take a blow and counter. What do I do?' The curse wouldn't stop, no matter how many times I dodged, it kept coming.
Tired of chasing me, the curse shrieked loudly, its form changing as the bloodlust increased. 'That doesn't seem good.' In an instant, the curse had covered the distance, just grazing Keiko's hair. My eyes widened at the speed it gained, my thoughts racing to catch up. The curse didn't stop there, the next strike came faster, slicing into the mask. Keiko started crying again, scared that the next attack would hit her.
As the next one came in, a wall of flames appeared in the way, the curse's hand being burnt before it backed away, shrieking in pain. As it did, I sensed a strong presence before looking at the source, a black-haired woman in a red school outfit stood at the torii gate, a small, fiery bird in her hand as she scowled at the curse.
[Image Here]
Sensing no hostility from her, I placed Keiko down before telling her to go over. She hesitated for a moment, but went over regardless. 'That was close, that attack would have done some damage, or worse, killed Keiko.' Turning back to the curse, I saw it recover from the burns, though they weren't healed. "Really starting to piss me off, thought I saved Keiko by cutting you half, my mistake..."
The curse didn't pay any mind, rushing forward again, only to be struck with a burst of fire, the woman scowling further. Monolith appeared in my hand once more, the purple outline returning. "This time... I'll cut you down completely." As the curse was about to snarl at me, I had already cut its arm clean off, spinning round to slash it across the back. The curse screamed in agony, the flames that erupted from beneath it not doing any favors.
As it stumbled back, I was upon it, slashing it several times, each time dealing a significant amount of damage. It didn't take long until it fell, the curse unable to move as the wounds bled profusely. The woman had moved over, Keiko now standing behind me, gripping my jacket tightly. The curse turned to glare at me, snarling quietly in anger and frustration.
I was about to raise Monolith to cut it down, but was stopped as the woman placed her hand on my arm, shaking her head. "Allow me, I know exactly how to deal with this." With a slight nod, I lowered my blade but kept it out, keeping a firm grip on it just in case. The mana she focused slowly turned pure; the curse stared at her in fear as the flames made a pentagram with it in the center.
As the flames grew larger, the woman began chanting, the pentagram gained a soft light, slowly growing brighter. Keiko hid behind me, the bright light proving to be too much. I kept a vigilant eye on the curse, who was screaming in pain and frustration. My skill was quickly put to use, Observe providing info on her.
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[Suzaku Himejima]
Age: 18
Rank: C-
Race: Human
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'Decent rank for someone my age, quite adept at magic as well.' Suzaku continued her chant, the curse began thrashing around violently, but couldn't break out of the circle. It wasn't long until it was engulfed in a bright light, the flames vanishing as Suzaku let out a deep breath. "It's over." With that, the curse was gone, no trace of its existence left besides the items the System gave.
[You have Leveled up!]
[You have acquired items]
Seeing that the one for her suffering was now gone, Keiko ran up to Suzaku, wrapping her arms around the older woman. "Thank you, miss, the bad man is gone now." Suzaku smiled gently, patting the young girl's head. "I'm glad you're okay, a poor soul like you shouldn't be forced to suffer." She then looked over at me, offering the same smile. "You did quite well against the curse, thank you for protecting her."
I simply shrugged, waving her gratitude off. "Don't thank me, I could have harmed her had I not heard her Keiko." Keiko quickly ran to me, hugging me tightly as if to protest. "That's not true! You protected me, even when the meanie ghost wanted to kill me, you wouldn't let him!" Hearing the genuine truth, I chuckled lightly, kneeling down to her. "You're too sweet, I'm honored that you think so."
As I stored Monolith away, I noticed Keiko began to glow, small light particles coming off her. "Now that she is free, she can move on." Suzaku calmly said, sensing my concern. Keiko grabbed my hand, holding it tightly as she looked up at me. "Can you tell me your name? I wanna remember the two people that saved me." Her request was quite simple, and it was the least I could do.
As Suzaku gave her name, with Keiko saying it a few times to memorize it, my mask vanished with merely a thought, revealing the face underneath. "Figure a face should be put to the name as well, mine is Y/n." She gave a bright smile, hugging me again. "Thank you for saving me, Y/n, Suzaku. I won't forget you." I returned the gesture, patting her head softly. "No problem, Keiko, don't keep your mother waiting now, I bet she's been worried sick about you."
With a large smile, Keiko's form slowly faded, her spirit finally free. Silence fell over the shrine, the once ominous atmosphere gone. As I let out a deep sigh, Suzaku spoke up. "Would you mind answering a few questions?" She asked politely, to which I nodded, turning to her. "Least I can do after you aided me, though I do have a few questions for you as well."
Following her to a bench close to the shrine, I looked to the side as the System showed two notifications. Smirking softly, I had a better idea of how the System behaves, making quests that would benefit me and others.
[You have completed the Sudden Quest: Exorcise the Spirit]
[You have completed the Hidden Quest: Child in Need]