"Ore-style. This is the technique you will learn from me from now on."
I felt a shiver run through my body as I watched the performance in front of me.
Of course, I had seen this technique before.
I had seen Guochunshi's area-of-effect skill [Duyeqingqing (獨也靑靑)] a few times in the game.
The technique that involves casting a sword made of aura and then covering the surroundings with one's own aura to annihilate all beings within its range.
In the game, I only thought it was a skill with a cool effect, but the sight of it in front of me was beyond imagination.
Had I ever seen such a powerful technique in real life before?
No, I can confidently say I hadn't.
Father and Farnello never showed their abilities in front of me.
In other words, the technique I just witnessed was the strongest one I had ever seen.
"Ha, judging from your expression, you seem quite surprised."
The dignified face of the grandmaster from a moment ago reverted to that of a mischievous old man.
"To be honest, I was surprised. But it's not like it's your ultimate technique or anything."
"Ha, did you really think I would teach you my ultimate technique from the start? I'll keep it for when the time is right, so don't worry too much."
"Why would I run away?"
I hadn't even properly extracted anything yet.
Swallowing my words, I said this, and Guochunshi smiled.
"Alright, if you're not running away, that's good. Let's check if there's anything we need to take and then leave."
With that, Guochunshi started walking towards where the Kobold Queen was.
We entered the boss room and looked around to see if there were any special items, but unfortunately, as it was a dungeon that had just been created, there was nothing worth taking.
"Do the guilds collect the byproducts?"
"Yes, usually the guilds collect the byproducts and send the amount after deducting the commission to my account. Why, since you have a share this time, I'll split it with you?"
"I have a lot of money."
"……Rich kids really don't know the value of money. Tsk tsk."
It's just the byproducts of a Kobold dungeon, how expensive could they be?
"Instead, could you do me a small favor?"
"……A favor? You're not just after money, but something even more valuable. Well, go ahead and tell me."
"……"
* * *
As we retraced our steps and exited the dungeon, two guild staff members and the one who brought us here rushed out of the tent.
"Are you already done?"
"Ah, it was nothing much. Thanks for the trouble."
"Thank you, sir. And, student. We'll move you back to your original residence right away."
The staff member, like when we arrived, tried to hold my and Guochunshi's hands.
But Guochunshi pulled his hand back and shuddered.
"I'm fine. I need to feel my stomach churn a bit…… I'll walk back like in the old days."
"Is that so? Then, will the student walk back too?"
"No. I'm a bit tired from being pushed around by Master Guochunshi to show off my skills…… I want to rest a bit. Could you wait for a moment if it's not too much trouble?"
The staff member paused for a moment after hearing my words but then nodded.
"Sure, I'll wait. Helping you move is my job."
"Then we'll go and organize and explore the internal byproducts. Thank you very much, both of you."
The two staff members headed back to the dungeon to do their job.
Once Guochunshi had walked down the mountain and only the staff member and I were left, I slowly spoke.
"……Mysterious and elusive. Did the miner arrive successfully?"
"Excuse me?"
A sudden, incomprehensible phrase. But his eyes widened at words that should never come from a Hero Academy student.
Mysterious and elusive.
One of the famous villains in South Korea, who used his ability to teleport to rob and then vanish without a trace.
He had been missing for years and was now standing in front of me, disguised as a guild staff member.
Why did I know this?
It wasn't anything special. Just by seeing him use his ability, I recognized him.
[<Character Codex> has a new entry!]
<Character Codex (N)>
[Name: Gong Gyowon]
[Affiliation: South Korea, Hero Guild, Villain Guild]
[Description: A spatial mage of the Hero Guild's Gangwon-do branch and a villain known as Mysterious and Elusive (神出鬼沒). He has accumulated a vast amount of illicit funds using his long-distance movement ability.]
"There's no point in hiding. We're alone now, aren't we?"
To prevent him from fleeing out of suspicion, I used the secret code of the Villain Alliance first.
In the game, this was the code they used during this period, so it should still be valid.
Indeed, the tension in his body, which had been ready to flee, visibly relaxed.
"How did you, a student of Guochunshi, know that……?"
"Didn't you think it was strange while working as Guochunshi's assistant? Shadows exist everywhere. Did you really think an ordinary person could become Guochunshi's student?"
I smiled as I said this.
Lately, I've caused so many incidents at the academy that my bad reputation has turned into charm due to the characteristic [Bad Boy], instilling trust in those I meet.
However, the guy still looked suspicious.
That's just because he's naturally cautious. A person who would only cross a stream after tapping the stones with a stick.
That's Mysterious and Elusive.
Of course, that's probably why he hasn't been caught yet.
I sighed and continued.
"Shadow Operative. That's my villain name."
"You, you're Shadow Operative? But Shadow Operative never shows his face to anyone……?"
"Do I look like my true self to you?"
I put emphasis on my words, and he flinched.
Shadow Operative, the legendary assassin of the Villain Alliance.
The power in that name is enough to make even him feel fear.
Of course, he's still far from being a proper villain, so I can reveal my name like this.
"Why did you come looking for me?"
"The reason I came looking for you? Interesting. Why did you come looking for me……?"
I slowly approached him and put on my gloves.
"It's not that important, but I'll answer."
Slowly, I approached him and stood in front of him, smiling.
"If I don't do this, it'll be suspicious, kid."
"What the hell──"
With a loud bang, his body flew backward.
"Kahak!"
He used the wind to maintain his balance and minimize the damage.
He realized that while external magic for movement was difficult, internal magic was not.
"Damn brat! What makes you think you can stop me!"
He twisted his face and aimed his flaming hands at me, finally recognizing me as an enemy.
"Didn't I explain it when we first met? I'm a student of Master Guochunshi."
The moment I wrapped my fist in aura, his magic disintegrated and exploded upon contact with my fist, which was equipped with [Midas's Hand].
Isn't this practically an anti-mage weapon?
Of course, it might only work because he's not primarily a combat mage, but it was clear that I would have an advantage against mages.
"I'm affiliated with the guild. Do you really think I'll let you get away with this? And you, who has no proof of being a villain?!"
"Proof? Even without proof, there's a witness. Right, sir?"
At this, Guochunshi, who had said he would walk home, emerged from the nearby trees, chuckling.
"Indeed, I thought it was impossible at first…… but now that you've confessed to being a villain, I have no choice but to believe you."
"Damn……"
With Guochunshi's appearance, the situation was now hopeless for the guy.
But I didn't want him to give up completely, so I reassured him.
"Sir won't interfere. If you try to run, I'll just pierce your neck with my aura. For now, you're just a dummy to test my skills today."
"I'm…… a dummy?"
"What else would you call someone who's always running away out of fear? Does it hurt?"
"Brat…… I'm Mysterious and Elusive. You can't just use me as a dummy!"
"Are you a mage? Why are you just talking?"
"I'll kill you!"
He aimed both arms at me.
No matter what, he's a proper villain affiliated with the Villain Guild, not just a spatial mage.
Light erupted from his arms, and numerous purple bullet barriers started flying towards me.
With that speed and condensed mana, they would likely disintegrate me before I could even react.
So, the only option was to minimize damage by dodging as little as possible.
Having made my decision, I moved forward, releasing aura around me.
The bullet barriers began to veer off course, like water droplets flying towards a hot flame, and I slowly approached him, slipping through the gaps.
I punched away the ones that could be effective and took the hits that I could barely dodge, accepting minor injuries.
As a result, my school uniform started to tear and fray, but I could always buy a new one.
"In the end, you're just a guy who can only run."
The closer I got to him, the harder it was to dodge the bullet barriers, but I recalled Guochunshi's aura manipulation from the dungeon and moved my aura accordingly.
He would tightly clump his aura and then disperse it to each target.
So, what would happen if I tried to clump my aura, which I still find difficult to control?