บท 13: Falna
Zephyr's head spun. Loki's statement about the Falna made perfect sense, but the playful smile that flickered back onto her face, followed by a single, forceful word, sent a jolt of confusion and alarm through him.
"Strip?" he echoed, his voice barely above a whisper.
The seriousness in her eyes, the most serious Zephyr had witnessed yet, did little to calm his racing heart. He glanced around the seemingly normal office, searching for some hidden meaning, some mischievous prank Loki might be setting him up for.
But there was no laughter in her eyes, no hint of amusement. Her gaze locked with his, unwavering, and a single thought hammered through his mind: this wasn't a joke.
"Zephyr," Loki began, her voice low and firm, "a Falna can only be bestowed upon someone who is unarmored and unarmed. It's a symbolic act of trust between the adventurer and the deity."
The explanation did little to ease his discomfort. Stripping down completely in front of a goddess, even one as playful as Loki, felt like a monumental leap of faith. He swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry.
"Are you… sure about this?" he stammered, his voice barely a squeak.
Loki's lips softened slightly, a hint of understanding flickering in her gaze. "It's entirely your choice, Zephyr," she said gently. "But without a Falna, you won't be able to delve into the Dungeon with the Familia. You won't be able to grow stronger, to truly become an adventurer."
A long silence stretched between them. Zephyr wrestled with his apprehension, the weight of the decision settling on his shoulders. The promise of adventure, of a new life within the Familia, warred with his innate sense of privacy.
Finally, he took a deep breath, his voice gaining a newfound resolve. "Alright," he said, meeting Loki's gaze head-on. "Let's do this."
A nervous tremor ran through Zephyr as he untied the sash of his robe. The weight of Loki's words hung heavy in the air, and the thought of stripping down completely before a goddess, even one as seemingly harmless as Loki, made his skin crawl.
He shrugged off the robe, the cool air of the office washing over him. With a deep breath, he reached for the buttons on his shirt, his fingers fumbling slightly. Just as he was about to release the button of his pants, Loki's voice, sharp and urgent, cut through the silence.
"Stop, stop!" she exclaimed, a slight note of panic in her voice.
Zephyr froze, his hand hovering awkwardly on the button of his pants. Confusion etched itself onto his features as he stammered, "Eh? But you told me to strip."
Loki, sighed, her expression exasperated as she facepalmned. "Just your shirt is enough, silly!" she muttered, her voice muffled by her palm.
Relief washed over Zephyr, so intense it almost felt like dizziness. He let out a shaky breath, his hand falling away from his pants.
"Oh," he mumbled, "I thought you were gonna do something to me." He heaved a sigh.
Loki gestured towards a chair in the corner of the office. "Here, sit," she said, her voice softer now.
Zephyr sat down on the chair, his back facing Loki. He felt a strange mixture of embarrassment and anticipation bubbling within him. This was it – the moment he received his Falna, the blessing that would bind him to the Loki Familia.
Loki, with her previous demeanor back, approached him. She pricked her own finger with a small, long needle, a crimson bead of blood welling up on the surface.
"This might feel a little strange," she warned, her voice surprisingly gentle.
Zephyr took another deep breath, his back straightening in a show of courage. "I'm ready," he declared, his voice firm despite the tremor in his heart.
The weight of the moment pressed down on him as Loki knelt behind him. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for the unknown.
Loki used her blood to draw a cross across Zephyr's bare back. As the crimson liquid touched his skin, a warmth spread outwards, tingling like a thousand tiny needles.
Then, with a burst of blinding light, Zephyr's back erupted in a radiant glow.
The sudden brilliance forced him to squeeze his eyes shut. A disorienting sensation washed over him, a feeling of being pulled in two directions at once. His mind went blank, the world around him dissolving into a swirling vortex of white.
When the light finally subsided, Zephyr found himself in a familiar yet unsettling dreamscape. The ethereal sword, the very same one from his premonition before waking up in the forest, hovered suspended within a pristine white orb.
'I'm here again,' a thought echoed through his empty mind. This sterile white void, different from the dim blue space, with the lone sword at its center, was a recurring sight whenever he slept, or rested. But this time, something felt different.
As he focused on the sword, another orb materialized beside it. This one, unlike the sterile white of the first, pulsated with a kaleidoscope of vibrant colors, an ever-shifting spectacle that mesmerized Zephyr.
He floated through the dreamscape, drawn to the dazzling display. The swirling symphony of color was both beautiful and chaotic, a mesmerizing yet unsettling contrast to the pristine white orb holding the sword.
Just as he neared the colorful orb, a wave of vertigo washed over him, and his vision dissolved once again into darkness.
He snapped back to reality with a gasp, the echo of the dreamscape clinging to him like a cobweb.
"Hey, Zephyr, Zephyrrrr!" a voice cut through the haze, sharp and insistent.
He blinked, his vision focusing on Loki's face, her crimson eyes sparkling with amusement. She snapped her fingers mere inches from his ear, the sound finally breaking through the fog in his mind.
"Oh, is it done?" he stammered, his voice slightly hoarse.
"Yeah, don't space out now," Loki chided playfully. "Seems the blessing hit you a little harder than usual. I'm about to read out your Status. Brace yourself, rookie!"
Loki and Zephyr sat in tense silence, the official document detailing his Status held between them. The air crackled with a nervous anticipation, Loki didn't look at the paper just yet, she wanted Zephyr to look at it first.
With a flourish, she slammed the document onto the desk. "There you have it, rookie," she declared, a mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. "Your official introduction to the glorious world of stats!"
Zephyr, his heart hammering in his chest, reached out and hesitantly picked up the document. He scanned the page, his brow furrowing as he absorbed the information.
[Name: Zephyr Bladehart
Level: 1
Stats
STR: I0
END: I0
DEX: I0
AGI: I0
MAG: I0]
A wave of disappointment washed over him. He knew that starting as a Level 1 was the norm, but seeing it laid bare in black and white felt… deflating.
Loki, sensing his dejection, leaned forward and snatched the document away from him, her playful demeanor replaced by a look of shock that sent shivers down Zephyr's spine. Her crimson eyes darted back and forth between the paper and his face, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"Hold on a minute," she muttered, her voice uncharacteristically serious.
Silence stretched between them, broken only by the rapid tapping of Loki's fingers against the desk. Zephyr watched her with growing trepidation, his initial disappointment morphing into a gnawing worry.
Finally, Loki slammed the document back onto the desk, a wide grin splitting her face. "Well, well, well," she chuckled, her voice laced with a hint of awe. "Look at you, rookie. I seem to have have hit the jackpot recruiting you."
Zephyr blinked, his confusion mirroring Loki's earlier shock. "Extraordinary? You mean the zeros in my Stats?"
Loki threw her head back and laughed, a rich, infectious sound that echoed through the office. Wiping a tear from her eye, she leaned forward and met his gaze.
"Of course it is special, you dolt!" she exclaimed. "Normal adventurers are lucky to even get one skill after years of training and delving into the Dungeon. You, on the other hand, not only have four of them, but all of them are unheard of and absolutely overpowered!"
[——Magic——
Aura
-Aura is a potent energy that dwells within, fueled by the user's very will. It acts as an extension of the user's desires, capable of augmenting their physical and combat capabilities in a myriad of ways. The limitations are not bound by pre-defined techniques or rigid forms, but by the user's own imagination and willpower.
Arcane Sight
-Grants the user the ability to copy any magic the user has seen, the ability also let's the user see the path of Mana when activated.
——Skill——
Sword Soul
-Extraordinary sword talent.
-Grants the user the passive ability to communicate with swords containing souls.
-Grants the user the ability to see a sword's past when the user comes into contact with a sword that has had past users.
-Grants the user the passive ability to combat any attempts of tampering with the user's mind or soul.
Honoured One
-Extraordinary increase in growth speed.
-The limit can be bypassed.
-The user obtains the highest rank of the Development Ability [Spirit Healing] & [Healing Power].
-The user can grow stronger even without the support of a Falna.]
She pointed a finger at the document, her voice trembling with excitement. "Look at this! Sword Soul, granting you the ability to talk to swords and see their past? Arcane Sight, letting you copy magic just by witnessing it? And Honoured One, with its potential for limitless growth? These are legendary skills, Zephyr! Skills that even the most seasoned adventurers would kill for!"
Zephyr stared at her, his mind reeling. The disappointment he felt moments ago vanished completely, replaced by a sense of wonder and a spark of excitement.
"So... these skills are good?" he asked his Goddess.
"Good?" Loki scoffed. "They're phenomenal, Zephyr! You have the potential to become something truly remarkable. Now, come on," she said, her playful
demeanor returning full force. "Let's get you started on your training. I need to get Finn and Gareth, they're gonna love training you!" She grabbed his hand and dragged him across the mansion.
It seems the Amnesiac Swordsman's journey is about to get a lot more exciting from now on.
———[Chapter End]———
A/N: Just from the skills alone, I can guess that you guys already know how the novel will turn out in the future, but fear not. Danmachi will take up most of the story.
PS: MC is NOT Gojo.
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