Outside the [Mirage Sphere] Frank who learned of how Hiro dominated his men inside the spirit realm grew restless. What kind of luck did this guy have? This was supposed to be an easy assassination mission for him and Rilu. But the entire situation got fucked up beyond all repair!
The plan was simple, pretend to target Hiro, and bait his guardian to fight Gideon. Rhyne guaranteed that Patches would create a cage for the Manticore. When they got out of the [Mirage Sphere] they would kill Rilu. After she dies they would kill the low-leveled Hiro and go home.
'Neither of their targets is dead, and I already lost four devoted. And what the hell is with this fucking rapist? Not only does he have mutated limit skills in great numbers, but he also keeps pulling technique after technique out of his ass like some sort of bargain bin street magician!
'We knew of his growing sword, but when did this guy gain the lost forbidden skill [Overdrive]? And what the hell is [Skill Cancel]? How can he bypass the stupor window? What the fuck is up with his unique version of [Sky Traversal] that turns on a dime? Just why in the world doesn't this fucker just keel over and die?! Why doesn't anything make sense when he is concerned?'
Frank who grew increasingly unhinged started to grind his teeth in frustration, this was his chance to get promoted from one of the devoted to the prestigious spouse ranks. Yet this bullshit keeps on piling up! Yet before he could instruct his men. Hiro leaped towards him once more.
"WHY THE FUCK DO YOU KEEP ON ATTACKING ME YOU PIECE OF SHIT! GO BLOW SOMEONE ELSE!"
Frank had almost the same stats as the four who just died, while they were spec'd different, the number of stats was around the same number. So the mage knew he came extremely close to dying like the other four. Only the defense of the lightning swordsman allowed him to keep his neck. Unable to keep his cool Frank came extremely close to losing it.
Hiro's advance halted due to the actions of the crusader. He got in front of the devoted like a heavy bulwark and protected his allies. He then roared his taunting skill. Hiro on the other hand got forced to attack him. The crusader lifted his shield in anticipation of the transmigrator's attack and braced his body for impact. Hiro grew his weapon silently and performed a powerful charge using the blade as a lance.
What happened broke the rules of combat for the entire devoted watching. Hiro's buster-sized greatsword slammed into empty air, well not really the tip of the weapon struck a Mana foothold at the height of the crusader's knees. Due to being blinded by his shield and having an almost purely STR build, the crusader had pitiful AGI and by extension, sense compared to everyone else.
[Rune of Silent Steps] was a low-ranked rune that masked the all sounds of a system user's movement once he or she left the perception of a target. Normally such a skill would be useless in anything but surprise attacks. But when paired with a defender hiding behind a tower shield without allies it became as good as a death sentence. It allowed the transmigrator to arrive at the crusaders back undetected.
The former still waited for the powerful attack from the [Duel]. Duel technically did one thing which forced a single attack. Hiro's lunge fulfilled the condition, its effect simply vanished due to being rerouted by physics when it pole-vaulted Hiro into the air.
Hiro then invoked his strongest single target skill due to believing the bastard in front of him had an STR build like a fucking brick. "[Thirty-Six Gales] [Impact]!"
Surprised by the voice behind him the crusader could barely turn around before a greatsword began turning him into a pin cushion. Unable to dodge due to his heavy armor, Hiro's weapon ripped apart his defenses like paper. With over 500 def the crusader normally tanked everything from armies to high-level monsters. But the Blade of Mitsurugi cheated stats, and with the stacked bonuses from his many skills.
The transmigrator added another kill into his hitlist. After his assault, the crusader looked like scrap metal. None of his limbs were intact and blood gushed out of his body like geysers. Hiro shrunk his weapon and flicked the blood away and spoke in an apathetic manner. "Next."
The devoted who had yet to recover from battling Patches failed to move on time to save their ally. The STR builds tanked and had endurance but lacked the senses and motor skills to move. On the other hand, the AGI builds fought an additional battle with Hiro immediately after the Manticore, thus they were even more exhausted. They simply choose to rest rather than save the crusader.
Due to the quick kill, Hiro felt he could complete this battle easily. If he could gain enough EXP for a level up he could kill them all. Originally he thought he would have trouble murdering several human beings but he didn't. All he needed to think of was the shit Starfall did to him, how they butchered Patches and betrayed Rilu, and just like magic Hiro no longer saw them as human.
The moment he added the threat from Rhyne to harm his harem, he lost what little compassion he had for even as monsters. However, while he was still on top of his game a string of messages turned him speechless.
- Alert: System no longer detects Wife Targets, [So long as you need me] reality now disarming. Please prepare for stat reduction -
- Alert: Wife targets list for reality [So long as you need me] has 3 slots vacancies, Please select new wife candidates -
"What?… What do you mean the original Wife targets are no longer detected?"
- Alert: The system is connected with every sentient being on Valorious. Wife Candidates Raylene, Vanessa, and Jade are no longer connected to the system. -
"Haha, you are pulling my leg that could just mean it glitched right? Or maybe there are in a place you cannot see."
- Alert: Negative, the system tracks individuals using all three regalia of *&!^#*@. System users cannot disconnect from the system even by traveling to other realities. The possible conclusion remaining is only of one outcome. Wife candidates have all been terminated… And their souls destroyed. -
"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Unable to bear even the thought of his women dying Hiro's sanity began to fall apart. The problem with having an extremely high INT was you processed scenarios thousands of times faster than an ordinary human. In the time it took normal people to blink, Hiro exhausted every theory, delusion, and educated guesses he could think of.
At the same speed, the system brutally debunked his attempts to deny reality in record time. Due to coming to grips with the truth, He started to become unable to restrict his emotions. His tears started to flow like rivers as he lamented his reality.
"I DID EVERYTHING HUMANLY POSSIBLE TO REMAIN GOOD! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT FROM ME? I NEVER WANTED TO BE ANYTHING MORE THAN A LOVING HUSBAND! TAKE EVERYTHING FROM ME BUT LEAVE MY GIRLS OUT OF IT!"
- Warning: due to the host entering Level 50 and the [Adept] Rank, unlike the [Initiate] Rank automatic suppression of calibers into diseases has been deactivated. Please ensure proper mental state to prevent [Lost] Modes -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the panic response of the host's autonomic nervous system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the hysteria response of the host's autonomic nervous system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the reactive aggression response of the host's autonomic nervous system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the adrenaline rush response of the host's autonomic nervous system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the sorrow emotion of the host's emotional support system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the regret emotion of the host's emotional support system -
- Alert: Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 has failed to suppress the suffering emotion of the host's emotional support system -
- Warning: Masochism [C] Lvl 5 has suppressed the Iron Will [D] Lvl 2 of the host's autonomic defense skill -
'Raylene, Vanessa, Jade I am so sorry for failing to keep my promise. I'm sorry for being an absolute failure.'
- Warning: Negative Caliber [Malice] has begun entering the host. -
- Warning: Aura has begun to be siphoned by the [Regrets of the Ancestors] -
- Warning: Spirit has begun to be siphoned by the [Ghosts of the Fallen] -
- Warning: Mana has begun to be siphoned by the [Beings of Another reality] -
'It was you wasn't it Rhyne? It was not enough you laid so many traps for me, you went ahead and murdered the only people that kept me going. What? You even had a Venator that could destroy souls?'
- DANGER: Aura has reached negative values, Immediately disengaged calibers to prevent entering [Lost] modes -
- DANGER: Spirit has reached negative values, Immediately disengaged calibers to prevent entering [Lost] modes -
- DANGER: Mana has reached negative values, Immediately disengaged calibers to prevent entering [Lost] modes -
"If you will take even my girls, then I will kill everything in this world till you give them back. I am done playing games."
- DANGER: Aura has reached negative absolutes. The host has lost all faith in his past. [Lost] mode [Faithless] Activated -
- DANGER: Spirit has reached negative absolutes. The host has lost all love in the present. [Lost] mode [Heartless] Activated -
- DANGER: Mana has reached negative absolutes. The host has lost all hope in his future. [Lost] mode [Hopeless] Activated -
"You took even the last lights of my life. Now I will devote my entire existence into taking yours."
- DANGER: Forbidden skill unlocked. [Faithless] Skill [Overbreak] available -
- DANGER: Forbidden skill detected. [Heartless] Skill [Overdrive] available -
- DANGER: Forbidden skill unlocked. [Hopeless] Skill [Overload] available -
- DANGER: Complete forbidden series available. Demonic skill [Over the Limit] ready -
- Alert: [Over the limit] Ultimate skill of the Over skill series. Combines the STR boost of [Overbreak], the AGI boost of [Overdrive], and the INT Boost of [Overload] for the User's existence ranking. Grants a 1000 X factor for Stat boost per [Lost] mode activated -
Calibers and stats given high enough amounts start to suffocate lesser beings. The devoted of Starfall started to feel like they were getting squished to the ground with giant hydraulic press machines. Their would-be leader shouted to keep them focused.
"HE IS JUST SPOUTING BULLSHIT! FORM UP! I WANT TWO BATTLESTARS! I WILL SERVE AS [FORGE] FOR BOTH GROUPS! REMEMBER WHAT RHYNE-SAMA SAID! SHE WILL REWARD US IF WE KILL HIM!"
- Alert [Lost] Mode detected [Faithless] Host Stat boost increased to 1000 X Squared -
- Alert [Lost] Mode detected [Heartless] Host Stat boost increased to 1000 X Cubed -
- Alert [Lost] Mode detected [Hopeless] Host Stat boost increased to 1000 X Quarted -
- DANGER: Increase in stats has forcefully elevated host to [Awakened] Rank. -
- DANGER: host has entered the [Awakened] Rank. All three [Lost] modes detected. [Herald of the Forsaken] granted to Host -
- WORLD ANNOUNCEMENT: The [Herald of the Forsaken] has appeared on the continent. The Gates of the Overternia have been opened. Until the Herald is terminated or the Herald is reclaimed by the [Forsaken] the gates would remain open. The [Forsaken] Arrives in 240 seconds. Please prepare for battle. -
At that moment the entire world of Valorious was thrown into a frenzy, the arrival and even the mere existence of the [Forsaken] was one of the most guarded secrets of this world. This event marked the end of the era of peace, and in its wake, the fires of war were once again set ablaze.
The Transmigrator lost the color of his pupils which turned completely black, black smoke came out of his mouth every time he breathed, and darkness that danced like black flames enveloped his body.
"I will start by killing everything that believes in you. [Over the Limit]."
Yet a man approached the corrupted transmigrator, aside from having white hair instead of black the features they shared were identical. The white-haired man, drew one of his swords as he complained. Beside him was Rilu who still had charred skin, but created transparent limbs to serve as her arms and legs.
"Holy shit, I looked Chunni as fuck, can you believe this Filia? This bastard is supposed to be my last branch? What the hell! I don't sound like that do I?"
Rilu quipped in annoyance. "I wouldn't know Hiro-sama, in the other timeline you didn't even talk but merely attacked. At least this version of you declares his intent like a proper gentleman."
"I'm glad to see this incarnation has a better sense of humor than the redhead. Well, we don't have much time, let's get this over with. [Over the Limit]!"
End of Volume 1: The Bloodline of steel.
