Chapter 155
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(Anna's POV)
After finally defeating and sealing Agares, because there was no way I would be missing in yet another Demon Slave—I mean, Demon Friend—I decided to loot Heckert's corpse.
Unlike Hector, who was quite important, Heckert, according to my memories, fell into obscurity and never really became a big player. He might have even died in the following cataclysms provoked by the Second and Third Awakenings, for all I know.
And not even Hilda, who was with him, felt bad for his death! Not even Dimitri. I guess nobody liked this guy. It is still a pity that he died. Don't get me wrong, but...
Oh well, life is like that sometimes! You die.
Ding!
[You have looted the corpse of a strong Hunter, decomposing Materials…]
[You've gathered [Heckert's Recovered Corpse (A- Rank)] x1]
[You've gathered [Lesser Divine Essence Crystal: Heckert (S- Rank)] x1]
[You've gathered [Super Body Reinforcing Pill (A+ Rank)] x3]
[You've gathered [Destroyed Aerodynamic Full Body Armor (B+ Rank)] x1]
[You've gathered [Heroic Evil-Slaying Knuckleheads (B Rank)] x1]
[You've gathered [Ring of Mana Preservation (B- Rank)] x1]
[You've gathered [Necklace of Status Ailment Protection (B- Rank)] x1]
[Lucky! All Gathered Items Quality Ranks have increased by one!]
Well, now this is interesting. His drops are worse than Hector's but not bad at all either. A ring of Mana Preservation that increases maximum Mana, a necklace that grants immunity to basic status ailments… Armor that helps with moving in midair by giving bonuses to movement speed and dexterity.
And pills?
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[Super Body Reinforcing Pill (S- Rank)] x3
The Essence within the body of a powerful Superhuman with incredible physical strength and abilities has been perfectly extracted through Special Skills and turned into consumable Pills.
These pills contain the Energy, Strength, and Life Force of the Superhuman known as Heckert, whose body was blessed by a certain Constellation to become one fitting to become a Hero.
If consumed by someone with a Compatible Skill or Physique to the Superhuman, it will greatly increase the body's growth, stats, and the development of their Physique and any compatible Skill.
If the consumer is not compatible, then they might receive a backlash to their body.
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Oh, I see... The Gathering Skill is really amazing; the higher level it gets, the more loot it can extract from something. So it could even generate pills out of Heckert's leftover essence.
I guess it is similar to Hector's Lightning Beads, or whatever they were called, which were some rather useful materials I'll be using later to make something.
For now, however, I should consume these right away; the more power, the better. And I am certain I am compatible with them.
After all, I got that skill from Hector's own crystal.
I quickly chugged all three pills at the same time while drinking some water I had in my inventory. Everyone else was taking a small break, catching their breaths, healing, and chatting, so this was a nice opportunity.
The effects were almost instantaneous, although the flavor was terrible, but I had to bear with it as I bit them and swallowed them completely.
FLASH!
My body started overflowing with Ki, Life Force, and even Mana all at once. For a second, I felt the presence of Heckert emerge, fusing into my body.
My muscles strengthened themselves, my senses became sharper, and I think I even became half a centimeter taller.
Hey, it's better than nothing!
My physique also improved; I felt like my Ki quantity had increased exponentially as well, and I even got some bonus stats, seeing how my muscles were strengthened.
Ding!
[You've consumed [Super Body Reinforcing Pill (S- Rank)] x3!]
[You are compatible with the Pills! Your Physique has naturally purified the impurities within the Pills that you've unknowingly absorbed.]
[The Ki, Life Force, and Mana remaining within the body of Heckert that have been contained inside the Pills have been fully absorbed by your body.]
[Your [Physique]: [Twelve Colored Stars Physique (Tier 2: Rank 7)] has increased to Tier 2: Rank 8!]
[You gained +200 KI.]
[You gained +500 HP.]
[You gained +500 STR.]
[You gained +500 VIT.]
[You gained +500 DEX.]
[You gained +500 AGI.]
[The [Warrior Princess' Physique (S): Lv1] Skill has gained two Levels!]
"Good, now this…"
An emerald-like jewel was in my hands, at least half as big as Hector's, Heckert's crystal was much smaller and weaker, and it didn't contain a main element.
Although Heckert wielded the Wind Element the best, it seemed it wasn't strong enough to leave a mark within his Crystal.
Maybe because his Constellation's blessing wasn't as compatible as Hector's Thunder Affinity with Thor's Blessing.
Nonetheless, it still looked quite useful! I'll absorb it shamelessly anyway. I doubt they'll search for something like this in his corpse anyway. I'll make sure to give it back, and even his armor and his knuckleheads.
I'll keep the ring and the necklace, though. I'll take that as payment for all the times he acted like an asshole.
FLASH!
The green jewel turned into particles of light and fused into my body in an instant. I felt a surge of power coursing through my body.
For a moment, I saw a vision of Heckert's figure, glancing at me spitefully. But then it quickly faded away, consumed by the power of my Soul.
I guess he might not have been that happy with what I just did. But seeing how spiteful he was and how hateful of a person he always seemed to be, I don't doubt he would have done the same if he were in my situation.
Ding!
[You've completely absorbed the powers of the [Lesser Divine Essence Crystal: Heckert (S- Rank)]!]
[The Essence of Heckert's Physique has been imbued into your body.]
[All your Stats have increased by +500 and Ki by +250!]
[The Strength of a Superhuman dwells within your body.]
[You learned the [Steel Body (S): Lv1] Skill!]
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[Steel Body (S): Lv1]
[Skill EXP]: [0/15000]
Your body has been naturally blessed with the properties of Steel. You can now reinforce your body with the mightiness of Steel and become sturdier and heavier by spending Mana, similar to Ancient Heroes such as Sigurd.
By imbuing and letting Mana and Ki rush through your body, you can reinforce your Skin with {Blessing of Steel} or your bones with {Toughness of Steel}, while your muscles can gain {Weight of Steel}. Each ability will increase the toughness of your body, and with enough control, you can precisely choose what to enhance and what not to enhance.
Whenever you activate all three Abilities at once, you receive the {Full Steel Body} Effect, decreasing Physical Damage taken by -50% and increasing your HP and Ki regeneration Speed by +300%. In this form, you can even regenerate lost limbs, but your MP is constantly consumed until depletion.
Level Bonus (1): Enhances {Blessing of Steel}, {Toughness of Steel}, and {Weight of Steel} Defense Enhancement Effects by +25%. Decreases {Full Steel Body} MP Consumption by -10%.
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It was only a single Skill, but it was amazing. Yet another great passive ability to enhance my rather weak body! I needed something like this really badly.
If Heckert died even while having this, it meant he had already run out of mana, so Agares just cut him down to pieces. Those blessed with overpowered abilities from the start usually get conceited and end up losing even with their amazing powers.
Heckert could have been able to hold back Agares with Hilda's cooperation and might have survived until we arrived.
But he escaped, provoking Agares to slaughter him. Sigh.
"Anna, are you alright?"
Baihe suddenly walked to my side after she noticed I'd been separated from the group and had been alone for a couple of minutes.
She was probably worried I felt bad or something; she's always worried about me.
"Oh? I'm fine; don't worry." I said. "I was just assessing something... But are you fine? How's your mana?"
"I've sat down and meditated like you taught me; my mana has recovered quite a lot. I think I'm good to go!" She said.
"Are you sure you don't want to rest a bit more?" I wondered; I felt like she was pushing herself too much for our sake. "You lost an arm and everything."
"I'm fine… I just want this nightmare to end. Once it's done, I'll take a break and sleep for a whole week." She said she was trying to be cheerful despite the gloomy atmosphere. "I'm fine, really... I… I was just wondering something: are you okay? You are always the one pushing yourself the most. Are you not tired? After everything…"
"I'm alright…" I said, noticing she was more worried than usual.
"Anna…" She sighed. "Really? Are you really okay? Even if you're saying that... your body's covered in blood, and your eyes... they look lightless."
"Eh?" I suddenly noticed I'd been just covered in blood for a while. "My eyes are lightless. What does that even mean? Hahah."
"A-Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to say it... like that." She approached me, hugging me. "Maybe… Maybe you just needed someone to remind you that you're still a human. You've changed a lot—your powers, everything. but you're still the Anna we love."
"Huh?"
She hugged me tightly, and somehow, that warm hug made me feel much better. It was as if something I didn't even realize was accumulating on my shoulders and slowly disappearing.
Just what was that?
["You're lucky to have friends like this, Brat... You didn't notice it, but you were accumulating a lot of Madness within you."]
"Madness…?"
["It happens when you overuse your Demonic Powers. You've been wielding the power of the Death Apostles too much; the balance of your body is being broken. The more Madness you accumulate, the more you'll lose touch with who you truly are, and the more likely it is that you'll end up like a deranged, egocentric psychopath like those guys."]
"I didn't even notice…"
["I'll help you relieve it with my Divinity, but even that is only temporary. You sometimes need to sit down, meditate, and let your two powers balance each other inside your body. That hug is also important. Warmth and love from someone else... it helps your body and mind clear their impurities. As stupid and corny as it might sound, it is an actual ability."]
"Thank you, Gram, I'll be more careful…"
Madness, I didn't even know such a system worked. Is this the reason behind the Death Apostles' insanity and also Blednica's insanity?
I thought I was balancing my powers well by using Celestial Energy and Demonic Energy together, but yeah, since I made Aim a second sword, more Demonic Energy was coursing through my body.
Maybe that's the reason I just absorbed Heckert's powers so shamelessly, though even now I don't feel bad about that. Maybe it's also part of my Trait as a Reader.
It did say I take decisions no matter what, that I don't feel as much fear, and that I might even be immune to most mind-related things.
But it doesn't make me immune from growing my own Madness, and it might only grow stronger with these abilities that help me see everything pragmatically.
It's dangerous…
"Thank you, Baihe, for being here with me… Sorry, I was feeling a bit tired. When I use too much Demonic Power, I build up a lot of stress. Are you okay, though? Astaroth's your arm after all." I said.
"I feel much better after that hug." She smiled, suddenly kissing my nose. "Let's go!"
"E-Eh? Okay…"
I felt a bit embarrassed; she just kissed my nose like nothing. But I decided to not overthink it and move on, as she said.
["That girl seems much stronger at taking Demonic Energy, it feels like her own body takes it without making her go Mad. Or it could even be said she's already Mad? It's hard to tell…"]
"Maybe because she was destined to be a villainess… But there must be another pillar that keeps her going like this, right?"
["Are you too dumb to realize it? It's obviously you! You're the most important thing in that girl's heart. You're HER pillar!"]
"Oh… Right, it does make… some sense."
["Some sense?! Haven't you realized she's head over heels for you?! How bad can you be at detecting other people's emotions?"]
"I'm not bad! I'm just not good with these things! Ugh… This is why I failed as a Romance Author."
["Now you're talking nonsense…"]
"Shut up already."
I wish I could sit down and talk more about my feelings with Baihe and the rest of my friends, but there's literally no time for that right now.
I don't know what to think about her feelings; she hasn't said anything herself, but it might be a bit obvious by now.
It makes me feel both happy and sad. Because I feel like I don't deserve it.
Maybe just dumb things about me.
After having left Inferna in the Demon Realm without her even being able to confess, I've felt quite bitter about it for a while.
This world's genre has never had Romance in it, so it's all… really hard.
I wish I could have been reincarnated into a Slice of Life story.
Maybe like that, I could… have made those that loved me happy.
…
No, no, no!
I don't have to think so negatively!
Alright, let's do this! LET'S GO!
I'm going to create the happy ending this stupid novel never had.
"Baihe, thank you for being there for me."
I stepped to her side and then kissed her on the cheek.
"A-Anna?!"
She suddenly became as red as a tomato.
"I really mean it…! Let's end this together, bestie!"
"S-Sure! Let's do this! Everyone!"
At her cheers, everyone seemed to raise their arms in unison; we were all weary, tired, and stressed. But we only had one another to comfort ourselves and how we felt.
"Right at ya, lass. Let's beat these damn demons and end this damn thing! Man, I'm having a good damn vacation after we're done with this crap!" Dimitri laughed.
"Likewise… I need a break myself!" Hilda giggled. "Anna, Baihe, I'm counting on you two girls! I'll fight too, of course."
"Rely on me as much as you want; I'll protect you within the shadows," Sara said with a rather edgy smirk. Her transformation had made her a bit like that, yeah. But she was fine! I think.
"You guys have gotten so corny... So cringe." Kevin sighed, crossing his arms. "Let's just go find my sister already. I'm dead worried! Where to go, Anna?"
"Don't you have a watch too? A hundred meters from here, I can see some people moving around… and they're- fighting?! What is going on?"
Don't tell me… Is it my brother and Lee?!
"We have to hurry! Snow! Violet! Bring us there!"
We leaped over my Familiars, as we moved at lightning speed towards these two nearby presences.
It's not that I doubt my brother's abilities, but... Lee is a tricky bastard; he will not go down easily. The more help my brother has, the better!
[The Heroic Cosmic Throne {Heroic Dark Dragon Slayer} is suspicious about what you've done with the corpse of his former incarnation.]
[He was sure that he felt his incarnation's powers dwelling within you… And the gift he gave to him.]
[He's also wondering why you have the other half of his weapon!]
[He has so many questions about you that the other Constellations are beginning to flock, hoping to listen to your explanation.]
[The Cosmic Throne {Heroic Thunder Hammer} tells {Heroic Dark Dragon Slayer} to piss off before he beats him with his hammer!]
[The Heroic Cosmic Throne {Heroic Dark Dragon Slayer} taunts the god, saying he had slain dragons equal to the wolf that almost ate him!]
[The Cosmic Throne {Heroic Thunder Hammer} is furious of a mere Heroic-Rank Constellation insolence!]
Right… Sigurd, I almost forgot he existed.
Let's just ignore him for now!
[The Heroic Cosmic Throne {Heroic Dark Dragon Slayer} is awaiting his damn answer!]
[The Cosmic Throne {Heroic Thunder Hammer} is getting his hammer polished to crush his skull with.]
Go for it, Thor!
-----
Can't wait to see what's next? You can join my Patreon:
https://www.patreon.com/pancakeswitch
and gain access to all these Advanced Chapters:
50 Advanced Chapters of
The Protagonist's Sister Is Actually The Strongest
29 Advanced Chapters of
The Heavenly Martial Empress Returns
17 Advanced Chapters of
Fantasy Story Online: The Crippled Vampire Prince Walks The Heavenly Demon Path