71st Episode: Striving for Strength
The first thing we decided to do was to find the whereabouts of the ‘Red-haired Vagabond.’
Three resets of the return points — in my opinion, these are the breakthroughs we’ve been looking for.
Of course, even the past versions of “me” would have realized this much. But at the same time, they must have given up.
“It takes too much time, and the risks are too great.”
I deeply regret not pulling up the stats of that vagabond straight away. If I had, it would have been much easier to find them.
I thought about leaving a message for the next life using the Box of the Dead, but since there is a time gap between realizing the regression and opening the box, it’s probably not feasible.
In any case, the past is the past. Right now, I need to think of ways to survive — or rather, how to die as little as possible.
“Actually, if I think about the leisurely amount of time I have, running away immediately would give me the highest chance of survival.”
I don’t even know why I am dying. There is no clear way to deal with it, and I don’t even have time to investigate.
The obvious solution in that case is to run as far away as possible. That would be the optimal judgment.
However… that’s only if I want to survive. I’m different now.
I have no reason to rush, since I don’t have the intention of surviving.
“My day today will never end.”
If that’s the case, I need to make the most use of this endless day.
If nothing else, I must end this monotonous cycle of death and rebirth.
“Alright. You came just at the right time.”
This had led me to the slums, a cluster of ramshackle houses where vagrants gather.
Rectangular homes, made of rough wooden panels, were crammed together like Tetris blocks in the damp alleys.
In front of them, shabbily dressed vagrants were huddled together.
“Their settlement is remarkably organized.”
I honestly didn’t expect such a large slum community here.
Although the city of Kern appears bright on the surface, I can now see it is rotting from within. With the Demon King appearing at random times, causing famine and displacing people, this kind of chaos is to be expected.
“……”
“……”
Han’s piercing gaze was met by tens of pairs of watchful eyes.
Everywhere, there was a tense atmosphere as strangers were being guarded against. Some huddled together and whispered, while others hastily moved away.
As I stared back at each cautious pair of eyes, I subconsciously whispered a phrase in my head.
“The Eye of Mimir, activate.”
It’s fortunate they’re all grouped together. This way, I won’t have to search the alleys individually.
It would be great if the red-haired vagabond were here. The one I once playfully patted on the shoulder.
While thinking this, I quickly browsed the rapidly appearing stat windows.
[Name: Sara Hanson]
[Nickname: None]
[LV. 21]
[Name: Jin-Yu]
[Nickname: Kern’s Rogue]
[LV. 8]
[Name: Iman Levante]
[Nickname: None]
[LV. 11]
“There’s no one particularly noticeable.”
What drew my attention was not the level or name fields but the “Nickname” section.
With “Mimir’s Eye,” the ‘Nickname’ section displays their title or commonly used aliases, rather than their given names. People without anything unique in this category wouldn’t leave a mark.
The red-haired vagabond must have been someone with a distinctive nickname, relevant to my death.
Just as Jermy Balkin had the title “Apostle of Cassas.”
“Hmm? What’s this?”
I couldn’t help but smirk when something unexpected happened.
In the midst of an unremarkable search, I stumbled upon a striking nickname belonging to an ordinary-looking old man.
[Name: Hik Toshiro]
[Nickname: Kern’s Night Master, Information Broker, Master of the Kern Assembly, Isaac Tyson, Warrior]
[Level: 122]
[Vitality: 1140/1540 Magic Power: 630/630 Condition: Mild hunger, Aging]
[Strength: 125 Agility: 188 Intelligence: 76]
“Kern’s Night Master.”
The ‘Information Broker,’ the supposed head of the organization known as the ‘Kern Assembly.’
The last nickname, ‘Isaac Tyson,’ seemed like an alias. He probably uses that name under official circumstances.
So, this is it. The trail of information I’ve been chasing, though it’s not exactly where I thought it would be, is now leading somewhere.
“He doesn’t look particularly intimidating as an old man, does he?”
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. This old saying is definitely true.
Of course, the rules in a fantasy world dictate that an elderly recluse in a back-alley information office must be a hidden master.
“As the Night Master, you must know something.”
I immediately stopped scanning at that point. And I walked towards the old man, Hick, who was wrapped in rough cloth and seemingly ready to rest.
Had my footsteps gotten too close? Hick slowly opened his eyes.
His deeply lined gaze calmly scanned over me.
“Young man, do you need something from this old man? I’ve no money, so please have mercy…”
With a feeble motion, Hick crouched down in front of me, trembling his hands and bowing repeatedly. His demeanor was humiliating to the point that it evoked pity.
But of course, I just let out a sarcastic chuckle. Then, I slowly leaned down to whisper into the old man’s ear.
“Nice act you’ve got there, Mr. Hick of the Kern Assembly.”
“!!!!”
“Did you need the lead actor of the year award to become the Night Master of Kern?”
Hick sharply raised his head, his eyes wide and filled with an intense gaze.
His mouth slowly opened, and a hoarse voice, broken by pauses, came out.
“Ho, ho… How…”
“That’s none of your business. I just have something brief to discuss. Is that alright? It will be fine, I assure you.”
“…”
“Let’s go. Somewhere more private.”
Hick, the old man, still wore a bewildered expression.
However, befitting the head of an information syndicate, he quickly regained his composure. Rising slowly, he subtly gestured with his eyes before walking first into the secluded shadows of the alley.
“Great. Let’s get started.”
After giving a hearty smile, I quietly began following behind the old man.
*
“Is it still far, sir?”
“…”
How long had we walked through the dark, winding back alleys of Kern?
I kept urging the old man to hurry, to which Hick would occasionally glance at me and shake his head in response.
But as this kept happening, I couldn’t help but feel a creeping chill down my neck.
“Hmph. This feels like a trap.”
After all, his true identity had been exposed; it would be naive to think he’d welcome me with open arms. Most likely, they want to capture or kill me.
Sure enough, my premonition of danger soon turned into reality.
“… You followed this far without suspicion. You’re either stupid or overly confident.”
“What do you mean?”
“Or, is this rather a testament to your skills?”
Suddenly, Hick’s voice filled with deadly intent and vigor.
Just as Hick turned around to face me, swish — several dark figures stepped out from the surroundings.
They were fully cloaked in black robes, their faces hidden behind masks. Judging by the situation, they appeared to be Hick’s personal bodyguards.
[Name: Hans]
[Nickname: Top Assassin of the Kern Assembly, Expert]
[Level: 95]
[Health: 980/980 Magic Power: 320/320 Condition: Normal]
[Strength: 88 Agility: 139 Intelligence: 30]
“An assassin? Guess that makes you his cousin.”
Just for a test, I scanned the guy on the far left — sure enough, he was on Hick’s side.
With ease, I unsheathed the twin blades from my waist. A chiming metallic ring sounded, and the masked men’s murderous aura intensified.
“Hm?”
As we maintained the tense standoff, one of the assassins reached into his robes, pulling out and quickly tearing a scroll.
Suddenly, a beam of light shot out. It rushed toward me, then returned to them, creating a translucent panel.
“What is this?!”
Before I could even react, the light passed through my body, generating a panel before returning to them.
I gingerly touched my abdomen, feeling no pain. Was it not an attack?
As I tried to make sense of the unexpected event:
“Haha. So you’re just some amateur who skipped the test?”
“Indeed, thoughtlessly challenging Master in front of the chairman, huh?”
“Ha! Today, we’ll teach you the true level of the Kern Assembly. Heh heh!”
Their eyes gleamed with mockery, and their glances toward me turned into outright disrespect.
From their behavior, I inferred what had just happened.
“That scroll must have been for checking ranks.”
It seemed the light that passed through me displayed my information on some kind of panel.
While it didn’t reveal exact stats, it was likely only capable of showing my evaluated rank from an aptitude test.
Otherwise, these lackeys wouldn’t dare mock me with such arrogance.
“Alright. Let me see what level you’re at.”
Hopefully, it won’t be as bad as some clichéd sports manga that makes me want to die.
I drew both swords from my waist and instantly deployed fourteen ethereal blades into the air.
Zap zap! The blue magical blades danced gracefully, extending like wings. The assassins’ brows twitched at the sight.
“Hm?”
An “Hm?” full of meaning.
Something seems off. But usually, by the time you feel that way, it’s often already too late.
“Seven Sword Pierce. Double Style.”
I swung my hands simultaneously, and the vibrating magical blades sprang forward as if waiting for the cue.
Swishhh! The air was torn apart as the magical blades shot forward in all directions.
“Damn it! Get out of the way!”
Before the assassins, Hick shouted and swiftly moved out of the way.
The assassins realized what was happening moments later, quickly leaping off the alley walls to dodge the incoming blades.
“Ugh!”
But avoiding fourteen magical blades in such a narrow alley was no easy feat. When the blades swept through the area, two assassins fell to the ground with screams.
“Gun! Charlie! Formation Number 3!”
The remaining assassins were momentarily shocked, but only for an instant.
The assassin in front shouted. In unison, two assassins waiting in the background disappeared as if melting into the shadows.
I observed them calmly and smirked slightly.
“You do that shadow trick too, huh? Well, I know a thing or two about it myself.”
I immediately activated my stealth skill.
Fwoosh! Black mist swirled as my form blended into the shadows. In the dim alley, I would appear to them like a flickering ghost.
“Melt.”
Taking advantage of their confusion, I immediately used my skill.
For a brief moment, the scene wavered. When I came to my senses, I was already behind one of the assassins.
With a swift motion, I drove Espada into him. With a wet, sickening sound, the blade cleanly cut through his body like slicing tofu.
“Kgh… Hah… Kuh!”
The sensation of stabbing someone alive reached my fingertips. The feeling of tearing through organs, the trembling muscles, the flowing blood, the fading signs of life — it was all so vivid.
This was the first time I had pierced a living person.
At that moment, an overwhelming nausea surged up from deep within my chest.
“…I mustn’t falter!!”
While struggling to suppress the rising gag reflex, I took some comfort in the fact that I still felt resistance toward killing someone.
I remembered Luci’s warning left in Halsenberg and did not let my resolve falter.
“…I’m kind of busy right now.”
Swish! As I pulled out the sword, blood spurted out like a fountain.
Covered in the blood, I spoke, unwilling to halt even for a moment, just to maintain the facade.
“If you come at me now, I’ll show no mercy. Just so you know.”
That last line sounded like something out of a cliché manga protagonist. But hey, it felt cool.
Caught up in the moment of self-absorption, I slowly advanced toward them.
Whiiirrr! Behind me, fourteen new magical blades reformed, swirling in the air.
