Rhode

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Rhode Portley (罗德)
Alias(es)	Marvin; Black Bear; War; Keeper of Secrets
Species/Race	Human; later a Fallen demon-class professional
Gender	Male
Affiliation	Church of the Goddess of Light (formerly associated); Moonlight Society; Knights of the Round Table; Dillon Port garrison
Occupation/Role	Witch Hunter; demon hunter; garrison officer of Dillon Port; War Knight
Status	Resettled in the Divine Kingdom with Anfei and Luo Lin, as reported by an alchemical puppet acting in his place 744
First Appearance	Chapter 34

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Tier 2 — [Witch Hunter]	36	Advanced after Tonks's disappearance and hunted demonic thralls and dark organizations; possesses superhuman speed, strength, and vitality. 36 41
Tier 3 — [Demon Hunting Expert]	253	Tracks a demonized creature with the Demon Hunting Eye and defeats a Tier 3 [Horned Demon], taking its horns as advancement material. 253
Fourth Rank — [Winged Demon]	257, 374, 440	Reaches the Fourth Rank as a Witch Hunter, then falls to a demon-class path while retaining his sanity; can manifest horns, wings, and hardened black skin. 257 374 375 440
Fifth Rank — [Purgatory Demon]	659	Completes his advancement amid widespread demonic chaos. His prayers to the Spirit Lord help him suppress the madness and preserve his humanity. 659

Background

Rhode is Sulu Portley’s elder brother and a member of the Portley Family’s Witch Hunter lineage, which once produced a Tier 6 [Guardian of God]. After their father disappeared, Rhode trained relentlessly and became a Tier 2 [Witch Hunter], hunting demonic thralls and dark forces. 36 254

He initially serves as Sulu’s guide to the transcendent world. Although he urges Sulu to become stronger, he does not want him to inherit the family’s Witch Hunter path after revealing that its practitioners must contract with Abyss demons and eventually risk losing themselves to demonic power. 34 36

After advancing to [Demon Hunting Expert], Rhode trains under an elderly Witch Hunter affiliated with the Church of the Goddess of Light. His mentor urges him to undergo complete spiritual “sanctification,” but Rhode becomes increasingly distrustful of the Church after reading ancient records suggesting that its Witch Hunters suffer profound personality changes. 253 254 256

Rhode eventually reaches the Fourth Rank, but grief, isolation, and his unstable faith drive him onto the [Fallen] path. He retains a measure of self-control, yet flees when his transformation risks exposing him to the Church. 274 375 376

After Sulu rescues him and Anfei from the Black Light Organization, Rhode accepts exile in the Chris Empire. The pair establish themselves as merchants, build connections in the local supernatural world, and later marry and raise their daughter, Luo Lin. 375 377 555

Appearance

Rhode is a tall, broad, heavily built man with a fighter’s physique. His body is marked by numerous scars from his demon-hunting career. 38 255

• Bronze skin, a broad chest, and a sturdy, bear-like build. 38 846
• Numerous prominent scars, including wounds from a Horned Demon and a Mind Deceiver. 38
• A crooked scar on his stomach from an appendectomy. 38
• His unmasked face is described as pale and ordinary rather than conventionally handsome. 251
• Later wears a mustache that gives him the appearance of a successful businessman. 557
• In [Winged Demon] form, develops black hardened skin, horns, and leathery wings. 374 586

Personality

Rhode is direct, practical, and fiercely protective of those he considers family. As Sulu’s earliest mentor, he emphasizes self-reliance, strength of heart, and learning to survive a world where gods and demons regard ordinary humans as insignificant. 34 38 41

He is also capable of severe ruthlessness. Rhode kills a disguised hostage the instant Sulu identifies it as an impostor, intimidates pirates into submission, and uses black flames to execute a pirate who resists conversion. 58 587

Despite his brutality, Rhode is deeply troubled by the cost of his path. He fears becoming a mindless servant of the Abyss, distrusts spiritual manipulation by the Church, and repeatedly struggles to preserve his identity after becoming Fallen. 256 375 558

His relationship with Anfei gradually calms him. After forming a family, he deliberately limits his actions for years to suppress the backlash of his demon bloodline before attempting further advancement. 555 558

Abilities & Skills

Witch Hunter Training

Rhode is an experienced close-quarters combatant and supernatural hunter whose Tier 2 baptism grants superhuman physical capabilities.

• Uses physical strength sufficient to overpower ordinary opponents and fight supernatural creatures directly. 38 41
• Trains Sulu through punishing hand-to-hand combat and physical conditioning. 38 39
• Combines firearms, blades, holy water, and physical force against demons and spirits. 41 44 46
• Is knowledgeable about demons, undead, professional advancement, ancient transcendents, and Witch Hunter artifacts. 38 257 258

Demon Hunting Eye

A tracking ability used during Rhode’s time as a [Demon Hunting Expert].

• Detects blackened footprints and demonic traces left by demonized creatures. 253
• Allows him to follow targets through darkness and dense forest. 253
• Improves his vision in darkness and helps him avoid concealed traps. 253
• Cannot expose every disguise; Rhode believes specialized Fourth-Rank ocular abilities would be needed to counter stronger concealment items. 257

Holy Strike and Demon-Hunting Methods

Rhode employs consecrated weapons and holy substances to combat demonic entities.

• Soaks his Demon Hunting Dagger in holy water to strengthen its lethality against demons. 253
• Uses Holy Water of Light to repel evil spirits and weaken supernatural threats. 44 46
• Activates Holy Strike while fighting a [Horned Demon]. 253
• Uses rune-engraved daggers, including smearing one with his own blood before destroying an evil spirit. 46

Fallen Demon Physiology

After leaving the orthodox Witch Hunter path, Rhode develops demon-class abilities while trying to preserve his humanity.

• Can assume a semi-demon form with black, hardened skin. 374
• Can fully transform into a winged demon with horns and leathery wings. 374 586
• His transformed skin can block ordinary blades and small-caliber bullets. 586
• Can wield black flames capable of instantly killing a resisting pirate. 587
• Risks madness, spiritual fracture, and permanent corruption through the Abyssal Whisper. 375 558 659

Secret Keeper and Holy Mark

In a later account, Rhode is revealed as a Transcendent known as the Keeper of Secrets, concealing his identity from Anfei to protect her. 846 848

• Possesses the formulas for all Holy Marks and can guide potential Transcendents. 848
• Carries the rare Void Demon Spirit bloodline, which can break through worldly barriers and roam the Astral Realm. 850
• Uses Spirit Mediumship to experience visions of another person’s past through physical contact. 849
• Can teleport through the power of the Void Soul. 849
• Risks losing control when overusing his bloodline, manifested as crimson eyes and black fog. 850

Soros’s Wizard Chess

A mysterious item that allows Rhode to summon combat-capable chess pieces.

• Enables him to attack the Blood Moon Society headquarters as a one-man force. 849
• The summoned pieces can overwhelm even a heavily wounded Fourth-Rank opponent. 849
• Returns to ordinary chess pieces when Rhode’s unstable power is suppressed. 850

Equipment

• Demon Hunting Dagger — consecrated blade used against demonic creatures and evil spirits. 46 253
• Blood-red revolver — heavy firearm carried during demon hunts. 253
• Holy Water of Light — used to repel spirits and empower attacks. 44 46
• Witch Hunter tool case — contains machetes, grappling hooks, ropes, and a revolver. 36
• Stone Bear Mask — worn as “Black Bear” during Mason Guild transactions. 441
• Soros’s Wizard Chess — summons powerful chess pieces for battle. 849

Political and Organizational Role

• Rhode enters the Moonlight Society through Levi Koldo’s recommendation, seeking influence, intelligence, and access to resources within the Chris Empire’s exclusionary supernatural circles. 392
• He arranges black-market transactions with the Mason Guild, obtaining rare materials such as Black Flame Crystal for Sulu. 440 441 442
• Sulu secures Rhode’s appointment as garrison officer of Dillon Port through the Crow Family’s influence. 585
• Rhode recruits the Red Tiger Pirate Crew as soldiers, then uses them to force the former commander, Bolton Manla, to surrender control of the port’s garrison, warehouses, and residence. 586 588
• He establishes the Knights of the Round Table, naming himself the War Knight and Sulu the Apocalypse Knight and Pope. 587
• As Dillon Port’s leader, he plans to suppress all unorthodox faiths while retaining the six public orthodox gods and the Round Table Knights. 644

Relationships

• Sulu Portley — younger brother; Rhode mentors him in combat and the transcendent world, later becomes his ally and accepts Sulu’s protection and support. 34 38 375 585
• Anfei — partner and later wife; she saves Rhode after his fall, accompanies him into exile, and helps anchor his sanity. 375 376 555
• Luo Lin — Rhode and Anfei’s daughter. 555
• Tonks Portley — father; Rhode’s training intensified after Tonks disappeared following a dangerous ritual. 36 251
• Old Witch Hunter — Rhode’s mentor within the Church of the Goddess of Light; encourages sanctification and warns him not to rush his advancement. 253 254
• Levi Koldo — noble-blooded contact who recommends Rhode for entry into the Moonlight Society. 392
• Sethly — captain of the Red Tiger Pirate Crew; submits to Rhode and is forced to lead her crew’s conversion to the Spirit Lord. 587
• Lucy — a Holy Mark descendant who seeks Rhode’s aid; he offers to avenge her family but respects her decision to pursue revenge herself. 848 849

Notable Quotes

“Scars are the proof of a man!” 38

“If that is my fate, I choose to accept it.” 558

Trivia

• Rhode’s stomach scar, despite its frightening appearance, came from a poorly stitched childhood appendectomy rather than a supernatural battle. 38
• A coachman describes Rhode as a fierce fighter and “the dream lover of many a girl.” 252
• He once used the identity Marvin while renting a cheap room during his Witch Hunter travels. 254