NOVEL WEB Chapter 10: [9] Rank Up
Chapter 9: Rank Up
"My adopted daughter is the cutest in the world!"
– The Strongest Demon King
"Ridiculous, you doting fool!"
– The Last Storyteller
"Like you have any right to talk, you loser with no wife or daughter!"
– The Strongest Demon King
...
Back in my previous life, when my name was somewhat known, I once fell into a trap and ended up facing a thousand mercenaries.
Desperately fighting for my life, I killed without thinking, and before I knew it, I was the only one left standing.
After that, I experienced an incredible amount of growth—far more than I ever had before. Overall, my skills and experience improved dramatically.
In this world, killing a thousand humans like I did in my previous life is an insane idea—but killing a thousand monsters? That's achievable. Thus, I succeeded in completing the Thousand Kills.
However, this time, the difficulty was higher.
Not only did I have to fight and survive, but I also had to clean up afterward, ensuring no magic stones were left behind.
Climbing back to the surface after all that was even more grueling. If it weren't for the help of another adventurer midway, I probably wouldn't have made it out alive.
After receiving treatment from a Guild healer (not for free, of course), I barely managed to return home. I immediately collapsed into bed and slept like a log for two straight days.
...
Luke Blade
LV.1
Strength: A889 → SS1285
Endurance: S910 → SSS1422
Dexterity: B773 → SS1030
Agility: B796 → SS1187
Magic: 10
...
Magic
[Fear of Reaper]
Chant: "Show the fear of a killer to the enemies before me."
Support Magic
•Affects enemies within a certain radius around the user.
•Induces instant death, paralysis, fear, or other status ailments.
•Effects vary depending on the level difference between the user and the targets.
...
Skill
[Lord of Killer]
•Allows the user to kill anyone.
•Reduces guilt from killing.
•Temporarily increases status when fighting with murderous intent.
•Permanent Status Increase: Killing strong enemies grants a permanent boost to stats.
...
Skill
[Killer Doll]
•Breaks through physical limits.
•Moves fueled by murderous intent even when stamina is fully depleted.
•Continues fighting even with fatal injuries.
[Character Imagin]
•Imitates abilities or techniques.
•Utilizes them based on the intensity of the user's will.
...
After seeing my newly updated status, I stood there in stunned silence.
There were far too many things to question.
First, the status. I thought S was the max proficiency rank. So what on earth is SSS supposed to be?
And magic? Are they seriously telling me that if I squeezed out my potential, I actually had magical aptitude all along?
Then there are the new skills. I have no idea what to make of [Killer Doll] or [Character Imagin].
"...What the hell did you do out there?"
"Killed a thousand monsters."
"Yeah, but for all this?! This is insane. Ugh, are all reincarnators monsters or something?"
"Honestly? Probably."
I've never seen a reincarnator who was just a normal person. How do I know? From all the fanfics I've read, of course.
Anyway, let's break this down step by step.
"So, why are you still LV.1?"
"I haven't ranked up yet. You need to choose your development ability before advancing to LV.2."
"Oh, right. I totally forgot about that."
When I asked about my development ability choices, these were the options presented:
Resilience: Unclear what it does exactly.
Fist and Kick: Seems to enhance combat abilities when using punches and kicks.
Resistance: Provides resistance to status effects.
Hunter: Grants an advantage against monsters you've already defeated.
"Next is magic… I thought I didn't have any aptitude for magic. What's up with this?"
"Maybe it wasn't that you lacked talent but that it was average? You probably just thought you couldn't use it, so it never manifested. This might've been the trigger for your awakening."
Now that I think about it, this is my first time in a world with magic. I probably assumed magic didn't suit me because it felt so foreign, but I never actually knew whether I had the aptitude for it or not.
Apparently, I did have some aptitude after all.
"Then there's my SSS and SS status rankings. I thought S was supposed to be the limit?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but could it be because of [Killer Doll]'s 'Limit Break'? Maybe it pushed your status past the original cap."
"As much as that sounds like guesswork, it's oddly convincing, so I can't argue with it."
Out of the two new skills, I can kind of grasp what [Killer Doll] does. But [Character Imagin] is still a mystery.
"It says it imitates and uses something… From the wording alone, this sounds like..."
"Hold on, Susanoo. Let's head to the garden. There's something I want to test."
"You're planning to use magic?"
"No, something else."
The term character combined with imitation—in my mind, there's only one thing that fits.
In the garden attached to the home, I closed my eyes and focused. I let my murderous intent rise to the surface.
For me, the strongest force in my mind is killing intent. My will to eliminate someone is stronger than anything else. If I channel that mindset, maybe I can activate the skill, even just a little.
Since I wasn't ready to use any high-powered techniques, I decided to try something lighter.
I lightly kicked off the ground and leaped upward. In midair, I kicked again, this time using my other foot to push off seemingly nothing but thin air.
Bang!
With a loud sound, my body accelerated further into the air.
"...Geppo (Moonwalk)?"
"This is insane! I can finally use Rokushiki! My dream came true! YESSSSS!"
They say dreams do come true, and it finally happened!
I did it! I really did it! The impossible is possible! Thank you, [Character Imagin] skill! Thanks to you, I can mimic techniques straight out of manga! WRYYYYYYYYYY!! I feel like I've ascended to the level of my predecessors!
"But wait… this isn't enough…"
"Hey, hold on. You're not about to try something on me, are you—"
Susanoo was the perfect test subject. After all, he's a god, so he won't die no matter what I try.
I targeted his head and launched a kick. It was a triple spinning kick utilizing centrifugal force, effectively doubling or even tripling the power of a regular kick. A ridiculous Taekwondo move straight out of fiction.
Triple Spin Kick!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
"That's supposed to be a human head, but it's ridiculously hard…!"
"…You little punk. Did you get so excited about using manga techniques that you forgot who you're dealing with?"
Susanoo unsheathed his Ama-no-Murakumo sword from his side, his face twisting into a wicked grin.
He definitely looked pissed.
Honestly, I might've gone too far by suddenly hitting him with a triple spin kick out of nowhere.
"Time for a little payback."
What followed was an absolute beatdown. I got utterly destroyed.
I chose Resilience as my development ability.
While the others were tempting, I figured picking something I didn't understand would make discovering its potential more exciting.
There's a certain thrill in figuring out the unknown.
"...LV.2, you say?"
"Yup."
"...Luke-sama, weren't you LV.1 just a few days ago?"
"I went to the dungeon, hunted like crazy at the Plant for a day, and got a Rank Up. Turns out killing a thousand monsters all at once does the trick."
"What kind of reckless idiocy is that?!"
Tears streamed down Lili's face as she scolded me.
"I was so worried about you! The morning after our conversation, you disappeared into the dungeon at dawn, and then you came back the next day covered in blood, practically a corpse!"
"But I'm alive, so it worked out, didn't it?"
"That's not the point!"
Now that I'm LV.2, I've become significantly stronger. I might even hold my own against a LV.3. With my fighting style, which specializes in taking on groups, I could probably handle a Familia without any LV.3s.
"Oh, by the way, Lili, there's something I need to say. Will you hear me out?"
"...What is it? If it's something strange, I'll get mad."
"Lili, become my daughter!"
"Wha—?!"
Here's my plan: to ensure Lili has a peaceful life, I'll first get her out of the [Soma Familia]. Then, I'll deal with the trash that ruined her happiness at the flower shop.
After that, I'll let her live however she wants. But until she's an adult and can fully take care of herself, I'll raise her. I can't just leave her alone without worrying.
"Luke-sama, I'm 11 years old."
"Yeah, and I'm 14. For now."
"In what world is this a father-daughter relationship? Aren't I more like your little sister? Who has a 3-year age gap with their child?!"
"If there's no precedent, then I'll just make one! I'll break through morals and ethics to forge a new path! Combined Gurren La—oh, wait, wrong reference."
"Lili doesn't understand what you're saying at all!"
Honestly, any kid younger than their late teens just feels like a daughter to me. That's how it is with Aiz, and if I think about adults in my life, only people like Riseria or Eina fit that category.
Lili, being a Pallum, looks even smaller than a typical child.
Even though I may look young on the outside, I've lived long enough to have a deeper perspective on these things.
Sure, my temper is still influenced by this body, but my feelings lean more toward affection than desire.
So, daughter it is.
"Lili is an orphan. A powerless Pallum. A useless supporter. There's nothing for you to gain by making me your daughter; I'd only be a burden. You could save on food costs by kicking me out right now!"
"Well, I'm an orphan too, a wreck of a person, a murderer, and human trash. Honestly, anyone who'd take someone like me as their father would have to be pretty messed up themselves. So I figured I'd better adopt you first."
"Sniff…!"
If Lili had just been a child who lost her parents, I'd have left her at an orphanage and supported her from afar.
But someone like her, who's swum through the depths of despair, can understand someone like me—and I can understand her.
"They say blood is thicker than water, but I think there's something even stronger than blood—affection. With enough affection, anyone can be more than family. Age doesn't matter."
"You're such an idiot."
"Well, you're not wrong. That hit me for zero damage."
I hugged Lili as she broke down crying, gently patting her back.
Maybe I spoke too lightly for the moment, but…
Daughter acquired.
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