166 - 24 Hearts

Chapter 166. Urun, the Land of Leisure and Culture ~♪ Suddenly, a pleasant alarm chimed as though it were a figment of imagination. It was an oddly refreshing sound, out of tune with the surrounding atmosphere, that left Yuda momentarily confused. As he tried to grasp the situation, he suddenly felt the alien magic of Yakhal within him being washed away, lightening his body considerably. The fatigue was fading. A wave of delightful euphoria, akin to a mind-losing orgasm, spread throughout his body. As the glorious sensation began to wane, messages, usually unseen, started to update and stream before his eyes independently. [You have overcome the Avatar of Asmodeus, one of the powerful demon lords under the dominion of lust from the Seven Deadly Sins.] [Although her avatar was weakened due to a long-standing seal, this is still an astounding achievement.] [Defeating Asmodeus's Avatar has increased your Strength by 2, Stamina by 1, Agility by 1, and Magic Resistance by 2, with your lowest stat rising by 3!] [Level up.] [Level up.] [Mastery of the Shadow Swordsmanship/Demon Law has increased by 1, achieving Mastery.] 'Huh?' The messages that had rapidly updated suddenly halted. Yuda, upon seeing the messages about level-up and mastery, felt his thoughts briefly pause. '...Does this mean?' If his thinking was correct, didn't it imply he had become an Owner of a Spirit Sword? As if confirming his thoughts, a short and concise message appeared before him. [You have reached the rank of 〈Owner of a Spirit Sword〉.] Temporarily, the update of other messages halted. The term "Owner of a Spirit Sword" appeared twice as large as the other text, almost as if offering congratulations. There was no grand fanfare, just a sense of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his chest. The previously frozen messages began to update again. [You have acquired the title 〈Owner of a Spirit Sword〉.] 〈Owner of a Spirit Sword〉 You have reached the pinnacle of martial honor and radiant glory for those who wield weapons. Even a mere twig in your hand could become a formidable weapon, capable of defending you or dealing a crushing defeat to those who obstruct your path. Congratulations on your efforts and your remarkable achievement in reaching this glorious position. - Weapon proficiency increased by 10% - Weapon attack speed increased by 5% - Weapon attack power increased by 10% - Weapon durability consumption reduced by 10% - For techniques and skills related to martial arts, magic/fatigue consumption reduced by 20% - Increase all attributes by 2, excluding special ability stats, once ────────────────────── 「Status Window」 [Name: Yuda Arshe] [Title: Owner of a Spirit Sword(3)] [Level: 50] [Occupation: Black Claw _ Shadow Demon Swordsman(Hidden_A)] [Resurrection Count: 25] [Strength: 53(C) / Potential A ] [Stamina: 48(C) / Potential S ] [Agility: 62(B) / Potential SS] [Magic: 45(C) / Potential B ] [Magic Resistance: 60(B) / Potential S ] [Charisma: 15(F) / Potential A ] [Intelligence: 21(D) / Potential B ] ◀ Special [Luck: 85(A) / Potential S ] ◀ Special [Remaining Points: 14] ────────────────────── [Upon becoming an Owner of a Spirit Sword, the lock on the Shadow Swordsmanship/Demon Law skills has been lifted.] Shadow Demon Law (邪法) └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 1: Shadow Expansion └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 2: Demon Eye Unseal/Seal └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 3: Afterimage └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 4: Advanced Black Armament Creation └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 5: Protective Wall of Spirits └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 6: Chain Expansion └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 7: Shadow Movement └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 8: Punishment (Executioner's Scythe/ Hound of Execution/ Blade of Execution) └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 9: Dancing Phantom Knight └ Owner of Spirit Sword Soul: Chief Quake of the Red Bear Tribe └ Shadow Demon Law - Form 10: Arcadia Manifestation Shadow Swordsmanship (劍法) └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 1: Potential Liberation └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 2: Slash └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 3: Focus Point └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 4: Illusion Blade └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 5: Mimicry / Abyss └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 6: Rising Slash └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 7: False Slash └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 8: Left-handed Blade Moonlight (New Moon/ Last Quarter/ Full Moon/ First Quarter/ Crescent/ Dark) └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 9: Soaring Blade └ Shadow Swordsmanship - Form 10: Enhancement of Sword Techniques and Demon Law "......" Yuda blinked in disbelief. In addition, there were frivolous messages about the elves being unharmed and that his companion, Arhil, had also leveled up and gained bonus attributes. Furrowing his brows at the cluttered messages before him, he shut everything except for the 〈Status Window〉 and 〈Skill Window〉, finally brightening part of his view. Meanwhile, at the moment Asmodeus consumed herself in flames and vanished, Yuda, having successfully defeated her, received the system's rewards, reaching the exclusive privilege of becoming an Owner of a Spirit Sword. At that very moment, Arhil was experiencing something entirely different. 'Is this… peace?' In the darkness of the night, which Yuda had filled with dramatic clashes of magic, Arhil had been watching in silence, unable to comprehend the spectacle. Suddenly, she felt a serene comfort surrounding her. Time seemed to stand still for her. Like clothes soaking leisurely in a gentle rain, a pleasant sensation began to well up slowly. Amid this mysterious euphoria, a glowing silhouette appeared faintly before her eyes. -Indeed, I wasn't mistaken. Whose voice is this? Arhil was startled by the familiar voice but was soon enveloped in a calming, unknown energy. A gentle heat spread through her body as strength left her legs. But it wasn't just her legs—her entire body felt drained of energy, making her kneel effortlessly. That voice… the woman who was fighting Yuda just moments ago. Arhil, unfamiliar with the name and existence of Asmodeus, merely assumed her to be a highly skilled mage. Witnessing her self-immolation and subsequent demise had been a shock. The voice now resonating before her proved she was not merely a mage. Arhil wanted to question the puzzling thoughts emerging in her mind, but her mouth wouldn't open. Instead, an intoxicating pleasure continued to melt her body. Embarrassingly, she realized her body was becoming excited, yet there was nothing she could do to control it. “Hngh!” A moan escaped her lips, and despite it being the dark of night, she perceived a flash of light before her eyes. Her body felt languid, and her inner garments were becoming damp. A dull throbbing echoed in her lower abdomen. - You possess talent. Become my apostle. Apostle…? - I shall make it so you have no choice but to seek me out. Arhil couldn't comprehend the meaning behind the voice's propositions. It was a language foreign to her understanding. Her opinion, though, was irrelevant. The glowing, translucent figure's magic seeped into and occupied her body by force. Reflexively, she attempted to summon divine power to protect herself, yet, despite having a saintess' potential, she couldn’t withstand Asmodeus’s overwhelming power. "Kyaaaah…!" Arhil's voice, dripping with sensuality, was neither a scream nor a moan, as she reached a peak of sensation. Her body twitched and convulsed like a fish out of water. "?!" Yuda, in the process of checking the updated status and newly acquired skills, turned sharply at the unexpected, sensual sound. Specifically, toward Arhil, who was positioned far off. She was kneeling, gazing blankly at a spatial distortion in the air, convulsing. Initially doubtful, Yuda squinted, taking a few steps forward, his brow furrowing. Yakhal's blade trailed the ground like dead weight. But no, he hadn’t seen wrong. Rather than calling Arhil’s name, Yuda dashed forward wielding Yakhal in his left hand. Though lacking a form, whether ghostly or phantasmal, something was unmistakably attempting to exert influence over Arhil. Activating his newly acquired Shadow Swordsmanship as an Owner of a Spirit Sword, Yuda rushed toward the unknown threat. An ethereal shadow-like mist enveloped Yakhal’s blade raised into the sky. ‘False Slash.’ A technique to cut through illusions or otherworldly entities. The slender, graceful blade bisected the empty air. - Too late. The transparent figure, unrecognizable in form, turned, addressing Yuda. The voice belonged to Asmodeus. She, whom Yuda had presumed vanished with her avatar's death, had affixed herself to Arhil! As Yuda looked down at the collapsed Arhil, yet another window materialized before him. [Your companion Arhil's profession changes from 〈Intermediate Priest〉 to 〈Saint of Lust〉.] [Part of Asmodeus's power of lust has taken root within her.] [The race 〈Human〉 begins transformation into 〈Demon〉.] [Acquired characteristic 〈Saint of Lust〉.] [Characteristic 〈Potential of a Saintess〉 changes to 〈Potential of an Apostle〉.] [Rank of 〈Irresistible Temptation〉 increases by one.] [Overall skill ranks increase by one.] ────────────────────── 「Status Window」 [Name: Arhil] [Title: Savior] [True Name: One who never loses hope] [Level: 44] [Profession: Saint of Lust (A)] [Race: Human → Demon (In Transformation)] [Strength: 27(D) / Potential C ] [Stamina: 35(D) / Potential B ] [Agility: 30(D) / Potential C ] [Divine Power: 68(B) / Potential S ] [Magic Resistance: 55(C) / Potential S ] [Faith: 66(B) / Potential S ] ◀ Special [Intellect: 40(C) / Potential A ] ◀ Special [Luck: 59(C) / Potential C ] ◀ Special [Affinity: 49 (Interest)] [Reliability: 100 (Friendship)] 「Characteristics 6/6」 [Potential of an Apostle] - Rank: A [Savior] - Rank: A [Divine Amplification] - Rank: B [Irresistible Temptation] - Rank: A [For Your Sake] - Rank: D(S) [Saint of Lust] - Rank: A 「Skills 4/5」 [Divine Magic - Blessing] - Rank: A [Divine Magic - Protection] - Rank: A [Divine Martial Arts] - Rank: B [Self-defense] - Rank: B ────────────────────── …Yuda was momentarily bewildered, staring at the status window before hastily dismissing it. He knew that numerical stats weren't the priority right now—Arhil's condition was. Lifting the fallen Arhil, he urgently called her name. “Arhil! Snap out of it!” He tapped her shoulders, trying to awaken her. Surprisingly, she quickly regained her senses. Her sweat-soaked neck twitched first, and her eyes fluttered before she opened them slowly, as if nothing happened. “Ugh... Why?” Remarkably, she stretched as if awoken from a long, restful sleep, yawning big in Yuda's arms, remembering nothing. Feeling somewhat foolish for having worried, Yuda watched Arhil incredulously as she beamed an innocent smile at him. “Ha.” Even in the dark, her smile shone brightly, and Yuda let out a slightly exasperated chuckle. “?” Arhil just tilted her head in confusion. ---------= Author's Notes ---------= December 8, 2016, Thursday, Weather: Chilly I was about to write about school, but fearing it might reveal my identity, I hesitantly deleted and rewrote. Today, I checked the comments. (I do this every day, every hour.) Apparently, they give out coupons if you post continuous updates. ...Sh*t. For a student facing exams, it's an utterly impossible feat. It feels like being a prisoner, trapped behind iron bars, forced to watch the guards outside indulging in fried chicken. I really want some chicken. If I can have chicken tomorrow, I'll make sure to eat it. It was a natural stream of consciousness.