Named NPCs.
They were superior to regular NPCs in terms of specs, and when a certain level of trust was built, special events would trigger.
In other words, each of them had their own story.
Aiden was a prime example of this.
However, until Jun met Aiden, he had no plans to recruit any named NPCs into his mercenary group.
It made sense since the time Jun was living in was a few years before the starting point of the game <Blackout>.
Naturally, he had no idea where the named NPCs were or what they were doing.
But after his unexpected encounter with Aiden, Jun seriously began to consider recruiting named NPCs.
Most of the named NPCs had some connection to Aiden.
And recently, Jun recalled the past of a certain named NPC.
Although he wasn’t entirely sure, a location that seemed likely for the current time came to mind.
That place was the Barren Rock Zone.
“Why are you coming out of here…?”
But to think that named NPC was suddenly in the Black Forest, and under the branch manager of the Mercenary Guild, no less.
Maya.
Like Aiden, she was one of the most famous named NPCs among players.
***
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
Jun quickly regained his composure when he realized he had accidentally spoken in Korean.
“Is that the person you mentioned?”
“Yes. Her name is Maya. She mainly wields twin swords.”
Jun turned his gaze once more toward the woman called Maya.
She had short, cropped black hair. Her golden eyes gleamed faintly and there was a subtle hint of fierceness in them.
Her overall impression, perhaps due to her lean frame, was unmistakably that of a wildcat.
“Hello.”
She blurted out a quick greeting, and Bradden opened his mouth to speak.
“She’s an ‘Outer’. That’s why she’s still not fluent in our language.”
Outers.
They referred to the natives who settled in the land long before the Empire discovered Blackout centuries ago.
“Ah, an Outer… But how…?”
Aiden visibly faltered at that and he cast a glance toward Maya.
The Outers had all refused to bow to the first emperor centuries ago.
Naturally, the current imperial family didn’t view them favorably either.
As such, they couldn’t become mercenaries or adventurers.
They weren’t citizens of the Empire.
And since the Outers also treated the Empire with hostility, they had lived as though they didn’t exist.
“Well… she’s a bit different. The Outers took her in and raised her, but her bloodline is imperial.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Aiden nod as if he understood.
“Maya. That’s my name.”
“Nice to meet you.”
When Jun extended his hand, Maya tilted her head for a moment before grasping it.
“Nice to meet you?”
“You really don’t know much of this language, do you?”
This was a pretty serious problem.
It meant that communication, the key to teamwork, wasn’t going to happen.
At that, Bradden hurriedly spoke up.
“I’m not asking you to accept her right away.”
“What do you mean?”
“One month. Within a month, I’ll train her. After that, you can take her if you want.”
“You’re misunderstanding something, branch leader.”
Maya was a named NPC, and in terms of popularity, she was nearly on par with Aiden among the players.
Naturally, Jun knew of her skills quite well.
But he couldn’t reveal that outwardly, so he intentionally spoke curtly.
“We’ll need to see her skills first.”
“Ahem, that’s true as well. Maya, have you stretched?”
“Duel?”
“It’s not a duel, it’s a spar.”
“Spar?”
“Spa—r.”
“I don’t know.”
“Ugh…”
Could she really be socialized in just a month?
Jun looked skeptically at Bradden who quietly avoided his gaze.
“J-Just wait and see. You can trust her skills, you’ll see for yourself.”
“Alright then. Aiden, how about sparring with her?”
“Oh, yes! I’ll do it!”
A new team member, and a warrior type at that, someone who would be fighting alongside him in close combat.
Aiden was already nodding eagerly and excited about the new addition.
“Hmm. But don’t get too excited.”
“Huh?”
“I’m just saying, be careful.”
“…….?”
Jun’s quiet warning lingered in Aiden’s ears.
***
The two stood in the sparring arena located in the underground of the mercenary guild.
Aiden held his Meteorite Sword and let out a small groan.
“Hmm…”
Since it was a spar, Aiden naturally assumed they’d be using wooden swords.
But Maya refused. She had been adamant about it, so here they were, standing with real swords as if it were an actual battle.
The Meteorite Sword in his hands gleamed. It was well-oiled and polished daily.
Will this be alright?
Even to Aiden, who had lived within the imperial palace, the Meteorite Sword was worthy of being called a masterpiece.
If something went wrong, Maya’s sword could break which could lead to an unexpected accident.
When Aiden felt a bit worried and shifted his gaze toward Maya—
“……?!”
In that instant, his skin tingled and his hair stood on end.
What kind of killing intent is this…?
Aiden’s first impression of Maya had been one of lethargy.
If he had to compare it, it was like a dying flame. A flame that wants to burn its emotions intensely on something, but has cooled down because there was no target.
But now she had found something to burn on.
That something was himself.
Aiden’s instincts which were sharpened by the two-month journey were screaming at him.
It was similar to what Jun had said just before the spar.
—Be careful.
“Begin!”
As Bradden signaled the start of the match, the beast moved.
A clear emotion of hatred could be felt in the beast’s eyes. However, that hatred wasn’t directed at Aiden.
It was just a feeling that had no outlet. It spilled over like overflowing filth, scattering aimlessly.
She’s fast!
Maya, who had been at the far end of the spacious sparring arena, reached him in an instant.
Aiden’s pupils widened.
The realization he had gained while facing the beastman knight Pride during the raid resurfaced at that moment.
Beneath what had always seemed like Maya’s frail body lay muscles brimming with explosive power.
Her legs moved first, then her waist, and finally her shoulders.
He should have seen it.
Huh?
But he couldn’t.
Boom―!
The sound that erupted was hard to believe came from swords clashing.
“Kuh?!”
He blocked the attack purely on instinct.
It was thanks to the skill [Beast Body] which heightened all his senses.
“Beast.”
“What…?”
“Like one.”
Aiden didn’t fully understand, but Maya compared his brief movement to that of a beast.
Instinctively, she had sensed the [Beast Body].
At the same time, Maya’s movements changed.
Huh?
Slow.
No, fast. No, slow again.
To Aiden’s widened pupils, Maya’s movements were suddenly readable, unlike before.
But he still couldn’t grasp them.
Her legs, her waist, her shoulders, and her entire body moved, and while his eyes took it all in, it still didn’t register in his mind.
It was bizarre and unnatural.
What kind of mastery would it take to move like that?
Before he could even ponder that question, Maya’s sword was right in front of his face.
This time, his reaction was slower than before.
She’s slower than earlier, so why?!
The physical force coming from her slender frame was unbelievable. She was pushing Aiden’s body back with immense energy.
There’s no way I can analyze that movement right now! So, I’ll attack first!
He had to create an opening.
Even as he was being pushed back, Aiden made his decision and released his magical power at his feet.
For a brief moment, he floated in midair and steadied his stance.
Maya didn’t miss the opening and charged at him again.
She darted toward Aiden with lightning speed, but he anticipated her movement and extended his sword.
Clang!
Her twin swords clashed against Aiden’s blade.
Aiden’s sword was longer, so Maya was forced to defend herself given the distance.
I’ll create an opening here…!
Just as Aiden thought he had a chance, he caught sight of the sole of Maya’s boot.
“Huh?”
Thud!
When did she…?
He hadn’t taken his eyes off her for even a moment.
Yet somehow Maya’s foot struck Aiden squarely in the head. As if by magic
He had completely lost track of her movement.
It was as if the motion of her kicking had vanished, leaving only the result of him being hit.
Did she control her strength, or was it simply an awkward position that prevented her from using her full strength?
Despite the sharp pain radiating from his face, Aiden calmly rolled his body and regained his stance.
Once again, it was thanks to [Beast Body].
“Ugh…”
“……”
They faced each other again.
Though it lasted barely a second, Aiden felt it instinctively.
Aiden realized that, at his current level, it was impossible to defeat that woman using the methods he had fought with so far.
There was only one option left.
He had to force a variable into the fight.
In that fleeting moment, Aiden’s memories flashed back to the past.
The huge being that had charged at Jun’s rock-solid barrier.
The golem.
[Charge]
His magical power moved on its own, without his intent.
It wasn’t just his magical power.
His body bent as if someone else was controlling it.
That posture resembled the stance the golem had taken when preparing to [Charge] in the past.
At the same time.
“……!!”
A gust of wind swept past.
The scenery around him shifted in an instant.
In a moment so brief that even the word “instant” felt too long, Aiden swung his sword.
And he felt it.
A new variable had been created.
“Eh.”
Boom――!!
A shadowy blur brushed past Maya and crashed into one side of the wall, kicking up a cloud of dust.
“Oh dear…”
Jun’s regretful voice spread through the training hall.
As the dust settled, what appeared was the unconscious Aiden against the wall.
“A skill proficiency issue…”
It was a variable, indeed.
Maya, who had been radiating killing intent, was left with a dumbfounded expression.
A moment later, Bradden’s laughter filled the training hall as he finally grasped the situation.
***
“Ugh.”
When Aiden opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was the ceiling of the training hall, embedded with glowing stones.
“You’re awake?”
“Gah! S-Senior?”
“How many fingers do you see?”
“Three?”
“Hmm. Looks like you’re fine. The potion must’ve worked.”
“Ugh… My head feels like it’s going to split open.”
“Of course. You crashed into the wall at full speed. Look at that.”
When Aiden turned his head in the direction Jun was pointing, he saw a large dent in the training hall’s wall.
“Th-That just now…”
“You slammed [Charge] straight into the wall.”
“Ugh.”
Aiden was overcome with embarrassment and covered his face with both hands as the shame finally hit him.
“Kuku. So, how was it? Your first time using an active skill?”
“I-I have no idea what just happened…”
“Of course. There’s a reason they say skill proficiency is everything.”
Even in the game, the accuracy of an active skill learned for the first time was terrible.
That’s why every time someone learned a new skill, they had to go to a beginner hunting ground to gain at least a minimal level of proficiency.
And yet, I used that in a real fight.
It was only natural that he failed.
“There’s no need to be too embarrassed. It’s a common mistake most people go through.”
“Uhahaha! That’s right! If you could use it perfectly from the start, would you even be human?”
“Oh, branch leader. I… I’m sorry. The wall in the training hall…”
“It’s fine, really. This kind of thing happens more often than you’d think. Besides, I’m the one who suggested it in the first place, right?”
“Yes… Thank you.”
As Aiden glanced around, he noticed that Maya, the opponent he had been sparring with earlier, was nowhere to be seen.
Feeling uneasy, Aiden lowered his head deeply.
“That’s the face of someone who’s crashed into a wall.”
“Haha, I sure slammed into it.”
When Aiden spoke dejectedly, Bradden shook his head.
“It must’ve felt like hitting a wall in more ways than one, huh?”
“That’s exactly what it felt like.”
Aiden nodded his head.
Not only had he physically hit a wall, but he had also faced the overwhelming skill gap between him and Maya.
“I still don’t understand how those kinds of movements are even possible…”
Even now, Maya’s movements were mysterious and bizarre when he recalled them.
What would have happened if Maya had truly intended to kill him?
When he remembered the unsettling killing intent she had radiated, cold sweat trickled down his back.
“Well, it’s no surprise. Maya comes from a tribe that lived in a level 5 area.”
“Level 5, you say?”
Did that mean Maya was a level 5 mercenary?
“Ah, no, Maya herself isn’t level 5. It’s just that the tribe that took her in has that level of skill. In reality, Maya’s ability is at level 4, probably near the upper limit.”
“Goodness…”
Until recently, Aiden had been rather proud of his own abilities.
He had obtained the skill [Beast Body], made a solid contribution during the Goblin Lord subjugation, and even delivered the final blow to the Forest Guardian in the hidden stage of the raid that had reappeared after hundreds of years.
Even Jun had confidently claimed that Aiden would hold his own if he operated in level 3 areas.
“Level 4…”
But today, that pride felt utterly shattered.
Though he didn’t know Maya’s exact age, she seemed to be around the same age as him.
Sensing Aiden’s inner turmoil, Bradden remained silent and instead looked toward Jun.
“What do you think? Isn’t she skilled enough?”
Skilled enough didn’t even begin to cover it.
Maya’s abilities clearly surpassed the current level of the White Whale Mercenaries.
However.
“She’s good enough for a temporary member.”
Jun brazenly replied without hesitation.
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