A Night to Remember pt 1

Together with a heavily frustrated Damian, we began walking out the bustling colosseum. The whole event was a sham anyhow, a cheat like Arthur and his plot armour was going to run away with the game anyway. 

It was just a matter of how ridiculous or gimmicky the method was. 

A collective sigh escaped the mouths of me and Damian, but for probably different reasons. I was just annoyed at the protagonist's success, but for Damian...

The obvious elf girl that Damian had his eyes on was a girl named, Ella. She was the one that accompanied Arthur through the whole ordeal lessening the exposure of the 'sword god's' skills.

Her little backstory was that she was shunned from her people after being born with black hair. Y'know, typical elf shenanigans and that. She travelled from place to place until she decided to settle in Caraine which was a place full of different kinds of people. The type that didn't care if you were an elf or not.

But what made her stand out was her surprisingly strong ability to control the wind through spirits. As an elf Ella was naturally attuned to nature and spirits. It was what made her team up with Arthur during the last trial since there was a certain synergy between their styles. 

It was also to the detriment of the poor guy, Damian. Love at first sight the book says. But perhaps the real world filled in its gaps with something more. I'll have to see later on.

I looked at the downcast bloke and sighed. The moon overhead shined in its fullness as distant noises from afar chanted and cheered. 

It was a surprise to me that some people genuinely stayed for the whole event which spanned the whole day and night. But I guess I was still a newbie to the world's logic.

Soon me and Damian spilt. We were mere acquaintances moments ago so there wasn't anything else uniting us besides our dislike for Arthur and the background of our tribes, which I was still consolidating memories of.

But as I began leaving the plot of parks surrounding the colosseum, a notification chimed on my phone. Weirdly enough there was a tingle in my back as I unlocked my phone.

Anonymous User : Parking lot B3, carbonara

Reading it over a few times I froze. My mouth dried before all of a sudden the strings of my heart pulled taut. 

There was only one person I can think of.

All it took was a hearty meal? Maybe I shouldn't stop myself from helping them out once in a while.

In a blink of an eye I came barreling down the path entering the colosseum and diverted down the path to the underground car park. The code B3 meant the second level of the underground parking in the third sector I presume.

The more warmer light of the refurbished front desk froze over as the concrete and blaring lights of the parking space came into view. Cars of course existed but the cost for fuel was drastically low due to revolutionary technology mixing alchemy and science. But in general it had become a less popular options. 

Beasts were a hot choice but there was none in sight due to the nature of the parking space. A bit cruel if there were through. 

It was in my search where I eventually encountered the sound of fighting. I rounded a corner and came face to face with two battling figures. I quickly ducked from a flying doorframe and gazed at the woman.

She stood tall and carried herself mightily. Her blond mane of hair grew in abundance and reached the calves of her legs. It filled the room and exuded this domineering feeling as if looking at a lion. As extraordinary as that was, it didn't compare to the numerous scarring that was noted behind very short and tight sports ware. 

At a glance I was easily able to tell she was a hero. The academy would always hire heroes from neighbouring guilds to act as guards for the event, it seem like she was one of them.

But this lion theme of hers was thematic. Colosseum. Lion... I don't know.

Looking away from the very nonchalant lioness, the figure on the ground in front of me looked very much in distress. 

A hand gripped to her left arm where an excessive amount of blood leaked dangerously. Over her face was a black helmet and she wore a black biker uniform which wrapped thinly around her curves.

I realise this now... No I realised this long ago, but the sheer amount of sexualisation of women in this novel was crazy and I don't know what to feel about it.

Shaking my head I quickly associated the dark agent Vanessa to the injured mess on the floor. Seeing how there was no one else around, it must be her.

"Oi, kid." I jolted at the roar of the hero's voice. "Why don't you go on and forget you saw this."

Spoken like a true villain, I wasn't sure if I trusted her all that much with handling Vanessa. Plus, why would she intentionally provoke some hero? Unless it was to draw their attention...

I see.

"...Sorry Ms, but how can I be so sure what I'm seeing isn't right? Could it be that you are assaulting some innocent civilian?" I knelt beside the busty biker on the floor. Giving a discrete wink, I supported Vanessa's back.

A quick glance in the hero's direction sent a shiver down my spine. Two eyes of burning orange glared at me and a general feeling of pain washed over me. Foreboding at its finest.

I was now an associate? Uhh...fxxk.

A flash of yellow dashed towards me and on instinct I pulled the dark agent away and rolled to the side. It was a good decision as seconds later the air pressure from the hero's punch crunched onto an innocent car.

Forget a punch, her hand was more in a claw as her fingernails stretched sharply into daggers. From that I can already guess a bit about her fighting style.

Sweeping myself into a ready stance, I faced off against the glaring hero. I trusted my blessing from the goddess, but it seemed like it was aware of it's incompetency. So as we stared each other down a coalescing feeling dripped over my body.

One by one, a sense of clarity, the area around me, my balance. Even the blood circulating through my body.

It all became incredibly clear to me. 

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Unlocking function of [Subconscious of 9 Hearts (U)]...

Granted by the Cat goddess Nala, this divine blessing allows for the overlapping of nine subconsciouses within the body of the user.

[ Pillar ] [New!] 

The user can superimpose the nine subconsciouses into their own to enhance their's up to nine folds. 

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I was totally unaware of the system announcement as a kick struck towards me with frightening speeds. But as my mind opened itself several folds, time seemed to slow down.

The way she stood, the trajectory of the kick. The position of my feet and the moisture in the air. It all came to me at once and in that moment, a fist swung true. 

In a whirlwind of movement I had easily slithered past the hero's attack and struck their face. It felt like striking stone similar to Instructor Donny, but it was undeniably softer. 

I was quick to take a few steps back as another claw cleaved where I stood. A tiger woman gazed at me with such ferocity as she held the cheek I struck.

Nobody would've expected some kid to land a hit on a certified hero, albeit some cheap weaker one, they were supposed to be trained and subjected to horrors the regular person is protected from. They were used to the world of violence where as someone like Arthur or Damian were not. 

But the same can't be said about me however. A blessing really does bridge the gap between ranks... but not in everything. My trivial life can't fully help me out either. 

Wasn't this just a futile effort?

I ran fast just as a beast of a women crumpled the pillar standing behind me. Piece of strange wires and metal was strewn about in its debris but the hero was far to consumed by their anger. She simply had eyes for me and no one else.

A quick look at Vanessa and she was readily applying some healing agent into her arm and scampering away. I guess that's tough love, not that I mind. She might've gotten in the way.

From the rubble of the concrete pillar this tiger lady pounced and struck her sole out. As her kick to my stomach came closer I easily passed and yanked her jacket to the floor. Instead of her feet hitting the ground first and absorbing this missed hit, her head was the first to land as her body skidded on the floor after it.

As I parted from the groaning woman, a surprise notification popped up.

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Skills :

[ Desert Drifter Arts ] (E- -> E Rank)

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Fighting sure is the world's way of reaping rewards. Is there a fight club I should join? No, I can't be doing that again...

I'll think about it later, first to address the elephant of the room.

Lion actually...

She's turned into a full-blown lion...

Animxxph style.

Nice.