Chapter 31 - Mark Sophie(4)
It's been two days and I've tried out the skills... Well tried to at least, most of them can only be activated in emergencies or when you have an enemy. I did get a few people to spar with me in the mansion so I was able to gauge how strong these new skills are. They are not very powerful but it's good enough for now.
I always pick skills that will grow strong with me instead of immediately powerful. I can't exactly control a skill too powerful as it might ruin my progress and fighting style so I'm going for the average increase in power over a long time instead of a direct upward curve. If my body explodes in strength then I have to work extra hard on control and shit. My control is already pathetic thanks to my [Passive Collector] Ability so I have to constantly be training my mana and body to not lose the little control I have.
We're about to attack Sophie, seriously! What kind of a villain name is that?? He should have changed his name or something. It's only myself and Dina going since she's the only person who's supposed to be doing this. I'm just here as insurance... very flimsy insurance considering we're going against someone over level 30.
The heavily guarded mansion is a few minutes away from where we were staying, not a lot of space for a fight, especially between high leveled Awakeners. Dina looks battle ready while I just have my weapons with me, even then it's in my inventory. I should start saving up for armour or soemthing.
We creep through the streets and...
"Nope, fuck this!" I grab Dina's hand and start walking back the way we came. Ain't no way we're going in there.
"W-What?" Her confused voice would be cute any other time and... bruh, did I just think that? Stop being attracted to women you barely know Seth, what are you doing?
"We are not going in there"
"You don't gi-"
"It's a trap." She finally remembers she's stronger than me and grounds her feet. Oh, she's not as strong as I thought. I thought there would be a bigger difference since I was basically reset a week ago.
"What? Why?"
"No one's guarding the house! The house of a high-level VIP who's most likely got protection from someone higher in position than both of us. They know we're coming and there's a trap set up. Ain't no way I'm walking into that!"
"What trap?" Bitch, why would I know what the trap is?!
"Right, so when we were planning how to trap you-"
'Shingggg'
"You what!" These people have no idea what sarcasm is. Yep, that's a Dagger in my throat... Hmm, why the fuck am I turned on?!
"Sarcasm, heard of it?" I wave her dagger away and keep walking away. I'm not sure if she's following or not but I'm damn certain there's a trap waiting behind us in that building.
"Now what?" I hear footsteps catching up with me. At least she isn't a white girl in horror movies who has an obsession with exploring something clearly meant to kill you.
"No idea. You're th-"
"I didn't expect you to run away." I look up and see a... woman? What, who's that?
"Mark Sophie!" Dina narrows her eyes... Huh?
"I thought you were a man?" The two women turn to me, one amused while the other is incredulous. It was Sophie and Dina respectively.
"Aww, didn't you tell your boyfriend about my ability Dina Darling?" And this seems more personal than just a place in the running for heir. And Dina Darling is a catchy nickname.
"He's not my boyfriend"
"Then can I take him?" I feel a nail picking up my chin and I stare into deep red eyes, similar to... Ah, that makes even less sense.
"I'm flattered, really. I think you two should sort out whatever this incestuous tension this is before you two fight over men though"
"What makes you think we're related?" Damn, her breath is hot, makes me imagine unholy things. I'm an awakener so it isn't illegal.
"I don't know whether you want to kill or kiss me. A family of tsunderes"
"..."
"..."
'Slash' There goes my shirt. I look down to see a slash courtesy of Dina aiming for her... whatever.
"I liked this shirt" Great, now it's gonna have orange stains all over. Blood usually turns orange after it dries right?
"He's fun." Dina turns around and her back is facing me.
"He's not involved" Excuse me? You brought me all the way here and I'm not involved.
"Analyse"
{Error! Insufficient level!}
Shit. I close my eyes and rub my head. Not a good move in front of an enemy but she seems like the playful type and she could have killed us the second she touched me... that sounds wrong.
"Hmm, an inspection skill? Those are rare." She probably felt someone trying to look at her status. "Failed didn't it"
"Yeah." I open my eyes and see Dina who keeps trying to cut the woman. She can't even touch her. Why did either of us think we could take this lady on? She's way above our pay grade.
"You want to know my ability?"
"Yep"
"Uh, uhm, okay?" Yeah, the weakness of most people is straightforwardness. No one expects it."Why don't you try and hit me once?"
"You're close to 20 levels above me. I'm not trying for just your ability."
"Heheh." Well, that was creepy, gave me the chills. "You look death in the face and bargain?"
"I've been face to face with Death multiple times, you ain't nearly as scary." Dina is still trying to kill the woman while I stand there talking to her. Why try to fight someone you know can kill you with their pinky?
"Ohh, those eyes make my blood boil!" Is she using me for sexual gratification? "Alright then, if you can hit me I'll give you this robe"
"It doesn't seem that impressive" I pull the sword out of my inventory. If either of them saw the cut I had rapidly healing, they didn't say anything.
"Oh, but it is, an invisibility cloak with a 50% reduction in magical, spiritual and physical damage. Still want it?"
She's edging me at this point. I've been timing Dina's attacks from the time she started, well from the time I opened my eyes. She's not using any techniques or skills and simply slashing, stabbing and hoping for a hit. She's gone berserk. If she's losing this much control she must have quite the grudge with this woman.
I activate every skill I can. [Enhance] [Buff and Debuff]. I tried putting a debuff on er but she's too high level so it didn't work. I get a 10% increase in speed. Might do nothing but worth a try. [Adrenaline Surge] [Guardian Surge] [Shield of Determination] and [Dungeon Breaker]. I'll be paralysed in an hour but I'm fighting someone I have no chance of winning against.
My stats improve by more than double with all these skills activated and my mana drops to just below half. In my mind I start creating my gun slowly, I can't properly focus so I'm making it slower than normal.
I sync in with Dina and start attacking Sophie. My skills are supposed to reduce and negate all damage, even so, my HP is draining at an alarming rate every time she decides to wave her hand. No skill, no magic, no ability (maybe?), just waving her hand and letting the shockwave hit us.
I'm shielding Dina from the stronger waves, my arms have been torn off three times already. IT'S READY!
When she yawns again, I activate [Magic Gun] and drain my mana. A single bullet moves toward her at a blinding speed. She widens her eyes and swats the bullet away. It doesn't work, it explodes on contact. A mini mushroom cloud appears. Maybe I overdid it.
Before either of us can react a dagger is thrown, it hits Dina in the head and throws her against the wall. The Dagger was thrown handle first? I prepare myself and hope [Emergence Reflexes] activates. The skill never activates, the only thing thrown at me is a semi-transparent cloak.
"Haha. I didn't expect that. Nice trick kid." I see the woman walking out of the smoke and debris... unharmed. The only thing destroyed is her clothing and wow, hormones are a bitch. "There's the coat. Now for my ability. It's called [Infinite Body] I can switch between male and Female bodies. The family didn't like that and banished me. Not sure of my body count now."
I... don't know what body count means in this context.
"Tragic," I say as I try on the coat. It adjusts itself to fit me. Holy shit. "This is..."
"Shh, don't tell anyone and also, take care of Dina, she's one of the few people I don't hate."
"What about Zane?"
"Kill the bitch. Bro always got on my nerves. Bitching about how he's so unlucky to be born in a family that goes against his code or whatever. Like who complains while using the shit they're complaining about. Fucking Hypocrite"
"Same"
"What?"
"You sure I can keep this? These stats are... not insane but close"
"Yeah. Don't tell anyone you got it from me." She disappears with a wink... wait, does that mean she was originally a he? Or was she a she and then a he who became a she because she was tired of being a he...
Uhhhhhhhhhh, Top ten tongue twisters.
I'm not as traumatized as I should be, maybe I'm just used to bullshit.
"Ugh" Dina is on the ground thanks to Sophie knocking her out with the dagger. The dagger was on the floor next to her. Don't mind if I do. I pick up the Dagger.
"Analyse"
{Elise - B - adds 13 points to Dexterity and 5 points to Mana}
Not bad. I add it to my inventory. What she doesn't know won't hurt her. I press the emergency button on my watch, the one the school gave us. It takes them around half an hour. Neither of us are in a serious condition but Dina has lost a lot of blood. My body regenerated a lot so I only have a few superficial wounds. The blood stained clothes looks worse than it is.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone