The wolf's motion slowed mid-air, as a grey substance moved in the air and circled around me.
A demanding presence had surfaced. It possessed a strong aura, not demonic but rather protective.
I brought down my raised hands, unable to move as the smoky, grey substance gradually vanished.
Then, the dark-haired girl had balled her right palms, and the wolves froze. Then, began to push back to where they had lunged from.
I wouldn't want to believe what had just happened, but the truth was staring at me willingly. Yet, I didn't understand.
Earlier, the companions of the dark-haired girl who seemed to be above them had warned against getting killed by the wolves.
But here, the girl in question had just controlled them.
How possible was it? Did I hear them wrong? Or, was it all a setup?
That being said, I had clearly raised my hands in temporal surrender, hoping for everything to turn peacefully. Yet, it seems the girl was also a maniac like my younger sister.
If not for the grey presence, I would have been making use of my life revival title. Or, seriously injured.
Now visible enough, the smoky ribbons of grey had turned to my shadow.
It had turned to Linda, crouching at my front, with heads bent down.
"Young Master, I'm sorry for arriving later at your protection. Please, command how best I should handle our enemies," Linda pleaded, and kowtowed three consecutive times.
Okay. Judging from Muna's look at her, it was clear Linda had ultimately changed for good. Not like I wasn't surprised to see her actions, but it made sense.
Not long ago, the system announced that Linda earned a new title.
She had gotten stronger than she was before.
Whatever title she earned, it meant that she also leveled up.
The eagerness to check her stats out stirred in me.
But, I will still have to take care of the strange trio and get the Mana Plants in my hand before every other thing.
"Alright, alright, get up now, Linda. I hate it when you kowtow before me like I'm some kind of mighty. I hate mighty, you know."
Pressing my index finger to my lips in a thoughtful gesture, I tried to reason with the request Linda had made.
Even though I am against it, it was already clarified that our opponents don't want peace. They seemed to want problem always.
"Linda, I couldn't agree more with your request. But, I did like to carry out the task myself," I said to Linda, who had stood up and dissolved into my shadow.
"Your wish is my command, young Master. Then, activate your unique power."
"Right?"
"Yes, young Master."
In truth, I had procrastinated enough with unlocking my unique power. I would have to see what luck it had got me with.
I summoned the Sea Sword, and a domineering air whooshed in circulation before it stopped.
Muna stepped back, completely giving in since I demanded handling the matter at hand myself.
There was only one way I could activate the unique power from the Sea Sword, and that was to feed it even a drop of my blood.
In as much as it had recognized me as worthy of its service, the sword granted unique power to its bearer according to their potential and capacity. This is also applicable to other heir bearers of other Duchedoms.
It was believed that these two factors are passively hidden in our core of energy.
And, it was also believed that our blood source as Mages came from the core, circulating through our inner body vessels to grant us the powers we possessed.
The trio now concentrated on me as I had summoned the sword. The gazes from their eyes were neither of interest nor eagerness, but were that of doubt.
"Good."
With that, I cut my wrist from below, and with my sword pierced upright in the air, I pushed it to shoot forward.
With that push, droplets of my blood shot upwards as well.
Immediately, I brought my hands into order and focused my energy on the blood towards the direction of the sword now hovering in the air.
The moment the droplets of blood made contact with the blades of the sword, it trembled faintly.
Unlike every being in the hall who observed from locatable distances, I stood directly below the sword with my eyes raised at it.
The sword continues shuddering for a while before a brilliant light bursts from its steel, swallowing the shadows around me.
Luckily, before it reached me, Linda had escaped from my shadow. If not, well... who knows what the consequences might have been if she became a victim.
The brilliant light dimmed, and runes in the form of ribbons flared to life, one after another. The air around crackled with energy, sparks of aura weaved into the runes weaved into the air above, spiralling at a spot.
Then, the sword let out a high-pitched cry and shot downward with immersed speed and agility.
Even without being the target, I instinctively jumped off sideways and let the sword pierce into the floor.
A wave of air swept the hall and the people present in it.
I blocked my eyes to avoid possible dirt. The trio hugged each other protectively. Linda and Muna were encased in a temporary barrier set up by them.
The power that had been unleashed from the wave was so powerful that it was a surprise I could withstand its force.
Soon, the ground trembled.
The spiralling runes in the air spread into intricate veins of red light.
Then, all at once, they travelled down to me and pierced my chest with a surge of energy.
I let out a gasp as the connection formed. My heartbeat synchronized with the new pulse of energy within me. But my eyes were still closed from the blinding light of the impact.
When the light finally dimmed, I revealed my eyes that had turned to the unique power's dark blue aura.
And also, saw the sparks of new, dark blue seawater energy shimmering at the edges of my body.
Then, feeling the immense power within me, I raised my right hand palm faced upward.
With my latest movement, the ground or rather, the icy floor where the five-star wolves had returned, rose with them.
Then, I muttered:
"Frost beneath, heed my call. Contract and consume them all — Mouth of Frost."
The icy floor shrank inward, pulling the 5-Star wolves toward its center as it solidified into a bowl-shaped prison of frost.
With my open hands clamped tightly, the prison bowl of frost shattered into glass shards of demon cores and fell to the ground.
With my thoughts, I let the aura of the new power gradually dissipate as I beseeched the notifications from the system informing me of the slain demons.
I gestured my hands to where the spirit Pouch was located, as the demon cores dissolved into it.
Yet, there was a very important notification from the system that I would like to focus my attention on.
"Who are you? And, what is your name?" The dark-haired girl asked furiously, pointing in my direction.
They had done nothing as I destroyed the wolves, which could mean the creatures were their enemy. Or, maybe they decided to let it go.
But notwithstanding, even her angry voice won't be able to distract my attention from this notification.
«↓ Congrats! ↑»
«↓ You have earned a Unique Power [View] ↑»
«↓ You have earned a New Title [View] ↑»
« ... »
« ... »
«↓ More points have been relinquished to your stat ↑»
«↓ Congrats! ↑»
«↓ You have leveled up amazingly ↑»
>> Due to your current level, some changes have been made to your status.
«↓ View: [Title] | [Unique Power] | [Status] ↑»
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