Finding the Culprit
"Kwaaaah..."
"......"
"Kwaaaahhh... Hmnya..."
Inside the Iron Bars of Reverse Law that Lea had conjured. Husk glared at Lea, who was sleeping peacefully within the cage. The bars looked small even compared to Lea in her little girl form, but when you pictured her massive dragon body, they seemed the size of an ant. Which meant slipping out wouldn't be too obvious.
"She really seems asleep..."
Husk cautiously tapped the bars.
Clang!Clang!
The sound was pretty loud, but the laid-back dragon just kept snoozing.
Magic won't work.
Not even his hidden skill, Designated Return—or something as basic as Fireball. It looked like being inside these bars suppressed all magic. A huge setback for a mage like Husk, but he wasn't giving up.
"Fuck. If I get out of here, it's total life-changer..."
While trapped, Husk inspected the legendary weapons, armor, and accessories he'd stolen, one by one. Over 95% had restrictions that made them unusable right now, but they were game-changers all the same. Without this anti-magic cage, he could've smashed the nest to bits and strolled out. Hell, he could've soloed the Ogre Lord that had players stumped without breaking a sweat.
If only I could get out.
Clang clang!
But for a magicless mage, all he could do was tap the bars.
"Can't even log out..."
Husk was still technically mid-theft. Logging out now would count as a fail, costing him every stolen item. Worse, he'd just respawn right back here anyway. No point losing his gear and staying trapped.
Husk ground his teeth.
Fifty years? No fucking way!
This was basically a permaban. Making an alt meant grinding the hellish "Second Life" quest—way harder than most hidden quests, several times over. Even if someone handed it to him for free, Husk had zero intention of quitting.
"All the work I put into this character."
Ranking 7th. Hidden pieces galore. His whole body decked in unique gear. And most importantly, he had about fifty guildmates who trusted and followed him.
Quit and start over?
"No way. Absolutely not."
His guild wasn't friends hanging out—it was pure merit-based recruiting on skill and specs. No way they'd stick with a broke guildmaster. Even if he lost most of the stolen loot, he vowed to smuggle out at least one or two pieces.
Screeech...!
"Grraaah...!"
Clang!
"Damn it!"
After struggling to widen the bars for a while, Husk hurled his blue sword in frustration. The blade emanated an otherworldly aura—a one-shot beast against the Ogre Lord for any swordsman. To Husk, though? Just a big, sturdy stick. And the bars? Whatever legendary metal they were made of wouldn't even dent.
"Kwaaaahhh...!"
"!!"
Whoosh!
Husk hurriedly stashed the sword and checked on Lea.
"Cookies... Haring..."
"...Sleep-talking, huh."
"Nya... Yum..."
While Lea dreamed of munching cookies, Husk confirmed she was out cold and picked up the sword again.
Screech.Screech.
The bars held firm.
Ask the guild? Nah, no way they'd come.
The rumors had probably spread far and wide by now. Husk caught by a dragon, slapped with an unprecedented fifty-year sentence. The longest player ban on record was six months—Husk got fifty years. Even as guildmaster, he doubted anyone would bother rescuing him. They'd probably just be trash-talking.
"Idiot pissed off the dragon for nothing."
"Hope we don't get perma'd next."
Like his own Designated Return flop, no one would come near Red Mountain.
"...Shit."
Any way out...?
"Ah."
Husk's eyes lit up with an idea. He quickly opened his status window. Magic was blocked, but chat still worked.
[Husk: Hey. Help me out.]
[Husk: Before I spill everything.]
"She looks so happy."
"Lea loves her sleep, after all."
"Maybe we were bugging her too much lately..."
While Lea snoozed away, the nest clearing was peaceful. The players continued their training without a care.
Haring couldn't use her golem anymore, but the crisis was over, so she just kept at her forum scrolling and mana circulation practice.
How much time passed like that?
Tap tap.
"What?"
"Can we talk privately?"
"? Sure thing."
Someone tapped Haring's shoulder. It was Yongba. Haring followed him to a spot a bit away from the main clearing. It might look awkward, but not everyone was huddled together anyway, so it didn't stand out. The three rejects were off at the edge.
"What's up?"
"You know how the incomplete mana circulation method leaked on the forums, right?"
"Yeah."
The incident where the method—only for passers—got leaked. It wasn't the real deal, just overheard from afar, but it still bugged Haring.
I worked hard for that.
Uploading it like candy. Sure, it boosted the gallery and posts, but still.
Haring glanced at the three rejects.
"One of those three, huh. So what?"
"Doesn't it seem off?"
"?"
"No matter how lazy Lea looks, she wouldn't get breached this easily. We had that close call months ago, too."
"True..."
Haring agreed—it was fishy. Sure, she looked like a lazy little girl at max sloth level, but a dragon was a dragon. No way she'd leave her treasure vault wide open. She'd blocked two attempts already, and only Lea and nest players knew that. The mountain spirit's old post and experience alone wouldn't cut it for entry.
"Someone leaked internal info?"
"That's my guess."
"It was too planned. Even decoys to draw attention."
"Plenty of suspicion, but... hard to tell Lea without proof. We don't even know who."
"Can't just boot all three."
One of the rejects was almost certainly guilty. The mana leak, now Husk's theft—internal leak confirmed. But anonymous drops made pinpointing tough.
"Could be one of the escapees?"
"Unlikely. The last one left nearly a month ago. Timing doesn't match for spilling nest secrets."
"Hmm..."
"Asked the other passers. No one knows."
"Honestly, no clue here either..."
Haring shook her head wearily. Brain teasers like this? Total nope. Just mana training and sword swings, please.
"What's your take? Spit it out."
"...I'm stuck here too."
Yongba was just as frustrated. He was an ordinary gamer office drone, not some detective. Just a dragon and mafia game fanboy. Without grilling suspects, this was his limit.
"We'll watch for now. Second time already—bound to slip up soon."
"Got it."
"Cool."
Yongba and Haring returned to their spots. Players still doing their thing. Haring pondered, then sat near the three rejects instead of her usual place. They huddled due to reject status, but didn't seem super tight. Less nest time than passers.
They just hanging together?
One was active on the gallery. Haring figured maybe not him...
Leaking internal info?
Mana method maybe, but harming Lea and nest folks? Nah.
Could be wrong.
"Huuuuh..."
Haring half-closed her eyes, breathing steady. The three practiced their half-assed mana circulation. Pass, and they'd get the real deal—but they'd barely filled a quarter of the nest protrusions.
One stared into space, got pissed, and stood up.
"Ugh, seriously..."
"What?"
"Nah. Don't mind me."
Where's he going?