Raon naturally rolled his eyes, observing the movements of the man called the Foreman.
With his hands behind his back, he had a waddling gait and a friendly face laced with suspicion toward strangers. He looked like any middle-aged man you might find anywhere.
However, the Foreman was always slightly lifting his heels, ready to step into his stance at any moment. His thick waist was straight, ready to dodge any incoming attack like a wagon wheel.
'That's a trait of a Shadow assassin.'
The Foreman exhibited the characteristics of a Shadow assassin, trained to perform the role of an assassin at any time while pretending to be an ordinary person.
"Then please take good care of our village chief."
The Foreman gave a friendly smile and nodded. His eyes narrowed as if scrutinizing, but it was clearly an act.
"Alright, everyone, come out! Time to finish up!"
At his clap and shout, the door opened, and workers poured out.
Raon stood behind the village chief, quickly scanning the workers' movements with his senses.
'Six.'
Among the fifty or so workers, seven were assassins, all capable of perfectly concealing their presence.
'This is definitely the factory for the Water Demon Guests.'
There was no way a normal factory without a single Martial Artist would house seven assassins. There had to be a factory producing Water Demon Guests hidden somewhere nearby.
'Where is it?'
To find the factory's location, he used the Ring of Fire and Perception of the Snow Flower. Shaping his mana into fine threads, he spread them across the ground so no one would notice.
Despite going quite deep, he sensed nothing. It could be hidden with special magic, or it might be deeper underground, or both.
Gooooh.
As Raon spread his mana not just downward but throughout the factory, a young woman who seemed to be a secretary walked out of the Foreman's office.
"Foreman, stop trying to make others work and handle your own tasks first."
The calm-looking secretary with freckles on her nose waved some papers, signaling him to come inside.
"I prefer being in front of the furnace…."
"That just means you'll be late getting off work."
"Sigh, there's no joy in life…."
The Foreman sighed deeply and went into his office. The secretary bowed to the other workers and followed him.
'She's an assassin too.'
Stronger than the man.
Even her gait showed it. The secretary's power and experience were far above the Foreman's. Though she looked like a secretary, her rank within the Shadow organization was likely much higher.
'And….'
The path to the Water Demon Guest factory is inside that office.
When she came out a moment ago, Raon felt a very faint breeze coming from inside. There was no way a musty wind would flow from a windowless room; it had to be connected to the factory underground.
'They've set this up well.'
Without placing assassins separately, they had embedded them among the workers, naturally surveilling the surroundings. The factory's scale seemed larger than he had thought.
"How is it?"
As Raon stared at the ground, the village chief, Beruric, approached.
"It might sound self-serving, but this is a great place to work. You'll gain a lot if you come."
"I think so too."
Raon nodded, meeting the village chief's kind eyes.
'I've certainly gained a lot thanks to you.'
He learned how he had been kidnapped, identified the Shadow assassins, and found out there was a passage in the Foreman's office leading elsewhere.
The village chief called it meddling, but it saved him a lot of time. He was grateful in many ways.
"Thank you."
Raon bowed his head sincerely to the chief.
"Haha, if you're that grateful, be sure to come back. It's rare to find someone who listens to me as well as you do."
The chief waved, saying old people have no one to talk to.
"Let's visit the mine before it gets too late. The miners will be coming out soon, perfect timing."
He led Raon up the mountain, suggesting they visit the mine.
"Do we really have to go this late?"
"Our schedule is tight."
Raon smiled calmly at the reluctant village chief.
"So, how was our village?"
"The people are kind, and it looks comfortable to live here. It's a nice place."
"Isn't it?"
The chief smiled broadly, pleased with the praise of the village.
"If you know that, hurry back and settle in. I'll be waiting."
"Understood. I'll definitely return."
Raon spoke words that had a different meaning from the chief's understanding and firmly shut his mouth.
"I'll be waiting."
"Then."
Raon bowed to the chief and left Capoly Village.
'He's a kind man.'
After showing him around the mine, the chief had even offered him a room to stay the night. He was a kind and friendly person, like someone you could find anywhere, except for his talkativeness.
'I must ensure they suffer as little as possible.'
Thinking about how to deal with the Shadows and Water Demon Guest makers without harming the village, Raon walked down the darkening path when he sensed a faint presence like a grasshopper behind him.
'As expected, they're following.'
He couldn't miss the gaze and movement he felt earlier. The Foreman was trailing him.
'He's got a dirty spot.'
Using the seemingly unaware villagers to create a friendly atmosphere while secretly making assassins from corpses was something Derus and the Shadows did that made him want to crush them immediately.
'Phew….'
Suppressing his burning anger, Raon continued walking at a leisurely pace. Even after passing halfway around Haro Mountain, the assassin behind him didn't give up.
'More suspicious than I thought.'
Ready to kill him if he did anything strange.
Recalling that all the assassins in the factory seemed to be squad leader level with significant experience, Raon realized they had invested heavily in the Water Demon Guests.
'I will make all your investments worthless.'
Imagining Derus's future expression, Raon twisted his lips. Continuing to walk as if knowing nothing, he passed Haro Mountain and reached an unnamed lake. Only then did the Foreman's presence vanish completely.
'Troublesome.'
Although the distance had become greater than expected, it didn't matter. With his speed, it wasn't far.
Raon entered the bushes, confirmed no one was around with his senses, then removed his robe. He equipped a plain dagger and covered his face with a mask.
As he prepared to infiltrate the factory, he saw Wrath floating silently in the air.
'Why are you so quiet today?'
-What is there to say?
Wrath responded with subdued eyes.
'No talk about food, no curiosity?'
When memories of his mother and father resurfaced, he had felt uncontrollably emotional. Wrath must have sensed it, yet said nothing.
-I told you before.
Wrath's blue eyes narrowed.
-I don't exploit others' weaknesses.
He nodded slowly, turning his gaze away.
-If a day comes when you want to open up, speak then.
Wrath's voice was unusually sincere, contrasting his usual gluttonous behavior.
-I will listen.
"Hah!"
Raon covered his eyes with one hand and let out a breath.
'Didn't expect you to make me feel emotional.'
After a brief sniff, he looked at Wrath.
'I feel like drinking.'
-I don't like alcohol.
'How about a drink after this?'
-I said I don't like it!
'You choose the snack.'
-Deal!
In the darkness of the Foreman's office.
The Foreman lay prostrate on the floor while his secretary sat with her legs crossed on a chair.
"Is he gone?"
Lesia, who played the role of a secretary but actually controlled the Shadows here, gestured with her chin.
"Yes. I confirmed he was moving away from Lake Shur before returning."
"Anything unusual?"
"Besides walking a bit fast, nothing particular."
The Foreman reported, bowing his head.
"He didn't seem to notice you?"
"Not at all. He seemed like someone who hadn't even learned martial arts."
"Hmm…"
Lesia squinted, rubbing her chin.
"What's wrong?"
"Something felt off when I saw him, but it must have been my imagination."
She waved her hand, telling him not to worry.
"You did well. You may go."
"Yes."
The Foreman bowed and left his office.
"..."
Lesia sat in her chair for a long time before walking to the left wall. As she tapped the wall next to a bookshelf with her mana-covered finger, a hole silently opened in the floor.
Sssss.
Only one step of the stairs below was visible, leading into a bottomless darkness, but Lesia entered without hesitation.
The stairs were long and deep. Despite her fast pace, which an ordinary person would find hard to follow, they seemed endless. After more than ten minutes of descent, she finally reached the bottom.
A strange space filled with eerie purple light and bizarre patterns covering the ceiling and floor.
Uuuuuu.
Stepping on the floor's patterns in sequence, Lesia passed through the space and entered a long corridor. After another long walk, she reached a bright, illuminated cave.
"The explosion wasn't set on that corpse. Over here."
"Is it still incomplete?"
"Move quickly!"
Inside the vast cave, necromancers in purple robes busily moved about, surrounded by piles of rotting corpses, flesh, and bones.
There were seemingly intact humans, but flipping them over revealed their spines were missing or replaced with metal imbued with necromancy.
Even a war-hardened person would struggle not to retch at the sight, but no one here found it strange. Some tore flesh like toys, while others ate beside them.
"..."
Lesia entered the room at the cave's center.
"Shupel."
She approached a young man in a black robe and bowed her head.
"What is it?"
The man, who had been operating a bizarre magical device, turned his eyes with a smile. Despite his neat appearance, his voice was grim and sharp.
"The traveler who visited the village earlier has left. There was nothing unusual, but…."
"I told you to handle such things. Don't waste my time with trivial matters."
He shook his head, annoyed by her interruption.
"There's one more thing."
Lesia maintained her expressionless face as she spoke.
"They say reinforcements are coming in two days. It's the largest scale yet, so we should prepare in advance."
"Hmm!"
Shupel's face brightened with a smile at the mention of two days.
"Did you say in two days?"
From the opposite desk, an emaciated old man stood up with a gloomy aura and a sweet voice.
"Juran, you're here too."
Lesia bowed to the old man.
"If it's the largest scale, how much is it? Are there living ones?"
"They said both experimental subjects and materials are coming in triple the usual amount."
"Triple? They're finally getting serious! Yes, that's more like it!"
Juran grinned widely, pleased.
"Juran, show some decorum. As someone called the Demonic Beast Necromancer, you should act properly."
Shupel frowned at Juran.
"Unlike you, a noble, I'm uneducated. Mind your business."
"You should learn, even now. If our plan proceeds as intended, you might reenter the world."
"Your words make me want to be more reckless."
"..."
The two necromancers glared at each other, while Lesia remained silent, accustomed to the scene.
However, none of the three knew that red eyes were glinting above them.
Raon narrowed his eyes, standing on the ceiling.
'So, Shupel and Juran are here?'
Jade-Faced Ghost Spirit Shupel and Demonic Beast Necromancer Juran were high-ranking necromancers who had made their names known decades ago.
Both had disappeared, presumed dead, yet they continued their research in hiding here.
It was infuriating, but Derus Robert's ability was genuine.
'And they mentioned receiving a large supply in two days….'
That supply couldn't be ordinary food or weapons. Considering they mentioned experimental subjects, it had to be living people.
'Attacking after they receive the supply would be best.'
If he attacked after the supply arrived, it would deal the most damage to Derus.
Now was the time to endure his anger.
"I'll be going now."
Lesia bowed to the two necromancers and left the room.
Raon followed her out, scanning the cave again.
'There aren't many high-level martial artists, but there are many elite assassins.'
Only necromancers were visible, but there were numerous high-ranking assassins hidden around.
'I must fully grasp this place.'
Whether he would fight head-on or through assassination, the more information, the better.
Using the Ring of Fire and Perception of the Snow Flower, he maximized his senses.
He identified the skill levels and locations of hidden assassins, as well as where concealment and protection spells were placed.
After meticulously investigating the entire cave, he looked down at the floor.
'It's empty below as well.'
The concealment magic on the ceiling didn't seem to work below; he sensed another space underground.
As he waited for a guide, he saw a middle-aged necromancer moving to the right wall. When the necromancer manipulated the wall, stairs leading downward opened.
'There it is.'
Following the necromancer, Raon descended. Unlike the previous long descent, these stairs were few and wide.
Upon reaching the bottom, the necromancer walked down the corridor with a familiar stride. People were caged on both sides, lifeless, without any sign of life.
-They dare desecrate the dead! Even in Devildom, this is condemned!
Wrath couldn't contain his anger, his clenched fists trembling.
-Damn them!
'You might be right; humans might be more wicked than demons.'
Raon nodded slightly, sharing Wrath's anger.
"Report."
At the necromancer's gesture, two assassins sprang up from the floor.
"How many materials remain?"
"There are no living ones left, only forty-four dead."
The assassin replied without hesitation.
Raon bit his lip.
'Materials clearly mean humans.'
Talking about the living and the dead, they regarded humans as mere experimental materials.
'Phew….'
Clasping his hands to suppress the urge to kill them immediately, he exerted force.
"They said a large supply is coming in two days. Half will go upstairs."
"Understood."
As the assassins opened the cages and gestured, the corpses stood and moved on their own.
'They're moving?'
The corpses moved their eyes like living beings and didn't emit any foul odor. They seemed to be controlled by necromancy.
'Horrible.'
This place was a nest of monsters who didn't regard humans as humans. Suppressing the urge to retch, Raon gathered information.
The necromancer watched the corpses walk up the stairs before turning and walking down the opposite corridor.
Raon followed the necromancer, not the corpses.
The necromancer, casting a speed-enhancing spell on himself, walked for a long time before stopping in front of a half-dug wall.
As he placed his hand on the wall and infused mana, the ceiling split open, revealing a blurry night sky.
"Boring. How long must I stay here?"
The necromancer lit a cigarette, looking up at the sky.
Raon, killing his presence further to avoid detection, looked up.
'This place….'
That lake?
Judging by the location, it seemed to be the unnamed lake he had passed after Haro Mountain.
'So it was here.'
They had been transporting supplies through this lake.
Creating a supply route at the lake's center ensured no one could discover it.
'I've gathered all the information I need….'
With red lightning flashing in his eyes, reflecting the transparent night sky, Raon made up his mind.
'I will end this in two days.'