Title:

The dinner party./part.1

Story:

David runs through a forest, blood covering the tip of his halberd. He looks down at the screen and see that he is very close to those three dots he saw earlier. The closer he gets, the heavier his feet feel, only 50 meters away he feels like his feet are going to be ripped off.

[You need to do this.]

'I know.'

He sees the head of a young lady just up ahead, couldn't be older than fifteen. The skin on his ankles rips open from the weight. blood flows from the open wounds as he winces.

[Go David. You need to do this.]

[This is necessary.]

'I-I know.'

The three children come into clear view. Two young boys and their older sister. They turn around, frozen in fear, looking at the man who is going to take their lives. He walks up to them slowly, his feet growing heavier every step.

"...I'm sorry... I'm so sorry." Tears flow out of his eyes as he struggles to say the words. As he takes the last step before swinging the the axe blade in to the young woman's neck, The skin is pulled off his feet entirely, leaving them bare. The young woman's head falls to the ground but no blood escapes her neck.

He falls to his knees, tears rolling down his face. he looks down at the young woman's head.

"You're a failure, you know that?"

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry, please!" He pleads to the head.

"25 years old and you're still living in two room apartment building? When I was your age I'd already bought a house."

He puts his hands over his ears.

"I wish I never gave birth to you."

"Please... Stop..."

He can feel his face burning as he looks over to the young woman's eyes.

As he falls into their deep abyss his face gets hotter and hotter.

Eventually bits of skin on his face start falling off and dripping on to

the ground.

"You're not my son."

He looks down at his hands.

"You're a freak."

His eyes shoot open.

[Nightmare?]

'...Yeah.'

He turns his head to the other side of the bed. A needle of loneliness pierces his heart as he finds it empty. He turns his head back and closes his eyes.

...

"David! Wake up!"

*Thunk!*

"Owww..." Tommy pulls his hand back from David's chest and blows on his knuckles.

"Hmmm... Tommy?" David opens his eyes and does a groggy yawn.

"You need to wake up! There's someone here to visit."

"A visitor?"

He throws off his cover and stands up out of bed.

"Oh." Tommy turns around to miss seeing David's naked body.

"What? It's more comfortable this way."

"That's gross..."

David shakes his head.

"Kids these days..."

"Whatever... I'm heading out to town for a bit." Tommy says before leaving.

"Ok, have fun! But if you find a pretty girl don't bring her in to my room, ok?"

"W-What!?" Tommy's cheeks redden and he slams the door before running off.

David chuckles to himself before throwing on some clothes.

As he opens his door a familiar voice calls out.

"David!"

He looks over and sees Crassus standing next to a rabbit-like man with a giant bag, easily bigger than his own body.

"Crassus?" He asks.

"Yes! Hello dear David!"

"Hello, would you like to come in?" David says, donning a smile.

"Well, of course!"

David sits down at the desk while Crassus stands in front of him. The rabbit-like man stands slightly behind and to the side.

"Let me introduce you, this is Lepus invalidus Parvus, the 7th protector." Crassus says.

"Hello Lepus." David stands out of his chair and initiates a handshake.

"Uh, h-hello." The man greets sheepishly, still standing behind Crassus. David's hand floats awkwardly in the air.

'...' David's smile grows awkward.

Crassus shoots Lepus a glare causing the man to shrink before holding his hand forward and looking away.

'Y-You're not going to grab it!?' David thinks to himself, his cheeks growing slightly red.

David grabs Lepus's hand firmly causing the man to shiver.

A bead of sweat rolls down David's forehead before he brushes of the embarrassment and sits back down.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" David asks Crassus with a dignified look.

"Yes, I came here to hand you the costumes and dresses for all of the crew."

[Don't tell me...]

"Y-Yes, the costumes." David looks over to the giant bag.

"Yes...? Is there something wrong?"

"No, of course not." David responds with a forced smile.

"I and your other half talked about it just yesterday, do you not remember?"

"No, No. I remember now."

He did not.

'Shit, I Should've paid more attention.' He sweats internally.

[...You are an idiot.]

David frowns in his mind at the voice.

"Well, I'll assume you have it under control, where is your significant other? I can't seem to get a hold of her..."

"Oh, she is just out... Fishing." He says stoically

[Fishing...?] The voice questions.

'If you're not gonna help then just shut up!'

"Fishing?" Crassus looks a David with a surprised expression.

"Yes."

"Well, we have plenty of restaurants..."

"She likes to hunt for her own food, sometimes. Just for the thrill of it, you know?"

"Thrill? Never would have pinned her the type..." Crassus ponders.

"Well, she'll be back for the dinner." David responds with an assuring smile.

"Excellent! Well, it has been a nice chat but I must be of, I do apologize. It's been a busy day... Lepus!"

The man drops the heavy bag onto the deck before scurrying off to the edge of the room.

"Wait!" David stops him.

"Yes?"

"Do you maybe have some... Large quantity of molten iron, just laying around?"

...

*Swing!*

*Swing!*

*SLASH!*

A tree falls over, hitting the ground neatly.

~Phew~

"Status!"

Name: David Baird

Condition: Relaxed, Calm, Confident.

Hp: 100%

Affinities: (Skills), (Learning), (Understanding), (Brawling).

Sp: 301

Skills(Unchanged): {Danger sense/LV.7} {Basic gun mastery/LV.5} {Basic } {Basic knife mastery/LV.7} {Mental tolerance/LV.9} {Kick/LV.9} {Thick skin/LV.10} {Basic } {Basic } {Sense weak point/LV.9} {Killing blow/LV.7} {Run/LV.11} {Slash/LV.15} {Trolls } {Sniper's intuition/LV.3} {Enhanced eyesight/LV.7} {Spear throwing mastery/LV.6} {Leap/LV.7} {Throwing/LV.7} {Strengthen } {Strengthen } {Strengthen } {Strengthen } {Weight lifting/LV.10} {Training mastery/LV.10} {Strong } {Basic spear mastery/LV.10} {Basic axe mastery/LV.10} {Basic halberd mastery/LV.11} {Hero's legacy/LV.6} {Brute force/LV.6} {Devour/LV.7} {Swimming/LV.5} {Leadership/LV.3} {Break/LV.5} {Dark circuit/LV.1} {Kill the gods/LV.3} {Devil hunter/LV.1} {Devil power/LV.2} {Vampires }.

Skills(UP): {Stab/LV.12(UP)} {Aviation/LV.4(UP)}.

'Progress is getting slower...'

[So it will. Gaining power takes time, even for you.]

'Wouldn't it be faster if I turned stuff in to powder?' David asks.

[You're already on the path towards towards being the strongest of your peers. There is no need to take risks.]

'...' David's face grows darker.

'...I don't plan on just winning this thing and going on with my life you know.'

[I am aware of that, but-]

'Didn't that stupid god bring me back from the dead? Create a perfect copy of me or something?'

'Then, if I get strong enough...'

[You will bring them all back to life?]

'Yes...'

[...I-I!]

[...Perhaps it is foolish of me...]

'What?'

[Never mind.]

The voice thinks to itself for a few seconds.

[If that is what you want, then I will show you the path, as best as I can.]

'Yes! Thank you!' David's eyes light up in anticipation.

[Go out to the shore.]

'The shore? Why?'

[You'll see...]

'...Alright then.'

David runs through the forest until he gets to the shore.

[Swim out until I tell you to stop.]

'Ok.'

David swims for a good five minutes until...

[Stop.]

[Now float on your back. You will need all of your concentration for this. Focus only on circulating the force through your body.]

David takes a deep breath and starts circulating the force. A comfortable warmth fills his body as he floats serenely on top of the water.

[N-]

'Now push.' He interrupts.

*Poof!*

As soon as he releases the force from his hands he starts to feel a falling sensation. He flexes his back and wings made out of blood sprout from it. everywhere he is looking around him, he sees glowing powder, flying towards his chest.

'God damn!' David smiles at the quantity. After it all is absorbed he looks down.

'Holy shit.'

A crater, the size of a small mansion has been dug in to the water. He quickly flies out of it and watches the water flow back to cover the hole.

[This, is what it means to devour.]

*Gulp*

'I can feel my strength increasing...'

[It's as if you were born to...]

'...To do this?'

[...Yes.]

He smiles to himself before flying back to the shore and walking up to a tree.

*Smash!*

David's fist turns the tree's trunk to bits. It falls to the ground.

*Boom!*

'It's not much, but it's steady.'

'Why didn't you tell me I could do this sooner! This is great!' He says with a smile.

'So what if the world gets a little cranky? This is a great way to become stronger! I'm slightly better in every way! If I could just keep doing this then how would anyone stop me?'

[...Overconfidence is a slow and insidious killer.]

'Come on! Don't I deserve a bit of confidence? This is amazing!'

[But this path...]

The voice sighs.

[Alas, I am a powerless fool. To reach your goal this is the only path.]

'Fool... Would be an understatement. If I had this from the start...' He recalls the Minotaur.

[Maybe you are correct to hold resentment...] The voice responds with a sigh.

'That Minotaur would have been no match...' The voice thinks to itself

'But this path... So many lives could be lost...'

'But the deaths of innocents is not my responsibility, as long as you are content in the end...' It looks at David's soul.

'Mother...'

The voice sighs to itself once again.

'It's alright... We're partners.' David reassures.

'I couldn't hate you after all you've done for me.'

David smiles.

[Indeed we are. I chose to support you for a reason after all.]

'The dinners up soon so I should get myself ready.'

David's smile changes to a greedy on as he looks over to the fallen tree.

'Maybe I should train my technique a bit on the way back.' He thinks to himself.

...

He gets back to the boat, where all of his crew have changed to formal attire.

"To think that I would be able to wear beautiful clothes like these...!" A female crew member says to herself.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm your savior and all of that, I know..." David says to the woman, shit eating grin smeared across his face.

"O-Oh! C-Captain! You are back!" The woman puts her hands over her mouth.

"Uh, Yeah..." He looks at the woman with a puzzled face.

"Do you know where Tommy is?" He asks.

"O-Oh yes! He is by the cells, s-sir."

"Ok... Are you feeling alright?"

"I-I'm fine sir." The woman responds before running off.

He looks at her as she runs away.

'The hell? Does she have a crush on me or something?'

He walks down to the cells.

"Tommy!"

"Oh, you're back." Tommy responds, sitting on chair, fiddling with the chest again.

'Couldn't let it go that easy huh?' David thinks, smiling to himself.

"Is Jingfei back yet?" He says with a serious expression.

A sad grimace covers Tommy's face.

"No, I haven't seen her at all..."

David frowns.

"W-Will she come back?" Tears start forming at the sides of Tommy's eyes.

David walks up to him and places a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be back." He says, smiling.

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it, champ."

"Let's go."