[Watcher Assigned]
Prompts blared across his vision.
Blood red began to seep across the grand double bed. Sruka’s headless body was strewn over. He had to take a double-take to make sure she really died.
His feet staggered; A great wish to just sit and rest prompted him.
Rue took a seat on the end corner, careful not to touch the bloodied part.
Ruffling his head around his broken helmet, he thinks. Could he have done it better? In the entire fight? Maybe he shouldn’t left them? But, Paxwell was the one who asked him to… No, no point in playing the blame game.
Rue took a peek at the three bodies shoved into the corner. Lire’s breathing, her chest rising up and down. The Succubus snored softly. But the other two, they did not move, Agi and Gilbert. Rue stood, walking toward them.
Just as he was about to pass the Demon with a cracked neck, the double door opened. A figure clad in slim, brilliant white gold armor entered. The Watcher had this slim, faceless cubic head armor that made him all the more alien, yet when he saw Rue, he couldn’t hide the stares.
Then, the Watcher swept one arm and pressed it on his chest like a butler. “My Congratulations, Integrator. You have passed the First Stage. It will still take time for the Common First Stage to be done. So, in the meantime, you have to come with me. A Librarian will be there to help you make sense of this situation you’re thrown into.”
“Oh? You guys will explain to me everything?”
“Of course, as far as we, the Watcher, a System-bound race, knew and allowed to tell you at least.”
“I guess, I do have questions,” Rue said, almost sighing. “First of all, did you hear the ramble from that one?” Rue pointed at Sruka.
“I judged your fight with her would be the final fight of this Stage, so yes, I do.”
“Is it true then? The Succubus nature? And how they treated for just being born one?”
“It’s true,” the Watcher said. “For a while, Succubus was the main reason for divorce across the universe, from Fishermen to Kings. The alliance between the Kingdoms was broken because of them. Eventually, groups with the sole goal of hunting them formed, and most of them have been killed; some of the planets even have rewards for a succubus’s head.”
“Is that so?” Rue mumbled, looking at Lire.
Strangely, he did not feel any guilt for killing Sruka. He did feel sad for Lire, who lost her mother, but ultimately? He would do it all over again.
“Are they well? Paxwell, Ilyrin, and that girl Aurel?”
“All of them are well, including the Warlock.”
With Sruka’s death, what would happen to her? Rue could only hope she was not going to be turned into some avenger and tried to hunt him down.
“Give me some time. I want to talk to Lire.”
“That is—” the Watcher paused. As if someone just stopped his train of thought. Suddenly, he said. “Very well, you have been allowed to do so.”
By whom?
He got questions… but they can wait.
--
Name: Rue Hazard.
Level: 26 → 36.
Class: ArchMage-Knight of Frost.
Creation Point: 0 → 230,000.
Authority: Authority of Frost.
Core: Arch—Core.
Mana: 102/525 → 255/915
Strength: 37 → 53
Dexterity: 30 → 42
Constitution: 35 → 47
Mind: 45 → 79
Sense: 39 → 52
Arcanery: 62 →105
[Knight Spell (3/3) → (3/6)]
- Frost Sword [125→221] [Lesser-Piece] [Common]
- Stasis of Obsidian Ice [51,155→53,522] [Archon-Piece] [Mystic]
- Heart of Frost Knight [82→111] [Lesser-Piece] [Uncommon] → Hearts of Frost Knight [111] [Lesser-Piece] [Uncommon]—Increase Frost regeneration.
[Mage Spell(3/3) → (3/6)]
- Frost Blast [42→62] [Fragile-Piece] [Common]
- Frost Shrapnel [82→121] [Fragile-Piece] [Common] → Frost Shrapnels [121] [Lesser-Piece] [Common]—Form Extra Frost Shrapnel with more Mana spent.
- [Ice Embrace] [35→65] [Fragile Pieces] [Rare]
[Knight Skill Option]
[Frost Mend][Fragile-Piece][Uncommon]—A Knight should be stalwart and stout. It's important for a Knight’s body not to hesitate over trivial wounds. Stored Frost inside Frost Knight’s body will be used to heal injuries, with priority from smallest wound.
[Ice Howler Strike][Fragile-Piece][Common]—A Knight strike’s mighty, yet the ultimate strike is one that also covers distance. Grant a chance to send a hail of ice if a Frost Knight manages to deliver a perfect swing.
[Mage Skill Option]
[Frost Blood][Fragile-Piece][Rare]—Blood is an essence to everyone. A mage required them, lest they want to experiment unfocused. Enable Frost Mage’s blood to accept Frost as part of them. Frost will flow through Frost Mage’s body, enabling easier mana efficiency in casting, healing through Frost-related abilities, and regenerative Frost Tissue.
[Frost Warden Array][Fragile Piece][Uncommon]—A mage is a spellcaster, will always be. Having a spell to guard the Frost Mage’s body will undoubtedly eliminate the Mage's greatest weakness and allow him to wreak havoc on his foe. Summoned a defensive Frost Array to hover over the Frost Mage's body with the intent to arrange them.
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His Frost Shrapnel was upgraded along with his Heart of Frost Knight. Reading the upgrade, he decide it was quite nice. He could summon more than one shrapnel now, and the spell implied he could summon multiple. That spell was perhaps his second-best spell after his Stasis of Obsidian Ice. Well, either that or the sword.
As for Heart of Frost Knight, this spell felt like it was already part of his body. Rue currently did not feel any change inside of him; perhaps it just needed time.
Speaking of Spell, his options were curious and exciting.
It was clear these were passive options like his Hearts of Frost Knight, which turns Mana to Frost inside his body, and an outside body spell, both defensive and offensive.
If he wanted more spells to fight with… Then he would go with Ice Howler Strike and the Frost Warden Array. Both synergize well with his offensive spells. But he could not help but read the other two spells again.
Frost Mend will allow him to keep fighting, healing a small wound first. It was inconvenient that this spell would prioritize smaller wounds.
Seriously, what’s up with that restriction?
But regardless, that was still useful, like if he got a head concussion, for example.
Frost Blood was entirely on a whole other level. It was read like Rue’s human body would be taken away. Would His blood fuse with Frost? How was this going to work? Did he read it right? And also, Frost Tissue? Ignoring everything he did not understand, he realized this spell almost did everything, from healing wounds to increasing Mana efficiency, and even making more Frost inside of him, unlike the Hearts of Frost Knight, which had to convert Mana to do so.
And also, of course, these two spells synergize very, very well with his Hearts of Frost Knight.
The problem was that these two spells were more like an investment in the future, while the other out-of-body spell was extra firepower.
Actually, maybe he was thinking this the wrong way. On second look, it was clear that he should prioritize building his body to adapt to this new world first.
Rue leaned back on his chair, pulling one of his knees up. When his chair toppled backward, he stomped his feet down and softly laughed.
The decision was obvious to him.
Name: Rue Hazard.
Level: 26 → 36.
Class: ArchMage-Knight of Frost.
Creation Point: 0 → 230,000.
Authority: Authority of Frost.
Core: Arch—Core.
Mana: 102/525 → 255/915
Strength: 37 → 53
Dexterity: 30 → 42
Constitution: 35 → 47
Mind: 45 → 79
Sense: 39 → 52
Arcanery: 62 →105
[Knight Spell (3/3) → (4/6)]
- Frost Sword [125→221] [Lesser-Piece] [Common]
- Stasis of Obsidian Ice [51,155→53,522] [Archon-Piece] [Mystic]
- Hearts of Frost Knight [111] [Lesser-Piece] [Uncommon]—Increase Frost regeneration.
- [Frost Mend][1][Fragile-Piece][Uncommon]
[Mage Spell (3/3) → (4/6)]
- Frost Blast [42→62] [Fragile-Piece] [Common]
- Frost Shrapnel [82→121] [Fragile-Piece] [Common] → Frost Shrapnels [121] [Lesser-Piece] [Common]—Form Extra Frost Shrapnel with more Mana spent.
- [Ice Embrace] [35→65] [Fragile Pieces] [Rare]
- [Frost Blood][1][Fragile-Piece][Rare]
A surge of coldness rushed through his veins. From his wrist to his entire body’s system. Cold mint engulfed him in a state of sudden pleasure and small euphoria. Rue’s mind went wobbling, and he banged his helmeted head down on the table right beside him.
When the surge reached his brain, Rue let out a sharp cry and gritted his teeth as the ghastly chill bit into his body. This would need some time to get used to. His body was adapting. Soon, his blood would accept it. The Frost.
Trying to look strong, he clutched a fist on both knees. He waited, looking at Lire, who was still snoring on a bed in one of the brothel’s rooms.
He covered the Succubus’ body with a blanket he had found and had fed her a health potion. To be frank, Rue was hesitant to do so; it might be better to leave her weak. But, he needed to show good faith for what he would tell her would be heartbreaking and hopefully… light a hope inside of her.
Still, how would he tell her that he killed Sruka? He remembered Lire tried to reason to save her when she was their prisoner.
The Succubus woke up not long after.
Her red eyelids opened slowly, blinking away her haze, and she sat up, pushing the blanket away. After a couple of seconds to gather her wits, her posture straightened, like she been jolted by a surge of electricity. A fighting posture entered her, and her attention met Rue, who was frozen still as he tried to hold her gaze.
Those eyes were still confused.
Then, it began to water. Realisation entered her. A teardrop slid down Lire’s cheek.
“Oh,” was all she said. Her body slackened, and she clutched the blanket that wrapped around her body. “She is dead, then?”
Rue nodded, not meeting her eyes.
“I—I understand, she…sorry, let me…for a bit,” she sobbed.
Rue stayed silent, listening to her cries. Each sob drove a dagger into him. His mouth opened, almost uttering an apology, but Rue closed it.
Once again, he remembered Peres. It was truly vexing. It was like he used the man as a memory to remind him of everything wrong around him. Maybe it was rightfully so. But he was just tired of thinking like this. There would be a whole new life for him, and he would rather forget about it.
So, instead of waiting for Lire to be done crying, he talked. “Are you all right?”
“No,” she shook her head. Her dark hair whipped around her cheek, and some hair stuck on because of her tears. “Not really.”
“People usually lie, you know.”
A smile crept across her lips. She pushed her hair down, then asked. “Did you do it? Kill my mother.”
“I did,” Rue said.
Lire eyed him weakly and closed her eyes. “I understand. I know this might happened. My mother, despite what she did, just wanted to live.”
Sruka did mention the Succubus’ nature. Rue did not know what that exactly entailed, and honestly, he did not want to know. But Lire helped him. And he would not take that for granted.
“Will you tell me?”
She nodded, taking a couple of seconds to form her story.
“We Succubus… are a creature of incredible lust. Our lust grew when it was attached to those who are in love and power.”
“What? What did you mean by that?”
“It means exactly as I said. When we saw two people in love, our Lust grew; it's like the system especially made us to break that couple by seducing one of them. That made us a target. Kingdom went to war because political marriages between their prince and princess were often ruined by us. Kingdoms whose domain spans multiple planets. Some republics do not even allow their leaders to have a spouse just in case.”
“That sounds serious.”
“It is. One way to combat it is to exclude ourselves from the world. That means not seeing any outside news, so we do not lust after world leaders. Not seeing a happy family, so we do not lust after either of the parents. But we still desire lust. That is why this brothel exists to serve us more than it does our clients. My mother. Her trial and tribulation to build this—”
“Wait,” Rue cut her off, holding his hand. “I don’t need to hear about her.”
Lire stared at her—her Succubus’ eyes wavered, narrowing into anger.
Rue continued. “I will help you, Lire, and the Succubus.”
“Help us?” Lire wordlessly mumbled. “We have plenty client who pay—”
“Not with that,” Rue said under his breath. He sighed, leaning against the table and staring out toward where the gathering crowd was around the brothel. “I will help to secure a place for you, Succubus, in the last world.”
“Secure a place for us?” She blinked. “Like a land for a brothel?”
“That I will leave to you. What do you think will be the best? You guys have to isolate yourself, no?”
“Yes!” Lire leaned forward, her hand clung desperately to the bed’s edge. “I can think of something. We can think of something. My sisters and friends were ordered by my mother to have a day off because of her summons. But, I will gather them, and we will arrange a way for us to coexist.”
Coexist? Didn’t she explain it was not possible? Did he make a mistake right now?
Before Rue went on his train of thought, Lire asked a rather important question. “Why are you promising this? We got nothing to offer you.”
“Because I’m grateful,” Rue said, and with that, it was enough for him. He would help Lire. Someone who had helped him. It was that simple, and it made him feel…good.
“Grateful? Yes, I can accept that.”
“How do I find you then?” Rue said.
“I’m not sure,” she said, her eyes downcast. “The Last World will be huge. Millions of the world combined… Honestly, one way is perhaps make yourself famous enough? Or… Ah, you have Knight Class, right? Then contact the Knight Order of Demonias when the tutorial allows you. I have contact—”
The door opened, and the Watcher appeared. “Time is up.”
“There is a time?” Rue grunted at the golden-winged knight.
“This will serve you ultimately, Rue Hazard. Time is of the essence.”
“Rue Hazard! That’s your name?” Lire asked in a hurry.
“Yes, I need to change that bloody last name, though.”
“Please don’t,” Lire said quickly, like the Watcher about to grab Rue by his collar and drag him to the sky. “I need something to find you.”
“All right,” Rue said. He did not like it, but he committed to helping her, and he would do so. Rue stood, facing Lire, and he offered her a hand. “Once again.”
“Thank you?” She smiled.
The world began to turn white. A puff of white fluffy cloud began to cover Lire.
This is the teleportation?
“I’m just—”
“Grateful, yes, Rue, I got it. Just don’t die, all right? Don’t waste your life.”
Lire’s face disappeared in bright white of nothingness. Pure light took over everything.
--
Slowly, the light receded.
Rue stood inside a grand, extravagant library.
Motes of golden orbs swayed in the air, candles’ light shone into the oaken grand tables, as if they were meant as reading light. Walls of bookshelf rose like a gargantuan monolith, each full to the brim with books. A grand stair spread across the corner of the library, running around toward the second floor’s gallery and, in a grand spiral, the stair extended to the third.
Rue sat down, strangely unlike the grandness; the seats were just stools.
“One thing after another,” Rue mumbled.
“Welcome, Rue Hazard!”
Rue turned, and greeting him was a hooded creature with a complete void as a face. The creature was armored to the brim like a soldier of dark-gold, but his face…there was none.
[Fallen Angel, Celestial Orator—Level ?]
“It’s an honour to serve you again. My name is Roh. And I will be your Observer. Ah, you must be tired. Relax for now. Why don’t you shop with your Creation Point? You have a lot.”
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