CHAPTER 136.

Amber grinned. This. This was what she was looking for, the one thing she was hoping to find when she set off on this sidequest.

[Demon of Brutality. Lvl. ???]

Amber didn’t know its level, but one thing was for certain, it felt just as strong as the healer from the Saints of Truth, meaning it was at least level 300 in power. And that made her glad; more than just glad in fact. It made her incredibly happy. Because finally, she’d have something to test her advancements properly.

So far she had tested her ability to create curses and replicate Essence, and while it was great she still had more practice to go. However, something she had yet to test was her new Legacy Branch and of course, the other ways her body had changed. Such as the way mana was a lot easier to control; or Essence for that matter as well. Or the fact that her healing seemed to have slightly improved.

But she was sure there were other things that she had to discover, and finally she had a worthy opponent to find out. One with which she could let loose. She stifled a laugh of excitement, her emotions were slightly hard to control after having her heart ripped off, but maybe that wasn’t a bad thing.

Though her excitement seemed to be misunderstood.

“It is too late to run, little one, but I shall give you the honor of remembering your existence,” the Demon of Brutality said, chuckling. “What is your name, human?”

Though before she could ask what she had in mind, a human mage in the distance spoke, his voice pained.

“Run, it’s level 300!”

“Silence!” the demon swung his staff and the man went flying with a burst of kinetic energy. He was still alive thankfully. “Wait for your turn to die, lowly peasant.”

With those words the demon tapped his staff on the ground and a large purple dome was erected; a powerful barrier to prevent everyone from escaping. And Amber took a deep breath, as she raised Cursewelder into the air and with a swift motion, stabbed it through her chest.

Her bones split, her innards rearranged and blood splattered as the people around gasped, and she herself felt great. No, it felt amazing.

“Have you given up?” the demon asked.

Amber simply smiled, taking out the sword as she looked up towards the demon. “Can’t you remember your past lives?”

“No,” the demon replied curtly. “It’s unneeded.”

And a laugh left her. “No wonder you hold me in such contempt, no worries though, I’ll make you remember.”

The Demon of Brutality grinned and raised his staff. “Entertain me then.”

Amber dashed and the spot where she had just been on⁠— exploded. Her Sharp Instincts skill didn’t even catch the attack, but even then she was aware of it due to the Essence accumulation she could sense. Yet it was minute, it almost felt like the mana in the air just decided to explode.

Interesting.

Amber didn’t really understand how demons didn’t let out the secret of the stars a long time ago, nor did she understand how their skills were disguised as System skills, but it was still interesting to her.

Way too interesting.

She grinned and then appeared in front of the demon, swinging down Cursewelder. The demon summoned a barrier with a snort.

“You underestimate me, lowly warrior⁠⁠—”

Her sword hit and⁠— cleaved into the barrier, her muscles bulged with strength as the barrier was broken into thousands of pieces and the Demon of Brutality’s eyes widened as he was forced to step back to dodge. And Amber simply grinned.

For now, it was better for her to avoid using Essence, aside from using it in God’s Physique anyway, enhancing her physical strength was a must after all.

Wasting no time she pounced towards the demon who raised his staff and⁠— she teleported out of it. Appearing next to him, she swung but the demon jumped out of the way. It seemed his physical ability was shared with the demon she had killed earlier.

The Demon of Brutality sneered at her. “It seems that I can’t play with you.”

Amber in the meantime, ignored his comment and instead⁠— stabbed Cursewelder through her body yet again, feeling yet another build up of strength. But that didn’t feel like it was enough, it felt… lacking?

She tilted her head as the demon scowled.

“Die!”

Amber teleported away as the spot where she had just been standing was torn asunder by an implosion of air. Everything on that spot was erased in a blink. It was a certainly powerful attack, one that made the mercenaries in the surroundings. But her mind was elsewhere.

It just didn’t feel right. It… she could get a lot more out of the skill but these stabs weren’t cutting it.

Amber dodged as she nearly got hit by a force that destroyed the environment and made the mercenaries panic. The Demon of Brutality was locked onto her, and he was getting progressively more pissed, but once again, Amber didn’t care all too much.

I have to do more.

Amber landed and let herself be hit this time.

She went flying, a limb streaking through the air as her skill made her feel things, and that’s when it finally clicked for her.

Amber moved her Essence, and her skills⁠— in an instant her arm came back and she summoned the Firecursed Sword and the Sword of the Depths, and she⁠ (naturally) stabbed both into her body.

Her blood splattered and for a moment she felt anemic as all three swords protruded.

“She⁠— Is she insane?!”

“What is she doing?!”

“Such principles! She wants to die before the demon can take her life!”

Amber of course, ignored the mutterings calling her insane and instead, she laughed. She felt stronger like never before. And instantly she took out all swords and merged them into Cursewelder before teleporting in front of the demon who swung his staff in response.

“It’s useless!”

Amber kicked in retaliation and the staff swing⁠— banged. It nearly snapped as the demon was sent back.

“It seems that you still think I’m weak,” Amber said coldly. “Let me change that.”

She teleported on top of the Demon of Brutality and swung her sword down, instantly colliding with his deformed head and⁠— splitting it in half. The sword went on down to his spine before stopping with a mighty crack and the demon of course⁠— shrieked.

“WENCH!”

Through his split head it raised its staff as Amber laughed, she didn’t laugh at its misery of course, but at what she was feeling. She truly felt unstoppable. She forced her Essence to reset Quick Dash and instantly teleported behind it and kicked.

Its spine split in half and the demon went flying and crashed against his barrier with a loud bang and Amber simply chuckled.

It was different from everything she had experienced yet also similar. It felt like pushing her limits and in a way she was in the process of doing so, but at the same time it was also true enjoyment for the battle itself. Was it dangerous? Perhaps. Was it bad for her? Also perhaps, but Demonic Frenzy as a skill was here to stay.

And, while she tried to suppress the emotional side it still came out. So long as it wasn’t a problem, Amber didn’t see the issue with it.

So, enjoying herself she teleported on top of the demon and raised a wrapped hand in purple flames.

Focus. She wanted to do more, she wanted to exceed, to become something she wasn’t before. Gather the curses.

The flames took a brighter color as the demon groaned and she grinned before punching. In an instant, a quarter of her mana disappeared and her fist⁠— exploded. A torrent of purple flames went well into the air, as the barrier itself shook like never before, pieces of flesh flew and the mercenaries gasped at what they were seeing. Though the demon was still definitely alive.

But Amber tilted her head, it was about half the strength of Primordial Blazing Bolt. And there was something else.

“Something that… I wanted to try,” Amber frowned. “What was it?”

“Humannn!”

A deep bellow shook the land as she stood there and cocked her head, her excitement dying down by the second.

“I will kill you!”

The demon reformed as a staff was pointed at her and a moment later it⁠— blasted her.

* * *

The Demon of Brutality was seething.

This human really had stood there and cocked her damn head as if she wasn’t fighting him. Such disrespect! The gall! It made him beyond angry. Angry enough to go all out; he was taking her seriously before, but now he had to kill her.

No matter the cost.

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It didn’t matter how much it took of him, he was going to kill this impudent human. Was she strong? Absolutely. Her strength didn’t make sense to him based on what he understood of the construct known as the System, but it didn’t matter, nothing of the sort mattered. Because his strength wasn’t tied to the puny System.

The Demon of Brutality bellowed as his body came back together, and he immediately raised his hand into the air as his staff disintegrated and slowly went into his body. The woman was a warrior, right?

Then I just have to kill her in her own specialty.

In a way it was vindication, in a way it was his pride as a demon, and in a different way⁠— no, it was all about pride. He wasn’t stupid however, he knew that if it got too dangerous he had to fight to the fullest. Except, unlike puny humans he didn’t have restrictions such as magic or physical, so long as it was brutal then anything was possible. Anything.

The Demon of Brutality laughed, his body shifting as his limbs became longer, his jaw as it began to resemble the maw of a wild animal, and all his Essence became fuel for his muscles, then a moment later, he dashed.

The spot where he was just standing burst from the speed, and the world around him blurred as he arrived in front of the thinking woman. He immediately did a downwards swing that she lazily blocked with her sword⁠.

The environment exploded as the mercenaries in the background shrieked, and even the woman was sent into the ground as her bones cracked, yet she simply tilted her head.

“No, that wasn’t it either.”

“Youuu…”

Even now, she was still too preoccupied with her thoughts, even now she didn’t see him as a threat, even now she was still not continuing her attack. It was as if he didn’t matter in this whole thing. And that infuriated him to no end. A vein popped on his forehead as he bellowed, raising his foot.

“I WILL KILL YOU!”

His muscles bulged and he stomped.

Her sword took the brunt of the hit, but even then he heard an awful crunch, and one of her legs split off from her body, one of her arms became mangled and her neck completely split. And he didn’t stop there as he reached down and grabbed her sword⁠— intending to take it off her and kill her with her own weapon.

But she held onto it.

He sneered and then he immediately did a whip holding the sword⁠— the air barrier was broken as the woman’s body let out a loud crunch before she was sent flying along with the sword.

It has Essence, how strange.

Still, that realization didn’t phase the Demon of Brutality, those stupid Primordial Spirits liked to bless the mortals of this land with dumb boons all the time after all. Though, he did note something.

She must be important. And if she is important, then all the more reason to kill her.

Humans that had connections to the primordials were valuable targets to them, the demons. Not only that but it would most certainly allow him to get higher standing with his god.

At that thought, the Demon of Brutality felt even more inspired to kill this damn wench.

He dashed, tearing apart the environment with his mere movement and immediately arrived in front of the woman as she was just standing up, and his hand reached for her head and he slammed her down. He felt a loud crack, and he prepared to deliver the finishing blow.

“Oh!” she piped up.

Now she’ll beg.

“I remember now.”

The Demon of Brutality immediately scowled to explode her head, but before that happened the woman’s curses in her body completely died, before⁠— flaring. Not only that but they exploded a split second later.

“Useless!”

He strengthened his grip, right now his strength surpassed anything that the woman could exert, so her head was as good as dead⁠—

And the curses burst again, and again, this time with Essence.

“What⁠—”

And his hand was⁠— ripped off. With a single motion of her hand, his own hand was completely torn off his body, and the woman laughed as she stabbed herself with her sword.

“To think I can reset the effects of Accursed Strength too,” she said with a voice that was breaking from excitement. “Sure it can only happen once a week, but right now…”

The Demon of Brutality sneered. He didn’t know what the dumb woman was spouting but it didn’t matter. He immediately gritted his teeth and exerted his own existence to bring more power into this world as his muscles bulged once more. And he immediately punched, intending to end the woman in one hit.

She raised her hand to block but it was useless.

His fist hit and a loud bang resounded, and the barrier that was right behind them cracked, yet the woman⁠— didn’t move. She simply dangerously smiled and spoke.

“My turn now!”

She punched back and the Demon of Brutality blocked⁠— his arms were blown apart as a hole in his chest was blown, his entire body went flying as he hit the other side of the barrier in a single moment. He almost fainted, but he recovered shaking his head.

What happened…?

That strength was ridiculous. It easily dwarfed his by at least two fold, it didn’t make sense to him, while it was a temporary buff it simply didn’t make sense.

The woman dashed, appearing atop of him in an instant before doing an axe downwards kick. The Demon of Brutality blocked again but he was blown into the ground, half of his body turning into paste. And his entire body was in disbelief.

Such strength, that shouldn’t be possible. Even if she has access to Essence that doesn’t⁠—

Was his avatar in Vir going to die like this?

No! I can’t let that happen!

The Demon of Brutality forced himself further as his core threatened to crack and in a single moment, his entire body reformed, even stronger than before. And then he teleported to avoid being torn apart by the woman instantly.

He had to do more. The Demon of Brutality forced more Essence into his body as he turned and rushed towards the woman that was heading right for him.

Then, she punched as he met her in kind. This time, wasn’t going to go like last time.

Both of their fists collided and⁠—

His arm exploded.

The Demon of Brutality’s eyes widened as the woman tried to punch him again, but this time he dodged out of the way. Their agility was even, but he was still lacking strength. It was humiliating to be dying to a human, to fail when he had gotten the chance to destroy Vir from the inside.

I can’t let it happen! The Demon of Brutality exerted himself even more as he felt pain deep within his body and clashed with the woman again.

The bones in his arm broke as he met her swing, but he quickly regenerated as he exchanged blow by blow with the woman. Somehow she was keeping up with this, somehow her strength was that ridiculous, and somehow he was⁠—

Losing.

His arm went flying as he got hit in the chest, his inner organs exploding from his back as he was sent back into the barrier that cracked as if it meant nothing.

How was this possible…?

He was going to die here, but he didn’t want to, he shouldn’t, he couldn’t fail his god like this⁠—

No. He wasn’t going to fail. Even if it cost him dearly.

The Demon of Brutality exerted his core past its limit as it cracked and with it came a burst of power that was unprecedented. He punched the woman back and immediately moved to destroy her. She blocked but to no avail, her arms broke, and her legs gave out.

He tried his best to kill her but all he was getting was a gradual tear down of her being, but even then he was satisfied.

He focused his Essence to kill her as he continued on hitting her, breaking her body and tearing her apart, and finally a sigh left her.

“Guess I can’t keep avoiding that part either, huh?”

And at that moment, her body took on a glow as her strength⁠— increased once more. The Demon of Brutality was punched and this time, half of his body exploded and the barrier shattered. His legs, and lower torso splattered across the landscape as he went flying and hit a distant mountain.

Then he groaned, and the woman appeared before him before he could even react.

“I don’t have much time left,” she said, before extending her hand.

“Your strength is about to run out, huh?” he said. “You can’t kill me like this.”

That was a fact, he thought she had much longer to fight, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. In the end, since she couldn’t eradicate his body, it was his victory. Yet, as he let out a chuckle, he saw a hand lingering in front of him. One that was bloodied. Her other hand had a blue white flame with Essence on it. And along with it there were hints of purple. Though, he still focused on the thing presented to him.

“What is this?”

“A contract, will you become my subordinate?”

That is impossible⁠— is what he wanted to say, but as he saw her hand he realized that it was a contract of demonic nature. At that moment, many things ran through his mind. Was this woman on their side? Had he been attacking an ally? However, why did his instincts tell him that she was important to the primordials? That feeling extended beyond logic after all.

All that said, he simply sneered.

“I will never betray my god, more importantly, you can’t kill me. Not as long as my body doesn’t get destroyed.”

“A shame, though you’re wrong on one thing,” she said.

He scowled, “And what is that?”

“I can kill you.”

He laughed at that, but before the Demon of Brutality could say anything further, the flame on her hand was tossed at him, and a moment later he felt primal danger like never before.

Impossible⁠—

And the flame hit, exploding the entire mountain and destroying his avatar along with it as his own body took recoil back in Ill’hine.

* * *

Amber sighed as she appeared not too far away, the explosion going off in the background.

“Why is making contracts so damn difficult?” she said in annoyance. “At least, I figured out I can use Accursed Strength and Accursed Reignition twice.”

The effects of that were utterly disgusting if she said so herself. She was sure that no barrier made from the Archmage could block her when she was in that state. It was safe to say that now it was her strongest form and strongest chain of skills, surpassing even Essence ones. The strength she had felt…

Amazing.

“Maybe I can even kill the Abyssal Briroar in just one or two punches,” she smiled to herself.

That was how ridiculously strong those skills made her when fighting the demon, and that was why she had so easily killed him. Though that didn’t matter right now.

[You have defeated a [Demon of Brutality. Lvl. 301].]

For defeating an enemy 95 levels above your own, you have received bonus experience!

[You have reached level 205. 15 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

…

[You have reached level 207. 15 stat points awarded.]

+5 Vitality +5 Strength +5 Dexterity.]

She had gotten 3 levels from that, which she didn’t mind all too much. She had gotten to explore a lot of things which was great. For instance, she could combine the curse version of Primordial Blazing Bolt with the actual skill, that said that needed further testing⁠— she had a feeling that it would grow unstable if both matched strength.

But she was happy, especially after she got to test the full effects of Demonic Frenzy, and how it behaved when feeding it Essence. Which well, it was a bit of a scary thing to do given she lost sense of herself for a moment.

But right now, it was just another barrier for her to overcome.

“Well, time to return I guess…”

She took a step forward and then paused, sensing familiar presences.

* * *

Lennard put down the spyglass given to him by Stein, he had helped him by smithing its frame, and it was one of the few items the demons hadn’t taken from them. And right now, it had allowed him to witness something.

“Terrifying…” he said, trembling.

They had long evacuated the camp, and now when they were on their way back to Froststone they spotted a battle in the distance, one he chose to observe. And to his surprise, the warrior was fighting a demon⁠— an incredibly strong one. One that sent chills down his spine, and to his surprise, not only did the woman win but she absolutely wiped the floor with the demon.

It was terrifying.

That woman had surpassed any conceptions he had about her level. She was closer to a demon in human flesh than anything. Because her strength wasn’t something achievable by anyone at her level, that he was sure of. In fact, he was sweating.

And to think I disrespected her.

His heart was rushing, he didn’t want to encounter her, he couldn’t. What if the woman remembered him and decided to kill him? It was a risk he didn’t want.

He put away the spyglass.

“Which is why we have to hurry on returning⁠—”

A gust of wind interrupted him and he found herself face to face with the woman as he shrieked.

“Hey, you’re a smith right?”

He immediately fell to the ground in fear. Did she want all his creations? Was she here for payback? The woman stepped forward with a wicked grin, one that made him feel like death. And finally, a moment later she spoke. A request that sent a chill down his spine.

“I have a favor to ask you, smith something for me.”

If he didn’t accept, he was most certainly going to die. His life depended on this job, so he had to do his best in order to survive. And so, after a moment of panic, he accepted.

“Y-Yes.”

“Great!” she chirped.

And a moment later, she began to explain her twisted request that involved him working with curses.