Chapter 95: New me, Who Dis?

As soon as he had killed his opponent, the recoil from the spell instantly hit Drake. His body screamed in protest at the overuse of every muscle fiber in his body.

His status had dipped down below 10% from the overcharged spell but was slowly recovering thanks to his Water Endowment.

He would use his meditate but he was unsure of what might come out from the forest while he tried to recover.

Using his new shawl, he popped a health potion into his hand, popping the cork and downing the liquid in one gulp.

That actually doesn't taste that bad. Kind of like fruit punch if I had to say. Drake grinned from his seat on the ground.

"Are you quite done?" Natto huffed.

Hmm..? What do you mean?

"I am talking about how reckless you are being! Will you not listen to my counsel?! What would have happened if those skills pushed you over the edge even further? What if your skill had not helped with your psyche instead turning you into a madman!" Natto screamed, genuinely furious.

Honestly… I don't know. In that moment. All there was, was hate. Hate for that monster, hate for what it was doing. Hate…. For my inability to do something about it despite how 'strong' I am. But I'm going to push myself Natto. I need to for both my progress and to protect those around me. Drake thought calmly.

He had now for the first time in a long time felt calm. True calm and clear-headed. Touching his shoulder where his right arm used to be, he knew what he needed to do more than ever and what the consequences might mean for him. But now. Now he felt the serine bliss of having his mental fatigue swept clean, as if the sun had finally come out from behind the clouds.

A genuine smile creased his face.

"I feel better than ever!" he shouted, throwing his arms into the air, "Ow, ow, ow.. Ok my head feels better, my body not so much."

"I would disagree! After all of the shenanigans you have just pulled, you are nothing but disturbed! The stones may have been fueling some of it but you still have your own will, Drake, you can not give in to impulse on a mere whim of the moment," Natto chided, giving a drawn-out sigh.

Come on…It isn't that bad is it? Besides it isn't like there's been a General yet that has given me a real run for my money! Drake thought confidently.

"You are allowing these fights to go to your head you dolt! Have you already forgotten the struggles that got you here? Have you truly learned nothing?"

Drake sat up, his gaze moving upward to the seemingly endless dark sky.

"No, Natto. I'm not forgetting anything. I'm just finally fully embracing the change the system has made in me. I need to be strong, I want to be strong. And in this reality if it means killing before being killed, used, backstabbed, or worse? I'm going to be all in. I thought with just my family on the line I had too much to lose. But now more than ever, with everyone I've met and humanity itself possibly on the chopping block. I need to embrace this part of me that is screaming so loud inside to grow stronger and fight more and more difficult opponents."

"Ugh, men… No, man-children. Why must you all go headfirst into death in the name of strength? Certainly, I said I would support you, but this is hardly advisable and I can sparsely relate to the need to protect one's entire race. At the very least it is a relief that you now have comrades to support you," Natto sighed but conceded reluctantly.

Speaking of party members. The ones of Drake's were still lining the wall of the outpost looking guardedly at him.

Drake looked back noticing the stares, and giving them an amiable wave letting them know he was still alright and alive, although very content with not moving for the next few hours, as his body ached all over.

Drake couldn't see or feel anyone in the immediate surrounding and gave in to the peace of the quiet of the night, the still after the battle.

He was not one for praying, but he did hope that the ones he could not save found peace in that he killed their murderer. So much so that not even an atom of its wretched body remained.

Looking upwards he did notice the shine of a mote of light. Reminding him that skill stone drops came after the monster had perished.

"Susmaryosep…" Drake muttered, seeing the small glass stone falling from the sky. Directly above him.

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"I've said it before. I'll say it again. I am so glad he is on our side," Tom muttered.

"Pup, think that might be the only thing you've said today that we agree on," Hudson nodded, but his face was still mournful of his mistake.

"Mr. Shot seems to be getting stronger by the day. I'm getting levels steadily as well but every time he levels up, it seems as if he jumps so far ahead," Harley wondered aloud.

"Yeah, I'll say. That man is a bloody army all on his own," Jacqueline added, her hand over the resting Claire, as it radiated a faint white glow in an attempt to ease her discomfort.

Claire had grown weak due to the cost of her buffing spell and her low level not giving her the resources necessary to comfortably use the skill. But she was also not as physically resilient as Drake when he used his Heretical Mind skill and quickly became exhausted.

Although Jacqueline's skill set focused on healing physical health, the small side effects of her healing skill were a welcomed comfort as they eased some of the muscle pain.

"Now imagine if he had both his arms…" Claire eked out, her eyes focused from her sitting position behind the wooden wall, barely overlooking it.

"No need to be like that, the mans got four arms now. And just cause you landed on your rump love, doesn't mean my club won't find its way upside your pretty head. Shot and I have a deal, and I plan on delivering once he does," Jacqueline chided, a cheeky grin on her face, "Someone must of warmed up to a certain someone, yeah?"

Claire just scoffed and kept her eyes on the now-darkened battlefield.

Amir was speechless as he just witnessed something out of this world. Yes, he had seen Drake use massive spells before, but this was quite different. The sheer destructive force of the spell, if it had been aimed at the forest he could only imagine the widespread havoc it could have unleashed.

Sherry on the other hand was speechless as well, but for a very different reason. Her mouth was full of leftovers. And once she finished her current mouthful she stayed as unimpressed as normal.

Her voice lackadaisical, "I wonder what he's going to cook for breakfast…"

No one decided to comment on Sherry's lack of enthusiasm at the destructive display Drake had just shown, but Tom did ask what everyone was thinking.

"Why is he just sitting there?"

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An hour went by as Drake was forced to sit, and play with his spells, his legs refusing to move without searing pain that he had not experienced since his teen years as growing pains. But much much worse.

"I wonder if this is how Goku feels after using the kaoken…" he muttered.

"It is good to know that after everything, your core personality still remains. Actually, I am mistaken. It is unfortunate that your personality has not changed for the better…." Natto corrected.

"You know, you have been very mean today. I think I should remind you I saved like 50 people back there. Which I still have to go help assimilate into the mass of other people I saved."

"Quite the philanthropist. Please tell me you are selfless without telling me you are selfless more."

"See this is exactly what I mean, you won't find any nice boy constructs if you keep up this attitude."

"Who in god's name says that I wish to meet anyone!? And it is your fault I have this attitude!" Natto huffed.

Drake chucked but winced holding his ribs with both arms as they stung from the motion.

"Right no laughing just yet, but I'm wondering if we can stand, I have a lot of equipment and stones to get. Not to mention I really need to do something about these dead monsters piling up. That can't be good for everyone's health. Ah… that really reminds me that I wish I had some fucking soap!" Drake grumbled, "Alright that's it I'm taking a hot bath when we get back! I don't care if I have to do it on the wall while watching the treeline. And where the hell is Theodore!? I told him to be back by now."

Drake raised his arms again in protest of not being able to move.

"Alright, it's decided. Hot bath, then burning down a forest. I'll just have to go to fisty cuffs with Smokey on this one."

"Why exactly do you want to fight a bear with a Ranger's outfit?" a female voice said next to him.

Drake turned as he saw two figures shimmer into view out of nowhere. One a woman in archer equipment, her twin tails a rustic auburn. The other a man with a distinguished mustache, bowed at the waist.

"Sire we hast returned from our endeavor," Theodore announced.

"Shoto!!!!!!!" Natto screamed inside Drake's head forcing him to hold back a laugh only barely as Natto cursed immediately after, "I do not even know who Shoto is!"

"P-perfect timing," Drake said, slightly giggling at the start but quickly steadied himself," I can't exactly move, so bring me up to speed while helping me get around. I have some spring cleaning to get to."

Both people raised an eyebrow but didn't protest and each placed an arm over their shoulder and picked Drake up. However, they were both at very different heights.

Theodore was over 6 feet tall, and Chelsea was barely clocking in at 5 foot 5, making the walk very lopsided.

"So I'm assuming you guys found where they are?" Drake asked, a red magic circle forming in front of him as he didn't bother snapping his fingers.

"We did," said Chelsea, her face turning grim and frustrated, then turning to one of concern and anxiety, "But there's a problem."

"Yes, there certainly is my Lord. Tis surro-" Theodore added, trying to explain, but was cut off.

"I'll stop you there Theo. It doesn't matter what the odds are, or what the actual circumstances are. Let me get my land legs again, and point me in the right direction. You know the deal with me, and I'm all in from here on out," Drake said eagerly.

Chelsea's mouth moved to say something, but could only open and close as she was surprised by Drake's confidence on the matter. He had been egotistical to a fault before, but at least he was calculating before. This was on a completely different level.

"What happened while we were gone? You aren't even going to ask about how many there are?" she asked, confused.

"Let's just say it's the start of a new year. And you know what that means, new me, new phone, new skills who dis?" Drake smiled widely behind his mask, as he set another monster corpse on fire.

"That made absolutely no sense.." Chelsea said, her anxiousness completely gone as it was replaced by disbelief.

"This one is inclined to agree, my Lord. It is completely ill-advised to head into battle withouteth any sort of information," Theodore agreed.

"It isn't that I don't want the information Theo, it's that I'm that confident this time. I haven't felt this pumped since I was a kid and heard Eve's opening song for the first time. Now don't forget to get me over to the Foreman, I've got to burn that big fat bastard to ashes before he leaves a present for me," Drake chuckled.