Twenty Levels Scaling

Chapter 13: Useless

"I was joking, now, Take that kill!"

After hearing that shout, Ken stabs the goblin and indeed the quest progress went up, and with the help of his friends, Ken was able to complete this quest too.

"Thank you so much, guys, you are real lifesavers," Says Lisa while kindly thanking them

"Also, what are you guys doing here, didn't you had a quest yourselves, and also this place is far away from the city, how did you know to come here?" Ask Ken

And Inaba replies:

"Tamura is insane, he literally carried the whole quest, I didn't get to do anything, he was defeating them so fast I started eating while I was looking at him,"

"That's why you didn't help me?" Says Tamura looking kinda angry

"Eh? Don't say it you didn't enjoy it, also you looked like you didn't need any help, I would have just get in the way"

"Yes, Don't get in my way," Tamura says this and calm down a bit

"And for the location, I was there when Lisa picked the quests, of course, I remember where everyone went, well, almost everyone, I don't remember where Inazuke and Soma went since it didn't interest me" Continues Inaba

"We were just outside the city for an escort mission," Says Inazuke that was behind them

Everyone got scared

"How did you know we were here?" Says Inaba

"Um, the map maybe? party members are pointed on it, and since we see that the whole party is here, we decided to see what was happening here" Says Inazuke

"Whole party?" Ask Ken

"Yes, Even Yonezu is here," Says Soma and points to a nearby cliff

Yonezu was there looking at them. Since he knows he was spotted he jumps from the cliff in front of them

"Yonezu? From when are you standing there?" Says Ken

"Hmm, from the beginning of your quest I presume," Says Yonezu after he thinks a little

"Beginning of the quest? You haven't started yours yet?" Ask Lisa

"Of course I started it, I even completed it," Says Yonezu

"Complete? already?" Ken started to put some questions in his mind

"Am I the most useless in the team? I couldn't even defeat 2 goblins on my own" While he was still thinking, something strange happened

A notification popped in front of all of them saying

"Boss event starting in 3...2...1..."

"What?" Everyone said this at the same time but then a big explosion occurred

From the big explosion, a huge goblin spawned, he was bigger than all the other goblins they saw. Everyone got surprised, instead of Ken that was not even looking at him, he was staring at the ground with his eyes wide open murmuring:

"Useless, useless, useless...."

Lisa gets to him and start shouting at him

"OI KEN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING, GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF"

She shouts and tries to shake Ken. But before touching him a protective wind barrier gets in front of her.

"Uh, let him alone, he may have a breakdown," says Yonezu and prepares to fight the goblin

Everyone did that even Lisa that after he saw Ken she got a little down.

Everyone did their best to fight it. It was some sort of a pyromancer goblin, so it was hard even to get close to him. Tho everyone was doing some decent damage. Too bad the goblin boss had regenerative capabilities so their effort was in vain.

"Tsk, I need some more time for my ultimate to activate," Says Yonezu

Lisa was still healing him even tho he was as healthy as ever. Lisa knew Yonezu was their only chance. After shooting the boss for some time Inazba gives up

"There is no use, my arrows are healing him instead of dealing damage,"

Tamura gets near them after dashing

"Can you take him in your ultimate so we can catch a breath?" Ask Yonezu looking at Tamura

"I tried 5 times by now, seems like he is immune to those kinds of spells"

While they were still talking the boss prepared a big fireball that launched in their direction

Ionezu and Soma that was near the boss warn them about that

"CAREFULLY" they shout

They saw the big attack and everyone stepped out from its range. Instead of Ken that was still standing there murmuring the word "Useless"

Everyone saw that the attack was going in Ken direction and the little wind current that was in front of him had no chance to defend from such a powerful spell

"KEN!" Shouted everyone,

Before the fireball hit him he drawn his blade,

"USELESS" Ken shouts and he deflects the fireball. the fireball that was a decent size got even bigger and the color changed from a bright red to a combination of green and black

The spell hit the goblin right back and made a big hole in his stomach

Even the goblin got surprised by that and everyone noticed that the goblin was not regenerating.

They looked at the goblin smiling a little bit but then they heard some heavy breathing and looked at Ken.

Ken was glowing green, the same he was glowing red when he used the rage mechanic and had on his face a weird demon mask. Everyone saw the mask, it was always with Ken but they tough it's only a fashion choice

Yonezu didn't take a second to waste and right after he saw that the goblin was not regenerating he used his ultimate transforming into the "Redeemer"

Everyone's attention was now at Yonezu. Lisa turned back to look at Ken, but Ken disappeared.

"Ken?" Ask Lisa

But she didn't have time to think that much because Inazuke and Soma got back to them, they were burning, and Lisa needed to heal them. Meanwhile, Yonezu was fighting the goblin that was angrier now.

Yonezu prepares his most powerful attack after he started glowing but the goblin was not letting him do that. He tries to grab him but before he can lay a finger on Yonezu, Ken appears in front of him and cuts his fingers.

After he charged his attack, Yonezu unleashes it and he manages to cut the goblin's other arms. The goblin backs a little but Ken was still in front of him and looked like floating. He blinks behind him, stabs him with his sword leaving it there, and teleports in front of him again. With 3 rapid kicks right in the goblin face, one left, one right, and one right in the top of the head after a backflip the orc was defeated,

They didn't have time to celebrate because after defeating the orc Ken attention was on Yonezu that was still transformed into the Redeemer

Ken slowly approached Yonezu that was not looking at him. He makes his blade appear but before he takes another step, Lisa steps in front of him protecting Yonezu. Ken looks at her for a second but he still made his sword glow green preparing to strike. but unexpectedly the other Ken's arm slaps him and makes his mask fall off. Lisa got surprised at what she saw. Ken was looking at her with his eyes wide open, and with tears fallings from his eyes. He stays like this for 2 seconds and then collapses.

They wait around 5 minutes to realize what the hell happened there,

"I know there is no such thing as "rage mechanic" it was just Ken being bullshit," Says Inazuke

"Hey, Don't blame him, he doesn't look like he knows very well what is happening to him," says Lisa

"It's indeed very interesting," Says Yonezu and picks up Ken's mask

"Careful with that, it might be dangerous," says Inaba

Yonezu didn't listen and still picked up the mask

"How does this thing stayed on his face? it doesn't have any way to put it on," Thinks Yonezu

He still gently brought the mask close to his face. The mask started glowing green again. even tho the mask had holes where the eyes should be, his point of view was totally black. He heard some whispers but then a female voice that was shouting scares Yonezu,

"Where is Ken?"

Yonezu throws the mask after getting scared,

"Told you to not play with it, it might be dangerous,"

Yonezu thinks while looking at Ken

"What is the deal with this guy?"

After Inazuke was done eating he said

"Ok, I think it's time to go back, let's make rock-paper-scissors for who is carrying back Ken

Ken woke up and said

"You know I always win at that game, but for what are we playing it this time?" Of course, Ken didn't remember a thing about what happened before he fainted, it's the typical fainting cliche

Lisa comes to him and hugs him

"I told you to never do this again!"

Ken looked at her confused,

"How can I not win at rock-paper-scissors? Well, I guess I kinda tryhard that game, but it's still luck-based right?"

Everyone started laughing after hearing that

"Oh, what is this doing on the ground?" Says Ken while looking at his mask. he reaches to grab her but he gets grabbed by hand by Yonezu that looks at him with a serious expression,

"Be careful with that"

"Oh, please, I've done this for 5 years by now, I got it"

"Yea, we saw that," says Yonezu

"What do you mean? We defeated the goblin, didn't we?" replies Ken

"You remember fighting it?" says Yonezu surprised,

"Calm down, the mask didn't possed me or something, it made me feel better, funny enough. It also... made me remember something, about my past,"

"If you don't want to talk to us it's okay," says Lisa

"No, it's not, I am still curious what is the deal with the blade you are carrying and with the mask too," says Yonezu

"Don't worry, there is no point keeping this to myself, I might tell you when we get home,"

"Aren't you hungry? we made some sandwiches," says Lisa

"Now that you said it..." but then he looks at Inazuke that was still chewing,

"Wait, we need to keep those?" says Inazuke with a mouthful,

Ken facepalmed and said

"Lisa, just make me some spaghetti please"

"You got it," Says Lisa excited

So they made their way to the restaurant. On the road, they were talking about strategies to use when next time a thing like this happens when they are in a quest.

They arrive at the restaurant and Lisa immediately goes into the kitchen to prepare the food.

They wait for the food and after it came, they all enjoyed a warm meal.

Until

"Ok, you ate, and I hope you still remember, you need us your backstory," Says Yonezu looking at Ken

"Yes..."