Chapter 14—Duel Against Rein

"Haaah..." Harden held his tone while he sat satisfied, "That was great, Your dishes didn't degrade Aunty char." He added with a smile. Charlotte smiled and took his words as a compliment, before she replied, "Glad you enjoyed it, sweety. Most of the time I'm not home and is always working in the laboratories. So I wasn't that confident as before with these dishes first, But I guess cutting specimens also improves my cuisine huh?" She said smiling while indirectly boasting her skills.

Valor couldn't also help but smile, His mother's cuisine does have a kick on the taste buds, it gives energy and vigor with every bite. Not like the tasteless buns of their school's canteen, Putrid and dry, It sucks the water out their mouth before they can even swallow it, Some even got hospitalized for choking. There's no flavor added because it is said to contain a vast amount of nutrients. The buns that were advertised to give them energy Only added to the reasons why they hate school very much.

Rein who just finished her plate, wiped her lips with a floral napkin. she looked at Valor excitedly and spoke smiling"Hey Val, since you don't want to be an aim dummy. How about we test your capabilities instead?" She challenged him with her adventurous spirit, wanting to experience the power of a magic enhancer.

Valor chewing his last bite contemplated, before he agreed with a nod, "Sure, I also want to know what I can do for now... A dual combatant will be a good practice partner."

This made Rein smile, frenzied with excitement, Her battle spirit flew over her head with a Yay! She stood up ecstatic before running out the room in a rushed manner, "Wait Val! I'll get my gears!... Ohhh yeah! This is gonna be fun!" She shouted in the hallway, diminishing in volume but still with the same tone.

Harden on his side smirked before he warned Valor, "Gonna warn you here Val, That sister of mine doesn't hold back in battle, She even hospitalize her opponent in the arts of tradition... So don't also hold back, unless you want to impress us with your chivalry." While remembering some of the events that transpired before his eyes, he flinched as he reconciled about the kid that got his balls crushed.

Valor who was listening replied with a smile, "It will be a disrespect for her if I won't fight seriously... And I also need to understand my capacity. So it's a win-win for both of us." He said in denial of unnecessary chivalry, He doesn't have that when he is in battle.

Elizabeth who just sipped from her wine glass commented in anticipation, "This will entertain me for a while, the battle of two anspirings with both mastery on their weapons... Surely it won't be a disappointment like that battle of arts."

Charlotte looked at her and said chuckling, "Surely beth..." She smiled and joked, "Luckily I was spared by the appearance of the goblins... My gosh, It's more fun watching ferocious ferals fight than inexperienced anspirings."

Valor listening quietly looked at his mom surprised, "But I thought the spectators enjoyed it?" He asked his mother a bit confused.

She laughed amused and said, "Oh common silly, The thought of having your child winning is the only cause of that spirit. What parent wouldn't like to brag about their children?" Thinking about it, Valor realized it. What can entertain the pathholders of higher levels? Surely the path pathholders of their levels themselves.

He shrugged his shoulder before replying, "We'll, I better go take my sets then."

The three just nodded in response before they chattered again, sharing about their daily problems and other issues of their lives. He stood up before getting out of the still lonely hallway; caused by the lack of presence, he can ponder freely. His blood-related cousins and uncles/aunties are out for their own business. Either taking missions from the military post, or in the forest o exterminate goblins.

And in wonder, their family doesn't hire maids as they are unnecessary for the manor, and are probably already extinct. Given with superhuman strengths, they can clean the house without external help; the military of course needs soldiers more than they need help to do cleaning, given that his father is a general. The manor of course is taken care of by them.

He sighed and muttered with thoughts of the past, "In that era of chaos, Humans had evolved to regain their supremacy. They again thrived and started conquering the land beyond the rifts, too many resources that the greedy people became generous givers, and the government has so much budget that the potions are mere water to them... But after we had reached this comfortable time, fewer humans yearn for advancement. Because this is the ideal version of life, No risks and other dangers. Just humans and the comfortable life they fought for..." He paused when he took a left, before continuing with that scene above the three in mind.

"But humans seems like to have forgotten about the system, The supremes that still reigns over us and the portions of earth that had succumbed to darkness... If most of the players lost their will to evolve, As a gamemaster... I will for sure send chaos again, One that will bring apocalypse to a mighty civilization. One that will light up the rule of the jungle. And one that will force humans to explore beyond the expectations... I need to get stronger fast or I'll merely become a pawn to be bitten by the darkness's teeth." He said with that scene in his eyes. Strong humans, Strong races, Buried in deep space and time.

He smirked with a glint in the eyes, "those silhouettes must be warning us, A shout of help from the future legends of this universe... And you are their voice." He paused first before looking at the golden screen. With those words, A facial expression showed on the screen, drawn with the modern signs.

" ;) "

This made him smirk again before his foot stopped, He arrived in front of his room. The same door, But not the same scene inside.

When the door opened by his push, things aren't the same as before. The cylinder vile of glass is now broken, A cracked hole can be seen in the middle, while the remaining solution sat at the bottom. But the Immortal jellyfish cannot be seen anymore.

He looked at the scene surprised before he tried to look for the jellyfish, But the red one already Vanished. So he examined the veil of glass, With his eyes, there is a 75 percent chance that it is caused by an outside factor. Because if it's from the inside, The jellyfish won't have the opportunity to build momentum and break the glass—Not in this little space. And even if it had the ability to do so, the jellyfish are known for their dormant nature, would have only floated in the basin of solution.

He then looked at the other glass, There he saw it also having a crack, But not deep enough to crack it open. Just a bit of liquid solution rushing out caused by the pressure inside.

This made him look around hastily, The culprit for sure was just here, and it couldn't continue breaking the second veil because of his arrival— it must have sensed him coming, someone that it doesn't want to mess with yet.

But there are no signs of life besides him and this blue jellyfish. What the hell? He asked himself, pondering if there is a creature that hunts jellyfish on land.

But the thought of Rein's duel struck his consciousness, Rein for sure had already worn her set. So he just quickly took a white cloth and carefully wiped his table. Not letting any debris leave his sight. He'll examine it later.

He placed that cloth on his metal box before placing an extra tight transparent tape on the cracked section of the other glass, He wrapped it till no leakage is seen.

With that problem done, He went to his closet ones again and wore his leather armor. Tightened the belts to a comfortable level, and placed his hunting knife on his waist.

This magic knife of his has white bade, Sharpened with great precision in a mid-grade whetstone. Embedded with the spirit of thrusting bunny, that adds up three stat points on agility and speed, and with the label of 5 Sharpness. Good enough to cut through the bone of a bull.

He then rushed out of the room and went to the practice hall of their house, Here saw Rein in her hand-made set. She has leather armor but her weapons are made of steel and other light alloys, A lightweight mechanical arm of grade F on the left. Then an assorted rifle of also Grade F on the right.

Her riffle has the ability to switch from fast long-range to a destructive shotgun, They aren't painted nor attached with other cool-looking design— because, for her, they're unnecessary and will only lessen her movement speed. So they are more like robust metal, black carbon, and silver-looking joints.

She smiled when she saw Valor with his very simple set. "Jeez, Doesn't your mom works in a secret lab? An alchemist?" She asked and he replied, "Yes."

"Then why don't you ask for your weapons?" She asked him, Slightly insulted by Valor's hunting knife.

But Valor only shrugged his shoulders and replied, "She's more like a potion maker type, Besides, Magic swordsman doesn't rely on weapons. We rely on our magic body."

Hearing this, she let go of the idea and wore a fighting stance, "Okay then, You ready?" She nodded and asked him for the battle. He signed to wait before he heaved a deep breath and exhaled with steam, He is now using the breathing

With that, He summoned a real spell that he just learnt from the archives of his great-grandpa. "Steam rush." Made with the combination of water and fire, with the fire circle larger than the water— the steam power is increased significantly, granting him greater buff than an ordinary spell.

He then slowly placed it on his leather armor, and as expected. He lumped by the pain, The excruciating feeling is much powerful than the other one before. It's Like having a rush of violent waves in the veins, hot and basaltic. Most would already faint by it.

With his muscles tightening in pain, Rein took that as the sign. She aimed her gun on Valor with the mode of long-range, "I gave enough time Val, I don't think real enemies will give you more." She said and pulled the trigger.

To Valor who finally endured the pain, He exhaled with steam again and his skin started to heat up. He quickly grabbed the rope-covered handle and unsheathed it fastly; with a vertical slash, he sliced the bullet mid-air. "Alright, ready." He said as the bullets hit the concrete ground beside him, still pained but ready.

"You're using the magic body, Steam Rush Based. +15 str, +10 sp, +8 Agility, +5 Dexterity. 5 mana points will be consumed in every minute that you're using it."

"You are using The Steam Foundation, Plus +1 str, +1 sp, +1 agi, +1 dex, +1 prc Every breath. Current Buff: +2, 1 mana is needed for every breath."

"Current Stat points

Str: 9+(15+2) Dex:12+(5+2) Int: 27

Agl: 15+(8+2) Ch: 7 Prc: 9+2

Sp: 15+(10+2) Lu: 4. "

"You are using the steam exercise, Every move will increase your attack damage and shield penetration."

He smiled seeing this before he exhaled again, his skin started to redden.

Rein seeing that move of his smiled in excitement, "This is more like it!" She shouted frenzied and rushed to him with her gun and mechanical atm aimed.

She fired the bullets as her foot ran, while Valor kept on being defense, He slashed the bullets while he avoided most.

"Tenth breath, Ninth move." He counted on his head, While he didn't removed his sight away from her.

He then smiled and slashed another bullet, "Tenth breath, Tenth move." He semi squatted and jumped to her, with his skin, Slightly steaming—from his steam-breath effect. Along with the steam rushing out his nose. "Eleventh breath, Eleventh move."

He slashed slanting while on the air, Coming from his higher right and stopped in front of his chest, with a metallic ting— his sword was caught by the mechanical arm, Rein smiled with this scene and pointed the shotgun on his chest. Using her right hand, She thrust it deeper and neared the end of the barrel, So the damage will be heftier, "It won't hurt... Hehehe..."

She was about to fire when Valor exhibited his acrobatic moves, his left hand grabbed the mechanical arm, Then swung her away when his feet reached the ground—letting him gain momentum for the swing. She of course couldn't resist the power of Valor and stumbled on the floor.

"As expected of you Val."