An unpleasant cracking sound echoed from the dark alley.
A knight slid down, his head crushed.
Malrok, the vice-captain of the Golden Lion Knights, swallowed dryly.
Had a minute even passed since they encountered that woman?
Five knights had already lost their lives.
Tap. Tap.
Malrok sent a signal behind his back.
Just because they were knights who valued honor didn't mean they always insisted on a frontal confrontation.
The reputation of the Golden Lion Knights of the Metia Kingdom came solely from clean, efficient work.
They would do whatever it took to achieve their objective.
*Ssshh.*
In response to the signal, a knight who had melted into the shadows appeared behind the woman.
A dagger silently thrust toward the back of her neck.
Malrok clenched his fist.
Just over a centimeter to go. This time, she absolutely couldn't dodge—*CLANG!!*
"!?"
What happened?
The woman hadn't even reacted.
The dagger should have pierced her neck, but it was deflected.
As if there was an invisible iron wall.
A smile curled at the corner of the woman's lips.
"I've heard a lot lately that knights aren't what they used to be, but even so, this is a bit much."
Feeling a terrifying killing intent, the knight tried to melt back into the shadows.
Or rather, he tried to.
Before he could fully disappear, a fist swung down from above.
Blood gushed from the shadow that had opened from that single blow.
"Is it because the entire kingdom is a trash can?"
*THUD!*
The woman stomped the ground and extended her leg.
The moment her heel touched, the knight's upper body exploded, armor and all.
It was an unbelievable sight.
Just how strong did you have to be to reduce steel armor that could deflect an axe to that state?
*CRACK.*
The woman, having snapped the knight's neck, looked at Malrok.
"You're the only one left. I told you to listen. You just spilled blood for nothing, not even a warm-up. I don't particularly enjoy taking lives, you know."
"You talk as if you've already won."
Golden mana surged from Malrok's body.
The mana slowly took the shape of a lion, emitting a rough, wild energy.
"Oh...? This might actually be a decent warm-up."
At the same time, both of them stomped the ground and swung their fists and sword.
*KWAANG!!!*
A violent shockwave erupted, shattering the alleyway.
The two intertwined flashes of light embroidered the settling darkness.
At a glance, it seemed like a close match.
But...
*GRIT!*
Malrok, who was directly clashing with her, was slowly realizing something.
That he had touched something he shouldn't have. That this wasn't just a difference in skill, but a monster on a completely different weight class.
Unlike Malrok, who was drenched in sweat, the woman's breathing wasn't even disturbed.
That's how much leeway she had.
For someone else, this was a life-or-death battle.
'Why won't it break through...!'
He couldn't understand it.
The woman's martial arts weren't perfect.
Under normal circumstances, he should have landed a dozen effective blows by now.
But the woman's body was pristine.
Completely flawless, without even a small scratch.
"...Tsk."
The woman, who had been fighting for a while, stepped back.
She had wanted to enjoy it a bit more, but it didn't seem possible.
"Haaah... haah."
Malrok, barely catching his breath, spoke.
"Who... are you?"
"I don't feel like telling my name to someone like you, who has neither honor nor strength. Instead, I'll tell you the epithet people call me by."
*SWISH!*
"!!"
The woman appeared right in front of Malrok's nose and curled her lips.
"The Pathfinder. I'm the one who creates paths and guides others."
Her outstretched hand pierced Malrok's heart.
*SPURT!*
Without further delay, the Pathfinder pulled her hand out and looked toward Jinhyuk's lodging.
"Let's leave quickly. I don't want the path I've created to go astray."
The Pathfinder, not a single drop of blood on her, lifted the eyepatch she was wearing.
An energy emanated from it, seeping into the corpses of the Golden Lion Knights and the destroyed alley.
In an instant, the corpses vanished from sight, and the shattered alley was restored as if nothing had happened.
"Then, I pray you continue walking without stumbling."
*Ssshh.*
The Pathfinder, leaving those final words, disappeared.
Not long after, Jinhyuk poked his head into the alley.
'What is this?'
Frowning, Jinhyuk entered and examined the alley.
He had sensed several presences before entering the lodging.
One of them was Malrok of the Golden Lion Knights, whom he had seen on the hill.
The intention was obvious, so he had pretended not to notice and waited quietly.
He planned to beat them thoroughly if they came into the lodging.
But then, the presences suddenly vanished.
Completely cleanly, as if they had evaporated.
'Is it air or something?'
He rubbed his chin for a moment in the alley, which showed no traces at all.
Feeling a strange sense of dissonance, he bent down.
Then he ran his hand over the floor and walls.
It was too clean.
Even though it was an outskirt alley rarely visited by people, so it was natural for it to be unmanaged.
[Spirit Eye]
It's not clear, but I can see something.
"Carmella."
*Whoooosh.*
Carmella walked through the smoke in the darkness, like a scene from a movie.
Before he could even ask for anything, Carmella scanned the surroundings and spoke.
"Eleven. That's the number of people who died here. However, it's a bit peculiar."
Carmella swept the air once more and continued.
"The more recently a soul has died, the clearer its density. But this is too faint. As if someone forcibly erased the traces. Moreover."
Carmella took out one of her treasures, the Vajra, called the Unbreakable Truth and Wisdom.
A golden dharma tool emerged from it and spread out in all directions.
After checking the dharma tool, Carmella smiled.
"A barrier was set up, separating the alley from the outside. From the outside, no sound or presence would have been felt."
*Ssshh.*
Carmella put away the dharma tool and turned her head toward me.
"Master. It seems something serious is involved."
"You can't tell who it is?"
"At the very least, it's not an ordinary human. Only those with considerable experience use barriers of this kind. They must have a very long lifespan."
"Longer than Elia?"
"I don't know about that. The comparison is too extreme."
"True."
I nodded and looked around.
A face crossed my mind, but I put it aside for now.
If they want something from me, they'll reveal their true colors when the time is right.
Besides, for now, it was definitely helpful.
They did the annoying cleanup I would have had to do.
I mentally cheered 'Nice' and then spoke.
"Carmella, since you're here, let's have some tea."
"That's a good idea. I didn't want to go all the way back to the forest anyway."
"Let's go when the sun comes up tomorrow."
"Alright. By the way, I don't see Satan."
"He got kidnapped."
"Whoever they are, I'd like to offer a prayer of blessing for them."
"What's that?"
"It's a ritual to wish for good things to happen."
"Oh..."
I thought she was going to curse the bastards who kidnapped Prick-Ears Kancho, but it was the complete opposite.
As I walked, I turned my eyes toward the royal palace.
The palace was still standing safely, not yet reduced to ashes.
Since Kancho hadn't unsummoned himself, it proved he was carrying out his reconnaissance mission well.
I gave a thumbs-up to the Yodel Ranger, who was probably still bustling around.
Kancho, fighting!
* * *
Metia Royal Palace, Princess Yuria von Lanvier's room.
*Prick!*
Yodel Ranger Vice-Captain Kancho's eyes snapped open.
He listened to Yuria's soft breathing.
'She's completely asleep!'
He quietly got up and got off the bed.
Why is the kidnapped guy here?
Well, I don't know either.
Yuria, who had been forced by Kasim while he was just sitting still, dragged him all the way here.
'If they thought I would fall asleep in enemy territory, they're sorely mistaken.'
He raised his hand and wiped the drool marks around his mouth.
He just dozed off for a bit, he didn't actually sleep. Absolutely not.
[Stealth] [Covert Movement]
Activating his innate traits and skills, he squeezed his body through the pet door under the main door.
It was the only gap among the entrances connected to this room that wasn't detected.
'Doggy A, whoever you are, nice one.'
He silently thanked the dog Yuria used to have.
*Swoosh!*
He skillfully began searching along the wall.
Kasim was asleep in the chair right in front of Yuria's door.
He wanted to leave an octopus leg on his lap for him to eat when he woke up, but that wasn't possible.
He was currently carrying out the search operation ordered by the Commander-in-Chief.
Following the makeshift map he had taken out of his pocket, he went down the stairs.
After looking around for a while, Kancho wrinkled his nose.
Even if it was a detached palace, it was strangely empty of people.
If she was a princess, she should be a high-ranking person, but the only one who could be called a guard was Kasim.
Even if he was strong, it was unnatural.
'Continue the mission!'
He shook his head to clear his thoughts and continued following the map.
The place Jinhyuk had marked on the detached palace wasn't too far.
*Patter.*
How long had he walked along the side path?
A massive wall, which he had seen on the makeshift map, appeared.
A wall that surrounded the area in a square shape, completely blocking the view inward.
For some reason, bizarre patterns were drawn all over the wall.
*Prick!*
For something like that, the security was ridiculously lax.
Not a single detection device, not even a trace of small mana could be felt.
*Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!*
After finishing his final check, Kancho climbed the wall.
There were no entrances since all sides were blocked, but it didn't matter.
Any space is bound to have a small gap for ventilation.
'Found it!'
He squeezed his body into a small ventilation shaft.
'Eh?'
Was it because he had been enjoying Moya-ji and fine dining too much lately? It was a bit tight.
He managed to squeeze through and dropped down.
After landing perfectly, Kancho looked around.
It was a forest with beautiful flowering trees.
Kancho closed his eyes and focused his sense of smell.
Basically, he could smell the fragrance of flowers.
But something was mixed in.
Something heterogeneous that didn't suit this lush forest at all.
He quickly realized what it was.
Corruption.
It was a smell he had gotten sick of before coming to Metia.
And for some reason.
Very, very faintly, it was mixed in.
It was the smell of the hero Leon Mortere, whom he had met on the 28th and 29th floors of the Mythical Tower.
'He was here! The Hammer Hero!'
Prick-Ears showed a rapid movement.
The Commander-in-Chief would surely be delighted to know.
Jinhyuk wanted to find his friend Leon before the corruption.
'Advancing!'
Just as he was about to follow the scent again.
A slender arm appeared from the vines behind Kancho.
And it silently reached out.
Toward the body of Yodel Ranger Kancho.
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T/N:
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