〈 Chapter 22 〉 Night’s Shadow

*

‘This is a real mess.’

That was my thought as I was tossed aside along with the sword.

The next moment, I hit the ground with a heavy thud.

“Cough!”

It hurt like hell.

Using Absolute Obedience to suppress the pain, I lifted my head and realized I had flown a considerable distance from that guy.

‘Feels like something’s broken…’

I rubbed my aching back.

Thinking about it, this was probably the worst I’d ever been hurt.

If I had to pinpoint it, maybe it was when I had an accident back in reality.

I had been quite lucky until now.

‘Is my luck running out?’

If I mess up this time, I could really die.

Absolute Obedience, Swordsmanship (B+), and relics all meant nothing.

One good hit from that guy, and it’s game over.

‘This isn’t even a difficulty B quest, is it?’

It was right at that moment that a notification popped up.

[Quest [Bandit Group Extermination] has evolved into [Rampaging Chaos Beast Extermination] due to meeting specific conditions.]

[Rampaging Chaos Beast Extermination]

The leader of the bandit group has been corrupted by chaos and transformed into a chaos beast. If he goes completely berserk, others in the area may be at risk. Eliminate him.

Danger Level: A

Reward: 60 SP

The danger level skyrocketed in an instant.

Thanks to that, the reward increased as well, but I didn’t have the luxury to care about that.

Danger level A meant that the chances of failure were now far higher than success.

‘Should I run away?’

If the danger level is A, escaping isn’t a bad option.

No, any decent player would definitely bail.

‘What should I do?’

I pondered while looking at that guy thrashing about from a distance.

What mattered now was whether I could beat him.

Outside the barrier, where just breathing can be perilous. Winning seemed more important than the potential failure.

‘The mutated parts right now are his enlarged right arm and the tentacle-like left arm.’

The face and lower body were distorted too, but it seemed like the arms had undergone the most transformation.

So it looked like I only had to be cautious of the arms for now.

‘Especially that tentacle-like left arm.’

Unlike a regular arm, it was flexible, allowing for unpredictable attacks.

Who knows how far it could stretch.

‘Guess I just have to hit him and see what happens?’

I pulled out something that looked like a smoke bomb from a fallen bandit’s corpse.

I didn’t know the exact mechanics, but I just had to throw it on the ground for it to explode, right?

If things go south, I was planning to use this and run.

‘Relic Gravitas Replicant.’

I minimized the weight of my sword.

Then I got into a running stance.

I was aiming for a surprise attack to take him out in one blow.

‘Now!’

He was writhing in pain, seemingly oblivious to me.

I dashed towards him with my sword raised.

‘Die!’

Just as he entered my sword’s range.

His previously writhing movements suddenly changed.

His tentacle-like left arm shot toward me in an instant.

“Ugh!”

I instinctively released the weight of my sword.

This caused my center of gravity to twist, and my body bent.

Thanks to that, I managed to dodge the attack.

But the follow-up strike came right after.

Bam!

His fist slammed into the ground.

The ground shook violently, almost making me lose my balance, but I managed to hold on thanks to the heavy sword embedded in the ground.

However, I became completely vulnerable to the next attack.

The impact to my side sent me flying again.

Fortunately, this time I landed without hitting the ground hard.

That didn’t mean I was completely unscathed, though.

‘Maybe running away would have been wiser?’

In fact, it wasn’t too late even now.

I could just blow up this orb and run for it.

Just as I was hesitating…

Something caught my eye.

*

A dark and smelly alley.

Through the narrow gap, a bright sky was visible.

‘This place…’

Such a bright sky could only be seen in the Leim Kingdom.

The land where the sun never sets, the Leim Kingdom.

At the same time, it was also his homeland.

‘Is this a childhood memory?’

At that moment, he heard voices of people around him.

“Those types are naturally thieves.”

“Once a thief, always a thief.”

He didn’t think he was a thief from the start.

So when did he become one?

He couldn’t remember.

Was it when he secretly sold his little brother’s treasured doll?

When he stole bread because he was starving?

Or was it when he pocketed the change from the shop he worked at just moments before?

The only thing he was sure of was that he was already a thief now.

“Hah…”

He forced a smile, but it only made a sound like the wind whistling through a gap.

Maybe his ribs were broken.

It felt a bit harsh to pay the price for a few coins.

“What the hell.”

What were a few coins anyway?

He couldn’t even say anything to the nobles who took gold and silver from the common people.

While giving freely to the heroes, food and shelter.

Yet he was the one cursed.

‘…’

He actually knew the reason.

It was because he was weak.

He knew he could do nothing.

Which is why they ignored him.

‘If only I could get stronger…’

However, he also knew that it was a futile thought.

To grow his body, he first needed to eat well.

To learn swordsmanship, he had to hire a teacher.

Whatever he wanted to do, money was a prerequisite.

But after feeding his brother, he had no money left.

‘Is there a way to steal power?’

If he could skip money and take power itself?

But such a method…

“Just a little dagger. What’s so expensive about this?”

Suddenly, he spotted two men clandestinely conversing in a corner of the alley.

“No, sir. This is a 3-star relic, Night’s Shadow, smuggled from Sakh.”

“Enough. Whether it’s 3-star or not, I need a bigger and more impressive weapon. I don’t need a little dagger suitable for some girl.”

“However, with this sword, you can hide in the darkness.”

“Are you telling me to hide somewhere?”

“That’s…”

The trader stopped listening and left.

Left alone, the remaining man muttered in frustration.

“I thought a noble young master wouldn’t understand the ways of the world. Guess I was wrong. Someone like this has nowhere to sell it.”

As he passed through the alley, his foot suddenly caught on something.

“Ugh!”

Turning his head, he saw the boy he had ignored, mistaking him for a corpse.

He was just lying still, but it seemed he was alive.

‘Crap, he didn’t overhear our deal, did he?’

He thought it wouldn’t matter, assuming the kid knew nothing anyway.

Or so he thought.

“You…!”

The boy was now holding a dagger.

“Stop right there!”

Ignoring the shout from behind, he desperately ran away.

Finally, he could grasp what power felt like.

After that, things went smoothly.

He learned how to use the relic and rampaged through the back alleys of Leim Kingdom like it was his backyard.

He snatched what he wanted and smashed what annoyed him.

But it was only a matter of time before his identity was exposed.

The reason was that he killed someone.

The cursed doctor killed his brother during surgery, and when he killed the doctor, it turned out he was a respected figure.

His identity was quickly discovered through the doctor’s medical records, and he became a wanted criminal in the kingdom.

Once he became a wanted criminal, there was nowhere left for him in the barrier.

Thus, he stepped outside the barrier.

Having lost his brother, there wasn’t really a reason to live.

But he had no reason to die either, and being a thief came naturally to him.

Equipped with a 3-star relic and decent skills, the life of a thief suited him well.

However, having no goal felt rather dull.

So after contemplating, he set a goal.

He would buy a status from Sakh and return inside the barrier.

But…

(What are you going to do once you get back?)

‘Good question.’

He never thought about it.

(Are you going to steal again? It seems that’s the only thing you can do. Or are you going to kill someone again? I heard contract killings in Sakh’s back alleys are quite frequent.)

‘…’

(What’s the problem? You know you haven’t done anything wrong, right?)

‘What?’

It was an unexpected statement.

He hadn’t done anything wrong?

(Think about it. Who really did wrong? No matter how much money you earn, those noble bastards take it away in taxes.)

That was right. Even if he followed the legal path, after taxes, it was hard to make a living.

That’s why he started stealing.

(And about that damn doctor. That bastard came drunk to perform surgery on your brother. It’s clear who did wrong.)

The doctor had taken his brother from him first.

So all he did was take the bastard’s life in return.

(Did the world ever give you anything? It only takes away from you.)

Indeed, it made him angry.

‘So what do you want me to do?’

(What am I saying? I’ll give you “power.” You just have to take everything from the world.)

Power…

Yeah. The state he was in now was ultimately due to a lack of power.

‘Okay, give me power.’

Thus, he became a Chaos Beast.

With his grotesquely swollen right arm and the tentacle-like appendage that sprang from his empty left arm.

It was impossible to maintain any semblance of sanity.

But that was fine.

He had become strong enough, and his instincts screamed to take everything.

He liked that instinct.

“Die!”

He swung his grotesquely transformed arms wildly, attacking the figure before him.

Who it was, he no longer remembered.

It just annoyed him that someone existed in front of him.

The boy, struck by the tentacles, fell to the ground.

He rolled on the floor but managed to stand up again.

Not strong, but surprisingly resilient.

As that thought crossed his mind, the boy suddenly pulled out a black orb.

‘What’s that?’

He thought he recognized it.

But the memory escaped him.

When the orb shattered and black particles began to spread around, he finally identified its nature.

‘Is he running away?’

He stretched his tentacle toward where the boy had been hiding in the dark.

But the boy was no longer there.

At that moment, he felt a presence right next to him.

‘When did he get so close?’

Although he felt fast before, he couldn’t help but be startled again.

However, sneaking up in the dark was merely a trick.

No matter how dark it was, being this close should reveal at least some silhouette.

Just as he turned to pursue the one who moved behind him…

‘Huh?’

He couldn’t see him.

The boy had completely vanished.

‘Where did he go…!’

Just as he was about to turn back to his original spot, something emerged from the darkness.

The boy’s figure became visible.

The relic in the boy’s hands was already descending upon his head.

‘That’s!’

Only then did he see the dagger that was lodged between the boy’s teeth.

It was the relic, Night’s Shadow, that he had once used.

‘So I’m going to die by my own sword, huh?’

No, to be precise, it wasn’t even technically his sword.

He had stolen it from someone else.

In a way, it was an appropriate end for a thief.

The boy’s relic cleaved him in two with its immense weight.

*

[Quest [Rampaging Chaos Beast Extermination] cleared!]

Reward: 60 SP

I did it.

It wasn’t an easy battle, but I succeeded in taking him down.

I took some injuries, but since I wouldn’t have to earn SP for a while, it was okay.

Essentially…

5. Stigma

SP: 260

Now that I have enough SP to learn [Precocious (Minor)], I need to work on raising the proficiency of [Swordsmanship] and [Wind’s Power] through training before capturing the Demon King.

‘Learning [Precocious (Minor)].’

With that, one more entry was added to my traits.

4. Traits

[Absolute Obedience]
[Precocious (Minor)]

I inspected the effects of [Precocious (Minor)].

[Precocious (Minor)]

The growth rate of the body slightly slows down. Lifespan decreases slightly as well. However, the proficiency of skills increases at a somewhat faster rate.

([Precocious (Minor)] cannot be nullified using the Rose Sword.)

The effects were just as I remembered them.

As a reference, [Precocious (Major)] completely halts growth and instead states that proficiency increases at an “extremely fast” rate.

The difference between “somewhat faster” and “extremely fast” was significant, but I was grateful for “somewhat faster.”

Moreover, I received not only SP but also unexpected rewards.

I activated my feelings toward the dagger in my hand.

[Relic Night’s Shadow]

Type: Weapon

Form: Dagger

Relic Grade: 2-star

Description: A dagger excavated from the Chaos Realm near Sakh. Named Night’s Shadow due to its dark blade that blends into the darkness. It completely camouflages the user in dark spaces up to a certain level. The duration of the camouflage varies depending on how dark the area is.

I already knew this relic.

I just was aware that it could be acquired in the Leim Kingdom a few years ago, but I didn’t know I could find it here.

‘Well, it’s good nonetheless.’

It’s a pretty useful relic among the 2-stars.

Of course, it requires various conditions, but depending on how I use it, it could provide 3-star efficiency just like Relic Gravitas Replicant.

I satisfiedly placed Night’s Shadow into my inventory.

‘So now, all that’s left is to catch the 71st Demon King?’

If I succeed in capturing him, it might open up the chance for my second inheritance.

‘It’s come down to the wire, hasn’t it?’

There are only about two weeks left until he arrives.

It’s time to prepare diligently.

*