The Veiled Man
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The Martial God - Chapter 69
🕑 Added 2024-12-23 16:00:15 +0000 UTCChapter 69 – Mythslayer
Maybe it was because demons counted as mythical creatures, or maybe because he was possessing someone—either way, my Myth Slayer Class worked on him. This could change everything.
I tasted smoke and ash with each breath, standing my ground in the wrecked courtyard. Kazreth stared me down, his aura crushing the already ruined academy. The demon’s scent carried danger, and his glare didn’t help.
He realized he’d have to take me seriously.
Kazreth kicked the ground, and his body vanished. My head snapped around as he circled me, looking for an opening. I spun around with him, my jaws clenched.
Flames danced along the cracked walls, and shadows flickered across toppled pillars. Solara stood beside me, her wings flaring slightly against her back like a shield, and she breathed slowly through her mouth.
“He’s near,” she whispered, voice shaking with tension. “I can feel him.”
I didn’t need her to tell me; I could sense things much better. I kept her behind me, circling around her. I couldn’t let him hurt her. “Stay close.”
Before she could reply, he blurred closer. I raised my sword, but he ignored it. The next thing I felt was an ache in my ribs, a loud impact that sent me crashing into Solara, and both of us crashed into an abandoned stall. I grumbled and quickly pushed myself up, at least I tried to. My Phantom Hand gave in, my Qi flickered for a moment, and I fell back on my ass.
Solara got up before me, “S-stay away from him!” She shouted as she stood before me, facing the invisible demon. A laughter spread through the area, but I couldn’t see where he was. I didn’t know where, sitting there, my ears ringing, my eyes darkening a little, I found myself pulling my status page.
I felt like hell—Level 46 against Level 125 was a massive gap, even for a cultivator like me. But running was pointless. He was too fast, and one opening meant certain death.
I grumbled.
Then, I slowly stood up. “It’s alright,” I said, placing a hand on Solara’s shoulder and stepping before her.
Kazreth stepped into view at the far end of the courtyard, embers swirling around his feet. The false dark elf’s eyes shone crimson, reflecting the nearby fires. “Romani,” he said, voice low. “You’re really unusual. I’d have loved to unveil your secrets, but an order is an order. You’ll die, and then I'll take your body to the Demon King.”
A rush of black energy flared around him, and he attacked without warning. Again, I barely had time to raise my sword. But this time, our blades met, shaking the ground under us. Sparks flew.
Solara tried to help, winging it with a slicing move, but Kazreth backhanded her away with no effort. “Argh!” She crashed into a fallen column, coughing. She wasn’t even at 4th Ascension; she couldn’t be of any help here.
Gritting my teeth, I poured energy into my blade. Soul Sever was my best shot at closing the gap between us. If it worked at the right moment, I could disrupt his link to this body. My sword glowed faintly with demonic qi, and I went for a strike to his chest.
[Soul Sever]!
A flash of silver shot forth, but Kazreth spun aside, letting the attack graze his protective aura. He slid back, eyes flickering with mild annoyance. I tried again. Soul Sever was an Active Skill that cost a lot of energy. Worse, it was one of those abilities that was dependent on luck. The chances of hitting true were low.
Another swing. Another Soul Sever. Still no luck—his defenses held firm. Each attempt left my arms shaking, draining my Qi with every fruitless spark.
Kazreth smirked. “Whatever you pulled off before won’t work now, Romani.” He lashed out with a claw of dark energy that raked across my forearm. Pain flared, warm blood oozing down my skin. I hissed but refused to back off.
“Iskandaar!” Solara staggered upright, hurrying to my side. Her flames wrapped around the gash on my arm, the searing heat mending flesh just enough to keep me fighting.
Kazreth snarled, raising a hand. “[Rakshasa: Nightflame Dominion]!” A cyclone of demonic lightning roared across the courtyard.
“No!” I shouted for Solara, grabbing her, and activating Void Step, blinking out of existence for a split second. The searing lightning rushed past, scorching what was left of the courtyard. I reappeared behind him, released Solara, and slashed downward, but he blocked it with his blade, rattling my bones.
A savage kick followed, hitting my side and sending me crashing into a heap of rubble. My lungs burned, each breath a battle. I spat blood, body trembling under the relentless punishment. Solara had taken flight, thankfully, so he couldn’t harm her. Kazreth advanced toward me, confident and unstoppable.
Solara darted down at him again, but he caught her wing with a swipe of dark energy, flinging her aside. Fear twisted in my gut. We couldn’t keep this up forever. He was clearly stronger than both of us combined. I wasn’t strong enough to defeat a 7th Ascension yet. I’d been lucky with that Trollkin; I was a good match for him.
I forced myself up, pain screaming in every muscle. I needed to execute a perfect technique at a perfect time, and only that might score me victory.
I shifted my sword to my left hand, letting my Phantom Hand fade. One of my energy cores switched to Stellar Qi, sparking a radiant surge from my right elbow. My Starlight Sword blazed against the gloom, and I clenched my jaw as Kazreth closed in.
“Twin Sword Style,” I heaved out, taking a particular pose. I was trying to copy one of the fighters I knew from the Heavenly Demon’s memories, but one of my swords came out of my arm, so it was a little weird.
Kazreth closed the distance, and I spun. Demonic Qi and Stellar Qi spun together, creating a breathtaking view, as I screamed, spinning toward the incoming foe.
He screamed a skill name, but I didn’t pay attention. We clashed, and while my left hand countered his attacks, my starlight sword swung indiscriminately. My Starlight Sword was not going to make a difference on its own, but by spamming Soul Sever on it, I hoped I could get a chance at victory.
I unleashed every skill I had from my class with my sword arm while defending against his demonic attacks with my left. I used my own demonic qi to disrupt his mana flow. With every clash of our swords, I embedded some of my energy in him. Due to his possession status, this had a great effect. Perhaps to his senses, it seemed as if I was trying to possess the elf's body too.
His swordsmanship became less focused, as he used his energy to cleanse his body of my qi. Now it was a more even battle, every strike he threw at me I countered with the Heveanly Demon’s swordsmanship, at some point he ignored my starlight sword completely as it was useless against him.
It might have looked like a stalemate, but slowly I was getting overwhelmed. Bit by bit he started fortifying the elf’s body till I couldn’t inject qi into it. His sword became sharper, his mana more concentrated. He unleashed skill after skill, and my swords countered. Solara screamed something that my ears didn’t catch. I only focused on him, and our clash lit up the area like a thundering sky of many colored lightning.
Suddenly, Kazreth staggered, his red eyes wide with surprise. His aura flickered as if part of his power had shorted out.
[You’ve severed the connection between Kazreth, the Rakshasa, and Raeon, the Dark Elf. Raeon has regained his body, but the effect is momentary.]
“Now, Solara!” I shouted, forcing my voice over the roaring flames. I unleashed the first technique that I had used previously, spinning even faster than before, and this time my swords drew serious blood.
She dove down, slashing with her wing blades. It wasn’t enough to wound him deeply, but he bled again. It also kept him off-balance for a few precious seconds, which made hope spark in my chest.
Before that moment ended almost as fast as it began. Kazreth snarled, a shockwave of black lightning bursting from his form. “You darn brats!” Solara was sent flying back, and I watched that short advantage fade. My whole body shook with fatigue, but at least we’d rattled him again. I now had a good idea of how long I would have before I could deliver a serious attack.
Kazreth’s eyes burned with fury. “You’ll regret that,” he growled. He muttered a skill, and illusions sprang up—huge phantoms and shrieking beasts. We had nowhere to run, and I was growing tired. I couldn’t do anything with all these illusions around, but I had to do something.
A giant lion-like beast rushed at me, and I responded with a slash of my sword. My sword cut through nothing. My demonic sphere was rendered useless; I couldn’t even sense Kazreth approaching till he was already by my side. He punched me with such force that I slid back, tasting blood.
Eclipse of the Shadow Tyrant—I’d only ever used it twice in real combat, and the most recent time cost me a hand. But it was my only chance at winning.
“Solara,” I murmured, “stay back. Far back.”
From her position in the sky, she looked alarmed but nodded, trusting my tone. Taking a ragged breath, I channeled Demonic Qi through me. My Starlight Sword glitched and transformed into a Demonic Sword, which was alright with me.
[True Demon God Art: Eclipse of the Shadow Tyrant].
I stepped, and darkness exploded from my core. Suddenly, everything sank into a pitch-black gloom that swallowed up the wrecked courtyard.
The illusions faltered, overshadowed by a deeper dread. Thick, suffocating fear pushed at Kazreth’s aura, and I felt my body merge with the shadows. My Demonic Sphere bloomed once again, letting me see through this darkness, but Kazreth was blinded.
He spat curses, flailing for a target. I stood at a distance, feeling like half a specter, every step echoing with an eerie heartbeat. Slowly, he began to sense me as his dark lightning lit up the area just a little. But that was fine. This was my realm, where even his illusions were useless.
Blood pounded in my ears, and some flowed down my hairlocks, trailing down my face. I swallowed my terror. I’d only get one shot. Summoning the last of my strength, I called out.
[True Demon God Art: God Slaying Order!]
A thousand crimson swords manifested high in the swirling dark, each humming with lethal energy. Kazreth realized what was coming too late. It worked last time; there were a thousand strikes after all, so I was sure it’d work this time too. I swung my physical sword and my Demonic Sword, unleashing the unison of a thousand wrathful strikes.
– Boom!
This dark realm echoed with thunderclaps as sword after sword hammered against the frantic Kazreth. He counter-attacked with waves of lightning, but they failed. Shields of dark energy shattered next, and half-formed illusions crumbled. The shockwaves knocked rubble aside, and even the black veil of Eclipse trembled under the force. Yet, all his shields weakened and shattered. I had a guess at what was happening.
===
Passive: [Legendbreaker]:
Each successful strike against a mythical or legendary creature slightly weakens their defenses and reduces their resistance to your attacks. This effect stacks with consecutive hits but has diminishing returns.
Category: Mythical Slayer
===
One of my original five Class skills. I had a feeling that [Veil of the Slayer] was also working on him.
[You’ve severed the connection between Kazreth, the Rakshasa, and Raeon, the Dark Elf. Raeon has regained his body, but the effect is momentary.]
I didn’t stop. Immediately, I doubled down on it. The very first skill that my class provided me with. “[Mythrend]!”
A powerful arc of Sword Qi sang from my sword, rushing toward the dark elf. This attack would ignore a portion of the target’s defenses and deal additional damage based on the target's strength. The stronger the foe, the more effective the attack. It’d also target the essence of a mythical or legendary being.
I didn’t stop there. “True Demon God Art: God Slaying Order!” I roared, hurling one final technique into the storm of blades.
The swords fell. A thousand crimson blades raining down, and just as they were about to hit the dark elf, Kazareth took over again. Frantically he started to pull up more shields, more illusions, and shouted every skill he had in his arsenal. It was of no use. Every sword smashing against him created explosive sounds. Kazreth’s defenses shattered in a brilliant cascade of sparks and Qi. The Mythrend Sword Qi broke through first, impaling the host body’s chest with a howl of energy. Then, a dozen red swords followed and then a hundred swords next. My opponent screamed as a thousand holes emerged in his body.
I heaved out a breath, and I canceled the Eclipse. The darkness peeled away in a flash, revealing Kazreth pinned to the cracked stone floor. The demon roared in agony, his red eyes flickering. I lurched forward, half-ready to defend again—but the resistance faded. He was back to the body again, but it was too late.
The body beneath those swords coughed weakly. Kazreth glared at me, and then his body went limp. His host, the dark elf named Raeon, did not open his eyes again. I felt the demon’s soul slip free, the link severed.
[You’ve severed Kazreth, the Rakshasha, from Raeon permanently. Kazreth’s soul has been gravely wounded but not destroyed.]
[You’ve slain a Level 79 Dark Elf.]
[You’ve earned experience points.]
[You’ve leveled up!]
[You’ve leveled up!]
[You’ve leveled up!]
[You’ve reached Level 49.]
[You’ve reached a Level Cap!]
[To cross this Level Cap, you must complete an Ascension Quest!]
My mind recognized the kill, yet I guessed that Kazreth’s essence hadn’t vanished entirely. This wasn’t his true body, after all. He must have returned to the demonic continent.
Yet, a moment later, something shocking flashed before me.
[You’ve slain a Level 125 Rakshasa.]
[You’ve earned experience points.]
[You’ve reached a Level Cap! The rest of EXP will be saved!]
[To cross this Level Cap, you must complete an Ascension Quest!]
[Class Myth Slayer has Levelled Up!]
[You’ve unlocked a new Class Skill!]
===
Active: [Fate Unraveled]:
Harness the power to disrupt the very threads of destiny surrounding a mythical being. This skill marks a single target, reducing their chance of landing critical hits and weakening their luck-based abilities for 15 seconds. Additionally, all attacks you land on the marked target deal increased damage.
Category: Fate Manipulation
===
I stood amid the ruins, swaying on my feet. This wasn’t supposed to happen. All the possessed demons would have returned to their bodies after death. Yet, thanks to Myth Slayer, I could actually kill them. I was the only one in this entire academy that could.
Cracks spider-webbed through the courtyard, and my arms felt like lead. Kazreth was gone, actually dead. I’d also leveled up but couldn’t cross the Level Cap yet.
Solara approached with hesitant steps, her wings dragging. She stared at the silent form on the ground, then at me, alarm in her eyes.
“Iskandaar,” she whispered, “you’re bleeding—!”
I looked down, noticing the blood soaking through my clothes. My entire right side was screaming with pain. “Yeah… I’m beat up. But… I’m not dead. The level-ups healed me.” The pain was also subsiding fast.
I forced a shaky grin, feeling exhaustion sink into my bones. I’d used Soul Sever more times than ever before, and it finally paid off. As for the other big techniques I used, they drained the last scraps of my Qi. But it was enough. The level-ups recharged me fully. But I wouldn’t get that chance again due to the level cap.
We had won this battle, though the war still loomed overhead. The fires raged on in the distance, and I heard new screams echo somewhere deeper in the academy. I looked up at the sky. Above the Colosseum, the whirlpool of flames was still raging.
“Let’s go,” I rasped, leaning heavily on my sword. “There’s still more to handle.”
Solara just nodded, following behind. We staggered out of the broken courtyard, bracing ourselves for whatever fresh horror awaited us in the wreckage beyond.
I felt shitty inside. Because whatever I was going to face next… it wasn’t something she could handle. According to my Ascension Quest, at least.
[Ascension Quest: Slay Ashvarak or Damage His Soul Irreparably.]
****
The smell of burning tents and magic still clung to every breath as I hurried down a scorched hallway, my movements blurring. Solara flew close behind me, her wings flapping sharply.
The academy felt like a living maze of smoke and twisted illusions. Even with my Demonic Sphere, it was impossibly hard to navigate.
A distant clang of steel made me snap my head to the side—somebody was fighting. My Demonic Sphere told me who. Pushing past a fallen door, I spotted Prince Alaric and Jana at the heart of a half-collapsed courtyard, fending off a horde of humans infected with demonic energy. Their eyes glowed a dull red, and they threw themselves at Alaric and Jana without caring for their own safety.
This was the problem with Ashvarak; his illusion abilities easily clouded people’s minds. Thankfully neither me nor Solara were affected.
Alaric’s blade flashed in the smoky light, deflecting brutal strikes, while Jana parried from the other side—neither aiming to kill. They couldn’t risk slaughtering their own people, fellow students. But holding back had its price; every blow they blocked cost them footing, every dodge a new danger. It was clear they were being pushed to the edge.
I exchanged a glance with Solara, “Let’s help them,” and then we charged in. I called forth my Phantom Hand again, holding my sword in both hands. I switched my core to Stellar Qi, letting it flood my sword. The dull red glow around my blade brightened yellow until it cast pale rays across the courtyard. “Guys, duck!”
[True Demon Sword Art, Fourth Form—Eternal Swarm of the Void Cicada.]
Prince Alaric and his maid flinched in shock, but they recognized my voice and followed my command. My sword moved, and I unleashed a surge of light-tinged Qi that coalesced into a churning mass of spectral cicadas.
Their wings shimmered like obsidian glass, shining with light. A low hum swelled, drowning out the infected humans’ snarls. The swarm flowed across the courtyard, phasing through their bodies. One by one, the attackers staggered, red eyes flickering to clarity before they slumped unconscious to the ground.
[You’ve purified a demonic human.]
[You’ve earned experience points.]
[You’ve purified a demonic human.]
[You’ve earned experience points.]
[You’ve purified a demonic human.]
[You’ve earned experience points.]
[You’ve…]
…
[You’ve earned experience points.]
Alaric looked at the scene with wide eyes and heavy breathing before his eyes locked with mine. He exhaled, tension draining from his shoulders. Jana stepped away from the fallen humans, checking them for signs of life. She nodded relief in her gaze.
“Iskandaar.” Alaric was breathless. “Thank you. And I’m… sorry. I tried to leave the grounds, but a barrier trapped us all inside. It got worse fast, and we had no choice but to retreat here.”
I wiped the sweat from my brow, scanning the unconscious civilians. The illusions were gone, but the demon energy still clung to the air. “I see,” I said curtly. I knew about the barrier, but I’d hoped he’d cross it before it was cast. “At least you’re in one piece.”
Solara stepped forward, her feathers still flickering with leftover flame. I pointed around us. “As you saw, my Stellar Mana purified the demonic influence on them. I think your phoenix fire should have the same effect. Take Prince Alaric with you, and purify the demon energy affecting the people who are locked in the academy grounds.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “Ah, sure thing. What about you?”
“I’ll stick to the plan,” I looked at Alaric. “That’s alright with you, Prince?”
He nodded, eyes lighting up with purpose. Jana joined them as Solara summoned gentle flames across her wings and took off to the air, searching for victims.
I let out a tired breath. It wasn’t over, but they’d be fine now. “Things would have been much easier if Lilian was here,” I ran a hand through my hair. “I have to get to the Colosseum now. No time to waste.”
I turned on my heel, ignoring the ache in my ribs, and broke into a run to the colosseum and the next threat that awaited. I saw another Gold Dragon’s Breath streak across the dark sky, accompanied by a peal of demonic laughter.
Comments
musashi
"I sighed." I don't like that. The fighting style is too casual. TFTC
The Hand Behind the Veil
So previously, at the very start of the story, Iskandaar theorized that he's increasing 3.33% every 6 levels. So that's 10% in 18 levels. Thankfully, as he began to learn some techniques on his own - Soul Storage, Flesh Explosion, True Demon God Art, Curse of Defying Heaven, on the top of my head. I bet the Mount Hua Plum Blossom technique also counts, and so do the techniques he taught Solara and Lilian since he basically knows them in his head to be able to teach them. That's why, the speed and growth of the skill tree is hard to predict nowadays - it's hard to connect it to Level Ups. However, the progression doesn't increase if he uses the same techniques again and again - at least it hasn't increased enough yet in the year he's been in this world to have granted him a whole new technique. So it doesn't really fall into calculation. 🤣 Well I geeked out there, but I think that clears up the question. As for the first line, he definitely needs to climb big walls if he wants to achieve big things. But at this rate, I don't know what his next ascension quest will be... Maybe something more simple, who knows
IdolTrust
Damn his ascension quest is to kill a mid boss. I’m surprised his demonic tree didn’t progress a ton because he literally use his techs to slay overleveled person and demon. He should gain a new perk like “Soul Draining Array” using mana or qi to drain energy within the formation.
James Faulkner
Tftc!
