I Died and Became a Noble's Heir

Chapter 116: I’m Going to Kill You Now.

Jack spat a thick line of blood onto the black sand, each breath sending lightning bolts of agony through his shattered ribs.

His vision swam at the edges, darkness creeping in like tide water. The taste of copper filled his mouth, and he could feel his strength bleeding out with every heartbeat.

’Too fast... I need...’

The world tilted dangerously. He was dying. In less than a minute, this demon had reduced him from a confident hunter to broken prey gasping in the sand.

’Think, damn it. Think or you die Jack.’

The System’s chime cut through the ringing in his ears.

[DING!]

[New Skills Available for Purchase]

[Warning: Host vitals critically low]

[Immediate action recommended]

Jack’s heart hammered against his cracked ribs as he fought to focus through the haze of pain. The notification felt like a lifeline thrown to a drowning man.

’Now? Perfect fucking timing.’

His hands shook as he mentally navigated the interface, black spots dancing across his vision.

Every second counted. Every heartbeat brought him closer to collapse.

[Available Skills]

[Static Orbs – 25 Skill Points]

[Arc Reversal – 25 Skill Points]

[Thunder Mantle – 25 Skill Points]

’Buy them all. Now.’

[Purchase confirmed.]

[–75 Skill Points]

[Remaining Skill Points: 14]

The skill descriptions flooded his consciousness in a desperate rush:

[Static Orbs: Summon 20 blue, electrically charged orbs scattered around the battlefield. Each detonates on contact with an enemy. Damage is determined by Magic ×3.blast has a 2m blast radius. Duration: until triggered. Mana Cost: 45. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]

[Arc Reversal: Reflect a physical or magical strike within a 0.1 second window, returning 100% of the damage plus Magic ×1.5. Mana Cost: 60. Cooldown: 60 seconds.]

[Thunder Mantle: Wreathe body in lightning, +20% movement speed and damage, small chance to paralyze. Duration: 200 seconds. Mana Cost: 40. Cooldown: 1 hour.]

Jack’s breath came in ragged gasps as he processed the information. The skills were good, if he used them correctly, he could win.

If he messed up anything he would die.

Cho stalked forward through the settling dust cloud, his crimson form cutting through the haze.

His grin had widened into something truly predatory, serrated teeth gleaming with saliva as he approached Jack.

”Pathetic,” the demon purred. ”I don’t understand why anyone fears Soul Wardens. You’re nothing but a whelp grasping at power.”

Each word was like a slap to the face, but beneath the humiliation, something cold and calculating was taking root.

The demon’s arrogance. His casual approach. The way he savored Jack’s suffering instead of finishing him quickly.

’I’ll make you regret not killing me while you had the chance.’

Jack forced his trembling fingers to clench into fists, tasting blood with every breath. ’System, allocate stat points. Everything except Magic to fifty. Do it now.’

[Warning: Large stat expenditure detected]

[Confirm the purchase of 66 stat points]

[YES] or [NO]

’YES!’

[Allocating 66 Stat Points...]

[Current balance: 47 Stat Points remaining]

The transformation began immediately. Power flooded through his broken body. His shattered ribs knitted themselves back together with audible cracks.

Muscle fiber thickened and strengthened. His body felt lighter now.

A fresh chime cut through his gasping breaths:

[Milestone Reached: Balanced Foundation]

[All core stats at 50+]

[Reward: +100 Mana]

[Vitality conversion improved: +25 HP per point instead of +15]

[Additional bonuses will be unlocked for future milestones]

The numbers cascaded across his vision like a waterfall of salvation:

[Status Update]

Jack Kaiser – Level 20 (29,910 / 35,000)

Class: Arc Mage Level 5 (2,200 / 10,000)

Strength: 50 (+30)

Stamina: 50 (+25)

Agility: 50 (+25)

Vitality: 50 (+25)

Endurance: 50 (+30)

Magic: 100 (+40)

Mana: 400

HP: 1,875

Skill Points: 12

Stat Points: 47

Reputation: 116,096

Jack pushed himself upright, no longer the broken figure bleeding in the sand. His body hummed with newfound vitality, every system operating at peak efficiency. The pain was still there, but distant now, manageable.

’Level everything evenly... that’s the key. I wonder what will happen when everything reaches 100.’

Cho’s head tilted curiously, those burning eyes narrowing as he sensed the shift in the air. The scent of power was unmistakable, electric, and sharp. The demon’s nostrils flared, and for the first time since the fight began, his casual confidence wavered.

”Interesting,” the demon murmured, his casual stride slowing to something more cautious. ”Your flame burns brighter now. Much brighter.” His voice carried a note of genuine surprise, tinged with the first hint of respect. ”Good. I prefer prey that struggles before the inevitable end.”

But there was something else in his voice now. The faintest note of uncertainty, quickly masked by renewed arrogance.

His burning gaze swept over Jack’s transformed form.

Jack wiped blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, his voice steady despite everything he’d just endured. The metallic taste was already fading as his body healed itself for the first time.

”Let’s see how you like this.”

Lightning began to hiss and crackle along Jack’s arms like living serpents.

[Thunder Mantle – Activate.]

Electricity erupted across his entire body in a violent, beautiful display of raw power. Blue lightning wreathed him like divine armor, each arc bright enough to cast harsh shadows on the sand. His muscles sang with enhanced strength, his reflexes sharpened.

[Static Orbs – Activate.]

The air around Jack shimmered from the orbs.

Twenty faint spheres of compressed lightning materialized across the battlefield, their pale blue glow visible only to him.

They spread in a careful pattern, some near, some far, all positioned to catch an unwary opponent off guard. Each orb pulsed faintly.

For the first time since the fight began, Jack felt like he had a chance.

Cho’s sneer faltered for just an instant as he took in the transformation. The broken boy was gone, replaced by something that hummed with barely contained violence. But his arrogance quickly reasserted itself.

”Impressive light show,” the demon said, resuming his advance. ”But tricks will not save you from...”

His words cut off as his foot came down on seemingly empty sand.

BOOM!

The hidden orb detonated like a miniature star going nova.

Blue light erupted in a blinding flash that turned the entire area white for a split second.

The explosion tore through the air with a loud boom, sending up a massive spray of superheated sand and pulverized stone.

When the light faded and the dust began to settle, Cho stood in a crater of melted glass, his perfect crimson skin charred and smoking. His expression had transformed from arrogant disdain to pure, undiluted shock.

[-1,179 HP]

[HP: 20,821 / 22,000]

For the first time in the fight, the demon staggered backward, his perfect composure finally cracking.

”What...”

Cho’s voice had lost its polished confidence, each word cracking like thin ice under pressure.

His burning eyes darted frantically around the battlefield, suddenly aware that the innocent-looking sand around him might be concealing dozens of invisible death traps.

The casual arrogance that had defined his every movement was gone, replaced by the sharp alertness of a predator who had just realized he might not be at the top of the food chain after all.

His perfect crimson skin bore a web of charred lines where the explosion had caught him, and wisps of smoke still rose from his scorched flesh.

For something that had seemed utterly invulnerable just moments before, the visible damage was a shocking reminder of mortality.

”What sorcery is this?” the demon demanded, his cultured voice now carrying an edge of genuine concern.

His tail lashed behind him with agitated violence, and his claws extended instinctively as his body prepared for a fight that was no longer the one-sided slaughter he had anticipated.

Jack stood wreathed in lightning, every arc of electricity painting his face in stark relief.

His smile was sharp as winter, carrying none of the fear that had defined him just moments before.

The transformation was complete.

”I’m going to kill you now,” he said, his voice carrying the quiet certainty of someone who had just discovered exactly how much power coursed through his veins.