LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 14
Chapter 14: Blood Battle
…A fairly notorious character?
Why is this warning message popping up all of a sudden?
While Si-hyun was mulling things over, a new alert appeared.
[Warning: It is advised to check the information on that individual.]
Feeling something was amiss after receiving two warnings from the system, Si-hyun immediately checked the information.
[Masterful Technician] Name: Bayan Gender: Male Occupation: Face-avoidance Technician Notoriety: Famous [Remark] The Old Man of Dehalos who Skin Peels Human Faces – Bayan was a technician who spent his life making masks in Dehalos. Obsessed with crafting masks that resembled reality, he began murdering people to peel off their facial skins for his creations. Since then, he became a masterful practitioner of human skin mask technology after killing numerous people and removing their faces. – Can transform into the face of a deceased person. [Stats] Strength 501 (B) Agility 508 (B) Wisdom 504 (B) Stamina 506 (B) Mentality 511 (B) Magic Power 520 (B) [Resistances] Physical Resistance 25.3% Magic Resistance 25.55% Poison Resistance 0% Flame Resistance 0% [Skills] Passive: Nimble Fingers, Ambidextrous, Delicate Work, Technician’s Tenacity Active: Masterful Beheading, Masterful Heart Stabbing, Masterful Eye Gouging, Masterful Face Peeling, Vocal Mimicry
“….”
What in the world is this?
Murdering people to peel their faces off?
What kind of insane freak is this…
Si-hyun’s expression drastically darkened.
He knew there were technicians among Awakened Beings, but he had never heard of a skin-peeling technician before.
He had no clue such malicious types of Awakened Beings existed. It was never covered in the news or on the internet.
Could it be deliberately hidden?
Awakened Beings are usually viewed positively, as those who sacrifice for the survival of humanity.
However, knowing that such a heinous type of Awakened Being exists would undoubtedly cause people to feel a certain discomfort.
Or maybe Awakened Beings themselves desperately hide it.
Who would want this kind of notoriety to come to light?
Si-hyun stared intently at the information window again.
The modifier is ‘Masterful.’
It’s a B-rank modifier.
The stats confirmed he was indeed B-rank.
‘That person…’
Si-hyun’s gaze followed where the information window was pointing.
A pale-faced man who was bowing his head in apologies for being late.
He was a B-rank Awakened Being.
As Si-hyun pondered why it only activated upon entering the gate, one reason came to mind.
Distance.
When he got a bit closer to the pale man than when they were outside, his ‘Experienced Guard’s Insight’ triggered.
‘What now?’
Instinctively, Si-hyun glanced around the gate.
But the door was shut tight.
He couldn’t leave until the boss was defeated.
Si-hyun bit his lip, his expression filled with concern.
He hoped he was just being overly cautious.
It would be better if it was just an overreaction.
Just because the original wielder of the Awakening power was a crazy murderer, doesn’t mean all Awakened Beings share that trait.
Yet, an uncomfortable premonition began to stir within him.
Above all, the system warning him twice set his nerves on edge.
He had several questions popping up.
Is a B-rank Awakened Being really joining this kind of guild for D-rank gate conquest?
That doesn’t make any sense.
There must be some kind of objective behind it.
But what if that objective aligns with his worst fears?
And one more question.
Is that face really his true face?
Masterful Human Skin Mask Technician.
Active Skill: Vocal Mimicry.
Missing for a while.
Being late.
The assemblage of these keywords pointed to a particular possibility with high probability.
“Oppa, aren’t you going in?”
As Si-hyun stood lost in thought, Eun-hye spoke up, her eyes filled with curiosity.
“…Ah, yeah. I should go.”
In that brief moment, Si-hyun quickly contemplated.
Those Black Tiger Guild members, whom he barely knew, wouldn’t simply believe his warning. They probably couldn’t imagine there would be a Human Skin Mask Technician in their midst with vocal mimicry as well. Plus, there wasn’t any solid evidence anything was going to happen yet.
But then there was Eun-hye.
Si-hyun glanced subtly at the advancing Black Tiger Guild members, then leaned in to whisper in Eun-hye’s ear.
“Don’t respond, just listen. Be cautious of the guy who’s late. He seems like a major murderer.”
“….”
“Don’t let it show. Come to me during the break.”
As expected of her sharp and perceptive nature, Eun-hye maintained her composure despite the sudden warning.
However, she must have felt tense inside from the abrupt warning.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
Si-hyun feigned calmness as he stepped further into the tower.
◈ ◈ ◈
Throughout the hunting, he couldn’t shake his focus off that guy.
Rather than actively attacking the monsters as usual, he was taking a defensive approach, just tanking a bit while keeping a close eye on him.
That guy was hunting monsters at the farthest right edge.
Even though he had the capability to slaughter monsters in the blink of an eye, he was merely showing D-rank level moves.
His weapon didn’t appear to be anything extravagant, just an ordinary sword.
Anyone unfamiliar would undoubtedly think he was just a D-rank hunter.
It was a skillfully crafted disguise.
That only made the suspicious aura around him even thicker.
“Alright, bagger. Collect the items and magic stones, let’s take a short break.”
Having reached the 5th floor without much difficulty, the mood was good among the Black Tiger Guild Leader.
With a well-structured team, the low-level demons of the tower posed no issue.
During the break, Si-hyun kept observing him more discreetly. He was extra cautious not to attract attention.
Simultaneously, he was persistently thinking.
What would he do if that guy’s true colors started to show?
Could they handle him with 2 C-ranks, 4 D-ranks, and 3 E-ranks? No, since he himself was technically D-rank as well, that would make it 5.
In any case, he could only guess what being B-rank meant, as he had never experienced it firsthand.
“Oppa, are you hurt?”
Eun-hye approached him, inquiring about his condition.
It seemed like a natural concern from a fellow guild member.
Quietly, Si-hyun slipped a note he’d secretly written during the last break behind Eun-hye’s back.
The note read, “If you see suspicious behavior, use magic immediately.”
◈ ◈ ◈
‘Is this really just paranoia?’
Si-hyun frowned in doubt.
If he was planning to stir trouble, he had ample opportunity to do so until now.
Yet, he walked in calmly to the boss room.
Could it be that the raid would conclude without any of the worries he had?
If that’s the case, it would be the best outcome.
“Hellhound squad.”
Someone among the guild members muttered.
A hellish dog guarding the entrance of the abyss.
That was the boss of this gate.
The more heads a Hellhound has, the stronger it is.
Fortunately, this Hellhound had only one head.
“Hmm?”
Just then, a sound of confusion erupted.
That guy was slowly walking up to the Hellhound all by himself.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
Even if it was single-headed, the Hellhound wasn’t a boss that a D-rank hunter could take on alone.
The hunters imagined the scene where he would get shredded and turned into rags in the blink of an eye.
But—
“Keeing, keeing.”
Suddenly, the Hellhound stepped back, looking frightened. Its tail was hanging low. It seemed to recognize a stronger opponent by its animal instincts.
“Oh my, what a cute little pup, know your place, huh?”
That guy, Bayan, approached the now cornered Hellhound, grinning as he petted its head.
It was a ridiculous scene, reminiscent of handling a neighborhood puppy.
“What the hell?!”
“What the heck is going on…?”
The hunters were left speechless in shock.
“I’ll feed you in return, okay?”
At last, Bayan revealed his hidden fangs.
“Come on, bite!”
Just as Bayan was about to throw the Hellhound towards the hunters, Eun-hye’s fireball shot out first.
“Hmm?”
Bayan twisted his lips as he abruptly sprung back to evade the fireball.
Boom!
With a tremendous explosion of the fireball, the Black Tiger Guild Leader finally came to his senses and shouted loudly.
“Wha—What the hell, you bastard! Everyone, snap to it and form ranks!”
Si-hyun joined the formation of the Black Tiger Guild as well.
This enemy was not someone you could recklessly charge at alone.
“Damn it, I didn’t see this coming.”
He had thought he would act solo; he never expected him to utilize a boss monster.
“What you do is futile. You all die here today.”
Bayan wore a cruel smile.
In both hands, a sharp dagger was clutched tightly.
“Just run on and bite, you dumb little pup!”
Bayan kicked the Hellhound’s rear, sending it charging towards the hunters like a dog whose tail was on fire.