A/N - Hi guys I'm here with another Chapter, one that took a while, since there were a few last minute additions that I wanted to add. I also would like to warn everyone, that next week there will be no update unfortunately. I have some stuff going on in my personal life, and that along with work, makes it writing a little hard sometimes.
So here we go... Where Ryou as a conversation inside his mind, things just keep going from bad to worst, and the Bow Hero tries to do a little planing for the future...
Chapter 27 - Braving Into a New World - Omens of a Coming Storm
Ryou continued to observe the ominous red window that almost seemed to burn something inside of him.
Cursed... Just as Naofumi had been. The weapon that at one point in a different setting had almost claimed Raphtalia's life, now had claimed him as its owner.
"How..? When..?" Ryou asked the same questions that keep repeating themselves in his head.
"The how will take far too much time for me to bother explain, however, when is easy. Once upon a time, there was this big bad wolf that decided we were going to be dinner, remember?" The apparition bearing his face mentioned casually.
Furrowing his eyebrows, Ryou tried to recall the unpleasant night. He could hazily remember the anger that kept running through his veins during the entire fight, only gaining in strength as it went on, before vanishing the moment Raphtalia, and Naofumi arrived.
At that time..? Sure he had been fighting for his life, and while in the beginning, he had been afraid, his fear soon gave away to anger. He had never questioned or even thought about where that bout of unreasonable rage had come from, only being thankful, because the anger made him sprung into action, and saved his life
Another dark thought crossed his mind as he took in the existence of his twin, one he found himself voicing. "Is this the part where I have to fight my dark self for control over my body?" Ryou asked blandly.
The other Ryou blinked, before releasing a snort followed by loud laughter, as he hugged his midsection, almost falling on the ground.
Ryou continued to watch with narrowed eyes wondering exactly what his evil twin found so amusing about his question.
Reining in his mirth, the other Ryou met his eyes once more, amusement apparent in his face."That would be the most cliche thing ever wouldn't it?" He chuckled, shaking his head before continuing, "Fortunately that's not the case. Not only would I not gain anything from it, but it would also be very counterproductive for our goal?"
"Our goal?"
The figure nodded, "Yes, didn't I tell you? I'm you, and I'm also your anger, and hatred and all those pesky feelings, and much more."
"See? This is why I told you not to do the introductions, with the way you went about it, there was no way he wasn't going to come to the wrong conclusion." The voice came once again from the corner, followed by a flicker of light as the yellow-eyed Ryou once again appeared on the chair
"That was fast, I figured you wouldn't come back so soon." The red-eyed one commented.
"I only went to check on his condition..." The yellow-eyed apparition explained before his eyes fell on Ryou, "...congratulations you're the first man in history to set foot inside the stomach of a giant worm." He clapped slowly, "I'm pretty sure Rishia isn't very good at keeping secrets, so Naofumi is going to find out about this and he's going to laugh his ass off. Let's just pray it doesn't reach the other two."
"Tch, Ren should be more worried about fixing that hot-shot but not quite, personality of his, and Motoyasu should just be thankful the FBI doesn't exist here, or his biggest concern would be not dropping any soaps." The one closest to the bed scoffed, in barely concealed hostility.
Ryou decided to cut the conversation about his fellow heroes right there. "So no fighting for control over my body then?" He asked once more. His doubts weren't baseless though he had seen Naofumi wrestling with the Curse Series, and with a dragon's soul after all.
The yellow-eyed one, crossed his arms as he released a loud sigh, "No, there will be no fighting. Just ignore this idiot, he's just screwing with you." He sent a pointed glare towards the other figure who only shrugged with a grin before continuing, "To get a full explanation of what we are would be impossible, because even we, don't truly understand it. What we do know is, we came into sentience when you got summoned, so that should tell you we aren't the curse series for obvious reasons. If I were to give us a definition, it would be something among the lines of, we are the part of you that links you to the Curse Series."
Ryou absorbed the information with a grain of salt, but since his twins didn't appear aggressive, and were actually attempting to explain the situation he decided to accept it.
"So... When I got summoned I developed Multiple-Personality Disorder, is that it?" Ryou wondered with a frown.
"That's not really correct either, but for simplicity's sake let's go with that." The yellow-eyed allowed.
Ryou once again tried to understand the current situation, and be proactive. He had unlocked the Curse Series that was a reality he couldn't escape from, although it begged the question.
"Why are there two of you?"
"As he introduced himself, he is the part that links you to the Wrath Cursed Series, and although he doesn't act like it, he is in some ways the embodiment of your anger…" The yellow-eyed figure explained.
"I actually prefer Angry Ryou, it's simpler, though I acknowledge that Wrath as a nice ring to it." The red-eyed Ryou interjected.
Releasing another heavy breath the one seated on the chair closed his eyes for a moment, "You would have eventually figured it out, but I'll help you… The Curse Series are based on the seven deadly sins…" He paused opening his eyes, his gaze meeting Ryou's, "...and I'm Pride, or what links you to the Pride Curse Series."
"P-Pride?!" Ryou stuttered in shock, "When was I ever prideful to begin with?!" He could hardly remember a moment where he had been excitingly prideful, in reality, he did have his pride but no more than the average guy he ventured.
I can even safely say that any of the other three are way more prideful then I am, even Naofumi!
The two apparitions locked eyes for a moment, before the one that had introduced himself as his Pride smiled without humor, "Once again you're thinking too linearly, although I can understand, Wrath is the one you have the biggest understanding, which isn't even all that much, to be honest. Pride, however, is a little more complex than that, it does come in various ways, though what's important is the emotions that you felt, when you practice that Sin in question. Also, take into consideration that the Curse Series aren't exactly rocket science. What clicked it for Naofumi vastly differs from what works for you." The Yellow-eyed Ryou paused for a few seconds, before uncrossing his arms, and leaning as he folded his hands. "Here's the thing Ryou, you seem to be under the impression that there is this bar that measures emotions, and once it reaches its limit, the Curse Series become available."
"That's not really how…" Ryou began but stopped short when the copy raised his hand in the air.
"Let me ask you this... Where exactly is it written, that once you were summoned, all those emotions and traumas that you stashed away in your past suddenly reset themselves?" The figure asked lightly.
Ryou's eyes found themselves locked on a distinct poster on the wall, but his thoughts far away. The answer to his twin's question clear on his mind. Nowhere… He had been summoned whole, with his memories, feelings, and emotions.
"Look… I wouldn't exactly call the other heroes cuddled, but even Naofumi himself lived a mostly easygoing life in his world, a normal life. That also made the shock of what he went through worse in some ways. You, on the other hand, are full of anger and in some ways pride, there just stashed deep inside. We are those feelings, that were given sentience once you crossed over. By the time you set foot on this world, you were already a step away from the Curse Series... The fuel was already there, you only lacked the trigger to connect us to our respective series."
To think I was trying to run away from it, and they were just one step behind… Ryou took a deep breath, "So what your saying is that I was basically fated to unlock them?" He asked receiving a nod in response, "But if that's the case… If it's even that serious, why hasn't it manifest itself before?" He could remember a few instances where he had gotten quite pissed.
"That's because we have been putting a lid on it…" The Angry-Ryou interjected, and seeing Ryou's confused expression he continued, "...Look the story made light of these things, more so because Naofumi is a special case. You, however, are not… You haven't even began to realize how much you have bottled up inside you. When one curse gets called upon, and you will call upon it, both will answer, and every feeling that you shoved aside since our parents died in that fire, will burst out in a magnificent, and terrifying way."
Ryou cringed slightly at the mention of his parents before voicing his thoughts, "You're making me sound like a time-bomb…"
"Not a time-bomb per se, more like a remote-controlled one, and you have the trigger…" Angry-Ryou explained as the light flickered once more.
"Your starting to wake up…" The yellow-eyed Ryou commented with a click of his tongue, "... Our time is running out, so let's cut this short. What he means is that there is no way you will be able to control it. We might be able to stop you from targeting Rishia, and Quartz but everything else in the vicinity might as well have a big, red bullseye on their back. We should be able to pull the plug when the time comes, but don't misunderstand, that doesn't translate into you having control in any way shape or form. " He finished, his face wavering like smoke, and soon the entire room was rippling like a stone had been cast into the fabric of reality.
"I can tell what's going through your head, but let me assure you, now that the door is unlocked, and your hand is already on the knob, you will twist it. Just bear in mind that whatever you think you know about the Curse Series is either a censored version of it or outright false. Naofumi came out of it relatively unscathed but they are called cursed for a reason, and for their astonishing power you will pay an equivalent price." The red-eyed Ryou warned, his narrowed eyes almost glowing as he faded.
"You asked about the Pride Curse Series right? Just like Wrath, the feelings behind it came mostly from your old life, but they got punctuated here in this one. Every hero even Naofumi as some manner of delusion, and you are no exception. You haven't yet realized what your biggest flaw is, and that is directly tied to the Pride Cursed Series, so when you have time do a little soul-searching, I hope it will come to you, before some tragedy happens..." the room was twisting now, growing dimmer every second. "...and since we are issuing advice, let me give you one last one… Preserving the Status Quo benefits no one, least of all us."
"What do you mean?" Ryou asked but his question was never answered as darkness once more surrounded him.
It was tight, far too tight for comfort, and opening his eyes, Ryou could hardly grasp his surroundings from the small light that emanated from the lantern on his hip, but even that dim light was enough to confirm his suspicions.
Am I really inside a worm's stomach? There was a trace of disbelief in that thought as the reality of his situation asserted itself, but before Ryou could even begin to freak out, something slimy ran down his cheek, yet it left a sizzling trail that felt like lava against his skin.
"Hell no!" Ryou snarled, his Mascgite Bow manifesting itself in his grip as he pushed against the fleshy walls.
Planting one hand against the muscle that threatened to crush him, Ryou closed his eyes and began chanting through clenched teeth, "As the source of thee power, and Yumi-no Yuusha I command thee. Decipher the Laws of Nature and let lightning strike my enemies true. Faust Lightning Strike!"
The effect instantaneous, as blue arcs of lightning filled his vision, and he gritted his teeth doubling his efforts against the now contracting walls.
"I'm getting out of here even if I have to crawl my way out of your fried body you stupid worm!" He hissed, using his gripping skill on his feet, to stick to the same spot, as his world shifted, and an inhuman earsplitting screech reached him.
Clumsily, but hastily he was able to retrieve a Dragon Blessed Magic-Recovery Potion. Maneuvering his bow to seat on his wrist, and even though some of the content spilled, he was still able to swallow some of it.
I have enough potions to keep doing this all week if I need to! Ryou reasoned in defiance, as the smell of burning flesh almost made him gag, black spots appearing where the arcs of electricity connected.
After what felt like an eternity, and two more potions later, the constricting feeling lost strength, yet Ryou still kept his spell going for nearly another half-minute.
Letting the lightning die down, he took in a sharp breath, and relaxed just a fraction, before trying to determine his position. Slowly he began to crawl through the soft if repugnant tunnel.
Why me..? Ryou questioned miserably, using his bow as support to widen the gap, as he crawled.
Ren doesn't have to go through this crap, Naofumi doesn't go through this crap either… Neither does Motoyasu… The Bow Hero mused, dragging his body along. ...I bet the only thing he as to deal with, that's this wet feels a lot better.
"Great, like I need any more traumatic experiences in my life, next thing I know I'll have another Curse Series to add to the list, maybe I should try for all seven…" Ryou mumbled while moving slightly to the left, to avoid a pointy bone protrusion.
He came to a stop as he felt a small breeze, and then at a faster pace he returned to crawling, carefully avoiding the teeth that were everywhere, even then some still scratched his body. Finally approaching a dead end, he pushed, feeling the wall in front of him giving away, as fresher, if moldy air reached him.
"Freadooo..! Ohhhhhhh Shit! Chain Arrow!" The Bow Hero screamed as he fell into a dark abyss. One hand grasping the chain, he felt the friction drag on for far longer than it should, before coming to a sudden halt.
Taking another breath, Ryou looked around, the light from his lantern illuminating everything around him yet nothing could be seen besides darkness.
"Where the fuck am I?" He questioned out loud, his voice echoing multiple times in the distance.
Changing his Bow, he aimed it around but even with the boost in brightness, he could hardly see the ceiling, and the stalagmites that covered it. Aiming it downward, his light bounced off murky waters, as another vast underground lake lay beneath him.
Something below the surface moved, before breaking it. Letting out an unintentional gasp, Ryou jerked back as a slithering appendage, passed in front of him.
Face contorting in anger, the Bow Hero brought the string to his mouth, aiming down, pulling on it with his teeth, Rapid Air Strike Arrow! A whistling projectile flew, followed by two other streaking ones, hitting the water and detonating a moment later, splashing him, even at such heights.
Foam started forming above the water, gaining a more purple hue to it, which made Ryou grin. The grin soon fell from his mouth, as something far larger broke the surface yet again, revealing a gaping maw surrounded by sickening grey colored tentacles, that lashed in the air like angry snakes.
"Today is not my day… Chain Arrow!" Another arrow sailed upwards, finding purchase on the ceiling, a moment later the Bow Hero was swinging on a chain, away from the monsters reach, slowly climbing it.
The monster withdraw its tentacles and closed its jaws, its indescribable visage quivering, before opening it far wider.
Ryou's face went pale, as shimmering orange lightning began to accumulate inside its jaws, "You have got to be kidding… More lasers?!" His frustrated cry easily dwarfed by the humming noise from below.
Grasping a stalagmite, Ryou released another chain arrow, that hit the sidewall of the tunnel he had most likely fallen from. The humming died down, and what followed had the Bow Hero cursing the high heavens, has instead of a focused beam, what shot in his direction were multiple diffused streams of light.
Once again swinging in his chain Ryou clenched his teeth, trying to maneuver around the beams, that were being channeled from below, and the falling rocks, that fell from the ceiling all around him.
Come on, Come on..! Shit! He hissed as his arm brushed one of the searing orange lights, burning through his armor, and skin as he reached the entrance of the tunnel. Taking one last look, he saw the monster disappearing in darkness, as the light show died down, followed by another roar.
Shoulders slumping Ryou closed his eyes briefly, "I'm giving up on cave delving, until I'm level one hundred, and have ten more party members or so…" He mumbled, slowly walking up the vertical wall.
The tunnel rocked, as another roar came from below, and Ryou slowly turned his head, to see the latest monstrosity crashing against the opening just a few meters under him and clinging there, its maw trying to fit in an attempt to swallow him.
His Great Fanged Bow materialized itself followed by a flaming arrow bursting from his yellow jewel, "Fuck Off!" Ryou roared.
The flaming projectile soared with others soon following, all of them exploding in flames, that shook everything around him and bathed both Ryou and the monster.
One more barrage of flaming arrows followed, and with the issuing explosions, the monster lost its grip, and fell like a flaming meteorite.
Lowering his bow, he hunched slightly, his breath coming out heavy, and his eyes closing halfway, as he brought out another brown glowing flask, and drank it.
Wiping his mouth, a soft humming reached his ears, and he stared blankly at the darkness under him, before turning his neck to peek upwards, his eyes squinting as a shining blue light emanated from above. An instant later a small humorless smile that threatened to turn into something darker broke through his face, as he saw what was coming down the tunnel.
Is this some form of Divine Punishment?
Releasing his gripping skill, Ryou fell once more, leaving the tunnel behind as an arrow with a chain attached, flew diagonally. Another bellow came from under him, along with enough water to drench him once more, even as he swung from the chain. A piercing sound echoed, followed, by a blue shining pillar of light, that crashed down from above, obliterating the monster in the water.
Enough is enough give me a break, please… Ryou begged, his eyes closing with a small wince, as he slammed against a rock on the ceiling.
More water erupted, as the Giant worm hit the lake and he almost went deaf with the different pitched shrieks and roars that followed. Waves surged everywhere, from the previous still waters, as the Worm raised itself mouth already glowing with a dreadful blue light, bringing with it countless tentacles attached.
A literal storm of orange beams,surged from under the surface, quaking the underground area. A far larger blue beam followed, as the worm released its deadly attack into the lake spliting it in two.
As the lights died down slightly Ryou swiftly made his retreat back into the tunnel, leaving behind the unreal battle that was going on under him.
Fuck this… He decided, face blank, yet his entire body quivered uncontrollably, both from adrenalin, and from a myriad of emotions he couldn't even begin to pinpoint, besides one in particular, and by far the most prominent one.
Fuck cave-delving,.. Fuck Marble Mimicks... Fuck Spiders... Fuck Mithril... Fuck Giant Worms... Fuck Multiple-Personality Disorder,.. Fuck the Kraken thing... Fuck Lasers... Finally fuck this day in general, and fuck me for ever thinking this would be a good idea... Rishia was right, Mithril wasn't worth this crap... One foot, then another he continued to climb the never-ending tunnel, through curves, and counter curves.
"Onii-shama?" He released a small sigh of relief, as the familiar voice reached is mind.
"Yes, I'm here Quartz…" He replied his tone as monotonous as hers.
"I knew you were alive! Quartz could sense you, but Onee-shama didn't believe Quartz. Where are you?" She questioned.
He could finally see a small speck of light directly above him, that was gradually becoming larger with each step,"I'm coming up the tunnel…" He did question how exactly the young dragon could sense him for about two seconds before shoving those thoughts into the corner of his mind.
It felt like an eternity until his hand came to grip the ledge of the hole, and with a slow but steady heave, he climbed out. Raising himself to a standing position, narrowed eyes quickly found his party members, as he sniffed audibly.
"Ryou, Thank goodness!" Rishia blurted out. The girl quickly broke into a short dash, before faltering slightly and coming to a stop near him.
Quartz soon followed suit, "Onii-shama you're not food anymo…", She paused, taking a couple of sniffs, her face scrunching, one hand hastily gripping her nose, "...Onii-shama you need a bath!"
Ryou's entire body trembled, "Shut up…" The Bow Hero hissed through clenched teeth, "...You have no idea what my last fifteen minutes were like, so don't even start…"
Taking a shaky breath, he passed both of his party members, making his way towards a blue gleaming wall, "Rishia, next time you decide to propose a place to explore, please don't."
"Fuee...".
"Fuee, indeed... Drilling Arrow!" Ryou declared, as his arrow hit the far wall, drilling through the mystical ore.
[Mithril Ore x 10 Acquired]
[Mithril Ore x 7 Acquired]
[Mithril Ore x 12 Acquired]
The Bow Hero repeated the process a couple more times, through narrowed eyes. His party only looking at his back in silence.
A nice hot bath to relax, and after that, I'm going to hit Almond's Top shelf stuff, and drink until I pass out, and get this whole day behind me… The Bow Hero nodded to himself. While he wanted to change and step out of his comfort zone, he had meant it gradually, but to his dismay, his wishes, and the world's seemed to be in slight disagreement on that front, not even counting the whole Curse Series situation.
After his inventory had been filled with mithril, he turned to face his party, who were looking at him with both apprehension and confusion respectively.
"We are leaving, and aren't returning for as long as I still remember this place." He declared seriously.
Both girls blinked, accepting the declaration wordlessly.
Raising a hand into the air as he prepared to teleport, Ryou's entire face twitched when he felt the ground shaking under him.
A loud crashing sound echoed followed by a familiar roar, as the Giant Worm crawled out of the tunnel. It's body littered with holes and gashes, some of its mithril plating absent, as well as one of its petal-like flaps. Shaking its head, purple blood stained the ground and walls around it.
"Fuee Ryou let's leave..." Rishia advised fearfully.
Gritting his teeth, the Bow Hero lowered his arm, "Quartz, go distract it for twenty seconds or so." Ryou hissed.
The small girl turned her sight away from the monster, her face etched in confusion, "Twenty seconds? How much is…"
"Just go." The Bow Hero growled interrupting the girl his Status window opening in front of him an instant later.
A puff of smoke exploded, and with a roar, a wave of fire hit the worm in the side catching its attention, followed by a body slam that sent the monster crashing against the wall.
Righting itself, the worm opened his maw and dived down crashing and borrowing into the ground, failing to swallow the now small girl that transformed back and escaped through the empty space where the flap was missing.
The ground quaked, and Quartz sniffed the air, before backflipping as the floor that she had been standing previously exploded upwards.
The worm released another almost frustrated roar that was quickly cut short by another fire breath that hit its head.
"Quartz get out of the way!" The Bow Hero yelled as a yellow shining light bloomed from his hand, far brighter than usual, and begun to cover the space in front of him.
[Balista + 7 - Rare - Equipment bonus - + 5 Attack - Special effect - Attack Bonus (Great), Skill Effectiveness Bonus( Medium), Penetration Bonus (Medium), Movement Speed Penalty (Great), Attack Speed Penalty(Medium)]
Bolts made of fire pierced the air between him and the monster even before the siege instrument had fully materialized.
The small girl made herself scarce, as the bolts expanded on contact, the resulting domes of fire, filling nearly a quarter of the giant gallery, and sending the worm crashing down.
"Rapid Air Strike Arrow!" More bolts flew, punching holes in the monster wide enough for a man to walk through, as Ryou quickly gulp down another potion.
This thing needs to die right now! "Rishia, Quartz sync with me!"
"Fueeee!" The girl cried as she stumbled upon the shaking ground, coming to a stop against the siege weapon, and laid her rapier on top of it, "As thee source of power, I order thee. Decipher the laws of nature and cut the air in front of me. Faust Wind Cutter!"
Quartz came to a stop near them both, her cheeks already puffed, before she released her own fire breath onto the bolt.
"Dragon Flare Strike Arrow!" Ryou roared. The moment he pressed the trigger, the party was sent tumbling as the projectile covered in a raging flaming tornado flew.
The giant projectile tore through the body of the giant worm, like a hot knife through butter, before detonating against the cavern wall behind the creature. The explosion that followed sent the worm's severed head flying before crashing near the party.
Another crash followed as the remains of the worm's body hit the ground slithering for a few moments before coming to a complete stop.
One of the flaps from the worm's mouth fell right next to the Bow Hero, who glared at the offending appendage gasping, "And stay dead…", he paused to take a deep breath, "...for good this time!"
"Fuee... Is it over?" Rishia asked, approaching the creature's head hesitantly. Quartz who was already next to the severed appendage, tapped the creature with her foot twice, before nodding to herself.
"Yup, it's gone, and ready to be eaten!"
The excitement in her voice, made Ryou close his eyes for a brief moment."Quartz… If something is cooked, then I can almost guarantee you that it's dead."
Rising to his feet, the Bow Hero decided to absorb the parts of the worm before leaving the cavern for good. Approaching the head of the worm, he stripped it of a piece of its protective layer.
[Bio-Engineered Mithril-Plated Worm Armored Bow - Common - Equipment bonus - + 8 Defense Magic Resistance bonus (Small)]
"That's why my normal Flame Shot had hardly any effect," Ryou mumbled before something caught his attention. Wait a minute, Bio-engineered? As in someone created this thing? Who the hell is the crazy son of a bitch that would make this freaking nightmare?! The Bow Hero Wondered in equal parts of disbelief, and anger.
...Somewhere in Faubley, a blond woman sneezed rather violently…
He threw another suspicious glance towards the monster, before crouching and cutting a piece of its pink flesh.
[Bio-Engineered Mithril-Plated Worm Meat Bow - Common - Equipment bonus - Exotic Delicacies Preparation Bonus (Small)]
Ohh god is this a joke?! There would be no way he was going to cook something as disgusting as the worm, no matter how exotic his weapon seemed to think it was.
"Onii-shama, Quartz found something pretty." The voice came from within the headless body of the monster, and Ryou moved towards it before peeking inside.
"Quartz the hell are you doing in there?"
"Exploring." The answer came slightly muffled.
With a sigh, Ryou went forward twitching every time his foot touched the soft fleshy ground.
...and I'm back here again...Not even in my wildest nightmares… His thoughts were brought to a halt when he noticed Quartz almost bathed in a pale blue light.
"The heck?" Moving next to the girl he examined the strange find. It almost looked like an alien tumor, if it wasn't for the crystal embed in it, that was giving off the light.
How did I miss this the first time? Bringing out his knife he cut the crystal from its fleshy prison before examining it. It was bigger than his hand, and Ryou could actually feel something from it, a feeling akin to magic. In a few moments, the crystal was absorbed.
[Bio-Engineered Worm Core Bow - Common- Equipment bonus - + 12 Magic, MP Bonus (Small), Magic Bonus (Small), Charged Shot Skill, Monster Modification Skill Unlocked - Special Effect - Charging Speed Bonus (Medium)]
Charged shot huh? It would be awesome if it was similar to that death beam, and a Monster Modification Skill? "This might have almost made this trip worth it…" Ryou mumbled, deciding to check the new entry in his help menu.
Well isn't this interesting… The Bow Hero thought as he scrolled through the information.
His new skill let him customize monsters in his Slave Menu, with every monster having a fixed amount of maximum trait points, that could be used to modify them with negative traits giving more points but without surpassing the maximum amount, and positive traits that decreased the amount available. More traits could be unlocked based on the monster's level and items absorbed by his bow.
This is the kind of system used in some strategy and RPG games where you create a new character or race isn't it..? However, Ryou couldn't stop himself from comparing it to genetic manipulation on some level, he did send the small girl a quick glance before immediately banishing any thoughts.
There's a line between being a Legendary Hero, and playing god...
"Can Quartz eat it now?"
Ryou held another sigh but nodded anyway, she had found something that had made the whole battle worth it after all.
"Yay." She cheered rather monotonously.
Slowly making his way outside, his gaze fell on Rishia who stood a couple meters away. The girl biting her lip, clearly wanting to say something but holding back.
"What is it, Rish?" He questioned tiredly.
"Its… It's nothing… I'm just thankful you're alright…" Rishia muttered just above a whisper.
His eyes soften just an inch, and in a couple of steps, he was in front of her, a hand falling on her shoulder, prompting the girl to meet his gaze.
"You know… I might not like it, but I'm the Yumi-no Yuusha, so it would be pretty pathetic, not to mention embarrassing if I met my end to a worm of all the…" He started, almost indifferently, but soon his tongue became tied when the girl caught the hem of his sleeve, and gripped it tightly.
Even as she lowered her head Ryou still caught sight of something glistering in her eyes, and he immediately realized how worried she probably had been after seeing him being swallowed.
I guess I should have been more thoughtful of her feelings… He watched the top of her head, as her shoulders shook just a fraction, and without even pausing to think, he pulled the girl into a hug. Ryou almost aborted the action when he heard a sharp intake, before she relaxed, and her hands flew to grip the front of his armor.
Shoulders relaxing, the Bow Hero also took a deep breath, before closing his eyes, his head coming to rest on top of the girl's simply enjoying the embrace, as the weight of the entire day crashed on him.
How long has it been, since I felt like this… Like I was cherished… Like I was needed...
"Thanks, Rish…" Ryou whispered gently.
"For what?" She questioned, her tone matching his, trying to understand the sudden bout of gratefulness.
Tightening his hold just a bit before breaking the embrace, his hands still gripped her upper arms.
Looking into her lime green eyes, Ryou shook his head softly, but a small smile did bloom in his face, "Just thank you, for being you…"
I wonder…
His gaze moved towards the dragon that was happily munching on the worm for a moment, before returning to Rishia.
His goal hadn't changed, his other him had mentioned as much, and yet…
...if this is what Naofumi feels every time he looks at Raphtalia and Filo... The feeling of having something he wanted to protect, and make sure no harm came to them.
My main goal hasn't changed, but it's still my responsibility to guide them, and make sure that all of us make it through this…
By the time they returned it was already dusk and Ryou decided to incite a small rebellion in the kitchen, and liberate it along with the oven for his own usage, even tired beyond belief, his party deserved that much.
Both Rishia and Quartz had retired for the night after dinner, too tired from a full day of fighting, as had Almond, but not before giving Ryou the liberty of assaulting his personal bar.
Now alone in the living room, Ryou swirled his drink, watching the amber liquid lick the sides of the glass.
Wrath, and Pride… The two curses sleeping inside of him.
Pride… When was I ever prideful enough to issue this… Ryou wondered, taking another sip. The Bow Hero honestly couldn't remember, a moment were he had been truly prideful, yet if it existed there had to be a reason for it, he just wasn't seeing it.
After another sip, he focused his thoughts on another issue. His other personalities seemed sure he would call upon that power eventually, and Ryou didn't even bother to refute it. He knew how screwed up his new world was, so it would almost be a given that he would call upon it.
Naofumi came out relatively unscathed…
Once more try as he might he couldn't wrap his head around the warning. He remembered the backlash Naofumi received, with him bleeding enough to form a pond, and yet his red-eyed twin dismissed it as almost superficial damage.
If he calls that unscathed, then what exactly will happen to me? Whatever the price, it would be something terrifying.
Rising to his feet, the Bow Hero watched the embers from the fire-place, before a rumbling sound caught his attention. Turning to look at the closest window, he saw the rain falling just beyond the glass boundary, and he took a few steps towards it.
"This knowledge that I have is my biggest advantage, so why would I want to mess with it?" Ryou uttered out loud but to no-one.
So far things appeared to be going as they should for the most part with a few changes, but even those hardly affected anything that he could see. The fact that Naofumi had another party member marked something new, but he could only see that as something very positive for his fellow hero.
His other personalities or whatever they were, however, seemed to think that maintaining the normal time-line would be the wrong way to go about it.
They knew far more than they let on, or maybe they just reached a conclusion that I just can't see…
The Bow Hero tried to think about it, yet is thoughts once more came back to his fellow heroes. He already had Naofumi's situation mostly sorted out, in a way that would put both him and the Shield Hero in a better position than he had been previously.
Am I supposed to try and reach out to the other two? Ryou questioned amused, watching the pitter-patter. He did acknowledge to having a better relationship with the other two than Naofumi, and maybe they would believe him if he were to tell them about the strengthening methods.
"But that hardly solves the main problem..." He considered. Once more he raised the glass to his lips, grimacing slightly at the taste.
There were lots of problems with the other two heroes, but one of their worst flaws had to be their over-sized ego. Their Status as Heroes and the power they wielded had already gone too their heads, so giving them any more power, would only make them even more arrogant and prone to cause trouble. Worse still it would make them even less manageable, should the situation take a turn for the worse.
...and even if I decide to ignore all those facts, before long we will be back to square one because the strengthening methods will not be enough... That had been the reason behind Naofumi searching for other ways to get stronger, outside of the system - ways that the other heroes completely disregarded, for having to put any effort or for thinking they knew better.
Out of the two Heroes, Ren would be the one more inclined to listen but not by much. Ryou remembered that the youngest of the four heroes did appear to feel some degree of responsibility towards the dragon incident, but on the other hand, he also remembered a specific situation during the third wave where Naofumi had called both him and Motoyasu out on thinking in game terms, and the Sword Hero acknowledging it, before falling back on it not even two seconds later.
What's up with that logic? Agreeing you shouldn't think about reality as a game, and a moment later claiming that killing the Skeleton Pirate is the only way to end the wave… How about stopping for a moment and thinking outside of the box? Ryou mused with a snort.
Trying to reach out to Motoyasu would be an exercise doomed to failure, considering that Malty had his ear, and whatever the princess said might as well be a command from the heavens.
It's not like I can just go and ask Malty to play nice, and be just a tiny bit smarter… The girl had been more than ready to put her baby sister under the ground just for a shot at the throne. There existed the possibility of removing the red-haired young woman from the equation, and that might make the Spear Hero more inclined to listen, but Ryou couldn't think of a feasible way to make it work in the near future.
Unless I can somehow convince both Naofumi and Mirellia to imprison her for life, or at least until the waves end... Ryou scratched his chin as he considered it. The idea did have merit. Convincing Naofumi wouldn't be particularly hard, the Shield Hero held nothing but contempt for the first princess, and not having to deal with her, would be nothing short of a heavenly blessing for the hero. Her Majesty would be harder to persuade, but imprisonment would still be better than outright execution.
Ryou grinned as he considered the idea. Not only would the idea make the Spear Hero put some more effort into defeating the waves, if he wanted to save his beloved princess, but it would remove one of the biggest obstacles against getting him to listen out of their way. There were still the other girl's in his party, besides Rino who was the only one that appeared to have a good head on her shoulders, but they weren't princesses and coercing them into being team players would be easier. Especially if the ring leader ends up in chains...
Definitely something to consider, but that's further down the line, so, for now, where exactly does that leave me as far as the Status quo is concerned?
One other thing that crossed his mind would be dealing with the Pope before he could retrieve the replicated legendary weapon. It would be something he might be able to pull off relatively soon with the rate he and his party were progressing, but once more that would be a stupid decision.
For one the moment I give Naofumi the secret behind unlocking the Strengthening Methods, the Pope won't even be an issue, especially if I'm there with him, not only that, the man did put a lot of his followers if not all of them in one spot for Mirellia to swoop in and take them out... Stopping that particular event from happening could lead to disaster with a lot of members threading on fanaticism. The death of their Messiah could push the remaining members over the edge, and he didn't fancy the idea of having to deal with terrorism inside Melromarc.
Not counting that, there's also Glass and company… But once more there wasn't really anything to do on that front. As terrifying as Glass appeared to be, the woman was far from invincible, the same could be said for L'Arc and his companion, whose name Ryou couldn't remember if his life depended on it.
If there existed one thing that he did not have a solution for, it would be the thing that would come after, and what marked the end of his foreknowledge.
"The freaking Spirit Turtle…" Ryou uttered.
The creature that would herald untold amounts of destruction, and death everywhere it went. The one event, that the Bow Hero wanted to change at all costs.
Finishing his drink, Ryou returned to his seat on the couch, trying to put together what he knew about the creature. "It was sealed by a hero, or heroes a long time ago. It's big enough to carry a mountain on its back, can survive being beheaded, can summon an army of familiars, along with a human version of it that asked Naofumi to kill its master for some reason... And if I follow Naofumi's reasoning along with the mythology from my own world, then there will be three other equally nice heavenly beasts somewhere, but I can leave that for later…" Ryou considered out loud.
He still believed the other heroes had been responsible for releasing the monster. After taking so many blows to their ego, it would be almost certain that they would once more try to use their knowledge to get the upper hand. However, the fact that they only moved after the familiars started appearing, had been the one factor putting some measure of doubt in his theory.
The seal could have been located somewhere else... Maybe they went there, broke it, and booked it towards where they knew it would awaken, while daydreaming on all the praise they would receive for putting down such beast… Ryou considered, but the idea even if plausible still sounded like a bit of a stretch in his mind.
But even if they weren't responsible for breaking the seal, they still knew about it and hid it from Mirellia, and Naofumi... But then again, that's something that I fully intend to change when the time comes... He fully intended to release everything he knew about the creature to his fellow hero, and maybe between them they could stop the Spirit Turtle from awakening, or at the very least kick start the evacuation of the surrounding countries.
"Still, I'm missing way too much information about that thing…" He murmured, leaning back on the couch, and closing his eyes in contemplation.
Rishia knew something about it so there's that... Fitoria also knows, but I don't know any way to contact her, besides releasing a T-Rex into the world, and I don't think she'll take a liking to Quartz... While he doubted that the Filorial Queen would outright attack his party member, he couldn't discount the possibility of it happening, and if it did, Ryou knew he would try his best to protect Quartz, but the most likely outcome would be both of their deaths.
Guess we should make a trip to Reiki when we have the time, even if we don't find anything of value, I can still mark it as a teleport location, and get there before those idiots do, and if they are truly responsible for awakening the Spirit Turtle... Ryou paused opening his eyes halfway,
...The only thing I can do as the Shield Hero is defend... Those had been Naofumi's words, and although they had come from a made-up character, he had no doubt its real counterpart shared those same feelings. Ryou knew he couldn't defend people, not like the Shield Hero could, but there was one thing he could do that his fellow hero couldn't.
"If words and honest feelings can't reach them, then maybe I can engrave some common sense through other means..."
He couldn't defend as Naofumi could, but he sure as hell could attack, and when the time came... If Ren and Motoyasu thought that their selfishness was worth more than hundreds if not thousands of lives, they would have another thing coming...
Next Chapter - Advancements and New Ripples