Chapter 24

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 24

Chapter Title: Inquisitor

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My vision flipped.

The projectiles aimed at my body pierced straight through the afterimage and flew off into the distance.

Thanks to my enhanced dynamic vision, the scene played out in slow motion.

At the same time, my body swiftly shifted behind the rat that had been lurking in hiding.

In the shadowed depths of the forest.

Right at the bastard's back.

'Gotcha now, you little shit!'

There was no hesitation.

The moment the guy whipped his head around in panic at my sudden vanishing act, I slammed down the Wraithblade gripped in reverse.

Kaang! Kagagak—

"......?"

A metallic clang erupted.

It wasn't the feel of slicing flesh.

An unpleasant rebound shot up my wrist, like I'd struck solid steel.

Eerie armor fashioned from bone.

It carved a long gash, but for an ambush, the wound was far too shallow.

And peeking through the shattered armor—red skin.

'Red skin?'

Only one thing came to mind with that coloration.

The Hailons I'd buried back in stage 1-1.

'Same race as those bastards?'

But there was no time for musing.

"Krk?!"

A muffled groan burst out.

Its signature tough hide ripped open, dark red blood gushing from within.

The rat staggered for just an instant.

'Unique power boosted, plus another magic-grade amp today—and that's the best I can do? What the hell is this thing made of?'

But the enemy seemed every bit as stunned as I was.

Breaching its defenses in a single blow must've hit hard.

I could see its pupils quaking like an earthquake had struck.

The bastard yanked out a dagger in a frantic counterattack.

Kaang! Chaeng!

Several clashes rang out in quick succession.

Its dagger bounced harmlessly off my blade each time.

I dominated in raw power and speed.

Horror flooded the bastard's trembling eyes.

The instant prey and hunter swapped roles for good.

"......!"

Then.

The bastard's form suddenly blurred, melting into the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠forest shadows.

No doubt about it—a stealth skill.

'Not on my watch!'

Letting it slip away would be a nightmare.

I kicked off the ground to give chase—

"Heek?!"

From the direction it'd fled, a familiar scream echoed from behind the bushes.

It was Yuriel.

The one who'd run off to lure the boss's summoned corpse soldiers had ended up right in its escape path.

"Yuriel! Grab that bastard!"

Yuriel's face drained of color the instant her eyes locked with the assassin's.

She froze solid at the sight of it.

"Tch."

The bastard raised its dagger at her, like swatting a pest.

"What're you doing, you moron!"

I bellowed, accelerating toward them—

Pabababang!

"......!?"

Yuriel's hand blurred into invisibility.

Desperate thrashing to survive?

Or carrying out my order from our Blood Oath?

Or...

Blood drained from Yuriel's entire body in a rush.

At the same instant, the arrow left the string and morphed into black thorny vines that engulfed the rat.

Pook! Kwaddduk!

"Kuhhek?!"

Five—no, six rapid shots.

An unbelievable spectacle.

The hide that had shrugged off over half my slashes tore like wet paper before the blooming black thorns.

That hidden option had triggered big time.

Amplified by the bastard's sky-high karma, no doubt.

Nothing else explained it.

"Kuaaaak!"

The bastard's body was skewered by black thorns, pinned midair.

Absolute restraint.

Thus, the rat that had ambushed me slowly crumpled, bleeding from every inch.

Situation cleared.

"......!?"

Wobble. Yuriel staggered like a puppet with severed strings after her skill barrage.

She'd pushed too far—stamina already tapped out.

And from behind, the boss's horde of corpse soldiers charged her way.

"M-Mas... ter......"

As she toppled—

Thwuk!

I rocketed forward like a bullet, scooping her waist with one arm.

Light as a feather.

"Snap out of it."

"Ah......"

I tucked her under my arm and kicked off.

One target.

The hidden boss still rampaging like a lunatic: the Dullahan Lord.

"Graaaargh!"

The boss caught up late, roaring as it swung its greatsword.

Air-ripping pressure.

Ferocious power that'd kill on a graze.

Normally, never take it head-on.

Dozens of game tries, always folded to add interruptions and boss AoE chains.

But now? Different story.

Adds scattered, patterns mapped.

"Grit your teeth. Unless you want it bitten off."

I planted a foot on the greatsword's side mid-swing and vaulted skyward.

Defying gravity.

Instantly above its head—in the blind spot.

The massive maw embedded in its chest.

Red core inside glared balefully.

T hailonming was everything.

"Game over, chunky."

I loaded my full falling weight into the drop.

Yuriel's mass added—like a meteor strike.

The Wraithblade plunged into its core.

-Pakak!

A crisp rupture, and the core shattered at last.

Kugugung!

The Dullahan Lord's colossal frame crumbled.

Dust billowed as I landed lightly.

Several blinding pillars of light erupted simultaneously.

Not just me—the whole party's levels shot up.

Light exploded from Yuriel in my arms.

Her drained stamina refilled in a flash; color returned to her ashen face.

"Ugh......"

I set her down gently.

She stared up blankly, still piecing it together.

Couldn't quite believe she'd nailed the fleeing rat herself.

"Good job."

I tapped her head casually.

"Thanks to you, no escape."

"Ah...!"

Yuriel's eyes trembled.

Tears welled up.

Not terror this time—pure elation swelling within.

Far off, Lee Seo-ah and Park Yumin gawked at us.

The boss's massive wreckage, me and the elf atop it.

The summoned corpse soldiers had all vanished with the boss's death. Lucky break.

Everyone pulled their weight.

Wanted to say more, but this would do.

"Solid work."

A moment to catch our breath.

"......?"

Stamina missing, and out of nowhere—'Sense'?

Unique grade, no less.

'What perfect timing.'

Unease overrode joy.

Like the system watched my ambush and lobbed this with a 'Need it?'

Right on cue.

But no refusing.

Felt the sting during that sneak attack.

How vital sensing unseen foes was.

Chose 3 on instinct.

In that instant, the world transformed.

Forest winds whispering, distant leaves falling—even Yuriel's heartbeat beside me rang crystal clear.

"Um... Master......"

Yuriel called timidly.

Her face was odd—troubled, flustered.

"What?"

"Th-there... something weird appeared......"

She pointed into thin air.

Invisible to me, but her words drew a dry chuckle.

Her menu had [Sense Up (Unique)] too.

'Huh? Why synced?'

Checked with Park Yumin and Lee Seo-ah—normal options only, sadly.

'Sense... Elf racial thing?'

We're linked by the Blood Oath Stone.

Racial traits shared via that bond?

Or system party-balancing?

'Damn, brainache.'

Shelve the unanswerables.

Too green on this world still.

Shook it off, turned.

Loot first.

"Yuriel, grab the boss drops over there. I'll check this side."

"Yes! Right away!"

She bolted off, ready to dive into fire on my word.

I headed to the assassin skewered by black thorns in the woods.

Up close, a gruesome mess.

Still, decent haul: [Vicious Poison Dagger (Magic)] for assassinations, stealth-effect [Shadow Cloak (Rare)], and a Karma Crystal.

"Hm? This?"

Last, from its chest—a parchment scrawled in what looked like blood-red ink.

'No way.'

That paper from the prior Hailon kill?

Ancient Hailon tome?

Checked the info, hoping for the rest—

Nope.

"This......"

Still gibberish like before, but the gist was clear from the layout.

Wanted poster.

"......Ha."

Dry laugh escaped.

A wanted poster.

Those tanky bastards. Pissed for real.

'But how?'

Didn't add up.

I wiped 'em clean. No witnesses, no survivors.

How'd they peg me and slap out a warrant?

No solo answers.

Good thing—handy translator nearby.

"Hey! Yuriel! All picked up? Get over here."

"Y-Yes! Coming!"

Yuriel hustled back, arms full of boss loot.

Ignored it, thrust the bloody parchment at her chin-first.

"Read."

"Huh? This... Gasp!"

Her hand spasmed holding it.

Pupils shrank to pinpricks, terror flooding in.

"Th-this... [Blood Tracking Order]......"

"What's it mean? Why the freakout?"

"H-High priests issue directly to Hailon Inquisitors... execution warrants......"

Inquisitors. Heretic hunters.

Name screamed fanatic.

Lips quivering, Yuriel pressed on.

"Meant for... tracking escaped slaves like us Sogran... or Hailon-defying traitors... to torture gruesomely and kill... their hunting dogs......"

She clenched the parchment, head bowed.

"Probably... because I ran......"

Thinks it's hers.

Scary inquisitors crossing dimensions for one slave.

"So, what's it say?"

Prodded her.

Target confirmation needed.

"Ah... R-Right......"

Shaky voice traced the red script.

But after a line or two, her face twisted—baffled, then shocked.

"Uh...?"

"What? Spill."

"T-The target... isn't me."

Yuriel looked up slowly, eyes on me.

"Target: 'The one who bathed in the blood of kin, Han Yujin'... Master."

"......What?"

My name from her lips.

Chills raced down my spine.

Really zeroed in on me?

"Hold up. How'd they get my name? Killed 'em all."

"It's... Hailons resonate spirits among themselves."

"Resonate?"

"Yes. Usually need closeness to sense wills, but... death or mortal wound... unleashes a massive wave to every Hailon."

Yuriel gulped, forging ahead.

"High priests especially... feel the death-pain, grudge... even last sights vividly, from what I hear."

"......Heh."

Ridiculous.

So my kills beamed my face and name live to them?

No CCTV, but soul WiFi doxxed me.

'Did I even say my name there?'

"High priests used that memory... to command inquisitors' revenge."

1-1 kills' grudge as GPS, dragging these rabid hounds my way.

Explanation clicked mostly, but gaps lingered.

'Annoying even dead.'

I smirked, crumpled the poster, chucked it into the woods.

Them crashing random stages meant some system hack or loophole.

Name via that, maybe.

This one? Just the scout.

'More coming like sausage links?'

Ha! Afraid?

Nah. Anticipation building.

They hunt me—but to me, self-delivering treasure goblins.

I gripped the fresh Karma Crystal.

Bigger, bloodier aura than the last.

"This'll be fun. Bring it."

Tossed the wad into the brush.

"Come get some. I'll grind every last one to paste."