Chapter 169
Dark, dark—inside a crumbling ruin that looked like it came straight out of an old Western horror movie, I clutched my head and groaned.
"Ghhhaaa!!! Why won’t mine show up?!"
The reason I was holding my head was because of my status.
Under the "Job" category, the word "Assassin" was displayed, accompanied by an epithet: "The Swift."
This "Swift" effect was a highly convenient epithet that boosted movement speed-related skills.
It was a good epithet, sure—but it wasn’t the one I wanted.
"NO! This isn’t the one I need!"
Avoiding the Job section, I tapped the "NO" option in the top-right corner with forceful precision—for what must have been the hundredth time.
"I can’t take this anymore! It’s been three months since I started grinding for this job! Nel and Amina have already gotten theirs, and even Ingrid’s moved on to leveling up her Class 4! Meanwhile, I’m still stuck at Class 3!"
I’d braced myself for it not showing up once or twice, but the optimistic "it’ll happen eventually" mindset I had three months ago, right after the battle with General Inago? I want to punch that version of me in the face.
Let me warn you—my luck is ten times worse than anything you could imagine.
After venting my frustration, I managed to stabilize my emotions—but the backlash left me feeling heavy and drained.
"Ugh… The place where you get this job is damp, dark, full of sneaky enemies, the air’s stagnant, and you have to solo it. No wonder it’s depressing."
I knew the reason, of course. Humans need sunlight to stay energized. Being surrounded by horror-movie scenery 24/7 isn’t exactly great for mental health either.
No wonder I feel like crap.
After the raid battle ended and all the post-event cleanup was done, I finally started working toward my job acquisition.
Since we were out of immediate danger, I explained to His Grace the Duke that I’d be too busy to take on quests for a while—but thankfully, he worked it into my rewards, so I managed to make it happen.
Trudging through the ruined, lightless city streets—so familiar I could probably navigate them with my eyes closed—I pressed onward.
The god who grants the Assassin job I’m after is Shard, the deity of darkness.
At first glance, one might mistake him for an evil god, or one aligned with the enemy—but that’s not the case.
Darkness is a fundamental element of the world, and while people often associate it with malevolence and aggression, Shard is actually a god who governs tranquility and peace.
Though there are no priests serving this god of darkness, his temple still exists—buried beneath an ancient underground city.
And, well…
"Huh?" "Never thought I’d find comfort in seeing you."
This place is actually beneath the ruins inhabited by Haniwa.
So, naturally, the Haniwa that live aboveground also dwell down here.
Perhaps because the space is recognized as a city—or perhaps because it’s considered divine territory—there are no active monsters here.
Even the Haniwa here won’t attack unless provoked.
Watching one of them shuffle away, making its strange clattering sounds, I envied its carefree existence before letting out a deep sigh and moving forward.
The entrance to this underground ruin is only accessible through a very specific method, so it’s no surprise nobody knows the temple exists here.
A deserted space. Too dark for people to live in. Unmaintained.
As I approached one of the few lit braziers, the person waiting there noticed me and greeted me.
"Still no luck this time, either."
The person camping in the temple courtyard—preserved by the god’s blessing—was Ingrid.
Taking in my exhausted appearance, she wordlessly stood up.
"Perhaps you should rest for a bit? Today marks your fourth attempt since morning. I don’t know how strong your opponents are, but fighting continuously in this darkness must be tiring."
The stone stove contained a fire spirit stone—a permanent heat source.
"Here’s some soup. It’s cold here, so this should warm you up." "Thanks. I’ve been running around, so my sweat’s gone cold. I was starting to feel chilly."
She ladled steaming soup from the pot into a wooden bowl and handed it to me. I accepted it and slurped it down.
"Ahhh… The saltiness really hits the spot."
Warmth slowly spread through my body, replenishing the calories I’d burned.
The onions were tender, the carrots melted in my mouth, and the best part was the sausage.
"Normally, as your retainer, I should be assisting you in your job acquisition quest, but…"
Ingrid’s cooking was delicious.
A full stomach could lift one’s spirits, at least somewhat.
By the time I finished eating, my motivation to try again had returned.
"Don’t worry about it. My job’s in a pretty special category. Just having you manage the campsite and prepare meals is already a huge help." "I’ll prepare a bath later. Would you like to wash off the grime?" "Hmm… I’ll take the bath after one more attempt. Either way, I’ll just get dirty again." "But you’ve already challenged it four times today. Each attempt takes about two hours—and fighting nonstop in this darkness…"
The condition for obtaining the Assassin job I was aiming for was to eliminate all enemies in the quest without being detected.
A trial fit for an assassin, through and through.
The enemies were provided by the god himself, and their numbers were random each time.
There was a limit, though—between one and six. Their strength also varied based on quantity.
One was the strongest, while six were the weakest.
But with more enemies came a higher risk of detection, so personally, I preferred facing just one.
"Thanks for worrying, but just one more try. After this, I’ll call it a day." "…Understood."
The conditions for obtaining the epithet I wanted for the Assassin job were several.
First, my level had to be the absolute minimum.
Since I was still at Class 3, Level 1, I’d already met that requirement.
"Thanks for the meal. I’ll rest a bit, then give it one more shot." "Very well. In that case, I’ll start packing up the campsite." "Sorry about this." "Not at all."
After finishing the soup, I handed the bowl back to Ingrid, who began cleaning up.
Whenever I tried to help, she’d stop me.
The second condition was striking the enemy’s weak point without being noticed.
This one was easy—just an application of what I’d learned in the Ogre Forest.
Plus, this place was pitch-black and full of obstacles, making it perfect for assassinations.
Third, I had to be clad in black equipment.
Right now, I’d swapped out my Swamp Dragon gear for an all-black set.
I looked like a stagehand from a kabuki play—that’s how thoroughly I’d dyed everything black.
I’d even commissioned a custom pitch-black scythe-spear just for this.
Fourth, I needed the "Stealth" skill at max level.
"Stealth" was a passive skill that enhanced sneaking-type abilities.
With this, even skills like the Matango’s "Hiding" became more effective.
Currently, my Stealth skill was maxed out.
And then—the fifth condition. This was the toughest one.
"Ingrid, I’m heading out." "Understood. Good luck."
Once my stomach settled, I took a sip of water, bid Ingrid farewell, and stepped into the temple.
The temple’s interior was uniformly black, making it nearly impossible to distinguish outlines.
My only guides were my non-visual senses.
I could’ve used a lamp or a light-based magical tool, but Shard, the god of darkness, despised light.
He would not acknowledge those who prayed while carrying illumination.
So, counting my steps and relying on my sense of direction, I made my way to the statue of Shard deep inside the temple, knelt, and began to pray.
"Grant me the trial."
*"O one who prays in darkness, what trial dost thou seek?"*
"The trial of the Assassin."
*"Understood. I shall bestow upon thee the trial of one who lurks in shadows and hunts life."*
The fifth condition?
Assassinating the hidden assassins in this lightless city—without using any light.
Yeah, I could’ve given up on the epithet I wanted and skipped this, but without fulfilling this condition, I couldn’t obtain it.
Good thing I’d trained with vision-restricted challenges before.
Otherwise, I would’ve given up and settled for a different job long ago.
And finally, for this quest’s epithet acquisition, there was a time limit.
Even finding the enemy in this darkness was hard enough, and the underground city was vast.
There were patterns to their spawn locations, but with multiple similar patterns, I couldn’t just rely on memorization.
At the god’s command, enemies appeared in the underground city.
If they spotted me, they’d attack—and the moment I was attacked, the trial would fail.
"Alright, then."
The time limit for the epithet I wanted was 100 minutes.
That might sound generous, but it was barely enough.
Finding enemies in complete darkness without them noticing you?
That was harder than it seemed.
Moving silently through the dark city, I ran.
The ideal scenario was the single-enemy pattern.
But that one had the lowest probability.
In three months, I’d never gotten it even once.
The smallest number I’d faced was two.
That time, I’d been unlucky—the enemies had spawned on opposite ends of the city, and by the time I found one, the time limit had expired.
First, I had to locate the enemy.
There were two main methods.
Run without making noise, stop every few minutes, and listen carefully.
"……"
I didn’t make sound, but they did.
Cupping my hands around my ears, I focused on my surroundings—but all I heard was the clattering of Haniwa.
In this trial, the Haniwa were the biggest nuisance.
Just when you thought you’d found your target, it turned out to be a Haniwa jamming your senses.
Sound was my primary source of intel, and they were the biggest interference.
Cutting corners would make things easier, but getting what I wanted required effort.
That was what this job quest was all about.
The only RNG elements were the number and placement of enemies—everything else was pure skill.
After standing still for several seconds, I concluded there were no enemies nearby and sprinted toward the next likely area.
"……?"
But even after checking the first and second spots, all I encountered were Haniwa.
No enemies at all.
Had I missed them somewhere?
With visibility this poor, it wouldn’t be surprising if I’d overlooked something.
But the fact that I hadn’t encountered any yet made me wonder—
What if…?
If that possibility was correct, this might finally be it.
The hope that this could be the end sharpened my focus.
Knowing the finish line was near boosted my performance like nothing else.
Everything felt crisp.
Despite the dim lighting and my inability to see clearly, I felt an almost omniscient awareness—as if I could grasp everything.
Right now, I felt like I could do anything.
Holding onto that sensation, I reached my destination—a collapsed building—slipped inside, climbed to the second floor, and then scaled the roof for a vantage point.
Even in the darkness, I stayed perfectly still, listening.
*Please be here.*
As I focused, a faint *pitter-patter* reached my ears.
That was a Haniwa’s footsteps.
After three months of this, I could recognize it instantly.
But was there anything else?
Then—a dragging sound.
"……!?"
I realized it a beat too late.
Maybe because part of me had already given up—*Of course it’s not here.*
Or maybe because I’d already started planning my next search route.
The moment I heard it, I almost yelled *"YES!"* and had to clap a hand over my mouth.
"……"
*I heard that, right? I’m not imagining things?*
Listening again, the dragging sound persisted.
No, this wasn’t a hallucination from overexertion.
Judging by the volume, it was still some distance away—or moving?
Creeping across the rooftops, I followed the sound from building to building.
*Don’t make noise. Keep tracking.*
Then, in the darkness, I saw it—something slithering.
It was really here.
Slowly dragging itself across the ground was a giant serpent.
Yes—the Phantom Wraith Serpent.
The quest enemy that appeared when there was only one.