16 Chapter 16: Arriving At The Capital
Authors Note: Hey everyone sorry for the delay in the chapter release. I've been taking some time to figure out the direction I want to take this novel and sort out future storylines. Anyway, after looking through the comments I decided to NOT give anyone else powers from the System/One Piece. I appreciate all the opinions/ideas I got, and I'll be relying on your help in the future. With that being said enjoy the start of a new "arc"
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A giant slug-like creature is seen moving through a field of grass leaving a trail of fire behind it. The slug suddenly stops and points its eyes in the direction of two humans walking towards it. The slug gets excited at the idea of making these two humans its next meal, once they are in its range, it spews fire from its mouth attempting to cook its meal. It stops spewing fire assuming the humans have died only to see an empty patch of burned grass. The slug doesn't even have time to ponder what happened as it suddenly gets filled with many small bullets made of light. It collapses on its side dying instantly from the powerful attack.
Ace looks at the now-dead slug wondering how to dismantle it. As he debates whether or not he even wants to touch the creature he suddenly hears the familiar voice of his system.
[FIRE SLUG DEFEATED. YOU HAVE GAINED:
1,250 EXP
500 SP
YOU HAVE LEVELED UP!]
Ace grins at the fact that he managed to level up again before reaching the capital. Curious to see his status since leveling up he calls up his system.
[STATS]
[STATS:
ACE D. WALKER
LEVEL: 81 (0/22,000 EXP)
HEALTH: 750/750
MANA: 25,000/25,000
STR: 500
DEX: 999 (MAX)
INT: 625
WIS: 600
Abilities:
Light Man (Passive):
The user can phase through most attacks by turning part or all of him into light.
Light Beam:
Concentrating light onto a certain point, the user can fire this light as a beam towards the intended target. User can also manipulate attack to explode after impact or shoot through target silently.
Mirror Reflection:
User can create 'mirrors' made of light and using these mirrors, user can teleport to and from them.
Flashbang:
The user collects a mass of light inside his fist and when thrown at an enemy will explode effectively blinding them for a short period.
Light Drinker:
The user absorbs surrounding light into muscles causing a boost in physical abilities. Maximum of 20% boost. After fifteen minutes, the user will lose the boost and receive a 15% loss of power. Power will be restored after 30 minutes.
Bright Puppet:
Using light refractions, the user can create a clone of himself. Clone(s) follow the user's command telepathically and can explode when triggered.
Blinding Machine Gun:
A large radius attack where many beams of light are shot at a certain area. Can be used for large scale attacks or targeting a single person
Trick Room:
Tricking the opponent's eyes using light photons, the user can appear invisible inside a certain radius. However, over time the opponent's eyes will begin to adjust and the user will soon be visible again. (Can only be used during the day)
FIGHTING LEGACY OF Z: 100% LEARNED
SHOP SKILLS:
OBSERVATION HAKI: LEVEL 7
ARMAMENT HAKI: LEVEL 5
CONQUEROR'S HAKI: LEVEL 4
SYSTEM POINTS: 300,500]
Over the past five months, Ace and Rika have been training their skills and defeating monsters they encounter along their way. Ace had managed to level up quite a bit while also learning two new techniques. "Blinding Machine Gun" was a variation of Kizaru's "Sacred Jewel" attack from the anime. Ace improved the ability allowing it to activate faster and giving him more control when aiming. "Trick Room" was a self-made technique that was still in early development. Although it allowed Ace to turn invisible, he could only use it on a single opponent, and it could only be used during the daytime. Another risky factor was that the success of the skill depended on how long it would take for the opponent's eyes to adjust. He wanted to get it to the point where he no longer had to worry about these factors, but he still had a lot of work to do.
Ace had also managed to fully learn the "Legacy Book of Z" and level up his Haki as well. He still couldn't see into the future with his Observation Haki, but he felt himself on the edge of breaking through and figured it wasn't long until he could. His Armament Haki was now almost completely black but he was far from Garp's level. In terms of Conqueror's Haki, Ace didn't find many chances to use it as it seemed it had only affected people; despite that, he still managed to level it up some.
Rika had also made great strides in terms of strength. With the help of Ace teaching her better methods to absorb mana, she gained a better handle on mana capacity and control. Ace had also taught her some new attacks she could use taking inspiration from the Flame-Flame Fruit. On their journey to the capital, Ace and Rika had become much closer and their teamwork improved tremendously making them a deadly duo.
"I think we're good on monster parts for now. With the amount we have, I'm pretty sure we could buy a small town if we sold them all. Not to mention the capital is only a couple hours away and I'm dying to sleep in a real bed."
Rika managed to snap Ace out of staring at his stats when she mentioned a bed. Although he wouldn't admit it, he too couldn't wait to sleep in a comfy bed after enjoying a quality meal.
"Well if you're in that much of a hurry, I could have a clone carry you there?"
Rika's face lost all color hearing Ace's suggestion. She remembered the time she was tired from walking and Ace offered to carry her to their next resting spot. After they quickly reached the spot, she immediately vomited and couldn't eat for the rest of the night.
"Ah, y-you know maybe we can just walk."
Rika then continued walking towards the capital with a sudden burst of energy. Ace looked at her curiously and shrugged his shoulders while thinking that it was her loss.
After walking for a couple of hours, the two finally arrived at the capital's walls. The capital was surrounded by a 70-meter high white wall. Along the wall, there were multiple prints of a crest with a sword pointing down with two large wings connected to it and a crown directly above the sword. Below the wall was a moat with a drawbridge blocking the entrance. Finally, there seemed to be a magical barrier protecting everything to top it off.
Ace approached the guard standing outside and proceeded to show his guild ID. He also paid for Rika's new ID. He was confident they wouldn't find out about her past considering Edmund, the noble who tortured Rik and her sister, was dead. It also helped that nobody managed to get a good look at her when she attacked his castle.
The guard gave a signal, and the drawbridge started to lower allowing them to enter. Rika answered their questions for the new ID using the information Ace had given her beforehand about what they would ask. Once she gained her ID, they were allowed into the capital finally ended their long journey. Since it was their first time in the capital the two wanted to explore, but first decided on an inn. Once they found a nice inn the two split up deciding to meet up at the inn later.
Ace spent most of his time looking at the different restaurant options seeing what piqued his interest. As he was looking at the menu for a certain restaurant, he failed to notice a mysterious figure wearing a leather cloak in an alleyway staring at him when it suddenly smiled revealing two large sharp teeth.
