Demoness 2 - Chapter 68 – Breakout (Patreon)

Elania read the system messages that began to blink at her while jamming the tip of the paladin’s great sword into the stone.

[You have slain Paladin – Human – Lvl 331]

[You have lost 1243 Karma.]

[For slaying a being over 100 levels higher than you, extra experience is rewarded.]

[You have gained 2 levels!]

[Calibration of System Interface Completed. Synchronization Error Rate: 54%]

[System Sync Rate for User Forms: Human - 89%, Darkwalker - 12%, Seraph - 37%]

[The skill Identify has converted to System skill ‘System Analysis (Rank D)’ due to System Interface Calibration.]

Elania panted, reading the messages from the [System] again. She’d grown accustomed to wiping them away as fast as they appeared without reading half of them, but this was different.

This really wasn’t the time to try to ponder what the heck it meant, though, or why it had happened now.

[Absorb the lingering Power from Paladin – Human – Lvl 331?]

She had really burnt through her mana shards to put the man down, so that was a no-brainer. A quick check revealed she only had four fully charged shards out of the twelve on her bracers.

She really needed to complement Yolani’s work the next time she saw her. The leather vambraces hadn’t even been scratched.

The Paladin began to glow brightly, and she was surprised at the sheer volume of his essence and energy as it rushed into her.

That wasn’t the only surprise, either.

[You have gained a new skill: Indomitable Will (Rank D) – Your determination and force of will are unyielding, allowing you to push through adversity and resist effects that would hinder your actions.]

Elania stared. An actual description of what something did?

A cannonball flew from the City Watch Fortress behind her and slammed into a nearby street. Probably aiming at a pocket of enemy soldiers. She ignored it.

Her [Status] screen came up obediently, still styled with the marble and celestial gold trim. The flickering was only minor, and she focused on several skills.

[Magical: Demonic Aura (Rank A) (Active) - Emanate a powerful aura that induces fear, unease, and disorientation in those around you. Higher ranks increase the potency and range of the effect. Enhance with [Power] to create physical and magical effects based on user strength of will.]

[Enhanced Mana Sensing (Rank C) - Detect the presence and flow of mana in your surroundings. Higher ranks improve the range and clarity of your mana perception.]

[Physical: Body Conditioning (Rank D) - Your body is toughened against physical stress and injury. Higher ranks increase your resilience, strength, and endurance.]

[Mobility (Rank C) - Move with enhanced speed, agility, and grace. Higher ranks improve your reflexes, balance, and ability to navigate obstacles.]

[Mundane: Crisis Management (Rank S+) - Remain calm and focused in high-pressure situations, allowing you to make quick, effective decisions. At S+ rank, you can maintain performance and detachment even in dire circumstances.]

Elania grunted as she read through the descriptions. While it was nice to finally have some context for what her skills actually did, even if the explanations felt a bit generic and lacking in specifics.

She wondered if the system was still calibrating itself or if this was the best it could do.

Shouting behind her finally forced her attention back to her mission; the Guard had nearly reached her. Every ten or so meters, a pair of men would split off to the right and left to open fire on the streets surrounding them.

They were driving a nail through the enemy lines, but if she didn’t keep up their momentum, they were going to stall and be bogged down and in an even worse defensive position than the Fortress.

She’d forced this, and it was her responsibility.

Elania flared her wings and jumped straight up into the air, taking flight.

It was time to dispense another aerial assault.

Time started to blur as she picked her targets. Relentless barrages of light spears bombarded the enemy forces and shattered their formations.

The Guard advanced steadily, their morale bolstered by Elania’s aerial support.

When she finally reached the massive chasm that marked the halfway point to the Magistry’s walls, shock took her.

Everything felt like a blur, and she was surprised at how much time had gone by. She’d lost herself into the rhythm again.

The wound had seemed much smaller from further away. It was easily three or four hundred feet across. Rubble from toppled buildings on the edge littered the sides of the canyon, and it was further down than a person could jump and not risk breaking bones.

The wall on both sides was sheared off like a straight cut. Lightbringers raised their crossbows as they spotted her and began to open fire.

She moved back and raised her altitude to avoid it while she considered a solution. She glanced back at the Guard.

They were slowly catching up, while a thicker stream of wounded was being ferried across the wall towards her. On the streets, small squads roved to keep the enemy from getting closer, while crossbowmen and the occasional musket man opened fire at distant targets.

From further away, the City Watch Fortress continued to spew cannon fire on anything and everything that moved more than a street from the wall. Almost like they were focusing all their fire on supporting the evacuation rather than the enemy still attacking the fortress.

Elania’s eyes locked onto the crumbling edges of the wall on either side of the chasm. An idea sparked.

She pulled on a mana shard, focusing it into her palm. The [Power] surged through her veins like molten fire. She focused it into a single, concentrated point, her hands glowing with an intense, blinding light.

Not quite a laser, not quite a shotgun. She wanted a fan shaped excavator.

The blast released itself when it hit peak compression, aimed directly at the distant wall end.

The impact was deafening, the force of the explosion shaking the city cavern. Rubble rained down, cascading into the chasm below. The wall end crumbled, rubble rolling down at an angle.

It rolled into position, and then she smashed it again, this time with a much wider blade at lower power. The rubble turned into gravel.

As the dust settled, a makeshift ramp emerged on the far side of the chasm, formed from the shattered remnants of the wall. It was rocky and uneven, but it provided a path for the Guard to cross.

There was the added bonus that the enemy turned to flee as well.

She repeated the method for the wall underneath her, using less [Power] since it was so close. It worked just as well, and then they had a path. She turned and flew back to the front of her allies.

“Cross now! Move quickly!” she shouted.

The Guard hesitated for a moment, eyeing the precarious ramp with trepidation.

She didn’t wait to see how long it took them to figure it out: keep going, or die.

A massive explosion ripped out of the City Watch Fortress, part of the citadel crumbling. The massive chunk toppled down onto the walls and street below.