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Near the village where Kai lived, there was a forest on a small mountain.
Inside the forest, a massive man sat alone, appearing as if he was waiting for something. Yes, he was the leader of the bandits who had made a contract with a demon.
The leader looked at his hand, which held a box containing a red stone, as red as blood, radiating a terrifying aura.
He said, "Finally, only 50 sacrifices remain for the Blood Gem to be complete! Hahaha, at last, this power will be mine!"
The leader was an ordinary man whose talent was not very impressive. He had been unable to earn a proper living. His wife had left him because of his drinking and gambling.
He turned to theft and deception, believing his wife had left him for money. But once, while deceiving someone, he was discovered, and a fight broke out in which he accidentally killed someone.
He felt nothing when he killed the person—only enjoyment.
He then joined a bandit group to experience that feeling again. Due to his brutal methods of killing, he rose to become the leader of the bandits, though his rank was only E-.
One day, a demon appeared and tempted the bandit leader with power, convincing him to sign a contract. Because of the contract, his strength rose to rank B- due to the powerful demon force entering his body. Despite feeling disgusted by the power, he accepted it.
The demon gave him a red stone and said, "This is the Blood Gem. You must soak it in the blood of dead human sacrifices. You cannot use the blood of someone still alive, because it will transfer power to the person whose blood you used. However, this power will not be as strong as when the sacrifice is completed."
After two years of sacrifices and keeping the gem safe, he had finally approached the required number of victims.
Kai's village had been chosen as the site for the remaining sacrifices.
Although he wanted to go himself to kill them for a little pleasure, he stayed in the forest to keep the gem safe from the blood of the living. The villagers were not strong enough to require his personal presence.
As he stared at the gem, imagining the power he would gain, he noticed a figure in a black cloak, carrying a sword, approaching him.
He quickly raised his sword and blocked the enemy's strike. But the enemy was surrounded by a black aura and vanished from sight. The leader sensed the aura behind him and quickly redirected his sword to block the attacker's strike, shouting,
"Who are you? How did you find me?"
The man did not answer. He skillfully pushed his sword and raised his foot toward the leader's neck.
The leader barely avoided the sudden attack, only to be surprised by a sword strike near his heart. He twisted his body just in time.
The attacker's sword struck near his chest. The intruder pulled the sword back, almost cutting his neck, but before the sword could land fully, the leader used the demonic power in his body.
The attacker was forced to retreat due to the overwhelming aura. Using the demonic power, the leader's attacks became wildly unpredictable. He swung his sword everywhere, hitting the attacker's arm.
The attacker exhaled sharply, held his breath, and activated Shadow Sword, merging with the shadows and emerging behind the leader. He swung his sword quickly at the leader's neck, decapitating him, and pulled the box containing the gem from the leader's pocket.
He held it and resumed time. The attacker didn't relax; he plunged his hand into the leader's body and removed a black pearl, smashing it. This destroyed the demonic power and prevented it from returning to its owner.
Before the battle, Stephen had entered the forest and eliminated the bandits watching the area. He wanted to prevent the bandit leader from gaining the Blood Gem's power, which resembled a vampire's control over blood.
In the middle of the story, Kai learned that the one who attacked his village and killed his family for the Blood Gem's sacrifices was this man. Kai wanted revenge, but the leader's blood control was so high that one of Kai's companions died despite his defeat, causing Kai to fall into depression and blame himself for involving his companions.
Stephen wanted to minimize the damage, as Kai's companions were talented and would be useful in the war against the demons. Unfortunately, they had died before reaching their full potential.
Stephen found the leader and charged at him. At first, he didn't use the Time skill because the stronger the skill, the more harmful it was. Stopping time made it difficult for him to breathe—one of the negative effects he had discovered.
He attacked the leader relentlessly, preventing him from resting or countering. He initially used Shadow Sword to merge with the shadows and strike, but it failed. He tried to kick the leader in the neck to suffocate him, but the leader avoided it. His rank was higher—B-—while Stephen's rank was only C+.
Stephen could easily defeat those of his own rank and even those slightly higher due to his intelligence and talent in learning combat arts.
The leader used demonic power, making his movements unpredictable, which caused Stephen to be injured.
Finally, Stephen decided to use the Time skill. He held his breath and stopped time for a second. The effect gave him a slight headache, which he ignored. He pulled the black pearl from the leader's body and destroyed it.
Destroying the black pearl eliminated the demonic power. If the demon recovered it, he could regain his full power without loss. If not, he would lose some strength. This knowledge was only taught to students in the academy and noble families. Mercenaries and the public didn't know about it.
Stephen opened the box and looked at the gem. He let a little blood from his injured arm touch it. The gem disintegrated into ash, and Stephen gained the ability to control the blood in his own body.
'Even though I got the gem, that demon will chase me. Luckily, no one knows my identity as Stephen because of this cloak,' he thought.
Stephen finished his task and left the forest to return to Oro city.
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In a mysterious, dimly lit room, an unclear figure sat on a chair radiating a dangerous aura. Two black horns protruded from his head.
In front of him, a kneeling figure trembled.
The figure struck the arm of the chair angrily and shouted,
"Who killed my human plaything and destroyed my power?"
The kneeling person, shaking, said,
"I-I don't know, my lord. I'll investigate immediately."
The demon said angrily,
"He also stole the Blood Gem. Find out who is responsible, or your miserable life ends."
The person trembled,
"Yes, my lord," and hurriedly left.
Breathing a sigh of relief, he thought,
"Where will I find him? I must start by checking that village if strangers visit it."
He continued on his path, preparing to carry out his mission to save his own life.
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