Chương 505: Between Maps and Danger

Angie stood with Charlie, watching their lord finish packing. They had already gone over the plans for the coming days.

"I'm leaving behind some tools and the spears I took from the onis," Luke said, pulling items from his dimensional storage and stacking them inside the room he'd been using in the temple. They walked together through the hall and stopped at the entrance. Angie and Charlie followed him down the steps.

"I'll be back in two weeks."

"If he takes longer, you already know why," Artemis muttered.

"He'll be caught up in some insane mess that nearly gets us all killed." Charlie laughed softly, then rested a hand on his shoulder.

"I wish I could go with you, Master Luke."

"And miss the opportunity we have here? Don't worry. If you want to help me, you'll be far more useful staying. I'm just going to copy a few maps. Boring stuff. Nothing dangerous is going to happen."

"You just jinxed it," Artemis sighed. Angie planted her spear in the ground, lowered to one knee, and bowed her head.

"I swear, my lord. I vow on my life that when we meet again, I will be stronger." He had accepted her as a partner, though gestures of devotion like that still made him a little uneasy. Even so, Angie would offer them a thousand times if she had to.

"I'll be counting on it, Angie." With that, their lord vanished into the forest. Angie and Charlie turned back and began climbing the temple steps.

"You can fill your Blood Core using beasts now," Angie said.

"That means you're self-sufficient, Charlie." She looked down at her hand.

"And I'm stronger than before. I even have a healing skill now, even if it's still weak. The two of us together can handle whatever is in this forest."

"I still wish I'd gone with Master Luke," Charlie murmured.

"Nothing should hurt him. And if something does, I want to be there to kill whoever caused it." Her eyes glowed red for a moment, but she steadied herself.

"Even so… I agree with the plan." While Luke traveled between temples to copy their maps, Angie would remain in the forest with Charlie, hunting beasts and onis. The goal was simple: level up. Angie knew her limits, but she also knew how far she could push them. She could already handle some onis. If she defeated them, she would move on to stronger ones, steadily increasing the difficulty as she grew. She had mapped out a full routine to maximize experience gain.

With her stamina and wings, she could sweep through the forest, searching for enemies without pause.

"The next time we see him, I want to surprise him with how much I've grown," Angie whispered. Deep inside, she could feel something—a faint spark, like a silent flame calling to her. A remnant of who she once was. She would seize that flame and bend it to her will. Angie stepped into her room.

"Not angels. Not humans. Not beasts. Not demons," she murmured, gripping her spear tighter. I will crush anything that stands in my lord's way. Her greatest humiliation was knowing how weak she still was. There wasn't a single day she looked at her system interface without feeling anger aimed at herself. I promise, my lord. I will gain the strength to shatter every one of your enemies. Including that dragon queen. I haven't forgotten the humiliation she made you endure. I'll hunt her down. Her family. Her kingdom.

Every last one who shares their blood. Every soul who stood on that land. Her fingers tightened around the shaft of her spear. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Even if I have to wipe out an entire race. Even if I drown a nation and leave it in ruin. I will do whatever it takes for you.

Luke made his way back toward the military village, moving at a steady pace through the misted ruins of the forest. This time, he wasn't just passing through. He intended to copy the map again, but now with every detail, every line, every subtle marking he might have overlooked before. He opened his interface as he walked and glanced over his progress, measuring how far he'd climbed with his second class.

Name: Luke Level: 63 Race: Half-Demon Rank: E Class: [Demonic Predator (Lvl 66)] 2nd Class: [Witch (Lvl 25)] Profession: [Guardian Botanist of Mother Freya (Lvl 77)] Titles: [Dark Lord] Bloodline: [Bloodline of the Dark Demon] Health Points (HP): 6650/6650 Mana Points (MP): 7321/(7570) Stamina: 4136/4180 Soul Fragments: 348/1000 Stats: Strength: 554 Lethality: 937 Agility: 740 (750) Dexterity: 386 Endurance: 418 Vitality: 665 Toughness: 227 Perception: 635 (645) Wisdom: 752 (757) Intelligence: 574 Willpower: 684 Free Points: 0 Class Skills: [Advanced Blade Handling (Uncommon)], [Advanced Knife Throwing (Rare)], [Twin Blade (Common)], [Basic Dark Dash (Rare)], [Basic Blood Regeneration (Rare)], [Predator's Mark (Rare)], [Demonic Blade Dance (Rare)], [Wraith Form (Ultra-Rare)], [Force Infusion (Rare)], [Advanced Stealth (Rare)], [Assassin's Tracking (Rare)], [Mana Infusion (Rare)], [Basic Archery (Common)], [Demonic Predator Hands (Epic)], [Demonic Predator Throwing Knife (Epic)] Second Class Skills: [Basic Magic Conjuration (Common)], [Teleportation Pentagram (Legendary)], [Shadow Ball (Common)], [Weak Telekinesis (Uncommon)], [Witch's Gaze (Uncommon)], [Cursed Weapon Throw (Rare)], [Telekinetic Impulse (Rare)], [Telekinetic Pull (Rare)] Profession Skills: [Herbology of Mother Freya (Ancient)], [Precise Extraction (Common)], [Advanced Potion Crafting (Uncommon)], [Corrupted Plant Growth (Rare)], [Plant Sensor (Uncommon)], [Botanical Bond of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Seed Conversion (Rare)], [Plant Manipulation of Mother Freya (Rare)], [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya (Ultra-Rare)], [Thorn Mutation (Uncommon)], [Soil Analysis (Uncommon)], [Botanical Purification (Uncommon)], [Acid Blood Arrow (Epic)], [Soil Guardian I (Ancient)], [Vegetal Respiration (Common)], [Stomach of Mother Freya (Ancient)] Race Skills: [Identify (Common)], [Demonic Perception (Uncommon)], [Dark Blood (Uncommon)], [Advanced Meditation (Uncommon)], [Demonic Endurance (Uncommon)] Rank Skill: [Soul Infiltration (Rank F)] Bloodline Skill: [Servant of the Dark Lord (Unique)] Servants: [Charlotte Vespertilio (Vampire) - Lvl 55], [Angie (Stone Angel) - Lvl 14] Familiar: [Ancient Wyvern (Rank F)] Luke sat on the crumbling remains of a house while, below him, the young wyvern stretched lazily.

"Finally, a little freedom. I'm glad that winged rat isn't tagging along."

"What's your problem with Lulie?" Luke asked, eyes still on the map in his hands.

"He's afraid of being replaced," Artemis replied.

"Shut up, annoying voice," Franky snapped.

"I just… don't like the rat. The same way I don't like any of you."

"Yeah, that confirms it, Luke. Classic abandonment anxiety. He's afraid of being kicked out of our group." Artemis murmured.

"I am not part of your group," Franky growled.

"And I don't want to be." Luke rose and started walking.

"Where are you going, human?" Franky hurried to his side.

"Continuing with my plan." Angie and Charlie would be working together to level up, especially Angie, who he hoped would see real growth. The forest was protected by the poison mist; no outside forces would dare enter, leaving only its natural dangers to contend with. Knowing that Charlie could now feed from beasts had lifted a heavy weight from his shoulders.

It took almost an entire day of travel before he reached the military village. Night had fallen, and the place looked nothing like before. The dozens of tents were gone, leaving a wide, empty clearing spread around the temple grounds. Footprints covered the dirt in dense trails.

"They left some time ago," Luke muttered, crouching to study the ground. Franky leapt upward and began flying in slow circles. Little by little, he had been testing his limits, climbing higher with each attempt, especially after strengthening himself with more cores. Maybe they headed toward the military camp near Miles's base. That was Luke's best guess.

"Come on, snake," he said when Franky descended again. They walked toward the great staircase leading up to the temple.

"That Layla girl is either dead or very close to it," Artemis murmured.

"Don't say that. I still need to send her back to Eleanor. Even if she's missing a few pieces… as long as she's breathing." Katarina would be devastated if Layla died. They moved between the trees, approaching the temple. Then Luke froze. Something stood at the top of the stairs. He grabbed Franky without warning and darted into the undergrowth.

"Hey, what are you doing? Don't pick me up!"

"Quiet." He pressed himself against the shadows and looked again… Hey everyone, we've got a bonus chapter coming in 12 hours. That'll be our second chapter of the day, so enjoy!