[DING!]
[WARNING: LABYRINTH BREAK IN 15 MINUTES]
I paused to look at the status screen. I blinked, and sure enough, it was still there. This was real; there would be a dungeon break in 15 minutes. But why? What caused this? It made no sense.
By the expression on his face, I could tell that Kyle had received the same message. His eyes flickered to the gate for a split second, giving away what he was about to do. Before he could make a move, I swung the blade at him, fully expecting to make contact with flesh, but he weaved out of the way with calm ease.
A sonic blast erupted from him again. The sound was loud, almost resembling cackling thunder. The water below our feet thrashed and crashed in waves tall enough to drown some of the tallest trees in the area.
I quickly realized that the terrain of the marshland would work to his advantage since the sonic blast would travel faster through the water. That was why he aimed his attack downwards, knocking me back several meters.
His system allowed him to create sonic blasts. It also enabled him to control the intensity of the blast, as he created a small blast to parry my attack when I swung, aiming for his neck.
It wasn't just his system; he had the skill and knowledge to use it. His strategy was to keep me at a distance. His stance was relaxed, as if daring me to attack. No, he wanted it—he wanted it so badly that he was intentionally leaving himself open.
He was under the impression that he already knew my strengths and weaknesses. His first assumption was that I didn't have any long-range attacks, and his second assumption was that I didn't have the speed to match him. He was wrong on both points.
I expected more from him, but the way he fought was boring. His fighting style was passive; he only ever reacted to my attacks and was never on the offensive.
I activated the skill: Water Slash on my katana and swung it at him. It rippled through the air with a swish. He dodged the attack with a smug look on his face, but in the second he took his eyes off me, I closed the gap between us.
He extended his hand to release another sonic attack, so I broke it. The sound of his bone breaking blended nicely with the sound of the water rippling below my feet.
[13 MINUTES UNTIL DUNGEON BREAK]
His face twisted in agony as the back of my katana crushed his nose. The water below our feet was now murky with blood. He sounded like a wounded animal as he staggered away from me. He was desperate, reaching for the gate as if his life depended on it.
Watching him crawl away desperately, I felt nothing. It was as I thought: fighting was meaningless if I wasn't fighting for my own life.
The first time I picked up a weapon was because I wanted to protect myself. It felt the same way back in the cave when I was fighting against the humanoid blood moths, but right now it felt like a chore.
[10 MINUTES UNTIL DUNGEON BREAK]
It was just as entertaining as shopping for groceries when I was back home or doing the dishes after I ate. It was obvious that things were going to dissolve into chaos. I had two choices: either I fight against it or I embrace it.
"You're dead!" Kyle spat.
My mind wandered, blocking out all the curse words he was throwing at me. Kyle was useless trash, the type of person who would put himself before others. In short, he was a bad pawn. I didn't need people smart enough to create schemes, or I risked being outsmarted.
I took the Blade of Calamity out of my inventory and threw it on the ground in front of him as he muttered profanities. A good distance away, there was a girl watching everything I did, but I didn't care.
"What is this?" Kyle shouted. "Some game?"
"It is a game. It's called seppuku."
His eyes widened.
"It's fairly easy to play. You'll split open your stomach, and I'll cut off your head."
"You're bluffing. You wouldn't dare!"
I pressed my middle finger down against his neck until it drew blood. That was when the realization sank in. Panic settled, and he lunged at me with my own weapon. As the blade was inches away from my face, I retrieved it back into my inventory and drove it into his stomach.
The feel of the blade penetrating his flesh was no different from any monsters I had killed before.
He stepped back, his pupils dilated. He clutched his stomach and stared at the blood on his hands. His mouth gaped open as if he wanted to say something, but before he got the chance, I slashed his throat.
"It... it hurts... M-Ma, I—"
Blood gushed out of his neck like a broken pipe as his eyes turned lifeless. As he lay dying, I heard a loud yelp behind me, but I didn't bother to turn and look—I already knew who it was. Instead, I rested my hand on his head and activated my skill, Hephaestus Claim.
[WARNING: What you are doing is considered taboo. I strongly advise against it.]
[Would you still like to proceed?] [Y/N]
"Yes."
[WARNING! I must stress the gravity of what you are doing. You are stealing what rightfully belonged to another god! It will have dire consequences if you continue.]
[Would you like to proceed?] [Y/N]
The voice that spoke no longer belonged to the system—It was Hephaestus.
"Yes."
[DING!]
[YOU HAVE CLAIMED THE SKILL Resonant Pulse and passed it to Liam Morningstar.]
[Description: Allows the user to send out controlled bursts of sound waves. The pulse can rupture eardrums or disorient enemies.]
[DING!]
[YOU HAVE CLAIMED THE SKILL Sonic Blast and passed it to the Middle Finger.]
[Description: Allows the user to create powerful sonic blasts.]
[DING!]
[YOU HAVE CLAIMED THE SKILL Echo Step.]
[Description: Allows the user to move in sync with ambient sound, lowering their presence.]
Huh? He only had three skills I could claim.
[WARNING: LABYRINTH BREAK IN 10 MINUTES]
Just then, the person watching me from the sidelines decided to make her move. She walked over and stood beside me as I read the skill description. She didn't say a word, but her face was pale as she stared intensely at Kyle's dead body.
"Luna, what are you doing here?" I finally asked.
"I-I thought you were leaving without me. I got worried," she said in a voice barely above a whisper. "Why… why did you do that?"
"He betrayed our class. He was the one who led the Hydra to our classmates," I told her, but I was also interested in asking her something. "Why did you leave the others?"
She had followed me here intending to leave with me.
"Don't you want me with you?" she asked, looking down at the ground. "You said I belonged to you, remember?"
That was true.
"Let's go back to our other classmates," I suggested.
"Hmm? You want to go back?"
"Yeah, the others need our help with the Hydra."
[WARNING: LABYRINTH BREAK IN 10 MINUTES]
The forest trees that once provided coverage for the lodge were now completely demolished. As we approached, we could hear thrashing, along with the sounds of wailing and screams.
Amelia and Hikari were the main ones fighting the Hydra. The others were injured, some of them severely. The Hydra was using the same blast attack it had used against me to go on a wrecking spree. It had completely destroyed the lodge; the only thing left was a pile of rubble.
Amelia and Hikari were holding up well, but it was becoming blatantly obvious that they were at their wits' end. Still, they had managed to decapitate two of the Hydra's heads. In the chaos of the students running and screaming for their lives, I spotted someone.
I ordered Luna to go and help the other students out of the rubble while I approached our homeroom teacher. She was staggering around with a small cut on her forehead. She looked like she was about to fall, and the moment she did, I grabbed her.
"Liam," she called as I held her up.
"Are you alright?" I asked, but she didn't answer. Instead, she clung to me tightly and began crying.
"I know that I'm the one who is supposed to protect everyone, but I can't. Please, help. I don't know if you can do anything to help, but… please."
She was crying, her hands trembling as she grasped onto me desperately. Being this close, I realized her frame was smaller than I had thought, though she was a little taller than me. I brushed my hand through her hair as she sobbed.
"Don't worry; I'll take care of everything."
[WARNING: LABYRINTH BREAK IN 10 MINUTES]