∼ Measure of Ability ∼

Chapter - 078

"W-we cannot express h-how grateful we are, Sir Mage." The old man, Harrod, stammered, sweat beading on his wrinkly face. Compared to before, he appeared to be much more uncomfortable in Nyx's presence. In all likelihood more so from the fact that he had single-handedly slaughtered all the bandit camps than from the effects of his newfound slayer title.

"No matter, human." Nyx dismissed almost magnanimously. Regardless of which was more prevalent, Nyx found that both things had a profound influence on everyone around. Especially so on the poor captain of the militia, Liam. Who couldn't even bring his eyes to meet Nyx's figure as he trembled in the corner.

When the militia had caught up to the destruction and death left in the wake of Nyx, Liam and his squad had progressively grown from apprehensive to horrified, having seen scenes that would not leave their nightmares for lifetimes to come. They all now deeply regretted how they had treated the mercenary beforehand, now realizing that, foreigner or not, this monster was not to be offended lest they were ready to face the consequences. Liam carried such intrusive thoughts with him, all the way back to Meadesborough, and now, would into the foreseeable future. If not for the rest of his life.

Nyx delighted in the fear and reverence shown by everyone. It had been about time with how they had initially treated him after all. Having been offered a banquet and whatnot, Nyx ended up declining everything without as much as a second thought. He had not the time to waste with the townsfolk for he had already gotten all the loot he needed from these humans. He padded the vambraces and pouches of stolen gold in his bag lovingly. Now, the rest of his prize lay in Boreas, with the Mercenary Guild. The reward of this request completion.

Before the humans of this borough even had the opportunity to realize it, Nyx was well on his way. Barely having taken the time to report his success to the elders. His desire for blood and slaughter satisfied, for now, he took the trip back to Boreas slow. Meditating and training he made considerable progress not only with his mana-pool but also skills.

Opening his eyes to the crackling fire at his little camp deep in some woodlands not even a day's ride from Boreas, Nyx noted his progression with satisfaction.

[Through dedication and hard work, your mind has expanded, and your reservoir with it]

∼Mana: (+5)∼

Bringing his mana pool from a twelve to a solid seventeen, it was getting to the point that he no longer needed to worry about how much mana he spent. Including whether or not to have Fisty summoned at any given time. A repeat of the Raith incident wasn't something he desired to experience. More intriguing than the results of his diligent meditation, however, was that halfway into the journey back to Boreas, something rather unexpected had happened.

Caressing the glossy exterior of the pendant watch as he felt the inner magical machinations of the vambraces held in his other hand, he tried to sense how the magic flowed within both. How the enchantments worked. Whereas the pendant watch needed only the simple supplement of arcane mana to work, the vambraces seemed to possess the ability to passively absorb the wild mana permeating the world.

Admittedly a lot slower than the straightforward task of imbuing its stores with mana, this still allowed for non-mana wielders to use the artifacts. People like the bandit boss. Not only that, the vambraces could cloak anything the wielder touched, at a much-increased cost of the stored mana of course. This was definitely how the bandits managed to so effectively raid the borough without retaliation.

A feat of magical ingenuity. Nyx reasoned. Which opened up the doors for ideas like; if this was possible, what other magical items existed in this world? And where were they? Nyx's fingers tingled with excitement. He'd make all the magical artifacts of this world, his. If it was the last thing he did. Almost unconsciously, Nyx's mind entered a certain trance-like state as he reveled in the presence of the magical items, unconsciously comparing them. Suddenly, their properties suddenly opened up for him.

[Twin Vambraces of Deception] Quality Rarity Expert Rare Durability Protection Rating ??? ??? Enchantments ??? Description ??? [Pendant Watch of Divination Warding] Quality Rarity Flawless Epic Durability Protection Rating

??? ???

Enchantments ??? Description ???

Nyx blinked, not really comprehending the new screens in his mind for a whole moment until yet another came right after.

[Congratulations, with raw willpower and focus, you have enlightened yourself upon the worldly intricacies of objects.]

Gained Skill - Inspect (Perception Skill)

"Aria's skill!" Nyx realized. Or at least, a weaker version of it. But this was definitely like how she had described being able to view the properties of items. Although it appeared to only grant him a very basic understanding of the items so far, it was still something. Furthering the skill would undoubtedly grant him more information, so it was only a matter of training with it.

Looking over the items, Nyx noted with surprise that not only was the pendant watch's quality higher than the vambraces but its rarity was also greater. Whereas the useful vambraces were much more complex and seemingly more useful in the practical sense, the pendant watch didn't really seem to do much for him. Maybe, that was simply because Nyx had yet to understand what divination truly meant and its dangers. "Gah! Too much thinking." Nyx grumbled. He couldn't bring himself to care about why since it didn't really pertain to him at this moment. All that mattered was the fact that he had not only added to his collection of artifacts but also his growing list of skills.

Extending a hand, a spark of purple ignite above his palm an instance before the air itself caught on fire with a small, compact, purple inferno. It wasn't large, but its intensity was like an unstable spewing of fire. With but a thought and the swipe of his hand, it was launched with great speed. From [Moderate] to [Superior], [Demonbolt] had gotten much more powerful.

Still holding it out, Nyx moved as if to grasp the air. Instead of the spark, the flame itself came from his skin, rapidly forming into a ball in his hand. It was like a bubble with liquidy fiery swirling within. [Impfire] was slightly larger than before, and the yellowly red was a bit redder. Though, not much had changed from [Inferior] to [Moderate].

However, Nyx was more than satisfied with the upgrades, so he went on to his status.

Status Information

Attributes Name Nyx Health 80/80 STR 30 END 5 Race Imp (Prideborn) Stamina 16/18 DEX 13 INT 40 Level 19 - (64%) Mana 16/16 (17*) VIT 8 CHR 2 Class Main-Class Warlock Rank Apprentice Grade Rare Sub-Class None Rank None Grade None Traits Demonhide - (Racial), Fire Resistance - (Racial), Mark of Pride - (Demonism) Titles Bearer of Pride - (Demonism), Slayer of Humans (Slayer) Skills Demonbolt - [Superior], Drain - [Inferior], Inspect - [Inferior], Impfire - [Moderate], Summon Familiar - [Inferior], Wither - [Inferior] Masteries Proficiencies

Techniques Demonology - [Superior], Hand-to-Hand Combat - [Moderate], Mana Manipulation - [Moderate], Riding - [Inferior], Words of Power - [Inferior] None

Grumbling to himself as he perused his status, an invasive thought whittled its way into his head. He had a lot of attributes. With some having little or more value in correlation with his size and frame. But just how strong was he? How fast was he? How smart was he? The smartest of all, of course. But how would he measure himself against, let's say - a stinkin' human?

Standing waist-high to most adult men, Nyx wiry form did little to utilize the strength attribute to its fullest. Yet, the thirty points he had in it wasn't anything you could simply ignore. Hoisting up the large flat rock he had used to meditate on, something that easily weighed four times his own body weight, he struggled to balance it. But lift it, he did. Now, he didn't have any proper reference for human strength, but it was beyond a shred of a doubt that he was stronger than the average human male.

Not much - but that was only for now. After all, how much would those points be worth in his next evolution? With a whole thirty points at his disposal?

Rubbing his hands together almost evilly, Nyx couldn't wait. Next up, he tested out his speed and nimbleness, of which he was much more familiar. Quicker and more dexterous than any human, his small, wiry form made him a swift menace, acrobatic with all movements. He knew that much already. Accompanied by an unnatural strength for his size, he was fast. He was a speed demon - literally.

Now, for his ability to take damage and punishment... Well, he wasn't sadistic. A little too frail, but not so much he'd snap in two under a strong breeze. Testing was neither needed nor desired. Lastly - his intelligence. But he was at a loss on how to test it properly. Forty points definitely attributed to something, some of the more prevalent things being; reaction, perception, analyzing, and decision-making. All things very important in the chaotic and fast-paced way of battle.

Let alone these thoughts and ideas in his head right now, even he could see just how much his mind had grown from the primitive thinking of his early days as an impling. Picking up a pebble, he flicked it high into the air and closed his eyes. In the camp with only the crackle of the fire and the chilly night breeze, Nyx's senses unfolded. His hearing, sense of smell, and touch - everything as he tried to sense the pebble. Closing out all other things, his mind focused on it, and it alone.

The instant he felt a change, his hand flew out and grabbed the pebble. At least, that was what he attempted to do... The pebble hit the ground and Nyx cursed indignantly. It took some more tries, but eventually, he managed it. And soon, he was throwing that pebble higher and higher. Catching it deftly with eyes closed. That was until he threw it too high and ended up with a sore bruise on his head. The measure of his ability was over, Nyx decided grumpily, if not a little embarrassed.

Back on the road early in the morning, the immense city of Boreas took over the horizon in the distance. Nyx readjusted his fresh set of robes as he had a little trouble clothing himself properly. Maybe he should look into getting some fire-resistant robes. He couldn't keep going through them like this. Or else, it'd give more credence to Aria's overpreparation.

With a glance up and down, he made sure they didn't expose his true nature. He had already made that mistake once out in the boonies on his return as he accidentally forgot to pull down his hood as he passed a human, a poor woman who had been scared for her life, seeing a gnome-sized small demon leisurely riding a horse through her field. At least it had been so far out from Boreas that it'd probably not spell any trouble later down the road.

A hesitant extra check of his robes assured him that he really had remembered everything, even his hood. So with confidence, he entered Boreas to claim his reward.