Satisfy’s world was bigger than Earth. It was true even if the scale was limited to the West Continent. It usually wasn’t easy to find a hidden person. However, the Overgeared Shadows that absorbed Eclipse were able to pull out anything from all territories. It was possible to even find a needle in the sand. It could be compared to a large metal detector and satellite.
There were few people in the world who could escape from the skills of the Overgeared Shadows, who not only mastered basic tracking techniques of capturing and exploring the path by digging into the target’s appearance, personality, inclination, and background, but also actively utilized Eclipse’s methods of poisoning and chasing soul incense.
Additionally, many kingdoms on the West Continent were favorable to the Overgeared Kingdom. Many kingdoms, and even the empire, assisted in their search. Faker thought that Agnus would soon be found as long as he wasn’t in hell. It was just like Faker expected.
–I’ve found him.
-Wait.
Sound Transmission. It was the system that players called the whisper. Every player enjoyed this system and took it for granted, but NPCs were different. Sound Transmission couldn’t be used unless they had reached a certain level or learned a skill. The Overgeared Shadows had acquired this power. This was a benefit obtained by absorbing Eclipse. They were the most secretive organization on the continent and had the ability to use Sound Transmission.
Faker received the messages from the members and unfolded the map of his destination. It was a map made by Skunk himself. The defense, terrain, buildings, and structures were marked in detail. It was only one piece of paper, but it was a treasure trove of information.
“……”
The complex content was instantly imprinted in Faker’s mind.
The city of Echiran. Faker was able to grasp and recall all the information about small and medium sized cities located in the remote lands of this faraway principality. The city he came to for the first time was as familiar as his homeland. It was the domain of a genius. The darkside of the Overgeared Kingdom was such a presence.
–All leaders, listen up.
Faker led the Shadows Group.
–Begin.
Every time he gave a command, the entrances and exits of Echiran were blocked one by one and the disturbances on the streets subsided. The city’s shadows gathered around a mansion. It was the only building with lights on in the city that had become as silent as a mouse.
–All the exits have been blocked.
–The residents have finished taking refuge.
–The mayor has cleared away the soldiers.
The reason for the rapid operation was due to the mayor’s cooperation with the Overgeared Shadows. The Hemilton principality had chosen a friendly relationship with the Overgeared Kingdom. In other words, the ruler of the principality issued an official document to actively assist the Overgeared Kingdom.
The mayor said he would help even more by lending the support of the army. Faker felt grateful, but he naturally refused. Using an army against Agnus was the worst. The root of Agnus was a necromancer. The longer the battle continued, the stronger his army of corpses would get as their numbers grew. If it was a battlefield with Agnus’ presence, then it was better for no one to be there.
‘It is all just a theory.’
Agnus’ combat style was different from other necromancers. It was the same logic as Grid’s combat style being different from a blacksmith’s combat style. Unlike necromancers who slowly dominated the battlefield through sufficient preparation and procedures, Agnus mostly overwhelmed the battlefield in an instant.
He cut the enemy himself with sword skills comparable to a swordsman ranker, operated the death knights and lich at the same time to show firepower comparable to a magician, and even if he was injured, he could quickly recover or invalidate his death.
He didn’t have the necromancer weakness of ‘being weak at the beginning of the battle.’ The strength of being stronger in the second half was also applied. It was natural because he overcame his limitations with the runes, achievements, titles, and class.
‘I have to bring everything out. It is to the very depths.’
Faker’s eyes sank. The scene in his dark eyes was the mansion of a monster, but it was himself who was staring back at him. It sank deeper and deeper.
He brought out the killing intent that he used to wipe out one of the Seven Guilds alone. He reflected on the former Lantier, who only half developed his skills in order to be a pillar of the empire, and used it as a negative learning material. He repeatedly mulled over the regret of failing to guard the great blacksmith and strengthened his heart by remembering the kingdom that he guarded in the shadows, correcting his spirit.
A talent that could reach the sky. The precious talent that hadn’t been revealed for many years due to his role in protecting the Overgeared Kingdom was born at this moment.
Faker moved the members back and placed his hands on the ground. Then thousands of shadows stretched out toward the mansion. The red bricks and transparent windows were instantly dyed black. The mansion was eroded by shadows. It was already regarded as Faker’s property.
The shadow that eroded the mansion moved like a living creature. Would the mouth of a mythical monster be this big? It bit and swallowed the whole mansion.
‘It is amazing.’
‘He has become stronger in the meantime.’
The Shadow Group wasn’t all NPCs. There were a handful of players who had long accumulated trust and strength in the Overgeared Guild. For them, the assassin ranker, Faker, was an object of awe. They believed that Agnus, who they had no choice but to collide with, and Pauld, the target of the mission, would be swallowed up by the shadows along with the mansion.
Just then, the hemisphere of shadow that had been condensing by swallowing the mansion fluctuated greatly. Someone’s hand stuck out of it. It was a skinny and dry hand that showed the shape of a skeleton. The blood vessels sticking out all over the pale skin was reminiscent of a corpse.
“Scatter.”
The moment Faker gave the brief order, the 300 Shadow members surrounding the mansion disappeared immediately. Of course, they didn’t leave the scene. They hid their appearance inside the shadows and behind natural earth features, but the siege remained solid.
The hand that came out of the shadow suddenly enlarged. It arrived in front of Faker’s nose in the blink of an eye. Faker leaned back to avoid it and raised his foot. A sharp blade emerged from the tip of the boot and pierced the opponent’s abdomen, but the momentum didn’t cease. It was an opponent with high physical resistance.
Faker rotated the foot stuck in the abdomen of the enemy and swung his dagger. He swung the knife several times before pulling back.
Grrr.
The opponent breathed like a beast. There were deep knife marks on his neck and chest, but he didn’t shed a drop of blood. The blood vessels engraved on the pale skin hardened. The smell of the dead was strong. The man with the name ‘Agnus’ Deceased’ above his head once again narrowed the distance. The force of the advance was so powerful that his charge was terrifying. Faker, who was comparable to Grid in terms of speed, barely avoided it.
“I think we need to increase the output of the mechanism even higher.”
“The deceased can’t withstand more than this right now.”
“It is your fault for not making a better one.”
“It is because I didn’t get the right materials.”
The voices of two people were heard. They were Agnus and Pauld. The two men talked lightly as they came through the hemisphere of shadows. Faker’s gaze was fixed on Pauld. He was a little boy, so it seemed that Elizabeth’s report was correct. Faker revealed his business here, “Agnus, in consideration of the danger, I will remove the lich, Pauld. You can cooperate or resist.”
“What right do you have?”
“The right of the strong.”
Agnus was talking with a smile when his eyes widened at this answer. He was briefly flustered by Faker’s confident attitude in openly asserting these unjust rights that deserved criticism.
“As expected of Faker.”
Agnus’ expression brightened. He liked this Faker, who got right to the essence without using righteousness or logic as an excuse.
“However, strength and weakness are relative laws,” Agnus said with a shrug.
Pauld was already moving forward. “Am I that easy? It seems my reputation is lousy in this day and age. It is clear that Braham disparaged my achievements.”
Pauld clicked his tongue like he was offended while Faker quickly observed him. His skin was pale and he looked exactly like a person. He was completely different from the liches Faker had met so far who showed only white bones. His nonchalant expression expressed his confidence. His small body looked terribly weak, but the physical strength of the body was meaningless in front of magic.
‘Are they all his own artifacts?’
There was a necklace, two bracelets, and 10 rings. Pauld was lavishly decorated with accessories. It was hidden by the hem of his pants, but the ankles were probably covered as well. Maybe his hair tie was an artifact as well.
‘He must be stronger than I thought.’
If Elizabeth’s guess was correct, Pauld could manufacture artifacts. Considering that the time Kraugel reported Pauld’s resurrection through Grid was a long time ago, it was likely that most of the accessories that Pauld was equipped with were artifacts made by him. Additionally, Agnus’ deceased was very strong. It was a power beyond the original estimates.
Faker made a quick judgment and wrote on the shadows for the members to see. It was the power of Lantier. He told them to tie up the deceased and added that they shouldn’t force it.
Faker’s figure disappeared. It was so swift that it caused Agnus’ deceased to cock his head as he tried to eat Faker. Faker rose from the shadow under Pauld’s feet and stabbed at Pauld with a dagger. It was where the lich’s core was located. Regardless of the specifications, the target would be forced to suffer a critical injury. At least, generally speaking.
[The target has neutralized the damage.]
The necklace that Pauld was wearing glowed blue. It was a cold light that showed its presence without mixing with the sunlight.
“You became Lantier because your skills are extraordinary. It is like the 25th.”
The 25th Lantier. The only Lantier to become a legend. The time of his activity overlapped with Pauld. Pauld pulled off the necklace that lost its light in exchange for absorbing a large amount of damage and used great magic. There was no aggressiveness. It was a magic that summoned a huge sphere of light. It was as if light magic had been increased hundreds of times in size. For Faker, it was far more deadly than attack magic.
“I have a lot of experience since I was almost killed by the 25th.”
The lich’s infinite magic power caused the sphere of light to expand rapidly, completely clearing all shadows within a radius of 50 meters. The secret movements of the Shadow members were clearly revealed to the deceased and Faker’s Shadow Movement that connected to the ‘nearest shadow’ was temporarily cut off.
Agnus’ deceased roared. He rushed like a beast toward the Shadow members who couldn’t hide and ran wild. The various types and depths of the martial arts he used spoke of his experience with martial arts during his life.
“……!”
Experienced assassins didn’t make sounds. The finest drake leather armor was torn and they died horribly from the piercing attacks of the deceased, but they never groaned. However, the sound of their flesh being crushed and their bones broken echoed eerily on the battlefield.
Faker increased his speed. In every breath he took, he avoided magic and cut at Pauld with his dagger. Yet compared with Pauld, Faker’s health gauge was consumed faster. Pauld wasn’t allowed to use magic. Even without the shadows, Faker was a peak assassin. He created gaps with difficulty against a magician with a superior advantage. It was just that the 10 rings on both of Pauld’s hands emitted a different light every time, stopping and reflecting Faker’s attack. Moreover, the two death knights summoned by Agnus were cooperating to attack Faker.
There was a shriek from the dagger that collided with two swords. This meant that he simultaneously blocked the attacks of the death knights aimed along different trajectories with one movement.
‘It would be great if he became the Sword Saint.’
Faker’s skill at creating countless dark sword rays and completely controlling his speed impressed Agnus. His ability to deal with two named death knights and a lich at the same time was surprising enough to make Agnus’ cold heart fill with enthusiasm.
Pauld lost two rings and his wounds started to increase rapidly because he couldn’t handle the rapidly accumulating damage. Faker’s greatest strength lay not in his speed but his secrecy. The secrecy caused confusion. Pauld had no choice but to compress a shield and spread it thinly over his body. It was because he couldn’t predict where Faker’s attacks would fly from.
‘It is to this extent despite me sealing the shadows?’
‘Now.’
Faker’s expression was indifferent as he blocked the death knight’s sword with the dagger in his right hand for the first time while taking out a new dagger in his left hand hidden behind the cloak that fluttered in the aftermath of the collision. There was no expression, so his heart wasn’t read and his intentions weren’t discovered.
Agnus, the two death knights, and Pauld—Faker’s focus deceived the eyes and senses of the enemies looking at him from all directions. Then it turned into killing intent as he deeply pierced Pauld’s abdomen. Pauld felt nauseous and poured out a huge amount of magic power.
The huge sphere of light floating in the air fragmented and scattered like broken glass and shadows were restored to the area.
The situation of the battle changed.
Agnus’ deceased, who was using his explosive breakthrough dash skills without restriction, faltered for the first time. Based on the way he struggled the moment the Shadows regained their stealth ability, his senses weren’t as developed compared to his high fighting power.
“……”
Agnus was surrounded by a group symbolizing the Overgeared Guild and his expression hardened for the first time. Faker repeated to him, who seemed to be aware of his situation at last, “I am going to get rid of the lich, Pauld.”
The sun was rising. The moment the sun shone on the battlefield, the momentum of Agnus’ deceased and death knights weakened. The inhabitants of the night were bound to be shabby compared to the Overgeared, who ruled day and night without distinction.
Faker wiped the blood flowing from his forehead, absorbed the shadows around him, and condensed it around his dagger. It was a shadow sword that would devour and destroy Pauld. He also hoped he could get rid of the death knights.
“You can try and resist.”
Assassins were short-term decisive weapons. Faker had no intention of dragging out the fight.
