A black shadow rippled like a swamp before transforming into the shape of a person. It was the stealth technique of the Shadow assassins.
Raon clicked his tongue as he watched ten assassins gather in front of the lake.
'Each one of them is a master.'
He couldn't gauge their aura from a distance, but judging by their stealth skills and movements, they were all highly skilled assassins.
'They're the strongest ones that have come so far.'
He had seen many Shadows attempting to infiltrate the factory over the past two days, but these were the most formidable.
'That means...'
Raon shifted his gaze from the assassins seemingly about to enter the lake and looked back towards the village.
'It means Derus is coming soon.'
The assassins' purpose was to create a diversion. They aimed to draw the attention of the Black Market agents until Derus had thoroughly inspected the factory.
Raon twisted his lips as he looked over the factory.
'He still doesn't want to reveal himself, even in times like this.'
As he recalled the face of that weasel-like man, his fists clenched tightly.
'But this time will be different.'
There was no trace of him inside the Water Demon Guest factory. Even Derus wouldn't be able to gather any information from there because the high-ranking magician had twisted the flow of mana itself.
'He'll think I'm mocking him.'
Though Derus was a cold-blooded person, he would explode uncontrollably once his true nature was revealed.
The destruction of the Water Demon Guest factory had cost decades and an astronomical amount of money. No matter how rational Derus was, he wouldn't be able to suppress his rage.
'I've prepared for this.'
Although he couldn't completely reveal Derus's true identity, he had set a path to block and track him. If everything went according to plan, he might uncover Derus's true colors in a short time.
'Hoo...'
As Raon was calming his mind by reviewing his plan, Wrath, who had fainted from the rubbery taste of the Nadine bread, barely lifted his eyelids.
Here it comes.
'What?'
The one you've been looking for is here.
Wrath pointed towards the factory with his round hand.
'I didn't sense it.'
He used stealth on a different level from yours. To be honest, I almost missed him too.
Wrath frowned, indicating the man was dangerous.
'Has his power increased?'
Raon furrowed his brow and looked towards the lake. The gathered assassins started entering the lake, making noise on purpose.
'They're drawing attention so Derus can search the factory.'
Seeing the waiting assassins move, it seemed Wrath was right; Derus had already entered the factory.
[Deputy Chief.]
Raon sent an aura message to Denzel, who was hiding nearby.
[It looks like he's here.]
Denzel nodded, understanding the message, and mobilized the Black Market agents near the lake.
Following his orders, the agents ambushed the assassins entering the lake, and a battle ensued.
Raon left the lake to Denzel and continued to focus on the factory.
'I can't let my guard down.'
If he lost track of an enraged Derus, many people could die. He had to remain vigilant.
He calmed his mind by operating the Ring of Fire, focusing his senses. He subtly used aura on his hands and feet, ready to move at any moment.
As he resonated the Ring of Fire slowly, raising his concentration, a man in a black robe appeared in front of the factory.
'What is that?'
He hadn't sensed him at all. No mana flow, no wind. It was as if he had just sprung up from the ground.
'It's him…'
Even just from the silhouette under the robe, he could tell. It was definitely Derus Robert, inspecting the factory.
Raon bit his lip and reached into his dimensional pouch. He prepared the artifacts and signal flares to use the moment Derus moved, swallowing dryly.
But Derus didn't move. He stood there, not even breathing, like a statue.
'What is he...'
Based on his personality seen during the explosion at sea, Derus should have lost his mind, destroying the village and killing all the Black Market agents.
But he didn't move a finger.
'Could he have found my trace?'
No. That couldn't be.
He had confirmed it with Wrath. There were no traces of him left inside.
All that remained were a few sword marks deliberately left to mock him.
'What are you thinking?'
As Raon suppressed his rapidly beating heart, Derus lifted his head towards the sky.
His eyes, filled with a blue glow and red magma-like turbulence, were visible.
'He's coming! For sure... Huh?'
Just as he tightened his grip on the signal flare, Derus disappeared.
'Where did he go? To the lake?'
Raon raised his body, looking towards the lake.
If Derus targeted the people at the lake, they wouldn't last a second. He needed to set off the signal flare to save the Black Market agents.
No need to fire that.
As he was about to launch the flare into the sky, Wrath raised his hand.
He's gone.
'What do you mean?'
That man ran away.
Wrath shook his head, saying Derus had left the area entirely.
'That can't be...'
Raon looked towards the lake. The Shadow assassins were no longer counterattacking, focusing solely on fleeing.
If Derus had been there, the assassins wouldn't be retreating like this. As Wrath said, they were trying to escape because Derus had disappeared.
"Ha…"
Raon couldn't help but exhale aloud.
'That lunatic just left?'
Having seen Derus for decades, he knew.
Though Derus was usually rational, he would fly into a rage, erasing everything around him when something he had prepared for a long time was ruined. It made no sense that he had left without doing anything.
'Could it be that he wasn't angry?'
No, that wasn't it. His eyes had been filled with intense rage.
Correct.
Wrath nodded calmly.
He was furious enough to reach me. But he suppressed it and retreated.
Wrath looked down at the spot where Derus had stood, frowning.
It seems he has grown since our last encounter at the sea. Both in power and mentally.
"Hoo..."
Raon exhaled a turbid breath and sat down on the ground.
'Is there no heaven?'
Hearing that the fiend, who toyed with thousands, no, tens of thousands of lives, had grown stronger made him feel sick. It made him question if there was such a thing as a god in the world.
If you really want to kill him, surrender your body to me. I too despise his actions.
Wrath wiggled his plump hand.
Not only did he steal your food, but he also toyed with lives. I shall kill him personally!
As Wrath wagged his cotton candy tail teasingly, a message appeared before Raon's eyes.
[You have successfully completed a perfect assassination.]
[All your stats increase by 12 points.]
[The rank of the trait
[The rank of the trait
The rewards for assassinating the necromancer and Shadows in the Water Demon Guest factory had finally arrived.
What?
Wrath blinked at the message.
How is this possible? Where else do you get rewarded like this just for being good at assassinations!
He yelled that it was unreasonable. But the messages weren't over yet.
[The target of the trait
[The growth of the spatial sword will accelerate.]
The second message indicated that the target of
Why is this changing now!
'Because I used the spatial sword.'
When Lesia tried to blow up the Water Demon Guests at the end, the technique that forced holy power into their bodies was the spatial sword.
Probably because he had used the spatial sword in a real battle and admired Alice at the time, the target of admiration had changed from Sheryl to Alice.
Raon smacked his lips in satisfaction at the messages.
'This is good for me.'
He had already mastered the dual sword technique shown by Sheryl and only needed to get proficient at it.
If he could quickly learn Alice's spatial sword here, it would greatly help in future battles.
Ugh...
'Thank you, Wrath.'
Raon patted Wrath's back as he stared at the messages, his mouth wide open.
'I might reach him soon, thanks to you.'
Ugh! Shut up and bring me food! Spit out the food I want!
'If I spit it out, you won't be able to taste it.'
I mean eat it!
Demuron Village, located in the southwest of the continent.
A man shrouded in a pitch-black robe like a shadow appeared in front of the middle-sized village, which lived off herbs and fruit farming.
"Who's there!"
"Take off your robe and identify yourself!"
Since it was late, the soldiers guarding the village gate raised their spears atop the fence.
"...Do it."
The robed man muttered in a very low voice without even glancing at the soldiers on the fence.
"What are you saying!"
"I said take off your robe!"
The soldiers, sensing something was wrong, aimed their spears, and another soldier below the fence ran into the village to fetch the martial artists.
"..."
The man in the black robe slowly lifted his head. An eerie flame flickered in his blue eyes, which were so clear they were almost beautiful.
"Ah..."
"Uh..."
The soldiers dropped their spears as soon as they saw the man's eyes. Their minds were dominated by fear. Their bodies were paralyzed, unable to move a finger.
Only then did the robed man's voice echo.
"Think of it as bad luck."
With a voice dripping with dread, the fence turned to dust and vanished, and the bodies of the soldiers atop it crumbled like dry autumn leaves.
Without even a scream, the two soldiers' lives dissolved into the darkness.
"What's happening!"
"Sound the alarm! Intruder!"
Soldiers and martial artists defending the village could be seen running towards the man in the robe, brandishing swords and spears.
Shaaah!
The robed man didn't even reach out his hand; he simply walked. His heavy steps turned the path into a swamp of death, tearing apart the martial artists and soldiers who charged at him, leaving no bones behind.
"Kyaaaah!"
"Ah..."
"W-What is this... Ugh!"
The vigilantes behind the soldiers screamed, watching their bodies melt like snow before they could even shout in terror, dissolving into crimson blood.
"Run away!"
"Get out of the village!"
"Don't look back!"
The villagers realized that the man in the robe was a monster beyond their capabilities and scattered in all directions, shouting to flee.
The robed man didn't chase the fleeing people. He simply walked the blood-stained path towards the center of the village.
Whoooong!
When he reached out to the night sky, a strange resonance enveloped the village.
"If we can just get out of here... Ah."
"W-Wait! Please..."
"Grr..."
The people trying to escape over the wall trembled as their limbs were torn apart as if caught in gears.
Before they could scream in pain and terror, they turned to dust and dissolved.
Boom!
In less than a minute, the village of Demuron, which had stood for over a hundred years, was reduced to dust.
It looked as if an evil god, not a human, had struck down innocent people with divine punishment.
The man in the robe dusted off his hands as if shaking off dirt. Despite killing over a hundred people, his leather gloves were clean, without a single drop of blood.
As an eerie silence settled with no wind, Kubara, wearing a mask and black night clothes, descended.
"There are no pursuers."
Kubara approached the robed man and bowed his head.
"The only traces in the factory were mockeries."
"Hmm..."
The robed man, Derus Robert, turned his icy gaze. Kubara unknowingly shivered.
"He taunted me as if he knew my personality. As if daring me to show my strength."
"..."
Kubara swallowed dryly, unable to meet Derus's eyes. It was just as he said.
The old Derus would have exploded on the spot, erasing the village and slaughtering the Black Market's martial artists hidden nearby.
But instead of falling for the provocation, he had come here to unleash his fury. It was even more terrifying.
"It's not just the Black Market. Someone who knows me is behind them."
Derus lifted his head towards the dark sky, twisting his lips as he glared with eyes as cold as ice.
"Find them. Tear apart the Black Market if you must and find who's behind this."
"...Understood."
Kubara could only utter the one answer he could give.
"Sever all ties between the other factories and the Yuhwa Merchant Guild."
"Why..."
"If the factory in Capoly has been exposed, it's not safe either. Move quickly."
"Yes."
"Finish up and return."
Leaving the cleanup to Kubara and the Shadows, Derus headed alone to the Robert estate.
The chilling atmosphere disappeared as he neared the estate, replaced by a gentle and warm ambiance.
Instead of returning to the mansion, he headed to the small training ground.
The training ground was brightly lit, and his youngest son, Lephon Robert, was sweating as he practiced swordsmanship with the knights who followed him.
"Oh? Father!"
Lephon lowered his sword and ran over as he spotted Derus.
"What's the matter?"
"I forgot something."
Derus smiled softly and snapped his fingers. A blue dimension opened in midair, and an elegant red sword emerged from it.
"I forgot your birthday present. Sorry for the delay."
"Ah, it's nothing..."
Despite his words, Lephon couldn't take his eyes off the red sword.
"You should have at least one proper sword now."
Derus smiled as he handed the red sword to Lephon.
"Thank you!"
Lephon beamed and hugged Derus.
"Yes. Let me hold you as much as I can before you grow bigger."
Derus also smiled brightly and pulled Lephon closer. His gloves were still spotless as he patted his son's back.
After calming his mind, Raon approached Denzel.
"Raon?"
"It's all over."
"What?"
Denzel tilted his head in confusion.
"He's already been here and left."
"When..."
Denzel blinked, not having seen Derus standing in front of the factory.
"He inspected the factory and left. I thought he would explode, but he quietly disappeared."
Raon sighed and lowered his head.
"I'm sorry. The plan failed."
"No, it's fine. No one died, so it's actually a relief."
Denzel waved his hand, telling him not to worry.
"Is this place safe now?"
"Yes. It should be fine."
Raon nodded as he looked at Capoly Village and Bayonne Lake. Considering Derus had left, it seemed unlikely he would extend his influence over this village again.
"Call the villagers back."
"I'm relieved. Finally, I won't have to listen to that village chief's nagging. Good."
Denzel smiled, feeling a sense of relief.
"Thank you for your hard work."
He lightly laughed, thinking of the verbose village chief, Beruric.
"We'll continue to track them based on the information they left. What will you do, Raon?"
"Where are the Light Wind division and Encia Yonan?"
Raon didn't answer immediately but asked back.
"The Light Wind division is returning to Zieghart, and Encia is already at Zieghart."
Denzel, having already investigated, promptly informed him of the locations of the Light Wind division and Encia.
"Then I should return home too."
Raon took a deep breath as he looked north.
Oh!
Wrath, who had been sulking over the rewards, jumped up.
Food! Finally, food! After enduring the horrible taste of Nadine bread, sweet....
'Please, keep the mood...'