Chapter 37: The Streets Run Red
The streets ran slick with blood, pooling in the cracks between cobblestones. The acrid stench of burning wood and flesh clung to the air, thick and suffocating. My blade carved through the hapless bystanders, a symphony of steel and screams accompanying the carnage as both my servant and I tore through flesh and bone. Every kill, every gurgling death rattle, was punctuated by the cascading stream of notifications that filled my vision, level after level, point after point.
The city guard arrived soon after. They were strong, far more formidable than the panicked civilians, but their strength meant little in the face of what they were forced to witness.
Their city, the very streets they had once walked as children, filled with laughter, light, and the warmth of home, had become an abattoir of brutality and despair. Friends, comrades, maybe even family lay scattered in grotesque heaps, unrecognizable masses of crushed bones and shredded flesh. The guards froze, their hands gripping their weapons with uncertain resolve. Their expressions wavered between horror and duty, but I could see it in their eyes, their spirits were breaking.
There were about twenty of them. They outnumbered me, their training and coordination superior, and under normal circumstances, I would have lost this battle before it began.
But this wasn't normal.
A smile tugged at my lips as I activated my skills.
[Seed of Discord] [Grade: D-Grade] [Type: Active] [Details: Amplifies emotions such as fear or anger, making affected individuals significantly more prone to irrational or extreme actions.] [Proficiency: 11.3%]
[Despair Aura] [Grade: F-Grade] [Type: Active] [Details: Reduces the morale of nearby foes by 15%.] [Proficiency: 79.6%]
[Dark Dominion] [Grade: D-Grade] [Type: Active] [Details: Gain temporary control over weaker enemies who fear you.] [Proficiency: 24.1%]
Of course, the guards were too strong for me to dominate outright, but the fleeing civilians, the wretched souls who still clung to life, were another matter. The city was vast, and I had only carved through a fraction of it. There were still many to be slaughtered, but if I wished to truly bring this place to its knees, I needed to deal with these guards swiftly. If reinforcements arrived, this would become troublesome.
"All we gotta do is hold out until the commander gets here!" one of the guards barked, his voice laced with forced confidence.
[Activating Dark Dominion…] [Finding Targets…] [23 Targets Found!] [Give Command] [Duration of Control: 00:05:21…]
Attack the guards.
The command was absolute. The terrified civilians, previously driven only by their instinct to flee, turned as one. Their vacant eyes betrayed no thought, no hesitation, only the command that had been carved into their very being. Like rabid animals, they lunged at the guards, unarmed and untrained. They couldn't hope to wound the armored soldiers, but that wasn't the point.
This plan relied on the guards' humanity. Their compassion.
And it worked.
I saw it in their faces; hesitation, grief, revulsion. Some faltered, their hands trembling as they raised their weapons against their own people. Tears glistened in the corners of their eyes as they cut down civilians who had once been neighbors, friends, perhaps even family.
A grin stretched across my face.
The world had taught me a simple truth: compassion was a weakness. Humanity was a flaw.
All that mattered was power. My strength. My desires. My unquenchable thirst for more.
I surged forward beneath the veil of chaos, my sword slipping between the plates of a guard's armor, sinking deep into his back. He choked on his own blood as the blade jutted out from his chest. I wrenched it free with a sickening squelch, his body crumpling to the ground like a discarded rag doll.
Blood sprayed across my face. I licked my lips, the metallic tang of iron coating my tongue.
Was this… peace?
Then, the system's screen flashed before my eyes.
[Unyielding Wrath interacting with subconsciousness…] [Unyielding Wrath forcefully evolves…] [Unyielding Wrath (E) becomes Primal Berserk (Unique)]
[Primal Berserk] [Grade: Unique] [Type: Active] [Details: Increases all stats by 200% for 10 minutes, then decreases all stats by 50% for 1 hour. Whilst activated, player is entirely controlled by primitive drive. Decreases pain by 100% during its duration.]
A chuckle escaped me. So, I truly was no different from a beast now. Fitting.
Then, movement in the distance. I turned my head, my gaze snapping toward the far end of the street. More guards surged forth from both directions, their armor gleaming beneath the crimson glow of the burning city. At their front stood a particularly imposing figure, likely the commander.
And then another voice, raw with fury.
"You…"
From the smoldering remains of the tavern, a figure emerged. The mercenary commander. Though battered, he was still very much alive. His face twisted into a mask of unbridled rage, his gaze burning with murderous intent.
"You fucking bastard!" he spat, his voice a venomous snarl. "We should've left you to rot where we found you, you fucking demon!"
The irony was not lost on me. He looked far more like a demon himself, emerging from the flames unscathed, his expression warped by wrath.
I took stock of the situation. There were now more than a hundred guards, the commander, and the mercenary leader. My odds? Slim. Perhaps nonexistent.
And yet, the thrill that coursed through me was intoxicating.
It had been a long time since I faced a battle where victory wasn't assured.
My fingers twitched, navigating the shop as time seemed to slow.
[Current Points: 248]
Enough for two items. New skills had appeared, no doubt rewards for my continued destruction.
[Skill: Shadow Steps (C-Grade), Dark Sword Aura (C-Grade), Villain's Laughter (C-Grade), and Pyrokinesis (E-Grade) (New!)]
Pyrokinesis. A tempting choice, likely born from my recent displays of arson. But too weak. I needed something that could work with Primal Berserk. Something that could tip the scales.
And I found it.
[Dark Sword Aura] [Grade: C-Grade] [Type: Active] [Details: Coats your blade in darkness, enhancing its strength, sharpness, and swiftness according to stat: Dark Aura. Unlocks stat, Dark Aura. +20 to Dark Aura.] [Proficiency: 0%]
A perfect complement to my newfound berserker state.
And one more thing…
[Darkness In A Bottle] [Type: Item] [Details: Engulfs the area within a 2-kilometer radius in a dark mist, decreasing all stats by 10% for all who do not possess evil alignment. Duration: 1 hour. One-time use.] [Cost: 100 Points] [Available: 1]
A gamble. But one worth taking.
As time returned to its normal pace, I met the eyes of my enemies.
Now, I'd show them why I was the greatest.