REVIEWS:
CrypticMxsked: LOLOLOLOLOL. XD
Frankieu: Oh, he is more than just ON THE CASE.
TheWritingFreakIsBack: Thank you, I prefer to have my MC's be progressively OP, not OP from the start. Where's the fun in that if they start able to kill gods from the start? Also, the story just takes me some time.
PraetorXyn: I see, I see. Very well then, enjoy the story.
Mugiii: I had to age up the characters for certain reasons, but this also means I changed Kuoh from a High School into some kind of University.
Renextronex: Or have a master of chess in your head, be underestimated as a complete newbie, and lose. That is another way you can lose in three moves.
Fellbane - This is Old man of the mountain. Look Kuroka can handle the Gremory group all by herself due to her mutant bishop pieces and her skills in Senjutsu she has an edge over them. it doesn't matter with levels but it's the experience and skills that count. Issei is not also weak, he has Balance Breaker and can activate Juggernaut Drive for crying out loud. His Boosted Gear can double up his stats every time he boosts himself, imagine 2 times 2 continuously. And as for the canon, we're not far behind it because soon after this small arc we are approaching the rating game so don't worry. We have it all planned out
RageSage - This is Old man of the mountain. Hell naw! We ain't gonna do the fertility potions, Issei may obtain the alchemist class later but we're not going to have him produce the fertility potion. We are avoiding that subject for now and instead focus on other types of potions in the near future. (Horns here: Yeah, for the record, we don't do classes, but Issei can gain the knowledge, skills, or an ally good with potions in the future.)
Guest - This is Old man of the mountain. Hey man, let me ask you this: have you ever written a gamer story or even know what to put in? If you do, share with us the insight of your so-called experienced gamer story lore because if you do, then I'll kindly take that as a bit of advice. If you don't have any, then shut the fuck up. I don't need you to tell us what Horned Guy and I discuss about Solomon's game. It's how he and I discuss and write in the doc, so could you please do us all a favor and shut up, leave us alone.
Two weeks. That is how long Issei has until Kuoh Academy begins. Since the last dungeon, Kuroka managed to get Issei multiple books regarding the Sleep Disease, but the information was little. However, Solomon was not stopped by that and asked for books about Devil nature as well. The wise king was hard at work, but he eventually seemed to have come upon something. Issei and Ddraig didn't have his brains, however, so they didn't get it, but Solomon requested Issei to begin leveling up his [Mindscape] skill.
Issei was initially confused since they didn't use that particular skill as much as before anymore, but Solomon assured him all will make sense in time. Plus, it was easy to level up this skill, just a bit annoying to keep entering and exiting the mindscape. It had no cost whatsoever, or a time limit, or cool down! At first, Issei believed the skill must have grown to remove such limitations, but he came to dismiss that.
It took him a few good hours, but…
Skill Level-up! Your [Mindscape] skill has hit MAX level! Your Skill has grown!
[Mindscape] (Level MAX): This Skill allows the user to enter within their own Mindscape to communicate with the beings within them, or even invite others within their mindscape. No cost is needed for this part of the skill. The user can now also enter within the Mindscape of others, provided no resistance is met; or that the user's INT, WIS, and MGI (Original) stats total is higher than the target's. This part of the skill consumes 50 Stamina per minute.
They finally did it! However, he failed to see how such an ability is useful to him right away. Solomon remained mysterious and cryptic with his intentions, but Issei learned not to doubt him. They were friends, so there was no way Solomon would trick him. But with that being said, it was time. They departed for the last of the dungeons as soon as Issei got the skill all leveled up, but when they got there…
Alert! You are about to enter the Dungeon: Base of the Snakes. The Recommended Level for this Dungeon is 20. Do you wish to enter?
The Level cap for this Dungeon is 70. Individuals above this level cannot enter.
And Kuroka's level was…
[Kuroka Toujou]
[Level: 72 (A)]
[Health: 96000/96000]
[Stamina: 80000/80000]
[Mana: 33000/33000]
[Nekoshou/Reincarnated Devil (2 Bishop Pieces)]
"So close!" She whined, stomping her foot on the ground. The dungeon they were about to enter was located on the outskirts, as mentioned before, and when they looked around they immediately located an old bunker, likely from the world war. They went inside, but found nothing of interest, until they began to look at the walls, remembering the previous tricks used. Fair enough, they found a secret switch. And when they did, the wall opened up to reveal another set of stairs going down. But as Issei tried to step inside, well…
ALERT! Access inside the Dungeon has been blocked! The quest: GET A FULL SET! Must be completed before entering this dungeon!
"Ok, this is certainly new!" Issei said, looking at the message. "I need to complete this quest before entering, huh? Well, all things considered, it seems easy enough to complete."
"I think so too, you only need, what? A few more pawns?" Kuroka asked, then Issei checked the quest to see his progress.
"Three pawns and a knight piece." Issei replied, then he hummed in thought for a bit. "We can just go out and hunt Strays again tonight to finish this quest. It seems easy enough if we get lucky."
"Don't jinx it, partner." Ddraig said, warning him. "If you recall, Strays with pieces belonging to the back row have been a bit shy."
"Regardless, thanks to our previous progress with this quest, we should be able to finish it relatively swiftly." Solomon added. "Let's not waste time, shall we?"
"Alright then. Let's go, Kuroka. We will wait until the evening and then go out and hunt." Issei said, and Kuroka nodded her head, happy to at least get some action going. For her, it has been boring sitting at the entrance of the dungeons, waiting for the barrier preventing her from going in to fade. At least, like this, she gets some action going.
"AGH!" A stray screamed as Issei's sword went over their chest, making their blood splatter everywhere. Nothing his [Self-Clean] is unable to handle, however, as his skill took care of the blood and filth easily. He went to the Stray and managed to find a Knight piece next to them.
"Nice!" Issei said, placing the piece in his inventory. At his current level, the Strays around were easy to take out, with little to no difficulty. Those wild ones were easier than the Strays he usually found in dungeons. Not to mention his new skills allowed him to sense them and tell them apart from the normal people on the street easier. "How are you doing, Kuroka?"
Kuroka, for her part, just finished a Stray as well, a pawn, which dropped dead from her mist. "Nya! Pretty good. I must admit, this does get entertaining enough after a while, especially as those Strays scream and fall. Well, choke in this case."
"We only need one more pawn piece now." Issei said, then the two of them went on their way again. However, as soon as they left the alley, someone stumbled upon their work. Someone they knew, but who didn't quite know them.
He brought forth a communication circle swiftly. "Ummm. Sona? I think I found Rias' dragon friend." Saji said, calling in reinforcements.
Issei and Kuroka walked through the alleys, looking for another Stray, and fair enough, they found one…In the middle of a feast, they were eating a stray dog. "Ugh." Issei and Kuroka were both disgusted by this, but his [Observe] did reveal at least that they were a pawn. Exactly what they were looking for. The Stray turned around to them and launched himself at them, but Kuroka was quick to blast him into nothingness using her senjutsu.
"I hate it when they are this gross, nya." She said, and Issei agreed. Some strays were downright disturbing. However, looking down at this particular stray, he picked up the last piece they needed.
Quest complete!
GET A FULL SET!
Hopefully, you didn't believe the system would let you suffer alone? As you can see in your inventory, you have acquired several Evil Pieces through the use of your Skill, so instead of letting them gather up dust in there, you are being awarded this quest to acquire a full set of Evil Pieces! Now, as you have become Level 10, you can acquire those pieces from defeated Strays at a 10% chance of dropping, which is enhanced further by your LCK stat! Additionally, if you use your skill, you will get more EXP than taking them down! So, as long as this quest is active, each time to acquire an Evil Piece using your [Evil Piece Extraction Spell] Skill, you will be awarded the same amount of EXP you would have gotten when defeating the Stray, plus an additional 2000 EXP.
Main Objective: Gather up an entire set of Evil Pieces!
Progress:
Pawns: 8/8
Rooks: 2/2
Knights: 2/2
Bishops: 2/2
Queen: 1/1
Main Reward: 50K EXP, 1 New Additional Quest, Skill Book(?), 100K Yen.
Failure Penalty: Possible Dead.
New Quest!
CREATE YOUR DREAM!
You were told before that the system won't let you down, and it is holding its promise! Now that you have gathered an entire set of Evil Pieces, you can choose to imbue them with YOUR power, converting them into your kind of set! This action takes 500 Mana/piece, so be careful. Now, to explain the quest at hand, it is simple: You need to make use of them.
Main Objective: Complete a Peerage.
Additional Objective: Save Ingvild Leviathan.
Quest Time Limit: N/A.
Main Objective Rewards: Red King Title, 100K EXP, +10 RP with all peerage members.
Additional Objective Reward: +20 RP with Ingvild Leviathan, 10K EXP, 1 MAX-L Orb.
Failure Penalty: Death.
"Nice!" Issei exclaimed, then he looked back at Kuroka. "Looks like things are better than we know, Kuroka."
"How so?" She asked.
"It seems I can start making you my queen starting from this night." Issei said, making Kuroka blush a bit, but also look pretty excited. However, their moment was broken once both Issei and Kuroka picked up new presences. Issei deployed his Balance Breaker, dropping his [Aura Suppression] and Kuroka got herself into a fighting position as well. However, the person that came from around the corner was certainly not who they expected.
Sona Sitri.
"I have to say, you are easier to track than what Rias claims. But then again, she also decided to stop putting in effort." She said, fixing her glasses as she looked at the two of them.
"A wise decision by her." Ddraig said, speaking for Issei. "And what business do you have with us, Sona Sitri?"
"So you do know who I am." Sona said.
"Nya! We also know that your entire peerage is waiting just around that corner!" Kuroka claimed, which seemed to have been true as Sona's peerage showed itself. Issei used his [Observe] over all of them, not seeing any particularly strong members that would be trouble while he had his Balance Breaker out, but the main issue was Sona herself.
[Sona Sitri.]
[Level: 56 A]
[HP: 70000/70000]
[Pure-blood Devil (House of Sitri)]
Only Kuroka can take her on, as Issei's level was too low, meaning that he was too weak to go up against her. Her peerage? He could manage one or two members, but even he cannot go against all of them! "Since you are aware of my identity, I guess there is no need for formalities." Sona continued. "I have a proposal for you. Unlike Rias, I made no promise, and what's more, none of my peerage members have any issues with your companion."
"Ha! You want to recruit us into your peerage to boast about having the mighty Red Dragon of Domination among your ranks." Ddraig said by himself at that time. "Sorry to disappoint, Sitri, but that won't happen. My partner here is not looking to join your peerage."
"Who said I was giving you the option to deny me?" Sona said, putting forth her threat. At this, Issei and Kuroka got more on guard. "Despite your powers, I am fairly confident that my peerage here can defeat you and take you in. If you still choose to refuse, then I have no issue with attacking, handing Kuroka here to the authorities, and then simply extracting your Longinus for my personal use."
The coldness with which she said that was frightening, Issei would admit to that. However, she did not know about Solomon, and the wise king was always there with a plan. "Issei…Use the same trick you did with the asura."
"Are you nuts? Kuroka won't forgive me a second time!" Issei replied.
"I know, and if it comes down to it I will take responsibility for making you do this again. But please, just trust me. Ddraig, you too, play along."
"You claim to have the edge with numbers." Ddraig said, following Solomon's instructions. "But you don't have the power. Listen here, Heiress of Sitri! Dare make a move, and I will not hesitate to- Partner, are you crazy?!"
Sona caught on to that change, noticing that the last part was not the dragon speaking for its partner, but using its own words. Why are they calling their partner crazy? Even Kuroka seemed confused and worried as she looked at him. Sona processed for a bit, then she realized, making her eyes widen with genuine fear. "Juggernaut Drive…" She muttered.
"I-indeed. My partner's threat to you, if you may. Dare do anything, and he will unleash the Juggernaut Drive and slaughter you all."
"It's a bluff!" Sona shouted, calling them out on it. "Doing that will also kill Kuroka and anyone else unfortunate enough to be caught in the path of the Juggernaut! Not to mention you will also lose your own life in the process!"
"Perhaps…But ask yourself this: Even if this is a bluff, what makes you think we won't do it? You are threatening to steal the Boosted Gear from its user! A death that also kills you is better than a death that empowers you." Ddraig said, finishing the message, and Sona went silent for a bit.
"President?" Saji called out to her, then Sona inhaled deeply, fixing her glasses.
"To think you are crazy enough to do something like that…" She muttered. "Very well! If you refuse my generous offer, then I will retreat with my peerage. For now." Sona summoned forth a magical circle underneath herself and her peerage. "But know this, Emperor. You cannot remain neutral in this world." Then she and her peerage vanished, leaving Issei and Kuroka alone again. Issei maintained his Balance Breaker in case of anything, then he turned to Kuroka who was giving him a small pout.
"Sorry…It was Solomon's idea." Issei said, and luckily, he didn't lose any RP points with Kuroka. Instead, she simply sighed.
"It worked to get us out of trouble." She stated. "I could easily take them down with my mist, but then we'd have to deal with her sister and possibly the other satans. The biggest defense of the sisters is not their power or peerage, but their families."
"Indeed. One wrong move and we'd be done for." Ddraig admitted. "We need to play it safe for now, or at least until Issei here becomes strong enough to take on the Super Devils."
"Well, shall we continue onward?" Issei questioned, but then Solomon intervened.
"Issei, I think we should return home for now." The wise king said. "We do have some other things to do now." Issei knew immediately what he meant, and when he looked at Kuroka, her blush told him everything. It was time to make her his queen.
Returning to their home, Issei and Kuroka went to their room upstairs for this. "Ready, Kuroka? I will first use my other spell to extract your pieces." Issei told her.
"I am ready." She replied, waiting for Issei to begin his word. Issei got out his Boosted Gear, applying the power increase needed for this spell and then he cast it on Kuroka. However, their fears were confirmed when he only pulled out one piece, meaning they needed to do this one more time, which was draining on Issei.
Still, he went through and used the spell a second time as well, extracting both of Kuroka's pieces, which he sold in the shop for a total of 50K Yen. Evil Pieces were quite valuable, holy shit! He stumbled a bit, which had Kuroka worried. "It's ok, Kuroka, I am fine. Just…using so much Mana at once really takes its toll, but compared to before, I think I can take it better."
"If you say so…How do my stats look?" She asked, concerned that removing her pieces had more than one kind of side-effect on her, but when Issei checked, he only found one change.
[Kuroka Toujou]
[Level: 72 (A)]
[Health: 96000/96000]
[Stamina: 80000/80000]
[Mana: 23000/23000]
[Nekoshou]
The change was not regarding her race, that was a given, but rather her mana. It dropped by about 10K in value. "Your mana reserve has dropped by around a third of its original value, but it is still quite a lot. Overall, I also do not have access to your more precise stats, so I cannot tell what other changes happened."
"I do! Give me a second." Kuroka said, bringing out her own HUD to check her stats. And true enough, she found her MGI stat. "My MGI stat dropped. Before it was around 357, now it is at 233."
"So, removing her pieces DID weaken her magical capabilities." Solomon stated. "We expected this outcome, however. Issei, begin the creation of your set."
"What about Kuroka's queen piece?" Issei asked.
"Patience, my student. If I am right, the queen piece takes on the attributes of the other pieces, minus the pawn and king, but we do not know what attributes the potential modified pieces we are making have." Solomon stated. "As such, I think it is better to start with those."
"I guess it makes sense." Issei said, then he reached into his inventory, pulling out the Mutated Rook piece he got a while back. True enough, a prompt appeared in front of him.
To modify an Evil Piece, you must use your [Transfer] skill on it and transfer 500 Mana inside of it.
"Alright…Here goes nothing." Issei said as he held out the piece and focused, activating his skill and transferring the mana required inside of the rook. As he did so, however, the piece began to change, its crimson color being mixed with other shades as well, and slowly, a new symbol appeared on it, the same one as his magical circle. When the process was done, the piece was black at the base, but it became redder as it went up in some kind of gradient effect. "Woah…"
Congratulations on achieving your first Draconic Piece! Here is a small tutorial to run you through what those pieces are and the changes that are going to happen the moment you recruit your first member!
First of all, Draconic Pieces do not change the race of the one using them as Evil Pieces do, and unlike Evil Pieces, they can also be ejected at any time without causing harm to their host! Second of all, Draconic Pieces do not give an individual boost to certain stats like Evil Pieces but grant an equal bonus to all stats, minus the LCK stat. However, this all-around bonus is lower than the individual bonus given by an Evil Piece. To make it simple, a base Knight with an Evil Piece will be faster than a base Knight with a Draconic Piece. Third and not least, each piece comes with its unique skill! Let's go through them, shall we?
-Rook: [Fortification]: This skill converts the user's AGI stat into DUR at a ratio of 1:2, turning 1 AGI point into 2 DUR points!
-Knight: [Lightning Movement]: This skill converts the user's DUR and STR into AGI at a ratio of 1:2, where 1 DUR/1 STR turns into a total of 4 AGI! However, the loss in STR applies only if the user is not equipped with any sword-type item, and if they are, then they won't lose any STR, and instead, their DUR will serve as the only converted stat at a ratio of 1:3.
-Bishop: [Arcane Recharge]: This skill converts the user's Stamina into Mana at a 3:1 ratio, turning 3 Stamina into 1 Mana. Additionally, if the user's MGI is higher than their STR, this skill will allow them to convert all of their STR stat into MGI.
-Queen: All previously stated skills from all other pieces, plus this: [Board Domination]: This skill enables the user to use an alternative version of the [Blink] skill, allowing them to teleport anywhere in their field of vision, or to any of their allies, instantly. However, this Skill can only be used 10 times every 24H.
-Pawn: [Promotion]: This allows a pawn to become any of the other pieces, gaining their skills in the process! However, to maintain this Skill, 100 Stamina per minute is required.
[Multi-Promotion] (Only available to users who own more than 1 pawn piece): based on the number of pawns within, a pawn can choose to promote themselves to one or more types of pieces at once, becoming both a Rook and Bishop at once for example. This skill requires no maintenance cost.
There IS more to uncover about those pieces but said information will be only revealed in time. For now, enjoy!
"Damn…" Issei muttered as he read, being stunned by them. Kuroka was as well, and when she reached the information about the Queen piece, her heart even skipped a beat. Sure, she might never recover her lost magical power, but fuck that! She was gaining several skills which made the loss null!
"Amazing." She said, "Issei, Queen me!" She said, being more excited now after checking out the perks. "Hurry! After reading what this offers, there is no way I cannot take full advantage of it! This more than makes up for the lost magic."
"Sure thing!" Issei replied, being equally excited. He didn't have enough mana for all of his pieces, but he had enough to continue. He did, however, notice how the mutated rook became a normal rook piece, likely to indicate that things won't be easy to cheat. Mutated pieces were stronger and better than normal ones, but it seemed he cannot turn those into Mutated Draconic Pieces as he wished.
For figuring out a limitation of the Draconic Piece creation process, you were awarded one INT.
And that confirmed it. So, without wasting much time, Issei got out the queen piece he won from that asura before and repeated the process, creating a Queen Draconic Piece.
[Draconic Piece: Queen]
[Use on a person to make them part of your Draconic Peerage as your Queen!]
"Ready?" He asked Kuroka, who stood calmly before him. She nodded and Issei stretched out his arm, placing the piece against her upper cleavage. He watched the piece slowly sink into her body, his magical circle below her shining. When it was done, Kuroka simply looked at him, but then Issei noticed new notifications.
Peerage Member acquired! Party System revamping into Peerage System!
"Is the system's party function changing?" Issei muttered, then he was given the page that revealed more details about his party, but instead of the usual one from before he was given a more in-depth one. Even Kuroka was confused by this, but eventually, the changes seemed to finalize.
Revamp Complete! Peerage System successfully implemented! Initiation Tutorial!
Now that you have achieved your peerage, here is the basic information you will need!
-Everyone in YOUR peerage will receive a HUD, showing their Health, Stamina, and Mana.
-Everyone in YOUR peerage will receive a Skill page, showing their skills/spells.
-Each time a member of a peerage gains EXP, 10% of that EXP is given to the King of the peerage.
-Each time the King levels up, all members will receive EXP equal to 25% of the current EXP Requirement.
-The King (You) has unlimited access to the stat page of the peerage members, including their list of skills/spells.
"Well, that is…informative." Issei said, then he realized some things. The first two points specified HIS peerage, but the next two didn't, meaning those were more or less general attributes of every peerage out there! That explained the high level of Rias and Sona both, especially Sona! Fucking hell, they are just piggybacking off the backs of their peerage members…And now he is doing the same. Granted, each level-up did give the peerage members a pretty considerable EXP amount, all things considered, and if he is to base this on his requirement, then he can at least, possibly, calculate later how much EXP the other peerages gain. "How do you feel, Kuroka?" He asked, turning to her.
"Not that different…" Kuroka said, then she checked her stat and her tail went straight. "Nya! Issei, check the status page for me!"
"What? Oh yeah, I can do that now." Issei replied as he did as told, bringing up Kuroka's page where her stats were displayed in full detail.
Name:
Kuroka Toujou
Title:
Queen of Hyoudou
Level:
72 (26790/15012430162 EXP)
HP: 96000/96000 (1HP/Min)
STA: 80000/80000 (1STA/Min)
Mana: 23000/23000 (1 Mana/Min)
STR: 134 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
AGI: 188 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
MGI: 243 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
DUR: 164 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
ACC: 221 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
WIS: 112 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
INT: 207 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
CHA: 139 (+10 from Draconic Piece)
LCK: 80
Status effects: N/A
Skills/Perks/Titles.
"Holy…" Issei muttered, comparing her stats with his. So THIS is what being an ultimate-class being was like?! "I honestly feel a bit scared now, seeing those stats."
Kuroka giggled. "Don't worry, dear, I would never harm you. Unless you give me a very good reason to." She knew how to play him. "Besides, look at the EXP required for me to level up!"
"It is- HOLY SHIT, WHAT IS THAT NUMBER?!" Issei shouted seeing it, and even Ddraig and Solomon had to admit it was quite the large amount.
"Oh my…"
"How is that- Why is it- Is this system expectation us to fight entire hordes of suicidal fuckheads?!" Ddraig said, being completely speechless as well at the numbers, especially when compared to how EXP they have been gaining so far. "This infernal system better gives us some ways to farm EXP better, otherwise I swear I will find a way to BURN IT!"
"I…I have nothing to say to that, old friend." Solomon added, rubbing his template as the numbers dazed him. "Still, congratulations, Kuroka, your stats, and newly acquired skills are sure to come in handy."
"Thank you, Solomon." She replied. "But speaking of my skills…" Gazing a bit lower, Issei could see a separate tab, likely containing her list of skills. Oh boy, time to see how much better she was in that department as well.
Skills:
Skills:
[Kasha] (Level MAX): A technique exclusive to the Nekomata and Nekoshou race, allowing them to summon multiple wheels surrounded by powerful, spiritual fire which they control with arm and hand gestures. In their base state, this skill deals +100% damage based on the user's STR and MGI, multiplied by the number of wheels conjured. The current limit of wheels: is 5. However, A MASTER level Senjutsu user can apply a purification effect on them. Lastly, while this skill is active, the wheels can be used to guide lost souls or send them to the afterlife forcefully.
[Stealth] (Level MAX): Passive Skill with no cost. You are able and quite adept at hiding yourself, with a 20% bonus chance of not being detected when sneaking around!
[Cat form] (Level MAX): You can turn into a kitty cat. No cost. What else is there to say?
[Youjutsu - Master] (Level MAX): A Master of Youjutsu! This is the art that implies the use of Ki that surrounds the user to use techniques. Those Youkai Demonic Arts, as they are also called, are only accessible to Youkai.
[Poison Mist] (Level 6| 2700/12800): This Youjutsu technique creates a poisonous mist that incapacitates Devils and Youkai, making them unable to move and barely breathe. However, it is ineffective against dragons or dragon-type Sacred Gear users. As a result of the user's mastery over this, the ability to make the mist lethal was added, enabling them to make it so the mist deals 1 HP/Second in terms of damage. This technique requires 100 Mana and Stamina to cast, and 50 Mana and Stamina to maintain.
(Sub-Skill) [Shadow Mirage] (Level MAX): The user is capable of creating illusionary mirages of herself using this technique, which throws off her opponents as those mirages can interact and cause auditory illusions as well to further trick someone. 100 Mana and Stamina per use.
(Sub-skill)[Ki Blast] (Level MAX): By focusing the Ki in your palms, the user of this technique can choose to launch their ki in the form of large projectiles that deal +50% damage based on their STR and MGI stat combined. Cost 200 Mana and 100 Stamina peruse. +8% corruption.
[Youjutsu Elemental Manipulation - Master] (Level MAX): The ability to manipulate certain elements with Youjutsu. Your Affinity allows you to control Earth and Plants.
[Earth Spikes] (Level MAX): This skill allows you to conjure multiple spikes out of the earth to impale your opponents, dealing damage equal to your MGI stat + 70%. This skill can inflict various grades of the [Bleed] Status Effect. Costs 100 Mana peruse.
[Earth State Conversion] (Level MAX): Change the earth in a certain area to mud and vice versa. 50 Mana peruse.
[Surging Roots] (Level MAX): This skill enables you to summon forth multiple roots to attack your opponent with or restrain them. The roots deal damage equal to 50% of both your STR and MGI stat. Costs 100 Mana peruse.
[Enhanced Growth] (Level MAX): This skill allows you to speed up the growth of plants however you wish! 100 Mana peruse.
[Senjutsu - Master] (Level MAX): A Master of Senjutsu, an art that only the most skilled of Youkai can master. This rare technique grants the user many attributes, but also dangers, as this technique implies taking IN the ki around, which includes the ill will and ugliness of life, but a master of this technique has nothing to fear!
[Corruption Resistance - High] (Level MAX): As a master of Senjutsu, you have faced and rejected the corruption that comes with it. As such, you have gained a very high resistance to it, and you needn't fear corruption as much!
-Current level of corruption: 2%.
This Skill protects you from the corruption, lowering its rate, but you must perform a purification ritual to cleanse it all! Currently, this skill lowers the corruption rate by 80%.
[Ki Detection] (Level MAX): This skill is passive, enabling the user to sense others by their ki and/or aura. Unlike Auramancy skills, this is the version utilized by Youkai. This skill enables the user to sense individuals in a radius of 30 meters of themselves, being able to tell how powerful they are unless they are using something to mask their power, what race they are, and even their movement without even seeing them! In addition, this skill allows the user to see through illusions by simply reading the flow of ki.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki Block] (Level MAX): A dangerous technique. When used, it can cause the Stun effect to be applied to the target, making them unable to use any of their abilities. This technique is done by striking the target with a ki-covered fist in the stomach. This skill costs 50 Mana and 100 Stamina to use. +5% corruption peruse.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki fist] (Level Max): Coating your fist in ki to make it hit harder! Deals +25% more damage based on your STR stat. Costs 50 Stamina and 30 Mana peruse. +5% corruption peruse.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki kick] (Level Max): Coating your foot in ki to make it kick harder! Deals +25% more damage based on your STR stat. Costs 50 Stamina and 30 Mana peruse. +5% corruption peruse.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki Blast] (Level MAX): By focusing the Ki in your palms, the user of this technique can choose to launch their ki in the form of large projectiles that deal +50% damage based on their STR and MGI stat combined. Cost 200 Mana and 100 Stamina peruse. +8% corruption.
[Ailment Extraction] (Level MAX): This technique allows the user to extract the curses or poison that plague someone, and also enables the user to cure any negative status effects on themselves or their allies! This technique requires 150 Mana and 50 Stamina to use. +2% corruption.
[Ki Healing] (Level MAX): While it cannot restore a lost limb, it can reattach them. This healing technique that utilizes Ki enables the user to heal one's physical and mental condition until there is no more healable damage left. This technique can be used to remove mind-targeting negative status effects. This technique requires 200 Mana peruse. +10% corruption peruse.
[Lifespan Recovery] (Level MAX): This technique enables the user to restore one's depleted lifespan, offering normal individuals longer overall lives, and/or healing the loss of a life produced by dangerous powers. Requires physical contact. No cost. Restores 1 Original HP per minute of contact when minimum contact is given, restores 5 a minute when max contact is done.
[Touki] (Level MAX): A technique that can be used by most species out there, allowing them to surround their bodies in ki to enhance their STR, AGI, and DUR. Once used, this technique will increase those stats by 10% of their current value. Requires 100 Mana and Stamina per minute to maintain.
[Close Combat - Expert] (Level 5| 1300/6400): Getting up close and personal! This skill shows how proficient you are when getting down and dirty!
(Sub-Skill) [Ki Block] (Level MAX): A dangerous technique. When used, it can cause the Stun effect to be applied to the target, making them unable to use any of their abilities. This technique is done by striking the target with a ki-covered fist in the stomach. This skill costs 50 Mana and 100 Stamina to use. +5% corruption peruse.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki fist] (Level Max): Coating your fist in ki to make it hit harder! Deals +25% more damage based on your STR stat. Costs 50 Stamina and 30 Mana peruse. +5% corruption peruse.
(Sub-Skill) [Ki kick] (Level Max): Coating your foot in ki to make it kick harder! Deals +25% more damage based on your STR stat. Costs 50 Stamina and 30 Mana peruse. +5% corruption peruse.
Magic-related Skills: [Defensive Magic - Adept] (Level 6| 1200/12800): A magic created SPECIFICALLY to defend! This magic has no offensive capabilities.
[Protective Magical Circle] (Level MAX): This spell enables the user to create a magical circle or more of various sizes to block both magical and physical damage and even spiritual damage. Cost is multiplied by the number of circles active. Each circle can block damage based on the user's DUR +150%. Each circle requires 200 Mana per minute to maintain.
[Defense Barrier] (Level MAX): Summoning forth a barrier to protect you and everyone within! Able to block physical and magical damage based on the user's DUR +150%. The barriers cost 100 Mana to deploy and 50 Mana per minute to maintain.
[Teleportation - Master] (Level MAX): The ability to instantly move throughout space in the blink of an eye, either alone or with company or luggage.
[Teleport] ( Level MAX): Possibly the most simple spell in this entire magic, and the most used. This spell enables the user to instantly transport themselves and anyone else within the summoned magical circle to another location where the user:
-Has previously been before.
-Knows the precise coordinates of.
-Has a clear image of the place where they are supposed to arrive, like using a picture to envision the destination. (WARNING! This last one is very risky!)
This spell requires 100 Mana peruse, and their MGI stat dictates the distance before additional Mana costs are enforced. One MGI stat point is equal to 1 KM, and when teleporting outside of the initial range provided by the MGI stat, 100 Mana will be taken for each extra kilometer. Additionally, the user is also able to transport other objects or people to themselves, provided they have a MASTER-level proficiency and know the exact coordinates of said person/object.
(Sub-Skill) [Dimensional Teleportation] (Level MAX): The user can teleport between dimensions! The specs of this skill are pretty much the same as those of the normal [Teleportation] Skill, except for certain differences: The first two conditions are the only ones that apply, and the user cannot teleport people/objects to them across realms. In addition, there is no distance cost. This spell requires 500 Mana peruse.
[Illusion Magic - Expert] (Level 9| 85450/102400): The magic of illusion, the art of trickery, and manipulation of the senses.
(Sub-Skill) [Shadow Mirage] (Level MAX): The user is capable of creating illusionary mirages of herself using this technique, which throws off her opponents as those mirages can interact and cause auditory illusions as well to further trick someone. 100 Mana and Stamina per use.
[Spatial Magic - Expert] (Level 9| 99900/102400): The magic that enables the user to alter space to their whim!
[Spatial barrier] (Level MAX): The user can erect a special barrier around a specific area, turning it into a separate space altogether. As a result, it is impossible to sense what or who is within the barrier, unless a special skill is involved. This barrier prevents individuals from going in or out, but to maintain it the user's Mana acts as the barrier's HP. 500 Mana to use, 100 Mana per minute to maintain.
Draconic Piece Skills:
[Fortification]: This skill converts the user's AGI stat into DUR at a ratio of 1:2, turning 1 AGI point into 2 DUR points!
[Lightning Movement]: This skill converts the user's DUR and STR into AGI at a ratio of 1:2, where 1 DUR/1 STR turns into a total of 4 AGI! However, the loss in STR applies only if the user is not equipped with any sword-type item, and if they are, then they won't lose any STR, and instead, their DUR will serve as the only converted stat at a ratio of 1:3.
[Arcane Recharge]: This skill converts the user's Stamina into Mana at a 3:1 ratio, turning 3 Stamina into 1 Mana. Additionally, if the user's MGI is higher than their STR, this skill will allow them to convert all of their STR stat into MGI.
[Board Domination]: This skill enables the user to use an alternative version of the [Blink] skill, allowing them to teleport anywhere in their field of vision, or to any of their allies, instantly. However, this Skill can only be used 10 times every 24H.
Perks:
Normal Perks
[Cat Reflexes]: Thanks to your race, as a Nekomata, you can sense danger coming and react quickly to it! During combat, this perk increases your AGI by 5%.
[Fine Senses]: This perk allows you to also sense other, subtler things aside from the things your skills state.
[Natural -Jutsu Talent!]: As a rare Yokai, you have a 10% EXP bonus to all of your Senjutsu and Youjutsu - based skills.
[Heat Control - The Other Kind]: As an adult Nekomata, you can control your heat during mating season. You are also able to easily nullify the heat in other nekomatas who cannot control their own.
[Two-Tailed]: Certain Youkais show their power via the number of tails, and you have two! This perk makes other Youkai who see your sign of power respect and/or fear you when they see you!
Draconic Piece Perks
[EXP Bonus]: Each time your King levels up, you will gain EXP equal to 25% of the EXP required for their next level.
[Draconic Boost]: You gain a permanent +10 to all stats, except LCK.
Equipment Perks
N/A
Titles:
Queen of Hyoudou.
As the title says, you are the Queen of Issei Hyoudou, possessing the Draconic Queen Piece. This Title grants the [EXP Bonus] and [Draconic Boost] perks, The Draconic Piece Skills, as well as an overall 20% EXP bonus to the wearer, and the ability to equip a different title aside from this one.
"Oh my…" Kuroka said, stunned by the large amounts of information before her, as was Issei. Although, Issei was more jealous than stunned, seeing how many maxed-out skills Kuroka had. But jealousy aside, he was happy to see how excited Kuroka looked as she scrolled through her skill page. Despite it all, she didn't have the same system as him, but only a watered-down version. A fragment to allow her to interact with it better. "Is this how you always see things, Issei? Your abilities and everything?"
"Pretty much," Issei replied, showing her his list. "We both seem to have a bunch of things, although I think I could pick up a thing or two from you. Especially that defensive magic, it sounds like it would be really useful for me in the future.
"Maybe I can teach you? Who knows what other perks this peerage system has!" Kuroka said.
"How about another time?" Issei said, letting out a yawn. "I am tired, and we do have that dungeon to tackle later as well."
Kuroka sighed. "I guess that is fair…Well, in that case, let's get ready for bed, shall we?"
"Yeah."
Later, at the ORC, Rias was sitting at her desk when a message was sent to her from her brother. "Huh?" She opened her message box, reading it over. Apparently, Sirzechs received a strange report from Ajuka, stating that two Evil Pieces thought to be lost to strayed devils returned to their masters. This could only be the work of her dragon, she knew it, but her brother wanted her to look into it. It was a low priority, however, given the positive results, and her brother did keep the other events on their way in mind. "Can't he take even one day off?" Rias asked herself as she leaned on her desk more.
The Dragon Emperor has been strangely more active yesterday, or rather, some hours ago. It was past midnight for her, but she was still working on some documents. The consequences of putting off paperwork. Not to mention the fight she had with Sona earlier, since she dared go after the Red Dragon Emperor. It seems the little incident back then with Saji was not enough for her, but Rias was past childish games. The Emperor, from Sona's words, threatened to unleash his Juggernaut Drive.
That was insane. Before, they felt the power of the Red Dragon, and if what happened to Sona told her something, that was the fact the Red Dragon they are facing is either suicidal, was bluffing, or worst of all he achieved control of the dreaded Juggernaut Drive. Such cases were rare, as most users lose themselves to it, but they did happen before. But only one was ever recorded.
If this emperor proves able to also use the Juggernaut without losing their mind, they might have a problem in the aspect that neither she nor Sona can reincarnate him. To reincarnate the Juggernaut's power means to have power equal or equal, and even if they used all of their remaining pieces, there is no way they have enough for an entire heavenly dragon.
But once again, there was nothing she could do about it. Only sit and wait. A truly frustrating thing.
The time was here. Issei and Kuroka both returned to the dungeon, the message appearing before him.
Alert! You are about to enter the Dungeon: Base of the Snakes. The Recommended Level for this Dungeon is 20. Do you wish to enter?
The Level cap for this Dungeon is 70. Individuals above this level cannot enter.
He gave Kuroka a quick kiss on the cheek and he then ventured into the dungeon. Granted, the moment he did, he was taken by surprise by something.
Dungeon Quest!
Objective: Kill 5 enemies without being noticed or raising the alarm!
Reward: 20K EXP.
"Solomon?"
"It is a dungeon quest, as an additional objective for this dungeon. They appear only in certain dungeons, and will only last until we either fail, complete, or leave the dungeon. Of course, the first and third mean no reward." The wise king explained. "Looks like we need to be stealthy."
"It has not been exactly our strongest point, old friend." Ddraig stated, addressing the main issue.
"Yet, the system has spoken." Solomon added.
"Regardless of that, I will give it a shot. How hard can it be to kill five enemies without being spotted?" Issei asked aloud, but Ddraig answered him.
"In your case? Without that fancy ring that made you invisible that you had before? Hard."
Issei sighed. "Thanks for the encouragement."
"Don't listen to him, Issei, he just prefers to be more aggressive in a fight." Solomon told him, all the while glaring at Ddraig. "Let's just advance through this place. Who knows how large it is."
True enough, as they reached the end of the stairs going down, as soon as Issei opened them, he was met with a more grand design. Before his eyes was a large hallway, with larger columns on both sides. You'd expect such a place to be heavily guarded, but in fact, he could only sense two guards with his skills.
Skill level-up! [Aura Sense] is now level 2!
They were guarding a pretty large gate as well, however, as Issei looked around he noticed how the room was not very well lit. He hoped his [Stealth] skill won't fail him now. He went behind the pillars, starting to move through the shadows. The guards didn't spot him, which was good as he moved to the far right side of the room, trying to be as silent as possible. However, doing only this wouldn't help him much, considering the guards were stationed in such a way that they were standing FACING one another. What can he do?
"Ugh. Hey man, I am going to the bathroom real quick." one of the guards suddenly said, getting Issei's attention.
"Now? Can't you hold it until after the guard shift?" The other asked.
"I have been holding it since the start of the shift, I feel about to explode." The other guy whined. "I will only be gone for a few minutes."
The guard sighed. "Fine, but be quick. Not like I will die while you're gone." The other guard left, leaving their colleague by himself. Issei used [Observe] on them both, to see their overall stats.
[Devil Guard]
[Level: 20 C]
[HP: 15000/15000]
[Pureblood Devil]
It was not any particularly powerful enemy, but still, a problem if he is not careful. Taking out his sword, he spotted a more exposed area of their armor and inhaled deeply before he drove his sword into their body. "AGH!" They let out a small scream, seeing the sword go through them. Issei pulled it back quickly, having seen their HP hit zero. That was a FATAL strike. However, not he had the issue of the bleeding body on the ground. When the other ground returned, he'd see the body and raise the alarm, which he could not have.
So instead, looking up, he decided on a small ambush. Using [Power Jump] he jumped up above the door, stumbling a bit and almost falling, but he managed to lean back and hug the wall, and just in time as he heard the other guard coming.
"Phew! Thanks, man, I owe you one- WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT THE-" Seeing the dead body, the guard freaked out, but that is when Issei dropped down on them, driving the sword into their back yet again and, just like the other guard, they were killed pretty much instantly. That was two out of five, so he decided to move in further. The door led him to another hallway, one that was equally large, but which split into two directions. Left or right? Right. He went down the right hallway, moving slowly. He had to remember that this place was packed with actual soldiers or something, and raising the alarm could have them swarm him.
He couldn't have that!
Skill Level-up! Your [Stealth] Skill is now Level 4!
That helped. He continued onward, eventually stumbling upon a door on the side and hearing a voice from within. He heard a sigh, then someone whined. "Why the fuck do I need to do the inventory on food? Oh right, I remember! Because I decided to be a smartass." Whatever their issue was, it didn't concern him. Issei stood next to the door, waiting for them to leave as he heard their steps growing closer to the door. When they opened the door, he leaped at them, driving his sword in their throat and pushing them back into…A food storage area? Not the best place to leave a body at.
They didn't die, but a FATAL was still inflicted, and Issei saw them as they bled from their neck and choked on their blood. He took back his sword, using his [self-clean] to get rid of the blood. He opened the door and exited the room, despite the risk of the body being found out. He looked to his right, noticing a sign that said 'cafeteria'. It likely contained more soldiers and guards, meaning he was now going the other way.
He went into the left hallway, sneaking carefully. He really shouldn't have left that body in the food storage, as someone might find it, but for now, he had to wing it. He eventually came upon another junction that was also guarded, but this time, only by one guard. But before their section, there was another door. The guard then turned around. "Is someone there?" Shit, he must have been detected!
Quickly, Issei dashed for the door and hid inside the room. He let out a breath of relief when he heard the guard saying they must have imagined it. However, he almost screamed when he turned, coming face to face with an empty helmet like those worn by the guards.
Now that he thought about it, they were all wearing similar helmets that covered their faces for the most part. And this seemed to be the place they kept those armors. An idea cooked in his head, which Solomon and Ddraig agreed with.
For coming up with a good idea, you were awarded 1 INT.
"Hey, you!" The guard shouted, pointing at a soldier that was coming down the hall. "What is it with you here?"
"Ummm. Sorry, sir, I am new here. I was recently appointed to this base." Issei said, lying through his teeth.
Skill level-up! Your [Lie] skill is now level 2!
Please work. "I see. Well, in that case, better head to the Commander's office to present yourself and receive your assignments." Success! "It is further down this way, take a right at the next junction, then walk straight until you reach the main hall. From there, walk up the stairs to the second level, and you should see the Commander's door. It has a huge, silver plate with his name on it."
"I see, thank you for your directions!" Issei said, offering the guard a salute in gratitude. Even though he killed the guy's comrades…And he might need to kill him later. But for now, he tried to go on ahead, the contempt he had not discovered.
Or so he believed.
"That is not our official salute…" The guard said, growing suspicious, which made Issei react quickly. Summoning out his sword, he was able to sneak in a quick [stab] the guard's stomach, then he finished with an [slash] over their necks. Shit, this one he had to hide. He dragged the body, despite leaving a trail of blood, inside the room with armor. Then, he used [Self-clean] again. That was four. One more, and he can start forgetting about stealth, hopefully. Using the directions he got from the guard, he began to make his way throughout the hallway, eventually reaching the main hall they described.
It was a grand room, with multiple doors and hallways connected to it. Looking up, he noticed a small, second floor with a few other doors there. Very likely where the higher officers stayed. Gulping as he saw the sheer number of soldiers inside, he walked into the crowd. He was caught before, but he didn't fail the quest since he was able to silence that soldier, yet he needed to learn the salute those guys used to reinforce his disguise more and make sure they didn't catch him with the lie again.
Then Solomon began to offer him advice, saying that maybe taking out the Commander as his last kill could help him further. By taking out the superior officer, he would have an easier time. With that in mind, he went to their office, seeing the silver plating with their name. 'Commander Klaus Sitri', which confused him. What was a member of the Sitri house here?
It was possibly a distant branch or something, otherwise, he was certain Sona would know about this. Or someone who was a Sitri but disowned? Could be either option. He gulped, and he prepared to knock on the door when someone stopped him. "Hey!" He froze for a bit, a soldier walked up to him. "Are you preparing to talk with the Commander?"
"Umm. Yes?" Ok, maybe talk was the wrong term here, but still.
"Good. I am here to bring him his medicine." The soldier said, handing Issei a tray with a few meds. "Can you please give it to him? I need to run to the armory to replace some of my armor."
Issei knew what that meant. "Sure!" he replied, receiving the tray with medicine and letting the soldier to be on their way. Ok, now it was a race against time! Luckily, Solomon was able to come on clutch once again, telling Issei what to do quickly to make those meds into something more poisonous. He was quick, dissolving the stuff in the water glass that was with the meds. Then he knocked on the door. "Forgive me, Sir, for disturbing you, but I have brought your medicine."
"Sure come on." An old voice said, and Issei walked in. He was met with an older man sitting at a desk, his face having a burn mark on it on the forehead. They were around their 50s or so it looks. Issei used [Observe] on them, checking their stats.
[Commander Klaus Sitri]
[Level: 29 C]
[HP: 20000/20000]
[Pureblood Devil]
Nothing about his disease or health issues. Damn. "Put it down, please." The commander said, being pretty polite in the matter. He was swift to go for his meds, downing the glass of water as well. As he did that, Issei left the room, but not long after he did so and walked away, he got a notification.
Dungeon Quest Complete! You have been awarded 20K EXP.
That was always nice, and it put him right at the doorstep of a level up. With that in mind, he took as much of a distance as possible, climbing down the stairs as he noticed two other guards go up to the Commander's room. And from there, chaos ensued.
"SOUND THE ALARM!" One of them shouted, and loud alarms began to sound throughout the base. An intercom system coming alive.
"ATTENTION ALL PERSONNEL! WE HAVE AN INTRUDER WITHIN THE BASE! I REPEAT, WE HAVE AN INTRUDER! ALL PRESENT YOURSELVES TO THE MAIN HALL WITH YOUR ID TAGS AT ONCE FOR IDENTIFICATION!"
Issei gulped, and as everyone scrambled, he ran through the crowd, trying to follow the signs towards what was labeled as the barracks. No soldier gave him trouble, seeing as others were running away from the main hall to likely get their ID cards or something. However, in his case, with the alarm now rung, it started to give him ideas on how to possibly get a better feel for the number of enemies in here. He waited for a bit, then he made his way back to the main hall, where he saw all the soldiers within this base, including the superior officers. His [Observe] revealed them all to be within the range of level 20 to 30, and one of them, a superior officer by the way he stood before all other soldiers, was level 35. He was a big boy too, so Issei didn't want to face him yet.
He stayed in the shadows, careful not to be discovered. In total, there were at least three dozen soldiers here. He did wonder about the boss of this dungeon, but seeing how everyone was so high-level, there was likely no boss to speak off. But he couldn't hope to take them all on and expect to walk away with his life! Even with his Balance Breaker, they had the numbers on him, and who knows what kinds of magic!
He thought about using his [Dragon Grenade] combined with [Dual Use], but although that might result in him cutting down their numbers by a fair amount, it was nowhere near enough. He needed to take out as many as possible…
"Use the grenades" Solomon suddenly said, speaking up. "Although they might not kill everyone, it might still help us. We need to launch a surprise attack. Sure, they are on guard, but at this moment they likely do not expect a direct attack. So far, they know their intruder killed with stealth, meaning they don't expect said intruder to take a frontal assault."
"Leave it to Solomon to know about doing a good ambush."
"Alright." Issei replied and activated his skills, which implied first using his [Explosion]. The spike in power seemed to alarm them, which is why he quickly used [Dragon Grenade] together with [Dual Use] to throw two of them at once into the crowd.
"What the- GRENADE!" One of them shouted, but they were quickly taken out by the grenade. That was when a notification appeared.
Clear the room: 15/34
He only barely got half of them with two combined grenades, but the smoke didn't get to clear out properly as he found himself going on the defensive with one of the higher officers flying through the smoke at him. Issei barely had time to bring out his blade to reflect theirs!
Skill acquired! [Deflect]
Gonna check it out later! For now, he had work to do.
[Scale Mail!]
Serious work.
"Holy shit, it's the Red Dragon Emperor! Everyone, man your stations!" The officer called out, and the soldiers all got out their swords, charging at Issei, but they were not being chaotic about it. As Issei struggled, making use of his new skill which was leveling up fast, he also got another skill for his swordsmanship, a simple [Block] skill. Although the new skills, as well as the existing ones, were getting some good EXP from this, not to mention he was throwing in [Power Punch] and [Power Kick] and [Power Jump] a fair bit.
Skill Level-up! Your [Slash] skill is now level 4!
Skill Level-up! Your [Swordsmanship - Novice] skill is now level 3!
Skill Level-up! Your [Stab] skill is now level 3!
Skill Level-up! Your [Deflect] skill is now level 2!
Skill Level-up! Your [Block] skill is now level 2!
Skill Level-up! Your [Swordsmanship - Novice] skill is now level 3!
Skill Level-up! Your [Deflect] skill is now level 3!
Skill level-up! Your [Power Kick] skill is now level 4!
It was easy grinding for the skills, but that came to a halt when he had to [Block] a big ass sword coming down on him from above. His [Observe] revealed who it was.
[Sergeant First Class]
[Level: 30 C]
[HP: 24000/24000]
[Pureblood Devil]
Someone of higher rank than the other soldiers he has been dodging so far, but Issei was not just blocking and deflecting hits for nothing. He backed himself into the hallway, using it as a bottleneck for their numbers. "You chose poorly, Red Dragon." The sergeant growled at him as they pushed their blade down on him, Issei feeling the pressure. He needed both hands on the sword to keep the sergeants from coming down on his head. Even with his armor, he doubts he can survive that strike easily.
"We will see about that!" Issei said back with difficulty, then he slid to the side, letting the sergeant's sword fall on the floor. Issei tried to go for a [Slash] to decapitate them, but he was struck with a projectile, which knocked his sword out of his hand and had it get stuck in the wall at the end of the hallway. Damn it, they had users of magic too! However, who is to say he didn't have his tricks too!
He jumped back, putting his hand forth, and summoned forth his [Firestream], which covered the entire hallway. The soldiers were initially pushed back by it, but then two of them came forth and cast a barrier to protect them from the flames. More than that, they began to advance. Damn it! So far, he had only taken out a few of them.
Clear the room: 15/34
And his resources were not infinite. It was difficult to attack them; they were united and versatile. They didn't fight him separately but fought more as one singular body. All in all, those Snake of Adam soldiers were impressive, something even Solomon admitted. He'd need to think outside the box if he wished to have a chance. With that in mind, he decided to retreat, picking up his sword as he ran down the hallway. "After him!" The sergeant ordered, the barriers dropping and allowing the soldiers to begin chasing him down the hallway.
However, Issei was able to hide inside a room and then went underneath the bed, dismissing his Balance Breaker once again and returning dressed in the armor of the soldiers. He, however, took it off as it was no longer of use and sold it for a total of 40K Yen. That did NOT go as planned. Individually, he could take out one or two of these soldiers, but even when using the hallway as a bottleneck they still kicked his ass!
His sword also took a beating, but he could fix it using his mana. He needed something new, so he checked his inventory for any saving grace. The only thing he found, however, was the random reward box he got before. From his understanding, this could grant him almost anything, and right now, almost anything was something he could do with! There was no way he could win against those numbers if they came together, or worse, surrounded him. This entire base was like a labyrinth, and they knew their way around better than he did. So, without thinking much, he activated the box.
He watched it open and glow like before, but this time, something else happened and it started to shake pretty violently. "Shit-" Before he could get a word out, the box exploded in his face with light, which was visible through the door. Something the soldiers noticed.
"There! Surround that door!" The sergeant ordered, and multiple soldiers surrounded the door, pointing their spears at it with the sergeant holding a blade in their hand. "Surrender now, Red Dragon Emperor! If you do, then I promise you won't be killed!"
No answer was given from behind the door, only smoke seemed to come out ever so slightly. The sergeant, noticing this, sighed. "He won't open the door…Very well, the hard way it is. Open the door!" He ordered, then a soldier went forward and kicked down the door, but as they did, Issei's Enchanted Steel Sword elongated itself, as was stated with its enchants, and went right through the soldier, piercing their gut. "AGH!"
"Charge!-'' The sergeant, however, was interrupted as a wave of bluish light came from within the room, slashing through the wall. He put up his blade to block the strike, but then Issei came out of the room, charging with his sword forth. The sergeant believed him to be mad for a second before he had to deflect his thrust, but then he was surprised to see the second sword in his hand which he used to deliver a second strike.
Issei got him in the side, forcing him to flinch and then jump back, but Issei kept going, using the swords in his hand to dual-wield and take out the soldiers around him. What was worse, that sword seemed to be glowing…And the sergeant recognized a magical sword when he saw one. The sword had a black handle decorated with one sapphire jewel in the middle, and its blade was so well polished it was like it was glowing! Not to mention it was glowing with a pale blue color.
Where did he get it?
The answer was back within a few seconds as the smoke was clearing itself. When Issei saw the sword presented before him, he choked when [Obserse] revealed what it was. An SR item.
[Mystical Moonlight Blade]
[A powerful weapon of old, rare and powerful, said to be only made by the old blacksmith clans far into the heart of the Urals. When wielded, this weapon will store up to 5000 Mana which it will use for its skills. Additionally, this weapon is capable of leveling up, doing so by gaining EXP equal to 50% of what the user gained]
(Current Level: 1 / 3. EXP Required: 500000)
[Durability: 550/550]
As this weapon levels up, the user gains access to more of this weapon's skills. Those are the skills the user is currently able to use:
[Self-Reparation]: The Sword can repair itself naturally, restoring Durability and even remaking lost parts with the handle acting as the core. This Skill is passive and always active, draining 1 Mana per Durability point to maintain the blade.
[Moonlight Grace]: An offensive skill that awakens and makes use of the power within the sword; once activated, the user can decide how much Mana is to be used, with each 5% of the blade's MAX capacity used offering an equal amount of bonus damage. This can be both short and long-ranged, with the short-ranged version simply coating the blade in a pale blue light, and the long-range one implying launching a wave of pale blue light at the enemy that deals damage based on your MGI plus the bonus given by the consumed Mana.]
Once he equipped it, he also got the [Dual-Wield] skill, which allows him to use two weapons at once. He poured half of his mana into it, bringing it up to over 2000, then he used about 1000 for the blade, granting him 20% bonus damage. And using it together with his other sword, and his Balance Breaker, not to mention using the surprise of him charging in like that, he was able to cut down multiple soldiers. However, once they began to regroup, he knew he needed to change his approach, so he put his swords away and brought out the [Wyvern Shot] together with [Dual Use]
The number of soldiers dwindled more, but he couldn't afford to waste his limited reserves more. There was still the sergeant to take out. However, when he faced him and tried to rush in, he felt something tug at his legs before he found himself flying and pulled back. A chain got wrapped around his ankle and pulled him back down the hall, seeing the level 35 opponent from before.
[Corporal]
[Level: 35 C]
[HP: 30000/30000]
[Pureblood Devil]
Ok, rank didn't matter for shit when it came to their level! Seriously, a simple corporal out-leveled the sergeant! He hit the wall hard, then felt a hand grab the back of his head and repeatedly smash it against the wall. "Take. This. Damn. Dragon!" The corporal said then he threw Issei at the sergeant who was ready with their blade. Luckily for Issei, he was able to spread his wings, but all this caused was one of them being cut which caused him quite a bit of pain.
He landed and continued to roll, going past the sergeant. He got up slowly, seeing that the main hall was now behind him, so he went to it, the last bit of soldiers following him. He managed to cut down their numbers to the last six, including the corporal and sergeant. However, the sergeant has seen better days.
[Sergeant First Class]
[Level: 30 C]
[HP: 22700/24000]
[Pureblood Devil]
[S.E: Medium Bleed (-8% HP/Min)]
That wound in his side was causing him quite a bit of pain from the looks of things, but Issei knew he had to press on, so he summoned forth his new sword again, and emptied the left-over mana it had into one attack. He swung the blade in a wide horizontal arc, sending forth a wave of blue light that cut through the air, and when it hit them, cut down two soldiers in half. The sergeant was able to block with his sword once again, but it left a deep mark on his weapon and the corporal simply stood there and took it. They were damaged, yes, but not nearly enough.
[Corporal]
[Level: 35 C]
[HP: 28600/30000]
[Pureblood Devil]
Quite the big boy. However, the bigger they were, the harder they fell. The corporal swung around its chain again, trying to catch Issei once more, but the same trick was not going to work twice. The chain wrapped around Issei's arm, yes, but he was the one to pull, using his amplified power to yank the chain out of their hands and use it to ensnare the sergeant by the neck.
However, the sergeant used their sword and cut the chain, making Issei drop it. The corporal charged at him, fist drawn back, but he was able to dodge and summon his other sword, trying to land a strike and succeeding, leaving a cut on the corporal's back. The sergeant charged at him, sword in hand, and went for a strong swing, but Issei was able to block it using his blade, then use his [Shield-Breaking Punch] to reduce their DUR by punching them away. The sergeant shook his head, dazed a bit by the hard punch, but it was too late as Issei went to deliver a [Power Punch] they tried to block with their sword.
But their sword, due to the earlier attack, had a weak point now, and when Issei's punch made contact, it shattered into pieces, shocking the sergeant. Disarmed, Issei was able to summon forth his [Dragon Shot] and strike, nailing the sergeant right in the chest. That counted as a CRITICAL strike, making the sergeant fly back into the wall and lose consciousness.
"Sarge!" The corporal shouted, charging at Issei again and managing to score a surprise hit from behind in the form of a kick to the behind of Issei's knee, then a punch behind his head. The emperor was doing, so they tried to go for another punch to knock him out, but Issei was able to dodge it and then grab the fist, pulling the corporal over him and throwing him to the ground. With them down, he summoned his sword to stab them and be done with it, but they were not going down easily.
The corporal caught the blade as it went down, their hand bleeding as they tightly squeezed to not allow the sharp metal to reach their throat. Then they managed to push Issei back, allowing them to get up and spin round to deliver a kick that saw Issei's weapon get knocked out of his hand followed by them throwing themselves at him, knocking them both through a table and onto the ground, where the corporal began to deliver blow after blow to the scale mail armor.
Issei, feeling the pain of the assault, brought up his hand and grabbed the corporal by the face, using his [Scorching Touch] on them and hearing them scream out in pain.
Skill Level-up! Your [Scorching Touch] skill is now level 2!
However, the soldiers that have so far only watched, thinking their superiors will win, two at number, all that was left, intervened and attacked, with one of them firing an arrow that bounced off the gem on Issei's hand. The corporal managed to pull away, holding their face as the soldiers charged in, but as Issei got up he was able to summon his other sword and hold the two back. He cut the spear one of them used, and used [Power Kick] on the other guy to push him away, allowing him to finish his friend with a FATAL strike to their neck, then strike the other soldier with a couple of [Wyvern Shot] strikes, finishing them off as well.
However, by the time he was done with them, the corporal was able to recover and charged at him again, but Issei was ready and he used [Power Jump] to leap over them, landing behind them. Then, before they could turn around, he stabbed his sword into their back, making sure to target the heart. "AGH!" The corporal shouted as he struggled, but slowly, their legs gave out under them, then Issei pulled out his sword, which earned him a CRITICAL and FATAL announcement.
He went and recovered his other sword, panting. He stored both of them up, then he went to the sergeant. It was not over…He was still alive, and from what he was seeing, he was now recovering from it as well. So he went to him and stomped on their wounds. "AH!" They screamed out in pain, now fully awake. "Ughhhh! You- W-who send you?"
"No one," Issei replied. "I am here for one thing only, and before I end you, I want to know where she is. Where is Ingvild Leviathan?" The sergeant looked surprised to hear the dragon's question, his expression betraying him.
"What do you want with her?" The sergeant asked, but Issei stomped further on their wound, making them hiss in pain.
"I am here to take her away from you." Issei continued. "Now tell me: Where is she?" He pressed down harder on their wound, causing them more pain. "Tell me! And I will make it quick!"
However, the sergeant had his own words left. "We…We do not fear death!" He claimed, then while Issei was a bit confused, he saw the sergeant bite down on something inside their mouth. He realized too late what it is they have done, as they suddenly began to foam at the mouth and spasm without control. He took a few steps back, watching the sergeant slowly die.
"A suicide pill…" Issei muttered.
"In the end, he chose to go out without revealing to us any information." Solomon added. "Which means it is up to us to locate her. Issei, do you sense anything with your skill?"
"Hmm." Issei tried to use his [Aura Sense] to locate Ingvild within the base, but he got nothing. He only sensed himself, nothing else. "Nothing. It is almost as if she is not even here."
"Oh, come on, she has to be! You heard that guy, she is here, otherwise, he wouldn't have killed himself to die with the secret." Ddraig said. "She has to be in some sort of secret room."
"That might be true. Not to mention we have not been awarded yet." Solomon pointed out. "This means the dungeon is incomplete. And it will likely NOT be completed until we do find her!"
"Meaning we cannot call in Kuroka to help either." Issei said, his Balance Breaker fading. "Let's go up to the commander's room, maybe we can find something there." His two tenants nodded, and so he went to the office, opening the door to see the body of the commander laid on the couch there with a blanket over them. "I am sorry I had to do this." He said to the commander, then he went to their office. There were a lot of documents here, meaning a lot of information, but first, he had to get Ingvild. He searched around for clues, and eventually, he managed to come across something. "Huh?"
It was a lever of some sort located underneath the desk, which he wasted no time in pulling. Then, he heard the sound of something heavy opening, which had him rush out to see the floor of the main hall opening and revealing another set of stairs. He gulped, then he began to go down. His [Night Vision] was going to be very useful here. Going down, he eventually noticed something odd. Water.
There was water at the bottom, and some kind of purplish light being emitted from further inside the room. He continued going down, stepping into the ankle-deep water and then looking forward, his eyes widening in awe. Before he was an entire altar with a flooded base, but with multiple purple water lilies of some kind that glowed in the dark. [Observe] told him what they were.
[Demonic Water Lily]
[A flower that grows only in dark environments on water, famous for its natural glow]
He walked forward, seeing a larger section with stairs that went above the water, and walked up, eventually coming across the one they were here to find. And DAMN!
"By the heavens, look at her breasts!"
"I see them, Ddraig!" Solomon added.
"By the boob-filled heaven, she is bigger than Kuroka!" Issei exclaimed as they looked at the sleeping form of Ingvild Leviathan herself, who was dressed in a simple white dress that, in all honesty, must have been custom-made to accommodate her large bosom. She was a beautiful foreign-looking girl who seemed to be around his age, but if records were to be believed, she had been asleep for over a hundred years. Does he have a thing for older women? Maybe. She had beautiful, long, and curly purple hair that stretched all over, and her skin was as fair as marble. She must have not seen that much sun.
However, now comes the next issue. "Alright, Solomon." Issei said, getting his mind on the job. "You said you have a way to wake her up. Well, let's hear it."
"Right." The wise king said. "Issei, use your skill on her. Now, thanks to being at its maximum level, [Mindscape] should allow us to enter within her mind."
"I don't know, old friend. I doubt I am welcomed inside." Ddraig said, feeling something. "I sense another Sacred Gear within her."
"A Sacred Gear?" Issei asked, looking at her. "Of course, she is half-human, right? That means she could be born with one!"
"Yes, but something feels off about it. Stronger." Ddraig said, concern growing slowly. "It has waited for over a century within her, so who knows what sort of changes have accrued within the gear."
"I see. In that case, Ddraig, you can remain behind, but I and Issei will go in. My student, please put your hand over her forehead." Solomon instructed Issei, who did as told. "Now, focus and do your thing."
"Alright." Issei said, taking a deep breath and exhaling. "[Mindscape]!"
The very next moment Issei knew, he was no longer at the altar, and beside him, standing wearing his robes and sporting his golden staff, was his teacher, Solomon. "Solomon?" Issei said, getting his attention, but as he moved, he noticed how there seemed to be the sound of water. He looked down, seeing ripples being sent all over as he moved. "In this her mindscape?"
"Indeed it is, my pupil." Solomon said, looking around. They were in a place that resembled the ocean at sundown, but with no spec of land. "Strange, we should have met a manifestation of her inner self, but this is within my expectations."
"Your expectations?" Issei asked.
"Indeed. You see, Issei, as I researched-"
"You mean as you made me read through all of those boring books?"
"Don't interrupt me, and yes!" Solomon said, pointing his staff at Issei as a form of warning not to interrupt his teacher again. Message received. "You see, I realized something about this disease. It is not a disease at all, as it has nothing to do with the body, a bacteria, virus, or even some kind of parasite!"
"Huh? But then, what is it?" Issei asked.
"A flaw in their very race." Solomon said as he and Issei began to walk around, but at the same time, it felt like they were not advancing in any way. "Their magic is based on the power of their imagination, within their mind. And normally, when they sleep, and dream, they should not be able to use said magic. Even the most novice user can keep themselves in check during sleep. But during a nightmare, they are made to think they are in a do-or-die situation. Without knowing, during such nightmares, they can end up casting a spell on themselves."
"Casting a spell on themselves? But shouldn't the devils be able to dispel it then? Why has this not been cured yet if it is so easy?" Issei asked.
"Because the spell didn't affect what was outside. Their body, and mind, are both healthy and clean. But the subconscious is what suffered. Their other self, which exists here. Issei, every time we use [Mindscape], the form you take is your subconscious. Your conscious mind is what you use OUTSIDE of this place."
"I think I get it." Issei said, slowly piecing things together. "So, you are saying that anyone who got the Sleep Disease used a spell on themselves without wanting to?"
"Precisely. They did so in their dream, and it affected their dream-selves, which were their subconscious self." Solomon said, but by this time, Issei's brain was struggling.
"Can we skip to the part on how we cure it?" He asked.
"I was getting there." Solomon stopped suddenly. "It is very easy. We need to wake up her subconscious self. Back in my time, such a technique was quite easy to enter the mindscape. But I see that it is a lost art today, making their disease incurable. One simple stimulus is all it takes, my student."
"So, we just need to find her sleeping form in this place and poke her?" Issei asked, but Solomon sighed.
"I am afraid it is not so simple. This girl has been in this state for a century, meaning we need something stronger…And it helps that Ddraig found a sacred gear within her because if I can unlock it for her, she should wake up." Solomon said. "I will do the same thing I did for you, all those years ago, but first, we need to locate it."
"Ok, that is where the issue is, isn't it?" Issei said, pointing out the obvious. "There is nothing here! I only see a nice view, a lot of 'water', but no Ingvild or sacred gear!"
Solomon smirked, letting out a chuckle" My student, sometimes, the answer is right under your nose."
"Oh, come on! You can't go on with wise talk right now-" Suddenly, Issei stopped himself, then he looked down. "You sly old god."
Solomon chuckled. "To be fair, Ise, you walked right into that one!" he said, then they both looked down below the water, seeing Ingvild's body floating in the sea with her arms crossed over her chest. And as Solomon looked around her, he found a purplish spark shining between some rocks. He focused on it, sensing a great deal of power under pressure, and he knew that once he unlocked it, she'd wake up. Nodding, the two of them went down underneath the water, no air is required.
Issei picked up Ingvild, making sure to keep her safe as Solomon worked. The wise king raised his staff, and focused, his staff starting to glow brightly. Then, in one stroke, he broke apart the rocks, allowing for the light to shine through and blind the two of them. But then they felt the 'ground' beneath them shake, rising to the surface to create a small island. It was a simple one, with rocks located behind them and a pond in the center where a large flower-like those outside flourished, a purple light shining in the middle of it.
That was likely her gear. Issei was awed by everything, but he then felt Ingvild stir in his arms, and he looked down just in time to see her opening her eyes, being met with a beautiful orange hue.
Returning to the material world, Issei stood above Ingvild who was now looking to be waking up. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and looked to the side, seeing him there. They remained silent, even as Ingvild tried to lift herself, getting herself into a sitting position, but then she opened her mouth.
"Hvem er du?" Hearing her, Issei's mind took a pause, but Ddraig had his back.
"Solomon, we forgot about the Multi-language spell." Ddraig said, which got Solomon to slap his forehead.
"Damn it! And I knew I forgot something." He sighed, then he instructed Issei on the spell, and the boy listened, casting it.
Skill Created! [Omni Linguistics]
"There, that should be better." Issei said, then he looked back at the confused Ingvild. "Sorry, I didn't understand you at first."
"The language spell…" Ingvild said softly. "I forgot as well. But…Where am I?" She asked, looking at Issei. "I remember falling asleep, and then, I woke up here." She tried to get off the altar, but her legs quickly gave out under her, but Issei was able to react and caught her.
"Easy there!" He said. "You have…There is no easy way to say this, but you caught the Sleeping Disease."
"The sleeping- but then…Did they find a cure?" She asked, looking at him, but Issei couldn't lie to her. He couldn't.
"No…you woke up." He told her. "You were asleep for, from what I gathered, over a century." Ingvild gasped hearing him, covering her mouth as tears filled her eyes.
"But that means…My mother is…" She began to sob quietly, Issei helping her back on the altar as she let the shock and grief pass. He didn't dare take advantage of her state and only remained there, so she at least knew there was someone there for her.
"I know how you feel. I too lost my parents, around 10 years ago, when I was eight." Issei told her, trying to build some common ground. "I know how much it must hurt."
Ingvild continued to sob, eventually lifting her teary orange eyes and speaking to him. "W-what happened to me even? Where are we?"
"Deep underground, in a secret base owned by the Snake of Adam, whom I know are part of the Old Satan Faction." Issei replied to her. "I found out they were keeping you here, and I raided it. I admit to…killing everyone above us, but there was no other way." He admitted slowly, not going to keep a secret from her. She'll find out anyway when they went outside, so there was truly no use in hiding it. However, Ingvild seemed to understand.
"I…I understand. I know of the Old Satan Faction and the Snake of Adam." She said, admitting. "Back when I was awake, the faction mostly wanted to keep me hidden because I was a shame to them for my human blood. But the Snake of Adam was…" She stopped briefly. "Two of their Colonels at the time were my private bodyguards. They were always so kind to me, and played with me all the time."
"It must be hard to-"
"No!" She suddenly said, looking at him. "I…I'm conflicted. I know you are telling the truth, but it is just hard to believe. I slept for a century, now I am awake, and I…" She sighed, looking down. "This is all a lot to take in."
"I can only imagine." Issei replied.
"Why did you save me?" She asked, looking at him. "What do you have to gain from this?"
"Why do you ask?" He asked back.
"Because I know from experience that no one did something without ulterior motives." Share replied, which was a response that caught Issei off guard. "Everyone was like that back at my home."
Issei gulped. "Want my honest answer?" She nodded. "It's because I cannot stand the thought of a woman in danger."
At this, Ingvild blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
"It's the way I grew up, I guess. I just hate the thought of a woman being taken advantage of, it pisses me off. So when I read the information, and how they planned to use you as some bargaining chip to break off from the Old Satan Faction, I knew I had to do something! Who knows what those guys might have done to you otherwise!" Issei said. "Look, you don't have to trust me so easily, I'm-"
"I believe you." She said, which caught him by surprise. "Spending so long among all the people in the Old Satan Faction, ever since I was young, taught me the difference between a liar and an honest person. And you are the latter."
"Thank you." Issei replied with a small smile. "Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor of this generation."
"Ingvild Leviathan, although I think you already knew that." She said, introducing herself as well.
"A pleasure. Now, what do you wish to do now?" Issei asked her.
"What do you mean?" Ingvild asked, looking at him.
"Well, obviously you have mixed feelings about the Snake of Adam, whom I made an enemy off now, and I cannot force you to come with me. Then again, I don't know if you'd want to return to the Old Satan Faction either. Whatever you choose, I won't force you to come with me." Issei told her. "You can even use that Sacred Gear of yours to protect yourself! Ddraig says it is a powerful one-"
"Wait, I have a Sacred Gear?!" Ingvild gasped.
"You didn't know about its existence?!" Issei replied in equal shock. "W-well, maybe try to summon it out?"
Ingvild looked down at her hands, trying to focus, but nothing did happen. "I don't even know what to do…"
"Don't force it." Ddraig said, cutting into the conversation. Ingvild was taken aback by the voice of the Heavenly Dragon, which made her look at the Boosted Gear that manifested on Issei's arm not a second later. "Your Gear, I felt it, it is not normal. I know which one it is as well."
"You do? But what do you mean by 'not normal'?" Ingvild asked, leaning over the gauntlet. However, in doing so, her bountiful chest was more than touching Issei's arm, which had the boy struggle to suppress a perverted smile.
"Your gear is Nereid Kyrie. It's a unique type, meaning yours is the only one. I encountered it before with other hosts of mine. It's an…annoying one." Ddraig said, sounding somewhat sour about seeing it again. "Nereid Kyrie was created when a nereid, one of the 50 daughters of Nereus and Doris, willingly converted herself to Christianity, turning her back on Olympus. As punishment, Zeus struck her down with his lightning bolts, but God took mercy and turned her into a Gear. But rumor has it he later regretted doing so…"
"How come?" Issei asked.
"Apparently, the nereid in question was a fan of dragons. And God hated us." Ddraig finished. "This Gear has the power to control the sea, but something is off about it. Different."
"What makes you say that?" Ingvild asked.
"It gives off the same energy signature as a Longinus now." He said, and silence fell upon the room.
"A…Longinus?" Ingvild said quietly.
"It is possible that, since it had an entire century, your Gear has been gathering power all this time and eventually became ready to evolve. It is a very rare event that has only happened once before under unique circumstances, but then again, those are unique circumstances." The dragon continued. "When Issei and Solomon here-"
"Ddraig!" Issei called out.
"What- oh."
"Good one, old friend!" Solomon's voice said, speaking from seemingly nowhere. "I didn't want to spook the poor girl, due to her heritage, and let her get more accommodated to things before anything, but you had to rush things by your mistake!"
"The Wise King Solomon?! You have his soul sealed within you?!" Ingvild gasped again.
"The circumstances are more unique, but in essence, yes. It was I who figured out how to wake you, and who unlocked your gear, young miss." Solomon said.
"I am pretty sure I am not so-"
"I will stop you there to point this out: By devil standards? You are still fairly young. And even then, I, Solomon, have been alive before your parent's time! Show me some respect!" Issei couldn't help but notice how Solomon seemed a bit more aggressive towards Ingvild, but he decided to let it slide…For now. If this persisted, they might have a problem in the future.
"Ok…So, I have a Longinus?" Ingvild asked.
"Not one of the originals, but it seems so."
Ingvild looked down for a bit. "Issei?"
"Yes?" The boy replied, looking at her.
"Do you…have a room for me?" She asked, a bit shyly. "I decided. Since you saved me, I will go with you, and I want to learn more about my gear. You seem…nice. You are not like all of the others in the Old Satan Faction. I don't want to go back to them! So please, will you have me?"
"I-..." Issei took a moment to process and think, or at least…Until he saw her chest again, he tried to think. "Sure you can, I am certain there is a room in the house!"
In his mind, he was certain he could hear Solomon and Ddraig talking in mild disappointment, Ddraig blaming Solomon again. With that settled, it was time for the notification from the looks of things, but Issei decided to ignore them for now. He will collect on the rewards later, for now, he was going to lead Ingvild out of this place. Which might be a bit difficult.
She was so…frail. Her body lacked strength in it, mostly due to her lack of movement and training, making her very weak to the point she could not even stand up without Issei helping her. He was certain Kuroka could help her, though, so he decided to pick her up in a princess carry. "Hang on." He told her as he began to walk out of the dungeon, trying not to look down at her cleavage.
However, due to him keeping his sight straight towards the outside, he didn't notice Ingvild blushing all the while as he carried her.
"Nya! Welcome back!" Kuroka said, welcoming the two of them back. "Is this Ingvild?"
"She is, but she has a bit of trouble standing." Issei said, and Kuroka went to her to examine her, but Ingvild pulled away shyly. "It's ok. Kuroka here won't harm you, I know it."
"O-ok." Ingvild said as Issei slowly put her down to stand on her legs. They were inside the bunker, and the night has yet to pass outside. Kuroka examined her a bit, and she didn't quite like what she found. And she was a bit jealous.
"She has huge boobs!" Was one of the thoughts going through Kuroka's head. "They might be bigger than even mine! Oooohhhh, Issei, you lucky boy!" Kuroka was not, at all, jealous of Ingvild if she and Issei hit it off. She knew Issei wanted a harem, and as they talked before, she was ok with it as long as she got his first time. Which was bound to happen soon, if he managed to score first in that exam. But for now, she had to focus on her condition. "It looks like your muscles atrophied due to lack of movement, but I can fix it using my healing. Best we return to the house and also see about getting you set in. We might also need to go shopping for clothing later."
"T-thank you." Ingvild said. Kuroka could tell she was a bit of a shy girl. "You two are very kind."
"Nya! Don't mention it, sweetie. Now, let us depart!" Kuroka said, using her magic to teleport all three of them back home, where they managed to kick back and relax. Issei, wishing to check his notifications, went to the bedroom while Kuroka took Ingvild to the bathroom to both start with some healing and help the girl wash. She will search for something that fits Ingvild to sleep in for the night, although Kuroka doubted she had something due to Ingvild's chest.
Once Issei was in the room, he collapsed on the bed, feeling sore all over. He believed he broke a rib in that fight, but it was nothing some healing won't fix as his HP went up. For now, however, it was time to check his notifications.
Congratulations on clearing the dungeon! Here are your rewards!
-100K EXP
-1 Dungeon Seed
Level-up! Congratulations, you are now level 18!
Level-up! Congratulations, you are now level 19!
CREATE YOUR DREAM!
You were told before that the system won't let you down, and it is holding its promise! Now that you have gathered an entire set of Evil Pieces, you can choose to imbue them with YOUR power, converting them into your kind of set! This action takes 500 Mana/piece, so be careful. Now, to explain the quest at hand, it is simple: You need to make use of them.
Main Objective: Complete a Peerage.
Additional Objective: Save Ingvild Leviathan. -Complete
Quest Time Limit: N/A.
Main Objective Rewards: Red King Title, 100K EXP, +10 RP with all peerage members.
Additional Objective Reward: +20 RP with Ingvild Leviathan, 10K EXP, 1 MAX-L Orb. -Unclaimed
Failure Penalty: Death.
Ok, first of all, HOLY FUCK! He leveled up TWICE from the dungeon reward?! That was one hella worth-it dungeon! But with that being said, he did have more notifications to take care of. First off, he claimed the quest reward.
Ingvild Leviathan
26/100
She sees you as her rescuer, and very possibly, her knight in shining armor. She is developing a crush on you.
"Way to go, partner." Ddraig said, offering Issei sarcastic praise.
"By the way, we never claimed the rewards for that other quest, the one we completed when Sona Sitri showed up." Solomon was wise to remind him, as Issei also forgot about it.
GET A FULL SET!
Hopefully, you didn't believe the system would let you suffer alone? As you can see in your inventory, you have acquired several Evil Pieces through the use of your Skill, so instead of letting them gather up dust in there, you are being awarded this quest to acquire a full set of Evil Pieces! Now, as you have become Level 10, you can acquire those pieces from defeated Strays at a 10% chance of dropping, which is enhanced further by your LCK stat! Additionally, if you use your skill, you will get more EXP than taking them down! So, as long as this quest is active, each time to acquire an Evil Piece using your [Evil Piece Extraction Spell] Skill, you will be awarded the same amount of EXP you would have gotten when defeating the Stray, plus an additional 2000 EXP.
Main Objective: Gather up an entire set of Evil Pieces!
Progress:
Pawns: 8/8
Rooks: 2/2
Knights: 2/2
Bishops: 2/2
Queen: 1/1
Main Reward: 50K EXP, -1 New Additional Quest- , Skill Book(?), 100K Yen. -Unclaimed
Failure Penalty: Possible Dead.
"And there!" Issei said, receiving the rewards. That much EXP put him on the verge of leveling up again, so he took out the skill book from there and checked it out. He had a lot of stuff worth checking now.
[Skill Book: Shadow Magic - Novice]: The magic that is weaker only than pure Darkness Magic, enabling the user to use magic related to shadows. This magic is hailed as being one of the more useful ones, praised for high versatility.
He learned it, since he wanted to keep expanding his magical arsenal. Of course, due to his perk, that meant 1000 more EXP. He learned the skill, then he went to look at the orb that he got.
[MAX-L Orb]
[A VERY SPECIAL AND RARE ITEM! Upon consuming this item, you can then select ANY of your skills to level up to MAX level!]
Ok, now that he was storing up for later! But with that being said, he knows that Kuroka received EXP now since he leveled up twice, so he decided to check her progression.
Kuroka: 69936/15012430162
She'll get there…Eventually. What a crazy EXP requirement. Still, that seemed to be everything. Two new levels, one new magic for him to develop, and even another dungeon seed! He should think about making his dungeon, but first and foremost, he needs to make himself a university student! Now that they finished clearing the quests, it was finally time to set his focus back on Kuoh Academy solely! He wants to get that sweet, sweet number one spot and claim his reward from Kuroka as soon as possible, so no matter how much time he has left, he will study as hard as possible to get in!
But then again, he did have his screw-ups here and there. Rias and Sona know of the Red Dragon Emperor, and from what Shirone told them about Issei Hyoudou, they won't be expecting him to be anything special. That will be an awkward talk, not to mention it hinders his chances of becoming Rias's magician to beat that punk, Riser.
For now, however, he was tired and sore. He knows Kuroka will join him later, and if anything, he will shower in the morning.
For now, however, it was goodnight.