Ding!
[Congratulations! You have defeated the 2-Star [Twin-Headed Mountain Troll]! The [Twin-Headed Mountain Troll] has dropped the items [Mountain Troll’s Club], [Ring of Earthly Protection], [Crystal Mountain Boots], and 300,000 gold coins! +50,000 experience points! +50,000 ability points! +25,000 Reputation!]
Ding!
[Congratulations! Changing_Fayte has leveled up! She is now at level 17! +1,600 HP! +7,960 MP! +5 SP!]
Ding!
[Congratulations! Lilith has leveled up! She is now at level 17! +600 HP! +200 MP! +5 SP!]
Ding!
[Congratulations! Little_Su has leveled up! She is now at level 17! +500 HP! +200 MP! +5 SP!]
Adam could only stare stupidly at the windows popping up in his field of view. Three of their party had just leveled up in quick succession. It wasn’t that he was shocked they had leveled up. All of them had been on the cusp of doing so, but the utterly ridiculous rise in each of their health and MP was what shocked him.
When Adam and the others defeated the dean of the magic academy, they had earned a reward of +1,000 status points. Status points were normally something players only got after leveling up, and they only received +5 status points per level. Giving them +1,000 status points meant they could increase the amount of health and magic they had by an astounding degree. Their attack power and magic attack power could soar, their abilities becoming so broken no other player in the game could stand up to them.
Adam had put most of his status points into his Strength stat, raising his Attack Power to 6,140. He also put some status points into Speed, Dexterity, Constitution, and Intelligence to even them out a little. He figured with this many status points, he didn’t have to put all of them into a single stat like he normally did.
The others seemed to have allocated their status points more evenly than him.
And with the death of the [Twin-headed Mountain Troll], Adam now had the ability points needed to upgrade [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms], which he did without hesitation. His other skills were mostly maxed out. The only two that weren’t was [Energy Sweep] and [Energy Thrust], but he was more interested in [Dance of the Sakura Blossoms] for sentimental reasons.
After upgrading his skill, Adam looked at the items the [Twin-Headed Mountain Troll] had dropped.
Item Name: Mountain Troll’s Club
Item Type: Weapon
Grade: 1-Star
Use requirements: Can be used by Warriors, Swordsman, and Swordmasters level 15 and above.
Description: A club used by a mountain troll. It was made out of rock instead of a tree.
Abilities: Physical Attack+200; Speed-50
Item Name: Ring of Earthly Protection
Item Type: Accessory
Grade: 2-Star
Use requirements: Can be used by any class of any level.
Description: This ring was born from the earth and offers incredible protection against physical attacks plus a passive regeneration ability.
Abilities: Defense+500; Recovers +1 HP every 1 second
Item Name: Crystal Mountain Boots
Item Type: Footwear
Grade: 3-Star
Use requirements: Can only be used by melee classes level 20 and above.
Description: These boots were carved from crystals buried deep beneath the earth. They are very sturdy.
Abilities: Defense+300; Magic Defense+300
None of the items were bad, but the only thing Adam felt was useful was the [Ring of Earthly Protection]. Rather than keep that for himself, he turned to Susan and handed it over.
“Su, I think you should equip this. Out of all the people here, you are the only one who still has basic equipment.”
“Ah?” Susan looked startled, but then her cheeks lit up as she reached out and gently took the ring from him. “Th-thank you.”
Adam always felt a little bad that she was the only one who didn’t have amazing equipment. Fayte, Lilith, and even Aris had received incredible equipment to go along with their hidden classes, but Susan had not. He thought it was because she had received her class from the scroll he found inside of Bromely Paxton’s vault. Meanwhile, the others had earned their hidden classes by braving dungeons and facing trials.
“It looks like we’ve succeeded in reaching the next level,” Fayte said. “And with just two days to spare too.”
Adam nodded. “The tournament will begin two days from now. That should be enough time to reach Solum if we don’t battle any monsters. Is everyone ready?”
“I am!” Aris pumped a fist into the air. “I am so ready for this!”
While no one could see past his mask, he was certain everyone could tell he was smiling as he looked at Aris.
“I-I am a little nervous,” Susan admitted. “But I will definitely do my betch—ack!”
Adam winced when Susan bit her tongue. It had been a long time since she’d bitten her tongue like that. Perhaps the upcoming tournament was making her nervous.
“Lilith?” Adam questioned.
Lilith had been kneeling on the ground to pick up Kureha, but she paused when Adam questioned her. After a brief moment of hesitation, she resumed picking up the little fox yokai, stood to her feet, and turned to him as she stroked Kureha’s soft fur.
“I am ready,” she said with quiet confidence.
Since there was no point in remaining on this mountainside, Adam, Aris, Fayte, Lilith, and Susan began walking down. Titania settled on Adam’s shoulder like usual. Kureha would have taken his head, but she was still nestled in Lilith’s arms, and the silent woman was not letting her go any time soon.
Aris stared at Titania. “I wish I could sit on Adam’s shoulder like that.”
“No, you don’t,” Adam said immediately.
“Hmph. It is not that I enjoy sitting on his shoulder,” Titania blustered, her cheeks dusted with a light shade of pink. “Flying for so long tires my wings.”
“Then why don’t you come sit on my shoulder?” Aris asked.
“… Adam’s is more comfortable.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“I-it means nothing.”
“Hee-hee.”
“I’ve been constantly monitoring the levels of all the players,” Fayte said as they finished descending from the mountainside. “The highest level outside of our own is still Lin Akamine. She reached level 17 two days ago. After her is the Spear God. He’s also had level 17, but he reached that level just yesterday. Everyone else, including the leaders of Daggerfall Dynasty, Levon Pleonexia, Connor Sword, and the Pleonexia Alliance’s Four Elements are at level 15. Oddly enough, Thor God of Thunder is only at level 10. I don’t think he will be participating in the tournament.”
“It sounds like everyone has been grinding hard,” Adam said.
“Yes.”
Adam didn’t think Fayte had intended it, but when she mentioned Connor Sword, she had looked at Susan. There was something meaningful in that look. He wondered what sort of relationship Connor Sword had with Susan.
“Who is Connor Sword?” asked Adam.
“He is the Vice-Commander of the Pleonexia Alliance,” Fayte answered. “Not only is he Levon’s right-hand man, but he is a skilled swordsman in real life. He has won numerous championships both nationally and internationally. The only person he ever lost to was Lin Akamine, who defeated him during an international swordsman competition held in Japan, and then beat him again during the International Power Ranking Tournament alongside the Spear God. He is fiercely competitive as well. I heard he has challenged both Lin Akamine and the Spear God several times since his loss, though they rebuffed him each time. Because of his skills with a sword, he was nicknamed the Sword King.”
“I’m surprised that wasn’t Lin Akamine’s nickname,” Adam said.
Fayte shook her head, veil swaying. “Her nickname is God of Flash because all you see when she attacks you is a flash of light and then it’s over.” She paused, head tilting. “At least, this is what I’v
e read in the online forums.”
Adam nodded as they reached their horses and untied them from around the trees. Titania flew into the air, but she settled back down once Adam mounted the horse. Kureha also escaped from Lilith when she mounted her horse and made his head her perch once again. While this caused Lilith to look at the fox like she’d been betrayed, Aris, Fayte, and even Susan quietly giggled as they each climbed onto their horses.
It took two days to reach Solum. They had to log off several times to eat, sleep, and Adam was still helping Aris with her rehabilitation. Susan also had her home-schooling. Once they reached the city, they all traveled to an inn together and logged off. Tomorrow was the beginning of the tournament, and they wanted to be well-rested.
The Top Two Guilds
Solum was packed with players. It was no surprise since today was the day of the tournament, which the reward for winning was a [Guild Creation Token]. Even the people who didn’t plan on participating were present so they could watch. This was why players lined every inch of the streets, jam-packed like sardines in a can, as they all walked toward the arena.
Adam was walking hand in hand with Aris and the others, who had decided holding hands was a great way to avoid being separated. Kureha and Titania were the only ones who didn’t have this problem. They were sitting on Adam’s shoulder and head respectively.
The arena was a massive multi-story structure that looked similar to a Gothic cathedral, except it was a lot gaudier. There was a massive construct at the very top that looked like a giant sword piercing the building. Stone statues were located near the entrance, featuring muscular men and women dressed in armor and holding weapons aloft as though proclaiming their victory. Columns lined the streets surrounding the building and there were even more along the walkway leading up to the building. Each one was like a gateway with an arch traveling between them.
Lights flashed all around the arena. They flittered between people and traveled above their heads. Adam didn’t know what they were at first, until Titania informed him.
“These are sprites,” she said when she noticed him curiously gazing at a light ball floating past him. “They could be classified as a form of low-level fairy, but they more closely resemble monsters in that they lack intelligence. They tend to gather where magic is strong. However, they avoid places that are thick with negative emotions, which is why we didn’t see them at the magic academy or the Deadlands.”
Adam nodded as he and his companions entered the arena.
The inside was every bit as massive as he imagined. It reminded him of the extravagant entrance to a five-star resort, with marble flooring, an expansive ceiling decorated with paintings depicting various battles, and columns rising from the floor to the ceiling. On top of being gigantic, this vast interior was also filled to the brim with people.
Adam was shocked to notice some of the people present were not players but NPCs, which he recognized because they had floating signs over their heads that gave him their names and other basic information.
“Since we have already signed up, I believe we can just head down to the waiting rooms,” Fayte said.
The waiting room for players participating in the tournament was located down a flight of stairs that led to the basement floor. Because of how this building was designed, the basement level was where all the fights took place. Meanwhile, the seating was located on the first, second, third, and fourth floors. The fourth-floor seating was dedicated to the VIP booths.
When Adam and the others entered, it was to discover that several hundred people were already present. Some of the players waiting inside stood alone, but most of them appeared to be part of a guild. The best way to tell who belonged to a guild and who didn’t was the generally matching clothing.
“That group over there belongs to the Thirteen Holy Swords,” Fayte said as she pointed to a group of men and women. Their outfits were similar with some minor variations, but each one possessed a sword. “They are another branch guild of the Pleonexia Alliance. I’m told their name is derived from an old religion that was popular back in the early 2000s. Their leader is a man named Travis Baker, but his in-game name is One Thousand Blades Gabriel.”
“Kind of an extravagant name,” Adam muttered.
“No more extravagant than Sword King, Spear God, or Flame Emperor.” Fayte shrugged. “Just wait until people begin giving you nicknames like Emperor of the Spear or the Indomitable Thousand Thrust Spearman.”
“Those sound awful.”
Adam conceded her point with a nod. There were indeed many extravagant names among players.
“I wonder what kind of nickname I might be given?” Aris asked before giggling. “Adam, what sort of nickname do you think people will give me?”
“Hmmm…” Adam looked at Aris as she stood there in her belly dancing bikini armor outfit and veil. He wished she wouldn’t wear clothes like that because he hated other men looking at her, but the Speed stat on these clothes was just too good to pass up. “I think… maybe Dancing Beauty?”
While he could not see her face behind that veil, he could tell from experience that she was giving him an amused smile.
“You never were good at creating nicknames,” she teased.
Adam was glad he wore a mask so no one could see him blush.
Because it was so crowded, only a few people had paid attention to their group, though more than a few men were gazing at Aris in her skimpy outfit. He wished he could light those people on fire. Was it too late to change classes? Or maybe he should ask Fayte if she could do it for him? The idea had merit.
While they did attract some attention, it only lasted for a moment before the gazes of everyone present shifted to the entrance again. Five people were walking down the stairs. They emerged from the staircase, their bodies relaxed, projecting a confident aura that forced everyone present to back off.
Adam clenched his fists when he saw the familiar face leading them.
He was a handsome man with a refined bearing and a polite smile on his face. The metal breastplate he wore looked freshly polished. A dragon was engraved on the left breast. His gauntlets were plainer by comparison, showing that his breastplate was probably something he found in a dungeon—or more like something one of his subordinates found that he purloined for his personal use. The greaves he wore were similarly adorned with a dragon motif.
The weapon he carried was impressive. It was long, at least two meters in length, and the blade jutting from a dragon’s mouth at one side was not shaped like a leaf but a curved single-edged blade with a single hook on the back. A glaive. Adam could not help but frown when he noticed the man was not using a traditional spear.
“That’s Levon Pleonexia,” Fayte informed him. “The person on his right is Connor Sword, and the three behind him are Gaia, Ymir, and… the Flame Emperor.”
Adam’s attention shifted away from Levon to focus on the one called the Flame Emperor. He had brown hair, gray eyes, and a straight nose. Just like any aristocrat, he was a handsome man who could have seduced any woman he wanted. His features, masculine and sturdy, lent him an air that made him seem indomitable and cold. His face looked like it had been chiseled from stone.
He wore bright red and gold mage robes, and the staff in his hand was made from a kind of red wood and possessed an equally red gem at the top. It was an extravagant outfit, but Adam wondered how practical such clothing was. It looked to him like this outfit was something he had paid to have specifically tailored, but he didn’t believe it contained any major stat boosting properties.
“So that is your brother,” Adam said with a murmur.
Beside him, Fayte remained silent for a moment before nodding. “Yes.”
“You two don’t really look like brother and sister,” Adam mused. “I’m guessing you take after your mother, while he takes after your father?”
“Something like that.”
While Adam could not see her face, the pain in her voice was so prominent that it silenced
him from saying anything else.
He turned away from the Flame Emperor to focus on the man next to Levon, the one called Connor Sword. His height was average, but he had an impressive countenance. Sharp eyebrows, a refined jawline, and a powerful body hidden beneath his armor. There was a lazy smile on his handsome face that gave him an air of arrogance.
His outfit consisted of a leather breastplate, greaves, pauldrons, and gauntlets. Adam had seen that kind of armor at the blacksmith. It was the most expensive light armor that could be bought in Solum, and while it didn’t compare to the equipment Adam and his party were wearing, it offered some of the best defensive stats currently available.
As he looked at the man nicknamed the Sword King, he noticed something else, but it had nothing to do with the man himself. It was Susan. She was shaking. When he looked at her, he discovered that her eyes were locked onto Connor Sword as her entire body shook, from her head to her boots. Her face had also become pale as a sheet of paper.
Concerned, Adam leaned down and whispered. “Are you okay?”
Susan squeaked as if startled. She looked at him, her eyes wide, then took several deep breaths and tried to calm herself down.
“Y-yes, I am fine,” she said with an unconvincing smile.
Adam wanted to say she was not fine. She was clearly frightened, or perhaps nervous, and he knew it had something to do with that man. He once more found himself tempted to ask her about it, but he knew it was not his place. Everyone had their troubles. If Susan wanted to tell him, he would of course hear her out, but if she didn’t say anything, he would assume she didn’t want him to know.
Man Made God 003 Page 20