My Cheat Skill Lets Me Copy Powers....But only if i kill-Chapter 30: Unique Skill

Chapter 29 - unique skill

The streets of Valkris buzzed with early morning life, but Renji barely noticed. His mind churned, the weight of last night's letter still pressing on his chest like an iron chain.

He'd left it behind — tucked under the bedroll in his room, hidden — yet it felt as if it were still with him, whispering in his ear.

"Marry me... rule beside me... yours to command."

He exhaled sharply, fingers flexing at his sides as he approached the guild hall. He needed something to clear his head — something simple, brutal, and distracting.

Pushing through the guild's heavy oak doors, he was greeted by the usual clamor of voices, the scent of old parchment and oiled leather lingering in the air. The hall was crowded — adventurers boasting about their latest kills, rookies clustering near quest boards, a few old-timers nursing mugs at the bar.

Renji's silver eyes swept the room, detached, uninterested.

He didn't care about chatter or company. He needed a fight.

"Renji!" Mira's familiar voice called from behind the counter, her tone bright.

He made his way over, nodding. "Morning."

She tilted her head, studying his face. "You sleep at all? You look like hell."

Renji offered a faint smile. "Feel like it."

He moved to the quest board, scanning rows of parchment with a practiced eye. His gaze stopped on one — C-Rank Quest: High Orc Camp.

Eight orcs. Moderate to high threat. Solo clearance possible. Good coin.

But more importantly — eight souls.

His hand shot out, ripping the parchment from the board with a swift motion.

Mira raised an eyebrow as he handed it to her. "Going solo?"

"Need to clear my head."

She stamped the quest with a thud, eyes narrowing slightly. "You've got a strange way of relaxing."

Renji shrugged. "It works."

As he turned to leave, voices nearby caught his ear.

"That's the guy from Lysoria, right?"

"Yeah... the one who escorted the princess."

Renji's jaw clenched. He kept walking, refusing to acknowledge them.

Outside, the air was crisp, clouds rolling low and heavy. His pace quickened, boots striking the cobblestones with purpose.

The letter was safe, but not out of reach. He hadn't locked the door.

He should've.

But it was too late now.

There were orcs to kill.

And a mind to quiet.

The hallways of the inn were quiet, only the faint creaks of old wood beneath hurried footsteps.

Elara glanced around, then back at Lena, who followed closely behind her, arms crossed and eyes gleaming with mischief.

"You're sure he's gone?" Lena whispered.

Elara smirked. "Positive. I watched him leave for the guild twenty minutes ago. He's not coming back for a while."

Lena hesitated at the door. "I don't know, this feels a little..."

"Wrong?" Elara grinned. "Yes. But also fun."

They stood in front of Renji's room, the door shut — unlocked.

Elara reached for the handle and turned it slowly, the door creaking open. The room was dim, the bed neatly made, the window cracked just enough for a cool breeze to drift through.

Once inside, they closed the door behind them, stifling laughter.

"Alright," Elara said, stepping toward the bed. "You check the bags. I'll check the nightstand."

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Lena rolled her eyes. "We're really doing this?"

"You saw his face when we handed him the letter," Elara said. "He panicked. It's killing me not knowing what's in it."

Lena sighed dramatically. "Alright, alright. But if we get caught—"

"We won't."

They searched quietly, pulling open drawers, checking behind books. Elara's hands trembled slightly, excitement tingling through her fingertips.

After a few moments, Lena's voice rose softly. "Hey... under the bedroll."

Elara rushed over. Lena held a folded parchment, the golden crest of Lysoria glinting in the low light.

"This is it," Lena whispered.

They sat on the bed, the letter between them, eyes wide.

"You open it," Elara said.

"No, you do it."

They stared for a moment before Elara slowly unfolded it, smoothing the paper in her lap.

As their eyes scanned the words, their expressions shifted — from curiosity... to confusion... to shock.

Elara's lips parted slightly, voice barely a whisper. "She... wants to marry him."

Lena leaned closer, reading faster, her face flushing. "She—she wants to be his. She wants to—oh gods."

They both stared at the final lines, silence stretching.

Elara's voice cracked. "She's serious."

Lena's fists clenched. "And she's royalty. She can give him everything."

A long pause.

Elara looked down. "We... we're just two girls. Adventurers. She's a princess."

Lena shot up, fire in her eyes. "I don't care. I'm not giving up."

Elara followed, determination sharpening her features. "Me neither."

Their gazes met, unspoken words passing between them.

They folded the letter carefully, placing it back beneath the bedroll exactly where they found it.

As they left the room, Elara's voice was firm. "We have competition now."

Lena's tone was just as sharp. "Let's make sure we win."

The forest thickened as Renji moved deeper, leaves crunching softly beneath his boots. The air grew heavier, the scent of smoke and blood lingering faintly. Up ahead, dim firelight flickered between trees, shadows dancing along the underbrush.

He crouched behind a fallen log, eyes narrowing as he observed the clearing ahead.

There they were.

Eight high orcs, each easily a head taller than him, bulging with muscle, their green skin marked with scars and war paint. Crude armor covered their chests, and they carried massive cleavers and spiked clubs. They were laughing, gathered around a makeshift campfire, roasting meat, the bones of some unfortunate creature scattered nearby.

Renji's fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword.

"Eight souls. That's all I need."

He exhaled slowly, analyzing their positions. Two orcs stood guard at the edge, the others huddled around the fire.

Bloodhound's Sense activated — a pulse of awareness surged through him.

Enemy count confirmed: 8. Aggression levels: moderate. No alarm raised.

"Perfect."

He slipped around the edge of the camp, using the dense foliage for cover. He planned his first move — fast, brutal, and loud.

Quickdraw activated.

Renji exploded from the underbrush, blade flashing like silver lightning.

His sword cleaved through the first orc's neck, blood spraying across the firepit. Before the others could react, he spun on the second guard, Dual Strike activated, slashing twice in rapid succession, cutting deep into its chest.

The orc roared, swinging wildly, but Renji ducked, the club whistling over his head, and drove his blade into its gut, twisting hard.

"Two down."

The camp erupted in chaos.

The remaining six orcs roared, grabbing weapons, charging. Renji backed off, heart pounding, his breath misting in the cool air.

The first orc reached him, cleaver raised. Renji blocked, the force rattling his arms, then slid beneath the swing, slashing the orc's thigh.

Pain flared in his side as another orc caught him with a glancing blow, blood soaking his cloak.

"Damn—"

He retreated, eyes darting. They were coordinated, smarter than he expected. One flanked left, another charged high.

Renji gritted his teeth. Bloodhound's Sense flared again, showing him the rhythm of their movements.

He met the left flanker head-on, parrying hard, twisting the blade free, then rammed his boot into the orc's chest, sending it crashing into the fire.

The orc screamed as flames engulfed its body.

Another closed in — Renji activated Dual Strike, cutting deep across its chest and shoulder, then finished it with a stab through the heart.

"Four left."

He panted, vision blurring for a second. Blood dripped from a cut above his eye.

The largest orc charged, cleaver raised — Renji caught the blade with his own, steel screeching. Their eyes locked.

Renji's voice was cold. "Not enough."

He twisted, disarmed the orc, and with a swift, brutal swing, decapitated it.

One by one, he cut them down, until the final orc stood, eyes wide with fear. It turned to run — Renji threw his sword, embedding it deep between its shoulders.

Silence fell.

Renji stood alone, bloodied, breath ragged, the fire crackling softly behind him.

[System Notification]

[8 High Orcs killed.]

[Souls extracted: 8.]

[Convert to mana or transfer to unique skill?]

Renji didn't hesitate. "Unique skill. Now."

[3 souls consumed.]

[Unique Skill unlocked: Beast Tamer]

[Ability: Tame beasts of varying strength. High mana cost proportional to beast's power.

Remaining 5 souls converted to mana reserves.]

[System Notification – Rank Up Achieved]

[Current Level: 7 → 8]

[Stat Increases:]

• HP: 350 → 450

• MP: 700 → 830

• Strength: 150 → 200

• Agility: 120→ 160

• Endurance: 180 → 200

• Mana control: 150 → 200

• Intelligence: 88 → 93

• Class Soul Reaper

Skill Unlocked:

• Unique Skill: Beast Tamer

→ Allows user to tame beasts of various ranks.

→ Mana consumption scales with target's strength.

→ Tamed beasts are loyal until death or dismissal.

[Note: Soul extraction no longer grants copied skills for this battle.]

[Remaining 5 souls converted to mana reserves.]

[Total Souls in Reserve: 0]

[Skill Proficiency Increased:]

• Quickdraw (Level 1 → 4)

• Dual Strike (Level 1 → 3)

• Bloodhound's Sense (Level 1 → 4)

Renji scanned the system screen, feeling the faint thrum of mana coursing stronger through him. His breath steadied, body aching — but he was stronger now, more than before.

"Level 8... Not bad. Still not enough."

He sheathed his blade, eyes already scanning the treeline.

The Valkris Adventurer's Guild was alive with its usual chaos — adventurers laughing over drinks, rookies nervously scanning quest boards, and the clang of metal as weapons were polished and armor adjusted.

Behind the counter, Mira flipped through parchment, her fingers stained with ink, eyes flicking from page to page. She barely noticed the tall courier stride in, cloak damp from the morning mist, a scroll case in hand.

"Urgent missive," he announced, voice brisk.

Mira blinked, accepting the sealed scroll, noting the royal crest of Valkris stamped in wax.

Her brows furrowed as she broke the seal, unrolling the parchment. Her eyes scanned the text, and as she read, her heart began to race.

"...No way."

She straightened, clearing her throat. "Attention!"

The guild hall fell into uneasy silence.

Adventurers turned, some mid-drink, others midway through signing quest forms. The air shifted, the usual buzz of camaraderie replaced by a ripple of curiosity... and tension.

Mira stood tall behind the counter, voice clear.

"A dungeon has manifested near Valkris. Classification pending. Immediate investigation required. Rank C or higher. Team coordination recommended."

Whispers surged like wildfire.

"A dungeon? Here?"

"Those things don't just show up..."

"What kind of monsters are inside?"

"This could be a goldmine."

Mira's voice cut through the chatter. "We'll be posting sign-ups for investigation teams shortly. This is a priority assignment. Guild Master's orders."

A veteran swordsman at the bar grunted. "Bet that kid — the one who took out those bandits solo — he'll be first in line."

"Renji, right?"

Mira's lips thinned into a line. Her thoughts were already on Renji. He'd come through those doors soon — she could feel it.

And this dungeon... it wasn't just another quest.

Something about it felt wrong.