10 Chapter X
A note to all reader, I need you to answer. Please, with my cherry on top.
A. Which writing format do you prefer? The easy to digest light-novel formatting with its simple and concise language and paragraphing with main emphasis on the dialogue? Or the traditional one where description is explained to minute detail with little to no dialogue and only explained through an MC inner narration?
B. From this two examples, which one do you prefers.
1. (Name) "Dialogue"
2. "Dialogue" Name said.
C. First-person POV or Third-person POV? Alternatively, would a mix between Protagonist first-person POV and a third-person non-protagonist POV be better?
D. 18+ or nah?
E. For 18+ which POV is better for reading? First or Third. I'm leaning third for this, BTW.
Thank you for your time. I hope you enjoy the new chapter.
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Luscius couldn't help but feel that the street is busier than usual. They've registered their new Familia, and now looking for a pawn-shop, so he could sell a few of gems for Valis.
"Hey, Brother, have you heard that there's actually a festival right now?"
Abigail skipped her step in front of him; her eyes hopped on each stall or building that garnered her interest. He thought over it for a minute, "Then shall we go?"
It is an easy matter to ask for direction from the passing guild worker, seen by their black and white suit.
Monsterphilia they called it. An annual festival held by the city unofficial police forces, Ganesha Familia. Abigail called him a jester god for he wore a mammoth-like mask as evident in the large stone sculpture displayed for all to see in the main street just in front of the entrance to the Coliseums.
"Haha, Brother, can you wear this!"
"No."
It was an instant rejection. He may be a fool, but a fool doesn't call his own a clown. The young girl begged him to wear Ganesha's mask imitation. He twitched at the side when the god himself descends and handing the masks for free to those who wanted to participate in the ongoing festivities.
"Please…"
"Ugh…"
He groaned and cast [Calm] as he can't resist the goddess' plea. One of these days he will master illusion, so he can erase memories from his mind. It's a silly mask on par with the one dragon priest wore in his opinion.
"You look good, brother!"
"FUHAHAHAHA I've gained myself a fan today! Here's a free all-you-can-eat VIP coupon for today, young miss!"
"Hooray."
There are a few Snickers coming from the sides.
He briefly considered ripping the mask off and throwing it to the loud god's silly face. In the end, he just walked off and grumbled under his breath as usual. Abigail followed beside him –hope it was worth seeing a smile on her face.
"Register, register, and fight a monster to win a prize! Only adventurers admitted!"
"Big brother, did you hear that."
"Yes… my dear sister."
He already knew what the goddess wanted, and so he followed her every whim. Antiquarian said to always obey the girl, but honestly a firm education said that he should say no to a child's request. Then again, he was curious what kind of monsters do they have in stock, it's been some time he was fighting.
They must have brought it to the surface just for only today.
"Here, sir, we wanted to register."
"A goddess and a familia member, I suppose?"
"Yes." Abigail nudged at the Dragonborn.
"Level one and new at that? Are you sure, boy?"
"We've just recently came to the city, and I have fought monsters outside for years."
The man scoffed, "We won't be held responsible for death, just so you know. Dungeon monsters are a different beast altogether than the one you found on the surface." He shrugged, "then again we got hardly any fighters for today. We've a silverback primed for a fight if you want."
The trolls-like monster… Luscius considered, "How about we raise the stake with a minotaur?"
"Goddess, is your member alright in the head? It's a suicide even for an experienced level 2."
"I'm sure big brother knows how to pick his opponent. Besides, a little blood would excite the crowd, hmm?"
The man grumbled, "Hngh fine. Don't cry to me or my Familia if he's splattered red to the wall."
"Fucking clown."
.
The Coliseum. He'd the pleasure of fighting in the facsimile arena at the Coldharbour. The cheering of the crowd almost overwhelms his ear compared to the eerie silence of that place.
"And now for the next appetizer, we finally have a challenger for today." Shouted the announcer. "A mere fledging level one –a literal village boy against the dreaded Minotaur even a level 2 adventurer feared!"
He scoffed, as a village boy could afford the armor he wore.
"The odds are ridiculously stacked against the boy; I repeat, this will be a literal one-sided slaughter."
On that he agreed, but not quite in the way the crowd cheered.
"So be warned for the faint-hearted, get out of here or grab your vomit bag as you'll see directly the fate of cocky adventurers in lower floor! It's not every day you can see something like this! We've graciously prepared a medical corps ready to dispose the corpse at a moment's notice."
This is getting longer. He'd entrusted his backpack with Abigail, who was watching the match on the audience platform.
"Without further ado –let me introduce you, Luscius Artorius! Your butcher is anxiously waiting here."
The gate opened, and he slung a blade to his shoulder and a shield in hand. The crowd jeered and laughed.
He didn't care of them. His eyes scanned the crowd and found his goddess waving her hand at him. She was an enough reason for him to step forward.
"RELEASE THE BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
A pair of massive hand clawed at the raising gate as impatient to releasing its bloodlust on the poor fellow that faced him. The Minotaur is easily what he imagined it to be –having little to no difference than the one he encountered in the wilderness of Cyrodiil.
A set of bullhead transfixed into a large muscular humanoid frame with a hunched back, unguligrade pair of feet often found in horses or cows. The very apt-description of man bulls.
Luscius planted his feet, shield lowered, and he transfixed his sword sharp to the side. The bull charged –having been provided with a dull great sword of all things.
The cheering of the crowd has grown maddened as the monsters progressively get closer in distance.
"Dead meat! Dead meat! Dead meat!"
The Minotaur raised its sword and at the moment it was certain the adventurer was deeply rooted in his initial place from fear and unable to comprehend what he was just got into. The mere notion had made most of the audience feverish.
Again, never set an expectation and think it will go the way as you imagined it to be. The strike was coming as fast as the blood that dribbled to the floor.
The feverish madness goes to silence at the sight. The Minotaur goes in silence at the sight. Everyone was trying to comprehend the absurdness of the scene, except for two.
Only when the flop of hand that was flying in the air landed on the ground with disgraceful thud, the madness returned.
"OOOOOOOOOO DID YOU SEE THAT! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE! OUR FARM BOY JUST BISECTED THE POOR MINOTAUR'S HAND, AND NO ONE SEES THAT COMING!!!!!! DID HE LIE, DID HE LIE OF BEING LEVEL ONE!!!!!!"
Luscius sighed, it went easier than he expected. The blade is specially enhanced to weaken target armor upon contact and couple that with his strength it is no wonder that the natural armor of the Minotaur in the form of its thick muscle and fleshes was so easily cut.
Originally he wanted to halt its advance by injuring one of the hands, sidestep if the Minotaur managed to connect its attack despite injury, before he reached forward, staggering it with the shield, and then aiming for its heart or neck.
The Minotur quickly stood-up and reached the fallen blade as wishing to exact a revenge for its lost hand.
The Dragonborn simply kicked its ugly head and stomped it for all to see before it could tries.
"Is this is it?"
It crawled with its remaining hand, pathetically, in attempt to reach the sword. He's no Molag Bal who extracted pleasure from a weakened opponent. Luscius gripped his sword before drawing a line to its neck. A geyser of blood spurted from where the neck and the head once connected.
The Minotaur turned to black ashes, leaving all but a single horn and monster gem.
"UNBELIAVABLE, BY THE GODS, BY THE GODS, I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! WE'VE THE EXACT WINNER FOR TODA- wait, what? Err, excuse me for a minute, ladies and gentlemen."
Luscius whipped his head to the crowd, who have grown restless. There's another sound of commotion outside. He has a bad feeling of this.
"Uhm, I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen. Today's show will be cancelled until we announced it back. Please remain calm and-"
Luscius quickly grab the dropped item before he was seen running to the gate and retrieving his charge.
