Chapter 172: Target 29 Requires Seven Goals to Satisfy the Succubus Knight
The hidden assassin who was nearby was a B-level adventurer, and his personal data was not particularly impressive.
His highest attribute was spirit, with 301 points.
Strength, agility, endurance, and intelligence were all below average, barely surpassing 100. Even Loria, who didn't have any attribute bonuses, was better than him.
Normally, with the guildmaster's agility, he could easily cut off the assassin's neck at a glance.
However, unexpectedly, something unexpected happened.
Just as the guildmaster's sword was about to cut into the assassin's neck, his body suddenly underwent a strange transformation.
Loria watched in astonishment as the assassin's neck quickly dissolved in the middle, like melted jelly, leaving a one-centimeter wide gap. As the guildmaster swung his knight's sword through the gap, the neck resealed itself without any visible cracks.
"Hehehe..."
The eerie laughter echoed in the darkness of the night.
Loria looked confusedly at the scene in front of her.
Is this guy even human anymore? How could a normal person do something like this?
The guildmaster didn't give up and kept launching attacks at the assassin one after another. No matter how fast she increased her sword speed or how she used the knight sword to guide magical attacks, the assassin's body would always dissolve and split in a mysterious way, completely avoiding any harm.
"I don't believe it!"
While the guildmaster and the assassin were locked in a fierce battle, Loria used Coagulated Blood Blade and the Legacy of Dark Moon for consecutive sneak attacks.
The blood-colored arc and the cold white moon appeared in front of the assassin at the same time, but even this unexpected attack was skillfully resolved by him.
Boom!
The ground was struck by a powerful magical impact, creating a huge crater, as if mocking Loria's incompetence.
"Holy cow!"
Loria was a little angry.
Why are these followers of the evil gods all so strange?
From a certain perspective, she could also be considered a follower of the Moon Goddess, but why did she mostly gain skills from the Moon Goddess that were meant to bring her happiness rather than to conquer others?
"If being tough doesn't work, then let's try being gentle!"
Loria immediately used shadow abilities, attempting to disrupt the assassin's coordination.
The ability was successful, but what was frustrating was that even though the assassin's limbs became uncoordinated, it didn't prevent them from evading the guildmaster's attacks by dissolving or splitting.
"Darn, then let's try the Eyes of Dark Moon!"
The Eyes of Dark Moon was a psychic attack skill that would decrease the target's speed and possibly even immobilize them directly.
However, when facing a target with a psychic attribute as high as 301, this skill failed to have any effect.
Loria was scared.
How can she fight this assassin?
"He has completely dedicated himself to Weaver, this is one of Weaver's many abilities, it won't lead to any results if they continue fighting."
Vita's voice suddenly sounded.
This is more than just no results.
Loria's face turned ugly.
As the battle continued, she noticed the assassin constantly retreating, getting further and further away from the town.
At this rate, he will eventually escape.
Even if he doesn't escape and chooses to fight head-on, the situation is extremely unfavorable for the guildmaster.
The guildmaster is great in every way, except for the fact that she is too "fragile."
She can't fight a prolonged battle with people outside, and she can't just blindly fight when she engages in close combat at home with them. She needs to take regular breaks to regain her strength.
If the battle continues like this, the guildmaster will definitely be worn down by the assassin who has better stamina than her.
"Oh, wait!"
Suddenly, Loria realized a problem.
Speaking of stamina, that assassin's stamina isn't actually much better than the guildmaster's.
Since she can't harm his body through attacks, what if she directly depletes his stamina?
Loria raised her delicate and beautiful right hand, and the hand of a goddess was the perfect way to describe it.
"It's been a long time since I've used this special skill of mine in combat."
Miss Knight couldn't help but feel emotional.
Since she acquired the statue of the goddess and the skills bestowed by the Moonlight profession, she hasn't been using annoying tactics much.
Although her body doesn't feel intense pain from being whipped, instead she gets excited and exhilarated, she knows that the body is one thing, and the mind is another.
"I am neither a succubus nor a perverted spirito. I prefer to be cool in my actions than to feel good in my body!"
Who would want to be a punching bag at the front when they can fight as cool as the guildmaster and Vita?
Loria is also a principled person.
Happiness is temporary, being cool lasts a lifetime.
Even if the guildmaster tries to tempt her, Loria won't easily be swayed, unless the guildmaster and Vita join forces!
"Now, it's time for me to charge!" Loria takes a deep breath and heads straight for the assassin, shouting as she runs, "Vita, cut off his escape route!"
While shouting this, she didn't forget to make a small gesture. She deliberately exchanged the intact sword in her hand with a nearly broken one in her inventory.
This action was too sudden, so the assassin didn't notice it at all.
After leaping into the battlefield, Loria shouted again, "Doris, restore my stamina!"
Ordinary people could never imagine how tricky Doris's skills were, and this confident assassin fell into the trap.
He never expected that Doris's stamina restoration skill could deduct stamina in return. He also didn't expect that Loria had a skill to devour stamina, let alone Loria's cunning nature.
Therefore, when he saw the sword in Loria's hand shatter and lost his balance, a bright idea flashed in his mind.
"This is the perfect opportunity to hold Loria hostage and create an escape chance for myself!"
Opportunities must not be missed, as they may not come again.
Thinking this way, the assassin evaded the guildmaster's attack and decisively grabbed Loria's hand without hesitation.
"I caught you!"
"I caught you!"
Two identical sentences were spoken at the same time, and two eyes filled with joy collided with each other.
At that moment, the assassin felt something unusual.
Why was Loria, who got caught, laughing? Could it be that she is silly?
Clearly impossible.
There is only one possibility then -
This is a trap!
The assassin immediately wanted to escape, but unfortunately, the trap constructed by Loria was too deep. Once trapped in this ditch, it became impossible to escape.
"What's happening to my energy?!"
The assassin's face was filled with fear. Along with this fear, his body began to dissolve uncontrollably. After a few seconds, he finally managed to free himself from Loria's grasp, but he turned into a puddle of goo on the muddy ground, unable to move.
In contrast, Loria, who had absorbed a lot of energy, didn't feel tired at all. Instead, she radiated a red light, as if she had just taken a special medicine that made her excited. Her eyes were even redder than usual.
If she licked her lips now, it would be just right.
Even without this action, the guildmaster and Vita were amazed on the side.
"How did you do that?"
Loria had fought in front of them before, but this was the first time she blatantly used the Energy Vampire skill.
Loria had no intention of continuing to hide it.
At this point, it would only be beneficial for the guildmaster and Vita to understand her abilities more, with no downsides.
"That's how it is."
Loria briefly explained the situation. She didn't mention the existence of the simulator, only saying that it was a power she unexpectedly awakened during her practice.
"As long as I make contact with the other person, it doesn't necessarily have to be with my hand, it can be with a prop. And then, when my energy decreases, I can extract the other person's energy to replenish myself."
Loria tried to explain in simple words and, in order to demonstrate, she purposely placed her hand on the guildmaster's shoulder.
"..."
In that instant, the guildmaster and Vita's expressions turned peculiar.
"Just making contact is enough?"
"Yes," Loria nodded.
Vita asked again, "Can it be with a prop?"
"Hmm."
Vita's face became even stranger, "So you'll never feel tired, then?"
"Not exactly." Loria waved her hand. "I can only extract up to 50% of the stamina I lose from my targets. To ensure unlimited endurance without considering the targets' stamina limits, I would need to handle at least two targets simultaneously. If the targets resist fiercely, I would need a maximum of seven!"
Seven.
Loria made a gesture.
You want to deal with seven at the same time?
Vita widened her eyes, and even the guildmaster's gaze turned sharp.
Even the dimmest Loria could sense that something was very wrong with the atmosphere around her.
She looked around uneasily and hesitated. "Why are you all looking at me like this?"
The guildmaster hesitated to speak.
In the end, Vita was the first to speak, "So, if someone exercises vigorously with you and accidentally leans on you, does that mean their energy will be drained quickly and they won't experience the benefits of exercising?"
Though the guildmaster didn't say much, Loria noticed her eyes shining a bit brighter and her ears trembling slightly.
The only one who didn't make much noise was Doris, the metal girl in her fifties, who was currently bouncing on the assassin's transformed mud.
Loria burst into laughter, "Your worries are unfounded, my ability can be controlled on and off at will. When I don't want to use it, I'm just like an ordinary person."
"So that's how it is," nodded Vita with force.
It was unclear from her expression whether she was relieved or something else.
Now, at least one thing is clear—
Loria is not a succubus in human form!
Confirming this is easy to say, let's deal with the current matters first.
Vita walked quickly to the assassin. Under Doris's continuous stomping, the assassin's body became as rotten as a pillow stabbed randomly with a knife.
But still, he didn't die.
Loria was amazed by such survival ability.
Vita lifted the assassin up and asked, "Why did you forcefully open the seal?"
This is what Loria and the guildmaster also wanted to know.
The assassin sneered, "Do you think I will answer?"
Vita shook her head, "If you don't speak, I have my ways. I think you should know that I obtained power from Weaver, and this power is different from yours."
The smile on the assassin's face instantly froze, and the air seemed to freeze along with it.
After a long time, he said, "You can give it a try, but it won't work. Even if you know, it won't make a difference. You can't stop all of this. On the contrary, you will soon be caught up in it."
"As you wish."
Vita's body emitted a thread, and in an instant, she took control of the assassin.
Next came a smooth question and answer session.
Loria felt somewhat relieved.
Although the previous experience was a bit thrilling, without encountering it, she wouldn't have been able to dispel so much confusion all at once.
The reason why the Hidden Leader rebelled was to bring their god, the Weaver, into this world.
And they wanted the Weaver to descend not to rule the world or kill the goddess, but simply because they wanted to meet their god and understand the god's "domain."
At first, they wanted to go out on their own.
Unfortunately, they didn't know how to leave this world or survive in the "Ruin". So, they had no choice but to ask Weaver for help.
Of course, this was only the initial goal of the Hidden Leader.
As time passed and more people joined the Hidden Leader, along with more organizations collaborating with them, this goal became less pure.
Some wanted to become emperor, others wanted to control people through religion, some sought revenge, while others just wanted to sacrifice themselves...
Regardless of their intentions, they would stick together until they completely overthrow the empire, which was very different from the divided state within the empire.
"The empire lost without any injustice."
Loria couldn't help but sigh.
Even within the empire's faction advocating for war, there were several distinct factions.
Some advocated for taking the initiative and blocking Hidden Leader outside the imperial capital, others suggested luring Hidden Leader deeper into the capital before surrounding them, and there were also those who favored a strategic retreat.
These people always argue and can't make any useful decisions when they get together.
In this situation, how can the already divided empire deal with the rebels?
According to the assassin, the leader of the Hidden Leader is a devoted worshipper. He is willing to do anything, even destroy the world, to pursue his god.
Therefore, after learning that the last Stone of Enka had disappeared, he made a very dangerous decision.
"Can't find it? Then stop looking! Force the seal to open!"
Under the influence of the three Stones of Enka, the seal of the ruins twisted, causing the surrounding time and space to be distorted as well.
The power flowing in the ruins seeped into this world, turning the sky above the imperial capital into a strange blood-red color.
That power has a strong assimilation ability, capable of assimilating anything it comes into contact with.
When the seal was just opened, an A-level adventurer belonging to the Hidden Leader arrogantly touched it. Within a few seconds, he turned into an ungraspable red energy and was swallowed by the "isolated island" in the sky.
"Nobody knows where the boundaries of this power lie, but if left unchecked, it will likely assimilate the entire world, ultimately becoming insignificant in the ruins."
The assassin's words were somewhat similar to the guess of the golden knight Sharon, but much more severe in severity.
"So, in the end, will all of us turn into nothingness, except for those elusive gods?" the guildmaster asked.
The assassin nodded.
Loria clenched her teeth, realizing that this would completely destroy her dream of lying down.
He was a terrible beast, she couldn't just sit back and don'thing!
She restrained the urge to beat up the assassin and asked another important question.
"How can we seal it back up again?"
"I don't know."
"Hmm?"
Loria stretched out her voice.
The assassin said, "I really don't know."
Loria frowned, "Okay, then let me ask a different question, why do you want the Hollow Stone?"
The assassin replied, "It is rumored that the Hollow Stone allows people to hear the true divine message."
"..."
Loria turned to look at Doris.
The true divine message?
Could she use Doris to connect with the Goddess of Dawn, Wind, and Sky, and have her solve the problem?
"How can you listen?"
"I don't know. Only a few core members in Hidden Leader know."
"I still have two questions. First, what is Hidden Leader planning to do next? Second, why did the emperor's magic teacher join you?"
"The next step is to kill the emperor. As for why Vistula joined us, it's because the leader promised to show him the essence of the world and let him have close contact with the gods. He didn't hesitate to agree."
Indeed.
Loria nodded silently, realizing it was almost exactly as she had guessed.
In the eyes of these wizards, family, friendship, and love are not important. What matters to them is the truth they seek.
Loria couldn't judge whether this way of living was good or bad, but she knew it made her current situation extremely difficult.
"There is still a way to deal with him. If I can successfully contact the Goddess of the Dark Moon or any other goddess, there is a chance to bring him back."
However, Loria also knew that dealing with the Hidden Leader was important, but what was even more important was sealing the seal, otherwise in the end she would still die.
"Let's take him to meet the Royal Knights and the Golden Knights, it's important to get as many helpers as we can now."
Loria turned to Vita and said.
Surprisingly, Vita shook her head.
"Huh?"
"He's already dead."
"！"
Loria quickly went to see the assassin.
Just as Vita said, the assassin invaded by Weaver's silk was covered in cracks.
After a few seconds, the muddy-like assassin further crumbled, turning into countless grains of sand that dissipated in the night wind piece by piece.
Vita explained, "He had too much Weaver's power injected into his body, which exceeded his limit to bear, so he ended up like this."
"Um..."
Loria was startled.
She didn't know how many gods were hanging on her now, and wondered if one day she would also end up like this.
No, no, don't scare yourself for no reason. Her situation is completely different from that of the assassin.
What she accepted should be the power of desire. As long as she doesn't indulge herself and do whatever she wants, things shouldn't go wrong.
"Since it has come to this, let's go back first," Loria suggested.
The guildmaster, Vita, and Doris had no objections.
A group of people walked towards the small town, but their destination was not the rented house, but the temporary residence of the Golden Knight.
Time is running out, Loria wants to quickly pass on the information she has gathered.
