《The ascendance of the "Emperor of Darkness"》Chapter 3: Leveling Up!
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"I planning to kill the hero, but why I'm shaking right now."
My right hand was trembling while holding the dagger that the goddess gave to me.
I'm in the front of the sleeping goblin and trying to stab it but-
"I thought I already resolve myself to kill."
To promise to help Xena to take revenge on that Hero, saying those big words seriously in front of her.
But look at my current state, I'm so pathetic.
To calm myself and stop my shaking body.
I clenched my left hand and punch my face.
"You need to this Jun!, Resolve yourself!"
I shouted on myself, the goblin is still sleeping because I'm using [Stealth].
[Stealth] is not just erasing your presence it also erases the sound you emits.
I raise the dagger and get ready to do an easy but also a difficult task in my life.
While clenching my teeth I stab the goblin's neck.
"Guh...Gugu..."
It struggles and tries to shout but only blood is coming out through its mouth.
And after a few moments, it dies.
My body lost its power and I vomited seeing and smelling the blood and dead body of the goblin I killed.
But my task is still not complete, there's a magic crystal inside the body of the monster.
I need to get the magic crystal by forcefully opening its chest.
My body is still trembling but I need do to this and steel myself because I'm the one who'll die if I am not accustomed to this kind of life.
This world is full of monsters and has low public security, so killing is a normal occurrence here.
With a pale face, I lift my right hand.
I pulled out the dagger in the goblin's neck and forcibly stab its chest.
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"So this is the magic crystal huh."
The magic crystal is shining in my hand while being showered by the sunlight.
I'm lying down because of exhaustion.
Before I got this magic crystal, I've gone in a cycle of stab and vomit multiple times.
It is truly torture.
Using [Holy Magic] I can use [Divine Heal] to restore my fatigue, but as a human raised on earth, I want to engrave this event in my life that I killed a human-like being like this goblin.
I cancel my [stealth] and called Xena.
"You're hungry right? you can eat it."
Xena didn't move, Is goblin not to her palate.
「Are you okay master?」
So she's worried about me, such a sweet girl is my familiar.
"I'm okay, I'm just tired, You can eat that goblin while I'm resting. Is goblin not to your taste?"
「No master, I can eat goblin.」
"I'm going to rest a little bit so help yourself."
Xena approaches the dead goblin's body and slowly eat it.
With this task done, I move a step forward for my future plans.
"Status."
[Name: Jun Arce
Age: 17
Level: 1]
"So killing one goblin was not enough to level up."
My body and mind are calm now, maybe because I overcome the fear of killing.
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I've experienced bullying and got traumatized when I'm still young, with the help of my family and friends I overcome it.
Maybe conquering my past trauma and having a strong-willed help me this time.
「I'm done eating Master.」
Hearing what she said, I get up and shake off the dirt.
"Let's go."
Hunting more monsters are necessary to step up into the next level.
We quickly move search monsters.
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"Status!"
[Level: 3]
After killing so many wandering monsters, I only raised two levels.
I thought leveling up would be easy, maybe that's not the case.
Think about it, Xena's level is too low.
A mythical creature like her mostly has a high level.
"Xena, do you hunt monsters?"
「No I don't Master. Mother was always the one hunting for our food. But sometimes she teaches me how to hunt and also trained me to defend myself.」
That's why her level is lower than the average.
Most likely the skills she has were because of her training.
Most of the mythical race has an average level from level 70 to 80, and the highest levels range from level 120 to 150.
"Let's move forward."
The sun's still high, I need to hunt more before the night arrives.
While vigilantly walking Xena suddenly stops.
"Do you sense something?"
Fenrir has extremely good perception. I'm lucky that she's with me.
「70 meters northeast, I sensed 4 presence.」
"Are they goblins?"
「I don't think so, they seem much stronger than them.」
Monster stronger than goblins?
Well, the more powerful the monster the more life essence I would get.
But, if the monsters there are bad news. It's a good choice to retreat. I don't want to die yet, I just got here in this world a few hours earlier.
[Group Stealth!]
I used the skill [Group Stealth], it is one of the skills in the skill tree of [Stealth].
What's the best in this skill is we can still see each other even though both of us are in [Stealth].
A wonderful skill for group assassination.
We approach their direction. Readying my dagger to defend myself.
A few seconds of walking, We got in the place and saw the monsters that Xena's sense.
"Yeah you're right, they seem very strong."
The 5 monsters are eating the body of a dead monster, most likely they prey.
Their appearance is a mixture of humans and horses and has a height of almost 2 meters. They have a body and arms of humans, and also the feet, legs, and head of a horse. They are equipped with some tattered clothes and wooden clubs.
"Status"
[Race: Ipotane
Level: 50]
Its race is called Ipotane. It has a creepy appearance and also-
"Their level is damn high!"
I look to Xena's direction to throw some questions. But she looked kind of disgusted.
"Do you not saw this monster before?"
「Yes I didn't, It's appearance gives me goosebumps.」
You, are you truly a Fenrir. I guess your mother spoiled you too much.
It's the best if Xena will also level up like me, so she can have the experience to fight.
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From now on both of us will fight together to become strong.
"Xena we're going to defeat those monsters. This is my plan."
With my Max level skills, I'm sure I can kill them, but with my current level, they can also kill me easily.
Being too reckless because you've only got some skills is too naive and idiotic.
Nothing will be lost if you plan something, in fact, it would help you survive and improve yourself.
I explain to her what she's going to do.
She listens carefully to everything that I say.
Being enthusiastic is not bad.
After discussing for a few seconds we get ready to attack.
My plan is like this.
I'll cancel the [Stealth] on Xena, after that she will attract their attention by showing herself.
And while she's attracting them I'll snick behind them and behead them.
Why beheading? well, stabbing may not kill them instantly, if that happens my target would call for help and our plan will fail.
"You can go now to your position, Don't attack until I say it, okay?"
「Yes! Master!, I'm going now.」
"Goodluck and be careful."
「Yes! I will!」
And she quickly runs to her position.
I run behind them and give Xena a sign that I going to cancel her stealth.
"Rooaaaaarrrrrrr"
She roar as soon as the stealth cancel.
"horse sound"
The Ipotanes jump up in surprise and grabs their weapons.
Just like what I instructed she act terribly scared in front of the Ipotanes.
Because of her good acting, the monsters laugh at her and approach her arrogantly.
just what I expected there's someone who'll go back in eating.
Three Ipotanes ignore Xena and continue their business.
I coated my sword by my holy magic to strengthen it.
Without further ado, I quickly run in the nearby Ipotanes and beheaded it.
Before its head touches the ground I immediately slashed the neck of the other one.
"2 down, only 3 left to go."
Having the momentum I quickly proceed to the third one and slashed it.
I cancel my stealth and shouted.
"Phase 2!"
Because of my shout, the two remaining Ipotanes look back.
Seeing the 3 lifeless bodies of their comrade they got enraged.
But that's also part of the plan.
The moment their attention got drawn to me their heads got cut into pieces.
Xena was the reason, she used her skill [Wind Claw] to killed them.
"It's over, our plan was successful. You did great Xena."
I move to her position and pat her head.
「Yehey! Master praised me and patted my head!」
So cute, so cute, I also brushed her fur to praise her more.
I feel sorry for her that she needs to do all these things.
But to make her revenge come true, she needs to level up too, and experience to fight and kill her opponents.
"Let's hunt more and become strong!"
「Yes! Master!」
We stopped hunting when the sun starts setting down.
"[Divine Heal]!"
Using this skill, our fatigue, restored back to normal and our body aches disappeared.
"So many extraordinary things happened today."
Several hours ago I'm just an ordinary high school student. But now, I'm struggling to survive and forced myself to kill.
It's like I'm inside of a dream, but unfortunately, it's the reality.
「I'm hungry... Master...」
Xena's stomach starts growling.
I'm also hungry, my breakfast on earth is the last time I eat.
"Alright, I'm also hungry so I'll cook some skewered."
「Yehey!」
I picked some dry branches and leaves and put them in the same place.
"[Body Strengthening]"
Picking the two sturdy branches I rub it to each other with unbelievable speed.
Because of the accumulated heat the branches sets on fire.
I burn the leaves carefully so the fire wouldn't die down, and afterward, the bonfire was created.
With another two branches again I created to skewered stick using my dagger.
"[Storage]"
Fortunately, I stored the meat of some monster we killed earlier. It's a boar monster so I think It's edible.
If not, I still have the skill [Abnormal State Resistance], This skill makes me immune in any poison, being paralyzed, or any debuff spells.
And I also have the [Divine heal] if something happens in Xena.
I take out the meat, cut it in a good size, and skewed it in the stick.
I put two sticks in "X" manners on both sides so I can put the ends of the skewered in the space in the middle and slowly turn so both sides can be cooked fairly.
「It's smells good master! It makes me drool.」
"Yeah, you're right."
A few minutes past before the meats cooked.
"Here, this is yours."
She immediately bites the meat and gnawed it.
「ummu...ammm」
It's still hot, but it looks like she's not affected at all.
I also take mine and blow some air to it before biting.
I frowned, the taste is terrible because of the blood not drained completely.
If I have some salt with me the taste maybe improve even a little bit.
Thinking how to improve our food taste, I forced myself to eat the disgusting skewered that I cooked.
We finished our dinner and preparing to rest for tonight but-
"Xena where we gonna sleep tonight?"
「I don't know master, but if it's me, I'm good just by sleeping under the tree.」
So she won't have a problem sleeping anywhere.
!? And an idea suddenly appeared in my head.
"Xena, can you sleep with me?"
She got startled and look at me, and immediately hide her face.
「M,m, Master! I, I'm still young! D, doing that sort of thing!」
After saying those tattered words, she slowly looked at me.
「B,b, but if it's master... I don't mind...」
Oi, oi, I think she's misunderstanding something.
"Xena, I don't know what are you thinking right now, but what I mean "sleeping with you" means just sleeping together and nothing else. Because your fur is soft and warm, so I like you to sleep beside me."
Xena looked at me again with the expression of relief and disappointment.
Why she looked disappointed, and how can I understand her expression even though her face is like a wolf.
Maybe this also the effect of her being my familiar.
After resolving a little bit of misunderstanding, we sleep together beside each other.
While feeling her fur, I lost consciousness and fall asleep.
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