《Bloodlust》 Chapter 01 - The Day a New Demon was Born. (A/N: DefinitelyNotJormlung here! Just wanted to warn you people that I''ll post chapters whenever I feel like it, so don''t bother raging about me not posting. I''ll try to post a good amount of chapters for now since I have quite the lead already, depend if my procrastinating self feel like it! KAHKAHKAHKAH! Another thing, Ultrabenosaurus is the main Proofreader of this story, so a big thank-you to him! Although I don''t remember which he PRed and which he didn''t anymore... Whatever... Also, sometime he just started to write some parts of some chapters on a whim, and I left those parts whenever I liked them, so you could say he helped write some rare parts of the story? Anyway that''s it! Feel free to react however you want! Because I won''t really care! Joke(?) apart, enjoy your read!) Chapter 01 - The Day a New Demon was Born. Hope Island, an artificial island the size of a small country in the middle of the indian ocean which was created 100 years ago, as a prototype for research on countermeasures against the rise of the ocean level. In a modern hospital on the island, inside a pure white room in which was another room made of glass, was a bed and some workout machines such as a treadmill, weight-bench and the like. This strange room was the one of a youngster currently lying on the bed. The youngster had a strange charm Looking around 17 years old, with long ink-black hairs that were so long they reached the bottom part of his back, pale white skin, sharp hazel eyes, and a really thin body. The youngster was quite androgynous, and his sickly appearance just complemented this mysterious charm of his. His name was Asmund Dreyri, an accursed young boy whose destiny was sealed from the time he was born Born with a rare disease which had an incredibly high number of symptoms such as a weak immune system or high sensitivity to UV, Asmund has grown up locked in this cell of glass. His two parents being workaholics, they just left his care to the hospital without visiting him even once since his birth. You could say they saw him more as a burden than anything else but, having money, they decided to pay the hospital to keep him until the day hed die, which was closely approaching Asmund never had any chance to leave this cage of his, he was like a beast in a zoo, having nothing but the medical staff of the hospital for visitors. His only contact with the exterior was via the Internet, from which he learnt everything he knows about the world outside. Raised in such conditions, Asmund''s heart was filled with but one emotion when it comes to this world Hate! His hatred was so thick that it wouldnt be surprising if it could be seen with the naked eyes. He hated everything, especially the look that people had in their eyes when they looked at him, a gaze filled with pity. Although they probably meant nothing but good, those eyes stabbed Asmund''s heart like a hot knife, because those pitying eyes kept reminding him of his position in society An inferior being His life, unlike the rest, had absolutely no meaning; he was living only to die. He didnt even have the slight possibility of changing his destiny, he could do nothing but wait Wait for death to come. In his bed, barely able to move for a week now, he knew He knew that his long awaited death was coming at last. At this point he didnt fear it, his death was pretty much his life, he had been prepared to welcome it since he could think for himself. His only regret was that he couldnt bring destruction upon this damned world, and bring it along with him to hell! Sighing, Asmund gazed at the very same ceiling he looked at for the last 17 years What a boring life I had Closing his eyes, he felt that he would probably never open them again But as he thought that the sweet embrace of lady death was here, something unexpected happened. [Initiating Phase 3: starting procedure for laws creation.] A strange screen appeared behind his eyelids. Even as he opened his eyes in surprise, the screen didnt disappear and instead seemed to follow his line of sight. Confused, he tried to make sense of what was written on said screen, but couldnt make heads nor tails of it With his confusion growing more and more as time passed, another screen soon replaced it. [Procedure completed: Phase 3s laws have been created.] This screen didnt help him understand this situation either, but the one which followed right after did hint at something, and surprised him much more than the previous ones. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 1 ] [ Class: None ] [ Power: 4 ] [ Agility: 3 ] [ Constitution: 1 ] [ Mind: 11 ] [ Spirit: 5 ] # [ Skills ] - # [ Credits: 0 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Asmund dont really have a hobby, but he does surf the Internet a lot and he also read a lot of web novels or played games on his computer. That''s why, when he saw that character sheet-like screen which was clearly coming directly from his mind, it hinted him to two possibilities... Either he was becoming crazy, or something was changing Be it him or the world Since he was alone in his room it was pretty hard to judge if he was the only one seeing those screens, but he could hear some shouts of confusion coming from outside. Damn Something interesting is finally happening and yet I probably wont be able to enjoy it, talk about luck Feeling depressed that something like that would only happen as he was going to die, Asmund couldnt help but frown bitterly. [Congratulations Subject 510221421544105425414! High level being Elmyria took notice of your existence and registred you as her main subject of observation.] ... Huh? Whats this about? Without having even the time to think about that new screen, yet another one appeared, with a content much more ominous than the previous ones. [Launching final procedure of Phase 3: implementing Rank 2 to Rank 5 dangerous lifeforms.] And thats when things took a real turn for the worst, or best, depending who you ask. The sound of screams and roars of beasts could be heard everywhere, it didnt take long before you could even hear the sound of explosions and gunshots from outside. Pure chaos! Listening to what was happening around as if he was currently the sole member of the audience to a world-renowned orchestra, a genuine smile appeared on Asmunds lips as he realised this bitch of a boring world was being raped by anomalies. When voices of despair came from the hallway outside, he almost laughed out loud; he was in a really good mood at the time. A good mood which soon turned sour [Phase 3 completed.] *CRASH* Right as what was quite possibly the last of those weird messages arrived, the door to Asmunds room was blown to bits by the charge of a monstrous creature This creature was clearly not of this world, looking like a pitbull the size of a man but devoid of skin. The gory monster scanned the room with its red blood eyes and showed two rows of disgusting yet fearsomely sharp fangs as he saw Asmund, growling while having what was probably a smug look on its face. Seeing the bloody beast approaching his cage, Asmund''s own expression turned into a scowl. He wasn''t scared of dying, especially since he was going to die soon either way, but he was kinda angry that he will probably have to feel a lot of pain before kicking the bucket now Oh well Im dead either way, lets try doing some last stand shit or something Not much convinced about what he just said himself, he still got up from his bed with some difficulty and stared at the monster, which resulted to his surprise in a small rectangular screen appearing above said monsters head. [ Death-Hound Level 2 ] What the hell?! Youre a total weakling! After noticing the monsters level, Asmund couldnt help but say that out loud, and as if the monster actually understood what he said it rammed its body against one of the walls of glass. *BANG* Making a loud slapping sound resound in the whole room as a result, in addition to cracks appearing on it to Asmunds surprise. One must understand that those glass walls are actually quite thick, and even a bullet would barely damage it! Yet this monster who is only level 2 was able to make big cracks on its surface! Well damn If a low level monster is this strong, I cant imagine the amount of power the high level ones have While muttering to himself and now knowing that he was far from being safe in his cage, Asmund searched for anything he could use to defend himself. The only thing he could even think of using as a weapon around him was dumbbells. It was something he used almost everyday in order to exercise Until recently that is Lately he became unable to exercise as his body became weaker and weaker, so although someone average could probably use those dumbbells as a weapon, it was clearly out of the question for his weak self. Shit Is that really the only thing I can use? Grimacing, he grabbed the only possible weapon for him in this room: his laptop. Under normal circumstance it was his most prized possession and he wouldnt do anything that could possibly break it, but looking at the situation it was clear that he will not be able to use it from now on either way The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. *BANG* Once again the Death-Hound assaulted the glass wall, making the cracks expand in size. Looks like it wont be able resist another strike Fine Bring it on, since Im going to die anyway, let me pour some of my hatred on your ugly mug! Taking an awkward stance, Asmund stood ready to fight to the bitter end, not caring about the obvious ending of said fight. *CRASH* As expected, the third strike was also the last As the thick glass broke into pieces, a rush of tainted air came in contact with Asmund''s face, which immediately paled as what little bacterias that were among the air were enough to make him feel even sicker than what he was already. Although it sounded quite extreme, it was proof of just how weakened Asmunds body was as of late Ignoring the pain and ill feeling running through his body, Asmund faced the Death-Hound which looked quite pleased about the fact he was finally before his prey. Now in the cage of glass, the Death-Hound immediately leaped at his prey, not taking any precautions in this fight as it was clearly looking down at Asmund and didnt even imagine the possibility that he could be a threat. It was sadly right Facing the mass of bloody muscle leaping at him, Asmund did try to attack using his miserable weapon while letting his body fall to the side, but the result was as you could expect The Death-Hound whose head came in contact with the laptop wasnt even as much as scratched or bruised by the attack, and with what little athletic ability Asmund had, his clumsy dodge was nowhere near enough to completely avoid the attack. Ahhhh! Fuck! Although he avoided any vitals being hit and wasnt hit by the Death-Hounds most fearsome weapon, that is to say his fangs, Asmund''s side now had a gaping hole which was the result of its contact with the monsters razor sharp claws. Screaming in pain and anger, Asmund quickly stood back on his feet despite his sorry state. Quickly calculating what should be his next move, he immediately came to a conclusion. He was nowhere near strong enough or well armed to possibly wound the damn thing. Not only that, his wound was visibly fatal unless it was to be quickly taken care of because of blood loss. He certainly wanted to make a last stand, but a last stand with absolutely 0% of success? What''s the use? Thats why he gave up the prospect of fighting the monster and ran away while dragging his heavy body, moving by using nothing but his willpower at this point. It was certainly also a useless endeavor, but at least the chance of succeeding wasn''t absolutely void. To Asmunds shock, he was even able to reach the hallway, which he never saw before; everything outside his room being alien to him to begin with. The reason he was able to run this far was simply because the Death-Hound was enjoying a game of cat and mouse, though He understood this, but Asmund kept running, for what small chance he would have to escape, or at the very least annoy the damn beast if anything. In the hallways, corpses were littered everywhere, blood and guts painting the walls, but running as best as he could he completely ignored those piles of flesh. Fellow humans had no importance in his mind anyway. Reaching the top of the stairs leading down, Asmund gasped for breath as what little strength he was able to gather from his willpower until now was running dry. The large amount of blood escaping from his body through his wound was not exactly helping the matter. By the time the sound of the leisurely walking monster came dangerously close to him, a huge puddle of blood gathered at his feet and he did his last struggle by jumping down the stairs, avoiding by a hair''s breadth the jaw which was targeting his neck. His prey escaping him like that, when he was sure to get it, truly annoyed the monster to the point it would have clicked its tongue if it was capable of that. Now deciding to finish this pointless game, it jumped after the falling Asmund And thats when the most unexpected event of the day happened. The percentage of such an event happening through pure luck and probability should be as close to null as is possible, yet at this moment it happened As the huge monster was leaping, its rear limbs supporting its heavy weight literally slipped on the puddle of blood that Asmund left at the top of the stairs while he was gasping for air. Who could have expected something as comical as that to happen? Propulsed by its inertia but without a stable launchpad, the Death-Hounds body flew through the air spinning at an impressive speed, and concluded with the Death-Hound crushing its own head against the edge of a stair His eyes wide open as he was hugging his aching body, Asmund stared at the scene without being able to believe it wasnt an hallucination created by his exhausted mind But contrary to his expectation, a bundle of screens followed one after another to prove him wrong. [ Congratulations! You gained a level! ] [ Received 4 Credits. ] [ Congratulations! Due to your achievement of being the first human being to kill a monster with the use of nothing but your own blood, you successfully unlocked the unique Emperor Rank Class: Blood Overlord! ] [ Blood Overlord / Unique / Emperor Rank Class ] [ Growth Bonus: Pow/Con/Spi+ ] [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Do you wish to acquire the class Blood Overlord? After acquiring a class, be warned that you will not be able to change unless you buy a Class Reset through the Systems Store! ] Still in a stupor, Asmund just gazed at the screen, not sure of what he should do. But as his life was coming to an end at an alarming rate, he received another message'' [ Fufufu~, this is the first and last help you will receive from me. So from now on youre on your own! Do your best to survive and entertain me now, will ya? Oh also, you should hurry and accept that OP class if you want to survive. Using the Growth bonus, spending the free points you opened by leveling into your Constitution, using your Heart Of Magic Blood and Blood Manipulation skill, you should barely be able to live despite your condition! Thats it! See yaaa~! ] ... Getting some of the answers to his confusion thanks to this message and understanding that the sender was probably the mysterious Elmyria who was mentioned earlier, and probably also the reason why such a miracle-like thing occurred on the stairs, Asmund didnt think more than that and immediately put his/her advice into practice; he accepted the Blood Overlord class and putting his 3 free points into his Constitution stat. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 2 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 5 ] [ Agility: 3 ] [ Constitution: 5 ] [ Mind: 11 ] [ Spirit: 7 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 4 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # As soon as he did he felt some of his strength coming back, and even though blood was still flowing at a crazy pace from his wound he strangely felt his body regaining warmth. Getting his hopes up and starting to feel excited about all this, he tried to use the active skill the message mentioned earlier, Blood Manipulation, out of instinct and was startled to see that he was actually able to do so smoothly. To be more precise, as soon as he wished to use the skill, he immediately understood how to do so and what the effect of the skill was. Just like its name implies, it let someone manipulate blood to some extent, but theres apparently some limit. At the very least, in his current situation, it was a life saving skill as he was able to solidify a layer of blood on his wound, sealing it completely in the process. Although he could feel something escaping his body at a really slow pace, slower than it was coming into his body, and which is probably the source of energy needed to use the skill or even magic. Like just mentioned, the pace at which he was expending that energy to keep that thin layer of solid blood in place was slower than the pace of it flowing into his body. To make it simpler, the energy that we could call mana was regenerating at a faster rate that he was using it. Sighing in relief, he noticed the beast''s body move out the corner of his eye. Panicking that it might get up and attack again he focused on it, only for his jaw to drop to the floor. Far from getting up, the monster''s entire body was squirming - like a combination of it melting and having an army of maggots already inside eating it at a ridiculous pace. Soon, almost like it grew out of the creature, a round grey capsule, like the ones you find in gacha machines, appeared on the floor next to the unexpectedly still intact corpse. Almost in a trance, Asmund picked up the grey capsule, but was shocked back into consciousness as he remembered his current predicament. After putting the mysterious capsule into his pocket, he quickly moved away from where he was as he was still far from being safe. The heavy sound of stampeding beasts and the screams of horror in his surroundings being the best hint Walking downstairs, he walked into the closest womens bathroom hoping to use the peculiar smell of perfume and cosmetics emanating from it to hide his own body odor from the keen sense of smell of the beasts, closing himself into the furthest closet from the entrance. Sitting on the toilet, he finally awarded himself with a long sigh of exhaustion as he relaxed his body, now slightly in a better situation than before. Now then Lets try to better understand the situation and this new weird system Chapter 02 - Tutorials Are for Noobs. (A/N: I noticed that there was now a funtion for author note while posting chapter, but heh, I''m an old school type of guy, so you get the annoyign author note directly into your chapter! Anyway, just a small note to explain that text in italic jsut so happen to be Asmund''s thought. Later on in the story, as more character get involved, I will precise who is either talkign or thinking to make thing easier to understand. Anyway, with that said, enjoy your damn chapter! Oh! One last thing, UltraBenoSaurus is the one who came up with most of the titles for the chapters, and since I don''t really want to think too much about them, either I let them as is, or actually come up with some retarded title myself. So kept in mind that sometiem the actual title have nothing to do with the chapter...) Chapter 02 - Tutorials Are for Noobs. Alright then, first of all, what the hell is happening? Holding his head in his hands, Asmund made his brain work at full speed as he tried to recall everything that happened since the first message appeared in order to make sense of all this. Though he failed at it, as it didnt really make sense. Lets forgot about finding a reason for all this. Even if I were to think for days Id probably never figure it out with how few clues I have at the moment. All I need to know is 1- That an RPG-like system appeared out of nowhere and probably involves not only me but everyone in the world, or at the very least this island. 2- That some god or administrator or something is observing me, and saved my life once. Apparently won''t help me again though. 3- That monsters appeared out of nowhere and are currently massacring absolutely everyone. And most important point of all! I can grow stronger! Although I was skeptical when I first saw the character sheet screen and didnt really had any hopes for it, after gaining a level, distributing my free points and obtaining a class, the effects are quite obvious and impressive! If I were to keep raising my stats then I could become a super-being far above others! Forget about being looked down upon! I could become the one looking down on everyone! Ahahahah! Awesome! Thinking about the prospect of doing whatever he wants and obtaining the power to hold his destiny in his hands, Asmund''s mood brightened to a sickening point, almost bursting out in maddening laughter. Wow there, calm down for a second Im far from being safe at the moment, so lets first survive and escape from this damn place before thinking about fun things. So, I kinda got a grasp of the current situation. Now I need to better understand that RPGish system. After calming down, Asmund instinctively opened his character sheet. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 2 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 5 ] [ Agility: 3 ] [ Constitution: 5 ] [ Mind: 11 ] [ Spirit: 7 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 4 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Hmmm, now that I take a better look at it, some of my stats did grow without me putting any free points in them 1 Point in Power, 1 point in Constitution and 2 point in Spirit... That seems to be exactly what was written in the class description as Growth Bonus. It was something like Growth Bonus: Pow/Con/Spi+... So it wouldnt be weird to think that it was the effect of said Growth Bonus, but then Why did it affect me even though I only gained this class after leveling? Do you gain a Growth Bonus proportional to your level after gaining a class? From the sound of it I thought it would be more like you gain additional stat points after gaining a level. Oh well, I cant exactly complain about that now, can I? Now, about those skills Can I get some description of them by staring at the name or something? *Starrrrre* After staring at one of the skills'' names for a full minute, he came to the conclusion that it wouldnt work Damn I guess Ill try to think of another way later on Now, I should focus on the Credits and Systems Shop parts! From the sound of it, Credits are like points or a monetary system of some kind that you can gain from killing monsters. And from that conclusion, it would be logical that its use can be found in the Systems Shop, so lets focus immediately on that. Thinking that, he stared at the System Shops small rectangular panel, and was immediately brought to another screen, completely different from the previous one. It was a simple square separated into 7 different icons. The 7 icons were: a human silhouette, a book, a book with a + sign next to it, a sword, an armor, a lab flask and finally a loaf of bread. Hmmm Each of those icons must probably be some kind of tab Lets try the human silhouette first. Focusing his sight on the icon, yet another screen appeared in his mind. It was a list of class names, all categorized into ranks. Ohhh! Looks like its the Class shop! As expected, you normally dont receive a class in the same weird way I did. The different classes were categorized under 6 different ranks. The rank at the top of the list was: Lower Citizen Rank. The cost displayed next to it was 0, as those classes were apparently free. Among the classes in there, there werent any RPGish sounding ones. On the contrary, they were all simple-sounding jobs such as: Cook, Merchant, Farmer, etc That said, there were also weird ones, such as Prostitute - Gigolo or even Maid - Butler... Those classes dont have any Growth Bonus, but all have a simple passive skill. For example, the merchant class has the [Barter] skill, which makes it simpler to buy and sell merchandise at a better price. The rank above the Lower Citizen one was the High Citizen rank. All the classes of this rank were mostly crafting ones, which also didnt have any growth bonus but had a single passive skill useful for their trade. For example, the blacksmith class has the [Swordsmith Mastery] skill, which improves the quality of the sword type weapons the blacksmith crafts. Gaining such a class had a cost of 1000 Credits unlike the Lower Citizen, though. The next rank, was the Fighter one, which costs 3000 Credits. All the classes in this categories started to sound really RPGish, such as Warrior, Mage, Rogue and the like. Each of these classes all had a single Growth Bonus unlike the previous classes, and also had a single active skill. Looking at the stats affected by the Growth Bonus of those classes, Im kind of able to understand the effect that each stat has on the body, at least in simple game-ish terms. The close ''fighter''-type classes all obviously have the Pow stat growth bonus. So as expected, Power likely relates to the raw strength of the body. The speed-type classes have the Agi stat growth bonus. And here I cant say that theres any surprise, as Agility is pretty self-explanatory Con or Constitution is the growth bonus of tank classes, such as Knight, so it must involve things such as toughness, health, resistance to abnormal conditions and the speed your wounds heal. What was surprising was the Mnd or Mind stat, which is the growth bonus of physical ranged classes, such as Marksman. From it one could guess that the Mind stat involves things such as eyesight, calculation speed, dexterity and reflexes. Lastly, the Spi or Spirit stat, is obviously the growth bonus of ''magical''-type classes, and probably involves everything related to mana and its use. Satisfied with his conclusion, Asmund nodded to himself and took a look at the following rank. Noble Rank, the classes under it were much more numerous than in the Fighter Rank category. But looking at the list, the reason was quite obvious, because the Noble Rank classes are something like a more specialized Fighter Rank class. For example there is a Mage class for each element, thats to say: Pyromancer, Aquamancer, Terramancer and Aeromancer. The other difference is that the growth bonus is basically the same as their base classes, but with the addition of a + sign, meaning that the growth bonus is worth 2 points. Each class also has the addition of a passive skill to their active one. As for the cost to acquire a class of this rank, its no less than 20 000 Credits. And although its quite pricey, its not really comparable to the next one The King Rank classes, which have a price of 200 000 Credits. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The King Rank classes are mostly hybrid classes. Such as Magic Swordsman, which has Spi, Pow+ for its growth bonus. Like this, each have a single + stat bonus in addition to a 1 point one. As for skills, they all have either 2 active ones or 1 active and 1 passive like the nobles. Lastly came the Emperor Rank, for which the impressive price was Holy shit! 1 000 000 Credits?! For real?! In awe, Asmund almost carelessly shouted that out loud, but luckily he kept those words inside his head. And after taking some time to calm himself, he inspected the classes in the list. All of them had pretty impressive names such as Deaths Apostle, Bearer Of Light or Incarnation Of Chaos. As for their growth bonus and skills, it was just like Asmunds Blood Overlord class. They had 3 different stats and one of them had the + sign, 2 active skills and a passive one. His inspection of the different classes finished, Asmund noticed something worth mentioning at the bottom of the screen. It was a rectangular panel in which was written a line giving an obvious explanation of its purpose: Class Reset: 50 000 Credits. Quite expensive Luckily my class is already ridiculously powerful, so I wont have to use that option. Leaving this screen by focusing on a red arrow which pointing left at the bottom of said screen, the previous one with the different icons reappeared in Asmunds mind. I guess that I will try out the book icon next. Focussing on that new icon, yet another screen with a list appeared, and grabbed his attention immediately as he understood that it was none other than a list of skills to buy! That said, he was soon disappointed For the skills were separated in two categories. The first one was the Common category, which grouped a list of useful yet non-combat skills, and the second one was the Blood Overlord one, where the skills'' prices were ridiculously high. As expected Obtaining such a crazy class while being only level 2 has a lot of disadvantages... That said, some of those skills are seriously crazy good! One especially grabbed my attention! [ Blood Contract ][ Blood Overlord Skill ] [ After creating a simple written contract, obtaining the agreement and a drop of blood of both parties, using this skill will register the contract as approved by the worlds laws, making it absolute. If one of the parties involved were to breach the contract, they would be punished by either seizures of pain if the offence is light or by death if its heavy. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ] Just how crazy is that?! Turning people into loyal subjects or even slaves would be really simple with this skill! It cost 40 000 Credits to buy it though It really depressed him to look at the awesome skills which were out of reach for him, so he stopped inspecting the skills of his class and looked through the Common list. Most of them were cheap and really useful, like Light Sphere, which creates a small sphere of light that automatically follows you for an hour, or Spark which can create sparks to help you light a fire. But among those the most useful was clearly this one. [ Water Channeling ][Common Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ Gives you the ability to gather clean water from the atmosphere. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ] Clean water was something easy to get in society, and its probably still the case for now, but before long clean water will become a luxury that one cant utilise at will or simply get by turning the handle of a faucet. Yet, thanks to this skill, anyone is able to have water at will and the cost is even quite cheap as the skill only costs 100 Credits to buy. Having seen enough of the Skill tab, Asmund then tried the book+ icon, which led to a small list of the 3 skills he currently has. Oh? Looks like this is the Skill Upgrade tab! And I finally get a description of my current skills at that! [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Blood Overlord Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ Your heart has the capacity to replace any loss of blood with the use of mana. Be warned that this skill is automatic and will use your mana, regardless of your will, upon any loss of blood to replace it. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Blood Overlord Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ You can control blood at will, change its shape and properties. ] [ Level 1: Liquid and Solid property / Can control only your own blood. ] [ Level 2: Flexible property / Can control human corpses'' blood in your surroundings. ] [ Level 3: Elastic property / Can control monster corpses'' blood in your surroundings. ] [ Upgrade: 25 000 Credits (Level 10+ req.) ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Blood Overlord Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ Gives you the ability to siphon the blood from corpses, accelerating your natural regeneration and letting you absorb a fraction of the corpse''s blood essence (stats). The amount of stats you gain from the corpse highly depends on said corpses level prior to death, freshness, and how many times you have absorbed the blood essence from the same species. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ] Utterly shocked by the description of his Blood Siphon skill, Asmunds jaw hung open in astonishment. WHAT THE FUCK?! This is a complete cheat isnt it?! Wait wait wait Lets calm down for a second First of all, its probably not as almighty as it sounds, like you need a lot of low level blood to even obtain a single point or something. That''s what seems the most logical to me. It would be too damn broken otherwise, even if its already one hell of a skill either way. Also, although the third one was the most shocking, the first two are already quite crazy. I mean, with the combination of those two Im nearly immortal arent I? Well, while I have enough mana to use them that is. Not to mention that I will need a lot of practice to be able to heal wounded organs with the use of my blood. Not being able to do anything more, Asmund was getting ready to go back to the main menu when he noticed another small panel at the bottom of the screen, the contents of which immediately brought a smile to his face. [ Free Upgrades left: 0 ] Although it didnt have any direct use right now, it at least means that there existed another way besides paying a fee to upgrade your skills. After discovering this, he moved next to the sword icon, which obviously happened to be a list of weapons, just like the armor icon is a list of Armor... But among both lists there was only a small amount of items, which were cheap and of low quality. Obtaining powerful items is probably not something done through the Systems Shop. The next tab with the lab flask icon was the best proof of this As it contained a list of consumables like potions, antidotes or anti-curse paper charms. But all of them are really low quality, with prefixes such as weak, lesser, etc At last, the loaf of bread icon led to an interesting list, put simply Food. So you can even buy food through the Systems Shop huh? That said, it''s hella expensive. Probably life saving depending on the situation, but who in his right mind would pay 70 Credits for a cup of instant noodles or 100 for a loaf of bread? The 50 Kg bag of rice for 1000 Credits may have some worth, that said. Alright, it looks like I pretty much saw everything the Systems Shop has to offer What now? Thinking about what to do next, Asmund suddenly remembered about the grey gacha ball in his pocket. Taking it out of his pocket he tried to inspect it with eyes, and soon saw yet another panel appear. [ Rank.1 (Grey) Treasure Capsule ] Nice! Lets open this bad boy and see whats inside! Getting slightly excited like a kid, Asmund twisted the top and bottom part of the gacha ball to unscrew it, resulting in the capsule disappearing with a small pop sound and soon being replaced by a miniature pair of boots, which fell on the floor. The hell? Dont tell me I got this hyped for just some toy?! Annoyed, he grabbed the miniature boots Wha?! As soon as his hand came in contact with them, he was quite startled to see that they grew to be a human sized pair of boots. Dropping them again due to his surprise, the boots turned back into miniature sized ones Picking them up yet again, sure enough they grew back to a size that he could wear. [ Rank.1 - Leather Boots ] [ Effect: Agi+2, Def+1 ] [ Durability: 100% ] Def? So items can give stats you cant grow through leveling. Interesting Seeing the item effects, Asmund quickly replaced his plastic hospital shoes with the leather boots, which fitted him perfectly. Alright What next? Chapter 03 - Utilising Available Resources. Chapter 03 - Utilising Available Resources. Standing up from the toilet he was sitting on, he thought about his next step. If I were to think about my goal for now apart from simply survive, it would be to escape from this monster-infested building To do that, its quite probable that I will have to fight my way out. The problem is that I am nowhere near strong enough to do that. To grow stronger I would need to kill monsters, but to kill monsters I need to grow stronger, or at least have a weapon strong enough to do that, but hey, I got neither In a bind about what to do, Asmund stroked his chin in a thinking pose, trying to think of a way to either kill the monsters or maybe escape while avoiding them. Ah! I do have a (possible) weapon! Getting an idea, he immediately tried it out. Putting his left hand near his mouth, he bit his thumb until a line appeared on it, grimacing at the pain. Now having an open wound, the one at his side being something he prefered to not reopen at the moment, he started to control the blood in his body, to escape his flesh in a large flow from the wound and gather as a floating ball of blood above his open palm. It actually looks pretty cool. Looking at the huge amount of blood moving at his will, Asmund felt some juvenile happiness at the thought that he had gained something like a superpower. But ignoring that passing thought, he kept concentrating on controlling the blood, slowly giving it the shape of a simple short sword before solidifying it as he was satisfied with its form. Grabbing the blood sword which he was still able to make float despite turning solid, he slid a finger along its blade, curious about its texture... It feels like warm metal. His curiosity satisfied, he faced the wall behind the toilet and took a completely amateurish stance, unconsciously trying to look cool. Thankfully for him nobody was here to spectate this scene Hah! Unconsciously shouting, he slashed the wall with all of what little strength he had in his body *Crack* Breaking his blood sword as if it was thin glass in the process. Frowning, he stared at the handle left in his hand with visible disappointment. Is this skill not supposed to be used in this way after all? No, that wouldnt make any sense, especially after looking at what kind of effects upgrading the skill has. What would be the use of changing the property of the blood into something flexible if it''s to not use it as a weapon? Its more probable that the sword''s weakness was brought upon by my low stats and level, especially my spirit. As he was deep in thought, the sound of the bathrooms door being flung open suddenly resounded through the room, making him jolt in surprise. Slightly panicked, he stood on the toilet seat to hide his feet from showing under the stalls door, and tried to calm his breathing. But to his dismay, the sound of hurrying footsteps approached the stall he was hiding in. Shit! I forgot to lock the door! By the time he noticed this it was already too late as the door opened EEEKKK! The one to give a girly shriek wasnt the invaded, but the invader, as the one to open the door wasnt actually a monster, but a young nurse who apparently never expected that the stall was already occupied by someone. Annoyed as she was being too noisy, Asmund quickly covered her mouth with his hand to shut her up and dragged her inside. Asmund kept her mouth shut for some time while attentively listening to what was happening outside, making sure that her scream didnt bait any monsters in here, completely forgetting his own pitiful warcry a moment ago. Only after keeping this position for a whole minute, that seemed to be an eternity, did Asmund finally release her while heaving a sigh of relief. Facing each other, both realized who it was at the same time, but before Asmund could say anything, the young nurse assaulted him with a barrage of questions. Asmund?! Y-You can move?! Why do your eyes look like that?! What are you doing in the women''s bathroom?! A-And Why are you covered in blood?! Are you wounded?! The young nurse was none other than the one who was recently assigned to bring him his meal. Olga, a blonde woman in her early 20s with Russian origin. Calm down, and keep it down, you''re talking too loudly Y-You want me to calm down?! Everyone is getting eaten by monsters, I saw my best friend being dismembered right before my eyes just 5 minutes ago! How can I calm down?! I-I dont get it! Why is this happening?! Clearly broken down at the moment, Olga kept rambling loudly, tears flowing out of her eyes and snot slowly coming out of her nose. Listening to her, Asmund''s veins were slowly bulging as he tried his best to contain his anger. I told you to shut-up! Do you want to attract the monsters?! I-I cant! I! Finally having enough of her fit, Asmund grabbed her neck and pushed her against the wall by using his weight to keep her in place, before pointing the tip of his broken blood sword at her neck. I swear that if you dont shut-up immediately Ill fucking stab your throat! Shocked, Olga immediately stopped shouting, and even stopped breathing for a moment, trying to keep herself as silent as possible. Their bodies pressed against each other, Asmund could feel all her generous curves shake in fright, making shivers run down his spine. Asmund was far from being used to having physical contact with the opposite sex, combining that with the pleading eyes she was looking at him with, and obviously a flow of dark desires slowly crept their way into his mind He wanted to ravish her, to make her submit, to make her admit that she was an inferior being compared to him. His imagination running wild, his breath started to become rougher, slowly sounding like one of a hungry beast next to an appetizing meal. But right as he was going to let his inner beast run free *Krrrr* If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The creaking sound of the bathrooms door slowly opening was heard Shit! Right as it was getting good! Is someone else trying to hide in here?! No Those footsteps are too heavy and calm, its a goddamn monster! Giving up on tasting the woman before him, Asmund proceeded to repair his sword by controlling the broken pieces, turning them into liquid and gathering them back to the handle. Looking at the scene, Olga''s eyes almost popped out of her head in shock, completely forgetting about the matter at hand. The heavy footstep approached closer and closer by the second, but it was obvious that whatever was approaching was in no hurry. The problem, though, is that it didnt stop walking at all while making its way to where they were hiding, as if it perfectly knew that they were here. The tension at its max, a crazy amount of sweat started to cover both Asmunds and Olgas backs. Asmund did try to think up a plan to fight, but he was clearly in a really bad position right now, since as soon as the monster would barge in the stall he would have nowhere to run anymore! I only have that move left to use, dont I? *BANG* As expected, as soon as the footsteps reached the door of the stall in which they were hiding, it was forcefully burst open, revealing behind it the disgusting head of a Death-Hound barring his fangs at the two preys right in front of him. [ Death-Hound Level 3 ] Asmunds reaction to the danger he was now facing was something most couldnt imagine from a human being. Grabbing Olgas collar, he threw her at the monster without any hesitation, as if it was the most obvious thing to do at that moment. Moving helplessly in the direction of the monster''s open jaw, ready to welcome her anytime, Olgas eyes met with Asmund''s for an instant, filling her with despair as all she could see in them was Amusement and Curiosity. Yes, while he did something anyone would be ashamed and feel guilty of, Asmund was amused by the situation and the expression Olga had on her face as she was used as a meat shield. He was also curious, curious to see how a human looks right as their life leaves the body. As the monsters fangs cruelly pierced her body, soft words, almost inaudible, left her quivering lips before being followed by abominable screams of pain. Those words, which were obviously directed at the man she was staring at, were: Youre a monster In answer to those words, Asmund gave a simple snort before jumping into action. Rushing at the currently occupied monster, he used the fact that the monsters main weapon was unable to attack him to target the unsuspecting beasts head. Grabbing its snout with his left hand, he thrusted his blood sword right into the Death-Hounds left eye, easily piercing through it despite the swords fragility. Releasing the now dead nurse from his jaw, the monster roared in anger and pain while trying to jump back to gain some distance from his aggressor but Asmund, who still had a firm grasp on the Death-Hounds snout, jumped along with it and kept thrusting his sword deeper and deeper, twisting it vigorously with the hope to do as much damage as possible. Which resulted, after some seconds of struggle later, in the monsters body going suddenly limp and heavily falling to the floor like a ragdoll [ Received 9 Credits. ] No level up this time around? Cant ask too much I guess On another note, the Death-Hound was level 3 yet the last one was level 2. Are monsters levels not fixed and they can progress, or is there some kind of average for monsters level? Also, I gained 9 Credits from him, last time it was 4. Does that mean that the Credits you gain is equal to the level of the monster killed squared? As he was deep in reflection, the dead Death-Hounds body started to twitch and squirm, soon making another grey gacha ball appear next to it. Grabbing it as soon as he saw that, Asmund immediately opened it with a childish grin on his lips. *Pop* Huh? Nothing? Damn, looks like those treasure capsules dont always give you something Whatever, no point crying over something I cant do anything about. I should better use my time to try out my Blood Siphon while the corpses are still fresh! Already forgetting about his previous disappointment, Asmund was eager to try out his most cheat-like skill! Focusing, he instinctively activated said skill, resulting in a red ring expanding itself out of his body looking like a sonar. A second later, after the ring vanished, the blood and corpses which were on the floor started to give off a slight glow, before the blood on the floor changed into a red mist and also escaped the corpses in the same way, transforming said corpses into dried up mummies with nothing left but their skin and bones. The mist gathered around Asmund like a thunder cloud, until finally getting absorbed through the pores of his skin at an astonishing speed [ You gained a point of Constitution. ] As expected, gaining points through absorbing the blood essence is not as easy as it sounds. Though I did think that I wouldnt gain even a single point by absorbing both Olgas and the Death-Hounds corpses. It was a nice surprise! My Constitution is still probably below average though... Stretching his body, he was getting ready to leave this room to search for easy prey to hunt and gain power when his eyes met with the bathrooms ridiculously large mirror W-What are those?! Startled at what he just saw reflected in said mirror, he moved closer to inspect it and, although he had a hard time believing it was real, no matter at what angle he was looking at them His eyes kept their same shocking appearance His iris which had a lovely hazel color now had a blood-red shade, so bright that it wouldnt be surprising if one could see them in complete darkness. But as if that wasnt enough, his pupils took a really peculiar form It looked like a vertical and a horizontal slit pupil were overlaid to make a cross in each eye. I-Is that some kind of side effect of my class or one of my skills?! Oh well, it helps me look more intimidating so its fine Done with this place, this time for good, Asmund walked to the door while trying to be as silent as possible Lets start the hunt! Chapter 04 - The Best Laid Plans... (A/N: Just a small thing, seeing as someone probably going to point it out soon enough, like you probably already noticed the protagonist have some sort of childishness to him. I willingly wrote him that way because everything is new to him and he still lack experience toward this world, with time he will mature, although he will still somewhat keep a childish side to him it wont be as obvious.) Chapter 04 - The Best Laid Plans... Leaving the bathroom, Asmund moved in silence while depending on his hearing to try to determine the positions of the monsters around him. Luckily the monsters in here all seem to be heavyweight and the screams of horrors are heard less often, making it easier to hear the monsters footsteps. Walking while keeping his sword in hand, Asmund made his way through the heaps of corpses while hesitating about absorbing their blood essence. Because although it sounded tempting, the description clearly said that the stats acquired also depend on how many times you have already absorbed the essence of the same race. This probably means that the more you absorb a type of blood essence, the more your body gets used to it and less benefits you get, thats at least the theory Asmund found the most likely. And since all the human corpses around were all weak level 1, he was hesitating Should I just absorb any corpses I meet, or only absorb corpses I think are worth it? I would have really appreciated it if the skills description would have been more clear about that point He hesitated for a long while, but finally decided to give up on absorbing human corpses blood essence for now, waiting to meet high level ones to do so. And right as he came to this conclusion was when he heard loud footsteps approaching from the corner of the hallway. Keeping his head cool, he squatted to the floor and picked up the light corpse of a child lying on the floor that was in a pretty good state if you were to compare it to the rest. The footprints on his back hinting that he didnt die to the claws of a monster but was crushed under the panicked mass of humans who tried to run away Now ready, Asmund immediately threw the corpse of the child forward when he saw the tip of a big snout appear past the corner. [ Death-Hound Level 2 ] Surprised, the Death-Hound bit whatever was approaching it in reflex only to notice too late that a thin man was rushing at him while having a sick smile on his face, which was obviously Asmund who was putting into practice what he learned of the Death-Hounds weaknesses in the bathroom. Like last time, before the Death-Hound could free its jaw from the corpse, a blood sword was thrust right into its eye socket, making as much damage possible by being twisted and thrust deeper inside. In the end, the Death-Hound didnt even have the time to roar in pain before his heavy body fell to the floor, dead for good. [ Congratulations! You gained a level! ] [ Received 4 Credits. ] Nice! I should put my free points immediately in my Agility stat, seeing as it''s still miserably low And is also the best stat to deal with the Death-Hound whose lack of agility is their weakness. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 3 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 6 ] [ Agility: 6 ] [ Constitution: 7 ] [ Mind: 11 ] [ Spirit: 9 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 16 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # There we go! Im starting to have stats that are at least probably close to average! Done with dealing with his level up, Asmund waited for the gacha capsule to appear before absorbing its blood essence Heh? Thats weird The last two times, the monsters bodies started to twitch after 10 seconds, and already 30 passed Dont tell me Not all monsters drop gacha balls?! Are you for real?! So not only the gacha balls can drop nothing, they can even not appear to begin with?! Just how difficult do they want to make things for the survivors? Sighing, he gave up on the drop and used his Blood Siphon skill, but as he did, he noticed one of its weaknesses Oh shit I cant control which among the corpses close to me I absorb Carelessly using his skill without thinking about this detail, he ended up absorbing the blood of all corpses around him in a 10 meters diameter; 1 Death-Hound and 8 humans. [ You gained a point of Constitution. ] [ You gained a point of Power. ] What is done is done, I guess The pain to my side is becoming weaker at an incredible rate too. It looks like the regeneration speeds up quite a lot when I absorb a lot of blood. Raising his plain white shirt that was soaked in blood, he did notice that behind the thin layer of solid blood covering his wound not much was left of said wound, and new skin replaced a good part of it already. Seeing as my tactic works wonders on those dumb muts, I should keep hunting them in the same way. Lets just hope that there is nothing but Death-Hounds in here though I should start to make my way to the cafeteria at the first floor, too, because although Im not hungry at the moment, I dont know how much time it will take me to reach it while being careful. Searching for the nearest staircase, Asmund moved away from the hallway now filled with mummies and soon encountered another Death-Hound. The problem, though, is that it was at the complete opposite end of the hallway Asmund was currently in and it noticed him immediately, making it impossible to use the same tactic he used before. [ Death-Hound Level 4 ] Of all my luck! Of course it had to be a powerful one! Cursing at his luck, Asmund immediately turned around and ran away while thinking of a way to deal with the beast chasing him. Making a reckless plan in his head, he stepped into the room nearest to him which had a still-intact door that he closed behind him and faced it while taking some distance. Using what little time he had left before the Death-Hound reached here, he changed his short sword into a 1,50 meter long spear, giving him a longer reach in exchange to losing some precision and ease of handling. Pointing in the direction of the door, he waited for the moment the giant dog would pass through it to stab with all he had. It was a gamble, and all he could hope is that it would at least wound the monster enough that it would be easier to kill afterwards. *CRASH* DIEEEE! Shouting as loud as he could to give himself some courage, Asmund thrusted his spear in the direction of the dog-like head which appeared through the door as if it wasnt even there to begin with. Unable to avoid it, the Death-Hound was hit at the shoulder and the tip of the spear embedded itself quite far in. Seeing that he succeeded in wounding it Asmund was quite happy at first, until the beast snorted mockingly and broke the spear with a single strike of its paw. Shi! The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.Understanding that his first plan was a failure Asmund was going to jump back in retreat, but the monster was faster than him and hit him with another swipe of its paw resulting in Asmund flying through the air like a ragdoll until his body violently slammed against a wall. Losing his breath from the shock, Asmund tried his hardest to quickly get back on his feet but his body was damn heavy at the moment and he could barely stay on all fours, coughing loudly as air finally came back into his lungs but brought him a really painful sensation. Goddamn! Not leaving him the time to regain his breath more than that, the Death-Hound attacked once again, an attack which Asmund was barely able to avoid by lamely rolling on the floor like a kid. Using his momentum he slipped under the rooms bed through a small gap making him out of reach from the monster''s fangs. This pissed the Death-Hound off quite a bit and it started to wildly swing its claws at anything it could reach, soon covering Asmunds body in shallow cuts and turning his clothes into rags. Despite the pain and even though staying there would definitely prove itself fatal for him as soon as the bed was destroyed for good, Asmund didnt move from there, doing his best to cover his vitals and stop any bleeding each time he received a cut deep enough to be dangerous. This situation continued for 2 whole minutes, the bed now barely looked like one; its wheels broke along with its legs, giving more shelter to Asmund as the bed was lowered, but it also destroyed the only possible escape he had. Once the mat was thrown away by the raging giant pit-bull and the laths were close to destroyed, the situation really didnt look good for Asmund. Yet, his expression was still pretty calm, as if things were still going according to his plan. And sure enough, a smirk appeared on his lips as the Death-Hound suddenly stopped moving as if it just received a shock. A moment later, almost like it lost its mind, the monster started to roll on the floor while roaring and whining in pain, a small trace of blood now flowing out of his snout. Crawling out of his hiding spot by pushing the bed away, Asmund laughed as he begun to gather the blood flowing out of his wounds into another spear and mercilessly attacked the now defenceless monster like a madman. Ahahahahah! TAKE THIS YOU FUCKING MUTT! Stabbing his spear through the Death-Hound''s belly, he quickly took it out and stabbed again, repeating this action again and again, repairing his spear each time it broke, not giving the monster an easy death Did you really believe you could kill me?! You?! Youre nothing but shit! Die! Die! Dieee! [ Received 16 Credits. ] Taking out his rage on it, Asmund didnt even notice the panel and that the Death-Hound was already long dead, a gacha ball even lying next to it It wasnt until he didnt have enough stamina to even keep standing, that he woke up from his bloody trance while sitting on the floor, panting and smeared in a mix of sweat and blood. Giving himself some time to calm down, Asmund lazily picked up the gacha ball that he finally noticed but he didnt even have the strength to open it at the moment, so he just kept it in his hand until 5 minutes passed and his breath calmed down along his mind. Phewww I didnt expect that technique to work this well The technique Asmund was thinking about is the reason why the monster suddenly started rolling in pain out of nowhere, and was essentially the act of using the broken part of his blood spear that was still inside the monster''s body, turning it into liquid and controlling it to make it flow directly into the monsters heart before changing the bloods form into an urchin and solidifying it. It wasnt enough to kill it, but the pain of having its heart prickled constantly immobilized the monster for long enough that Asmund was able to finish the job. Alright So what do I get this time? Regaining a calm mind, Asmunds attention was back on the gacha ball, which he opened without any real expectations. *Pop* Yet this time something did appear, it was a miniature black shirt which looked like it was made out of thin pieces of leather. When he picked it up, just like the boots did, the shirt grew into a size he could wear. [ Rank.1 - Leather Shirt ] [ Effect: Con+1, Def+2 ] [ Durability: 100% ] Cool, at least with that I can change out from the pitiful rag Im currently wearing. With that thought in mind Asmund took off his shirt, but seeing the state he was currently in he didnt immediately put the leather shirt on and instead pushed it inside his pocket, trying something out. Unlike his expectation though, after a part of the shirt was put inside and he stopped grabbing it, the shirt didnt turn back into its miniature size. That''s weird I was sure that it needed direct contact to keep a wearable size. Why didnt it turn back? Does the system consider that Im wearing it even in such a state? Now that I think of it, if I were to obtain an armor or something like a chainmail I wouldnt wear it directly against my skin but over something else, so it would be weird if you needed constant skin contact for it to keep its size. Giving up on putting it in his pocket, he left the leather shirt turned miniature on the rooms nightstand. That done, he absorbed the Death-Hound corpses blood essence and that of two human ones who were close to the room, resulting in no gain of stat this time, before walking to the bathroom and cleaning himself up with the still-running water from the faucet. He also took this chance to drink to satiety and walked back to the room to pick up the shirt and wear it. Now ready and feeling a little more fresh, although his pants is still a complete mess, Asmund left the room with a blood sword in hand. Learning from his mistake, Asmund walked around while always checking things out before walking into a hallway and it quickly proved to be a life saving measure. After giving a short peek around a corner, he came in contact with something again, but this time, there were two of them If they had noticed him as he walked out carelessly he would have been screwed for good. [ Death-Hound Level 1 ] [ Death-Hound Level 1 ] Now thats strange, I didnt meet with any level 1 Death-Hounds until now, yet now I see two of them at the same time, even stranger, theyre not acting like the others What are they doing? Are they Dragging corpses? What for? Looking at the two Death-Hounds who were smaller than the ones he met until now, he really was suspicious about their actions. Why would they drag human corpses around without directly devouring them? Its not like bigger monsters would pick a fight with them over the corpses when there is so many of them lying around, so they dont have to hide to eat the corpses peacefully. Just why Confused, he kept observing them, wondering where they were bringing the bodies. Following them for some time while doing his utmost to stay hidden from sight, Asmund stayed on their tracks until the two Death-Hounds reached a staircase. They are going down? It seriously dont make sense, for what reason would they go through all this effort? Still This is a problem, I want to go down too to reach the first floor, but if I go down the stairs after them there is a chance that they will wait for me there. What should I do In a bind, Asmund grimaced while racking his brain for a solution. Lets give up on going down this staircase, from what I can hear theres a lot of Death-Hounds down there, its safer to search for another one. A little annoyed to have to search for another staircase, Asmund still walked away from there, putting security above all else. It would be pretty stupid to die just because he didnt want to search for another way down. I just hope that I wont fall into a worse situation by being too careful That would be damn embarrassing Chapter 05 - This Would Be Easier If I had a Cardboard Box. (A/N: Im getting into the habit of making those note it seem Anyway, I wanted to warn you guys, that although I wasnt able to put it among the tags seeing as RRL let you only choose 3 among those, that this story actually have a lot of dark comedy in it later on, well it depend on your conception of comedy I guess, but like you can expect from something I wrote, its pretty fucked up What? No it have nothing to do with that chapter I think, or does it? That said, enjoy the chapter.) Chapter 05 - This Would Be Easier If I Had a Cardboard Box. 2 Hours had gone by since Asmund left the staircase where he saw the level 1 Death-Hounds drag bodies downstairs. Since then he wandered around the second floor, taking his time to search for another staircase while hunting Death-Hounds which were alone, resulting in him successfully hunting 5 Death-Hounds: 3x level 2, a level 3, and a level 4; making him level up twice. Also, absorbing their blood essence and that of some weak human corpses gave him an additional point in Power and Constitution. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 5 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 10 ] [ Agility: 12 ] [ Constitution: 11 ] [ Mind: 11 ] [ Spirit: 13 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 69 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Looking at his current status screen, Asmund was satisfied to see that he finally reached a point where he had average, or even slightly higher, stats. At least, that''s what he assumes as the average anyway. Especially his constitution, which turned his body into a reasonably healthy one. Apart from the fact that his body was strengthened, another great change happened to Asmund: he discovered that he had great talent when it comes to fighting, giving him a boost of confidence. Thats right, although Asmund never fought anyone, especially to the death, before all this happened, his learning speed was astounding. Although he was clumsy at the start, by accumulating some fighting experience for not even a day his moves were like flowing water, his strikes precise, and his instincts extremely keen. Of course his fighting prowess was still nowhere near someone who had trained dedicatedly for years, but nevertheless the speed at which he was improving was mind blowing. On another note, while walking around Asmund took notice of some others level 1 Death-Hounds on the second floor, and the weird thing is that they all were acting in exactly the same way as the first ones he saw. All in groups with a of minimum 2 and up to 4, the level 1 Death-Hounds were slowly cleaning up the second floor of all its corpses. The dangerous thing, though, is that the second floor is getting more and more of those cleaners, making Asmund''s search even slower than before. He did find another staircase while searching the second floor for this long, but this one was even worse of than the first one. The flow of level 1 Death-Hounds walking up and down it was almost constant, and there was even a level 5 Death-Hound patrolling near it. The level 5 Death-Hound, apart from the fact that it was even bigger than a level 4, also had the peculiarity of having a single horn growing out of its forehead. It looked quite intimidating and much more ferocious than the rest of the Death-Hounds Now Im really in a bind I could continue to hunt on this floor, but the amount of cleaners is getting bigger and bigger while the Death-Hounds who are hunting alone are getting rarer, and Im really starting to get hungry too. But how should I go down? The last staircase I found is an absolute no go. So should I just take the risk of going down the first one I found? Argggg! Im getting the urge to just kill everything on my path! Asmund was never someone that could be described as calm minded but more as someone easily angered, it was already true while he was kept inside his cage of glass and now that hes free and healthy its even more true. So when things really dont go as he likes and there are monsters or people who keep getting in his way, his rage is close to exploding like a dormant volcano waking up from centuries of hibernation. That said, his safety was more important than releasing his rage on something, so in the end he didnt rush into a mass of monsters and instead decided to try something else. It was a stupid idea, and not necessarily the safest way to go down, but at the moment it was the fastest he could think of to avoid the annoying mobs. This solution was... The laundry chutes! He thought about this ridiculous way to go down when he came across one of those during his search. He was reluctant to use it until now because the danger was unknown, actually it could lead him to a worse situation than if he simply tried to go down the first stairs he found, but it was already too late to go back there. Among the numerous level 1 Death-Hounds he saw cleaning up corpses on the second floor, he saw that a good part of them were moving in direction of those very same stairs, meaning than it should now have a flow of Death-Hounds almost equal to the second staircase. I should stop thinking about it too much, its not like I have any other choice left either way. Alright, lets do this! Walking to the closest laundry chute he could remember seeing, and making sure that no Death-Hound was around, he turned the long blood sword he was using for his fights into blood leg armor covering them up to his knees, hoping that it would reduce as much impact as possible in the case that there is nothing to cushion his fall down the shaft, if he slips. That done, he opened the laundry chutes lid and slowly slipped his thin body through the narrow opening, thankful for the slight ledge at the joining of two sections of the shaft that he could gradually ease his weight onto. Once fully inside the shaft, Asmund took a look both above and below himself to see if this kind of ledge was a one-off or something he could use all the way down. He was happy to notice that they occur at the join of every section, about 50cm apart, though they''re only a few millimeters wide and he could only safely rest on them by reshaping his blood armour to fit around his boots for extra stability. He closed the hatch to the chute, just in case any Death-Hound was curious or they possessed more intelligence than he gave them credit for, especially the level 5s, and remembered this hatch being closed in an earlier patrol, but wasn''t plunged into darkness as two hatches further up were already open and the walls of the shaft were quite reflective. Using his newfound strength, agility, and stamina, Asmund carefully made his way down the shaft as quietly as possible, using his arms and legs to push his back against a wall and hold his position while moving one limb at a time. He''d already spent 2 hours searching for a usable staircase, what was a few more minutes in the shaft to ensure he didn''t fall to his death or attract the attention of the hospital''s new owners? Reaching the first floors hatch, he placed his ear against it before gently pushing it open to check that nothing dangerous was nearby, and after checking his left and right three times, crawled out of the shaft. I dont hear that many monsters around Yet I could hear a lot of them down the stairs. Are they further down in the basement? Theres also no human corpses left on the floor, only trails of blood. If the cleaners have really finished their job on this floor and aren''t going around this floor anymore, it would make things much easier for me. Lets hope Im right. Staying on his guard, Asmund quickly returned his blood leg armor into a long sword, which happened to be the weapon hes the most comfortable with out of all the ones he tried after some trial and errors. The long sword goes well with his favorite fighting style, which simply consists on going all out on an enemy and overpowering them. If not for the fact he still doesnt have enough strength to wield it, he would without a doubt make the long sword into a human sized one, that simply the weight of which could crush his preys. Stolen novel; please report. There is nothing more satisfying than transforming a prey into a disgusting piece of meat after all! Trying not to let his mind wander into his darkest of thoughts, Asmund refocused on his current objective which was to reach the cafeteria and take care of his hunger. Moving in a random direction along the wall, he took his time to check out the Death-Hounds'' positions through his hearing and walked slowly while searching for a map of the hospital or any sign of the cafeteria. Theres a Death-Hound near! Stopping in his tracks as soon as he heard the sound of close footsteps, Asmund crouched on the floor and put his ear directly on it. Its alone Not really that loud either, its probably a level 2! Happy with the prospect of a weak prey coming his way, Asmund positioned himself at the corner of the hallway and waited for the Death-Hound to show up. 1 2 3! Jumping out of his hiding place, Asmund slashed at the monster before it could react, but as he was going to behead it he immediately stopped his swing right at its neck As what he was currently attacking wasnt a Death-Hound but a human. The middle aged man who looked in his late 40s and wearing a lab coat was so shocked by Asmund''s surprise attack that he couldnt even make a sound in surprise and actually pissed his pants. Far from being happy to see a fellow survivor, Asmund was actually quite annoyed at the moment as he thought that he was going to enjoy a good hunt, yet found out that this monster was nothing but a weakling not worth shit. And a gross one at that Couldnt it at least be a woman? Unlike Asmund, the middle aged man was quite happy to see another living human, past his shock of the attack and the weird fellows eyes. T-Thank god! I thought that I was the only one left alive! -Old man Ahhh Yeah Sure -Asmund Not really sure how to answer to the old mans hype, Asmund just gave some awkward words while grimacing. Boy, are you alone?! Is there anyone left?! Do you know of a safe place?! -Old man Seeing hope in the young man before him, the old man grabbed Asmunds shoulders and kept throwing questions at him without even leaving him enough time to answer. Not again Frankly, Asmund''s mood turned so sour at this that he almost cut the man into pieces, but he restrained himself as he noticed that he could use him. Please calm down Sir, I do know a safe place and was going there when I suddenly heard something approaching, which happened to be you. -Asmund Hearing Asmund out, the man almost literally jumped in joy, a huge grin now on his face. R-Really?! Where is it?! -Old man Its the cafeteria, when all this mess started I received a call from a friend who told me that he barricaded himself inside the cafeteria with others. I hid myself for some hours while waiting for the storm to calm down a little and finally decided to go take a look at it. -Asmund Listening to his story, the man in a lab coat frowned, as if he found something suspicious in it. Did you receive any news from your friend since then? -Old man No Sir, the line turned out of service soon after that call and I also lost my phone while running away from a monster just some minutes ago -Asmund The man pondered for a while, and finally pointed at the long blood sword. What is this by the way? You looked quite adept at handling this sword, and I cant tell which material was used to make it -Old man Will you stop interrogating me already you retard?! I so want to stab his ugly muggg! *Cough* I found it near a corpse, Im not really sure what is it either As for how Im able to handle it this well, its because I practice some martial arts. But never mind that, Im kinda lost so I wont ask you to follow me if you dont want to, but can you at least point out to me where the cafeteria is? -Asmund Eh? Ah yes, my apologies! Its a bad habit of mine to question people like that As for the cafeteria, its near the entrance, a 5 minute walk down this hallway. -Old man Saying that, the old man pointed to the hallway opposite to the one he was coming from, and left to the one Asmund arrived from. Now knowing where to go, Asmund was going to move away from here but the old man continued to talk before he could. Ill go there with you, even if Im ashamed to admit it Id feel much safer by accompanying you than staying alone. -Old man Without either accepting or refusing him Asmund started to walk, soon followed by the old man who probably took his silence as an approval. As they were proceeding forward in silence while being careful of their surroundings, Asmund was surprisingly the one to break the silence. Sir Do you mind if I ask you something else? -Asmund Hmm? Sure -Old Man Its only out of curiosity, but can you tell me your stats? I want something to compare to. -Asmund Oh Well, why not I guess? Lets see My Power is 6, my Agility 7, my Constitution 7 too, my Mind is 10 and as for my Spirit its 3. But Im quite an average guy, if I were you I wouldnt use those as a reference. What about yours? -Old man So it looks like everyone does have a status screen! I forgot to verify that point when I met Olga, so its good to know. As for the stats Theyre surprisingly lower than the average I had in mind. I was sure it was 10, but looking at the old man he seems somewhat fit and healthy, so I can say without a problem that hes either among the average or slightly higher. Well, unless he lied to me, but why would he do that? Boy? Did you hear me? Ugh! -Old man As both Asmund and the Old man stopped walking, a trace of blood flowed out of the Old mans mouth while his face was in utter dismay, unable to understand why the young man he was just talking to and didnt threaten in any way had suddenly stabbed his chest with the long sword before he could even react. W-Why? -Old man Because I wanted to verify that you said the truth, because you were annoying, and because youre a useless dead weight. -Asmund Saying that in matter-of-fact manner, Asmund took his sword out of the Old mans chest and swung it to clean it of the blood covering its blade, although it sounded quite funny that he was cleaning a sword made out of blood from the blood covering it. Completely ignoring the Old man whose eyes were slowly losing their light, Asmund moved away in the direction of the now nearby cafeteria. [ Received 1 Credit. ] Chapter 06 - How Not to Handle Your First Job Interview. Chapter 06 - How Not to Handle Your First Job Interview. Leaving the Old mans corpse behind, it didnt take Asmund long before he reached what was likely to be the cafeteria. But as he seemingly reached his objective, an unexpected situation which was out of his calculation occurred I cant believe people really barricaded themselves in there. The cafeteria was really barricaded, the entrance being blocked by row of tables, chairs and anything large the survivors inside got their hands on. As if the situation wasnt enough of a problem, the clumsy barricade was currently being assaulted by two Death-Hounds and was surprisingly still resisting under their heavy hits. [ Death-Hound Level 3 ] [ Death-Hound Level 2 ] Damn, although killing those Death-Hounds would help me gain some trust from the survivors and probably help me get access to the cafeteria, I never fought two Death-Hounds at the same time until now. Im now barely confident that I can fight a Death-Hound under level 5 one on one without any issues, but even though just another low level Death-Hound sounds like it barely raises the difficulty, in truth it more than doubles it. Now what? Maybe I could succeed in dealing with the both of them if Im able to kill one of them by surprise in one strike, but that sounds quite difficult in itself. Hmmm I could also just let the Death-Hounds do their job, wait for them to break through the barricade, and only attack them while its total chaos in the cafeteria. I dont really have use for followers at the moment anyway, and people who hid themselves from danger out of fear are particularly not worth my time until I have a place to make them work. The only problem with letting the Death-Hounds take care of the barricade and the people inside, is that those damn mutts seem to be having a really hard time with this At this rate they wont be able to barge inside for a long damn while. And thats on the theory that the survivors inside wont add even more furniture to the barricade as time goes by. Goddamit! Nothing is going my way! I dont have the luxury to keep waiting like this as I would be screwed if another Death-Hound comes from behind my back and warns the two attacking the cafeteria. I already have doubts about fighting two of them at once while having them in front of me, so fighting while being encircled on both sides by three of them, thats just plain impossible for me as I am now. Fuck this! Theyre nothing but shitty mutts! I should stop being so overly cautious about everything! Im strong! Lets grow some balls and kick some dog butts! That said, Asmund didnt directly charge at the monsters, but sliced his wrist open with his sword and spilled a large puddle of blood on the floor, before hardening a thin bracelet of blood around his wound to seal it. He planned to use his Blood Manipulation skill in a way similar to the time he used it on the first level 4 Death-Hound he killed, by infiltrating the enemys body. That said, he couldnt do it like that time and directly attack the heart, as he needed his enemy to have an open wound to reach its blood and mix his own with it. His plan this time around was to attack the lungs by moving his blood through the level 3 Death-Hounds throat. It wouldnt kill it, but the pain should be unbearable and make it much easier to handle. As for the reason why Asmund didnt simply use the same strategy on both monsters, is because his Blood Manipulation skill actually has a lot of conditions and restraints. Although this skill sounded really almighty, its in reality tricky and hard to use practically. First, the more distance there is between Asmund and the blood he wants to control the more mana he needs to use. Secondly, he can''t change the shape of the blood he is controlling unless its still in its liquid form. Lastly, moving blood through his will is an extremely slow process which takes quite a toll on his mind, making it hard to use in combat. Thats why as he is right now, Asmund couldnt use the same strategy on the two Death-Hounds at the same time, because the mana cost was already exuberant for him to reach one of them and control it inside its body, and also because it is already close to impossible to fight head-on while controlling one trail of blood, so two would completely make him unable to even move and as such vulnerable to any possible attacks, especially in the case that the two Death-Hounds find him out and are somehow able to bear with the pain. There was also the possibility of another Death-Hound showing up while he was focusing The puddle of blood moving on the floor like a snake, it made its way to the level 3 Death-Hound, without getting noticed luckily, or so Asmund thought, but as the blood snake was only a meter away from the level 3 monster, both Death-Hounds stopped their assault on the barricade, and smelled the air. Apparently noticing that the odor of blood somewhat thickened without any logical reason, they turned around while tracking the smell and saw its origin. Although his blood snake was found out, Asmund didnt panic and stopped it from moving, letting it slowly form a round puddle on the floor. Both monsters looked confused, but they were still beasts which, although pretty smart, werent smart enough to see anything wrong with a puddle of blood which appeared out of nowhere. Actually, even if they were smarter, who could think that it would be a threat in any way? Thats why, even after they saw through the origin of this weird smell of blood which appeared out of nowhere, they turned around and continued their task at hand. Heaving a sigh of relief, Asmund made the blood snake move again, which proceeded to get closer to its target by going under the level 3s belly and finally go up by coiling around one of the Death-Hounds fore limbs. Feeling the strange sensation around its paw, the Death-Hound now understood that this blood wasnt as normal as it first thought. Now panicked as it couldnt understand what was happening, the beast tried to shake off the blood snake from its paw by shaking it around, but it was a vain effort, so it did the only thing it could do in this situation It tried to bite the threat, which obviously didnt miss this chance to gather inside its open jaw and go down his throat. Looking at the scene, the level 2 Death-Hound just stared at it without knowing what it could possibly do to help its comrade. Until they apparently guessed that someone was behind this weird act, and the both of them started to look around, searching for the ability user while being enraged by this sneaky attack. Unable to find him in the room, they did something anyone with some brain would have never done, they separated themselves to search more efficiently Resulting in the level 2 approaching Asmunds hiding spot while the level 3 was going the opposite way. Which was Actually as much of a good news as a bad one. Because, sure, he could now fight them one on one as Asmund was quite confident that he had the capability to kill the level 2 before the level 3 could reach them, after being discovered. But because the level 3 moved further away from him, the amount of mana which was being drained from him raised at a really dangerous rate, forcing him to release his control on his blood who had just reached one of the monsters lungs, resulting in said monster being able to cough the blood out. The plan yet again didnt go as he planned, but it gave him an opportunity all the same, so Asmund didnt miss this chance and readied his stance, thrusting his long sword without any hesitation as soon as the level 2 reached the hallway he was hiding in. The tip of his sword perforated the monsters eye socket with deadly precision and reached its brain before the poor mutt could even utter a whimper. It showed just how much improvement Asmunds fighting style gained in less than a day. [ Received 4 Credits. ] After immediately retrieving his sword from the corpse, Asmund ran into the hall where the entrance to the cafeteria was, showing himself openly to the remaining Death-Hound, which was now rushing at him as it noticed that something had happened to its comrade. Steadying his breath, Asmund took another stance while readying his sword above his head, almost looking like an experienced swordsman. Come you mutt! Give me a good fight! With a smile, Asmund didnt hesitate to provoke the monster further as his fighting instincts surfaced and he now wanted to have a head-on bout with the beast, putting aside his fear or to be more exact completely forgetting about it as he did. Focusing on the approaching Death-Hound, Asmund didnt move a muscle, waiting for the last moment to slash ahead with all his strength. Not yet Not yet Not Now! Only when it was closer than 2 meters away, Asmund swung his sword with impressive strength and speed. Since it already predicted the attack, the Death-Hound obviously didnt keep coming at Asmund in a straight line and made a side step to the right. But just as the monster predicted his move, Asmund also predicted that it would try to avoid his sword in such a way. Slightly twisting his sword in midair, he changed the trajectory of the slash at the last moment, landing a clear hit at the beasts left shoulder, almost cutting a whole chunk of his body due to the swords length and the amount of power which was behind it, and would have probably really done so if said sword didnt break midway. The wound wasnt enough to kill him before some time, but it was already enough to make the victor of this fight clear. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Unable to control one of his forelimbs while still running, the Death-Hound tripped and pitifully rolled on the floor, before having its brain stabbed through by the long sword, turned into a short one, in Asmunds hand. [ Received 9 Credits. ] As expected those two weaklings werent enough to gain a level huh? Still, Im really happy to see that my blood sword is really getting tougher as I level up, this time really proved it, it even cut through the mutts bones. After waiting to see if the monsters would drop any gacha balls this time, he rejoiced to see that both of them did, grabbing the two treasure capsules, he absorbed the blood essence and then immediately opened the capsules. The last three gacha balls I obtained were duds, I hope I will get something this time at least *Pop* Dud *Pop* Oh?! Surprised, Asmund caught the dropping item in midair, an item which wasnt a miniature unlike the ones he got before. It was plain dagger in shape but it was entirely black in color. [ Rank.1 - Black Dagger ] [ Effect: Pow+1, Agi+2, Atk+2 ] [ Durability: 100% ] Not bad Although I would have prefered something that would fit better with my fighting style, this dagger should be good enough to handle most Death-Hounds, and in addition to the bonus stats it shouldnt break as easily as my blood sword at least. Alright, lets try to contact the people from the cafeteria now. His business with the Death-Hounds corpses done, Asmund walked to the barricade with a calm smile on his face, trying to look as unintimidating as possible. Even though in reality his blood soaked clothes, the weapon in each hand and his weird eyes, pretty much didnt help him in his endeavor As he came closer to the cafeteria, Asmund could hear low voices talking among each others, confirming that a lot of people was in there and not just a small group. H-Hello? -Asmund Now standing close to the messy barricade, Asmund tried to greet the ones inside in an awkward manner. ... But despite his politeness, an answer took some time to come D-Did you really take care of the monsters? -Man''s voice Finally, the afraid voice of a man was heard coming from the other side of the barricade. Looking through a gap, Asmund was able to discern a lot of silhouettes, but the lack of light made it impossible to see their traits, at most he could guess their gender and their sizes. Theres even more people in there than I expected, theres even some kids. Ah, yes I did, with some luck though At least it''s safe outside for now, so c-could you let me in? I haven''t eaten since before this mess began, and I''m quite hungry now. -Asmund When the people inside heard that the monsters threatening them were dead, some shouts of joy could be heard, and soon the voice of the man who talked a moment before, answered Asmunds plea while sounding much more merry. Yes! Yes of course! Please wait a second, well make a small opening for you to go through. -Man voice Oh, thank you! -Asmund Hiding the vicious smile in his heart, Asmund kept showing the attitude of a weak and hungry young man who was now in the presence of his saviors. Soon, you could hear that some of the cafeterias survivors started to take action to dismantle a part of the barricade, letting more light through and showing whoever was inside. Seeing the opening getting larger by each passing second, Asmund was going to go through it when an angry voice suddenly echoed throughout the cafeteria. WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU FOOLS ARE DOING?! -Another man''s voice Surprised, Asmund stopped in his tracks and the survivors also stopped moving the obstacles away, turning around they faced the origin of the voice. It was an handsome young blond man wearing a lab coat sitting at the back of the cafeteria, a young nurse was also beside him with the eyes of a dead fish and a blank expression on her face, looking like a broken doll For some reason, when they noticed that it was this man who shouted out, the survivors all grimaced and even showed fear This guy is bad news S-Sir, he killed the monsters for us, shouldnt we at least let him in? -Man survivor I didnt kill them for you, goddamn fools. Hahhh?! Are you retarded?! This guy is too damn suspicious! And I dont like him either way! Just hurry and put the barricade back! -Handsome young man Fuck! Grimacing, the survivors still did as he ordered without questioning him further. Shit! Should I just try to destroy the barricade?! W-Wait! I can defend you from monsters! I just want some food in compensation! Please let me inside! -Asmund Let me inside so I can fucking behead you! Ah! No way! I wont let you inside! You can protect us from the monsters by staying outside all the same! Well, dont you worry, Ill give you food once a day in exchange, arent I nice?! AHAHAHAH! -Handsome young man This fuckerrr! Forget about killing him, Im going to torture him for days! Is that so?! I wanted to play nice, but if youre acting like that, dont mind me for destroying your punny barricade! -Asmund The negotiation clearly failing, Asmund whose heart was filled with anger, came closer to the cafeteria while forming a giant hammer made of blood. But as he did, he suddenly noticed that the handsome young man took something out of his shirt. Woah there! If I were you I wouldnt come any closer! -Handsome young man Hearing no worry in the man voice, Asmund focused his sight on the item the bastard took out, barely able to make out its form in the dark. Dammit! This little shit actually has a gun! Either scram or accept my offer! But if you come any closer I will give you a third eye! And believe me, even if this baby doesnt look like much itll be more than enough to kill you! -Handsome young man Threatened at gunpoint, Asmund quickly made calculations in his mind. This gun looks like a small revolver, its caliber must be among the lowest. But although Im now tougher than average, I don''t think I can survive a bullet, as small as it is. Would a blood armor be able to defend me from it? Thats hardly believable It looks like Im still nowhere near strong enough to face a real gun with my current stats. What else could I do? This guy is clearly a tyrant and is hated by everyone here, should I try to steer their hearts and let them handle him? No, this guy probably already has a hold of their hearts and did something to win their fear, something more scary than simply showing off his gun Grinding his teeth in anger, Asmund was unable to think of anyway to gain entrance to the cafeteria as he is right now. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration came to Asmund and an evil grin slowly crept onto his face without him realising. Seeing this, the tyrant felt fear far surpassing that of the Death-Hounds that were causing a commotion until recently, and blew up in anger as soon as he realised he was afraid of some brat. Before he could shout his frustrations, however, Asmund spoke in a bone-chilling, emotionless voice. "Very well, I''ll leave as I don''t want to try facing off against a gun just yet. But you know those two monsters I killed? They were a level 2 and a level 3, in case you couldn''t see through your flimsy wall of tables. I wonder how well your gun would stand up to a level 5? How about 10 of them? Do you have enough bullets?" -Asmund Without even waiting for a reply, Asmund sneered and walked away. The only sounds heard in the cafeteria were those of a monster walking away from its prey, as though it was beneath him, and the muffled sobs of a certain doll-like girl. Chapter 07 - For the Future! For the World! FOR PONY! (A/N: Seriously how did Ultrabenosaurus came up with that kind of title...? Can''t think of a link between its content and the title... Maybe appart from the fact they''re both fucked up?) Chapter 07 - For the Future! For the World! FOR PONY! Turning the corner and putting himself out-of-sight from the cafeteria''s entrance, Asmund was considering whether or not he should actually try to lure some level 5s to attack that arrogant piece of shit. Of course, even though he walked away confidently and turned the corner in a nonchalant manner, he had been focusing heavily on his hearing and was confident there weren''t any monsters close enough to worry about. Now that those spineless sheeple couldn''t see him he was back to his normal, cautious advance through the halls. I really would like to fulfill my promise to that jackass, the look on his face as a swarm of level 5 Death-Hounds break through his beloved barricade would be priceless. That gun looked to be a fairly small revolver, probably only holds 5 to 6 bullets at a time and reloading is awkward and time-consuming unless he''s a pro. Especially with the fear of approaching monsters, I doubt he''d be able to reload even once and 5 or 6 bullets wouldn''t kill a single level 5 unless he gets lucky and hits one in the eye or a major blood vessel on the neck. That said, I''ll then have to take care of a room full of level 5 Death-Hounds once they''ve killed everyone and they''d know of my existence as it''ll be almost impossible to lure them without revealing myself Not to mention that luring them will be a challenge in itself, with most of them guarding a small army of level 1 cleaners. As Asmund turned yet another corner without encountering any monsters or anything else of note, he saw a row of large rectangular machines opposite a wall of windows. Despite having an unconscious aversion to walls of glass, Asmund couldn''t help but admire the view. The hospital was at the edge of a mid-sized town, by the island''s standards, and was backed up against an expansive forest area that lead to a small mountain. Asmund was at the side of the hospital and from this set of windows he could see the edge of the town if he looked all the way to the left, complete with towers of smoke rising from between the buildings that probably weren''t there before this madness started. If he looked straight ahead there was a vast grassland stretching for miles, with a few lone trees or shrubs dotting here and there. To the right was the forest at the back of the hospital, looking far more beautiful and daunting than in the images he''d seen online. It almost looks like you''d never find your way out if you went in there, but it draws you in even though you know that And thinking that everything was man made makes it even more impressive. Despite walking past countless windows already, none of them provided much of a view as they were the smaller kind required by Health and Safety Regulations on the upper floors. Asmund himself also wasn''t really that bothered, having lived so long without being able to explore the outside world and seeing all the world had to offer via Foogle Image Search and the MeTube video sharing site. He never would have thought that nature could be so captivating. This world I will make this world mine, I will enjoy all it has to offer and I won''t let anyone stand in my way. Not any more. I won''t be confined by anything or anyone from now on! Engraving this resolve into his very soul, Asmund finally pulled his attention away from the near-cloudless skies shining down on the forest with the last, orange-hued rays of the day''s light. He was pleasantly surprised that his guess was correct: the rectangular machines were indeed vending machines containing a variety of foods and drinks, from sandwiches to chocolate-covered peanuts and cans of beer to a coffee dispenser. For the first time in his life, Asmund was about to eat actual food. Not the bland, over-processed, sterilised-to-hell, nutritionally-engineered slop the hospital fed him like a hmaster (*cough* hamster) in a cage. Real, proper food that practically everyone else in the world ate every day and took for granted. Obviously Asmund didn''t have any money on him so, even though the power was on and the machines were working like normal, he decided that the glass panel needed to go. Carefully honing the blade to be as sharp and sturdy as possible, Asmund sunk his blood sword through the glass and sliced it in four directions before quickly pulling his blood back into a pair of gauntlets so he wouldn''t cut himself while catching the panel and gently resting it on the floor. Even with his hunger and desire to try real food, Asmund was aware that he couldn''t afford to make too much noise and attract any Death-Hounds. After opening all the machines that had glass panels, Asmund immediately took two sandwiches, 5 or so chocolate bars, 3 bottles of plain water, a can of Doke, and even a can of beer because why the hell not? It wouldn''t be wise to stay here much longer, one of those mutts could stick its head around a corner at any second. Luckily there''s a bunch of closed doors in this hall, probably small rooms for assessing patients with mild ailments that would be perfect to relax in for the night. Making his way to the first such door Asmund found it was locked. He gingerly knocked on the door and whispered through the keyhole in case there were survivors, but got no response. Willing a small globe of blood into the lock mechanism before solidifying it to replicate a key and unlock the door, Asmund quickly went inside to find exactly what he''d been imagining. There was a neat desk with a powered-on computer and a very uncomfortable-looking chair, a set of shelves with ring-binders and medical books, a filing cabinet next to the doorway, and an examination bed with another uncomfortable chair at the end of it. Shutting and locking the door, he also pushed the filing cabinet in front to hold it shut as an extra precaution, before laying down on the bed with his legs crossed to begin his feast. Seeing as the power is still on, the Internet probably is too unless some important cable got damaged in the town, not that I really know how it all works. I''ll definitely need to check online before I leave this room to see if this whole monsters-and-magic thing is world-wide or somehow a localised event on the island Though that''s doubtful. I should look up the town, too, see if there''s anything helpful nearby like a military base. There''s bound to be long-term rations there, and the more powerful guns should be helpful against low-level monsters. On the topic of power and the Internet eventually failing, I seriously hope real women are as good as they''re made out to be. Otherwise, how the hell am I going to stay sane spending decades without instant access to HD porn? Maybe there''s a spare portable HDD in one of the desk drawers I can spend tonight saving porn onto, then I can pick up a decent tablet and a solar charger when I go explore the town. Actually, getting my hands on a tablet and solar charger is a good idea even if the power and Internet are guaranteed to stay on. Would make things a lot easier, with a digital notepad and a good map application at the very least. His meal finished as he was pondering, he enjoyed for some time the aftertaste of a meal that he liked so much that his eyes became moist, and turned on the power of the rooms computer, hoping for the internet to still be on. Wow The owner of this room sure had a great collection Who would name their secret folder not porn nowadays though? Oops, Im forgetting about the important matter at hand. Launching Internet Adventurer, the usual white Foogle screen appeared without any issue. A beaming smile on his face, he immediately clicked on the MeTube link which was obviously among the favorites. Hell! Looks like its really happening worldwide after all! This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. On the main page of Metube, all the Hot videos were involving the current situation. And the background and language used in said video proved that not only this island was in chaos after all. Hmm? What is this? One video among them grabbed Asmunds attention, the video was titled Im da king!, and on the thumbnail you could see a young man sitting on the corpse of a big monster while being surrounded by other youngsters who all seemed to really enjoy the situation. Clicking on it, the video loaded and the first image which appeared, was the one of the same young man who was sitting on the corpse, but much closer Especially his face, as if he was trying to show off his peculiar eyes, who happened to have a bright orange color and a slit pupil. Hey! Check this out! -Orange eyed young man Pointing to his eyes, the young man smiled. Do you guys know what this is?! Ill tell you! Those arent any lame lens or anything! Its the proof! Its the proof that Im a King! Don''t believe me? Just watch! -Orange eyed young man Walking away from the camera, the viewers could finally see what was hidden behind the young man, and although the thumbnail hinted at it, it was still a shock to see it alive and kickin. It was a tall creature, around 3 meters tall, with a slightly human shape, but with a body covered in bluish scales a lizard head and a blue fluffy tail which looked out of place. The creature was currently chained and the youngsters were all holding the numerous chains together to make it stay still. Approaching the creature without a hint of fear in his body, the young man stood a little away from it and breathed in a huge amount of air, before loudly gnashing his teeth together. Like a flint who released a spark igniting a huge brasier, a giant ball of fire suddenly appeared in front of the young man, before charging by itself the giant scaled creature, as if it had a life of its own. Soon followed by the screams of agonizing of the creature as it was being burnt alive After the creature was completely charred, it fell limply to the floor, what followed was the picture showed in the thumbnail where the young man was sitting on the corpse while being surrounded by his followers who were all looking at him with visible admiration and worship. Meh Its just a King rank, why are you acting all haughty you little shit? A little jealous at the young mans entourage, he couldnt help but curse at him through the screen. He left a small impulsive comment: I take ya 1 v 1 irl whenever ya pussy!, and then looked through the rest of the videos. After more than 2 hours of internet surfing, he pretty much looked through all the videos on the subject which were put on MeTube, and was quite shocked That someone actually posted a new video about cats when the world pretty much ended. But more seriously, among the videos he found out that there was actually 2 MeTubers who happen to have obtained King ranked classes, but didnt say if they were unique ones, and that the both of them had slit eyes. It look like my weird eyes are actually a common mark of the Emperor ranks. Beside the 2 Kings, there was absolutely no talk of any Emperor, apart one video which was the one of a new MeTuber, who actually had the balls to make a new amateur program about surviving in this new world. He went through the Systems Shop in his video to talk about his speculations about it. Done with MeTube, what Asmund did next was to download a map of Hope Island, and also search for any military base nearby. He did find the map without any issues, but the military base was another story. If he were to believe Mikipedia, since Hope Island was created through the coalition of the 20 most powerful countries in the world, the subject of the military power of the island was a sensible one at the time, when the project started. After all, it wasnt realisable to share bases among different armies, and it was even less feasible to make 20 different bases throughout the island and let each army monopolize them. For this reason, Hope Island had no army base on land, and only has one aircraft carrier for each country surrounding the island as a form of army. But since the island had the support of the 20 most powerful countries, no rare resources, and was entirely neutral to all conflict, there was barely any need for the island to have any armed forces. Damn! And here I was hoping to have some fun with tanks and shit! But looking on the bright side, that also means that if I were to create a kingdom, the normal folks who dont fight monsters will barely have the firepower to even hope to rebel. Alright, so what should I check next? Its already quite late, and I dont know when the internet will go down Okay, Bluetube it is then! Opening a site with dubious content, Asmund also grabbed the can of beer he took earlier and started to chug it while searching for good material. And as he was quite enjoying this new experience which was alcohol, he suddenly sprayed a mouthful of beer on the carpet. Not because he suddenly disliked what he was drinking out of nowhere, quite the contrary he liked the taste of alcohol, but what shocked him enough that he would do something this disgusting and a complete waste was what appeared on his screen. It happened as he was searching for material, seeing as Bluetube had nothing really new for him, he visited more dubious and amateurish sites, and thats when he found ones which accepted pretty much anything that people were sending WHAT THE FUCKKK?! That site had a lot of new uploaded videos, and all those videos involved, well Monsters Frankly, most videos were downright disgusting, there were some where a girl was bound only to be raped to death by a lustful monster, all this while men were joking around and laughing as they watched. And there were videos where it was human-like monsters who were bound to be raped. Those Werent as bad as the other category, but still weird as hell. But there was one much more surprising than those, there were some videos where the monster looked really close to human in appearance and clearly had intelligence close to one, yet was willingly sleeping with men. The language they were talking was nothing like the ones of this world, yet even Asmund could understand them on the other side of the screen, it was as if their words had meaning in themselves, it was a really strange sensation. The videos showing those monsters were extremely rare though, so the monsters of such type must be low in numbers. It wasnt even sure that there was a single one of them on this island, it was just that rare. Even as Asmund kept searching on the net, apart the sparse videos he already saw, he barely found anything else. I hope there is one on Hope Island, as not only it would be an incredible source of information, it would also make a pretty exotic pet, hehehehe. Afterward, Asmund enjoyed himself for some time, especially appreciating his new vitality, and then went to sleep pretty early. Tomorrow''s going to be a busy day! Chapter 08 - Then One Day, Strangefolk Arrived in the Hospital. Chapter 08 - Then One Day, Strangefolk Arrived in the Hospital. As the first rays of light went through the small window that were at the top of the wall opposite to the rooms entrance, Asmund grimaced while slightly opening his eyes. Still half asleep, he stared at the ceiling while thinking that it wasnt the one he was used too, yet both really looked alike Sitting on the bed, he stretched his body while yawning comfortably, feeling Feeling really good actually, so good that it felt abnormal to Asmund who was more than used to waking up in the middle of the night due to the pain coursing throughout his body. Huh? Is it me or is my body less Thin? Patting his body, he felt and saw that his arms, legs and stomach lost their sickly appearance to be more average looking. Its probably a result of my current Constitution and Power I just hope that I wont become a complete macho to a point its completely ridiculous No, it shouldnt be so, after all my stats are already above average yet I only just look normal. Yup, that must be it Please let it be the case! Leaving the bed with such thoughts, he also noticed that despite the amount of ruckus still coming from the outside, he surprisingly was able to sleep quite well. Moving to the bathroom to relieve himself, he got his first bad news of the day after opening the faucet to wash his hands, as the water falling from it wasn''t perfectly clear, but had a brownish color. Damn! The water pipes must have been damaged and dirt made its way in them. That said, I still have plenty to drink and will soon have enough Credits to afford the Water Channeling skill. So it shouldnt be a problem to stay in this hospital until I trained myself by cleaning it of its monsters. That done, he moved to the computer to see what new videos were put on Metube, and thats when he got the second bad news of the day. *Click* Hm? Why cant I switch the computer on? *Click**Click* Fuck! Did the computer broke, or did we finally lose electricity?! Moving to the light switch to verify which of those two it was, he soon frowned as the lights on the ceiling didnt light up after fiddling with the switch a good number of times We really dont have any electricity anymore?! How is that possible?! Even if we dont get the electricity from an outside source, this hospital should have an emergency power supply of some sort! Were we already using said emergency supply yesterday? Thats unlikely Then what, did the backup generator not work as intended? Lets think for a second Where should the backup generator normally be? Thats quite obvious, it should be down in the basem SHIT! Isnt the basement where the Death-Hounds nest is probably located?! At the very least, seeing as the cleaners brought all the corpses down there, the Death-Hounds must have been quite active in the basement, so it wouldnt be weird that they broke down the generator as they were annoyed by the racket it made when it started up. Theyre dumb mutts after all. Either way, in the end it doesnt matter how, its a fact that we have no power left. And although it doesnt seem like much of a problem to me at first, if we think a little, it means that the vending machines and fridges throughout the hospital wont cool their contents anymore. And so food will spoil at a much faster rate! Luckily were still at early march, so the hell of summer isnt there yet and we still have a pretty cool temperature. Its not as good as if we were in the middle of winter, but its at least not the worst case situation yet. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Asmund heaved a long sigh while trying to calm down his mind. Good, it seems like I dont really have to change my plan. Lets just focus on training for now and as for nourishment Ill keep using the vending machine, which I hope will keep enough edible food for the time I stay in this place. So lets do it like this, in the morning I will train my Blood Manipulation skill and try to get better at controlling it, and also try to think of new ways to use it. After eating a meal when the sun is at its highest point in the sky, I will start to hunt and, if possible, try to get better at fighting against multiple opponents. That done, Ill come back to this room at night time to wash myself up and rest. Sounds like a good plan, simple but good nonetheless. And thats how Asmunds training days started. Following the schedule he made for himself, he first started the day by experimenting with his Blood Manipulation ability, then ate some snacks while trying to consume nothing but what is necessary, keeping in mind that he was still going to stay here for quite some time. His meager meal done, he would roam around the hospital in search of preys. First he searched for monsters who were traveling alone, but after gaining more and more fighting experience he started to fight groups of monsters, although those groups were mostly level 1 cleaners, who after finishing to clean the hospital of its corpses became patrollers. The problem is that even if those level 1 were weak even in a group, they were also really cowardly, so as soon as they noticed they were under attack they didnt fight Asmund but tried to run away while barking loudly to alarm any Death-Hounds near them. This often resulted in Asmund having to fight level 2 or above just after dealing with the level 1. That''s how the first five days went by, at least. Showing really promising results! His current status being as such. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 9 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 20 ] [ Agility: 12 ] [ Constitution: 20 ] [ Mind: 12 ] [ Spirit: 21 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] - [Water Channeling][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 162 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Since the start of his training, Asmund killed a countless numbers of Death-Hounds of level 1 to 4, but he didnt absorb their blood essence, as he wanted to wait to hunt stronger monsters to get higher effects. The first day, after obtaining more than 100 Credits he immediately bought the Water Channeling skill which happens to be as great as Asmund hoped, maybe even more as the speed at which hes able to gather water grows proportionally to his Spirit. With his current speed, it would take him only 10 minutes to fill a bathtub to the brim! The biggest gain he obtained from those days of hunting was probably the items he won though! The list was pretty big and he even got some items in doubles, the list of items currently owned by Asmund including the ones he obtained before is: This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Rank.1 - Leather Boots x2 Rank.1 - Leather Shirt x2 Rank.1 - Black Dagger x3 [ Rank 1 - Black Longsword ] [ Effect: Pow+3, Atk+3 ] [ Durability: 72% ] [ Rank 1 - Hunter''s Trousers ] x2 [ Effect: Con+1, Agi+1, Def+1 ] [ Durability: 65% ] [ Rank 1 - Black Short Spear ] [ Effect: Pow+2, Mnd+1, Atk+3 ] [ Durability: 100% ] [ Rank 1 - Black Hammer ] [ Effect: Pow+4, Atk+2 ] [ Durability: 100% ] [ Rank 1 - Lesser Health Potion ] x3 [ Rank 1 - Lesser Mana Potion ] [ Rank 1 - Weak Antidote (Paralysis) ] Lastly Asmund obtained an item which seemed out of the norm. [ Rank 1* - Old Magus'' Mantle ] [ Effect: Mnd+4, Spi+4 ] [ Effect*: Mana consumption -10% ] [ Durability: 97% ] This blue mantle with a strange magic circle drawn at its back looked like an old medieval one which covered the upper body down to the waist and also had a hood. It really looked like time had took a toll on it, yet the durability was still at 100% when Asmund first got it. But apart from its weird appearance, the most important fact was that it was a Ranked 1* item. Which are probably the rare kind of level ranked 1 drop, which give great bonus effects. Another great thing about it, is that unlike the rest of the ranked 1 items its durability dropped at a much slower pace. The equipment that Asmund was directly wearing while hunting at the moment was: a pair of leather boots, a leather shirt, a black dagger that he keeps on his belt, hunter''s trousers, the black longsword and, obviously, the old magus'' mantle. He also has 2 lesser health potions, the mana potion and the antidote on him. The rest of the items that he doesnt use, he left them inside the room he rests in every night. Something else noteworthy to say about those last five days, was the change in attitudes of the Death-Hounds and the current situation of the people of the cafeteria. First about the Death-Hounds: its now impossible to find one traveling alone. The cause to this was probably Asmunds hunt, which was decimating their population, making them turn more cautious with their weaklings. Another change was that the Death-Hounds don''t only stay in the hospital anymore and go outside to hunt. They probably ran out of human corpses and were now forced to search for another source of food. As for the cafeteria, to Asmunds astonishment, it was left alone by the Death-Hounds.To be more precise, they were compeltely ignoring that area. Which first made Asmund think that everyone inside somehow died, but after going there to take a look Asmund did hear signs of life coming from there. Apart from this weird occurrence, Asmund had absolutely no interest in the cafeteria and the rats holed up in it, at least until he found a way to take care of the gun holding asshole. That is a recap of what happened until now, and today again Asmund was hunting. Compared to how he was a week ago a lot of changes could be seen, be it his appearance or his demeanor. Not only did his equipment made him look like an adventurer straight out of a fantasy novel, the numerous scars covering his body and his aura turned him into an intimidating presence. One thing that changed too, was the blood arm guards, boots and giant sword he had on him, and which were the result of his dedicated training on blood manipulation. The arm guards and boots were nothing new, but he was now able to keep them on him at all times without having to focus on it much. Of course, since the things he hardens cant move and stay fixed, he couldnt make a proper gauntlet and the boots only cover some parts of the leather ones, but they made good additional protection. As for the giant blood sword, it was in reality the Black Longsword being coated by a thick layer of blood. Although it sounded like something simple to make it was, in reality, something he had to train for days before being able to make well. There was the problem of balance, design, change in toughness depending on the part, etc The advantage is that since the blood covering it is considered as a part of his body, even while the sword is coated with a thick layer of it, Asmund still keep its bonus effects. With his giant sword in hand, which was designed as a simple double-edged thick plate which had a pointy tip, Asmund really turned into a God of War. No matter the amount of weak Death-Hounds he fought at once, he would cut them in two in a single strike. The sight of him cutting monsters apart was so gruesome that even the level 4 mutts had the tendency to run away on sight lately. In the end, Asmund became so notorious among the Death-Hounds that since today they started to move in really big packs with a minimum of 5 and always accompanied by a level 5 and sometimes even higher, as Asmund discovered that level 5 was far from being the strongest of them. Among the escorts, there was level 6 to no less than 9, although they were really short in numbers, those high level Death-Hounds did exist, and they still werent the strongest. Among a big patrol that Asmund saw today was a Death-Hound who was really standing out. Not only was its size so ridiculous it shouldnt be less than 4 meters tall, its skin was covered in tribal-like tattoos, and 3 long horns were adorning its forehead. As if that wasnt enough, there was something extremely worrisome about it. It was the blue panel which appeared as Asmund stared at the creature while hiding in the shadows. [ Death-Hound Beta Level 15 - Elite ] Among the information given by this panel, 3 things were worrisome here. The first is that this monster was no less than level 15, a pretty big jump in level compared to the rest of the Death-Hounds. The second was the Elite thing written at the end, suggesting that it wasnt a monster that someone should compare in strength to the other ones. Lastly, and its by far what was disturbing Asmund the most, its the fact that this monster is named Death-Hound Beta... Beta, making it clear that this monster wasnt actually at the top of the hierarchy among the pack. All in all, those changes really troubled Asmund who always avoided to fight level 5 and above until now. Even as he passed the whole day to search for preys, he was unable to find any. It looks like I dont have any choices, those Death-Hounds above level 5 really look strong, but I cant find any groups which dont have one of them in their ranks. And I cant keep on killing nothing but weaklings anyway. Alright, lets try to find a weak group with only a level 5 at most then! His decision taken, Asmund moved around in a hurry as half his hunting time today had already gone by... Chapter 09 - Kahjiit Has Skills, If You Have Credits. Chapter 09 - Kahjiit Has Skills, If You Have Credits. It didnt take him long before finding what he was searching for, it was a juicy group of EXP composed of 3x level 1, a level 2, 2x level 4 and a level 5. That group just left the basement and was making its way to the entrance. I need to attack them now or the chance of them meeting up with another group will increase. Let''s do this! Getting himself fired up, Asmund charged the group in silence like an ominous shadow of death. His first target was obviously the level 5, having the small hope of being able to kill it in one strike. Hope which Surprisingly wasn''t in vain as his giant sword of blood cut through the monsters whole body as if it was butter. Hah? Wait those mighty level 5 are actually this weak?! Their appearance was just for show?! The truth in reality wasnt that the monster was weak, but that Asmund grew this strong without actually noticing it [ Received 25 Credits. ] Either way, showing none of his shock, Asmund immediately followed his first swing with a spin of his body which took the life of 3 other Death-Hounds who were unlucky enough to stand nearby, using nothing but the momentum his first swing brought. [ Received 16 Credits. ] [ Received 1 Credits. ] [ Received 1 Credits. ] In an instant, before the group could even react, they had already lost 4 of their members and most of all their strongest bodyguard. Only 3 were left, a level 4, a level 2 and a level 1, whose reaction was as expected, seeing how their comrades got murdered without even standing a chance. They tried to run away, only to get killed as soon as they turned around [ Received 4 Credits. ] [ Received 16 Credits. ] [ Received 1 Credits. ] [ Congratulations! You gained a level! ] [ Congratulations! You reached the level 10! From now on you will gain an additional free stat point for each level gained! ] [ Congratulations! You gained a free Upgrade Point! ] [ Skills with the level 10+ requirement are now buyable through the Systems Shop. ] I dont even know what to say Not only was this fight much easier than I could even dream of, but now after reaching level 10 Im suddenly assaulted by a barrage of screens. Alright Lets first absorb this group, take the 3 gachas they dropped, find a spot to hide, and then check this out. His mind in turmoil from his confusion and excitement, Asmund absorbed the blood essence of the Death-Hounds corpses, which resulted in the gain of a point of Constitution. Done with that he quickly moved through empty hallways to hide inside an empty room, and sit on the bed to rest while checking the results of reaching level 10. Hmmm, it look like I still gained only 3 free stat points for this level up, the additional point must only take effect from the next level on. Lets just put those in Agility and Mind that I pretty much neglected lately. After distributing his points into his stats by putting 1 into Agility and 2 into Mind, he moved on to the Systems Shop, first visiting the new skill page to see the skills available now. Holy mackerel! Theres some awesome ones in there! Among the new skills in the list most were common ones which were not that useful, and only one of them really seemed useful to Asmund. But the two new skills which appeared among the Blood Overlords skills were both quite amazing in their own way. [ Blood Familiar ][ Blood Overlord Skill ][ Level 1 ][ Level 10+ Req. ] [ Gives you the ability to create familiars with the use of your blood. ] [ Level 1: Blood Weasels x4. ] [ Level 2: Blood Wolves x3. ] [ Level 3: Blood Tigers x2. ] [ Level 4: Blood Dragon. ] [ Upgrade: 15 000 Credits (Level 20+ req.) ] [ Strong Blood ][ Blood Overlord Skill ][ Level 1 ][ Level 10+ Req. ] [ Your blood is as thick as lead, and the effect of your Constitution on its toughness is now multiplied by 1,2. Youre also immune to most sicknesses and to weak poisons of all types. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ] Great! The cost of them is still quite high, as the Blood familiar skill costs 20 000 and the Strong Blood one cost 5 000, but they sound hella good! Also, the description of the Strong Blood skill confirmed my suspicion, that the Constitution stat is directly linked to my bloods toughness while my Spirit probably affects nothing but my control over it. As for the common one which took my interest, it seems like I really need to buy it as soon as I can. [ Eyes of Truth ][ Common Skill ][ Level 1 ][ Level 10+ Req. ] [ Gives you the ability to see the level of your fellow humans, up to 5 levels above yours. ] [ Level 1: Can see the level. ] [ Level 2: Can see the class. ] [ Level 3: Can see abnormal conditions. ] [ Upgrade: 1 000 Credits (Level 15+ req.) ] With this skill I would immediately be able to tell if someone can be a threat to me or not, and its price is still reasonable as it is 1 000 Credits, just like the price of its upgrade. But really, seeing as just how much Credits I have compared to my level, it seems like I really fought too much weaklings compared to what is expected of the system That said, it also seems that you can exchange Credits, so although most people now will have a hard time gathering funds by killing monsters, after a new society is installed even non fighters will be able to gather Credits by working for powerful hunters or by selling merchandise. If you think about it, a good blacksmith can potentially become richer than a hunter without even having to fight. Obviously the ones in my future kingdom will have to pay heavy taxes to sell their items! I mean, merchants and good craftsmen can get rich at the price of their sweat, but a ruler can become even richer from the price of their sweat! Hehehe, Im so impatient to make my kingdom and gather Credits! But lets not sell the bears skin before even killing it, I first need to get much stronger than I am now. Alright, lets go to the upgrade page and think about which skill to upgrade with my free upgrade point. Going to the upgrade page, Asmund reread the descriptions of his skills, and realized that he didnt exactly had a choice in the matter. As only his Blood Manipulation skill could be upgraded at the moment. His choice evident, he upgraded Blood Manipulation and turned it into a level 2 skill. Now finished with his business on the Systems Shop, Asmund tried out the flexible property of his Blood Manipulation skill. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. Forming a snake of blood, he gave it the flexible property and started to experiment with it. Interesting, Its not like the flexible property is completely separate from the solid one, but more like I can change just how flexible the solidified blood is. Thanks to it I should be able to create the mid range weapon I was interested in. Turning his blood boots into a liquid ball, Asmund took out of his belt his dagger, put it on the floor, and then proceeded to cover it with the blood ball to start making a coating for it, just like he made his giant sword by coating the longsword. The part covering the straight dagger was turned into a cylinder which was in reality only the handle of the weapon Asmund was trying to make. Soon sprouting from the handle was a long thin and really flexible blade which kept growing in size. This four meter long flexible blade was Asmunds weapon of choice for mid range fighting, a blade-whip. A weapon often see in fiction, but was in reality not that convenient and realistic of a weapon, for normal people that is. For Asmund and his Blood Manipulation ability, this blade-whip had an incredible potential. His blade-whip done, Asmund immediately tried it out by whipping the wall in front of him, and soon had a huge grin on his face as a loud slapping sound was heard followed by the scene of a huge deep gash appearing on the surface of the wall. As expected, this is a really powerful weapon, but it is certainly hard to use. Nothing that training cant take care of, that said! Im really satisfied with it anyway, its perfect to use against speed based monsters who have weak defense, unlike my giant sword which is the complete opposite. Alright, I got the hang of the new property now. Sadly it seems like I cant complete the long range weapon I had in mind without elasticity. Elasticity that I wont be able to obtain before level 40 as it is the requirement to further upgrade Blood Manipulation Finished with his experiment, Asmund coiled his blade-whip around his waist, and changed his arm guards into complete gauntlets with flexible protection at the wrists and fingers. As for the boots, since his current mental limit is five items, he gave up on them for the moment seeing as the blade-whip was more useful to have ready at all times. He also wanted to make a breastplate for himself, but the gauntlets and blade-whip was harder to keep in form due to their different properties, so he wasnt able to make a fifth item for himself as he was right now. I should really put more points into the Mind stat in the future as it would surely help me multi-tasking, and so control more separated blood at the same time. I could also of course turn the gauntlets into a single piece of full body armor, but it would equally ask too much concentration from my part for such a large and complex item. Ready to continue his hunt, Asmund moved away from the room he was hiding and searched for new preys. He was also eager to try out his blade-whip in a real combat situation too after all. Finding a group of preys was pretty simple, he just needed to wait near the entrance and wait for the Death-Hounds to either go out or inside. Of course, hunting at such a spot had the risk of another group suddenly appearing in the middle of the fight, but at this point Asmund had been so disappointed by his last fight that he wouldnt even mind for things to spice up a little in difficulty. Here they come! Slightly getting in the mood for a carnage, Asmund licked his lips in anticipation while counting the level and amount of the Death-Hounds walking inside. [ Death-Hound Level 1 ] [ Death-Hound Level 1 ] [ Death-Hound Level 4 ] [ Death-Hound Level 1 ] [ Death-Hound Level 3 ] [ Death-Hound Level 7 ] [ Death-Hound Level 3 ] [ Death-Hound Level 5 ] Ohhh! Its a big fish this time! 3x level 1, 2x level 3, a level 4, a level 5 and a level 7! Lets enjoy the meal! Stepping out of his hiding spot, Asmund jumped in the direction of the Death-Hounds while uncoiling his blade-whip, before swinging it with impressive speed. Ensued the sound of falling thunder and the gruesome sight of the low level monsters heads breaking open or being cut apart. [ Received 1 Credits. ] [ Received 9 Credits. ] [ Received 1 Credits. ] [ Received 1 Credits. ] [ Received 9 Credits. ] [ Received 16 Credits. ] By the time Asmunds feet were back on the floor, only the level 5 and 7 Death-Hound were still alive, but whining in pain from the deep wounds they received or even the loss of a limb. But taking no pity in that pitiful sight, showing a brutal smile, Asmund coiled back his blade-whip at his waist with his right hand while reaching for the giant sword on his back with his left. In a desperate attempt and full of rage, the 2 Death-Hounds that were still alive tried to bite their enemy to death, but were already too late, as they barely had the time to move towards him before their bodies were cleaved into four clean halves. [ Received 25 Credits. ] [ Received 49 Credits. ] Looking at the corpses lying flat on the ground, Asmund immediately lost his smile and good mood. Once again infuriated by just how easily he slayed them. FUCK! IS THIS A JOKE?! Just how come is it that youre this damn weak?! Its not like you had a level thats really lower than mine! What Asmund had forgotten, again, was that he had an Emperor ranked class, making the difference in levels more obvious and resulting in him being much stronger than someone else of the same level, especially skillswise. But out of himself, Asmund kicked the lifeless head of the level 7 as if it was soccer ball, making it fly tens of meters before rolling around on the floor while spraying what little blood was left in it. Asmund''s reaction was certainly contradictory since he has an overly cautious personality yet enjoys the thrill of having his life on the line. But that''s just the type of person that Asmund is, In short you could say that due to his upbringing Asmund still has a childish personality which wants to battle to the death yet can''t accept the idea of being on the losing side. That very same personality is also what let him grow this well and safely in this new world though. Fighting without fear whenever he could, and immediately reverting back to being cautious when things look sour to him or when he has yet to be sure of being capable of handling a situation. Screw this! Lets kill every single one of them and search for the Beta! At least that bastard should prove to be a bit of a challenge! Stomping his feet on the floor, Asmund grabbed the 4 treasure capsules which were lying on the floor, absorbed the life essence of the corpses which gave him a point in Power and another one in Agility to his surprise, and walked away, now decided to clean this hospital of its monsters for good. Chapter 10 - Hallway to Hell. (A/N: Finally appear my favourite and craziest character of this story. Enjoy!) Chapter 10 - Hallway to Hell. After putting the treasure capsules he won today into a closed empty room, as to not be encumbered by them while fighting, he moved back to his hunting spot to wait for other preys to appear Only to find out after an entire hour of waiting that the Death-Hounds had apparently already gone back to their nest for the night even though the sun was still up. I swear! Cant things just go my way for once?! Damn mutts! Youre only delaying your death by a day! I swear that tomorrow I will paint the walls red with your guts! Annoyed, Asmund gave up on continuing his hunt further than this and went back to the place he left the capsules to bring them with him into his room, where he will open them. When back in said room, Asmund fetched a bag of potato chips and a beer from a drawer, and sat on the bed while putting the grey gacha balls next to him. Yawning lazily, Asmund opened the bag of potato chips and the can of beer and begun to enjoy his measly meal while lying on the bed. Eating in silence, he was thinking about his plan for tomorrow and how he should proceed in killing every single Death-Hound in the hospital. No matter what kind of plan he thought of, it ended up as a simple find & kill... So he gave up on trying to do this any other way. His dinner finished, he ate a chocolate bar as dessert, and then grabbed one of the 7 gacha balls on the bed. Lets see what Im going to get today! *Pop* Dud. *Pop* Dud. *Pop* FUCKING DUD! COME ON ALREADY! *Pop* Oh! A black longsword! Nice! I needed a spare in case mine broke. *Pop* A lesser health potion, always useful I guess. *Pop* Dud. *Pop* And a lesser mana potion, not bad. Todays spoils of war isnt bad, not the best one I had, but still not bad. Somewhat satisfied with what he obtained from the treasure capsules, Asmund put the items into different drawers which contained the same type of items and then trained in his Blood Manipulation skill, since it was still too early to sleep. He wanted to get used to the difference between the solid and flexible property and how to best make equipement from those two. He trained for two hours and went to bed as soon as the bright sun gave place to the peaceful moon, wanting to rise early to hunt Death-Hounds from the morning on. Meanwhile at the cafeteria. "AHAHAHAHAAA!! It''s just like I told you, isn''t it?! Yet again I am right! That brat hasn''t returned nor has he encouraged any strong monsters to attack us! In fact, there haven''t been any monsters coming here at all!" -Inkei "Y-yes! It''s just as you say, Lord Inkei." -Old Man "I bet that little shit went off and died while trying to lure monsters here to kill me, to kill you all! I am the one who saved you, by turning him away!" -Inkei Why? Why did that youth have to go and die? If only he''d accepted that tyrant''s offer, he could have eventually found a chance to kill him and save us all. He could have saved my daughter Now she''s little more than a doll. -Old Man "L-Lord, p-please can m-my son have some more w-water? He''s o-only 6 years old, he can''t cope w-with so little" -Woman *thunk* "There, you can lick the sweat off my foot and give him your saliva instead. How can I just give away our precious water like that? Do you think your son is special? We''re all suffering from low rations here, stop being so selfish!" -Inkei "... T-Thank you *lick* my L-lord *sob*" -Woman "Hey, boy, look at your mother crying! She''s wasting the extra water I so kindly offered from my own body so she could give it to you! Isn''t she the worst?! HAHAHA!" -Inkei This bastard! I''ll kill him myself soon enough! Just you wait, you asshole -Old man Once again the cafeteria was filled with muffled sobs and the sound of an old man grinding his teeth from both frustration and hatred. Off in a corner away from the so-called Lord stood a young woman, the only other person besides him who seemed to be neither starving nor thirsty, with obvious disgust in her eyes but a slight smile on her lips as though thoroughly looking forward to something horrific. Waking up with a slight headache, Asmund was confused until he noticed the empty beer cans scattered across the floor. It seemed his anger with the Death-Hounds'' cowardice had not mixed well with alcohol Tch! Clicking his tongue he moved away from the bed while kicking away the cans on his path to the bathroom. Although the faucet, toilet and shower werent gathering any water since days ago, not even the brownish one mixed with dirt, Asmund still had his Water Channeling skill, and thanks to it was still able to use the toilet and shower without any issues. Like every morning, Asmund first relieved himself before taking a shower, changed back into his gear, and walked away from the bathroom. But unlike the previous mornings of this last week, he didnt move to the bed to train his Blood Manipulation and instead prepared his blood equipment, readying himself for the hunt! Good, Im ready! Lets kill as much as I want! Getting hyped about the prospect of killing all those annoying mutts, Asmund walked out of the room after moving away the barricade which was blocking the door, and locked it again from the outside as he walked out. Now, should I wait near the entrance like always, roam aimlessly around or stay near a staircase leading to the basement? Hmmm, since I never hunted at morning, they probably dont expect me to go after them at the moment, so the entrance should still be a good spot to hunt, yup, lets go there! His decision made, Asmund walked carelessly while humming to his destination. Maybe he still had some alcohol in his system, or he simply lost all fear of the Death-Hounds, but he was certainly not like his usual self. If he was, he would have noticed the loud stepping sounds which was coming from ahead, before he met head-on with a ridiculously big group of Death-Hounds. The group was composed of 24 Death-Hounds: 6x level 1, 4x level 2, 4x level 3, a level 4, 3x level 5, 2x level 6, 2x level 7, a level 8 and a level 9. Them and Asmund stared at each other in silence as if they all couldnt believe this was happening. Stolen story; please report. But despite the fact that this situation was already quite shocking, the most surprising thing was the reaction of both sides. When they saw this young human, whose body was still strangely beautiful and effeminate despite his eyes and the inumerous scars covering it, the monsters didnt act as one would expect and charge at him to kill the juicy prey before them. No, they showed fear Probably due to the number of Death-Hounds who fell by his hands and the fact he is covered in blood all day long, Asmund gained a really unique smell which ingrains fear in any beast with a keen nose. It was especially true for the Death-Hounds who knew the origin of his smell, and that this man was their packs natural enemy. This contrasted with Asmunds own surprising reaction, which was a huge grin on his face alike the one of child who found interesting toys. The poor beasts really wanted to scram from here, as proud as they were they really didnt want to have anything to do with this seemingly puny human! Sadly for them, they didnt have any choice in the matter anymore, since the first one to move was none other than a still smiling Asmund, who rushed at them while uncoiling his blade-whip. Sensing the approaching threat, the Death-Hounds roared angrily, trying to get the courage to fight the demon in front of them head-on. And completely giving up on their safety, they started to charge, right as the fearsome sound of Asmunds weapon was heard What followed was pure carnage. First the smaller Death-Hounds received the brunt of the blade-whip, their heads exploding like a watermelon in which someone put a powerful firecracker. Brain matter soon covered their comrades that were still alive, who did their best to ignore the gruesome yet unique sensation of the sticky material covering their skins. As a good number of those weaklings died the group finally reached Asmund, who already swapped weapons by then, now wielding his giant sword in his right hand and gathering the blood of both of his simple gauntlets toward his left hand, turning it into a massive gauntlet with sharp talons at the end of his fingers. Using his giant sword Asmund cut apart any Death-Hounds of a level higher than 5, while the rest of the weaklings got their head crushed by the grasp of his gauntlet and got their corpses used as a club against their fellow monsters. This battle looked like some sort of sordid picture of hell, where no human had a place and where monsters and demons were battling each other. Be it brains, limbs, bones, guts or feces, an accumulation of disgusting matter was covering the floor, ceiling and walls. And in the middle of this carnage was the smiling Asmund, who was battling with everything he had, and enjoying himself like never before. While biting into the neck of a level 1, he grabbed the side of a level 3 which was trying to bypass him. The poor beast kept whining as its entrails were being cut and stabbed by the gauntlets claws, but Asmund ignored its complaint and threw it against an approaching level 2, which was sent back several meters when they collided. While doing all this, his sword wielding hand was fighting the biggest monsters of the lot, as if it had a mind of its own. Slashing any approaching paws or jaws, either succeeding in dismembering them or at the very least forcing them to retreat. Seconds passed, yet no Death-Hound was yet able to even scratch Asmunds body, who at the moment looked like the embodiment of a god of war, so covered in blood and guts that not a single strand of his long hair was showing its natural black color. Asmund completely lost himself to his bloodlust and urge to battle, no calculation was done in this fight, it was just pure instinct and reflexes. He just wanted to kill and dismember his enemies, that was the only thought occupying his mind at the time. KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL KILL! As if high on drugs, he could feel shivers of pleasure for each cut he made, for each brain he crushed, for each sound of despair he heard, for each pair of eyes losing their light, for each entrail ripped out, for each limb cut off. Seeing every single one of their comrades dying under Asmunds rampage, the 5 Death-Hounds still alive already lost what little courage they were able to gather and now had but one thought in mind Lets run away as fast as possible! Fighting to the death? What use is there to it when 19 before you tried only to die miserably without being able to even as much as put pressure on that demon? Fleeing was by far the smartest thing to do at this point. The real question was: would he let them do that? The answer was obviously NO! Running after the fleeing monsters like a rabid dog, Asmund used his whip to either cut or break one of their hind legs, and killed them by crushing their head under his foot. He did so for 4 of them that is, purposely letting a level 2 escape with his life. Now go and fetch your little friends for me! A sinister smile on his face, Asmund looked at the back of the fleeing Death-Hound as he somehow left the trance like state of mind he was in until now. Walking around the corpses to collect the capsules that were dropped, he counted the result of this hunt, which was: a level up, 460 Credits, 11 treasure capsules, and after absorbing the blood essences he gained a point in Constitution, one in Power and one in Mind. Its really getting harder to obtain points through absorbing the Death-Hounds blood essence, I mean there was a lot of high level ones this time, and as for the Mind, I probably gained a point because it pilled up from all the previous absorption. Well, 3 points was still a really good batch, that said. The capsules in hand, Asmund moved away from the corpses to put them into an empty room like usual. Afterwards he walked out of the room and waited in the hallway for the arrival of the Death-Hounds'' punitive force. / A short while ago. / If Asmund had been paying attention as he left his room in the morning, he''d have noticed that he unconsciously took a different route than normal. This route led him to encounter the large pack of Death-Hounds that were not only taking advantage of how Asmund never hunts in the morning, but were also avoiding the hallways Asmund usually travels by using their sense of smell to detect the old blood from their kin. Because of this, the place Asmund and the pack ran into each other was actually a crossroads a little distance away but still in sight from the cafeteria''s barricade, as well as in sight of the single pair of eyes peering through the one gap left between the tables There''s too many! If those monsters are coming here then we''re doomed! Did that man not die and actually sent more Death-Hounds to kill us like he promised?! Oh shit, that useless fucking piece of shit rapist brother! Why did you provoke a guy who can survive in the hallways?! Eh? Isn''t that him? Why does he look surprised? FUCK!! WHAT WAS THAT?! 5 OF THEIR HEADS EXPLODED WITH A SINGLE ATTACK?! Wait, so he isn''t leading them here?! Was this just a coincidence? Are Are they scared of him? No way, the whole group are scared of him, more than they should be for him killing 5 of the smaller ones just now. Were they coming this way to try and avoid him while he was coming here to threaten my brother again, that''s why both he and they were surprised when they saw each other? What weapon even is that, though? That colour it''s like blood. NO! IT IS BLOOD?! I definitely just saw his gloves melt into blood and then reform into a Warverine-looking thing! How the hell did he do that?! This guy, is he actually more of a monster than those dogs? He looks like he''s enjoying this way too- HE BIT IT?! HE RIPPED ITS THROAT OUT WITH HIS TEETH?! THAT''S DISGU- actually kinda hot? He looks pretty good with red hair, it matches his eyes, and despite being so strong he''s still quite slim mmmm~ "Lady Shiori, you should still be in bed at this time, there''s no need for you to help with watch duty." -Old Man Ah! He''s gone He killed them all so quickly, only a handful managed to run away. I can''t believe I''m almost feeling sorry for the monster dogs that are trying to eat all of humanity. "*Cough* Lady Shiori?" -Old Man "Hmm? Sorry, I was lost in my thoughts. I don''t mind taking watch duty, it''s better than doing nothing. Besides, something interesting happened just now." -Shiori "Something interesting? Oh no, are the monsters back?! I should go warn the-" -Old Man "No need to warn anyone, two packs of those monster dogs just fought and wiped each other out. They were quite a distance from here down the corridor, too, so it''ll be fine. Could you bring me a cup of water? You can have half of it." -Shiori Oh he''s back! All that blood, it almost looks like a terrifyingly badass tribal face tattoo. What''s he picking up? Is some part of the monsters useful? Interesting "As you wish, Lady Shiori. Thank you." -Old Man Magic That was magic, right?! He held out his hands and the monsters'' blood floated up and got absorbed through his skin! So I wasn''t imagining things when his gloves melted? Holy shit. Who is he? No, what is he? Did demi-gods appear along with the monsters? He''s leaving again? I wonder if he''ll ever come back to kill my brother? I want to talk to him Chapter 11 - 私はポップコーンが好きです! (A/N: The titles are becoming randomer each time...) Chapter 11 - ˽ϥݥåץ`󤬺äǤ! Sitting on the floor with his back against a wall, Asmund kept waiting to see just how many Death-Hounds he was able to bait with the use of the level 2 he left to run away with its life. Bored, he took a look at his left clawed gauntlet, which he left it as it was because he found it quite useful. The weird thing, is that Asmund actually didnt make it consciously like he did the blade-whip or his giant sword, but completely out of instinct as he wanted something to protect himself while still having some offensive capabilities. It didnt feel awkward at all to fight with it, and although my memory of the fight is kinda blurry, I remember that it protected me well and gave me a lot of ways to deal with the numerous Death-Hounds trying to surround me. I should get more used to fighting with it as it makes a good combination with both my blade-whip and giant sword which, although not perfectly yet, I can wield with one hand. Suddenly, Asmunds eyebrows twitched as he felt barely noticeable vibrations. Vibrations which were growing more and more in intensity as time passed, making Asmund smile in delight. Here they come! And this is quite the huge catch! Standing up, he faced the side of the hallways from which the rumbling sounds were coming, and what he saw coming his way a moment later as he was uncoiling his blade-whip just made him even happier. It was literally a stampede of giant beasts. An incredible number of horned Death-Hounds were charging with pure bloodlust in their eyes, and were filling the hallways so much that it was impossible to see the end of the horde. Since there were barely any low levels among them, Asmund gave up on using the blade-whip and immediately switched for his sword And charged, while half roaring like a beast himself and half laughing like a man who lost his sanity. But even faced with a charging Asmund, the Death-Hounds showed no fear this time for some reason and kept advancing with the intent to kill. Good! I wouldnt like it any other way! Lets play! MUTTS! Reaching the blood thirsty beasts, Asmund let his body drop and slide on the floor, his legs to the front, using this chance to cut of the paws of the biggest Death-Hounds at the front line, making their heavy bodies drop to the floor behind him and make a wall of flesh of a sort. Using this opportunity he beheaded them as they were down with his sword, while defending against the smaller monsters attacks using his gauntlet. Now having his back protected by corpses and making it impossible for anyone to sneak attack him. Asmund faced off what was left of the first wave with confidence and eliminated them before the second wave could even reach the battle. When the second wave came next, the strategy they used was quite simple, the big Death-Hounds tried to pressure Asmund while the smaller ones tried to cripple him by assaulting his limbs. Obviously they had yet to wound him, but Asmund did feel some pressure this time. It was basicly the same strategy that those monsters always used until now, yet, for a reason Asmund was unsure of, the Death-Hounds seemed much more organized and willing to fight than before. Is the Beta here and giving them orders from behind? I still cant see whats at the end of the line of monsters The pressure at least succeeded in making him regain some sanity as his cautious self came back to the surface. That didnt stop him from massacring the mutts, but he became less wild in his fighting style and more calculative. The sudden change in fighting style which used the Death-Hounds own moves against them, by hiding behind one to sneakily attack another, or urge a big one to try to bite him and then use a small one as a meat shield, rendered their current strategy completely useless. It was as if someone else entirely, who also happened to be more adapted to the situation, took on the fight while in the middle of it. Obviously though, since the Death-Hounds were far from being geniuses they didnt change their moves and kept charging at Asmund using the same tactic as always. Resulting in their incredible numbers dwindling more and more in a matter of minutes. So boring I have the impression of fighting a badly programmed AI And with the improvement I put in my Mind stat lately, those already quite slow monsters now look like snails to me. As long as I keep fighting while using their weakness against them, I should be able to yet again win without a single wound. *Sigh* When I think that those weaklings were able to cover me in scars a week ago, I almost feel ashamed of myself, seriously Slowly, as the fight continued, Asmund lost his smile and fought the Death-Hounds as if he was sweeping leaves, mindlessly waving his sword around and cutting them apart. At the moment he was neither wild or cautious, he was purely bored of the constant same pattern of attack that the Death-Hounds were using. Far from putting pressure on him, the monsters couldnt even come closer than a meter away from him anymore. A yawn or two even escaped Asmunds mouth as he was making his way through the stampede. The speed at which Asmund could adapt himself to a situation was really fearsome, and at this point calling him as something less than a prodigy would be a complete understatement. BETA FUCKER! SHOW YOUR UGLY MUG ALREADY BEFORE I KILL ALL YOUR UNDERLINGS! Having enough of the riff-raff by now, he tried to call for the elite monster in hopes of it showing itself. And as if it had been successfully provoked by him, the Death-Hound Beta did stop hiding and showed up. Looking at the massive mass of muscles barely fitting in the hallway, standing with an infuriated look in his eyes in front of him, Asmund whistled in amazement. Did you gain some weight since the last time I saw you? [ Death-Hound Beta Level 16 - Elite ] Oh? You did level up! Great! Lets brawl! Getting excited from having now a chance to fight a worthy opponent, Asmunds grin reappeared on his lips as he charged the three-horned beast. Emitting a low roar which broke all the windows nearby, the Beta also charged as the other Death-Hounds moved aside to not get trampled by it. When both were at a 2 meters distance away from each other, Asmund took the initiative and swung his giant sword downward aiming for the Betas massive forehead. But with astonishing speed, it riposted by swinging its massive horns against the incoming sword. *CLANG* Wha?! A loud sound of metal colliding was heard and Asmund almost released his grip on the handle of his sword, due to the amount of momentum the weapon had as it was pushed back. Forcing him to jump back in order to not let him completely open for the Beta to kill him, and regain the control of his weapon. But the thing was that the Beta was faster to rush forward than Asmund to retreat, and tried to impale him on his horns. Surprised and out of choice, Asmund blocked the attack with his gauntlet, but as expected it broke like thin glass under the crazy amount of power which was behind the attack. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. SHIT! CLOSE! TOO FUCKING CLOSE! Luckily Asmund succeeded in using the flow of momentum to push his body to the side and barely avoided the horns by an hair-breadth. But the short exchanges he just traded with the beast now covered his back in cold sweat and made all the confidence that he piled up recently go up in smokes. This fucker is ridiculous! Just what kind of strength is that?! I dont think that a normal Death-Hound of his level would be even close to him! Or at least I didn''t think the difference would be THIS obvious! Rolling on the floor, Asmund immediately stood back on his feet while taking a fighting stance and his grin slightly stiffened. Since the Beta passed through him, Asmund expected to have some time before being assailed again by the monster''s brutal strength. But just as he took his stance, he noticed a huge shadow approaching him from the side, shadow which was none other than the Betas right hind leg, which kicked back like a wild horse. But unlike a horse, the long and razor sharp claw adorning the paws made it a much more obvious threat. Out of reflex, Asmund let his body fall back like a famous slow motion scene in a certain Sci-fi movie where the protagonist avoided a barrage of bullets, and clawed upward with his repaired gauntlet the paw which was currently above him. Tough! Asmund did manage to leave some wounds on the paw, making the Beta roar in rage, but the wounds were so shallow that they could barely be called scratches. Damn! If hes this tough and strong, injecting my blood in his body would be useless as I would have no way to wound his inside with nothing but Blood Manipulation For once, Asmund really felt cornered in a fight. He just couldnt think of any way to deal with this ridiculous thing as he was currently. At least he was glad that the other Death-Hounds stood to the side from the fear of getting hit by their leader and didnt join the fray. After avoiding and scratching the Betas paw, Asmund stood back up again and faced the Beta who had already finished to turn around by then. Its eyes full of anger and spite for the humiliation of receiving an injury from what he considered to be a utter weakling. But theres nothing that Asmund hates more than being looked down upon! NOTHING! YOU LITTLE SHIT! WHO DO YOU THINK YOURE LOOKING DOWN AT?! Losing himself to his anger, Asmund completely forgot about the predicament he was in and changed the status of dangerous being in his mind, to shitty thing to kill in the cruelest way possible. Turning back into his wild fighting style, his gauntlet turned into two clawed boots as he drew his blade-whip with his left hand. Once again both charged at each other, but this time Asmunds moves became much less straightforward and more unpredictable. Using his clawed boots he ran across the wall and jumped from side to side like an agile panther in a dense jungle. Looking at Asmunds crazy movements, the Beta frowned as it hesitated on what way it should kill this pesky fly. Unlike Asmund who used his blade-whip and assaulted the giant Death-Hounds head, hoping to destroy its sight. Surprised by how brutal Asmunds assault suddenly became, the Beta did its best to protect its eyes by waving his horns around to block the barrage of strikes aiming for them. Seeing that not a single one of his swings was getting past the monsters defence, Asmund did something strange He coiled his blade-whip around his waist and put his sword to his back, unarming himself as he was coming closer to the Beta. Roaring like a beast, thick bloodlust emanated from him as he jumped straight at the Betas head, who was so startled by the amount of bloodlust that he failed to stop Asmund from reaching him. Now crouching on top of the Betas head, Asmund held tight the two horns closest to him while ravaging the skull under him by using his boots. Making the Beta scream in pain from the sensation of its skin being ripped and its skull being scratched. Going completely crazy from the pain, the Beta tried everything to make it stop, be it jumping and slamming the top of its head against the ceiling, ramming its body against the wall or even roll on the floor. It really tried everything, but even as his bones were close to breaking, Asmund didnt release his grasp on the beasts horn or stopped ravaging its skull. On the contrary, he became even more like an enraged beast and even literally bite off one the Betas eye, munching it loudly and swallowing it as if it was a nice treat. From then, the Betas attitude started to really change, for the first time since it was birthed in this world, it felt fear. Death was stalking him at the moment, and if nothing was done it would be sure to catch him. Emitting a pitiful low sound, the Beta called for his fellow Death-Hounds to help. But seeing their leader getting trashed in such a way made them reluctant, after all they really didnt want to be next on the list. They all were confident before thanks to the presence of the Beta at their back, and were spirited enough that they didnt mind to offer their life to fight the enemy. But now that the Beta was in such a state after already seeing so many of their kin slain like moths to a flame, their morale was at its lowest. As the Beta kept calling for help, the other Death-Hounds just looked at each other, waiting for one of them to take a decision. Soon, a decision was made and the Death-Hounds started moving. Slowly at first, but getting faster as the more who made a move the more still-waiting monsters would notice the new trend. Seeing this movement out the corner of it''s remaining eye, the Beta was able to partially resist its fear as there was no way this two-legged demon could take on the horde and the Elite at the same time. At least until it heard Asmund''s psychotic laughter, which not only sent chills down the beast''s spine but also made it think something was terribly wrong. The monster hiding in the form of their prey should not be laughing in such a gleefully violent manner when it''s about to be under a barrage of attacks from all angles. Paying more attention to its surroundings, the Beta noticed that the movement it had seen from its underlings was not that of incoming reinforcements, the entire pack was fleeing! They were leaving him here to die! Suddenly, the Beta was terrified. It couldn''t even be angry, it was in too much pain and the situation was too hopeless, even he would be running if he was one of the pack watching his Beta get beaten like this. Even more unfortunate for the Beta, the time it spent surveying the pack and feeling sorry for itself was time it wasn''t actively trying to turn Asmund into a bloodstain on the wall. Time that Asmund happily took advantage of to prepare an especially brutal attack. Drawing his sword from his back, he stabbed it downward. Yet the sword still wasnt able to pierce through the Betas skull who at least still got stunned by the vibrations of his skull. Annoyed, Asmund kept piercing the part of the skull in between his feet while shouting like he was out of his mind. (Which he was, pretty much) BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK! At that point the Beta was already close to fainting from the pain and the nausea he was currently going through. Its body was so heavy and its mind so exhausted, that it finally gave up, letting its body fall Right as the sound of a sword piercing through skull and brain was heard At last, the monster was dead. Its corpse slumped limply to the floor, and Asmund battered body was thrown away from its head as he didnt have any strength left. Laying down without moving, Asmund kept staring at the ceiling while breathing roughly, some blood escaping his lips as he probably received some internal wounds. He was so exhausted that he wanted to fall asleep, but forced himself awake to mend his internal wounds as best as he could by using his Blood Manipulation. He didnt want to croak right as he beat one hell of a foe, that would be a lame way to go... Chapter 12 - 1-800-7355-9687-7685 (A/N: I admit that I had to google it to understand the title''s reference.) Chapter 12 - 1-800-7355-9687-7685 After using his Blood Siphon to absorb the blood essence of the corpses nearby and around 2 hours of treatment and rest, using his inner blood to set his bones back in place and seal any wounded organs, Asmund finally had enough strength to at least stand He was far from being able to fight anyone right now, but walking, or rather waddling, was still something he could do. It was time to get the hard-earned rewards of his hunt: collecting every gacha ball and absorbing the blood essence of every single corpse. The final result was 39 Rank 1 treasure capsules, 4 levels, 2 points of both Power and Constitution from the absorption, and as for the Credits received Wait 3780?! What the fuckkk?! Now that I think of it I gained 4 goddamn levels, just how many monsters did I kill?! From the corpses I counted there were around 100, but I assumed that some got stepped on and were killed by their fleeing friends or something Hmmm Theres also the possibility that the Elite monster gave more Credits than a normal monster. There was another peculiar thing about his reward, which was none other than the gacha ball the Beta dropped. [ Rank 1* (50%) (Grey) Treasure Capsule ] This grey gacha ball unlike the other grey ones, had a silver star on both the top and bottom part of the capsule. Also the * and (50%) in its name were really noteworthy. Does that mean that this capsule have a 50% probability of dropping a Rank-1* item like my cloak? Also it was an Elite drop, so the Alpha of the Death-Hounds is probably a higher rank of monster, and will drop something better than this, no? Then again, its nothing but hypotheses. Well see in time if thats really the case. Done with this place, and not wanting to wait and see if the Death-Hounds are going to come back with more reinforcements, Asmund awkwardly moved away from here with his now 51 capsules in a huge bag made of blood, heading back into the empty room where he had left the 11 he gained with the earlier group he hunted. As he was walking he decided to give his character sheet another look. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 15 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 30 ] [ Agility: 24 ] [ Constitution: 30 ] [ Mind: 25 ] [ Spirit: 33 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 2 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] - [ Water Channeling][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 4 577 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Seeing the numbers described on it, he couldnt help but have a stupid smile on his face despite the pain coursing through his body. 433 more Credits and I could even buy Strong Blood. That said, I still kinda want to buy Eye of Truth as early as possible I could even upgrade it to be able to see peoples classes. But that would cost me 2 000 Credits Oh well, Ill regain those Credits soon enough by hunting more mutts. His decision made, Asmund immediately went through the Systems Shop, bought and then upgraded the skill, using 2 000 Credits in the process, but not regretting it at all. With a great mood, he moved back to his room, put down the gacha capsules, and drank a Lesser Health Potion that he didnt want to use until he was in a safe place in case there was some kind of side-effect. After drinking the content of the small glass bottle, which had a stereotypical red color, the amount of pain through his body immediately lowered, but he also felt even more exhausted than before and more hungry too. So thats how it works, health potions somehow accelerate your metabolism and use your energy to heal you. Good thing I didnt use it in the middle of the fight. Although now his wounds. be it the internal or external ones, were mostly healed, Asmund felt extremely light-headed and his pale complexion turned even paler. Unable to stand anymore, he let his body drop on the bed, and soon fell asleep as is. *** / Sometime earlier. / He still didnt come back At the cafeteria, behind the messy barricade, a young girl was standing there since early morning and didnt move from there after she caught a glimpse of a strange youth who was capable of fighting monsters with ease. Although the people of the cafeteria kept asking her to go rest and let them handle the task of keeping watch over the barricade, she refused to move from there, waiting patiently to catch another glimpse of the youngster. The cafeterias survivors reported her strange attitude to her brother, but he was quite occupied with his doll and wasnt in the mood to take care of this. He only told them to leave her be, before going back to his business Not wanting to anger him, they did as he asked and just forgot about this; they didnt want to spend more of their precious energy than necessary anyway. Ah! Hes back! But He looks quite weakened doesnt he? Yet he still has a huge smile on his face Looking at the beautiful traits of the young man who was like before, or maybe even more, covered in blood, the young girls heart skipped a beat as she kept staring. Entranced, if not fascinated by what she was seeing. Should I Should I try to ask him to be his follower? I-I want to be closer to him, and I feel like I would be safer by his side. Also, I really dont want to stay with my trash of a brother anymore, lately he even looked at me with the same eyes he did the other girls. She was lost in thought for a short while, but in the end she arrived to a conclusion. I cant stay here, I should really try to follow him, whatever he does to me it at least would be better than to be raped by my own brother and be used by his men after he broke me, like he did the others. Imagining the scene of her body being assaulted by her brother as he plays with her like a toy, she almost vomited in disgust, yet as she imagined the young man do the same to her, a creepy smile could be seen appearing to the corner of her lips. Lets go! At the pace he was moving he shouldnt have gone that far yet! Full of determination, the young girl moved discreetly to the left side of the barricade. Observing the people behind her who were barely in a better shape than zombies, thirst and hunger slowly turning them into thin mummies, the young girl made sure that nobody was currently paying her any attention. She then fiddled with a part of the barricade that she herself turned into a weak spot in the structure long ago, in preparation for a possible need to escape this hell and the grasp of her crazy brother. However she did end up making a ruckus while getting that part down and make an opening for her to go through, making the survivors notice that something was going on. M-Miss Shiori?! What are you doing?! -Old Man If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Hearing the shouts of more and more survivors coming closer, Shiori sped up the process as she stopped caring about how much sound she was making and was able to make an opening just big enough for her to slip through, right as the survivors were going to grab her to make her stop. Jumping through the opening without any hesitation, she rolled on the floor and ran after the mysterious young man as fast as she could as soon as she was back up. S-Shit! Hurry! Someone warn Lord Inkei! -Young survivor #1 Ha! Tell my brother? Good luck with that, whoever does will probably be killed and then he''ll kill another just for fun. Oh well, it''s none of my concern any more. I''ll either be protected or dead by this time tomorrow Maybe I''ll have been made a woman! The say the first time hurts guhehehehee *** WHAT DID YOU SAY?! Shiori escaped?! Are you fucking kidding me?! -Inkei As he heard the news from one of the survivors, Inkei immediately stopped playing around with his favorite doll, who was none other than the young nurse Asmund saw next to him the first day of the apocalypse, and was now shaking the one who brought him the news by his collar. I-Its the truth my Lord! W-We tried to stop her but it was already too late by the time we noticed what she was doing! -Young survivor #2 Useless trash! -Inkei Full of rage, Inkei punched the poor man in the face without releasing his grasp on him. I-Im sorry my Lord! B-But my Lord, what should we do?! -Young survivor #2 Although he was getting trashed, the young man still asked that question as he knew that Inkei would trash him even further later on, after he noticed that he forgot to act on the moment. Forget her! Just take care of putting the barricade back together! Now scram! -Inkei Releasing the young man, he didnt forget to give him one last punch before letting him leave. Alone again with his doll, Inkei turned around and passed his nerves on her by kicking her mercilessly. But the doll was so broken at that point that she didnt even react, as if she was a breathing corpse. Fucking ungrateful brat! And she was the last girl who looked decent in this damn place! Shit! -Inkei *** Meanwhile, as Inkei was still raging about her escape, Shiori was stalking the long haired young man, who was too exhausted to even notice her presence. Hiding in plain sight The young girl really wanted to talk to him but like any teenage girl, deciding to confess her feelings was considerably different to taking action and actually confronting the target of her affections. In the end, she could only follow him in silence while complaining to herself about her own lack of courage. Oh? Hes walking into a room! Is that where he rests? Like his secret-base or something? Hah! Damn hes already inside! What should I do? S-Should I just knock at the door? Directly try to talk to him from the outside? Moan in pleasu Why would I do that?! Arrrg! Come on Shiori! You can do it! Lets just simply knock at the door! Or I could maybe infiltrate the room and hide myself under the bed What am I even thinking about? Walking to the door while she was thinking, she stood there for a good 10 minutes, lost in her delusions. When she finally woke up from her day-dreaming, she gulped loudly and Tried to open the door discreetly. What am I doing?! Phewww Thankfully the door was locked A little disappointed for some reason, she finally resolved herself to simply knock at the door, despite her nervousness. *Knock* *Knock* H-Hello? -Shiori Nobody home? No, I saw him enter this room just a moment ago and I was standing in front of the door since then! Is he ignoring me then...? Pouting, she put her ear against the door, trying to listen to what was happening inside. Yet, she could hear pretty much nothing going on inside. Did he leave the room through some kind of secret passage? She was going to take off her ear from the door when she heard a really soft sound coming from the inside. This Is this the sound of breathing? Its really rhythmical and calm Is he actually asleep? Maybe it wasnt that he was hunting early this morning, but was in reality out for the whole night? This is bad If I wake him up hed be in a really bad mood right? But I cant stay outside and wait for him to wake up when theres monsters roaming around Ah! Now that I think of it! Didnt we pass next to the vending machines?! I wonder if theres things left in there, he probably fed himself using those until now. Okay, lets go see if theres something there, take a small amount so that he wont notice if thats the case, and then wait in a room next to his until he wakes up! Sounds good! Im such a genius! Muahahahah! In a good mood for no real reason, the young girl walked away to go search for food... *** When Asmund woke up, it was already in the middle of the night and almost a whole day passed. But even as he slept this much, his whole body still felt like lead, and he really didnt want to move at the moment. He was forced to though as his stomach kept grumbling loudly and the hunger coming from it was almost unbearable. Damn, it really feels like I didnt eat for days I didnt sleep for days did I? Struggling out of bed, Asmund searched through the food drawer, and took out of it the last 3 bags of potato chips he had left. Next he searched the drink drawer, in hope of finding a beer left in it to go along the potato chips. Nooo! Theres no beer left! Urg Looks like I have no choice but to go fetch one from the machines, there should be 2 left. Dragging his feet, Asmund forced his body to move in the direction of the door, moving the furniture blocking it and then unlocked it, to step outside to go get the beer. He REALLY didnt want to move, but the prospect of eating potato chips without his usual beer to go along with it was just too much for Asmund to bear. (A/N: Pun non intended) But, his body jolted in surprise as the sound of an opening door was heard right after he opened his own, and a shadow moved in front of him. Shit! -Asmund Cursing at his groggy mind and the fact that he forgot to bring his weapon with him, Asmund was going to kick the shadow as his last resort. At least until his eyes were able to make out what the shadow was, stopping him in his tracks. The shadow was A young girl, around his age. She had a thin body with small curves yet didnt feel childish but more elegant. Her messy short hair had a light blonde color which were a weird mix with her pure black almond eyes. And for some reason this girl was also wearing a typical blue and white school uniform, the sailor type one. But despite her cute appearance that appealed to Asmunds eyes, what occupied his mind the most was Why the hell is she groveling at my feet exactly?! -Asmund As if to answer his question, the girl suddenly shouted S-Sir! M-Make me your slave! -Young girl Chapter 13 - Her First Time is Because of Alcohol...? Chapter 13 - Her First Time is Because of Alcohol...? Hearing what the young girl just asked him, Asmunds already muddy mind completely froze. What the hell did she just ask me?! -Asmund As if she just now noticed what she said, the young girls cheeks turned red in shame as she tried to correct herself. Ah no! I meant! That is I wanted to ask M-Make me your follower! Y-Yes, that what I wanted to ask! -Young girl Although its less shocking, I still dont get it. What does this tramp want with me? -Asmund Sighing as he tried to understand the real meaning of her words, he couldnt help but ask. You say to make you my sla *Cough* Follower, but what do you mean by that? Or to be more precise Just what do you want? Im warning you, Im seriously exhausted and in a bad mood, piss me off and I wont hesitate to behead you. -Asmund Listening to Asmunds threat, the young girl who was still groveling felt shivers run down her spine. Is she shivering from fear? Why the hell does she have that kind of face then This girl is seriously starting to creep me out -Asmund T-Thank you very much! N-No I mean *Cough* I-I want to work for you! I dont mind what you do to me, but please let me accompany you! -Young girl Looking at the groveling girl, Asmund pondered if it was a trap of some sort. And as he was staring at her, a screen appeared. [ Human Level 1, Class: None ] Useful And it even tells the gender? Not that this point is really useful though -Asmund Youre someone from the cafeteria? -Asmund Heh? Ah yes, thats correct, or to be more precise, I was someone from the cafeteria. I ran away to go after you. -Young girl Asmund frowned as he heard that, as it didnt made much sense to him. Thats what I dont understand, why did you leave somewhere safe just to become my follower? -Asmund Its b-because that place wasnt as safe as it seems Women were treated as toys by the man in charge, theres almost nothing left to drink, and food was getting sparse too. Yet that perverted fool refuses to leave his small kingdom. I felt that I would be safe and well fed if I followed you, a-and I was really in awe when I saw you fighting those monsters yesterday morning! -Young girl Hmmm Lets believe that its true for argument sake, should I take her under my service? Well, she ''is appealing, so I should at least taste her either way but thats besides the point at the moment. Even if I employ her, since I still dont have my kingdom theres not much I can make her do. Cooking maybe? I mean its not like I will survive on snacks for long, and monsters are probably a viable source of food unless I absorb their blood essence. If I train her and help her kill monsters I could also make her take a helpful class too later on. All in all I should at least be strong enough to protect a single follower by now, so I dont really see any reasons to not take what is given to me If her story is true that is. -Asmund Lets say that Ill let you follow and serve me, what can you do exactly? -Asmund Seeing that Asmund wasnt totally refusing her and even showing interest, the young girl beamed a smile, as she tried to list her uses. I-Im good at housework! I-If you let me follow you I swear that Ill follow your orders to the letter whatever they may be! And And I-Im a virgin! -Young girl I-Is that so -Asmund Was Asmunds reaction, but in truth he was glad that this was the case. Yet it made her story even more doubtful. ... But didnt you just tell me that women were toys for the dumbass in charge of the cafeteria? Why were you left alone? -Asmund Ah! -Young girl As if she realised that she dug her own grave, the girl put her hand over her mouth, as if to shut herself up. Even if it was already too late. I already told you to not make me lose my time, either tell me the truth or die. -Asmund I-I already told you the truth! I swear! I-I just Didnt mention a small detail B-But I only left it out because I was afraid that it would lead to misunderstandings! Really! -Young girl Talk already! -Asmund Y-Yes! I-I understand The thing is Im named Fukuda Shiori, and Im sorta... The perverted bastards little sister -Shiori Oh? -Asmund Slightly surprised, Asmund raised an eyebrow at this piece of information. It would certainly explain why she wasnt toyed with, and also explains why she seems quite healthy despite the shortage of drinks and food she was talking about. But if thats really the case, why did she run away from her brother as he was treating her well? Don''t tell me -Asmund "He was starting to look even at you as a potential ''playmate''?" -Asmund Yes thats right! Since he fed me out of what little familial obligation he felt for me, I became the only girl among the people of the cafeteria who didnt start to look like a mummy. And although I discovered right before all this happened that my brother was in reality a disgusting rapist, who used a gun to threaten a girl who rejected him and forced himself on her, I was still thankful and didnt dare to say out loud what I was thinking of him But some days ago, he started to look at me while licking his lips disgustingly, and I felt like it was only a question of time until I was next, but I had no way to run away with the monsters roaming around the hospital. And thats when I saw you, taking care of the monsters like you were swatting flies. I thought at that moment that following you was probably the only way for me to survive outside. -Shiori I see I have two questions left for you then. Depending on how you answer them, then Ill let you work for me. -Asmund Yes! Please ask! -Shiori Good, first, I want to ask, why do you seem fine with me doing whatever I want with you, when you ran away from your brother because he wanted to do just that. -Asmund Oh Its because, my brother''s a total creep A-And... If its you Im kinda fine with it -Shiori Saying her last sentence with a barely audible voice, her whole face became red in shame, as if she couldnt believe she really said that in front of him. But despite the shame a huge creepy smile was still on her face. Sounds legit, fine then, Ill ask you my last question You say that you are ready to do anything I ask of you. Then would you do it if I ask you to kill people? -Asmund Yes! -Shiori No hesitation?! -Asmund Though it wasnt what I had in mind when I said anything. -Shiori Then what if I ask you to kill your brother? -Asmund No problem! Actually it would be my pleasure! -Shiori This girl is a total nutcase Not that I can talk -Asmund Fine then, Ill take you under my wing. But I warn you if you ever try anything against me, dont obey me, or prove to be more of a hassle than you are useful, then be sure that Ill kill you with my own hands and not in a nice way! -Asmund Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Yes, Master! -Shiori ... Master? -Asmund Yes! After all Im like a maid now arent I? So I thought you would prefer for me to call you Master Was that a bad idea? -Shiori No, thats fine, at least you know your place. Nevermind that, Im seriously exhausted here and want to go back to bed, so Ill give you your first order. Go fetch me the two cans of beer left in one of the vending machines south of here, and bring them back to my room. I will leave a key in the keyhole, so when you come back inside, think of locking the door behind you. -Asmund Yes, Master! -Shiori Looking strangely hyped, Shiori ran to the south for her errand. Looking at her back, Asmund heaved a sigh as he was even more exhausted, mentally, after having to deal with this weirdo, and walked back inside, too tired to even think about doing kinky things with his new possession. Waiting for Shiori to come back with the beers, Asmund mindlessly sat on the bed, hoping that she would hurry up so he could eat and go back to sleep. Im back! -Shiori And right as he hoped, a cheerful voice was soon heard as the sound of the rooms door being opened was heard. Locking the door behind her as instructed, she quickly made her way to Asmunds side to hand him his beers with a smile. Good job Here, take one of the bags of the potato chips. -Asmund Grabbing the beers she was handing him, Asmund lazily told her what to do, before grabbing the two others for himself and opened them, before starting his meal He was so hungry that he was barely able to taste the perfect combination of potato chips and beer Opening her own bag, Shiori seemed to be hesitant to ask something, which Asmund noticed from the corner of his sight. Is she going to complain that I took two bags while she only has one? -Asmund H-Hmmm Master I-Is there possibly something to drink for me? -Shiori Hearing her plea, Asmund tilted his head in confusion Something to drink? Why dont you simply use Water Chan Ah! Of course, I forgot you didnt even have that Im really out of it Here, Ill let it float for you, drink directly from it. -Asmund As he said that, Asmund stretched his arm in front of Shiori, and opened his palm while activating Water Channeling. Soon a ball of water gathered above it, directly floating in the air. That sight obviously startled Shiori who looked at this scene with her eyes wide open in shock, before looking more excited than ever. T-This is magic?! This is magic right, Master?! -Shiori Unlike the hyped Shiori, Asmund couldnt really share her feeling as he was more than used to things much more incredible than such a simple skill. Its only a cheap common skill, although I admit that its useful, its nothing special. And you can get the skill for only 100 Credits. -Asmund Ohhh! W-When youre talking about getting that skill for 100 Credits, are you talking about the Systems Shop thingy? -Shiori Of course I do, dont tell me that you guys didnt even know about its uses. -Asmund Urg Actually, even though some of us were curious about it, my brother told us to not look at it, because it would gave us weird ideas and would do nothing but depress us to look at things we wouldnt be able to get -Shiori Your brother is even more of a retard than I believed, then. There are free classes to take in there, which could have been useful for you guys to have around. -Asmund Heh?! Seriously?! -Shiori Yeah, but dont try to get one, I already know which class Im going to make you take, but until we have the funds to take it, you will stay without a class. -Asmund I-I understand But what kind of class is it, if I you dont mind me asking? -Shiori Its the only hybrid sounding class of the Fighter rank classes. Its called Elite Maid, and although its first active skill is useful its not really combat based. But then again all Fighter rank classes and above can learn fighting skills, so with that class you should be able to do your job as a servant, you should also be able to learn skills to fight. Its growth bonus is Constitution too, so its a class best fitted for people to be able to take hits. -Asmund ... Elite Maid, huh -Shiori Staring at the ceiling, Shiori seemed to think about something, but didnt sound displeased about Asmunds choice of class for her. Hey Are you going to make me keep wasting my mana or something? -Asmund Seeing as Shiori completely forgot about the ball of water, Asmund lost patience as his arm also became sore from the position he was in. A-Ah! Sorry, Master! -Shiori Putting her lips directly against the floating water, she drank it with loud gulping sounds. Some delight also appeared on her face, as the sensation of the cool and pure water went down her throat, really refreshing her. T-This water is really good for some reason! Its really fresh too, so it feels good since the temperature is rising lately! -Shiori Ignoring her, Asmund kept munching his snack and drank his beers in silence. Soon finishing his meal, right as Shiori finished too despite the fact she had half the quantity of food. Alright, Im going back to sleep, you can do whatever you want, but just know that even if Im asleep, if you try anything against me then Ill know it. -Asmund It was a complete bluff, but Asmund didnt have the energy to think of a way to make things absolutely safe for him at the moment. D-Dont worry, Master! Ill never dare to do anything like that! On the contrary, if you get in danger Ill protect you! -Shiori And how is a damn weakling supposed to protect me...? Whatever Undressing himself while Shiori took care of cleaning the bedsheets from the remains of their meal, he moved inside the bed after having nothing but his underwear on him. And soon after him, Shiori did exactly the same, and moved inside the bed in nothing but her plain white underwears. Leaving her be, Asmund closed his eyes, wanting nothing but sleep right now ... Master? -Shiori What? -Asmund As he answered her, a good amount of annoyance was heard in his voice. Are we going to hunt those dog monsters tomorrow? -Shiori ... Yeah Is that a problem? -Asmund No! Im really excited! Im so impatient to get stronger too! -Shiori Fine then -Asmund Master? -Shiori What?! -Asmund This time it was plain anger which was in his voice. We arent going to do it? -Shiori Just let me sleep goddamn it! -Asmund - (Ultrabenosaurus: First Time = First Order.) Chapter 14 - Even Xena, the Warrior Princess, Started out as a Pathetic Weakling. Chapter 14 - Even Xena, the Warrior Princess, Started out as a Pathetic Weakling. Next morning, as Asmund woke up while feeling slightly hot without knowing why, he opened his eyes and soon realised: Shiori was currently hugging him in her sleep, while having her usual creepy smile on her face. Uehehehehe N-No not there, Master you hentai -Shiori Although the situation was pretty erotic (at least for a male virgin at the peak of his puberty), Asmund really felt annoyed for some reason while looking at her. Im not really in the mood, itll wait for tonight I guess. -Asmund Even if he wasnt in the mood, the hug and the sensation of her soft body glued to his still felt pretty good. It made him reluctant to leave the bed, but it was going to be a busy day so he woke her up with a small poke on the forehead, and left the bed to change himself while Shiori was grumbling something about not being lovey-dovey enough as she was holding her forehead which was throbbing in pain. Finished changing into his gear, Asmund was going to hand her some of his spares when he remembered that he had yet to open all the capsules he gained the other day. Grabbing one of the grey capsules, he handed it to Shiori even though she was still in bed. I want to try something out, open that capsule And dont worry theres no danger to it, theyre treasure capsules that are dropped by dead monsters, and from which you can gain items which give bonus stats. -Asmund She looked confused when she first got the gacha ball, but after hearing what it was, Shiori completely woke up as she excitedly twisted open the capsule. *Pop* A dud huh? Here, try another. -Asmund Saying that, he handed her another grey capsule. *Pop* Oh! W-What is it? It looks like a miniature pants like the one Master is wearing -Shiori Perfect, grab it and hand it to me. -Asmund Perplexed by his request, she still did as he asked Kya! -Shiori And shrieked in surprise as the pants suddenly grew in size as she touched it. W-Wha?! What just happened?! -Shiori All the equipment gained through the treasure capsules, apart from weapons, come out in miniature form but after coming in contact with someone it then expands into a size perfect for the holder to wear. If you release it, it will go back to its miniature size though. -Asmund Trying to do just that, she retracted her hand from the greyish pants and just like he said it reverted to miniature size. Her curiosity satisfied, Shiori quickly handed the pants to Asmund, who took a step back after obtaining it. Looks like it really changed from your size into mine as soon as I was the only one to hold it. And it looks like the items arent bound to the one opening the capsule, and can be used by anyone. Thats good to know. -Asmund His experiment done, he handed the pants back to Shiori as he intended to give her a pair anyway. Asmund then separated his 49 remaining capsules into two stacks, so that both can open capsules at the same time and make the process quicker. But Asmund obviously started with the one he was the most impatient to open. And that is the one which was dropped by the Death-Hound Beta obviously. *Pop* [ Rank.1 - Black Dagger ] [ Effect: Pow+1, Agi+2, Atk+2 ] [ Durability: 100% ] FUUUUUUUCK! -Asmund Once again startled by Asmunds sudden outburst, Shiori who was still half naked in the bed, slightly retreated further inside it, before timidly asking. D-Did something wrong happen, Master? -Shiori Heaving a really long sigh as he calmed down, Asmund waved his hand at her. Its nothing, dont worry about it I was just really unlucky. -Asmund O-Okay -Shiori Not really understanding what happened, Shiori continued her previous task, and was really getting a lot of fun from it, as every item appearing was incredible in her mind. Asmund also continued to open the normal treasure capsules, sorting what was appearing in proper piles. Im done, Master! I think I gained a lot of cool things! -Shiori You did? -Asmund Taking a look at the items that were spread on the bed, Asmund had a stiff smile. Theyre either trash or average items that I already have a lot of spares of What did I even expect from this airhead anyway, its not like shed be able to recognise a good item from a bad one for now -Asmund Not too bad I guess In addition to the Hunter Trouser I handed you, take a Leather Shirt, a pair of Leather Boots, a Lesser Health Potion and a weapon of your choice. -Asmund Yes, Master! -Shiori Looking eager to start the hunt, Shiori quickly changed into her gears, under the watchful gaze of Asmund, who found out that the nearly skin-tight Leather Shirt and Hunter Trouser, were unexpectedly sexy when worn by a woman. Dang, even though she has only modest curves, they sure are emphasised in those clothes -Asmund Im ready, Master! -Shiori Did you chose your weapon too? -Asmund Yeah! I was thinking of using this spear, that way I will at least have some advantage when it comes to range against the dog monsters. -Shiori A surprisingly smart move, shes actually able to think, I would have never guessed it was possible -Asmund Master A-Are you thinking of something really rude about me? -Shiori Is this girl sharper than she looks? Na, cant be -Asmund What I think about you only concerns myself. Now come on, were going to the vending machines to pick-up something to eat, and then we will start to hunt the mutts. -Asmund Y-Yes! -Shiori With Shiori in tow, Asmund left the room, locked the door behind him like usual and then moved in direction of the vending machines. But as he was walking, he felt that he forgot about something Ah I didnt take my usual morning shower Its nothing much but I dont really feel comfortable when I miss out on my good habits. As expected of someone who lived a life made of nothing but the same usual routine I guess Oh well, the shower will wait for tonight, I dont feel like going back when were already out and ready to hunt. -Asmund Giving up on following his morning routine, Asmund moved along in direction of the south, soon arriving at the vending machines. Huh? Theres less than I remember in there -Asmund I-Im sorry, Master, I-I took some of the things in there while waiting for you to wake up and leave your room -Shiori Oh At least you''re honest and didnt try to hide it. Thats fine, there should be enough left so we can hold for some more days. And when we really have nothing left, then we will raid the cafeteria and take the secret stash your brother probably made for himself for when the food runs out there too. -Asmund Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Yes! -Shiori Seeing that Asmund wasn''t angry at her for taking some food without asking, even if it was before she became his servant, she felt really relieved and smiled sweetly. Like usual, both fed themselves on unhealthy snacks and drank soft drinks which were sadly hot and not that good, even though Asmund cooled them a little inside a bubble of water made with the use of Water Channel. After they were done with their breakfast they left this place to move in the direction of Asmunds usual hunting spot near the hospitals main entrance. But that was already 3 hours ago Master? Does it normally take this long for the monsters to appear? -Shiori No This is definitely taking too long Are those bastards hiding from me because I killed their Beta? Tch! Its going to be a pain in the ass if were forced to go search for them in the basement. -Asmund The basement? Why there? -Shiori On the first days after the apocalypse, level 1 Death-Hounds or dog monsters like you like to call them, cleaned every single floor of human corpses that were killed by mutts with a higher level. The place where they brought those corpses was the basement. I also noticed a huge flow of Death-Hounds moving up and down from it, so I came to the conclusion that their nest was down there. -Asmund Ohhh~. -Shiori Asmund looked amused at the impressed Shiori, but he soon was back deep in thought, thinking about what he should do now that the Death-Hounds were trying to avoid him. Even if their numbers are probably quite reduced thanks to yours truly, they should still need to hunt for food, right? But that doesn''t mean that they will necessarily come out of their nest through the hospitals main entrance. For all I know, they could have very well made another exit leading outside the hospital, directly inside the basement. What a pain, it looks like we will have to clean up things at the source. But Shiori is still nothing but a level 1 newbie and I never visited the basement until now. Theres also the possibility of encountering the Alpha down there, and when I think about how strong that damn Beta was, I can only fear that the Alpha will be even more absurdly strong. -Asmund Looks like we don''t really have any choices left Were going to visit the basement, but we will do this cautiously, taking the minimum amount of risk and make the maximum preparations. For now we need flashlights, do you have any idea where to find some? -Asmund Hmmm Wouldn''t the security room have some? -Shiori Fair enough, lets visit it first. -Asmund That said, they left their hiding spot and traveled to the security room, which happened to be close to where they were. Inside was a wall covered in small screens, which were obviously black at the moment since there was no power. There was also a desk in front of the screens, with two chairs, but most importantly, there was a small fridge filled with can of beers! Nice! -Asmund At least, Asmund was really happy with this discovery. As for the flashlights they were hoping for, by searching the desk they did find one. It was the only one left, but it had a spare battery for it though. One should be enough, with my current eyesight I should have no troubles to walk in dark places, so you keep it, Shiori. -Asmund Heh? -Shiori What? Is there something wrong? -Asmund No, no! Ill keep it, thank you. -Shiori Kyaaa! Its the first time he said my name! -Shiori Why does she have that stupid grin on her face again? I seriously dont get this girl Is she this happy over a simple flashlight? -Asmund Not thinking too much about it, Asmund grabbed a marker pen which was left on the desk, a beer because he had the urge to drink one, and left the room while thinking about what they should do next. Is there anything else we need to visit the basement? A map would be good, but I dont think well find that easily Anything else? I did say that I wanted to make as much preparations as possible, but I cant think about anything else Lets go then, if I cant think of anything its probably that I don''t need anything else. -Asmund Lets go, were going to go down through the less used staircase. -Asmund Shiori just answered with a nod before walking next to him, getting fired up. Imagining herself slaying hundreds of Death-Hounds like Asmund But as her imagination went a little too far, she ended up seeing herself devoured by a horde of monsters. Naturally, this made sweat run down her back, as she finally realised that it wasnt a game and she was going to put her life on the line here M-Master? -Shiori What? Do you need to visit the toilet before going to the basement? -Asmund Well Now that Master mentions it there is that too, but I was thinking, Master wants for me to fight monsters alongside him right? But the thing Is that Im not really confident about it, and afraid that Im going to be in the way more than anything. -Shiori Listening to her, Asmund stopped walking and stared at her with eyes which made it clear what he was thinking about her at the moment, but in case that she didnt get it he still said it outloud. Are you an idiot? -Asmund Uhhh~... I-I know Im not exactly the brightest person in existence, but still Did I say anything wrong? -Shiori Damn straight you did Did you seriously think that I was going to let you participate in fights right from the start? What are you stats exactly? -Asmund I-I have 4 in Power, 6 in Agility, 5 in Constitution, 7 in Mind and 3 in Spirit -Shiori Does Mind really affect intelligence somehow? Her having a Mind base stat lower than average would make sense then Sadly Im afraid that putting free points in it wouldnt change anything for her case -Asmund Well Youre damn weak! I did expect it from the fact that you were malnourished for a while and so you''re still in a period of weakness, but damn! I cant believe you only have 4 in Power, even when I was on the border of death and not much better than a zombie, I also had 4 at the time Anyway, if I were to let you fight alone against something as low as a level 1, even with the help of the items I gave you, with your inexperience you would get slaughtered no matter how I see it. And what I would need help with would be monsters MUCH stronger than those, so what could you even do? I wouldnt even be able to use you as a meat shield. -Asmund Urg -Shiori Being faced with Asmunds honest judgment of her capability, Shiori became really depressed, and maybe a little ashamed to have even thought that she would be able to battle monsters easily just because she started to follow Asmund. For now youre definitely a weakling, thats why I will cripple weak monsters that wouldn''t give me much experience or Credits anyway, and leave them for you to finish. -Asmund Asmunds plan brightened Shioris mood as she now realized that she wouldnt have to really fight monsters head on for now, and will still have a chance to grow stronger. Thank you, Master! Youre the best! -Shiori Snorting, Asmund answered seriously. I just hope that youll not make me regret to have to put this amount of effort in raising you. I also hope you wont kick the bucket without my permission. -Asmund Leave it to me! -Shiori Fired up again, Shiori raised her spear over her head, full of fighting spirit. She also tried to make it spin around and stab the air as if she was doing shadow training, but looking at her messy form and the fact that she almost tripped more than once, Asmund slightly frowned. Just looking at you isnt exactly reassuring But at least she didn''t drop it, I guess? -Asmund Chapter 15 - Post-Apocalypse Rule 1: Cardio, Cardio, Cardio! Chapter 15 - Post-Apocalypse Rule 1: Cardio, Cardio, Cardio! Ready, both of them searched for the staircase which was the furthest away from the one Asmund noticed the most Death-Hounds moving through at the start of the apocalypse. Since it was pretty far away, it took them 20 minutes to reach it. Looks like theres no movements here -Asmund Looking at the door at the bottom of the stairs, Asmund talked to himself as he was trying to detect any hint that Death-Hounds were nearby. Good, then lets make the final preparations. Put your spear down for a second and stretch your arm in front of you for a moment. -Asmund Oh? A-Alright Like this? -Shiori Doing just as he asked, she stretched her arm after putting down her spear, and looked at Asmund with some anticipation in her eyes, wondering what was going to happen. Good, Im going to give you gauntlets to protect yourself, so even if youre creeped out by whats going to happen, dont move more than necessary until I tell you I''m finished. -Asmund R-Roger! -Shiori Creeped out? -Shiori As she was wondering what he meant by that, she watched in astonishment as Asmund opened his wrist with the use of his black dagger, after removing the blood coating, without any hesitation. Blood soon started to float in her direction to cover both her arms. S-S-SO COOL! -Shiori That wasnt exactly the reaction I expected -Asmund I-Is that Masters magic?! -Shiori Yeah Its something unique to my class, Blood Manipulation, I can use blood to make equipement for myself, among other tricks -Asmund Oh! So thats why I didnt see the giant red sword or his claw thingy anywhere. Now that I think of it, it really felt like blood was moving around to form the claw thingy the first time I saw it. -Shiori There you go, do you feel any restraint or difficulty to move your hands? -Asmund As she looked at the gauntlets covering her arms with stars in her eyes, Shiori tried to move all her fingers and her wrist, and was really surprised with how comfortable they were. It feels like Master is covering my arms to protect me! Uheheheheh! -Shiori They are really comfortable Actually if I could always have them on me I would really like it! -Shiori Sorry but no, keeping blood in a fixed form uses my mana and also slowly exhausts me mentally. Otherwise I would always keep the coating on my equipment at all times. -Asmund So thats how it is, too bad B-By the way, Master. You lost a lot of blood already Is that really fine? -Shiori I can produce an infinite amount of blood as long as I have mana, so its okay. Anyway, give me a second to coat my weapons and then we will go down. -Asmund U-Understood! -Shiori While Asmund turned his black longsword into his giant sword and the black dagger into a blade-whip, Shiori was exercising with her spear on the side to try to get used to using it with the gauntlets. His weapons remade, Asmund also made his usual clawed gauntlet for his left arm, as he was now able to control more blood at the same time with the huge boost in Mind he received recently. Good, it seems like were ready at last, if you hear any sounds around us, immediately flash it with your flashlight. They shouldnt be able to come too close to us without me noticing it, but just in case I didnt warn you ahead of time, do that. -Asmund Hn! -Shiori Shiori nodded nervously, and waited for Asmund to take the lead before following him downstairs. At the bottom of the stairs was a door left open, which was showing signs of being damaged didn''t seem to have been opened in a conventional way. But the fact that only the door, which was barely big enough to let a Death-Hound level 1 to 3 to pass through, was damaged and not the surrounding wall seemed like good news in Asmunds eyes. This passage must have been used by level 1 Death-Hounds at the time they were still cleaning the building. At least there shouldnt be any high level ones around. -Asmund Stepping inside the dark hallways of the basement, Asmund heard a nervous gulping sound coming from behind him. The light produced by the flashlight was moving around to illuminate every corner of the hallways, never staying in one place for long. But not minding his new liability, Asmund just focused on listening to his surroundings, proceeding forward while barely using his sight. That said, he could still see quite well when thinking about the lack of any light source down there, apart from the flashlight of course. Stop! -Asmund Making a sign for Shiori to stop moving while telling her to do so in a low voice, Asmund focused on a small sound he heard coming from some distance away further in the hallways. Its coming closer Alone I say its a level 2 or 3 -Asmund Get ready our first prey is coming. But cut off the light so we dont startle it and make it run away. -Asmund Yes, Master -Shiori She did as he ordered and cut off the light of her fleshlight, but she was far from being happy at the prospect of staying in the dark with a monster nearby. Which pleased Asmund as he didnt expect her to obey without at least complaining a little. It looks like this girl might really be usable after all -Asmund (Ultrabenosaurus: no, not that kind of ''usable'' you damn pervert, they''re in the middle of a dungeon raid! This is not time for such lecherous nonsense! Though the next sentence from Asmund may start in a suggestive manner...) Crouch down where you are and dont move I will bring the mutt to you and hold it down so you can stab it. -Asmund Not giving her the time to answer, Asmund rushed forward, not minding the fact that the monster would hear him approach, as he was confident that he was much faster than it and would catch it up without trouble now that it was this close. And sure enough, before the Death-Hound could even react, the poor fella got his legs cut by Asmunds blade-whip, before having his wound closed by solid blood so he wouldnt die from blood loss. [ Death-Hound Level 2 ] Perfect, it should be enough for her to level up. -Asmund Grabbing the pitiful whining beast by the skin of his neck, Asmund dragged him to the still waiting Shiori, who couldnt help but be startled at the whining sounds which were coming closer to her. You can use your flashlight again. -Asmund As she heard the sound of Asmund''s voice coming from the darkness ahead of her, Shiori heaved a sigh of relief and switched on her flashlight again. Making her see the gruesome sight of a big monster being dragged around while being legless, yet still uselessly trying to struggle for his life. Dropping the monster a meter away from Shiori, Asmund pushed the Death-Hounds head down with his foot, locking his snout closed so it doesnt try to bite her if she carelessly approached it. Go ahead, aim for his eyes so you can reach the brain, its the easiest way to kill them. -Asmund Standing up with her spear in one hand and her flashlight with the other, Shiori slowly approached the downed monster so she could reach him with her weapon. And as she did, pointed the tip of the spear close to its eye, afraid of missing it if she was to try to stab it from further away for more momentum. Nyah! -Shiori Shouting what she felt was something akin to a war cry, but sounded more like the cute meowing of a kitten to Asmunds ears, she thrusted her spear in direction of the beast A-Ah Oops -Shiori Only to miss and stab the jaw of the poor Death-Hound, who at this point wanted nothing more but to end its suffering. Nyah! -Shiori Once again she made her weird war cry, and I-Its harder than it looks -Shiori Ripped a part of her targets ear. Are you for real Even Im starting to pity him here (not really). Just stab his eye already, how hard is that to do? -Asmund Uhhh~... S-Sorry. Ill get it this time! Nyah! -Shiori OUCH! GODDAMIT! Where the fuck are you aiming?! -Asmund This time the Death-Hound was spared, but Asmunds foot was another story Luckily she wasnt able to pierce through his skin with the amount of Power she have in comparison to his Constitution. But he still felt a nasty prickling sensation when she did. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Eeek~! S-Sorry, Master! A-Are you okay?! -Shiori Im fine! You wont be able to wound me even if you were trying your best to do it! But just kill it already! -Asmund Nyah! -Shiori Are you kidding me You didnt even hit him this time! Know what?! Just stop with the weird war cry already and just bark or something! -Asmund Although he said that because of her weird cry and the current situation was getting on his nerves, she believed that it was an order and actually did it W-Wan! -Shiori Seriously? When she barked she got him dead-on? I just have No words -Asmund [ Received 2 Credits ] I-I did it, Master! And it says that I received 2 Credits! -Shiori Huh? Thats weird Unless -Asmund Did you level up? -Asmund No I didnt, at least it didnt tell me anything about that and Yes, Im still level 1 on my character sheet. Why? Should I have gained a level? -Shiori So thats how it is Yes, you should have gained a level, if you killed him alone that is. Since we both were involved in this monster''s death, the experience and Credits were shared. -Asmund I Ah! I-Its moving! -Shiori Dont worry its definitely dead, otherwise you wouldnt receive any Credits. That weird twitching is what happens when a monster is dropping a treasure capsule. -Asmund Explaining what was happening to Shiori, Asmund made a backpack out of his blood and put the gacha ball that the monster just dropped in it. Done with that, Asmund was going to move away when Shiori suddenly asked him. M-Master! Master isnt going to absorb it? -Shiori Hmm? How do you know about that? -Asmund The other day, early in the morning, after Master fought with the big group of Death-Hounds I saw Master gather blood around him and absorbed it through his skin, I wasnt really sure of what I was looking at at the time, but now that I know a little more about Masters magic I kinda understand what Master did. Even if Im still not sure why Master did that -Shiori Is that so? Well, like you guessed I can absorb the blood of dead monsters or humans, and use it to strengthen myself. But the more I absorb the blood of one species, the less it gives good results, thats why Im starting to avoid to absorb low level monsters. It lessens the effect while not giving much results anyway, since the level of the monster I absorb influences how much I gain through the absorption. -Asmund Thats awesome! -Shiori As you say -Asmund Not wanting to lose more time on explanations, Asmund tried to avoid explaining things which would lead to other questions from the overly curious Shiori. So he said the bare minimum that would explain the situation and why he wasnt absorbing this monsters blood essence, before walking away. Luckily, it seems that a lot of weaklings are in these parts and so it didnt take long for Asmund to find other preys. But since they were level 3 at most, Shioris level and the amount of Credits gained was growing very slowly... After hours of hunting without moving too far away from the staircase, the result was 8 treasure capsules, 37 Credits each, and 3 levels for Shiori. Yay! Im already level 4, Master! I didnt expect that I would grow this fast! -Shiori I wouldnt call it fast But seeing as we killed nothing but the small fry and shared the experience gain, I guess that it was still a decent growth. But Im getting really hungry, and it should already be getting close to nightfall outside. We should stop our hunt here for today, I marked the walls with a marker pen and drew a map of the part we visited today, so tomorrow we should be able to search further in and fight stronger ones. -Asmund Yesss~! -Shiori Really happy with her gain of levels, Shiori couldnt stop smiling and skipping around as they were traveling back to the entrance of this floor. Seeing her like that, even Asmunds mood brightened a little even though he didnt gain much today. ! Suddenly, Asmund stopped moving entirely, as if time stopped for him or he turned to stone. Master? Whats wrong? -Shiori Even if he didnt answer her, as she looked at his face paling and large drops of sweat slowly appearing on it, she immediately understood that something really dangerous was going on. As for Asmund, what was stopping him from moving was a ridiculously large amount of pressure that he was sensing on his back, as if a giant the size of a mountain was currently stepping on him. Fear He was feeling fear like he never did before Slowly turning around to see the origin of the pressure, he noticed darkness... It was really strange, it was like a ball of black fog was standing in the middle of the dark hallway. Gulping loudly in nervousness, his eyes got used to that new source of darkness and revealed to Asmund what it truly was It was a wolf like creature, the size of a level 2 Death-Hound, much smaller than the most threatening Death-Hounds he saw until now. But that wolf, unlike the Death-Hounds, had a thick black fur which gave the impression of floating around the monsters body. Just as Asmund was staring at the monster, the monster was staring back at him with eyes much alike his own, with a bright blood red color. The last peculiar thing Asmund noticed about this beast, was the small white pattern on its head, looking like a human skull, and right as he was staring at it, it appeared [ Death-Hound Alpha Level 23 - Boss ] Reading what was written on the panel above the monster head, Asmund didnt even think to fight it under the current conditions, and fled, he grabbed Shiori by her waist and put her over his shoulder without any warnings from his part, resulting in her shrieking in surprise but not resisting. W-Whats happening, Master?! -Shiori Were in deep shit, thats whats going on! Light up whats behind us and youll see! -Asmund Moving the flashlight she was still holding tight in her hand in the direction of the hallway they were currently fleeing from, she gasped in horror as she saw the small yet fearsome monster who was now running after them. Is it getting closer?! -Asmund Y-Yes! Its incredibly fast! -Shiori Asmund was certainly far from being slow and could run approximately 4 times faster than an average human. But the beast after him could at least run 6 times faster! So it was no wonder that despite all the effort Asmund was putting into running as fast as he could, he wasnt able to lose the Alpha which was coming closer with each passing second. Shit! -Asmund Understanding that simply running wouldnt be enough, Asmund gathered the blood coating his weapons and Shioris gauntlets into a giant ball of blood, and quickly make it expand into a wall behind him. Which he turned solid as soon as it was as thick as possible, and leaving no openings for the Alpha to go through. The wall of blood was absorbing more and more mana from Asmund as he was moving away from it, but he knew the wall was soon going to disappear anyway. Just hoping that it would at least buy him even a single second. *CRASH* But betraying his hope, the monster jumped through the wall like an arrow as if there wasnt even an obstacle on his path to begin with, not slowing down and keeping its pace. You damn son of a! -Asmund Not turning around to see, but understanding what happened just from the loud sound of breaking glass he heard, Asmund cursed as he racked his brain for ideas. Its bad! Damn its bad! I cant fight this bastard while having Shiori near me and not having prepared my gear in advance! I never imagined that the damn Alpha would be nothing like the other Death-Hounds and would be an Agility based monster! If I cant fight, I need to run away, but the bastard is even faster than me! I cant stop him or at least slow him down by using my ability either! Then what?! Speed! I need more speed! Would my clawed boots would do the trick? No, it would certainly improve my speed, but it will be nowhere near enough! Then what could I make to gain more speed?! Rollers?! No thats retarded Anything with wheels wouldnt help in this situation, and as soon as I reach the stairs it would just hinder me anyway! Lets take inspiration from animals, what are the fastest kind of animals?! The four legged kind clearly, but I dont think that running on all fours or making a centaur body out of blood would improve anything! Then Birds All I can think of are wings, but would wings really help here?! It wouldnt give me much speed would it, and Im too heavy to fly with them. At the very least it would give me a small push and thats it Not that I really have a choice, its worth a try if I combine it with my clawed boots -Asmund Wanting to try out his idea, Asmund slashed open his wrist which already healed thanks to his incredible Constitution, and formed a pair of wings glued to his back, small enough to be spread in this hallway, and a pair of clawed boots to have a better grasp of the floor Lets hope it works -Asmund Chapter 16 - You Know What? F*ck It... Chapter 16 - You Know What? Fuck It... Spreading his blood wings open, startling Shiori as she didnt even notice them until now due to her nervousness, Asmund flapped them awkwardly while he was running slightly faster already thanks to his clawed boots. Wow! -Asmund And the result was much better than his expectations, as even if he needed to keep them in liquid form to be able to control them directly, no air passed through them and made them able to push away a huge amount of it thanks to that fact. You could say that Asmunds blood was unexpectedly an incredible material when it to comes to aerodynamics. The problem though, is that his wings were not at all synchronised, and made him almost ram a wall with his whole body. It was far from being perfect, and he was nowhere near becoming a birdman, but it gave him some hope right now. Doing his best to get used to the weird sensation of being pushed around by a wall of air, and aiming for perfect synchronisation with both wings, Asmund kept running like crazy while exercising his wings I-I think Im getting the hang of it! -Asmund The timing was far from being perfect yet, but at least he wasnt thrown away left and right, but straight ahead. Well, theres a need to mention that the wings were obviously reversed so it could push him forward and not backward, making the whole process even harder. But luckily, Asmunds talent happened to be adaptability of all things, so he got used to those weird wings quite fast, especially motivated by the situation he was in at the moment. And by the predator after his ass Good! Im much faster than before now! -Asmund Shiori! Is the damn thing still getting closer, or am I able to keep our distance now?! -Asmund Eh?! H-Hmmm I-It looks like the distance isnt shortening anymore B-But its difficult to say because Master is moving with sudden bursts. -Shiori If hes not obviously getting closer then its already great! Keep watching and tell me if hes getting dangerously close! -Asmund The chase continued for a short while, as it was already going on for two minutes, and as expected, as Asmund was running at full speed it didnt take much more to reach the exit from which they walked into this floor. This is it! Were reaching the staircase! If Im able to keep our distance after reaching the top of the stairs, then I should be able to find a way to lose this damn persistent mutt! -Asmund Thinking of something, Asmund gave up on his wings which would get stuck in the doorway anyway and slow him down. He turned them into a ball of blood like the time he wanted to make a wall to block the Alpha, or at least slow him down. Doing so just as he was going to pass through the open door, he turned the ball of blood into another wall, just big enough to block the entirety of the doors frame, and turned it solid as soon as he passed said doors frame. Using that time when the Alpha couldnt see him Asmund jumped with all his power and speed and used the wall as a springboard, allowing him to reach the top of the stairs in almost an instant. But he didnt stop there and started to climb the stairs leading to the second floor while throwing a ball of blood down a hallway of the first floor, turning it solid in mid air. *CRASH* Then was heard the sound of the blood wall downstairs breaking, soon followed by the sound of the solid ball of blood loudly rolling on the floor as Asmund didnt make it perfectly round and gave it small edges. Using the ruckus both made, Asmund continued to climb upstairs while making as little noise as possible. Not waiting to see what was happening with the Alpha and if he fell for his trick, Asmund walked in the nearest room to the staircase, which happened to be a closet full of spare medical materials. Locking the door behind him with the help of a blood key, Asmund let Shiori down and then faced the door while getting his gear ready, knowing that if his plan failed he would have no other choice but to fight the damn thing head-on. But a minute passed without any signs of him showing Then 2 3 4 And only when half an hour was gone by, Asmund body became limp and he fell to the floor, as all the tension in it left him. I-It looks like we lost it... -Shiori Seems like it, yes That little shit! I swear that Ill rip him to pieces when Im ready! -Asmund Despite the fact that Asmund should be happy that he was able to keep his life after encountering such an incredible monster in such disadvantageous conditions , all he could think of was the humiliation he went through, by fleeing desperately for his life. Looking at the changes in his expression was going through while he was deep in thought, Shiori didnt dare to say anything until he finally calmed down a few minutes later. M-Master? What should we do? Should we stay here for longer, or go home? -Shiori ...... Were going back to my room, I dont feel at ease here and I dont think that the damn mutt kept searching for us after he fell for my trick. Otherwise he would have found this place already. -Asmund On those words, Asmund stood back up and left the room, not waiting for Shiori who he knew would catch up soon enough. The sun was already setting outside and the hallway became darker, soon the night was going to fall, yet Asmund stayed cautious on the rest of the way. The pair walked so slowly that it took almost an entire hour before they were finally back to Asmund''s room, after making an obvious detour to the vending machines to get their dinner . Walking inside, Asmund took off his backpack and blood soaked shirt to throw it inside the bathroom, intending to wash it with him as he takes a shower. But before going to the bathroom himself and now that Shiori was inside, he locked the door and barricaded it as always. Im going to take a shower, dont mind me and eat by yourself. -Asmund He was going to leave her alone in the room and make his way to the bathroom by himself, but Shioris eyes opened wide and stared at him full of excitement as she heard the word shower. M-Master! You have a working shower?! -Shiori Huh? No I dont, but I can use the Water Channeling skill to gather water above my head and then let some of it drop on me. Its not exactly comfortable, I would prefer a bathtub much more, but beggars cant be choosers. -Asmund You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. T-Then, do you mind if we take one together?! I-I really want to take a shower I didnt wash myself for more than a week in order to not waste any water, my body is starting to itch, and lets not talk about the smell -Shiori ... Its true that you smell. -Asmund Just as Shiori was quite straightforward with her hygiene problems, Asmund was quite frank with his answer. You could say that both were experts when it came to breaking the mood... And being told straight to her face that she did smell, especially by the guy she likes worships, really depressed Shiori who was now pouting with teary eyes. Uhhh~, I know I said it myself, but still... You really have no delicacy, Master -Shiori Do I look like I care? I dont, but your smell is a problem, I already noticed it this morning when waking up, but luckily I was so exhausted yesterday night that I didnt even notice it and fell asleep. But tonight its another story, youre not getting anywhere near me before you''ve washed yourself. I intended to give you a basin full of water and a clean sponge for that, but now that you mention it, its more efficient to wash together, so come on. -Asmund She felt like Asmund was kicking her while she was down when he started to talk, but when he told her to follow him in the shower, her mood immediately brightened as she could finally clean her body And probably more Uehehehehehe, time for me to become a woman! -Shiori Unlike Shiori, Asmund was completely oblivious to what showering together was implying, or to be more precise he didnt think that far and was just thinking in a practical way, but as he continued to undress, and saw that Shiori was doing the same, thats when he finally got it. Oh So its THAT kind of situation. -Asmund Now understanding what was really going on, he felt much more eager to shower than before, his young and inexperienced mind getting really excited about his first time. His blood was gathering down below his waist and was completely exposed to Shiori''s view, but he had not an ounce of shame as he had no intention of hiding it and was in fact openly inspecting Shiori''s nude body, who unlike him was blushing and doing her best to fight the urge to cover her privates. Hell! I-I never suspected him to be this big, when the rest of his body is pretty thin and he isnt really tall! I-Is that even going to fit? They do say the bigger the better, though! Uehehehe -Shiori Ignoring the creepy smile on Shiori''s face, Asmund walked into the shower cabin and started to gather water above his head while waiting for Shiori to get inside too. Although Asmund was pretty calm despite the situation he was in until now, when the both of them were almost glued to each other in a small space while being in the nude, even the block of ice that was his heart started to beat at a slightly faster pace. I-Im going to start -Asmund It sounded confusing, but he was talking about the water. P-Please do! -Shiori And Shiori did indeed misunderstand him, but her choice of words luckily hid that fact. Asmund then let water drops fall in waves from the ball of water on them, soaking them in fresh water which felt really refreshing to the touch, especially when you are covered in dirt and dried blood. Shiori really wanted to use said water to scrub her body and clean herself, but facing Asmund and staring at his eyes that were staring back at her, she was waiting to see if he was going to make the first move, or was first going to wash himself When she suddenly had an idea. M-Master D-Do you want me to wash your body? -Shiori Asmund was startled by the sudden question, but after thinking a little about how nice it would actually be if she would do so, he answered with a grin on his lips. Sounds good, but let me wash yours then. -Asmund Shiori didnt expect him to propose something like that, but she wasnt against the idea, far from it since it actually sounded like her idea of a lovey-dovey couple. So she just meekly nodded her head, before using her hands to scrub Asmunds scarred chest. Now that I have a better look at it, his body is really covered by an incredible number of scars. Its so manly! -Shiori As she was scrubbing his body, Asmund also begun to scrub her body, starting by stroking her slender waist and back, impressed by just how soft the sensation at the tip of his fingers was. At first, both were unsure of where they should touch and where they shouldnt, but as their instincts took the lead, they stopped thinking too much about it and willed their hands to touch every inch of the others body, as if trying to claim it as their own. It was especially true for Asmund who had an astonishing learning speed and was really getting the hang of how much strength he should use at what spot. The heat between them quickly rising, their lips naturally met and turned into a deep kiss. The good compatibility between the two of them making both crave for more, it didnt take long before Asmund couldnt resist his urges, and ended up pushing Shiori against the wall and popped her cherry. As they entered the main course, like before when they were just beginning, things werent exactly smooth but it didnt take long before loud moans of pleasure could be heard coming out of the bathroom. It lasted for a long while, both of them being young and full of vitality, they went at it like beasts for more than an hour, until being somewhat satisfied. Done with their long shower, both were lying down on the bed in the nude, feeling really refreshed both in mind and body, and were now eating their dinner, which as usual was made of snacks. When done with that, they cleaned up the trash from the bed, before moving inside it and cuddling against one another, with Asmund much more willing to do so than yesterday night. Enjoying the unique sensation of the body of a naked woman against his it didnt took long for Asmund to completely relax and fall asleep. Like him, Shiori who enjoyed the feeling of being safe in his arms, soon fell asleep too... Both just enjoying the moment and completely forgetting about what was waiting for them tomorrow. (H/N: Never before has the title been this straightfoward...) Chapter 17 - Some Guys Just Dont Like Dirty Girls. Chapter 17 - Some Guys Just Don''t Like Dirty Girls. The next morning, Asmund woke up with Shiori in his arms and, still half asleep, instinctively smelled her hair which was ruffling his nose. She smells good today, at least -Asmund After enjoying the comfort of the bed and the company of the still sleeping young girl in it for some more time, Asmund left it while yawning and stretching his body. Now fully awake, he remembered last night with a smile, but actually regretted a little that he let his thoughts wander in that direction, as he was now totally in the mood for it yet couldn''t let his lust run rampant as they were running out of time to annihilate the Death-Hounds before running out of food. It''s too bad, but fun time will have to wait for tonight. We need to eliminate many more monsters today and so start the day early. -Asmund Not wanting to lose more of their precious time, he lightly kicked Shioris bottom to wake her up. Wake up already you lazy-ass! You already overslept yesterday, and you do that again today?! What kind of a maid are you to wake up after your master?! -Asmund Heh?! Ah?! What?! -Shiori Roused from her sleep by the pain coming from her kicked buttocks, Shiori sat up on the bed with a panicked expression, not understanding what was happening until her half-asleep brain registered what Asmund just said. A-Ah! Sorry, Master! I completely forgot about my duty! -Shiori Shittt! I totally messed up! I should have woken up earlier and serviced him! -Shiori Shiori was extremely conscious of her role as a maid, and wanted to do her best at it. It wasnt because she fancied the position of being a maid, but because she knew that Asmund was someone with a lot of ambitions and wouldnt stop himself from having more than one girl. Not only that, although she was already precious to him, it wasnt because of something like affection, but more like he was considering her like a rare item which has its uses. A rare item is good to have and is hard to replace, but hard doesnt mean its impossible. She was quite aware of that and thats why she wanted to show her usefulness as much as she could, so she could secure her position as the favorite when other women will be at Asmunds side. Good, as long as you get it. More importantly, I intend to go back to hunting early, so Im going to go take a shower now, then we eat our breakfast and leave immediately. So if you want to take a shower too, hurry up and follow me. -Asmund Yes! Im coming! -Shiori Their morning routine was done after taking a shower, which was much shorter than the last one as they did nothing but wash themselves, and eating their breakfast. The two of them opened yesterdays capsules to see if anything nice would be dropped, which obviously didnt happen, and with that finished they got their gear together to start the hunt. On their way to the staircase they grabbed something to eat for lunch. Though as they were approaching said staircase Shiori seemed more uncomfortable to go down to the basement than yesterday, recalling their encounter with the Alpha. M-Master, is it really alright for us to go downstairs again? What if we encounter that black wolf again? -Shiori No problem, although I dont really have a way to handle the bastard yet, after having come in close contact with it and felt the full impact of its presence, I should be able to sense the little shit if hes anywhere nearby and so avoid him with no difficulty. Of course thats on the basis that hes unable to hide his presence, but if that was the case he would have killed me before I could notice him yesterday and be done with it. -Asmund Ohhh~! So you can feel presences, Master?! Is that a skill?! -Shiori Not really, its more like a side-effect of my increase in the Mind stat. But I can only feel powerful beings and only if I dont drop my guard like I did yesterday. You could say that my instincts became keener to danger or something, its pretty hard to put in words -Asmund At the top of the stairs leading to the basement Asmund coated his weapons like always, made his left clawed gauntlet, and made gauntlets for Shiori before going down Their hunt proceeded pretty well from then on. In the morning they kept hunting low level Death-Hounds in the zone they already visited yesterday, and found higher level ones the more they approached the zone near the staircases where Asmund saw a lot of activity at the start of the apocalypse. It seemed to confirm that the whole basement was something akin to a nest to the Death-Hounds, but the highest caste were living near that staircase while the lower ones were forced to live further away. In the afternoon Asmund did feel that the Alpha was patrolling nearby, but fortunately he was able to sense it from further away than it could sense him, probably because Asmund had a higher Mind stat than it. Killing monsters for the whole day, no real incident happened this time and the amount they killed was quite satisfying as they seem to have literally slayed all the monsters under level 4 and also managed to hunt a lot of high level ones. The rewards of the day were also quite good, as they gained in total a level for Asmund, 5 levels for Shiori making her level up to 9, 697 Credits each, 47 treasure capsules, and Asmund also gained a point in Power and Constitution by absorbing monsters of level 6 or more. In addition, Shiori also gained some fighting experience, as Asmund let her take on some weak monsters by herself. Shes still a far cry from being a good fighter, but she at least lost some of her fear of facing monsters. Since it was getting late, they stopped their hunt there and walked back home, but while staying on their guard the whole time as to not repeat yesterdays mistake. Only once they were back on the first floor did they relax a little. Shiori especially was in high spirits from the tremendous rewards they gained today when compared to their last hunt. T-Thats so incredible, Master! Im already level 9! And I have 734 Credits too! I feel so strong and so fast, thats awesome! -Shiori Yeah, today certainly has gone much better than last time, since I knew pretty much where to go, we were able to avoid the damn boss, the killing went much faster with you not being completely useless, and obviously being able to reach higher level monsters. Still When we compare your stats to what I had at the same level, the difference between having no class and having an Emperor ranked one becomes quite obvious -Asmund Urg S-So Im still useless even when I leveled up that much? -Shiori I guess so yes At the very least you still be in the way and nothing else if I were to fight a monster and need help. -Asmund Uhhh~... -Shiori Dont be that down, after you get the Elite Maid class you should become much more useful, think of it as getting the basics for now. And you did grow much stronger, now pretty much no level 1, be it monster or human, should be able to be a threat to you, unless they are well armed or you are careless. -Asmund Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! I-I see! Hehehe. -Shiori Being complemented by Asmund, even though it wasnt really his intent, filled Shiori with pride. Just like a child who was complimented by her parents, it resulted in her laughing in a childish manner while having a bright smile plastered on her face. I have over 3 000 Credits now Should I give her enough so that she can buy the Elite Maid class? No, I dont feel like she proved her loyalty enough for me to do this much for her. If I spoil her she will grow cocky. If she really takes her brothers life when I order to, then Ill think about it. -Asmund Master! Can I buy the Water Channeling skill with my Credits?! -Shiori Hmm? Well Its a useful skill after all and doesnt cost much. Alright, you can buy it. -Asmund Yes! Thank you, Master! -Shiori Pumping her fist in excitement for buying her first magic, Shiori immediately went through the Systems Shop and bought the Water Channeling skill. That done she tried to use it, but realised that she didnt know how to do so M-Master? How do I use my skill? -Shiori Asmund raised an eyebrow at her question as he couldnt understand why she just asked him that. After all, to him it sounded like she asked him how she could open her eyes or move her arms. Huh? What are you asking? Just do it. As long as you want to use a skill you should be able to do it out of instinct. -Asmund Oh!... T-Thats weird I kinda know how to do it, yet cant do it -Shiori Thats definitely weird After all, the first time I used magic I was only level 2, had average stats much lower than yours apart from Spirit which was at 7 just like you now. It was my Blood Manipulation skill too, which is much harder to use than something like Water Channeling. -Asmund I-Im really trying my hardest! But it feels like something is blocked and cant come out -Shiori How is that possible Is it because she has no class? No that doesn''t make sense, if that was the case, people without a class wouldnt be able to buy common skills. But then, where does the problem come from? Ah Now that I think of it, the old man I asked before killing him and Shiori both had 3 in Spirit while being level 1, when I had 5. Whats the reason for that? Its not like I could have conditioned my body to the use of magic or the absorption of mana Wait, what if mana was like Qi in novels, and was traveling through channels unique to it? Then would that mean that Shiori isnt able to open those channels? No She said that it felt blocked, meaning that shes somewhat able to control the mana in her body, so it shouldnt be the problem. -Asmund While walking, Asmund kept thinking about the difference between Shiori and him at the time they first tried to use magic, and what could have influenced the difference in starting Spirit. And recalling his life in his cage of glass he thought of something. In novels, the flow of Qi travels more smoothly depending on how the inner body is clean. So its possible that the fact I lived my life without being tainted by the pollution from outside resulted in me having much cleaner channels than average. If thats really the case, Shiori should be able to use mana properly after gathering more mana in her body and then pushing the filth in her channels out by force. Now that I think of it, I never found any use to pure mana when not used through skills, but what would happen if I inject my mana in someone? Would that help them regain their lost mana? Or in Shioris case, could I use my own mana to clean her channels? Only one way to know if my theory is correct -Asmund Shiori, stop trying to use your skill for now, I thought of something. Im not sure it will work but well do an experiment tonight to see if I got it right. -Asmund Shiori, who was really depressed about not being able to use magic, looked really down but she had a lot of faith in Asmund and knew that he would find a way to take care of the problem. So she was already back in her previous good mood. How simple minded -Asmund Was his thought as he looked at the young girl skipping next to him. Later that night, after eating their dinner they opened the capsules they gained today, resulting as usual in the gain of spare Rank 1 items and no appearance of a Rank 1*. Asmund couldn''t help but complain about how low the probability was for those items to appear. And so, before taking a shower and going to bed, they tried the experiment he thought of, both sitting on the bed while facing each other. Hand me your wrist, it doesnt matter which hand. -Asmund Obeying, she extended her right hand and let him grab it with his left. Now holding her wrist, he applied his right palm on top of her veins, and tried to make mana leave his body to inject it in hers. Focusing on the task, he felt the flow of mana in his body slowly reaching for his hand and move out of it. Soon after some of it moved into Shioris wrist, she screamed in pain at the sensation. OUCH OUCH OUCH! I-It really hurts! I-I dont exactly dislike pain, but this is a little too much even for me, Master! -Shiori Bear with it and try to make your own mana flow out with the help of mine. -Asmund Gritting her teeth, not daring to complain more than she already did, Shiori focused on moving her mana out of her body. Like always, she felt something blocking it, but unlike before she felt more strength behind her push, and soon she experienced an incredible sensation of release as she succeeded in pushing whatever was blocking her manas path out of the way. I-It feels so good E-Eeeek! W-What is this?! -Shiori As she was fully enjoying the sensation, she suddenly noticed that a nasty black liquid was coming out of her skins pores, startling her out of her daydreaming. But unlike her Asmund seemed really happy with what he was seeing, since it was confirming his suspicions. Looks like the experiment is a success. Try to use Water Channeling. -Asmund Heh? A-Alright Oh? Oh! Its working! Im able to gather the water like I should! Thank you, Master! -Shiori She was so happy that she tried to hug Asmund, but he wasnt really willing to hug a girl covered in a dark nasty liquid made of pure filth, so he impressively avoided her charge with flawless movements, and walked further away from the bed, resulting in Shiori hugging air and falling face first on the floor. Uhhh~... Youre so cruel, Master Why did you avoid me? -Shiori Youre coming nowhere near me while you''re that filthy. Now that you can use Water Channeling go take a shower, in the meanwhile Ill go fetch a new sheet for the bed, as I dont think we can sleep on this one tonight -Asmund Okay -Shiori Dropping her shoulders, Shiori moved to the bathroom to clean herself while Asmund went out to fetch another sheet which wasnt stained in unidentifiable liquid Though the new sheet also got stained the very same night... Chapter 18 - Call of Credits: Modern Woofare. Chapter 18 - Call of Credits: Modern Woofare. As the sun rose and shone through the window into the office where the two were sleeping, Asmund began to stir. Feeling a weight above him he knew that Shiori was on top of him and as he moved a warm, slippery feeling stimulated his morning wood. Because of this he moved a bit more, making her moan in her sleep. Ah~, Master you perv hehehe. -Shiori Realizing what happened he opened his eyes and saw Shiori mounted over him, and moving his hand down he felt his third leg inside of her. Did she put it inside after we fell asleep? Did she go further than this? -Asmund He didnt know, and didn''t much care, but still he turned over which caused her to slide off of him and removed it from inside her, waking her in the process as ''it'' wasnt something so small that removing it had no effect. Mn morning Master. -Shiroi As she said that she looked at him naked, then at his erect member, and remembered what she did. Oh my god! Did I really do that last night?! Still, it felt nice being so full. I wonder how something like that is able to fit -Shiroi What is she thinking about with that creepy smile? -Asmund "Why are you smiling? I''m awake before you, again. Not to mention you took advantage of your ''master'' last night without his permission. Perhaps I should send you down to the basement by yourself, now that you''re so independent...?" -Asmund Though he was only being half-serious, their facial expressions had reversed; now Asmund had a menacing grin while Shiori was staring at him emotionless, though the inside of her mind was another story. Oh shit! Fuck! No no no no I can''t go there alone! Think! How do I fix this?! I don''t want to die! Or worse, be abandoned by master! -Shiori "Ah Haha Master, you''re such a joker. As if I wou- ouch! I''m sorry! I''m sorry, master! I swear I won''t do it again! I''ll take any other punishment but that! Please!" -Shiori While she was trying to make excuses, Asmund hit her lightly on the head so she''d know he wasn''t interested in her sophistry. That said, their level difference wasn''t negligible and Asmund''s class and Blood Siphon skill had boosted him beyond what he should be at his level, so he ended up hurting her more than he''d intended. Not that either of them realised this. "If you expect me to not only keep you around but to protect you and put effort into fixing your uselessness, I expect you to be obedient and truthful at all times, understood? As for your punishment, because you were eventually honest and I''m a kind master, I''ll let your results today give you a chance to reduce it. There will still be punishment, and I won''t send you down there alone, but if I''m not happy with your efforts by the time we leave to come home you may end up wishing I''d done just that." -Asmund Hearing that Asmund wasn''t sending her to her death and would even let her earn a reduced punishment made Shiori incredibly happy. She didn''t realise it, either because she was stupid or maybe just too focused on the idea of being in the basement by herself, but Asmund was actually using a sloppy attempt at rudimentary psychological conditioning. By threatening her with something ridiculously out-of-proportions from her transgression before giving her a chance to redeem herself, and linking it to her honesty and obedience, Asmund was steering the girl to unconsciously take actions that would please him and be happy for doing so. "Thank you, master! I promise I won''t let you down in today''s hunt, and I''ll obediently accept my punishment tonight no matter what you declare it to be!" -Shiori Seems like my time in that cage wasn''t entirely wasted after all Well they do say that knowledge is power, and learning is just about all I could do for the past 17 years. Still, I didn''t think the carrot-and-stick method would be this effective. Is Shiori''s existing obsession with me making it easier to manipulate her like this? Seems likely. -Asmund "Well then, grab something to eat and prepare your gear. We''re heading out in 15 minutes." -Asmund "Yes master!" -Shiori Both of them started their breakfast in silence, and were thinking about how to proceed in the hunt today, or at least Asmund was thinking of that. Shiori was too occupied thinking about way to get more affection from her Master. Suddenly, Asmund stood up straight like an arrow while frowning. Shiori was going to ask him whats wrong, but he stopped her before she could by signaling her to stay silent. What is this? Why is the floor continuously shaking, and where is that rumbling sound coming from? -Asmund Walking to the door without a word, he opened it very slightly to better listen to the rumbling sound and try to determine its origin. Are those Footsteps? But arent there too many of them? Are they searching for me? No If they were they wouldnt walk in unison like that and would spread across the hospital. And there seem to be really a lot of them, more than I suspected to be left Ah! Could it be! -Asmund ... Shiori! Get ready! Were going to clean this building of its monsters for good! -Asmund Rushing back inside to change into his gear, Asmund hurried Shiori who was really confused about the situation but also stopped eating, and changed herself as fast as she could. Unlike usual, Asmund also directly made their usual blood equipement. Master?! Whats happening?! -Shiori Ahahah! The shitty Alpha seems to have given up on staying here, and is trying to move out with the rest of the pack! Its the perfect time for us to get rid of them as a whole! -Asmund Oh Hehhhh?! Wait, what?! M-Master means that they are all currently moving together?! And were going to fight them while they are?! -Shiori Thats the plan yes, their powerhouses should be at the front with the Alpha at the lead, so I will take care of it, meanwhile, I want you to get around them and attack their weaklings from the back. Oh, and be sure to not let a single one escape! Be it pups or pregnant bitches, kill them all! -Asmund As he said that, a nasty and evil smile appeared on Asmund''s face, making Shiori feel shivers run down her spine. So hot! -Shiori Not for the ''normal'' reasons though Still Is Master sure about fighting the Alpha while hes next to other high level Death-Hounds? Did Master find a way to do deal with him? -Shiori Ill manage! Im the kind that grows stronger the more absurd the situation is! And theres no way that Ill let this chance pass! Just thinking about the experience and Credits Im going to win makes me drool in anticipation! -Asmund Asmund was completely lost to his wild side, which was seeking the blood of the Death-Hounds and their entire annihilation. His blood was especially boiling when he was thinking of exchanging hits with the accursed Alpha. I-I have a bad feeling about this And Master, you arent using your usual gauntlet? -Shiori As she finished changing into her gear and grabbed her spear, Shiori couldnt help but point out her Masters difference in fighting form. Yeah, I decided to challenge the damn Alphas speed with pure strength. But thats not whats important now! Lets hurry, if they reach the entrance before we get them itll be a pain in the ass! -Asmund Y-Yes! -Shiori Ready, they immediately set out, separating as soon as they left the door. But not before Asmund told her to prioritize her life above anything else, and to not hesitate to run away if shes really in danger. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Asmund ran straight at the entrance to block their path while Shiori moved in the direction of the staircase from where the procession was probably leaving the nest. Asmunds equipment this time were clawed boots, his blade-whip, and lastly his main choice of weapon for this fight: two thin giant swords, which were as tall as his usual one but much thinner. Using two swords of this size at the same time sounded really inconvenient, but thanks to Asmunds Mind stat battling with two long swords was actually pretty easy. The reason why he chose those weapons, and not his usual sword combined with his left gauntlet, was because it wasnt a battle to survive, but one to slaughter everything. Standing in front of the hospitals main entrance, Asmund waited for the Death-Hounds to come, and he was pleased to hear that like he thought they were coming closer, and in incredible numbers at that. Come come come come Here they are! -Asmund Looking in the direction of the hallway from which a ruckus could be heard resonating throughout the building, he saw giant Death-Hounds approach him while being led by a black wolf-like creature, which looked quite pissed off as it noticed Asmund was waiting in front of the exit. Yo, you bastard mutt! Time for me to make you pay for the humiliation you put me through the other day! -Asmund Uncoiling his blade-whip, Asmund walked forward while showing no fear and releasing so much bloodlust that the weakest Death-Hounds who were at the front of the procession felt sick to their stomachs. And so As the lightning-like sound of Asmunds blade-whip striking a prey was heard, the battle started and a level 9 Death-Hound lost his sight. The first one to react on the other side was obviously the Alpha, which ran so fast and with such unpredictable movements that it looked like a blur as it reached Asmund in an instant, avoiding every swing of the blade-whip in the process. Seeing that, as he expected, this weapon wasnt effective against the Alpha, he didnt even bother to coil it back around his waist and instead threw it at the monster while grabbing the two swords at his back. But speed being his enemys speciality, he barely had the time to wield them before he had to block an attack at the last second. Surprisingly, sparks appeared as the blade made of blood and the mighty claws of the beast came in contact. After this first exchange, a fury of blows was exchanged between the two, so fast that they were barely visible. And no matter how much the other Death-Hounds tried to attack Asmund and support their boss, as soon as they approached him a giant gashing wound would appear on their body, usually taking their life in the process Meanwhile Shiori was hiding from sight near the back of the procession which was now completely out of the basement. Sweat covered her body from nervousness. Im strong Im strong Im strong -Shiori The highschool-girl-slash-maid-slash-pervert was currently in the process of giving herself enough courage to face the horde of monsters in front of her. Its alright Shiori, you grew a lot stronger than before! Even Master told you so! -Shiori As if to prove it to herself, she opened her status screen and stared at it. # [ Name: Shiori Fukuda | Race: Human | Level: 9 ] [ Class: None ] [ Power: 12 ] [ Agility: 11 ] [ Constitution: 10 ] [ Mind: 10 ] [ Spirit: 7 ] # [ Skills ] [ Water Channeling][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 634 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # Looking at the number in a trance, she kept motivating herself in every way she could think of. Come on Shiori, if you dont do it for yourself, do it for Master! Im sure he will reward you well if you do a good job too! -Shiori Thinking about her Master, she closed her character sheet and now stared at the gauntlets covering her arms. Her cheeks slightly blushing, she licked those gauntlets in a quite perverted manner. Master -Shiori Shioris obsession with Asmund had already reached that of a devoted follower to her god. So for her, those gauntlets were a blessing given to her by her god in person. Not only that, it was even made of his own blood, making it the best good luck charm and best source of motivation for Shiori. Lets go! I cant let Master down! -Shiori Moving out from her hiding spot, Shiori breathed roughly as she took a stance with her spear, which was still pretty awkward, but much less so than the first time she used one. Now in plain sight for the Death-Hounds, a lot of them noticed her and turned around, growling at her but not directly charging, as if they would much prefer that it wouldnt come to a fight. Hmm? Its the first time I see low level Death-Hounds act this way, is it because just like Master said they are in charge of protecting the pups and females? Either way I am glad that theres apparently no powerful ones at the back, only between level 4 to 6! Leave it to Master to be able to foresee things this far! -Shiori Her fear lessening the more she assessed the situation and what monsters she will have to face, Shiori now felt confident about accomplishing the task her Master entrusted her with. Waaaaaaan! -Shiori Shouting her new weird warcry, Shiori bravely charged at the horde of monsters. Keeping the tip of her spear lowered until the last moment when she thrusted it in an instant through the throat of an unsuspecting level 4. Immediately taking it out to stab another one, she never left herself open to an attack for too long, and let the ones she stabbed die by themselves from blood loss. It was the fighting style Asmund imparted to her; a basic attack and retreat style, but quite deadly and a pain to face when the one using this style happens to use a spear. Although her spear was called Black Short Spear, it was still a meter and half long, barely shorter than her. So whenever a Death-Hound was trying to take revenge for the ones she hit and attacked her, with just a small jump backward she is already out of reach for them and can strike against any of the ones who approached her earlier. It wasnt a graceful or prideful way to fight, but it at least enabled someone with a lack of experience such as Shiori to be able to hold their own against monsters who could kill them easily. After some minutes passed a lot of Death-Hounds had already fallen to her spear, making the ones still alive who looked down on her previously, thinking that only Asmund was a threat to them around these parts, really frustrated and afraid at the same time. They really didnt know how to handle her Being on the offensive would end up being countered, while being on the defensive would leave them wide open due to the fearsome range of the spear. Like that, more of them kept dying under Shioris spear, who was now able to see what those Death-Hounds were trying to protect. [ Death-Hound Bitch Level 5 ] [ Death-Hound Pup Level 1 ] In between the front and back lines of the procession were brown-furred Death-Hounds with bulging stomachs, and with them were also small monsters which looked like a miniature version of the usual level 1, apart from some of them who also had a brown fur. D''awww~... Those small fella are actually pretty cute, especially compared to their parents. But sorry folks, I have my orders, and I cant let any of you escape! -Shiori Full of fighting spirit, Shiori kept pressing forward while killing anything in her way, really looking forward for her Masters praise... Chapter 19 - No Thai Ladyboys For You. Chapter 19 - No Thai Ladyboys For You. While Shiori was taking care of the weaklings, Asmund was still fighting the Alpha. Surrounded by the dried corpses of Death-Hounds, Asmund was facing his rival, his body covered in shallow wounds yet only being soaked by the blood of his enemies, as for each new wound he forced the flowing blood back inside before turning a layer of it solid to seal the hole. Unexpectedly, the Alpha was also covered in cuts despite the death of numerous meat-shields who tried to protect him. Frankly, the Alpha had the advantage at the start of this fight, and he was pretty confident in being able to kill Asmund, but The more time passed, the more of his comrades that fell, the more Asmund''s swordsmanship became deadly and made the Alpha slowly lose his advantage, now being on the contrary at a disadvantage. To the Alpha, the pace at which his rival was improving was downright disgusting. He couldnt think of him as anything less than an unkillable abomination, and unlike said adversary who was absorbing the blood essences of the corpses surrounding them, the Alpha was losing a lot of stamina. Feeling cornered as almost none of his fellow front liners were left, and Asmund was still growing stronger as the fight was going on, the Alpha used his last trump card Retreating with a jump, the Alpha barked orders to the front liners still alive, and hid behind them as those Death-Hounds recklessly charged Asmund, not even caring about their life anymore. Too easy! -Asmund With a slash of his blade, Asmund cut into pieces any monster who dared to come too close to him. His attacks were so deadly that no matter how the beasts tried to defend themselves, the swords would always cut through them as if their body was made out of butter. The walls were painted in blood, and it was starting to become difficult to walk because of the amount of entrails spread on the floor. But not minding those details, Asmund continued to force his way through the kamikaze Death-Hounds, who were obviously trying to slow him down and gain enough time for the Alpha to turn the tables on him. Yet, they couldnt even slow him down Asmund acted as if they werent there and walked forward while humming a song. Keeping his pace, he ended up killing every front liner besides the Alpha before reaching him. Only It was still too late, and the Alpha was able to use his trump card. Wha?! Whats this fog?! -Asmund As he was going to finish the Alpha who wasnt moving for unknown reasons, the black fog-like fur on its body started to expand in size and spread around in the air. In such a thick form that light was gradually not able to pass through, and plunged the hallway into pure darkness, blinding Asmund entirely. Shit So he still had this move left. -Asmund Giving up on his sight and focusing on only his hearing and instinct, Asmund closed his eyes, trying to determine the position of the Alpha. When suddenly he felt an acute pain coming from his side, soon followed by the warm sensation of blood flowing out of a gaping wound. Fuck! How come I didnt hear -Asmund Wait! I cant hear my voice either?! Is that damn fog the reason?! So Im not only blinded Im also deaf? Great Just great... Not only that, Im not even able to feel its presence anymore. As expected of a boss monster, it still had such a cheat like ability hidden...-Asmund Sealing his biggest wound yet since the start of this battle, while trying to think about a way to deal with this annoying ability. Asmund waved his swords around hoping to scare the bastard enough that it wouldnt immediately attack. But a moment later he felt two fearsome rows of fangs pierce his calf. Dammit! Die already! -Asmund Angry, he tried to slash the beast who wasnt able to completely rip a piece of his leg, yet the beast retreated before he could reach it. His instinct or wild personality being powerless in this situation, Asmund returned to his calculative self, staying calm and composed as much as possible to find a solution Should I try this? This is a total gamble though and I will have to release all blood coatings on me to be able to achieve it No point trying to be cautious and wait for death I guess. Lets do this! -Asmund Releasing the blood coating of his sword and boots, Asmund''s two Black Longswords turned back into liquid and every thin layer of blood sealing his wounds instantly flowed down to the floor. He then spread the blood into thin threads in all directions, making him look like some sort of human cactus as he solidified them. Now Come at me, I dare you -Asmund Relaxing his body, Asmund now completely relied on nothing but his sense of touch. Hiding in the darkness, the Alpha was looking at Asmund''s current strange appearance with a hint of fear in its eyes. This mans ability was just too much of a mystery and too polyvalent for the Alpha to get careless and grow cocky at this point. He wouldnt dare to drop his guard until Asmund kicked the bucket, he wasnt that stupid. However, what was worrying him the most, was that he couldnt feel any threat coming from those blood threads. At least he was certain that they wouldnt be able to pierce through his skin. Because of that, with its slight lack of intellect it wasnt able to understand their purpose. If that wasnt enough, it couldnt use one of his underlings to probe it as they were all dead already and the ones at the back were too far to hear the Alpha, since it also couldnt leave this black cloud which happens to have the capacity to blind anyone but the user and absorb all sounds, it wouldnt be able to give orders either way though Being at a dead-end as it couldnt stop using its ability as the Alpha would be forced to fight Asmund directly, and in a weakened state at that since this ability has the drawback of exhausting the user after it ends. As he still couldnt find anyway to attack Asmund without coming in contact with those blood threads either, the Alpha gave up and charged Asmunds open back, aiming for his throat and ending this fight for good. As he jumped through the solid threads, just as it expected, they broke as they came in contact with the Alpha What was unexpected, however, was the fact that Asmund turned around immediately while swinging both his swords in the direction of the Alphas flanks. Thats when the Alpha understood the use of those threads Too late, sadly for him. Emitting a low howl filled with despair, the Alpha died as its body was sliced into three parts [ Congratulations! You gained a level! ] [ Congratulations! You gained a level! ] [ Received 3174 Credits. ] (A/N: Boss Credits are multiplied by 6, while Elite are by 3.) Seeing those screens appearing in his mind, and the fog slowly disappearing, Asmund shouted at the top of his lungs in joy. FUUUUUUUUUCK YESSSSSSS! -Asmund His cry was so loud that the walls surrounding him slightly shook from the vibrations. But his exhaustion soon calmed him, and he forced himself to absorb the boss corpse after it dropped a gacha, to regain some of his vitality. [ You gained a point of Agility, a point of Mind, a point of Spirit. ] Nice! More stat points! -Asmund Already happy with those new gains of points, a bigger smile appeared on his face as he noticed the white gacha ball at his feet, which also happened to have a gold star painted on it. [ Rank 2* (100%) (White) Treasure Capsule ] Rank 2?! This is even better than I thought! I really want to open it, but I should hurry and go help Shiori finish off the leftovers beforeha! -Asmund [ Congratulation! You contributed to the complete extermination of a monster species! Reward: 12 000 Credits. ] Heh? Did that just really happen? -Asmund Staring at the new screen that appeared in his mind out of nowhere, he had a hard time believing this much good news would happen at once. As he was daydreaming, he heard a girly voice coming closer to him. Masteeer~! We did it! -Shiori It was of course Shiori, who just finished off the last puppy of the Death-Hounds and was now going back to her Master''s side with the hope of receiving his praises. She was so happy with the rewards she received from this fight in addition to the bonus Credits that she leapt into Asmunds arms, who didnt avoid despite the fact she was covered in blood because his mood was just that good! We sure did! You really did a good job too! Im very glad that you proved yourself to be this useful! -Asmund Receiving such praise and even having her head stroked gently, Shiori felt like she was going to faint from happiness. To her, Asmunds recognition, praise and pats were worth much more than the experience or the Credits she just won. Resting while hugging for a short while as both of them were short on breath after fighting for this long. Asmund finally released her as he decided it was time to collect ALL the rewards left to obtain. Giving a big bag made of flexible blood to Shiori so she could collect the treasure capsules, Asmund proceeded on absorbing all the corpses of the Death-Hounds. After all, he wouldnt have anymore occasion to absorb a Death-Hounds corpse, and so have no reason to fear dropping his absorption rate for this species. Done with both the absorption and collection of the gacha balls, they walked back to their home to wash up and then calculate their total rewards for this last hunt. For Asmund: 3 levels, 9 331 Credits from kills, and a point in each stat. Lastly were the 12 000 Credits he earned in bonus thanks to his contribution in exterminating the Death-Hounds from this world. As for Shiori: 5 levels, 4 581 Credits from kills, and 4 000 in bonus for her contributions. In addition, they obtained a total of 157 Rank 1 treasure capsules and a single Rank 2*. This This is quite the haul we got here" -Asmund What should we do now, Master? Should I buy the Elite Maid class? -Shiori Hmmm, that sounds good, but before you do I need your help with something. -Asmund W-What is it?! Please ask away! -Shiori Id need 358 Credits more to be able to buy two new skills, so I need to take that amount from you. -Asmund No problem! Please wait a second Here you go, its done! -Shiori Looking at his status screen to see if his amount of Credits changed, Asmund did notice that his Credits turned to exactly 25 000. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. So its really that easy to transfer Credits huh? -Asmund Thanks Shiori! Now I should be able to buy 2 of the skills I really wanted. Since you did such a good job today, after buying your class you are free to buy any skill you want with your current Credits! -Asmund Yes! Thank you, Master! -Shiori Shiori wasnt so happy about being free to buy her skills as she sees fit, but more about the fact that Asmund now trusts her at least enough that he would let her use her Credits at her own volition. Both made their shopping in silence, but with a smile of excitement on their faces. Spending pretty much all their Credits kinda hurt, but seeing more skills appear on the skill list of their status screen just made it so worth it. Especially for Asmund who was able to buy two skills from the really expensive Blood Overlord class. After finishing their shopping, they told each other what they bought and the effects of each skill, and then tried them out The first skill Asmund tried out was Strong Blood, which is supposed to turn his blood into something which is as dense as lead and reinforce its toughness. At first he thought that it would make him, or to be more precise his blood, more heavy, but that didnt seem to be the case. Because magic. Making a simple liquid ball of blood float in front of him, he grabbed it and noticed that his blood was as light as usual, but when he kneaded it to try out its texture he was surprised to feel much more resistance than before, as if it was rubber ball. The change in thickness of the blood is a real surprise! And wait Wouldnt that make my blood wings even better?! If I make them larger than the ones I made in the basement while running away from the Alpha, maybe I would even be able to fly! I really should try it out once Im outside! -Asmund Already quite happy with his first skill, he tried out the second one he bought, which was none other than Blood Familiar. Using the skill, he created four balls of blood which gradually took the form of Blood Weasels the size of a small dog. Sooo cuteee~! -Shiori Falling in love at first sight with the weasels, Shiori leapt like a predator on its prey and caught one of the weasels, which showed absolutely no reaction to her behavior. ... Buuu~, even though they are this cute they arent fluffy The fur is really rough and doesnt really feel right. -Shiori What did you expect? Theyre made from my blood, not from a teddy bear Also they arent real living creatures, they do have some form of intelligence akin to an AI, but it only goes as far as being able to understand and obey my commands. -Asmund Oh -Shiori A little disappointed by learning that those weasels were pretty much robots made out of blood, Shiori released the one she was holding and sat back on the bed. Still I didnt expect to be linked to them mentally, I can feel what they feel, so they are perfect for scouting. Not only that, if I focus my mind on one or all of them, I can directly take the control of their body. -Asmund Done with his skills, it was Shiori''s turn to try out her 5 new skills! Or so she wanted to, but among them one was a passive which only shows effects in battle and another was Eyes of Truth, so she already tested it when she starred at Asmund. Either way, she at least tried her other 3, starting with the least impressive one. And to try it out She cleaned the room The skill in itself wasnt anything really fancy after all, it was Superior Housework Mastery, which makes the owner of the skill more efficient at housework. Since it sounded like a way to prove herself more useful to Asmund, she not only bought the skill she also upgraded it to level 2. Which as soon as she began cleaning, immediately showed its effect as she was able to dust things in a single swipe, fold clothes in an instant or put things back at their places in an orderly fashion So unflashy But it IS useful Still, its so unflashy that its impressive in itself. -Asmund Unlike Asmund, Shiori was not disatisfied at all with it, and smiled proudly at Asmund waiting to receive more praises. Which Asmund did gave her, but lazily, as if he was just giving empty ones to make a dog happy. The target of his praises wasnt a dog, but she was happy all the same. The next skill she tried was Spark, a common skill useful to light a fire. Grabbing a sheet of paper that she held above an empty plastic trash bin, as to not accidently ignite the floor, she used Spark and small sparks actually did come out of her stretched finger like miniature fireworks. They easily burnt the paper sheet, which turned into ashes an instant later. Like last time, she seeked praises from Asmund, who once again gave them half-assedly And at last, she tried out the skill Asmund himself was looking forward to! Healing Massage, the first active skill of the Elite Maid class! Which not only makes the user more efficient at giving massages with any part of their body, but also healed internal wounds and the exhaustion of the one it is used on. She also upgraded this skill this skill to level 2 using her free upgrade point. H-Here I go, Master! -Shiori After making Asmund lie on the bed while being in the nude, his back facing the ceiling, Shiori sat down on his waist. She then took off her own clothes, before using her skill, which gave her body a dim glow. Now ready, she started the massage by first delicately rubbing her palms on his back, and smoothly moving to each part of his body, using more of her own body to massage him as time passed. Like using her chest to massage his shoulders, her chin for his neck, or even her thighs for his legs. At the beginning, Asmunds body relaxed at the sensation which was out of this world. But, soon he felt himself being full of vitality... Unable to contain his lust anymore, he ended up fully enjoying the best application of her Healing Massage skill for the rest of the day... ------ These are Asmund''s and Shiori''s statuses at the end of this chapter. The skills that Shiori acquired are described at the bottom. # [ Name: Asmund Dreyri | Race: Human | Level: 19 ] [ Class: Blood Overlord ] [ Power: 35 ] [ Agility: 29 ] [ Constitution: 35 ] [ Mind: 35 ] [ Spirit: 41 ] # [ Skills ] [ Heart Of Magic Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Blood Manipulation ][ Level 2 ][ Active ] [ Blood Siphon ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Blood Familiar ][ Level 1][ Active ] [ Strong Blood ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] - [ Water Channeling][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Eyes of Truth ][ Level 2 ][ Passive ] # [ Credits: 0 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # -- # [ Name: Shiori Fukuda | Race: Human | Level: 14 ] [ Class: Elite Maid ] [ Power: 20 ] [ Agility: 15 ] [ Constitution: 23 ] [ Mind: 13 ] [ Spirit: 11 ] # [ Skills ] [ Healing Massage ][ Level 2 ][ Active ] [ Superior Housework Mastery ][ Level 2 ][ Passive ] [ Will of Servitude ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] - [ Water Channeling][ Level 1 ][ Active ] [ Eyes of Truth ][ Level 1 ][ Passive ] [ Spark ][ Level 1 ][ Active ] # [ Credits: 7 ] [ Systems Shop -> ] # [ Superior Housework Mastery ][ High Class Maid - Butler / Elite Maid - Butler Skill ][ Level 2 ] [ You are much more efficient in all kind of housework. ] [ Higher level raise the skill effect. ] [ Upgrade: 2 000 Credits (Level 1+ req.) ] (A/N: Low Citizens and High Citizens skills dont have a level requirement for upgrade or to learn. And this skill happen to be one shared with the High Citizen rank High Class Maid - Butler class. ) [ Healing Massage ][ Elite Maid - Butler Skill ][ Level 2 ] (Elite Maid starting skill.) [ This skill let you heal someone internal wounds and exhaustion through the use of a massage. This skill also affect your proficiency at giving massages. ] [ Higher level raise the skill effect. ] [ Upgrade: 3 000 Credits (Level 15+ req.) ] [ Will of Servitude ][ Elite Maid - Butler Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ The more you wish to serve and protect your master(mistress), the more your body Defense and Constitution increase in a fight. ] [ Higher level raise the skill effect. ] [ Upgrade: 3 000 (Level 15+ req.) ] [ Spark ][ Common Skill ][ Level 1 ] [ Enable you to create hot sparks which can easily ignite burnable materials. ] [ This skill cant be upgraded ]