Chapter 81
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 81
Chapter Title: Trap
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After getting information on Zmol, the thing that hit me the hardest was complacency.
I needed to change my identity through a far more cautious, meticulous process.
It's not that I hadn't been careful before, but now I had to consider the possibility that a Transcendent far stronger than me might be watching from somewhere I couldn't detect.
A place too distant to observe closely, where tracking movements would be difficult.
For example, deep in the mountains.
The surest way...
'Is for me to create such a space myself.'
Through magic, that is.
I couldn't create such a spell right now, but there was a similar method.
Fully concealing myself using the surrounding natural mana, then changing identities.
That was the best I could do in the current situation.
And from the perspective of complacency, transforming directly into Jackal myself could be a risk factor.
If I hadn't known Zmol was Dragon Rank, it would have been too dangerous to attempt.
Creating a delicate living being with actual blood and flesh, not just bones, would inevitably reveal major awkwardness with my current abilities.
I figured that would only be possible once I could truly wield primal mana.
And recently, I'd learned that when one becomes a Transcendent, it affects the surrounding mana, and other Transcendents can sense those changes.
At my current level, it was impossible to finely tune the mana around a clone.
Why Philip Deran hadn't been detected at the Moonshadow Assembly was still a mystery. All I could guess was it had something to do with the essence of evil.
Next to complacency, what I felt was a drive for improvement.
I'd reached the point where clashes with Transcendents were inevitable. No, we'd already clashed.
To protect my own life, improving my skills was essential.
The fastest way to feel that improvement right now was through magical integration.
Aligning my expanded perception with my physical abilities.
Following the method Anonymous (2) had taught me, I was steadily practicing control over the surrounding natural mana.
Thanks to my trait of not being limited to any single attribute, I could continue this training anywhere, regardless of location.
Through that process, I headed toward the place Jackal had mentioned.
Moonlight Echo. No, the spot where Jackal and Zmol exchanged notes.
The city of Krib, near the capital.
That was where Oz's grandfather, Parovian Eldis, had his military unit stationed.
I'd been there once when Raistel assigned me the tracking mission.
Come to think of it, it all started with that incident.
Vinsen, Philip Deran, even Joart.
Because of it, I'd first asked Anonymous (1) for a favor, and through Philip Deran, I'd gotten entangled with Ard.
'Brings back memories.'
I wouldn't get chased away if I visited the military unit, but the problem was that I was currently in Jackal's form.
Of course, I couldn't act like I knew them.
Instead, I slipped into a sparsely populated alley. A lone tree stood there. As Jackal had instructed, I left the mark on one of its branches.
That way, Zmol would check it and come find Jackal on his own.
Until then, Jackal was supposed to be active in the area.
I didn't know when contact would come, but as long as I followed Jackal's behavioral patterns, it should be fine.
To that end, I'd meticulously learned his movements over the past year. Naturally, I'd also heard about his circumstances. He'd become a Transcendent quite a while ago, he said.
Though he'd hit a wall at Probe Rank and couldn't advance further.
His lifespan was naturally running out.
Yet he looked like a typical muscular middle-aged man...
Well, that's Transcendents for you.
After leaving the mark, I headed to the tavern Jackal frequented.
Even as a Transcendent, it seemed inevitable to mingle in the society of one's original body.
The Covenant made it hard to form communities of only Transcendents.
And yet they couldn't influence anything, so it was natural to feel frustrated living with such immense power suppressed under those constraints.
Many holed up in one place, completely cutting off from the world to pursue higher realms, but in this era where Transcendents were increasing, not everyone could do that.
The Covenant seemed like rigid, outdated shackles, perhaps a trend of the times.
Of course, the ancient hero... no, the great being who commanded him as a subordinate must have had their own reasons.
'Balance between ordinary people and Transcendents is necessary too.'
With Transcendents multiplying now, it might be more crucial than ever to strictly uphold the Covenant...
'A tough issue.'
But Jackal was different.
He seemed to be considered quite a dangerous figure around here.
The serving staff trembled as they brought out drinks and food. That said it all.
Jackal apparently had no intention of hiding his power.
"If the food isn't to your liking..."
"It's fine. Go away."
I waved my hand dismissively and replied indifferently.
"Y-yes, sir..."
This was on the milder side.
Jackal wasn't consistently picky; his mood varied greatly.
Of course, Jackal himself wouldn't have phrased it that way, but objectively speaking, it fit.
Let's say today he was in a good mood.
The Jackal I was imitating had just returned from completing a mission without issue, so it wouldn't be strange if he was pleased.
I wasn't particularly hungry, but to stick to Jackal's patterns, I put food in my mouth.
Same with the drinks.
As I gulped down the beer and set the glass down...
A figure in a robe with the hood pulled low sat across from me.
Even with the hood up, being right in front of me, I could see their face.
A wrinkled old man's face. White beard under the chin.
Zmol.
'This quickly?'
I'd just carved the mark on the branch...
Had he been waiting already?
I'd heard from Jackal that he appeared out of nowhere without warning.
And since Jackal was a martial artist, at this close range, his body should react first.
I didn't show surprise, casually wiping beer foam from my lips with my forearm as I spoke calmly.
"Did you find Garn?"
"How'd the job go?"
Zmol's voice was surprisingly gentle. Like a kindly grandfather dealing with his grandchild.
I'd heard this from Jackal too.
However, ignoring my question to state his own business first was firm and cold, at odds with his tone.
It was natural given his position and power in the organization. It just didn't match the speech.
"Handled it as ordered."
A barrier invisible to ordinary people had already risen around our table. Zmol's doing.
In my position, I was grateful. He'd left traces of his mana for me.
"Who was it?"
"Looked like an ordinary middle-aged man. But he used magic. Earth attribute."
"Anything else?"
"He claimed it was infighting among themselves, so I didn't press and left."
"So he fed you a lie?"
"He must've thought it through. Wasn't planning to let the old man live anyway."
I leaned forward and whispered conspiratorially. I deliberately lowered my voice.
"Rumors say he's definitely a Transcendent. When I threatened him, he wielded mana freely. No need to pursue further?"
This was the odd part when I'd first heard the story from Jackal.
The orders were just to kill the lumberjack and clean up, with no sign of deeper interest in pursuing Bill's movements.
Even probing subtly, Zmol's expression didn't change. Jackal had said he wasn't one to get easily excited.
"That's far enough. You have other work."
"...What work?"
"I'm gathering all the kids."
"..."
The "kids" Zmol mentioned meant Moonlight Echo's members.
"...Suddenly?"
"I'll just say something worth it came up. It's for your benefit too. Round up the kids."
"Why not do it yourself..."
"I have other business."
"Related to Garn?"
I pressed on without hesitation. Jackal had said he often asked questions after missions, so it wasn't suspicious.
At that moment, Zmol's calm expression slowly darkened. A faint sigh escaped his lips.
"Lost Cedric, and Garn... is dead."
As expected, Zmol had figured out Garn was dead.
I couldn't clean up every trace of the battle and the blood Garn had spilled while fleeing.
And this time too, Zmol had missed Cedric.
My 'Bill' disguise wasn't far, but since I hadn't left mana traces there, unless he'd witnessed it himself, it was natural he wouldn't detect it.
"Hard to believe. To fight and vanish so cleanly... Anyway, I'll tell you the rendezvous points with the others. One month from now."
"...Why a whole month?"
"Can't let Cedric slip away like this; I plan to dig deeper this time. Of course, this'll be my last shot too."
"Last?"
"...I'll explain later."
Zmol placed a rolled-up parchment from inside his robe on the table and stood.
He'd said he'd give rendezvous spots, so it likely contained locations for contacting the others.
In other words, I now had a direct line to every member of Moonlight Echo.
But separately, as I watched Zmol leave, I fell into thought.
Why suddenly gather everyone?
In Jackal's movements over the past year, nothing like this had happened. And given he barely interacted with the others, it probably hadn't before either.
From Zmol's perspective... he was currently cut off from his superiors.
Roselin's assassination had failed, and it had only drawn pursuers on his trail.
He'd even missed Cedric.
Everything was going wrong.
But he didn't seem likely to act rashly on something big; since losing contact with the higher-ups, he'd been notably passive.
Leaving Lina alone. Not handling Roselin personally.
Zmol was clearly wary of the Covenant.
And yet, gathering all his subordinates...
'Planning to go completely into hiding?'
In that context, telling Jackal to drop the matter and not dig deeper made sense.
Chasing Cedric one last time. Saying gathering them was for the members' sake.
I'd been given one month.
And the rendezvous points for all of Moonlight Echo.
'Moonlight Echo's members aren't that important.'
Without Zmol as their center, it was questionable if they'd even form a group.
What mattered most to me was Zmol.
The one who'd dug into Cedric longer than anyone, while knowing something about the hero.
A being connected to the forces of evil. Though I assumed contact was cut off now, that was actually fortunate for me. In simple terms, I could extract the core without interference.
'Can't let him hide.'