Chapter 23

Another flaming spear flew through the air.

It was a light purple flame.

Cedric reached out and caught the flame with his hands.

Crash!

He clenched his fist and tore the flame apart.

He blocked the attack effortlessly.

"That was a very good attack, Young Master. However, you are still far from reaching me."

Cedric grabbed Kane out of the air and slammed him down.

Kane fell roughly, but a smile spread across his face.

"Too bad. I almost touched your clothes."

This was the first time Kane had used spear techniques since becoming 'Kane'.

As Kane, he had worried that spear techniques wouldn't suit this body, but his concerns were unfounded.

It felt like wearing perfectly tailored clothes.

Of course, it was still awkward compared to when he used the skill [Blood Dance].

"With a little more practice, I think I'll manage."

"Then, may I borrow this spear for a while?"

"Of course. You are worthy of using a spear, Young Master."

Kane bowed slightly and turned away.

As soon as he completed his task, he disappeared somewhere.

The direction he headed was towards the lodgings of the Holy Sword Knights.

"Commander, what was that?"

"How did the Young Master use Fire Skills?"

"Commander, you know, right?"

The knights were dying of curiosity.

At first, they watched the Young Master wield the spear with interest, but when he summoned the flame spear, they were shocked.

No matter how talented one might be, they could only use a single elemental rune.

But!

The Young Master used the fire Rune.

And, that too a Young Master of the Rehinar Family, which is known for its water Rune.

"I don't know anything about it."

"Then why aren't you surprised, Commander?"

"I am surprised."

"That expression?"

"Yes. My heart is pounding so much I can't calm down."

Cedric's face remained unchanged.

No expression at all.

If his eyes had widened, they might have thought he was surprised, but even that didn't happen.

Yet he was truly surprised.

Not because of the fire Rune, but because of Kane's spear technique.

'That was the spear technique used by Hatzfeld's shadow. How is this possible?'

There was an invisible shadow within the Hatzfeld Kingdom.

A figure shrouded in mystery.

No one knew if the shadow was the Hatzfeld king himself.

Or his right hand.

No one knew.

The only thing known was the shadow's spear technique.

'The spear technique is used by the figure who appears whenever the Hatzfeld royal family is threatened.'

'Did he find that spear technique in the family library too?'

Cedric had no doubts about Kane's identity.

He believed there was no way a Beginner 3rd Class Knight could deceive him.

If Kane said he learned it from a book, then it must be from a book.

Cedric believed him straightforwardly once again.

Without addressing the knights' curiosity, Cedric started walking somewhere.

"Commander, where are you going? You need to tell us before you leave!"

"I'm going to the library for a bit."

Cedric was under a great misconception.

He believed an incredible book was hidden in the family's library.

****

"I have a report!"

Rick, Theo's subordinate who had gone out to the territory to gather information, returned to the quarters allotted to them.

His voice was urgent.

Theo sensed something unusual.

"Is it bad news?"

"It seems that Rivan has gone missing in the hidden territory."

"The demon forest near Rehinar, 'The Forest of Deadly Poisons'" Rick said the news with a serious tone.

"What!?"

Theo sprang up from his seat.

The hidden territory near Rehinar was an Infamous demon forest, with strong mutated monsters corrupted with demonic energy.

"Why would he go there?"

"Word has it that he went to find a gift for Lady Sara."

"That fuc*ing idiot!"

Theo cursed.

Such was an absurd reason.

Even if it was to find a gift for the woman he liked, entering a hidden territory was madness.

"How long has it been?"

"They say it's been a few days."

Bang!

Theo slammed his hand on a cheap-looking table.

"Rivan might be in danger, so what is Rehinar doing?"

"We should go and find him right away."

"Of course. Prepare to head to the hidden territory immediately!"

The Holy Sword Knights armed themselves and left the lodgings.

"Before we go, I need to address this matter."

Since they had a bone to pick, it was time to take it up.

Just as they were about to leave, Kane appeared heading towards them.

"Perfect timing."

Theo walked briskly towards Kane.

"Young Master, did you know?"

"Know what?"

"About Rivan."

"Oh, that stupid idiot?"

"Watch your mouth."

Theo snapped.

It seemed the Young Master of a declining family still didn't understand his position.

"He went into the hidden territory to get my sister a gift. Isn't that idiotic? No matter how much he desires the 'Crystal of the Tree', this is just foolish."

"What did you just say?"

"I said he went to get my sister a gift."

"I meant after that. Did you just say 'Crystal of the Tree'?"

Rick, who had been listening nearby, asked again.

"So, Rivan went to the hidden territory to find the Crystal of the Tree?"

"Yes."

As Kane spoke, Theo turned his head and locked eyes with Rick.

[If it's the ambitious Rivan, he would have moved upon hearing definite information.]

[That's what I think too.]

Kane smirked slightly at the exchange of glances between the two.

'Fools. They underestimate me too much, not knowing I'll be their downfall'

The 'Crystal of the Tree' was a type of elixir.

In the world of alchemy, it was a madly coveted elixir.

True to its name, it continuously boosts a Paladin's mana and works symbiotically with the Wood Rune, allowing them to progress to the sixth class with just one.

To anyone affiliated with the Dyer Family, it was a godly elixir.

"Why didn't you stop him?"

"You should have stopped him because it was dangerous."

'Tch' Kane felt a twinge of self-reproach.

Must he continue to deceive them, even going so far as to act like a Dullard?

He wanted to kill them right there and now.

He pondered this dozens of times.

'No Kane, No. Just think about those expensive armors. If I strip them all, I could make millions of gold for free.'

He kept repeating to himself inwardly.

Now was the time to earn money.

Gradually, he regained his composure.

"If I guide you through the forest, you won't hold Rehinar responsible, will you?"

"Of course not."

"But if things go south later, I'll be the only one at a loss."

"We'll make an agreement."

There was a moment of silence.

Kane pretended to hesitate, then spoke.

"Since Rehinar also bears some responsibility, I'll guide you all."

"Keep it a secret from Sara and Camilla."

"I was thinking the same. If they hear I'm going to the hidden territory, it'll cause a commotion."

"We're pressed for time. Please guide us immediately."

Theo urged him on.

His eyes gleamed with greed.

His brain was paralyzed by the thought of acquiring the elixer.

* * *

Kane and the Holy Sword Knights entered the western hidden territory, 'The Forest of Deadly Poison'.

"We're still at the entrance, shouldn't we be cautious?"

"No time for nerves, let's move quickly."

Though Theo was considered a high-tier 3rd Class Knight, this was the hidden territory—a place where any kind of monster could appear unexpectedly.

More than anything, the atmosphere was very eerie and chilling.

After a moment,

"Here."

Kane pointed to the dense magical forest.

"Look, the barrier is broken."

"That fool must have broken through and entered. Well, the 'Crystal of the Tree' wouldn't be found in common places."

As soon as the words 'Crystal of the Tree' were mentioned, Theo's expression changed completely.

"Let's go in."

"Commander, we should consider this carefully. The barrier…"

His subordinate Rick interjected.

He too was tempted by the 'Crystal of the Tree', but this wasn't just any normal hidden territory—it was a demon forest. One wrong move could lead to disaster. They needed to think carefully.

Through Rick's ears, Theo's voice came through.

[We need the Crystal of the Tree. Are you really thinking about retreating here?]

[I-I just want to be cautious.]

[To obtain the Crystal of the Tree, we must take risks.]

[But…!]

[I'm going in no matter what you say.]

[Then I will go too.]

[Once I become a Sixth Class Knight, I'll help you grow your strength as well.]

[It's a promise.]

The two quietly concluded their secret conversation.

Then, they entered the barrier.

The outside air was normal and filled with mana, but inside was mostly corrupt demonic energy and poisonous miasma.

When the Holy Sword Knights entered the Forest of Deadly Poison, Kane's lips were sealed.

The price of greed is death. He intended to repay the sin of showing arrogance in front of him.

'I'll strip you stupid mfs clean.'

Kane's face did not lose its bitterly cold smile. The Holy Sword Knights advanced cautiously, watching their surroundings.

"I don't see a single monster."

"Normally, a demon forest like this should be swarming with mutant monsters…."

Theo and Rick couldn't shake off their doubts.

"Could it be Rivan who dealt with this?"

"Maybe so. The hidden territory is known as a terrifying place, but it was all under Rehinar's jurisdiction. Maybe Rehinar was just exaggerating about the dangers"

Doubt quickly turned into overconfidence. They relaxed their tense shoulders.

"Hehehe. If Rivan passed through here, then it should be easy for us too."

Their vigilance crumbled. The swords they had been poised to use were now lowered.

While Theo and his group were making inappropriate behavior choices in the forest, Kane was considering how to deal with them.

'The number of these dumbasses is about a hundred. There's no chance in a head-on confrontation. That's why I brought them here while acting.'

In the past, with his skills, he could have wiped them out with a single swipe.

But now he was only a beginner-tier 3rd class knight.

Since all the Holy Sword Knights were also at the beginning of the 3rd class, he could not kill them alone.

'I had no choice but to lure them here.'

'While I'm at it, might as well advance to Mid-Tier 3rd class knight here.'

In the early stages, Kane devoured plenty of character fragments to become stronger.

On top of that, he acquired the ultimate trait 'Pure-Blooded'.

However, there was a downside to leveling up the character with fragments.

Despite his grade being 3 stars, his strength was just at the beginning stages of 3rd class knights.

It meant that he lacking in experience.

'If only I had slain monsters or fought on the battlefield, I would have reached a higher level than now.'

While character fragments make you strong early on,

there were quite a few disadvantages in the long run.

That's the difference between the game and reality.

Although there are shops and status screens like in a game,

This was very real.

It was unwise to act as if this were a game.

To survive here, one had to minimize the gap between game and reality as much as possible.

"Commander, there are signs of recent combat ahead."

Rick pointed forward.

Liquid stains hardened on the ground.

It wasn't clear whose blood it was.

Rick stooped to touch the liquid stains.

His fingertips glowed green.

"It seems a large-scale battle took place here."

"Follow the traces."

"Yes."

The Holy Sword Knights stopped running when they discovered something.

"It's a person!"

There was a cocoon hanging on the tree.

As they got closer, the figure of the bound person began to come into view.

The head had long since been torn off and was gone.

However, from the clothing, they could roughly guess who it was.

"Shit! I-It's Lord Rivan."

"Get closer and check."

As they approached the Speeder web, it became clearer.

"It's Lord Rivan…"

"Damn it."

Theo, who had been filled with greed, came to his senses the moment he saw Rivan.

Rivan was the second son of the Dyer family.

Although he was a troublemaker, he was still the son of Count Dyer.

One could only wonder how Count Dyer would react upon hearing the news of his son's death.

"We're doomed…"

If they didn't find a suitable reason, the holy sword knights might have to bear the grunt of the Count's wrath.

Everyone's face became grave.