CH.207 Thunderstruck
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<span style="font-weight:400">“... it''s a bit cramped.” Paulina … not quiteined, but moremented.
<span style="font-weight:400">The five of us, the GM included, had fitted ourselves into Overdrive, so we could drive outside of the city gates. I really should have just teleported us into Big Core from the guild''s front door.
<span style="font-weight:400">The three girls, Alice, Ria and Paulina had fitted themselves to the back seat, but it clearly wasn’t meant for 3 people. Two only. Even with the girls not being overly bulky, they were still shoulder to shoulder.
<span style="font-weight:400">The GM was on the shotgun seat for obvious reasons. If he was in the back, it would be even worse for everyone. Honestly, I should have just summoned a second Overdrive and let Ria and Paulina ride that one.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I’d heard about it, but for it to be like this…” The guild master muttered. “How does your skill actually work? It is from that … May I talk about it with thedies present?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“About Pack Opener, yes. They all know of it. Two of them even have Card Summoner, if you know what that is.” I answered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I don’t recall anything about it in the report about you. Might I ask for the information?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I guess it might not be in my report as I don’t have it. Well, I kind of do, but as Pack Opener is just the higher ss version of it, my Pack Opener ate mine when I got it. Anyway, it is quite simple, it just allows the holder to use my cards fully, but not make new ones like I can.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see… I wonder why it wasn’t a part of the report?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“As I said, because I don’t have it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“But Miss Watchman has it, correct? I don’t recall any sort of information about the skill getting published, so I was just wondering.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Alice? You know about that?” I asked her.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I did show my status to the guild staff when I registered.” She answered. “But Father said they should ask for the information on Card Summoner from Mr. Zayaan.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“So the new guild master is already keeping secrets. We might have to send an auditor to visit him then…”
<span style="font-weight:400">… sorry Zay. I really hope that won’t cause problems for you. But at the same time, why didn’t you just report on it? Not like Card Summoner is really a secret. And if more and more people will be getting it from the dungeon, the guild should know about it. And not just your specific guild, but the organization as a whole.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Alright, time to switch our ride.” I said as I stopped Overdrive a bit away from the city walls.
<span style="font-weight:400">“I see. So you don’t just use this for the entire quest. I was thinking it might be a bit too slow.” The GMmented as we got out.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Actually, Overdrive could move fast enough for us to make the trip, but it really isn’tfortable at those speeds.” I told him. “And it would also make taking notes of the monsters a lot more difficult. But luckily I have something better. B.E.S. Big Core.” I summoned our next ride.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I don’t see it.” The GMmented.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Of course you don’t. It’s in the sky and nearly invisible. I can’t just summon a giant spaceship without it being invisible.” I said as the teleportation beam came down from the ship.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Invisible? As in cannot be seen?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“That’s what invisible means, right? Get over here. We are going up.” I said, getting into the beam with the girls.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... where does this light evene from?” The GM wondered, as he got in.
<span style="font-weight:400">Then, I teleported us into the ship.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“... what was that?” He asked, looking around.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Teleportation. It’s the easiest way to get here.” I answered. “Come on. Let’s go. I want to be home before dinner.”
<span style="font-weight:400">We made our way to the deck. I had the GM sit in the lead navigator’s seat, as I usually do with new people. Alice got to sit on the lead weapons officer and Paulina and Ria took some of the other seats.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“... I see now. So this is how you do it…” The GM said, after we had begun to move.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nice, right?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Nice? I don’t think that does it justice. Impossible. Imaginary. Those are more like it.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“... maybe. But what are you going to do?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“I suppose you won’t be willing to sell this ship?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You couldn’t use it without Card Summoner anyway, so it would be useless to you. And how much do you think I would ask for it if I did sell it? Can the guild even afford it?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Our guild, most likely not. But the central guild or maybe the capital’s branch, yes. I don’t think you would ask for a sum they cannot afford. But they might say it isn’t worth it, if they can just send dedicated quests for you whenever they need to use this thing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Turning me into a taxi service huh? I guess it could be worse.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Taxi? What is that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Oh? You don’t use that word here? It was basically this carriage service from where my parents are from. Well then again, I never used it myself, I just heard about it.” I said, trying to match up my exnation with my original lie of where I’m from. Alice and Ria might realize what I meant, as they know of the … my history, but luckily they didn’tment on it.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“Wow. What is that doing here?” I asked, looking at the moving … not quite mountain, but still. A veryrge animal. Beast-monster, actually.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wh-why is something like that here?” The GM asked, seeming to panic a bit. “We … we need to head back ande up with a n to deal with this thing.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Why? I’ll just deal with it myself.” I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“What!?” The guild master yelled out. “No way! That thing is a …”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sword-horn bull. An A-rank monster. I know. Been there, done that. I beat one previously.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“You did? When? Where? Why hasn’t there been a report about that?”
<span style="font-weight:400">“In the TinaWood dungeon, a couple weeks ago. And it didn’t get reported because … I actually don’t know. I just didn’t, as the dungeon absorbed the corpse anyway, so there was nothing to sell.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“a-Are you certain you can take on it?” The GM asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“We are talking about Brian.” Alice said. “He can take on anything.”
<span style="font-weight:400">Oh Alice. You know me so well. Even if I’m not sure if that is true. I do want to test fighting a SS or S-rank monster though. Well, thinking about it, I’m decently sure Exodia can take on anything. And if there is something he can''t take, then that thing shouldn''t exist.
<span style="font-weight:400">“As she said. Alice,e take over the captain’s seat. I’ll go take that thing down.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure, but can’t Ie help?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... I think this might be a bit much.” I said. “And I have a few things I want to test out, so I don’t want you on the firing line.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Test?! You are nning on testing things on an A-rank monster?!” The GM half yelled.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure. Why would I not? They are sturdy enough to make for good targets. The other monsters die too easily.” I said as I left the bridge.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“... I guess I’ll need some wings…” I muttered as I got to the ground.
<span style="font-weight:400">I wasn’t in any actual danger yet, as I hadnded far enough away from the giant bull. And the bull was also just hanging around, eating trees and all other vegetation in the area.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, might as well. I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to summon him…” I kept speaking to myself, as I got out three cards. “I activate Shinato''s Ark! I tribute Archlord Zerato to ritual summon Shinato, King of a Higher ne!”
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">From my ritual came a giant man, well an angel. Standing at little over 10 meters tall, and with his six massive wings, he was quite the sight to behold.<sup ss="modern-footnotes-footnote " data-mfn="1"></sup><span ss="modern-footnotes-footnote__note" data-mfn="1">Shinato’s sizees fromparing him to Noah’s size in the anime Add to that his mechanical appearance, and he definitely looks like someone’s attempt at creating a god. Or at least an archangel.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Master. I have been waiting for your call. How may I be of service?” The angel asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Lift me up please. I want to fly. We have a bull to take down.” I told him.
<span style="font-weight:400">He did as ordered and took me into his arms.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey, who told you to carry me like a princess?” Yes, he took me into a princess carry.
<span style="font-weight:400">“It is the mostfortable way I can hold you, Master. And you deserve nothing less.” Shinato said.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... fine. Just take us so I can see the bull. If it survives the test, you can take it down.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“As you wish.” He said, before pping his wings and taking us into the air.
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<span style="font-weight:400">Re-seeing this beast, but this time outside really reaffirmed just howrge it is. About 17 meters tall and just under 30 from butt to face.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Master, are you certain I can’t do this? I would be more than happy to.” Shinato offered.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Not just yet. I want to test out a spell card first. If it doesn’t kill it, you can take over.” I said.
<span style="font-weight:400">And considering thaticallyrge hammer to the head didn’t workst time, I’m not sure this will work either. But mostly, I just want to test this thing out.
<span style="font-weight:400">As I held the card in my hand, preparing to activate it, I saw something that looked like a targeter appear in my field of vision. Arge circr area. I could move it around and I even figured I could change it from onerge circle to five smaller circles which form a line. I guess a multi targeting spell has an option for multiple hit ces. But as I only have one target, I went with the singlerge circle.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Raigeki!” I yelled out to activate the card.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">A massive lighting bolt appeared out of nowhere and struck the targeted area, with the bull at the center of it. I instinctively covered my eyes, as I felt like I might go blind if I didn’t.
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<span style="font-weight:400">When my vision returned, I saw the bull where it had been, except with arge char mark on its back where the lightning bolt had connected. But it seems that it really didn’t go down this time either. A-rank monster be built different.
<span style="font-weight:400">It was recovering from the impact and was trying to get back to its feet, but it was struggling to get up.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Master? Shall I?” Shinato asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“No. Just a second. I want to try a second copy.” I said as I traded the grayed out Raigeki for a fresh one from my collection. “Again, therge single circle, good. Raigeki!”
<span style="font-weight:400">Another bolt of lightning hit the bull. This time, Shinato had used his wings to cover my eyes, so I didn’t get that blinded. He must have also used some kind of spell to protect us from the sound, as the sound of thunder didn’t hurt my ears either time.
<span style="font-weight:400">The bull fell down on the ground again, and stayed there, unmoving.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... did it die?” I asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Do you want me to confirm?” Shinato asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... depends on how you do it. Don’t make a new hole in the body. Actually, just take us closer. I’ll try to put it into storage. If it is still alive, I can’t ce it in there.” … Unless that rule changed when inventory became storage.
<span style="font-weight:400">Shinato carefully brought us to the downed bull, making sure there was a barrier of light between us and the monster. We kept approaching, and I kept trying to put the monster into storage, but it just wouldn’t go. We were definitely close enough, as the distance at which I can store an item is rted to the size of said item. For something small, I have to be quite close and have good visual contact with it, whereas with somethingrge I can be a bit further away. At least that is how it was when I was testing out inventory, and storage seems to be the same.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Definitely still alive.” I said as my hand touched the monster. I could feel the mana moving inside its body. It was likely trying to heal all of the damage caused by the two Raigeki.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Master? May I?” Shinato asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Yeah. Go for it. We need to bring it down.” I answered Shinato.
<span style="font-weight:400">He pped his wings to take some distance from the bull. I looked as six purple spheres, each with a Japanese symbol appeared. They then began to rotate at high speed, and their afterimages made them look like one solid ring.
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[copse]
<span style="font-weight:400">“Divine Ring.” Shinato said coldly, before sending the ring flying towards the bull.
<span style="font-weight:400">It struck the bull in the neck, severing its head from its body.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... well, now it is dead.” At least I hope so. If it can take having its head cut off, I want to know how anyone normal is supposed to beat one of these. Well then again, either time that I fought one of these things, they didn’t really fight back. Sure the first time was because I held it in ce with a Spellbinding Circle and this time I took the initiative with a super strong attack, which stunned the monster. So maybe it would be more threatening if it actually got to do anything. And honestly, just existing at that size is a threat. This thing could literally just walk over a house and crush said house under foot. Or under its belly.
<span style="font-weight:400">Anyway, let’s get that thing into storage, unsummon Shinato and get back into Big Core.
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<span style="font-weight:400">“... you really took it down. And in no time at all…” The guild master was muttering.
<span style="font-weight:400">“See. I told you so.” Alice tried to gloat.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Hey everyone. I’m back.” I announced.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Wee back, Brian. That didn’t seem too difficult.” Ria greeted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, I suppose. But I’m surprised that it could take two Raigeki and not die. A-rank monsters really just are built different.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“What about that … angel?” Paulina asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“He is called Shinato. And he is the strongest fairy I can summon.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Fairy? Not an angel?” Alice asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Well, it falls under the category of fairy. Technically you could also call it the angel category, because of reasons I won’t get into, but I call them fairies.” I exined. Or didn’t really exin. “But honestly, calling Shinato an archangel isn’t wrong.” I admitted.
<span style="font-weight:400">“... How can someone summon an archangel..? How will I report on this..?” The guild master asked.
<span style="font-weight:400">Wow. Yeah. I could see that being an issue. But really. Has no one summoned an angel with this world''s summoning magic? Or maybe it would fall under holy magic? Holy summoning magic? Whatever.
<span style="font-weight:400">“Just figure something out.” I told him. “Or just conveniently leave it out of the report and just say I used lightning magic to kill the bull. Anyway, Alice move over. We still have a quest to finish.”
<span style="font-weight:400">“Sure.” Alice said as she swapped back to the lead weapons officers seat, freeing my captain’s seat.
<span style="font-weight:400">I sat down, and guided the ship so that we could keep the quest going. We still have some ground to cover and we also have to hunt down any monsters too close to the road.
<span style="font-weight:400">But that will be for Alice and Ria. And Paulina if she wants to join. I think this is still trying to be some sort of rank up exam for Alice, after all. And if the GM doesn’t rank her up, I’ll Mind Wipe him. Or Mind Crush. That should work as well.
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[copse]
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