Luke stared at the list of skill options that had unlocked when his class hit level 35. Every single one had "Assassin" in the name.

It's just like I suspected. Being a Demonic Assassin means I get skills from two different styles. If I go more for the non-stealthy assassin approach, killing head-on with a combat style closer to a mercenary, that's actually the demonic side of the class, something more savage and beast-like. Technically, this class isn't about stealth, it's about killing. But if I play it stealthy, more like a traditional assassin, the system gives me skills that fit that kind of approach.

He thought back to when he'd gained the Force Infusion skill. It had come right after he began to understand how stamina really worked. One of his strategies for dealing with the Beast Lord was to replicate that process, learn through use, push the system to respond. For now, he pushed that thought aside and focused on the current options.

[Assassin's Silence (Ultra-Rare)]: The assassin creates a transparent, invisible dome around themselves that nullifies all internal sound. Footsteps, weapons, movement. Everything becomes utterly silent. Perfect for undetected execution. Duration: a few seconds.

He didn't need to guess where that came from. The past few days, moving silently through the camps, watching from the shadows, learning the routes and behavior of the stone soldiers, his stealth instincts had sharpened. That side of the class had finally responded. And now he had a skill that could be a game changer. The statues didn't scream. They didn't talk. So at first glance, it might not seem useful... but a silence field like this? That had serious potential.

Would it work if I triggered it right as one of them tried to blow the horn?

He weighed the possibilities. Stealth was the key to reaching the boss. Whether the mission had been designed with that in mind, or whether it was just a series of lucky breaks, didn't matter. What mattered was that this skill might be the edge he needed.

But how long does the dome actually last? And how far does it extend?

Critical information. And more importantly: how much mana does it cost?

A skill that strong probably didn't come cheap. And then there was the wording: "a few seconds." His Wraith Form skill, which burned through mana faster than anything else he had, never mentioned a time limit. As long as he had fuel, it ran. Like a car engine. But this one explicitly referenced time. That wasn't by accident. Nothing in the system ever was.

Does that mean I can just recast it once it ends? Or is there some sort of cooldown like with Spectral Barrier?

He remembered how that worked. No matter how much mana Charlie had, once the barrier shattered, it took a long time before she could activate it again.

Would Assassin's Silence work the same way?

With a sigh, he moved to the next skill on the list.

[Greedy Assassin's Mark (Ultra-Rare)]: Your [Assassin's Mark] evolves. Now, you may mark up to three targets simultaneously. Your senses will fixate on them. No matter where they run, if they remain within your domain, you will find them. No prey escapes hungry eyes. The mark remains until removed, expired, or replaced.

An upgrade!

His current [Assassin's Mark] could only tag a single target, but even that had helped more than once. Expanding it to three opened up all kinds of tactical flexibility. He could mark the key threats in each camp. Focus his approach. Control the battlefield before it even started. Luke bookmarked that one as a top contender alongside Assassin's Silence, then scrolled to the next option.

[Assassin's Tracking (Rare)]: The assassin does not wait in the shadows. He hunts with lethal intent. Allows the tracking of individuals through minimal traces, interpreting subtle movement patterns and environmental distortions. Grants sensitivity to mana fluctuations, enabling detection of targets even while hidden. Effects are amplified when the enemy enters your perception field.

Mana fluctuations?

Luke's eyes locked on the screen, his focus sharpening. Ever since his near clash with the Midnight Warden in the ant colony, he'd been trying to understand mana on a deeper level. Not just feel it, understand it. But he couldn't, not yet. He lacked knowledge. He needed something, anything, that could push him closer to insight.

Most of his current skills felt like microwave dinners: pre-packaged, easy to use, effective, but hollow. What he wanted was the recipe. The how. He didn't just want results. He wanted control. And for that, he needed more raw contact with mana. Real, visceral experience. He scrolled to the next skill.

[Assassin's Eyes (Rare)]: The assassin gains perfect mental recall of any visual scene. Faces, maps, symbols, patterns. Everything is recorded with photographic precision. Ideal for deciphering routes, remembering targets, or planning ambushes with exact timing.

Technical. Not magical.

It clashed with the learning curve he was chasing. Sure, all system skills were magical in origin, but this felt like something different. Like the knowledge to wield a blade, which was magically downloaded into his mind, but still more intellectual than elemental. Less fireball, more training.

Luke categorized this as a hybrid: part arcane, part technique granted by the class itself. Still, it wasn't what he needed. Useful? Definitely. Possibly even more than Greedy Assassin's Mark depending on how it was used. But not what he wanted. He dismissed it.

[Assassin's Breath (Rare)]: With a subtle gesture, the assassin can extinguish torches and small flames within his perception radius, as if snuffing them out from afar. Ideal for plunging areas into darkness and disorienting enemies during nighttime assaults.

Like Batman, he thought.

His inner child would've picked that one instantly. Luke exhaled and returned to the list, now narrowed down to three contenders:

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[Assassin's Silence], built for pure execution.

[Greedy Assassin's Mark], espionage, intel gathering, hunting, and yes, assassination.

[Assassin's Tracking], which, he realized, covered much of what the Greedy Mark offered, but with a broader application.

With Tracking, he could pinpoint targets, infiltrate camps with full awareness, and hunt anything that moved. A perfect assassin's tool. And yet... none of them matched the potential of Assassin's Silence. Even with the mana cost unknown, the utility was immense. A guaranteed kill in the right moment. Silent. Clean. Final. But Luke clenched his jaw.

Because logically, the right choice wasn't the most exciting one. Assassin's Tracking was the path toward what he truly wanted, to understand mana. And through that, eventually, the key to defeating the Beast Lord.

"Damn it."

He selected the skill and dismissed the system window.

[You have acquired Class Skill: Assassin's Tracking]

The screen faded, and with it, Assassin's Silence disappeared from his interface. The weight of the choice hit immediately. He could feel the disappointment gnawing inside, the sense of watching something precious slip away. But he made the call. And he would make it count. Luke let out a sigh.

This investment better pay off... or I just made a colossal mistake.

"Artemis," he called out.

"Yes, Luke? Is this the moment you finally admit I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you?" she replied.

"What? No. What kind of ridiculous, wait, where did that even come from?" He paused, then shook his head. Arguing with her was a fast track to losing his mind.

"Just answer me this. Do you know how to make an arrow from scratch?"

"Of course."

"Good. Then I'm going to need you to teach me. And I'll need more training with the bow. If I'm going to take down the Beast Lord, I need every edge I can get... or we're all screwed."

"When are we not screwed?" she said flatly.

He chuckled under his breath and got back to work.

***

Across from Samael sat Asmodeus, feet propped casually on the table, until he finally lowered them and met his gaze. No doubt watching closely, eager to see how Samael would react to what he'd just said.

"I heard a rumor among the Primordials," Asmodeus began, his tone as smooth as ever. "That Azazel passed his bloodline to a chosen one. And that maybe, just maybe, it's what pulled him out of his cozy little retirement and back into the old habits."

"The multiverse is vast," Samael replied, voice even, unreadable. "Trillions of souls scattered across countless worlds. Yet you show up here, fixated on this tutorial. I'll admit, I'm curious about your logic."

Both were demons. Both fluent in the art of conversation, how to shape it, mask it, twist it into something else entirely. And Samael understood Asmodeus, at least a little. Chaos and order were natural opposites. It was why Samael, bound to structure and strategy, knew how to play Asmodeus's game with clarity. One didn't fight chaos with chaos. You outmaneuvered it with rules.

"For starters, you've made an investment in this tutorial," Asmodeus said.

"As I have in many others."

"You also seeded missions through orbs. That caught my attention. Because if you did talk to someone through those quests, there's no way to trace it. The system conveniently obscures that kind of interaction."

"You, more than anyone, understand how special this tutorial is. Long-term returns are inevitable."

Asmodeus tilted his head thoughtfully. "Azazel's still obsessed with that... thing?"

"What my master is interested in is his business," Samael replied flatly. "Not mine. And not yours."

Asmodeus pulled out a familiar object: his old, worn tarot deck.

"Don't worry, Samael. I won't tell anyone about your little chosen one. Or his identity. You know, me and the old man, we've had our own game going for a long time. And why would I spoil the ending now, just when the match is finally heating up again?"

He started dealing the cards on the table, spreading them with practiced grace.

"Going to use your rank skill on me now?" Samael asked. "What's next, disguising yourself as some dying hermit sitting outside a wooden cabin?"

Asmodeus smirked. "What can I say? I like wooden cabins. I'm a simple man."

He flipped over a card.

"You, Samael, are one of the very few who actually understand my rank skill. So, I'll offer you a free reading. Call it a courtesy between old devils."

Samael recognized the trick. Of course he did. The first card was the Tower.

"The cards speak of upheaval," Asmodeus said, voice taking on a faint theatrical rhythm. "Disaster. Change. A turning point etched into the very fabric of what comes next."

He looked up from the table and smiled. Right at him.

The next card was the Moon.

"Ah, the good old Moon. What could she be trying to tell us?" Asmodeus mused. "A conflict under a long, starless night? Something deeper... hidden? A secret, perhaps? Or maybe a scheme that's been unfolding right under your nose, and you're the only one who hasn't seen it?"

Then came the next card, Death.

"Well, this one needs no introduction," he said, letting out a quiet chuckle. "You and I, and the other so-called immortals, we've always danced around this one. But mortals? Not so lucky. So... is it the end of a cycle? Or the end of a life?"

He tapped the edge of the table, enjoying himself far too much.

The next card revealed itself, the Devil.

"Oh? This one..." Asmodeus tilted his head, lips curling in thought. "Now this is interesting. Too much information packed into a single card. Why would Death be followed by the Devil? Or is it meant for the devil? Or maybe... the demon?"

Samael's voice finally cut in, calm but edged.

"I think we both know playing coy gets us nowhere. You didn't come here just to throw cards around, Asmodeus. You already know who the human is. You wouldn't be sitting in front of me if you didn't."

Asmodeus raised both hands in mock surrender and flipped the final card.

The Lovers.

"Well then," he murmured. "There it is. The message fate wanted to deliver."

He motioned over the cards, summarizing with a magician's flair.

"The Tower… something catastrophic, centered around a chosen place. The Moon… hidden motives, secrets, illusions. Death… someone's going to die. The Devil... someone like us will be there when it happens. And the Lovers… tells me love's at the root of it. Which means betrayal. Someone feels betrayed. Someone will betray. Or maybe… someone's out for revenge. Love makes monsters of us all."

The cards shimmered, then vanished from the table in a flicker of arcane light.

"Now," Samael said, voice steady, "what is it you actually came here to say?"

Asmodeus leaned back, the smile never leaving his face.

"I made a move, Samael. I've sent someone... toward your chosen human. Let's see how the pieces fall."

Samael picked up his teacup with a sigh.

"Whatever's meant to happen will happen, Asmodeus. You and I don't control fate. But whoever it is you've sent... I hope, for your sake, you've prepared them well."

"Don't worry," Asmodeus said, standing with a theatrical sweep of his coat. "I'm generous with those who stand beside me. And when the moment comes... you'll be in for a beautiful surprise."

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