Chapter 3: Why Just One Hit? (2/2)

“As I watch, I can’t help but feel that if I ever became hostile to you, you’d know exactly where to strike me where it hurts most.”

Han Ul nodded in agreement when Erme said she didn’t want to fight me.

But more than that.

“Fatal points?”

Her words reminded me of the effect of Fatal Allure (A).

“Wait.”

A cold sweat began to form on my back.

◇ You instinctively know the most critical weak points of your target.

It was one of the abilities granted by Fatal Allure.

Could this be why they were assuming I was a skilled individual?

Was this also why Erme had been so interested in me?

“…I really hate this.”

Erme continued speaking, seemingly oblivious to my thoughts.

“To get back to the main point—parties are magically bonded together,” she explained.

“Though we call it magic, it’s more like a system process.”

“In the labyrinth, the party members hunt monsters and level up. Since there are far more monsters inside the labyrinth than outside, leveling up is much easier there.”

“Of course, that also means the labyrinth is far more dangerous. Anyway, by leveling up through this system, adventurers gain strength and rank.”

“And the Empire and Kingdoms use this method to create [Heroes] to hold back the Demon King’s forces. That’s the ultimate goal.”

“Hmph. Afraid of some Demon King? There are already so many strong adventurers. Maybe if it were something from the labyrinth’s deepest layers, I’d understand.”

At that point, Han Ul and Erme locked eyes, glaring at each other.

What was this about?

“It almost feels like they’re competing over me.”

But they didn’t know about my Thief’s Pinnacle (S) or Absolute Theft (S).

And yet they were already competing, seemingly because of Fatal Allure.

“If that’s the case…”

I couldn’t help but wonder—just how powerful were Thief’s Pinnacle and Absolute Theft if they were so rare and exceptional?

Stealing a concept like Obsession of the Villainess was already ridiculous enough.

“Even if I don’t fully understand why that absurd power was used to take something like her obsession…”

Erme continued, breaking my thoughts.

“So that’s how it works. The labyrinth is filled with monsters perfect for leveling up, and defeating them provides materials called [Mana Stones].”

“From the perspective of those in power, building cities around the labyrinth makes sense. Sure, it’s dangerous, but it’s a source of experience and mana stones that strengthen humanity’s forces.”

“Sometimes, legendary items that seem straight out of myths appear too,” Han Ul added.

“Which is why both the Empire and Kingdoms are so invested in conquering the labyrinths.”

“And thanks to the Adventurer’s Guild, it’s easier to move around and gather adventurers like this.”

“Only good points all around,” Erme said, her voice laced with mockery.

“So that’s how it works, huh.”

I gained some useful information.

I nodded appropriately to their words and was about to take a spoonful of the soup Han Ul had given me when I was overcome by a strange sense of unease.

“…?”

The smell coming from the soup was off.

It was as if it had been poisoned.

“He used Suhyang Grass—within ten minutes of consumption, your entire body turns to stone.”

Even though I had no idea what Suhyang Grass was, knowledge about it surfaced in my mind.

It was likely the result of Thief’s Pinnacle (S) activating.

I stiffened my expression and glanced at Han Ul, who was smiling casually.

“Erme hasn’t eaten either.”

She was holding her spoon, but she hadn’t brought it to her lips.

It had been so natural that I hadn’t noticed it before.

“They’re both hiding their true intentions.”

It seemed Erme had caught on to the situation as well.

“Don’t stare so intently.”

“…?”

When I looked at Erme, she blushed slightly and spoke.

“If you look at me with such melancholic eyes, it’ll make me misunderstand.”

What misunderstanding, exactly?

“What melancholic eyes?”

I was simply observing, doing nothing but staring.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

I placed the soup down with a sigh.

“If the soup is poisoned…”

That meant the others had already fallen victim to it.

How could I escape from this situation?

My options were limited to either fleeing or fighting.

If I chose to flee, it might open up more possibilities for me later.

Fighting wasn’t much different from fleeing in terms of risk.

“The best option is to kill Han Ul.”

The man who introduced himself as a mage was likely vulnerable to ambushes, which is why thieves were so dangerous.

“Can I pull this off?”

I grasped the hilt of the dagger stored in my Hidden Space.

I prepared myself to strike if the opportunity arose.

“Sigh, what a pity,” Han Ul suddenly remarked.

“Why? Because all your schemes have gone to waste?”

“That’s part of it. But for someone called the Friend Slayer, don’t you think it’s a bit hypocritical to accuse me of scheming?”

Friend Slayer?

What kind of title was that?

“Sounds pretty brutal.”

I made a mental note never to get too close to Erme.

“Oh dear, digging into a woman’s past? That’s not very charming,” Erme said with a smirk.

“I have no desire to gain your attention. Becoming your friend sounds like a shortcut to getting murdered,” Han Ul retorted as he shifted his stance.

At that moment, I could sense the presence of others surrounding us.

“Roughly ten people.”

The smell of blood in the air told me most of the others had already been killed.

I realized something startling: I was shockingly calm about the situation.

“To get out of here…”

The first step would be to kill Han Ul.

“Hmm, I didn’t think there were still idiots following the Demon King’s army,” Erme remarked.

“Demon King’s army? I’m not one of them. But you know, you’re getting a bit too big for your britches, causing all these incidents. We can’t have saplings growing too tall.”

“So, you’re one of the labyrinth factions. Doesn’t matter. Trash is still trash that needs to be taken out.”

“Calling people trash? That’s harsh.”

“Funny coming from someone who treats people like disposable tools.”

“Please, call them useful tools,” Han Ul replied with a sly grin.

Erme stepped behind me, positioning herself so we were back-to-back.

“You heard, didn’t you? Well, I suppose you already knew,” she said.

Actually, I didn’t.

I knew Han Ul was dangerous, but I hadn’t expected him to orchestrate an ambush like this.

“You take him,” Erme said, pointing at Han Ul.

“I’ll handle the rest.”

Perhaps it was because of the nickname “Friend Slayer” Han Ul had mentioned earlier, but his voice sent a chill down my spine.

“Han Ul, huh.”

He didn’t seem weak.

At the very least, being alone meant he had a baseline level of skill.

“But for me, it’s actually…”

An opportunity.

If it was just one opponent, I felt like I might be able to handle him.

“Oh my, are you seriously planning to sic Yuseong on me?” Han Ul said mockingly.

“Of course. If you want to be my ally, you’ve got to prove yourself,” Erme replied with a smirk.

Who said I’d be your ally?

It was absurd, but I had to focus.

I needed to kill Han Ul.

This would be my first time killing a human.

I had to steel myself.

“Can I do this?”

No. I had to do this.

With a cold, detached gaze, I fixed my eyes on Han Ul.

I couldn’t lose my composure.

“Alright, I’m going,” Erme said casually.

With a sharp slash, she cleaved through an enemy in an instant.

The air filled with the smell of blood.

I charged toward Han Ul.

“Fire,” Han Ul chanted.

A massive fireball ignited at his fingertips—not just a spark, but a blazing mass the size of a house.

“…Should I run?”

The sight was intimidating.

Could I even dodge that?

Just as I doubted myself, my body moved faster than I expected.

I lowered my stance and dashed straight at Han Ul.

“You’re underestimating me, aren’t you?” Han Ul sneered, chuckling.

A sharp pain throbbed in my head, but my Gift told me it wasn’t impossible.

“Too bad, but with this…” Han Ul began, preparing to hurl the fireball at me.

“Absolute Theft!”

Instinctively, I stretched out my hand.

“What the…?”

The massive fireball vanished.

Instead, I felt its power surge into me, temporarily enhancing my physical abilities.

“So this is mana.”

The mana I had stolen through Absolute Theft filled my body with energy.

“What the hell is this?!” Han Ul shouted in panic, retreating while drawing his sword.

“Looks like you’ve got some tricks up your sleeve! But so do I—I was once skilled with a blade!”

Confidently, Han Ul swung his sword at me.

Dodging the strike, I leaped upward.

“Hidden Space (B).”

Just like when I used Absolute Theft, I felt the strange sensation of my hand reaching into another dimension.

I pulled out the Blood-Soaked Dagger from Hidden Space.

“What’s the thing I’m best at in this situation?”

Instead of engaging in a sword fight.

“Dagger throwing.”

Trusting in my Gift, Thief’s Pinnacle (S), I hurled the dagger.

The blade flew straight toward Han Ul’s head.

Just as it was about to strike.

“Haha, I saw that coming! But the fact that a magic swordsman like me engaged in close combat means…”

With a self-assured grin, a translucent barrier formed around Han Ul’s head.

Thunk.

The Blood-Soaked Dagger pierced right through it and embedded itself in his skull.

“Wha—why am I dying?”