Anna and Annie's tormented screams echoed through the vast Treasure Vault.
They felt an extreme pain, as if their flesh were being torn from their bones, or rather, as if the Entry was being peeled directly from the depths of their souls.
Unlike when he had cleared Sophie's magic channels, Anna and Annie didn't possess such Magic Circuits. The [Heartless] Entry was more akin to something connected to the very depths of their souls.
Only when Lian had completely shattered the [Heartless] Entry did a wave of pleasure—a stark contrast to the preceding agony—spread through their bodies, making them blush uncontrollably and let out soft moans of delight.
Then, the three of them—Lian, Anna, and Annie—lay on the floor, greedily gasping for fresh air.
Anna and Annie both felt as if their missing hearts had miraculously grown back.
THUMP-THUMP-THUMP—
Their hearts beat in unison.
Their eyes welled with tears. Just as Sophie had when her red Entry was removed, they couldn't believe this was real.
They had truly escaped Lady Mary's control and gained their freedom.
The long-absent sound of their own heartbeats was the best proof.
"It was a success, Lord Lian."
The two sisters wanted to embrace and cry their eyes out, but their bodies were limp and their legs too weak to stand. All they could do was look gratefully at the equally exhausted Lian.
"Thank you, Lord Lian."
"From this day forward, we offer you our Loyalty."
Lian nodded weakly. 'Doing two at once was too much of a strain,' he thought.
'A man really needs to practice some restraint.'
'From now on, no matter what, I'm never Cleaning an Entry for two people at once again. It nearly killed me.'
The process of Cleaning an Entry was simple and brutal: you just had to grab hold of it and completely shatter it.
Unfortunately, the process was a bit... involved. It was physically exhausting and required an intense mental battle.
After Cleaning the twins' Entries, Lian had used up every last bit of his strength.
And this was with the bonus from being a One-star Knight. An ordinary person's body could never have handled doing it three times in such a short period!
[Entry Points +1000]
'I just cleaned two red Entries in a row, but I only got a total of 1000 Entry Points. That's the same amount I got for Cleaning Sophie's one Entry.'
'This must mean there are different tiers among red Entries.'
'[Heartless] is only worth 500 Points.'
'[Bordering on Loss of Control], on the other hand, is worth 1000 Points.'
'It must be proportional to how harmful the Entry is. The greater the harm, the higher the Points.'
With that in mind, Lian opened the Item Mall.
The Item Mall still only had three green Entries.
[One-star Knight] [Master of Deceit] [One-star Assassin].
After witnessing Annie's Speed, Lian was very tempted by the Assassin class.
So this time, he redeemed [One-star Assassin].
[Obtained New Entry: One-star Assassin]
[Current Physique: 8 (6+2), Swordsmanship: 5 (5+0), Assassination Techniques: 8 (0+8), Speed: 14 (6+8), Power: 8 (6+2)]
[You have set foot on the path of the Assassin, becoming a novice among them. You can easily assassinate an unsuspecting commoner, but when facing a One-star Knight, you must find an opportunity for a sneak attack. You have only one chance to strike, or you will become another soul lost to the Knight's sword, for the difference in your Power is immense.]
Lian had just finished reading this descriptive text when the characters changed.
[You have embarked on a bizarre path of the Assassin, becoming an anomaly among them. You can easily assassinate an unsuspecting commoner, but you can also instantly kill a One-star Knight. This is because you possess not only the Speed of an Assassin but also the physique of a Knight. You are a hybrid. Do not let others discover your strangeness, or you may be targeted.]
'Tsk, so the Entry description can change!'
Then, Lian saw the [One-star Knight] and [One-star Assassin] Entries gradually drift together, and a [Fuseable] button appeared next to them.
'Am I in a Western Fantasy World or a Game World?' Lian began to wonder.
'Knight and Assassin can be fused? What new Entry would that create?'
Overcome with curiosity, Lian tapped [Fuse].
The high-grade green Entries [One-star Knight] and [One-star Assassin] vanished, replaced by the Silver Extraordinary Entry: [One-star Assassin Knight].
'The name's a bit lazy,' Lian thought, 'but it's a Silver Extraordinary Entry. I definitely scored on this one.'
[One-star Assassin Knight] You have firmly set foot on the path of the Assassin Knight. You are the fastest among Knights and the most powerful among Assassins. You have forged a path all your own.
Equipping this Entry grants the following additional bonuses: Physique +1, Swordsmanship +1, Assassination Technique +1, Speed +1, Power +1.
Equipping this Entry grants a Shadow Bonus. When you move in darkness, all of your abilities are enhanced by 10%.
[Current Physique: 9 (8+1), Swordsmanship: 6 (5+1), Assassination Techniques: 9 (8+1), Speed: 15 (14+1), Power: 9 (8+1), Shadow Bonus: 10%]
'As expected of an Extraordinary Entry. Not only did all my stats increase by one point, but I also got a 10% Shadow Bonus.'
'I wonder what Level of Assassin Annie is.'
Lian realized he couldn't see all of a person's Entries. Normally, he could see three at most, but it was impossible for someone to have only three Entries in total.
To learn about other Entries, he had to interact with the target and gather more information. For instance, only after Anna and Annie confessed their secret was he able to see their hidden [Heartless] Entry.
But if they hadn't spoken up, even he wouldn't have been able to perceive the hidden Entry.
Furthermore, the [Assassin] Entry above Annie's head didn't specify her Level. That was also something he would have to find out later.
'So, I can see Entries, but not all of them. That's the true nature of my ability right now.'
'I wonder if I'll be able to see all of a target's Entries at once as I grow stronger.'
Lian looked at Anna and Annie again. The [Heartless] Entry above their heads had vanished, replaced by a new high-grade green Entry: [Heart of Loyalty].
Lian nodded in satisfaction and extended his hand.
"Sophie, help me up."
Sophie, who had her back to them the entire time, turned around. She walked over to Lian, extended a hand, and helped him to his feet.
"Are you two going to keep resting here, or head back to your room?" Lian asked, looking back at Anna and Annie.
"We'd like to lie here a little longer," Anna said softly.
She and her sister had never felt so relaxed, so free.
They wanted to quietly listen to the beat of their own hearts and just sleep.
Even if it was on the cold floor of the Treasure Vault.
Lian didn't object. He let go of Sophie's hand.
In truth, his Physical Strength had been replenished when he redeemed the Entry; he was perfectly capable of walking on his own now.
Lian walked to the entrance and pushed open the great doors of the Treasure Vault.
At the entrance, the three Ministers of the Regency stared at Lian in surprise, craning their necks to peek inside the Treasure Vault.
When they saw the two Maids lying on the floor and Lian, drenched in sweat and walking unsteadily, they all got knowing looks on their faces.
"What are you all doing here?" Lian asked, bewildered.
"Lord, we couldn't find you in your chambers. A servant told us you came to the Treasure Vault."
The portly Minister of Finance wiped the sweat from his brow and spoke with an awkward smile, "We didn't realize we'd be interrupting you. We'll take our leave at once."