The Deceptive Scholar's True Face

Vulcan quickly stashed the book away amid the sudden commotion. He'd worried that something might happen the moment he touched it, but since he'd met the entry conditions, nothing unusual occurred.

"Hainel?"

Rushing back to the temple entrance, he spotted an odd sight. Standing outside the temple was none other than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Hainel himself. For some reason—whether the old man had done ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something or the structures had simply crumbled after enduring centuries—the goblin buildings he'd seen before entering lay mostly in ruins.

"You really did it! Excellent!"

"Did you perhaps use magic?"

Vulcan eyed the devastation and the agitated Hainel with a puzzled tone. He'd pegged the man as a mere knowledgeable archaeologist-type NPC, but now he wondered if the sage possessed power enough to raze a goblin village.

"No. The moment I arrived here, they all came tumbling down."

But Hainel denied it. He claimed he'd done nothing, that the buildings had collapsed on their own. It wasn't an impossible story. This place, virtually sealed away for ages, was so fragile that even weathered bones and gear would scatter like ash at a mere touch. A heavy stomp might trigger a collapse like an earthquake. That was why Vulcan had tread carefully through the village.

"Did you find anything inside?"

"You mean this?"

As if the ruins didn't matter, Hainel immediately asked about the item from the temple. When Vulcan pulled out the red book, the sage's face lit up, and he strode forward eagerly.

"That's it! Hand it over."

Did he already know about the red book? Hainel sounded thrilled, like a man possessed, but he couldn't approach Vulcan beyond a certain distance. Likely due to the sorcery barrier around the temple.

"You need this?"

Vulcan wore a strange expression at the intense reaction. He'd already checked the book's name and details, so he tilted his head at the confirmation that this was what Hainel sought.

"Yes. That's the item I've been searching for."

"Are you sure this is it?"

"I said yes!"

Even after double-checking, Hainel's firm denial of any mistake made Vulcan nod. With a smile of understanding, he replied.

"No can do."

"What trickery is this!"

Hainel's face twisted in fury as the book vanished back into Vulcan's inventory. But protected by the barrier, Vulcan was untouchable, so the sage could only raise his voice a notch.

"Heh! You gotta let me finish. I'm not giving it for free. You offered 300 gold just to interpret the stele, right? I found your precious item—surely the reward's more than that?"

Vulcan flashed a sly grin. Wasn't it obvious? 300 gold for mere stele translation, and now he'd gone beyond investigation to retrieve the actual item—surely that warranted a higher payout. Sure, it might ding affinity or reputation a bit, but Vulcan wasn't one to toss away a chance for at least double the original reward.

With his perfect ability to decipher script Hainel couldn't read, the sage couldn't easily cast him aside anyway.

"How much do you want?"

"Name your price."

"What?"

"Hey, I'm not some villain holding you hostage for cash. Just show some appreciation for my efforts."

He'd demanded money outright, and Hainel's expression shifted. Better this way—straightforward. Though annoyed, the sage regained composure and rummaged in his robes.

"Take it! With these trinkets, it should come to at least 1,000 gold. If it's short, we'll settle up outside."

"Aw, no need for all this!"

Vulcan's mouth gaped wide as the hefty, clinking coin pouch dropped. He sauntered over casually and scooped it up. A quick peek confirmed the contents, then he drew the red book from his inventory.

"Come closer. Can't go to you 'cause of the sorcery."

"Of course! Delivery service is standard these days!"

Pretending to hand it over, Vulcan kicked off the ground and soared, slashing fiercely at Hainel with his sword.

Claaang!!!

"What are you doing?!"

But Vulcan's strike fizzled. The berserker's greatsword, poised to cleave the sage's skull, was blocked by something solid and heavy.

"As expected!"

He hadn't been fully certain, so he'd pulled back at the last second—but it was still a blow that would've severed any ordinary arm or limb. The berserker's greatsword outclassed local monsters and NPCs by leagues.

Yet it was effortlessly parried, without a scratch on the foe. As anticipated, Vulcan rebounded swiftly, narrowly dodging a follow-up that could've crushed his skull had he hesitated.

"Nice tail strength—why chase this anyway?!"

"You damned human, daring to toy with me?!"

What blocked the sword? A tail. A long, thick tail covered in glossy black-green scales lashed out from behind, repelling the blade. No mistaking it now—this wasn't human.

Vulcan tossed the book back into his inventory and regripped his sword two-handed. Even with his herculean strength, the impact numbed his hands.

"When did you figure it out?"

Sssslither...

With Vulcan's hostility clear and his disguise partially exposed, the foe dropped the Hainel act. Shedding the old man's form and tearing off his robes, it began transforming into a massive serpent—like the monster from the temple murals.

"Idiot. How's that natural collapse? Look at the fall directions and debris patterns."

Vulcan had suspected since the creature's arrival. Not just the collapses, but their direction and wreckage screamed deliberate impact—not natural decay. Claiming innocence despite clear evidence of collision or shock? Unavoidable suspicion. Even a confession would've raised flags; a scholar like Hainel would've preserved the site for goblin research.

A serpent, huh? That explains it.

That aside, he'd spotted a notification en route to the entrance.

The barrier around the temple reacted violently to its arrival. Could be an unauthorized intruder, but Dragon Eye caught the murals vibrating in fury. Imbued with some warding magic, the goblins' souls in the paintings revealed malice toward this entity—linking it to the mural's tale. That, plus a veteran gamer's instincts toward "Hainel," sealed it.

Was Hainel never here? Or did it kill him and impersonate?

Fragmentary clues didn't reveal all, but one thing was certain: this was an enemy to fight. Rage at potentially missing the book—and relief at securing payment first—sharpened his senses.

But can I win?

Dodging its schemes didn't make it easy prey. Normally, hunting this would've been near-impossible.

There must be ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠another way...

Level 164. Nearly 100 levels above Vulcan. His freakish stats and gear power were insane, but this gap was brutal. His Lv 150 berserker greatsword worked via Item Master, but output was halved. Same for Lv 200 defense—hardly an edge. No proper attack skills either; most item options didn't apply. He tensed for reconnaissance. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Such an absurd fight meant a solution existed.

"Whoa?!"

The alert popped up right on cue, startling Vulcan. He barely rolled away from a tail smash, ducking behind rubble to check the new quest.

"A real Main Scenario Quest?"

Linked to the prior one? No—that was still the "Heretic Interrogation" quest. This was a fresh cycle entirely.

"Two at once...?"

Handling one was tough enough—now two simultaneously? Main scenarios had multiple starts and routes, but receiving two at once? Unheard of. Known starts were plentiful, but opposing paths blocked or deleted the other. Consensus: one per player.

Yet "Heretic Interrogation" remained. He could do both.

"Double the rewards?!"

"Hiiiiss—!"

Whoosh—Boom!!!

Two brutal quests meant skyrocketing difficulty, but Vulcan grinned ear-to-ear. Infamous for sadism, main scenarios paid huge. No reason not to smile.

Dodging the serpent's tail toward his hideout, he charged like a madman, seeking an opening for a full-power slash.

"Ugh!"

Clang!!

Just sparks and numb hands. His current attack power couldn't pierce those scales.

"If you won't hand it over, I'll kill you and take it!!"

Blessing of Might? Strike of Judgment? As Uros lunged to devour him, Vulcan pondered briefly—but dismissed it. Skills might not land, and holy ones drained life instead. No guarantee Uros wouldn't chunk 30%+ HP. Botch it, and he'd drop dead.

"Sorry, not into being eaten!"

He vaulted toward the temple, evading the maw.

"Come out, coward!"

Safety in the barrier—the temple reacted to Uros, who hesitated to charge.

Just need to uncover the plan.

Not mere flight. He'd grasped the quest's intent instantly. No death penalty meant expect to die. Escape via respawn, report intel for the next step.

How to learn it? He had a hunch.

"Info must be hidden here somewhere."

Fighting Uros was impossible. It wouldn't spill willingly. Other sources—like murals—held clues.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

"?!"

The temple shook anew. Despite the barrier, enraged Uros battered it relentlessly.

The quest updated simultaneously. In 10 minutes, the barrier would shatter, and Uros would invade—urging Vulcan to haste.