Chapter 74: Transcended. Not a Business Card.

“…”

Clatter!

Clara’s pristine fingers danced intricately around the balisong.

Spinning the blade to fling off the clinging blood, the girl clasped her hand, snap!, forming it into a pistol shape.

Then she swiftly thrust it forward.

There was no mercy in her movements.

Clara, without a moment’s hesitation, plunged the blade into her opponent’s vital point.

And for those trying to enter the tunnel, she showed no mercy, pulling the trigger without a second thought.

“Gurg…!”

The opponent, frothing at the mouth, frantically clutched at their punctured throat.

They dropped their weapon, too preoccupied to care.

The girl used her pistol as a blunt weapon─Whack! Finishing them off with a blow.

After that, she hopped back.

“You rat bastard!”

Kwaaang!!! The spot where Clara had been standing was pulverized by the brute’s fist.

The hulking figures, each armed with a solid prosthetic arm, were undoubtedly the Beast Brothers Rohan had mentioned.

Hmm, only these two left…

Clara paid no mind to the curses and aggressive posturing of the criminals.

In a situation where social graces weren’t necessary, she kept her ears and mouth shut.

She only needed to absorb the information relevant to her.

Click!

Landing atop the tunnel, the girl confirmed that the Beast Brothers’ prosthetic arms were transforming into guns.

There was no reason for surprise.

Clara, without pausing, took flight like a butterfly.

Whirr!!! Rat-tat-tat-tat──!!!

Dodging the hail of bullets from the two machine guns like a squirrel, she checked her remaining Mana and assessed the situation.

Should I use Arachne one more time? If I do, my Mana will…

The cleanup was taking longer than expected.

While she knew she shouldn’t get impatient in battle, the girl couldn’t help but worry.

Rohan was inside the tunnel fighting the boss.

Of course, Rohan would win. But Clara wanted to lend a hand to ensure a flawless victory.

The reason it was taking so long was simple.

Each of the enemies was quite skilled. Their level was different from the humans she had encountered during her first job with Rohan.

While they shared the same air of being irredeemably rotten, each individual possessed a strength that made it clear they had earned their living by the sword in the shadows.

Even though killing them in one blow was possible, with more than ten of them rushing in like madmen, it wasn’t an easy task.

Hiss…!

The machine guns attached to the brothers’ prosthetic arms overheated and sputtered to a stop.

Having exhausted their ammunition, manipulating their arms only produced a click-clack metallic sound.

Thud!

Clara seized the opportunity, closing the distance in an instant.

Having eliminated all the swarming underlings, her path was clear.

“Shit! This bitch is damn fast!”

“Hold out until we reload!”

The brothers, startled, used their sturdy prosthetic arms as shields.

Clara channeled Mana into her blade, intending to end the fight with a single strike.

Just as she was about to put the pedal to the metal and finish them off,

Whoosh!

An arrow ripped through the air and landed with a thud at her feet.

“…?”

A short arrow, unexpectedly fired from within the tunnel.

While the Doberman’s bodyguards were familiar with the weapon, an unsettling feeling arose from the lack of even a sliver of Mana within it.

“Could it be the boss…?”

The brothers warily watched the figure emerging from the tunnel.

Clara, too, paused her aggressive thrust and looked in that direction.

“This crossbow is useless. What am I supposed to do with this?”

The voice of the emerging figure. Clara’s expression brightened.

Conversely, the brothers were struck with terror.

Rohan emerged, the sword he had finished using sheathed on his back, a crossbow in one hand,

And in the other, he dragged the Doberman’s corpse.

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“Clara. You’ve worked hard.”

“Oh, you too, Oppa…! Are you alright?”

With Rohan’s arrival, the Bulldog Brothers were swiftly dealt with.

They were destined to be taken down by Clara anyway, but Rohan’s presence made it even easier.

“Just a few scratches.”

Seeing parts of Rohan’s shirt stained red, Clara bit her lip.

Fortunately, he hadn’t taken any direct hits from arrows. They were all grazing wounds.

“And you, Clara?”

“Mm, I’m fine…”

The girl showed off the borrowed clothes, turning them this way and that to prove they were undamaged. Rohan smiled, relieved.

A second later,

Numerous notification windows popped up before him.

The shimmering void drew his attention, prompting him to take the Random Point Pouch, the quest reward.

But Rohan was more curious about a different reward.

Transcendence? How will that be given?

He wondered, scanning for another shimmering void.

“!”

As if telling him not to be so hasty,

A notification window appeared at the perfect moment.

──Whoosh!!! A bright light flashed before his eyes.

And Rohan found himself in a place that was both unfamiliar and strangely familiar.

It wasn’t the vicinity of the tunnel littered with corpses.

This is…

A place where flames and blades danced in fragments.

They acted as a Karma Mirror, reflecting Rohan’s image all at once.

“!”

His form, reflected from all directions. Standing there, Rohan felt it.

The satisfaction of discovering something he had desperately sought his entire life.

Was it right to call this resonance pure emotion?

The feeling of his soul being enriched.

The overflowing sense of fulfillment was impossible to accurately describe with words.

Crack!

It shattered. Following the natural order.

The brief observation ended, and the space dissolved.

Rohan’s eyes were once again filled with the original world.

Amazing.

Rohan clenched and unclenched his fist, savoring the overflowing energy, and read the notification windows.

Increased physical abilities and Mana were standard options for Transcendence. In addition, it instantly enhanced his Unique Skills.

With three Unique Skills, the extent of their growth was substantial.

…

Transcendence was proof that he had been a mere placeholder, a shell of a character until now.

Six was the maximum level of Transcendence.

He had now achieved the first level. The means and directions for his growth had expanded.

“Oppa.”

“Ah, yes?”

Clara’s voice pierced through his thoughts.

As Rohan regained his composure and shifted his gaze, the girl asked,

“Oppa. What do we do now?”

“I have something in mind.”

Rohan approached the Doberman’s discarded corpse, rummaged through its pockets, and retrieved an antique leather pouch.

From it, he pulled out two jet-black coins.

He didn’t have time to loot each corpse individually, but he needed to secure these for the future.

He would have needed one more.

To take the first step toward the Doberman’s grand dream and goal, he needed at least three of these coins.

Some called it ‘Baptism,’ while others referred to these metal pieces as ‘Grace.’

Those who collected them used various names, but the correct name for this item was Judas’ Silver Coin. Despite its black color, that was its name.

Good.

It was a shame he didn’t have the time to empty every wallet.

Rohan checked the time on his Smartphone and headed towards the tunnel filled with vehicles.

Clara trotted behind him.

Rohan approached the black sedan that had been transformed into a convertible by Clara’s trap.

He started the car with the stolen key, opened the trunk, and briefly checked the weapons piled inside.

“Just a little dent in the front, otherwise fine. Get in.”

“Oppa. You can drive…?”

“Of course. We’ll just take this to the entrance. Let’s go for a drive.”

“A, a drive…!”

Rohan, seated in the driver’s seat, tapped the passenger seat, and the girl quickly hopped in.

Rohan turned on the heated seats and drove out of the tunnel.

“It might be a bit chilly without the roof and windows.”

“I’m warm, so it’s okay! Let’s go!”

Clara proudly displayed Rohan’s coat that she was wearing.

Rohan smiled warmly at her cuteness and checked the time.

They’ll be here soon.

He wanted to rescue Shion quickly. That was also urgent.

But separate from that,

There was a natural disaster that occurred in Abyss City if the Doberman wasn’t killed within the time limit.

If things followed the original storyline, a small Dimensional Rift would soon open nearby. Dozens of Monsters would pour out.

Monsters were always hungry, and they would ravenously flock to the scent of blood. He would leave the cleanup of the corpses and the mess to them.

If we get caught… well, it can’t be helped.

It would be quite bothersome to provide a convincing alibi if they were discovered, but it wasn’t something to be overly concerned about.

Vroom!!!

Finishing his thoughts, Rohan stepped on the accelerator.

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Bzz──!!!

Just as Rohan parked the car near the ruins and was getting out, a message arrived.

This one, too, had a red exclamation mark.

Good.

His memory hadn’t failed him. Moreover, it had been detected after some time had passed.

Satisfied with the ideal and favorable outcome, Rohan and Clara continued on foot.

“This is the location from the message. Near where we just were.”

“Really!?”

“We’re lucky. Things always work out when I’m with Clara.”

“I, is that so…?”

Chatting with Clara, who was startled by the message, they ventured deeper inside.

Shion would be periodically cleaning this area.

Traces of battles and unusable Monster remains were common sights.

As they delved further,

Clara seemed to sense something and glanced to the side.

Marveling at the girl’s sharp senses, Rohan stopped.

“Oppa. I just felt Mana from up there…”

“Yes, I know. Shion should be there.”

The building where Shion and the Elf Elders were located.

There were eyes watching them from there. Some kind of observation Skill.

Let’s try this.

The Elf Elders were from the old Tigrova, prioritizing bloodline over strength.

They were individuals who held positions of power due to their lineage, not their abilities.

They were a tribe with practically no combat experience, cowardly individuals, but their security against intruders was robust.

Therefore, if he could just get inside, half the battle would be won.

So, Rohan had been constantly thinking.

How to enter that building, whether the only way was to force his way through like in Abyss City.

He pondered, considered, and worried.

After spending time accumulating thoughts, his anxieties bore fruit.

Rohan’s solution emerged in a direction impossible within the game.

“Clara.”

“Yes!”

“From now on, just read the room and follow my lead. If you’re unsure, stay behind me.”

“…?”

After asking the puzzled girl to maintain a neutral expression, Rohan strode towards the building.

Mana fluctuated around them, as if something was about to burst forth at any moment.

Unfazed, Rohan spoke in a dignified tone.

An air of disdain and a high-handed attitude were essential.

“Grand Elder Levin Maxwell!”

His resounding voice echoed through the ruins.

“Come out immediately and heed the command of the Reverse Praise Society!”

Rohan displayed the black coin he had taken from the Doberman.

The path he had chosen to break through this quest.

Impersonation.