Typically, Shadow Summoners had an entirely black skill tree, from the roots to the trunk, extending to the branches and fruits.
And like Shadow Summoners, most classes had a color that was intrinsic to them.
As such, it was nearly impossible for this unique color to change, with the Blood of Origin being one such exception.
Seol's eyes were caught on a branch with both black and red hues, and it hadn't properly combined—rather, it was taken up by half and half.
Seol checked the sole Composite Skill that he was able to unlock now.
[[Passive: Sticky Shadows(Composite)]
- Your shadows gain viscosity. Furthermore, more skills can be derived from this.]
It wasn’t Seol’s first time seeing a Composite Skill like this.
In fact, the former owner of the Blood of Origin, Finn Modria, also had Composite Skills that mixed the white branches of a priest with the red branches of the Blood of Origin.
‘These are my Root Skills.’Root Skills.
They were named that because trees begin from the roots.
They also referred to the foundational skills for each class, such as Shadow Hand and Shadow Summon for Shadow Summoners.
This skill was located right at the midpoint between Shadow Summoner skills and Blood of Origin skills.
Through Sticky Shadows, more skills were about to be birthed.
[Passive: Sticky Shadows(Composite) is awakened.]
[You use 5 skill points.]
[Shadows gain viscosity.]
[New, related skills can stem from this skill.]
Drip…
As Seol stood up, the skill tree drawn on the wall disappeared.
“...Hm?”
The hundreds of people quietly observing Seol’s skill tree all focused their attention on Seol now.
One of them spoke up.
“E-Excuse me! Why was there a part with a different color?”
“It looked like it was permeating it, not really a different part…”
“Who are you, by the way? It’s my first time seeing you…”
“He’s the flagellant! The person who went to the Labyrinth of Penance! …Or maybe not?”
“Hi…”
People began swarming Seol.
The guild member who guided Seol here quickly began calling for his comrades, seeking help to navigate through the crowd.
“Stop showing off and just tell us already!”
“Why can’t you tell us?!”
“W-We won’t tell anyone else! Just us!”
Before the commotion could turn violent, the guild members swiftly escorted Seol out of the facility.
* * *
[(NEW) [<Kim’sAcne>’s Post]
[Post Date: Just now]
[Title: Fresh news, hot off the press.]
Damn, that’s hot.
It was so hot that I dropped it.
- What kind of new breed of idiot is this?
- You should have worn gloves, Kim-kun~☆
- Hot potato, hot potato.
- Here, let me try again.]
[(NEW) [<Kim’sAcne>’s Post]
[Post Date: Just now]
[Title: I came back.]
Fuu… Fu… Careful, it’s hot.
There’s apparently a type of skill called Composite Skills. I just heard about it.
- WTF? When can we start combining like Power Rangers?
- Please let us fuse together… please… please…
- You’re just making shit up, right? Is this real?
- Apparently, the final flagellant gave people a peek at his skill tree. Everyone there agreed that a portion of his tree had a different color.
- How did he get that?
- Do you think he’d tell you? 😑
- He did
- OMG
- You just need an artifact or experience with specific bonus effects.
- This is like when the professor tells you that all you need to do is study the textbook.
- At least he told us that LOL. Y'all are asking for too much.
- Even though he escaped the Labyrinth of Penance, he’s still suffering because of you greedy pigs 😭
- Give me more information! Give me your items too! 🐷
- Tell me everything if you don’t want to die! 🐷]
As information about Composite Skills spread through the communities like wildfire, Seol found himself at a secret location.
“The vicar has arrived.”
“...Let us depart immediately. It is time.”
With that, Seol’s break ended.
[You begin your next Adventure.]
[Your 19th Adventure is starting.]
[Adventure 19. Tracking the Black Knight]
[Adventure 19. ‘Tracking the Black Knight’
The Black Pilgrims, a faction dispatched by Varanoa, the Great Holy Nation, have come in search of you.
In secret, they have been tracking the Black Knight, a threat to the entirety of Pandea. To take down this formidable foe, the Black Pilgrims have recruited various individuals, and you are one of them.
Objective: Track the Black Knight
Caution. This Adventure is very dangerous.
Caution. This Adventure can change at a moment’s notice.
Caution. This Adventure takes place in ‘Illia’.
Caution. Others may get caught up in this Adventure.
Caution. If you happen to lose track of the Black Knight, this Adventure may be substituted for a different one.
Remaining Time [N/A]]
- Why are there so many warnings?
- I know, right… It’s my first time seeing this.
- Is this because it’s a Field Adventure?
Seol, Chameli, and a few of the Black Pilgrims stepped into a carriage before beginning their journey.
The other Black Pilgrims stepped into a separate carriage, following them.
Seol and the Black Pilgrims traveled together for two days, yet their interactions were limited to only a few exchanged words.
Most of their conversations consisted of simple statements such as, ‘Let's camp here for today’ and similar practical matters.
"...Has there been any results from your attempts to track him?"
“Track him?”
“The Black Knight.”
Chameli shook her head.
"There are pilgrims in Illia, but the most they could discover are nearby traces.”
"Doesn’t that mean the Black Knight has already arrived in Illia?"
"No, the Black Knight brings death with him. There would have been casualties by now if he were in the city."
"Can the city guards not stop him?"
"The city's lord does possess formidable soldiers, but they pale in comparison to the Black Knight. That has been the case thus far, so..."
“So, in the end, we have to take care of him. It seems like even though we’ve managed to find traces of him, we haven’t been able to track him down.”
“I understand your concern, but we are also doing our best. In fact, we’ve even recruited an adventurer to track him down.”
“Are they a transferee?”
"Yes, and a powerful one at that. The lord of Illia has also pledged his unwavering support. All we need to do now is simply locate the Black Knight."
Seol was interested in the ‘powerful transferee’ Chameli mentioned but since he would run into them when he arrived at Illia, he didn’t press further.
She then warned Seol.
"Just a warning, it could lead to trouble if you act recklessly in Illia."
“Trouble?”
"The Black Knight is cunning. Why else would someone responsible for such mass murder elude capture for so long? Though formidable in strength, the true reason he could avoid being tracked lies in his cautious approach, avoiding any risks and traps."
“In other words, you don’t want me to stand out.”
“He is a demonic beast capable of socialization, a monster capable of human speech.”
“...I understand.”
"The pilgrims in Illia are exercising caution too, so as long as you act like them, there shouldn't be any problems."
* * *
The carriage finally stopped after four days.
Although Illia was comparable in size to Audenin, it lacked large organizations such as the guild alliance found in Audenin. Most of the guilds there were small.
However, it was precisely these circumstances that allowed transferees in Illia much more freedom. Freely, or in other words... lawless.
It had been two days since Seol arrived in Illia.
"I'll introduce you to the person who is aiding us in our pursuit of the Black Knight today," said Chameli.
“Ah, the ‘powerful transferee’.”
"Yes, she is already at the rendezvous point, so let us hurry there.”
Creak…
After arriving in Illia, Seol had spent his entire time indoors. Though it was partially due to Chameli’s request, he also didn’t particularly have a reason to step out.
Rows of buildings lined the streets, as if boasting of the city's size and grandeur.
However, Seol felt something off as he strolled the streets.
Run…
People were urgently running toward somewhere.
‘What’s going on?’
Seol's eyes followed the running individuals, and Chameli's did too.
“What do you think is going on?”
“It's likely near here…”
Chameli hesitated for a second before losing to her curiosity.
“We can also reach the rendezvous location while going that way.”
“Oh, really? And?”
“...Shall we stop by before heading there?”
Even though her intentions were obvious, Seol accepted it. After all, they all lead to the same location.
The two began following the crowd with faint smiles on their faces. However, before long, Seol's expression stiffened.
Bam!
“Urgh…”
Hit!
“...bitch! Who do you think you are?”
“Stop it! Please… stop!”
“Hah, you fucking… look at you fucks. Did you not know who I was?”
“We didn’t… We didn’t… We’re sorry, we’re so sorry…”
Screams and shrieks pierced the air, mingling with wails and sounds of madness.
A single man was threatening a group of people. He kicked and scowled as he continued to intimidate them.
Chameli sprinted, appalled by his actions.
“Th-that cruel man is…!”
“Vicar, y-you shouldn’t–”
Before the pilgrims could stop her, Chameli quickly placed herself between the group and the man.
Seol slowly followed behind her.
“Stop it! What do you think you’re doing right now?!”
“...And who the hell are you supposed to be? Why are you butting in?”
“Vicar!”
A woman standing beside the man confronting Chameli began speaking to him.
“She looks like a Black Pilgrim.”
“Those weaklings? Why are they acting up here? Hey, do you know who I am?”
“There’s a lot of people watching now, Sehyeon. Why don’t we stop now?”
“Are you fucking dumb? They messed with me. I was minding my own business! And when did I ever care about what others thought of me?”
"I don’t know what’s going on, but," Chameli said boldly, "It isn’t right to use violence against people who aren’t fighting back."
“Are you… trying to teach me right now?”
The first thing Seol noticed about the man was the tattoo on his neck. It was clearly done before they were transferred into this world.
He then noticed the man’s balanced body and threatening demeanor.
However, what confused Seol more than anything else was the crowd's feigned ignorance despite the merciless actions unfolding before them.
The man being kicked by the tattooed man carefully opened his mouth.
“...ed it.”
“What?”
“We reserved that item first… and you snatched it…”
“So?”
“How could you just say ‘So?’...”
“So what? What do you want me to do? Do you want me to apologize or something?”
“......”
The man on the floor couldn’t respond. He could only look around.
What met him were the cold gazes of the audience.
Other than the single, mysterious woman standing between him and the tattooed man, everyone else merely observed the situation, refusing to intervene.
He could tell what they were thinking.
I’m glad it’s him and not me.
It was clearly something along those lines.
However, the man found himself more upset about the situation. What was so wrong about pointing out the wrongdoings of someone who had done something unjust? With frustration bubbling inside him, the man screamed, a scream filled with anger.
“Yeah, apologize! Since you’ve done something wrong, you should apologize to us!”
A fire lit up in the tattooed man’s eyes.
“What, do you want me to beg? You’re right, sure. We snatched it before you could get to it. And since I’m so sorry, I’ll return this back to you.”
Toss.
The tattooed man tossed an item to the ground, its contents spilling out of the pouch as it hit the floor.
The man who had been kicked quivered with humiliation.
“However, since you did something wrong as well, you need to be punished.”
“I… did something wrong?”
"Since you talked shit to me without knowing your place, I’m going to take a tooth, alright? I won’t kill you. I just want to take a tooth from you whenever I remember this incident.”
“St-stop… Stop it…”
“Hey, grab them all. And if any of you tries getting in our way, I’ll kill you.”
As the situation continued to escalate, a man stepped forth. He placed himself between the tattooed man and the group on the floor.
However, the man didn’t face the man named Sehyeon. Instead, he looked solely at the young man on the ground.
“Your voice…”
The man who newly stepped forth between them was Seol.
Initially, he did so to protect Chameli. It was for that reason, and that reason only.
Seol wasn’t the type of person to get involved in other people's matters, after all.
Or at least, that should have been the case.
"Please raise your head for a second."
“...Huh? What?”
Seol looked at the man's bloodied face. His eyes were swollen and black, blood mixed with saliva in his mouth before dripping out the corner of his lips.
“......”
Seol turned expressionless.
“Why do people keep sticking their noses where they don’t belong? Did something happen recently? Hey, do you know them too?” said Sehyeon before turning to face the man on the floor again, “You have a lot of friends, prick.”
Seol completely ignored his taunts and dusted off the young man’s clothes.
“It’s you, Gyeongtaek, right?”
“Seol hyung? Is it… really you?”
“Did you do something wrong to them?”
Gyeongtaek let out a painful cry after realizing that the man in front of him was Seol.
“No… No… I didn’t…”
Gyeongtaek then grabbed Seol’s ankles and started begging.
The crowd around them had ignored the cries of the weak because they feared upsetting the strong.
To think that Seol appeared in such a disgusting situation…
Gyeongtaek desperately grabbed Seol’s ankles, begging.
“Please, please… Please help us, hyung… I didn’t do anything wrong…”
Seol quickly stood up and turned around. He looked at the tattooed man and his group before opening his mouth.
“Then you guys must be the ones at fault.”
Sehyeon scowled, cursing back at Seol.
“Haah… this fucking… What now? You want me to beg? Is that it?”
“Yeah,” responded Seol.
“You little–”
“Beg.”
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