“Arte - Galeblade!”

Bruce wounded one of the vultures that wanted to take a bite of their flesh. The bandit got a nasty gash on his arm and backed away. Bruce and his party closed ranks.

“They’re good,” one of the bandits said.

“That’s good news for us. It means their harvest from the Biome is greater,” a different bandit eyed the group of four like they were smorgasbord.

“I’ve heard of them. Their group name is Rising Fortune. A promising new bunch.”

The adventurers were all Level 1 and so were the bandits. The attackers chose prey suitable for their ability. There were many pockets of conflicts like this in the vicinity. The bandits were masked but those wearing a blue mask in a certain design made up half of their number.

As the group of bandits was about to make a move, a person approached one of them in a hurry. That person looked like he was chased by a ghost.

“Ket, KET! Hurry and take that damn thing off!”

“You fool, don’t say my name! What happened, where’s your mask?”

“Just take off your mask before-”

A person landed on the rooftop. His gear was cheap and nothing noteworthy. He had a sword sheathed on his waist and wearing a blue mask. His left hand was carrying a sack almost filled to the brim and his right was holding a severed head. The head was wearing the same blue mask that he wore.

The adventurer group made an ugly expression when they saw the new arrival.

“He’s–!”

“Yesterday’s–”

“Holy shit, again?”

“How bad is our luck to meet this monster twice?”

The Rising Fortune adventurer’s group, they were the first group that Viers robbed yesterday.

Not only the adventurers but the bandits were also shaken by the form of a man holding a severed head still dripping with blood.

“Hurry up and take the goddamn thing off! The original kills every copycat he sees without so much of a warning! He’s mad I tell you. Mad but strong!” The running bandit warned his friend, the one he called Ket.

His mere presence cowed the Level 1s bandit. Viers turned his head in the copycat’s direction and the bandit hastily took off his mask, exposing his identity for all the world to see but that was better than being dead.

Viers didn't make any sound, seeing the bandits had become tame and there were no longer other copycats, he didn't waste any more time. After throwing the head to the maskless Ket, Viers jumped from the two-story roof and landed in front of the Rising Fortune adventurer group.

“You already robbed us yesterday, go bother somebody else!” The leader, Bruce, said on behalf of the group.

Viers walked towards them, his intent was nothing else but antagonistic.

“Khhh, hang on guys!” Bruce gritted his teeth.

“Fuck it, we’re not giving up without a fight!” Will, the skinny scout charged at Viers with a hatchet wreathed in fire.

“Stall him! The city guards should be nearly here!” Sandra’s hand was glowing faintly.

“Norman, use it,” Bruce said to the tank. He talked softly and in a whisper but Viers heard it thanks to his sharp ears. Norman nodded and took out something from his bag.

The Rising Fortune struggled valiantly against Viers but they were clearly outclassed. In seconds, the vanguard that consisted of Bruce and Will were down like the Black Hawk. Viers disabled them using non-lethal Arte. In fact, every adventurer that he robbed didn't suffer any heavy injuries.

The copycats were another matter though. If he found any bandits wearing the same blue mask as him, Viers killed them with extreme prejudice. They tried to pass the blame onto him, so they had no grounds to complain when they lost their life. That was Viers’ reasoning. Viers wasn't trying to lessen his infamy, he just didn't like people using him no matter the reason.

Since Viers disregarded the other bandits' existence, they watched the mysterious Viers defeating the adventurers with ease.

When Viers set his target on the remaining Norman and Sandra, he was hit by a sudden attack. It was a beam of yellow light that hit him on the shoulder. There were tendrils of smokes rising from the place it hit. If Viers didn't react quickly enough by deploying his shield Arte, his shoulder might have a new hole.

He smothered the sensation of pain and raised his caution. The beam came from the muscular tank, Norman. He now wore a circlet with a yellow gem in its center.

...Mind Stone? Is he an android made of Vibranium?

The beam shot again, Viers couldn't dodge and got hit in the chest. Viers was fast but the beam was faster. Before the third attack launched, Viers dashed to the side. The stalemate continued for almost thirty seconds. Sandra pitched in by dishing out earth Artes at Viers from a distance.

The circlet must be today’s harvest from the Biome since they didn't have that yesterday.

The balance was soon broken as Viers found a countermeasure. He created a thick shield of water in the form of a pyramid. The beam was refracted by the unique shape water shield. Norman grunted and kept shooting, there was smoke coming from his forehead. It seemed using the tool continuously made it very hot. Viers kept charging from the front and tackled him into a stone wall. The house’s section crumbled and fell on the tank. He lost consciousness and Viers took the circlet from his forehead.

One down, five more to go till the snap. Heheh...

Sandra, the only one left, looked at Viers with a mixture of hate and fear.

“Found him! Captain, over here!” A new voice signal new player had joined the party. The young man wore the city guard’s blue uniform, showing his affiliation. Three other city guards were coming from a distance. Viers decided to retreat. They were all Level 2s and Viers had nothing to gain by fighting them.

The circlet already made the Victa expenditure he invested worthwhile. Norman was a Level 1 but the beam had the power of a Level 2’s Arte. A good find for Viers.

Seeing Viers run away, one of the guards shouted.

“This is the city guard, running person with the blue mask, halt!”

As Dom said, when I see flashing lights in my window, I don't stop.

Channeling the spirit of Fast & Furious, Viers traversed the district like a speeding supercar. His upgraded movement type Arte, Raging River Steps improved his speed and made him cut corners like a pro racer but the city guards were no slouch either. They must be used to chasing criminals down because they managed to keep up with Viers, although with difficulty.

“By powers of the law, I order you to surrender!” The one that looked like the captain was throwing the weight of the law at Viers.

If Viers was in a talking capacity right now, he would have screamed a counter to his face.

A law is only as powerful as the ones who enforce it. No matter how good and righteous it is. Your words are hollow.

Viers intruded many other acts of criminality along the way but the city guard kept hounding him. Viers was confident he could lose them with the combination of Raging Rivers Steps and Horizon but that didn't seem to be the case. Fed up with the chase, Viers changed his approach.

Arte - Fade in Shadow.

Viers’ figure disappeared into the darkness, the city guards were in disarray. Viers used the time window to change direction, further throwing them off.

Viers felt it was time to call it a day and wanted to return to the Bird Nest Inn unseen but a sudden explosion of light disoriented him. The area lit up and exposed his form.

And whatever that was, it damaged him. His skin felt like it was covered with corrosive acid.

What the fu-

Even though his vision went white by the sudden flash, he sensed the blade coming to his neck and heart. To avoid that, Vier put power into his legs, leaping ten meters upward. While he was in the air, a ball of fire as big as his body was waiting. Viers couldn't dodge in midair so defense was his only option. He invoked Water Shield Arte just in time before the fireball swallowed him. The impact violently threw him into someone else’s house.

While Viers was submerged into the house, the attacker who stood on the rooftop opened his mouth and a torrent of fire came out like dragon’s breath, drowning Viers in blazing fire. Two more people showed themselves, they similarly took a place on the rooftop, boxing Viers’ position between the three.

Since that was so showy, it took people’s attention. Some adventurers and bandits that were in the vicinity stopped fighting to watch.

“Are they...”

“Assassin's Guild...”

“I knew it! That was Arte Fade in Shadow. The Arte of the assassins.”

“You mean the blue mask guy uses their Arte? They didn't look like they were on the same side though.”

“Perhaps he stole it? He got balls doing that. Don't he know it was a slap to the face for stealing an org’s signature Arte?”

The peanut gallery commented.

“Captain, should we...”

“No, Remus. Don't meddle with the business of the assassins. They don't take kindly to interference in their matters and they are above our paygrade.”

The city guards that chased Viers earlier also caught up. The captain told his men to stand down.

From the burning rubble, Viers emerged. He raised his head to the three people that looked down on him. All three were Level 2 Pathseekers.

“Pretender,” one said.

“Faker,” the fire-breathing assassin said.

“Blasphemer,” the most leader-like assassin said.

Viers didn't react to the assassins' words. He dropped his sack of stolen items and cracked his neck left and right.

“Farley, Overclock Mode. Let's wrap this up quickly,” he said in his mind, almost lazily.

“I’m ready anytime, Lord Viers,” Farley was eager to help.

The ensuing battle didn't last long.

The first assassin, the one that said ‘Pretender’, got slammed on a sharp piece of broken fence, impaling him in the chest. His blood was drunk by the flowers near the fence.

A Shish kebab that no one will buy.

The second one, ‘Faker’, got his upper body exploded after Viers squeezed his throat while he was doing the fire breathing act.

Your Arte can be used against you, hothead.

The third assassin, ‘Blasphemer’, seeing he was no match against Viers, tried to suicide bomb Viers.

Blasphemer used an Arte to create a chain that connected Viers and himself, preventing both sides from moving far away from each other. He took out a bomb in the shape of a stick. Just with a glance, Viers knew the bomb was dangerous. Getting hit with it would be bad news.

Blasphemer started doing the villainous cliche, bragging about everyone that crossed the Ravens would die a painful death… or so Viers guessed anyway.

Viers was not interested and acted while Blasphemer was just beginning his monologue. Viers encased him in a sturdy dome of ice. Blasphemer exploded meaninglessly inside.

Literally, go out with a bang.

The gallery watched the battle with bated breath. It was like watching a lion brutalizing three pigs. Awe and fear came with equal measure. The assassins were not normal Level 2s but they were no match for the blue masked stranger. The assassins had a terrifying reputation, who would have known the stranger was even more terrifying?

When Viers was leaving after the fight, no one tried to prevent him. Not the adventurers he robbed, not the bandits lusting after his loot, not the city guards sworn to uphold the law.

The eyewitnesses of the battle spread what they saw and the name of the Silent Boogeyman traversed from lips to lips.