Chapter 166
Chapter 166
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: Chapter 4. Uruun, the Land of Entertainment and Culture
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~♪
A cheerful alarm rang in his ears out of nowhere, as if it were a hallucination. It was such a refreshing sound that didn't fit the surrounding atmosphere at all, leaving him momentarily stunned. As Judah took stock of the situation, he felt the alien Yakal's magic power inside his body being washed away, and simultaneously, his body growing remarkably lighter. The fatigue melted away. A blissful pleasure, like an orgasm that made him want to lose his mind entirely, washed over his entire body.
By the time that ecstatic sensation faded, messages that normally weren't visible suddenly began updating on their own, scrolling up one after another before his eyes.
[You have defeated the avatar of Asmodeus, one of the powerful demons under the Lords of the Seven Deadly Sins, the Lord of Lust.]
[Though it was her avatar, weakened by long-term sealing of her power, this is still an astonishing achievement.]
[For defeating Asmodeus's avatar, Strength +2, Vitality +1, Agility +1, Magic Resistance +2, and your lowest stat +3!]
[Level up.]
[Level up.]
[Shadow Sword Arts/Heresy proficiency has increased by 1, reaching Master.]
'Huh?'
The messages, which had been updating in a flash, suddenly stopped. Judah's mind blanked for a moment as he saw the two level-up messages and the proficiency reaching Master.
'...Does this mean...?'
If his thinking was correct, wouldn't this make him a Spirit Sword Owner?
As if affirming it, a short, concise message appeared before his eyes.
[You have reached [Spirit Sword Owner].]
The other messages paused their updates temporarily. The words "Spirit Sword Owner" were enlarged to twice the size of the others, as if celebrating grandly. There was no great fanfare or anything like that. Just a sense of relief flooding through him, like his chest had opened wide. The paused messages resumed updating.
[Acquired title [Spirit Sword Owner].]
[Spirit Sword Owner]
You have reached the pinnacle of glory, the highest honor among those who wield martial arts. Even a mere twig in your hand would become an unrivaled weapon, protecting you or delivering miserable defeat to any who block your path.
Congratulations on your efforts and achievements in ascending to this glorious position.
-Weapon proficiency +10%
-Weapon attack speed +5%
-Weapon attack power +10%
-Weapon durability consumption -10%
-Mana/fatigue consumption -20% when using martial arts-related skills and techniques
-Once: +2 to all stats except special stats
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「Status Window」
[Name: Judah Arsher]
[Title: Spirit Sword Owner(3)]
[Level: 50]
[Class: Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman(Hidden_A)]
[Revives: 25]
[Strength: 53(C) / Potential A]
[Vitality: 48(C) / Potential S]
[Agility: 62(B) / Potential SS]
[Mana: 45(C) / Potential B]
[Magic Resistance: 60(B) / Potential S]
[Charisma: 15(F) / Potential A]
[Knowledge: 21(D) / Potential B] ◀ Special
[Luck: 85(A) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Remaining Points: 14]
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[As Spirit Sword Owner, locked skills in Shadow Sword Arts/Heresy are unlocked.]
Shadow Heresy Arts
└Shadow Heresy 1st Form - Shadow Deployment
└Shadow Heresy 2nd Form - Demon Eye Open/Seal
└Shadow Heresy 3rd Form - Afterimage
└Shadow Heresy 4th Form - Advanced Black Artifact Creation
└Shadow Heresy 5th Form - Guardian Shadow Wall
└Shadow Heresy 6th Form - Chain Deployment
└Shadow Heresy 7th Form - Shadow Movement
└Shadow Heresy 8th Form - Punishment (Scythe of Execution / Hound of Execution / Sword of Capital Punishment)
└Shadow Heresy 9th Form - Dancing Wraith Knight
└Spirit Sword Owner's Soul: Quake, Chief of the Red Bear Tribe
└Shadow Heresy 10th Form - Arcadia Manifesto
Shadow Sword Arts
└Shadow Sword 1st Form - Potential Release
└Shadow Sword 2nd Form - Slash
└Shadow Sword 3rd Form - Single Point
└Shadow Sword 4th Form - Phantom Sword
└Shadow Sword 5th Form - Mimicry / Abyss
└Shadow Sword 6th Form - Uplifting Slash
└Shadow Sword 7th Form - False Slash
└Shadow Sword 8th Form - Left Hand Sword Moonlight (New Moon / Waxing Crescent / Full Moon / Waning Gibbous / First Quarter / Dark Moon)
└Shadow Sword 9th Form - Rising Blade
└Shadow Sword 10th Form - Swordsmanship and Heresy Enhancement
"......"
Judah blinked repeatedly. In addition, there were useless messages about the elves being safe and extra details saying his companion Arhil had leveled up and gained bonus stats. He frowned at the disorganized messages cluttering his vision. Only after turning off everything except the [Status Window] and [Skill Window] did part of his view clear up.
Meanwhile, the moment Asmodeus ignited and vanished her own body.
The instant Judah defeated her and claimed the system's rewards— a privilege unique to players— reaching Spirit Sword Owner, Arhil was experiencing something entirely different.
'Comfort...able?'
In the darkness of night, she had been staring open-mouthed at the magical fireworks exploding moments ago, but suddenly a sense of comfort enveloped her. Arhil felt as if the time around her had frozen.
Like clothes getting wet in a drizzle, a pleasant feeling slowly began to spread. Amid this mysterious ecstasy, a hazy figure appeared before her eyes, soon radiating a brilliant glow.
-I knew I wasn't seeing things.
This voice?
Arhil flinched at the familiar voice, but an unidentified energy wrapped around her as if to say not to worry. A faint warmth spread through her body, her legs going weak. Not just her legs— strength drained from her entire body, and she softly knelt down.
'The voice of that woman who was fighting Judah just moments ago.'
Arhil, unaware of Asmodeus's name or true nature, had only assumed she was a highly skilled magic swordsman. She had been shocked by the sight of her self-immolating to death, but hearing that voice right in front of her now suggested she was no ordinary magic swordsman.
She wanted to ask the questions swirling in her mind, but her mouth wouldn't open. And the ecstatic feeling kept melting her body with pleasure. Embarrassingly, she realized her body was aroused, but she couldn't control it.
"Hnng!"
A moan escaped her lips, and even in the pitch-black night, she sensed a flash before her eyes. Her body felt languid, her underwear growing wet. Her lower abdomen throbbed heavily.
-You have talent. Become my apostle.
Apostle...?
-I'll make it so you have no choice but to seek me out.
Arhil couldn't comprehend a word the voice said. It was all nonsense. But her opinion didn't matter from the start. The translucent figure, emanating a halo-like glow, sent its magic power flowing into her body, forcibly taking root. She reflexively tried to summon holy power to protect herself, but even with her saintess aptitude, a mere human like her couldn't overcome Asmodeus's authority and magic.
"Kyaaah...!"
Arhil let out a sound— a scream or a moan, she couldn't tell— laced with sensuality as she climaxed. Her body convulsed like a fish flung onto dry land.
"!?"
Judah was checking his increased stats and new skills when a lewd sound made him whip around.
More precisely, toward Arhil, far off in the distance.
She was on her knees, blankly staring at something distorting the space hazily in midair, her body twitching. At first, thinking he'd seen wrong, he narrowed his eyes and took a few steps forward, frowning. Yakal's blade dragged along the ground like discarded trash. But it wasn't a mistake.
Instead of calling her name, Judah gripped Yakal in his left hand and charged straight ahead. Formless, uncertain if it was a ghost or specter— but clearly, it was trying something on Arhil. As he rushed toward the unknown entity, now a Spirit Sword Owner, he activated his newly acquired Shadow Sword Art.
A shadow draped over Yakal's softly lifted blade like mist.
'False Slash'
A technique that could cut illusions, magic, or mental entities. The long, slender blade slashed through the air.
-Too late.
The transparent something, its form indiscernible, turned and spoke to Judah. That voice— Asmodeus. She was attached to Arhil! He had thought her gone with the avatar's death!
Judah looked down at Arhil, collapsed face-down, when another window popped up.
[Companion Arhil's class has changed from [Intermediate Priest] to [Lust Saintess].]
[A portion of Asmodeus's magic power, ruler of Lust among the Seven Deadly Sins, has taken root in her body.]
[Race <Human> is beginning to change to <Demon>.]
[Acquired trait [Lust Saintess].]
[Trait [Saintess Aptitude] has changed to [Apostle's Aptitude].]
[Trait [Irresistible Temptation] rank has increased by one level.]
[All skill ranks have increased by one level overall.]
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「Status Window」
[Name: Arhil]
[Title: Savior]
[True Name: The One Who Never Loses Hope]
[Level: 44]
[Class: Lust Saintess(A)]
[Race: Human → Demon(Mutating)]
[Strength: 27(D) / Potential C]
[Vitality: 35(D) / Potential B]
[Agility: 30(D) / Potential C]
[Holy Power: 68(B) / Potential S]
[Magic Resistance: 55(C) / Potential S]
[Faith: 66(B) / Potential S] ◀ Special
[Knowledge: 40(C) / Potential A] ◀ Special
[Luck: 59(C) / Potential C] ◀ Special
[Favorability: 49(Interest)]
[Trust: 100(Friendship)]
「Traits 6/6」
[Apostle's Aptitude] - Rank: A
[Savior] - Rank: A
[Holy Amplification] - Rank: B
[Irresistible Temptation] - Rank: A
[For You] - Rank: D(S)
[Lust Saintess] - Rank: A
「Skills 4/5」
[Holy Magic - Blessing] - Rank: A
[Holy Magic - Defense] - Rank: A
[Holy Martial Arts] - Rank: B
[Self-Defense Technique] - Rank: B
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...Judah stared at the status window in brief panic before hurriedly closing it. What mattered now wasn't those numbers— it was Arhil's condition. He lifted her limp body from the ground and called her name.
"Arhil! Snap out of it!"
He patted and shook her shoulders to rouse her. Surprisingly, she came to quickly. Her sweat-glistened neck twitched first, her eyelids fluttered, and then she slowly opened her eyes as if nothing had happened.
"Uuu... Why?"
Incredibly, she let out a long yawn, then stretched languidly in Judah's arms like someone waking from a deep sleep, seemingly remembering nothing. Feeling foolish for having worried even briefly, Judah stared at her in disbelief. Seeing him, she smiled brightly.
"Ha."
Even in the darkness, her radiant smile drew a hollow laugh from Judah.
"?"
Arhil just tilted her head.