*explanatory note* - This is based on the Anime - Log Horizon. You can look it up on kissanime.ru if you enjoy fantasy/adventure cartoons. I enjoyed it enough to invent a character. This is just a fragment. I may continue it some day. Or it may remain as it is.
The raid team was wiped out. Well, practically. Minori, now a level 50 Shrine Maiden, and the strange level 95 Warrior, Damned, were the only two survivors of the Boss’ last attack. The middle school girl tried to remain calm and backed out of Memnoch the Demon’s agro range. The huge Warrior leapt backward and landed squarely in front of Minori. He was breathing heavily and ready to move again. Currently he had ALL the Raid Boss’ agro focused on himself. His respite from the giant horned Demon’s attack would be mercilessly brief.
“Minori…” he said without turning around.
“We should retreat to the zonepoint and wait for the others to respawn!” the girl said quietly.
“That means we would have to start this battle all over again. I don’t believe we have the time. Minori, please forgive me. “
“For what?” she replied nervously, clenching her fists tightly about her staff, as Memnoch turned slowly to face them. His movements were ponderously slow. But that would only last a few more seconds, before the debuff wore off.
“I have not been honest with any of you. Not you, nor Shiro.” The big man straightened up. “Teaching Mode reset.” Minori started in shock. Damneds stats had always seemed slight…wrong to her. But she couple never pinpoint why. Now it hit her. The Teaching Mode indicator on his profile had been on. She hadn’t noticed it. Nor, had anyone else.
“Raid rank 93. That means he’s probably level 200-250 if he were plain ranked. You think?” Damned strode forward.
“What are you doing?” Minori said, reaching out to grab him by the arm. Damned turned and looked down at the small woman. A strange smile played about his lips.
“Can you keep a secret, Little One? Teaching Mode – Level 400!” Suddenly his status screen flashed brightly and his Stats shot up incredibly. The Cleric gasped. The Warrior dropped into a crouch and exploded upwards, the ground under his steel booted feet fairly exploded at the massive downward pressure. Damned rose like a rocket, and the Demon stopped, suddenly confused. Gray and red hair streaming about his head, the human drew both swords, something no one had yet to see him do. Especially since both were two handed weapons. Both blades glowed white with magical energy and left tails in her vision as she tried to follow their lightning-like movements. Memnoch roared and staggered back, suddenly missing both his horns. His massive head snapped around sharply to the left, as Damned side kick him in the face. Falling back, the giant Demon raised a fist and swung. The speed debuff had worn off. His movements were fast. Minori screamed a warning at the human. Her scream was drowned by his own roar as he BLOCKED the massive blow and neatly severed his attackers arm, at the elbow.
The demon howl and inhaled, intending to breath fire, and destroy the warrior and the cleric, as he had done the rest of the raid group. Just as Memnoch readied his exhale, Damned leapt again, right at his face. His boot met the demons jaw, shutting it’s mouth abruptly and costing the demon most of its teeth. It didn’t matter much, as Memnoch’s head exploded, driven by the force of the demon’s own fiery exhalation. The giant, headless corpse tottered, gouts of blood and flame shooting from its ruined neck. Finally it dropped to its knees and fell forward. It exploded into raid rank treasure items, and a huge pile of gold coins.
Speechless, the Cleric girl watched as her own level skyrocketed from 50 to 65. The older Warrior noticed as well.
“The others are not in the zone. We share the EXP bonus between the two of us. “ Damned explained. Of course logically she KNEW this. But…15 levels in one kill. THAT she had NOT expected.
“What…” she squeaked, “what ARE you??”
The big man smiled ruefully.
“I’ve been playing Elder Tale a long time, Minori. A LONG time. From the beginning, in fact. Hell, BEFORE the beginning. I was Beta. The game creators liked me. I was helpful. So they hired me as an in-game Aide. I could be any level. Go anywhere. Do anything. And they trusted me to keep it quiet. Imagine how many gamers would be pissed if they knew one guy got to play in God-Mode whenever he wanted?” Damned sat on the ground at the younger woman’s feet. And patted the ground beside himself. Minori sat, facing him.
“Go on…” she prompted. This was the longest speech anyone had gotten out of the man since he joined them in the middle of the wilderness.
He looked distinctly uncomfortable. “I was online as usual, when the Apocalype occurred. I tried contacting Sysop. Nothing. I am as In the Dark as everyone else on this world, about how or WHY we’ve ended up here. I’ve stayed to myself. Figured it would be easier than trying to keep my status secret from everyone. But it’s a hell of a lonely way to have to live. I drifted in and out of towns and villages, got what I needed and left. I listened for news. Akibara and the Round Table have been big news for months. When I caught wind you were moving through my area, I decided to take a chance and meet you all. I didn’t figure to be in the position of my secret being outted so quickly.” The big warrior dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck with a metal gloved hand.
Minori tried to digest his story.
“No…limits? God-Mode?” she asked, hesitantly.
Damned nodded. “Just what it sounds like. I am the strongest thing in this world. At least, I haven’t found anything yet that offered me a serious problem. “ he chuckled. “So, I keep Teaching Mode on and play at a *safe* level, so as not to arouse too many folks suspicions.” He smiled wanly.
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