Letti narrowed her eyes at Mila's sketchy behavior. He's definitely plotting something involving her. "Whatever you're planning please don't include me."
Mila sighed regretfully but thankfully looked like he was conceding with her words. "That's a shame. Well, I can't force an unwilling person to be my disciple. That defies my virtues."
Luca wore a very provoking incredulous expression on his face, which was left unnoticed by them.
'What virtues are you talking about?' Luca thought with exasperation.
Letti nodded enthusiastically, grateful that they had come to a favorable agreement. "Yes. Thank you for understanding. I am genuinely flattered that you think highly of me."
"My offer still stands until tomorrow. Just ask the guild if you ever change your mind." Mila stated with a closed-eye smile.
'Just go already.'
Letti thought impatiently without letting go of her outward bright expression. "Yes, I'll reflect on your offer carefully."
'...As if that will happen,' She thought derisively.
Mila's eyes glinted in mirth as if he could guess Letti's true intention behind her courteous smiles. "I'll trust you on that." He flashed her an ambiguous grin before finally leaving Letti alone.
Luca noted Mila's calm countenance different from someone who just got rejected.
"It's strange for you to give up so easily," Luca remarked when they were out of Letti's hearing range.
Mila hummed casually. He already saw enough fakery in his lifetime to get the kid's expression. It was amusing to say the least. "Did I look like I was seriously giving up?"
Luca looked like he just taste something sour at Mila's unabashed expression. "Yes, yes. It's my fault I asked a stupid question."
Letti's strained smile twitches back to its unexpressiveness as soon as the two went away.
'Good thing that's over.'
Her attention then shifted to the working miners pensively. They're taking too long to clear the entire throne room and the gate will close soon.
'Palleus.'
[Yes, my liege...]
'There are still people working inside. Any idea how I can extract the souls without their attention?'
[...]
It took a few seconds before Letti heard Palleus' voice again.
[Lulu has an idea, my liege. But he can only cast the mirage for ten seconds, will that be enough?]
'That's enough. This won't take long.'
Letti already thought ahead on who she'll awaken within the ten second time frame.
The Nymphis still laid haphazardly at the position where it was killed. Good thing it wasn't too deformed as Letti initially thought. In fact, the Nymphis' messed up skull just made it all the more threatening.
Lulu quietly resurfaced from Letti's shadow.
Thankfully, nobody seem to notice Lulu's large frame. The miners were all preoccupied in their own work to do.
"Let's begin."
At Letti's calm assent, there was a fleeting disturbance in the air because of Letti's mana as a layer of iridescent blue gleam barricaded Letti from the inside.
Because of the limited time, Letti had no time to dawdle and immediately set to extracting the soul of the Nymphis.
"Monster of the Berserker Class, heed the call of your master from the void, Awaken!"
Right after Letti chanted the incantation『Awaken』 , a shadow-like dark matter burst out of the body and took the shape of the Nymphis.
This was the fastest extraction she had. Her strongest shadow, Ragnarok, took her 10 tries before its soul finally crawled out of the void.
This monster was obviously inferior compared to the spider's strength, but she saw how it ripped apart anyone it come across. Even his own kind wasn't spared.
At any rate, another formidable monster is added in her arsenal.
The now shadowed Nymphis bended on one knee in recognition to its new master before quickly sinking to merge with Letti's shadow just in time for the mirage to break down.
"I feel like something is different this time." Letti felt the familiar pull of her mana pierced through the void, but this time she felt a violent shock once her mana interacted with the Nymphis.
It was a gamble whether she could extract the Nymphis at once, so this was a good development.
[My liege, this knight can sense your fifth mana circle is almost complete. My liege's mana is enough to extract A-class type monsters now.]
Palleus's voice rang to her head automatically, proving her inner doubt.
"Let's find the nearest A-class dungeon then." She exhaled in satisfaction. It's been a while since she completed her fourth magic circle so she was staring to worry she couldn't find her breaking point, but alas she's close.
"You're closer to your former ability too." She spoke to Lulu softly as if comforting her.
The master's strength is parallel to their summoned, according to magic theory. The summoned is basically an empty husk acted on the master's mana. Magic has its own limitations even in the world of magic.
And so, Lulu's former strength has been reduced greatly after becoming Letti's shadow. Letti felt bad for hindering Lulu for a long time.
Lulu quietly retreated back to Letti's shadow, but Letti could still feel Lulu's eagerness with his silence.
...
"Party leader, I have a favor to ask you." Letti approached Kard, who is directing a couple miners outside the gate.
The miners nodded in farewell to Kard before leaving with their stone axes.
"What is it kid?" Kard was especially courteous to Letti after today. Nothing could replicate that terror of almost dying in vain in this lifetime for him. The kid had given him a second chance in life and so he sincerely recognizes Letti as his benefactor.
"I would like you to keep out my interference in the official records." Letti was unsure to ask Kard since tampering with official guild documents is illegal.
Kard was initially baffled, but because of the long line of experience under his belt, he could quickly compose himself. There's no need to look into it too seriously. His intuition tells him that people with unnatural abilities like Letti is bound to have many secrets.
"I'll tell Chongky to keep this a secret."
Letti looked at him curiously. "You'll really agree?" Letti was sure he'll flat out reject her so she was planning to talk to the Guild Master himself next. He just regained his reputation so doing this is considered a huge risk.
"Don't worry. I'll personally tell the Guild Master of your request and to also contain the rumors from reaching the public. Randell owe you a great deal for what you did so this is barely a huge favor in our part."
Letti nodded gratefully. "I will appreciate that."
She need to be careful to not leave any trail back until she could get out of Ruvia. Unfortunately, she had to take matters in her own hands this time.
That person will have lesser resources finding her in neighboring kingdoms.
Letti began seriously considering venturing to eastern kingdoms.
Kard suddenly remember the top brass who also saw Letti's ability. He was hesitating to mention it since they can't afford to insult a personality from Linarest. "What about the Elder Mage??"
Letti was quiet for a second before shaking her head. "Don't mind him. I don't think he is a person who has a loose mouth."
Kard was relieved. "Yes. I think so too."
Letti thought she had took too much of Kard's time already. "Thank you for your time, Party Leader. Farewell."
Kard sighed in defeat, staring at the back of Letti figure. He didn't get to ask Letti to join the guild. Well, he could already guess what he'll answer.
A person with that strength wouldn't want to be restricted.
Letti pull up the hood over her head, revealing only a glimpse of the lower part of her face. Nobody notice her slipping behind the trees.
"Let's go back quickly."
Her voice unknowingly turned softer and feminine-like once she issued a command. She was soon pulled in the dark abyss under her soles and replaced of an ordinary spider hybrid. Just like how she was able to arrive at the dungeon room.
If people ever see this spider hybrid again, their blood would probably flow backwards and will make them question their sanity.
Only a handful of people could probably recall one of the earliest records of a dungeon break from three years ago.
These spider hybrids, with their oppressive numbers, annihilated a small town; becoming one of the horrifying incidents to date of dungeon breaks.
The main character of that incident is a giant spider hybrid that turn any person in a pool of their own innards with its razor sharp jaws.
But as quick as they unfurled their slaughter, the adventurers, who were sent on what they thought is a suicide subjugation mission, was left to clean up the mass grave of the monsters.
There weren't any clear clue to what could have kill them, but their souls tremble at the thought of facing such creatures.
Nobody would have thought it was a necromancer with a bloodied sword...