Mayor Eliana was enthusiastic when Akira Kashiwagi came to her and asked if she wanted to participate in rift break training. This is something that everyone reads reports on, learns about in school, and uses as a basis for their drunken stories.
This is training that some of the most powerful parties get the chance to take part in. So, when Akira asked if she wanted her entire settlement to get a chance to participate, she didn’t even ask any questions. In hindsight was it stupid, maybe. But would she have changed her answer, probably not.
Rift slots are rare, rift break simulation slots are even more rare, and the entire town getting a chance to gain a few levels. Now that is unheard of. Being a civilian in the Kashiwagi territory is a good life, you can choose a simple job and gain levels safely. Every once in a while, you might even get the chance to enter a rift or two. The clan leaders and elders are respectful and caring. There are many opportunities to try new things.
So, the night before when she was approached by Kashiwagi Samurai to prepare for the rift break, she felt nothing but excitement. She even learned that this is being done for the young daughter of the clan leader. This made her entire settlement excited to be the first step in their precious clan heir’s journey.
But this, this was not what she expected. She knows that powerful tier 3 elders are watching over her people. None of them are actually dying but watching the baker that she visits every morning use his rolling pin like a hammer to smash a goblins face in, it was hard on her psyche. She didn’t even know that you could use the skill ‘Through Kneed’ like that.
What makes it even worse is watching that same baker gets his stomach slashed open by a goblin. This is a brutal warzone, she can hear the screaming of her people, and she is starting to regret letting them participate.
Standing on a wall of earth and roots that she created as a secondary fall back, Mayor Eliana does her best to command her town. She is their mayor; they look at her to lead them. It is only now that she realizes that this test, for the clan heir, is also for her.
To her left is towns head guard and her right is her personal body guard. They are here assisting in any way they can. They have the most levels out of all the fighters in her town. She can’t waste them by having them constantly fighting commons enemies, they need to be strategically deployed to relieve places with more powerful variants.
All around her on the wall are guards, adventurers, and her town’s civilians. They are doing what they can and for now they all feel safe standing on this wall. That was until an aura that feels like it holds their lives in its grip washes over them.
No! How did one of them sneak up on us! Mayor Eliana screams in her head and she frantically looks for the attacker. Only a moment later a young man drops down in front of her. His jacket settles in behind him, and Eliana’s eyes are drawn to his own red slits, looking into his eyes makes her shudder with fear. The young man is completely oblivious to her plight, and he stands there awkwardly looking at all the people pointing their weapons at him.
Eliana isn’t sure if she should scream or cry, but the young voice pulls her out of her shock. “Ah. Hi. I’m here to help.”
Yeah… I could have done that better. Helo thinks as he looks around. Everyone is still staring at him in shock. But on the ground near the gate, the defenders are about to be overrun because their ranged support stopped.
“Shouldn’t you all be attacking the goblins?” Helo asks out loud.
This gets all the people to snap out of their shock, and they go back to protecting their homes.
Mayor Eliana steps forward and uses her identity, all she gets back is.
(???)
Not sure what to do she looks at the young boy and can only assume that he is a part of the young Heiresses party. Looking around she doesn’t see anyone else. “Are there more coming?” She asks the young man.
He is busy looking over the second wall. When Akira explained what would be happening Helo didn’t expect this. The citizens are actually dying, and people are getting graving injured. Watching people continue to die, he feels the need to get involved.
“Mhm… oh yeah, they are on the outside. Half on the left and right.” He stops speaking and a second later speaks like it’s an afterthought. “Oh yeah, I also killed any goblins that made it through your line.” He says without taking his eyes off the fighting. This causes the mayor’s eyes to widen. He did what? So fast.
Tilting his head he listens to the crowd fighting below. Outside the wall he can hear fighting on both sides. Alli and her group are on the right and seem to be close to the gate. Gabi and her group also seem to be getting close, if a little bit behind.
The mayor is about to speak again but Helo just steps onto the wall and drops off into the crowd. She stands there in shock for a few moments, to her side her guard asks her. “Ma’am, do you know him?”
Shaking her head she takes a moment and gets back to leading her town. That was one odd kid.
Now on the other side of the fallback point, Helo makes his way to the side and toward the houses. He counted about seven higher variant goblins fighting among the villagers. In the back near the gate there are more, and more powerful ones. But they seem to be waiting for the fight to be over. They probably see this as beneath them. Helo thinks.
Slipping through the crowd Helo reigns in his aura and conceals himself just enough to appear like any other villager. He is wearing a sweatshirt and joggers into a war-zone. Starting from the left side Helo starts picking off the stronger variants. The first is a large hobgoblin that is surrounded by weaker goblins. It is swinging a large blade; Helo starts rushing faster as he sees the man in front of the goblin get his shield knocked to the side.
Pulling out a throwing blade as using ‘Forced Still’, Helo catches the goblin’s arm before it starts to swing down. The new puncture wound starts to drop blood as the goblins arm is locked above its head.
By the time the paralyzing effect has worn off Helo has created a ‘Dark Blade’. Catching the blade in his aura, Helo forgoes the use of his ‘Mental Grasp’ skill, to instead coat the blade in ‘Defiled Wound’.
Helo still has some trouble using more than two skills at once. With the use of ‘Bloodline Awakening’ and the extra control he might be able to but it would massively increase the strain on his channels.
Everyone around them feels a wave of aura push forth, it feels like whoever controls this aura doesn’t just have control of your life, but can snuff it out. As the aura wave pushes forth a black knife comes sailing from the center of it. It pierces into the goblin’s chest.
Running forward Helo can see in the goblin’s eyes that it knows it’s dead. But just for a flicker he sees malic. The hand that was paralyzed in the air gains control for the last moment of the goblin’s life. Its blade descends an cleaves the man in half.
Helo stops moving in that moment and watches as the man splits in two. His body falls to the ground in two pieces and Helo stands there staring. He didn’t know this man, and with his awakening skill acting out, his emotions are all over the place.
But he can feel rage burning him up inside. He wants to do something, but he already failed. His failure cost someone their life. All around him the battle continues but Helo can’t seem to get out of his own head.
Getting bumped by a fighter, Helo almost loses his balance. Catching himself he takes a shuddering breath and tears his eyes away from the corpse. Raising his head he looks at the goblin that is lying beside the man.
With a snarl Helo turns away and this time he actives his ‘Bloodline Awakening’ and fully conceals his presence.
Mayor Eliana watched the whole thing from her place on the wall. She can’t help but feel for the child. She was already warned that the elders would be using illusions to portray the deaths of her people. But the town was told not to tell the kids. This is a learning experience for them.
Her heart aches a little as she watches the young man get traumatized by the death before him. But her heartbeat flickers with a hint of fear, the young man’s hood gets blown off as he stumbles to the side. In that moment she saw as his already slitted eyes took an a vicious light. His fangs elongated into something meant for ripping and tearing. Then his clenched hands, unclenched to show long claws.
The young men veins started to glow a golden light and then with a swirl of darkness she lost him in the crowd.
With his ‘Bloodline Awakening’ activated Helo’s surging emotions are calm, all that is left is the enjoyment of the hunt. Slipping through the crowd like a wraith, he slides past the bodies of the men and women around him. The mid-level 20 basic goblins are nothing to him and his kukri slash any weaknesses that he can see.
Doing this is easier than he expected. But being the wraith that sweeps through the crowd is thrilling. With his awakening activated his speed of thought is increased enough that each goblin he sees is quickly analyzed with ‘Detect Weakness’ and the easiest to reach spot, that is glowing red. Finds a blade sliding past.
As he comes up to the next higher variant goblin Helo uses his ‘Dark Blade’ skill. With his aura retracted and his presence hidden he can’t use his aura to wield the blade. Casting ‘Mental Grasp’ Helo sheaths his right blade and uses his hand like a guiding wand.
Drawing his hand up and across his body the blade forms from the shadow near his left hip. It gets draw up and over his right hand. Flicking his hand forward the blade cuts the tendon of the hand holding the goblin shaman’s staff. The tendon and endurance of the goblin isn’t strong enough to dissipate the ‘Dark Blade’. So, it sails past and lodges in the throat of the regular goblin behind it.
As the staff clatters to the ground Helo steps around the man who was using his shield to block the goblins magic. With the use of ‘Mental Grasp’ and the flick of his wrist the staff jumps into Helo’s hand.
With a vicious smile and the goblins own club, Helo beats it to death. One after the other scenes of carnage get mixed into the death and destruction near the front gate of the small town.
By the time all seven of the more powerful goblins are killed, the rest of Helo’s party has converged on the front gate. Helo is sitting on said gate with his feet dangling over the edge. Every once in a while, he sends out a ‘Dark Blade’ to kill an enterprising goblin.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
As he saw his teammates doing well and meeting together like two separate hammers. Helo decides to sit and watch at the same time he released his awakening skill. Sitting on the wall Helo was almost frozen in pain. This was the longest he has had the skill activated, and at the same time the most he has used his skill.
At this point Helo is starting to realize that something is wrong. He was able to work through his hunger, and other instincts. But this is different. So, sitting on the wall and watching his teammates finish off the goblins he kicks his feet, flicks out a few blades and ponders what is happening to him.
By the time his party is finished he is feeling well enough to start walking again. Dropping ten feet to the group Helo easily lands on his feet and turns around. Before him is a field of viscera and death. By this point it is an image he is used to, but he isn’t used to the friendly bodies lying dead with the enemy. His team steps to his side and all of them have the same haunted look. Each opens their mouth to speak but finds that nothing is coming out.
Not quite feeling as bad as watching the man get cut in half, Helo still doesn’t like how this makes him feel. He stares at the field until he hears cheering start. The entire town in front of them is celebrating and they are even breaking out food and drinks.
Helo wants to yell at them. To question if they even cared about their neighbors and family. But before he can step forward a hand lands on his shoulder. Turning back, Helo can see Akira standing behind him.
Seeing Akira’s face makes a flash of rage go through him. “I… I thought you were a good person. You... You let them die!” Helo wants to lash out, but a powerful and soothing aura washes over his whole team.
Akira is doing something with his aura and the mystical mana in the air to comfort the entire team. Looking Helo in the eyes he says. “Turn around.”
Turning his tear-streaked face to the field of death Helo listens, only to be shocked as the entire field dissipates into an illusion. “Wah… what!?” Helo says to himself.
All down the line his party is going through similar moments. Akira takes his hand from Helo and steps in front of his daughter and God-daughter. Pulling both girls into a hug they both start crying in his arms.
It was an emotional time for everybody. They are used to fighting and getting dirty. But this is the first time they have watched comrades die. Now learning that everyone was still alive gives them all emotional whiplash.
Not really liking standing in the gate Helo grabs a ledge and returns to his spot on top of the wall. Laying down and staring into the sky Helo feels just a little better. As he is lost in thought Akira steps away from the girls and speaks up.
“I’m sorry we did this to do. I do feel bad.” Akira stops and lets everyone internalize what he said. “But… It was necessary. A few years from now the entire world is going to enter into a war. This war will have three sides. Us, the rifts, and the other clans.”
“We know.” Alli says through a sniffle. “But this was mean.”
“I know it was. It won’t happen again. Now you know that the realism in these practice rift breaks are all part of the practice. But you needed to experience it for once.” Akira says. He is about to leave but Helo speaks up.
“Why are they so happy?” He asks.
“Well, these breaks are a great opportunity for citizens to gain extra experience. Most of these people gain experience from crafting and cultivating.” Akira says.
“Cultivating?” He looks over at Akira in confusion.
“You should find a book on it. But you can draw in the energy around you and use it to gain exp. But using the energy around you makes for a very thin foundation.” Akira says this and vanishes. While he is invisible his voice echoes through the area. “Don’t forget to clear the rift.”
The team sits back for a few minutes and none of them want to get up right now. They have been through an emotional ringer. Helo takes a deep breath and rolls off the side of the wall. Landing smoothly on his feet he starts walking to the rift. He is still a little sore, but as long as he doesn’t use his ‘Bloodline Awakening’ he should be okay.
The party starts to get up to follow him, but he waves them back down. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. It shouldn’t take long.”
Alli and Hinata want to go with him, but they both know that it will be faster if he goes alone.
Taking off at a jog, he makes it to the rift in only a few minutes. Looking at the tear in space from behind a tree, he can’t help but shudder. “These things make me feel uncomfortable.”
Stepping into the clearing where the rift is Helo is quickly spotted by the two guards. Both are hobgoblins, one is a Marauder, the other a shaman. From what Helo can tell the Marauder is a larger version of a Ravager.
When he is spotted the Marauder instantly charges forward. It is wielding two machete like blades and is taking large steps toward him. At the same time the Shaman raises its staff and starts chanting.
One thing the Helo has learned to do over the last two months is to control his telekinesis without looking. His skill is still called ‘Mental Grasp’ but now it is a step closer to rare tier. Taking a step around the tree, the blade goes the other direction. Paying a large chuck of energy to coat the blade in ‘Defiled Wound’. The distance and lack of eyesight is increasing the energy requirement for him.
Not worried with only two enemies, Helo sends the blade forth and it lodges into the shaman’s throat. It isn’t enough to kill it quickly, but if the wound remains open it will die. That is why Helo used ‘Defiled Wounds’. Not only does it increase bleeding, but it hampers healing. The Shaman starts casting chantless healing spells on itself, but the chantless magic is too weak to work against Helo’s skill quickly.
Ducking under the marauders first strike, Helo kicked the marauders wrist on the next. Due to the unexpected strike the machete goes flying off into the woods. Pucning the goblin’s solar plexus before it can retaliate Helo uses ‘Forced Still’. As the goblins body locks up it is forced to freeze at the same time as the wind was knocked from its lungs.
Looking down at the asphyxiated and paralyzed goblin Helo slowly draws his blade. Bending over he looks toward the shaman and finds it choking as awell. But it is choking on its own blood. Quickly killing the goblin, Helo walks to the shaman and kills it aswell.
Entering the portal with only a small shudder, Helo has gotten much better at entering them. As he steps through, he finds himself within some kind of throne room. It seems that the goblin tribe or whatever it is called, sent out its team of raiders from within the throne room.
Shrugging at how easy the goblin leader made things for him Helo steps forward. Inside the room there are only three goblins. One is the leader and the other two seem to be there for sexual relief. Looking around Helo is surprised that this is all there is.
To the leader he says. “So, did you send away your guards to get some alone time.” Pointing back at the portal he adds. “With an active portal in the room.”
From the goblin leaders shocked face Helo makes another deduction. “Oh. They were your guards. This will be easy then.”
Stepping forward Helo throws both of his throwing blades at the same time. One has ‘Defiled Wounds’ and it strikes the goblin in the crotch. The other has ‘Forced Still’ this one the goblin blocks using one of its lovers.
He might have blocked the blade, but he still got another to the groin and it was coated in Helo’s arguable most vile skill. Not caring much at the goblins suffering Helo pulls out his naginata. He really doesn’t want to fight it up close.
With a quick spin and slash the goblins head flies off. “BING”
You have defeated the ‘Goblin Raiding Camp’ rift.
You will now gain experience and a reward.
Finding that he got a decent chunk of experience for going alone Helo is happy to see his level increase.
You have gone from level 33 to 34. You have gained +2 to Vit, Will, and Agl. You have gained +1 to per and dex. You have gained +2 free points.
Name: Helo Vital
Tier 1
Class: Shaded Predator (Pseudo Tier 3)
Level: 34
Stats: 414
- Str: 27 (+5%)
- Agl: 70 (+15%)
- Dex:47 (+15%)
- Per: 52 (+30%)
- Vit: 83 (+40%)
- End: 27 (+15%)
- Int: 25 (+5%)
- Will: 83 (+40%)
Finding the chest box on the ground near the goblins love nest Helo quickly reaches in and leaves. Going back to the portal he looks at what is in his hand. “Appraisal.”
Life Scanner (Uncommon)
Five tier 1 mana crystals
Health Potion. (Common)
Looking at the item names Helo doesn’t even bother with the descriptions. The life scanner is nice, but Helo can already see people’s life force. He doesn’t often use it because his other senses are powerful. But he can.
Heading to his team, he meets up with them all and tosses the loot to Luna. As he arrives the team all gets up and they go with him to the golf carts. This time heading back the entire team is a little subdued.
Once they are back home everyone just goes to their rooms and gets cleaned up. Starting an hour or so ago, now the team has to find their own food, and make or clean their own equipment. They all were really excited about the experience. It would be like being an adult and having to take care of themselves. But right now, they all just want to relax.
Helo ends up taking a bath and while he is in the tub he falls asleep.
Not quite feeling normal Helo looks around. He is in a beautiful room, it is made from blue and gold metals, with paintings and art all around. Trying to get to his feet Helo looks down and can’t seem to move properly.
“Oh sweetie, don’t worry about that. Everything is okay.”
When he hears the unknown voice Helo starts to get worried, starting to freak out he tries to draw on his bloodline but nothing happens.
“None of that dear.” As the last word rings in his head a beautiful kitsune woman is standing before him. His worries and fear fade away as he gets lost at the sight of her. It’s like her eyes are drawing him in.
She looks at him with her head tilted to the side, she smiles. “You look just like her.” She says while cupping his face. Tilting his head from left to right and up and down she examines him. “Yes, just like your mother.”
Hearing the word mother, Helo snaps out of his daze. “What? You know my mother?”
“Know? Oh no sweetie, I don’t just know your mother. I’m her best friend.” The kitsune stretches and for the first time Helo looks away from her beautiful face. He regrets that decision because she is wearing a sheer dress and her stretching is accentuating her in a very stimulating way.
“Ahhhh that’s better. I just woke up from a long nap.” She looks at Helo and her eyes glow for a second. “Oh, you’re napping too. Isn’t that nice.” At this she snaps in front of his face and Helo is freed from the woman’s spell again.
“Who are you?” He asks her. She hasn’t been answering his question. So, he asks something else.
“Someday you will know. You will probably call me auntie.” At that she shivers a little. “Mhm. I think I would like that.”
At this point Helo is getting a little uncomfortable. But he still has no idea what is going on.
“Now we don’t have much time. So, I need you to listen.” She cups his face with both hands. “All affinities can affect the wielder. The same goes for concepts. When an affinity and concept go well together, well they can be catastrophic. Not all liches start out wanting to drain all life from the world dear.”
Helo blinks in confusion and she just keeps going. “Tch. No tangents, I can already feel my control slipping. If I knew it was you, I would have spent more energy. Now, I’m saying this because vitality and life as an affinity is strong, but it can lead to enhanced emotions, especially things like rage. You know the testosterone fueled male ego.” She looks into his eyes and raises one of her eyebrows like she is saying ‘Do you remember that’.
“Good job dear. Now the dark affinity especially things like death or something like absence. Some call it Nihility. It can lead to a feeling of apathy or even sadistic tendencies.” Again, she raises an eyebrow.
At this Helo knows exactly what she is talking about. The pats him on the cheek and says, “You need balance sweetie.”
With that last word she kisses him on the forehead and thin flicks his nose. Once her finger strikes his nose Helo can feel his… soul… get pushed backward and suddenly he is gasping for breath. Frantically looking around, Helo is back in his bath and to his surprise it is still warm.
For a second he starts to think that it was all some weird dream but then he can feel his forehead warm up right where she kissed him. “Bing”
You have been blessed by the goddess (Redacted)
You have gained a new title.
Spirit Blessed (???) - This title opens your third eye and allows you to see the soul. With sight, comes understanding and when something is understood it can be grasped.
Like his soul suddenly lit on fire, everything around Helo flared blue. After freaking out and scrambling out of the bath he realized that it didn’t hurt. Moments later the blue flames started to recede back. Stopping for a minute Helo realized that the blue fire looks a lot like Rocco or Akira’s FoxFire.
Once the fire receded Helo tries to bring it back. But no matter what he does nothing works. “Come on, how do I bring you back. IGNITE! FIRE! BURN! BLUE! FLAME ON!” Sitting on the side of the tub Helo looks at the description again and reads it more closely.
From what it says he assumes that this title doesn’t just make it happen. It isn’t a skill. But it unlocked something and now he has to learn how to wield it.
Pushing it to the back of his mind Helo starts to think about the conversation with the kitsune. “She said she knew my mother. But she wasn’t expecting me. How did she find me?”
Wait. What she said about emotions and affinities. Balance. “What could that mean.”
Helo starts to think about it but he gets interrupted ny Alli yelling from what sounds like the first-floor staircase. “Helo! DINNER!
Getting dressed and going down stairs Helo is surprised to see everyone happy.
“Don’t give us that look Helo.” Gabi says. “Yeah Mr. Akira was a bit of an asshole today. But in the end, nobody got hurt. Well… other than those goblins!!!” She says that and raises her glass of… Mmmm that smells like… juice. Helo thinks.
“I guess your right. We just needed a few hours to clear our head. Truthfully. It was a good lesson.” Hinata makes sure to look at everyone. “Best case scenario. The entire world comes together and we only lose 50% of earth population. Otherwise, we are all going to be too busy protecting our own. Or attacking each other.” Hinata looks a bit sad as she says that.
Alli seeing her friends face raises her glass. “To proving those old shirts wrong!”
“Yeah!” The team yells. Well except Cody, he doesn’t speak. Or Bibbin, he is too nervous to yell.