Chapter 501: The Blade and the Whisper

At the top of one of the archer towers, Luke was busy training his telekinesis.

“Too bad there isn’t an X-wing around here,” Artemis said.

“You just ruined my concentration.”

“Seriously, Professor Xavier?”

“Making hand movements actually helps with telekinesis.”

Luke opened his system interface. He had unlocked a new Assassin skill upon reaching level 65. He studied the interface, eyes drifting over the five skills available for selection.

[Distraction Knife (Rare)]: An illusion and deception skill in which the assassin throws a knife infused with his own mana signature, aura, and visual outline, creating a perfect moving duplicate of himself. The illusion runs, breathes, and emits presence, confusing enemies who rely both on sight and magical detection. It is used to mislead, misdirect, or set up ambushes, allowing the real assassin to strike from the shadows while his opponents waste their efforts attacking nothing more than the echo of their own death.

That could actually be pretty useful. Basically an illusion clone.

Combat usability? Offensively, close to zero. But the tactical possibilities were interesting. For assassinations it was perfect, and for distractions, well… the name said it all.

I wonder if it’s possible to throw multiple knives like this at once, or if there’s a cooldown.

As always, the system was annoyingly vague. Only rarely did it bother to be specific, like that time he chose Mother Freya’s Blood and the system might as well have said: Are you sure you want to do something stupid? It’s going to hurt like hell, and don’t blame me, because I’m warning you.

And like an idiot, he still accepted it.

[Basic Intangibility (Ultra-Rare)]: Allows the assassin to merge his body with the ethereal plane for brief moments, gaining the ability to pass through walls, doors, and other forms of physical barriers.

Yeah… that would take assassination potential to a whole new level. But the skill doesn’t say what happens if I phase into a wall that turns out to be too thick and the effect ends in the middle of it. Knowing my luck, the chance of me killing myself with this? High.

[Well of Darkness (Epic)]: Expands and strengthens the surrounding shadows, creating a field of dense darkness where sight and perception become distorted. Inside the well, sound dulls and shapes dissolve into twilight, while the assassin moves unseen and unheard. Ideal for executions, ambushes, or vanishings, this skill turns any darkness into a personal domain where the predator reigns supreme and the prey exists only as a trembling whisper of fear.

It didn’t mention how long the effect lasted, but it was still intriguing. Even so, it was more about creating an opportunity than delivering direct offense.

Sometimes I forget that my class is Assassin, so no overpowered laser beams or flashy spells for me.

“Wait, sometimes you forget your class is Assassin? Don’t worry, I’ll remind you the next time you decide to charge enemies head-on,” Artemis said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Hey, it still follows the Art of Assassination. What matters is killing. Like a snake, it can strike from hiding or attack aggressively.”

“All right, Mr. berserker assassin, no need to justify yourself,” she replied.

Two skills remained, and one of them… genuinely surprised him.

[Demonic Predator Throwing Knife (Epic)]: The Demonic Predator’s mastery over mana reaches such a refined level that he can mold it into physical form, creating his own throwing knives. These blades are born from the darkness within him, manifesting directly in his hands as living extensions of his predatory will. Forged from dense shadowed energy, they possess durability comparable to enchanted steel and a lethally sharp edge, as cutting as the fangs of a starving beast. Once thrown, they tear through the air at breathtaking speed, striking with predatory precision while maintaining perfect stability even across long distances. These blades are more than weapons, they are the embodiment of instinct. Just as claws and fangs define a beast, these knives are the personification of the Predator’s hunger and fury. The knives gain a small bonus based on the Lethality and Perception attributes.

This was exactly the kind of power he’d been needing. Now he could generate his own knives.

Strapped to his leg was his old, familiar throwing-knife holster, the one he’d received when he first accepted the system. The blades inside were basic, common-grade, and still Rank F. Against stronger enemies, even coating them in skills barely made a difference. And now that he had advanced attributes like Lethality, he was certain those old knives couldn’t keep up with his growth, they hadn’t kept up even during the tutorial, so by now they were hopelessly outdated. In terms of equipment, Luke wasn’t particularly impressive. His strongest weapons were his kukris, and until a few hours ago even those had been worn down and close to breaking.

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His best piece of gear was still his assassin’s outfit, but even that would eventually stop being enough. Not if he intended to confront the Rhiannons or anything else waiting down the road.

The final option was:

[Feline Agility (Epic)]: By channeling mana with precise control, the assassin’s body becomes lighter and his reflexes sharpen to an exceptional degree, granting the flexible, fluid grace of a hunting cat. This skill heightens balance, reaction speed, movement accuracy, and the capacity to slip through tight spaces, evade blows, and leap great distances with lethal elegance. Every muscle moves in harmony, every step falls silent, like the breath of a predator stalking its prey.

Under any other circumstance, he would have chosen it in an instant, if not for the previous skill.

[You have acquired the Class Skill: Demonic Predator Throwing Knife]

***

Luke sprinted through the forest, the purple fog poisoning the air and almost swallowing the path ahead. Two days had passed since he’d left the temple, and he needed answers.

“Master Luke, they’re in that direction,” Charlie said.

Lulie confirmed it with a sharp little chirp.

“Let’s go—” He barely finished speaking before Charlie bolted past him in a blur. Her eyes glowed crimson, the power of Vampiric Aura pulsing through her. She was in hunting mode.

They broke through the mist and landed in front of a group of onis.

[Oni Priest – Lvl 83]

[Oni Guard – Lvl 58]

[Oni Guard – Lvl 58]

[Oni Priest – Lvl 83]

[Oni Soldier – Lvl 48]