Alex bid his goodbye to Elaine, Ramza, and Roselia, then followed his master to a remote location.
The Catkin had asked to talk with him in private, and the latter merely assumed that his Master was just shy to bid him goodbye in public.
"Alex, we won’t be seeing each other until your school break," Cairo said. "But before I leave, I plan to teach you two Demon Slaying skills."
As Alex’s master, Cairo could directly impart a skill to his disciple even if they had different professions.
Learning skills supposedly exclusive to another profession was one of the many advantages of having a powerful master in Arcana.
Cairo was a Demon Slayer, so that meant Alex could learn Demon Slaying skills from his master, despite being an Oathkeeper.
Until now, the Catkin hadn’t passed down any of his core skills to Alex since he had wanted the latter to first build his foundation in swordsmanship. That way, the young man would be more aware of how to use those skills properly in battle when he learnt them.
As if waiting for that moment, a notification sounded inside Alex’s head, and a blue window screen appeared in front of him.
< Subclass Unlocked! >
< New Subclass: Demon Slayer >
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Job Class: Oathkeeper
Subclass: Demon Slayer
Intelligence - 30 [+3]
Constitution - 76 [+4]
Available Stat Points: 0
Active Skills: Oathkeeper’s Duty, Shield [EX], Shield Bash, Unyielding Pact, Echo of the Sworn, Balance Breaker, Shield Charge, Rear-Ender Thrust, Enchant Fire, Enchant Holy
Passive Skills: Improved Stone Throw, Head Shot, Rebuke of Steel, Shield of Thorns
"Since you’re now a Rank 2 Oathkeeper, I will bestow upon you these two Demon Slaying Skills," Cairo said as he pulled out his sword from its scabbard and channeled his strength into it.
"Demon Slaying Arts, First Form..." Cairo’s blade turned purple, giving off a very deadly appearance.
With a strike meant to vanquish demons, Cairo slashed forward as if cutting the very fabric of the world.
Alex felt as if time itself slowed down, allowing him to observe and learn how the skill manifested from start to finish.
It didn’t take long before his understanding of the skill, Culling Blade, reached the level of enlightenment.
He had fallen into a trance-like state while analyzing the move, only coming back to his senses after he heard the sound of a notification inside his head.
< Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Culling Blade! >
"The hunt begins with fire... and ends with silence."
Element: Demonic-Flame
Upon activation, the blade is coated with ghostly purple flames that sear through the flesh and essence of demonic beings. These flames cling to the sword like vengeful spirits, howling in silence as they tear through infernal resistance.
— This skill deals 100% bonus damage against any creature
— This skill deals a 300% bonus damage against demonic creatures.
— Ignore 50% defense of demonic creatures.
— Has a 30% chance to inflict [Culling Burn] upon successful hit.
— Deals 15 Damage per second for 5 seconds.
"This skill is very effective against Demons, so don’t hesitate to use it when you face one of them," Cairo explained. "Now, this is the second skill I will teach you. It has a wide area of effect, and you can use it when enemies surround you."
The Catkin took another fighting stance. This time, his sword was coated in a golden light.
"Demon Slaying Art, Second Form..." Cairo stabbed his sword on the ground and shouted.
Just like what had happened earlier, the world once again moved very slowly, allowing Alex to observe the skill closely.
Information passed through his head, helping him understand everything about the skill.
The young man watched as the ground under Cairo’s feet created a golden magic circle that expanded ten meters in all directions, with the Catkin at its center.
A moment later, golden light erupted from the magic circle, which would’ve dealt significant damage to any non-ally creature within its strike range.
Once again, Alex fell into a trance and only snapped out of it when a notification popped in his head, informing him that he had learned a new skill.
< Congratulations! You have learned the skill, Grand Cross! >
"Let the light pass judgment upon the wicked."
Element: Radiant-Holy
Coats the weapon in holy light that will channel the divine wrath through its edge. Plunging the sword into the ground will create a golden magic circle that is ten meters in radius.
Ancient runes that pulse with radiant light surge forth, searing all non-allied creatures inside with purifying force.
— All non-ally creatures within the circle take 250% Holy damage.
— Demonic and Undead enemies take 500% Holy Damage.
— Can be used to exorcise earthbound spirits, as well as evil spirits of the dead.
— Inflicts [Radiant Seal] on Demonic and Undead Creatures for 10 seconds.
— Reduces movement and attack speed by 50%
— Removes all positive buffs from the target.
The golden circle faded as Cairo finished his demonstration. He sheathed his sword and glanced at Alex, who seemed to be staring into space.
"Did you learn the skills properly?" Cairo asked, waking Alex from his daze.
"Yes, Master!" Alex replied, bowing his head in gratitude. "Thank you very much for imparting these skills to me!"
Cairo nodded. "Good. Study well in the academy. When we meet again, I will teach you another skill."
The Catkin then patted his disciple’s shoulder. "Elaine and Efa said they plan to travel with me to see the world. They had mostly stayed in the Floating Islands of Thaloria and only visited the nearby towns and villages.
"But with me, they will truly get to travel around the kingdom of Avalon. If time permits, we might also go to the neighboring kingdom and see what they have to offer."
Alex smiled faintly. "Master, that sounds like a grand adventure. I’m relieved you will have Elaine and Efa with you. Honestly, you are not good when it comes to earning and spending money."
Cairo coughed lightly, unable to refute his disciple’s words. He didn’t really travel while carrying a lot of money.
If he were hungry, he would simply hunt beasts to feed himself.
As for shelter, he would sell body parts from the monsters he had killed along his way. Usually, it was enough, and he never really had a problem making ends meet during his journey.
With the sensible Elaine and Efa accompanying Cairo, Alex believed that his master and the ladies could visit many places and help many people in need.
"Grandfather said the academy is filled with many geniuses and outstanding individuals," Cairo remarked. "As my disciple, you shouldn’t feel inferior to them. If they come to you looking for trouble, you have my permission to beat the crap out of them."
Alex nodded. "Yes, Master."
"Do not forget—you are the Oathkeeper of the Clawford Tribe," Cairo said in a serious tone. "Do not hesitate to ask for our help because we will always support you in any way we can.
"Also, look after my sister, okay? She’s proud and can be arrogant at times. It’s only after she met you that her attitude has softened a bit. At the least, she no longer acts like a spoiled young lady from a wealthy family."
Cairo then increased his grip on the young man’s shoulder as he added a few more reminders to his disciple.
"If any boys maliciously injure or harm my sister in any way, go ahead and kill them, okay?" Cairo said coldly. "Chop them up, then feed them to the fishes to erase all evidence. You can ask my grandpa to do the cleanup. He will do it with a smile on his face."
Alex shuddered. He could tell that his master was not joking at all. He wanted to laugh it off, but Cairo’s gaze was too overwhelming, so he could only nod his head in acknowledgment.
"Don’t worry, Master!" Alex patted his chest with confidence. "Leave it to me. I’ll make sure that no one messes with Lavinia."
"Good." Cairo nodded. "I knew I could count on you."
After having a heart-to-heart talk, Cairo escorted Alex to the gates of the academy, where they found Lavinia, Elaine, Charles, and his sister, Eris.
There was also another young lady, whom Alex was familiar with, and she was none other than Vivian, the older sister of Charles and Eris.
Dim Dim was playing tag with the five-year-old girl. Eris giggled sweetly as she ran away from the white little bun chasing her.
"You must be Alex," Vivian said in a grateful tone. "My name is Vivian Lambert, and I am Charles’ and Eris’ older sister."
"Well met, Vivian," Alex replied. "You’re a second year in the academy, right?"
"Yes," Vivian answered. "My aunt paid for my tuition."
Her aunt was the Headmistress of the orphanage where Eris was currently staying.
She was also a very successful businesswoman and had been using her spare money to raise orphans.
The orphanage was her home, and just like Charles and Vivian, she was also doing her best to find a cure for Eris’ disease.
The three of them wished nothing more than to free the young child from the shackles of the disease that always claimed its victims before their tenth birthday. She deserved to live her life to the fullest, too.
"Eris, Dim Dim and Alex need to enter the academy now," Charles said as he patted his little sister’s head.
Eris looked very reluctant to part with her new friend, but she still nodded her head, albeit a little sadly.
Seeing her expression, Alex crouched down so that they could see eye to eye and smiled at her.
"Don’t worry, Dim Dim will visit and play with you on the weekends," Alex said. "Isn’t that right, Dim Dim?"
The Dim Sum God then told Alex that it would escort Eris back to the orphanage and return to the academy with Charles and Vivian afterward.
Only then did Eris smile happily as she picked up her little friend and hugged it lovingly.
After saying goodbye to each other, Alex watched as Cairo, Elaine, Roselia, Charles, Vivian, and Eris walked away.
"Why is Efa not with them?" Lavinia asked. "Did something happen?"
"Efa said she’s not good with goodbyes," Alex answered.
"I see." Lavinia nodded.
She didn’t mention that Efa had spoken to her in private earlier. But whatever they had talked about was only known to the two of them.
"Is there something on my face?" Alex asked because the young lady beside him was staring very intently at him.
"Nothing," Lavinia said as she looked away. "Let’s go, Alex. It’s time to go to the dorms."
The young man could only shrug before following Lavinia.
A new Chapter of their lives was about to start. As Alex stepped onto school grounds, his memory of the many events waiting to unravel within Frieden Academy filled him with both excitement and worry.