Balamount High School.One of the top three renowned high schools in the Slum of Exodus Section, Izel was unable to attend the high school his parents had in mind before they left him. This was the only school he could attend since the tutor's fees were free. Wearing the letterman trench coat and quite old yet sturdy boots, he walked out of the school when the classes ended. Students came pouring out of the classrooms. Not hearing any news about his parents even after going about the slums of Exodus Section and asking about it brought a probable thought to Izel's mind. No one knew of a handsome man and a beautiful woman named Karen Ethalt and Raven Ethalt, even if he remembered their faces and names.It couldn't be….A sudden thought prompted Izel to fish out his outdated kit and tap on the AirPod in his ear—a splurge he treated himself to with the cash he found in his parents' wardrobe one day. With a feminine voice ringing in his head, he opened his parents' website and entered their names and resident numbers. This action led him to the authentication page.[The result: The name and resident number do not match.]That was the result that tickled his mind—it remained the same, no matter how many times he inputted their names. Could he have misremembered? Or had he somehow missed something? No, it couldn't be. Izel wouldn't be considered their son if he couldn't even remember their names and resident numbers. Did they... disappear?It was hard to believe. As his blind preteen mind turned blank and cooled, his steps steered toward one direction. He immediately headed to other houses he hadn't been to, as he had been doing every day after school. In the chaotic weather, he shielded himself in a raincoat over his letterman trench coat, clutching bamboo as he walked up to every house he hadn't visited in the Exodus section.Knock—! Knock—!At the well-made door of a certain house, Izel, an approximately preteen, knocked. He then rang the doorbell, perhaps realizing his little fist couldn't make enough noise alone.DING-DONG—!The bell rang. Izel's heart started racing, and his once-blank mind was immediately filled with complicated thoughts as soon as the door opened."Who is that?"It was a middle-aged woman with fairly long black hair and grey eyes. Of course, Izel couldn't see her appearance, only her body responses, ripples, and voices filled his [Sound Reading]. She was the last resident in the Exodus Section. After three days of searching for his parents, Izel deemed this to be the last search he would do to find his parents. Could it be that he had no feelings for them anymore? No, Izel was just tired and helpless. He couldn't consider himself lucky to eventually find them in the Exodus Section since he could remember his mother telling him when he asked when they were going to…"Somewhere sacred and distant,"… so, even if he searched forward, he would never find them in the Exodus Section. He was never a sacred child to him, according to what he had observed through his [Sound Reading] since he was born. So, this is the last."Who are you?" The woman who answered the door repeated her question to the preteen kid, who seemed to close his eyes as though he were blind."I'm..." Izel then forced a smiling face from his depressed expression and asked, "Have you seen someone named Karen and Raven Ethalt anywhere? I have their pictures, hold on!"Having taken out the two old fuzzy pictures from his raincoat, he showed them to the woman. Her hand pressed against her forehead as though searching through her mind while gazing at the two unfamiliar faces in the pictures. Unable to recall any memory of them, she seemed to have never seen them before."Raven and Karen, huh? No, I haven't seen them before. Are they perhaps your guidance?"As expected, the answer was no different from the rest. She had never seen anyone like the two individuals in the pictures before. Izel half-expected that she might not have remembered even if she did. He was now certain, according to body responses and ripples from this woman opposite him, that she was about to shut the door soon, seemingly from the chilly cold amid the stormy weather. In any case, it seemed his parents were never meant to be found by him."Hah..." It eventually came to this. Droplets trickled down his raincoat to his boots. It didn't take long to get this straight in his mind after all; it was one of the possibilities he had in mind. His parents never cared in the first place—and even called him a cursed child because of his skin and disability when he was first born. They left a blind child with nothing and vanished without any traces. His fist clenched tightly as it was easier to think of it that way.If so, they must have forgotten him. He was never meant to be their child. It was an awkwardly betraying feeling. The woman standing in front of him now never saw or remembered his parents. But why? Could it be that even if she saw and knew them, then something must have prevented her from remembering? If so, why aren't her body responses disturbed, or ripples from her brain normal, even the frequency of her heart and breathing patterns are normal as well. It was just him who felt confused. And…As lightning flashed and thunder rumbled loudly between the heavens and earth, Izel lowered his head and bowed. "Thank you for your time."The woman's expression brightened as he smiled. "I'm glad. I was able to help. Take care, kid."SLAM—!As Izel felt the premises and headed toward the main street, his heart knotted with uncertainty. Gradually, he calmed down as he walked along the busy streets, regardless of the relentless downpour."I'm alone," there was a question that had been asking himself numerous times ever since his parents left him: 'Am I 'really' alone or will his parents return?' And the answer to his question finally came. "I'm truly… alone." He repeated this countless times in his head to not be wavered by it, and to avoid confusion. Out of nowhere, he heard his mother's voice, "No matter how hard life hits you, and there is no one there to grab onto you and help you, Just don't go astray, and don't go too far away from home.""Why would she say that?" Now he seemed to have understood. His mother at that time was anxious for the future. Izel realized that she too had the same worries that he was having now—that he might leave for somewhere further away and not return at all.He slapped both his drenched cheeks hard with his hands. That woke him up. He was no longer attached to searching for his parents. They were never meant to be found but remembered deep in his heart, and nothing else for him to say or leave or regret. No, just one. Izel's unfocused eyes opened slightly as he walked on the water-soaked paved ground.He never got to love them for long.He missed them. No, more accurately, he missed his mother's kissings and his father's playful endeavors. If his parents one day appear, and he becomes an important person to them, he would… ask them why. And forgive them. He might not consider them parents then, because the older him would want revenge, but he just wants a world with his parents—fun, going on a picnic on a clear, bright day on a green landscape. Not revenge, but a better day.On his way home, Izel felt his surroundings through 'echolocation'—one of the skills of [Sound Reading] while walking on the busy streets brightened up by neon signposts and lights. The gloomy sky was twisting with dark clouds as the rain tore down the sky like needles. Being in the bustling, vibrant, and lively landscape seemed to make one feel strangely excited yet overwhelmed. Until now, he wouldn't have thought that he would walk alone… In this gloomy landscape, in this punky setting, he wanted to become important despite being alone."To do that, first…" Izel, the blind preteen kid, turned his head and muttered while closing his eyes. "I guess, I'm going to have to suffer for a while."— — — — —With memories of a distant past racing through his mind, akin to daydreaming, Izel got up from his seat, roughly tidying up. Sensing around where he ate, he realized it was an abandoned factory, long forgotten. Its once towering smokestacks now loomed like silent sentinels against the polluted skyline, half-destroyed and corroded. The metal exterior was adorned with graffiti, and neon tags competing for attention with faded corporate logos. Broken windows glinted in the sporadic glow of flickering streetlights, revealing the eerie darkness within. A tangle of rusted machinery and decaying conveyor belts filled the vast interior, now overrun by nature reclaiming its territory. Vines crept through cracks in the concrete floor, while puddles of toxic runoff shimmered with a sickly iridescence. Amongst the ruins, shadows danced with the whisper of secrets long forgotten, a haunting reminder of its functional past.Though quite empty, with rodents sprinting about as though they owned the place, and spiderwebs decorating the ceiling horribly, while crickets sounded irritatedly, if it was in [Exodus Section], it could have been the nest for acolytes, hoodlums, and gangs. Shortly after Izel exited the ancient, mossy-adorned main door, the relentless rain stopped.Of course, the gloomy dark sky didn't veer, nor did the dark twisted clouds akin to the abyss that never went away. As his [Cloud boots] parted ways with the soaked ground, flashes of lightning pierced the atmosphere, the thunder rumbling slightly. It had been a long time, perhaps four days ago when he returned to Eliluam, that he walked without the downpour pitter-pattering his bamboo hat, drenching his cloak down to his boots."Ha…" He exhaled as he inhaled what seemed like mana from the surroundings. Izel opened his dull, sharp golden eyes and murmured, "It's been a while." Right, the best thing about being out in the world was being able to feel the change. In the Fortress of Dungeons, there was little change. It was the same life, the same waiting room, albeit with a few changes per raid and consistent, strict rules and regulations. There was no sense of the passage of time between the Fortress of Dungeons and Eliluam, and one couldn't expect that something would change with dungeon raids either.Eliluam, on the other hand, was different. Every day was unique; it seemed like a combination of similar days, but there was never a single day that was 'exactly' the same. Though the climate of the First District might seem consistent at first, it mostly changed slightly each time. Izel suddenly thought that it would be nice to have tricyclic antidepressants and fluoxetine pills again, but they were forbidden to him. This was because the pills dulled the nerves, and senses, and slowed the body's reactions.As he walked towards the directions Jenna prepared in the note, he followed the trail of mana and where the presence of humans dwindled.'If I take left and leap upon a few complexes, I will…'After taking the left alley with broken glasses and stray animals like dogs and cats, leaving them with the remaining food he deliberately left in the compact plastic package, the orphan animals began fighting among themselves as they rushed toward it. Izel smiled and leaped stylishly onto complexes as he thought. At the end of the complexes, he jumped down and landed like a cat, turning into an alley, and making his way to the basement of a seedy gambling den.Despite the extremely late hour, there was a small bar with soft lighting open. Before entering, Izel exhaled and inhaled to calm his heart, taking on the nonchalant appearance of a young man. With only a handful of customers remaining, he took a seat at the bar and ordered a glass of soda. It was a weird order, but the elderly bartender, who seemed strange to Izel according to bodily responses and ripples as though he had met him before, lazily poured a soda before returning his attention to his 'own' glass. Well, he might just be overthinking it. Perhaps, his senses were just tensed. Taking a deep breath, Izel finally spoke up. "I'm here to take a Dirty Job suitable for a B-rank Hunter."[Dirty Jobs Audition bar], this was the place Jenna had recommended to him to take [Dirty Jobs] and perhaps [subterranean labyrinths]. And it seemed to be where she was working. Anyway, according to Jenna, this place was arranged appropriately for him, so it was unlikely to be hazardous for Izel. The elderly bartender hesitated before tapping his glass four times in silence in response to Izel's request for Dirty Jobs suitable for a B-rank Hunter. Suddenly, the space behind the bar opened up and a familiar person emerged, yawning loudly."Ha—. It's past midnight, and I'm ready to pass out. What's your deal? Izel?" said the sharp-looking woman with three eyes—three dream eyes—with wet long, dark dreadlocks, eyeing Izel.It was Jane Austen. Her brown skin shimmered under the vibrant neon lightning as her curved horns added to her allure. She wore a loose-fitting shirt that showcased her two pairs of bat-like wings and black leather pants that hid her long, curled, arrow-like tail, exuding both lethargy and fierceness. Jewels, crafted from her latest [blacksmithing] idea, adorned her ears and waist. To be honest, she didn't seem like a typical bartender to anyone who happened to steal a gleam from her.The elderly bartender, who seemed to be hiding his identity well, stood next to her and spoke up for the first time. "He's a B-rank Hunter."Closing the eye on her forehead, she remarked, "... B-rank Hunter? I know that. But…?"Izel had experienced that Hunters beyond the F and E rank weren't treated poorly in this world. Jane seemed to share his thoughts, so doubts started to creep in instead of an annoyed expression."Hmm, this dude doesn't exactly look intimidating or scream 'B-rank' hunter to me. Maybe he's an escapee from some sketchy science lab or something?" the succubus said, examining Izel's complexion under the dim light. Of course, she had witnessed the blind teen fight in the Entertainment Section, worthy enough to be called a 'High Hunter' by others. While she was pleased at the time as a Hooker and therapist, it didn't please her current profession as a Dirty Job specialist and her current personality.Knowing this would happen when her other personality kicks in, unlike her succubus, coquettish, and therapist's personalities, Izel doesn't respond.With the blind teen's silence, she convinced herself and took a seat across the bar. "But whatevs, it's all good. Hunters are in high demand, and we can always use more of 'em. Name's Jane B. Austen, what's yours?"Even if her other personality whispered his name to her, this current personality ignored its voice.Meanwhile, Izel, unable to give his real name since her current personality probably ignored her other personalities' words and memories, deemed him a Stranger and wanted to assess him herself to give out a [Dirty Job]. It might be a blind teen's mere speculation, but he considered having three personalities and three jobs quite bothersome traits.After some thought, he remembered the alias he had been using since he returned to Elilaum. "... Blind.""Okay, Blind. It's not a big secret that our bar arranges various things. Are you only looking for a specific dirty Job that a B-rank Hunter or perhaps a High-Hunter can do?" Jane asked."Yes, what a B-rank Hunter can do." Izel deliberately kept his answer brief. He believed it was risky to reveal too much information before understanding Jane's current personality.Jane raised her eyebrows at Izel's answer. "Then I gotta know how legit your B-rank Hunter's skills are before I can hook you up with the right gig.""Perhaps you want proof from my Hunter's kit?""You catch my drift? I don't want to see your 'continental rank' or something, but it's important to know what category you belong to.""…"Izel remained quiet, causing Jane's expression to abruptly change as she misinterpreted his silence. "I hope you aren't just using 'connection,' 'wealth,' and 'background' to fake not only your Hunter's rank but also being a Hunter. That's boring, man," she said, her voice sharp.Without a word, Izel put down his glass and infused mana onto his calves, strongly imagining the direction he wanted to go while pulling up his shortsword from its scabbard.As the blind teen's presence flickered in front of the two people beyond the counter, Izel's speed manifested.SWOOSH!His blade reflected the dim neon light as it cleaved through the air, his presence flickering behind Jane with the shortsword halting just before her neck."Oh, you're a speed-based Hunter! My bad, I didn't realize it earlier," Jane said, looking bewildered at the sight of Izel's brief speed. Of course, her other personality, which witnessed and knows full well the extent of Izel's all-rounded stats and skills, kept whispering to her that her assessment was quite wrong, but she refused to acknowledge it.A Knight-type Hunter specialized in speed and swordsmanship was known for its power, momentum, and straightforwardness, unlike even an Assassin-type Hunter, but it required extensive training and could be challenging to utilize properly. Without [Job-related trait] that balanced it out, it made it much more challenging than its symbolism suggested.Izel coated his calves and stiffened them without a skill or Job-related trait, something only orthodox Hunters who had spent decades in the field could do. Even the elderly bartender standing next to them, whose eyes followed the blind teen's every movement, nodded in approval, but Izel had no intention of stopping there. He knew he couldn't reveal all his abilities, not because Jane's other personality knew about it, but to her current personality, he needed to showcase a minimum amount of his skills among the workers who frequented the bar.He concentrated and deftly manipulated mana into his shortsword, thus…The old strange bartender and Jane's expression changed dramatically at the sight of his prowess."…!!!"...heterochromatic aura began flowing through the sword, reflecting her sparkling face as she retracted the blade from her neck and made a swift swing. It gracefully drew a fine line of aurora in the air, accompanied by an air shock that disrupted nothing in the surroundings—a feat that required precise control over mana and mastery of [Basic Swordsmanship] skill at the centimeter level.They both looked at Izel with newfound respect. It was then Jane recalled her other personality whispering about how the blind teen trained and struggled to survive for seven days in an Alternate World. The news had gotten the whole [First District] on its toes after its announcement, becoming the number one trending topic since the [Armageddon] and the station of [Cascade] branch in the District.After reappearing back to his seat and sheathing his aurora shortsword, dissipating his mana, Izel picked up his glass of soda again and asked, "As you can see, I'm pretty confident in my skills, so I'm hoping you can introduce me to a decent Dirty Job.""Hey, you're a cool customer for showing up so early in the morning. I like you now," Izel replied with a grin. "But we can't just hand over important Dirty Jobs to you right away. We need to build trust first by working together on some smaller jobs. Are you okay with that?""Sure, I understand.""Great. Let's draw up a contract then."The two parties quickly reached an agreement and proceeded with jet speed. Jane presented Izel with a contract that served as a mere facade, claiming that neither party would be bound by the other's freedom or responsibility. Then, she retrieved a thick file from behind the bar and handed it over to him. "Shall we begin? Is there anything you want to avoid?"According to her therapist's personality, Izel had a soft spot for traumas, or, in other words, feelings such as grief, depression about a certain situation, or even killing, and regrets accumulated faster in Izel. That's why she asked him that question."Hmm, anything is fine as long as it doesn't involve civilians, hunters, or the target's immediate death," Izel declared. Simply put, he didn't want to risk harming innocent people, hunters going about their 'own' day, or slaughtering the target like a hitman or assassin and then being chased by [Zenie Section]'s Border Hunters.Having similar thoughts, Jane nodded as though it was obvious why she asked. In any case, she said, "You don't have to worry about that because it's unlikely to happen. Let's look at this first."She opened the file, revealing various profiling papers, each containing dozens of pictures of people from different ages, genders, and backgrounds, with a large number written beside each."... Acolytes and Hidden Hunters with a tag?""Yeah, they're easy to find, easy to measure performance, and the rewards are instant. That's why Border Hunters are usually commissioned."Jane explained as she pulled out a document and handed it to Izel, who sipped soda from his glass."It's a good way to screen our unreliable people. Are you up for it?" she asked.Returning the document to her, Izel indirectly asked her to read it for him, so he could examine the descriptions of the faces in the pictures. "I haven't been in the Section for long and I'm kinda hasty lately, so I can't be too picky.""I see," Jane sighed, her therapist's personality whispering that he was 'actually' born blind was 'reallly' true. So, after focusing on the face of the short green-haired young man with dark circles under his eyes and a puffy face, licking lollipops, she spoke, "His name is Dean T'vehillion. He had short green hair, dark circles under his eyes, and a puffy face, also he loves lollipops. He was a C-rank Hunter before becoming a Hidden Hunter and is currently accused of attempting to steal 'Vista's New Al unarmed operation Error' from Vista Corporation's port after slaying the Engineer who was inspecting the newly created security system four days ago."Though the descriptions are useless to Izel, who is blind, the reason for indirectly asking her to read it was to find out whether the target had a noticeable trait. And he did have—loves lollipops. "So, did they fail in the end?" Izel remarked whether the targets succeeded in his act."Absolutely not, these scumbags from slums didn't have the ability 'actually' needed to break through Vista's last defense Security AI mechanism—VLDSAM. The other Acolytes who planned the crime got killed, and this guy—their leader is the only one who got away. Vista didn't bother pursuing him and left us to dispose of the trash."From her words, it seemed like Vista had immense influence and power compared to the other 'company' that hired Hidden Hunter and the acolytes to steal from them. Of course, Izel had heard of them before in the Exodus Section, but he didn't know where or why. Since it was taboo to overthink such meaningless things, he just ignored it."The hideout this guy lurks in was long gone, probably since the mission failed, they discarded the place to avoid being tracked, so even if things get a bit messy, it shouldn't be a big issue.""Hmm…" Izel remarked, shaking his glass, before sipping some soda."The reward is ¢4 million Lupins, not bad for catching a little rat that was once a predator. What do you reckon?" Jane declared.¢4 million Lupins.To Izel, who had been grappling with losing ¢20 million just a few hours prior, the sum was staggering. Nonetheless, he paused, hesitant to accept the offer hastily.'It's too mind-blowing yet vague.'After spending two and a half days in the bustling Main Section—[Numbers], Izel had gained a rudimentary understanding of its colossal scale, security, and the myriad of individuals that inhabited it. The [Entertainment Section], for instance, was an entirely different realm compared to the bustling area in [Zenie Section], [Exodus Section]. Given the enormity of the Section and its diverse populace, it seemed a herculean dirty job to locate a person solely based on a few descriptions and one trait. As Izel's senses perused the file cabinet with a faint [Mana Inspection] in search of valuable intel, he stumbled upon something of interest and gestured toward it."Do you by all means collect the target's blood and mana sample?""Oh yeah…" As though she suddenly remembered, Jane remarked, "We got it at the moment.""Can I have it?""I mean, we can hand it over, but honestly, if you weren't blind, I would have gone against it," Jenna declared as she instructed the elderly bartender to fetch the sample from its storage behind the bar.What the bartender presented was a fragment of cloth—probably torn wears of the target—mangled and 'sullied' with blood and a faint trace of mana. Once Izel inhaled the mana and scent of the target and stood up, Jane inquired, "Sniffing it like that, people will think you are some Black-mage type Hunter.""Pardon?" Izel remarked in confusion. "Are those newly part of Mage-type Hunters?""Well, they ain't technically, which makes them super rare. Those dudes are money-grubbing monkeys who charge 10 mill per tracking job and still won't turn a profit. Since you seem to have some skills in that field, that sample isn't worth squat—," She stated.Of course, after understanding the scent and mana of the target, but also his trait. He returned the fragment of cloth to her, paying no heed to Jenna's shrugged shoulders, and exited the bar.Though Jane had mentioned a Black mage-type Hunter, which, from the tones they were spoken of, are different from Jenna—or others from the [Mage District]. Even if Izel never had [Mana Inspection] skill, he had no intention of enlisting the assistance of such mysterious people, and since he had learned such a skill—that turned out to be stable now, tracking the target would be quite breezy.— — — —He seated himself in a somewhat secluded location, shielded from prying eyes, and focused his full attention on his [sound reading]. Nostrils and—.['Grandmaster of Mana' has been activated.]Izel knew a little about mana and magic, but his body constitution and his proficiency in utilizing and controlling mana had gradually improved three-fold since the B-rank—along with the title "The Butcher of Desert-Worms" he earned in the F-rank Dungeon Raid at the Fortress, which changed to "Titan Orc Slayer" in the B-rank Dungeon Raid. Through these changes, he gained a decent understanding of mana, enabling him to possess more insights when learning [Mana Inspection] from Jenna Rivel Callen, a C-rank mage-type Hunter.Speaking of [Mana Inspection], it was a potent form of magic that required preparation, highlighting any presence, location, and tracking of an identity or target based on one's mana quality and limit. However, it came with significant recoil if wielded wrongly or if the wielder couldn't properly thin out their mana. Though partially stable, Izel found some acolytes from whom he snatched some cash in the [Exodus Section]. Right now, in its stable form and alongside his status as a Grandmaster of mana, it would be perceived as rational and accurate in apprehending the target he had earlier detected by sniffing the mana and scent.Having grasped [Mentifery] immediately and comprehended [Flux Control] and [Efficacy Equilibrium], his mana penetrated through his follicles like knives through butter, maintaining a regular oval shape. With [Highlight] kicking in, the straightened-out mana expanded through the air, revealing a fresh perception of Izel as it did when he fully comprehended it in the magical train.WHOOSH!As it slowly permeated the atmosphere, allowing a subtle awareness of its surroundings, it became quite advanced enough for tasks like fully exploring or tracking other mana signatures and scents. Of course, it might be less effective in an overwhelmed cognition like [Flawaltion] and [Sound reading]. The oval-like, straightened-out mana moved approximately one meter in diameter at a time—moving rapidly each time.Soon, a hidden realm of unfathomable trails of serpentine lines alongside many mana tendrils and ripples that weren't visible to his [Sound Reading] and scent, a mysterious and uncommon phenomenon, materialized and 'writhed' about, audible to all of his senses. Izel ascended to his feet, making sure not to get distracted, and pursued a certain tendril of familiar mana and scent. The basic utility skill was predominantly favored and compulsory for all Hunters, whether trash or genius, to learn before going on Labyrinth raids or taking any Dirty Jobs—or else tracking down elusive prey or abnormalities would be a problem.In the event that the [Mana Inspection] wielder's mana pool was insufficient, rendering the search brief and unstable, or if the bloodstains, scent, and mana were contaminated or no longer existed, accurate tracking was unfeasible from the 'Hints' gathered by the Wielder. Since partially stable [mana Inspection] would merely reveal snippets if it was tracking speech or directions rather than pinpointing the exact one if highlighting locations of something, and partially hidden footsteps for presence, thereby rendering susceptible to the mind of the wielder to solve the hints. However, if the opposing party or target was aware of being pursued, he or she could take preventative means to disrupt the tracking by using [Mana Concealment] or [Mana Interference]. In any case, it appeared that the opposing party lacked such means.After traversing in the direction indicated by the trail for some time, the populace thinned out, and the moist atmosphere turned bleak. His attention was drawn to a disused section of the railway beside an unfamiliar construction site, where the scent of humanity dissipated. On the corroded rails, worn mats supported individuals who bore no resemblance to a healthy complexion, emanating a peculiar odor that penetrated even his nostrils, reeking of urine and feces. This was the [Zenie Section]'s slum, a haven for drifters and outcasts who couldn't awaken or contribute to the [Section] and were unwelcome elsewhere.Out of the group, Izel ascertained that the threads amid his [Mana Inspection] and [Sound Reading] were fixed onto a man who slumped against a corner wall of the railway track. He approached the young man at a leisurely pace and stood before him."Dean T'vehillion?" He called out."..."Izel let out a disappointed sigh as his senses fixated upon the lifeless body of the man with a lollipop dangling from his lips lying in front of him. Faint mana tendrils emanated from him, and ripples from his heart slowly flowed out, suggesting he was either pretending or out of his mind. He maintained a safe distance as he retrieved the illegally modified crimson laser cutter that he had obtained from the acolytes bullying a bearded middle-aged man in some alley in the Exodus Section. He also remembered what that middle-aged man had said when he asked about it at the time."This is an illegally modified laser Cutting machine for sneak-rich attacks. It's like a monster that can pierce through steel plates and C-rank monster flesh. If it gets hit, it will just cut them off."Upon pressing the button in the middle of the metallic device, resembling a fountain pen, Izel heard a rumbling sound akin to an engine running inside. Clearly, faint mana light leaked through circuit-like patterns engraved on the surface, and a crimson light shone from the cutter resembling a miniature lightsaber."Oh, this is starw—!" Izel marveled at it for a moment before aiming it at the man's thigh. However, the supposedly motionless man suddenly sprang to life and bolted away from the blind teen, contorting his body to avoid the beam."…"Izel's attention shifted in surprise as the man made a run for it without looking back, albeit with his lollipop. Although he was fully prepared to defend himself against an attack, he hadn't expected Dean T'vehillion to flee without putting up a fight.'Is this guy 'really' a hidden hunter?'Izel wasn't sure whether what the report said was 'actually' true. Perhaps it was just a fake identity, or this hidden Hunter was merely a coward or weakened by my mission. It could be one of those premonitions. In any case, despite his chubby build, Dean T'vehillion ran remarkably fast even without coating mana onto his calves, and soon disappeared from his mana inspection's range.As Izel's mind raced with possibilities, he weighed his options carefully. He knew he had the upper hand, but choosing the simple course was critical and never went the way he wanted it. He could have killed him immediately or infused Hellflame on his fingers and applied 'Focal point' as he always did before to nuisances.However, he wanted to try something new or perhaps he was just bored of apprehending the targets so quickly. Whichever the case, he was brimming with confidence in catching his first Hidden Hunter upon getting to Eliluam. After a moment of contemplation, Izel settled on a new creativity that soon flowed into his mind. He summoned his mana and… Inferno, the fuel for Hellflame. However, this time, he never wanted to conjure Hellflame but channeled them both with fierce intensity, unleashing a shockwave as his Cloud boots parted the wet ground at a quick pace.[Inferno Speed]That was the name he could use for the new skill he created. Since obtaining the [Inferno] stat, Izel had often mused about the other usefulness of that 'stat' besides conjuring [Hellflame], but he never knew it would 'actually' work here without having to practice for a long time. Though Izel still remained a slow learner and achiever, the ability of creativity was possible because he had laid and grown the foundations of proficiencies, titles, physical and mental growth, stats, and a freaking ton of practices, training, and experiences he previously never had.PAANG!Izel rippled outward, dashing like a speedster, traveling through the medium of air at the speed of sound. As the invisible force barreled him forward, it rapidly closed in on the fleeing Dean T'vehillion, quickly overtaking time. "Where are you in such a hurry? Do you want to catch up to a flying ship?"Chills rippled up the back of Dean's spine as his eyes widened in disbelief and despair. "How?!" He was vividly shocked.TUONG!With a deafening crash, Dean T'vehillion was struck with a boot, causing him to stumble and lose his footing. Water splashed as dust and shrapnel whistled and scattered about. Izel walked toward the spot where Dean lay writhing in agony.His previous exertions, coupled with the new creativity he unfolded swiftly, had begun to take a toll on his calves, mana, and inferno. Though the [Grandmaster of Mana] was activated, reducing consumption and increasing the efficiency of the new skill, half his mana and inferno had dwindled. If he utilized the skill one more time, he would have to take a rest to recover before moving forward.He couldn't afford that. Since the system didn't acknowledge that as a skill to be registered yet, it meant he hadn't fully mastered the skill or the skill was incomplete, so more [mana] and [inferno] would be consumed than usual. In any case, if he had time before seven days were over and all his goals were fulfilled, he felt he should ask Jane Austen about how to get those Mana Management books—a blind teen could read, not the one Blake Griffin had that was unreadable to him.As the dust cleared, Dean T'vehillion was in a sorry state, his hands clamped over his head seemingly to prevent any danger as he writhed on the ground. Crimson blood oozed from his lips and trickled down from between his eyes, nostrils, and mouth. Of course, Izel couldn't see the hidden Hunter bleeding, but he could feel his fluctuating bodily responses—the scent of blood and sluggish breathing patterns hung heavily in the air.Prior to the crash, Izel had imbued inferno and mana onto his boot and kicked Dean's back. With mana, it might just be a few organs busting, but with inferno, the impact—never mind, he was dashing with sonic speed—was amplified beyond usual power. Perhaps not only a few organs, but also his lungs, liver, kidneys, rib cage, and spine had been busted and shattered. Of course, his ears were also ruptured. Dean was now completely deafened and would likely be unable to walk, never mind standing on his 'own' two feet."Huu."Izel's body shivered in the chilly wind sweeping the surroundings as he stood over the trembling Dean, his mind deep in contemplation. The first thing Izel thought about after training in the waiting room, before he returned to Izel, was to protect himself in the way a mage-type Hunter does in unexpected times.As a Hunter who had gone through thick and thin in the Fortress of Dungeons, Izel understood the importance of safeguarding oneself against all forms of dangers, be they physical or otherwise. After all, one must never lose their guard when they win the battle, not the war. Dangers lurk in every shadow, ready to raise their fangs at the neap when one's guard is down for just a slight second. He knew that neglecting his defenses could result in a fate similar to that of Dean's, who had been rendered from a Hidden Hunter to a mere prey, subdued and quivering before him.Izel recognized the fragility of his own body and understood that even a single critical attack on his vital organs or to disrupt his senses could have devastating consequences. So, before he returned to Eliluam—in the waiting room, he created a new magical barrier that exhibited a noticeable improvement, unlike the rest he had utilized against Avalanche or the Gatekeeper.The moment he grabbed the fallen Dean T'vehillion's ankle and turned around while thinking about that.BANG!CLUTTER!Suddenly, a deafening sound echoed through the area as a bullet coated with mana shattered the newly improved Hin-reinforced mana shield that had activated around Izel."Eh? What the heck!" he thought aloud. The barrier had been constructed with the anticipation of such an attack from somewhere, and it responded instantaneously. In other words, he was killed by an unknown attack.