Darwin sat against the wall of the room, his hands tucked behind his head. The night air drifted in through the slightly open window, but his mind was far from calm.
"Liriel still isn't back…"
He let out a sigh, then called out silently
"Zero, you still awake?"
Darwin was silent for a moment, then shifted the topic. He opened his inventory and pulled out two skill crystals he had stored since their last battle. One glowed a deep violet—taken from an enemy who possessed the skill [Phantom Mirage]. The other shimmered bluish with the word [Aim] engraved.
"I should've used these sooner. Might come in handy later."
Zero responded quickly:
Darwin nodded and gripped the [Phantom Mirage] crystal tightly.
"AGHH!"
A stabbing pain pierced his head, like a thousand needles tearing through his brain. Darwin's vision blurred, his body trembled—but he endured.
And slowly… new information began to flood his mind.
But it didn't stop there.
Darwin could feel the crystal reacting far beyond normal. As if not only was [Phantom Mirage] activating… but it was resonating with two other skills in his body—[Speed] and [Intimidation].
His body trembled violently, breath caught in his throat, and then the skill fused—creating [Shadow Predator], a terrifying blend of lightning speed, shadow illusion, and fearsome intimidation. The user could leave a phantom double behind to deceive enemies.
Move with inhuman speed and agility like a phantom.
Emit a terrifying aura that could inflict Stun or Fear on enemies within a certain radius during combat.
Darwin opened his eyes, cold sweat running down his face.
"This is… insane. The core's still [Phantom Mirage], but those extra effects make me... way harder to read in a fight."
Zero chuckled in his mind.
Darwin glanced at his right hand and opened his inventory again. He took out a monster core from an Elite Orc that he had saved.
"By the way, you hungry? Here."
Suddenly, Darwin's right hand transformed. From the center of his palm, a massive, grotesque mouth emerged, filled with glistening black fangs. The sound of growling and dripping saliva added to the eerie atmosphere.
"Krrrchhh… SHLUURP! CHRAK! CRUNCH!!"
The sound of bones being crushed and energy being absorbed echoed sharply. A few seconds later, the mouth shrank and vanished.
<...Unfortunately, no skill to extract.>
Darwin clicked his tongue. "Tsk, what a waste."
He sat back down, eyes drifting toward the window.
But after a few minutes...
An uneasy feeling began to grow inside him.
"...Liriel's been gone too long, hasn't she?"
Zero's voice was flat:
Darwin stared out at the night sky through the open window. The cold breeze brushed against his face, but it couldn't chase away the worry that was slowly blooming in his heart.
"No. This… feels wrong."
He stood up and headed straight for the door.
"Yeah."
Without hesitation, Darwin stepped out into the night, making his way through the quiet city streets, searching for any sign of Liriel.
The night wind blew harder as Darwin walked through the now-deserted streets of the city. Lantern lights swayed gently, casting dancing shadows across the walls of the buildings.
"Ciel, come out. I need you."
In an instant, a faint blue light shimmered beside him. Ciel appeared, her tail swishing lightly.
"Ciel, find Liriel. Use your nose. Please."
Ciel bowed slightly and sniffed the ground. After a few moments, she caught a scent and let out a low bark before dashing northwest. Darwin immediately gave chase.
They eventually arrived at a narrow, empty alley near the edge of the city. Ciel stopped, lowered her head, and sniffed around.
There… were signs of a struggle. Scratches on the walls, scorched marks of magic, and most chilling of all—a small silver dagger belonging to Liriel—lay on the ground, covered in dirt and dust.
Darwin clenched his fists, his jaw tightening.
"Damn it... I'm too late."
He looked at Ciel, who kept sniffing the air before lowering her head with a sorrowful gaze. She crept closer, as if feeling responsible.
Darwin knelt and gently petted her head.
"It's not your fault. You did your best."
"Return for now."
Ciel nodded softly and disappeared back into the inventory space.
Darwin stood up, breathing heavily. His mind was a storm of thoughts.
"I should've protected her… but I let her go alone. I—"
Zero's voice cut in sharply.Darwin didn't deny it.
"…Yeah. I was careless."
Then his eyes caught something—a strange old shop not far from the scene. Its sign was faded, windows covered in curtains. He squinted, sensing something off.
"That shop…"
But before he could move, Zero warned him.
Darwin spun around just in time to catch a girl stumbling into him. She wore a ragged cloak, hood covering her face.
"A-Ah…! Please… don't let them take me…"
Her hands were trembling, her face turned downward in panic.
Behind them, four masked individuals in tight black clothing appeared. Their movements were swift and silent—assassins, clearly.
"Step aside. That girl belongs to us."
Darwin's eyes sharpened.
"She's with me now. Why are you after her?"
One of them spoke coldly.
"That's none of your concern."
Darwin sighed deeply, opened his inventory, and drew his twin daggers—they gleamed coldly under the moonlight.
"In that case… maybe you'll talk after I break you."
The four assassins shifted into attack stances, crouching low with poison-tipped knives. They circled Darwin silently. The girl hid behind him, still trembling.
Let's test that new skill.
One assassin lunged from the right—fast as a shadow. Darwin sidestepped left, twisting his body with the agility granted by [Shadow Predator], and stabbed his dagger into the attacker's gut.
Blood spilled—but not deep enough. The assassin retreated with a minor wound.
Two others attacked at once from front and back. Darwin activated [Shadow Predator], leaving a shadowy afterimage behind. One assassin slashed through empty air.
"What?!"
Darwin reappeared at their left flank, slamming a powerful kick into one's back, sending him crashing into a wall. The other tried to stab him from behind, but [Intimidation] flared—an aura so terrifying that it made the attacker freeze.
Just long enough.
Darwin spun and struck his elbow into the assassin's jaw.
CRACK!
The assassin dropped, unconscious.
The girl behind Darwin still cowered in fear. One assassin tried circling around to ambush her from the side.
Darwin hurled a dagger—
SHUKK!
—striking the ambusher in the shoulder, throwing him off balance. Darwin charged forward and kneed him in the face.
The last assassin attempted a desperate stab from behind, but again, the fear aura from Darwin's new skill took hold. The enemy froze, wide-eyed—and that was all Darwin needed.
He swept the assassin's legs, pinned him down, and pressed a blade to his throat.
"Talk, or I'll crush your arm. Who are you?"
But before Darwin could get an answer, one of the downed assassins fired a smoke bomb into the center of the alley. A small explosion erupted, shrouding the area in thick black fog.
"Darwin, they're escaping!" Zero shouted.
Darwin leapt toward the blast—but it was too late. The four assassins vanished into the mist like ghosts.
Darwin cursed under his breath.
"Damn it… I can't chase them without leaving her behind."
He returned to the cloaked girl, who was now breathing heavily and staring at him with grateful eyes.
"…Thank you. You… you saved me."
The girl slowly stood and pulled back her hood, revealing a beautiful face with golden eyes and long crimson hair.
"My name… is Avelyne. I am the princess of the Kingdom of Torain."
Darwin's eyes widened.
"…A princess?"