Seo Kangrim glanced at the people of Zone 4.

Joo Hyeryung was still watching Seo Kangrim with eyes full of discontent.

Nam Yoojun glanced around nervously and spoke.

“Th-that’s not certain, though. Let’s just go for now. We should be careful while moving together.”

“……Haa.”

Joo Hyeryung rubbed her face in frustration before finally turning around.

The rest grumbled as well before soon taking their leave.

Shin Sooa watched them go before turning to Seo Kangrim.

“This is serious. We should head back and let the others know there’s a killer among us.”

“Let’s do that. Ah, and Ms. Shin Sooa. I have a favor to ask…….”

Shin Sooa looked at him as if asking what the favor was.

Seo Kangrim chose his words carefully before opening his mouth.

“I’d like to ask you to stay out of this Demon Realm for the time being and keep an eye on the twins.”

“Why?”

“Because of the killer.”

Shin Sooa would lose one of her eyes to the killer in this place.

The easiest way to prevent Shin Sooa’s injury was to keep her from entering this Demon Realm altogether.

Seo Kangrim offered a plausible excuse.

“Yoon Gyeoul nearly died to that Snowman last time, after all. I don’t want to put them in a dangerous situation again.”

“That was certainly… dangerous, yes.”

“Yes. Knowing their personalities, they’d come in even if I tried to stop them, so I’d appreciate it if you could watch over them. Just until we catch a lead on the killer.”

He didn’t expect this to solve the problem entirely.

But it could buy some time.

Shin Sooa listened and nodded.

“Alright. But they need to complete their missions too, so I can’t hold them back for too long.”

“Yes. A day or two should be enough.”

At that, Shin Sooa’s expression turned slightly peculiar.

Then she let out a small chuckle.

“Mr. Seo Kangrim, you said you wouldn’t be their master, but you sure take good care of those two.”

“I’m just doing the bare minimum.”

“Right, I understand. But they say there’s a killer—will you be alright on your own? Should I stay with you?”

Shin Sooa looked at him with worried eyes.

Seo Kangrim shook his head.

“I’ll be fine. I plan to move with someone else.”

“That’s a relief, but……. If you need me, call for me. Be careful.”

Shin Sooa said that and headed back to the lobby first.

Seo Kangrim watched Shin Sooa walk away.

Shin Sooa, who had lost an eye protecting him in his past life.

If he didn’t catch the killer, the same thing would happen again.

‘I have a rough idea who the killer is.’

He didn’t know the killer’s face, but he could make an educated guess based on build, gender, and other factors.

What he needed now was direct evidence.

Seo Kangrim spread out the Demon Realm Map to confirm his location and stepped into the forest of blades.

* * *

-Kieeek!

The Small Ogre shrieked in agony and rolled across the ground.

I picked up the Spirit Jade that spilled from the Small Ogre’s mouth.

[Spirit Jade acquired: 880/1000]

Just a little more, and the fourth room would be cleared.

It would have been natural for people to fight over Demon Beasts, but right now, the forest was simply quiet.

【Kangrim, what are you doing? Why aren’t you catching the killer?】

【Go catch the culprit!】

【Did you forget you staked Grandfather’s honor on this?】

“Because the killer hasn’t been coming in.”

After word spread that a killer had appeared, people became reluctant to hunt.

Some stopped entering altogether.

The person suspected to be the killer hadn’t shown himself either.

[Using the Demon Realm Map!]

[Current search rate: 80%!]

While waiting for the killer, I was also searching for a weapon hidden somewhere in this place.

I’d already managed to explore about 80% of the vast Forest of Swords.

I thought I’d have found the weapon’s location by now, but it still remained elusive.

Shin Sooa was staying at the Education Facility.

She’d probably come back in around a day.

I needed to find the weapon while she was somewhere safe.

As I moved to search the remaining areas—

A thick scent of blood drifted from somewhere.

Not the blood of a Demon Beast, but of a human.

[Sharpening the edge of ‘Senses’!]

I continued forward with ‘Senses’ heightened further.

As expected, someone lay collapsed nearby.

I couldn’t see the face, but judging by the amount of blood soaking the floor, they were certainly dead.

【Did the killer strike again?】

【Hey, anyone seen a murder scene before?】

【Someone died—pray for their soul first.】

【Yeah, Kangrim’s holding a moment of silence too.】

When I stood still, they apparently thought I was observing a moment of silence.

But I wasn’t doing anything of the sort.

Something was off about this corpse.

I activated my Special Ability to check.

[Special Ability ‘Fortune Stealing’ activates!]

[Number of deceased within current range: 0!]

Could it be they were only injured, not dead?

No, that wasn’t it.

I swiftly swung my blade at the person pretending to be dead.

-Chaeng!

In an instant, my sword was blocked.

The person who had been lying on the ground was already standing and looking at me.

They were wearing a mask.

“Wow, you’re really quick on the uptake.”

The other person spoke in a tone of feigned admiration.

It also came across as somewhat mocking.

Just then, cracks began to spread across the mask from the impact of my attack.

As the mask shattered into pieces and fell away, the other person grinned and said:

“You’re better than you look.”

“…….”

“But didn’t I tell you?”

When all the fragments fell away, a familiar face was revealed.

As our locked blades trembled, Nam Yoojun grinned and said:

“It’s dangerous to go around alone.”

═══════════════

[Name] Nam Yoojun

[Rank] Third Human Grade

[Five Elements] Fire

[Deity Name] Terror of the Living and the Dead

▼

[Special Ability] Murder Impulse

[Rank] First Ghost Grade

[Description] Upon killing a human, the user can absorb 10% of the target’s stats. Using this ability accumulates Karma.

▼

[Special Ability] Hidden One

[Rank] Third Human Grade

[Description] Temporarily renders the body invisible. However, exhaling cancels the invisibility.

═══════════════

His eyes glowed with an unfathomable crimson light.

Without lowering my guard, I examined Nam Yoojun’s Fortune Window.

‘That deity name… Rakshasa?’

Rakshasa was a demon from Indian mythology, also known by the name Nachal.

Being closer to an Evil God, it was a deity that was hard to recommend for many reasons.

In Nam Yoojun’s case, however, their dispositions seemed to align.

“You seem quite used to it.”

“Used to what?”

“Killing.”

Most people naturally felt revulsion at the thought of killing another human being.

But Nam Yoojun didn’t appear to harbor much guilt.

“Is there really any need to kill people?”

“Well, you see, I can’t help it either.”

Nam Yoojun smiled innocently, pushed my sword away, and took a few steps back.

He didn’t look like he was fighting—he looked like he was enjoying a fun game.

“I was really cooped up in prison, you see. I figured I’d behave myself here since I could at least hunt Demon Beasts…….”

Saying that, he pointed up at the sky with his finger.

“Lord Nachal went and gave me an ability to kill people. So I killed them.”

He’d received Divine Descent and even gained a Special Ability.

His stats were also considerably high.

═══════════════

[Strength] Stage 22

[Stamina] Stage 15

[Agility] Stage 15

[Perception] Stage 24

[Magic Power] Stage 12

═══════════════

When I first saw him, most of his stats were in the low teens, but now his Strength and Perception had broken past 20.

He must have killed quite a few people.

My current highest stats were Strength and Agility, both at Stage 18.

I could barely push my Strength to Stage 20 using Merit Points, but that alone might not be enough to win.

Nam Yoojun tapped his own shoulder with the flat of his blade and said:

“You’re still the strongest person I’ve seen so far. Even noticed I was faking.”

[Special Ability ‘Hidden One’ activates!]

He flashed a grin, and in an instant, vanished from sight.

I heightened every sense through ‘Senses’ and scanned my surroundings.

The sound of grass being trampled came from behind.

-Kaang!

I swiftly twisted my body and blocked the attack coming from behind.

Nam Yoojun had somehow circled behind me.

As I received his strike, I felt a slight numbness in my arms.

“Wow, how did you block that? You must be really strong. Makes killing you worthwhile.”

In my current state, blocking his attacks was the best I could manage.

There was no one else around, so I could use that ability without hesitation.

[Special Ability ‘Fighting Instinct’ activates!]

As ‘Fighting Instinct’ activated, a competitive fire began to surge within me toward Nam Yoojun, who outranked me.

The only regrettable part was that my rank had risen to First Insect Grade, narrowing the gap between us significantly.

‘Fighting Instinct’ grew more effective the greater the gap between me and my opponent.

My stats were similar to Nam Yoojun’s, but because I was at First Insect Grade, the effect of ‘Fighting Instinct’ wasn’t particularly pronounced.

Even so, at this level, I had a fighting chance.

-Seupat!

“Huh? What the—?”

I lowered my stance and immediately dove beneath Nam Yoojun’s guard.

The moment I swung my blade to sever his leg, Nam Yoojun disappeared from view.

【Hey, where’d the killer go?】

【He’s got an invisibility ability.】

【Wow, an ability meant for killing people.】

【Looks like Kangrim can’t find him.】

Nam Yoojun had vanished, but that was all.

-Kwaang!

I kicked a nearby tree.

Blade-like leaves began cascading down in a flurry.

【Why kick the tree?】

【Hey! There, there! Leaves are caught on something.】

【Leaves are floating in midair?】

As I scanned the area, I spotted a place where leaves were awkwardly suspended in midair.

When I swung my blade toward that spot, Nam Yoojun reappeared with a sharp scream.

“Kkeok……!”

I felt the sensation of my blade tip cutting flesh.

The moment he exhaled, Nam Yoojun became visible.

Looking bewildered, he said:

“Um, Mr. Seo Kangrim? Shall we talk?”

Words not worth listening to.

I immediately launched another attack at Nam Yoojun.

-Kang, kaang!

Instead of fleeing, he raised his sword and blocked.

The clash of blades rang out with a deafening din.

“Phew. I said let’s talk……!”

His arms were trembling, yet he still spoke with casual ease.

My Strength was slightly below Nam Yoojun’s, but my Agility was higher.

With ‘Fighting Instinct’ in effect, he shouldn’t have been able to keep up with my speed.

But in a direct contest of strength, the dynamics would shift.

Nam Yoojun must have realized this too, as he stopped retreating and began swinging his sword in earnest.

“I! Said! Let’s! Talk!”

-Kang, kaang!

Each time he shouted, the sharp ring of colliding blades echoed through the air.

I was blocking Nam Yoojun’s attacks, but at this rate, there would be no progress.

Just as he bore down on me with murderous intent—

-Chaeng!

Someone burst from the underbrush and slashed at Nam Yoojun.

The sudden attack visibly rattled Nam Yoojun.

Dokgo Jun wore a face of sheer, unhinged delight.

“Haha, a proper villain has finally arrived!”

A madman worse than the killer himself.

With Dokgo Jun’s appearance, the tide of battle began to shift decisively.