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    Luke opened the notification for the new skill unlocked at level 70 of Demonic Predator. He had reached that milestone when he killed the oni guarding the temple entrance.

    Five options appeared.

    [Paralyzing Knife Throw (Rare)]: By imbuing a knife with mana before throwing it, the Assassin creates a debilitating effect. If the blade strikes the target, there is a chance to inflict temporary slow, hindering movement and reactions.

    With a flick of his hand, he conjured a black knife using [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife].

    That would be a solid combination.

    He was already stacking skills to become even deadlier on the battlefield. He routinely combined [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife], [Cursed Weapon], and [Telekinetic Impulse], maximizing damage on thrown attacks. With the impulse skill, he could strike distant targets without losing force, almost like a sniper. There was also [Mana Infusion], which could turn his knives into bombs, a trick that had helped him bring down the oni guarding the temple.

    The first option was pulling ahead.

    [Cloak of Darkness (Epic)]: The Demonic Predator’s body is wrapped in a living mantle of Darkness, shaped from his own shadowy mana. This dense mist merges him with the night, rendering him nearly invisible in low-light environments. As he moves, faint ripples of shadow trail behind him, remnants of the power surrounding him. While the cloak is active, he becomes one with the darkness, moving silently like a predator lying in wait.

    It was similar to the power granted by his assassin outfit, except this would be his own skill rather than something tied to gear. Still, it was inferior to the sheer range of possibilities offered by the first skill.

    [Coagulated Blood (Rare)]: The Assassin accelerates the flow of blood through his body, forcing muscles and reflexes to operate beyond normal limits. While active, it grants +15% movement speed, useful for pursuit, repositioning, or quick escape.

    It was a solid skill, tied to Agility, but Luke dismissed it without much hesitation.

    [Burst Throw (Epic)]: Using what he learned from Force Infusion and Mana Infusion, the Assassin refines his technique by merging those arts with mastery of Knife Throwing. By channeling stamina as physical force and mana as internal power into a single thrown blade, the Assassin can charge the throw before releasing it. The longer the knife is charged, the greater the stamina and mana cost, and the higher the damage, accuracy, and penetration. When fully charged, the attack can break defenses, stagger enemies, and deal area damage. The skill gains a small additional bonus when scaling with Lethality, Agility, and Intelligence.

    As he read the description, Luke’s eyes nearly widened as countless ideas raced through his mind. This was power. The synergy between this and his existing skills was absurdly good. On its own, the skill was already strong. Combined with everything else he had, its potential multiplied.

    He read the last option.

    [Trap of Darkness (Rare)]: The Demonic Predator creates a circle of dense shadows on the ground. When prey steps into the area, the darkness condenses into a shadowy jaw lined with teeth, biting down and holding the target in place for a short duration. Ideal for area control and ambushes.

    He had already made his decision.

    [You have acquired the Class Skill: Burst Throw]

    A smile spread across his face. Not a friendly smile. A predator’s smile.

     

    ***

     

    Luke kept walking until he reached a small rise. From there, the dark forest stretched out in front of him like a living mass of shadows. He conjured a black throwing knife and focused on the power of [Burst Throw].

    He felt mana and stamina working together, flowing as one. It wasn’t crude or violent like when he used Force Infusion or Mana Infusion, techniques that pushed weapons to the point of cracking. This was different. Natural. Harmonious. The throwing knife absorbed far more mana and stamina than it should have been able to hold, yet it showed no sign of breaking.

    Then he threw.

    The knife tore through the air toward a massive tree with a thick, ancient trunk. When it struck, the impact was loud and brutal. The tree split apart, wood snapping as it collapsed.

    Luke smiled.

    He conjured another knife, focused on [Burst Throw] again, and hurled it forward. The blade streaked through the air, and midway he triggered another skill.

    [Telekinetic Impulse activated]

    The knife shot forward like a sniper round toward the abyss wall. When it hit…

    “Holy shit.”

    The impact was enormous, punching a crater straight into the stone.

    Luke summoned another throwing knife, paying close attention to how the power behaved. The more mana and stamina he fed into it, the stronger the impact became, with additional damage scaling off Lethality, Agility, and Intelligence. This wasn’t a static skill. It would grow with him, becoming far more dangerous over time.

    With this… I might actually be able to do it. Maybe even take down a dragon.

     

    ***

     

    Bill was moving through a network of caves deep inside the Dimensional Rift. He knew this place well. He had worked there for months before the baron’s betrayal. The main base, where the exit portal stood, lay at the foot of the mountains. That area was now crawling with the Red Baron’s men, but Bill knew the routes well enough to slip around them.

    They entered through a cave hidden in the forest and traveled underground for days. Bill moved with a mixed group of mercenaries and soldiers. If the plan worked, they would reach an old mine where he had once worked, a place with easy access to the base. The plan itself was simple. They would get there and kill the baron.

    As far as powerful enemies went, only the baron himself remained at the base. The rest of his forces were spread out in distant camps around the area, watching for movement. The battlefield had been set long before this. Both sides, the Baron’s faction and Cassandra’s, knew the war would break out sooner or later.


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    “You sure this is the right direction, Bill?” Sergeant Thomas asked.

    “I am.”

    “We’ve been walking through this place for days. I wouldn’t even know how to get back anymore.”

    “We’re close. I know it,” Bill replied.

    They had disobeyed Cassandra’s orders and come here in secret to carry out the plan. Her original strategy had been to collapse part of the tunnels to prevent the baron’s elite troops from using them during the war and striking from behind. She had intended to do that once open conflict began.

    “The baron’s a bastard,” Kyle muttered, the leader of a mercenary group known as Eagle Arrow. “Hides behind his soldiers like a rat.”

    They pressed on through the caves until the tunnels widened and the signs of the mines appeared. Scattered tools, buckets, barrels of coal, and chunks of ore lay abandoned. Some of the men picked a few things up. Bill looked the other way. It was a royal mine, sure, but this wasn’t the moment to play the honest officer.

    “I saw something,” one of the mercenaries whispered, raising his bow.

    Everyone stopped. A mage lifted his staff, and a glowing orb of light bloomed into existence, illuminating the cavern far better than their torches ever could. A man sat calmly atop a rock.

    “A soldier of the baron,” someone said.

    They recognized the uniform immediately.

    “You’re outnumbered,” Thomas called out. “Drop all your equipment and surrender.”

    The figure remained seated, a spear resting in his hand. Slowly, he raised a hand to his hood. Kyle and the other archers tensed, ready to loose.

    “One wrong move and you’re dead,” Kyle warned.

    “I only want to remove my hood, gentlemen,” the man replied calmly as he lowered it.

    “Now drop the spear,” Kyle ordered.

    Bill froze.

    “No fucking way,” Bill said, lowering his crossbow in disbelief. “That’s the baron…”

    “What?” someone asked.

    “It’s the baron. It’s Miles,” Bill said, raising the crossbow again.

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