#18 Absolute Dominance

Both I and Ichika took 1 dead wolf on our shoulders and we ventured deeper into the forest.

On our way, we were attacked by a few more wolves but Ichika took care of them while carrying the dead wolf on her shoulder. While I was having a problem moving around with that weight on my shoulder. When I burnt 1 wolf she killed by herself I have got no new experience to my Special Class so I guess it needs to be killed by me or she would have to be in party with me.

My strength is really bullshit, even she is much stronger than me in that aspect... I thought while side glancing at Ichika who was walking next to me with a happy mood.

Although I must admit that she is really strong, despite her foolish words from time to time. It's just that she was trained to fight against humans and not the beasts. I wonder who would be stronger...old me or her. Although in terms of cunningness I would probably win easily but straight one-on-one battle without any tricks...she would definitely make me sweat.

Even though I am currently much weaker than old me in terms of speed and strength...4 years...4 years and I will exceed my former self by numerous times and I am talking only about 4 years of training. I am not counting this system power and fire control.

"Let's stop here, it should be far enough." I said and threw down a dead wolf on my shoulder.

"...Alright" Ichika looked behind and saw that the walls of the Capital were still visible so she sighed in relief and put down her own wolf.

"Now what?" She asked, waiting for my instructions. It almost looked like she was slowly coming to enjoy my unreasonable orders.

...Strange girl.

I thought while giving her a weird look and she simply tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Well...we need a lot of blood to attract danger beast..." I said and suddenly cut one of the wolves in half, making blood gush out on the ground.

---

'...I still wonder how the young lord can stay calm after seeing so much blood and even though it is animal...blood is still blood. *sigh*' Ichika thought, trying her best to really understand Akashi's mentality.

---

After waiting for no more than 10 minutes, we finally heard the roar of the beast.

Both of us turned in the direction in which roar came from and soon enough we spotted creature that looked similar to the tiger only bigger and his fur's color was white with occasional black stripes.

"That one looks perfect for making some money, it's not even that strong." I muttered with a small smile.

"Young lord, how about we cooperate and bring that creature down together?" Ichika asked me with a pleading voice, she was probably thinking that I would try to fight with it all alone.

*Roar!* The tiger seemed to find us talking right in front of it as an act of us looking down on it.

Tiger started to run towards us while his eyes were filled with killing intent.

"Sure but don't kill it, just try to distract it." I replied to her and she sighed in relief.

"Let's do it!" She shouted towards the tiger and moved in front of it while I run to it's left side.

The tiger was enraged to be shouted at by such a small human like Ichika and swiped with his claws at Ichika who stepped slightly backward, closely dodging its deadly claws.

"Oops, that was a bit close, you are pretty rude one!" She said with a cheerful voice and slashed with her dagger tiger's paw. Her sharp dagger met almost no resistance but it still wasn't big enough cut to make any big damage but at least it incapacitate its speed a bit.

*Roar!!!* Tiger's eyes turned madly red and it jumped at Ichika trying to win with its size.

"Hehe, did you perhaps forget about someone?" I said and while the tiger was still in the air I rushed under it.

I unsheathed my sword and sliced the tiger's entire stomach while I was under it.

Ichika already jumped away from the spot where the tiger fell after its jump with blood gushing out of the wound on its stomach.

However, it wasn't the end so even before he has fallen on the ground I already rushed towards it again.

When the tiger recovered from its fall and tried to get up, I pierced its entire head with my sword until the tip of my blade met the ground.

"Now he looks more friendly, good unicorn" I muttered and took my sword back.

---

[Congratulation on killing your first Danger beast. These beasts are more or less mutated animals that attainted a higher realm of strength. + 1 Strength, + 1 Free Status point]

[+8 XP for killing danger beast]

[Class: Assassin (+1 Agility, +1 Intelligence) 8/10 XP]

[Strength: 4 -> 5]

[Free Stat points: 2 -> 3]

---

I am slightly tempted to burn it but its fur can be really valuable.

"Good job, Ichika" I said with a genuine smile because she did exactly what I wanted her to do. She did it even without me telling her.

"...T-thank you, youn-" Ichika was slightly surprised by my genuine smile, however when she recovered and tried to thank me, she was suddenly interrupted.

*ROAR!!!* It was once again the roar from a danger beast but if I were to compare it to the tiger's roar...Then the tiger was whining baby.

"Fuck..." I rolled my eyes in annoyance and immediately burned the dead tiger.

[+4 BXP for burning your enemy]

[Special Class: Fire Monarch (Lv. 2; +2 Cha, +2 Int, +2 Const) 0/20 BXP]

[Congratulation on leveling up Special Class: +2 Free status points]

[Health: 110/110 -> 120/120]

[Energy: 160/175 -> 180/195]

[Free Stat points: 3 -> 5]

[Congratulation on acquiring a new Active Skill: Absolute Dominance - ??? (Activated only under the certain condition)]

Really? Do I really have to discover what does it do myself?

"Young lord, this doesn't sound good, we need to run quickly!" Ichika said after feeling the pressure just from that roar.

"It's already too late." I said when I felt the ground slightly tremble under my legs.

And immediately after I have said those words, a giant turtle with a deformed head as if it was a mish-mash of faces of the numerous animals approached us while knocking down trees in its way.

"It's extremely slow we need to use this to our advantage..." I muttered while narrowing my eyes.

"Yes ha-ha, how about running away?" Ichika said with a hollow laugh while preparing her small daggers.

...I hope we will be able to pierce through its skin...it looks kinda thick.

"Ichika, try to cut its legs on the left side and I will take the right side. Be careful." I said and rushed towards the giant turtle.

"P-please wait, young lord!" She shouted at me but when she saw that I wasn't listening to her, she followed my orders.

I rushed right next to its legs with the greatest speed I could produce and tried to slash its leg.

*Clink*

What?!

I shouted inside my mind when I heard the sound as if someone parried my sword.

When I looked at its leg, there was just a scratch and although there was a bit of blood coming out, it was nowhere near to incapacitate its movements.

If will try a piercing attack, it will probably get through the skin but I can already imagine my sword getting stuck in its leg.

? I noticed a big shadow above me when I was thinking about the strategy of how to defeat it and when I looked up, I saw the creature's leg above my head.

I narrowed my eyes and jumped out of the way right before it stomped its leg. Its stomp immediately made debris of stones and dirt flew everywhere in the 5-meter distance from the impact. Even my footing was slightly interrupted by the shockwave.

This is bad...I can try to assign those 5 unused points to any stat but...will 5 points make any big difference? I also need better weapon and not this cheap sword. The only way is my flames but as I already know, its skin is extremely tough and thick.

The fire might not make much damage.

"Ichika, follow me!" I shouted and run away more than 40 meters away from the beast while Ichika followed me.

"Young lord, my daggers aren't made for fighting with creatures like this one. I can only cause small scratches on its skin. We should retreat." Ichika said when she caught up to me.

"And where do you want to retreat? To the Capital where it will follow us? Or perhaps deeper to the forest where the other Danger beasts are lurking? I have a plan, listen..." I said and started explaining the plan to her.

"W-what?! I can't do that, it's too reckless, young lord!" Ichika said with a horrified expression after I was done explaining the plan.

"Do it!" I shouted at her in an authoritative tone. This wasn't the right situation for her to worry about me.

"I- alright!" She hesitated but closed her eyes for a moment before reopening them with a new resolve.

I nodded at her and we started to sprint back to the creature, when we were close enough, she grabbed me and threw me towards its face.

...She really is strong.

I thought while I flew, pointing my swords at the creature's face.

?! I noticed something coming my way from the side at extreme speed.

I didn't have any choice but to block the attack since I was in the air. I put my sword before me and supported it with my other arm.

*Bang* I was blown away and my sword was broken in 2 parts.

"Sss, young lord!" I couldn't help but hear Ichika's annoying and worrying shout.

I flew through the air until I hit the tree and stopped "flying".

*Thud*

My body finally hit the ground and I slowly opened my eyes in pain

[Health: 58/120]

Haha, more than half of my hp went away from that one attack...but I guess the tree also contributed a bit.

It feels like my left arm is broken from the impact when my sword broke. A few of my ribs must be broken too. Who would have thought that it was hiding its tail? Not to mention that the tail is extremely fast, and behaves slightly similar to a whip. Heh, that's pretty unfair, its tail compensates its slow movement due to its good defense.

"Young lord! Are you alright?!" Ichika finally appeared next to me and asked me with a shocked eyes, afraid to touch me in case I would crumble out of nowhere.

...Her eyes are getting moist...just how much is she loyal to our house? Even her hands are shaking, I guess she isn't good in these situations.

"He-he *cough* Do I look fine to you? HE-HE *cough*" I started to laugh at her stupid question but I immediately coughed out blood from my mouth.

"Young lord, I will take you somewhere safe!" She said but her voice was shaking and she was even unsure how to pick me up.

[Active Skill: Absolute Dominance - ??? (Activated only under the certain condition)]

What could be the trigger...What will it give me once activated?

Wait...Fire Monarch...Absolute Dominance. Both have domineering names so maybe...Well, I have nothing to lose.

I closed my eyes and the air around me gradually changed, it was no longer bored, at ease air.

I opened my eyes and with them, the new aura around me got released.

"Young lord-?" Ichika also noticed my change and didn't know what to do.

My eyes started glowing as if the intense fire was burning inside them.

"Step aside." I said with a cold tone.

---

'Is this still the young lord? That lazy young lord I know? His eyes are completely filled with arrogance and scorn. His aura is also completely different, it's...domineering. I have a hard time to even breathe, its as if I can't breathe near him without his permission!' Ichika thought with shocked wide-open eyes while looking at "new" Akashi but she still moved away on her own without her being even conscious of when or why

---

I got up and walked a few steps towards the beast that was slowly advancing towards us.

I raised my chin up to show it that I am looking down on it.

*ROAR!!!* It noticed my look in my eyes and immediately got enraged, rushing towards us even in greater speed, making ground shake and rubble fly around.

"...You have defied me for far too long. While you are in my presence, always LOWER YOUR HEAD!" I said and spear made of fire appeared in my right hand, I poured my entire energy into it and threw it.

Even while I was throwing it, my hands were extremely shaking from the pressure this spear was emitting. It was extremely hard to control so much energy in one place.

Giant turtle due to its size had no way how to dodge but it was still confident in its defense. It hid its head in its shell and prepared for the "impact"

When the spear made contact with its shell...

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Series of explosions resonated through the entire forest scaring off any weaker danger beasts.

When the smoke finally dispersed, what was revealed was an enormous crater with no sign of the creature.

[Active Skill: Absolute Dominance - When facing the formidable foe, show no fear, instead show your arrogance. + 20% to every stat, fire intensity, and explosiveness]

[Congratulation on killing foe numerous times stronger than you. +2 to every stat]

[+ 100 XP for killing danger beast]

[+ 50 BXP for burning your enemy]

[Strength: 5 -> 7]

[Agility: 7 -> 9]

[Intelligence: 8 -> 10]

[Constitution: 5 -> 7]

[Charisma: 4 -> 6]

...

[Special Class: Fire Monarch (Lv. 3; +3 Cha, +3 Int, +3 Const) 30/40 BXP]

[Active Skill: Absolute Dominance - + 25% to every stat, fire intensity, and explosiveness]

[Class: Assassin (Lv. 4; +5 Agility, +3 Intelligence, +1 Strength) 38/80 XP]

[Congratulation on leveling up your classes: +6 free stat points]

[Energy: 0/255]

A lot of text appeared in front of me and when I saw my reserves of energy, I started to feel dizzy. My eyes were slowly closing and I finally lost all strength to stand straight.

*Thud* My body hit the ground but I already lost consciousness.

-------

Ichika was watching the crater created by Akashi's attack with a shocked expression but when she heard someone's body hit the ground she immediately woke up from her shock and turned at Akashi who was lying on the ground with closed eyes.

"?! Young lord!" Ichika shouted and immediately rushed to his side.

'I must take him somewhere safe, other people might come here after hearing such a loud explosion. but still...The young lord is really amazing.' Ichika thought with a warm smile while looking at Akashi's face, she took him into her hands and moved away from the battle scene.

-------

----------END----------

[Name: Akashi Phoenix

Title: King of Sloth

Class: Assassin (Lv. 4; +5 Agility, +3 Intelligence, +1 Strength) 38/80 XP

Special Class: Fire Monarch (Lv. 3; +3 Cha, +3 Int, +3 Const) 30/40 BXP

Health: 68/130

Energy: 0/255

<Stats>

Strength: 7 (8)

Agility: 9 (14)

Intelligence: 10 (16)

Constitution: 7 (10)

Charisma: 6 (9)

Free Stat points: 11

Classes: Young Noble (Lv. 2; +2 Cha) 0/20 XP,

Special Classes:

[Active Skill: Absolute Dominance - When facing the formidable foe, show no fear, instead, show your arrogance and pride. + 25% to every stat, fire intensity, and explosiveness. (Can't be triggered just by acting arrogant, one must truly show off his inner pride and arrogance for the skill to work.)]