Unfortunately (2):
As soon as I entered the rift, the forest landscape transformed.
The territory of the vampire, Count Askura.
A land corrupted, mixed with the coniferous forests of Russia.
It looked like those two landscapes had been blended exactly half and half.
…The scenery didn't matter.
'Damn, it's even colder?!'
The trees had rotted away.
The cold wind felt like a slap across the face.
"!"
Though, kindly enough—
Was it out of mercy so I wouldn't freeze to death?
I had no choice but to move immediately.
"Grrr…!!"
[Blood-Stained Wolf: Lv.230]
A wolf infected by the blood of Count Askura.
Its level made sense—its movements were fast. Much faster than similar creatures like gnolls. Thanks to its corruption from vampire blood, it had become part of the Demon race.
[Skill 'Predator Instinct' activates.]
You're not the only one who's fast.
Clack—
I easily dodged the lunging wolf's attack.
I recalled the quest objective.
"Announce that the hunt has begun."
Killing just one demon would fulfill the goal.
No hesitation.
I spun my body and struck the wolf as it passed by.
Of course, my weapon was a silver dagger.
Slick—
"Growl!"
The sharp blade sliced into the back of its thigh.
Dark blood oozed from the wound. Judging by its reaction, this was different from the imps.
Unlike the imps who screamed in pain, this one had little reaction.
'It's not about the level.'
The wolf was 20 levels higher than the imp.
But I'd leveled up too.
Adding the 12 levels and the stats gained through the class quest…
That attack must have done considerable damage.
Proof was in front of me.
The wolf was limping.
Yet it still bared its fangs…
I could tell why.
"Foolish. You picked the wrong thing to be loyal to."
It was probably loyalty to Count Askura.
Well, "loyalty" is just a term.
It's not like the wolf really chose to be loyal.
It's just how vampires are programmed in Arcana.
"I hate vampires. They're vile. Even though they're demons, they try to create packs. They corrupt others with their blood and force them into servitude. They despise humans but want to live like them."
A conversation with an NPC in Akshan came to mind.
I added to what that NPC had said:
"How stupid. Truly demon-like."
Count Askura.
He knows one thing but not the other!
A true noble isn't defined by admiration or owning a grand castle.
Above all, they must carry pride in their hearts.
Unshakable pride, even in dire circumstances.
Elegance that never bends, even when stained.
Dignity that stands tall, even through muscle aches.
The kind of stubbornness that refuses to wear a padded jacket—even in the dead of winter.
You know, just like that guy who lives somewhere.
Swhack—
The fight didn't last long.
I may have been cursing Count Askura and Granfell in my head…
But in that moment, my focus was sharper than ever.
"I despise beings like you."
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]
[Your level has increased.]…
With a gain of 5 levels, I was now level 72.
I could clearly feel how much more experience it took to level up now.
I checked the blinking quest window.
─Hunt the vampire. (In Progress)
● Announce that the hunt has begun. (Completed)
● Make them feel the fear of being hunted. (In Progress)
The moment I completed the first objective, the next one appeared:
"Make them feel the fear of being hunted."
Fitting for a class quest.
'Only a Demon Hunter would understand this.'
Make the demons feel fear?
Most would think, What nonsense is that?
But I had experience as a Demon Hunter.
There's a reason they called me the Last Demon Hunter.
"The thing that's helped humanity survive more than anything is fear. Because of fear, humans could avoid enemies stronger than them. That's how they lived."
That was during a quest.
The NPCs endlessly spouted philosophical nonsense.
"But in front of a demon, humans can't use fear as a tool for survival."
Back then, I had no idea what they meant.
Now, I finally understood.
"So, in order to hunt demons, one must overcome fear. And beyond that, it must be returned to them. At this moment, you must feel the fear of being hunted!"
Now I finally understand.
After that philosophical lecture came a brutal sequence of quests.
Thinking back, I still wonder how I even managed to clear some of those terrifying challenges.
Plenty of players gave up back then.
Of course, at the time, I was a middle-schooler with a full-blown hero complex and zero fear.
I passed the training with top marks.
Fwoosh—!
Yeah, it's not demons that make me shiver.
Sniff.
It's the bitter, bone-chilling Siberian high pressure of Russia…
And now—
I was having tea time.
The reason I'd said I didn't need a teacup?
It was because I could conjure one myself.
I examined the rocks scattered around, manipulated them, and manifested a teacup using them as material.
This too was a kind of "magic" I'd learned from NetTube.
Technically, it was an [Alchemy Skill].
Just like with "Ignition," I'd borrowed Granfell's knowledge to convert it into a magic spell.
Boiling water and summoning a teacup…
For something I spent days brainstorming, the result felt a little underwhelming.
But I didn't care.
Right now, this warmth meant everything to me…
"There is no tea for the likes of you."
…What's that supposed to mean? Not like I'd drink it even if you offered!
Leoni whispered seriously.
"…Is he a NetTuber?"
Shake shake—
The guild members shook their heads.
"Then… is he a rookie? Or maybe a rising star?"
Shake shake—
The guild members exchanged looks again and shook their heads once more.
"Then what the heck is he? He's not a ranker."
Leoni frowned.
Totally off the mark.
But it wasn't her intuition's fault.
Who could've guessed? That it was just one player who had left that wolf howling in terror. And his appearance? Completely baffling.
Glance—
Leoni looked down to check her gear.
Yeah, even in a low-level rift like this one, it was common sense to wear proper equipment like she did.
Especially when the place was crawling with demons.
Wearing at least one accessory to boost status resistance was basic prep.
But then…
'…A suit? Dress shoes?!'
And if that wasn't enough—he was holding a teacup.
As if to say, no matter what happens, the tea must go on.
Firmly gripping it in his hand.
"What the hell is this guy… Seriously?"
Leoni's irritation flared up.
Sure, the world's big and there are all kinds of players.
If there are players like this, there'll be players like that too.
But she was really annoyed at herself.
'This is humiliating. Shit.'
Those silent monsters—cowering in fear before that guy?
Well, she hadn't seen the fight, so she didn't know why.
But that alone was enough to trigger her competitive spirit.
"Hmph."
So what if he didn't shout or act flashy?
What mattered was who took down the monster first, who cleared the mission faster.
Leoni didn't want to pay attention to the man anymore.
"…Lost again. Dammit."
…Though the man had stopped paying any attention to them a while ago.
At this point, curiosity was inevitable.
Just what kind of tea was in that cup?
How could he enjoy it so leisurely even in this environment?
'…Is it delicious?'
Slurp—
Leoni swallowed hard and snapped back to her senses.
"There is no tea for the likes of you."
Like I care? I wasn't gonna drink it anyway!
Leoni turned her body and spoke.
"Let's go."
"Didn't you just say we should team up with him?"
"Forget it. I changed my mind."
"Aww~ Sis, are you sulking? Because he didn't give you tea?"
"Shut it. I already said I wouldn't drink it even if he offered, didn't I?"
"…When exactly?"
A few guild members glanced back at the man and said,
"Still, isn't it dangerous? He's all alone."
"How about at least asking if he wants to team up? Who knows, he might have useful info."
"Forget it. With all that confidence, he probably walked into this rift in a suit and dress shoes for a reason. And you saw his attitude, right? Won't even share tea—like he's gonna share any intel."
"…So you are sulking."
Clench—
Leoni raised her fist, then continued.
"If he's good, he might be on my level."
"Wait… You mean, his level?!"
"Yeah. Maybe he's one of those hidden rankers who haven't revealed themselves yet."
Her words stirred murmurs among the guild members.
"Yeah, even Skall has never shown his face properly…"
Skall—the #1 ranked player.
He too was one of the mysterious, faceless players.
Leoni waved her hand.
"Whatever. Just think of him as a rival. It's a good warm-up, nothing more."
Clearly, Leoni's intuition was completely off the mark.
Not a single guess of hers had been right.
Not the fact that Hoyul wasn't even level 80.
Not the idea that this rift was just a warm-up.
Swish—!
"!"
A sharp sound tore through the air.
It was an arrow.
By the time Leoni registered the sound, it was already buried in a guild member's shoulder.
"Everyone, battle positions! Healer, tend to the wounded!"
As expected of the #32 ranked guild—Berserker.
Though ambushed, they quickly adapted and took formation.
However…
"C-Captain! There's way more than we thought!"
Red lights glowed in the darkness.
Countless crimson eyes stared from the shadows.
"Hawk-Eye!"
A skill from the Archer class that massively boosts vision.
A guild member surveyed the area and reported.
"We're surrounded by blood-drenched bandits on all sides. It's a perfect encirclement. Also, Captain… I'm guessing there's at least 200 of them."
The Berserker Guild had 45 members.
They were outnumbered—heavily.
And the blood-drenched bandits were humanoid monsters.
Meaning they were even harder to fight.
"Now this feels like a proper update!"
"Is this when things start getting serious?"
"At least we don't have to hunt them down. Saves the trouble. I like it."
Still, Leoni and the Berserker Guild were no strangers to combat.
They weren't called "Berserker" for nothing.
Leoni raised her twin swords.
"They're coming, everyone."
Her plan was to block the first volley of arrows, then charge forward.
No matter how many there were, the level gap couldn't be ignored.
Their tanks could hold the line long enough.
Leoni planned to use that moment to break through the enemy formation.
'It's enough.'
That was her assessment.
But then, just for a moment—
Leoni turned to glance behind her.
'…What about him?'
And when she did, she saw him.
She was stunned.
"Is that guy insane?!"
Surely he had seen the arrows rain down.
But the man was still calmly holding his teacup.
I held my teacup and watched the situation unfold.
An arrow pierced a player's shoulder.
Judging from the presence all around, we were surrounded.
Considering their numbers, there was a good chance many arrows would be aimed at me too.
Naturally—
I didn't have any plate armor like the other players.
No shield.
No teammates to cover me.
But that was fine.
At that moment, arrows flew toward me.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—!
I looked down at my now-empty teacup.
"Tea outdoors isn't bad at all."
That was confidence backed by preparation.
The 『Target for Exploration』 was the teacup in my hand.
The process up to 『Interference』 flowed as smoothly as a single motion.
And then—I manifested magic.
"Even if the use is trivial…"
The teacup in my hand began to change form.
Clatter, clatter—
Soon, the arrows were snapped and scattered at my feet.
"Its power is anything but trivial."