Chapter 168: Survival Guide With a Snarky Soul

Luke followed a narrow trail that cut deep through the dense forest of this new section of the Wild Zone. The capital was still far off—its presence lingering beyond the horizon—but the quiet, steady march served as a rare opportunity for reflection. Now, with Artemis chattering in his ear, he found himself seeing recent events from a different perspective.

Ever since leaving the fortress and crossing the barrier, his thoughts kept circling back. To the choices he’d made. The names he’d lost. The roads he’d taken. And the questions that still had no answer.

He had asked many times: Who was Samael? Why did this so-called inventor want to meet him? What did he expect from Luke?

But Artemis never gave a straight answer. Sometimes she changed the subject. Sometimes she said she wasn’t allowed. And sometimes she just sighed. Eventually, he stopped pressing. All he had—all he truly knew—was that somewhere deep in the heart of the capital, Samael was waiting for him.

As he walked beneath the thick canopy, beams of filtered sunlight trickled through the leaves, casting fluid, ever-shifting patterns along the forest floor. It was the kind of atmosphere that made it easy to get lost in thought.

He repeated Angelica’s words in his mind—his only clue about the third mechanism:

“Beyond the great barrier. Near the end. Guarded by a serpent. In the heart of the kingdom.”

Vague. Poetic. But it was all he had.

Those words shaped his path.

Luke had learned something important: Artemis was a talker. An unstoppable, relentless talker. Ever since they’d crossed through the gate, she’d barely shut up. And while he didn’t exactly blame her—after all, she’d been trapped inside a necklace in silence for months—most of what she said revolved around food, made-up personal drama, or wildly random questions about Earth life.

Sighing, Luke opened his system screen.

Name: Luke
Level: 15
Rank: F
Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 28)]
Race: Half-Demon
Profession: –
Titles: [Dark Lord]
Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon]
Health Points (HP): 1270/1270
Mana Points (MP): 821/920
Stamina: 362/630
Soul Fragments: 62/1000

Stats:
Strength: 144
Agility: 135 (185)
Endurance: 43 (63)
Vitality: 127
Perception: 146 (156)
Intelligence: 87 (92)
Free Points: 1

Class Skills: [Basic Blade Handling (Common)], [Profane Knife Throwing (Uncommon)], [Twin Blade (Common)], [Basic Dark Dash (Rare)], [Basic Blood Regeneration (Rare)], [Assassin’s Mark (Rare)], [Demonic Blade Dance (Rare)], [Wraith Form (Ultra-Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)]

Race Skills: [Identify (Common)], [Demonic Perception (Uncommon)], [Dark Blood (Uncommon)], [Meditation (Common)], [Demonic Endurance (Uncommon)]

Bloodline Skill: [Servant of the Dark Lord (Unique)]

Servants: [Princess Charlie (Skeleton) – Lvl 14], [Servant Slot Available]

Closing the system screen, Luke focused on the path ahead.

“By the way…” Artemis started, her tone as casual as ever. “I’m fully on board with Team Luke and Princess Charlie. I know there’s a bit of unresolved sexual tension with Allison, but my favorite ship is still Luke and Charlie.”

“What? What the hell are you talking about?” Luke snapped, shaking the necklace in annoyance. Beside him, Charlie looked… mildly pleased.

“Hey! Don’t shake me like that. It’s not my fault you two have chemistry. I’m just sharing my honest opinion as a viewer, alright?”

“Don’t say ridiculous things.”

Artemis gave a theatrical cough. “It’s not like I had anything better to do. Watching you two was my only entertainment. And, honestly? You’re incredibly dense, you know that?”

“Dense? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

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“You need to own your feelings. Come on, tell Charlie you love her.”

“WHAT?!” Luke spun toward the skeleton in disbelief. Charlie quickly looked away, visibly flustered.

“Stop making up that crap! Are you mentally defective?”

“I was just trying to toss a little kindling on the love fire. Quit shaking me and I’ll stop. Promise!”

“Fine. Just… don’t say stuff like that again.”

“Alright, alright…”

Choosing to ignore the deranged ramblings of his sentient necklace, Luke picked up his pace and focused on the trail ahead. He funneled stamina into his legs, letting his movements grow more fluid. The terrain had changed. When he first crossed the gate, it felt like he stood atop a hill—with a clear view of the distant capital. But now, buried in thick forest, visibility was poor. It struck him as strange.

Back on that ridge, the capital had seemed closer. Almost within reach. But now, as he moved deeper, it felt farther away. Luke suspected magic. Something designed to show the traveler a glimpse of the capital—just enough to lure them in.

Leaping from branch to branch, he noticed something else: no immediate threats. It was unnerving in its own way.

“This Samael… is he one of the investors of the tutorial?” he asked while running.