An Assassin's Adventure: The Great Conjunction

Chapter 9: Debts

Not too long after Mia's exit, Hit made his way to the bathroom to freshen up and took a much-needed shower. He reflected on his battle as the water pelted down. "I truly was lucky..."

The Minotaur that Hit had faced was in very bad shape, already grievously injured before they met. The stalactite, that happened to fall upon it, had also contributed to its sorry state. The cumbersome creature was used to the immense halls of the 17th floor, not the narrow corridors outside its spawning habitat. It had been tired and wounded; whereas Hit was filled with determination and fuelled by adrenaline. Luck and skill were the driving factors in this fight. If any other fighter of comparable speed and strength had attempted the same stunt Hit had, they would undoubtedly lose, unless they possessed a very powerful skill or magic. Only Hit's vast combat experience, garnered over hundreds of years, and his repeated attacks of a vital point using time skip, had assured his victory.

'These creatures... or golems... don't have normal vital points.' Other than crushing their bones and external features, Hit had not seen any recognisable internal organs.

'At least they possess a core. My lethal attacks should be useful.' Hit sighed, he was getting tired of his killing techniques being restricted. From the tournament of destroyers to the tournament of power. 'But how do I locate the rocks within their bodies? Is it species-specific? Thankfully, the stone didn't change position while we fought. But that doesn't rule out the possibility.'

Hit turned off the water and dried himself. 'Why now? Why did my time skip not unlock before, during my strenuous training?'

Hit thought back to his fate-defying moment in the dungeon. His life had been on the line; he had focused everything he had on survival. Hit threw the towel to the ground.

'Dammit! My mind never struggled to keep up during our skirmish. It was this feeble bod-...'

Hit's eyes widened in realisation. His time skip was completely natural to him. Him. Hit, the peerless assassin of universe 6. 'Hit' was the consciousness who had escaped universal annihilation, not the body he currently resided in. Time skipping had only awakened when his life was on the line, and his body was pushed beyond the limits of human flesh. Only then, could mind and body truly synchronize. 'That must be it. Perhaps there's a different power structure in this world. I must have forced my body to adapt'.

Hit placed his towel in the cleaning basket. 'I have been training my body expecting it to come naturally when it was only natural to my mind. I will need to put myself in more life-threatening situations...'

An image of a furious Mia flashed through his mind, terrifying teeth gleaming as if to tear into him.

'...that are not quite as dire as today's'.

* * *

The sun had begun to set as Hit gazed out his window. He wore clean clothes and was ready to descend below, although he wasn't looking forward to it. 'Hm... Those annoying pests are going to question me again. I'd rather descend into the dungeon than down those stairs...'

Hit remembered the one who healed him. 'Ryuu... That was the silent one who led me to my room. She feels troublesome, just how did she heal me?'

Hit marched down to his trial. 'Regardless, I'll never leave a debt unpaid.' He patted his pocket, wishing it was fuller. 'I've got a bad feeling in the pit of my wallet...'

...

Mia stood at her usual place behind the counter, drying a mug. "Well, well, well. If it isn't sleeping beauty. Nice of you to finally come down."