Canon Fodder

CHAPTER 327 RESTING ROOM

With my Link gone from Hancock I had no idea when she would show up. I could have summoned her but every trap she sprang was one more stat for her. Curious if she would notice the Hidden test, or if she got something different, I decided to hang out for the time being. 

I pulled up both of my Status Screens to study. The first huge difference that I hadn’t noticed yet was the Gemini Skill I picked after the last challenge was a Passive Skill. Passive Skills were one of the hardest sets to come by. I really wanted to know what the hell it did, but even my Identification skill didn’t read anything. I decided to leave it alone for now. 

I had hoped the Gemini skill would help with the clones, but I hadn’t noticed a difference yet. As my body got stronger, so did my pool of chakra. Where before I could only manage to make 1 or 2 shadow clones I guessed I could do 6 easily enough now. At the beginning of the test I had moved chakra through my body to help out, but as I got stats it became unneeded. I hadn’t used Identification much, but I planned to use it later. The ability to identify items, and possibly humans, could be a huge boon. In a New Hall I got to start over on quests as well. 

Much smaller than my Challenger Status Screen the stats were far better than I started with. I decided to do an inventory on my body at that point. Looking down I was far skinnier than I was before. My stats were almost 10 times what they were when I started. I didn’t think I was 10 times stronger, but I would have to test it out to know for sure. 

Still a little bit of a gut I could suck it in and appeared as skinny as I once had. Happy with the changes my body had gone through in such a short amount of time I used some Epitome Lust Element on myself. Making my body a little taller I decided to continue resting on one of the step seats around the fountain. 

That was about the time that the next winners came in. The door leading into the room opened. I was pleasantly surprised to actually recognize the newcomers. A man and woman, the man was quite tall and muscular. The woman was a mousy looking girl that held onto a 2-handed sword with a red scabbard. She held it tightly like she was giving it a hug, rather than attached to her back or waist.

Both had light purple hair, the man’s hair was spiked up, and the girl’s was down to her waist. A single black horn sticking out of their temples, they had golden eyes. Eyes that were focused on me as they approached. 

“Woah, stats did you some good,” the man said. His voice echoing in the large chamber. “You just barely beat me on trying to go first.”

“Oh yeah? I’m Weston,” I said, reaching my hand out. 

“Phante,” the man said. “This is my sister, Edora.” He pointed back to the quiet girl behind him. She nodded to me, but didn’t overly react. 

From what I remembered she was the ignored love interest of the protagonist of Second Life Ranker. I meant ignored, because that was a surprising thing about Manhwas. There was always some Korean guy that was beating everyone, and a single girl pining after him. I never really understood the whole dark and mysterious obsession they had. In manhwas they were obsessed with 2 things. Necromancy and protagonists that couldn’t care less about a hot girl chasing after them. 

Unsure if I would try for her, I honestly had no drive to try to add someone to my extensive harem. More than happy to work on my relationship with Hancock, my sex drive felt almost non-existent. Only time would tell if that stuck. Now that my body was much more worthy of vying for women’s attention, I would have to see where it went. 

“You 2 born in the Tower?” I asked, our conversation dying as I looked away from Edora. With the horn, eyes, and hair color, it was obvious, but still worth pretending not to know anything about them. 

“We are from the Horn tribe,” Phante said with a nod as if that explained everything. “We better get going. We will see you in there. Good luck with your wife.”

“Yeah, I’m sure she will be here soon,” I assured as they walked around me. Letting out a sigh I sat back down as they rested at the far edge of the room. It wasn’t long until the entrance opened again. This time a man with 5 arrows sticking out of his back limped in. 

Jumping up I ran over to him, helping him down as he let out a relieved sigh. “I made it,” he groaned as blood leaked out of his mouth. 

“Fucking idiot,” I said. “This is gonna hurt.” I dug into my backpack. Grabbing bandages I pulled the first arrow out and he screamed. Annoyed by the noise I used a Genjutsu to knock him out. Trying to pull the arrows out one by one, I didn’t have enough hands as blood poured out of him. 

“Phante! Edora! Here now!” I roared as the door burst open and another 2 injured men stumbled out. Putting them into Genjutsus as well, the twins were hesitating as they watched the scene. “Don’t be fucking useless!” 

Standing up I made 4 shadow clones. One passed out medicine, the other 3 began cleaning wounds, ripping arrows and spears out, and trying to tear blackened dead skin away from burns. As I started, more and more people made it to us. Some without wounds, I put them to work. Carrying people away. I began filling the opposite end of the room with the injured. We had a good triage going on as Phante and Edora began to help. 

My hands covered in blood, my clones ran around helping people. More than 1 newcomer trying to start a fight when I gave them orders, a few slaps put them in their place and they were helping. Hancock came out of the hall around that point. Putting her right to work we had a good 50 men and women wrapped in bandages and resting when the main rush stopped. 

“You keep telling me how bad of a person you are,” Hancock said as we took a break. “Why do you help them then?”

“Hero training kicked in,” I admitted. “Damn kids bit off more than they could chew.” Without Observation Haki, most every person would struggle. 

“Yes, I see that,” she said. 

“How did you fair?” I asked. Trying to release some of the tension. I was a little surprised I stepped in to help as well. 

“You told me to watch everything,” Hancock said. “You were right. Getting these stats was easy.”

“Why did you take forever then?”

“You said go slow. Also there was this side hall. It would release a wave of arrows at me every minute or so. I was stuck there for some time for all the stats I could get.” 

“Ah, I had the same sort of thing,” I said. “Need rest, or should we continue on?”

“What about your patients?” She asked, waving to the group of people groaning as they nursed the wounds I bandaged. I had stripped more than a few of their clothes to make bandages so they showed a lot of skin. 

“I think we have done our work. Besides Phante, Edora, and a few others have already snuck off.” The twins ran off when I turned my back. I didn’t blame them. They were aiming for the top like Hancock and I. 

“I can keep going,” Hancock said. “I would prefer to get this over with. But I found that last step boring. Can we please finish this together?”

“Yeah, I agree. I think the most important step to do alone was the first part,” I said. Reaching out my hand she smiled at it widely and took it. 

“I have to admit you are much sexier now, husband,” Hancock said.

“What? Didn’t like the rolls?” I asked. “It kept me warm.” I would need all the insulation I could get without my Give and Take Quirk. 

“I would love you even if you were much fatter,” she said. 

“How much fatter? Jabba the Hut fat?”

She barked a laugh. “No. Wow, it is odd to understand your reference.”

“Yeah, gotta say, it’s kind of nice to tell jokes you actually get,” I said. “Old you really was a nerd, wasn’t she?”

“Perhaps,” Hancock said. We came to the door opposite the entrance. Just as much Spiritual Energy in this door as the first I received a notification. 

We both clicked Yes and stepped through. 

Around us were the gray stone bricks that had made up the other rooms, but this time there were 4 large doors ahead. From left to right they were white, red, blue, and black. 

“Which should we take?” 

“Black,” I said. 

“Why?”

“More Spiritual Energy,” I said simply. “Means it’s stronger.”

“Does it have more?” She asked, studying the door. “I don’t see it.”

“You don’t? I thought you had Observation Haki.”

“I do,” she said. “But I still cannot see a difference.”

“How far around you can you sense?” 

“Depends. I can feel most everything within 10 feet all around me. But further if I’m trying to sense simple auras.”

“Oh,” I said, surprised. 

“What? How far can you sense?”

“50 feet in any direction,” I admitted. “Hell, more now that I’m stronger.” 

“What?! Why?” 

“I don’t know, that’s how Angiea trained me. Said it wasn’t worth doing it small,” I said.

“Jeez, you are very powerful husband.” 

“I’m surprised you got through the arrows so easily if you could only do 10 feet.” 

“It was hard, but I am quick. The game screen gave me a new skill,” she said. Curious where she ended up, I brought her screen out. 

“Dammit, your stats beat mine,” I said. 

“They do?” She asked, excited by the news. 

“Don’t worry, they won’t for long,” I assured as I opened the black door for her, another dark expanse in front of us I was ready for anything as we stepped inside.