Chapter 205: Blood is the Assassin’s Power

Luke crouched atop the tallest building in that ruined city, perched on its edge like a gargoyle surveying the chaos below. From this vantage point, he had a clear view of everything ahead: scattered torch-lit camps, enemy routes, his own chosen path weaving right through them. He was closing in on the fortress that housed the third mechanism.

But the streets below were crawling with danger. Stone knights on stone horses patrolled the roads, each of them carrying a horn. They moved relentlessly, methodically. Unlike humans, statues didn’t get tired. They didn’t stop to piss, eat, talk, or sleep. They just kept walking the same routes, repeating the same movements like clockwork. Forever.

Luke let out a sigh and stared down the streets, focusing as he felt the mana within his body surge. He activated his new skill: [Assassin’s Tracking].

For a moment, his vision shifted. Trails began to appear: subtle ripples of mana where feet had touched the ground. The footprints of the stone knights glowed faintly beneath him. He saw the broken twigs, crushed leaves, even the indentations of hooves in the damp earth. Every vibration, every disturbance in the environment became visible. From the pressure of a step alone, he could determine which direction it had come from and where it was headed.

It was all there at once. Too much at first. But he’d been practicing how to filter the data: silhouettes and mana ripples first, then footsteps, then the big picture. One deduction layered on top of another until the battlefield mapped itself in his mind.

Before, he had to spend hours watching just to memorize enemy routines. Now, he could read them instantly, understand their behavior, even predict their next move. Two knights on horseback passed beneath him, riding close together. As they split off at an intersection, each heading down a different path, Luke made his move.

He leapt.

His cloak flared open mid-air, letting him glide silently down. He kicked the first knight off his mount, twisting in the air and hurling his kukri.

[You have slain a Watcher Knight – Lvl 45]

Before the body even hit the ground, Luke dashed forward, caught it, and shoved it into his pocket dimension.

He downed the stone horse next, then sprinted down the street, Advance Stealth active He dove through a broken window, sprinted across the room, and hurled himself out another side of the house just as the second knight turned the corner. The kukri struck true, embedding itself in the knight’s skull.

[You have slain a Watcher Knight – Lvl 45]

Luke dashed down the alley, vaulted over a broken fence, and landed on the next street, shifting into mist mid-jump. The third knight was swallowed by darkness. Luke moved without hesitation.

[You have slain a Watcher Knight – Lvl 45]

The mist dissolved, and Luke materialized. He gathered stamina in his arm, took aim, and hurled his kukri with everything he had. His final target, the one marked by Assassin’s Mark, was visible even through the wall. As the knight turned the corner into that street, the last thing it saw was a blade flying straight at its face.

[You have slain a Watcher Knight – Lvl 45]

The knight crumpled from its horse, lifeless.

*Your class [Demonic Assassin] has reached Level 36! (+5 Per, +4 Str, +4 Agi, +3 Vit, +2 Int, +3 Free Points)*

That section of the city was now clear. Those four knights had been crucial. Each of them patrolling intersections that connected to other squads, forming a deadly grid. This was the only place where their paths overlapped, and now that it was cleared, Luke had carved out a safer passage to press forward on his journey.

***

Luke sat perched on a large boulder deep in the forest, sharpening his focus for the battle ahead. The problem with finishing this challenge was simple: doing so would immediately remove the barrier keeping the serpent at bay.

The moment he defeated the area boss, the Beast Lord would be free to come after him. Two back-to-back boss fights. No rest. No prep time.

“You’re doing it wrong,” Artemis muttered.

Luke clicked his tongue and tossed the flawed arrow aside.

“Why not just use one of the regular enchanted arrows from your quiver?” she asked.

“You wouldn’t get it. It’s personal,” Luke replied without looking up. “It has to be one I craft myself. Especially if I’m right about this insight I’ve been chasing… it might be the only shot I’ve got at killing that giant snake.”

He was using a dense, high-quality wood for the arrow’s shaft. Over the last few days, he’d done a lot of experimenting, testing things, learning, using his profession’s growing knowledge to dig deeper. He’d even started working with the Beast Lord’s blood. The vial he’d collected still bubbled faintly with energy. And then there was the broken fang, from which he’d extracted a toxin. Except it wasn’t poison. It was acid.

“You really ought to be focusing on the stone monster you still haven’t killed,” Artemis said.

“There’s a good chance that once I beat the boss, this place stops being a safe zone. If the serpent comes for me right after, I need to be ready.”

“Then get your ass off that rock and get back to practicing with your bow. Daily lessons aren’t over, student. Come on. Off with your clothes. That’s an order from your teacher.”

“You mean just my shirt, right?”

“Y-yeah. Of course. Just your shirt,” she muttered.

Luke smirked and pulled Angelica’s bow from his inventory. Holding it always brought memories back. He took a breath and looked out at the forest. Charlie stood a bit farther ahead, keeping watch with her usual vigilance. Since she couldn’t help him clear the path directly, she’d thrown herself into guarding every second he stopped to rest.

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Then, something in the air shifted. A foul smell drifted toward him, and the black liquid in the cauldron nearby began to bubble. A notification blinked in front of his vision.

**You have successfully prepared a potion!**

Luke rushed over. Thick black liquid boiled violently in the pot. He narrowed his eyes.

“Let’s see what came out of this mess,” he muttered, casting Identify.

[Beast’s Darkness Mixture (Rare)]: A fusion of potent healing potion, demonic blood, and the blood of a Jormungandr has created a volatile substance. The healing essence has been completely corrupted, resulting in a powerful acid. A dangerous mistake… or a weapon in disguise.

It was an evolution of his earlier concoction, the regular Darkness Mixture.

*Your profession [Botanist of Mother Freya] has reached Level 30! (+2 Strength, +2 Agility, +2 Endurance, +2 Vitality, +2 Perception, +2 Intelligence, +4 Free Points)*

[New Profession Skill Available!]

**[You have reached Level 26! Half-Demon (Rank F)] (+1 bonus point to all attributes, +1 free point)**

Luke let out a long sigh.

“I can’t believe I burned through nearly all my healing resources for this,” he muttered, staring at the bubbling liquid.