Chapter 40

‘……A quest!’

Startled, he almost lost hold of the reins.

His eyes were fixed on the phrase, ‘Experience points increase by 5 each.’

‘Gideon.’

Alec called his familiar again.

Gideon, who had been running through the air toward the mercenaries, came to a sudden stop.

With a quest that could earn him experience points, he couldn’t just put them all to sleep.

‘Just come back.’

[Grr.]

Gideon obediently ran back to his side.

In that brief moment, Alec read Gideon’s memories.

Since players are mentally connected to their familiars, they can see what the familiars see and hear.

Ten men were chasing them on horseback, five on each side of the path.

Their faces bore scars, giving them a ferocious look; they truly seemed to be mercenaries, as the system indicated.

‘The Grave Mercenaries…’

They were one of the mercenary groups in the empire.

Though not the largest, they were notorious for their ruthlessness—doing any wicked deed as long as they were paid.

Silently killing someone was no big deal to them.

Nobles often hired them when they didn’t want to dirty their own hands.

Their skills were top-notch, and they rarely failed a mission.

That such a group was pursuing him made Alec click his tongue inwardly as he recalled the three men from the Holden Textile Union he had encountered a few days ago.

Those three were definitely seeking revenge.

He pulled on the reins, causing his horse to neigh and come to a stop.

Louise also halted her horse.

Alec glanced left and right with a wary look.

The leaves rustled briefly, then fell silent.

The stealth of their pursuers was impressive.

The horses, likely highly trained, made no noise either.

He wondered what level these mercenaries might be in the system.

Maybe level 15?

‘Keep an eye on them, Gideon.’

He instructed Gideon again.

It hadn’t even been a minute since they stopped.

Through Gideon’s eyes, Alec saw the mercenaries hiding in the forest.

They held their breath, waiting for the right moment.

Their eyes were fierce and brutish, with a hint of madness.

Clearly, they weren’t ordinary foes.

“What’s going on, Alec?”

Louise’s voice came with the sound of her horse approaching.

Alec turned his horse slightly towards her and answered.

“I thought I heard something strange, so I stopped for a moment.”

“Huh? Something strange?”

While conversing with Louise, Alec kept an eye on the mercenaries through Gideon.

Above each mercenary’s head was a long bar, accompanied by the number 5000.

The red bar indicated their health.

He had to reduce that 5000 to 0 to earn experience points.

Ten on each side, so 50 experience points if he succeeded with all.

Since he needed 20 experience points to level up, he’d have 30 left over after leveling up.

“What kind of sound? I didn’t hear anything…”

Louise, who had been looking at him intently, turned to scan the surroundings.

Even as he spoke with Louise, Alec assessed the mercenaries’ positions through Gideon, looking for an opening.

Barely a minute had passed since they stopped.

The eyes of the lead mercenary gleamed, possibly reflecting the moonlight.

[A new character has been unlocked!]

Alec quickly checked the character window that popped up above the mercenary.

[Carson Martin]

[Male, Age: 26]

[Leader of the Grave Mercenaries, the second largest mercenary group in the empire.]

[He has a close bond with Aksen, having trained in swordsmanship together since childhood. He considers Aksen his proud sworn brother.]

[Combat Power: 15]

‘So that’s Carson…’

Having confirmed the face of the Grave Mercenaries’ leader, Alec closed the character window.

At the same time, Carson raised a long wooden stick-like object to his chest.

Alec narrowed his eyes, trying to identify the object.

***

A few days ago, Carson Martin, the leader of the Grave Mercenaries, received a request to find someone and leave them half-dead.

It was a common request.

The client was a regular of their mercenary group. The most recent request from these clients involved a general strike at a textile factory.

They wanted the strike leader to be dragged into the sewer and taught a lesson.

Carson found such requests dull.

Terrorizing already miserable people wasn’t enjoyable for the Grave Mercenaries.

Begging for mercy from people whose lives were already hell wasn’t satisfying.

However, threatening people of much higher status, those who were noble and beautiful, was thrilling.

Watching highborn individuals crumble was always enjoyable.

Seeing those who usually looked down on them beg for their lives was exhilarating, like reversing their positions in society. And it was addictively thrilling.

So, a request involving a duke’s son from one of the most prominent families in the empire was particularly exciting.

‘Find Alec Myers and leave him half-dead.’

‘We’re not sure exactly where he is, so search the northern regions.’

‘He’s the most handsome man in the empire, so many people should remember seeing him.’

Alec Myers.

The Duke was infamous in the capital for having nothing to show for himself except his status and looks. Although he had lost his title, his status was high enough that encounters with him were rare.

In any case, the Duke of Brent had no fighting skills, so he was an easy opponent.

‘This will be an easy job, beating him to a pulp without much effort.’

His wife, Louise, was also renowned in high society for her stunning beauty.

The request was more than enough to motivate Carson and his mercenaries.

It would be thrilling to hear pleas for mercy from some of the most beautiful and noble individuals in the Rilt Empire.

Finding Alec wasn’t as difficult as anticipated.

If they had to search the entire empire, it would have been tough, but narrowing it down to the north yielded quick results.

They had been trailing the couple since the amusement park.

‘Time to give them a little scare.’

Carson, imagining the imminent downfall of the noble couple, raised his gun.

* * *

Bang!

Carson pulled the trigger, and Alec reacted immediately.

“Skill. Speed.”

He dismounted and flew toward Louise.

It was a sudden gunshot.

Without a moment to think of Gideon, Alec moved with lightning speed.

Birds, startled by the distant gunshot, fluttered up in panic.

The Speed skill.

Though still at a low level, it increased his movements significantly.

Even though it was only level 1, it was fast enough to be hard for ordinary people to follow.

However, having leveled it up to the Light Speed skill, it felt agonizingly slow to Alec.

Holding Louise, he swiftly moved to a safer distance.

The movement was so fast it seemed like teleportation.

Neigh!

Alec saw through Gideon’s eyes the horse, hit by the bullet, rearing up and crying out in pain.

Had they aimed at the horse from the start?

Thud.

With a slight sound of impact, Alec lifted his head.

Underneath him, Louise’s eyes were wide with shock.

Fortunately, he had managed to slow down just before stopping, so the impact with the ground wasn’t too harsh.

Thump, thump.

He could hear a loud heartbeat, not sure if it was his or hers.

[Grr! Grr!]

Gideon’s angry growl echoed in Alec’s mind, wanting to put all their pursuers to sleep.

Alec helped Louise to her feet and responded to Gideon.

‘No. Stay put.’

Neighing sounds of the horse’s distress were faintly audible.

Louise’s horse had been shot; if he hadn’t acted quickly, she would have been thrown to the ground.

He couldn’t gauge how far they had moved in the sudden event.

However, this spot was out of the pursuers’ line of sight and seemed safe.

“Are you alright?” Alec asked, concerned, as he checked on Louise.

She looked utterly stunned, unable to speak.

“What… What’s happening?”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories