Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 106: Growing Might

Chapter 106: Growing Might

Valhalla’s Colosseum’s floors one through nine were bestowed the same challenge but on increasing increments of difficult. Today’s challenge was a battle against Vikings. Picking out the highest level difficulty, Floor 9, Dasha went through the portal to arrive at a flat realm with a thin layer of snow. Indeed, it was as the challenge said: defeat five Vikings. Nothing more, nothing less.

Each of them were Level 22. Alone, they would have given Paul a challenge and together they were a force to be reckoned with. If his estimates were correct, they were intended were mid-level class two players.

"Forward, forward!" They let out a classic Viking cry, their axes prepping for a mighty swing.

Except they didn’t.

"Clumsy."

One step. One step and Dasha was able to intercept and backhand one Viking and elbow the second. He had slipped past the remaining three, who heard the commotion and were unable to react. By the time they turned, he was already gone.

"Slow."

His remark led to a shaky swing to their side. All missed. All did not understand what was happening. A second swing at the spot behind them. Fear eroded them as their simultaneous axes were calmly stopped by his black gauntlets.

"Weak."

His opponents might have been Vikings but they weren’t all that. They were thralls, the lowest members of Viking city. Dissecting their fighting styles was useless. He thought learning from Vikings would be a learning experience.

"I suppose not from you people," Dasha mused. His Qi rumbled and activated like a car engine and darkness seeped from his very being. The Vikings didn’t bother fighting. Their expression fell to despair, eyes and lips quivering, and they dropped their axes to flee.

"Wise," Dasha commented, before bursting forward and taking away two heads in a single swing of his arm. Before the heads fell into the snow, he pivoted and thrust his arms to the side, blasting the area with his energy.

The iron gauntlets of Thor, Járngreipr, were said to be a way for him to fully channel Mjolnir’s power. The element in Thor’s case. But for Dasha?

The Vikings were consumed by a swamp of darkness.

Death arrived. Life ceased.

[ Receive:

4,500 XP ]

[ Congratulations! You finished the Floor 5 challenge! ]

[ Do you wish to return to the White Abyss? Yes or no? ]

He ignored the floor accomplishments in favour of his growing might.

’There it is...!’

[ Qi Condensation (Middle Stage) upgraded into Qi Condensation (Late Stage) ]

[ Qi Condensation (Middle Stage) upgraded into Qi Condensation (Peak Stage) ]

[ New skilled learned : Basic Qinggong ]

[ Qi Condensation (Middle Stage) upgraded into Foundation Establishment (Early Stage) ]

The Foundation Establishment, the level above Qi Condensation when a player’s Qi reached a certain quality and quantity. In this stage, Qi would physically materialize, eventually accumulating into a Qi Blade at the Late stage. To achieve the Early Stage of the Foundation Establishment meant acquiring Qinggong—the Lightness Skill.

Five hours of work. Five hours of flexing and testing his Qi and finally he achieved that which would take the ordinary months.

’Open status.’

[ Status: Dasha Pang

Class: Amateur Martial Artist

Level: 27

HP: 265

HP/Minute: 76.5

MP: 5908

MP/Minute: 351.5

Attack: 611

Defence: 623

Attributes

Strength: 57

Resilience: 53

Agility: 864

Deftness: 380

Vitality: 153

Magical Might: 1151

Magical Mending: 51

Distributive Points: 30 ]

He clicked on the classes section and a second window opened.

[ Available Classes

Wizard: Wizard’s Tool, Super Magic Barrier, Super Elemental Manipulation,

Sorcerer: Sorcerer’s Whims, Ultra Magic Barrier, Ultra Elemental Manipulation

Dark Sorcerer: Ultra Magic Barrier, Ultra Elemental Manipulation, The Shadows, Darkened Pulse ]

So many new classes, so many possibilities, yet Dasha did not touch them. After all, there was no need for it.

’Simply FEELING this level of power has propelled me further. It’s amazing what the body can do when pushed. I could strip myself of all my armour and still be monstrously powerful.’

There were three anchors between it all. The three factors that kept his body from imploding from the excess energies: the Game System, his will power, and his skill.

Dasha was crackling with Qi. Every fibre of his being was consumed by it and his body didn’t just adapt—he himself was learning. There was no need to worry about running out of mana. He could experiment and throw Qi as he pleased.

But one step at a time. ’Rather than start pouring my efforts into a class I have little information on, I should focus on what I have now. Grasp the energies I have right now.’ He clenched his fist. ’That’s right, the world of information is at the tip of my fingers. I should take this nice and slow. Nice and slow. Savour the power. Don’t be consumed by it.’

Because power should be wielded, not consumed like some fast food. Savour it. Savour every moment of it.

A portal appeared high in the air and a white pigeon flew out. Carrying a letter, it descended and perched onto Dasha’s arm.

Former players and natural-borns did not have the combat-related functions of the System, including the communication aspects such as calling. Through a contact, one could text but that wasn’t quite as it seemed. Xavier wasn’t using the System to message, he was using a magical ink and parchment. The ink and parchment used the contract between the two of them to establish a mental connection and the System translated that as messaging on Dasha’s end.

Referred to as Soul Ink-Paper, the products were very expensive. The individuals that manufactured it had attempted to hold a monopoly and failed miserably. The people of the White Abyss had circumvented their greed through Dove Pigeons, a tamed animal invention that could cross dimensions, and a new type of magical parchment. This new parchment, colloquially called Magic Letters, were created by a rival group and were cheaper to make. Stamped with a magic circle at the corner, it linked two select parchments and was accessible with any kind of ink, unlike with Soul Ink-Paper.

Opening up the rolled-up parchment, fancy cursive writing appeared. "Something has happened to Gate 7."