Chapter 19: Do Your Damn Job, You Bastards!
Kevlin, huddling under a rock to avoid the rain, tensed as the necklace around his neck began to vibrate.
The vibration pointed in a single direction.
It was Ben’s signal.
Without hesitation, Kevlin dashed through the dark, squeezing between the rocks. His speed was so fast that the landscape blurred around him. Soon, the vibration shortened, becoming more frequent—until it suddenly stopped.
“......”
Kevlin stopped at the point where the signal had cut off and scanned the area. He spotted a faint light flickering between two large boulders. Carefully, he climbed to a rock opposite the light source, confirmed his target, and tucked himself beneath a nearby rock for cover.
His face twisted with irritation.
“What the hell is this mess….”
He shook the water off his cloak and scowled.
He had recently been promoted to four-star and selected as part of Kamel’s personal guard—positions that came with wealth, honor, and the envy of many. Yet here he was, drenched like a soaked rat, crawling around in the mud.
This mission had seemed so easy that Kevlin had almost considered it a leisurely stroll. His task was to silently monitor a newly recruited assassin and report on his every move—and, if necessary, intervene if any unexpected variables arose.
There were only two possible variables:
The assassin might attempt to escape mid-mission, or he could suddenly die.
To account for both possibilities, Kamel had assigned Kevlin as the true watcher—the one keeping a hidden eye on everything.
“It’s overkill, if you ask me.”
Though he suppressed any disrespectful thoughts toward Kamel, Kevlin couldn’t help but feel this mission was excessive. It wasn’t just that they had assigned Ben, an official knight, but they’d also sent Kevlin, one of the personal guard, to secretly monitor the situation.
At first, Kevlin thought the assassin might have some special abilities, but when he saw him at the warehouse, the guy just looked like a scared, clumsy fool.
To make matters worse, Ben, the idiot, had gotten so caught up in the assassin’s flashy spending that he’d practically forgotten his mission.
Ben had taken his eyes off the target, which meant Kevlin couldn’t reveal himself either.
“What a shitty day.”
He had been ordered to maintain his surveillance until the assassin returned to the estate, which meant he couldn’t even light a fire to stay warm. Gritting his teeth, he chewed on a piece of damp jerky and cursed under his breath. The more he thought about the situation, the more irritated he became.
“If they were going to do this, why not assign me directly to the target instead of that idiot Ben?”
Though he didn’t understand Kamel’s reasoning, Kevlin shook his head to clear the thought.
There were rumors that Kamel possessed the gift of foresight. Doubting Kamel’s decisions was the same as questioning his own worth.
All Kevlin could do was carry out his mission and watch.
‘Though I doubt I’ll have to do much.’
Ben might be a greedy fool, but he was still a three-star knight—much stronger than the assassin.
It was likely the mission would end with Ben handling everything. Kevlin only needed to step in if something unexpected happened.
For now, he closed his eyes.
Though the ground was cold and wet, doing nothing would have been even worse.
***
The unpleasant night passed, and as dawn broke, the assassin crawled out of the crevice, stretching and yawning as if refreshed.
Seeing that casual yawn made Kevlin’s blood boil.
‘You little worm….’
Kevlin, who had always enjoyed a life of comfort and luxury, resented the fact that he was being put through this ordeal because of that man.
‘When we return to the estate, I’ll make sure you never yawn again.’
He planned to have every one of the assassin’s teeth pulled out. Though he’d need Kamel’s permission, he was certain it would be granted. Kamel might have recruited the assassin personally, but Kevlin knew that didn’t mean the assassin was truly one of Kamel’s people.
[If it comes to the worst, cut off his head and bring it to me. Just don’t take more than three days.]
If Kamel considered the assassin a valuable subordinate, he wouldn’t have issued such an order.
The assassin was likely no more than fodder for the shamans’ research.
Kevlin followed as the assassin’s group began moving through the gorge under the cover of the heavy rain. Despite the fact that it was daytime, the dark clouds made the landscape look as dim as twilight.
The group followed the winding ridges along the gorge, and Kevlin trailed them quietly from a distance.
***
BOOOOM!
The roaring sound of water echoed, louder even than the pouring rain.
Kevlin paused to glance down the steep cliffs.
A small stream had transformed into a raging river overnight, swollen from the storm.
The current was so violent that anyone who fell in would be unlikely to survive.
The group continued advancing along the water’s edge.
After about half a day of slow travel, Kevlin spotted something unusual—a massive rock formation ahead. It looked more like a small mountain than a rock.
The assassin pointed at the formation and began walking toward it, choosing their next route.
Kevlin narrowed his eyes as he observed both the assassin and the massive rock.
That had to be their destination.
But something about the rock felt… wrong.
The closer he looked, the stranger it seemed. From a distance, it had looked like a simple boulder. But up close, it didn’t match the landscape at all.
Its color was pitch black, like ink, and its surface was riddled with countless holes, resembling the entrance to an ant nest. The holes were large and deep—big enough for a grown man to crawl inside. Water from the rainstorm streamed through these holes, draining into the river below.
Kevlin’s expression darkened.
If the assassin fell into that river…
‘I’ll need to stay within striking distance.’
While it seemed unlikely, Kevlin prepared for the worst and moved quickly.
The group began climbing the rock formation, which wasn’t steep but required caution due to the many holes.
Just as Kevlin tried to quietly enhance his movements with mana—
RUMBLE!
“......!”
The ground trembled beneath him, and a surge of water burst from the holes in the rock with a loud whoosh.
At the same time—
WHOOOOOOSH!
“Ugh!”
A sharp, grating noise like metal scraping against metal tore through the air. Kevlin staggered, but quickly stabilized himself by raising his aura. A trickle of blood ran from his bitten lip.
“…What was that sound?”
The noise was like a dagger to the mind, sharp and intrusive.
If he, a four-star knight, felt this much impact—
“GRAAAAH—!”
“AAAAAH!”
Screams echoed from the distance. One of the mercenaries clutched his head, staggered, and tumbled into one of the holes, vanishing without a trace. No one moved to save him.
The assassin crouched on the ground, trembling violently.
This was an unexpected development.
Kevlin sprang to his feet.
RUMBLE—!
“Damn it!”
A sharp pain drilled into his ears, as if a blade were digging into his skull.
Though Kevlin avoided falling into the nearby holes by using his aura, he cursed as he surveyed his surroundings.
Holes. Holes everywhere.
WHOOOOSH!
WHOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!
“Kuugh!”
A second wave of the deafening noise hit.
“W-What the hell is this…!?”
Ben clutched his ears, glaring at me as if he wanted to kill me.
He didn’t need to ask what was happening.
It was obvious.
This was the Curse of the Razor Wind.
As the third wave hit, Ben coughed up blood and staggered. I pressed my head against the ground and silently counted to myself.
One, two, three….
The curse operated in waves, each spaced apart. I kept track of the timing while scanning the surroundings.
Most of the mercenaries had already succumbed to the second wave, foaming at the mouth and convulsing like epileptics.
Ben, however, was different. Though he had been hit hard by the first wave, he only wavered during the subsequent ones, managing to stay on his feet.
If even Ben could withstand this much...
‘The real watcher won’t be fazed at all.’
I had planned to proceed with Plan A if Ben collapsed, but it looked like I’d have to switch to Plan B.
Suddenly, the curse’s waves stopped.
What?
A delay?
As I hesitated, Ben regained his balance, gripping the hilt of his sword as he approached me. I staggered back, wearing a deliberately pale expression.
It was all an act, of course.
The curse barely affected me beyond a mild headache.
“What did you do!?”
“I-I don’t know either!”
“Then why are you fine!?”
“I-I have my reasons! I’ll explain later! Right now, we need to light the fire while the sound has stopped!”
“What!?”
“We’re almost there! Look!”
I ignored Ben’s protests and scrambled toward the top of the rock. There was no way he could stop me now—he had followed me all the way here.
Reaching the summit, I tore through my pack and pulled out fire scrolls, shredding them as fast as I could.
BOOM!
Even in the storm, the enchanted flames roared to life. Thick, black smoke rose into the sky, defying the rain.
Ben appeared behind me, his voice tense.
“Is this it? Are we done now?”
When did he get so close?
I had momentarily forgotten that Ben was a three-star knight. His usual idiocy had lulled me into complacency.
I pulled out two more scrolls.
Ben didn’t seem concerned—they looked identical to the fire scrolls I had just used.
But these were different.
I gripped the scrolls tightly and aimed them at Ben.
“My mission ends when the signal is sent.”
“Then tear them open already.”
“……”
“Hurry the hell up!”
Ben stormed toward me, murderous intent clear in his eyes. He was ready to drag me away the moment the mission ended.
I smirked.
“Well, if you insist….”
I ripped the scrolls open.
CRACKLE!
Instead of the red flames Ben expected, the scrolls burst with a blinding electric light.
“W-What!?”
Ben’s eyes widened in shock, glowing blue as the electricity surged through him.
CRACK-BOOM!
“GAAAAAAH!”
Two bolts of lightning struck him, amplified by the water drenching his body. The shock sent him collapsing to the ground, his weapon clattering from his hands.
Without hesitation, I grabbed two more scrolls from my pack and tore them open.
The real watcher—his reaction was too fast.
The scenery around me flickered with an eerie blue light as the new scrolls activated.
CRACKLE!CRACKLE!
Two more bolts of lightning surged past Ben, striking the dark figure charging from behind him.
BOOOOM!
The flash was blinding, forcing me to turn away. But even in the momentary blindness, I sensed the threat hadn’t passed.
My instincts screamed at me to move.
I dove to the side—an act driven purely by survival instinct.
Swish—!
“Shit!”
The swing of a blade sliced through the air, close enough to cut a few strands of my hair.
Panting, I searched for the watcher.
The figure, charred black but still standing, blocked my path with cold, lifeless eyes.
It was him.
The man who had intercepted me at the warehouse.
The two-star magic had no effect on him.
He was a far more monstrous opponent than I had imagined.
With his sword raised, his expression twisted into something demonic, he prepared to strike.
A four-star knight.
If I tried to face him head-on, I was dead.
I ripped open the last of my scrolls and shouted,
“DO YOUR DAMN JOB, YOU BASTARDS!!”
The crackling mass of lightning collided with the knight’s blade.
BOOM!
The resulting flash of light was so bright it nearly blinded me. But the deadly aura surrounding me didn’t waver.
Shit—I was done for.
At that critical moment—
KLANG!
A dull clang echoed through the storm.
The knight’s sword had been intercepted.
And then I heard it—a calm, unfamiliar voice.
“Ten minutes.”
The Black Rose mercenaries had arrived.