Chapter 305

Maria Oganov was a cold, calculating woman. Even with two of her own children dying right before her eyes, she immediately grasped the brutal reality and took action.

'That’s the level of resolve it takes to survive as the leader of a wandering group.'

If the leader faltered emotionally, the entire group would collapse. Had she allowed herself to be shaken by her children’s deaths, Crawler Sariel would have died as well.

To others, she might have seemed like a heartless mother, but Maria was handling things appropriately.

Wooong—

Quilia, masked and moving without a trace, had completely erased her presence, as if she existed in another dimension.

She had gone out to scout the one responsible for attacking Uriel and Raphael.

In the meantime, I spoke to Maria.

"Maria, what scent is Sariel most sensitive to?"

"My 'scent.' I soaked a capsule with it."

I frowned, accelerating my thoughts.

"Have you lost anything recently? Something like a handkerchief… or underwear?"

Maria blinked before gritting her teeth.

"Goddammit! Some bastard I met at a tavern wanted my underwear, so I gave it to him as a gift."

"That was a fucking stupid thing to do," I snapped.

Maria pressed a hand against her forehead, veins bulging.

"It’s not like he was the only one. And that was before the auction house raid… Ugh, forget it. Excuses are pathetic. I walked into a trap like an idiot."

Maria raised her gun, pointing it toward the building. She didn’t even flinch at Quilia vanishing like a phantom.

'She must already know that Corite high priests and warriors use strange techniques.'

By now, Quilia had likely reached the building. I silently waited for her transmission.

—Luka, you need to retreat. I’ll explain later.

Quilia wasn’t some emotionless machine. She simply exercised extreme restraint over her emotions.

'Fear.'

Even through the transmission, I could sense a faint trace of it.

'And Quilia knows who’s in that building.'

If she didn’t, she wouldn’t have outright told me to run.

'Someone dangerous enough that even Quilia wants to flee.'

It had to be someone related to the Corites or the Arcane.

"Fall back slowly. Then tell me what you saw."

—I cannot say.

"So, it’s related to the Corites."

I pressed sharply. Quilia remained silent. I continued, pushing her for an answer.

"If we’re attacked while retreating, we need to know the enemy to respond properly. There’s nothing worse than being ambushed by an unknown opponent. A trained warrior should understand that."

Quilia’s loyalty wasn’t to the main Corite order but to the Parish Overseer. The Overseer was in a position that resisted the main order’s directives.

If Quilia had been someone who blindly followed the Corite order, the Overseer wouldn’t have kept her as a close aide.

'For Quilia, the Overseer’s interests come first.'

I knew how to probe into people’s thoughts and emotions to get what I wanted. This was Kinuan’s method.

I must have been right, because Quilia’s voice soon came through the communicator.

—It’s a Corite 'Assassin.'

"An assassin? I wasn’t aware such a group existed… Hmm, must be an irregular unit. How strong are they? Compare them to a Paladin or an Imperial Guard."

I was a former high-ranking soldier. I had knowledge of foreign special forces. If I didn’t know about this group, it meant they were irregulars.

Every nation had its own clandestine military units. A government couldn’t function purely through lawful and transparent means.

—In small-scale combat, assassins have the upper hand. They’re especially suited for unconventional warfare like this. They’ll be trickier to deal with.

"So, it’s just a difference in role rather than overall superiority. Quilia, don’t come back here. Keep scouting. Tell me everything—his weapons, abilities, even the smallest details. I will see him through your words. We’ll be the ones attacking."

Quilia wouldn’t like my decision. But the authority to make it was mine.

—...Understood. He’s currently scanning the surroundings, checking for other threats. Since he isn’t leaving, he likely intends to investigate further. He hasn’t been here long.

I committed every word to memory, constructing a simulation in my mind as if I were witnessing it firsthand.

—His catalyst is a ring. He wears rings on all his fingers. They seem to serve as Force reservoirs, and two of them are dimmed.

That must have been from using his abilities on Raphael and Uriel.

Quilia’s report was sharp. She was feeding me exactly what I needed, quickly and efficiently.

Just as she was about to say more, a blue light flashed from inside the building.

Turrr—woom!

An explosion erupted.

'Quilia was attacked.'

Static filled the transmission. I had no time to check if she was okay.

Cognitive distortion abilities weren’t perfect concealment. There had to be ways to counter them. The applications of Force seemed incredibly diverse.

"Maria, circle left and fire past the broken wall. Just grab his attention for a moment. You’ll want revenge for your children, won’t you?"

I assigned Maria a dangerous role. We still didn’t fully understand the enemy’s Force abilities—or their range.

"I’ll do as you say, but if my head gets blown off, make sure Sariel gets home safely. That idiot son of mine is too easily used by others."

"I promise. As long as I don’t die, that is."

Maria nodded and moved into position with her sniper rifle.

I steadied my breathing, gradually increasing the output of my prosthetic body.

"Quilia, can you hear me? If you can move, attack in any way possible. Draw his attention."

I spoke into the communicator.

Ka-ang!

A sharp frictional sound rang out from inside the building. Quilia had managed to move.

Bang!

Maria fired almost simultaneously. Judging by the thunderous gunshot, she had switched to high-power rounds.

'Excellent.'

For an improvised squad, our coordination was strong.

Quilia and Maria followed my orders precisely. Now it was my turn. If I failed, it was on me.

It had been a while since I’d felt this weight on my shoulders.

I launched myself forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, closing the distance to the building in an instant.

A hazy glow of Force aura clung to the shattered wall like mist. The stench of death from Raphael and Uriel’s corpses stabbed at my nostrils.

I deliberately charged at a wall with no windows. I couldn’t see the enemy, but that also meant he couldn’t see me.

However, thanks to Quilia’s report, I already knew the layout of the building, the enemy’s position, and even his appearance.

Kwa—zzzt!

I lashed out with my foot, slamming it into the wall. The concrete structure shattered, exposing the steel framework.

Kwaduk!

I rammed my shoulder into the steel beams, bending them inward and forcing my way through.

Krrrrng!

Like a cannonball, I tore through the wall—

And there he was.

The 'Corite Assassin.'

At a glance, he was an utterly unremarkable man. His features were so plain that even if I passed him on the street, I wouldn’t remember his face.

He was unarmed, his bare hands making him appear completely defenseless—an easy target.

'This is why Force abilities are terrifying. He looks like an ordinary civilian.'

Force users could turn even the most innocuous objects—trinkets, accessories—into catalysts.

Someone seemingly unarmed could suddenly unleash a Force ability, making them a nightmare of an assassin.

A sharp sensation tingled through me.

A chill ran down my spine, every hair standing on end. The Corite assassin was staring at me, his ringed fingers outstretched.

'His catalyst rings are glowing.'

Force abilities followed a sequence, a pattern. If I could predict his movements, I could dodge even a Force attack. And this kind of fight played right into my specialty—Akies Victima’s combat instincts.

Kirik!

I landed on one foot, violently twisting my body. It was a reckless motion, enough to strain my waist.

Pii—shung!

A Force projectile shot out from the assassin’s fingers like a bullet, streaking through the spot where my head had just been.

'A victory of experience.'

I had encountered Force users before. There was no need to panic over their abilities. They were nothing more than weapons—guns, blades, and projectiles—manifested through Force.

Barely maintaining my balance from the awkward landing, I pulled the trigger of my preheated shock pistol, Ruina.

Turrr—woom!

The assassin deployed a Force barrier, neutralizing the impact round.

Wuuung!

The lingering explosion illuminated the semi-transparent Force shield, briefly revealing its structure.

'I didn’t expect it to work anyway.'

The back-to-back explosions and dust from the collapsing building obscured visibility. Even so, I kept my eyes locked on the glow of his rings.

'One, two, three.'

Counting silently, I kicked off the floor and shot up to the ceiling.

Spinning midair, I clung to the ceiling as if gravity didn’t exist.

Turrr—woom!

Another Force blast erupted from the spot I had just been standing.

'A Force ability focused on direct, intuitive attacks.'

I drew Graken Vuth, gripping it with the blade angled downward. Today wasn’t Crucis’s time to shine—this was Graken Vuth’s moment.

Bracing myself, I shattered the ceiling beneath me, launching straight at the assassin.

At last, I was in close quarters.

The assassin was unarmed—likely part of his disguise as an ordinary civilian.

Whiiing!

His rings pulsed with light, channeling Force. But it was already too late. Even the mightiest cannon was useless if it never got the chance to fire.

Whiik! Kick!

I yanked his arm forward and slashed with Graken Vuth in a lightning-fast motion.

A brilliant white arc carved through the air, slicing across his fingers.

Thudududuk!

All ten fingers severed at once, scattering to the ground.

Grit!

I thrust my left hand into the assassin’s mouth and yanked downward. His jawbone shattered, leaving his lower face hanging loose.

That would prevent him from committing suicide, making a report, or communicating in any way.

Without pause, I struck his knees and elbows with rapid blows.

His joints broke apart grotesquely, limbs hanging limp like snapped strings. With no structural support, his arms and legs twisted unnaturally.

Whik!

I turned and stomped down on his back, pressing him into the ground. At the same time, I shoved Graken Vuth against the back of his head. If he tried anything, I would drive the blade straight through.

The fight was over. He was completely neutralized.

I caught my breath and scanned the surroundings.

Wuuung.

The distortion concealing Quilia flickered before she reappeared. She had been caught in the Force explosion, suffering various wounds, but nothing life-threatening.

"Can you move?" I asked.

"I hit my head, so I have a concussion. But I’ll recover soon."

Using the wall for support, Quilia slowly pushed herself up.

"Ghh… Krgh… Mmgh…"

The assassin groaned through his shattered jaw.

"Can we get any information out of him?"

"It’ll be difficult. If his jaw were intact, he would have already used the poison in his molars to kill himself."

"You know quite a bit."

"I was almost recruited into the assassin unit myself. About half of my combat training came from them. He won’t talk. It’s best to kill him now."

"I had a reason for keeping him alive. It should be Maria who kills him, not me. This is her children’s murderer. She’ll want to do it herself. And this way, I can make her owe me a favor."

I turned to see Maria and Sariel approaching from beyond the broken wall.

Quilia struggled but moved to stand beside me.

"This is my first time working with you, but I’m astonished by how quickly you calculated everything… It’s almost as if—"

I already knew what she was about to say. Quilia had seen his methods up close.

"…Like Kinuan?"

She nodded.