The majority of protagonists captured by Alan and his paladins were not nobility of significant standing, nor did they hold influential positions within the courts, warranting the protection of guards. This led to their capture going unnoticed.
Among this batch of captured protagonists, Alan identified one whose cheat was worth seizing. This protagonist's cheat was the "Kill for Loot" ability.
Notably, the function of this cheat was effective not just against protagonists or antagonists, but also against ordinary people.
However, if the protagonist killed an ordinary person, the loot dropped would mostly consist of insignificant amounts of money.
Conversely, if the protagonist killed someone with greater strength, like an Ascendant, the quality of loot improved significantly.
Furthermore, if the protagonist killed an antagonist, the dropped items were especially valuable.
Even if the antagonist was only level 1, the loot dropped would be rarer than that from a general-tier non-antagonist.
This was under the assumption that the protagonist was at least at the level of an elite soldier.
If a lower-level protagonist managed to defeat a higher-tier opponent by chance, the loot dropped, with the cheat's assistance, would be even more precious.
In essence, the "Kill for Loot" cheat was quite beneficial. After all, Alan killed many protagonists daily.
If each protagonist dropped items, there was a chance of obtaining something valuable.
Additionally, even though Alan suppressed his strength to lord-tier, when he killed a level 1 protagonist, he could still obtain loot comparable to what a level 1 protagonist would get from killing a general-tier enemy.
Moreover, the cheat seemed to have another feature: dropping points. Indeed, having killed numerous protagonists, Alan had amassed over 1000 points.
For Alan, more points meant better items to exchange for. As the most powerful antagonist, the items that caught his interest naturally required a higher expenditure of points.
Thus, he found the "Kill for Loot" cheat particularly appealing.
With his paladins having recently captured several protagonists, Alan saw this as an opportune moment to test this new system ability.
Decisively activating the newly acquired ability, he executed a few protagonists on the spot.
As expected, the "Kill for Loot" system functioned precisely as he had anticipated. Upon killing these protagonists, various treasures and points burst forth from their bodies.
[Notification: Congratulations, Host! The "Kill for Loot" system has produced 100 points!]
[Notification: Congratulations, Host! The "Kill for Loot" system has dropped the purple equipment, "Hunter's Boots"!]
[Notification: Congratulations, Host! The "Kill for Loot" system has dropped a Saint Fruit!]
...
Alan looked at the items that had just burst forth, feeling a bit speechless. The most useful among these seemed to be the points; most of the other items were of little use to him.
Nevertheless, Alan had now eliminated a total of 10 protagonists. His total points had reached 1500. His title had also evolved, now reading "Protagonist Crusher."
He then glanced at his system panel:
[Name: Alan]
[Faction: Antagonist]
[Codename: Lightbringer]
[Current Identity: General of Beaconburg Paladins]
[Level: Lord-tier]
[Points: 1550]
[Fate Favor: Dawn's Emergence]
[Antagonist Level: 2]
[Antagonist Level Skill: Stealth Art]
[Number of Protagonists Killed: 10]
[Title: Protagonist Crusher]
[Ranking: 1]
Alan paused for a moment, reflecting on the changes. First, his Fate Favor had improved from negative to positive.
Additionally, with the elevation of his antagonist level, he seemed to have gained a new antagonist skill.
This skill, Stealth Art, allowed him to conceal his aura. Its effect was to make the antagonist's presence chaotic and vague to protagonists, preventing them from determining the antagonist's exact location.
This skill complemented his use of supreme divine power, which rendered his antagonist identity unrecognizable to the system, although the two abilities had slightly different functions.
While using supreme divine power also had a similar effect of concealment, and was perhaps even more effective, it had one drawback: it couldn't directly alert protagonists to danger, prompting them to flee.
On the other hand, Stealth Art allowed protagonists to detect the antagonist's presence, prompting them to react and thus making it easier to identify and track them.
Thus, the Stealth Art skill also held its unique utility.
Additionally, two new system notifications suddenly appeared before Alan.
[Notification: Successfully advanced to level 2 antagonist. Points can now be used to bestow Fate Favor on antagonists!]
[Notification: When encountering a level 1 protagonist, their attributes will be reduced under the suppression of a level 2 antagonist!]
"Hmm, that's somewhat useful, I suppose," Alan mused to himself, assessing the improvements brought about by his advancement to a level 2 antagonist.
Meanwhile, there was an update from Elizabeth's end. She was using a magical device known as the [Bell of Light], capable of using light energy for sensing and transmitting messages over long distances.
"Lord Alan," Elizabeth's voice echoed through the device. "The recently escaped protagonist, David, has located his master. His master is currently en route to Beaconburg, heading towards Rivenland."
Alan paused for a moment at this news. "David's master?" he repeated, then acknowledged, "Understood."
While examining David's system earlier, Alan had opted not to strip it away but had glimpsed into David's memories. Those memories did indeed include details of David taking on a master – a figure of no small repute.
The master was a human Saint, Christine, with a power level likely around the 3-star lord-tier. Christine herself was a half-human, half-vampire, owing to her father being a vampire.
However, years of disciplined training allowed her to suppress her vampiric thirst for blood.
Upon discovering David, Christine saw him as a kindred spirit. She sensed a human soul within David but also detected traces of demonic bloodline.
Interestingly, David's demonic lineage was more varied and extensive than hers, sparking her curiosity.
She thus took David under her wing, treating him as both a disciple and a younger brother.
David's life as a protagonist had been fraught with hardship, an orphan by circumstance. His soul, that of a transmigrator, was clever and adept at reading people, skilled in flattery.
After encountering the formidable Saint, he often showed care and concern for her, utilizing his past life's skills as a casanova.
Currently, although Saint Christine harbored no special feelings for her disciple, she found him to be an excellent student – pitiable yet sensible.
Now, she was concerned that David had been apprehended by the people of Beaconburg due to his demonic aura.
Christine, esteemed as a Saint within the Rivenland royal court, embodied qualities that closely mirrored those of the revered deities of Rivenland: the Goddess of Flowers and the Goddess of Moon, Selena.
Her aura and constitution were particularly akin to those of Selena, embodying the celestial grace and serene poise characteristic of the Moon Goddess.
In the context of the impending Ceremony of Divine Grace, Christine's role as a Saint placed her in a position of significant prominence, comparable to that of the leader of Beaconburg.
This alignment of status was a testament to her revered standing within the kingdom and her close affiliation with its patron deities.
Christine's reaction to the news of her disciple David's detention was one of immediate and intense indignation.
As a figure who typically shrouded herself in a mantle of pride and solitude, the news struck a chord, prompting her to take decisive action.
Resolute in her quest for answers, she intercepted the delegation from Beaconburg en route to Valer, the capital city of Rivenland.
Her intention was clear: to seek clarification directly from the representatives of Beaconburg and to unravel the truth behind the incident.
Her inquiries were driven by a desire to ascertain whether the paladins of Beaconburg were as inflexible and extreme as the politicians in the Rivenland royal court had portrayed.
Christine's intent was not merely to seek answers but to challenge the narrative that had been constructed around the paladins.
She was prepared to confront any stubbornness or prejudice she encountered, armed with the conviction of her status as a Saint and the authority it conferred upon her.
In Christine's eyes, should she find the paladins of Beaconburg to embody the rigid and fanatical traits as rumored, she would not shy away from demonstrating her formidable power.
She was ready to confront these leaders, who she perceived as arrogantly assuming a transcendent position in the continent.
Christine's resolve was to not only defend her disciple but to assert her authority as a Saint, challenging the perceived superiority of these organization heads and making them aware of the true extent of her capabilities.