"..."
Shrrrk!
Clara’s pale fingers made the balisong dance chaotically, its blade flickering between her fingertips.
With a swift spin, she flicked off the blood clinging to the blade and snapped it shut with a crisp clack.
Then, just as quickly, she struck again.
No hesitation. No mercy.
The blade found its mark in the enemy’s vital point, burying itself cleanly.
Without sparing a glance at the ones attempting to enter the tunnel, she pulled the trigger without hesitation.
"Gguhhh—!"
The target choked, blood foaming between their lips as they desperately clutched at the hole in their throat.
They had already dropped their weapon—too preoccupied with their impending death to care.
Clara finished the job by smashing them across the face with the butt of her pistol—
CRACK!
Then, she hopped backward.
"You little rat bitch!"
BOOM! The spot where Clara had stood was obliterated by a massive fist.
The hulking figures, each with a mechanical arm, were undoubtedly the beastman brothers Rohan had mentioned.
‘Hmm, they’re the last ones left, then...’
Clara remained unfazed by the curses and threats spilling from the criminals' mouths.
This was no place for social niceties.
She shut out their words, filtering only the information she needed.
Click!
As Clara landed on the tunnel roof, she saw the beastmen’s mechanical arms shifting—morphing into firearms.
She wasn’t surprised.
Without stopping, she leapt gracefully, light as a butterfly.
Wrrrrrrrr! RATATATATATA—!
Bullets rained from two mounted machine guns, but Clara dodged them like a nimble squirrel, weaving between the barrage.
She checked her mana reserves, quickly analyzing the battlefield.
‘Should I use Arachne again? If I do... my mana will...’
The fight was dragging on longer than expected.
She knew impatience could be fatal in battle, but she hesitated.
Rohan was inside, fighting the leader.
Of course, Rohan would win. But Clara wanted to ensure he did so without injury.
The reason for the delay was simple.
The enemies weren’t weak.
They weren’t on the same level as the scum they had dealt with during their first job.
Their personalities were just as rotten, but they fought like seasoned killers.
Even if she could take them down in a single blow, facing a swarm of more than ten crazed assailants at once wasn’t something she could do lightly.
Shiiiiiik...
The beastmen’s machine guns overheated, grinding to a halt.
They had also burned through all their ammo, leaving only the clicking sound of empty chambers.
Tap!
Clara seized the opportunity and closed the distance in an instant.
Having already eliminated the rest of the small fry, her path was now clear.
"Shit! This bitch is too fast!"
"Just hold out until we reload!"
The brothers, panicked, raised their reinforced arms like shields.
Clara poured mana into her blade, aiming to end this in a single strike.
As she stepped in to finish the fight—
Fwip!
A single arrow cut through the air and landed weakly on the ground.
"...?"
A short bolt, fired from the tunnel.
The beastmen, who had fought alongside Doberman for years, recognized the weapon.
Yet, something felt off.
There wasn’t a trace of mana in the shot.
"Wait... does that mean the boss...?"
With wary eyes, the beastmen turned toward the tunnel’s entrance.
Clara, about to strike, also paused and looked.
"What a useless toy. What the hell am I supposed to do with this crossbow?"
A familiar voice rang out. Clara’s face lit up.
The beastmen, however, paled in horror.
Rohan emerged, sheathing his sword onto his back.
One hand held a crossbow—a spoil of war.
The other?
He was dragging Doberman’s lifeless corpse along the ground.
***
"Clara. Good work."
"O-Oppa, you too...! Are you hurt?"
With Rohan joining the fight, the bulldog brothers were quickly dealt with.
They had already been doomed to fall, but Rohan’s arrival made their end swift.
"Just a scratch."
Clara bit her lip at the sight of Rohan’s shirt, stained red in places.
Fortunately, none of the bolts had hit directly—only grazes.
"What about you?"
"I’m fine..."
Clara twirled slightly, showing off the borrowed jacket—still intact.
Rohan smiled in relief.
Then—
Ding!
A flood of translucent notifications appeared in front of them.
[Quest Complete.]
[You have received your rewards.]
The shimmering space before them drew their eyes, urging them to claim the random point pouch.
But for Rohan, there was one reward far more intriguing.
‘The transcendence... How will it be granted?’
He looked around, searching the air as if expecting another shimmer to appear.
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Then—
"!"
As if sensing his impatience, the notification window appeared at the perfect moment.
[Your first Transcendence shines brightly.]
FWOOSH—!
A blinding light engulfed his vision.
For a brief moment, Rohan saw a place that was both foreign and eerily familiar.
Not the tunnel littered with corpses.
‘This place...’
Somewhere, flames and blades swirled in fragmented chaos.
Like mirrors reflecting past deeds, they showed glimpses of Rohan from every angle.
"!?"
Rohan stood frozen.
He felt it.
The satisfaction of discovering something he had searched for all his life.
Was this what they called emotion?
Or was it something deeper?
The sensation of his soul becoming whole.
The overwhelming fulfillment that filled his chest was beyond words.
CRACK!
The world shattered. The natural order obeyed.
The brief vision ended, and reality flowed back into place.
Rohan’s eyes refocused on the world he had known before.
[When attacking a target marked with a Weakness, there is a low chance to apply a Debuff. The Debuff shares the level of the Weakness mark.]
[Shop Skill cooldown time is accelerated.]
[The flames of Heaven’s Judgment Sword (Cheonil Seongjae Geom) no longer affect the caster.]
‘Interesting.’
Rohan clenched and unclenched his fist, feeling the surge of newfound power.
He scanned the notifications.
Transcendence naturally increased his physical abilities and mana—basic upgrades.
But it also boosted his unique skills all at once.
With three unique skills, the growth was tremendous.
"..."
This Transcendence was proof.
Proof that, until now, he had been nothing but a name on paper. A hollow character.
With six possible Transcendence levels, he had just unlocked the first.
The paths and methods to grow stronger had expanded.
"Oppa."
"Hm?"
Clara’s voice broke into his thoughts.
When he looked up, the girl was watching him intently.
"Oppa. What do we do now?"
"I have a plan."
Rohan walked toward Doberman’s corpse and rummaged through his belongings.
He found an old-fashioned leather pouch.
Inside were two jet-black coins.
He didn’t have time to loot every corpse, but this was something he needed to secure for the future.
‘He needed one more, didn’t he?’
Doberman’s grand ambition and first step toward his goal required at least three of these coins.
Some called them Baptism. Others referred to them as Grace.
The people who sought them used different names.
But their true name was Judas’ Silver Coins.
Black as pitch, yet bearing that infamous title.
‘Got it.’
Rohan regretted not having the time to dig through every wallet.
Checking the time on his smartphone, he turned toward the tunnel where the vehicles lay stacked.
Behind him, Clara followed closely.
They approached the black sedan, now a convertible thanks to Clara’s web.
Rohan took the stolen car key, started the engine, and popped the trunk to inspect the weapons inside.
"Front’s a little dented, but it’s fine. Get in."
"Oppa... you can drive...?"
"Of course. We’ll just take this to the entrance. Think of it as a short drive."
"D-Drive...!"
Rohan tapped the passenger seat, and Clara scrambled inside.
He switched on the seat heater and exited the tunnel.
"Since there’s no roof or windows, it might be a little cold."
"I’m warm! Let’s go already!"
Clara tugged at Rohan’s jacket wrapped around her, showing it off proudly.
Rohan chuckled at her playfulness and checked the time.
‘It’s coming soon.’
He wanted to rescue Shion quickly—that was urgent.
But there was something else.
In Abyss City, if Doberman wasn’t killed in time, a certain disaster occurred.
If events followed the original story, then soon...
A small dimensional rift would open nearby, spewing dozens of monsters.
Monsters were always hungry.
They would sniff out the blood and devour the remains, cleaning up the mess.
‘If I get caught... well, nothing I can do.’
If authorities investigated, explaining everything would be a hassle, but it wasn’t a real problem.
VROOOOOM!
Finishing his thoughts, Rohan stepped on the accelerator.
***
BZZZZ!
Just as Rohan parked the car near the ruins and stepped out, a message arrived.
Another notification marked with a red exclamation.
[Elysium Public Security Bureau: 01:55 / Small-scale dimensional rift detected / Avoid outdoor activity / Report any monsters to the Bureau...]
‘Perfect.’
His memories were correct.
And the delay in detection meant the timing was ideal.
Satisfied with the result, Rohan walked alongside Clara.
"The location in this message—it’s near where we just were."
"Really?!"
"Lucky, huh? Things always go well when I’m with you, Clara."
"G-Geez... is that so...?"
Clara flinched in surprise at the message, but Rohan simply smiled and continued forward.
This area was likely cleaned by Shion on a regular basis.
Signs of past battles and useless monster remains littered the ground.
As they ventured deeper inside—
Clara suddenly turned her head sharply in one direction.
Rohan paused, impressed by her awareness.
"Oppa. Just now, I felt mana from up there..."
"Yeah. I know. That’s where Shion is."
The building where Shion and the Elf Elders resided.
Someone from inside was watching them.
A type of observation skill.
‘Let’s try this.’
The Elf Elders came from old Tigrova, where bloodline mattered more than strength.
They weren’t warriors.
They were nobles who had sat in power solely due to birthright.
They lacked real battle experience, but their security measures were tight, as cowards often ensured.
If he could get inside, half the battle was already won.
Rohan had been pondering this for a while.
How to infiltrate that building.
Would he have to struggle through it like in Abyss City?
He had thought. He had considered. He had planned.
Time spent reflecting had finally yielded a solution.
A path the game never allowed.
"Clara."
"Yes!"
"From here on, just follow my lead. If things get unclear, stay behind me."
"...?"
Clara tilted her head in confusion.
Rohan asked her to maintain a neutral expression.
Then, he strode forward toward the building.
Mana fluctuated in the air.
It felt as if something might burst forth at any moment.
Unbothered, Rohan maintained a commanding presence as he spoke.
His voice had to carry arrogance and authority.
"Elder Chief Levin Maxwell!"
His powerful shout echoed through the ruins.
"Come out immediately and receive the orders of the Reverse Praise Society!"
Rohan raised the black coin he had taken from Doberman.
The path he had chosen for this quest’s breakthrough—
Impersonation.