Yodo Barseto (3)
Bares' western outskirts, a remote spot. Men in black suits had gathered there.
"Jackson hyung, what the hell was that guy earlier?"
"No idea. Looked like he was after Hamilton too. Anyway, did you dig up anything on the weapons?"
Jackson took a drag from his cigarette as he spoke.
"Nah. The bastard's tight-lipped as hell. Won't say a word. He's definitely stashed 'em somewhere."
"Hoo... Make him talk. Nail this job, and we might score a corporate sponsor."
"Those Orion pricks who hired us?"
Jackson nodded quietly.
"Yeah. No clue what they're after, but they're desperate. Promised sponsorship if we deliver. With backing like that, we won't even need gigs."
"Damn right. Corporate sponsor means we can ditch the requests."
"Exactly. So get it out of him. That guy might show up—keep watch. Let's head in. Freezing out here."
Jackson stubbed out his cigarette and moved. The thirty men around him followed in unison.
* * *
I learned the skill right away. The one I'd put off: Void Rift.
Void Rift Lv.1
Create a void rift to release weapons.
*20 mana per rift.
*Generated rifts continuously consume mana.
*Higher levels unlock different rift types.
I created a rift. From the description, as long as I had mana, I could make as many as I wanted.
A plan for the attack formed naturally.
"Do you know any spots where they might be?"
I asked the locals who'd been watching them—and me.
"Probably the western hill. Saw a truck parked there."
Maybe because I'd fought the kidnappers, they didn't eye me warily. Thanks to that, I knew their location.
I headed straight there.
* * *
A bizarre building came into view. Two towers like ruins of an old castle, more than half crumbled. But uniquely, stone structures reinforced the broken tops—like two buildings connected by a bridge.
'That's gotta be it.'
A green glow from inside those eerie buildings. Hamilton was definitely there.
'One on the bridge.'
Probably standing guard. I needed to sneak in.
I hurled a dagger at him.
Whoosh!
Thuk!
The dagger, shrouded in black smoke, struck true. Perfect hit—right through his right chest.
Whoosh!
Crunch!
The guy's head tumbled from the bridge, smashing on the ground.
"Wait, hear that just now?"
"Huh? Nah, didn't hear shit."
"No, something fell for sure."
Murmurs from the left tower. I placed two daggers at the tower entrances and approached from the front.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?"
"..."
"Hey, some guy's here!"
"What? For real?"
The tower interior looked spacious. Five guys inside, stairs spiraling up the walls.
To go up, just climb those. First, deal with these punks.
"Hold up. Ain't this the guy hyung mentioned?"
"Yeah... looks like it. But he's empty-handed?"
"Perfect. We were gonna kill him anyway."
One stepped forward aggressively, eyes hungry.
Come closer. Just a bit more...
"Fearless bastard."
He reached the entrance—right where my daggers waited.
"Huh?"
He spotted them. Too late.
I swung my hand.
The daggers pierced his neck from both sides.
Whoosh!
Thuk!
"Gurk!"
Blood from his throat splashed my face.
+150 EXP
Level 7 to 8. These guys were the real deal—higher than the last batch.
No problem, though.
"W-what?! He has weapons?!"
"Bullshit! His hands were empty!"
"Then what the hell was that?!"
"Kill him! Just kill the bastard!"
They charged in a frenzy. I stepped back, striking in sequence.
Swish! Slash!
Slash!
Backing up slowly, I swung my hands. Each time, waiting daggers darted in and out.
They couldn't track them. Even I might not, if not mine. No wielder, no bulk—just tiny daggers floating mid-air. No shadow, no form.
I kept attacking.
Thuk! Thuk! Thuk!
"Guh, gurk!"
"Kaaaaagh!"
Daggers stabbed throats, slashed sides relentlessly, shredded bodies.
Superior attack speed. I was getting the hang of wielding daggers as a Weapon Summoner.
+150 EXP
+160 EXP
......
+150 EXP
All the guys here were done.
* * *
I crossed the bridge, eyeing the building where he was.
'About ten inside.'
I gauged from the weapons' glow.
...This is pretty damn good. Detects weapon grades and enemy positions. Like X-ray vision, kinda.
Creeeak.
I entered after checking. Sparse interior—just a few chairs.
There, men waited with drawn swords.
Whoosh!
Then—a dagger flew at me.
Clang!
But I'd handled these before. I parried with my axe.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The dagger spun back to its owner.
"W-what the fuck are you? You blocked it?!"
The leader emerged.
"H-hyung! He made it this far—he ain't normal!"
"Shut it, punks."
Thud. Thud.
He approached slowly, hand in pocket. Level 8—higher than me. Assassin class.
'Evasion build assassin.'
Whatever the reason, he used my build. But I made it. I knew the weaknesses.
'Then.'
One answer.
His reaction speed would be top-tier for evasion—he'd spot and dodge. So make attacks unpredictable.
"Did Orion put out the request?"
Something to check before fighting. Orion—the corp that experimented on me. And Esperro's villain backbone.
Were these their hires?
"You know a lot, huh. Yeah, Orion wants the weapon that traitor bolted with recovered."
Them, alright. Then.
"...That all?"
I wanted my status. How would they move now? If they knew I escaped, maybe added a bounty on me.
"What else? That's it."
Hm, no moves yet? Or...
'Maybe they'll handle it themselves, not these chumps.'
Either way, it'd take time to track me. Part of why I came to Brockton—to buy time.
"Anyway, you an Awakened? Strength's... weaker than mine. What the hell is this pow—?!"
Whoosh!
Mid-sentence or not—my business was done. No more talk.
I cast Shadow Strike with a dagger.
Kwachak!
But it missed, embedding in the wooden wall. Accuracy aside, his evasion was the issue. He dodged in a flash.
As expected—too tough.
Whoosh!
He counterattacked instantly, dagger flying true like a homing missile.
Ting! Tingting!
I read and blocked as best I could. Five times already. It clung relentlessly.
Dealing with Look On daggers.
'Don't give him openings.'
First, make sure he can't read my attacks. I cast my new Void Rift.
Zhung. Zhung. Zhung.
"...Huh? W-what the hell?"
Rifts split the air. Not one—ten around him.
'Send weapons through those.'
I'd predicted it.
Now, test it.
Shing.
I flung a dagger—not straight, but through a rift.
It emerged from one behind a subordinate.
Whoosh!
Kwachak!
"Kuh, kuak!"
Like teleport. One down.
'...Incredible.'
Attack routes only I knew. No reading them, even staring.
"You... not just a summoner?"
He'd thought simple weapon summoning. But nah.
Not for nothing a cheat class.
"Don't need you knowing."
"Cocky shit...!"
He attacked. Dagger arcing at me.
But...
Whoosh!
Slash!
"Kaaaaagh!"
Before his hit, a rift dagger slashed him.
Slash. Slash.
Daggers poured from rifts everywhere.
Recalled and struck again.
Bwoong-!
Kwachak!
"Kaaaaah!"
Great axe instead. His arm flew off.
No more throwing with that.
"I-impossible... H-hyung..."
Subordinates panicked at their leader's fall.
No mercy for them.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
I hurled weapons wildly. Like painting on canvas—blades whipped through them.
Felt like a real AoE skill.
'Mana drain's heavy, though...'
20 per rift. Already mana-hungry, couldn't spam forever. But this many? Fine.
"Kuh, kuuugh..."
Subs cleared. Just him left.
Time to finish.
Bwoong-!
Kwachak!
+380 EXP
Axe finished him. Huge EXP—leveled up.
"Uh, uuh... D-Damian, why... why here..."
Trembling Hamilton spoke. Yeah, he'd recognize me. Even with changed looks, my abilities gave it away.
I approached and untied him.
"Where's the weapon."
"I-I stashed it elsewhere. I-I'll tell you, just... spare my life..."
Won't crack for them, but meek with me. Probably knows Damian best.
"Lead."
I put Hamilton in front.
Before leaving, I grabbed his dagger. What kind was it?
I checked right away.