LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 10: Culture Shock
"Haaa...haaa...haaa..."
After nearly a month of training within the Corridor of Intertwined Fates, only taking breaks to rest and exit to speak with Fumiko in the mornings, Vahn felt more at home within the game-like space than he did outside of it.
"Haaap...!"
Leaping several meters vertically and many more horizontally, Vahn stabbed his Legendary Spear into the forehead of a large monster that resembled a giant pumpkin with sunken eyes and a maw full of massive, goop-dripping teeth. It issued a piercing scream and furiously waved its vine-like tendrils in response, but with a twist of his spear, Vahn released a small explosion of flame from its tip, causing the monster, known as a Jawhorn Husk(D-Rank), to explode from the inside.
Backflipping off the Jawhorn's head as it exploded, Vahn landed a few meters away, kneeling on his left knee, head lowered, and spear held out to the side as he adopted a somewhat haughty grin. Chunks of grotesque orange flesh rained down on him, but after the Jawhorn breathed its final breath, they vanished into motes of orange light.
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Acquired 738 OP for defeating Jawhorn Husk(D-Rank)
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'Nice...' thought Vahn, taking a moment to regulate his breathing before rising to his feet and seeing if there were any additional spoils for him to collect.
"Another one...?" Vahn asked himself, picking up a jack-o-lantern-themed hairclip from the ground and inspecting it.
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[Jack-o-Jill's Hairclip]
Rank: D
P.Def: 18
M.Def: 23
Enchantment(s): [Spicy Aroma(D)]
A jack-o-lantern-themed hairclip that causes the fragrance of pumpkin spice to follow the wearer wherever they go.
Special Property: Charm +1
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Opening his Inventory, Vahn placed the hairclip with the rest of his gift-like items. A preponderance of the equipment he picked up within the Corridor of Intertwined Fates was better suited for a girl than a boy, but instead of recycling them for additional OP, he decided to preserve them for posterity and just in case he had someone to gift them to.
With his look secured, Vahn turned his attention to his spear, whose blade resembled a vermillion flame with a red hue, a fiery orange edge, and the Kanji for Fire etched into the side in shimmering gold. Monsters within the Corridor of Intertwined Fates had a wide range of Elemental affinities and weaknesses, so to make things easier for himself, he had invested most of his OP toward acquiring spears of each Element to nourish his Legendary Spear.
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[Legendary Spear]
Rank: A
P.Atk: 349
M.Atk: 420
Enchantment(s): [Spear Spirit(-)], [Resizing(-)], [Aura Conductivity(B)], [Self-Repairing(B)], [Elemental Discharge(D)]
A replica of a spear formed from the fragmented soul of a Guardian Deity. Though not the original, it has the power to surpass it if the wielder takes care to grow it well.
Special Property: [Mineral Refinement], [Essence Absorption], Proficiency Boost equal to 5% of Physical and Magical Attack. Current Bonus: +38
Current Mode: [Flame Spear, Velios]
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'Purchasing this may have been the smartest decision I've ever made...' thought Vahn, smiling as he used a mental command to revert the spear to its base form. Then, as the Jawhorn Husk had been the Boss monster guarding the entrance to the First Stratum's Fifth Floor, he made his way into the temple-like complex whose entrance had only opened after the Boss's defeat. Inside, he found a large stone staircase leading downward into a wall of shadows, but while he was keen to learn what awaited him below, he closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and said, "Return..." in a weary tone, his figure blinking out of existence with a fwip and a flash of white light...
...
..
.
Following a lengthy, indulgent bath, Vahn, wearing the t-shirt and shorts he typically wore to bed, pulled out the uniform he would be wearing the following day. He doubted anything had changed since he last checked it, but he couldn't help checking to ensure there were no stains or wayward strings present.
vrrrrrr vrrrrrr vrrrrrr
Hearing his cell phone vibrate, Vahn set aside his uniform and retrieved it from the bedrest with an impassive expression. When he saw the name on the display, however, his brows raised slightly as he dexterously flipped it open, brought it to his right ear, and asked, "Sona-san? I wasn't expecting a call from you. How'd you get my number?"
"When your enrollment information was updated, your current address and phone number were input into the Academy's system. The Student Council has access to such records in the event a student is absent, and we need to get in contact with them," explained Sona. "As for the purpose of this call, it is to ensure you have everything you need for tomorrow and to remind you to drop by the Faculty Office by 8:30 AM. Your homeroom teacher, Tachibana-sensei, will be waiting to explain things and introduce you to the class."
"I haven't forgotten," responded Vahn, nodding. "But I appreciate you calling. If it's okay with you, I would like to give you something tomorrow morning or after school."
"I presume it isn't a love letter...?' asked Sona, a hint of amusement in her tone even over the phone.
"It's not," confirmed Vahn. "But I remembered you wearing a hairclip, so I wanted to give you one I think you'll like."
"How curious..." responded Sona, catching Vahn a little off guard as she added, "If you've no preceding engagements, I could head there now. If it's an item you've prepared, it should be worth the effort."
"Now...?" parrotted Vahn, looking over at his clock to confirm the time before asking, "Isn't it kind of late?" in reference to it displaying 8:38 PM.
"Devils are most active at night," explained Sona. "But if my coming there would trouble you in any way, we can meet tomorrow."
"I mean...isn't it more troubling for you?" asked Vahn. "I'm not sure how far away your house is from my hotel, but I would feel guilty if you came all this way and ended up disappointed..."
"It's no trouble at all," assured Sona, followed by a spinning, bright blue Magic Circle appearing a few meters from Vahn's position. The latter was left slack-jawed at this as, from within its center, Sona's figure promptly materialized from a flash of light, snapping her cell phone shut and staring at him with a faint, somewhat cheeky smile.
Recovering from his brief stupor, Vahn reciprocated with a smile of his own, remarking, "Well, that's convenient," before opening his Inventory, invisible to Sona's eyes, and pulling out the hairclip he intended for her, a straight, pale gold clip with two stylish black lines.
"Hmmm? Something appears to have changed within you since we last met..." remarked Sona, accepting the hairclip Vahn had presented to her, holding it up, and inspecting it between her index finger and thumb as she added, "You seem more...confident..."
"Well, I've gotten much stronger since then," revealed Vahn, rubbing the underside of his nose with his right index finger and sporting a prominent grin. He fully intended to keep his training and the increase in his strength a secret at the start, but after a month of hard work, a part of him wanted someone other than Sis to praise him.
(...)
'Hmmm...?'
Feeling Sis's silence like white noise within his mind, Vahn was going to ask her what was wrong but was distracted by Sona nodding approvingly and stating, "Growth is a good thing. But if you don't mind my asking, why do you seek to become stronger?"
Following her query, Sona removed the hairclip she was currently wearing and donned the one Vahn had gifted her. She could sense a faint trace of what felt like spirit energy exuding from within, but since it didn't give the impression of being something dangerous, she supposed wearing it would keep Vahn's lips loose and his words flowing freely.
"Isn't it normal to want to be stronger?" questioned Vahn, tilting his head slightly as he added, "I mean, it's a heck of a lot better than being weak..."
"One of the fundamental truths of the world," confirmed Sona, nodding in affirmation as she clipped the hairclip into place. The moment she did, her violet eyes widened slightly as, though marginal, she sensed her Demonic Power increase.
Suppressing the barrage of questions that manifested within her mind, Sona calmly asked the most pertinent one, specifically, "Am I correct in assuming this hairclip is an item created by your power?"
Nodding, Vahn smiled and readily revealed, "It's nothing too impressive, but it increases the potency of the Water Element by 5%. Since you said your power was related to Water, I figured it might be useful."
"It will be very useful," assured Sona, adopting a rare, fully formed smile. A 5% increase might not sound like a lot, but if it continuously applied as her Demonic Power matured, its value would unironically be equivalent to a palace.
'If he considers this nothing too impressive, his ability may be far more extraordinary than we thought...' reasoned Sona, her violet eye glistening in a way that caused Vahn to feel slightly nervous. Recognizing this, Sona briefly closed her eyes and coughed into her hand, forcing herself to calm down before meeting his gaze with a softer expression and stating, "Since I'm here, is there anything you would like to ask of me? When Devils meet with humans like this, it's typically to fulfill a request or grant their heart's desire. In exchange, we receive a sliver of their spirit energy or life force, but since you've already given me a splendid gift, I can fulfill your request without a contract. Presuming it's not something like world domination, of course."
"What kinds of requests do people normally make...?" questioned Vahn, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"It depends on the person..." responded Sona, causing Vahn's gaze to lower as she started unbuttoning her corset, explaining, "Most humans consider Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels creatures of fiction, so when they see a beautiful girl suddenly appear in their room, their imagination and desires compound, supplanting their fear and reason..."
Loosening the ribbon around her neck, Sona allowed her blouse to open, revealing a white lace bra, before subsequently undoing the clasp of her skirt, allowing it to fall to her ankles, revealing a matching pair of panties as she met Vahn's gaze with a relaxed smile, appending, "Unfortunately for them, the spirit energy and life force they're capable of providing are seldom enough for the demands they make. Some attempt to offer their souls as compensation, but unless they possess a unique ability, there are few benefits to accepting."
"Are you...coming onto me...?" asked Vahn, causing Sona to stare at him for several seconds before her eyes narrowed into a slight deadpan, her tone flat as she responded, "At times like this, you're supposed to just go with the flow. Asking such questions is incredibly rude..."
Taken aback by Sona's response, Vahn opened his mouth, but no words came out. He didn't mean to upset her, but since he couldn't understand why she was undressing, what else was he supposed to do besides ask for clarification?
"To answer your question..." said Sona, her eyes remaining narrowed as she held out her right hand, causing a pole to emerge from a blue Magic Circle as she asserted, "I wasn't coming onto you...this is your reward for gifting me the hairclip..."
Leaving Vahn feeling even more disjointed, Sona stood with her back to the pole and raised her right hand and arm, grasping it as she slid into a deep, open-legged squat. His lackluster reaction caused her right eye to twitch, but since she had already resolved herself to reward him, she did her best to remain calm, stating, "Just take a seat and watch...if you aren't satisfied by the time I'm done, you can request something else..."
Realizing he had only made things worse, Vahn adopted an apologetic smile before doing as he was told. What followed was Sona performing a surprisingly skilled pole dance, and while he wasn't sure why she had felt compelled to do so, he clapped at the end and meant it when he said her performance was incredible. Sona was hoping for a different reaction, but since she could tell his praise was sincere, she departed after confirming he had everything he needed for the following day...
...
..
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