Chương 96: The Manticore Captain’s Gift

The memory of the previous night's attack felt... distant. As if it had happened somewhere else, to someone else. The camp was more alive than ever. Children ran between barrels and makeshift benches, wide-eyed as they pointed at the massive tyrannosaurus corpse—half fascinated, half hungry. Despite the Haven having storage chests and people with similar storage items, the dinosaur was so enormous that Angelica remarked, "Even if we emptied all the chests, we'd still have meat left to rot." The solution? A feast.

A grand, reckless one. There was simply too much meat to store, too many mouths to feed, and too rare a chance to feel truly victorious. They opened the celebration to everyone in the Safe Zone, even Bastion. And, indeed, Luke had heard that Bartholomew had also ordered the two Beast Captains killed by his men to be roasted. Of course, only after extracting the useful parts—hide, claws, and fangs. Fires burned all along the street.

Their flickering light cast dancing shadows on the cracked stone, warming both bodies and hearts alike. In one corner, a man strummed a guitar, playing light, cheerful chords. People danced nearby, spinning around the flames with clumsy steps but joyful faces. Ahead, Luke saw Anna surrounded by children. She acted out with big gestures, miming an invisible bow. The children copied her, laughing loudly and tugging imaginary strings.

Even though the system was already active for them, classes wouldn't unlock until age eighteen—until then, they could only level up their race. Cecilia cooked alongside other women. They stirred large soup cauldrons with wooden spoons. A few children approached, giggling shyly, and offered her a flower crown. She bowed her head, let them place it on her, and calmly resumed stirring the soup as if nothing had changed. Luke watched in silence.

Every time he saw happiness on these people's faces, the weight of his dilemma pressed harder. Activating the third mechanism would mean triggering something far worse than last night's invasion. It would mean triggering them. Midnight Wardens. Several of them. And the Midnight Lord himself. He pushed the thought aside—for now. Still, the idea of claiming the second Bastion pounded at the back of his mind. A new fortress would mean resources. Safety. A real base to protect everyone here.

They could sleep without fear of being swallowed by the night. Luke turned away from the crowd and focused on his system interface. The laughter, the dancing, the smell of roasted meat, it all faded like background noise in his mind. He was sitting in the infirmary. Thiara moved back and forth, checking on the wounded, but always returned to apply healing magic to his burned, bandaged arm. It was a slow process. He used the time to activate [Meditation]. His mind quieted. Mana and stamina regeneration accelerated.

The world blurred—sounds, smells, voices—until only the floating interface remained in front of him. It was time to check his status.

Name: Luke Level: 10 Rank: F Class: [Demonic Assassin (Lvl 20)] Race: Half-Demon Profession: – Titles: [Dark Lord] Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon] Health Points (HP): 628/960 Mana Points (MP): 598/610 Stamina: 517/530 Soul Fragments: 28/1000 Stats: Strength: 95 Agility: 95 (120) Endurance: 33 (53) Vitality: 96 Perception: 97 Intelligence: 61 Free Points: 3 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)] Race Skills: [Identify (Common)], [Demonic Perception (Uncommon)], [Dark Blood (Uncommon)], [Meditation (Common)], [Demonic Endurance (Uncommon)] Bloodline Skill: [Servant of the Dark Lord (Unique)] Servant: [Princess Charlie (Skeleton) - Lvl 10] If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent.

Report it. Luke analyzed the interface, seated in the infirmary while the sounds of celebration echoed from outside. He still had three unspent points. He wasn't going to save them for later. One by one, he placed them where they were needed most. Stats Updated: Strength: 95 -> 96 Agility: 95 (120) -> 96 (121) Endurance: 33 (53) -> 34 (54) Free Points: 3 -> 0 Stamina: 517 / 530 -> 527 / 540 He exhaled. His body was already feeling the difference, subtle as it was.

That's when he noticed the new item he had gained after killing the Manticore. [Chestplate of the Manticore Captain (Rare) Description: A heavy chestplate crafted from the scorpion tail of a Manticore Beast Captain. A piece of armor designed for frontline combat, providing both strength and endurance. A portion of the manticore's electric energy remains stored within the metal. Enchantments: [Electric Resilience (Uncommon)]: When mana is injected, the metal becomes lightly electrified. Bonus: +25 Endurance, +20 Strength Requirement: Level 15+ in any Fighter class.]"Another good item for Charlie…" he muttered, still staring at the open interface. He knew the armor was unusable for him—it required a physical combat class, which Luke definitely was not—but for her? It was perfect. He opened Princess Charlie's interface. A new notification blinked at the top. [Princess Charlie has a new Race Skill available] He tapped it, and five options appeared.

He read through each carefully, his brow tightening as he went. [Silent Step (Uncommon)]: Your bones move without sound, allowing for silent movement. There was something familiar about it. Maybe he had seen this skill before. Charlie has already become naturally quiet thanks to her Death Knight class. This upgrade won't add much. [Bone Projectiles (Rare)]: You can fire small bone shards from your hands, launching them like sharp projectiles at your enemies.

However, each shot consumes part of your body, draining HP with every lost fragment. Interesting—an option for ranged attack—but it clashed with her armor. The projectiles wouldn't be able to fire through it. [Bone Spikes (Uncommon)]: Small spikes emerge from your bones, harming those who attack you in melee combat. A no-brainer in the past. But now, with her full armor setup, this ability would be completely wasted.

[Necrotic Trap (Rare)]: You can bury your body underground and cause it to erupt and attack enemies. Another skill requiring her to be a pure skeleton. But Charlie, fully equipped and armored, wouldn't be able to use it at all. Luke sighed, almost frustrated. Then his eyes landed on the last skill—and widened.

"You've got to be kidding me... That's amazing." [Iron Bones (Ultra-Rare)]: Your bones undergo a supernatural mutation, becoming as hard and tough as iron. This transformation makes your skeletal structure much more resistant to conventional attacks. When your bones are struck, they produce a hollow metallic sound, and your movements carry the weight of something strong and heavy. Luke could barely believe the description. This would turn Princess Charlie into a literal walking fortress.

With that kind of resilience, she would become even more valuable on the frontlines—the anchor of his stealth-based combat style. He immediately thought of her [Iron Fist] skill. Now, with metal bones beneath the armor, that strike would become even more devastating. Without hesitation, he ignored the other options and made the choice. [Princess Charlie has acquired the Race Skill: Iron Bones] With a faint smile, Luke checked her interface.

Charlie was resting within his soul, but he could hardly wait to see the results of her evolution. Two free points were still available, but he decided to hold onto them—for now, they'd serve better as an emergency reserve.

"Mr. Luke, I need you to stay still," Thiara said, her voice gently scolding but firm. She appeared at his side, already channeling her healing magic.

"Sorry... I was just going through the system interface," Luke replied, eyes still fixed on the floating screen. She touched the side of his head, and a sharp pain rippled through his scalp.

"Ow… that hurt."

"Apologies, Mr. Luke, but you've got a head wound," she said, focusing her magic.

"You didn't notice? It's a nasty cut."

"I didn't even feel it…" he muttered, averting his gaze. Demonic Endurance has its perks and its drawbacks. Thiara continued treating the wound, studying it with a curious expression.

"Strange. Even with the skin split open, there's no blood. Is that some kind of ability?"

"Something like that," he replied, sidestepping the question. She looked genuinely impressed.

"That's incredible… Do all Mercenaries have it, or is it a race skill? I'm still trying to figure out how this system works." Luke offered a faint, noncommittal smile.

"I guess it depends on each person's affinity." Not far away, Angelica was eating something simple and sipping from a clay mug. Luke's curiosity about her lingered. Out on hunts, she wielded an axe—but the way she handled a bow wasn't normal. Something didn't add up.

"Hey Thiara!" someone called out from one of the beds.

"Luke's fine now. I know you like fussing over him, but my leg's killing me, and I really need attention!" The healer instantly turned bright red.

"I-I'm coming! Mr. Luke… I'll finish this later," she said, flustered, before hurrying over to the next patient. Left alone, Luke glanced back at Charlie's interface, debating how to assign the two remaining points. Or should I just keep them for later? Before he could make a decision, soft footsteps approached.