24 Hearts

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To live in this world.

Tia’s cigarette smoke did have the effect of attracting monsters, for the black wolves appeared quite swiftly. Seeing the black wolves stalking toward us, Tia patted my shoulders in encouragement, letting me know that she was about to hide.

Her mastery of C-Rank stealth had awesome effects.

Tia suddenly disappeared before the monsters’ eyes, startling the black wolves, who then vigilantly sniffed the air as they prowled about. Time passed, and they found nothing. They looked around once more, tilting their heads and baring their gums at me, their teeth flashing.

In the midst of those hostile wolves, I held a longsword in my right hand and a dagger in my left, as in the style of Shadow Swordsmanship. The wolves were wary as they saw my stance.

I hadn’t activated any Shadow Justice skills, so the movement of the wolves felt very fast, faster than yesterday. I managed to dodge their attacks, yet their sharp claws tore through clothes, and their jaws missed me by mere inches.

I reacted calmly as I moved, not screaming even as the claws tore through my clothes, and I managed to slay them all.

Tia, hiding in a tree, studied the wolves’ attacks and studied my technique in turn. She nagged me instead of praising me.

“Attack first! Why did you stand still, waiting for a chance to counterattack?”

If only that were as easy as it sounds.

“Move. Don’t stay in place. You don’t even have a shield, so they can end you with one bite. You have to be fluid all the time.”

“It’s not as if I can’t fight!”

“It is a good move to break their momentum by throwing daggers. But if you miss your throws, it counts as a net loss. You should always keep a headcount of the number of daggers you throw.”

I took a rather rough breath, shook some of the blood from my blades, and nodded at Tia’s words.

Not long afterward, the next group of black wolves came, following the blood scent.

This time there were four.

The wolves surrounded me from all sides and rushed in simultaneously. I moved my body as Tia had instructed, throwing the dagger in my left hand.

I had wiped the dagger clean earlier, and it now flew through the air as it aimed itself at a wolf’s brow. This time, the wolf could not escape as the dagger pierced its skull, and it dropped to the forest floor.

I swiveled my body to the side as I shifted my stance and raised my sword, slashing out to my rear. Hot blood fountained in the air as I turned to face the wolf that had landed behind me. It growled in pain, its teeth bared, so I raised my knee and slammed it into the beast’s jaw.

‘Kwa-duk!’ and the wolf groaned, shattered bits of teeth flying out as its maw slammed shut under the force of my kneecap. I immediately pierced the wolf’s head with the fresh dagger I had drawn into my left hand.

The other two wolves rushed me from the side, one snapping its jaws at me and the other leaping, aiming to tumble me over with its forepaws.

I chose to dodge rather than to counter. I leaped back as I kicked into a wolf’s flank, aiming for its rear-left leg. My body might be that of a middle-school student, but my physical abilities are higher than those of a healthy adult, considering the influence of my stats.

I kicked out with all my strength, and the surprised wolf was battered to the side by the unexpected strength of my kick. I almost laughed.

‘Keen!’

I used -Shadow Justice Form 2 – Magic- against the other wolf, which was so near to me now. It had once more leaped at me, and I ignored its growls.

Black particles scattered into the air like snowflakes.

With a sharp sound, I cut into the wolf’s flank as it snapped its jaws at me. A mortal wound was inflicted, and the wolf could not be saved. The one I had kicked now charged at me in full bestial fury.

Would my dagger reach it before its jaws reached my throat?

I decided that the safest thing to do was take a step back. The leaping wolf landed on the spot where I had been and immediately rushed at me. Perhaps because of its feral anger, did the teeth jutting from its gums look so exceptionally sharp.

Still, I was in no danger. I gripped my sword and momentarily faced the wolf, thrusting my blade into it and ending its life.

After I had cut the gemstone from the fallen wolf, I moved to the other wolves. Wolf hide is worth a lot, but it takes time to collect, so I didn’t skin the wolves. The purpose of this expedition was to gain experience, not money.

The wolves came to us, little by little, smelling the blood of their own kin on the breeze.

Every time I finished off a group of wolves, my stiff movements became more natural. I was getting used to wielding a sword; I could feel it in my bones.

***

Is this possible? Tia thought, her ass sitting on a thick branch as she watched everything unfold below. Judah’s sense of battle had changed. After working as a mercenary for a long time, she came to possess a white disk, also meeting numerous people. Some of them had been incompetents, only worthy of mockery and laughter, while others had been capable enough to garner her admiration.

Most of those she admired were those who had disks in the silver to gold range.

Judah’s fighting style was something she had only observed in experienced men, hardened warriors. He could judge the timing of offense and defense well. Tia had originally figured that she would kill off the majority of wolves, letting Judah gain experience by fighting in one-on-one bouts. He fought better than she had expected. No, it wasn’t that he fought well; it rather seemed as if he was adjusting to his enemies. He had immediately accepted her initial advice.

Rather than losing stamina by moving excessively, he quickly learned how to mold the battle to suit his own needs and conform to his own movements. This was never a sense that a person experiencing battle for the first time should have; their tactical experience could never be on that level.

Judah was building up experience at a terrifying pace. In addition, he defeated subsequent wolf packs faster and more effectively than those that came before. As Tia watched his battles so far, there were times when he slowed his reactions in the middle of an encounter, and she guessed this was due to exhaustion.

Tia figured that Judah knew it without her having to tell him: Time and experience would solve this.

***

My rapid growth was only possible thanks to the effects of the characteristics of -Determination- and -The First Lord’s Protection-.

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[Determination]-Rank: S / Workmanship: Master

Gifts you with a natural aptitude for battle.

The most effective offensive and defensive movements in battle are employed by instinct.

Reaction speed and sight are buffed. Strength and Stamina increased by 10.

Once your Stamina is exhausted, you gain a second wind, which enables you to fight on for a few seconds.

[The First Lord’s Protection (Growth)]-Rank: C

You have gained the protection of Xian, First Lord of the demonic realm.

Your experience gain rate and the speed at which knowledge is absorbed is increased.

Due to your low level, the higher functions of this talent remain inactive.

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The two traits are synergistic and are growing faster than anything else.

***

At this moment, Tia figured that Judah’s skill level was that of a bronze-disk mercenary, but his battle-sense was surely that of a silver-disk. If she considered Judah’s rate of development and natural talent— Platinum disk, I’d bet coin on that, Tia thought.

Her mortal eyes had never been wrong, at least thus far. In the book she had paged through, The Hunter of the Wind, there was this phrase: “Perhaps I am seeing a future hero grow.”

Why does this phrase enter my mind now?

Tia watched Judah with a faint smile as she chewed on her unlit cigarette with her teeth.

He was gaining experience through precise movements and accurate attacks against the black wolves——monsters which are known to hunt in packs and eat their prey without leaving a single sliver of flesh on the bones.

+ + +

Celestial Plane – Third Tier: Gabriel’s Sanctuary

There was a temple where sacred energy blooms like a flower. To gain entrance to this temple, you had to cross a masterfully constructed arched bridge.

A man made his way across this bridge, a bridge that none guarded. Set at regular intervals all along the railing were elongated, rectangular pots in which lilies grew. The moment the man stepped onto the bridge, a delicate floral scent caressed his nostrils.

He crossed the bridge as he admired the calm surrounding landscape and then came to seventy-seven steps leading up to the temple.

Every single step had a special meaning, but the man did not know what they were; he had just had heard it said that it was so.

(Anyway, there was no one in the temple to tell him about it, so the man just had to think about it in vague terms. No, until I tell you, now one will know what the meaning of the staircase is.)

After he had ascended all the stairs, the temple entrance finally appeared before him.

Unpatterned white pillars flanked the entrance, supporting the great roof. After the man had looked up at the magnificent pillars and the temple’s roof, he stepped onto a marble floor, going inside.

The floor was clean and dust-free, reflecting the man who walked as a mirror would.

There was no one to be seen in the temple, and nothing: No ubiquitous assistant angels, and no common furniture. All that was in the temple was a strong divine energy that flowed from somewhere and a silence that made all thought pleasant.

As the man headed deeper inside, a light descended from the ceiling, a circular shape pierced by shining rays. There was a clear, circular spring, exactly the circumference of the column of light.

A naked woman was floating four inches above the surface of the water. On her head were a sacred crown and a shining, golden halo: Hallmarks of only the high-ranking angels. Six wings grew from her back, and some of them were wrapped around her naked form.

The two bottom wings subtly covered her waist and thighs; the central wings were flared wide open, seeming to soak up the light, while the topmost wings were folded across her shoulders and over her chest, crossing beneath her stomach.

If you looked at her from the side, you might see something through the gaps left by the wings. Facing her full-on, the man could see nothing but her exposed belly-button.

Thanks to that, he couldn’t truly see her nude body, but he was okay with it.

This beautiful woman was named Gabriel, one of only three rulers of heaven. Her hair was of a lustrous green hue, and her eyes and mouth were shut as if she was sleeping.

The man deliberately walked to her with hard footsteps so as to announce his presence.

Gabriel’s eyes remained closed.

She didn’t seem to be in the proper state to welcome guests, so the man waited, as he had visited without prior notice.

He kept waiting.

Eventually, the man tired of it, so he broke the silence with a small sigh.

“Why don’t you greet your guests, even if they do not tell of their coming?”

“It’s not very nice to see you,” Gabriel answered without once opening her eyes.

Hers was a pretty voice, yet it had some unknown element, some undefinable quality to it.

The man looked at Gabriel, with his hands in his trouser pockets.

“Aren’t you too ferocious a sight?” she continued. “Still, you’re almost the only friend who comes to this quiet and lonely temple.”

Gabriel slowly opened her eyes to see how to man would respond to her words. Under her long eyelashes, the pupils were as clear and transparent as the waters of the spring.

* * *

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[—]Hint: In this world, there are those who take on the role of Gods. They are called Lords in the demonic realm and the Monarchs of Heaven on the celestial plane. Each of them has a strong influence over the middle world. Belief in them sometimes grants special powers that reflect their individual dispositions.[—]

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