by L. M. Kerr
The Void Ripper Ability fully transformed one's body into an incredibly dense and tough humanoid form, granting huge bonuses to Strength and Endurance. One's skin became slightly grayer as a result. More importantly, however, it gave the user the power to use their bare hands to rip apart stone, steel, or even reality itself, if one's Soul stat was high enough.
It was one of the strongest and most useful Type Abilities you could buy from the Shop, yet only cost 40,000 Points. It was one of the exceptions to the direct 'Points = Strength' theories put forth by some researchers.
'Well, Void Ripper was probably gone before the First Wave even ended.' He shrugged.
"There they are…" He muttered, his eyes narrowing as he glanced over two Abilities in particular.
The Limited 'Impact Release' Ability and the Limited 'Magic Swell' Ability.
'They still have some slots left! Great!'
Limited Abilities were usually quite unique, with their prices often disordered and sometimes even seemingly random. He certainly would've priced his Life Orb Mastery Ability higher, even with its no-Type negative.
'These two can both be easily removed.' He smiled, pleased.
He could only have 7 Abilities. This was an unbreakable law that Humanity had never moved past. However, it was possible to remove some Abilities, through various methods, and switch to different Abilities. Both the ones he'd picked out were ones that could be easily removed.
Most Type Abilities were permanent, as were most Abilities that had a high Points cost.
He tapped on the Impact Release Ability, pulling up its description.
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—-Impact Release—-
The Impact Release Ability allows the user to record the energy from any attack used against them, drawing upon the latent energy of reality to store an equivalent amount in their soul. When the user chooses, they can unleash all stored energy at will from any part of their body or using any object they are holding. The maximum amount of energy one can store and release is dependent on the user's Soul stat.
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He smiled slightly as he looked at the somewhat misleading description.
It was accurate that the Ability allowed one to record any impact in totality and store an equivalent amount of energy. What the Ability didn't mention, however, was that it didn't block or protect you from any of that impact…
If you got hit by a cannon with this Ability, you could completely copy the impact from that attack and store an equal amount of energy from it. You could then release it any time you wanted. However… you had to survive getting hit by a cannon first to make use of it.
This rather large downside was a large part of why it was so cheap.
For Micheal, however, it sounded like the Ability was custom made.
'With my Life Orbs, I can just come back to life after storing any impact. I can then use it whenever I want.' With his Abilities, the Impact Release Ability gave him a unique and powerful synergy, one that was quite cheap to obtain.
'I definitely will pick that one up.' His eyes flashed.
He moved his finger to hover over the other Ability he was looking at. The Limited 'Magic Swell' Ability.
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—-Magic Swell—-
The Magic Swell Ability allows the user to temporarily increase the size of any non-living object within their Control. The amount of time the object stays enhanced, types of objects that can be enhanced, and the larger it can grow is dependent on the user's Soul stat.
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The Ability description for this Ability was barebones as well. Thankfully, Micheal could cheat using the mental encyclopedia of knowledge he'd brought back with him.
The 'Control' that the Ability talked about simply meant anything that was within a couple of meters of the person using the Ability for at least a small amount of time.
'I can buy the Impact Release Ability after we hunt down 4 more Golden Morenkai for myself. As for the Magic Swell Ability…' He rubbed his chin,
'Shin loved overwhelmingly powerful frontal attacks. While he wasn't very skilled at close combat, this Ability will let him grow his blade to be several times larger after he attacks, enhancing his attack power.'
When an object was enhanced and grew in size, it would transform to carry all the properties of its larger size. However, at the same time, if it was moving, it would maintain the same speed as it had in its previous state. This meant that a sword that was slamming down would hold a much larger amount of force after it was enhanced.
Such a thing was possible due to the magical power of the Ability, drawing upon the latent energy of reality. It defied conventional logic, but, then again, most Abilities did. He didn't let the details bother him.
A 10 pound sword moving at 10 meters per second and a 100 pound sword moving at 10 meters per second… one would clearly be much stronger than the other.
He sighed slightly as he thought about Shin. His strongest ally was hundreds, if not thousands, of kilometers away. It was frustrating that he could do nothing to help him directly.
Abruptly, his thoughts were interrupted as he heard a sound outside his room.
He instantly got to his feet, his Steelborn sword appearing in his hand like magic. He focused his ears, holding himself absolutely still as he looked around.
The room was identical to his previous bedroom. A connected bathroom, a bed, a dresser, a sink, nothing out of the ordinary. He had locked the door down with the doorstop out of habit.
After a moment of listening, he relaxed his guard, putting his sword away. He then went up to the door and moved the doorstop, opening it.
Out in the hallway, Sophia could be seen, pacing back and forth nervously.
When she saw Micheal open the door, she glanced at him apologetically.
"Sorry, I just can't help it. I feel like I should be doing something." She explained.
About fifteen minutes ago, Micheal had been sitting down with Sophia explaining a few things about the 7 Layers. One of those things was about the time difference.
They had both been sitting in the lounge, relieved at successfully managing to escape from one of the Black Flag Pirates Pirate Lords. Micheal had felt obligated to explain the truth to her, never one to hide from confrontation or facing reality.
"You-you're telling me that my little sister has already been here for 3 years?!"
Even the future famed Demon Fairy of the Main Cluster was, ultimately, still human. When she heard that her sister hadn't been gone for 3 months, but instead 3 years, she had taken it hard, completely forgetting about her other questions, like how Micheal was living when he clearly should be dead.
While she recovered quickly and hid her emotions, Micheal could see right through her.
They weren't close enough for him to be able to really comfort her, but he did offer her what he could.
"Since she came as part of the First Wave, she'll likely be okay. Almost all of the First Wavers started with above average Points." He knew this for a fact. The First Wave got the best deal, when it came to Point allotments, for reasons unknown. It was part of why so many of the First Wavers became super strong, apart from the years head start.
"She was only 13 and sent here all alone…" Sophia took several deep breaths, rubbing her forehead.
Micheal's mouth twisted slightly as he sighed,
"Don't focus on what you can't change. We can't even leave the Stardust Cluster for several more weeks. Right now, you need to focus on getting as strong as you can so that if your sister needs you, you can be tough enough to help her." He carefully moderated his tone, talking diplomatically.
After that, they had temporarily split up, taking a short break. Micheal had gone off to meditate, testing his body to see if there were any changes after he revived this time. His head had literally been blown off, after all.
'Facing death like that… even knowing I have my Life Orbs, it's quite a horrifying experience.' He may be a grizzled expert of many years, but there are some thi
ngs that life simply does not provide training for. Dying multiple times was one of them.
'Still, my strategy was quite effective. I probably won't be able to repeat it against him, not in the same way.' If the Pirate Lord simply blitzed him without giving him any time to prepare or plan, he would almost certainly lose.
Micheal shook these thoughts from his head as he looked at the worried figure of Sophia nervously pace. An idea struck him, a way to get her mind off things and to also get back to making progress.
"You seem to have a lot of energy right now, right?" He nodded at her,
"Well, if we're gonna be a team, you can't depend on me to kill everything. What happens if we get separated for some reason?" He continued, motioning at her.
She nodded back, stopping her pacing to pay attention.
"I happen to be a talented swordmaster who knows how to teach the Basic Sword Mastery Ability, and you happen to use a long knife that is basically a sword. If we add that Ability to your list, your strength should definitely increase, and finding your sister will be easier than ever!" He smiled,
"Let's go train!"
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Chapter 46: Train
"Position your blade like this." Micheal's voice was calm as they started practice.
They were inside, within one of the lounges on the lower half of this skyscraper. He had moved the table and all the chairs to the side, giving them several meters of open space. Warm sunlight leaked in from the windows, giving the room a cozy appearance.
"Like this?" She held her Burning Steel Knife out in front of her. While the Shop labelled it a knife, it was long enough that, with Sophia's petite frame, it was practically a sword.
"No, here." He stepped forward, putting down the practice sword he was wielding. He leaned it against the stacked up chairs on the side, walking over to her.
"Put your thumb here and your fingers like this. Then your other hand goes here, lower on the hilt." He tapped on her fingers and hands, repositioning them. His movements were quick and precise, years of practice making it easy to instruct her.
"This is a standard grip if you are going to wield the sword with two hands." He explained, nodding at her as he let go and stepped back.
Sophia looked down at her hands, memorizing how she was supposed to hold it. She then tightened her grip, pulling the sword up. She cut the air a few times, practicing. Micheal watched her movements carefully, ready to correct her and instruct her properly.
"If you want to switch to a one-handed grip, you'll need to position them differently again." Once again, he stepped forward, switching her grip up.
She tried out a few more swings, nodding as she felt the changes. After a moment, she paused, glancing at him curiously.
"You're talented with the sword, I can see that loud and clear." She began as she motioned at him with her sword. He backed up a step hastily, motioning for her to be careful. He hardly wanted to get stabbed, even if he did have his Life Orbs.
'If things go well for a few more days, I'll explain what they are.' He had mentally decided. After hearing about her sister's situation, Sophia had completely forgotten that Micheal was supposed to be dead. When Micheal was certain he could trust her, he would share what his Orbs were. For now, he was in no rush.
"But… your hands don't really show that at all." She pointed her blade at Micheal's palms.
"Oh?" Micheal smiled as he looked down at his palms as well. They were white and smooth, with only a few calluses from weightlifting. Any damage to them from fighting had already been healed thanks to his Life Orbs, but no new calluses had formed.
'Quite observant.' He glanced at her, his face showing nothing.
"Don't you tell me it's because you're a Seer. You can't become a master fighter without years of practice, seeing glimpses of the future won't change that." She finished speaking, crossing her arms slightly and staring at him expectantly.
Micheal simply smiled,
"I moisturize."
"Huh?" She blinked, staring at him in befuddlement.
"I said I moisturize." He held up his hands, rubbing them.
"Silky smooth, you feel that?" He pushed her blade aside and tapped on her nose.
She stared back gobsmacked, unable to come up with a response.
"I've been a martial artist for years, training with the blade for more than a decade. While I may not be the most powerful expert in existence, I can certainly hold my own." He continued, his voice becoming slightly serious,
"As for my hands, well…" He shrugged,
"Just because you practice a lot doesn't mean you can't take care of yourself." Everything he said was the truth.
'Well, apart from the moisturizing.' He mentally noted with a smile.
He had long since made the decision to not reveal his full memories of the future to anyone. There was simply far too much risk and hassle involved with something like that. If a group that was much stronger than him at the time learned, he could be held captive or killed before he could power up.
He could put his friends or family in harm's way by interested parties, and it could certainly add strife to his relationships.
It was safer to keep it a secret that no one else was aware of, using his knowledge to build himself up, his team up, and humanity as a whole up, one step at a time.
"Oh." Sophia blushed slightly as she looked at him, still speechless.
Micheal shook his head internally, mildly amused.
'She really did change a lot, in the original future. Besides her strong will and competence, she's not much like the rumors of the Demon Fairy claimed.'
"Back to practice!" He clapped his hands together, reaching down and picking up his sword.
"Let's get to the footwork now!"
.. .. .. .. .. ..
About 15 minutes passed.
In that time, Micheal successfully helped Sophia gain the Basic Sword Mastery Ability.
Their training went more smoothly than he had thought it would. Sophia listened attentively to Micheal's instructions, having first hand seen his skill with the blade. It only took her roughly 10 minutes to gain the Ability. She spent the last 5 minutes familiarizing herself with the feeling of Sword Energy, exclaiming in wonder at its usefulness.
Now that they'd finished practice, Micheal took a look outside a window in the lounge, checking the time.
'We still have tons of daylight.' It was nowhere close to evening yet.
"Alright, Sophia. Let's put some of that technique to practice in the real world!" He turned away from the window, smiling cheerfully.
Sophia was drinking from a bottle of water, sitting comfortably in one of the chairs. She gave him a thumbs up as he looked back, nodding her head.
"But before we go… it's probably best that we hide our appearances." He opened up the Shop, moving over to the Miscellaneous Earth Objects section. He quickly picked out a pair of cheap, white theater masks, one with a happy face and the other with a sad face.
"You might want to change clothes, too, just to be safe." He motioned at her,
"Pick a mask!"
She stared between them for a moment before snagging the sad looking one. She then stepped off into an unoccupied room as she changed.
When she came back out, she was dressed in a pretty yellow sundress that went down to her knees, clinging to her body. She also wore a pair of short brown boots, tucked in tight. The sad mask covered her face, obscuring it.
"Looking good!" He gave her a thumb up as he put on the happy mask. The mask given by the shop fit snugly without cluttering his vision or restricting his breathing. It seemed to mold to his face as he put it on, a string on the back of it keeping it secure.
With that preparation done, the duo left the lounge on the lower floors, preparing to head down to the ground floor.
As they stepped into the stairwell, however, they ran into something rather unexpected.
"Watch out!" Sophia's voice echoed out as she yelped, whipping out her Burning Steel Kn
ife.
A Morenkai was climbing up the stairs, just passing their floor. The moment Micheal opened the doorway, the Morenkai turned around, its featureless face splitting open to reveal a mouth full of jagged white teeth. In the brightly lit stairwell, the juxtaposition of such a freakish creature was incredibly jarring.
Micheal reacted to its presence smoothly, not hesitating at all as he withdrew his Steelborn sword. As the Morenkai lunged at him, he directly stabbed it in the face, killing it instantly. His movements were precise and exacting, almost perfect. He then pulled his blade out in one motion, whipping it down to avoid getting any Morenkai blood on it.
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—- Points Obtained —-
Points: 12
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He stepped back to let the body fall down, out of the way.
"They do roam the lower floors sometimes, or take the stairwells to the roof. Don't let them catch you off-guard." He turned to look at Sophia.
The girl was clutching the knife in her hand, her eyes ferocious as she glared at the Morenkai. Micheal could sense the Sword Energy that was imbued into the blade, ready to stab at the horrifying zombie-like humanoid.
He smiled slightly.
'She definitely has potential.'
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Chapter 47: Hunting
After killing the Morenkai, Micheal and Sophia returned back downstairs, to the ground floor of their skyscraper. They then began to hunt, searching for more Golden Morenkai.
The method they used was the same as before. They would lure a few Morenkai in or find some down on the ground floor, sweep them up using Sophia's Fairy Eyes, and set them out hunting.
They would then travel back up to the roof of the building and trace the route of the stray Morenkai, following their trails. They picked the ones that had closer destinations, trying to save as much time as possible. Sophia could sense a general idea of how far away the destination each Morenkai had picked was.
Micheal also had Sophia hide her Fairy Eyes Ability as much as possible when they traveled atop the skyscrapers. With the white mask she wore and her head face down, she was practically unrecognizable.
