Chapter 11: Rupturing the White Rapture, Part 1

[Present]

So, these are my current stats since I last checked after the battle with the Toxic Troll.

~~

Jinma Kotori

Race: Human

Class: Brawler

[New Title(s) achieved: Pyromancer, Assassin]

Title: Natural-Born Brawler, Studious, Seeker of Knowledge, Pyromancer, Assassin [Formidable Underdog (only seen by the user)]

Equipment: Roughed-Up Slacks

Stats:

LV: 62 (+7)

HP: 627/965 (+75)

MP: 943/943 (+103)

ATK: 3561 (+106)

DEF: 65280 [3264 (+76) X 20]

SP. ATK: 2142 (+99)

SP. DEF: 53540 [2677 (+78) X 20]

AGI: 1112 (+110)

LUCK: 18 (+2)

EXP: 6114/6200 (+~45000)

STR RES: FIRE, WATER, STORM, TERRA, HOLY, CURSE

SP: 261 (+7)

[BP: 520 (+1000, -505) (only seen by the user)]

[TAL: 0 (only seen by the user)]

Ability: Violently Tempting Challenger

Dragon Scale Defense

[Obina's Champion (only seen by the user)]

~~

Jinma Kotori

[Skill(s) Leveled Up: Fear Resistance LV 5, Sadistic Smile LV 2

[Skill(s) Revealed: Stealth LV 5

[New Skill(s) Learned: Fire Magic LV 3, Slugger Style LV 3, Slash LV 3, Pyreball LV 3, Flame Burst LV 3, Ambush*]

Skills:

Passive: Poison Resistance LV 7, Cooking LV 7, Merciless Style LV 6, Throw LV 6, Resourceful Weapon LV 6, Fear Resistance LV 5, Stealth LV 5, Despair Resistance LV 4, Protective Style LV 4, Fire Magic LV 3, Money Grubbing LV 3, Baking LV 3, Housekeeping LV 3, Massaging LV 3, Slugger Style LV 3, Studying MAX LV, Catch*, Intimidation*, Ambush* [Underdog Bonus* (only seen by user)]

Active: Glare LV 7, Heavy Throw LV 6, Demon's Palm LV 6, Blowback Punch LV 5, Man Killer LV 5, Slash LV 3, Sadistic Smile LV 2, Scare*, Taunt*

Spells: Pyreball LV 3, Flame Burst LV 3

~~

I'm not sure, but I get the feeling my stats shouldn't rise this quickly, or get as much EXP as I did to make leveling up this much possible, even with the 'Underdog Bonus' applied to it. What's most worrying, however, is that even with the amount of power I had in the last few spells I cast, my MP has already recovered. I didn't even notice it until after confirming the bars in my peripheral. Deciding to seriously question Ms. Obina about this later, I open up the Skill List to see what would help me recover HP until one catches my attention.

[Meditation: Adds 'HP Regeneration' status buff to the user. Higher levels increase the amount of HP healed overtime; Requirements met: VOIDED, Special Condition with the user's 'Protective Style' at a high enough level; Cost: 80 SP; Status: READY.]

It looks like I'm able to learn this thanks to my 'Protective Style' being at a high enough level of mastery to override the previous requirements? Though, I don't know how a brawling fighting style like that levels up or how I got it in that level when I came here. Details aside, it costs a lot of SP to learn, but until I find an alternative to recover more, I don't have other options over what I can learn right now, so I go for it.

[You have spent 80 SP. Total: 181 SP

[You have now learned 'Meditation' LV 1!]

{Looks like it worked, and I seem to just 'know' the fundamentals of how to do it once I learn it. Strange how that didn't come when I learned Fire Magic and the like. When the others aren't looking, I'll activate it to heal myself over time.}

"Mr. Jinma, the man who goes by 'Shane' expresses his gratitude for saving him and the girls," the lady Centaur says as she approaches me. She then rests a hand to her generous bosom and bows her head. "Thou have also my own thanks for sparing a bottle for him at his time of need. Have thou also healed thy wounds?"

"I gave the rest to Erizora and Ren here. They needed it more than I did having no scratch, as you can see," I say while standing up and spinning to show myself.

"Y-Yes, well … 'tis good thou art well," she says before clearing her throat and averting her gaze with tinted cheeks.

{… Oh, I forgot I'm still topless, and I have all these scars, too. This is awkward.}

"A-Anyway, did the cultist say anything of use for us?" she continues.

"Ah, right, he said there's a second-in-command making the orders at the city's square while the main leader is out getting some secret weapon that the demons locked away or something."

"Secret weapon locked away …" she trails off before her face suddenly pales. "No. No, no, nononono! 'Tis not good! 'Tis very not good! How did they find it?! How long ago did they go there?! Wait! There were traps set out! If I run over there now, maybe I can—"

"Oi! Settle down!" I exclaim, shutting her up. "Take a few deep breaths, and then calmly explain to me what's going on."

"O-Okay, okay, I am calming down …" She the obliges to my suggestion with a hand to her bosom. Once she gets her act together, she looks down while her horse ears fold back. "There is … a cursed weapon in a cave outside of the city that's been sealed away for … the last few centuries, if I am correct, that brings great disaster to the holder as well as those around them. Not only will they get possessed by the being that dwells in the weapon to kill anyone indiscriminately, but that same one can use an ominous influence to attract monsters. If the White Rapture gets to the cursed weapon, their infiltration in our city would be the least of our problems at this point."

"All right, I understand how that's a big deal now, but we need to take in mind the current circumstances before making any other moves. How's the fighting force of the people in this city?"

"There art the guards stationed in this city as well as the registered adventurers, myself included, who art nearby to help defend against the White Rapture. Oh, and then there are Ms. Carmen and her slaves who have joined in the fight recently, as well as thee. Putting it all together, we have a fighting force of around … 150 to 200 people, while I last heard the White Rapture having around 500 when they came in."

"With those numbers, it would be best that we help the people in Dondegarm and defeat the second-in-command first before anything else. We can focus on finding the leader and the cursed weapon once we push them back far enough. We need all the numbers we can get to take those bastards down."

"Yes, thou art right. I prithee, would thou come with me to the central square and help fight off this infiltration?"

"Of course. I'm ready to bust heads at any time. Ren, Erizora, how about you … two?"

"Don't mind us! Continue your chat on the battlefield while Ren and I are holding them off! Mow Down!" Erizora exclaims as she swings her kanabo, blowing a crowd of cultists away. I feel like half of what she said was sarcastic, and the other she was serious about letting us continue talking. Either way …

""We should help out,"" we both say at once before taking our weapons and charge at the hordes of cultists. The lady Centaur takes on one side of the crowd while I prepare a spell on the other.

"Pardon me being late for this, but I realize I have yet to introduce myself! I am Kalline Gallofree of the Centaurs! Mercenary class and a blue-ranked adventurer! A pleasure to meet and fight with thee!"

"Jinma Kotori of the Humans! Brawler class, traveler! Likewise! Flame Burst!" I exclaim in kind while aiming my palm at the crowd of cultists, firing a bigger ball of flames than the one that hit the axe guy earlier.

Fwoosh!

""Gyaaugh!""

As the name suggests, the spell bursts in a large radius and blasts the cultists away screaming.

"… Art thou lying of thy class for something far greater?!"

"Nope! I'll even show you my status after all of this to prove it if you want! Let's hurry to the central square!" I exclaim while taking out the club strapped to my back. I'm about to head right towards where I blasted the cultists and stop mid-step before looking back. "Which way is central square?!"

"Um … this way." Ms. Gallofree then starts galloping in a completely different direction than where I was intending.

"Right … that way, how would I have known?" I ask myself before catching up to her with Ren and Erizora following behind.