novelraw Chapter 108: Selene the Moonlit Blade’s Power
Chapter 108: Selene the Moonlit Blade’s Power
Ha. The words of a textbook villain. I almost rolled my eyes. Still, now that their so-called big boss had arrived, it was clear this was my cue to call it quits. Boris, Michelle, and the others should have escaped to a safe location by now.
As if to prove my point, Tuilë’s voice suddenly crackled through the comm-link in my left ear. “Maxim, we’ve made it. A few troubles along the way, but we’re at the eastern wall now. Hurry and catch up.”
I fed mana into the comm-link and replied calmly, “Understood.”
Then my gaze turned back to Dolton, and I muttered under my breath, “That’s enough of this.”
With that, I canceled Berserk. At once, the fire in my veins guttered out, leaving behind a crushing wave of fatigue that dragged at my limbs—far more exhausting than anything I’d felt before. On top of that, the pain from all the tiny wounds all over my body hit me at once. Ignoring the pain and weight threatening to slow me down, I drew in what little focus I had left and swiftly activated Fabled Vessel.
You have activated Fabled Vessel.
Please select a divine hero or demigod that you want to possess.
[The Crimson Sovereign – Tyrant of the End]
[Voldrath the Eternal – The Lich-King of a Million Souls]
[Alric the Sword Saint – Hero of the Eternal Blade]
[Veyra the Thousand-Arrows – Huntress of the Stars]
[Selene the Moonlit Blade – Phantom of the Night]
…
As soon as I saw Selene the Moonlit Blade, I chose her without hesitation.
You have possessed [Selene the Moonlit Blade].
Warning: Your current stats are too low to receive her full power!
Only 1.2% of Selene’s power is transferred to you.
Your stats have temporarily increased significantly.
Your assassination-related skills have temporarily improved drastically.
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Intermediate Dagger/Knife Mastery Lv.6]
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Assassination Arts Lv.10].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Stealth Movement Lv.8].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Moonveil Step Lv.7].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Lunar Sword Dance Lv.5].
You have temporarily acquired a skill: [Phantom Mirage Lv.2].
As soon as the System messages flashed, my body moved like a shadow. The weight of exhaustion from Berserk evaporated, replaced by Selene’s extremely refined precision. Even the smallest details—the rhythm of my breath, the pounding of my heartbeat—fell into perfect silence, leaving my movements nearly imperceptible. Using Fast Equip, I changed to my cursed cloak, fading my presence even further.
To increase my chances of escape, I pulled out the smoke canister Tuilë had given me and yanked the pin before tossing it to the ground. A thick plume burst forth, smoke billowing rapidly and shrouding the entire area as I slipped away into the haze.
The Templars shouted in alarm as they tried to close in, but their eyes failed to track me in the smoke. My body blurred into a streak of silver light, leaving only faint afterimages in my wake. One knight panicked and slashed blindly at the center of the smoke, but his strike met nothing except for mist—what he struck was no more than a phantom remnant of my movement.
“W-Where did he go?!” one of them yelped, spinning about in confusion.
While they were busy searching for me, I had already slipped past them with Moonveil Step, gliding soundlessly up the side of a wall before vaulting onto the roof of a nearby building. From that vantage point, I dashed across the tiles as I pursued the direction where Boris and the others had gone.
“Useless trash! You let him slip away again?!” Dolton’s voice echoed from behind me, seething with rage. “Mark my words, rat! I’ll tear you apart the next time I see you again!”
Unfortunately for Dolton and his men, I had already vaulted onto another rooftop, soaring dozens of meters away from where they thought I was. Even if they somehow caught a glimpse of my trail, there was no chance they could keep up. My speed, enhanced by Fabled Vessel and Selene’s unparalleled movement skills, placed me far beyond their reach.
Now all I needed to do was regroup with the others.
***
The night air stung Istellise’s lungs as she sprinted through the twisting streets of Saharan alongside the others. Shouts of soldiers rang out behind them, echoing off the stone, as patrols scoured every corner in pursuit. Yet no matter how close the voices drew, she and her companions managed to slip past almost entirely unnoticed.
Still, a single thought refused to leave her mind: Why had Maxim stayed behind? Why had he willingly thrown himself into danger for her sake?
In the Holy Kingdom where she was raised, loyalty was a hollow thing—something bought, traded, or discarded when no longer convenient. Yet this man, whom she had only just met, had stood alone against an army just to drag their eyes away from her. It was reckless, absurd… and more unsettling than she wanted to admit.
“Stay on me!” Boris’s voice boomed like a war drum, shattering her spiraling thoughts. The giant of a man charged at the front, his steel-coated body turning him into a living battering ram. Every swing of his arms destroyed walls, splintered shields, broke weapons, and sent soldiers crumpling into the walls of the narrow streets.
Beside Istellise, Michelle stayed vigilant, loosing arrows at any foe who drew too near. Each shot struck true—one shaft pinning a guard through the knee, another tearing into an arm, a third silencing a scream with a clean hit to the throat. Though her pale face betrayed the tremor in her hands, her will never faltered. She was frightened by what she was doing, yes, but her arrows still shielded Istellise step by step.
Lucian hovered behind, his cold, imperious gaze fixed ahead as mana churned like a storm around him. Layer upon layer of magic circles spiraled into being around him, each one unleashing bolts of fire and lightning that detonated against the pursuers. The explosions forced their enemies back, tearing gaps into the Templars’ lines, forcing them to dodge with all their might.
And then there was Tuilë, laughing even amidst the chaos. Her hand cannon roared when it spotted an enemy, spitting flame and thunder with every shot. “Hah! Come on then! Try and catch us if you can!” she jeered, her blasts ripped barricades apart and sent men sprawling into the air. Smoke appeared from the barrel of her hand cannon as though she was finding thrill in the midst of all this.
Istellise couldn’t help but think that each of them was crazier than the last as she clutched the crystal ball tightly to her chest. Yet one thing was clear: these strangers fought with reckless determination for her sake. They bled, risked their lives, and even left behind their strongest fighter, all to ensure her survival.
“Why? Why would you go so far for me?” she whispered to herself, her heart pounding with confusion. No one in her homeland would have done the same.
As her thoughts spiraled, Boris broke through one last barricade, and suddenly the towering eastern wall came into sight. Relief nearly made her knees give out.
“Over there!” Boris bellowed, urging everyone forward. “Inform Maxim we’ve reached the wall. I’ll break us a path with my steel body.”
Tuilë nodded her head and quickly tapped something in her ear before speaking something into it.
But before they could proceed with the plan, shadows dropped from the rooftops. Figures in dark cloaks landed soundlessly around them, each brandishing poisoned blades that gleamed faintly under the moonlight. Their movements were too refined to be common soldiers; they were clearly assassins.
Istellise’s breath caught in her throat. Of all enemies, these were the ones she knew best. The Holy Kingdom had hounded her with killers like these for as long as she could remember.
And then, from the darkness ahead, a voice laced with mocking amusement cut through the night. “You’ve run far enough.”
Prince Homuraz emerged into the open, flanked by another squad of assassins. His gold-trimmed robes swayed gently in the wind, and the smug curve of his lips sent a chill down her spine. His eyes fell directly on Istellise and the crystal ball she held.
“Hand it over, saintess candidate,” he said smoothly. “You’re surrounded. Escape is impossible. Be obedient, and perhaps I’ll even let these fools die with dignity.”
***
It didn’t take me long to spot my comrades—Boris, Michelle, Lucian, Tuilë, and Istellise—from atop the rooftops. To my dismay, they were surrounded by dozens of cloaked assassins, each wielding poisoned blades glinting with lethal intent. At their forefront stood the Desert Prince, Homuraz, wearing a smug smile of certainty, as though victory was already his.
“Tch. Looks like I was right to hurry.” My grip tightened around the Moonlight Dagger that I’d taken out from my inventory on the way here. Selene’s power still thrummed in my veins as my vision locked onto their positions, calculating angles.
With a burst of speed, my body blurred into a silver streak as I used Moonveil Step, diving down from the rooftop. The assassins barely had time to register the movement before my blade flashed. Lunar Sword Dance erupted in a seamless arc, the dagger tracing a crescent of silver light. Three cloaked figures fell in unison, their bodies collapsing soundlessly to the ground, lifeless before a cry could escape their throats.
You have hunted [Skilled Assassin Lv.85].
You have gained 1,450 EXP.
You have hunted [Skilled Assassin Lv.84].
You have gained 1,440 EXP.
You have leveled up.
You have hunted [Skilled Assassin Lv.85].
You have gained 1,450 EXP.
Your Dexterity has increased by 1.
“W-What—?!” a nearby assassin cried, eyes wide at the sudden death of his comrades, before my dagger flashed across his throat, silencing him forever.
You have hunted [Skilled Assassin Lv.83].
You have gained 1,430 EXP.
You have leveled up.
With Selene’s power coursing through me, cutting down these so-called Gimmel-rank assassins felt no harder than chopping leeks on a cutting board.
Not stopping there, I followed up with Gravity Magic and cast {Gravity Field}. I pushed the weight down on all the assassins three times the normal, staggering them and causing their refined footwork to turn into clumsy, stumbling motions. The sudden increase in gravity made their movements heavy as though the earth itself sought to drag them down.
“Maxim!” Michelle exclaimed, with relief flashing in her eyes at my sudden appearance.
“Don’t just stand there—get moving! Jump over the wall!” I instructed, driving my dagger into another assassin’s chest and killing him.
You have hunted [Skilled Assassin Lv.84].
You have gained 1,440 EXP.
I quickly expanded the field, easing the pull of gravity on my allies until their bodies felt half as heavy. With this, they’d be able to leap over the wall once the assassins were held back.
“What’s this trickery? Do you think you can run?” Homuraz declared, “The Templars will hunt you to the ends of the earth. You’ve stolen treasures from my vault! The Kingdom of Solarys will never forgive and let you off!”
“Oh really?” I blurred forward with Phantom Mirage, leaving two afterimages that confused the assassins. By the time Homuraz realized, the Moonlight Dagger was already at his throat, its edge grazing his skin just enough to draw a thin line of blood.
“Eep!” The prince’s smug expression stiffened.
“Take one step closer, and your Desert Prince dies first,” I threatened coldly.
The assassins froze mid-motion, uncertainty flashing in their eyes. Without Dolton here to bark orders, their discipline crumbled, and hesitation rooted them in place.
“Now! Over the wall!” I shouted.
Boris grinned, scooping Istellise into his arms. Her startled cry echoed as he launched himself upward, soaring past the ten-meter wall with ease thanks to the reduced gravity. Michelle followed, her boots hitting the wall before springing up to its top. From her perch, she loosed an arrow that pierced the skull of a pursuing assassin. Meanwhile, Lucian just flew to the top of the wall with magic. As for Tuilë, she was great at jumping and had already vaulted ahead before the others.
Finally, I released Homuraz with a shove, sending him sprawling backward with a look of stunned outrage, and launched myself upward. Wind Rush and {Gravity Field} carried me high. My boots struck the battlements before I vaulted over, dropping into the darkness beyond.
Shouts erupted behind us, but it was too late. We were already beyond their grasp.