Hunters
The forest became unnaturally quiet.
The three players slowly surrounded Aster, cutting off every obvious escape route.
The tank stood directly ahead of him.
Broad shoulders.
Heavy armor.
A tower shield planted firmly into the ground.
Judging from his position alone, he was clearly the leader.
His sharp eyes swept over Aster from head to toe.
"...Strange."
The mage frowned.
"What is?"
"I can't inspect him."
Normally, every player could identify another player's level, name, and basic information through the inspection system.
Yet when the tank activated it...
Nothing appeared.
Only darkness.
The Veil of the Nameless silently concealed everything.
"No level."
"No player name."
"No class."
The tank narrowed his eyes.
"The only thing I can see..."
He pointed toward Aster's shoulder.
"...is that silver emblem."
The faint silver insignia of Hidden Trailblazer quietly shimmered beneath the cloak.
Nothing else.
The swordsman shrugged.
"Probably just expensive equipment."
"Maybe some anti-inspection item."
The tank nodded.
"Doesn't matter."
"If he's hiding himself..."
"He probably has something worth stealing."
His gaze returned to Aster.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"Listen carefully."
His voice was calm.
Almost friendly.
"We're reasonable people."
"So let's settle this peacefully."
He pointed toward Aster's equipment.
"The cloak."
"The boots."
"The armor."
"And whatever weapons you're carrying."
"Hand them over."
The mage chuckled.
"Do that..."
"And we'll let you walk away."
The swordsman casually spun his blade.
"But if you refuse..."
The tank's smile disappeared.
"We'll make sure you regret it."
He leaned slightly forward.
"We'll hunt you."
"Every time you leave Mistvale."
"Every time you try to level."
"We'll beat you until you return to the Novice Village."
"Again."
"And again."
"And again."
"Eventually..."
"You'll give everything to us yourself."
Silence followed.
Aster never answered.
He simply stood there.
Head lowered.
Completely motionless.
The trio exchanged amused looks.
The swordsman laughed.
"I told you."
"He's terrified."
The mage smirked.
"Easy prey."
None of them noticed the faint shimmer inside Aster's eyes.
---
Echo of Origin
Target Acquired
Analyzing...
Weapon Category...
Sword.
Scanning...
Skill Detected.
Copying...
...
...
Copy Complete
---
A notification quietly appeared where only Aster could see it.
---
Skill Successfully Copied
Guardian Parry
Rank: Uncommon
Weapon Type: Sword
Duration: 30 Minutes
---
Aster silently read the description.
---
Guardian Parry
A defensive sword technique.
Momentarily reinforces the blade, allowing it to block weapon-based attacks with greatly reduced impact.
Successful parries slightly stagger the attacker.
---
His eyes brightened almost imperceptibly.
"A defensive skill..."
Exactly what he lacked.
Without changing his expression, he immediately activated the temporary learning process.
The copied memories flowed naturally into his mind.
Sword angles.
Timing.
Body positioning.
The subtle shift of the wrist required to redirect force rather than receive it.
The trio mistook his silence for surrender.
The tank extended a hand.
"Good."
"So you've accepted."
"Hand everything over."
Still...
No answer.
The swordsman clicked his tongue.
"Forget talking."
"We'll just take it."
He began walking forward.
At the same moment—
The mage quietly lifted his staff.
Blue mana gathered around its tip.
Runic circles appeared beneath Aster's feet.
The mage smiled.
"Binding Chains."
Glowing chains erupted from the earth, racing toward Aster's legs.
Simultaneously—
The tank lowered his shield.
Preparing to charge.
The swordsman bent his knees.
Ready to strike the instant Aster was restrained.
Three coordinated attacks.
A strategy clearly practiced many times before.
Against ordinary players...
It was almost impossible to escape.
Yet Aster remained perfectly calm.
His right hand slowly settled upon the hilt of his sword.
His breathing became steady.
Iron Body Foundation.
His stance adjusted naturally.
Twin Flash Step waited silently.
And now...
A newly copied defensive technique rested within his mind.
As the glowing chains reached his feet...
The tank lunged forward with a thunderous roar.
The swordsman followed a heartbeat later, blade gleaming beneath the forest canopy.
For the first time since entering Divine Nexus...
Aster would not be fighting monsters.
He would be fighting players.