Chapter 8: Chapter 8: The Luck of a Lancer: E
[As promised, Ishtar indeed began to train with you regularly from that day on.]
[Although you never trained your martial arts with much focus, Ishtar remained the strongest war god.]
[The skills she taught you weren't for mere amusement; they were immensely useful.]
[You abandoned the martial arts you had planned to comprehend on your own and upgraded your "Pole Vault" technique to a unique move resembling "Spear Dance," and then shifted to proper spear techniques.]
(AN: It was originally written as Pole Dance instead of Spear Dance but we all know what that means.)
[Your skill level continually improved, and you soon noticed that when you used a move, the moment your mind flickered with inspiration, Ishtar, even when slightly increasing her strength, found it increasingly difficult to handle.]
[You realized you had developed the ability to fight above your level.]
[In other words... you were now at the level of a family genius, a human prodigy, and someone with the potential of an emperor.]
Another year passed.
In the mortal world, Gilgamesh had not changed. After Ishtar left, he continued with his usual routine of music and dance. The day Gilgamesh would awaken to become a wise king was still far off. Until then, the people living in the city-state would continue to suffer.
However, on the mountain top, living day by day with Ishtar, Susa had undergone significant changes.
"Good. At this level, you have improved a lot compared to before. With your current divine status, you are already excellent and complete. If you want to continue growing, training alone won't be enough."
Ishtar cast a sidelong glance at Susa. Although she had gotten used to seeing him train with his chest exposed, she still couldn't help but blush.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now, after the training, she saw the changes in Susa. No longer the somewhat youthful figure he had been before, Susa now resembled a true young man.
His dark, soft hair had grown past his shoulders, tied into a ponytail with a vine. Every time he wielded the spear, it looked like a playful spirit leaping through the air.
His face was fair and elegant, with a hint of divine purity, his serious expression accentuated by perfectly sculpted brows, making him resemble the noblest being in the world.
He wasn't wearing much clothing—just a white, translucent cloak draped over him, deliberately not hiding his slender waist. The delicate pink skin was adorned with even more delicate pink ornaments. And man, those abs! The itchiness she felt to dance her fingers on those abs was far too irresistible.
In short, to Ishtar, this sweat-drenched Susa was... simply too damn sexy!
He was an existence that even the most beautiful goddess could not resist. In all of Sumer, Ishtar was certain that no one could be more handsome than Susa.
If Susa were to return to the city-state now, who knows how many girls would be enamored by him, unable to sleep for nights, even tightening their legs in their dreams.
Such looks were truly captivating.
Ishtar had never seen such a handsome man, one who was "forever loyal" to her, and she couldn't help but blush.
Susa, however, didn't care about his changing appearance. Villains never need a particularly elegant exterior. If they had one, it would only be used as a tool, not something to be proud of. Instead, he was more concerned with Ishtar's comment that he had already reached a "complete" level at this stage.
The fact that his strength could no longer improve was the real issue. He summoned the simulator's character panel.
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Name: Susa
Strength: B-
Endurance: C-
Agility: B+
Mana: D
Luck: E-
Divinity: D
[You are Ishtar's servant, thus you have a small portion of divine power, granted by Ishtar.]
Magic Resistance: B
[You possess the divine nature of the ancient war god. Regardless of the era, ordinary magic cannot harm you.]
Beautiful Youth: A+
[You will always catch people's attention… and they will look again.]
War Apprentice: C
[As Ishtar's servant and disciple, you inherited her strength and gained a unique understanding of warfare and combat—you're a war apprentice.]
Oath-Breaker: A
[You have broken past oaths, or rather... you never intended to uphold any promises. Thus, no oath can bind you, and betrayal is the only thing you bring to others.]
Hammer Incarnation: C
[You have a special affinity with hammers, and you are naturally adept with any hammer-like weapon, unlocking their ultimate power.]
Yes, Susa realized that his character panel had reached a certain level now.
If he were in the Holy Grail War, he was confident he could win. As long as there were no troublesome opponents like Heracles or Gilgamesh. Although his panel wasn't quite perfect yet, it was at least at the level of a top-tier second-rate participant. Among all the divine beings, he wasn't particularly weak.
Except for luck.
E.
With a minus sign.
Susa took a deep breath.
It was clear that he was destined to be a Lancer but there was nothing he could do about it. After all, the most commonly used weapon on the battlefield in this era was the spear or pike.
Even in later times, among all cold weapons, the spear remained the most formidable. Whether on the battlefield or in the streets. Even the form of swords would evolve to resemble the spear more, as longer ranges became more important. Weapons like the rapier were created for faster attacks.
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Therefore, to defeat Gilgamesh, the only weapon Ishtar could have mastered was the spear. It was not only simple but also had the potential to end the battle in one strike.
But surely, he didn't have to end up as just a spearman, right?
It couldn't be that because he was the villain, his luck was lower.
'Life is hard,' Susa sighed.
However, for those with good luck, getting bitten by a spider could turn them into a superhero. Eating a fruit could grant them devil fruit powers, and having people around them constantly die just means their own fate is not in danger. Those kinds of people are likely to become the protagonist, the pure and positive role.
As for those with bad luck, who were never favored by the world, would become villains and walk a path opposed to the protagonist.
"I get it now," Susa nodded. He stopped lamenting his stats.
He turned to Ishtar, who was still absentmindedly staring at nothing, and said, "So, from now on, I will train even harder, continually working to become the pillar and protector beside the goddess."
He bowed respectfully before his goddess. Right from the start, he sounded like a devoted dog.
"Whatever you ask of me, as long as it brings me closer to you, I will do it."