The leader of the small group stood out, his long claw-like weapon pulsing with enchantmentâCassian could feel the mana radiating from it. "You seem to know a bit more than the ones I killed," Cassian taunted, then lunged forward in a blur. Before anyone could react, he drove his blade through one of the cloaked figures to the left of the claw-wielding leader. "Donât you?" he asked, his voice cold. The leader, terrified, realized he faced a Circle Warrior. He swung his claw in a desperate arc, but it only carved three deep gashes across his already-dead friendâs face.
Cassianâs eyes widened, caught off guard by the enchanted clawâs pulsing power. As the leaderâs strike missed, the other cultists attacked in unison, forcing Cassian to step back. A horizontal slash came first, followed by a spear thrust from the side, then a sword strike aimed at his legs. Cassian leaped, dodging the blows, but the claw slashed upward again. He parried with his sword, redirecting the attack toward another cultist who had just lunged at his feet, slicing a chunk of flesh from the manâs shoulder. Cassian was still mid-air as two more attacks came his way.
The wounded cultist groaned in pain and stumbled back, clutching his shoulder. The other two pressed their attack instantly, giving Cassian barely a moment to land before he had to weave back, dodging their strikes with ease. The claw-wielding leader charged again, unleashing two rapid diagonal slashes. Cassian slipped past them effortlessly, his movements fluid. With a flick of his wrist, he sent a green slash of energy at the oncoming cultists. The swordsman blocked it, sliding back from the force, but the spear-wielder wasnât so luckyâblood burst from his chest as the slash tore into him, making him clutch at the wound. Meanwhile, the cultist with the wounded shoulder, still clenching it, staggered forward to attack again.
The wounded cultist, clutching his bleeding shoulder, lurched forward with a desperate swing, but Cassian was already in motion. His green blade flashed, severing the cultistâs neck in one clean stroke, sending the head rolling across the ground. The swordsman charged next, his blade arcing toward Cassianâs chest. Cassian sidestepped with eerie precision, grabbing the manâs arm and flashing a wide, predatory grin before hacking it off at the elbow. Blood sprayed as the severed limb, still clutching its sword, fell into Cassianâs hands. With a vicious flick, he hurled the arm back at its owner, impaling the swordsman through the chest with his own weapon still gripped by his own severed hand. The leader froze, terrified by the gruesome spectacle.
The spear-wielder, reeling from the gash in his chest, made a final, feeble thrust. Cassian was too quick, spinning and cleaving his blade through the cultistâs torso, splitting him from shoulder to hip. The body crumpled, blood pooling beneath. The leader, the only one still uninjured, swung his enchanted claw in a frantic attack. Cassian parried with ease, then slashed downward, severing both of the manâs hands in a single stroke. The claw-weapon clattered to the ground, leaving the leader weaponless, trembling in terror and pain. He tried to scream, but Cassianâs hand clamped around his throat, choking off the sound. "Well, now," Cassian said, his voice calm but dripping with menace, as he thrust his sword into the leaderâs thigh, drawing a muffled whimper. The manâs throat remained clenched in Cassianâs iron grip, stifling his agony. "Can you answer some questions before I kill you painlessly?" Cassian added, his eyes glinting under the moonlight.
Cassian flung the leader to the ground, making him cough and writhe in agony, unable to clutch his crushed throat or bleeding thighs with his severed hands. "So, tell me," Cassian growled, looming over him, "how many of you are attacking us? Include the number of mages, their ranks, and any Circle Warriors."
"I donât know..." the leader rasped, glaring at Cassian with venomous eyes. Cassian smirked, no stranger to tortureâhaving endured intense sessions twice himself, he knew how to inflict pain. He pressed his boot onto the manâs foot, grinding it into the dirt, stretching the torn thigh muscles. Before the leader could shift to ease the torment, Cassian drove his sword through the manâs other foot, pinning it to the ground. The leader groaned, his body convulsing in pain as both feet burned with intese pain. Cassian leaned harder on the pinned foot, his voice low and menacing. "You donât wanna die painlessly?"
"Fuck you..." the leader screamed, spitting toward Cassian, though the spittle fell short, nowhere near him. Cassian sighed, unfazed. The man clearly wouldnât talk, but it didnât matterâthere were others he could interrogate, and one of them would surely beg for a painless death.
The leader showed no sign of breaking, and Cassian, sensing it, yanked his sword from the manâs foot and released his grip. The cultist scrambled back in a panic, but Cassianâs blade flashed, slashing across the manâs eyes. Blood flooded the leaderâs vision as he screamed. "As you wish..." Cassian said coldly, carving deep gashes across the manâs bodyânot fatal enough to kill instantly, but ensuring a slow, agonizing death. With a final brutal kick, he shattered the leaderâs bones, leaving him writhing and screaming in the dirt as Cassian turned to hunt for others who might talk.
Cassianâs vow never to harm the innocent held firm in his mind, but these cultists deserved every ounce of pain he could inflictâwithout a shred of guilt or remorse. His killing domain surged, fueled by each death, growing more powerful. His speed had increased by a few percent since the slaughter began, a boost purely from his domain, though his physical capabilities remained unchanged.
As he moved, a stray thought crossed his mind: âWould the system count these boosts in my status?â He hadnât checked his system status once during the fight, but now, in a brief moment of relative safety, he muttered, "System status..."
: Senior Trainee Cassian ven dyke
: Adept
32(+19)
33(+22)
56(+13)
19(+2)
27(+8)
78(+28)
(Status: Available)
Adept
Adept Lv3
Lv9
Lv2 (191/1000)
Self Healing
Pain Immunity
Blood Fire Tempering
??
1
61/100
Fire Mana Crystal: 1kg
Heart of 3-Star Monster: (0/5)
The Skilled Masseur: (0/10)
Path of the Gladiator (Completed)
Beginner Monster Slayer (Completed)
Path of the Composed Warrior (Completed)
21]
Cassian was rightâhis system status revealed new numbers. Dexterity and intelligence had each climbed by less than ten points, but all other stats surged by at least ten, a massive boost. This added power, stacked atop his already superhuman abilitiesâfar beyond multiple normal humansâfelt overwhelming, like the strength of a strong, normal human piled onto his existing might.