The Nameless Shadow
The forest shook violently.
Three lethal skills converged upon Aster from different directions.
The mage completed his incantation.
The swordsman poured every ounce of strength into a decisive sword strike.
The tank lowered his shield and charged like a battering ram.
Aster's eyes remained calm.
During the twenty-minute battle, he had observed something else besides their teamwork.
Each of them possessed exactly three combat skills.
"They've found skill books..."
Aster thought.
"They're not weak."
"For players this early into the game..."
"They're actually above average."
If not for the Primal Codex...
If not for his continuous comprehension...
He might have already lost.
But now...
Everything looked different.
The moment Guardian Parry reached complete comprehension, every incoming movement became astonishingly clear.
The angle of the swordsman's blade.
The rhythm of the tank's charge.
Even the mage's casting sequence.
Everything flowed together like a single stream.
"So..."
"This is complete mastery."
The swordsman's blade descended.
Aster moved.
Guardian Parry.
Clang!
Unlike before...
There was no violent collision.
Only a soft metallic sound.
His sword gently redirected the attack along its edge.
The swordsman's full strength missed its target.
His own momentum carried him forward.
His balance completely collapsed.
"W-What?!"
Before he could recover—
Aster was already gone.
Twin Flash Step!
His body blurred between the staggering swordsman and the charging tank.
The first slash struck.
Clang!
The tank barely raised his shield in time.
Even so, the force pushed him several steps backward.
His formation broke.
That single opening...
Was enough.
Second Slash.
Aster disappeared again.
This time...
He appeared directly before the mage.
The spellcaster's eyes widened.
"No—"
The second strike landed across his chest.
The mage's health plummeted to 10%.
A beam of white light instantly enveloped him.
According to Divine Nexus' protection system, players reduced to ten percent health were automatically returned to the first Novice Village they had registered.
The mage vanished.
Only two remained.
The tank stared in disbelief.
"...Impossible."
His eyes slowly shifted toward Aster.
Then toward the silver emblem hidden beneath the black cloak.
Finally...
Everything clicked.
"...He's stronger than us."
Much stronger.
The tank quickly reviewed the current global rankings.
The strongest known player...
Level 12.
Progress: 2%
His own team?
Level 9.
Only now did he realize...
The young man standing before them had never displayed his level.
His cloak concealed everything.
The tank's breathing grew heavier.
A hidden player.
Someone whose strength exceeded ordinary expectations.
Someone who deliberately concealed his identity.
His heart sank.
They hadn't targeted prey.
They had challenged a predator.
The swordsman's face turned pale.
"L-Leader..."
"What do we do?"
The tank made his decision instantly.
"Run."
The word echoed across the forest.
The swordsman didn't hesitate.
He immediately turned around.
Neither of them possessed the courage to continue fighting.
Against someone whose true strength they couldn't even measure...
Victory no longer seemed possible.
Aster quietly watched them flee.
Then...
He moved.
Twin Flash Step.
The distance disappeared instantly.
The fleeing swordsman instinctively raised his blade.
But panic had already consumed him.
Without the will to fight...
His sword lacked conviction.
Guardian Parry.
The attack was effortlessly redirected.
Aster's follow-up strike landed cleanly.
The swordsman's health dropped below ten percent.
A pillar of white light carried him away.
The tank remained alone.
He looked over his shoulder.
His companions had vanished.
He sighed bitterly.
"...We deserved this."
Even so...
He refused to surrender.
With a final roar, he charged.
His shield crashed forward.
Aster calmly stepped aside.
Twin Flash Step.
One slash.
Two.
The tank's health reached the safety threshold.
White light descended.
Before disappearing, he looked directly at Aster.
"...Who are you?"
Aster remained silent.
The teleportation completed.
The forest returned to silence.
Only Aster remained standing.
---
The Primal Codex quietly opened.
---
Observation
The bearer demonstrates accelerated comprehension during real combat.
Life-and-death situations reveal Truth faster than repetition alone.
---
Aster smiled.
"I figured as much."
Practicing alone had value.
But true combat...
Forced him to understand every detail immediately.
There was no room for mistakes.
No room for hesitation.
Every battle became another lesson.
He looked deeper into Ashenwood Highlands.
"Only two more levels."
"Level Fifteen."
"My next anomaly skill."
Without another thought, he resumed hunting monsters.
---
Meanwhile...
Back in Mistvale...
Three flashes of white light appeared inside the village square.
The defeated trio materialized one after another.
The mage clenched his fists.
"We actually lost..."
The swordsman remained pale.
"I've never seen someone move like that."
The tank stayed silent for several moments.
Then he spoke.
"...We can't beat him ourselves."
The mage looked up.
"What are you suggesting?"
The tank's eyes hardened.
"We spread the word."
"If we can't deal with him..."
"...someone else will."
Within the hour...
Rumors began circulating throughout Mistvale.
"They say there's a cloaked player hunting adventurers in Ashenwood Highlands."
"I heard he attacks anyone he sees."
"Several players have already been defeated."
"He's wearing a black cloak that hides his identity."
The story spread faster with every retelling.
Some exaggerated his level.
Others claimed he possessed legendary equipment.
Soon...
Guilds.
Mercenary parties.
Independent adventurers.
Even bounty hunters.
Began discussing the mysterious Bandit Cloak roaming the Level 11–15 hunting grounds.
Many became angry.
Many became curious.
And many reached the same conclusion.
"If we gather enough people..."
"We can bring him down."
None of them knew the truth.
The so-called bandit had never attacked an innocent player.
He had merely defended himself.
But rumors rarely cared about the truth.
Far away, deep within Ashenwood Highlands...
Aster continued defeating monsters in complete silence.
Unaware that, with every passing minute...
An invisible net was slowly closing around him.