Luke surveyed the small base, now completely overrun. He vaulted onto another rooftop, scanning the area. When he spotted someone running, he flicked a knife without hesitation.

  [You have slain a human…]

  [+1 Soul Fragment]

  Angie and Charlie had already finished dealing with the remaining enemies. Luke walked over to the body of the Fourth Red Finger.

  “One more Finger down. We indirectly helped Cassandra and Peter.”

  Angie had told him that Charlie killed a woman named Dolores, the Eighth Finger. According to interrogations they conducted on captured enemies during the temple invasion, the group had been hired by the Baron. Dolores’s brother was the First Finger.

  I should charge Cassandra and Peter for this.

  Luke severed the man’s head. There had to be some kind of reward for this. He was not interested in money, but a noble owing him a favor could be useful. As he walked, Luke glanced at the notification hovering in his interface.

  **Your second class [Witch] has reached Level 35!**

  [You have unlocked a Class Skill]

  Luke was using his Rank Skill, seeing through Franky’s eyes as the little wyvern flew above the base, hurling fireballs at fleeing soldiers while laughing hysterically.

  The small wyvern landed, still cackling. “You should have seen it. One guy saw me, pissed himself, and begged me to let him go. Swore he’d be a good person.”

  “And you let him go?” Layla asked.

  “I told him he could leave. Then when he turned around, I started blasting him with fireballs,” Franky said, laughing even harder. “I’m tearing up just thinking about it.”

  “That’s sick,” Layla said.

  “It’s hilarious,” Franky replied.

  The hatchling was no longer something that fit in the palm of Luke’s hand. He was now about the size of a dog, and his bite had grown stronger along with him. After checking the entire base, they left one enemy alive, bound and guarded. Luke looked over Angie’s and Charlie’s interfaces as notifications continued to pop up.

  **The [Blood Death Knight] class of Charlotte Vespertilio has reached Level 72!**

  **The [Valkyrie] class of Angie has reached Level 46!**

  **The [Valkyrie] class of Angie has reached Level 47!**

  **[Angie has reached Level 27! Stone Angel (Rank F)] (+2 bonus point to all attributes, +5 free point)**

  They stopped at the edge of the abyss.

  “Last time I was here, I killed everyone and didn’t get to ask questions. Do you know what’s down there?” Luke asked.

  The man was tied up near the edge, trembling. “I-I don’t know.”

  Luke kicked him. The man fell screaming into the darkness.

  “Well, I’ll find out eventually.”

  Franky burst into laughter. “That was great. The look on his face when he turned around and stared at you. Then the scream.”

  “That wasn’t funny. Why did you do that?” Layla said. “I get that they were bad people, but that was… really messed up.”

  “I don’t do anything without a plan, okay?” Luke replied. “If a death notification pops up, it means he hit the bottom. If it doesn’t, then he might be falling forever in some eternal void. See? I think two steps ahead, Layla.”

  She crossed her arms. “You… have a point.”

  “The second option was testing it with you,” Artemis added.

  “Hey!” Layla snapped, quickly stepping away from the edge.

  Now there was nothing left to do but wait. Minutes, maybe hours. While they waited, Angie kept making increasingly obvious gestures for Luke to look at her interface, even though he had already noticed. A notification dominated the center of his vision.

  [Angie’s second class is awakening...]

  Somehow, she had managed it. They couldn’t really talk about it, at least not around Layla. To her, Angie was just a familiar. Still, the notification was there, undeniable.

  Angie has obtained a second class, but how? What did she excel at that might have helped awaken it?

  While waiting for the man below to finish dying, Luke tapped the notification for his new Witch skill. Five options appeared.

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  [Phantasmal Mist (Rare)]: Confusion is also a weapon. The Witch conjures a thick, supernatural mist that blankets a chosen area, reducing visibility and distorting the enemies’ perception fields.

  Mist? Probably white, unlike the dark fog I can generate with Wraith Form. This one even interferes with perception. Interesting, though not very offensive.

  [Arcane Light (Common)]: Summons a small floating orb of light that circles the Witch, illuminating dark areas. In addition to serving as a light source, it can be used as a distraction in strategic situations.

  Discarded.

  [Electric Spark (Common)]: A simple magical snap is all the Witch needs. This skill generates a mild electrical discharge, capable of delivering small shocks to those who touch it, lighting campfires, or assisting in arcane experiments. Its usefulness depends entirely on the Witch’s creativity.

  Pretty useless.

  [Despair Aura I (Rare)]: The Witch carries an unsettling presence wherever she goes. Having learned that her enemies must fear her, she channels her bond with the dark arts to intensify this sensation. The Despair Aura releases a faint wave of terror around the Witch, making the air feel heavier and unstable. Those who meet her gaze feel an amplified sense of fear. While the fear inflicted is still minor, this is the first step toward a future where even the Witch’s strongest enemies may freeze under her stare. The skill gains a small bonus based on Perception, Willpower, and Intelligence.

  A kind of mental attack? How exactly does that work?

  Luke read the final option.

  [Minor Purification (Uncommon)]: Despite her mastery of dark magic, the Witch understands the balance between the pure and the profane. This skill allows her to purify impurities in water, food, and fabrics, as well as neutralize simple or natural poisons. At higher levels, the Path of Purification may even dispel minor curses.

  None of them were offensive skills. They were utility-focused, clearly meant for situations outside of combat as well. Much like his [Botanical Purification], which could turn any water into drinkable water, these kinds of skills had enormous value for survival. But among the five options, only one truly caught his attention, driven mostly by curiosity.

  [You have acquired a Second Class Skill: Despair Aura I]

  Luke felt the change ripple through him.

  “What are you doing, you bastard?” Layla asked, taking two steps away from him.

  “What am I doing?”

  “Huh… what’s wrong, human? You’re… more imposing somehow. What did you do?” Franky asked.

  Luke focused on the skill. He could see something emanating from himself, as if his body were releasing black and violet flames. It wasn’t visible to others. This was his aura.

  “Um… a new power, Master Luke?” Charlie asked.

  “Yeah. And it’s activating on its own,” he replied.

  A passive skill.

  Passive skills were always active. Unlike regular skills, which Luke had to consciously trigger, these required effort to suppress.

  “There. Better?” he asked.

  Layla lowered her bow. “What the hell was that, you bastard? You looked… different.”

  “New skill. Minor psychic side effects on anyone nearby,” he replied.

  How big is the range? And keeping this active while trying to stay stealthy is going to be a terrible combination.

  After a while, the system finally confirmed what Luke was waiting for.

  [You have slain a human…]

  [+1 Soul Fragment]

  “Alright. Time to move.”

  Luke pointed at the ground.

  [Teleportation Circle 1 activated]

  A blue pentagram circle flared into existence beneath his feet.

  “Layla, can you fly?” he asked, peering over the edge.

  “That’s not funny at all!” she snapped, taking several steps back.

  “I’ll see you soon,” Luke said, then jumped.

  “You’re insane!” Layla’s voice faded as he vanished into the darkness.

  Luke kept falling, deeper and deeper. Angie appeared beside him in free fall, her wings folded tight against her back. It took a while before they neared the bottom. Just before impact, Luke spread his cloak, and Angie helped slow the descent. The ground below was vast and cavernous. Luke looked up.

  “I seriously doubt teleporting will work from this distance.”

  [Teleportation Circle 2 activated]

  He stepped onto the circle.

  [Teleportation Pentagram activated]

  Nothing happened.

  “And I don’t think I can carry someone all the way up flying,” Angie said. “The stamina cost would be insane. We’re stuck down here.”

  Luke activated another skill.

  [Demonic Predator Hands activated]

  Fortunately, it was exactly what he needed.

  [Demonic Predator Hands (Epic)]: Upon activating the skill, his hands transform into monstrous forms, absorbing the power of [Dark Blood], [Corrupted Blood of Mother Freya], and [Wraith Form]. While wielding his weapons with the predator hands, his physical strength and the lethality of his strikes increase drastically. The skill emits a constant black mist. Enemies touched by it suffer continuous Acid damage. The blades wielded by these hands deal additional Acid damage with every strike. The demonic claws also allow you to scale any solid structure. A true assassin and predator can use this power both to kill silently or to unleash destruction openly.

  “I’ll climb as far as my mana lets me keep the claws active. After that, you fly up and warn the others.”

  Luke stored Angie inside his soul and began climbing the cavern wall, clawing his way upward. After a while, he released her, and she continued the ascent on her own wings.

  Some time later, the others arrived.

  Charlie descended first, holding Layla in her arms. Layla was pale and shaking. With [Vampiric Softfall], the jump had been effortless for Charlie. Franky followed soon after, gliding down and landing smoothly with a flap of his wings.

  “Why did you all jump down here if there’s no way back up?” Layla demanded as she slipped from Charlie’s arms.

  “We explore,” Luke said, ignoring her. “I already checked a bit. The ground’s dirt. Biome’s a cave forest. Trees and everything.”

  “Aren’t we supposed to be panicking?” Layla asked. “Because I am. We’re trapped now.”

  “Relax. We’ll figure it out,” Luke replied, and the others nodded in agreement.

  “You’re all insane,” Layla muttered.

  They moved deeper into the cavern.

  “Look at the ground,” Luke said. “There’s a stone path. Same one from the forge above. It keeps going toward that forest ahead.”

  They followed it, weapons ready. Luke’s deduction had been right. There was something down here. After a while, they reached the forest. The trees were spaced apart, forming a dark, open plain beneath the cavern ceiling.

  “I-I don’t see anything,” Layla whispered.

  Then, from one of the cavern openings ahead, something emerged…

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