My fist lashed out at the kobold's chin, snapping its neck with a satisfying crunch and sending the dog thing crumpling to the ground just in time for the three fresh goblins to pop out of the wall across the room.
I took a moment to catch my breath as the green midgets scampered to their feet, my gaze lingering on a thick stalagmite to my left. It was about as tall as my leg.
A sudden idea left me with a grin.
The goblins rushed at me with wild abandon, and I sprang into motion, a well placed kick at the base of the stalagmite managing to splinter it from the ground. I picked up the makeshift club from its pointy end, my lips peeling back to expose my teeth. Ever since I stepped foot in the murder pit, I've always wanted to beat the living shit out of a monster with a big, blunt object.
My body tensed like a coiled spring as the green midgets neared, but my brilliant idea went down the drain when the little fucker closest to me suddenly lunged.
Sidestepping the clumsy swipe, I dodged forward, arms winding back as I pivoted on my foot behind the other two goblins. My club swung in a wide arc, crushing both bulbous heads in one fell swoop, a satisfying crunch reaching my ears.
The midgets dropped to the ground, and I darted forward to intercept the last mob as it charged me again from across the room, beady red eyes shining with hatred.
Get fucked, bozo.
The little bastard tried to jump for my neck, but dodging him was child's play. I spun on my feet for added momentum, putting my back into this swing, and slammed the goblin in the face with my fat slab of rock.
I clamped my mouth tightly, eyes narrowing to near slits as, much to my disgust, the head popped like a bloody piñata, bits of gore spraying all over the floor before me.
Dropping my makeshift club, I took a few moments to catch my breath as I double-checked the walls and the half a dozen mangled corpses strewn around the room.
I might've missed that triple kill in one swing, but this was pretty cool, too. In a gory sorta way.
Pulling out a half empty jug from my backpack, I took a few gulps of lukewarm water before crouching next to the corpse in front of me, knife in hand. As I opened up the goblin's belly, I counted seconds in my head.
Muscles tensing, I leaned back without warning, elbows bracing on the rocky ground and hips twisting for further momentum. One leg came swinging up, foot hitting a dog-sized gecko's head just as it dropped from the ceiling, sending it crashing into the nearby wall. There was a sound of broken bone, and the monster crumpled to the floor, unmoving.
Just to make sure, I grabbed the bloodstained stalagmite I'd left nearby and threw it at the corpse, splitting its head open.
Fucking lizards.
I looked at the ceiling, eyes carefully sweeping across the uneven rock, just in case. It was eerily dark, but I could see even better than yesterday. Falna enhanced senses were amazing, but the darkvision was my favorite.
Finding no other hidden lizards, I resumed the dissection, harvesting the goblin and kobold magic stones, leaving the gecko for the last.
My gaze lingered on the sharp claws tipping the dungeon lizard's spindly limbs, and I silently thanked my skill for the fifth time today. Letting one of these bastards get the drop on you would ruin your fucking day.
Harvesting these geckos was harder due to the surprisingly tough scales, but it wasn't something that a bit of trial and error couldn't fix. All I needed was a small incision in a place where the scales were softer, and then I could just skin the bastard with my bare hands, caveman style. It was longer and messier than the previous mobs, but it was better than fucking up my knife when I lacked the money to replace it.
Pulling out a rag from my backpack, I wiped my hands and quickly gathered my stuff before stepping out into the main corridor and heading deeper into the dungeon.
The midgets and dogs on the second floor didn't feel different from those on the first, but those wall-crawling lizards really liked their jump scares. Worrying about sudden attacks from above made fighting a lot more annoying, but, luckily, the dungeon lizards seemed to be a pretty rare mob. Only encountered five of them after spending four hours on this floor. My enhanced senses also helped me spot those geckos before they had the chance to tear me a new one, and my skill just clowned on their attempts at sneak attacks.
Keeping my eyes peeled and ears open, I dug a hand in my pocket, retrieving an old analog watch.
I was glad that I'd been too lazy to take it off before falling asleep and getting isekai'd. I was even gladder that I hadn't been desperate enough to sell my wristwatch. Having a way to keep track of time down here was always nice.
My mouth curled with a frown as I checked the time. I'd spent about three hours on this floor, and I had yet to find a good farming spot. The spawn rates kinda sucked on the noob floors.
Maybe I could use the downtime to try some meditation? I wasn't crossing my fingers on getting an actual spell that easily, but figuring out a way to raise my Magic stat would be welcome enough.
__________________________________________
The water glimmered with burnt orange colors as I made my way to the middle of the river, arms straining with a large boulder that had my muscles screaming in protest. I dropped the giant rock with a grunt, water splashing all around me.
The river crossing through Orario was the smallest in the southern district, barely reaching up to my thighs. I had to walk past the Entertainment District to get here, those tantalizing, scantily clad Amazons guarding the entrance leaving me all bricked up until I dunked my ass in the cold river, but I could survive some blue balls for the sake of my cool training montage.
Meditation, by itself, wasn't cool enough, even done in the middle of the dungeon. I'd tried it earlier, and nothing happened. Perhaps I didn't spend long enough at it, or maybe the noob floors just didn't count? I couldn't say, but that was fine. I had plenty of nerd knowledge to draw inspiration from.
Something like in those martial arts movies should definitely work. Meditation while naked under a cold waterfall would've been ideal, but Orario had a distinct lack of waterfalls, and it would take me a few weeks until I reached Rivira.
Meditation in the middle of a river might be close enough, though.
Smiling, I sat down on the rock, folding my legs in a lotus position, back straight, and closed my eyes. I emptied my mind and focused on my breathing. Slowly, I took in a deep breath, counting the seconds at first, then exhaled. I kept repeating it until I felt like I didn't need to keep count anymore.
The minutes blurred together as I sat there like a statue, but nothing seemed to happen. No spark of power awakening within me. No sudden warmth flooding my body. Nothing.
The only thing I got after sitting for what felt like half an hour on a rock in the middle of the river was a persistent itch in my left buttcheek.
I knew what I was doing wrong, though. Or rather, what I wasn't doing right.
This didn't look cool enough.
The waterfall would've definitely worked, but, excluding Rivira, the closest place to find one might be the neighboring mountain range to the north. I didn't have time to waste trying to get there, and probably neither the money to hire someone to take me and bring me back.
Sighing, I furiously scratched that annoying itch, hands resting on my knees as I racked my brain for the missing link. My training montage was clearly too basic bitch to work, but what did it lack? An audience? Some crazy yoga pose? Chanting? What el–
My eyes shot wide open in epiphany.
The breathing. All cool meditation scenes had some fancy breathing involved. Like in Demon Slayer. Or JoJo's.
A grin broke on my face at the thought.
Both ideas could work, but the Demon Slayer method didn't really fit my style. JoJo's on the other hand… it was perfect for these hands.
I closed my eyes, mouth curled with a smile as I paid close attention to my breathing. I had no idea how Hamon breathing worked, but as long as it looked cool, my skill should pick up the slack.
I exhaled forcefully, trying to empty my lungs of every cubic centimeter of air, up until it started becoming painful, and then I waited for a few seconds, before taking a slow, deep breath, my chest rising to the apex.
I breathed out again, and filled my lungs to the brim once more, repeating it eight more times. On the tenth inhale, I held my breath for one minute.
My left hand rose and the right one fell, fingertips brushing the water. I slowly moved them in a clockwise revolution as I took another lungful of humid air, timing my breathing with the movement of my arms.
Nine breaths. Arms drawing the wheel of life. One pause while soaking in the warmth of the sun. A cycle repeating itself.
Time passed in a blur as I kept cycling through this exercise, mindful of my breathing but also of my body, only for my breath to hitch when I noticed a strange tingle at the back of my mind. I reached with metaphorical hands to gently pull at it, and, suddenly, it felt like a spark was set ablaze deep within me as something warm began to trickle in my veins.
A grin broke on my face. Oh, hell yeah.
I kept drawing from that small well of power–my Mind–slowly pulling more energy into my body, a pleasant buzz coursing through me like a sweeping wave.
My eyes snapped open, jaw slackening at the sight.
I was glowing, crimson light radiating from my flesh. An unmistakable aura of power.
Holy shit, did I actually magic up Hamon?!
Rule of Cool was fucking awesome.
A smile tugged at my lips as I stopped drawing from that inner well, but the pressure kept building, an uncontrollable heat rising within me. The magic energy churned wildly beneath my skin, as if trying to burst forth at the seams.
A sinking feeling coiled inside my stomach, turning it into a knot as a wave of panic surged through me.
Shit! Ignis Fatuus?!
My spine felt like it got dunked in ice, despite the heat boiling me on the inside. The energy kept roiling around, like a volcano about to erupt.
Mikoto didn't die when she blew herself up, but she was a level two, and she knocked out a fucking level three with it.
I focused on the unruly energy, hoping to somehow rein it in, but it felt like trying to calm a stormy ocean with my bare hands.
Seconds trickled off, my heart pounding like a war drum in my ears. I needed to stop this, or I was fucked.
Nothing came to mind. My thoughts were running in circles, and I was running out of time.
My jaw clenched, teeth grinding together as I took a deep, calming breath. Exhaling, I did the first thing I could think about.
"How my Mind resonates,"
I swallowed the instinctive urge to cringe, abandoned my shame, and kept chanting.
I would not let this blow me up.
Not taking any chances, I began moving my hands around like some kung-fu bullshit I'd seen in Chinese movies, sweeping them in flashy, alternating patterns like my life depended on it, trying to make it look as cool as possible.
"I'm pulsing with a mighty heat."
As I kept up this crazy act, I felt the churning energy slowly begin to drain towards my arms, then further down, the crimson haze pooling in my hands, lighting them up in a deep, bright red glow.
My stomach was twisting with knots, but my face held a defiant smile. I could do this.
"My blood is a symphony within me!"
A strange heat, different from the one flowing down my arms, suddenly pooled on my back, and something akin to a pulse traveled through me. I felt like electricity was coursing through my veins, setting my blood aflame.
It didn't hurt, but I had no time to ponder.
Slowly, I cupped my hands together at the hip, a wild grin breaking on my face. Fuck you, world, I wasn't blowing up here. I had god and anime on my side.
"See the spark of my magic!"
The energy felt ready to erupt, and, just as the pressure became unbearable, I thrust my palms forward like motherfucking Gokū.
"Scarlet Overdrive!"
A flash of red ripped out from my hands with a noise like a thunderclap, splitting the river before me apart like the Red Sea. My bones vibrated from the explosion, water splashing all around as it rushed back in to fill the gap.
Holy shit…
I looked at my hands in awe, only to freeze at the sight.
They were smoking. My hands were smoking, the skin swelling and reddening, some of it even charred and cracked along the palm, the thin layer of fat sizzling beneath.
An acrid smell filled my nose, a reeling sensation making my head spin.
And then came the pain.
My vision almost whited out at the sudden spike of agony driving into my brain, and, for a moment, I couldn't even think. My whole world was pain, like a thousand molten needles stabbing into my hands without pause.
All I could do was sit there and soldier on, focusing on my breathing in an attempt to ignore the pain.
I dunked my hands in the cold water of the river, clenching my jaw as another sharp spike of pain drove into my head like a nail. It hurt even more, but it should help soothe this shit to manageable levels in a minute or two.
Third degree burns, fu–
"Oh my, are you alright?" A sweet voice tinged with concern cut through the thick haze of stinging agony dominating my thoughts.
Of course not, I almost fucking blew myself u–
I looked at the riverbank to my right, and my blood froze at the sight, the pain almost forgotten for a moment.
There, clad in a green dress with a white apron on top, stood an ashen haired girl by the edge, her eyes wide and her delicate face lined with worry.
Fuck.
__________________________________________
It happened by pure chance.
She was on her way to the Orphanage, right after switching places with her child. She passed by the river near her home as usual, only to pause when she saw the large rock in the middle of it. And the half naked man seated atop of it.
The moment she laid her eyes upon him, she almost dropped the bag of apples from her hands.
Two… colors?
A deep, vivid red with a burning luster, stained by black wisps throughou–no, it was not tainted, but–
–two colors?
A dark soul that was not tainted?
How.
Souls did not have two colors. Could not have more than one color. Even when stained, whether by suffering or evil, the hue merely dimmed and darkened.
But this…
A pitch black shade among the vivid red, yet still so bright.
How was thi–
And then she noticed it. Her eyes grew wide, breath hitching in her throat.
Impossible.
The pattern was… different? How? All souls had the same pattern. Not even the gods could change it without breaking the soul.
Why was it different?
How was it possible?
I want him…
His soul was unlike anything she'd ever seen, almost as if–
It dawned upon her like a thunderbolt, her jaw going slack.
An outsider. A soul from an otherworld.
How this came to be, she did not know. But…
She wanted him.
Her feet took her closer to the river, heart picking up in her chest as a giddy feeling spread through her bosom like a fire.
There were so many things she wanted to know.
How did he get here? Reincarnation? Divine meddling?
Not that it mattered much, though. She only cared that he was here.
Did he remember his old life? His old world? Would he tell her stories about it?
Of course he woul–
Her lips twisted with a frown as she looked away from the bright flame of his soul, her eyes lingering on his upper back.
But which divine had blessed him before her?
Her jaw clenched tight, and she took a slow, calming breath.
Oh, how it irked her that she'd missed him until now. She should have been his first, but she'd take solace in being his last.
Her feet came to a stop on the dirt path by the river, and she stood there, watching him from a distance, questions swimming in her mind.
What was he doing, just sitting there in the middle of the river? It looked like he was meditating, but for what purpose?
The urge to approach him flared in her chest, but she waited a little longer, curiosity burning within her in equal measure.
Perhaps he'd show her something interesting?
Her eyes widened a fraction when his Mind suddenly stirred, a faint smile curling her lips.
Ah, so he was preparing himself for casting. Sometimes, those newly acquainted with magic lacked the focus and quiet mind to properly call forth their spells.
But still…
A fresh level one, yet already had magic? Quite the rarity, but it only made him more interesting.
Her brows furrowed as his output of magical energy kept growing, but it didn't seem to flow towards any specific pattern. It was merely accumulating in his body, and–
What was he doing? Where was the chanting? Was he whispering it?
Soon enough, the magic was close to overflowing.
She inhaled sharply, eye shooting wide open.
Ignis Fatuus.
He was about to suffer an Ignis Fatuus.
It wouldn't be fatal, but there would be severe wounds.
The energy steadily rose to a crescendo, and she clamped down on the urge to rush closer and warn him. It was too late now, and she'd rather stay out of the blast range.
A deep, steady voice suddenly reached her ears, the words causing her brows to knit.
Then, he began moving his arms in sweeping gestures, reminding her of Far Eastern martial arts.
She couldn't fathom what he was trying to do.
Why was he still chanting? He should try to stop drawing even more magic and hope to lessen the blast. Even an amateur caster could do that to some degree.
A sudden thought sent a chill through her body. Did he not know it was an Ignis Fatuus? Why was he attempting magic while ignorant of its dangers? Was he a fool?
Ah, she might have to sneak him a healing potion by the end of this.
She took a step back, bracing for the explosion, except it had yet to come. Instead of bursting out violently, the magic began to flow down towards his hands, building up just like before, but this time in the faint pattern of a spell, and–
She stared, blinking dumbly.
What.
How did he–
Without warning, an outpour of energy filled the young man like a vessel, and, for an instant, his soul pulsed even brighter, shining nearly like a star.
Her breath hitched as divine hieroglyphs surfaced on his back in a familiar looking emblem, glowing a deep crimson.
Limit Off?
How?
She'd only seen it happen during intense battles, when someone's life was on the line. Or when they truly desired something from the bottom of their heart.
But… not like this.
How did he do it? A Skill? Like the Silen–
His hands moved, thrusting forward, and a crimson blast suddenly tore out in a cone, splitting apart the river.
What.
Droplets of water rained down on her, but she barely paid it any mind. She stared at the churning river, eyes wide.
He… channeled the Ignis Fatuus through his hands?
How?
That shouldn't be possible. Should it…?
Ignis Fatuus occurred from the loss of control over one's magic energy and its sudden overflow. How could an uncontrollable surge of energy be focused to a single point and expelled?
It made no sense…
The best one could do was try to stop adding fuel to the combusting magic and lessen the damage. It certainly couldn't be controlled.
How did he do that?
Was it helped by the Limit Off? A happenstance so rare that nobody could reasonably experiment with it. Or, if they did, they never shared.
A stray thought slackened her jaw for a moment.
Did she just witness a new discovery in the field of magic through sheer accident?
The only other explanation would be a Skill.
A smile bloomed on her face, warmth rushing to her cheeks. He was better than she'd thought. He just showed her something never seen before.
Magnificent.
She wanted him.
Her gaze flickered to his hands. They were smoking, the burns looking quite awful, but a high potion could easily heal that.
She looked deeper, and her smile widened. The luster of his soul had brightened ever so slightly.
That giddy feeling in her chest blossomed anew.
How much more could he grow?
She wanted him.
How much more could he surprise her?
She wanted him.
How much brighter would his soul shine?
Oh, how she wanted him.
Her feet took her closer to the riverbank, stopping right by the edge. She could finally see his face now.
Not ugly, but not particularly handsome either. Just a little above average.
She shook her head. It didn't matter. It was just flesh. He could be an old, wrinkled man, and she would look at him the same. The only thing that mattered was his soul. His strange, beautiful, impossible soul.
A hand snaked up to her face, cupping her cheek as a longing sigh escaped her lips.
Ah, she couldn't wait to see how much brighter she could make it shine.
She only hoped he wouldn't disappoint her, like everyone else did in the end. The warm, giddy feeling in her chest told her that, this time, it would be different, and she wanted to believe in it.
Perhaps he was truly the one. Her Óðr.
Another soft, quiet sigh escaped her. Only time would tell.
He suddenly plunged his hands in the river, jaw tensing with a grimace. It looked like he didn't have a potion on him.
She bit at her lip, the words on the tip of her tongue. She'd waited long enough.
"Oh my, are you alright?"
She called out to him, and he immediately looked up, startled. His eyes quickly found her, and he just sat there, staring at her for a while.
Before it could turn awkward, he hopped off his rock and slowly made his way to the riverbank. Their gazes met, and she saw a flicker in his eyes. She couldn't place it, but it only added fuel to the spark of intrigue burning inside her.
He was looking at her as if he knew her, even though it was their first time meeting. A soul like his would be impossible to miss, even when just passing by.
Perhaps he'd seen her in passing while she wasn't paying attention?
He gave her a smile, slightly wooden and a little too strained. "I've had worse." Truth. "It's just a training accident."
She smiled back, studying his face for a moment.
He was hiding it well, but he was clearly in quite a lot of pain. Trying to appear brave and strong in front of a woman? How cute. He might get along with Ottar.
"I happened to notice it while passing by." She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "That was quite the impressive magic." For a normal city girl, at least. "But you should get those wounds treated as soon as you can. Burned skin can easily fester."
"It was just a concentrated blast of magic. Nothing special." Truth.
She almost failed to keep the surprise off her face at his dismissive words.
Nothing special? He'd just uprooted an established rule of magic, and it was nothing special? Did he even realize what he'd done?
"And I know a good pharmacy," he spoke again, "I'll get my hands healed in no time, Miss…?"
She gave an embarrassed smile, shying her gaze away for a moment. "Apologies for being rude, my name is Syr. It's nice to meet you."
"I'm Jack. Well met." Truth-Lie. A half truth.
Her lips quirked in amusement. Being in a lot of pain was not the best of circumstances to meet a person. But she'd rather not wait for another chance. He could endure a little pain for her, couldn't he?
Jack kept staring at her, the same stilted smile barely hanging on his face, but before the silence could teeter on the awkward, she took the reins with practiced ease.
"Are you perhaps training to become a mage?" Unlikely, but she knew better than to judge a book by its cover.
"Not really. I was just curious about magic." Truth.
Ah, so that's how it was. Her smile took on a playful edge. "Eager to test a new spell?"
Jack shrugged. "Not sure I could call that a proper spell. It was just an explosion. I've seen cooler magic." Truth.
Oh? Her smile grew wider, and she brought her free hand to cover a giggle. "I think it was flashy enough to qualify."
"Maybe. It's flashier than the average fireball, at least."
It was flashier than most spells she'd seen from a level one. What standards did he have for magic?
She tapped a finger to her chin, lips pursed, as if deep in thought. "I heard it's really hard to even get magic as an adventurer. I know plenty of them who had no such luck even after years."
Jack eyed her for a moment, before a smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Guess I have more luck than most people." Truth-Lie.
Her mouth twitched in amusement. She almost had her answer. Just one more thing.
"I also heard that getting more magic is much harder, and that many people can only have one spell. You were definitely lucky to get a powerful magic as your first."
He didn't look surprised at that. If he knew the basics, how did he still end up with an Ignis Fatuus?
He'd also yet to try excuse himself and leave, even after all this time. He had a decent pain tolerance. A great quality for an adventurer.
"That's a good thing." Jack nodded. "I don't want to rely on luck. I'm planning to save money for a grimoire, hopefully before the falna can screw me over with some random magic." Truth.
As soon as the words left his mouth, that smile, wooden as it was, vanished from his face. She smothered the urge to smirk, and pretended not to notice, pushing an emphatic smile on her lips.
That was one less mystery about him.
Between the constant pain and her power to discern lies, he was bound to slip. It was impressive he'd lasted this long, though. A battle of wits was always entertaining.
People were so boring nowadays. Rarely did they try to play her games anymore, and if they did, they always gave up, most often just to please her.
"That might take a while. Grimoires are very expensive. Tens of millions expensive."
Jack went quiet, eyeing her for a moment, expression carefully measured. "You seem quite knowledgeable about magic."
Oh? Did she push too far?
Didn't matter. It got her what she wanted.
She could only guess the true nature of his skill, but that wasn't what mattered. Skills were something rare. They separated the rabble from those truly special.
A pleased smile bloomed on her lips. Jack had the drive and willpower to form a skill so early on. He just kept surprising her, and she couldn't get enough of it.
"I work at a fairly popular pub." She brought a hand to her mouth, leaning forward a little, whispering conspiratorially. "I hear a lot of gossip."
He seemed to believe her. Not that she was lying. She did hear a lot of gossip.
"I see." Jack nodded, and she brushed a lock of hair away from her eye.
"You should visit, too. The food is great and the atmosphere quite pleasant." She gave a playful wink. "Look for the Hostess of Fertility on Western Main. You can't miss it."
This would make it easy to meet him without appearing suspicious.
She'd try to learn more the next time. A normal city girl shouldn't be too nosy. They'd just met, after all.
Lips pursed, Jack hummed in thought. "Maybe in a couple days." His mouth twitched with a smirk. "I don't have enough money for fine dining yet." Truth.
She brought a hand to her mouth, covering a giggle. "I'll be waiting."
Two days wasn't that much. She could be patient.
Jack looked away, eyes flicking to the neatly folded clothes lying on the ground to her left, and she quickly got the message.
"It was nice meeting you, Jack." She flashed him a coy smile. "I'll see you around."
She bit the inside of her lip, smothering another giggle. She would definitely keep an eye on him from now on.
Jack returned her smile, and it was a little less wooden than before. "Have a nice day, Syr." Then, he walked past her and went to pick up his shirt.
And with that, she turned around and left, but not before sneaking one last glance at his magnificent soul. It was enough to make her heart beat faster once again.
Jack…
Her feet carried her along the familiar path to the Orphanage, but her mind was far away.
Ah, how she wanted him, a deep yearning burning in her chest.
But he was already blessed, a new child of Miach. She couldn't just snatch him off the street. She couldn't have him yet.
An idea came to mind, but she quickly dismissed it. A War Game would be too petty, beneath her, truly. Something only the likes of Apollo might attempt.
She was Freya. She had standards.
The heat curdled in her chest. One year. She'd never hated that period of grace more than she did now.
She'd have to wait.
But she could lay the groundwork before then, and, perhaps, have Jack in other ways.
A giddy smile crossed her lips.
She couldn't wait to learn more about him.
__________________________________________
I quickly made my way back home, shirt awkwardly slung over my forearm. Thank god I did not take off my pants back there, because I would've had to walk back home in my underwear.
My palms felt like they got stung by a dozen wasps, the unyielding agony making me feel like I was about to fucking transcend to a higher plane of existence.
I clenched my teeth, slowly breathing in through my nose before exhaling. Gigachad rule #4. When in pain, get used to it and get over it.
And it wasn't enough that I'd fucked up my hands six ways to Sunday, but Freya of all people had to pop out of the woodwork and play mind games with me on my second day here.
At least she helped distract me from the pain, somewhat.
I'd been tempted to just fuck off the moment I saw her, but running away was not a winning move. Not with Freya. Gaining her interest and not throwing her a bone was a one way ticket to getting screwed in one of her schemes later on.
I did not want to get jumped by angry minotaurs. Or, at least, not before I was strong enough to actually survive that.
I couldn't ignore Freya. Luckily, I knew how to deal with her. Handling a yandere was pretty easy. I just had to give her the attention she sought.
Well, I'd also have to max out my Endurance, just to be safe, but I was already aiming to do that.
The Blue Pharmacy came into sight as I rounded the corner. A high potion should fix my hands in no time, but I couldn't afford that shit yet.
Hopefully, Naaza could get me something cheap to help unfuck my hands before tomorrow, because I wouldn't be able to punch anything with them looking like half cooked bacon.
In hindsight, it might've been a bad idea to fuck around with magic like that, but at least now I knew I could pull off a bootleg Kamehameha if all else failed. I wasn't sure how that worked, the Danmachi magic system was shit like that, but Rule of Cool clearly did something to help me with that Ignis Fatuus. It still exploded, but not as it should normally have.
I had no idea how magic worked outside Falna spells, but I could cast Bomb from my HP, and that might save my ass in a pinch.
I also had no idea what the fuck Freya was doing there at the time, but I wasn't going to fry my braincells trying to understand that goddess. I'd been avoiding West Main and that overpriced pub ever since I came to Orario, but the world still threw me a surprise Syr encounter.
What was next? Getting accosted by Lili?
I took a deep, centering breath, eyes hardening with resolve as a small, self-assured smile crossed my face. Fear had no place with the Greatest Cool. If Freya wanted to fuck with me, I'd beat her at her own game and go balls deep inside her.
Sighing, I stopped at the entrance, using my elbow to press the handle, and pushed the door open with my knee. I probably looked like a fucking clown, but anyone who talked shit could eat my Scarlet Overdrive.
I stepped inside the pharmacy, closing the door behind me with my foot. As long as nothing touched my palms, I could soldier on through the pain without the urge to cut off my own hands.
Naaza sat in her usual spot behind the counter, currently busy reading a book. She took one glance at me before returning to her page, only for her gaze to snap back up, eyes widening as she stared at my fucked up hands.
"Jack, what on earth happened to you?" The faint note of concern in her usually dull voice brought a smile to my face. She did care, in her own way.
I shrugged, smiling sheepishly. "Training accident."
For a long, quiet moment, Naaza just stared. "Training accident?" A frown curled her mouth. "You look like crap. How did you even end up like this?"
"I might have played with fire a little too much." Live and learn, I suppose.
My captain didn't seem to appreciate my humor, eyes narrowing a fraction. "If you're still making jokes, maybe that doesn't hurt as bad as it looks."
I smiled thinly. "You're right. It only feels like a thousand hot needles constantly stabbing at my hands. It's great for building up that pain tolerance."
We had a brief staring contest, before Naaza shook her head with a quiet sigh. "You need a couple healing potions and some burn cream." She walked up to a shelf at the back of the room, glancing over her shoulder. "That's a thousand valis, by the way."
She was giving me the burn cream for free? Neat.
I smirked. "That'll teach me to be more careful in the future, right?"
A quiet but sharp huff escaped Naaza's lips as she eyed me with a deadpan. "I'm not raising my hopes on that one." Her dull, monotone voice and utterly dry delivery got a snort out of me.
Deadpan snarker Naaza was best Naaza.
As she looked back at the shelf, grabbing the stuff, I took this chance to feast my eyes on her ass some more. It even helped distract me from the pain a little. Her tight peach stretched the dark fabric of her skirt when she bent over, and the only way this moment could've gotten any better was if her bushy tail stopped blocking the sight.
Sadly, it was not to be, and the show ended too soon as Naaza returned with a pair of vials and a small, glass jar filled with yellow cream.
I held up one hand, waving it a little. "Will this heal before tomorrow?"
"Yes, but it's likely to scar."
A displeased sneer briefly curled my lips. Burn scars were ugly. Maybe I could cut out the scar tissue in the future and heal the skin with a better potion?
My reaction didn't go unnoticed by Naaza, her blank stare perfectly matching her dry voice. "Maybe you should've thought about that before doing something stupid."
I gave her a deadpan of my own. "Why do you assume I did something stupid?"
"Am I wrong?" She quirked a thin, delicate eyebrow, looking at me expectantly, and I pursed my lips, thinking about it for a moment.
Messing with magic without supervision was kinda dumb, but… Rule of Cool, dude. I had god and anime on my side. And I figured out magic, didn't I? Well, sort of.
"Not entirely…" I eventually said, and my captain huffed in amusement, the corner of her lips twitching ever so slightly. She placed the vials and the cream on the counter, but I just stared at them, eyes shifting to my fucked up hands, then back to her.
She got the message pretty quickly, shaking her head with a sigh.
"And the money, too." I patted my belt bag with my wrist, getting an eye roll from the dog girl.
She picked up one of the healing potions, thumb ready to pop the cork, only to pause when the door to the back room suddenly opened with a soft creaking noise.
Shit.
Miach stepped out, a gentle smile on his face and a jar of herbs in his hand, placing it on a nearby shelf. "Welcome back, Jack. I just finished preparing the ingredients, if you wish to join me again."
His gaze lingered on my fucked up hands, and his smile instantly fell. "How did you get injured like this? Those are magic inflicted burns." He could tell that from just the way it looked? "Was it another adventurer?"
There was a subtle edge in his tone, completely at odds with the image of the pleasant and kind man I'd known so far.
"No," I shook my head as he walked closer, inspecting my hands with a frown. "It was a training accident. Naaza was about to give me some potions and cream."
"A training accident?" He glanced at the counter, studying the potions and the cream for a moment, before his mouth curled with a frown. "No, that won't do it."
"Two healing potions and some burn cream should be enough. The burns should heal over night." Naaza spoke up, but Miach shook his head.
"It would scar horribly. Scars in that area can affect the motor function of the fingers, which can make it difficult to wield certain weapons."
Well, shit. I did not think about that. It was fortunate that Miach showed up when he did.
The pinched look on Naaza's face made it clear that she hadn't considered that either, which… bruh. Wasn't she supposed to be a pharmacist here?
Miach made his way to a small cabinet in the corner, all the while Naaza kept glaring at his back. He retrieved a single potion, and when I looked at the blue liquid inside the vial, darker than a normal healing potion, I understood why.
It was a high potion.
Miach popped the cork and held the potion in front of me. "Here, drink this."
Normally, I would've refused, but… I didn't really have much of a choice here.
From the corner of my eyes, I saw Naaza glaring at me, a scowl lining her pretty face. Sorry, girl, but I needed my hands in top shape to murder stuff.
"How much does this cost." At this point, it wasn't even morbid curiosity anymore. I just needed to know how much more money I owed this guy.
"Forty thousand." Naaza spat out, her tone making Miach grimace.
I inwardly cringed. Forty thousand valis… I was making the debt worse instead of helping. I made around two thousand seven hundred today, drops included, but that just wouldn't cut it.
I needed to figure out a way to make money fast.
I grabbed the vial, holding it firmly and grinding my teeth at the pain, and gulped the liquid, the taste of herbs and spices lingering on my tongue.
The pain quickly began to fade, and I placed the empty vial on the counter, watching how my hands healed in fast forward. The charred flesh flaked off, the blisters faded, and healthy skin grew from beneath.
It was really fucking cool.
"Thanks for the potion," I said, getting a glare from Naaza an a nod from Miach. "I'll pay for it as soon as I can."
"Don't worry about it." Our patron god waved it off with his usual smile, and I smiled back, rolling up my shirt and draping it around my neck. There was no point in arguing this. I'd just have to earn more money.
"Take your time, but I'd like to hear what happened before tonight." Miach spoke up again, and I nodded. Seemingly satisfied, he turned around and walked back inside the backroom, leaving behind a rather awkward silence.
I glanced at Naaza, and she met my gaze with a frown, crossing her arms.
"You're really helping us with that debt, I see."
My jaw tightened at her acerbic tone, and I just dug a hand in my money bag, pulling out a fistful of coins. I counted two thousand and dropped them on the counter with a clinking noise.
"I don't go back on my word."
That left me with a thousand seven hundred, give or take a few valis. I still had to buy something for dinner, but that shouldn't cost me more than a hundred, at most.
Naaza stared at the coins for a long moment, before meeting my eyes again, her glare softening a little. "Do you still have enough money for food?"
Aww, how cute. She really cared, didn't she?
I reined in the sudden urge to reach out and rub her dog ears. That would just get me punched, and her prosthetic hand could actually kill me.
"Yeah," I smirked. "I made over two thousand today."
I didn't wait for her answer and just strutted behind the counter like a baller, making my way to the backroom. I couldn't wait to see my gains.
Miach sat at his work table, filling a small jar with ground up herbs, and, as I stepped inside, the creaky door got his attention. He paused his work, turning around to face me, hands folded atop his lap.
He had a gentle smile on his face, but his eyes held a stern gleam, making me feel like a child about to get scolded by his parents.
"So, you mentioned a training accident?"
I'd underestimated him. Miach could be pretty scary if he wanted to.
"Yes," I nodded. "I was just trying to practice magic."
Miach's eyebrows furrowed. "But you don't have any spells on your falna."
Yeah, I might've jumped the gun a little. My knowledge about this magic system was spotty at best, but I knew that messing with magic outside the falna was basically just asking for trouble.
"I was trying to get a feel of my Mind, hoping that some practice would help me gain a spell."
It sounded kinda unhinged, even to my ears, but… Rule of Cool, man. I couldn't have a skill like that and not test it every possible way.
Miach looked at me like a disappointed parent at their dim-witted child, which… fair enough. I did something pretty dumb, but hindsight was twenty-twenty, and I'd say it was worth it.
"That was incredibly reckless of you. It takes numerous rituals and years of practice for people to perform congenital magic, and even then the risk is great for those who aren't elves."
Huh. Was it really that hard for normies to access their Mind without some esoteric training method?
"Ignis Fatuus can lead to severe wounds. You're lucky you only burned your hands." He blinked, the crease on his brow deepening. "How did you even do that? It should have been an explosion centered around you."
"I just pushed it into my hands."
For a quiet moment, the god just stared, his eyebrows climbing up his forehead. "You pushed it into your hands?" When he finally spoke, his voice came out incredulous, and I just looked at him in confusion.
Ignis Fatuus was just mana going haywire and exploding out of the body, wasn't it? If mages could control it to cast spells, why wouldn't they be able to control the outflow, so they don't fuck up their whole body?
"Yeah. Blasted out in a cone that split the river in half." Michael Bay would've been proud.
Miach's jaw worked silently for a moment. "I've never heard of anyone directing and focusing an Ignis Fatuus before."
Huh. That sounded like a skill issue.
"Really?" Did I actually do something even crazier than I thought?
"Yes, it's just not possible. Or, if it is, nobody had found a way."
I had a clever quip on my tongue, but Miach suddenly cut me off before I could open my mouth. "Until now."
Spoilsport.
"Could you explain how you did whatever you did?"
I thought about it for a moment, lips pursed. Yeah… I had no idea what to say except for "my skill carried me like usual".
"I have no idea what happened, but my skill must've done something."
Miach nodded, lips thinning into a line. "I thought as much."
Nice. That saved me the embarrassment of having to explain how I'd done everything based off a JoJo meme.
The conversation lulled into a brief, contemplative silence, my gaze wandering across the room, before settling back on Miach as he suddenly stood up from his chair. He walked closer, resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Jack," His tone went back to "dad mode", and I stood a little straighter on reflex. He was going to give me childhood flashbacks at this rate. "I can't forbid you from acting how you feel is right, but promise me that you will be more careful and avoid such reckless acts."
Yeah, Rule of Cool or not, I should definitely think twice before doing something that could potentially cripple or kill me. Or, at least, ask for a second opinion.
I nodded. "I learned my lesson. I won't fool around with magic like this again." At his pointed look, I smiled sheepishly. "Not without a mage nearby to keep me from doing anything stupid."
Miach lowered his hand with a soft, quiet sigh, but I didn't miss how the corner of his mouth twitched a little. "I suppose that's the best I can get." He sounded exasperated, but also a little amused, so we were probably cool.
The god turned around, gesturing at the chair. "Come, let's update your status. I'm sure you're quite eager about it."
Was I being that obvious? Yeah… definitely.
I flipped around the chair and took a seat, facing away from him.
Miach picked up a needle from his table, and, moments later, I felt the warm drop of ichor hit my back. A familiar ripple coursed through my being, before a pair of hands began tracing symbols across my back as Miach worked on my falna.
A few seconds passed in silence, before Miach suddenly made an intrigued noise, and I felt a spark of excitement warm in my gut. Did I actually get some magic out of this?
"You've gained high rank excelia."
Oh. His words took a bit of the wind from my sails. Still, high rank excelia was good. I needed that stuff to level up. But how did I get it?
A sudden thought hit me like a slap in the face. Holy shit, was it because of Freya?
"From earlier with the Scarlet Overdrive?"
The urge to cringe surfaced at the memory, but I refused to give in. The line between cool and cringe was paper thin, and sat solely in the eye of the beholder.
If Freya, of all people, liked it, I was clearly doing something right.
"Indeed." Miach hummed in something akin to amusement. "Scarlet Overdrive? That one could pass for an actual spell."
A flash of heat rose to my face, but I reined it in, ignoring the feeling. Embarrassment had no place with the Greatest Cool.
Shame was for the weak minded.
I'd have to get used to acting chūni as fuck in public. Back home, it was concentrated cringe, but here? It might be close to a superpower.
A beat of silence passed as I questioned life, before Miach spoke again.
"It seems that you're full of surprises today." Say what? "You've triggered a Limit Off in your Falna." His voice sounded a little baffled. What the hell was a Limit Off? "It shouldn't have been possible in those circumstances, so I suppose you have your skill to thank for."
Thank you, Rule of Cool.
"What's a Limit Off?"
I'd definitely heard that mentioned at some point, but fuck if I remembered anything about it.
"In the right circumstances, when sufficiently strong desire, willpower, and emotions combine together, they cause the falna to overload and temporarily increase all status parameters."
Ah, so a shōnen power up. Neat.
"I see."
It also explained that weird feeling on my back before I pulled off a Moses.
Miach resumed his work on my falna, and the better part of a minute passed before a sharp inhale suddenly reached my ears. I felt my cheeks pull into a grin. Oh, that sounded like something good. I actually got magic, didn't I–
"You also have a new Skill."
My stomach did a flip. Fuck, it was even better. A second skill on my second day as a murder hobo. Hopefully, it was a good one.
Hell, if it was Charm resistance, I was going to blow half my money on flowers, then head straight to Mia's pub to give them to Syr while singing Despacito.
People gave Freya so much shit in the fandom, but wasn't she actually the ultimate sugar mommy?
I mean, so far she gave me high rank excelia and a fucking skill. Granted, half of that I owed to the Rule of Cool, but she'd definitely played a part in the process.
Too bad her Charm hung like the Sword of Damocles above my head.
It would be amazing if Rule of Cool let me shake that off, but I wasn't going to put my eggs in that basket. Maybe I could try to get a skill to make me immune like Bell.
Still, she shouldn't have a reason to whip out her Charm if I played her games, right? She only did that in canon when Bell outright rejected her.
"A new skill in such a short time is beyond remarkable." Miach's hands suddenly pushed down on my back, and I felt myself become fuller. "You are going to attract a lot of attention, sooner than later."
Boy, didn't I already know it… but if Rule of Cool could actually affect the emergence of skills… yeah, I wasn't telling anyone about that.
Miach grabbed a paper, before I could even open my mouth to ask, and placed it atop my falna. Moments later, I was staring at my updated status.
The stat gain alone was crazy, but when I reached the bottom, my jaw went slack.
Holy shit.
<>
Jacob Brewer
Lv. 1
STR: I33 → I57
END: I30 → H117
DEX: I24 → I45
AGI: I27 → I48
MAG: I0 → I12
"Magic"
"Skills"
[Rule of Cool]
Yours is an impossible existence. Inspire awe, and the world is willing to suspend its disbelief. Act to impress. Impress when you act. It Just Works.
[Hissatsu Waza]
Increased odds of achieving a Limit Off. Allows the user to unleash the entire power of a Limit Off as a single strike. Active trigger.
<>
I stared at the paper, cheeks pulled up in a wide smile.
Just the first part of this skill was already top tier. Power ups were great. A skill that let me power up more often while also letting me do the equivalent of a special attack was even better.
But… why was it in Japanese?
I kind of wanted to cringe, though part of me had to admit that it sounded a lot better than "finishing move".
My gut churned with a giddy feeling. I had half a mind to go back to the dungeon and see what this skill could do. Vivid images flashed in my mind's eye as my imagination briefly ran wild, and I felt my smile grow even wider.
I couldn't wait to test this skill.
I turned around to face Miach, my good mood drawing a warm smile from him. "Can I get another status sheet without the skills? I have a feeling my advisor won't believe me that I'm ready for the fourth floor."
Miach chuckled softly. "Of course." He grabbed another paper, placing it on my back. "Who's your advisor? I don't think you've told me."
I felt my lips pull into a smile as I told my patron god about Misha. By the end of it, I learned something new about Miach.
He was not beneath teasing me about girls.
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