Chapter 527 Marked
"You are underestimating me!" The demoness shouted as her skin around her neck hardened. However,
Slash!
The sword ignored her defenses and slashed through neck like a knife through butter, causing the demoness' eyes to widen in shock.
Crack!
Right when he cleaved through her neck, he heard a faint cracking sound which made him frown. Looking down, he saw a broken crystal bead in her head and when he looked at the demoness neck flying through the air, he could see a sneer at the corner of her lips.
Swoosh!
Suddenly, the broken parts of the bead diffused into a strange energy which then entered his body and a black 'Kill' mark appeared on his forehead.
"What the fuck is this?" He muttered, touching the mark. Although the mark didn't affect him negatively, he could feel it would bring him a lot of trouble.
He released his mana and tried to wipe it off, but it was useless. He then tried to use the tendril of aura of his bloodline but realized that he couldn't do it, which made him frown deeper.
"System, why can't I use my bloodline's aura?" He asked. He had a feeling that if he could use it, removing the mark wouldn't be a problem.
[Host, although a part of Lust overlord's bloodline has successfully integrated with you, it'll take some time for it to become a part of you. Until then, you can only enjoy the passive benefits of the bloodline.] The system responded.
"Okay." Max sighed in disappointment and then asked, "Do you know what this mark is and how can I remove it?"
Max waited for the answer, but the system didn't respond. He called out to it for a few more times, but the result was the same.
'What's going on?' He frowned, not understanding why the system was ignoring him.
Sighing, he dug out the demons' demon cores and said, "System, sell these in the system shop."
[Yes, host.] Came the system answer before the demon cores vanished and 40 Shop points were added to his status.
[Kill points: 0 --> 25,000]
[Shop points: 210 --> 250]
"So, you were deliberately not responding just now?" Max said, an unpleasant expression on his face.
System: "…"
"Fuck! Can you at least why you don't want to help me all of a sudden?" Max asked, feeling angry at the system's silence.
After a few seconds, the system finally spoke.
[Host, because of that worm's interference, the system couldn't nurture how you were supposed to be nurtured.]
After a pause, the system continued, [The system was designed to serve as an energy conversion tool, nothing else. The host was supposed to experience all the challenges on its own without the system's assistance. Unfortunately, that worm made you completely reliant on the system's help—severely affecting your development.
[If he hadn't done that, with host's current cultivation realm, even without the sword and other external things, host would've been able to kill any mid-stage four-star mages and contend against high-stage four-stars because host would know how to wield and control the mana, improve your elemental ability among other things.]
Hearing this, Max raised his brows and asked, "So, you are saying you won't help me from now, is that correct?"
[Not with everything, host. If there are instances where the system's help won't adversely affect host's growth, the system will help. Apart from that, the system will only work as the energy convertor as it was supposed to and also, the system shop's agent.] System answered.
Max didn't speak for a while and thought about what the system said. It was true, until now, his journey had been a smooth sailing. Everything he needed, he got from the system. Although he also trained to become stronger, could his training and the efforts he put in could be compared to the efforts Anna, Emily and other put in? The answer was a big NO.
'Well, you can't expect me to not enjoy the benefit of the privilege I have.' He thought and said, "I understand your point and I don't have any problem with these arrangements. But can you tell what this mark on my forehead is?"
[It's not hard to find, host.] The system said before going silent, making him chuckle dryly.
"Alright, then." He muttered and flapped his wings, disappearing from the place and heading back to Emily.
However, when he reached the place, he gaped at the sight.
Emily was standing among the demon corpses, wiping her bloodstained sword. She had a wound on her right shoulder and left leg and a major part of her robe was stained in the blood—in demons' blood.
Noticing his arrival, she looked at him, nodded and pointed at a demon lying face down on the ground. "I saved him for you."
Max glanced at the demon who was urging the demoness to fight his enemies a while ago. He couldn't help but smile wryly when he saw him because even though he was alive, his condition was terrible. He had many deep lacerations all over his body, one of his legs was almost chopped off and his breathing was very faint, as though he was about to die.
"Were you found out?" He asked, ignoring the demon for the time being.
"No." Emily shook her head and then said in an apologetic voice, "I'm sorry. I know it somehow benefits you when you kill them yourself, but I… just couldn't hold myself back."
Max was startled when he heard this, and thought, 'Was it that obvious?' He then shook his head and smiled, "It's alright. We don't lack demons here."
"Mm." Emily nodded before her eyes narrowed when she noticed the mark on his forehead. "You were marked?"
"Yeah. You know what this mark is?" He asked, rubbing the mark. "Yes. From what I know, when the demons mark someone, it indicates that the marked person is to be killed upon sight." Emily said, her voice grim as she continued, "It also acts as a beacon because the demons can sense your location if they are in required range."
Hearing this, his expression turned ugly, and he asked, "How close must I be for them to sense me?"
