Looking over the handgun I'd grabbed, I couldn't help but grin. I'm no gun nerd, but I've never seen anything quite as cool as this one. It looks like it came straight out of a video game, and reading its stats…
I snatched one hell of a weapon.
It was a mechanically simple-looking revolver with a white and gold grip, a golden trigger guard and gold trigger, and the rest being black with golden filigree all over it. It looks more like a decorative piece than an actual gun, but that just makes it even sweeter looking to my eyes.
[Angel's Sorrow] – Item
Drenched in the blood of an Archangel, this revolver has been blessed with holy attributes that rival the Excalibur Ruler. Angel's Sorrow is a powerful weapon on its own, but is especially powerful against any unholy entity, and can tear through them like paper. Its mere presence is enough to terrify even High-Class Devils.
Deals 3000 + 5.5xDEX Physical Damage + 6000 Light Damage
Deals Quintuple Damage against Unholy/Dark Entities
Bonus: If used with Silver Bullets, Angel's Sorrow will deal Triple Light Damage
"So cool…" I mutter, opening the cylinder. "She kept it fully loaded too."
Hadn't considered that mom might have been interested in more… sophisticated designs, but her bedroom ought to have been an indicator. I've got to hand it to her though, aside from this gun being powerful, it looks Beautiful with a capital B to boot. I know it's risky, but I'm tempted to sneak in again and snatch something else, maybe one of the swords.
For now, I'll have to settle for my Golden Bat and maybe the Katana. Taking it now is bound to alert my mother, so the best time to actually snatch it would be when as we leave for Kuoh, which is in two days.
But do I actually need the sword? The Golden Bat combined with my current STR and new perk deals 610 damage per swing. That's almost 200 points stronger than my Ice Shortswords. It's a very decent melee weapon, to be honest.
I also want to test out its special ability. I've never beat someone so bad that their wallets exploded before.
I usually politely take the money after knocking them out.
Sure, I don't need the money, but if they started a fight then my time oughta be compensate for you know? I need to make an example out of them and have them regret it, too. Breaking their arms or legs isn't enough, I need to hit them in their dignity too. Getting shaken down by a 'cute little girlie' is one hell of a way to shatter someone's pride.
The door to my bedroom suddenly slides open, prompting me to hide the gun behind my back. With a thought, I send it to my inventory then glance up at my mother, who seems unsurprisingly energetic even for this time of day. I have no idea how she manages it when you consider how much she drinks.
"Rise and shine, my beauti-" She pauses as she spots me wide awake, but still in my pajamas. "Ah, you're awake, Had a good night's sleep?"
"I did." I nod. "You?"
"Like a baby." She smiles. "So! Any plans for today?"
"No. Why?" I raise a brow. "You have something in mind?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Mizuki confirms. "How 'bout we go out? You and I?"
"Go out and do what?"
"Anything!" She says cheerfully, clapping her hands together. "We can go karaoke, the arcade, maybe even head to the batting cage. What do you think?"
"I mean… sure?" I shrug. Sounds good, I was planning to mess around today anyway. "What brought this on?"
"Well, seeing as we're leaving soon, so I thought we should have a bit of fun here one last time." She replies, scratching her cheek.
"Heh…" I smirk. "I didn't think you'd be so sentimental, or do you just want to monopolize your daughter and this is your roundabout way of saying it?"
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with a bit of mother-daughter bonding time." Mizuki pouts, crossing her arms. "You don't have to be rude about it."
"...Yeah, you're right. There's nothing wrong with that," I say. "When are we going out?"
"We can go in a few hours. It's still a bit early." My mother responds, a smile forming on her face. "You hungry by the way? Breakfast's ready."
I blink, then smile back. "Now that you mention it..."
"I made pancakes!"
"Of course you did."
At the very least, I have a semi-bodyguard and someone to challenge. Always better to be safe with a stray running around. I'm surprised it didn't go after me last night, but I did make sure to stick to crowded areas. I don't think strays are dumb enough to attack a train or a bus.
...I think.
And my mother's stats are pretty high. I have a feeling she's strong enough to handle a stray if one does attack. Speaking of, they're pretty low for a supposed legendary assassin. If she does know about the supernatural, then someone of her supposed caliber should be… I dunno, Ultimate-class?
Then again, she might be hiding her true power somehow. I can't be too sure, seeing how different this world is compared to the DxD I know, not to mention that actual skill isn't recorded in Observe. The only thing I can be sure of is that she loves me, so I very much doubt she's suddenly about to turn against me, even if I showed her the gun right now.
It's not like I'm about to test that theory any time soon.
I'll try to keep an eye out for the stray, maybe see if I can draw it to us somehow. Why would I do that? Because two on one is better than facing it alone. Sure, that'll force her to 'spill the beans' so to speak, but I can just play dumb about the supernatural. Deception is the best bet in war, yadda-yadda.
Something-something teachings of Sun Tzu. I'm sure he said that once or twice in that book of his.
I really hope it attacks, even if I'm alone. I want to test the gun out on something, and I sure as hell not about to waste a bullet from that gun on some stupid punk that tries to act tough.
In the meantime, I'll spend a few hours in the dungeon and maybe reach the fifth wave. I have more than enough time to grind a bit before we go out. Who knows, maybe I'll be pushed to use the gun on something strong there.
"By the way, I had to use Maple Syrup." My mother states, making me pause before looking at her in annoyance.
"What? Why?"
"We're out of chocolate sauce."
Oh god damn it.
As the hulking zombie falls to the ground, I glance at my hands, a tiny ice crystal floating above my right palm. With my current stats, I should be able to take on the next round, maybe, but I shouldn't be cocky. I have all the time I need before I have to decide whether or not I start the next wave, so maybe I should use it to come up with some new, defensive spells.
Or just find ways to cast quicker. One shotting these zombies is fine and all, but I won't be able to do much if I get overwhelmed. I need a way to shave down their numbers fast enough to keep me from getting cornered.
Some sort of Area-Of-Effect would do well, but there's a chance I could hit myself with it. That doesn't mean I won't make any, but I think prioritizing faster casts is the way to go right now. Or maybe I could find a way to cast spells without the need for my hands? I've seen it in anime- spells that suddenly form around the character before being unleashed on some poor schmuck.
I mean, they're different power systems, but it's worth a try at least.
Buuut I'll stick to making new spells though until I familiarize myself with magic some more. Maybe once I reach Adept rank, I can do cool stuff like that. Right now, defensive and AOE spells are the top priorities. Sensing and hiding mana are second priority.
Alright, when it comes to defense the first thing that comes to mind is a shield. It shouldn't be too hard to visualize and create that. From there, I can perhaps make other spells, light armor or something. Baby steps.
The process was much faster when compared to the previous times I've done this, but that's because I'm getting used to making spells, I assume anyway. A small shield, more like a buckler really, formed on my wrist. I frown in thought slightly, ignoring the skill pop-up as I force the spell to change.
The buckler began to shift, getting thinner as though it was melting, a thin layer of ice covering the rest of my arm up to my elbow. It's cold but not as cold as I had expected. It's not the stinging pain of cold someone would feel when burying their hands in the snow, it's a more comfortable sort of coolness.
"Nice…" I smile.
Skills created
[Cryomancy: Ice Buckler] – Skill
A buckler made of hard ice, capable of decent protection. Can be used to bash someone with it. Will easily be destroyed by Fire-based attacks
Protects 150 worth of damage before shattering. Takes half as much damage from Ice but double damage from Fire
Costs 75 MP
[Cryomancy: Ice Skin] – Skill
Covers yourself with a thin layer of ice, giving you slight protection without detracting from your mobility. A weaker version of Ice Flesh, and the best defensive spell for apprentice ice mages
Protects 50 HP worth of damage before shattering. Takes half as much damage from Ice but double from Fire
Costs 30 MP for each body part
Huh, defense works a bit differently here compared to real armor. Instead of damage reduction, it straight up tells me how much it can protect me from and withstand before breaking. I… can work that. In fact, I think this is much better considering how low level I am right now.
Useless later, but a lifesaver right now.
Also, it's thin enough that it can go under my armor, which is just the icing on the cake. Extra protection is always good.
Alright, one more defensive spell before moving on to the AOE and explode-y stuff. Got armor and shield down, so what can I make…
Hmm, something big enough to keep a crowd of enemies at bay, maybe a cover that can block projectiles, and something won't slow me down. A wall? I'm not sure if I'll be able to manage something of that size. It's not complex obviously, but it might take a bit more MP than I'm used to.
Eh, trying won't hurt.
I pause in thought slightly, bringing the image and structure of a wall to the front of my mind, then shrug and crouch. I extend both of my hands, aiming at the ground before focusing on my mana flow. I take a deep breath, forcing the magic out without casting any of the spells I currently have.
A small gust of wind shoots out of my hands, tiny sparkles of ice and snowflakes forming around it. I clench my fists together and raise my hands up, a tower of ice emerging from the ground with that action. I blink, frowning slightly.
I wanted a wall, not a tower. Then again, baby steps.
I try to do it again, this time spreading my arms as I rise up, this time I form a wall successfully. I smile in satisfaction as I glance at the new skills I made.
Skills created
[Cryomancy: Small Ice Tower] – Skill
A 5-meter tall construct of ice used for building bases or surprise attacks. Few would expect a tower emerging directly from under them.
Protects for 500 points worth of damage before shattering. Takes half as much damage from Ice but double damage from Fire
Deals 300 + INTx2.2 Ice Damage
Costs 250 MP
[Cryomancy: Small Ice Wall] – Skill
A 5-meter tall and wide construct of ice used for building bases. Can withstand quite a bit of damage
Protects for 1000 points worth of damage before shattering. Takes half as much damage from Ice but double damage from Fire
Costs 400 MP
I giggle in elation. Making new spells is so much fun~!
Okay, that should be good enough for defensive spells for now. Now for an AOE, the first thing that comes to mind would be explosives, and what kind of explosives should I create? A grenade for sure, maybe mines too, but how can I make them? Or turn them into explosives to be more accurate?
Hm, for a grenade, maybe something like shrapnel? Throw a grenade, and it explodes into ice spikes in all directions. I think I can make that somehow, I just need to find a way to make it explode in the first place.
I begin forming the spell, making a spiky and hollow ball with nothing inside it. Now to manipulate mana and fill it with… gunpowder? Nitrogen? I can't make either, but I might be able to replicate their explosive properties with mana. Let's see…
I do my best to focus, my imagination helping me to liquefy and vaporize the frost magic I form, and after a whole minute of pure concentration, I'm thankfully able to create the grenade, a giant grin blooming across my face at the success.
Skill created
[Cryomancy: Spiky Bomb] – Skill
An explosive spell that sends sharp ice spikes in all directions, Spiky Bomb is mostly used by experienced mages. It might be a little dangerous for beginners to use.
The explosion deals 350 + INTx2.2 Ice Damage, and the spikes deal 25 + INTx1.3 Ice Damage
Costs 300 MP
The little warning implies that I can hurt myself with it, and I appreciate knowing that. It would be pretty embarrassing to die because of my own spell. I guess I'll use it from a distance while I hide behind a wall.
Right, made that, now I should make an explosive trap, like a mine. Hell, all kinds of traps. Spikes, Caltrops, Bear Traps, etc. Might as well turn this dungeon into a tower defense mini-game.
I freeze, my eyes widening in realization.
That's genius.
Why didn't I think of that? I can make a small base then surround it with traps, hide in it, and shoot the zombies from a safe spot. It's the safest option, and the zombies are too stupid and too easy to kill. I can complete this dungeon faster than normal.
I just need to make a base and fill the surroundings with traps.
This is gonna be fun~
This is the smartest thing I've done since getting the Gamer power, which in hindsight, hasn't been that long of a while, but I'm still proud of it. How could I not? Especially after seeing the stupid pieces of shit falling over themselves, getting stabbed, blown up, and pinned to the ground by my arrows?
I've left the dungeon to reset the waves since I wanted to see how effective the Tower Defence plan was before moving on to the fourth wave, and it's incredible. My high level makes even the weakest traps deal a lot of damage, and the zombies have low health. They fall like flies, they don't even make it past the first wall.
Spikes, mines, slippery ground, and then me on top of the mini castle I made shooting anything that gets too close for comfort. Life is good from up here~
The base is just a fairly simple 10-meter tall tower surrounded by two layers of walls. Between the heart and the first layer are dozens of mines and spikes, the same as the outside. I don't have anything that can shoot the zombies automatically at the moment, but it's not like there's much urgency there, they haven't even gotten past the first wall.
Skills created
[Cryomancy: Ice Mine] – Skill
Planted on the ground, this spell will wait for any enemy to get in close proximity before exploding, freezing the target and damaging them heavily.
Deals 500 + INTx2.5 Ice Damage and has a 5% chance of inflicting [Slow] for 30 seconds
Costs 500 MP
[Cryomancy: Ice Spikes] – Skill
Tiny spikes in the ground that stab any who steps on them, dealing slight damage, but can only withstand so much before shattering.
Deals 50 + INTx0.8 Ice Damage. Can only be stepped on five times before being destroyed
Costs 55 MP
[Cryomancy: Ice Floor] – Skill
Turn the ground slippery, making foes and friends alike lose their balance. Learning how to ice skate before casually using this is advised.
Costs 20 MP
I love tower defense games. The lack of offensive constructs I have available for the moment is a bit sad, but I'll get there eventually. Who knows, I might be able to make moving constructs eventually. My very own soldiers that I command from a distance.
I tried making some, as I did with turrets, but failed miserably. All that means though is that I'm still not there yet. I'll make entire armies with my Ice eventually, I'm sure I will.
Well, as the traps deal with the zombies, I figure it's about time I learn how to sense stuff. It's an essential skill, the same for hiding your magic. I don't want the devils to come knocking on my door, after all, I'm just a normal human girl. Nothing special at all. For now.
I relax my muscles, closing my eyes as I focus on my other senses. The entire mini-castle is made of magic, so I can direct my attention there as far as I'm concerned. If it doesn't work, then direct it to my magical accessories. It would be best to be able to hide those for when I go Kuoh now that I think about it.
I shake my head lightly, getting rid of any distracting thoughts. I tone out the growls and groans of the zombies, and sure enough, I feel some sort of… tugging sensation. It's weird; I don't need my eyes to know that there's something nearby. It's like discovering a sixth sense you've never had till now.
The feeling is honestly indescribable but fairly pleasant in a certain way. At least, sensing my own spells is pleasant.
With that, I try to direct this sensing ability elsewhere; specifically, my own mana. It was easy to pinpoint since I've always felt my mana every time I cast a spell and hiding it felt like throwing a giant, thin blanket over a flowing river. I think. Still strange to feel.
So this is hiding it, then… but what if I do the opposite? I dunno, something like Dragon Ball Z Ki charge. Release my power instead of muting it.
I do just that, my eyes widening as a wave of energy surges suddenly. A faint icy blue and crimson aura covers me, prompting me to look at the new skills I created.
Skills created
[Mana Control: Sense Magic] – Skill
A sixth sense reflexively developed by anyone with a magic core after a few days of practice with it. You can sense the mana of others, as well as that of magical objects. Distance and sharpness relies on overall rank in Mana Control
No MP cost
[Mana Control: Hide Mana] – Skill
A necessary skill for any mage, hiding their mana and overall power for stealth missions or to fool their enemies. How much can be hidden and how good you are at it relies on overall rank in Mana Control
No MP cost
[Mana Control: Release Aura] – Skill
Release your magical aura to increase your magical power and intimidate your foes. Increase, Cost, and Intimidation Factor relies on overall rank in Mana Control
Increase Magical Damage by 5% when active
Costs 1000 MP per second
I quickly deactivate the spell, frowning slightly. A thousand per second for a 5% increase? I dunno, that sounds kinda unfair. Then again, I'm still a novice in Mana Control, so the more I rank up in that, the stronger it becomes.
I'm not going to lie though, I like how cool my Aura looks. Blue and red go well together. I wonder what it means, though. I doubt it's just a random combination of colors.
The hulking zombie falling to the ground draws my attention, and a quick look informed me that it had stepped on one too many mines. The dumbass just walked into them without thinking. Of course it wouldn't think, Akane, It's a rotten corpse.
Regardless, this means I can start the fourth wave. I should be able to handle it with my current base, but to be safer, I'll hop down and replant the mines and spikes, just in case. It doesn't take long to re-cast the needed spells around the little castle, only around five minutes, then I head back up and look at the window in anticipation. I really hope this doesn't give me a flying enemy to deal with…
Wave start
Defeat 30 Fast Zombies, 20 Dead Hounds, and 2 Hulking Zombies [0/52]
Rewards: 2 Uncommon Gacha Token, 3 Minor Mana Potions, 2 Minor Stat Crystals, 1 Standard Stat Crystal, 75 Credits
Oh…
Well, then. That's going to be easy. I'm relieved there are no flying enemies. That would've sucked.
The hounds were terrifyingly fast, but they had half as much HP as regular zombies. Simply stepping on the spikes once instantly ended them. Well, the spikes kill the other zombies in one hit too, they deal over 500 damage.
This wave was incredibly easy too. The traps and my stats deal a lot of damage, and since I've spread them everywhere, the zombies don't even get close to the first wall. The hulking zombies get one-shot by mines, and even if they do get close, I can just skewer them with shortswords.
I love Tower Defence.
Level up x4
Perks gained
Store unlocked!
Wave complete
Rewards added to inventory
Proceed to the next wave?
Ah right, level 25 means that and I'm already level 26. This is what, my third day here? And I'm being as cautious as I can too. I love my perks.
So what can the store do?
The Store is a tool that helps you grow stronger. You can buy anything in existence through it; perks, skills, stats, items, titles, levels, classes, and even living beings, but it requires Credits. You gather credits by clearing dungeon waves or quests.
Pretty straightforward, but I barely have anything at the moment. The best I can buy now is a Glock, and I already have that overpowered gun I took from my mother's secret armory. I'll give it a look once I have more Credits to use.
What about these perks I've gained? I don't think I've done anything worthy of perks yet, right?
[Rich Mana] – Perk – 250 INT
Your mana feels heavier, but not in a bad way. You feel as if your spells pack more of a punch than before, making them deal more damage
Permanently increases all magical damage by 10%
[Refined Mind] – Perk – 250 WIS
Focusing doesn't seem to be as difficult now, in fact, it feels as if it's second nature. Your magic feels a bit easier to handle
Permanently decreases all MP cost by 10%
Ah, so there's some sort of a milestone bonus for stats? That's useful. It encourages me to go for a balanced build.
I pull out the rewards and raise a brow as I look at the stat crystals. What are the odds, all of them are Charisma crystals. That means 40 points there, and I won't say no to that. Would've preferred if it was END, but it's bound to be useful in the long run. Not like I need more HP with this set-up I made.
As for the Tokens…
The first one confused me a bit. It was a red balloon, but with my newly developed magic sensing, I can feel something from it. The other item was a black chain necklace with a red heart pendant, and its magic was slightly more difficult to sense.
Have I seen these things before…?
[Magical Balloon] – Item
When held, this balloon boosts your jump distance and speed. Don't worry about it popping, it's strangely durable. People enchant the weirdest things, don't they?
Increase jump distance and speed by 100%
[Panic Necklace] – Item
When you suffer damage, your legs will move faster than they should, giving you a window to back off. Despite the name, it does not make you panic.
When hit, increases movement speed by 50% for 3 seconds
Hmm, probably imagining it.
Well, I don't know about the necklace. I already have the frost one that's more useful at the moment. The balloon is weird, but it is helpful.
Right, I'll just wrap the balloon around my arm and send the necklace to my inventory. The fifth round means a mini-boss, so I need to be ready. I don't know what to be expecting, but I can't get arrogant yet.
I get down and replant all the traps, pausing as I see the 'Rank up!' window appears. Heh, that means I reached Apprentice Rank in Mana Control. The new rank-up requirement isn't that difficult either, it's just a matter of using my magic more.
Spend 35,000 MP, deal 7,500 Magic Damage, and make 4 basic magic skills to progress to the next Rank. Progress to Adept Rank [0/35,000] [0/7,500] [3/4]
I go back to the top of the base, proceeding to the next wave. Depending on how I finish this, I might continue to wave 6.
Wave start
Defeat 10 Zombie Archers, 40 Zombie Soldiers, 5 Zombie Knights, and 1 Zombie Paladin [0/56]
Rewards: 1 Rare Gacha Token, Frost Wand, 3 Standard Stat Crystals, 100 Credits
Ah crap, archers. Ten of them.
I quickly crouch, peeking at the incoming undead with a frown. The archers are wearing hoods and are clothed in a green, rotted uniform, the soldiers are wearing simple leather armor as they hold a death grip on their rusty spears and swords, the knights are donned in blue armor with helmets, and they have weapons that look to be in far better condition compared to what the soldiers have.
As for the Paladin… I don't know how I'm going to beat that. Hefting a giant white and gold shield, and swathed in bulky white armor that fully covered it, with a huge white and gold axe. Not to mention just how big it was, I'm guessing eight-foot or something equally ludicrous.
High physical stats for them, then. The archers seem to prioritize DEX, being in the fifties and all, Knights have higher strength than everything on the field barring the Paladin, and the soldiers are in between, though they have the lowest health.
The soldiers' HP range from 300 to 450, Archers' range from 500 to 650, Knights are from 750 to 900. As for the Paladin… well.
Name: Paladin Zombie
Title: None
HP - 5800
MP - 500
SP - 3050
Race – Greater Undead
LVL - 38
STR - 210
END - 125
DEX - 40
INT – 10
WIS – 5
CHA – 5
LUK – 10
The jump in difficulty is a little concerning, to be honest, but I can do this. I just need to get rid of the archers as fast as I can. These zombies aren't as fast as the runners, but they seem to have a formation, and they're faster than regular zombies.
One of the archers draws its bow, prompting me to quickly shoot it down. It stumbles but survives. Not for long though, as I shoot it again, destroying its skull. Unfortunately, I didn't notice an arrow soaring towards me, and it was too late to dodge as it struck my shoulder.
I cry out in pain, hiding low as I grimace. That shaved off 90 HP. Thank god I have more than a measly 100 HP. That could've been fatal.
I could feel my heart thumping in my chest, as well as cold sweat dripping down my cheeks as fear began to dig its icy fingers into my head. Calm down, now isn't the time to panic. I just need to deal with the archers- I can outrun the other zombies if my castle is destroyed, but I can't outrun arrows.
I ignore the one stuck in my shoulder, for now, grunting as I forcefully move to draw up both of my arms to aim at the archers. I see five of them draw their bows, but I was quick enough to cast two Spiky Bombs, quickly crouching after launching them at the bastards and dodging the incoming arrows.
I couldn't see what happened, but when the arrow that was plunged in my shoulder suddenly just... pops out, I smile, degrees of my confidence returning. I didn't even need to see the level-up message. I check up on them, grinning as a knight fumbles onto a mine as two soldiers stumble and fall on the spikes.
My bombs took down seven archers, only two more to go.
Sadly the formation of zombies had already reached the first wall, and, right before my eyes, the Paladin shattered it in a single hit.
I bite down on my lip, nervous at how close they're getting, but instead, I chose to focus and aim for the archers again, killing the last two of them with a pair of fired shortswords. The zombies continue their march, the weak soldiers taking the fall and absorbing the damage of my traps. Eventually, all of them fall down and die, but not before the Knights and Paladin reach the tower.
Thinking quickly, I jump off from the other side, taking a chunk of damage from the fall, but thankfully nothing unmanageable. A ten-meter fall should've at least broken my leg, but I'm much more durable than regular humans with my 30 END.
I move quickly to plant more and more mines, their colors seeming more saturated and weak as I waste MP. What the hell is happening? My head is pounding and everything looks more black and white by the second. Is this because I have low MP?
I shake my head and withdraw out the mana potion that was being kept in my inventory, downing it in one go. It barely restored anything, but it at least dispelled my headache.
The undead finally break down the wall as I slowly back away, waiting for my mana to regenerate. There seems to be a good distance between us for now, the mines did a great job at lowering their numbers down to three: the paladin and two of the knights.
I deal with the knights first, as quick as I can, and knowing that my shortswords won't do much against the paladin's armor, I throw bombs at it instead. White cold mist envelopes the undead, and an Observe told me that four of my bombs only dealt 400 damage to the beastly undead.
I click my tongue, then my eyes widen when I glance at its stats. Its DEX had tripled, and I barely dodged the sweep of its axe by ducking at the last moment. My instincts took hold for a split second, and I form an ice pillar right between us, but one more swing from their axe easily shatters it.
My mind was working on overdrive, trying to think of any way I could survive as I pushed my body to dodge frantically, my small figure making it slightly easier for me to slip away from the gigantic axe's edge. With my mind set, I avoid wasting any time I can as I take out mom's revolver from my inventory, aiming at the Paladin's chest before pulling hard on the trigger.
The unexpectedly massive recoil threw me back a few feet, as well as leaving a piercing ringing in my ears and straining my wrist so badly the shock of it made it difficult to focus. I shake my head as the thunderclap the pistol barked out begins to die down, my jaw dropping as the entire upper torso of the Paladin simply isn't there any more. Hell, the remains of my little castle just behind it got erased as well.
What in the fuck?
I look down at the gun in my hand, my face breaking into a huge, nervous, grin. What kind of weapon is this? The description didn't do it justice. That thing was utterly annihilated.
What kind of an assassin needs what amounts to handheld artillery? What the fuck was mom being paid to kill with stuff like this?
Level up x8
Wave complete
Rewards added to inventory
Proceed to the next wave?
Whatever mom was, she was not fucking around. Fucking hell, that thing almost broke my hand…
I stuff it back in my inventory, popping out my rewards instead. STR, DEX, and END crystals, which I crush quickly. Inwardly relieved at getting an END crystal.
Name - Akane Amamiya
Level – 34
Title - None
Class - Cryomancer - LVL 24/100 [11%]
Race - Human
Rank - Mortal
Alignment - Neutral Evil
HP - 600 [60 per minute]
MP - 3400 [2040 per minute]
SP - 600 [60 per minute]
STR - 70
END - 60
DEX - 70
INT - 340
WIS - 340
CHA - 80
LUK – 20
My stats look great for someone just starting out. Alright, a frost wand and a rare token. They're bound to be useful stuff, right?
I snap the Token in half, and what replaces it is a blue bracelet saturated with magic. I can already tell this is much stronger than the other stuff I've gotten thus far.
[Mana Bracelet] – Item
An enchanted bracelet that enhances the wearer's mana capacity by a good margin. Usually given to adherents of royal mages.
Increases max MP by 20%
Oh, this is good. Easily my best pull so far. A 20% increase is nothing to scoff at, no matter how much MP you have. Though seeing as I can easily sense it with my still beginner skills, I'm pretty sure I ought to be hiding this to avoid being pinging the radars of the supernatural, it would be best to only pull it out whenever I'm in a fight.
And what can this wand do…
[Frost Wand]
A wand given to Ice magic apprentices to help practice their focus. A decent tool, but not one practical for the battlefield
Decreases Ice Magic MP cost by 10%, but reduces Ice Damage by 7%
Spells are easier to cast while wielding this
Eh, I don't think I'm ever going use this. My MP pool is already pretty huge, and it's only going to increase from here. The other bonus does sound nice, though, so maybe I should practice with it. The description did warn that it's no good for actual fights.
I think I'll stop for now. That last wave was stressful, and I'm not sure how long I've spent in here. My mother might be looking for me while I'm in here killing zombies for all I know. I should find a better way to destroy that Paladin's armor without using the pistol, Angel's Sorrow, too.
But that's an issue for tomorrow's Akane. I'll spend the rest of today relaxing instead.
"So, where are we going?" I ask my mother, my hands in my coat pockets. "You have a plan for what we're gonna do, right?"
"Of course I do." She nods. "First things first: The arcade!"
"That's the best you can come up with?" I ask with a raised brow.
"And do you have any better ideas?" Mizuki challenges with a frown.
"...Fair enough." I concede with a shrug. "Expected you to pick Karaoke in all honesty."
"That's for after we're done at the arcade." She waves it off. "Then after Karaoke, we can go watch a movie!"
"Which movie?"
She flashes the tickets with a smile. "I have no idea!"
"You bought tickets randomly?!" I look at her, dumbfounded. "Are you daft?"
"Ahh, you're worrying over nothing." She shrugs. "We have enough money to last us several lifetimes. What're two tickets gonna do?"
"I'm not worried about money, moron." I scowl. "Couldn't you have checked before picking something at random? I don't want to sit through a boring movie because your dumbass couldn't spend two minutes looking for something worthwhile."
"It'll be fiiine." Mizuki insists as she rolls her eyes. "Now come on, we're almost there."
I click my tongue in annoyance, crossing my arms as I follow her lead. My mom can really be a dumbass.
...Is she, though? Believe it or not, she is a legendary hitwoman, with weapons that put the military to shame. Is she really that 'goofy' or is this all just an act? Her love for me I can tell is true for sure.
But cold-blooded murderers aren't known to goof off in the arcade or laze around at home. They don't get emotional at cheesy movies or get frustrated when they lose in a video game. Even if you argue that she might be retired, it's still weird.
Has she been honest with me all these years? Is she genuine in those acts of hers? Or is this all a facade? A fake mask?
My throat tightens uncomfortably at the thought. Something about this rubs me off the wrong way and I don't know why. I don't care about her, not anymore at least, but I don't want her to lie to me either.
I shake my head with a small sigh. Must be those leftover emotions. I'll get rid of them soon enough probably. I give it a few weeks. Maybe the whole transition by the system wasn't as smooth as I thought.
It doesn't take long for us to arrive, my mother excitedly rushes inside the Game Centre, looking around before her gaze settles on a fighting game. I grimace as I realize what's coming, already not liking where this is going.
"Hey~ It's been a bit since we played this," Mizuki smirks. "You might be better than me at Mario Kart-"
"Every other party game."
"Mario Kart, but you've yet to beat me in a fighting game." Her smirk falters for a second as she sits down on the stool. "So? What do you say? Ready to test your luck?"
"I'm good." I shrug, pointing at another game. "I think I'll try out the racing one. Haven't played one in a while."
As I move away, she brings me to a stop by grabbing my shoulder. "W-wait! C'mon, throw me a bone here! I haven't had fun with one of these in ages, and it's only any good when I'm playing against another person!"
"Nah, it's fun for you, Not for me," I say. "You take fighting games way too seriously sometimes."
And she's scary good at them. Every single fighting game I bought she masters in a few hours. It didn't take long for me to give up trying to beat her, I even began avoiding fighting games altogether. Though to be honest I never found much enjoyment in them anyway.
She could go on tear through tournaments if she really wanted to. I'm pretty sure she'd be unbeatable there too, but when I suggested that she just shrugged and said something along the lines of not being interested in playing against strangers. I guess I can understand that mindset somewhat.
She's lying if she says she doesn't take them seriously though. When I say masters the game, I meant mastering every single playable character and stage.
"Please, just once!" She pleads. "I'll even give you something if you win! A million yen!"
"Keep your voice down!" I hiss with an annoyed scowl. "And we both know I don't need cash anyway. Now let go of me."
"Pweaseeeeee!"
"Grow the fuck-?!"
Quest added
[Undefeated Player] – Quest
Objective: Beat Mizuki Amamiya in a fighting game
Rewards: 1 Legendary Gacha Token, [Demon Rage], 5000 Credits, 250 DEX, 20+ Affection with Mizuki Amamiya
Danger level: None
…
…
I sit down on the stool, cracking my knuckles. "I'm kicking your ass."
"Why are you so fired up all of a sudden?!" She asks in shock. "You want the money that badly?!"
"Keep the money," I respond. "I just felt like beating you."
"Heh, you can try." She grins, arrogance oozing off of her. "But what I'm about to do will leave you in-"
"Just start the game already."
"Alright, alright. Sheesh…"
She inserts a coin inside the machine, the screen changing into the character menu. I choose the most obnoxious character I know as my mother picks random, making me frown. This bitch is looking down on me.
...Rightfully so, but that doesn't mean I won't get indignant about it.
Alright, Akane. Focus. You have like, seven times the reflexes of a regular human. You're probably quick enough to dodge bullets. With that in consideration, fighting games should be fairly easy. Besides, you have that Rising Star perk, relearning how to play shouldn't be difficult. Yeah, I got this. That legendary token is mine.
That is what I thought before she combo locked me and got a flawless victory in the first round.
"Pfft, what was that?" Mizuki snorts. "You got worse or something?"
"How did you-" I cut myself off, taking a sharp breath. "Whatever. That was a fluke."
"Of course you'd say that."
Turns out it wasn't a fluke because I only managed to land a single hit in the second round. Quickly glancing at her, I scowl at the bored look on her face, my pride stinging a little. However, pride over a video game meant nothing compared to the rewards I lost, prompting me to do everything in my power to not blow up.
Quest failed
"Eh? Where are ya goin'?" Mizuki grins as I stand up, her mocking aura making it very difficult to not bash her head on the screen. "Done already?"
"Yeah, not playing this shitty game anymore." I scoff. "You can keep playing by yourself. I want to find something fun to do."
"Ookay, you look like you're about to pop a vessel." My mother notes with a slightly surprised look. "Definitely grumpier than usual. Everything alright?"
I pause slightly, then sigh as I redirect my gaze to something else.
"That was uncalled for," I admit. "I'm sorry. Just... frustrated is all."
"That's alright." She smiles. "I know you don't mean most of the things you say, but we're here to have fun. Give Kiyoraha one last spin, y'know?"
"...Yeah, you're right."
"Then come on, how about one more game?" She offers, making me sit back down. "I'll hold back this time. No combo lock. Whaddya say?"
As I was about to decline, another quest pops up.
[Undefeated Player: Rematch] – Quest
Objective: Beat Mizuki Amamiya in a fighting game
Rewards: 1 Rare Gacha Token, [Unholy M1911], 500 Credits, 15 DEX
Danger level: None
Those don't look anywhere near as tempting, but rewards are rewards. Might as well try to get my hands on the Token at least.
As we were about to start the game, I pause, giving my mother a glance as an idea forms. I don't know if the quest would accept this, but it didn't specify anything other than "Beat Mizuki in a fighting game". Maybe the system is being a bit too literal?
Let's see…
"Hey, Kaa-san." I smile. "Mind doing me a favor?"
"Eh?" She blinks. "Sure, what's up?"
"Can you let me win this?"
"Huh?" She frowns in confusion. "Why?"
"I wanna get used to the character a bit more," I respond. "That's all really. We can play a little more seriously after it."
"Oh, well, sure!" She gives me a thumbs up. "You can take as many rounds as you'd like. Tell me when you feel ready, alright?"
Mizuki keeps her hands off the controls, letting me win the two rounds without any issues. As soon as I landed the final hit, the quest pings as complete, making me grin. Heh, can't believe I outsmarted the system when I'm only just getting started.
Quest complete
2 Reputation with The Game [3/100]
Clever.
Thanks, but I should've had the idea earlier. That would have gotten me a legendary item or skill right there. Oh well, I shouldn't get too mad about it. At the very least I still got something. I'll take a rare token over nothing.
"You good now?" My mother asks.
"Yeah, let's do it." I nod, inserting a coin. "What do you wanna do after this?"
"Hm, I was thinking the Photobooth?" She proposes.
"Sounds good."
It's unfortunate that I didn't get another quest to beat her, but at least she made it fun to play this time. Still, though, we have the entire day to fuck around town, and seeing that a simple fighting game could've earned me a legendary token and a ton of DEX?
I'd be stupid to not go along with my mother's shenanigans. I'll need to try and keep my temper in check whenever I lose or fail a quest though. Blowing up isn't wise, in fact, keeping her happy in all likelihood would mean playing more, generating quests.
Might as well enjoy myself.
(Mizuki)
"Cinderella~!" Mizuki sang, her melodious voice enclosed in the small room. "Hey! Hey! Hey!"
As the last words left her, she quickly spun around, eagerly waiting for the screen to show her score. A few seconds later a 95 was shown, prompting her to pump her fist in celebration.
"Alright! That's the best score I've ever gotten!" She smirked at her daughter, who had a strange look on her face. "What? Are you so shocked by my performance, you can't even form words of praise? Heh, you don't have to. Your mother might be in the forties, but she still has a voice even sirens envy!"
"Said mother picks songs like a six years old though." Akane retorted. "I'll admit that you have a nice voice though, so there's that."
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with my taste in music." Mizuki pouted as she sat next to her daughter. "You always loved that song too, y'know."
"Yes, twelve years ago," Akane replied.
"What, you're saying you're too old for it now?"
"No, I'm saying my preference in music changed as I got older." Her daughter clarified. "You should know this."
As Akane was about to pick a song, Mizuki quickly snatched the pad away, grinning mischievously as her daughter sighed in defeat. Akane glanced at her, her expression a mixture of annoyance and exasperation.
"What are you doing?"
"My taste in music is childish you say?" Mizuki narrowed her eyes.
"Yes."
"W-well, we'll see how you like it when I choose the most obnoxious song in the list!" She chuckled, her smirk almost faltering at her daughter's blunt response. "Not even your singing will sav-"
"I'm not gonna sing then."
"N-no, wait." Mizuki dropped her charade immediately, almost panicking. "It was a joke. I'm gonna put on a song you like, I promise."
"That's what I thought." Her daughter grinned smugly, snatching the microphone as she went up the small stage. "Go ahead now. We don't have all day."
Mizuki's lips thinned in mute frustration at Akane's smug look. There'd always been this strange need to wipe it off whenever it was directed towards her, but she can only do so much. She doesn't always have a good way on hand to get her embarrassed or angry.
Well, she can choose one of her childhood songs. That'll teach her to get all smug with her own mother.
Mizuki smiled slightly, scrolling through the list, almost picking a certain song that'd for sure have Akane turn red from head to toe out of sheer embarrassment before she hesitated slightly. Her impish grin faltered as she sighed, sparing her daughter the pain as she instead pressed on a popular and liked song.
"Oooh that's a good one." Akane praised, swaying her hips along with the beat. "Interjections?"
"Maybe a bit." Mizuki shrugged, putting the device on the table. "We'll see if you can beat my score~"
The smirk on her daughter's face told her that her challenge was accepted, the melodic singing that followed informed Mizuki that she's not pulling any punches, and that relieved the mother. The past few days, Mizuki noticed something strange about Akane.
"MIDNIGHT SHADOW kirisaku~ akuseru kishimu HIGHWAY CITY~"
Truthfully, this little outing of theirs solely happened to calm Mizuki's nerves. After all, they're about to move and live in Devil territory for months at the very least, and she knew just how dangerous the bastards were. She'd fought against them once upon a time, and alongside them far too many to count.
But then the reason for this changed a day after Akane recovered from that fever. Something was wrong, and not in the way her daughter's magic had suddenly spiked up, nor how terrifyingly quickly it'd been growing. No, those were a given considering their special heritage, unfortunate as it may be. What truly scared her was the change in Akane herself.
"Tomaranai kanashimi no rasen~" At this point, her daughter was semi-dancing, fully intone with the song. "Kisu de hikichigiru sa~ LADY~!"
"Woohoo! Go, go Akane!"
She'd lie more often and was more irritable than before, but those were fine. Teenagers are fond of their mood swings and all that, but the other issue...
Akane seemed empty- soulless, even. She'd get this strange look in her eyes sometimes that terrified Mizuki. She could've sworn she'd seen something similar before in soldiers, but it looked… different. Less intense, more focused, but still lifeless.
It reminded Mizuki of her past. All of her 'coworkers' had that exact same look. Calculating, cold, lifeless… inhuman.
How? Why would Akane be that way? What was wrong with her daughter?
"Unmei da no teisetsu da no jama wa kechirashita ze saa~"
And at times, Mizuki would spot her girl's eyes darting back and forth as if she was looking for something when all that was in front of her was a wall. It just happened earlier when they were at the arcade, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out what Akane was looking at or searching for. Mizuki used every ounce of her skill in both magic and even ki sense, but the results were the same. Nothing.
Was she depressed, and her mother hadn't noticed the signs until now? Or that Akane cared less about hiding it and didn't bother anymore? Did her magic mess with her head somehow? Surely that intense spike in her magic did something, right? Though, she's never heard of a mental side-effect such as this.
Regardless, Mizuki will make sure that Akane has the best time she can with her. She would never tolerate her daughter being sad or depressed in any shape or form. She'll do anything in her power to cheer her up.
And Mizuki knew that Karaoke was the best way to do it.
"Kono ude daite omae wo nido to~ hanashi wa shinai~" Akane sang the last line, looking more expressive than she did in years. "MACHINE GUN KISS de JUST FALL IN LOVE~!"
No trace of that awful empty look- just a pleased smile gracing her daughter's lips after singing her heart out. It was one of the few times Akane looked as though she was having the time of her life. Mizuki knew how much Akane loved singing, even if she tried to hide it under her usual grumpy and sarcastic quips.
She'd wanted to become an idol once. Whatever happened to that dream?
Well, it doesn't matter. As long as she's alive, Mizuki will do everything in her power to ensure her daughter's safety and happiness.
"Kyaaaa!" Mizuki squealed, looking away from Akane's pleased look. "That was so amazing! I've never heard you sing so well before! Have you been practicing behind my back?"
"Maybe." Akane shrugged, turning her gaze to the screen. "And my score is… one hundred."
Mizuki froze, and once her brain processed what happened, she quickly stood up, looking at her daughter in awe. "A perfect score? I never thought I'd see the day."
"You know what this means?" She tilted her head.
"Eh? Wha- ah." Mizuki clicked her tongue after the realization. "I lost…"
"Which means I get to pick what we get for dinner."
"Please not Soba again! We always have it when we go out!"
"But Soba sounds so great right about now." Akane hummed. "I wonder..."
"Noo pleaaaase~" Mizuki begged. "Stop bullying me~"
As silly as she behaves outwardly, Mizuki was only feeling pure relief at the moment. Her plan had worked, even if only partially. She knew this issue couldn't be fully fixed so easily or so quickly, but at least she got her daughter out of her funk for a little while. She got to have fun, and show a real smile without lifeless eyes.
Even if it was just a temporary fix, Mizuki knew that she can help her daughter get rid of that look for good. She had no idea how, but she now knew that she could do it. Even if it takes her years, Mizuki will eradicate that empty look.
No matter what.
(Akane)
"Oh man, I was so worried." My mother chuckles as she walks beside me. "Genuinely thought you were gonna choose Soba again."
"I was only teasing you." I shrug. "Had it recently anyway."
"We haven't had any Korean Yakiniku for, what two years? You know how much I love it."
"I don't think anyone hates it. I just chose something both of us would like." I respond. "We went out to have fun, after all."
"That's true~"
"Wouldn't say the same about the movie though."
Mizuki flinches a bit, stuttering an excuse. "I-I didn't know it'd be that bad!"
My bemused look prompts her to smile sheepishly.
"A-at least we had a decent nap…?"
"You did." My frown deepens. "I watched the whole thing. If I wanted to nap, I would've gone back home."
"S-sorry…"
"I'm joking, Kaa-san." I smile, poking her cheek. "Was it a nice nap at least?"
She blushes in embarrassment, shrugging as she chuckles slightly. "I-it was next to you, so-"
"And this just got weird." I grimace. "You had to, didn't you?"
"I'm joking! A joke!" She panics as I quicken my pace. "C'mon, you know I don't view you that way, right? I'm not even into girls!"
"That does not help your case." I sigh in frustration. "So what, you'd be attracted to me if I was a boy?"
"Nope! Not even into boys either!" Mizuki says.
I pause, frowning in thought. "Wait, then how did you and dad-"
"I'm Tatsu-Sexual!"
"Forget I even asked." I hurriedly spit out, please God let this conversation end.
The rest of the walk was spent with her talking about how proud she is of me getting accepted into Kuoh, which only did the opposite of what she was hoping for. The uh… 'pre-system' me was over the moon when she got her acceptance letter, but knowing what's waiting for me over there is worrying.
Of course, I nodded along and acted happily, but in all seriousness a part of me wanted her to cancel. Most of DxD happens in that tiny town, from karaage- I mean, Phenex running amok to dragon gods radiating their own brand bullshit, everyone important seems to visit that place at least once in their lives.
The Riser thing isn't exactly something I should be concerned about though. After all, it doesn't really have anything to do with me. However, there are still the fallen to take care of, including Koko or whatever his name was. The warmonger guy, and he's something like Ultimate-class?
I'm nowhere near that level of power yet.
Not to mention, I need to deal with Protagonist-kun. I know that Issei is one of the worst shounen protagonists when it comes to random asspulls, up there with Ichigo and Natsu. I can't be too sure of anything with him, but if I remember correctly, he still hadn't joined up with Rias yet.
Maybe I can snatch him before she does? He's a dumbass that thinks with his dick. Seducing him should be all the effort of not actively being repulsed by him. The Boosted Gear is just too valuable to pass up. If I take Rias' place and become his savior/crush/leader, then I'll gain an incredibly powerful minion.
So that sounds like a plan.
It shouldn't be hard to convince him. He's naive and easy to manipulate, and I think Charisma helps out with that kind of crap anyway. Most of the stuff we did today increased it in some shape or form.
Quests completed
[Say Cheese!] – Quest
Objective: Get five photos at the photobooth
Rewards: 1 Common Gacha Token, 5 CHA, 50 Credits
[Claw Master] – Quest
Objective: Get three toys in the Claw Machine without using more than 500 Yen
Hidden Objective: Get two toys at the same time
Rewards: 3 Common Gacha Token, 5 LUK, 50 Credits
Hidden Rewards: 1 Uncommon Gacha Token, 10 LUK, 100 Credits
[Karaoke Queen] – Quest
Objective: Beat Mizuki's score in Karaoke
Hidden Objective: Get a perfect score
Rewards: 2 Uncommon Gacha Tokens, 5 CHA, 50 Credits
Hidden Rewards: 1 Rare Gacha Token, 15 CHA, [Angelic Voice] Perk, 150 Credits
[Torture Through Boredom] – Quest
Objective: Get through the boring movie without falling asleep
Rewards: 1 Uncommon Gacha Token, 250 Credits
[Angelic Voice] – Perk
Your voice is incredibly beautiful, so much so that it is capable of inspiring all your allies who can hear it. When you sing, you help them push on regardless of their injuries.
Singing will increase all allies' HP regen by 20% for 2 minutes
Yep, lots of quests. Have I mentioned yet that I love this power?
Sure, these rewards aren't all that glamorous, but anything, anything is an amazing reward considering the objectives of the quest. Get five photos? Watch a movie? Play Karaoke, one of my favorite hobbies?
What kind of dumbass would complain about getting quests like these? I get to have fun and profit off of it?
Unfortunately, not all the games had a quest, which was a little sad, but I'm not complaining. Getting too greedy isn't a good thing I've been told. This is good enough.
The sum total of my stat increases over the afternoon amounts to 50 CHA and 30 LUK, so now I have 130 in the former and 50 in the latter. What a broken perk…
As for my Tokens, I'll use them tomorrow in the dungeon. The rare one is what I'm really looking forward to. The last one I pulled gave me that really good mana bracelet.
"Eh?" Mizuki suddenly stopped, checking her pockets for something. "Wait a minute…"
"What is it?"
Her face pales as she mumbles quietly. "I think... I forgot my wallet."
"... You dumbass."
"I-I'll go back and get it! Wait for me here, okay?!"
"Nah, I'm going home." I shrug, walking away. "We're almost there anyway, sooooo…"
"Ah, damn it!" She curses. "Alright, fine! Be careful on the way back, okay?"
I wave goodbye as she runs off back the way we'd come from, sighing tiredly. Legendary Assassin my ass. How she stayed alive in that line of work and is still able to forget their wallet is beyond me. At the very least the place we left was a decent establishment so they probably kept it safe for her.
She's making it really difficult to trust what the system said about the suit.
I pull my phone out, scrolling through it as I look for something interesting to read. The atmosphere begins to get a bit colder, making me frown in discomfort. A few minutes pass, and I notice how suspiciously quiet it is.
Something's off. I'm near Kiyoraha's central park right now, so I should at least be hearing some children playing, or tourists walking nearby. Why is it so quiet? Why do I feel alone?
Something's watching me…
My grip reflexively tightens as I try to sense what's around me. Nothing.
I slow down my pace, feeling a little nervous before checking behind me. Once again, nothing. I take a deep breath, sending my phone to the inventory. I might be imagining things. I need to calm down.
A distorted voice close by makes me freeze. Whatever it was, it didn't sound human. Not in the slightest. I had my suspicions the moment I could hear my own breathing from how quiet it was, but I hoped I was wrong.
"So pretty…."
Slowly but surely, I turn around, my pupils tightening into pinpricks as I gaze at the most disgusting-looking thing I've ever had the misfortune to lay my eyes on. A grotesque, fleshy thing stood four legs, with multiple eyes all fixated on me as it slowly opens its maw to speak again, teeth filling every crevice.
I couldn't move for a moment, too shocked to do anything. Thankfully, Gamer's Mind managed to keep me calm, my eyes narrowing in focus.
"You look so pretty…" It stated. "Why…?"
My response was to quickly cast and stuff a Spiky Bomb down its throat, backing off as the explosion stuns it. The spikes tore through its insides, but a check from Observe told me it barely suffered any damage. What the fuck is this thing?! Since when did Stray Devils get like this?!
I'll take a devil shooting acid from its nipples over this any day of the week!
Name: Maria Rodriguez
Title: Shadow of Kiyoraha
HP – 11,950/12,500
MP - 7000
SP - 9500
Race – Corrupted Devil
LVL - 85
STR - 250
END - 285
DEX - 120
INT – 25
WIS – 10
CHA – -4
LUK – 10
Oh, fuck it's strong.
As soon as I read over its stats, I quickly pull out the revolver, but the ugly bastard reacted fast as a tentacle shot out from its mouth, stabbing through my hand and forcing me to drop the gun.
"WHY ARE YOU PRETTY?!" It roared. "YOU STUPID WHORE!"
I cry out in pain, reflexively casting a short sword to cut it off of me, backing away as I nurse my injured hand. Crimson beads of blood dripped down from the wound, my heart pumping in fear as I see the hole in my hand. The monster roars in a rage, prompting me to quickly run away after casting a wall behind me.
"Fuck…!" I grit my teeth, looking for a place to hide.
I sprint into an alleyway and hide behind a dumpster. Quickly glancing at my stats told me that one hit dealt 71 damage, making me grimace. I take out the health potion from a while ago, a tiny vial just as long as my middle finger, and down it.
I almost spit it back out from the taste but force myself to swallow it. And, a second later, the hole in my hand began to heal before my eyes. I blink a few times, testing it by making a fist before breathing a sigh of relief.
Suddenly, some strange droplets of liquid drip down from above and splash onto my shoulder. I blink, slowly looking up to see the maw of that ugly monster almost right on top of me, the stray's eyes are bloodshot as it trembles and quivers.
"Found you…"
I refuse to let my fear take hold a second time, I cast a spell, and a tower forms right under the dumpster, launching it and the monster high. I sprint out of the alleyway, leaving behind mines along the way as the stray chases after me immediately after crashing back down to earth.
While running, I take a deep breath to calm my nerves and sharpen my focus. Another one of the stray's tentacles comes soaring at me, but I manage to sidestep away as soon as it steps on a mine. A frost explosion engulfs the devil as I get closer to my target: The revolver laying on the ground.
A hot feeling in my shoulder causes me to stumble, but I quickly pick myself back up, completely ignoring the tentacle that had speared through it. It tries to pull me down and seeing as it had higher STR than me, I couldn't resist.
Another tentacle shot out to wrap around my leg, tripping me. The monster pulls me closer as I try to reach for the gun, mere inches away from me. My heart was thumping in my chest as I struggle to think of an alternative.
Letting my instincts go to work, I rush to create a new spell: An ice hook. It was just enough to drag the gun into my hand, and once I had it I took aim at the ugly fucker and fired. The deafening bang of the gun makes me reflexively shut my eyes.
Once I realized that nothing was pulling at me anymore, I slowly open my eyes, laughing at what I saw, whether it was out of nervousness or joy I don't know. What greeted me was the monster, completely blown apart with only its legs remaining. There wasn't even any blood- just destruction behind it and what was left of its gross-looking limbs.
Thankfully the bullet didn't fully destroy everything behind it, which were full buildings. Just went through a wall... or three. I doubt anyone would notice for a while.
I lower my head, still breathing heavily as the terror I was feeling slowly subsided. My limbs are still shaking, but I force myself to get up anyway, throwing the gun in my inventory. That was close. Way too close for comfort…
But I won.
I killed it.
I survived.
Whether it was luck or not, I'm still alive. I couldn't be any more satisfied with that. I.. didn't expect it to get the jump on me like that. I should've stayed with my mother instead of going on my own. What the hell was I thinking walking alone like that? Especially with the knowledge of a Stray Devil running around the town?
I shake my head. Whatever. It happened, I came out on top. Everything will be okay now.
Level up x14
Quest complete
[Shadow of Kiyoraha] – Quest
Objective: Discover who's been kidnapping girls in Kiyoraha
Bonus Objective: Kill the Kidnapper
Rewards: 3 Common Gacha Tokens, 2 Uncommon Gacha Tokens, Minor EXP, Necklace of Rejuvenation
Bonus Rewards: 1 Rare Gacha Token, Moderate EXP, Frost Soldier Pin
Danger Level: High
...I don't think I'll be sleeping very well tonight.
I look at the token rewards before me: Four uncommon tokens got me Power Ring, which increases my physical attacks by 10%, Energy Insoles that makes me run 20% faster, Frost Bullets for the revolver which I found convenient as fuck, and a Calm Necklace, which is basically a shittier Gamer's Mind.
As for the common… nothing good. A regular dagger, iced black coffee, a white t-shirt, and an apple. I didn't expect anything from it, to be honest, so I wasn't disappointed. As for the rare… I haven't used them yet.
Best for last and all that.
It's late at night and my mother is asleep. I should be able to use them without her finding out. Thankfully she didn't notice anything when she saw me, but that's because I hid my clothes and wore my PJs. Who knows what she'd do if she saw the hole in the damn thing.
Thank god leveling up heals everything.
First I take out the unholy M1911, Necklace of Rejuvenation, and the Frost Soldier Pin. They were pretty useful for now, especially the pin. It's especially good.
[Unholy M1911] – Item
A regular M1911 enchanted with unholy powers, enhancing its capabilities and giving it a dark attribute. Enchanted guns seem to be the norm around here...
Deals 500 + DEXx2.2 Physical Damage + 350 Dark Damage
[Necklace of Rejuvenation] – Item
Given to anyone training physically, for it helps with regaining one's stamina. A mildly useful item for battles.
Increases SP Regen by 15%
[Frost Soldier Pin]
A pin given to accomplished soldiers of the Permafrost army. It's a badge of honor, enchanted by the king himself to give the wearer an edge in battle.
When worn, all physical attacks will be imbued with 5% Ice Damage of the total damage. Increase Ice Resistance by 15%
I'm not as interested in the gun or necklace as I am in the pin. 5% looks low, and that's true considering how much I deal anyway, but it's an extra damage type. Two types of damage in a single attack is amazing.
Let's see if the Gacha can top this.
I take a look at the first Rare token, snapping it without a moment's notice.
25+ STR! 25+ END!
Huh? Wait, I can get stats out of Gacha?
That's… okay then. I won't turn my nose up to that.
Name - Akane Amamiya
Level – 48
Title - None
Class - Cryomancer - LVL 48/100 [51%]
Race - Human
Rank - Mortal
Alignment - Neutral Evil
HP - 1100 [110 per minute]
MP - 4800 [2880 per minute]
SP - 1100 [110 per minute]
STR - 120
END - 110
DEX - 100
INT - 480
WIS - 480
CHA - 130
LUK – 50
And it fucking doubled! I love the stupidly overpowered perk so much. I wouldn't be alive without it I'm pretty sure.
I snap the next token, and what replaces it was a red sword with a golden handle. I blink, feeling a strange intensity and heat from it. Hm, a magical longsword, huh? I always wanted to slice some zombies in all honesty. I never had the chance to snatch that Katana.
[Fiery Blade] – Item
An old sword enchanted by a skilled Pyromancer. While not at the level of legendary weapons, it's still notably powerful, burning whatever it slashes.
Deals 300 + STRx4 Physical Damage and 250 Fire Damage
A tiny bit better than my Golden Baseball Bat, but that's because of the extra Fire Damage. Oh well, I'm still using the bat regardless. It'll be fun to see cash flying everywhere. Also, it honestly looks cooler than the sword to my eyes.
So far so good. Hopefully, the last one doesn't disappoint.
Skill learned
[Cryomancy: Crystal Wings] – Skill
A special spell only recorded in an ancient cryomancy grimoire. Strong yet light wings will emerge from your back, temporarily giving you the ability to fly. The wings can suffer a great deal of damage before shattering, but once broken, the spell cannot be cast again for some time.
Gives flight and protects for 20,000 points worth of damage before shattering. Takes half as much damage from Ice but double damage from Fire. Once shattered, you won't be able to cast the spell for 30 minutes
Lasts for 5 minutes
Costs 5000 MP
...Don't take this as me complaining, but is this rigged? What are the odds of getting a Cryomancy skill out of infinite of stuff? How am I this damn lucky? I mean, to be completely fair here, I could've gotten any kind of wings skill, maybe fire or wind wings instead. It's just that I'm surprised that it's ice wings. Is the Game trying to push a theme on me?
Regardless, this is definitely going to help a tonne in the zombie dungeon, even against whatever I fight in Kuoh. Maybe the Fallen will try to attack me or something. I can do with wings, whether it's for maneuverability or just to escape with. I can't wait to use these once I get enough MP~!
After all, who doesn't want to fly?
Just to clear up something about weapons or spells. Whenever you see something like "15 5xINT" just remember that there's supposed to be a plus between them, so it's actually "15 (Plus) 5xINT" For some reason, FF deletes the plus sign. I don't know why.
Also, the songs Akane sang in the previous chapter and in this one are (Yakuza 0 - Judgment) and (Yakuza 5 - Machinegun Kiss) respectively. Just in case someone else is curious.
SGO Discord server link: (Discord . gg / wd3tUYWVCd) No spaces.
My personal server discord link: (Discord . gg / Rjjzt8erYK) no spaces. It's a new server, but I might post exclusive content there. No, I'm not bribing you to join.
If you want to support me, here's my pat reon link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)