Chapter 239: Without Any Cost (3)

Piercing through the metal plating, I severed the arm of a nearly four-meter-tall mechanical puppet.

Thud!

The massive arm dropped to the ground.

Screeech.

I drove my sword through the exposed joint, straight into the armor beneath.

"

Aaaargh!

"

A muffled scream echoed from the voice resonance plate. That was the last of them. I stomped on the embedded blade, using it like a lever to rip open the armor. With one final wrench, I tore out the pilot's exposed entrails from his half-severed torso. His eyes bulged as he tumbled out of the cockpit.

Swoosh!

I drove my blade into the iron man's chest once more. Even if the pilot was dead, the power core was buried beneath the thickest plating.

Snap.

The sword, enhanced with aura, gave out and cracked in two. I discarded the blade and tore off the armor with my bare hands. My bones fractured, not that I cared in the slightest.

Absorb.

Vrrrrmm...

The shattered engine spilled Lurium, which flowed into me. I opened the class-change window.

[Lurium insufficient.]

By this point, I had absorbed all the Lurium from ten iron men, yet it still wasn't enough to meet the class advancement requirement.

Clatter.

I slumped down beside the shattered sword. Whether it was the thirtieth or fortieth weapon I'd gone through, I'd lost count. I glanced at the blade, then looked up.

Flap.

A black crow descended upon the corpse of the last pilot, perching on the limp body. It pecked at the man's eyeball with playful jabs.

"

Caw. Caw

."

"What are you doing?"

"Cawing. What else?"

"..."

Tap tap.

The crow pecked twice at a necklace hanging from the corpse's neck. It plucked the necklace and slung it around its own neck. Then it flitted from corpse to corpse, snatching up anything that looked remotely valuable. It now wore five pieces of jewelry.

I glanced around. Shredded, mangled corpses littered the field, but there was only one crow. Maybe the others hadn't come because the bodies weren't ripe enough, or because the one circling overhead had claimed this area as its territory.

Scattered entrails and rolling heads weren't exactly a sight worth admiring. Instead, I found myself staring blankly into the air.

The crow fluttered back down, landing on my slightly cracked forearm bone.

"You were supposed to wait until both sides were exhausted... Don't think they'll all be this easy." He gestured toward the wrecked iron men with its beak. "They probably have proper machines as well..."

"Proper machines...?"

"Look at these. They barely have any Lurium in the engine. That means the real deal is elsewhere."

"You mean the ones you called titans?"

Isaac nodded. "Exactly. You... don't tell me that machine..."

"I lost it in the barrier."

I remembered the titan weapon from Grassmere that had vanished without a trace.

"Don't be too discouraged. As long as we have the materials, we can make another one."

"Is that so?"

"Still, you did great. Better than I expected. You kept the balance between the two armies and struck at just the right moments. Impressive instincts."

I didn't think so. If Isaac hadn't constantly advised me during the battle, I probably would've wiped out the entire Confederation force in the first wave. Either way, it meant I exceeded his expectations. I opened my status window.

[Lv. 41 (239) (new!)

Health: 84 (new!)

Strength: 99 (new!)

Agility: 88 (new!)

Wisdom: 75 (new!)]

I had personally slain close to a four-digit number, gaining thirteen levels from roughly one thousand people. That was what they were worth in experience points. The stat increase didn't feel overwhelming, and it'd only get slower from now on. Still, that wasn't what mattered most.

Ding!

[Thousand-Man Slayer has been unlocked.]

[All kills were fresh, direct offerings.]

[Malphas is deeply pleased by your performance.]

[Malphas's Happiness has exceeded 10.]

[Perk acquired: Darkness.]

[Perk acquired: Allure.]

I opened the descriptions for the new perks.

[Perk: Darkness Lv. 1

— A common perk among roughly half of all Demon Kings. Malphas's version is light and razor-sharp in nature.

— As long as Malphas's Happiness remains above the threshold, all your attacks will gain the dark attribute at no cost.

— Increases attack power by 25%.

— Dark attacks decrease the target's willpower and cognitive function.]

I picked up a random sword discarded nearby. "Darkness."

Crackle!

Dark aura surged around the blade.

Creaaak!

Without using Sword Energy, I stabbed the sword directly into the downed iron man's chest plate. The blade that should've snapped on impact gouged the armor, leaving a noticeable wound.

Sssss...

The blade emanated a corrupting, black aura, spreading decay into the surroundings. A clean, raw strike, without Sword Energy or magic. Yet, it was this potent.

There was no strain on me, either. The Darkness perk didn't sap my strength or focus; it felt like the power was being channeled through by an external force. This must be what it meant to be blessed by a Demon King. And this was only the beginning.

[You may now shroud yourself in darkness. The amount of defense granted will vary depending on the Demon King's satisfaction.]

[— Defense increased by 40%.

— Crow's Wings: Movement Speed increased by 15%.]

What an overwhelming boost from a mere Lv. 1 Perk. It was difficult to imagine what kind of power I'd gain as our contract deepened. As someone who used to be one of Baal's countless soldiers, I'd never have imagined forming such a relationship with a Demon King. Those who were granted power through contracts turned out to be separate from the rest.

Sseuuu...

I summoned darkness around my shattered armor. As expected, there was no burden. I felt incredibly light, as if I'd sprouted invisible wings. The permanent 15% increase to my movement speed alone already made the contract with Malphas worthwhile. Next...

[Perk: Allure Lv. 1

— A Malphas-exclusive perk. Overwhelms targets with an exceptional aura.

— Applies to all, regardless of species or gender.

— Higher levels grant permanent influence over targets.

— Weakens the combat abilities of enemies within range.]

A wide-area debuff skill.

"Allure."

Sseuuuuu...

An intangible energy radiated from my bones.

"

Hmm

?" Isaac squinted at me with a strangely dreamy look. "You... look good."

"..."

I canceled the activation.

Isaac let out a chuckle. "Just messing with you! Still, I didn't think you'd pull it off. I'm impressed."

"Did you get any perks too?"

Isaac nodded with deep satisfaction. He definitely felt stronger. Before I knew it, all his injuries had healed, and a faint black haze coiled around the feathers on his shoulders.

"Not to your level, but still..."

It seemed his role as intermediary granted him a share of the power I gained from slaughtering a thousand humans. He didn't specify about his new skills.

"Still, we faced an army of thousands. I thought we might die tangled in the mess, but you pulled through. Seriously, well done."

Was the Allure effect still lingering?

"How far have the imperial forces advanced?"

I changed the subject, walking slowly through the sea of corpses. Congealed blood, thick as diluted ink, squelched under my feet.

"I told you they're pushing hard against the neutral city of Ember."

"They haven't reached the Confederation front yet?"

"Actually, they were pushed back over there."

The order of attack was the same as I expected.

As if reading my mind, Isaac said, "Don't even think about going to Ember."

"Why not?"

"All the strong ones are in that small island."

I knew that already. The assassin cult Red Flake, where Gith-Za-Rai belonged, was based in Ember. It was also home to monsters like Starlight Blue Fox, who once tore out the marquis's heart. However, those attacking the city were even stronger. They'd wiped out thousands of autonomous regions, reducing that massive island into a heap of ashes and corpses. Jumping into that would be reckless with my current strength. Well, unless I had a death wish.

"You said you could absorb power from corpses, right?"

I nodded.

"Absorb the headless ones first. Start with the easy ones."

The beheaded corpses couldn't say a word. Some of them emitted a faint green glow. Roughly one in a hundred. They were far weaker than I was, but I could absorb their essence at a low probability.

Absorb.

Flap! Flap!

After draining about thirty minor skills, the sound of wings rapidly approached.

"

Hehehe...

"

Of course, it wasn't Isaac.

Flap! Flap!

I looked toward the sound. A half-eagle, half-human creature flared its vivid wings and flushed red as it looked at me.

"Th-this is blasphemy!"

Shlaaak! Shlaaak!

Beside her, a woman with scales slithered forward on a massive, ten-meter-long lower half, her tongue flicking in my direction. "How dare you... commit such madness...!"

Her eyes were tainted black.

"

Kekeke

." Isaac laughed gleefully.

I didn't share his amusement. Purson's followers. Beyond the snake and the harpy, more than twenty muscular humans emerged from the mist.

"This could be a problem."

At first, I thought I'd simply fight and kill them as they appeared, but that had been arrogance. I figured they'd be good test subjects to see how much I'd grown, yet that massive serpent alone radiated immense pressure.

They had a weight I hadn't felt before, even after reaching a higher realm. I could handle one harpy, but walking out of this alive wasn't going to be easy.