As he slashed across the monster’s chest, the young man was rewarded with a nice prompt.
[Critical! Boss HP has dropped to 105%]
The monster fell onto its back, howling in pain, still holding its head.
“Woo! Take that you ugly son-of-a-bitch!” Sol laughed. Copying more from the peers he played video games with, he performed an impersonation of what they called Tea-bagging. That of course was crouching and standing, repeatedly, over the monster’s face.
Abruptly, the cyclops backhanded Sol into a tree.
[Critical! Sol’s HP has dropped to 245%. Sol is stunned.]
He dropped his sword upon falling to the forest floor, groaning. Pain blossom through his entire backside. Sol guessed like any other person, the cyclops didn’t appreciate being tea-bagged.
[The Boss’s mind scramble wore off.]
Sol looked up to see the cyclops and all of its muscular glory, standing over him. It was dressed in simple bark-colored pants, but no shirt. The first fist to the young man’s body didn’t hurt as much as the second. The third got him right as the stun wore off.
[Sol’s HP has dropped to 145%]
Sol quickly rolled to the side, avoided the fourth punch, but something strange happened.
[Boss activated Bronze tier skill: Giga force wave.]
Sol knew little about cyclopes—so he didn’t expect for one to fire magic at him. He felt the sickening pain, maybe even a cracked rib or two, just from the force of the blast.
[Sol’s HP has dropped to 11%]
Sol coughed blood. He wanted to fight a formidable foe without relying on his cheating inner power, but that option was finally removed. If he didn’t, the young man would die. Thinking of the Bright Ones, he allowed his soul to connect with nature and the essence of the world. A golden light briefly covered him.
His gray eyes shifted to a glowing silver and almost falcon-like. His dark brown hair shifted to a glowing white. An aura matching his eyes engulfed him. From the outside, one would be able to see its bird-like shape.
Large black falcon wings burst from his back, finishing off the transformation.
[Falcon Mode .]
His power shook the cosmos with fury. It seemed to swallow the planet, calm nature, and garner the attention of the natural spirits that roamed the forests.
The cyclops gaped, taken aback by this new development. Then it probably remembered the tea-bagging and pursued with a punch that could crush a man’s bones with little effort.
Sol blocked it with a single finger. Demeanor changed, the young man only saw vermin before him. Prey.
As he lopped off the cyclops’s head with a single slash of his sword, Sol wondered if he could push the stone-viper games. He doubted the Bright Ones would allow him to end it, not as a non-main player, allowed to participate for rewards. According to his guide, who abandoned him early on, other participants mostly wanted better lives.
Sol couldn’t understand why in the hellfire would they choose this world for said life. Well, the answer didn’t matter.
One thing that bugged him was the term, “player.” This place wasn’t a game. It was as real as his own home world. Just another planet among the endless cosmos, following dimensional rules. The Bright Ones’ treatment of this unnerved him a little, but he couldn’t complain. An honorable invite by an actual Bright One… They didn’t force the young man to play.
With special rewards on the line, ones that could even make him a Ruler on his world, he decided to go for it. If he encountered another player however, Sol would keep his guard maxed. Rumors of the Viper attempting to kill others unnerved him a little. What would stop the others from doing the same thing?
**
Ring City…
Evening…
Alice and Chika decided to treat Harumi to some Tea-cake pastry with a secret plan. After the reveal that Clyde took intimacy to the next level with the pink-haired girl, the half-demoness couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. It wasn’t even planned, just a lucky accident from passionate sex. She didn’t get the luxury of being angry about it, her love for Harumi being too great. The entire team loved her, really.
However, Alice was sure that Tear and Yuki also shared the same inner irritation. However, they were busy, the succubus with her network, the demoness with the house. The half-demoness didn’t need three pairs of booby-monsters smacking her in the face, anyway.
The secret plan was almost forgotten as the women fell in love with the sweets. The young woman felt both annoyed and a little embarrassed at the glances from some of the surrounding men.
She hadn’t a clue about her effect on people…
Alice glanced at Chika. She knew it’d be impossible to convince the woman to join her in a sweets café outside of the weekend. The idea of eating “super” healthy during the week, then binging junk on Friday and Saturday will never appeal to the half-demoness. She’ll eat her sweets whenever and wherever. Healthy eating be damned! She forced away the thoughts of Tear and Yuki’s forced meals. Nag, nag, nag.
Alice examined Harumi…a mother. She had Clyde’s child inside, before even her… She promised herself again not to be jealous. Emotions like that were for the humans. Yet…she couldn’t help wishing that it was her…
Maybe she was thinking too much into this. What if she wasn’t ready for mothering anyway? Plus, the team needed her strength, right? Or not. Really Team Stone had enough power to go around. Eventually Harumi would start inflating like a balloon, putting her out of commission. Alice knew she’d have to step it up as the primary healer during those months.
How would Clyde treat her and the others? Will he spend all of his time with the mother of his child? Will he stop paying attention to her? What if Alice had to give him up?
“Is something wrong, Alice?”
Harumi’s voice snapped the half-demoness out of her depressing thoughts.
“It’s nothing,” she lied, waving away the pink-haired girl’s concern. “Must be exhaustion. Tear and Natalia crammed me with quite a bunch of last-minute House Hades work.” Alice laughed nervously.
Harumi gave her a skeptical look, but let the matter drop. Chika had a concerned glance for the half-demoness too, but unlike the pink-haired girl, she wasn’t letting this one go unchecked.
“Nothing?” Chika said. “That wasn’t the voice of nothing—and you’re acting strange. Spill it out.”
“I said it’s nothing,” Alice snapped.
“Alice,” Chika said. “We—”
“I’m fine,” Alice insisted. “It’s not like I’m some pouting child. I’m capable of—”
She paused, taking notice of Kitome at the register. The other’s followed her gaze. The distraction she needed. She quickly waved at the blue-haired girl, urging her to join them at their table.
The secret plan to ask Harumi how to…She dropped the thought. It was stupid thinking anyway. She spent most of the day with Clyde. The love in his eyes still remained.
Alice’s chest seemed to ache when she thought of it disappearing. Yet when she looked at her kind human sister, all she wanted to do was just protect her.
…She knew she’d be crying in Harumi’s embrace later. Alice shook herself. She never let herself succumb to such weakness.
It was simply another bridge to cross when she got there.
Chika felt a legitimate concern for Alice. She never saw such sadness in the half-demoness’s eyes—and right after looking at Harumi. That meant one thing. Alice believed Clyde’s love would shift when the pink-haired girl gave birth—after all, in a relationship, a father had to be there for the mother of his child. She couldn’t blame the half-demoness for feeling down a bit.
The sudden resolve didn’t go unnoticed.
She grabbed a disposable menu and calmly made a paper fan while the others watched her with skepticism on their faces. She gave Alice a nice whack on the head.
“Hey!” Alice said. “What the hell?”
“Look!” Chika snap
ped, pointing at the ring on her own finger. She then raised Alice’s hand into the air to point at the bizarre but incredible symbol of engagement. “Remember what you are to him, Alice. And don’t forget it.” She dropped the other woman’s hand to calmly attend the rest of her oak sweet tart.
And she did indeed feel Alice’s confidence return, stronger than ever. Chika smiled at her friend.
“Thank you,” Alice said softly.
Chika nodded.
“Now Harumi, you’ve got to tell us how you managed to convince him to make you a mother.”
Alice and Kitome nearly fell out of their chairs.
**
Ring City- Clyde’s house…
Melody shot Yuki a skeptical glare.
“Are you sure he’ll like it? I think you’re messing with me.”
Yuki smirked, then shrugged.
“It’s up to you to listen or not. I have no problems with getting him to myself.”
Melody still wasn’t convinced.
“I’ll just do things my own way.”
Yuki shrugged.
“You’re too pure for your own good.”
“What’s wrong, Strawberry head,” Ruri said as she wandered into the dining room. She joined them at the table.
“Dinner will be ready in twenty minutes, Ruri,” Yuki said.
“I know, I know,” Ruri said. “I just overheard Strawberry head whining out my concerns.”
“I wasn’t whining,” Melody said, almost defensively.
“And Ruri wasn’t coming in here to sneak some food,” Yuki said sarcastically. Both the half-trickster and hellhound blushed. “I have Maki and Sophia strategically placed to warn me in code you know.”
Ruri frowned.
“Like I said, I’m bored and want to talk. Mushy stuff.”
Melody gave her a skeptical glare then sighed.
“And what does our great hellhound princess suggest?”
Ruri gave her a smug look.
“Just take it,” she said.
Melody shot her a blank glare.
“A serious response please.”
Ruri shrugged.
“You could always ask for a head pat. Or in your case, maybe a massage.” She folded her arms and harrumphed. “You guys are so judgmental about my head pats.”
“Well excuse us for not being part canine,” Yuki said sarcastically, then massaged Ruri’s head.
Ruri let out a soft moan then covered her mouth. Melody stared at her incredulously. She grinned.
“Well, well, you know, she may be onto something,” Melody said, laughing.
Ruri’s blush reddened.
“It’s not fair…She has some weird technique.”
Yuki smiled innocently.
“Or maybe you’re just a pervert.”
The trio laughed.
Melody massaged the ring on her finger.
“So how do you feel about…you know…the pregnancy?”
The other women looked at her. She smiled sadly. “I didn’t mean to toss oil on the mood.”
“Toss oil on the mood?” Ruri said, giving her a crafty smile.
“It’s a saying from my world,” Melody said. “Never mind that—so…”
“I’m perfectly okay with it,” Yuki said. “It’s not like she planned to get the jump on anyone. It could’ve been you or me.”
“I take it no one practices protective sex with our man?” Ruri said.
Melody sighed.
“I rarely get to have sex with him…Why would I want to waste my time with a condom.”
The two stared at her. Melody covered her mouth, but it was too late. Yuki and Ruri’s grins relished amusement at her expense.
“Tell us more, pure girl,” Ruri said.
“Nyaaa, I want to here too,” Neko plopped into a chair next to Melody. The redhead laid her head on the table and groaned.
**
Tear, Hinako, Noona, and Tetra poured over their photos, books, and papers pertaining to their dragon research. At first, Tear was fully against having Noona in the boardroom with her, but she couldn’t resist the adorable teary eyes, caving within seconds. She reminded herself that she was seated with Noona Necro, not the detective cosplaying young woman that she wanted to take pictures of so badly. She could have her make poses to tease Clyde…
Tear dropped the thoughts. Control, Tear, control, she thought.
Despite her cheerfulness, Noona was very competent and contributed greatly to the research. Even Tetra got used to her detective role-playing.
Kanako, Sazuki, Kiko, and Matsume were out gathering more photos, and books. She sent Airi and Nina to go interview some of the superstitious members of the community. Yusuke wanted to join, dragging Toru with him. Undine tagged along to Tear’s joy. She’d definitely inspire people to talk and help settle Airi down if she got too curious.
Too bad she couldn’t find Misaka and Ming. Tear would certainly put them to work. Natalia told her they went to explore the city.
Tear dropped the idea of trying to keep track of everyone; however, she wouldn’t let them laze around while she did the work. If Noona could step it up, so could they.
Abruptly, a message from Natalia caught the succubus’s attention.
Natalia: My slave Ashard sent me a picture of this girl. She’s been following some of us all day. I think she’s a dragon.
Tear marveled at the picture of the orange-haired girl.
“Well now, we can’t have that. Could you go get Clyde please, Noona? We’ve got something interesting to show him.”
Noona nodded then vanished.
Tear chuckled.
“Using her magic to show me that she’s not some fetch girl. I thought she knew me better than that.”
Hinako seemed to be unnerved at the sudden disappearance of the blonde woman. Tetra chuckled.
Episode 53 (Part 1): The Stone vs. the Falcon!
Clyde’s room…
After improving upon his plans, Clyde pulled out the Book of Dark magic, grinning. Learning a new skill felt addictive. Maybe he had a problem. Pfft, one might never know when said abilities would become useful.
He wanted as many magic options available to him as possible to protect his child, especially with the stone-viper games running on full blast. At least the other “players” didn’t have to participate—and even if they did, Dark and Tessa were on his side.
He pulled a tube of Chapstick from his pocket, applying it. Even though anime logic protected his lips, he still couldn’t shake the old habit. In fact, he bought the most expensive kind, using Ashfall money. If he got to taste delicious lips, why not the girls?
The book before him didn’t activate.
“What the hell?”
[Your aura of holy and purity suppresses the book greatly.]
“No, this is bullshit!” Clyde snapped. “I didn’t forget the prompt that said I’m capable of learning all elements.”
[To use this book, you must first learn Blood Ki. Good luck with that.]
System, come on, help me out here , Clyde thought.
[No.]
Clyde’s eyes widened. Did the system just tell him no? He fumed, glaring at the useless book before him. Holy aura his ass. He was capable of learning it all. The young man didn’t make it this far just to be stopped like this.
“This book may contain one hell of a spell,” Clyde thought aloud. “System, what’s Blood Ki?”
No response. He’d just have to ask Maki. There was no way in hell he’d attempt to learn this on his own. Clyde had enough of charging headfirst into things, ignorant. What if Blood Ki had some kind of personality-changing effect? The young man didn’t want the arrogance of the War Mode to return to him. Nor did he want to be the cause of…more people dying. Fuck.
He shook himself. Never again. Now’s not the time for a guilt trip , Clyde, he thought. You did your best…right?
He warped the book back to his inventory, hopping up to go search for the purple-haired girl, when Noo
na popped into existence.
I’m never going to get to Maki , Clyde thought.
“Clyde, we have a problem,” Noona said. “It’s pertaining to the dragon investigation.”
He nodded.
“What’s up?” He almost asked about the Sherlock Holmes getup, but remember that Noona was simply being Noona.
She placed her hand on Clyde’s arm. A brief feeling of vertigo and blackness struck the young man before the duo were in the boardroom. The young man nearly stumbled over.
“Clyde. Glad you could join us,” Tear said. She patted the seat next to her. When he did, the succubus snuggled close, enticing the young man with her nice perfume. Tetra shot the pair a blank stare. Hinako looked a bit murderous.
“So, what’s this about?” Clyde asked, quickly deterring any heat. Now wasn’t the time for Team Stone to start going at each other’s throats.
“Here, take a look at this photo,” Tear said, passing him her phone. “Natalia’s slave fairy caught us a good glimpse of someone who followed a few of us all day. A dragon.”
Clyde gazed at the picture of the orange-haired girl with skepticism.
“A dragon,” Clyde deadpanned. “This girl?”
“She’s in her human form,” Tear said, poking the young man’s forehead. “They’re able to shapeshift at will.”
Clyde nodded, then clapped.
“Damn that’s fast.” He grimaced. “Let’s see if she’ll talk with us. I doubt we’ll get anywhere by trapping her.”
“Are you crazy?” Tetra said. “I don’t know where you’re from, but even my homeland don’t take kindly to dragons. They’re a divisive bunch—you may never know who is decent and who will backstab you. There are rumors some years ago, they went back on a peace agreement with the Kitsunes, attacking after centuries of peace.”
10.The Anime Trope System: Stone vs. Viper, #10 a LitRPG (ATS) Page 11