Chapter 163: Soul Shock
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Akame and Kurome sat on the bed, speaking softly about their childhood. Suddenly, a figure appeared.
Akame instinctively grabbed Murasame, positioning herself in front of Kurome.
"Don't be nervous, sis," Kurome said, gently holding her hand.
It was only then that Akame realized it was Aoki. But how had he entered? The doors and windows were all closed, and she hadn't sensed any movement.
"Did everything go smoothly?" Kurome stood up, addressing Aoki.
"Very smoothly," Aoki nodded, then looked toward Akame. "Akame, you're here. I assume that means you have good news."
Akame responded seriously, "We agree to the deal you proposed."
Aoki warned, "I must remind you, those four extremely dangerous demons are incredibly powerful. There's a high chance that some of your people may be sacrificed in the hunt."
"Kurome has already told me about the nature of these super dangerous demons," Akame said calmly. "Since we've agreed to the deal, we are prepared to pay any price."
"Good! It's settled!" Aoki smiled.
This increased their chances of success.
But it still wasn't enough.
Akame then asked, intrigued, "Where are these four extremely dangerous demons? I didn't think there was such a perilous place in the empire."
"They're likely not in this country," Aoki replied, "but don't worry, I have a way to get there."
He had left several space marks in that hidden location, all in highly concealed spots. Although the super dangerous demon had greater control over space than he did, it wasn't as complete as Nakime's control over the Infinite City. Thus, Aoki's space marks remained undisturbed.
Seeing that Akame had no further questions, she continued, "Our boss wants to invite you and Kurome to the base to discuss the minister's assassination and the hunting of the super dangerous demons."
"To the Night Raid base?" Aoki thought for a moment before responding, "I'm honored, but I'll need you to wait for two days. I have some matters to attend to first."
Kurome smiled brightly. "That's perfect! Night Raid has given my sister a few days off, so we can visit the base in a couple of days."
Aoki glanced at them and chuckled. "Night Raid seems quite considerate."
Akame smiled, holding Kurome's hand.
Aoki didn't want to intrude on the sisters' private conversation. He nodded and then disappeared into a different space.
Akame couldn't help but glance sideways.
It had happened again.
There was no sound when he appeared, and the same when he left.
"Sister, that's Aoki's special ability," Kurome said, smiling. "If you're curious, maybe you can ask him to show you how it works sometime."
Akame asked, intrigued, "Doesn't Aoki's Imperial tool change its appearance? What's the deal with this ability?"
"No, sis!" Kurome shook her head. "Aoki doesn't use an Imperial tool."
"He's not an Imperial tool user?" Akahime was shocked.
She didn't believe only Imperial tool users could be strong. After all, she had only used Murasame for a short time, and before that, she fought just as well with regular weapons.
But Aoki had demonstrated such extraordinary abilities—how could he not be an Imperial tool user?
Kurome lay on Akame's lap and said, "Aoki is a very powerful person. If we get the chance in the future, I'll definitely tell you all about him, sis!"
Aoki's power was immense. Even though she was her sister, she would never tell anyone about it without his permission.
After entering the different space, Aoki headed straight to the laboratory.
The four walls were lined with shackled individuals—fifteen in total.
These were all his spoils from his trip to the Royal Fist Temple.
Although none of these fifteen could compare to the Four Rakshasa Demons, their physiques were still remarkable.
Especially the last eight.
They were only slightly weaker than the Four Rakshasa Demons.
Aoki had a premonition that this would lead to another significant harvest.
"Let's get started," Aoki said as he approached.
The process was familiar—first turning them into demons, then using blood enhancement.
[You killed a demon and gained 263 experience points.]
[Congratulations on your level up!]
After devouring the fourth demon, Aoki heard that familiar, pleasant voice again.
However, he didn't rush to reap the rewards; instead, he continued creating and consuming demons.
[You killed a demon and gained 322 experience points.]
[Free skill point +1.]
…
[Strength +1.]
[Free skill point +1.]
[You killed a demon and gained 463 experience points.]
[Congratulations on your level up.]
Upon devouring the sixth demon, he earned another free skill point.
By the time he devoured the tenth demon, he gained yet another free skill point, an increase in strength, and another level up.
Aoki didn't stop to process the rewards—he pressed on with his work.
[Free skill point +1.]
[You killed a demon and gained 402 experience points.]
…
[Free skill point +1.]
[Constitution +1.]
[You killed a demon and gained 413 experience points.]
[Congratulations on your level up.]
Devouring the twelfth demon earned him yet another skill point.
By the time he consumed the fifteenth and final demon, he received another skill point, an increase in constitution, and a third level up.
"Level 3 again. Truly, a great harvest," Aoki thought, looking at the system notifications, feeling deeply satisfied.
Although the experience differed from the previous three-level upgrades, this still counted as a triple-level up in his eyes.
Aoki summoned the system interface.
He had accumulated a total of 8 free attribute points.
"King of the White Walkers" was a two-and-a-half-star profession, which granted 5 attribute points every 2 levels—one more than the White Walker profession.
Devouring the demons earned him 4 skill points, and leveling up added 3 more. Including the previous 4, Aoki now had 11 free skill points.
With 8 free attribute points to spend, Aoki quickly allocated 2 points to each attribute. Once done, he turned his attention to the skill bar.
Without hesitation, he learned "Soul Shock."
A strange sensation coursed through him, and Aoki focused on the feeling, his eyes growing brighter with excitement.
"Soul Shock" was even more potent than he had anticipated.
It was an ability that directly attacked the soul, rendering it nearly impossible to defend against.
Even opponents much stronger than him would feel its effects.
However, unlike his other abilities, "Soul Shock" had strict usage limits and was more challenging to wield.
Aoki calculated mentally.
At most, he could use "Soul Shock" three times a day. Any more than that, and it would harm him.
Additionally, after each use, a short rest was required before he could use it again.
The power of "Soul Shock" was primarily influenced by his intelligence stat.
His previous abilities, such as "Space Travel" and "Transparent World," had fixed effects. Although intelligence affected them, it didn't provide a direct bonus to their potency.
Now, for the first time, Aoki had acquired an ability that fully leveraged his intelligence attributes.
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T/N: There is a patreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early access of 40 chapters.
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And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon