Chapter 164: One Step at a Time
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[Name: Aoki]
[Strength: 32]
[Constitution: 32]
[Intelligence: 31]
[Agility: 31]
[Occupation: Hunter, King of the White Walkers, Martial Artist, Doctor]
…
[King of the white walkers]
Quality: ★★☆
Level: lv24 (21/2400)
Skills: Demon Blood VI, Space Shuttle II (Extreme), Transparent World II, Demon Devouring II, Soul Shock
Free Skill Points: 5
Aoki clenched his fists, feeling an explosive force surge through his body.
With this wave of upgrades, his attributes had increased by 10 points. Adding in the previous improvements, all four of his stats were now 3 points higher than when he first crossed into this world.
Just based on his attributes alone, his strength had increased by more than a full level.
On top of that, he had the crucial skill, "Soul Shock."
Aoki mused that he was now capable of going up against a three-star force.
However, this was close to his current limit.
"King of the White Walkers" was only one level away from reaching its maximum, which would grant him up to 2 more free attribute points.
While this would improve his strength, it wouldn't bring about a qualitative transformation.
It was the skills that mattered now.
Aoki glanced at his skill bar and nodded, as if confirming something.
"Soul Shock" could be further enhanced.
However, it required 7 free skill points.
"I'm still two skill points short. Once 'King of the Others' is maxed out, I should have enough to unlock it fully."
Aoki decided to focus on pushing "King of the White Walkers" to its peak.
"Once I've mastered Soul Shock, I'll be able to take on that extremely dangerous creature that controls space."
…
Inside the Imperial Palace.
The young emperor sat high upon the dragon throne, with Minister honest and General Budo stationed to his left and right.
Two rows of officials stood below them.
"Your Majesty," one of the officials stepped forward and said, "The news about the assassin causing havoc in the palace and at the Imperial Fist Temple has spread like wildfire. It's having a terrible impact. Should we intensify the search?"
The young emperor appeared somewhat uncomfortable.
Honest, with his hands clasped behind his back, smiled and said, "Your Majesty, do not be concerned. General Esdeath has successfully subdued the northern tribes and will return to the capital soon."
At this, everyone's attention turned toward him, even General Budo, who had been sitting with his eyes closed.
The official who had raised the issue of the assassination swallowed nervously and asked, "Is it really necessary to recall General Esdeath for just an assassin? The situation in the north is still unstable. Isn't it better for her to remain on the border a bit longer?"
Though these officials served the empire, none of them were eager to deal with the terrifying Esdeath.
Honest responded calmly, "General Esdeath wiped out 400,000 northern tribespeople in a single campaign. The northern border is no longer a threat. Summoning her back isn't just to handle the palace assassin, but also to deal with the recent wave of night raids causing unrest in the capital."
"Very well! Summon General Esdeath back to handle the assassin incident!" the young emperor declared.
…
Bright sunlight streamed into the room through the window.
Aoki squinted and murmured, "Is it still daytime?"
He had been staying in the different space for days now, and his sense of time had grown a little fuzzy.
Creak.
Just then, the door to the room opened, and two girls walked in hand in hand.
Aoki glanced at them and asked in surprise, "Why are you back so early today?"
Kurome remained silent, while Akame spoke up, "We found a wanted poster for Kurome outside."
Aoki immediately understood.
He knew kurome wasn't afraid of being hunted, but was worried about being tracked down by her former companions.
"It seems it's not safe to move around the imperial capital. Should we head to the northern border?" Aoki asked.
Kurome looked up. "Did you finish your work?"
"For now," Aoki nodded.
Kurome brightened up. "Then let's go see the snow together!"
"Don't resist," Aoki said, placing his hands on both of their shoulders and activating "Space Mark Shuttle." In an instant, the three of them vanished from the room.
A freezing landscape unfolded before them—endless miles of ice and snow.
The biting cold wind sliced across their faces like a blade.
Akame glanced around at the strange world, her thoughts momentarily disrupted. "Is this what kurome meant by 'space travel'?"
"Come on!" Aoki took the lead.
Kurome followed, but after a few steps, she paused and waved back. "Sister?"
Akame snapped out of her daze, tugged her clothes tighter, and hurried to catch up.
The three spent the rest of the day playing in the snow until night fell, and they returned to the imperial capital.
After dropping kurome and Akame off at the hotel, Aoki departed alone.
At the Royal Fist Temple, tension had been running high. The recent deaths of the eight most powerful fighters in the temple, their bodies vanishing without a trace, had left everyone on edge, fearing they might be next.
Today, however, a different atmosphere filled the temple.
A group of men strolled through, their dominating presence drawing uneasy stares from those around them. No one dared to get too close or show any resistance.
"I can't believe this happened just days after we left the capital," a man dressed like a clown said, exaggerating his tone and expression.
The bald man next to him glanced around. "These fools are scared out of their minds."
"Don't be careless," said the man in blue at the front, his voice low and sinister. He carried two swords and wore a mask. "You all know how powerful the Four Rakshasa Demons were."
Everyone froze for a moment. Of course, they knew.
When the Four Rakshasas were selected, most of them had participated but were defeated.
The so-called "Thirty-Two Evil Spirits" sounded impressive, but in reality, they were merely the losers who had been beaten by the Four Rakshasa Demons. Their only advantage was their cruelty and terrifying methods.
"But don't worry," the man in blue continued. "The minister called us back for other reasons. As for the assassin, we're not here to handle him. If we encounter him…"
Before he could finish his sentence, he fell silent.
Ahead of them, a pale-skinned figure stood, his cat-like crimson eyes gleaming. Although they had never met, his appearance was unmistakable—one they had heard described countless times.
"We've actually run into him." The man in blue took a deep breath before yelling, "Run!"
The Four Rakshasas were dead, and so were the eight strongest fighters from the previous generation. While they had numbers on their side, their strength was no match for the Four Rakshasa Demons or the elite eight.
If they didn't run, they would surely die.
After shouting, the man in blue didn't wait to see the others' reactions. He bolted toward the exit, grateful he had spoken just late enough to seize the first chance to escape.
With his companions as a distraction, his own survival odds improved.
Aoki, amused at finding such a high-quality batch of prey, was taken aback when he saw them all trying to flee. More than thirty people scattered in all directions.
Before, he could have only chased down a few key targets. But now…
Aoki smirked. He had an idea.
Soul Shock, activated.
An invisible wave pulsed outward from him, and wherever it reached, bodies dropped to the ground.
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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.
Patreon link:- patreon.com/ANelite
And also:
Imperial weapon = Teigu
Teigu = Imperial weapon