Chapter 8: Death Cometh
(This chapter was uploaded Sunday 30/April/2023 4:55 PM, time zone GMT+3)
First and foremost, welcome to a triple upload.
Anyway, I know the title sounds a bit cringe. Bear with it.
Also, you see the thing atop the note? It is meant for this paranoid me to remind himself that he uploaded the chapter at the right time. If it bothered you, I am sorry but I need you to understand. I need it for my mental health. I nearly fall a mental breakdown every time I think I may have broken a promise, one of which is the promise to upload the chapters at a specific interval.
I am not holding you any further, proceed with the chapter.
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('1), ('2), ('3), etc. means that there is some explaining for the thing in the notes at the end of the chapter.
(-------------------------) -> line break (AN: I decided to shorten it so it does not go to new lines in narrow screens)
"..." small moment of silence
"Talking"
"He-" Someone was interrupted.
'Thinking or mental conversations'
[Abilities' names, chanting and spells' names]
{System}
Don't shy from commenting on a typo or suggesting a modification to certain things that didn't make sense to you.
I hope you enjoy reading this chapter.
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(Same day, afternoon. Nephelont's PoV)
I really shouldn't tease her, should I? It'll be awkward if I focus on that.
Oh, she is stirring awake.
"Wakey wakey, my sleeping beauty"
"Is this a dream?" So, she thinks this is a dream? I mean, her eyes are hazy and unfocused.
"Maybe?" I may come to regret this later, but the fun is worth it.
"So, since this is a dream, it is fine for me to do this" What?! What're you trying to do?!
She's not trying to kiss me, is she? Nah, we're too young for this. We're still kids. I CAN'T ALLOW THOSE LIPS TO HAVE THEIR WAY WITH MY CHEEKS!
As she kept getting closer, I held her head in place. That seemed enough to wake her up.
"This is not a... dream?!!" She stopped mid-sentence as her eyes gained a new level of clarity, they widened, and her face turned red like her crimson hair .
I kissed her forehead. "No, and you don't own my cheeks. I own yours" I smirked at the squirming, embarrassed mess before me. I don't think I was that different.
I got out of bed and towards the door.
"About what ha-happened yester... day... " Ahhh, a cute stuttering mess. Wait a bit, she didn't notice that it is still the same day yet?
"I regret nothing" I announced. It was an out-of-place thing to say, wasn't it?
I immediately went out and closed the door behind me. I put on a brave front with my back facing her. Good thing, since I can feel the heat in my face.
I was never good when it comes to dealing with people in my past life, especially women. Hell, I was a selective introvert. I chose to not deal with them because it felt like a total hassle. Now, I've to deal with this romantic stuff.
Maybe, maybe if I'd friends to socialize with, friends who I could've been close to.
Maybe, maybe I was lonelier than I thought.
Maybe, maybe that's the reason I've a softer spot for her, the one and only person who I can see as a friend rather than a parent, an uncle or an aunt.
I should wash my face first. That ought to cool it down.
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(Eucleia's PoV, a moment after the door closed)
I will forever remember this moment and this gift you gave me. Do not think for even a moment that I will forget them.
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(Back with Nephelont)
And here I am, after my late breakfast. Should I call it lunch? Since I bad it in the afternoon? Yeah, let's call it that, a lunch.
Now that I think about it, I need to check the limits of my divine charges.
'System, show me the ability concerning my divine charges'
Using a specific amount of divine energy, a miracle could be performed.
Effect #1: A spell is cast without a cost.
Effect #2: If the spell does not exist, you need to have the magical affinity for it. Once you have it, you can make the spell.
Penalty: Upon usage of a divine charge, all energy will be exhausted. As a result, you should faint on the spot. If fainting was resisted, the amount of time spent unconscious increases.
Limits: 2 divine charges/5 years (2/2)> (AN: He needs to wait for the entirety of the five years to end and all of the uses will get replenished at once. As for why the last usage of his charges did not count, it is because the ability that controlled it was not formed beforehand. That resulted in the ability not accounting for that usage)
Well, my plans are ruined.
I wanted to use this in emergency situations, but I guess that's nigh impossible now.
Fine. I can't use it recklessly in a tight situation. I can, however, use it to prepare for such situations.
I've already created a spell, huh?
'System, could you show me the description of [Vitalize]?'
Elementless:
[Vitalize:
For each 10000 points worth of mind, a year could be added to the lifespan of the target] ('1)>
'I may not be able to use this, am I?'
{No, master. Master does not possess the required mind}
'That was a rhetorical question'
'Disregarding that, can I also use my Arcanum to revive someone? And is there a cost?'
{Master could revive someone using Arcanum. The cost is master's life}
'So, I'll have to sacrifice myself every time one of my companions dies?'
{Correct}
'I always wanted death in my previous life. Now, I'm given control over death to some extent when I don't want it. How ironic. Why do I pay with my life, though?'
{Master's Arcanum is an acquired one. If it was an inborn Arcanum, like Eucleia's own, it would have had both a qualitative and a quantitative improvement, making it possible to revive someone without dying. Though it would have left master tired}
'That' s unfortunate'
I'll go to the kitchen. There, I'll conduct an experiment. I'll have to be done before Lia comes downstairs. If she knew what I would attempt, she would try preventing it.
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(In the kitchen. Third person PoV)
Nephelont peeked from behind the kitchen's door. Seeing no one, he went in.
He reached towards one of the chairs. He stood over it to open the fridge. Once he opened the hatch, he grabbed a fish.
He wanted to try making the spell that will keep people alive even if they were killed.
Nephelont already thought of the compensation he would pay for reviving anyone. His ability, Dragon Hearted, offsets that.
'System, grab me a wyvern's magic stone' He still held on to the magic stones that would work with his skill/ability. He did not want to be forced to depart this world. And so, he would always keep a large storage of dragon monsters' magic stones for both self-revival and experiments like this one.
A magic stone the size of a chestnut appeared in his hand.
He swallowed the magic stone.
"?!" Aiz, who was actively hiding her presence from her son's senses, was astonished how he swallowed something so hard and big when he choked on some things so soft and tiny at least once a week.
"[Sacrificial Revival]" Nephelont chanted while activating his second divine charge.
The fish he used as a test subject revived, but he lost his life as a result. Ais almost fell into a very dark thought process. She normally can perceive his thought process, but now, she mistook his actions for cooking.
Somewhere else, Eucleia felt a part of her soul break off, shattering to pieces. She felt the other, remaining part weeping for its loss. She did not know exactly why, but she knew that something had happened to Nephelont.
Only a moment later, she felt her soul rejoice when she felt the shattered pieces mend themselves together again. She shed new tears.
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(Nephelont's PoV)
{Master has died.
Does master wish to revive in this world or traverse a new one?}
'You sound indifferent, system'
{Negative} Hmmm, its voice became neutral again.
'I wish to continue living here'
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(Sometime later. Third person PoV)
"This doesn't bode well" He just knew it when he woke up. He knew that he was lying in bed.
Worse yet, Eucleia was actually awake, silently awake, waiting for him to wake up.
When he opened his eyes, he regretted it. His mother and Eucleia were sternly glaring at him.
*Slap* Nephelont was slapped from both sides at the same time. It produced a loud sound.
""Never dare do that again"" Both blond and redhead yelled in unison. It was more noticeable with Aiz, who normally spoke in a tiny and calm voice all the time Nephelont lived with her.
They talked about what he may have done. They both felt the loss of a life they were connected to, and they both felt that life came back.
"Sorry if it scared you. I only braved that experiment because I could come back" *Slap* He was slapped again.
"You died, Nephelont Cranel" Nephelont's heart fell hearing her. His mother always called him with some obvious level of intimacy. This time she did not. "The link between us was cut and it brought me great despair, "My precious son died. My only son, who reminds me of my dear mother, died" is what I thought would be my new reality. Do not do it again" Aiz did not want to lose her child. She hugged him closely to make sure he was there.
"I felt a part of my soul break to pieces. It went far and shattered alone, in darkness akin to that of an abyss" Eucleia raised her voice.
She was more composed this time around, as she could hold her cries and tears. She was still shaken non the less. Her voice was shaky, and its note was higher than usual.
Nephelont invited her to join their hug.
Nephelont sealed the spell he just created, intending to only use it in situations where someone must live, or if, gods forbid, his family lost a member.
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After a lot of silent tears shared between the three individuals, both ladies agreed to stick to Nephelont like glue. They vowed to each other they were going to make sure he stayed alive and well.
Out of nowhere, the room's door was busted open.
"Nephelont! Are you alright?" Hestia came through. She was out of breath, and her body was drenched in sweat. She ran all the way here from Hephaestus's shop in Babel tower without stop.
"I think I am? Right back at you. Are YOU alright?" Nephelont shot back the question.
"Are you sure? I felt your falna be removed and appear again like it never was undone. Dou you have an inkling over what you did?" It was a first for her, but her being his goddess made her capable of sensing if her falna is still there. The only two ways a falna is removed are either by the deity who applied it, or by the death of its bearer.
"I attempted the stupid. I attempted the unthinkable. I touched on what only the divine should. I-"
"JUST SAY IT" Hestia was not comfortable with the feeling she got. It was unnerving. She had willingly forsaken her post at Hephaestus's shop without getting permission. His wellbeing is that important to her.
"Jeez, I was just about to say it. You could've just waited a second. What I was about to say is, I revived a fish as an experiment, and I paid with my life. I only went with this since my skill could allow me to cheat death"
"Nephelont Cranel, don't, ever, sacrifice your life without notifying us. And if you could, never sacrifice it. Think about those who care for you. What would they feel if they sensed your death? So at least tell them before attempting such things. You got that, young man?" Hestia knew that mortals cling to what power they acquire, especially powers that defy logic more than the known norm.
Telling the boy to abandon this power completely was impossible. The most she can do is advise him on how to better use it. She started with him telling others about using it in advance. It would not do any of them any good if they thought he died for good.
"Duly noted" Nephelont started considering some adjustment to his plans. Maybe he can consider storing his companions' bodies in his inventory until he tells his family that he will go on a reviving spree. He disregarded how morbid his thoughts were.
Later, Hephaestus visited and said the same to him, to not use his abilities like that unless absolutely necessary and after telling his family.
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So, Nephelont checked in on the new spell. This is the result.
A sacrificial revival. It uses the user's life as a medium to return the target's departed soul to its body and revive it.
This spell is only usable in the hands of a divine being.
This spell is only effective within 24 hours of the target's death>
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(The next day)
"So, to what do I owe the honor of meeting you, sir Ouranos?" Nephelont was in the presence of the god of the sky and ruler of the dungeon city of Orario. After exchanging greetings, Nephelont directly talked business.
"We are here today to discuss how you became a demigod. We tried the same method with another god who we trust"
"Let me guess, the one you are talking about is Sir Ganesha?" Nephelont took the gap between Ouranos's sentences to say his guess.
"You guessed correctly. The method you used never worked with any of his children. Do you have an idea why?"
"Can you please wait for but a moment? I have to ponder over it a little"
"Mhmm, take your time"
"Thank you for understanding my circumstances, Sir Ouranos"
"Mhmm" Ouranos hummed in acknowledgement.
'System, why did they fail? Was there something special in my case?'
{Master's case is special in that you already were compatible with divinity. The others failed because they were not}
'Ouranos is not gonna be satisfied with only that. Why was I compatible in the first place? I don't know why I should be at all'
{Master is compatible because of master's ability. 'Are you certain?'
{Yes}
"Thank you for the wait. It seems that one of my skills, one that turns me into a divine dragon, made it possible. Without a body compatible with divine energy, it would be nigh impossible to acquire divinity the way I did"
"So, that is why we never succeeded once" Ouranos said in a murmur that was meant for himself.
"Do you wish for anything in return for the information?" Ouranos asked Nephelont if he wanted anything within the bound of reason.
Nephelont was informed of the entrances to all the Xenos hidden villages known to Ouranos.
(AN: Nobody knows how deep the dungeon goes or how many Xenos there are in the deeper floors, if any)
"What do you think of him, Fels?" After the young boy left, Ouranos asked Fels.
"He acts too mature for someone his age, even among the special cases. He feels akin to someone who has knowledge far beyond their age. He felt as if someone stuffed knowledge into him, knowledge that, otherwise, would have taken over a decade of nonstop learning to grasp. With this, his claim of reincarnation seems feasible"
"How very interesting. May he be of help to the Xenos" Ouranos has been putting a lot of effort and time into the matter and he was going to see an end to it, a positive one.
"There should be no worry in that front. He looked fond of the Xenos when he was talking about them"
"That he did, Fels"
They both went back to their work, thinking they may have gained an ally.
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(Same day, early evening. Take's familia home)
Two people were staring intensely at each other. The older one was in disbelief.
"You... don't act or speak like a child your age, do you?" Takemikazuchi found Nephelont's behavior unusual.
In Takemikazuchi's opinion, children should be simple, bright in both mind and personality and jovial. This child in front of him now was openly trying to be calculating. The child was trying to appear serious and almost succeeded in doing so.
His only flaw was his appearance. He was too young to appear serious. He was in likeness to his father, Orario's resident rabbit. So much so his behavior looked more like a child trying to act more than his age. That is the case, is it not?
"Do you want to see me act my age?" Nephelont tried his best to make that question sound like a threat. He failed.
On the side, Chigusa was mentally gushing over him. 'Can I just go and hug him? He looks so huggable. No, no. It would be embarrassing if I hugged him out of nowhere. I will introduce myself normally first. Hugging him can wait until it is less awkward' She resolved herself.
"Try it. You can act casual while you are at it" Takemikazuchi dared him. Oh, how glad of his decision he would be a moment later.
"Thanks, Take" Nephelont dropped all formality. "I want you to train me in both swordsmanship and close quarter combat" He said while smiling cheerfully and stretching one hand up.
Chigusa almost fainted. A younger familia member had to support her dizzy form. The cuteness swooped her legs off the ground. She did not hate it. She liked witnessing such things, actually.
"Fuhahaha. The way your personality changes is refreshing, little one" Takemikazuchi was amused with this. "What if I said no?" He suddenly changed his tone.
"I WANNA TRAAAIN. I WANNA LOOK COOL SWINGING MY FAR-EASTERN BLADES. I WANNA TRAIN I WANNA TRAIN I WANNA TRAIN I W-" Nephelont acted bratty, just as requested.
"Okay, fine. I will give you your training alright. You can stop flailing on the ground"
"-ANNA TRAI- MMAMMAMAMMMAM" Nephelont kept up his act until he was silenced.
"You can stop, please. I regret making you try to act your age" Nephelont finally stopped.
"You brought this upon yourself, Take" It was said with most innocent of faces. It was also the second most horrifying thing Takemikazuchi will confront in a while.
"Why did you come to me? There are others you could learn from"
"I wanted to get closer to you for personal reasons. I also don't think that any other god will do. I want to learn far-eastern sword arts from a god that originated from the country"
"Well, aren't you too honest and blunt with your words? Normally, mortals will go and talk in an indirect manner to gain something from it later"
"I believe that trust is built on the basis of honesty. If I lied to you, I don't expect you to trust me. I may accept the act of hiding information, but outright lying is a forbidden thing in my books" He was proud of this ideal.
"I'll be in your care, teacher" Nephelont wanted to say that last word in the far-eastern tongue. He refrained from doing that because of how cringe it felt.
Takemikazuchi was pleasantly surprised with the boy's choice of words. The boy may have wanted his instructions far more seriously than he imagined at first.
"Can you also teach Lia how to use a bow? She'll be the one covering me from a distance, away from monsters. An addition, a dagger or a knife as a side weapon for emergency close quarter combat might be desirable" Eucleia's mind was through some very deep thoughts. She did not notice how Nephelont called her.
"Can I ask, why do you want little Eucleia to support you from the rear, rather than from right beside you?"
"Simple. I don't want to see my future wife be hurt or put in the way of impending danger"
"Too... sweet" Chigusa fainted. This was just too sweet to handle for her. (AN: I did not forget her, not at all 😅)
In the background, "Chigusa?! CHIGUSAAAA!!" a distressed familia member could be heard calling Chigusa in an over-dramatic manner.
"Kou... Kounéli" Eucleia blushed red. She was tugging his sleeve with her face down.
"That's commendable of you, for you to want to take the worst of it while not refusing another's assistance. Just remember to not overdo it, young man"
"Thanks for the praise. Now, this is my temporary plan" Takemikazuchi noticed the edge Nephelont's voice gained. It had its childish touch still, but Nephelont became more serious.
He did not forget to pat Eucleia's head while he said it. It was a sad thing, really. Chigusa could not witness this tender moment.
"I'm all ears, go ahead" Take was curious. The child before him was already prepared with a plan in hand. (AN: Yeah, writing all his name every time he appears or says something is going to be bothersome. From now on, I will just write his nickname)
"We both will be under teacher's tutelage till. While I want to train in both swordsmanship and spearmanship, there is some required level of unarmed combat in case I was unarmed by my opponent. For Lia," Eucleia's thoughts blanked out after hearing that nickname again. This time, she heard it clearly. "she should focus on archery and some mastery of another weapon, any close-to-mid range weapon would suffice. By the time we reached nine, I may look for party members our age. If I found any, I hope they are to teacher's standards" Nephelont had plans for the future.
"I would agree under two conditions. First, you will make sure of their personalities. The other condition is that all of you will call me master, rather than teacher. That would be a more appropriate way to call me" After giving it some thought, Take crossed his arms. He stated his conditions firmly.
"I'll live by your words, master" Nephelont thumped his chest with a toothy grin. His sharp teeth showed through his smile.
"Master, I'll be using these" Nephelont knelt down and put his four weapons on display, three far-eastern swords and one swordspear.
They were scaled down in size, since he equipped them to his hands first then put them on the ground. They were roughly two thirds of their original size.
"Master, can we start with the katana? The other weapons can wait for later. The wakizashi is more like a shorter katana and is normally used in tighter places. Meanwhile, the odachi will be too big for anything other than large monsters, ones that can count as a monster rex. My last weapon can double as both a sword and as a spear. It can be easy to handle as a spear, even if I wasted the majority of its versatility in the early stages"
"We will start with bare-handed martial arts first. Getting disarmed by a far more experienced opponent is far more common than you might think" Takemikazuchi decided their training course. "But first, I want to see what you can do with these weapons and your bare hands. I will optimize the training plan after that"
"A fair warning. Never, ever be late to training. Training starts tomorrow, after dawn by two hours. Training ends at 3 PM. If you are not here by then every single day from Sunday through Thursday, you will be punished, severely. An exception is when there is a sudden situation. Another is if you wanted a break to do something else. You can only take a break once a month. Understood, both of you?" He sported a very strict expression saying that.
""Yes"" Nephelont and Eucleia replied together.
Take took a deeper look at something that garnered his interest from a while ago.
"Now that the serious talk is over, I want to sate my curiosity. Are all your teeth fangs?" Take's thoughts went off course when he saw what is inside his new disciple's mouth.
"Yes, master" Nephelont then proceeded to stretch his cheek to show his sharp, pointy fangs to them.
"It's truly a wonder" The Take cupped his chin with his hand.
He was observing his new student's fangs. Yes, fangs. All his teeth are sharp looking fangs.
"Say, little Nephelont. Are you interested in what these fangs of yours can do?" Take already thought of a few ways Nephelont could use his "maw" in combat.
"You don't mean?!" Nephelont's eyes widened in disbelief. He really did not expect Take to think of that fighting style. It was a style more befitting of a wild beast, not a person.
"Yes, you will learn how to use them after we are done with the basics" Nephelont got all excited over the thought of it. It was one of his dreams to become a mighty dragon. Now, he will be able to fight as a dragon warrior. As a warrior friend of his would say "Doesn't the notion set your breast aflutter!". It does. His breast was set aflutter at the notion.
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'1. This note concerns [Vitalize]:
Grab some food and drinks, folks. This one is long.
So, in this alternate universe of DanMachi, falna, upon level up, will add to gained stat points what equals to (10% effective stat value x new level).
Now, the effective stat value, ESV for short, includes the stat values gained from previous levels and stat values gained by levelling up.
For example, a person levels up with 500 stat points every level, to make it easier to calculate. That person is going to have 0 in his new stat sheet. He did not lose the point, not at all. They have been hidden to make it easier for letter calculations (i.e. S = 900, A = 800, B = 700, etc.).
Let's calculate together.
He leveled up from LV.1 to LV.2 at 500 strength, disregard the other stats for now. Strength will show as 0 in their new sheet, but its ESV will be 500 x 1.2 = 600. After levelling up from LV.2 to LV.3, their strength stat's ESV will be 1100 x 1.3 = 1430. They reached 500 strength in Lv.3 points and are eligible to level up to Lv.4, their strength stat's ESV will be 1930 x 1.4 = 2702.
If mortals receive falna, they level up from Lv.0 to Lv.1. Like that, their basic abilities get multiplied by 1.1 and get displayed as 0. That is also why some people have an edge over others even if they have the same stats as newbies at level one. It goes like that.
Now, we go back to Nephelont's new spell, [Vitalize]. It works with the amount of mind he puts in it, as stated up there. And although his stats mean nothing because of the debuff, the buffs from levelling up still work on him. They are buffs, not strait up stats.
For Nephelont, the buff will multiply the ESV that existed before receiving it like how it enhances the nonexistent stats of an unblessed mortal.
Here ends the explanation for '1.
All I can say is that the falna buff's description is written correctly. It is all according to some grand plan.
Now, for his training montage (Can I even call it that when this is not a video?), I will try my best to make sense of it. I will show fragments of his training every now and then. If I felt like it, I may make a dedicated interlude about it later.
Now, I should leave you to read the next chapter, chapters 9 & 10, as they are uploaded alongside this one.