CH 50: New Title
Alistair :"(So I was thinking-)"
Natasha :"That's shocking. Never knew you could do that."
Alistair :"(Hey, I think thonks all the time!)"
Natasha :"-_-"
--------------------------
- (With Hurtez)
'No, no, I can't let this continue... I can't let this continue! I won't let that bastard do this to me!' Rage coursed through Hurtez as he looked at Alistair enjoying his mother's body while she took it happily.
Just the fact that he dared to touch his woman's body was infuriating enough, but the way he would always look at the hiding Hurtez with that mocking grin nearly made him go insane.
'Kill me?! I'll show you who'll kill who! Tomorrow. That's right, I'll kill him tomorrow! I'll get him alone tomorrow, then I'll kill him before he can even react! Just you wait, you son of a bitch! I'll show what happens when you mess with me, the MC!'
- (With Alistair)
"W-whoa?!" With his Status Screen made visible to them, the two's eyes widened at the speed of which his Appraisal Skill Level rose rapidly before stopping at Lv 10.
But just as they were about to express their shock, Alistair roared in pain :"(Ugh!!! My head!! MY HEAD!!! UGHH!!)" Holding his aching head as he experienced the worst headache of both his lives, his wings and tails thrashed around in panic. His head felt like it was going to explode.
"H-hey! Watch it!" The two dodged the extra limbs that shattered the ground and trees at the moment of contact. Natasha quickly came to his side, hand on his shoulder as he laid on the ground while holding his head with both hands :"Al?! Al! What happened?!"
He couldn't answer. The headache hit him so bad and suddenly that he felt like his head was going to split open. It was to the point where his Pain Resistance Leveled Up.
[Pain Resistance Lv 2 (SS) [5/50] -> Lv 4 (SS) [55/500]
Pain Resistance (SS): 10% of the pain the user should have felt disappears per each Level.]
With his Pain Resistance advancing, he instantly felt the effects. The headache immediately felt less painful, but it was still there. Seeing his shouts of pain turning into pants, Natasha rubbed his back comfortingly :"Hey, Alistair? You alright, hun?"
He shook his head :"(N-no, I'm not okay. Shit, I felt like my head was going to kill me.)"
Seeing he was in a bad condition, Natasha turned to Serenity with seriousness :"Let's take a short break for now. That must have taken a toll on Alistair."
Nodding as seriously, she helped Natasha get Alistair under a shade. If he wasn't a reptile covered with scales, he'd be covered in cold sweat instead.
As he laid there panting, Natasha sat beside him and raised his head to lay it on her lap. Feeling her stroke his head gently, his eyes closed at the comfort.
Neither Natasha or Serenity said anything. Patiently waiting and giving him time to calm down. As his rapid pants turned into deep breaths and exhales, Natasha spoke up :"What happened, Al? Did you get a drawback because of your Draconic Language?"
He nodded, utilizing his flames so Serenity wouldn't be left in the dark :"[Yeah, kinda. Because I said too many things in a single instant, I kinda overloaded.
But nothing happened other than it being extremely painful. My HP didn't decrease at all, it just hurt really, really bad.]"
Her gaze turned into sadness, her touch getting gentler as if she was worried about hurting him :"I see. Then just take your time to get better for now. We'll just rest for a bit. Also, take this."
Flipping her hand, two potions appeared in her hand :"Drink them. One will help with your headache, and the other will recover the Mana you've lost." Nodding tiredly, he let her pour the potion into his mouth before lying down again.
"[You've made these yourself too?]"
Natasha smiled :"That's right. I used to make a lot of them, since developing my Mind-based Skills would cause a lot of headaches. Luckily, I still have some left. The effect isn't immediate, but it'll get rid of the pain pretty quickly."
"[Thanks a lot.]"
"You're welcome, pal."
"I'm sorry, Al." Serenity's apologetic voice came as she stroked one of his tails. Earning a questioning hum, she sighed :"If I hadn't suggested that, you wouldn't be in so much pain.
I mean, I should have expected it. Saying the same thing thousands of times in an instant would definitely have some backlash. Sorry, bud."
Alistair chuckled weakly, laying his thick (di-) tail on her lap :"[166,598 times to be exact. But don't worry, although it was hella painful, it was worth it. Just like you said, the Draconic Language is basically a cheat for Magic and Skills.
Just look at my Appraisal. It's shot up to Lv 10 in one go. Even my Pain Resistance jumped to Lv 4. So even though it hurt, I still see this as an absolute win. So don't beat yourself up, alright?]"
Serenity was silent, before a gentle smile appeared on her beautiful face :"Yeah, thanks, bud." He hummed :"[You're welcome.]"
[Stealth Lv 3 (R5) [-10% presence per Level]]
Hiding in the distance, Hurtez's mouth curled into a bloodthirsty smile :'Yes! I don't know what happened, but it seems like that bastard is in a very bad condition!
Hahahaha, this will simply make it even easier to kill him! Just one chance. I only need a single chance to get him alone so I can end this annoyance!
And with this Skill that I got a few years back thanks to sneaking to peek at the women of the village taking baths, I'll easily be able to assassinate him!
Hahahaha I can't wait to look at his decapitated head rolling on the ground! I wonder what kind of overpowered armor or weapon I can make from his scales and bones! He's a dragon after all, his body will sell for an amazing price!'
Poor boy, if only he could see Alistair's own bloodthirsty smile when he sensed his bloodlust, he wouldn't be so excited :'Bait taken~.'
Hurtez was arrogant to think his Skill was flawless. Of course, his Rank-5 Stealth combined with his Speed Stats was no joke. However, he had made a mistake in underestimating the trio.
They had sensed his presence long ago. Especially his unhidden bloodlust. The only reason why they hadn't confronted him was because Alistair had asked the girls not to.
Someone like Hurtez was very easy to see through. A simpleton pervert like him, what kind of a plan would he be able to make other than sneaking up on him when he was alone.
So he had planned to set multiple baits for him long ego. Most were to get him in this situation, where he wanted to absolutely mutilate Alistair. The occasions of him coming across Alistair getting handsy with his mother weren't just coincidence.
They were to rile him up. And originally, he had planned to get "hurt" during the raid. So that Hurtez would take the chance of him being "weak" and attack him. But now, it was even better.
Although the headache wasn't planned at all and was actually genuine, Now he only needed to act weak for now. Maybe take a hit or two during the raid so Hurtez would get even more confident about succeeding.
'Just you wait. I'll devour you whole, without leaving a single bone behind.'
After resting for some time, he finally was good to go. As he laid his head on Natasha's head, with only a dull ache in his head and enjoying Natasha's comfort, he spoke up :"[By the way, I also got a few other things]"
Opening his Status Screen, he let the two see what he had gained after going through the headache that nearly made him cry.
--------------------------
[Titles]
Unbreakable Perseverance (Rank-5): A Title awarded to those who have worked hard to master their own strength. For every Lv 10 Skill, the usage count of Skills will be doubled.
-
[Skills]
Mana Emperor Lv 2 (SS) [23/50]: Reduces the Mana cost by 10% of Skills for each Level.
Dragon Eyes (SS) [0/10] (Via Appraisal): Dragons are said to be able to see through the true nature of the world through Mana, hence why they are born with the Appraisal Skill. Abilities include: Peak Vision / Accelerated Perception / X-RAY Vision / Target Detection / Ally Detection / Enemy Detection / Weakness Detection / Illusion Immunity / Foresight (5 seconds per Level) / Marked Target(s). As it Levels Up, so does its power.]
--------------------------
"Whoa, Al, you got lucky!" Serenity's eyes lit up :"You actually managed to get one of the best Titles, the Rank-5 Unbreakable Perseverance so easily!
And look at this! Just getting a Skill that reduces the cost of Mana would be amazing, but you actually got the Mana Emperor Skill?! And this last Skill... although I haven't heard of it before, it should be pretty useful if it was earned because of Appraisal."
"It is." Natasha nodded, catching their attention :"Although it doesn't sound like much for an SS-Class Skill, it's very useful. Just the fact that it can see if someone is an enemy or not can save your life."
Alistair :"[You have it too?]"
Natasha :"Yeah, I do. By the way, it doesn't just show if someone's an enemy or an ally. It also shows if they're harboring evil intentions towards you.
Enemies light up in red, while allies light up in blue. The brighter each color glows can tell you how much you can trust someone or how much someone wants to hurt you.
Believe me, this Skill will be very useful both in everyday life and in battles. I mean, the reason I agreed to Serenity joining us is because she glows blue."
Serenity grinned :"That's right. If I want to befriend someone, you can be sure my intentions are pure."
'Yeah, Natasha's right. With this Skill, I can basically forget about being betrayed. Also, it seems to function like in games where if you mark a target, you'll be able to see them even in further distances and through obstacles. I love those kinds of functions, man.
This Title and Skill are amazing too. What happens if I max out Mana Emperor? Will I be able to cast any Skill I want infinitely? I'll see in the future.
But this Title is definitely the grand prize. Thanks to maxing out Appraisal, I found out each Skill needs to be performed 166,660 times in total to reach Lv 10.
However, the usage count is halved thanks to this Title! Also, it says "doubled for every Lv 10 Skill", so it's stackable! The usage count will be halved for every Lv 10 Skill I have, and my Lv 10 Skills will only rise in number instead! Hahahaha talk about amazing!'
After he was all good to go, they hit the road again. Of course, Alistair didn't forget to act like he was weakened. After telling Natasha and Serenity his plans, they also cooperated with his acting.
As they reached the Orc hideout, Alistair spoke up :"[Seems like they're all here. And they're all on guard.]"
Natasha nodded :"That's right. They're worried about the energy they felt yesterday, so they haven't gone out yet."
Alistair :"[By the way, Nat?]"
Natasha :"What's up?"
Alistair :"[I'm planning to let the Nephalems out so they can gain exp. But I don't want that bitch following us to run away, so can you make an illusion around us where they're hidden?]"
"Yeah, sure." She snapped her fingers :"Done. Now they won't be seen."
Alistair :"[Just like that?]"
Natasha :"Yup, just like that."
Serenity :"Seriously... you even have Illusions? Well, you did say you have Mind-based Skills. Oh, whatever. Then do we move according to the plan?"
Natasha smirked :"That's right. And the plan is, kill them all!"
Alistair smirked :"(Hahahaha, I love this plan!)"
As Natasha and Serenity readied their weapons, the Nephalems came out of Alistair's wrist with his boosts empowering them.
"Charge!!" With Natasha's battlecry, they charged at the Orcs, starting a bloody battle.
--------------------------
(A/N: Fellas, now that we've reached 50 chapters, things are gonna change a bit. No, I'm not locking the future chapters. They'll still be free.
However, from now on, I'll post 5 chapters ahead of here in my Patreon, and the chapters there will only increase to 10 and then to 50. I won't be posting for a few days, and I'll upload chapter 51 after uploading chapter 56 in my Patreon. You get how it will be. So if you want to see new chapters sooner, please support me a bit! It's not much either, just 3 dollars!)