“Oh, they don’t know. The hammer strikes, the hammer sharpens. Lava can only be worked in one place.”

  “Yes. Always in that place. The place where not even her light can reach.”

  The third demon tilted his head, eyes gleaming with something between contempt and satisfaction.

  “The mouth is the source of the power of words.”

  The metallic clang of impact shattered the murmurs.

  Luke was already moving.

  The kukris were solid in his hands when the first oni charged, swinging a club whose tip had been sharpened into a jagged mess. The blow came heavy and direct, but Luke moved before it could land, his body twisting fluidly as he surged forward.

  At the same time, Charlie activated [Berserker Ashen Flames I].

  Fire claimed her body almost instantly. Flames and ash bled from her skin as she charged without hesitation. Her first punch turned her into a living projectile, slamming into the oni and hurling it backward. A hoarse scream tore from the creature as heat exploded across the impact point.

  Luke broke off for a heartbeat and sprinted toward the oni at the top of the staircase. It wore traditional Japanese robes and had a drum strapped to its body. As Luke closed in, the demon struck the instrument. The sound wasn’t just loud. It went straight through him. Pain hit Luke’s ears before the shockwave arrived, a blast of wind slamming into him hard enough to lift him off the ground.

  He rolled as he landed, absorbing the impact, and was back on his feet almost immediately. The demon was ready. Luke charged again, his footwork nearly dance-like as he launched a rapid series of attacks. The kukris sliced through the air, but the oni dodged with precise, minimal movements.

  Luke hurled one of the blades. The demon sidestepped.

  [Magnetic Return activated]

  The kukri snapped back through the air, changing direction mid-flight, and buried itself in the creature’s back. The scream was instant.

  “Oh, now you can talk.”

  Luke pressed the attack without giving it time to recover. The oni snorted, its chest swelling like an enraged bull, and rushed him head-on. Another demon moved in, closing the gap.

  “Demon on demon, huh.”

  The first strike came from the side. Luke barely avoided it, feeling the air tear where the club passed. Before he could counter, the second oni struck the drum again.

  The sonic blast ripped through the space.

  Luke snatched one of the throwing knives floating around him and released it. Then another. The blades cut through the air in rapid succession.

  [Demonic Predator Hands activated]

  He pulled both kukris back into his grip and surged forward. The movement was a full, controlled spin. Calculated. Precise. The blade met the club-wielding oni’s arm, severing the hand that held the weapon.

  “I’m wounded!” the demon screamed.

  Luke didn’t stop the spin.

  [You have slain an Oni Guard - Lvl 78]

  The creature’s head hit the ground before its body even had time to react. The other oni, the one with the drum, looked from the fallen corpse to Luke, eyes narrowing.

  “What’s wrong? Did I kill your cousin? Your mother?” Luke said dryly. “Sorry. You all look the same to me.”

  “The mouth is the source of the power of words.”

  The oni drew a sword from inside its sleeve. The blade caught the ambient light for a brief instant.

  Luke didn’t wait.

  He closed the distance before the oni could even finish setting its stance.

  The katana came in a fast, clean horizontal slash. Luke crossed his kukris at the exact right moment, deflecting the blade. The impact sent a sharp vibration through his hands, but he kept control. They separated just enough to trade blows again.

  The oni moved with practiced precision, every step calculated. Luke answered with fluid motion, alternating short strikes with abrupt changes in direction. Steel met steel again and again, katana against kukris, the dry crack of metal echoing through the temple.

  Luke smiled.

  In the middle of the exchange, he released one of the kukris.

  The weapon stayed in place, locking the katana’s movement, suspended in midair by telekinesis. With his free hand, Luke stepped forward and raked his claws across the oni’s face. The acid reacted instantly, burning into the creature’s flesh.

  “Cheater!” the oni snarled, stumbling back and trying to counter.

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  Luke slipped aside with a minimal motion.

  “No. A distraction.”

  [Vampiric Strength I activated]

  Before the oni could react, Luke surged forward again. He grabbed the katana with his bare hand, ignoring the risk, and yanked the creature toward him. Charlie was already moving.

  She appeared behind the oni in a blur, her body still wreathed in ash and flame. Her fist rose and came down in a single, decisive motion. The impact was instant and brutal. The creature’s torso failed completely, rupturing under the force of the blow.

  [Charlotte Vespertilio has slain an Oni Priest - Level 83]

  [Charlotte Vespertilio has reached Level 51! Vampire (Rank E)] (+2 bonus point to all attributes, +7 free point)

  The body collapsed to the floor, lifeless.

  “Nice job testing your power, Charlie,” Luke said. “That was one hell of a punch.”

  Charlie stared at her own fist, startled by the strength still lingering in it. For a moment, she said nothing.

  They had won.

  She quickly removed her gloves. Luke noticed the veins along her arms were more pronounced than before, pulsing as if under extreme strain. Moments later, they began to fade.

  “It’s temporary, Master Luke.”

  He saw the notification showing the skill’s cost.

  [Blood Core: 97/100]

  [-10 Blood Energy]

  [Blood Core: 87/100]

  Before anyone could say more, Angie descended from the sky. Her spear was embedded in the body of one of the oni Charlie had fought on the staircase.

  “I didn’t get the kill, but I dealt enough damage to one of them to earn some experience,” Angie said.

  [Angie has reached Level 5! Stone Angel (Rank F)]

  [Angie has unlocked a new Race Skill]

  The oni corpses began to crumble, turning into dust. Even their equipment vanished along with them.

  “Right when I was about to grab his sword,” Charlie muttered, watching the katana disappear.

  Luke turned his gaze toward the heart of the temple.

  “Let’s see what’s waiting for us.”

  They moved deeper inside.

  The moment the door opened, Luke saw three more onis standing on the other side, as if they had been expecting them.

  He did not hesitate.

  Luke gripped his kukris tightly and charged. His body moved with effortless grace as he danced between the enemies. In continuous spins, fueled by his epic skill, the blades carved through everything in their path.

  Hands were severed. Legs gave out. Anything that tried to reach him was cut down before it could finish the motion.

  When it was over, two onis lay headless on the ground. Their bodies dissolved into dust moments later.

  [You have slain an…]

  [You have slain an…]

  The third oni fell moments later, bound by Charlie’s chains. It lay on the ground, helpless, its hands gone.

  Luke approached.

  He stopped in front of the immobilized creature. Charlie’s chains pinned it to the floor, its body shaking with pain and exhaustion. Where its hands had once been, there were only mangled stumps, useless and still.

  He raised both hands and placed them against the oni’s body.

  [Curse activated]

  The effect was immediate. The oni writhed, its body arching as pain flooded every muscle.

  “Tell me everything you know about this place,” Luke said, his voice steady.

  The creature screamed, the sound warped by agony.

  “Outer beings. The hammer strikes, the hammer sharpens. Lava can only be worked in one place.”

  “Who are you?” Luke pressed. “Some kind of organization?”

  “Yes. Always in that place. The place where not even her light can reach.”

  Luke kept his hand pressed down.

  “Who’s in charge?”

  “Oh, I agree. They don’t know anything. They don’t know what this place is. They don’t know what happens there.”

  Luke frowned.

  “Are you irrational?”

  “Oh, they don’t know. The hammer strikes, the hammer sharpens. Lava can only be worked in one place.”

  Luke took a slow breath.

  Damn it.

  In a swift motion, he slit the oni’s throat. The other kukri plunged into its skull before the body could even react.

  “Yes. Always in that place. The place where not even her light can reach…”

  [You have slain a…]

  The body collapsed, finally still.

  Luke surveyed the surroundings.

  “This is a long way from a demon’s grand temple.”

  The chamber was almost empty. Ancient walls showed signs of age and erosion, but there were no altars, no symbols, no imposing structures. Aside from a single object mounted on the wall, there was nothing.

  “This isn’t the right place,” he concluded.

  Luke stepped closer to the wall.

  [Oni Guard Haori (Rare)]

  A haori worn by the bestial oni guards, whose duty was to protect this land of inheritance and prevent the legacy from being discovered.

  Enchantments:

  [Weapon Storage (Rare)]: Allows the user to store a weapon inside the sleeves of the haori. While stored, the weapon becomes weightless and formless.

  Luke took the garment from the wall and put it on. It resembled a light jacket.

  “The assassin outfit doesn’t block it. I guess the system classifies this as a cloak.”

  It was mostly useless for him, since his kukris could already be stored in the system inventory as special weapons. Still, for ordinary weapons, it had its uses. He slipped a kukri into each sleeve. The blades vanished.

  Luke made a drawing motion, and both kukris appeared instantly in his hands.

  “That’s actually pretty handy.”

  Charlie and Angie continued examining the chamber, scanning it more carefully.

  “This isn’t the structure we were looking for,” Charlie said.

  “No, it isn’t. But it works as a solid base,” Luke replied.

  Luke exited the temple while they kept searching inside. He leapt to the top of the structure, gaining a higher vantage point to survey the surrounding area. Somewhere out there, a hidden temple was waiting for him. And he wasn’t the only one searching for it. He looked toward the forest, then to the mountain beyond.

  Where is that damn temple?

  Angie landed beside him after flying over the area.

  “Nothing.”

  “Then we go farther.”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Luke glanced at her. Through the master-servant bond, he felt the anxiety she was trying to suppress. Angie wanted attention. Wanted him to notice her.

  “Show me that new skill,” Luke said.

  “Yes,” Angie replied. Her face remained neutral, but inside she radiated happiness.

  “Hmm… Celestial Wings.”

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