Chapter 84: Secrets Have Owners

The system window opened before Luke’s eyes, its glow softly illuminating the darkness.

[Special Mission Orb: Locate the Inventor
Objective: Find Samael, the Inventor of Artemis
Location: (???)
Reward: Profession]

Luke stared at the prompt for a few seconds. The mission had changed. He glanced to the side—Allison was leaning against the wall, eyes closed, lightly dozing.

A profession…?

Intrigued, he raised a hand to the necklace around his neck—the storage item, the so-called Artemis Invention—and pulled up its description once more.

[Artemis Invention (Unique)
Description: A prototype crafted by Samael, the Inventor.
‘A gift to help you on your journey. Good luck. It was collecting dust in my workshop anyway.’

PS: I am not liable for any discomfort it causes. – Samael
Enchantments:

[Spatial Storage (Rare)]: Grants access to a pocket dimension where items can be stored.
[Artemis]: (???)
Requirement: Soulbound]

The “Artemis” enchantment was still hidden. Nothing in the description gave any hint of what it actually did. Luke reread Samael’s note, searching for a clue.

Samael… the Inventor. But was he real? A person of flesh and thought? Or just a myth, a relic embedded in the system’s lore? The necklace had been abandoned inside a ruined church—exactly the kind of artifact you’d expect to find in a dungeon, more a piece of backstory than something crafted by living hands.

…Or was it?

Either way, Luke knew what needed to be done. At some point, he’d have to find Samael’s resting place—if it existed at all. He needed more power. If he ever wanted to escape this tutorial—if he ever wanted to go back to Earth—this path was inevitable.

Maybe I shouldn’t be looking for churches anymore… but graves.

The idea was grim, but it made sense. He’d probably end up combing through headstones from now on.

With a sigh, he closed the mission window and returned to the main interface.

That’s when he noticed it.

A new race skill had appeared.

Three options were listed—two familiar ones: [Mental Focus] and [Enhanced Five Senses], both previously ignored.

But the third was new:

[Meditation (Common)]: Enter a state of absolute focus, blocking out all distractions. While meditating, your stamina and mana regeneration increase significantly. However, you become incapable of taking any action, and your awareness of your surroundings is drastically reduced.

Finally.

That was the race skill he should’ve received at level 5. But thanks to his special lineage, the system had delayed the usual unlock path.

He didn’t hesitate.

[You have acquired Race Skill: Meditation]

Charlie hadn’t received the skill yet. Was he her “Meditation”?

He remembered: whenever Charlie returned to his soul, her HP, mana, and stamina slowly regenerated.

Maybe that was the connection. Luke opened her status window:

 

Name: Princess Charlie
Level: 6
Rank: F
Class: [Death Knight (Lvl 12)]
Race: Skeleton
Title: [Servant of the Dark Lord]
Health Points (HP): 93/420
Mana Points (MP): 200/200
Stamina: 229/350

 

Stats:
Strength: 45
Agility: 29
Endurance: 35
Vitality: 42
Perception: 19
Intelligence: 20
Free Points: 3

 

She’s badly hurt…

Luke stared at her HP bar, a deep frown forming. The battle against the orcs had cost them more than he’d thought. She had probably triggered Basic Bone Regeneration at some point. If any bones were broken, she must’ve rebuilt them—at a price.

It drained her HP just to stay together.

He took a deep breath.

Time to spend those remaining points.

One into Strength. One into Vitality. One into Perception.

Updated Stats (Princess Charlie):

Strength: 45 -> 46
Vitality: 42 -> 43
Perception: 19 -> 20
Free Points: 3 -> 0
HP: 93/420 -> 103/430

With that done, he closed Charlie’s window and opened his own. His gaze locked onto the skill: Demonic Blade Dance.

He had learned something crucial about it.

The skill wasn’t just one—it was two in one. The passive granted instinct. Unconscious knowledge. The fluid grace of battle: spinning, slashing, countering without thought.

But the active?

That’s when the black aura emerged. The afterimage. The Mimic.

Two layers. Two natures.

A combat style that felt anything but conventional.

 

Name: Luke
Level: 8
Rank: F
Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 15)]
Race: Half-Demon
Profession: –
Titles: [Dark Lord]
Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon]
Health Points (HP): 348/740
Mana Points (MP): 29/480
Stamina: 138/300
Soul Fragments: 28/1000

 

Stats:
Strength: 65
Agility: 73 (83)
Endurance: 30
Vitality: 74
Perception: 70
Intelligence: 48
Free Points: 1

 

He reviewed his situation calmly.

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Then allocated his last point into Strength.

Updated Stats:
Strength: 65 -> 66
Free Points: 1 -> 0

Right then, something caught his eye—a new item in his inventory.

And it surprised him.

[Chestplate of Drukar, the Orc Captain (Rare)
Forged from the armor and bones of Drukar, an Orc Captain. Offers solid defense without restricting mobility. Ideal for those who dislike heavy gear.
Bonus: +20 Endurance, +15 Agility
Requirement: Level 10+ in any Class or Race.]

A chestplate…?

Exactly what he’d been missing.

Until now, his gear had only included a boot, some pants, and a cloak. This piece wasn’t just armor—it came with stats.

He tapped [Equip].

The chestplate materialized onto his body—lightweight, snug, comfortable. Dark brown with bone-white accents, its tribal, almost primal design made him look like something out of a nightmare.

He felt the difference immediately. His stamina surged, the bonus effects kicking in at full force.

Charlie would benefit even more—most of her skills drained stamina, not mana. But for now, he kept it for himself.

If I die, it won’t matter how well-equipped she is.

 

***

 

The bells rang.

Six a.m.

They heard the synchronized pounding of heavy boots—Midnight Wardens rushing back to their dens. Their patrol window had ended.

“It’s safe to head back to the Haven,” Allison said, breaking the silence.

Luke glanced at her.

“You going back as yourself? Or using the disguise?”

She looked surprised. Her hand went instinctively to the pendant around her neck—probably the one with the transformation enchantment—but stopped halfway.

“I’ll go back as myself,” she said softly. Thoughtfully.

Luke raised a brow.

“You sure?”

“I’m sure. It’s the right call. I can’t waste any more time hiding. If I want to get back to Earth… I need to give it everything I’ve got.”

They started ascending the basement stairs.

“I don’t know how things are gonna be at the haven,” Luke said. “Most of them are dead… including Angelica. Do you think they’ll blame us? Think they’ll say we abandoned them?”

Allison paused on the step above, glancing back with a half-smile.

“You thinking of running?”

“You don’t have to,” Luke replied with a laugh. “If you return as a woman, your male version could’ve just… died during the attack.”

“Oh, the irony. Now you could disguise yourself as a woman.”

“What? No.” Luke made a face. “I’d rather run and never look back.”

They kept climbing.

“Don’t worry,” Allison said. “I doubt anyone’s going to blame us. Everyone chose to go. And Paul’s team… they definitely made it out.”

Luke nodded, but his thoughts quickly shifted.

“Hey, that disguise item of yours… It’s Soulbound, right? Can anyone else use it?”

“What, thinking about switching sides now?” she teased.