Chapter 31
Cthulhu World 4
The Cthulhu Cult…
Howard repeated the words quietly, as though testing how they sounded in the air, again and again.
As for Arthur, he sank into his thoughts.
'Cthulhu… where have I heard that name?
Why does it feel so familiar?
And why am I unable to remember most of the things I heard or read in my previous world?'
He shook his head inwardly.
'This is not the time to think.
Right now… I need to complete the mission successfully.'
He raised his gaze to Howard and asked in a steady voice:
"What is the Cthulhu Cult?
And what is… Cthulhu?"
Howard smiled mysteriously, then rose from the table and gestured to Arthur with a silent tilt of his head, meaning: follow me.
Arthur understood the signal. He smiled faintly, as though their conversation had ended there. He took some money from his pocket, paid the bill, then followed Howard.
Night had already fallen.
The pale glow of the streetlamps reflected off the stone roads, and the city appeared older and more desolate in the darkness. Howard walked with steady steps, Arthur beside him.
Before he could speak—
Arthur felt something.
Power…
A strange presence…
Something watching him.
'Hmm…
I was pursued by many in my previous life…
But this is the first time I've felt real danger.
Why this aura…
Why does it feel so ominous?'
Arthur did not speak. He simply continued walking, lost in thought.
He wanted to confirm who was following them, but his ignorance of their identities, their strength, and their connection to Howard made him cautious.
Perhaps they were allies…
Perhaps enemies.
If they were allies, attacking would cause unnecessary trouble.
If they were enemies… Arthur did not know who they were, nor why they were pursuing them, nor even how strong they were.
Most importantly—
Why did he feel… for the first time in his life… a faint trace of fear?
Arthur closed off his thoughts and continued walking calmly beside Howard. From time to time, Howard spoke casually, with no real purpose.
Arthur understood quickly.
It was nothing more than a smokescreen.
He continued responding in kind.
After some time—
They reached the end of a dead-end alley.
Both stopped.
Howard looked at the solid wall before them in genuine confusion. He knew the city like the back of his hand—he was certain this alley had an exit.
But now…
It was sealed.
A solid wall, with no opening.
In that moment, they both understood the truth.
They had fallen into a trap.
Arthur turned to Howard, his voice now devoid of any courtesy:
"Tell me now, without delay.
Who are they?
And how strong are they?"
Howard hesitated for a moment. He wanted to stall—it was part of his nature—but the simplicity and sharpness of Arthur's question forced him to speak immediately:
"They are from the Cthulhu Cult…
And they are after me."
He swallowed, then continued:
"They are very powerful…
Hundreds of times stronger than humans."
Arthur exhaled softly, then stepped forward to stand directly in front of Howard.
He opened his black coat, removed it from his shoulders, and tossed it to Howard, who caught it instinctively.
Arthur rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and stood firmly before him, like a human wall.
Howard stammered:
"Arthur… this is not the time to fight.
Believe me, you won't be able to defeat them no matter how strong you are.
Let's combine our strength, break the wall, and escape!"
Arthur smiled.
He had already sensed Howard's strength—it was far from weak.
The speed with which he had saved him earlier was not that of an ordinary human.
And when Arthur regained full control over his body, he activated the Eye of the Sky for a fleeting moment.
Level: 40
In an ordinary human world—
That was a supernatural level.
To simplify…
It was close to Zoro's level when he first faced Mihawk.
Strong…
Very strong.
Arthur knew that one or two punches from Howard would be enough to shatter the wall.
But—
Arthur was not someone who ran from an enemy.
At first, he followed Howard because he did not know who was pursuing him.
Now… he knew.
Enemies.
And even if they were powerful—
He would fight.
Arthur smiled with deadly calm.
"Let's see…
What the men of the Cthulhu Cult are truly made of."
A few seconds later—
Three fully masked men dressed in black descended before Arthur, about twenty steps away.
One stood at the front, while the other two positioned themselves behind him.
The man in front spoke mockingly, "Howard Phillips Lovecraft…
It is an honor to meet you, great man."
He smiled beneath his face covering.
Arthur could clearly see that smile, but what truly pressed against his chest—
Was the aura of death emanating from their bodies.
For the first time in Arthur's life—
He felt the danger of death.
Not death in an equal battle…
But meaningless death…
Easy… absolute death.
Howard's body trembled slightly.
As for Arthur—
He smiled.
And stepped forward two paces.
"I really don't want to—"
Diiing
| New sub-mission
You have been pursued by members of the Cthulhu Cult
They are powerful fighters and great assassins
Your mission: Kill them without injuring Howard
Time: half an hour
Success: 400 points
Failure: death |
The masked man smiled as he looked at Arthur:
"Who is this boy, Howard?
Trying to act heroic?
Look at him…
He froze in fear before he could even finish his sentence!"
He laughed, then approached Arthur, placing his hand on his head and ruffling his hair mockingly.
Then he lowered his hand and turned toward Howard.
At that moment—
The man's body trembled.
Arthur raised his right hand.
In the blink of an eye, the Weapon King's Bracelet transformed into a giant black sword with a bloody appearance.
Before the man could move—
Arthur swung his sword with absolute force.
The head was severed.
The body fell to the ground, its owner never knowing how he died.
The remaining two men froze for a fraction of a second—
Then attacked with unbelievable speed.
Arthur smiled at them, his eyes gleaming coldly:
"Assassins…
And trying to fight openly?
I wonder…
How strong are you, truly?"
In that moment, Arthur realized the truth—
That presence he had felt earlier…
Was not from them.
It was from their souls.
It was clear that a distorted power had forcibly merged with their bodies and souls, an incomplete fusion, neither refined nor properly contained.
A power implanted within them without preparation, resulting in that terrifying aura leaking from them uncontrollably.
An aura capable of making ordinary humans tremble in terror, paralyzing their limbs and dropping them to the ground without a fight.
Even Howard—who had already reached a high level—felt his body tremble under its weight, his breathing grow heavy, his heart pounding violently against his chest.
As for Arthur…
He had felt fear in the first moment.
Real fear. Rare, but present.
Yet he quickly calmed his mind, closed his heart, and focused entirely on the fight.
Still…
These were nothing more than a handful of fools.
Their levels did not exceed ninety at most,
Yet they boasted an aura they could not even refine.
Given power… not earned.
At that moment—
The two remaining men lunged forward.
Arthur raised his sword high.
In one motion—
Swift… precise… deadly—
Both of their heads were severed at once.
He did not need a second swing,
Nor an additional maneuver.
One strike was enough.
The two bodies fell soundlessly.
Arthur smiled calmly, and the sword vanished, returning to the Weapon King's Bracelet as though nothing had happened.
He turned toward Howard, about to speak—
But before he could—
Diiing
| You have completed your mission with remarkable success
You have obtained 400 points
Your previous mission reward has been prepared
The prize has been placed in the storage |
'Oh…
I hope it's a luxurious reward.
I mean… it was delayed long enough.'
Arthur opened the storage and saw a red and black scroll, emitting a calm and beautiful azure light.
He opened the scroll inside the storage, deliberately choosing not to reveal his secrets to Howard all at once.
| Blood Demon Technique
A technique used to drain the enemy's energy, life force, soul essence, and every latent energy within their body… until death.
After absorption, the user must purify and modify the energy before merging and consuming it.
❗Consuming energy before purification is not recommended.
The drained energy can be stored inside a Bottle of Power if it cannot be modified immediately.
⚠️ Conditions of Use:
Any entity may be absorbed regardless of its strength.
The opponent must be weakened to the point of incapacity, or their body must be touched during combat.
If you are interrupted during the draining process, the backlash will be nearly fatal, if not fatal (depending on the opponent).
If you are attacked during the draining process, you will not be able to defend against the attack, and you will receive it while simultaneously enduring the backlash of the energy.
Draining must be performed calmly and with focus.
If more than 15 minutes pass after the opponent's death, they can no longer be drained. |
Arthur read the technique carefully, his eyes shining with genuine interest.
He liked it.
A dangerous technique…
But its benefits were terrifying.
It did not rely on level, but on intelligence and focus.
The risk was great…
But the return was greater.
He understood perfectly:
If he failed to purify the energy, or rushed to consume it—
The consequences would be severe.
He asked the system inwardly:
'What is a Bottle of Power? And how much does it cost?'
| Bottle of Power
A special flask capable of containing any energy.
The energy inside does not deteriorate and is not drained.
Absolute safety.
Price: 1800 points |
'Damn you, exploitative system…'
Arthur sighed.
'Fine…
Spend 1800 points,
Buy one Bottle of Power,
And place it in storage.'
| Purchase successful
Thank you for shopping at the Heavenly Store |
Arthur took a deep breath, then summoned his personal panel.
Personal Panel
| Name: Arthur Narin
Age: 18
Level: 220
Strength: 5000
Agility: 4500
Endurance: 3000
Intelligence: 100
Devil Fruit: None
Haki: None
Personal Points: 720 |
He slowly closed the panel.
Now…
Things were starting to become truly interesting.
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