Chapter 8: Before Dungeun

It's been 2 weeks since we got here. I have been training secretly to master my power, and with Archmage's help, it became a lot easier. I tested Superhuman Speed, Superhuman Leap, Speed Strike, Speed throwing, Shockwave Manipulation, and Shockwave Blast. I can recall when I used superhuman speed, making everyone around me appear to move at a snail's pace. I sensed a huge amount of mana was in use to keep me in this state, honestly, I might be saying this quite a few times but Archmage is a real cheat.

If I didn't have Archmage I don't know how would i sustain my super speed for a long amount of time. So, while everyone was slowed in time I got out of the castle and tested my powers. Superhuman Leap just like it says I can jump extremely high with this ability, next was Speed Strike which helps me gather all the momentum while I am in my super speed, and strike things with all the momentum I gather, that was scarily strong and same goes for throwing, next was I can manipulate any shockwave I create, and then shockwave blast with this I can target specific object with my shockwaves.

So, I can do pretty cool stuff with my speed now like creating after images, running on walls, creating shock waves, jumping high, throwing things at the speed of sound and many more. But I haven't shown this to anyone yet.

For them, I am just a fast swordsman. Currently, I and Shizuku were sparring with wooden swords, I aimed a slash towards her head, and she blocked it with her yaeghashi-style sword art 'thunderclap' and tried to elbow me in my shoulder, but I easily dodged it, then tried to slash her chest, she still blocked it with her another of her techniques 'blade reversal' a precise upwards slash came at me. But it still wasn't fast enough to touch me, I easily dodged it and hit her on the shoulder ending the practice.

It is cheating to use my speed in a fight. But that doesn't mean I will be cocky because I know with the age of God's magic anyone with a large amount of mana could be a threat. So, it's better not to get carried away.

I praised Shizuku, "You are getting better and better with your sword. With your current mastery you could easily beat your dad".

"But my target is you," Shizuku mumbled in a low voice. Tomorrow we will be going to Orcus Labyrinth to see all the training we have done in practice. It will be also when Hajime falls into the abyss and I will go after him. It's about time I get out of this place.

Then suddenly I saw Hayama and his three goons dragging Hajime into a secluded corner. Shizuku also noticed this, she was about to go scold them but I held her hand and stopped her, she looked at me confusingly, "I will go and stop them you should go bring Kaori here, he might be injured already, we will need a healer." After hearing my reasoning, Shizuku hurriedly went to find Kaori. After she was gone my eyes turned cold and looked in Hayama's direction. [This could be a good opportunity to test my bloodlust skill,] I thought coldly.

I stealthily approached behind them and watched the situation. One of Hayamas goons through a fire spell at him. Hajime somehow managed to dodge the first spell, but then another one came at him. It was a wind spell that flung him to the ground. I quickly activated my bloodlust skill and targeted Hayama and three of his goons. A chilling cold voice came out of my mouth as I asked, "What do you think you're doing?" taking my bloodlust at point-blank range every one of them froze in fear except Hajime. I excluded him from the effects of bloodlust.

Hiyama was scared seeing so much bloodlust, that Hiyama and his three goons felt as though a sharp sword was at their necks, ready to take their lives. "You four still hadn't changed," I said with mock sadness. "How about I treat you like old times?" I said with a malicious smile.

Hearing Rihito's voice made Hayama turn pale. Hiyama understood what Rihito meant by 'old time,' when he was about to say something. Shizuku came with Kaori, and not to my surprise Dumb-ass and Muscle-head came with them.

Kaori quickly healed Hajime and asked, "Are you okay, Hajime?" with a worried expression on her face. She glared at Hayama and his gang, questioning, "Did you hurt Hajime?"

Hiyama panicked upon noticing that Kaori, the girl he liked, was looking at him in that way. "No no, we were just training him."

"We were helping Hajime," followed up his gang.

"Oh, beating someone with a sword and throwing magic without giving him a single chance to attack back is considered training, then I may have been doing something wrong all this time with my training", I retorted from the side.

Hearing my retort and the increased intensity of Kaori and Shizuku's glare. Hiyama just ran away, and seeing him his gang also ran after him.

I watched this with an expressionless face. I walked toward Hajime "Are you ok," I asked and he nodded.

Let me help you get to your room. He shook his head in denial. "I will go to the library." Hearing Hajime, Kouki says with a righteous tone you should be training more, if you trained more, they won't be hurting you. I gave a look at Shizuku which said (Why did you bring this guy.) Shizuku understood what I wanted to say. She just shrugged her shoulders and didn't say anything.

So, I just ignored Kouki's rambling and took Hajime to the library, where I also joined him in reading.

Next day.

We spent the night at an inn near the dungeon, preparing for our exploration that would begin the next day.

It was the night before the day we would start exploring the dungeon. We were currently in an inn near the dungeon spending the night. Each room had its own pair of students assigned. In my case, I was assigned to Hajime.

Currently, Hajime is Reviewing his knowledge about Orcus dungeon and I was looking at my status.

===<<Status >>===

Name: Sakai Rihito

Age: 17 years

Gender: Male

Level: 56

Class: Flash Baron

Strength: 850

Vitality: 850

Resistance: 850

Agility: ???

Magic: ???

Magic resistance: 850

Skills:

Flashing Strike, Flashing Slash, Superhuman Speed, Superhuman Leap, Speed Strike, Speed throwing, Light Slash, Bloodlust, Shockwave Manipulation, Shockwave Blast, Slashing Aura, Superhuman Reflexes, Weapon mastery, Combat Mastery, Meditation, Super Adaptable Body, , , Language Comprehension.

Magic:

Fire magic, Water magic, Wind magic, Earth magic, Dark magic, Light magic, Barrier magic, Healing magic, Fertility magic, Floating magic.

===<<End >>===

[Quite the types of magic I have gotten. I have all four elements can I be considered the avatar now?] I amusingly thought to myself.

At that time suddenly the door was knocked, "Knock knock".

Hajime looked at me and then went towards the door.

"Nagumo, are you still awake? It's me, Shirasaki. Can I bother you for a moment?"

"What?" For a moment he froze and looked at me again, I raised an eyebrow and then remembered something. Hajime then hurriedly opened the door. Kaori was standing there with a snow-white negligee on. He tried not to stare too much at Kaori. Although he didn't have too much interest, he was still an adolescent boy. The current appearance of Kaori was slightly too stimulating.

Seeing all this I was amused, but I will give them alone time. "I gonna go get some fresh air, that time should be enough to complete the talk you guys will having," Saying that I left them alone in the room, but I noticed Kaori looked at me a little gratefully.

I walked outside of the inn and looked at the sky. The glittering stars shone in the night sky. In my old world, I would have never seen such a sight. I noticed right beside the inn there were few benches, so I decided to sit there and enjoy the night sky.

While I was sitting there, I was thinking. Tomorrow would be the day everything would begin. [So, what should I do, should I let Hajime suffer a fate worse than death, and let him grow into 'the monster of the abyss' or should I help him from the start?]

"..."

[I don't know what to do.]

[If I save him, everything will change, and a new unknown future will wait for us even with all of my powers I am not sure what will happen.]

Ugh… thinking about all this complicated shit makes my head hurt. [Why can't Archmage's genius intellect work in this kind of thinking? It works on complicated magic calculations just fine but not in this.]

[Let's think about it simply. Am I willing to take the role of the protagonist?]

"..."

"Hell no." I am as good as I am now.

So, that means I won't interfere in Hajime's character development.

[Alright, I will go through it tomorrow.] I resolve myself.

"Rihito, is that you?"

As soon as I heard that voice, my gaze instinctively shifted towards her, and I found myself frozen in place. There she was, Shizuku, dressed in a light purple negligee that complemented her every curve and contour. I couldn't help but utter a few words under my breath, "Beautiful," before I realized it. Hearing those words leave my lips, she froze and blushed a deep shade of red to her ears. It was when I realized my stupid mistake and attempted to change the conversation in a different direction, saying, "It's quite the beautiful night we are having."

She said in a light stutter "Y…yes."

We were both silent for a few minutes, and the silence was unbearable. [I never thought I would say this, but I wanted to bury myself somewhere.]

Shizuku finally started to talk, "So why are you here right now."

"Oh nothing, it's just that 2 love birds have something to talk about, and I don't want to be a third wheel in between them. So, I came here until they finished their chat," After hearing me her eyes widened.

She came close to me and asked urgently, "Was it Kaori?".

Unknown to me my face turned a little shade of red.

I replied, "Who other than Kaori would come to talk with Hajime this late?" Shizuku was stumped by my retort. She puffed her cheeks and looked away. [She looks cute like that.]

[Now, that I think about it she is totally my type. Why didn't I think about this before? Did I discipline myself too much? Am I becoming a muscle head too?]

Just then Shizuku called out to me, "Are you okay." Seeing her worried my head cool down.

"Don't worry I am perfectly fine."

[I should tell her an excuse before chaos breaks out tomorrow. She will at least have an idea of what I will be doing at least.]

"Hey, Shizuku I need to tell you something. I have decided that after we go through this Orcus dungeon. I will leave this kingdom and go outside to see the world."

"..."

After hearing me, Shizuku looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked, "Why do you want to go?"

"I have many reservations about whatever this kingdom telling us about. From the beginning, I have never trusted anyone from this kingdom. I stayed here until now to get the minimum knowledge about this world."

"Which I have now, so it's imperative for me to stay here any longer and you already know, I don't give a shit about this kingdom and the war."

"So, before I go, I wanted to tell you. I will also tell Hajime, that if he wants to come with me, I will bring him with me."

"I would have asked you to come with me too, but I am sure you will deny my request."

"You are too kind to leave them behind and come with me."

"..."

Shizuku fell silent upon hearing those words because everything Rihito said was true. She doesn't want to leave her classmates alone, who knows what will they do if there isn't anybody to supervise them.

"I think I will head to my room, goodnight," saying that I left.

After Rihito left Shizuku had a bitter smile she said in a small voice, "I also want to go with you, but I can't just leave them behind."

...

"Chapter end"