Short Story:
Edward:
An alley from the poorest areas. It was a pitch-dark night, if not for the blue moonlight that granted the darkness a bit of light.
Blak… blak… blak… I was walking wearing a black robe and a hood, passing through a corridor soaked with mud.
Suddenly, the silence of the night was pierced by the sound of crying echoing between the alley walls. I stopped for a moment and muttered: "Hmm…"
Out of curiosity, I took one of the narrow alleys. And there, at its end, I found the source of the sound.
A boy no older than eleven to thirteen years old, lying on the ground, blood spreading around him abundantly. But what was more shocking were five corpses of grown men, pierced brutally, as if they had been hollowed out from the inside.
I showed no reaction to the scene, instead I looked with coldness and confidence, and said in a low voice: "What is your name, boy?"
The boy stopped crying, lifted his head slowly, and his gray eyes shone mysteriously. At that moment, dozens of smoky arrows appeared surrounding me from nothingness.
Chapter 8: The Clowns (Part 1)
Arthur:
"Sigh… stop, all of you."
"The victory goes to the boy." Boss Grong declared my victory.
"Tch… oh Steel, you really disappointed us." Some of Boss Grong's men gathered, driven by curiosity.
"To lose against such a frail boy like this… you should hide your face somewhere… hahaha." They mocked Steel.
"Tch… what do you know? Come and fight in my place. This boy has something wrong… no matter how much I strike him, he keeps standing and resisting." The man got annoyed, scolding them angrily.
I succeeded… finally I did something I could be proud of for myself. I fell to the ground on my back, smiling. All my strength had collapsed, I couldn't even speak anymore.
"Well… a deal is a deal." Boss Grong walked toward me. "I'll let that old woman go her way, but the green-haired boy will be sold as a slave."
I looked at him with satisfaction inside. "Good… men, no one dares touch that old woman anymore. Let someone guide her to a nearby village." Then he turned to me, kicking my leg lightly: "Come on, move, we're leaving."
But I only looked at his face, without standing. How can you ask that… when I can't even talk?
He growled: "Didn't you hear me? Stand up now! Or do you prefer to die here?"
"Arrrrgh…"
He stopped, pondering: "Hmm? What's that sound?! Don't tell me… is it your stomach? You mean you're too hungry, that's why you can't move? Did you drain all your energy?"
Damn… yes, I'm very hungry. Is this because of the skill [Skill II Rapid Cell Evolution (Level 1)]? It devours all my energy. I haven't eaten for a long time…
He bent toward me, checking my wounds: "Ah… your injuries are severe, Steel really did a number on you, no wonder you can't move."
"…" I didn't realize this man was this smart.
[Due to lack of energy source, I forcibly stopped cell speed or else you would have become a skeleton in a cup of blood]
[All your injuries stopped healing until you eat something]
"We need a healer. These wounds won't heal quickly." He scratched his shaved chin. "Scott, do we have anyone with healing ability?"
Scott answered: "Boss, actually we do… but he's very sick, so we didn't bring him."
Boss Grong growled: "Haaah?! How can a healer get sick and not heal himself?"
"His ability isn't specialized for viruses or microbes."
"Hmm… right, that's truly annoying."
Suddenly, one of the men was seen running in panic from afar.
"Boss… ah… boss… ah…"
"Stop. What's wrong? What's going on?" he asked seriously.
"Boss… Deputy Scott… there's a group of adventurers facing us! They're very strong… we couldn't repel them!"
"Oh… interesting." A smile appeared on his face. "By the way… among them, is there a healer?" Boss Grong asked.
"Yes, he has the ability to heal any wound no matter what."
"Excellent… take us to them immediately. Transfer this green-haired boy to the transport carriage and wait for me there." Grong ordered, while a smoky cloud lifted me.
--------
Renar:
"Come on, men… surround them!" shouted one of Grong's men.
"It won't be that easy. Ability [Light Fire] – Sword of Fire!" Fire blazed on my sword.
Suddenly, I dashed and cut my opponent from shoulder to waist.
"Hahaha… I succeeded in ambushing you. With my ability [Light-Stepped Assassin] you won't even feel me until you die." A man appeared behind me holding a dagger, with an evil grin on his face.
Damn mocker, he's aiming for my neck, I don't have time to dodge.
"Arrrrgh!"
But before the dagger reached my neck, his head was pierced by an arrow and he fell dead.
"Thanks for the support, Dia." I smiled at my beautiful lover. A long-eared woman, wearing green and white, holding a white bow. How gorgeous she is. I wonder if tonight she'll let me touch those loads on her chest, hehe.
"Pay attention, fool." She replied, setting a new arrow. "Ability [Archery: Tracking Arrow] – Tracking Arrow."
The arrow shot toward the heart of an enemy waving his sword at me.
"Hehe… thanks again." I laughed, this isn't the time to think of such things. Focus on the fight.
"Hmm… ug…" I noticed another arrow toward my head. I tried to avoid it but it hit my shoulder.
"Ah… dizziness… poison?!" I ripped out the arrow and found it dyed violet.
"Rankos! I need your help!" I shouted nervously.
"Alright, you're hopeless, captain… Skill [Heal Wounds] – Cure Poison. Please don't make me drain all the mana, be more serious." said a young man in his twenties wearing a white robe, sighing.
In front of him stood a massive man in a giant black armor with a spiked hammer, blocking any danger heading toward Rankos.
"Sorry, comrades… we must finish off the criminals." My eyes blazed red. "Ability [Light Fire] – Dance of the Fire Sword!" I started slashing everything in front of me madly.
"Hmm… another arrow, ah damn it's completely different. It's too fast."
Suddenly, a gray arrow flashed past me, rushing toward the man with the black shield.
He blocked it with his shield. "Arrgh!" His feet sank into the ground, but he stopped the arrow before it vanished in the air.
"What is this?! A gray arrow… scratched a high-grade shield!"
Clap… clap… clap…
A huge man appeared with a beanie, a scarf, and a cigarette in his mouth, smiling as he clapped enthusiastically:
"Excellent… I was aiming for the red-haired one, but my accuracy betrayed me. Even so… what a tank! He deserves his title."
<_____________________________>
[States]
[Character:
– Name and surname: Arthur Field
– Ethnicity: human
– Ability: Learning – Rank S
– Level 2 (200/50)
– Statistics Points: 0
]
[Properties:
– Strength: 8
– Agility: 5
– Defense (Vitality, Resistance): 4 + (5)
– Intelligence (mana): 10
]
[skills :
– [Skill I I'm not thirsty (level 1)]
– [Skill II Stacked Damage Resistance (Level 1)]
– [Skill I Sword Art of the Field Family (Level 1)]
– [Skill II Rapid Cell Evolution (Level 1)]
– [Skill I Burning Hand (Level 1)]
]