Chapter 103: They Sent an Executioner After Luke
But he didn’t stop there and uncorked another potion, then gulped it down in a single motion.
Another round of tempering started, and he repeated this process until the last potion also got empty.
"HUFF..." Luke took a deep breath when he felt his strength increase by a great margin.
"Time for a rank up." So he brings out another vial, which contains an Iron Knight Breakthrough potion.
But his expression got worried while thinking about the breakthrough. Because for body temper to Iron Knight, it’s about forming an aether seed.
While iron knight to bronze knight is more than that. "The core will shatter!"
Yeah, which worried him a lot. Because this stage forms a new aether core, which is also known as the "Bronze core."
And this core is essential for future progression because it makes the body truly compatible with the Ascension series. So the body can hold or bear the pressure of the techniques.
[Luke, don’t worry about this. The potion you have received didn’t have a failure chance at all.] Seeing Luke’s worried face, the system explains this to him. Which finally relaxed his expression.
"Ok." With that, he uncorked the potion vial. "Huh?" But then he noticed something.
"There is also bronze radiance swirling inside it. " he muttered while remembering that, when he showed this potion to everyone, he only saw black-silver liquid.
"It seems like I didn’t look properly." He shook his head to remove this thought. But one thing still bugs him.
"I also lost the chance to sell those Origin fruits," because he was planning to sell them after the spar. However, who can think? That demon whisper would attack the count’s territory.
So after they return. Many nobles were already left the territory.
"Whatever," He muttered before drinking down the potion in one gulp.
The black-silver liquid slid down his throat before erupting into a scorching torrent of energy that surged through every meridian.
His Peak Iron Knight body trembled violently as the immense Aether flooded every muscle, bone, organ, and drop of blood.
Inside him, the perfectly refined Iron Aether Core also began spinning faster and faster until it reached its limit.
Crack...
Slowly fine fractures start spreading across its surface.
On this Luke clenched his teeth, because he was enduring the unbearable pressure as the core inside him collapsed into countless radiant fragments.
But instead of dispersing, the fragments rapidly compressed toward the center of his dantian.
Finally, under the overwhelming force of the potion, they fused together again, condensing into a far denser and more powerful "Bronze Aether Core."
BOOM!
A terrifying wave of Bronze Aether exploded from the newly formed Core, sweeping through his entire body. Even the air inside the room got blasted backward.
Then his every meridian expanded. Along with every muscle, bone, and organ underwent another round of refinement, adapting to the tremendous pressure and explosive power of the evolved core.
Eventually, minutes later, the violent energy gradually subsided.
Then Luke slowly opened his eyes. And a bronze radiance flashed within his pupils before disappearing.
He clenched his fist with a smile when he felt the overwhelming surge of strength that was coursing through his body.
Luke had officially stepped into the "Bronze Knight Realm."
"Good!" With an excited smile, he muttered and thought about the new titan. Which will unlock with his new realm.
"System, show me!" So, with a little raised voice, he said to the system, but the response was something he didn’t expect.
[0-0...]
"What??" Luke looked at those emojis, and a bad feeling rose into his heart.
[Ahem! Luke...actually, your form is loading, so it will take some time to unlock it.] The system with an embarrassed expression said this to Luke. Because of a previous incident related to faceless titan, he got some problem with the summoning, and now he has to fix that.
"...."
"No new form?? So...we woke up for nothing." But then Luke got startled by the sudden words, however he got calmed down in the next moment.
Because there Nyx and Myrkhal somehow appeared beside him and were now looking at the system message.
But after saying those words, both of them return back to sleep. Like greeting Luke is not necessary.
"Well..." He just uttered those words before stopping and shook his head.
At least he got tons of rewards, and now his titan forms can be used for long time and he don’t have to worry about stamina consumption. which is enough for him.
"Ughh! The smell!" But while he was lost in his thoughts, a sudden strong odor choked him, and he looked down.
There black goo was appearing all around his body. because of his realm breakthrough and earlier knight stage tempering.
So without any words, he ran back to the bathroom and took the bath again.
After washing more than ten times. The smell finally left his body. But when he came out and saw the mattress was also dirty with black goo. His face changed to worry.
"I hope the cat women would not resent us." With that, he dressed up and left the room.
But after reaching Margaret’s room, he found that Margaret, Aurielle, and Vaelira were not here. So when he came down and asked his knights. They replied that the three of them got the invitation from Lady Nyra for a ’women-only party.’ So they left earlier because of this.
"Huh? A women’s only party." Luke got baffled, after hearing this term were also exist, in this world as well.
"So I have to, do the shopping alone," Luke said with a sigh, because he wants to buy many things for the territory. Which is why he was finding them.
But seeing that it can’t be helped. He left the building alone toward the nearest association.
---
"La~la~" The female cat person, as usual, starts doing her room cleaning work.
But when she opened the door of the last room to finish her morning cleaning. "WHAT THE F**K! WHO S**T HERE!" She closed her nose with both hands, and the broom and wiper dropped to the ground.
Because the smell inside was unbearable. But then she noticed it was not shit; it was waste after the breakthrough.
"Ugh...doesn’t the person know that they should use the bathroom while doing a breakthrough or in a separate room?" While complaining, she gritted her teeth and cleaned the room properly.
---
Inside a dim room, ten people, all dressed in black robes, were seated on chairs around the circular table.
In the corner some lanterns flickered slightly as the tension in the room was high.
"What’s happened with the earlier assassination that Viscount Ashenford gave??" One person with a white glove, which has a black open hand with a single eye in between, asked.
"..."
Silence...all the ten members also have the same symbol on their gloves, but their glove color is azure blue. Couldn’t be able to say anything in the presence of a higher ranker.
Seeing he is not getting replies from anyone. He became displeased, so just as he was about to shout again... one person from the group finally replied.
"Sir Nightmare...the mission got failed, and the Reaper along with Fangs got killed," the person, with a sweat-covered forehead, replied with a little pause.
Because the person sitting in front of him is Nightmare title assassin. For this, the person need the Diamond Knight stage realm, and then only they can wear the white glove.
The Nightmare assassin got more displeased after hearing this answer. Because they got the commission to kill some talentless hero, not a strong one.
But the members even failed at that. ’Did a goddess intervene? ’ The white-gloved assassin with furrowed brows thought before he shook his head. ’No, that’s impossible.’ Because those giants can’t move or do anything before the awakening ceremony.
So with a sigh, he asked about the status, and they replied. "Sir, previously viscount spend the money for the Reaper level. But now the viscount has given us more money and is asking us to send the executioner title assassin."
GASPED!
The present assassins got shocked by this info. because they were all busy and were not in charge of this mission. So they don’t know much about this.
But still Executioner, which is golden knight level. ’Doesn’t seem too much?’ This thought comes into everyone’s mind.
The Nightmare assassin also got surprised by this. Because even for their organization, Executioner is an important asset. So if someone hires at this level, then the amount of money they have to spend is also very huge.
"Sir, I think. The viscount has already heard what happened during Count Magnus’s daughter’s birthday.
When the same person said this, the white-glove assassin nodded. But when he heard the name Magnus, he flinched slightly with fear.
Because even though both of them are in the same realm. Magnus was an monster in human skin, because once he also exchanged blows with him. Due to the mission and nearly got killed.
However, the speaking assassin didn’t notice this and continue. "Maybe the viscount is worried about the count’s youngest daughter, Nyra." With that, he explains how some gossip spread. That maybe Nyra has already fallen for Hero Luke, and if the viscount attacks their territory, then maybe... Luke will ask for help from Nyra.
The other assassins also nodded on this. The Nightmare assassin finally came out of his thoughts and accepted the mission.
"Send one early-stage Executioner assassin for this. And this should be enough." With that, he stood up before leaving the meeting.
Seeing that the main head is already left. Others also followed suit. But sadly no one knows. That Luke and his wives have already killed a peak golden knight-level powerhouse. Even though it was a fake one. But they did.
[Chapter End]