Delilah's body disappeared from where she stood and, after what seemed like a fraction of a second, reappeared next to the Lord of the River's violently thumping heart.
"Lord, lend me your strength," she said like a devout believer as she pulled a sword out of her interspatial ring. It was the very sword she had used to slay the monster that emerged from the river to assassinate her. It was gifted to her by her lord despite her protest. She didn't hate it. She just believed she was not worthy of it, worthy of his trust, kindness, and… love. She didn't doubt that it was invincible in the realm of sharpness, and she brought it out as only it would allow her to take him down.
It wasn't only her desire to kill the beast, but also Roy's. If she killed the lord of the river, she would be completing one of the three requirements to reach the aura master stage!
Taking the posture of a knight, she raised the reinforced aura sword. Her eyes burned with determination as she thrust it forward, stabbing it toward the Lord of the River's heart. "Die!"
The heart of the Lord of the River was his weak point, and he had fortified its defense using magic.
His heart was covered in a strong protective spell. The protective spell could only be destroyed by an attack containing the full strength of a 10-year-old aura monster, which was the equivalent of an initial stage aura master.
However, in front of the reinforced aura sword, his defenses were paper thin, almost non-existence. Slaughter, Roy's self-created reinforced aura sword, only met some resistance before it tore apart the protective cover and plunged into his heart.
"It's coming alive!"
Experiencing the taste of blood, Slaughter became excited, its excitement comparable to a child that had seen a new toy. Delilah once again experienced the sensation of the sword coming alive in her hand. It was as if it had a will of its own, a slumbering consciousness that only awakens when it tastes blood.
The prerequisites to activate its special function were met.
Slaughter released a spine-tingling hum as killing intent bloomed out of it in the shape of red threads, resulting in the lord of the river's heart getting chopped into a thousand pieces.
"Guuuuahhhh!"
The lord of the river let out a final roar before collapsing to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. The sound echoed across the river. It was a mournful cry of defeat that sent shivers down the spines of those who heard it. Even the mightiest of beings eventually fall.
As the dust settled down, his wide-open eyes, lifeless but filled with disbelief, were revealed. He died while digesting that he was killed by humans who were a stage or two below him.
『Ding! Congratulation! Your subordinate "Delilah" has killed a five-year-old aura beast. One of the three quests she needs to complete to evolve her class and advance to the aura master stage has been completed!』
『For landing the killing blow on the aura monster, she has gained 5000 experience points!』
『It's detected that she is at the peak of the weapon master stage. Experience points can't be used to strengthen her for the time being! The 5000 experience points are stored in the major array and will come into play when she reaches the next stage!』
『As you have helped your subordinate with her quest, you will be rewarded for being a good Lord!』
『Gained ×1 shard of Water!』
Roy was notified by his system.
Roy's hand trembled with excitement as he opened his palm to reveal the 100 glistening shards of water that he had collected. "With this, I have 100 shards of water in my possession. The water manipulation skill has become attainable," he declared, a triumphant grin spreading across his face.
Delilah, the gorgeous beauty who was falling head over heels for her lord, jumped out of the cavity in the monster's chest and landed on the shore. She wasted no time before dashing up to her handsome lord and saying, "Lord, please assign me a job," she requested, bowing her head in respect.
"What would you like to do?" Roy inquired, curious about her desires.
He could understand her somewhat. He knew why she was behaving so subserviently.
She was like a clerk who was afraid of being fired. He had helped her more times than she could count and even allowed her to steal his kill. She wanted to repay him and work for him.
"Let me dissect the lord of the river and extract its cores and runic stones for you," she answered, her voice brimming with firmness. She wanted to do the dirty work as she couldn't properly help him in the fight against the aura monster. She just hoped that he wouldn't dislike a smelly girl.
"Feel free to do it. But if you need help, come to me," Roy said as he dismissed her with a wave of his hand.
As Delilah set about to do her gruesome task, Roy immersed himself in the concentration required to become stronger. His thoughts were about merging the shards of water in his hand into a single, powerful force.
"Combine the 100 shards of water," he commanded, his eyes blazing with determination.
『Ding!』
A bell-like ding rang out, signaling that Roy's command had been fulfilled.
『Congratulations, Host! You have gained the Water Manipulation skill!』
Roy was suddenly hit with a deluge of knowledge that swept through his mind like a raging river. The sensation was almost too much to bear, and he couldn't help but squint his eyes in discomfort. It felt like his brain was being mercilessly poked by a thousand sharp needles, the pain was immense, but he gritted his teeth and bore it like a true man
Shadowless looked at him with a deeply concerned expression etched onto his face. He knew something was wrong when he saw the frown on his face, and he couldn't help but ask, "Master, what are you feeling? Do you need help?"
