Stealthy Footsteps
Stealthy Footsteps.
An ability I inherited from Zaug.
Shall I give it a try?
【Does my Lord not lack a stealth skill?】
“You iron-headed fool. It’s in the gear. The gear.”
The Black Spider Armor.
The armor I’d obtained from the Black Spider Mother came with a built-in skill called Dark Step.
I hadn’t needed to hide since acquiring it, so I’d never used it.
Might as well try it out now.
Dark Step
The user’s presence is suppressed.
The effect of Stealthy Footsteps further enhances the reduction of presence.
“How is it?”
“I can’t see you with my own eyes!”
【Oho. Those with dull senses would likely walk right past my Lord without noticing.】
Hearing it from both of my summons made the reliability shoot way up.
Good.
Then let’s experiment further.
When I emerged from the sunken passage, the support team was busy digging through the boss monster’s remains.
I approached slowly, yet none of them so much as glanced my way.
Hmm.
Were they just too busy to notice, or was the enhanced Dark Step powered by Stealthy Footsteps simply that effective?
This time I picked up the pace a little.
The skill came with the option that moving too quickly would cancel it.
I casually jogged right in front of the support team, and Mijeong let out a startled gasp.
“Hyung? When did you get here?”
“I’ve been here the whole time.”
“I didn’t sense your presence at all.”
So they hadn’t been gritting their teeth and pretending not to notice.
Excellent. Just excellent.
At the D-class hunter level, it had been strengthened to the point of being completely undetectable.
I wondered how well it would work in a C-class gate.
I’d have to test that soon.
“Cleanup’s finished, hyung-nim.”
◈ Category: Miscellaneous
◈ Restriction: Mage
◈ Durability: 47/100
The heart of the mobile weapon Steel Hold. It can be used as a core for magical weapons such as golems or homunculi.
A magical weapon core, huh.
“It’s an extremely rare item, hyung-nim.”
The modifiers were ridiculous.
“Is it really that amazing?”
“Not quite that amazing.”
It was rare, but apparently not used often enough to command an enormous price.
Come on.
Seongsu, aren’t you being a little too blunt?
“Why not hold onto it for now?”
Ingrid added.
“You might encounter a spirit from another world connected to magical engineering, after all.”
Oh.
Good point.
If selling it wouldn’t bring in big money, better to keep it.
“Lucky break.”
Kehehehe!
Ever since meeting Sir Isra, things had been going smoothly.
【I am the very being who brings good fortune.】
“Totems should stay quiet like proper totems.”
【Gah! To treat the Continent’s Greatest Sword as a mere totem!】
【Hehehe. As expected, Great Lord is incredible, sir.】
【Thief. Stop flattering.】
“That’s right. Who’s butting into the seniors’ conversation?”
You two are just as bad at flattering, you know.
【I merely speak words that well up from the heart.】
“This maiden’s loyalty is sincere.”
Yes, yes.
I’m sure it is.
“How was it when I used Dark Step?”
【There was a bit more force in Great Lord’s steps, sir.】
“Hold on. Let me try again.”
Dark Step
【The air is stirring a little, so please walk slowly, sir.】
“Like this?”
【Breathing a bit more slowly would be even better, sir.】
Thanks to the Heavenly Martial Body, my movements corrected themselves exactly as instructed.
This was…
A strangely fascinating feeling.
【My Lord’s presence has diminished further.】
“Really? It’s working?”
【Ahem. Even if I may not look it, I was a thief of some renown across the continent before I died—ah.】
And here I thought you claimed to be an archaeology-related person.
Still.
Zaug’s short lesson proved quite effective.
After the magic skill books, I supposed I ought to purchase some stealth-type ones as well.
Strange.
Why did it feel like my to-do list kept growing?
Ling Shamei, Director-General of the Superhuman General Bureau, set down the teacup in her hand.
“So that is how it turned out.”
—It is my failure.
“There is no need to state the obvious.”
At her ice-cold voice, Jin Shao’s body trembled faintly.
Ling Shamei traced a slow circle over the teacup with her finger.
One hundred billion won in Korean currency, plus the Party’s full support.
She would stake her word on it.
Neither any government nor any major guild could match such terms.
It had to be one of two things.
Either he is confident, or he has no desire to join our great motherland.
Surprisingly.
It was not one or the other—it was both.
The fact that she had drawn close to the truth did not matter to Ling Shamei.
Only the fact that Minho had rejected the carrot extended at the Party level existed.
He knows his own value well.
Ling Shamei believed Minho’s judgment was correct.
He was the next-generation SS-class hunter guaranteed by Jeong Seungil—the only SS-class hunter in their motherland and the Bureau’s highest-priority surveillance target.
His value would not diminish with time.
She was filled with the desire to invest even more aggressively.
However.
The Bureau’s budget is not infinite.
A considerable portion of the external talent recruitment budget had already been spent in the process of bringing in Zheng Xianhao.
They could squeeze additional funds out of a dry rag if they had to.
But it would not be enough to move the heart of Minho, who had already rejected one hundred billion plus the Party’s full support without room for negotiation.
Why does that tiny nation keep producing such outstanding talent?
She was angry.
China had far more superhumans (hunters) in absolute numbers, yet when it came to the ratio of high ranks, Korea was higher.
Not merely higher—several times higher.
She had thought that recruiting Zheng Xianhao would eliminate major variables for a while.
Strength entered the hand holding the teacup.
No.
Now was the time to prepare countermeasures rather than rage.
“How many Turang do we have in Korea?”
—One squad.
“Hmmmmm.”
Ling Shamei cut herself off and leisurely sipped her tea.
Jin Shao, reporting via video call, clenched his teeth hard.
—I will deploy the prepared Turang squad.
“Is that not rather hasty?”
She was not truly asking for an opinion.
Jin Shao felt the phantom edge of a blade against his throat.
A Turang squad had already crossed into Korea to “persuade” Minho.
The first negotiation had failed.
Using additional, somewhat harsher measures was the natural next step.
And yet.
The reason Ling Shamei spoke as if she knew nothing was clear.
—If anything goes wrong, I will take full responsibility.
“The Party knows nothing of this.”
An act carried out solely by Jin Shao’s personal judgment.
That was the official stance of the Superhuman General Bureau—and by extension, the Chinese government.
Ling Shamei was waiting for him to say those words so that she would bear no responsibility.
A poisoned chalice.
Yet.
He had no choice but to take it in hand.
—In exchange, please hand over ten of those elixirs.
He was in no position to be picky about means or methods.
No matter what it took.
He had to “persuade” Minho without fail.
“Very well. The package will arrive within a week.”
—Thank you for placing your trust in me.
“I have no idea what you mean, Second-Class Inspector Jin Shao.”
—It is nothing.
Jin Shao bowed his head deeply.
To vent the anger that had nowhere else to go, he pictured the face of the one who had inflicted this humiliation upon him.
This is your fault, you arrogant bangzi.
Crunch.
Jin Shao ground his teeth.
On a day with no gate-clearing schedule, I carried the delivered packages into the workshop.
【Thief. You put your back into it as well.】
【Leave it to me, Sir Knight!】
Zaug easily lifted loads measured in the hundreds of kilograms.
In pure physical strength, Zaug—possessing an Armed Zombie Warrior—surpassed Sir Isra.
【Great Lord, you seem weaker than I expected, sir?】
【Do you truly think so?】
【Oh dear. I misspoke, sir.】
Thief uncle.
Was he the type to bully the weak and cower before the strong?
I’d have to keep watching.
【Oh my. Dust has piled up terribly, sir.】
“We haven’t used it for a few days.”
Things had been rather busy lately.
I hadn’t had enough time to settle in and research undead properly in the workshop.
【That is not the issue, sir.】
Zaug flung the windows wide open and gripped cleaning tools in both hands.
【This Zaug! Will grind his bones for Great Lord’s health!】
Swish-swish, scrub-scrub.
Something… something was happening.
The workshop was clearly the same place, yet after a little sweeping and wiping with water, it seemed to shine.
Strange.
It felt completely different from when I cleaned.
【To be frank, my Lord never truly cleaned properly.】
Ugh.
That hurt.
“You iron-headed fool. I still organized things in my own way, you know?”
Ingrid’s cover only made my heart ache more.
Even so.
When I first moved in, I had cleaned with proper determination.
I had grunted and sweated for hours.
Yet Zaug moving for about twenty minutes made it look cleaner.
【Whew. Now I can finally breathe, sir.】
【So the thief has a useful talent after all.】
“Maybe cleaning suits him better than stealth or thievery.”
Were my two summons teasing him?
They were probably serious.
I had thought the same thing.
“From now on, cleaning is Zaug’s responsibility.”
【Yahoo! Even if I have to grind this body down, I will clean it spotlessly, sir!】
You don’t have to go that far.
【When I have time, I would also like to organize the workshop once, sir.】
Hmm.
That part bothered me a little.
【Would it not be better to use it cleanly, sir?】
“All of this is arranged to fit my hands in its own way, you know?”
“Master. Honestly, this is a bit much.”
Ingrid, for you to stab me with a dagger!
In the end, the only one I could trust was my first summon and reliable knight.
【Staking one’s life to speak frankly when necessary is also chivalry.】
Eek.
【Honestly, it was rather severe, was it not?】
Sir Isra. Even you!
Sob sob.
There’s not a single one I can trust!
【I will organize it to suit Great Lord’s hands, so please wait, sir.】
“Want any help?”
【Oh my. It would be more helpful if you simply stayed still, sir.】
【Haha. You have learned the proper attitude for serving our Lord.】
“They say there is no high or low among professions, so I’ll recognize you as a summon too.”
【Thank you, my lords!】
After many twists and turns, the cleaning was finished.
At last I could begin work in the workshop.
【Now you will remodel me?!】
“I told you to show your face in my dreams first.”
I desperately wanted to grant Sir a proper body.
Once the synchronization rate reached 99%, the growth in stats would jump dramatically.
Not only that.
Beyond appearance, the senses would grow sharper, allowing fuller use of abilities.
Next time, please come out without the armor.
【Kuuuuugh.】
【Then can I become human like Madam as well, sir?】
“If I know the appearance, it’s worth a try.”
【Uoooooh!!! Great Lord! Please take good care of me too!!】
This fellow had gotten fired up as well.
One thing was certain.
The Armed Zombie Warrior body did not match him well.
Synchronization Rate:53%
Probably because he had been a thief in life.
I would need to make him more agile for him to display his full strength.
That would have to wait a bit.
I had other work to do today.
“What work will you be doing?”
“Today’s work is…….”