Five hunters chasing the White Alliance were operating as ‘Rockters’.
Members affiliated with the information-gathering organization were called ‘Rockters’, and this time their task was to gather the latest information on Lee Yeon-hee and Noh Ha-yoon’s skills and abilities.
“Make it look as pathetic as possible. Enough to make them not want to deal with us.”
“Isn’t that a bit too obvious, though?”
One of the men was uncomfortable with the idea of pretending to hit on their targets. Just looking at the Drake soaring high above turned him off even more.
“Sometimes, it’s hard to grasp everything just by watching from afar.”
However, the hunter who first suggested the plan stood firm. He might not have any sense of duty as a Rockter, but as a professional getting paid, he was all in for the task.
“Even if it looks obvious, we need to make them feel a little threatened to reveal their full power.”
“From what we saw in the fight earlier, we know their power is absurd. What’s the point of getting closer…?”
“How did you even rank up to B-class if you’re this scared?”
“Maybe because I’m stronger than you, that’s how.”
“Are you saying I couldn’t rank up to B-class and I’m stuck at C-class?”
As the tension thickened between the two, another Rockter intervened.
“Whoa, whoa! We’re on the job right now. Let’s not cross the line.”
“Ahem…”
“It’s always better to be careful.”
“Look. This is the time. The massive golem Yeon-hee controlled has vanished, and Noh Ha-yoon is chugging a mana potion. Now is the chance when the cooldown is on a big skill.”
“Ugh… Fine.”
They were hired by someone with a substantial amount of money. Naturally, they hadn’t even thought about who the client was.
But the ears of the Rockters were everywhere, so it was easy to figure out roughly which faction their employer belonged to.
The White Knight Guild.
High-ranking officials from there were involved.
“I heard our employer doubles or triples the pay if we deliver better results than expected.”
“Got it, so let’s make sure they get what’s coming to them.”
And a few minutes later, they began their planned operation.
– Oh! They slowed down!
– Hey! Ladies!
– Haha~ Finally, I can smell the flowers!
“Ladies…? Flower smell?”
“What are those moldy old men over there?”
Joo-ah, who was drained of mana and was turning more irritable, crumpled her face in annoyance.
“They’ve been chasing us for a few days now.”
“Weren’t they just gathering information?”
“They’re rather…strong people, and since they didn’t cross the line, I’ve been ignoring them. But they’re finally making a move.”
“I sense some B-class energy from a few of them… Should we prepare?”
“Yeah, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
Competitors rated as top candidates in C-class were putting their feelers out, casually conversing with those skilled enough to approach them without hesitation.
– How about we sync our breaths together?
– No, we didn’t get unnoticed; we just happen to be a bit strong!
– Hahaha, they’re a bit too trashy. Why do they talk so cheap?
– Will you shut your mouth already?
The fact that they had come so close meant their information-gathering was nearing completion.
While information can be gathered quietly, it can also be gauged through intentional provocations when approaching closely.
Noh Ha-yoon and Bae Joo-ah had been trained on such tactics in the Vision Guild.
“I guess I’ll just throw them a bait and send them off.”
“Hit? What are you hitting? Just losers.”
“At this distance, Yeon-hee could have summoned the Castle and Sword Dragon, right?”
“Do you think they are still willing to try despite knowing what time it is?”
“They’re probably acting like that because they know it’s the cooldown for big skills. If we just show some ability, they’ll back off.”
Now, the two teams were close enough to be on the same playing field.
“Hey!! Where’s that famous gray armor? Are you ladies traveling together?”
The Rockter group had come so close that it was hard to ignore them.
Yeon-hee reluctantly summoned the ‘Sword Dragon’ that had been flying freely above. When they showed interest in mentioning Il-wol, the moment the Shadow Drake soared high and returned to the Wandering Ship, tension slightly rose.
“Wahaha— Is that the ‘little dragon’ of the summoner that everyone talks about?”
“Looks like it’s a Drake. I can sense a dark aura.”
“Is something following from beneath the river?”
“That’s a new summoned creature?”
They were pretending to start a quarrel, but since their true goal was information gathering, they were busy jotting down whatever new information they could pick up.
As they nodded continuously and threw meaningless words about, they quickly distanced themselves when they saw Noh Ha-yoon conjuring a giant ice storm in the air.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa— Just kidding! We’re just hunters passing by, trying to greet one another! Why so hostile?”
“Once you’ve seen everything you need to, why not scram?”
When Noh Ha-yoon told them not to play games when she could see through their facade, they tried to regain their cheap expressions and said,
“Why not show off that armor since you brought it? Why hasn’t it come out today?”
Now they were openly asking for information.
“Monsters are approaching again. Let’s cut this short.”
It was clear another fight was about to erupt, and these clowns weren’t worth her time.
“Hey, are you guys not leaving soon?”
If monsters tangled together again, who knows what kind of trouble could unfold?
As Ha-yoon watched them dawdle, she pondered whether she should unleash a big skill when suddenly, the perceptive Rockters began infusing mana into the Wandering Ship and started retreating.
Many of the approaching monsters chased after them, allowing them to engage in a more relaxed battle.
“Ugh… Those bastards, they were all cautious when Il-wol was around. Let’s quickly hit level 73. Ah-rin.”
“Sure! I can do it within a week!”
It was a daunting task to unleash their powers while being scrutinized from the back, but they had no choice but to fight.
After sharing a stat with Il-wol and realizing it was no coincidence when they ran into a large group, the number of monsters pouring in was far greater than yesterday.
Still, feeling only the burden of mana, they continued their battles without issue, but ironically, they met unexpected danger during a boss battle.
*
“I can’t see the Were Croc again.”
It hadn’t shown up even once in the Pastiche Dungeon, and it seemed to have a penchant for hiding in this dungeon as well.
“Were they always this good at concealment?”
With my detection range now around 8km, I could sense their presence faintly at that border.
But the moment I increased my speed, that faint sense would vanish.
It was as if the boundaries of my sensory range were visible to my eyes.
“There must be abilities I didn’t know about.”
In the Pastiche Dungeon, the river’s special environment had made it hard to tell, but it seemed certain now.
“Yeon-hee and her crew are in for some trouble…”
The Were Croc is an anthropomorphic crocodile that showcases formidable combat strength in rivers.
Especially when submerged, it could turn translucent, boast vast stamina, and even turn water into a weapon.
Worry crept up as I realized that these creatures would likely have much greater combat prowess than those living in forest terrain.
“Hmmm… With the Castle and Fibryn, I think we’ll manage.”
“Gruuuaahh!!”
Swish—!
– You have defeated the Pierce Big Boar!
Now that the point of no return had passed, I focused on the tasks at hand.
“Why are there so many stray Big Boars?”
Though they are pack animals, seeing them appear individually created an eerie sense of unease.
“Is a powerful monster lurking inside…?”
While my mind raced through possibilities, I continued moving.
The path to meet ‘Diva’ was not as easy as it seemed.
‘Diva’ hid in darkness, barely perceptible to senses. The massive forest forming the first underground layer had natural wards that confused guides.
Ultimately, I had to focus and use careful exploration to pinpoint a rough location.
Of course, I could only do this because of my enhanced sense attributes; ordinary guides would struggle just to find the exit.
This dungeon involved not hunting monsters but encountering them while walking.
A while later.
Finally, I spotted my quarry.
A massive tree extending over 50 meters into the sky blanketed the forest.
There were ample dark zones where it could hide.
When hidden in darkness, its unique shape didn’t show at all, but as I closed the distance, I began to form more of a clear image in my senses.
Even if I couldn’t see its face, the feminine body shape made it easy to tell front from back.
[Phantasmal Fable]
As I utilized my newly gained ability, I became less perceptible to the point that I felt like I wasn’t even there. It was no longer just a matter of being unseen with [Stealth].
Circling around to the back, I lightly swiped my great sword horizontally.
Swish—!
“Creep—!”
Fiery hair fluttered about, and the monster’s face, thickly covered with thorns, was the embodiment of brutality, while the line from the neck down resembled that of a delicate woman.
If a surprise attack was possible, it was the perfect prey to take out in one strike.
Thud—!
‘Diva’s head separated from her body and rolled on the ground, blood spraying and painting it black.
The hunt ended far too cleanly to be true.
“I should have observed how she used her powers more closely. My memory is a bit hazy.”
She’d never even attempted to use psychokinesis before her life flickered out.
I hurriedly withdrew to avoid getting blood on me while examining the message floating mid-air.
– You have become the first to defeat ‘Diva’!
– Trait [Thievery] activates!
– You have acquired the trait [Merotherna’s Curse]!
– Achievement [Pioneer] activates.
– All attributes increase by 1.
[Merotherna’s Curse]
– Merotherna, known as ‘The Parasite of Darkness’, has reigned terror since ancient times.
– Though less renowned than other powerful demons, Merotherna often ventured into other dimensions outside the chaotic Demon Realm, enjoying corrupting the frail young women of newly matured humans.
– The corrupted women of humanity became horrid figures, increasingly retreating into darkness.
– After long years lurking in shadows, they manifested the ability called ‘Window of Darkness’.
– The traits [Phantasmal Fable] and [Merotherna’s Curse] merge, and you acquire the trait [Phantasmal Fable of Darkness]!
– Achievement [Pioneer] activates.
– All attributes increase by 1.
“What… Another demon out of nowhere?”
I was taken aback but found myself more interested in the newly acquired traits.
[Phantasmal Fable of Darkness]
– Adjusts your presence so enemies can’t detect you.
– If you surrender to the darkness, your existence completely fades away.
– Changes form based on the surrounding environment or designated beings.
“Ohhh… I can adjust my presence now?”
This uplifted sense of fable would undoubtedly grant me a significant advantage.
– Trait [Thievery] activates!
– You have acquired the skill [Window of Darkness]!
– Achievement [Pioneer] activates.
– All attributes increase by 1.
[Window of Darkness]
– Randomly summons weapons from the space connected to ‘Window of Darkness’.
– The summoned weapon must be ‘thrown’, and after a certain period, the thrown weapon will vanish.
– You can manipulate the summoned weapon with your will.
– Special Ability: Any object summoned from the spatial realm can be moved with pure will for a limited time.
“Hmm…? This feels somewhat different from regular psychokinesis…”
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