Lewd skill in a filthy world-Chapter 85. A smart one

A Few Moments Earlier...

Just after Gegee was shredded into a steaming pile of mangled flesh by her own shadow which had transformed into a whirring turbine of blades, Shin stood still, chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths. The floor was soaked with blood. Bits of bone crunched underfoot.

Without hesitating, he crouched beside Sylvia’s unconscious body, her form slumped near the door like discarded luggage. He slid two slim daggers from the scabbards strapped to her waist.

As soon as his fingers gripped the hilts, a flicker of light pulsed across his vision.

[DING!]

[Lew Reap Analyzing...]

[Target: Geraldine’s Skill Tree Identified]

[Class: Mage]

[Skills:]

◇ 1: Mirror Split (Active) — Creates physical clones with partial strength. Independent movement, linked mindset.

◇ 2: Soul Hop (Passive) — Transfers user’s consciousness to any active clone, making them change from one body to the other.

◇ 3: Hivemind (Active) — Enables simultaneous clone control. Scales with available mana.

◇ 4: Phantom Seed (Passive) — ACCESS DENIED. Information restricted to the original user.

Choose one skill to reap. Action is irreversible.

===

Shin squinted at the screen, his lips curling in distaste. All this power... and it’s split across separate branches? He’d thought it’d come as a single skill, not seperated like this. He grunted, no time to complain. Gunfire rattled from outside, echoing through the shattered complex like thunder against sheet metal.

He made a split-second decision: Mirror Split. He confirmed the reap.

A moment later, a clone shimmered beside him, forming from swirling black particles. With no words spoken, the clone darted into the hallway to draw attention.

Meanwhile, Shin vaulted over the stairwell railing, landing soundlessly on a lower floor. He moved like shadow, silent, deadly and veered to the building’s far side, exactly where his enemies wouldn’t expect him to strike.

**

Now...

Twin daggers dripped fresh blood, the crimson trails trailing down Shin’s arms and staining the concrete. The bodies of Leonel’s comrades were strewn behind him, crumpled like broken dolls.

Leonel trembled. His eyes locked on Shin’s face. This boy was too handsome, too youthful, yet twisted into a grin that no child should wear. It was wide. Unnatural. The kind of smile you’d expect to see carved into a demon’s mask.

As a support Mage with no combat proficiency, Leonel could barely stand. Instead, he scrambled backwards on all fours, his breath ragged.

"S-So..." Shin murmured, advancing slowly. "What should I do about you...?"

The question hung heavy in the air like smoke. Leonel’s voice cracked.

"W-wait! You don’t wanna kill me, man! I’m with the Rulers! Ever heard of that faction? If you touch me, my boss—Darren—he’ll come for you. Trust me, you don’t want to be on his bad side!"

Shin paused mid-step. His eyes narrowed. "The Rulers... right. That faction of thugs led by the tail-growing bastard who thought the global System made him a god?"

He sneered. "How could I forget about Darren when he killed that family in broad daylight? First the father, then the mother... then the little boy." Shin’s voice dropped cold. "He was the first to embrace this filthy world. And actually enjoyed it!."

Leonel nodded quickly, mistaking Shin’s familiarity for understanding. "Exactly! You know how ruthless Darren is. You really don’t wanna—"

Before he could finish, Shin stepped forward and crouched in front of him. His movement was casual, almost playful, legs bouncing slightly like a child squatting before a frog he meant to dissect.

He looked into Leonel’s eyes with amusement.

"Does it look like I care?"

Leonel couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream. Only breathe shallow, terrified breaths.

Shin raised his dagger, the blade glinting as he brought it closer to Leonel’s trembling face.

"Tell me something... was Geraldine part of Darren’s faction?"

Leonel nodded furiously, sweat streaking down the sides of his face. "Y-yes! She was! Loyal... up until—up until she wasn’t."

Shin’s smile twitched wider, almost disappointed. "And what killed her? What made her own shadow rip her to pieces?"

Leonel’s lips trembled. "It—it was the boss’s skill!! Darren! He—he did it. She betrayed him... and paid the price."

A cold silence followed. Shin’s smile dropped.

Darren... did that remotely?

His fingers tightened on the hilt of the dagger, knuckles whitening.

That bastard has grown powerful... too powerful.

There was no more time to waste.

He had to get even stronger!!

His gaze flicked to the flickering holographic screen beside Leonel showing footage from a crude surveillance skill. The view was concerntrated at the room where Lilian was hiding.

Shin cocked an eyebrow. "CCTV skill?"

The dagger kissed Leonel’s throat.

Leonel stammered, "It—it’s a Technomancer trait! I can hijack tech nodes, bypass firewalls, decode system barriers! It’s... l just use it for surveillance!"

Shin hummed. "That’s not just surveillance. With that skill, you could command entire drone fleets, manipulate automated war machines, hijack defense protocols..."

Leonel gulped again. "I—I haven’t reached that level yet."

That’s when Lilian burst into the scene.

"Divine Lord Shin!! You’re alive!!"

She sprinted toward him, silver hair trailing behind her like a comet’s tail, her ample chest bouncing with every step. A beaming smile cracked across her face, lighthearted and innocent.

Shin’s mind sparked with a plan.

He turned to Leonel, dagger pulling back. "Well... Let’s make a deal."

Leonel blinked, confused. "A deal...?"

Shin stood, towering over him, and threw an arm over Lilian’s shoulder as she arrived. She flinched slightly under his grip but said nothing.

"See her?" he asked, tilting her toward Leonel. "See those glowing NPC letters floating above her head? Using your Technomancer skill, I want you to override it. Wipe the System flag. Make her look... indistinguishable from a Player."

Leonel’s breath caught.

Tampering with NPC tags? That wasn’t just hard—it was borderline System treason. Unheard of.

"That’s... that’s high-level backend code," he muttered, staring at the words above her head as if they were divine scripture. "I’m not even sure I can do it."

Shin’s grin didn’t falter. "Try anyway."

Leonel looked up slowly. "Let me guess... if I pull it off, you’ll spare me?"

Shin’s smile widened, almost childlike in amusement. "You’re quick."

Leonel didn’t smile back. "And what if you’re lying? What if you kill me right after I do what you want?"

In response, Shin casually leapt onto the body of one of Leonel’s dead comrades, then sprang up and perched atop the ruined hood of a crumpled car. He sat like a prince on a throne of wreckage, legs swinging slightly.

"Relax," Shin said, arms resting lazily on his knees. "I don’t go back on my word. I’ll let you live. Killing you now? Where’s the fun in that?"

His voice deepened. "No... I want you to live. Get stronger. Reach a point where you can summon a goddamn legion of robots and send them at me. Then I’ll kill you."

A mad glint lit his eyes.

"Now that’s thrilling. The chaos. The blood. The near-death dance... Gods, I live for that shit."

Leonel’s hands trembled slightly, but he opened his interface, deactivating the surveillance feed and pulling up his system terminal. He began typing, windows flickering in the air around him like a digital halo.

"You’re a battle-crazed maniac," he muttered.

Shin leaned back, watching him with the calm intensity of a predator lounging before the kill.

"As I said..." he grinned.

"You’re a smart one."

TBC

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