RTGR 102

Chapter 102 …

Just when it seemed like things might go smoothly, what in the world was this chaos?

Gamilion, who had been staring blankly after an unexpected encounter with the Harbinger of Destruction, cautiously spoke up.

“…Didn’t it feel… off to you?”

“Kuh, did you expect me to react any differently?”

“Well, you found the Harbinger of Destruction faster than anyone else could, even though no one else could detect it. So yes, it’s natural that it feels good. The only problem is… it happened at a murder scene.”

“……”

A scathing factual remark that was impossible to refute.

Even for Dohyeon, it felt unjust.

It wasn’t like a little kid wearing a bow tie was following him around; why did incidents always seem to happen wherever he went?

But more than that, the thing that felt most unfair was something else entirely.

[The Eye of Truth activates.]

‘Wait, why does it activate just from seeing the monster’s heart?’

A strange red glow emanated from near its heart. The red color that had led Dohyeon here was unmistakable.

He had been excited, thinking it might be a piece of fate, only to discover it was the heart of a monster. Not even a deep-sea abomination—it was absurd! Did the Abyssal Contractor have a heart made of some special jewel?

“…There’s a lot I’m curious about, but let’s deal with that first.”

“Good idea.”

Dohyeon sighed and nodded at Gamilion’s suggestion. There were many questions, but now was not the time.

[Remaining time limit: 00:00:18]

They had only 20 seconds to rescue the Deputy Prelate from that monster.

[Applying ‘Shroud of Darkness’ to Cheonbyeon.]
[Mana is consumed per second.]
[Using ‘Striking’ increases attack power by +40.]

When Dohyeon enveloped Cheonbyeon in darkness, Jihad and Eliza immediately assumed their positions.

Jihad drew black mana to summon the undead at any moment, while Eliza hid in his robe, waiting for the chance to spit out webs.

“Be careful. That creature survived even after facing Lord Lebed.”

Dohyeon only nodded. He instinctively felt that the monster’s strength was far from trivial.

It didn’t matter. Dohyeon’s goal was simply to save the Deputy Prelate. Even without much information, he could handle that alone.

Thud—

A brief moment, thick with tension,

“Ugh… ggh…”

Amid the silence, only the muffled groans of the strangled Deputy Prelate were heard.

Thwack!

Dohyeon stomped the ground sharply. At the same time, Cheonbyeon’s form changed.

[Cheonbyeon transforms into ‘Bastard’s Training Sword’.]
[Swordsmanship proficiency LV14 effect applied.]

The sword—Dohyeon’s most mastered weapon. He had chosen it over the spear for maximum damage in the first strike, even sacrificing reach.

‘I need to deal as much damage as possible with the first hit.’

In a situation where he had only 17 seconds to save someone, a prolonged fight would be disadvantageous.

Then—

[A mark appears.]

Using Backstab, he appeared behind the monster and swung.

Clink.

The monster frowned, its red eyes glowing ominously, and simply stepped back, leaving the Deputy Prelate behind. Dohyeon’s strike cut only empty air, and when he turned, the creature was gone.

‘Stealth?’

No, the Eye of Truth didn’t activate.

[No longer in sight; cannot use Backstab.]

Even a second Backstab failed. It had truly disappeared. The quest appeared, and in only five seconds, the monster vanished.

Dohyeon exhaled, bewildered, as Gamilion came over.

“…It ran away.”

“Seems so…”

It was fortunate in the end, but the emptiness lingered—not disappointment, but a sense of bafflement.

‘Why did it run?’

He could have at least tested their strength, but it fled the moment Dohyeon lunged, like a thief caught in the act. Dohyeon couldn’t understand it, but the groans from the Deputy Prelate drew him back to reality.

“Ugh…”
“Ah, right. The Deputy Prelate.”

Gamilion hurriedly lifted the fallen Londrick and infused mana to open his prayers. Slowly, Londrick’s complexion returned slightly.

He murmured hoarsely, struggling to speak:

“Harbinger… suddenly… attacked… killed everyone… different than before… dangerous… ugh.”

Londrick’s body went limp as he mumbled incoherently.

“Master… is he dead?”
“Li… Liza!?”

“…No way.”

Startled, Jihad and Eliza froze. Gamilion checked Londrick’s pulse and shook his head.

“He’s alive. He just lost consciousness.”

“Ah.”

“Phew… that was scary.”

“See?”

Dohyeon and Jihad breathed a sigh of relief.

Then, observing Jihad’s genuine relief, Dohyeon asked:

“Then why is a creature that annihilates the undead acting so… cautious?”

“Undead are already dead. That’s different.”
“Hmm… not wrong.”
“Right?”

Though it felt strange for a necromancer to act that way, logically, there was no argument to be made. After all, it was a monster; human morality didn’t apply.

Then a message popped up:

[Side Quest ‘Rescue Londrick’ Cleared.]
[Reward: Large amount of EXP, Londrick’s favor obtained.]
[Level Up.]

‘Level up already?’

Dohyeon was surprised by the message; it hadn’t been long since his last level-up. The massive EXP was rare at this stage, near graduation level. Hidden quests truly were rewarding.

‘Level 34 now… only one graduation level left.’

While others might take a month in Bryon, Dohyeon was on the brink of graduation in just two days. The main quest and this hidden quest were incredibly generous. The experience was like a treasure chest.

‘This is why hidden pieces are satisfying.’

Then Gamilion’s eyes widened.

“Huh? What’s this…?”

Dohyeon followed his gaze. In Londrick’s arms was a small priest’s badge.

“…A badge proving he’s a high priest.”
“Uh… was it always this color?”

A high priest of Bryon carried a badge infused with divine authority. But this one emitted a foreboding aura.

Priest Badge

Like a seal or emblem, a priest badge is a form of identification given only to high priests in Bryon.

However, it wasn’t just for ID purposes.

“The priest badge isn’t just an ID.”
“Really?”
“It contains the divine power of its wearer, serving as a measure of their faith.”

The badge reflected the wearer’s divine power. Higher-ranking priests’ badges shone more clearly, some with a faint glow. Londrick’s was not exceptional but still a deputy prelate.

But this badge was darkened, looking ominous.

“…Then what does this mean?”

“Horrible, master.”
“Liza…”

Dohyeon pointed at the badge; Jihad and Eliza recoiled as if seeing something filthy. Even Gamilion frowned but answered calmly.

“The badge reflects the wearer’s divine power. If the priest is corrupted, the badge will reveal it. It also acts as a preventive measure against forming Abyssal contracts.”

“…So?”
“Yes. This is… a priest badge of someone who has made an Abyssal contract.”

A message appeared:

[‘Abyssal Investigation’ Cleared.]
[Acquired Harbinger’s Trace: ‘Corrupted Priest Badge’.]

[Corrupted Priest Badge]

Rarity: Rare+
Description: A high priest’s badge. For some reason, it is severely corrupted.

“Yet Londrick shows no sign of corruption. Just an ordinary priest.”

Before the message even disappeared, Gamilion’s voice turned serious:

“Someone deliberately placed the badge on him… probably the Harbinger.”
“Why bother…?”
“The badge only recognizes its owner when worn. Divine power cannot discern who placed it.”
“Ah…”
“This seems intended to frame someone.”

Now Dohyeon understood why the creature had retreated. Its goal had been to make Londrick an Abyssal contractor. Once discovered, there was no reason to waste time creating variables. That was what made Gamilion shiver.

“This is troubling. Its reasoning is far too rational and meticulous for someone consumed by the Abyss.”

Typically, Abyssal contractors are essentially creatures whose minds are partially possessed by the Abyss. Though their divine power resists some corruption, their intellect is childlike. They act on unending desire and destruction.

But this one exhibited human-level intelligence, meticulous and rational.

“…It’s monitoring all our movements.”

Clearly:

“The Harbinger, Gaimon, seems to retain human intelligence.”
“…My god.”

If true, this was terrifying. The creature had the badge, knew the post-meeting dispersal routes, and could identify attendees—high priests and deputy prelates. The Lyre’s chapel priests could be excluded—they lacked sufficient divine power to retain intellect.

“Most likely an elder or deputy prelate.”

All conditions point to this.

“But they were human, right? Not detected by the orbs?”
“It seems it can fully maintain human form and mana. That’s why it wasn’t detected… No wonder it escaped ten years ago too.”

Thus, Gaimon had walked among humans, attended meetings, and roamed Bryon unnoticed.

“How is that even possible? Not some symbiote… detachable or whatever.”