A group of Quarry guards marched along the rocky path, transporting slaves back to the Quarry.
The scorching sun beat down on their helmets, and their voices carried low with unease.
"Something feels off. I hope nothing happens today."
"You really believe those rumors?"
"They're not just rumors. I knew some of the men who disappeared."
"They say sixteen guards vanished while escorting just three groups of slaves."
"That's impossible… unless something—or someone—is hunting us down."
One of the guards froze, pointing ahead.
"Wait… wasn't that road empty a moment ago?"
A figure stood in the distance, walking steadily toward them.
Another guard squinted, then drew his sword, his hands trembling.
"The bandits wouldn't dare attack us, and he's no monster."
" Which means—it's him… the one who's been hunting us."
The guards panicked, taking out their blades.
Crown.
"Seems you're becoming famous."
Amadeus lowered his hood.
He took out his Sword.
[ Sword Mastery lv.1 ]
"It doesn't matter. Fame or not—they'll die like the rest."
They clashed but.
Moments later, Amadeus pulled his blade free from a guard's body."
" Around him, corpses littered the ground ".
[ You killed 5 Easy Humans ]
[ Reward: 5 Essence ]
Amadeus sheathed his sword."Collecting Essence this way is… efficient."
The Noble Memory's voice chuckled."Don't forget whose idea it was."
A Few Days Earlier
Amadeus asked.
"Lio, you know all the guards moving paths, don't you?"
Lio nodded.
"I usually deliver food to their offices. and I overhear their plans."
Amadeus.
"Good. Then tell me everything."
Lio hesitated.
"Why do you need them?"
Amadeus said, eyes cold,
"Because, I'm going to hunt them."
Back to the Present
Amadeus wiped his blade clean.
"Lio gave us the routes—supplies, slaves, patrols. Cutting them down weakens the Quarry piece by piece."
Crown agreed.
"And freeing slaves nets us extra Essence. Double reward."
He tilted his head.
"Though… funny. That encounter mission didn't complete yet."
Amadeus frowned.
" Let's release the slaves first. Maybe then it will."
He opened the cage.
"You're free. Leave."
But the slaves didn't move. They trembled, eyes wide with fear.
Something was wrong.
One man suddenly smiled—too wide, too wicked.
"Thank you, stranger. If it weren't for you, we'd be stuck working in the Quarry."
Before Amadeus could react, the man pulled out a whip made of metal, hidden beneath his rags.
The whip lashed out, grazing Amadeus's face.
A second later, screams erupted as the false slave slaughtered everyone inside the cage.
his whip crushing bodies into mangled heaps of flesh.
When the carnage ended, the man stepped out, clothes soaked in blood.
His grin twisted.
"Look at the mess I made. Shame… they would've made excellent workers."
His rags fell away, revealing fur-lined armor beneath.
Above his head.
[ Hard ]
Crown's voice sharpened.
"That's him, isn't it?"
Amadeus narrowed his eyes.
A whip, fur armor, sadistic cruelty… This matches Leo's description.
Arex. The one who manages the slaves.
Arex licked blood from his hand.
"Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?"
" Because of you, that fool Xera dared speak down to me."
Back at the Quarry.
A slave stumbled, dropping ore. Terror filled his face as he scrambled to pick it up.
CRACK!
A whip made of metal crushed his hand.
The slave screamed.
Arex sneered, swinging again. Flesh ripped. The slave's mouth was torn open.
"You dare drop my minerals—and scream?"
Xera appeared.
"Enough. if you kill too many slaves, we'll run out of workers."
Arex growled, glaring.
"Don't lecture me. Unlike you, I know how to do my job."
Xera smirked.
" When Atlan is out, its my job to take care of the Quarry "
" And your slaves are your responsibility "
When Xera left, Arex turned back to the crippled slave.
"You can't work anymore. And if you can't work—then you're useless."
The whip coiled around the slave's body.
Bones cracked as Arex tightened it, turning him into a mangled sack of flesh.
"See? I take care of my problems."
Back to the Present.
Arex dragged his whip across the ground.
"The stench of that cage was bad. But i think it was worth it."
[ Sword Mastery lv.1 ]
Amadeus gripped his sword.
So that's why the mission didn't complete.
Arex's whip lashed out.
Amadeus blocked, but the sheer force threw him back.
My strength… it's not enough.
The whip coiled around his arm, digging into flesh.
Amadeus hit it, but his blade didn't even scratch the metal.
Arex grinned.
"Reinforced steel. Even Atlan couldn't break it."
" Now, Ready for pain?"
The whip yanked back, ripping through Amadeus's arm. Flesh tore. Blood sprayed.
"AAAAH!"
The agony was unbearable. His arm was shredded, muscle exposed.
Arex laughed.
"Good. Scream for me."
( Wipe Mirage )
He blurred forward, whip splitting into mirages.
Amadeus blocked one—but it was fake.
The real whip wrapped his body, binding him.
Arex.
"Let's take a ride!"
He spinned him, slamming him into rocks, walls.
Then with one pull he smashed him into the ground with Dust exploding from the impact.
Amadeus gasped.
If this keeps up… I'll die.
Arex laughed, preparing to pull him again.
But the whip stopped moving.
"…What?"
It was being pulled back—by sheer force.
Amadeus.
i didn't want to use them until i took more from the guards.
But i guess i have no other choice.
I'll use everything. 24 Essence.
[ STR lv 8 --) STR lv 20 ]
[ AGI lv 8 --) AGI lv 20 ]
With a roar, he yanked Arex into the dust.
A devastating punch connected with Arex's face, sending him crashing into stone wall.
Arex spat blood, then grinned.
"So you were hiding your strength."
" Doesn't matter—I'll just get serious."
The difficulty marker remained the same.
[ Hard ]
( Wipe Dust Storm )
Arex slammed his whip into the ground.
As Dust filled the air. The whip lashed from all directions, striking like lightning.
The Assassin Memory.
"Not with your eyes. Focus. With your ears."
Amadeus steadied his breath. He listened.
At the final strike, he tilted his head, grabbed the whip.
He wrapped the wipe around his hand and pulled Arex.
Arex smirked, dagger ready.
"Now die, filth!"
But Amadeus was faster. Using the hand wrapped with the whip, he slammed Arex into the ground, crushing his skull with a single blow.
[ You killed a Hard Human ]
[ Reward: 20 Essence ]
Amadeus collapsed to his knees, chest heaving.
He pulled a potion from his inventory and drank deeply. His wounds closed, though exhaustion weighed on him.
He Spent The Essence.
[ STM lv 6 --) STM lv 11 ]
[ HP lv 5 --) HP lv 10 ]
"I'll keep 10 Essence… just in case."
Suddenly a panel appeared.
[ SIGN: Undying ]
[ Stage 1 Trait ]
[ You survived a battle. You became more powerful. ]
[ HP lv 10 → HP lv 12 ]
[ STM lv 11 → STM lv 12 ]
[ STR lv 20 → STR lv 22 ]
[ AGI lv 20 → AGI lv 21 ]
Amadeus.
" free stats, i wont say no "
Amadeus looked at Arex items, but only the whip was worth taking.
[ Metal Whip ]
[ Rarity: Uncommon ]
/ Used by Arex the Slaver. Witness to the pain of many slaves.
Amadeus frowned, slipping it into his inventory.
"I hate whips… but it might be useful later."
He turned away.
"I should leave before Xera comes sniffing around."
Hours later, in a hidden cave, Lio greeted him with a smile.
"Welcome back, big bro. Want something to eat?"
Meanwhile, back at where Arex died, Xera stood over Arex's corpse.
Xera.
"Oh, Arex. You fool. You actually lost."
He turned away, his grin cold.
"But don't worry. Unlike you, I'm no weakling."
His thoughts burned with anticipation.
I can't wait to meet your killer.
To be continued.