Chapter 81

Going back slightly in time to the Underworld Guild.

Word had reached them that the members of the Black Fang Wolves had failed in their attempt to capture the Titania contractor. While the other underworld guilds mocked Black Fang for their blunder, the members of the Black Fang themselves were wary of the man who had suddenly appeared.

Through information shared via magic items used by the slain members, they had confirmed that a single adventurer had wiped them out in an instant.

“Contact the spies immediately. Tell them to send over everything they have on this man,” the Black Fang guild master ordered.

The underworld guilds maintained a complete grasp on the high-ranking adventurers of the surface guilds, as well as those who might become threats in the future. However, they had failed to mark a powerhouse of that caliber.

“Information is in, Master. He appears to be a freelance adventurer. His name is Ryu, and according to his card, his job class is Tamer.”

The guild master and high-ranking members contacted their spies within the surface guilds to verify his existence, but he wasn’t officially registered there. However, his information surfaced through trade and transaction records.

The name was Ryu, and the profession was Tamer—data that seemed to contradict his actual strength.

“A Tamer? They aren’t exactly weak, but they shouldn’t be strong enough to take down our men.”

“Yes, but look at this, Master. In this country, he has turned in twenty Poison Spiders. Further investigation shows that in Fall Crown, he hunted and turned in numerous monsters, including Iron Birds and the Lizardmen unique to the mines.”

“…So, he’s no ordinary Tamer.”

To take down twenty Poison Spiders is one thing, but to solo the hardened Lizardmen of the mines and the troublesome flying Iron Birds suggests his true strength is immeasurable.

“Hey, is that info actually legit? It should be impossible for anyone to bag Poison Spiders and Iron Birds alone.”

“Apparently, there’s an eyewitness who saw the moment of the kill. He supposedly coated a common sword in Battle Spirit and took their heads off. What’s more, the one who saw it was the Fall Crown Guild Master.”

“Are you serious? Master, what do we do? If a guy like that intends to retaliate for tonight, we’ve got a massive problem on our hands. The Elves will be the least of our worries.”

The Master pondered. It was they who had clearly thrown the first stone in this matter. Even if they could somehow defeat someone capable of one-shotting an Iron Bird, the resulting damage to their own forces would be catastrophic.

“…He’s likely just possessing the Tamer skill to hide his true primary profession.”

“Huh? Master, is that even possible?”

“It should be. It’s just that acquiring multiple ‘Jobs’ is usually a waste of effort, so no one does it—especially not people like us.”

“Right, because if you take multiple jobs, your strength ends up mediocre, wasn’t that it?”

“Exactly. Rather than picking up multiple jobs, it’s far more efficient to class up into a high-tier job to boost your stats and traits. Usually, it’s only retired knights or mages who pick up ‘Gardener’ or ‘Sculptor’ as a hobby.”

“But that guy wasn’t that old, was he?”

“Correct. But the Master’s guess is likely the closest to the truth. We should assume he acquired ‘Tamer’ specifically to hide a combat-specialized class.”

“I agree. I’ll give the younger recruits a stern warning. If they get themselves killed because they thought he was just a Tamer, they’ll answer to me.”

The guild master and the upper echelon decided that he was likely using the Tamer skill as a front to conceal his true class.

“The problem is how we drop out of this joint operation…”

“I’ll handle that. If he’s aiming for the Elves, it’s better to use this situation as an excuse to let them go.”

“We’re just going to scrap them, Master?”

“I thought they’d be a good addition to our strength, but it can’t be helped.”

The silver-tongued Black Fang guild master withdrew from the operation, citing the need to replenish their killed members and seek financial compensation. By handing over all the Elves in Black Fang’s possession to the other underworld guilds, the negotiation was successful.

It goes without saying that this single choice decided the fate of the underworld guilds.

The remaining alliance of underworld guilds, who did not withdraw, spent the day preparing for the night’s operation. Even during preparation, their greed knew no bounds. They spoke of nothing but filth—what they would do once they caught the female Elves and how they would spend the money from the sales.

Their classes were ‘Thief’ and ‘Assassin’—classes not particularly suited for direct head-on combat, but specialized in night vision and stealth. Consequently, most of their tactics relied on ambushes. They usually focused on surprise attacks with poisoned daggers aimed at the heart or head, but for this mission, they were equipped for capture using paralytic toxins.

Their strategy was simple: use a potent paralytic poison to rob the target of their freedom. As long as they could inflict even a paper-thin cut, the target would be paralyzed. After that, they just had to toss them into the barred carriages, and the win was theirs.

According to information forced out of enslaved Elves, the Elven village was protected by a barrier of mist, but it would not function if one of their own kind was present. They also knew the village consisted of about a hundred people. With five times that number in their raiding party, they believed they could easily capture every last Elf.

Under normal circumstances, this plan would have been more than sufficient. What they didn’t know yet was that the powerhouse of the Great Forest was already waiting for them, counting down the moments.