Cursed Heir System: Revenge Against the Gods

[Skill: Return by Death activated.]

"You're actually saving her?" Moriko asked, again, just like last time.

When Alan's eyes opened, he gasped, sweat trickling down his face, his heart racing from the fresh pain of the mercenary leader's massive sword slicing through his abdomen. It was his 12th death.

He could still feel the pain. He put a trembling hand to his stomach, feeling no injury. There's no heaven for those who crawl out of the grave every time.

Sensing something was amiss, Moriko whispered, "What happened?"

His voice was hardly more than a rasp as he shook his head and looked at the table. "Round twelve."

"They really pissed me off." His blue eyes weren't just cold; they burned with the clarity of someone who'd died too many times to care.

He got to his feet, grabbing a steel fork and a boiled potato from the table. Stepping into the tavern's center, he shouted, "Hey, you gutless bastards!"

Everyone turned, Anna, her bloodied guards, the mercenaries, Yulder, and terrified patrons—all fixed on the lone figure at the corner of the tavern.

The mercenary leader scoffed at Alan's thin frame. "This twig thinks he's a hero?"

Alan's mind replayed 12 loops: every death, every mistake, their tactics, their weaknesses. His eyes locked on the six mercenaries remaining, grinning mockingly.

"Why not pick on me instead of the girl?" he taunted with a low voice.

The axe-wielding giant roared with laughter. "Trying to impress the lady, kid?" He charged, surprisingly swift for his bulk.

He tossed the boiled potato into the brute's path. "You're fast," he said, deadpan. "But you don't have control."

The brute stepped on the potato, his balance faltering. "What—?" he growled, losing momentum, stumbling forward.

Alan sidestepped, twisting the fork with precision. Schluk. It plunged into the man's throat, warm blood splattering across Alan's hand. He snatched the axe from the mercenary's grip and buried it deep into his back.

The tavern fell deathly silent. Anna's crimson eyes widened in shock, Yulder's jaw clenched, and the tavern keeper stood frozen.

Alan could take down every mercenary in the room now, without a single scratch on himself or the girl.

Moriko's grin broke through. "Nice one, grey-hair! A fork, really?" She clapped her hands with excitement.

[Skill: Blessing Absorption activated.]

[Blessing: Goddess of Wind, Common acquired.]

[Skill: Enhanced Speed acquired.]**

A mercenary snapped out of his shock, gripping his sword with trembling hands. "Lucky shot! Ge—"

Thud.

Before he could finish his sentence, the axe slammed into his face, thrown with perfect aim by Alan. The man collapsed instantly, and the room fell silent once more.

Alan's eyes scanned the room as his lips formed a chilly smirk.

He picked up a broken chair leg from the floor and muttered, "Sneaking is bad, you know?" He threw it backward without looking.

THWACK.

Behind the bar, the wood struck a glass bottle, causing it to crash into a pool of liquor that had spilled. The boots of a mercenary who was after Anna slipped out of the wet mess. With a sickening crack, his head struck the edge of a table, causing blood to pool as he died.

Three down.

Alan's eyes locked onto the whip-wielder. "Time to return the favor," he said, voice low and coiled with rage.

The whip swung out, aiming for Alan's neck, its blazing tip hissing.

However, Alan was able to move quickly with his new enhanced speed. He snatched a damp cloth from a nearby water tub and tossed it in the middle of the crack, the damp cloth encircling the flaming whip and sizzling out its fire.

The mercenary cursed, tugging at the dead weight of his extinguished weapon—

Too late. Alan was already there.

He grabbed a heavy serving tray made of iron from a table and swung it violently, striking the man's skull with the metal, sending teeth flying.

Clang.

The mercenary's head snapped back, and he fell to the ground.

Alan snatched the fallen sword, stepping over his body. His gaze locked on the final two, blue eyes burning. "Your leader's next. He's killed me enough."

With a wet thunk, he slashed the sword deep into the whip-man's chest. After taking it out, he stabbed again and again and again until he took out the rage for killing him five times, his freshly bought shirt stained and blood splattering on the floor.

Steel shredded flesh with a wet, tearing rip, the only noise in the tavern's silence. Yulder gazed from the floor, Anna's hands froze with mana, and even Moriko stopped, the fork hovering, her golden eyes wide with a mixture of awe and anxiety.

[Skill: Blessing Absorption activated.]

[Blessing: Goddess of Fire, Common acquired.]

[Skill: Flame Whip acquired.]

Alan had a sword buried deep in his chest as he stood over the body, catching his breath.

A mercenary charged from the side, blade raised, roaring, "Die, freak!" Alan didn't flinch—he'd seen this attack before.

A burst of silver-blue mana from Anna slammed into the man's ribs, knocking him off balance.

A blazing whip materialized in Alan's hand, snapping around the man's wrist. The flames burned, wrenching a scream from him as his blade clattered to the ground. Alan yanked the whip, pulling the man forward, then drove the sword into his chest, killing him instantly.

Patrons and guards were stunned. "Can he use a fire whip?" a wounded soldier whispered weakly, holding his side.

Anna's mana flickered from her palm. "What the hell..." she whispered.

Customers' faces turned pale in terror as they looked at Alan's massacre.

Alan shook the blade clean, glancing at Anna. "Good shot, Lady," he said with mocking appreciation.

She nodded, her breath shaky, crimson eyes wary.

The mercenary leader was the only one left. He gritted his teeth and stepped forward, one angry eye twitching.

He spat, "You're just a freak."

Alan, however, was familiar with the leader's tactics from innumerable deaths. As he got ready to swing, the man's left arm glowed and turned to stone. A slight smile curved Alan's lips.

He whispered, "Just one part at a time, huh?"

"Your entire body cannot become rock-hard. That's your weakness."

With his stone fist aimed at Alan's head, the leader lunged. Alan moved quickly as the flame whip followed him as he slid beneath the fist.

"You think fire can melt rock?" the leader grunted.

Alan yanked the whip violently and wrapped it around the man's ankle. "No. But it makes you fall just the same."

The brute stumbled, thrown off-balance. Alan moved forward, vaulting off a broken table, and slashed at the man's exposed neck. Blood sprayed as the sword cut deep.

The mercenary leader bellowed, swinging his greatsword in a wild arc. Alan ducked, spinning nimbly, and thrust his blade into the man's stomach. The giant crumpled to his knees, eyes wide with pain and shock.

Alan turned to Anna and took a step back, gasping. "Should we kill him?"

The blond knight coughed and gripped his cracked ribs. He rasped, "No, we need him for interrogation."

"Boring. Just kill him already," Moriko commented.

"Screw waiting." Alan pressed the blade to the leader's throat. "Let's get answers now."

Then.

Thup. There was a noise behind them.

The air was heavy, every breath held, and the room froze.

Moriko felt a shift and even stopped, fork still, heart pounding. Alan turned back immediately, blue eyes meeting a figure standing on a table in the middle of the tavern.

It was Zoe.

Even Yulder shrank back from Zoe's chilling aura, her masked face fixed on Alan.

Black flames erupted around the captured mercenary leader as Zoe raised her hand.

"Please, don't—" His plea was cut off. In seconds, the dark fire consumed him, leaving only ash as his raw, agonized scream echoed briefly.

Alan and Anna took a step back, their shocked faces whitened. Some of the tavern's patrons staggered toward the walls in horror as they gasped.

Slowly, Zoe's head turned to face Anna. She wasn't here for Alan and Moriko. Instead, she was here to eliminate Anna Nocelle.

Her power caused the air to crackle, and for a brief moment, nobody breathed or moved as her presence dominated the room.