Chapter 103: The Demon Between Factions

In front of Luke, the forest felt alive and hostile. Orcs emerged from every direction, crawling out of the shadows, from behind trees, and through the tall grass. A living trap, every pair of eyes locked on him, hungry for blood.

Among them, two stood out by sheer presence. Orc Captains, massive brutes clad in crude armor made from bone and metal.

“So what now, kid?” growled the lead captain, lifting a massive axe. “Gonna beg for your life? Cry, and I might make it quick.”

Spears were raised. Archers drew their bows, arrows poised to strike. Luke responded the only way he knew how.

He pulled the kukris from his inventory. “Only feel tough with numbers, huh? How about a duel? Or are you too much of a coward for that?”

The captain laughed, spitting into the dirt. “Everyone here wants your head, runt. I’d be a shitty leader if I didn’t let them enjoy the kill.”

He barked the order.

“ATTACK!”

The spears came first. Luke sprinted straight toward the captain, weaving and dodging with sharp, precise movements. Arrows sliced through the air around him. A battleaxe came down hard, aiming for his skull.

But in the blink of an eye, Luke vanished in a swirl of black mist.

[Wraith Form]

The darkness passed through the captain, curled around his body, and behind him, Luke materialized in human form. The kukris slashed across the orc’s back before he could even turn. His roar of pain echoed through the trees.

The second Orc Captain charged in, bellowing, raising a massive broadsword. But he never got the chance to swing. Charlie exploded out of Luke like a ghost, already wielding the Orc-Slayer Blade. The red weapon gleamed, pulsing with the enchantment [Bonus Damage against Orcs], and clashed against the broadsword in a thunderous impact.

They collided, trading brutal blows. Steel slammed into steel, each clash shaking the forest floor beneath them.

Luke used Basic Dark Dash to reposition, his body melting into mist and reforming in the middle of a cluster of orcs. The cloud spread out, blinding them. By the time he returned to human form, he was already spinning through the air, his blades dancing.

A vortex of death. Charlie was surrounded. A dozen orcs crashed onto her like a wave of claws and blades. Then lightning burst in every direction. Her Manticore breastplate flared with power. The orcs staggered back as she let out a silent scream and surged forward, activating [Whirlwind Strike].

Bodies flew.

Luke hurled his kukris. The blades split mid-air, embedding themselves into multiple enemies at once. He surged through the chaos, slicing throats and severing tendons, each movement deliberate and deadly.

The Orc Captain roared and slammed his axe into the ground. A shockwave tore through the earth, racing toward Luke.

He leapt high, his legs powered by the Aracna Leggings. While airborne, he spun and came down hard, kukris crossing in a lethal strike. The captain raised his axe just in time to block, but Luke had already pivoted into another slash.

Behind him, Charlie dashed forward and unleashed a [Heavy Strike].

The impact slammed into the captain’s chest, sending him stumbling back. He countered with a brutal swing that smashed into her side. She flew, crashed, but twisted mid-air and rebounded, coming back even faster.

Her blade swept wide, cutting through the next wave of orcs.

The Orc Captain with the sword leapt high, spinning mid-air. His strike came down hard toward Luke, who crossed his kukris at the last possible second to block. The force was so violent that the mud beneath Luke’s feet gave way, sinking him ankle-deep, but he didn’t fall.

A brutal kick followed, slamming him into a tree. Pain shot through his back, his spine vibrating with the impact. Then the second Orc Captain was already upon him, his axe swinging in a deadly arc aimed to take Luke’s head.

Luke activated Basic Dark Dash, vanishing just in time. He slid past the orc’s side, slashing clean across the creature’s back as he passed. The first captain charged again, sword raised for another strike, but Luke dissolved into shadow just before the blade could hit. Inside the black fog, he reappeared behind the orc and struck. A slice across the ribs. Then a clean punch to the jaw.

The orc stumbled. Luke didn’t give him time to recover. He jumped, diving with both kukris, driving them deep into the orc’s chest. Twisting mid-air, he kicked off the enemy’s torso and followed up with a crushing punch to the stomach that sent the brute flying.

Their stats were high. This orc was as strong as Charlie.

His demonic perception screamed. Luke flipped mid-air just in time, narrowly dodging a cleaving axe swing from behind. He flipped again, using the motion to land a hard kick across the second captain’s face, then hurled a kukri toward the other mid-spin.

Charlie followed next. She looked like a wild beast wrapped in the form of a warrior.

Her Iron Fist struck the captain square in the chest. The orc screamed, staggering backward, but Charlie didn’t stop. She drove her sword into his back, activating Spectral Charge. The blade pushed him, dragging through armor and flesh. The orc howled in pain.

Above them, Luke dropped like a shadow. His kukris spun in his hands. A clean slash. The head flew.

[You have slain Kuttrir, the Orc Captain – Lvl 22]

*Your class [Demonic Assassin] has reached Level 21! (Class Bonus Points Acquired)*

Charlie kept her momentum, grabbing the dead captain’s body and hurling it into the second. The collision knocked the orc backward. Luke dashed into the enemy’s rear ranks, archers and foot soldiers.

His kukris carved through the air, duplicated. He moved like a blur. A slash. A spin. Several fell before realizing they were even under attack.

Across the battlefield, Captain Sarottar rose again, his axe glowing with fury. He roared and charged at Charlie.

The two clashed, blade against axe. Strike after strike. Sparks erupted with every impact. Then Sarottar grinned, locked her sword under his axe, and pulled back his fist.

The punch landed. A sickening crunch.

He shouted, “What the hell…?!”

It was like punching metal. Her bones weren’t bones anymore.

“What the fuck are you made of?” he barked, recoiling.

Charlie responded by seizing his wrist and squeezing. Bones cracked under her grip. He swung his axe in desperation, but she dismissed her weapon into her inventory and caught the blade with her bare hand.

Pure strength.

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Her fist glowed, Iron Fist charged. Then the kick.

Sarottar flew backward. Before he could hit the ground, Charlie was already on top of him. One punch. Another. Teeth flew. Blood sprayed. He tried to rise, but she twisted back, summoned her sword, and struck like lightning.

Everything went dark for Sarottar. His head hit the earth, cleanly severed.

[Princess Charlie has slain Sarottar, Orc Captain – Lvl 24]

*The [Death Knight] class of Princess Charlie has reached Level 18! (Class Bonus Points Acquired)*

[An item has been added to your inventory]

Luke stood, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his brow, mixing with orc blood and dust. The battlefield stank of blood and damp soil. The feral orcs had fled, scattered in blind panic like rats—but Luke knew better than to celebrate.

They’d return. In greater numbers. And with bloodlust.

He leaned against a nearby tree, feeling the adrenaline crash like a wave through his veins. Charlie stood beside him, still gripping her sword, eyes scanning the treeline—an unwavering sentinel.

Luke opened his system interface.

Name: Luke
Level: 10
Rank: F
Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 21)]
Race: Half-Demon
Profession: –
Titles: [Dark Lord]
Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon]
Health Points (HP): 906/990
Mana Points (MP): 468/630
Stamina: 513/540
Soul Fragments: 28/1000