Something utterly ridiculous was happening right before Victor and Kierra's eyes.
The Hobgoblins looked straight at their hiding place, their weapons ready, yet they ignored them as if nothing was there.
And it wasn't just one or two of them—every single Hobgoblin that scouted through the area acted the same way.
From the Goblins' perspective, it was as if there was absolutely nothing behind the wooden barricade—no intruders, no movement, not even the faintest trace of life.
Victor and Kierra exchanged a glance, their minds racing. Something incredible was happening to them, something beyond their understanding.
Neither dared to make a sound. They remained perfectly still, just beyond the reach of the monsters, waiting and watching.
Several tense minutes passed as the Hobgoblins continued their search. Then, finally, the creatures grunted in frustration and dispersed, vanishing into the village.
Only when the last of the Green monsters had gone did Victor and Kierra dare to move.
Carefully, they slipped out from behind the barricade and ducked into the forest, hiding behind the thick bushes.
And at last, they exhaled a sigh of relief.
""What just happened, Raizel? Did you do that somehow?" Kierra asked, still shaken.
Victor shook his head with a chuckle. "No, it wasn't me. I can't use magic—certainly not invisibility magic."
"Then who was it?" Kierra's voice was laced with suspicion as she scanned their surroundings.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, a face appeared right in front of them.
"Looking for me?"
Victor and Kierra instinctively stepped back, their bodies tensed.
The young man had seemingly materialized out of thin air, like a ghost emerging from the shadows.
He chuckled and clicked his tongue. "Relax, I'm not a ghost. I was the one who saved you two—though, technically, not just me. You should also thank my little friend here."
He pointed to a tiny, glowing creature floated near the young man's shoulder, no larger than the monkey cub.
Victor and Kierra's eyes widened. Even without scanning it, they recognized what it was.
Their initial wariness turned to shock.
"Wait… isn't that a Spirit?" Kierra asked, her brows furrowing. "How did you find one? And more importantly, how did you tame it? Spirits are supposed to be hostile to humans!"
In Supreme Game, Spirits were one of the most powerful and elusive races, possessing a natural affinity for magic far beyond that of most humans. Magic was as instinctive to them as breathing, because their very bodies composed of pure magical energy.
Taming a Spirit? That was practically unheard of.
Victor didn't have enough knowledge to fully grasp the significance of what he was seeing, but he knew this was no ordinary feat.
The young man smirked and adjusted his wide-brimmed hat before giving a playful bow.
"Because… I'm a Beast Master, " he declared. "You can call me Philip, and this little one here is my summon, Philo. Nice to meet you both."
His confident grin made one thing clear; he knew exactly how special his abilities were.
"You're a Beast Master?"
Kierra was stunned, while Victor was equally speechless.
This couldn't just be a coincidence, right? Was their luck really this heaven-defying?
They had just been planning to look for the Beast Master-class player—and now, he had appeared right before them, acting as their savior.
The black-haired young man nodded with a hint of amusement in his expression. "Indeed, I am, miss. But I haven't received my thanks yet?"
"Ah, sorry. Anyway thank you for the help, weird guy."
Victor and Kierra both expressed their gratitude. After all, he had saved them from what could have been a life-threatening situation.
Though they weren't sure if they would have definitely died, Philip still deserved their thanks.
However, Victor remained cautious.
No one in this dangerous world helped others for nothing.
What was Philip's real motive?
As if reading his thoughts, Philip smirked knowingly.
"Hey, that's not nice. I saved you and even introduced myself, but you two haven't done the same!" Philip said in a tone that almost sounded like a childish tantrum.
Victor and Kierra exchanged glances before finally deciding to introduce themselves.
Victor spoke first, his voice calm and mature.
"Hello, Philip. My name is Raizel, and this is Kierra. I hope that satisfies your curiosity. Now, do you mind explaining how you found us and why you decided to help?" His tone remained calm, but his sharp red eyes narrowed slightly at the end.
Philip gulped, suddenly feeling a weight settle over him. Only now did he truly notice the calm yet dangerous glint in Raizel's crimson irises.
"Calm down, brother. This is all just a coincidence—or maybe a game of fate, whatever you want to call it," Philip said with a casual shrug. "I received a Quest and came to check things out in there. Then, I noticed you two were in danger, so I decided to lend a hand. There's nothing else involved, like you two are suspecting."
His tone was relaxed, but his words carried a hint of amusement, as if he enjoyed the unexpected turn of events.
Hearing Philip's explanation, Victor and Kierra's suspicions eased a little.
"I see… So you received the Quest too," Kierra muttered as if everything suddenly made sense.
"Yes, I did. Did you guys get the same Quest too? The one that rewards 5,000 EXP and 10 Reputation Points?" Philip asked in return.
Kierra nodded, then her gaze shifted toward the tiny Spirit hovering beside Philip. The small creature looked both adorable and majestic, its tiny hair standing upright as if trying to appear domineering.
"So this summon, I mean, Philo, can actually make someone invisible?"
Philip scoffed, crossing his arms. "What kind of dumb question is that, miss? Of course, it can."
Ignoring his arrogance, Kierra pressed on. "Then, are you willing to help us complete the Quest and exterminate the Hobgoblins, Philip?" she asked, her tone carrying a hint of hope.
With the little spirit's ability to make them invisible, the task would become significantly easier and faster.
Victor realized this as well, so he remained silent, awaiting Philip's response with calm.