The Hidden World

“What’s wrong with a girl?” Erica asked the male elf sweetly, her smile more than a little dangerous.

“There’s nothing wrong with a girl. I just don’t want a girl to be my boss,” the man said. “Look at her. She looks so weak.”

‘That was a terrible answer,’ Yuki thought.

“Oh so you just don’t want a girl as your boss,” Erica said, her smile dropping. “Because you think girls are weak.”

“I, umm,” the dwarf replied. He seemed to understand what he just got himself into. “Yeah.”

‘He’s an idiot,’ Yuki decided. Then he contacted Akira who was watching the exchange next to him with a frown. ‘Remove him. He’s an idiot. We don’t need someone that doesn’t understand basic social cues.’

[Gladly,] Akira growled.

“Erica, kick him out,” she said out loud.

“With pleasure,” Erica smiled. Then she pointed at the man and curled her fingers. “Come here.”

As she said those words, Yuki could feel magic be poured into them. The words sounded melodic and charming and Yuki felt the slight urge to walk toward Erica even though he wasn’t the target. The others in the room, save for the two of them and Akira, also seemed to be affected as they all started to unconsciously drag their feet to Erica. Then they snapped out of it and looked around in confusion. The male dwarf that Erica was talking to wasn’t so lucky and walked straight to her.

“Yes?” he asked, his voice a bit flat.

Erica said nothing and placed her hand on his head. Then her eyes narrowed and Yuki felt another rush of mana. The dwarf collapsed and Erica let him fall to the ground. She picked up his arms, opened the door, and come back in later with no dwarf in her hands.

“Anyone else has a problem with a girl?” she asked brightly.

“I don’t have a problem,” a man said from the kitchen. He was rather tall and bulky with tan skin. “She seems strong.”

The girl beside him nodded.

“You can tell just by looking,” she said in a melodic voice.

“Yeah right,” a female elf said from the couch. “That’s impossible to do. I don’t have a problem with a girl but I need proof that she’s strong. I won’t follow someone that’s weaker than me.”

‘Are those two that said they were fine with me the demons?’

“I agree,” a dwarf said, his head barely past the top of the couch. “I’m fine a girl, but I need a strong one to follow.”

“And how do you want me to prove that?” Yuki asked, speaking for the first time. “Are there any volunteers that want to test me?”

“I’ll do it,” an elf said, also sitting on the couch. “I’ll let you know what I’m almost rank B.”

‘Akira, why is someone that weak here?’ Yuki asked.

[I think Erica forgot to check their ranks,] she replied. [Want me to kick them out?]

‘No, I’ll do it myself since they volunteered.’

“Alright then,” Yuki said to the elf. “Erica, where can we fight?”

“There’s a clearing behind this little cozy building,” she answered. She pointed at a door in the back of the room. “It’s over there. It’ll be perfect for sparring.”

“Thank you,” he said and walked to the door. The rest of the people in the room followed him when he went through the door.

The clearing was a grassy field that was roughly the same area as the building it was behind. There were fences around the back that separated it from the other buildings next to it.

“Let’s begin,” Yuki announced. He walked to one end of the field. “How do you plan to fight?”

“I’ll use whatever you’ll be using,” the elf replied confidently. “Ladies first.”

[Yuki, beat him up,] Akira requested.

‘I might.’

“Just pick a weapon,” Yuki said. “Or I’ll pick your weapon for you. This might be your only chance to save yourself.”

“Go ahead and pick it then,” the elf smirked. “I can win with whatever.”

‘I’m pretty sure if I gave him a bow, he would shoot himself.’

[I think so too.]

Yuki scanned the elf that had his chest puffed out and found a sheathed sword by his side. Glancing over his body, Yuki saw that the elf was relatively well built and was most likely a swordsman.

“You’ll be using a sword,” Yuki said.

“Are you sure about that?” the elf replied, the smirk dropping a little. “What would you be using?”

“My fist. Now let’s get started,” Yuki answered. He raised his hands and gestured to the elf to come. “Draw your sword and let’s fight.”

“Are you sure?”

“Just come at me,” Yuki sighed. “Unless you’re too scared of course.”

“Well I gave you a chance,” the elf said, drawing his sword. “I won’t hold back even if you are a girl.”

“Hurry up.”

The elf obeyed and charged at Yuki. He was yelling at the top of his lungs as he did this and Yuki didn’t know why.

‘That’s going to attract attention here.’

Yuki snapped his fingers and gave himself a short speed enchantment. Then he sidestepped the swing blade and struck under the elf’s mouth, slamming it up.

“Please be quiet and refrain from screaming while we fight,” Yuki said softly. “I don’t want people to come looking here.”

The elf narrowed his eyes and slashed sideways at Yuki, the blade blurring as it flew at inhuman speeds. Yuki tilted his head to the side and it whistled past his head. Then Yuki grabbed the wrist of the hand wielding the sword and pulled on it. The elf resisted but the sudden force caused him to lose balance and Yuki began to his assault.

Yuki struck with pinpoint accuracy the pressure points of the elf, his rigid fingers jabbing each target. Once the elf was momentarily paralyzed, Yuki used his fist and feet to land a series of hits that ended with a powerful blow to the elf’s face.

‘Thirty seconds,’ Yuki counted in his mind. ‘That’s some good time.’

[You Have Reached Rank B.]

Before Yuki, a message appeared. This was the first time the UR had ever notified him about a rank up.

‘That’s good to know. Maybe it’ll do it for later ranks or tiers as well.’

The message was replaced by another one.

[A New Passive Has Been Discovered. {Demonic Growth} Has Been Unlocked.]

‘What does that do?’

As if to answer his question, the messages continued.

[Demonic Growth Increases The Speed For One To Reach Their Limit.]

‘Oh. That’s nice.’

[Yuki? Did something happen?] Akira asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

‘Oh, no. Just some notifications from the UR,’ Yuki replied. ‘I’ll tell you more about it later.’

[Did you just get a power up?]

‘Why do you ask?’

[I can feel you giving off some sort of pressure right now,] she explained. [The type of pressure that one has when they powerful. Like a kind of aura that can intimidate.]

‘What?’

[I have something like that as well. It’s useful when I don’t want goblins to bother me when we are in the forest,] Akira said.

Another message appeared before Yuki.

[Demonic Growth Has Awakened A New Skill. {Pressure} Has Been Unlocked.]

‘I just got a notification that appeared that told me I unlocked a skill called pressure,’ Yuki told Akira. ‘It’s probably that.’

Yuki looked at the people around him and noticed that most of them had looks of surprise and something that looked like intimidation. The two that Yuki was fairly certain were the two elemental demons looked satisfied for whatever reason Yuki didn’t know.

‘How do I turn it on and off?’ Yuki asked Akira.

[I just will it off,] she answered. [Though sometimes it leaks through so you have to be aware of it at all times.]

‘Alright.’

Yuki focused for a bit and pictured an aura around himself. Then he mentally pictured the aura getting sucked back into his body.

[I think you did it,] Akira said.

‘Good.’

Yuki turned to face the other people in backyard.

“So,” he said. “Anyone else want to fight?”

No one spoke and the groans of the elf that was just beaten was the only thing that could be heard. Yuki squatted down beside the fallen elf and gave him a fake smile.

“I told you to be quiet,” Yuki said. Then he chopped the elf on the neck and he stopped rolling around.