"This isn't going to cut it." Sasaki commented. Right now he was at the dungeon and was facing off against dozens of orcs. A huge pig headed monster that can reach three meters in height. It wears old hide at the waist like a skirt and wielded a large wooden stick.
"These monsters are mindless so they don't have techniques and fluid movements. They just go off their instincts. If I want to advance my skill in the sword then it's better to find higher levelled adventurers." Sasaki Kojiro was currently at the 12th floor. Although, it had been only one day since he had talked with Hephaestus.
Surprisingly, she maintained her composure with him when he was with others but when no one was around, she was surprisingly sweet and caring to him. Sasaki asked her if she could make him a custom weapon and she accepted making it. He already told her the specifics about the weapon so she said to him that it would take some time and that he'd have to be there with her in the process.
But for now, she had to go to a party for the Gods. She invited him to come over with her but he rejected it and promised the next time that he would go with her. For now, levelling up was important. The most important thing as he wanted to get stronger but he also wanted to grow in his skill.
The fact that his skill deteriorated is something that didn't sit comfortably to Sasaki. He had 3 minds crammed into one and this is good. He knows the skill, power and techniques of 2 skillful fighters but those 2 fighters don't know how to fully utilize this body. It wasn't theirs. His muscles and his balance aren't refined like their original body.
At this time, an orc ran at him while roaring. It swung its bat at him but he slid underneath it and slashed its tendon making fall on his knee. He jumped behind it and slashed once more at its neck with his katana but his strength wasn't strong enough to decapitate it.
He used the orc's shoulder as a foothold and jumped over it and slashed its neck. The orc disappeared in a flash and a crystal dropped. "Maybe I should of gotten a better weapon before going on this floor."
Sasaki looked upwards and saw orcs all around him. There was at least 10 more of them and they were roaring at him looking for a fight. He smiled playfully at these monsters. "I heard that when one levels up that they have a chance to gain a skill or magic. Let's see what I can get."
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*Flashback:
"Hephaestus! You look really good! Why are you wearing this dress?" Sasaki was talking with Hephaestus who was in a red dress with golden earring that had red gems imbedded. "I'm going to a party. It's being held by Ganesha so I'm just going there to meet some acquaintances.
"What? You're going where?" Hephaestus sighed. "I'm going to a party for the Gods. Ganesha is a God Sasaki. You should come with me." She suggested.
"Haha. I don't think I will. That would be too boring for me. I'll go to the dungeon today and hit the higher floors."
"You can maybe meet another goddess there that will give you some attention there. I heard even Freya was coming there." Sasaki stopped in his tracks and turned around. "Why are you telling me this? Sorry but getting stronger is way more important than having fun with other familia's goddesses." He walked out of the room not noticing the helpless smile from Hephaestus.
"It's not like I'm restricting you. I'm just telling you to be free."
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A piece of metal fell on the ground and it was the katana that Sasaki was wielding. One can see sweat running down from his forehead and some scratches on his clothes. "Guess I should start with monsters and then with adventurers. Don't want to be like Gilgamesh now do I." Sasaki chuckled a bit.
Sasaki looked below him and an orc was there with bruises and blood all over it. He grabbed his broken sword and stabbed it in the head killing it. He threw away his sword and looked at the two remaining orcs glaring at him.
Sasaki grabbed the wooden stick that the orc left and faced off against the rest. He began scanning their movements. This was something he wanted to try. He had never been able to scan a monster as he didn't have the chance and he wanted to do just that.
Their thoughts and movements are different than humans and gods and he needed to know how they move and think so that he can know how to counter them. And when he initially encountered them, he wanted to try out his swordsmanship from his Heroic Spirit counterpart so he didn't utilized his scanning.
He charged at the orcs that were also running towards him. The weapon was very impractical to him as he didn't have enough strength to utilize it like the orcs. But he had met plenty of fearsome foes who used weapon like these. Sasaki had two people specifically in his mind.
"And both of them just so happen to have the same name." He said with a wide grin. It was Berserker Heracles and Ragnarok Heracles. Both were strong fighters and utilized their immense strength but both used them a bit differently.
Berserker was more about instincts and speed. The way he threw around his weapon was dangerously fast and powerful and Sasaki knew this as he clashed with him. On the other hand, Ragnarok's Heracles used it in a way focusing on strength and not speed.
He didn't move around like his counterpart and prided himself with his durable skin and noble fighting. This was why he chose Berserker's basis for the orcs as orcs didn't have the noble pride and wasn't going to stand there waiting for his opponent. This made things much easier for him.
The orc swung at him but he dodged it. The strike hit the floor shattering the ground but Sasaki used the wood as a foothold. He jumped over the orc and swung at its nape making it stagger but Sasaki wasn't done as he strikes the knee breaking the leg.
Sasaki turned in time as the other orc striker at him. He used his weapon to divert the attack and hit it right in the side of its jawline. He jumped up and swung down the weapon at its head killing it. He looked back to see the monster still in pain and killed it as well.
Sasaki swiped the sweat of and let go of the wood. "Guess I really am not cut in to be a Berserker. I'm still a bit mad that I wasn't summoned as a 'Saber' servant in the 'Holy Grail War'." He picked up all the drops and left the dungeon. Sasaki sold everything he gained in the dungeon giving him a fair chunk of money for a Level 1.
Sasaki walked to the shops of the familia and saw the people selling all sorts of things. "Sasaki! Are you here to help?" A voice sounded and he looked behind him to see Tsubaki there. "I'm actually here to buy a katana. I know we've made these weapons for Takemikazuchi familia so there should be some."
"A katana? Since when did you use katanas." She looked a bit confused.
"For a very long time, anyway can you show me where to buy it."
"Of course I can. Here, follow me."
She brought him to a shop where they were selling the katanas. Sasaki only wanted to buy two and they were going to be used for a spare until he got a new weapon made by Hephaestus. He bought the two swords and left before coming to Hephaestus workplace.
He knocked on the door and it was opened. But it wasn't Hephaestus, it was this little girl. The girl had blue eyes and mid-thigh length black hair tied into two twin tails which reach down to her mid-thighs. Her hair is tied with hair accessories that feature blue and white petals along with bell-shaped ornaments.
Sasaki was a bit weirded out as this girl despite her size had huge huhhh... muffins? Yeah, muffins. "Oh. Hello lit- I mean, do you know where Hephaestus is?" He could see the tick mark on her when he was about to say little. "Hmph, why should I tell you that?"
Just then a hand smashed into Hestia's head making her scream in pain. "Hestia, don't disrespect my children." Hephaestus sighed while Hestia was grabbing her head with tears in her eyes. "What is it Sasaki? Here for the update?"
Sasaki smiled. "Sure am."
"Hestia can you wait just a moment. I'll be there in a second." Hephaestus turned around and left the room.
Hestia sighed in a defeated manner. "I want to see Bell."
While Hestia was depressed, Sasaki and Hephaestus were at her room. He was laying on her bed and she was updating his status. "Did I hear that correctly? She's Hestia? As in the goddess?" Hephaestus chuckled a bit. "Don't tell me you're afraid now."
She got off his back and gave him a paper. "I'm sorry Sasaki but we'll have to hold off the making of your sword for a bit. I'll have to repay back for what Hestia has done for me first."
Sasaki laughed and grabbed her by the shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Actually I'll have to train first before diving into deeper levels of the dungeons." Hephaestus smiled at him. "Thank you Sasaki." She then left the room and went to her workshop and Sasaki read the paper.
[Name: Sasaki Kojiro
Level: 1
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Strength: G-275—> F-384
Endurance: F-301—> E-402
Dexterity: G-287—> E-411
Agility: G-279—> E-409
Magic: H-172—> G-248
Magic: None
Skill:
Fati Nescia: When one diverts from their original path of their own fate and is able to gain divine blood, that being will be able to break the shackles of limits and have the possibility to break through them. (To clarify. This allows him to be able to go past the limit like S-rank and higher. But it does not let him gain arcanum at a faster rate. Only widening his limit and not making him grow faster.) One gains a resistance against divine powers and is able to recognize its form and effects.]
"Maybe I'll thank Buddha and Saber for killing me."