Chapter 147: The Half-Demon!
The raging crimson whirlwind slaughtered over hundreds of murlocs along the way, leaving a trail of mangled limbs and torn flesh.
Elio's entire body was drenched in blood.
From the stench of the blood, she inexplicably sensed a strange sweetness and satisfaction.
Yet, this feeling filled her with disgust.
She had seen many of her kin lose themselves to the desire for slaughter, destroying their enemies and themselves in the process.
However, as the number of murlocs she killed grew, the hidden symptoms within her body began to emerge.
Small curved horns appeared on her forehead, and blood-red tattoos surfaced on her skin, making her appearance increasingly sinister.
Elio, suddenly aware of what was happening, closed her eyes in silence.
She could already guess that her body was transforming into something she had once despised.
Others would soon look at her with fear and revulsion, and what awaited her would be exile or even a manhunt.
But Elio no longer cared. Since she had chosen to fight, she wouldn't stop halfway.
She adjusted her course, slicing her way toward the patrol soldiers' position.
A true bloodbath greeted her as she bypassed the soldiers' formation and dove headfirst into the murloc horde, drawing attention away from the others.
The soldiers, who had been struggling to hold the line, suddenly found their strength renewed and pushed the murlocs back.
Under Captain Sean's command, they followed the bloodied path Elio had cut and swiftly retreated to join the supporting soldiers.
With more soldiers gathered, the pressure on defense lightened significantly.
They were able to rotate positions, rest, and regain strength, soon carving their way out of the murloc swarm.
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Elio's help.
Many soldiers stepped over the path of blood and flesh she had created with complex feelings as they retreated to the city walls.
Once gathered on the walls, the soldiers noticed their predicament and immediately fired arrows and bolts to cover their retreat.
The soldiers withdrew in an orderly fashion toward the city gates. Elio, soaked in murloc blood, was the last to return.
The gates slammed shut!
The clangs and bangs of battle continued outside but no longer affected those inside.
Captain Sean exhaled deeply, then walked toward the bloodied figure with a sense of excitement.
But as he approached, his steps involuntarily faltered.
He saw that the thick blood covering Elio was slowly receding, as if being absorbed into her body.
Her dark horns starkly contrasted with her pale skin, creating an unsettling and evil aura.
When his gaze met Elio's light brown eyes, Sean's vision momentarily blurred before he snapped back to his senses, filled with panic.
Instinctively, Captain Sean took a step back!
The movement did not go unnoticed by Elio, who sighed silently, gripping her blades tightly.
Just then, a familiar, boisterous voice rang in her ears:
"Haha! Well done! You're truly one of my soldiers."
Old John clapped Elio on the shoulder, completely unfazed by her strange appearance, and pointed up toward the city walls, saying:
"Listen up, everyone! The battle isn't over yet. The lord has arrived…"
As he spoke, Old John's towering figure shielded Elio from many curious and wary stares, while he cheerfully said to her:
"Your strength should have reached the middle tier by now, right? That's great news!"
"If you sign the residency contract and the soldier's agreement, you'll be entitled to a hefty sum of gold coins…"
Elio, still a bit stunned, followed Old John as he rambled on about the benefits of becoming an official soldier.
A flicker of shame passed through Captain Sean's eyes. He wanted to say something but didn't know where to start, and instead, he just watched them leave in silence.
As they walked through the camp, many soldiers noticed Elio's changed appearance.
Most of them were simply curious; none reacted with the fear or disgust that Elio had expected.
In fact, some soldiers' conversations left her bewildered:
"Hey, is that the reservist who had been hiding her strength all this time?"
"Yup, she just took out hundreds of murlocs in one go. That's hundreds of contribution points right there."
"Damn, if I'd known, I would've kept my strength hidden too, so I could rack up more kills during the battle!"
"Please, with your strength? Didn't you get trashed by a troll yesterday?"
"Ahem, that was just a moment of carelessness. I didn't dodge in time…"
"Haha…"
"I think she might be the lord's secret weapon, like that mysterious arcanist!"
"She's got horns now—maybe the lord's new experimental project?"
"I wouldn't be surprised. Maybe we'll get them too someday! More power and more pay every month!"
"You don't think that looks badass?"
"Actually… it kinda does…"
"..."
The strange remarks eased Elio's tension somewhat, but as she neared the mysterious lord, her doubts and fears still lingered.
While Elio was lost in thought, standing on the walls, Matthew had already noticed her arrival.
Name: Elio-Fallenwing.
Race: Half-Demon.
Class: Level 7 Swordsman.
Talents:
Advanced Talent – Bloodthirst LV1: After bathing in blood, +1 to all stats, +10 to damage, -5 to defense, -5 to willpower!
Advanced Talent – Ice Heart LV1: The greater the danger, the calmer you become. +4 to willpower!
Proficiencies:
Advanced Proficiency – Sword Mastery LV2: Skilled in the use of sword-type weapons, +10 to damage, +4 to accuracy!
Advanced Proficiency – Blood Hunger LV1: Killing an enemy restores 1 point of health (Note: Requires the Bloodthirst talent to learn).
Intermediate Proficiency – Weak Point Perception.
Intermediate Proficiency – Power Attack.
Intermediate Proficiency – Mighty Blow.
Basic Proficiency – Parry.
Basic Proficiency – Veteran.
Inheritance: Advanced Inheritance – Sword Heart LV1: Harness inner qi to release sword energy that deals +10 damage and +5 armor penetration.
Stats:
Strength: 14
Agility: 18
Constitution: 14
Intelligence: 11
Perception: 14
Charisma: 14
Luck: -3!
Evaluation: A demon bound by kin!
"Well, well, a half-demon already, huh?"
"Makes sense, though. This isn't a game where a whole race suddenly appears in an update."
"A swordsman, huh? No wonder her combat ability is so strong! But if this class exists in the western continent, could some eastern classes be…"
"Huh, dual advanced talents—looks like my luck's been improving after all…"
A whirlwind of thoughts passed through Matthew's mind.
As Elio drew closer, her icy expression catching his attention, Matthew took the initiative and walked over. Under her surprised gaze, he smiled and said:
"Well done, soldier. You saved many of your comrades. You'll be awarded 500 gold coins and 200 contribution points."
"Additionally, I'll have a sharp enchanted longsword crafted for you!"
Yes, you're my sword now!