Wait, My Overpowered Skill is Just… Love?!-Chapter 11 - 10: The Wolf Unleashed

The forest was eerily silent.

The mercenaries' temporary camp, nestled in a clearing beneath towering trees, was dimly lit by scattered lanterns and a single roaring fire.

Cecilia sat in the center, her wrists and ankles still bound, surrounded by crude barricades.

Her heart raced as she strained her ears, hearing only the soft murmur of the mercenaries' conversation.

They were too relaxed.

Too confident.

Selene stood at the edge of the clearing, her violet eye glowing faintly in the darkness.

Her sword rested in her hand, the blade catching the dim light of the campfire.

She watched the mercenaries from the shadows, her breathing steady.

They were laughing. Drinking.

Mocking her Cecilia.

Selene's grip on her sword tightened.

They wouldn't laugh for long.

---

The mercenary closest to the perimeter heard a sound—a rustling in the bushes.

He turned, squinting into the darkness.

"Who's there?" he growled.

The answer came in the form of steel.

Selene's blade sliced through the air, cutting cleanly through his throat before he could even raise his weapon.

He crumpled silently to the ground, blood pooling beneath him.

The other mercenaries didn't notice.

Not yet.

Selene moved quickly, her steps silent, her strikes precise and lethal.

The second guard barely had time to register the presence behind him.

By the time he turned—her sword was already in his gut.

He coughed, a wet, gurgling sound, his hands shaking as he tried to grab at her arm.

Selene pulled the blade free with a single, fluid motion.

He collapsed next to the first.

Two down.

The third man saw the bodies.

His breath hitched.

His hands trembled as he reached for his weapon.

But Selene was already there.

Before he could shout a warning, her dagger slammed into his ribs.

The mercenary gasped, blood spilling from his mouth.

His eyes met hers—wild, terrified.

Selene tilted her head, watching the life fade from his gaze.

Then, without hesitation, she drove her knee into his stomach and yanked the dagger out.

The body crumpled, twitching once before going still.

Three.

It was only then that the others noticed and chaos erupts in the camp.

"Shit—"

A mercenary stumbled back, eyes wide with horror.

Blood stained the dirt.

Three of their men were already down.

And standing at the edge of the firelight was her.

Selene didn't speak.

She didn't need to.

Her sword was already dripping with blood.

Her violet eyes glowed in the dim light, cold and merciless.

And the air around her—it was suffocating.

The mercenaries felt it immediately.

The air changed.

Something cold and heavy pressed against their chests.

A menacing aura swept through the clearing, suffocating and unnatural.

It was like standing in the presence of a predator—

One that had already decided they were prey.

The mercenaries feel an invisible weight pressed against their chests, making their breaths shallow and weak.

It wasn't magic.

It wasn't a curse.

It was her presence alone.

A killing intent so sharp, so overwhelming, it froze the men where they stood.

Selene took a step forward.

The first man panicked and lunged at her.

But he never reached her.

Selene sidestepped smoothly, her blade flashing.

His own momentum worked against him.

Before he could even swing his sword—

Her own sliced through his arm at the elbow.

He let out a guttural scream, stumbling back as blood gushed from the wound.

Selene didn't stop.

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She drove her foot into his knee, snapping it backward.

The man collapsed, howling in agony.

She silenced him with a swift, clean slash across his throat.

Blood splattered across her cheek.

But she didn't blink.

Four.

The next two attacked at once.

One came from her left with a spear.

The other swung a heavy axe from the right.

Selene dropped low, spinning on her heel.

The axe barely missed her.

She used the moment to slam the hilt of her sword into the spearman's chest.

He gasped, stumbling back.

She grabbed the shaft of the spear, twisting it out of his grip and ramming the blunt end into his jaw.

A sickening crack echoed through the clearing.

The man crumpled, his body twitching.

Selene let the spear drop, turning just in time to see the axe wielder charging again.

This time, she didn't dodge.

She caught his wrist.

The mercenary's eyes widened in shock.

He was twice her size.

But she held him effortlessly.

Then, before he could react, she drove her sword through his gut.

He choked, his mouth opening in a silent scream.

She twisted the blade—slowly.

Letting him feel it.

Then she yanked it free, and he collapsed.

Six.

The remaining mercenaries hesitated.

They had numbers.

They had weapons.

But none of that mattered.

Not against her.

Not against the monster standing before them.

One man, shaking uncontrollably, dropped his sword.

"I—I'm not fighting her," he whispered.

Another turned and started running.

Selene threw her dagger.

It embedded itself deep into the back of his neck.

He fell face-first into the dirt, twitching before going still.

Seven.

Selene took another step forward.

The last three mercenaries had lost the will to fight.

They were shaking, their bodies betraying them.

They could barely breathe, let alone lift their weapons.

Because the air was heavy.

Suffocating.

As if the very world had decided they were not meant to exist.

That they were prey.

And she was the predator.

The one in the middle fell to his knees.

His lips trembled as he spoke.

"P-please..."

Selene didn't answer.

She simply raised her sword.

And brought it down.

---

The forest was still.

The battle had ended, but the lingering scent of blood and death remained in the air.

Selene stood, her chest rising and falling with each breath. Her grip on the hilt of her sword tightened as she surveyed the fallen mercenaries. Their bodies littered the ground, discarded like trash.

But there was no satisfaction in her eyes—only the cold, steely focus of a predator after a kill.

The creaking of a carriage and the muffled sound of hooves breaking the silence caught her attention.

She turned swiftly, her gaze narrowing.

Ahead, she saw Cecilia.

The young girl was huddled near the edge of the clearing, her hands trembling, her face pale.

Selene moved toward her, silent as always.

When Cecilia saw her, there was no shock—no questioning look in her eyes.

She had been expecting Selene.

But it was the trembling of her body, the wide, frightened eyes, that made Selene pause.

Something had changed.

Something that went deeper than just fear.

Cecilia clutched her chest, her knees unsteady as she tried to stand. Her face was streaked with dirt and tears, but her eyes...

Her eyes were full of relief.

"Selene..."

Her voice was barely above a whisper, trembling as it slipped past her lips.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Cecilia slowly reached out, her fingers brushing against Selene's arm.

And then—without warning—she collapsed into her.

Selene stiffened as Cecilia clutched her tightly, her small frame shaking as if the world had just shattered beneath her feet.

Cecilia's body pressed into hers, and in that moment, Selene could feel the girl's fear, her vulnerability, the weight of everything that had just happened.

It was unexpected.

Selene's throat tightened as she instinctively wrapped her arms around the young girl, her body unyielding as she held her close.

Her hand gently stroked the back of Cecilia's head, and she whispered softly—so softly, as if her very voice was a promise.

"You're safe now."

But the words didn't feel like enough.

Cecilia buried her face against Selene's chest, her hands clinging to her, as though she were trying to find a way to disappear into her.

Selene froze, her heart suddenly racing.

She had never seen Cecilia like this—so open, so raw.

The girl had always been... distant.

But now, she was in her arms, shaking, wanting nothing more than to go home, to escape the nightmare that had just happened.

Cecilia's words came out in soft, broken gasps.

"I... I want to go home, Selene."

Selene felt something inside her stir—something deep and unknown.

Her heart clenched.

She had always seen herself as cold, a force of nature, but in this moment, she felt...

Human.

The way Cecilia held onto her, her hands tightly gripping her, as if afraid to let go.

It was a side of the girl Selene had never seen before.

A side that spoke of helplessness, of trust, a trust that had never been given to anyone but her.

And for the first time, Selene smiled.

Her thumb gently caressed Cecilia's cheek, wiping away a tear that had fallen.

"I'm here." Selene whispered.

There was a softness in her tone, an affection she had never allowed herself to feel.

But it was there.

It was undeniable.

Cecilia, still clutching her, looked up at her with tear-filled eyes, searching for something in Selene's gaze.

Something that would assure her she wasn't alone anymore.

Selene leaned forward, her face dangerously close to Cecilia's.

Her hand moved to the back of the girl's head, her fingers gently tilting Cecilia's face up toward hers.

Cecilia looked so small in her arms, her body trembling, but there was something about the girl—something fragile, something that made Selene feel like she had to protect her.

"I won't let anything happen to you," Selene murmured, her voice low and possessive.

Her heart thundered in her chest as she gazed down at the girl she had just rescued, and for the first time, something strange stirred inside her—something warm.

Something she had never wanted to admit.

---

Cecilia didn't remember much after Selene untied her.

The rush of emotions, the overwhelming sense of relief, the warmth of Selene's arms around her—it all blurred together into something surreal.

Her body was still trembling, her legs too weak to stand properly.

Selene had scooped her up without hesitation, carrying her as if she weighed nothing.

Cecilia should have been embarrassed.

She should have protested.

But she couldn't.

Because for the first time since the carriage ambush, she felt safe.

She buried her face against Selene's shoulder, her breath still uneven.

She was exhausted.

She wanted to go home.

Just as her eyes began to close, a soft chime echoed in her mind.

But she was too tired to react.

The glowing text flickered before her half-lidded gaze, floating in the air like a dream.

---

[System Notice]

[Soulmate Affection Threshold Reached – Next Phase Unlocked]

[Soulmate: Selene von Aetheria – The Blade's Devotion]

Affection Meter: 100/100 – PHASE 2 UNLOCKED

---

[Updated Description:]

A warrior once bound by solitude, Selene von Aetheria no longer walks alone. What was once a cold, distant blade has now become an unwavering shield—her heart no longer locked behind walls of discipline, but instead, tethered to one person alone.

The devotion she once dismissed as weakness has transformed into something absolute. Selene does not simply protect Cecilia because of duty. She protects her because she belongs to her.

Her loyalty is no longer silent. It is unshakable, immovable. A force of nature that will not yield to reason, hesitation, or fear. There is no longer distance—only possession.

To harm Cecilia is to invoke the wrath of a predator that knows no mercy.

To take Cecilia away is to steal from the beast itself.

And Selene does not forgive thieves.

Her love is not gentle. It is fierce, consuming, eternal.

Cecilia is hers.

And nothing in this world—or the next—will change that.

---

[New Skill Unlocked – Unbreakable Oath:]

A warrior bound by love is stronger than steel. Selene's presence alone creates an aura of absolute deterrence, making weaker-willed opponents hesitate or retreat in fear when she stands by Cecilia's side.

If Cecilia is harmed in combat, Selene will gain a temporary surge of enhanced strength, speed, and precision.

The closer she is to Cecilia, the stronger she becomes.

The further she is, the more restless she grows.

Distance breeds longing. Longing breeds hunger.

And hunger breeds violence.

[All Stats Increased]

[Notification Complete.]

The words lingered for a few seconds, the golden glow fading into the night.

Cecilia blinked slowly, her mind barely processing what she had just seen.

The Blade's Devotion?

Her exhaustion was pulling her under.

She knew she should think about it.

She knew she should read it again.

But she couldn't.

Her body was too tired, too weak.

She gave in to the weight of sleep, her breathing slowing as she curled closer to Selene's warmth.

The system's message could wait.

For now, all that mattered was that she was safe.

And Selene was still holding her.

As if she would never let her go.

---

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