Reborn: Demon Core (12 page)

Title: none

HP: 135/135

MP 165/165

SP 32/32

Strength: 23

Vitality: 27

Agility: 51

Stamina: 32

Spirit: 11

Intelligence: 33

Endurance: 20

Luck: 12

Looking at her stats, Ash could tell that
Marilyn had been well trained as her stats were above those of most
people with the same level. At the same time, Ash was looking at
her stats she was looking at his. The way he could tell was the way
her eyes widened suddenly. Suddenly Mar looked around and noticed
that both Shina and Ash had their weapons out.

“I didn’t know,” Marilyn said taking a slight
step back from the other five.

“You are a knight correct?” Ash asked in a
tone dead voice.

“Y-yes,” Marilyn said her voice wavering.

“You are sword to the Hawkwing
house…Correct?” Ash continued his question.

“Yes. Just like my father, I serve the
Hawkwing house,” Marilyn confirmed weakly.

“I am currently married to Lady Hawkwing,”
Ash said slowly. “She knows what you see. If you do not trust that
fact then you can ask her yourself, but you are not to relay this
information to any others without her direct approval…That includes
your father,” Ash ordered. “Will you obey this order?”

“Y-yes I swear on my honor,” Marilyn quickly
said as large beads of sweat poured down her face.

With her acknowledgement, Ash relaxed his
stance as did the others. As soon as the tension left the air,
Marilyn slumped to her knees breathing hard. No one said any words
to Marilyn they just silently waited for her to regain herself.
Once she did, Ash blessed all their weapons so that they could harm
the Dark Knights.

Since Marilyn was a scout, she had skills
that allowed her to move without being detected. Ash had his own
abilities that allowed him to find enemies, but with another set of
eyes it took a little of the pressure off of him.

After Marilyn located the first knight she
used one of her skills to throw out a knife made of energy to draw
the monster’s attention. As the knight chased after Marilyn, Ash
and Halon attacked.

Though it was only one extra person, it made
the fight much easier. Marilyn was able to draw the knight’s
attention allowing both Ash and Halon to attack it while it was
unguarded. Within five strikes the Dark Knight was lying on the
floor of the labyrinth dead.

“Tring.” The noise echoed in Ash’s mind after
he absorbed the creature.

[You have reached the absorption level for
the Dark Knight. Abilities available; Dark Eyes (active), Shadow
Armor (active).]

“Tring.”

[You have randomly received the ability
Shadow Armor.]

[Shadow Armor: Cost 25MP 10SP; creates an
armor made of shadows to protect the caster.]

“Get anything good this time?” Lillanis asked
as she walked up beside Ash to pick up the dark cloth that had been
dropped.

“I got the Dark Knight’s Shadow Armor,” Ash
said invoking the new ability for everyone to see.

“We still fighting?” Halon asked stepping
between him and Lillanis.

“Yes, I still need to acquire the Dark Eyes
ability,” Ash said rolling his own eyes and sighing.

“What are you going to do with all these
abilities?” Halon asked.

“I don’t know, but it is better to have them
then not. The more options I have, the better chances I have at
surviving anything that comes at me,” Ash replied as he turned
toward Marilyn. “Find the next one.”

Marilyn didn’t say anything as she turned and
left to find the next prey. Just like the day before, they fought
until around midday then left the labyrinth. Ash was unable to gain
another ability, but he did raise his level to fourteen. Just as
before he put everything into luck. Ash was tempted to put some
into other areas but the boosts he got from luck was just too
overwhelming to ignore.

Just as the day before when they left the
labyrinth, Shina and Ash parted from the others and moved toward
the city exit. The only difference was that today Marilyn followed
quietly behind Shina and Ash. Before they reached the city gate,
Ash turned around to face the young scout. “We are just going to do
some menial work. You can head back for the day,” Ash said in a
slightly cold tone.

“My orders were to stay with Lord Ash and to
work with him,” Marilyn said calmly.

“Fine, but make sure to stay back,” Ash said
slightly annoyed. “I don’t want everyone watching me with you
tagging around.”

“Understood,” Marilyn said in a tight
military tone.

Marilyn followed Ash’s command and held back.
She only watched him and Shina while they cut and hauled trees.
Just as before Huck helped them and told Shina stories when they
had their break.

While they worked, Ash kept finding his eyes
floating toward where Marilyn sat cross legged on the ground
munching on a small pastry she seemed to pull out of thin air. She
had taken off her chest plate and sat her sword and bow aside.
Unlike before, the tense air that surrounded her was gone and all
Ash could see was a bright and beautiful young lady. Still he
remembered Emelia’s warning from that morning. No matter how she
seemed, Marilyn was her father’s daughter and she would look at
duty first and everything else second. That made her both
trustworthy and dangerous at the same time given Ash’s
bloodline.

After finishing work, Ash and Shina make
their way back home when Marilyn stopped in front of a small bakery
with her mouth visibly watering. Seeing her face break from its
normal stoic visage, Ash couldn’t help but to be intrigued. “Do you
want to stop and get something?” Ash asked, startling Marilyn.

“N-no…Knights aren’t allowed to spend noble
money on flippantly goods.”

When Marilyn said this, Ash remembered what
Emelia had told him about the knights. For their oaths, all the
needs of the knights were met and even after they retired, they
never had to want for anything, but they didn’t receive pay.
Anything they purchased was charged to the duchess directly and
lavish goods were not allowed. Ash didn’t think that would mean
sweets, but it seemed that was the case.

Ash walked in the bakery and handed two
silver coins to the woman behind the counter. “Anything you
suggest?” Ash asked as he looked at the goods displayed.

“Young lord, we have these baked goods. They
use the finest flour and are often ordered by the duchess Hawkwing
herself,” the lady said, showing Ash a plate of what appeared to be
cookies.

Picking one up, Ash took a small bite and
just as he thought, they were cookies with chocolate in them.
“These are very good cookies,” Ash said.

“Cookies sir,” The woman said with a slightly
bewildered look on her face.

“Yes that is what they are called in my home
town,” Ash covered quickly.

“That is an odd name…but I like it,” the
woman said with a smile. “Would you like some of them my lord?”

“Yes bag up as many as you have for the two
silver coins,” Ash said smiling.

Marilyn eyes never left the small brown sack
in Ash’s hand as they walked back toward his house. Seeing the
pitiable look on her face, Ash pulled out one of the sweets and
held it out to her. “Want a cookie?” Ash asked with a smile.

“Thank you,” Marilyn said taking the cookie
and quickly taking a small bite.

“This is so good,” Marilyn shouted.

“It is called a cookie,” Ash said, holding in
a laugh.

Seeing the look on Marilyn’s face, Ash
quickly gave her another cookie. With the way she ate them, Ash
could tell that she was what people would call someone with a sweet
tooth.

When they arrived back at the house, they
found Maria waiting on them. When she saw the happy look on
Marilyn’s face, her eyes darkened.

“Mar we found the bandits,” Maria said
pulling Marilyn away from Ash’s side. “Commander Althorn wants to
strike in the morning.”

“Lord Ash, will you be accompanying us?”
Maria asked turning toward Ash.

“I would be honored,” Ash replied refusing to
back down.

With Ash back home, Maria led Marilyn away,
though the young scout kept looking back longingly at the bag still
held in Ash’s hands. With the knights gone, Ash entered his house
to try and relax knowing that in the morning he would be tramping
through the woods on a manhunt.

Notes

Name: Ash

Level: 14

Experience needed for next level: 26,220

Race: Human/Demon 70/30

Occupation: Novice gambler

Title: Novice Slayer

Blessings: Blessing of the Reaper

HP: 930/930

MP 730/730

SP 178/178

Strength: 72 (+10) (+2) (+1) (+10) (+94)

Vitality: 75 (+3) (+108)

Agility: 49 (+9) (+5) (+70)

Stamina 71 (+5) (+102)

Spirit 26 (+10) (+37)

Intelligence: 60 (+86)

Endurance: 38 (+10) (+1) (+2) (+54)

Luck: 120 (+600) (+1)

Abilities

Passive:

[Devil’s Luck: 500% bonus to luck.

Fleet Foot: +10 to agility. Max]

[Wolf Eyes: See in the dark. Level Max]

[Mining: Ability to use a pick to extract ore
from hidden locations. Able to tell where mining locations are
located. Level 2: 23%]

[Poison Resistance: level 2-53: 10% poison
resistance.]

[Grave Domain: Damage resistance to whole
body with the exception of the head increased by 10%.]

[Spider Senses: able to detect prey that is
up to three levels higher within a 200 foot radius. Able to sense
hostile intent within a 100 foot radius. Level max%.]

[Fire Resistance: 10% fire resistance. Level
2-42%.]

[Natural Armor (small). When fighting your
skin acts as a natural armor blocking 10% of physical damage.
Level: max.]

[Frost Resistance: 10% resistance to frost
damage. Level 2-8%.]

[Yeti Strength: +10 to strength. Level
Max%.]

[Electric Resistance. 5% resistance to energy
attacks. Level 1-87%.]

[Water Glide. When moving in water it flows
naturally around you decreasing water resistance by 25%. Level
max.]

[Cloak of Shadows: When in a dark area cloak
of shadows wraps you in shadows making it harder for you to be
detected.]

[Dragon Sight: You can see the magical flow
of items and creatures]

[Reaper’s Sight: people who have received the
ire of the goddess will now appear with a small sickle above their
head.]

[Reaper’s Soul: after killing a person who
has been marked by the goddess you will absorb a portion of their
soul and receive any abilities they possess.]

[Earth Affinity- cost of using earth related
skills will be reduced by 10% and power of earth related skills
will be boosted 5%. Level 1-32%.]

[Mental Resist- 5% bonus when attacked by a
mental attack. Level 1-21%]

[Iron Stomach: for each ounce of iron you eat
your strength will raise by 1 but at the same time your
intelligence will be reduced by 1.]

Active:

[Demon Absorption: Cost 10MP: Absorb defeated
enemies to obtain skills. Level 3- 14%]

[Bash: Cost 1SP - Slam into enemies with your
body to do X10 damage. Level 2-91%]

[Rabbit Punch: Cost 1Sp- Using feet or hands
quickly lash out with a lighting quick attack. Level 3-27%]

[Stab: Cost 1 SP- Thrust forward with weapon
(sword, spear.) level 2-64%]

[Poison spit: Cost 5MP. Level 2-99%: Spit a
corrosive poison that sticks to enemy doing 5 damage a second for
ten seconds.]

[Analyze ability. Cost 5MP: Ability to see
opponents name, level and skill as long as they are no more than 5
levels above you. Level max.]

[Poison: cost 10MP- ability to make a small
amount of toxin that paralyzes. Can be placed on weapons.]

[Sticky thread: cost 15MP- shoot out a stream
of sticky thread to trap opponents.]

[Stealth: Cost 20 MP. Erase your presence
from enemies any movement cancels the ability.]

[Fire Ball: cost 10MP. Create a ball of fire
and throw it at an enemy. Level 2-82%.]

[Cone of Frost: Cost 15MP: send out a cone of
frost freezing everything in its path. Causes 10 frost damage every
second for five seconds. Level 2-75%]

[Crushing Blow: cost 5SP: strike with a hard
blow bypassing 55% of opponent’s defense. Level 2-18%]

[Shock Armor: cost 10MP. Covers a small area
with electoral energy that will stun an opponent struck with it for
two seconds. Level 1-89%.]

[Shock Strike: cost 25MP. Hit an opponent
with an energy attack that paralyses the part struck for seven
minutes. Level 2-26%.]

[Pounce: cost 5SP jump straight forward with
great speed doing 2x normal damage.]

[Poison Vine whip: cost 40MP. Call a vine
dripping with paralyzing poison to strike your opponent. Level
1-76%.]

[Reaper’s Blessing: cost 50MP- bless a weapon
or item with the goddess’s power. Lasts for twenty-four hours.]

[Sharp Strike: cost 10SP- strike with a
bladed weapon to deal 1.5 the normal damage. Increased chance for a
critical strike. Level 1-61%]

[Fire Lance: cost 25MP- casts a long lance of
fire. Level 1-52%]

[Ice Spear 15MP- coat a weapon in ice giving
it an added ice attribute to its attack. Level 1-41%.]

[Ice Shield 20MP- created a shield of ice
that can fend off attacks. Level 1-12%]