NOVEL NEXT Chapter 24
The remaining two characters babbled incoherently, trying to escape Aleon’s gaze.
“Uh, even if you look at our status windows, our stats are nothing compared to yours, Aleon, so there’s nothing worthwhile to see.”
“Yes, yes, that’s right. It’s a bit embarrassing…”
They were nervous, afraid Aleon would be angry if they refused, but they were completely mistaken. The saint before them did not know how to be angry at others.
“It’s alright. Of course, whether you show me your status window or not is entirely up to you. I spoke out of turn.”
“Oh, yes…”
Despite Aleon’s sincere smile, they slowly retreated.
“Oh, I just remembered I have an appointment…”
“Me too. I left my items outside…”
They had come to Aleon asking for help in the first place.
‘What if he laughs at my stats?’
‘What if Aleon accidentally tells others my stats?’
‘Aleon said it’s fine, but what if he’s secretly angry at me behind that smile? Let’s get out of here.’
Left alone, Aleon tilted his head. He noticed the uncomfortable expressions of the characters who had glanced at him as they turned the corner. However, he could not understand why they looked that way.
‘Strange. Why wouldn’t they show their status windows? I would show mine.’
Aleon, who could not harbor negative feelings towards others, could not imagine that someone might have negative intentions towards him. That was the beginning of the cracks in the Ice Castle.
***
The number of remaining survivors was in the 200s. The appearance of the monsters caused chaos, and the impact of Aleon’s appearance on the eighth day was just as significant. By the tenth day, the number of deaths had sharply decreased. Since most of the characters who would advance to the second round were almost fixed, the remaining two days seemed to flow as a point battle to lay the foundation for the next round.
“Kieeeek-! Thud.”
Small groups quietly hunted monsters in their own ways.
“Rumble-!”
The owner of the Ice Castle froze every monster that approached the densely populated areas, turning them into decorations in the castle yard.
“Boom!”
Some characters felt the ground’s unusual tremors, while most were uncertain, saying, “Huh?” about the underground movements. However, since Gio’s ability to manipulate the earth was shrouded in mystery, Aleon seemed to be the only one capable of dealing with the monsters alone for now.
“Crack!”
With just a gesture of Aleon reaching out and grasping the air, frost clung to the monster emerging from the ground and then froze solid.
In just a few days, Aleon’s unique ability had grown even stronger. While the monsters hesitated, Aleon turned around and called out loudly.
“Who has not yet received any hunting points? Come forth and claim your points!”
With a serene smile on his blue-tinged lips, Aleon intended to share hunting points with the weaker characters. Although there were only about twenty people left, there were still two days remaining, and the monsters spawned endlessly, so there was nothing to worry about.
“I haven’t killed any monsters yet!”
Aleon turned to the one who had just spoken and tilted his head.
“…Didn’t you catch a monster around 5 PM yesterday?”
The person was startled. They hadn’t expected Aleon to remember all the characters so well, and a fleeting look of awkwardness and embarrassment crossed their face. Having already received Aleon’s blessing, they had feigned ignorance.
Even if Aleon were to reprimand them and make a spectacle of them, they would have no right to complain.
“Oh, haha, did I receive it yesterday? I was so busy that I forgot, haha.”
They knew they were doomed. The character sensed that their excuse was flimsy. Now, even this noble saint would surely punish them with contemptuous eyes. After all, Aleon, who sided with the weak, pursued fairness and justice.
However, Aleon simply smiled gently.
“Anyone can make a mistake. Don’t worry too much. It was quite chaotic, after all.”
His smile was flawless and sincere.
…He truly did not recognize the other’s deceitful intentions.
Some characters nearby looked on in disbelief. Not at the character who lied, but at Aleon.
‘What, he didn’t notice that?’
‘He must be completely oblivious…’
Though Aleon was an extraordinary, transcendent being, some characters began to look down on him.
While Aleon was handing over barely alive monsters to the weaker characters, a “seditious rumor” began to spread within the Ice Castle. Since the Ice Castle was open to everyone, it was impossible to pinpoint the exact source of the rumor.
Given the situation, no one noticed if an outsider came in hiding their face and then left again.
One character whispered the rumor they heard to others.
“If you kill someone with a unique ability, their ability gets unlocked or you can steal their unique ability.”
“…No matter how powerful the ability is?”
The characters who heard the news naturally turned their gaze in one direction.
“Make sure to confirm your points at night, ensuring the monster is truly dead.”
Aleon was a kind-hearted saint, diligently giving out points while leaving his back defenseless.
***
The eleventh day passed quietly.
Since there wasn’t much to do, I rested in the cave all day. After all, even I don’t have new ideas every day.
Since there was no interaction with external characters today, there was no significant activity to show the viewers. Doing anything more would seem too contrived. This calmness was likely because Aleon had taken all the other characters and made them his followers…
After a series of intense days, this was a rare moment of rest. I spent time cracking eggs with Lilith and conversing with Unahar. Unahar, seemingly full of curiosity, asked me various things about my likes and dislikes, almost as if we were on a blind date.
Of course, we also caught plenty of monsters. Gio, lying on the floor of the cave, peacefully dealt with the monsters roaming underground.
It was about 30 minutes before the results of the eleventh night’s settlement. The outside of the cave, visible from around the corner, was already dark.
“Is anyone there?”
A deep male voice echoed from outside the cave. Gio was out cold and wouldn’t wake up even if someone carried him away. Lilith was startled awake, but Unahar, who was the only one awake with me, narrowed his beautiful eyes and stood up to go out. I gestured for him to stop, indicating that I would go out myself.
“It could be an uninvited guest or a thug.”
Unahar grabbed my arm.
“Do you think I’d fall for something like that?”
He gave a boastful, playful smile and went out alone. Outside stood a man I’d never seen before, empty-handed. Perhaps his weapons were in his inventory, but he was neatly dressed in simple but clean clothes. Under the light coming from the cave, I could see his jet-black hair and eye color.
He had a strong and clean-cut appearance, reminiscent of a secret agent from a structured organization.
“Are you Rudel?”
He looked at me with a steady, emotionless gaze.
“Did you come looking for me? Why?”
“I’ve heard rumors about your actions.”
“What did you hear?”
“They weren’t particularly good rumors…”
Things like ‘a weakling showing off with a lucky unique ability’ or ‘a selfish person only looking out for themselves’. Was he here to pick a fight after hearing those rumors?
Contrary to my expectations, the man remained calm. He slowly lowered his upper body and then knelt on one knee before me.
“I wish to serve you. Please accept me as one of your followers.”
Even I hadn’t anticipated this situation, and I stood there slightly stunned.
“By serve, you mean come under my protection?”
“Yes.”
“Why? If you seek protection, you should go to Aleon.”
I intentionally mentioned Aleon’s name to gauge his reaction. The man’s unhesitant reply was truly surprising.
“The Ice Castle… there will be problems there. For my survival, the place I need to choose is not the Ice Castle.”
His firm stance, seeking out my tiny cave instead of the so-called safe haven of the Ice Castle, caught my attention. I took another look at his emotionless face. His eyes were those of someone who never stopped thinking.
I glanced at the man’s status window.
[Name] Kanel / [Level] 18
[Gender] Male / [Age] 20
[Intelligence] Upper-middle / [Killing Intent] Lower-middle
—
[Health] 988 / C+
[Strength] 1219 / B
[Agility] 914 / C+
—
[Ability Group] Soul
[Unique Ability] Bullet Acceleration
[Potential Rank] C+
He didn’t seem terribly weak, but none of his attributes were particularly outstanding either. If I had to point out an advantage, it would be his slightly higher intelligence and that his unique ability was already unlocked.
Though with a potential rank of C+, he’s as average as they come. Bullet Acceleration ability—it clearly suggests a ranged or support role.
“You seem smart and quick to judge situations. It wouldn’t be too difficult for you to make it on your own, so why choose to bow your head to me?”
By now, it felt like a job interview between an interviewer and a candidate.