Chapter 34 Abnormal numbers
*Heracles PoV*
After I gave August a throughout beatin-- I mean after I finished teaching August on how to be respectful and to mind his manners, I began asking him what happened inside the dungeon.
What he told me brought a smile to my face. He had fought Bete Loga, in his words he lost that fight, he was out classed in every conceivable way, be it skills, technique, even in mana control.
"I think I know what you were trying to tell me all those times." he said as he was looking down on the floor. "I rely too much on my weapon, if it wasn't for it he would have destroyed me. Beowulf was the only reason I was able to keep up with him."
"Still it was an impressive feat. You were able to trade blows against someone above your level. Beowulf or not that is still a daunting task and you face it head on." I pat him at his shoulder. "And don't view this as a loss. The fight didn't reach a conclusion. And you have grown plenty because of that fight, so this is a win in my book."
With a deep breath, August looked at me in the eye. He had a serious look on his face. He then asked. "My lord, do you think I'll be as strong as I am now without this weapon?"
His question stomped me. He is wielding something that even us gods fear, a weapon capable of unimaginable power. But he doesn't need to know that. No... He must never find out what that weapon is. I answered him with as much honesty and sincerity. "A weapon does not make the man. Do you think that your strength came because of it? No it does not. Your strength came from here." I poke my finger in his chest. "It comes from your heart, your determination to grow strong, your passion, your will. A weapon is just a tool August. You have proven time and time again that you have what it takes to be strong." I paused and looked at him in his eyes. "So to answer your question... Yes, I think that you would have grown strong even without your weapon."
He smiled at my words, I can see confidence rising inside him, I guess he really needed to hear that. "Thank you my lord." he said.
"No need for thanks August. I am just saying the truth." I moved to my seat and sat, a table was separating us as he stood in front of me. I turned serious. "Now shall we talk business. Now that you've had a chance to talk to him, what do you think about Denki? Judging by the sounds from the back and the faint mana that reached my office you two had a spar."
"Denki is a good fit, but I feel like he is massively inexperienced, and that's coming from me who doesn't have much to go on inside the dungeon. He fights well but lacks body when it comes to his attack, the potential is high, well not as high as mine, but still high." he said the last part smugly.
"Don't brag." I rolled my eyes at him and opened the drawer of my table. "You are the captain of my familia and as captain you are responsible for everyone under you." I picked up a paper and slid it towards August. "So you should know what they are capable of. This is Denki's status. Seeing that you two had already spared, you already had an idea of how he fights and what his limit is. But to be on the safe side you need to make sure that you know the exact details of your party."
I was impressed with the first time that I saw Denki's status. He is talented and has the potential to be a pillar in my familia. He is nowhere close to the potential August has but he can still be considered as a genius. Especially when it comes to the way of the sword.
***
Name: Denki Makoto
LVL: 3
Stats.
STR: 92-I
DEX: 142-H
AGI: 162-H
MAG: 143-H
END: 129-H
Magic:
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Skills:
Iaijutsu: The user is an expert in the art of drawing the katana at extreme speeds and cutting. The user gains a boost in AGI and DEX when the user is in an Iaijustu stance. Can only be used if the user is equipped with a katana.
Precision: The user can see the path of the blade. Allows the user to hit the vitals more frequently and deliver more damage. The effect is doubled when the user is in an iaijutsu stance.
Development Skills:
Hunter: Hunter improves the user's abilities against monsters the user fought before and gained excelia from.
Abnormal Resistance: negates the effect of abnormalities, such as poison.
Katana User: The user is an expert in using the katana. Gains boost in stats when the user is using this weapon in battle.
Mana Manipulation: The user has full control over his mana and can wield it with high mastery.
***
"So he is focused on speed and precise slashes rather than power. A typical user of the far eastern style of martial arts." August slid the paper back to me and I took it and returned it back to my drawer. "His style is not very suitable in the dungeon, he is more of a duelist if you ask me. But given his attitude he is teachable."
"My thoughts exactly. So I'll give you one week, two weeks tops to teach him how to fight multiple enemies inside the dungeon coming his way. Until then you two will stay within floor 24 and above. Is that clear?" I made my voice stern.
"Crystal."
"Good, now that you're not going solo I want you to hire a supporter, it will make your dungeon dives more efficient as the two of you can focus on hunting. Preferably I want you to hire someone who has been on the 25th floor and below so that he or she can be a proxy guide as well. Hire someone before the two weeks are done so that you may know him or her to be able to somewhat trust."
"Do we really need a supporter? I was doing well enough in carrying loot on my own."
"Consider this as part of your training. You are now the captain of a familia, managing people is part of that job. You now must learn what it means to be responsible for someone else's life. As you train Denki inside the dungeon I want you to train yourself to be competent enough to give orders on the fly, create strategy for a team of 3 or more people so I suggest partying up with others as well. For now my familia has you and Denki but if you plan on reaching the deeper floors you would need a team and I'll do everything in my power to give you that team. But you must do your part as well and that part is to be a competent and reliable commander and captain for this familia."
August has a determined expression on his face. My goal is for him to be the strongest, and it doesn't mean that he must be the strongest in Orario, I have lived too long to know that even the so-called strongest force falls, I have witnessed empires rise and fall, pantheons crumble and forgotten. And all it took was a fool at the top. I don't want August to have the same fate as those fools, I want him to be king in this dungeon and for that to happen he must learn how to command and what it means to be a leader. If all he has is strength then he will inevitably fall. He needs wit, knowledge, and experience to go along with his strength. And being a leader, a captain, and a commander, will provide those things.
"I understand my lord." He said to me, his eyes showing me the fire of determination. I nodded in approval.
"Good, now let us see how much you've grown. I'll update your status right now so take off your shirt and sit down."
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*Narration*
August was feeling excited about this, he felt that his strength had risen after his spar with Bete.
Still his mind was a bit preoccupied by the words of his god. He has no experience in working with another person much less a team so this would be a challenge he is all too new to. But he agreed with his god, he was now a captain so he must take on this responsibility.
He would miss going solo but the prospect of going deeper is much more alluring to him so if what it takes is for him to be able to work with other people then he would gladly do it.
As he was sitting naked he felt a cold sensation of a liquid dropping at his bare back and then a warm feeling enveloped it, a faint white light radiates inside Heracles's office.
Heracles read August's status and he was happy by the results. His child had become stronger once again. 'Fucking prodigy.' he thought to himself.
***
Name: August Kaiser
LVL: 5
Stats.
STR: 392-F
DEX: 412-E
AGI: 409 -E
MAG: 492-E
END: 396-F
Magic:
Endless Battle: The user enters a state of pure concentration in fighting, giving him a temporary boost in stats. The longer the fight continues, the higher the user's stat rises. This magic can only be activated once the condition has been met.
+Conditions
:The user must wield Beowulf.
: The user has to slay or injure the opponent for blood to be absorbed by Beowulf.
: The user must be fully immersed in Battle and nothing else.
: Due to the recent battle experience the user can now use the magic instantaneously as long as the user is fully immersed in battle.
-Note
:If the user stops Endless Battle in any way, shape, or form, the Stats resets back to its original and the user may enter mind zero depending on how long the use of endless battle is.
Skills:
Survivor's Drive: If the user survives or wins an unsurvivable situation, the user will receive a permanent boost in stats. (Boost may vary on how unsurvivable the situation is)
Beowulf's call: The ancient weapon Beowulf has chosen the user to be its master, it allows the user to use (at a limited time) all the skills and experience of the previous user of Beowulf using mana at the process. with every kill the user does with Beowulf, the user receives a portion of the slain mana back. As the battle goes on and more mana has been absorbed the user will activate the magic Endless Battle.
Beowulf Greed: The user can only use Endless Battle and Lethal Tempo if the user uses Beowulf, The effects of lethal tempo are dependent on the user's level.
Monster Slayer: Heavily increases all abilities when fighting monsters, potentially making the user stronger than his actual level when fighting them.
Adaptability: the user adopts with every battle he faces, gaining new experience which would trigger growth in existing skills and magic.
Development abilities:
Hunter: Hunter improves the user's abilities against monsters the user fought before and gained excelia from.
Lethal Tempo: The User gains Temporary DEX and AGI with every hit the user makes. Can only be used if the user is wielding Beowulf. The effects are dependent on the user's level.
Charge: The user AGI and STR stat increase temporarily when going in for an attack against multiple enemies or enemies that are stronger than the user.
Abnormal Resistance: Resist the effects of abnormalities such as poison.
Strong Body: The user has an extremely strong body due to training.
Mana Manipulation: The user has full control over his mana and can wield it with high mastery.
***
August's numbers are rising fast, a little two fast as within a couple of months in reaching level 5 the majority of his stats are now E's.
He was growing at an astonishing rate, and his growth is confusing Heracles to high heavens.
All adventurers grow in strength, but the higher the level they have the slower their numbers rise. August on the other hand is the opposite, the higher his level is the faster his stats grew. It scares Heracles because he can only come up with one answer on why this is happening.
'It's because of the spear.' Heracles thought, the spear boosted the already high potential of August, and the stronger he gets the more boost he received from the god-killing weapon.
"Is everything Ok my lord?" August's voice snapped Heracles out of his thoughts. He quickly copied the status of August and closed it.
"Yeah, I'm all done." Heracles said, he contemplates if he should give August his status. August is a smart lad, he knows how the leveling system goes. Seeing how his stats rise would lead to him asking questions. Questions that Heracles can't answer because of the oath. Because right now the god is sure that Beowulf is the reason for August's quick growth.
"Can I see it?" August asked.
Heracles closed his eyes as he massaged the bridge of his nose. He is getting a headache right now and all because of that damn fool Ganesha. It was also stupid on his part when he agreed on taking the oath but right now he really wishes he could beat the living hell out of Ganesha for giving Siegfried a Theïkó Óplo.
He decided that hiding his status would just be a headache in the future so he reluctantly handed August the paper. "August, you must never allow anyone to look at your status, and I mean anyone. This stays between you and me. Even your adviser may not know of this. Do you understand?"
August nodded and with shaky hands he received his status. He was quite shaken by his god's warning about him not showing his status. He wondered why. And judging by his god's voice it was something serious.
He looked at the paper and widened his eyes. "HOLY SHIT!!!" he cursed at the numbers. Last time he checked it was. STR: 292-G
DEX: 342-F AGI: 332 -F MAG: 403-E END: 299-G but his stat had risen to unbelievable speeds. All his F's had risen to E's and his G's to F's. He now understands what his god was saying, he must never allow anyone to see this. "How?" he asked.
"I do not know. All I know is that your growth is abnormal and that nobody must know about this." Heracles answered, he was lying through gritted teeth, he knew why and how, but with the oath in place his hands were tied.
"Oh you don't have to worry about that. If anyone ever finds out about this a mob would inevitably knock on our door to question us about these abnormal stats." August answered still shocked by what he was seeing.
"Burn that after you're done. I'll be taking my leave now. Your numbers are giving me a headache." Heracles said as he continues to massage the bridge of his nose.
"Are you sure you're not just getting older?" August quips.
"Maybe the beating I gave you earlier was not enough?" Heracles answered as he gave August a loving smile.
August pales as he hurriedly runs outside his god's office. He shakes in fear of what Heracles might do to him.
Heracles watched his child exit and sighed. He really needed a rest after what he saw today. "Disrespectful child." he can only mumble as he makes his way into his chamber.
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-At Loki's familia
"Thank you Finn." Loki thanked her captain for the interesting information she received from him. The fight between August and Bete was an unexpected but pleasant surprise for the goddess of mischief. 'Looks like Heracles's confidence wasn't for naught. August Kaiser eh...'
"Do you need anything more from me lady Loki?" Finn asked as he bowed to his goddess, his words snapped Loki out of her line of thoughts.
"If you didn't stop the two who do you think would have won?" Loki asked her captain, an amused smile on her face as she did so.
"August attack contained a huge amount of mana, he also attacked with intent so he was undoubtedly attacking with full force. His magic endless battle also boosts his strength to reach high level 6, it has similar principles to my magic hell finegas. But Bete unleashed his magic Hati which you know has anti magic properties, it can absorb mana and burn through magic with ease. If Riveria, Gareth, and I didn't step in then August Kaiser would have been a burnt corpse at the end of their exchange." Finn answered his goddess's question. He firmly believes what he said. August would have died at that moment.
"Hmmm... Still he was able to wound Bete who was a level above him, that child is quite impressive." Loki said, the same amused smile still on her face. "How would he fare against my Ais?"
"I think August would win in terms of strength but Ais would beat him in speed. Both of their magic is similar and would be the X-factor in the fight. Ariel versus Endless battle would be a spectacle to watch. I say the two of them are even... But Ais will lose." Finn answered honestly. Loki's face suddenly lost the smile.
"What did you say?" There was a hint of anger in the goddess's voice. But Finn was unfazed by it. "My hearing seems to be off today, care to repeat that Finn."
"Ais will lose if she fought August." Finn repeated as he looked his goddess in the eyes. "Don't get me wrong here my lady. The two of them are almost even in every aspect, even their skills and magic are similar to one another. It would be anyone's game if the two of them fought in even ground. But August has something that Ais doesn't."
The smile returned to Loki's face but it was a bit strained. Forced even. She then asked. "Do tell, what does that child have that my Ais doesn't?"
"A blood weapon, August possesses Beowulf, a weapon that has blood magic enchanted to it. As August grew stronger so does the weapon. He has the superior equipment and in a fight as even as this. Any advantage can lead to a win." Finn said, he was among the people who had witnessed Siegfried in action back in the day. And he knew of Beowulf or at least what the majority knew of it. If Finn knew that it was more than a blood weapon, that it was a weapon created to kill the gods, he would have been the first one to take it away from August 9 years ago. He would have killed August for the greater good. But unfortunately or fortunately he only knew Beowulf as a blood weapon given by Ganesha to Siegfried.
"So a superior weapon was it." Loki had a mischievous grin on her face. "I want full access to our inventory, and contact Hephaestus's familia. I would like to make an order." She trusts the judgement of his captain, if August has the advantage in weaponry then she would even the odds for her Ais to win.
"As you wish my lady." Finn gave Loki a bow and exited her office. 'Guess will be spending millions again.' he thought as he sighed deeply. Still he would follow the orders of his goddess because that is just how he is.
Loki was now alone in her office. The information she received made her excited. Finn said that the two of them are equal besides August's superior weapon. So what if the two of them have the same quality of weapon? Hell. She'll pay a fortune just to one up Heracles's child. "My Ais is going to win this thing." she declared as she took a sip of whiskey that was on her table. She looked out the window of her office with a relaxed smile on her face. "She will win."
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***
Chapter 34 is out, how do you guys like the story so far?
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