Graverobber I can Steal Spells of the Dead

Lyro opened his eyes, looking at where the voice came from, as the thug on his back pulled up his pants and got back to his feet. ”What you want, missy? ” he shouted.

The silhouette of a young girl jumped from the top of the mound she had called from and landed in front of them. The lamplight fell upon her and the thugs tensed up when it revealed her gear.

A daemon huntress…! Lyro thought, eyes widening as he looked at the green-haired girl. This was his chance. He fixed himself up and crawled further away, trying to hide from the distracted eyes. I overestimated you, Mezlok… he chided the daevil. You **ing suck!

”Blame it on your own weakness, kid, ” the daevil threw back. ”And on your interesting plan. The weak do not dictate their destiny. They cannot decide; they do not get to choose. Only the strong have that privilege. And we both know which one you are. Moreover, unfortunately for you, knowing and accepting that fact will not change anything. ”

Lyro gritted his teeth in frustration, because he knew Mezlok was right. This wouldve never happened five years ago… I grow more pathetic by the day… And even with a daevils powers…Im still so weak…! It was not pity. Lyro was simply ashamed in his own self. Because even after being put through all that…he was crawling away. And here I thought I could get out this dump, survive to die happy, deliver justi—

”I want justice, ” the huntress replied to the thug with a smile. ”And you know why I think you can help me with that? Because the thief who stole a daemon mask and an enchanted dagger from the Doward Mansion four days back was none other than a Purple Viper. ” She placed a hand on one of the two scabbards on her thin waist, hidden behind her white coat accented with yellow and green lines and symbols. ”When I found the corpses of these three Red Viper lackeys, I knew this wasn the doing of a human. And who might want to kill Red Vipers and have inhuman methods of doing so? I think we can all guess the right answer. ”

”We got nothing, aight? ” the thug called, buttoning his pants. ”Fuck off—! ”

She drew her blade, slender like her forearms, with a deadly curved edge reflecting the murky moonlight. ”I don want to harm anyone for answers, ” she said. ”Not unless I have to. ” She pointed the tip of her sword toward their boss. The shackle had vanished from around the possessed mans neck. ”Just tell me who the thief was and where the maegical items are, and no one else needs to get hurt. ”

Two of the thugs snorted. ”Think that long knifell scare us? ” one of them asked mockingly. ”Weve seen bigger blades. ”

The young huntress smiled. ”And how many of them have killed daemons? ”

That shut them all up.

”We don know what you
e lookin for, ” the boss said with a shrug. ”Sorry. Now get movin. ” The others hooted in agreement.

She sighed. ”I didn want it to come down to this. ” She looked at them and emotions fled her face. ”Fine. Have it your way. ” The long flaps of her coat started rattling as a burst of energy shot up from her feet toward the sky, cloaking her in a bright green aura. She pulled her sword to the side, its length getting wrapped with green discs of glowing air. ”Razor Gust! ” she called, swinging her sword to the front in a horizontal arc, the glowing discs shooting out toward them.

Lyro crouched on the ground, tucking his head in. What the— His eyes widened in awe as the discs slashed through the limbs of all the thugs, leaving them stunned as their chopped-up hands and legs flopped to the ground, along with their dismembered body, their cries of agony coming too late when they finally found the blood gushing out from their cleanly sliced limbs.

”This was more productive that I thought, ” she said, looking at the boss, who dodged most of the attacks, yet still was covered in shallow cuts, and regarded her with a grin. ”It seems Ive found all the answers I was looking for. ”

”And what good is that? ” the boss said, the white of his both eyes turning black as night. ”When you won even live to tell it! ” He held his hands out to the sides, nails bleeding as long claws emerged from the end of each finger, muscles bulging until thin rips ran red all across his body. ”I always wanted to taste a hunters heart! ”

Is that his hex…?

”Boss! ” a thug called from the ground, holding his bleeding arm with tears in his eyes. ”Whats that! You…you
e possessed! ”

The daemon looked at him with an unimpressed gaze. ”Mortals are such simple-minded creatures. ” He walked to the stunned man with a long nail held out, fitting it right through the thugs eye as he shrieked in pain. ”And weak. ” The other thugs tried crawling away, but with their limbs sliced in half and bleeding buckets of crimson, they only got far enough to make the daemon grin as he chased each one down and sliced their heads off. ”Can have you squeaking about this to the others. ” He sighed as the last thug died. ”Killing you gives me no joy. Weak prey doesn make us strong. ” He tilted his head toward the huntress with a grin, who simply watched the thugs get slaughtered. ”But you
e different. You
e good food! ”

”You
e just a fragment. ” The huntress gripped her blade with both hands. ”Wheres your mask, daemon? Tell me! ”

”Make me! ” He lunged with glowing red eyes and sharp claws held out.

The huntress stepped to the side, bringing her sword down as the daemon landed beside her. He ducked underneath the slash, just as quick as he jumped and threw a kick to the side of her face. ”Ill eat you! ” he shouted with a face-splitting grin—

”You can try. ” The huntress crossed her sword, slicing away the leg about to kick her head off. ”Just as the others Ive hunted. ”

The remaining leg the daemon landed upon was swept off by her, knocking him on his back. ”You think youve won! ” the creature shouted in a guttural screech.

”With this, I have. ” Her sword left a glowing green arc as it slashed through the daemons other leg, leaving it wide-eyed. ”Now, Ill ask again. ” She squatted, looking into the daemons black-and-red eyes with her half-closed green ones. ”Wheres your mask? ”

The daemon screamed at her face, trying to intimidate her with the sharp fangs lining his mouth, as he slashed away with a massive claw.

Shes so strong… Lyro felt slightly stunned at the coldness with which the huntress hacked off the remaining two limbs of the possessed man. Lyro wouldn have felt anything five years back. The daemon will be killed…

”Not by you, for certain, ” Mezlok added.

Lyros brows furrowed as he lowered his eyes. By…me…? That was how it shouldve been. But now he knew that was far from possible. Him getting stronger… Just wishful thinking of the weak.

Mezlok sighed. ”The weak do not dictate their destiny, so I do not blame you for running away, kid. But at some point, you will have to confront yourself with the question: For how long am I willing to stay this weak and pathetic? ”

[Strength: 4 (2 x 2)]

[Limit: 19 seconds.]

W-Willing…? Lyros eyes widened at that, since he realized something he hadn ever before. All my life, I haven pitied myself for being so pathetic, since self-pity is a privilege I can afford. He climbed to his feet. I accepted everything life threw at me and dealt with it, since complaining is a privilege I can afford. He stepped out, and the huntress noticed him, but continued with her interrogation of the daemon. But knowing who I am and accepting it is not enough at all. That doesn change anything about me. To change, I have to break who I am and rebuild myself into someone I can accept as strong. He picked up the knife belonging to the boss from the ground as he stepped closer to them. And I can change, he vowed. I will.

”Get away, ” the huntress warned, lifting her sword to his throat. ”Don get any closer! ”

I will become the strongest, Vero vowed, again and again and again in his mind. In truth, the weak do get to dictate their destiny, but they decide to make only one choice. I know because Ive made that choice over and over in my own life. I refuse to make it ever again. I will become the strongest. Because now I finally realize…

Lyro ignored the blade at his throat as he jammed the knife right through the eye of the possessed man on the ground, piercing his brain. Weakness is a choice.

The daemon died without a sound, black mist rising from his eyes like smoke from fire, trailing upward until it faded into the night sky, leaving behind only a mutilated corpse.

And a purple orb that was absorbed by Lyros body.

[Ripped:]

[Power Orb (Power: 6)]

The pulsating rush of power followed.

[Power: 1 (0/10]

…

[Power: 1 (87/10)]

[Power Up!]

[Power: 2 (77/25)]

[Power Up!]

[Power: 3 (52/50)]

[Power Up!]

[Power: 4 (2/100)]

[Vitality: (21/23)]

[Strength: 12]

[Durability: 12]

[Prowess: 6]

[Resistance: 7]

[Agility: 22]

[Maena: (7/10)]

”Haha! ” Mezlok bellowed a loud laughter. ”Look at that! Is it not fun? Not bad, kid! For someone like you, not bad at all! ”

Lyro breathed deeply as he took his hand away from the knife, clenching both fists. This is just the start, he thought, glancing at the runes floating about his head. And I won stop until Im the strongest—!

The huntress kicked him in the face, knocking him away. ”Are you out of your mind? ” she shouted. ”How dare you interfere in a matter this sensitive? ”

[Vitality: (18/23)]

This is bad, Lyro thought, wiping the blood off his nose with the back of his hand as he stood up. Shes too strong for me to take on…

”Even if you want to run away, ” Mezlok said, ”I do not think she will allow it. ”

Im not running away, Mezlok, Lyro made clear. This is a tactical retreat. After all, survival is all that matters in this world. And if I can survive this fight, I can become the strongest. I won make the same mistake as that daemon. If Im not strong enough to beat someone, Ill just have to face them when I am.

”That is just a fancy way of convincing yourself you are not running away. ”

Lyro sighed. You wouldn understand. He looked at the—

The green-haired huntress shot a cold glare at him. ”I shouldve let them violate you. ”

Lyro clenched his jaw, a bead of sweat trailing from his brow. She…was watching…all that…? Had the huntress actually saved him knowingly?

She held her blade out, bright green aura bursting out from her. ”I couldn get the answers out of this one. Youll have to pay for what you did. Don worry, Ill make it quick. There are a lot of Purple Vipers I need to go see after this. ”

Mezlok snorted. ”She is definitely not letting you walk away with all your limbs. ”

But I will, Lyro claimed.

Mezlok laughed. ”Already forgot what I told you? The weak do not dictate their destiny. ”

Lyro held out his left hand toward the huntress. How can I be weak when I can choose against it?

The huntress raised her sword to the side, three glowing discs circling the blade. ”Razor— ”

[Left Hand: Soul Shackles (1/3)]

[Maena: (7/10)]

…

[Left Hand: Soul Shackles (2/3)]

[Maena: (4/10)]

The huntress staggered, dropping her arms, looking at Lyro with wide eyes. ”What did you…? ” She looked down, her right ankle grabbed by a thick band of crystal ice, glowing with an ominous purple radiance in the night, just like the two links hanging from it.

[Target:]

[Agility: 97 (102 – 5)]

”Not strong enough, ” Mezlok observed.

One day it will be. Lyro had weaved through three mounds of trash by then, his feet moving faster than ever, his body responding better than he was used to. He could feel he was stronger. But this was just his first step in a new path.

Lyro ran back to the abandoned building through a trail too winding for anyone not of the Outskirts, saying only one thing in his mind, the only thing he needed to do, I just have to survive until Im the strongest.