Ch.70Hunter, or Prey (1)

“Congratulations on your promotion.”

Najin accepted the certificate and nameplate handed to him by the supervisor of the promotion exam. The nameplate, which had been pitch black until just a few months ago, now shone with a red glow.

‘Looking closely, the material seems different too.’

Unlike the green-grade nameplate, the red-grade nameplate differed in both material and form. As Najin fiddled with the nameplate, the supervisor continued his explanation.

“Becoming a red-grade adventurer means your reputation is no longer limited to Cambria. Show this nameplate outside, and you will receive the appropriate treatment.”

Above the red grade, there are only five white-grade adventurers. So essentially, reaching red grade means you’re among the top-tier adventurers in the city… and naturally, top-tier adventurers enjoy corresponding privileges.

“The privileges you can now enjoy include…”

The supervisor’s explanation continued for a while.

Only after hearing about the privileges and detailed explanations about the types of requests he could now receive did Najin finally leave the central guild.

The moment he exited the central guild building.

The gazes of adventurers gathered in front of the building poured onto Najin. More precisely, onto the red nameplate he wore. Seeing the nameplate gleaming in the sunlight, the adventurers clicked their tongues.

Just 4-5 months since setting foot in the city.

In such a short time, Najin had reached red grade, and they felt both surprise and awe.

What is red grade? It’s the rank that countless adventurers dream of when entering this city, a symbol of success for them.

Considering that many remain at green grade for over ten years, reaching red grade in just 5 months was truly remarkable. When something remarkable happens, some will admire it while others will envy it.

However, very few felt the latter emotion toward Najin. Envying a genius only exhausts oneself, and the rumors circulating validated Najin’s qualifications.

Knocking down five knights of the Duke’s family.

Even facing four of them simultaneously.

Surviving a confrontation with the captain of the Duke’s knights…

Whether all the rumors were true or not was unknown, but at the very least, no one could deny that Najin ranked among the top Sword Experts.

-If the rumors are true…

-Won’t he soon reach white grade?

-You think becoming a Sword Seeker is that easy? You need to awaken your mental image, and even if you do…

-Still, facing five Sword Experts simultaneously…

-It was four.

-Four or five, what’s the difference.

The adventurers whispered among themselves.

Letting their voices drift past him, Najin moved on. He had no immediate plans to take on a request, but there were things he needed to do.

Whether black, green, or red, changing the color of his nameplate didn’t change Najin’s routine. Returning to his lodgings, Najin sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.

Training. It was time for training again.

2.

After the incident involving Dieta was resolved, a new process was added to Najin’s training: refining his mental image. Sitting cross-legged, closing his eyes, and focusing inward.

Typically, mental image training performed by martial artists who have reached enlightenment is extremely quiet and tedious. After all, it’s training that involves looking inward and regulating one’s breath.

But in Najin’s case…

“Hey, have you thought about creating a lake?”

“What are you talking about now?”

“You’ve seen it before, right? My star domain is a lake. A beautiful blue lake.”

His mental training wasn’t so quiet.

There was already a constellation residing in his mental image. When he closed his eyes and focused inward, before seeing the underground city’s landscape, he first saw a girl with bright blue hair.

Merlin, the Magician of the Lake.

She sat on the fence, swinging her legs, and let out a long sigh.

“Living by the lake for over a thousand years makes me miss it. Dipping my feet in the water was my hobby. Splashing around would calm my mind.”

“So you want me to create a lake?”

“Yes. Is it possible?”

Merlin nodded emphatically.

When the mental image was just a pitch-black landscape, she hadn’t asked for anything, but now that it was starting to form, she decided to be a bit greedy.

“Wouldn’t a small lakeside be nice?”

Merlin spread her arms wide, drawing a circle.

If anything, it was closer to the size of a basin or well than a lake. Though it seemed nonsensical at first, Najin thought it might be part of the training.

Mental imagery is ultimately the manifestation of imagination.

The process of manifesting something itself would be training.

Even if it’s a lakeside, anyway…

Merlin must have her reasons for asking this. Thinking so, Najin closed his eyes and concentrated. He hadn’t seen lakes many times. There weren’t any in the underground city, and he had only glimpsed a couple while traveling by carriage.

‘The one I can recall best is…’

The lake where he first met Merlin.

Najin quietly recalled that deep blue lake.

“Ooh!”

As he concentrated with his eyes closed, he heard applause from beside him. When Najin opened his eyes, Merlin was clapping and pointing in front of her. There, a small lake, about the size of a basin, had formed.

“You really made it?”

Seemingly delighted to see a lake after so long, Merlin smiled brightly. She looked genuinely pleased. She carefully removed her shoes and socks and cautiously extended her toes toward the lake.

Just as she was about to dip her feet in the water.

The moment Merlin’s bare foot touched it, the lake disappeared with a hissing sound. Her expectant toes only tapped the dirt floor of the underground city.

“…”

Merlin turned her head sharply to look at Najin.

She must have really been looking forward to it, as she pouted and stomped on the innocent dirt floor.

“It’s not easy to maintain.”

“Well, I suppose not… You haven’t seen lakes that often…”

Though she said this, her disappointment was evident.

Watching Merlin sigh heavily, Najin smiled wryly.

“Anyway.”

Najin moved on to the main topic.

Since awakening his mental image, Najin often conversed with Merlin face-to-face like this. It helped with his mental training and was more comfortable than just talking through voices.

Najin drew pictures on the dirt floor of the underground city.

“I’ve become a red-grade adventurer now, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. It’s faster than I expected… but it doesn’t feel particularly surprising at this point.”

“At red grade, the variety of requests I can receive has expanded. Most importantly, I can now receive designated requests.”

There were three pictures drawn on the dirt floor.

Many people had taken interest in Najin after he reached red grade, and some had placed designated requests for him.

“In order: a bandit suppression request, an escort mission…”

After pointing to the first two pictures,

Najin pointed to the last one.

“A search and subjugation request for a black magician.”

“That’s definitely the one you should take.”

“I thought you might say that.”

Without a moment’s hesitation, Merlin pointed to the third picture. Search and subjugation of a black magician. The details would be provided upon accepting the request… but Najin had already planned to take the third request if possible.

“I’ve never fought a magician before.”

“Right. It’s good to gain experience now. You’ll have to fight them endlessly later anyway.”

“Magicians?”

“Yes. Black magicians are basic, and demons are fundamentally similar to magicians in their system… that’s why there are so many magicians who contract with demons.”

Merlin sighed.

“Magicians are basically the type who would sell their souls to demons if it meant gaining knowledge. Especially these days, they’re all cooped up in towers doing research until they go mad.”

“…Aren’t you a magician too?”

“Would you look at that? Magicians were different in my time. Cooped up in towers? We hid in forests to do research, greeting intruders morning and evening as part of our daily routine.”

Anyway, she continued,

Brushing back her hair.

“Excluding the Witch of Abyss as an exception, you’ll encounter demons, black magicians, and the like quite often.”

“So you’re saying I should experience it now?”

“That’s right. Especially with magic, experience and knowledge are crucial. How should I explain this…”

As she searched for words, she snapped her fingers with an “Ah!”

“If you don’t know, you get hit.”

“…Pardon?”

“That’s the basics of magical combat. Don’t you know? If you don’t know, you get hit. Of course, this applies to swordsmanship and other areas too, but it’s particularly severe in magical combat.”

“That’s… not good news.”

Najin clicked his tongue.

He knew nothing about magic. From the beginning, Najin had lived completely separate from magic. As Najin sighed, Merlin poked his side with an incredulous expression.

“What are you worried about?”

“Huh?”

“Have you forgotten who’s by your side?”

Merlin wore a confident expression.

“The first grand magician in history to reach the realm of ten rings. The first sage to define mysteries. A constellation with eleven stars.”

One who has mastered all magic that exists in the world.

Merlin smiled with her arms crossed.

“I guarantee, as long as I’m here, you won’t suffer from lack of knowledge. It’s like carrying a strategy guide specifically for magicians.”

“That’s true.”

“Right?”

Najin circled the third picture.

Search and subjugation of a black magician.

This would be his first request after becoming a red-grade adventurer.

3.

A cabin deep in the forest.

The man was scratching the nape of his neck. Despite the skin peeling off and blood flowing, the man continued scratching as if the brand on his neck was itchy.

“My neck was itchy, and now.”

The man sighed.

“What brings such an esteemed person here?”

A visitor to the cabin.

The man sighed as he greeted the guest. Though he felt the urge to put an arrow through that detestable face right away, the man barely suppressed his desire.

It wouldn’t solve the situation anyway.

“I want to place a request.”

The visitor, seated in a chair in the cabin.

Without even removing his robe, he spoke. Just as he was about to explain the request, the man became serious.

“It’s troublesome to exploit someone just because you’ve found a weakness. Don’t test my patience.”

“This is an important request. Probably the last one.”

“The last one. Sweet words.”

The man chuckled.

“Remember, if this isn’t the last one, your breathing will be the last thing you do.”

“I remember.”

“Let’s hear it then. What’s the request?”

“It’s a simple request.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. Just explain. Briefly.”

“I want you to kill someone.”

The visitor placed a portrait down.

The man picked up the portrait and frowned.

“You want me to kill this guy?”

“Yes. As quietly and cleanly as possible.”

“Quietly might be difficult. If I remember correctly, this guy… isn’t he quite famous in the city?”

The man pointed to the figure in the portrait.

The man knew about this person. He was someone who had recently caused a stir in Cambria. A person who had reached red-grade adventurer in a short time.

The adventurer, Ivan.

Tapping his finger on the portrait of the man’s face, he asked incredulously.

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you.”

“Well, I suppose a hunting dog doesn’t need reasons.”

The man let out a self-deprecating laugh, then stood up holding the portrait. It meant he was accepting the request.

“I hope your words about this being the last are not a lie. At my age, I’d rather not be dragged around.”

“Yes. You and your…”

“Say no more.”

In the cabin where light barely filtered in.

Though the man’s face was hidden in shadow, his eyes gleamed like those of a beast in the darkness. It was an eerie gaze, as if he might pounce and tear out a throat at any moment.

“I understand.”

“…Very well.”

The man began gathering weapons hanging on the wall. Throwing daggers, hunting traps, various potions, a black-painted machete…

And a great bow and a large crossbow.

These were weapons meant only for warriors approaching superhuman levels, not for normal human strength. Thick bowstrings and arrows resembling decent-sized swords. After gathering all these, the man pulled his poncho down low.

“Do you plan to carry it out immediately?”

“The sooner the better.”

Looking at the man, the visitor said:

“I trust you, Kaufman Theosis.”

One of the city’s five white-grade adventurers.

Former ranger of the Tetzel Mountains.

Eagle Eye, Kaufman Theosis did not respond to the visitor’s words.