Chapter 147
Fortunately, the distance to the Opponent quickly closed.
It was annoying that the Imps kept rushing *us*, but the Opponent itself was insignificant.
Moreover, judging by its running, it didn't seem particularly fast.
Thanks to that, my Companions quickly caught up to them.
“Hyaap!”
Thwack!
Hanbyeol ran with all her might and delivered a kick to the opponent's back. The opponent tumbled forward a few times before inevitably falling.
“Ugh!”
Chaerin and Haneul quickly tied up the opponent who had fallen to the ground.
Perhaps feeling triumphant from knocking the opponent down, Hanbyeol shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Got you, you *thieving bitch*!”
Around that time, I also approached the individual, breathing lightly.
“Hoo... haa...”
Even though I'd used some strength, I didn't expect to be out of breath just from that Attack.
Then again, it *was* a rather extravagant Attack.
While applying blood little by little might be fine, moving such a large quantity of it was taxing even for me. My stamina would recover with a little rest, but I was worried about the side effects that could arise from using too much. If I wasn't careful, the pattern near my collarbone might even spread temporarily.
I only tried it because holy water has been so abundant lately. It's not particularly efficient unless there's a large group of Monsters like this.
As I approached, I saw Hanbyeol roughly stripping the armor off the Opponent.
“Give it back!”
Her venomous expression somehow suited her well. Regardless of what their Streamer was doing, the chat window was still buzzing about the Attack I had just performed.
Wow lol What was that just now?? Oppa, you're so cool, so tough ???: Get behind me, you're in the way, *fuck* Why even be a Mage? That's practically Great Magic lol Did you see that back just now? My *Lower Body* is really tingling.
Still, as I saw those reactions, it seemed my elaborate performance wasn't entirely useless. As I felt a quiet satisfaction, the robed individual finally opened their mouth.
“Ugh! Who are you people?! Why are you suddenly tailing me?!” “You were moving so suspiciously. How could we just ignore you?”
I composed myself and then asked them.
“Tell me. How exactly did you get past the Imps?”
“You crazy bastards...! Do you think I'd just tell you that?”
Despite the fact that she was a woman, her voice was quite raspy. The wrinkles that appeared on her face every time she frowned also suggested she hadn't lived a very peaceful life.
Well, that wasn't something to worry about right now. Unfortunately, we didn't have the luxury of a peaceful conversation. Thanks to someone, Imps are still swarming us even at this very moment.
Although I had performed a Cleanup once, that alone hadn't cleared all the Imps within this Kingdom.
Therefore, we decided to search them first. We wondered if it was due to some item.
For now, the three women, excluding me, conducted the body search. Since the individual was also female, it felt awkward for me to touch her.
Indeed, when they searched the individual's body, several items appeared. A Double-edged Sword engraved with elaborate patterns, a thick Iron Shield, a Bow and Arrow, and even a Mage's staff. It was clear at a glance that none of these items belonged to the individual.
As we could tell from Hanbyeol's armor being looted, she had picked up everything from somewhere. Since this was a popular hunting ground, many otherworlders were said to die here. Hanbyeol, who had finally retrieved her breastplate and put it on, let out a snicker and said.
“Just like a *thieving bitch*, huh? You really stole a lot.”
“Ugh, I just picked up what was on the ground! And who the hell are *you* people?!”
Such a large quantity was enough to be called a thief, even if they were just picked up. Just as I was marveling at this.
Thud. Another item popped out from its body. It was a transparent orb about the size of a fist. However, to call it an ordinary orb would be wrong; the aura emanating from within was far from normal.
Normally, I might have overlooked it, but after hunting hundreds of Imps like this, I could tell for sure. This orb's aura was very similar to that of the Imps.
It seemed I wasn't the only one who felt it, as Chaerin tilted her head and picked up the orb.
“What is this? It feels a bit suspicious...”
“Ah, no!”
Seeing this, the individual frantically raised a hand to snatch it, but Chaerin easily evaded. Just that reaction alone was enough to tell that it was no ordinary item.
After a moment of thought, Chaerin stood up and confidently walked towards an Imp.
Even though I had swept them away once, Imps were still approaching us. Naturally, they still rushed at us like starved beasts whenever they saw us.
“Kiii...”
But when Chaerin held up the orb, the Imp simply walked past her. As if it couldn't see her. Or perhaps, as if it considered her one of its Kin.
Watching this, we all gaped in wonder. I asked Chaerin.
“Do you know what kind of item it is?”
“Ah... just a moment. Let me check.”
Answering thus, Chaerin checked the item's information.
Thanks to the *Player's Eye*, I could also see what she was looking at.
+
[Camouflaged Imp Orb]
An orb that mimics the magical energy of Imps through specific manipulation.
Carrying this allows one to observe unique reactions from Imps.
+
“This seems to be exactly what we were curious about, doesn't it?”
I nodded at Chaerin's words. It's certainly good to travel with Otherworlders. For instance, they have the ability to quickly identify any item. I still don't know how it's possible, though.
Anyway, with our curiosity satisfied... it was now time to find out the origin of that item. I opened my mouth to ask where they had obtained it.
But then.
“...I came because it was noisy outside.”
“!”
A voice suddenly came from right behind us. It was quite husky for a woman.
Turning around, I saw a woman I'd never seen before standing there. She had ash-gray bobbed hair and golden eyes. The woman's face was full of annoyance, as if she had come reluctantly.
I couldn't help but be surprised.
*When did she get here?*
I hadn't felt her presence, let alone heard her approach. It was as if she had Teleported directly behind us. Even if the surroundings were chaotic, to feel nothing at all was unbelievable for me, with my good Combat Instinct. It was an absurd level of Stealth.
Only then did alarm bells start ringing in my head.
Her golden eyes quickly swept over us.
“Well, well, looks like we had some intruders.”
Soon, her attack began to rush towards us.
Swoosh!
A long, thin Rapier, like an awl, lunged towards Haneul's back.
Clang! I hastily swung my spear, deflecting her Attack. Still, perhaps because it was a thin Rapier, the Attack itself wasn't very heavy. After deflecting the Rapier, I shouted to my nearby Companions.
“Fall back!”
At my words, Haneul and Hanbyeol quickly retreated. A flicker of surprise crossed the previously expressionless woman's face.
“Oh, you reacted to that? Your reflexes are quite fast.”
“And who are you?”
Her relaxed demeanor, coupled with her sudden appearance from behind, indicated she was no ordinary person.
The answer came not from in front, but from the ground.
The other individual... that is, the *thieving bitch*, shouted upon seeing the ash-gray haired woman.
“Branch Leader-nim!”
“...Oh dear, my Friend. Why would you shout that out so openly?”
So, it *was* Lemegeton after all.
Indeed... considering that suspicious item earlier, I had suspected it from the start.
My thoughts naturally continued.
*Which Branch Leader is she, then?*
I've already seen the 3rd, 4th, and 5th ones, so it wouldn't be one of them.
That leaves only the 1st or 2nd.
As I thought that far, a memory suddenly flashed through my mind.
It was a memory from quite a while ago now. There was a time when that Follower drew a symbol with their blood and tried to contact an Executive of their Order, when I first met a Follower of Lemegeton.
-Answer received.
The voice I heard back then was quite husky. It was just like the woman before me now.
“Are you, by any chance, the 2nd Branch Leader?”
“...How did you know that?”
“I just guessed. Looks like I was right.”
At my words, she sighed, *“Hoo,”* and said.
“Today has certainly been troublesome in many ways... Well, since you've figured it out, so be it. More importantly, could you release my Friend on the Ground? And if you wouldn't mind, return the items you've taken as well.”
“You're talking about them as if they're yours, but they were all either picked up or stolen.”
“We need them for our livelihood, you see. Unfortunately, our Lemegeton isn't particularly wealthy.”
“...And if we refuse?”
“Then we'll have no choice but to shed each other's blood.”
Saying that, the Opponent gripped her Rapier once more.
I also gripped my spear for the moment.
However... I only gripped it, and honestly, I wasn't keen on fighting.
I had only followed that Thief on the Ground because they were suspicious. I had no intention of fighting a Branch Leader suddenly. That might be different if it were the 4th Branch Leader, who had directly harmed me.
And frankly, I didn't really have the leisure to fight.
Thanks to someone constantly blowing that whistle, Imps were still swarming us.
For now, my Companions were holding off the Imps, but there was no telling how long that would last.
After all, human stamina has its limits.
Therefore, I decided to adopt a somewhat lukewarm stance.
*First, pretend to fight while assessing her Skill.*
If it seemed manageable, I'd subdue her; otherwise, I'd just run.
As I was thinking this, the Opponent began to rush towards me.
The impossibly sharp blade tip aimed for my heart.
*...A Killing Move right from the start.*
Indeed, the Opponent's Attack was precise and fast, enough to pierce me instantly if I lost focus for a moment. But if I was careful, it was certainly reactable.
Clang!
As I deflected the attack like before, her body was left vulnerable.
I delivered a powerful kick to her exposed abdomen.
Thwack-! With a dull thud, her body recoiled sharply. A momentary surprise flashed in her golden eyes. I chuckled and said.
“I was surprised when you appeared from behind, but you're not all that, are you?”
“Hoo... it's been a while since I've had to exert myself physically.”
Of course, that didn't mean she was a complete *Weakling*. While I could react, the Opponent's sword was definitely fierce. Perhaps because she had been hit once, her Attacks became a bit more cautious.
Not only that, but as the fight dragged on, Imps started to interfere.
“Sorry! A few went that way!”
“Haa... haa... why are there so many?!”
Thanks to that, I had to deal with annoying Imps even while fighting. What was infuriating was that, throughout all this, the Imps weren't attacking *her*.
That alone told me she possessed the same orb as that *thieving bitch*.
Still, this much is manageable.
Honestly, it was to the point where I didn't understand how she had managed to get behind me in the first place. The Opponent's Combat Ability was rather mediocre, contrary to what I'd expected. At one point, just as the fight continued,
“Eek!”
The Thief we had captured got up and started running towards her Branch Leader. Everyone had been focused on the Imps, so it seemed they hadn't managed to keep hold of the Thief. The Thief, having reached her Branch Leader, quickly bowed her head in apology.
“I apologize, Branch Leader-nim.”
“What were you doing to get caught?”
“Well, I never expected to be Tailed in this Imp Lair... I suppose I let my guard down a bit.”
“Enough. We'll discuss your reprimand when we get back.”
After exchanging words, she then spoke to me.
“It seems I should be leaving now.”
“By whose authority?”
“By my own. Unfortunately, I'll have to give our belongings to you.”
She continued.
“As a bonus, I'll give you a gift before I go.”
Immediately after, she stretched out her hand towards us, as if preparing something. A massive amount of energy gathered above her hand.
Feeling an ominous sensation, I immediately took a defensive stance. I wondered if she was about to unleash some magic. But what she did next couldn't be stopped by mere defense.
Whoosh-!
As something passed through my body, a strange sensation of weightlessness spread throughout me.
It was as if the ground I had been standing on had vanished.
I blinked once and looked down at the ground.
Shwaaaah...
I saw the landscape of a City filled with Imps. There was no ground beneath me.
I had somehow Teleported into the Sky.
“You *fucking*...!”
I immediately let out a string of swearing.