Kaito gritted his teeth and made his decision. He would exchange the Demonic Rabbit meat. This is the last chance to make money, he thought firmly. Because after this he'll lose one of the most reliable ways to earn in the future.
He pushed aside his hesitation. Today, this farce had to end.
One after another, the exchanges were completed. By the time it was over, Kaito had traded away tens of thousands of sets of Demonic Rabbit meat. In return, his inventory now held more than 420 gleaming gold coins. He pinched his wallet, feeling its weight, and let out a long breath of relief. The value was staggering this haul was worth over four million credits in real cash.
Almost every piece of Demonic Rabbit meat collected in the entire town had flowed into his hands, and now, into his purse. It was natural that such an amount would turn into an enormous sum.
Still, he had his reasons for giving Elder Faelion such a massive stockpile all at once. Kaito believed that Faelion would not be able to immediately absorb all of the evil energy contained within the meat. It would take time, perhaps even days, for him to digest it properly.
Otherwise… Kaito's fingers tightened on the hilt of his sword. If Elder Faelion could absorb all of that evil energy instantly, his strength would rise to a terrifying level. The very thought of it sent a cold shiver down Kaito's spine.
He quietly slid half a step back, resting his hand on the Solstice Blade at his waist. At the same time, he sent a discreet message to his second uncle: Send a thief from Genesis to my location, immediately.
Elder Faelion's sharp gaze shifted toward him. Kaito lowered his head respectfully and forced his tone into one of humble urgency.
"My lord," he began, "Lord Elrick recently gave me a mission. While patrolling the town, he discovered traces of a Demon Cult spy. He has tasked me with uncovering him. My lord, can you provide me with any leads?"
The words had their intended effect. A system prompt flashed before Kaito's eyes:
Elder Faelion's favorability towards you has dropped by 100 points.
The relationship instantly shifted from Friendly to Indifferent.
Kaito's heart steadied. This was exactly what he had been aiming for. Unless an NPC's favorability dropped into Hostile, players were unable to attack neutral or friendly NPCs inside Novice Towns. He needed Faelion to be within striking range of suspicion, but not beyond.
Elder Faelion's face stiffened. "No!" he barked, though the slight tremor in his voice betrayed him. "I am here every day. I have not found any trace of Demon Cult members."
His hand tightened on his staff. Kaito noticed the subtle shift in stance Faelion was preparing himself, ready to unleash a spell if things turned violent.
"So that's how it is." Kaito's tone hardened as he took another deliberate step back, keeping his distance while letting his voice carry a sharp edge. "Actually, I've long had my suspicions. That is why I came here today to uncover the truth and reveal the spy."
He raised his chin, invoking authority. "Viscount Elrick has granted me the power to act. Elder Faelion, I ask for your cooperation. Cast a Holy Light spell here and now. Surely that will prove your innocence. After all, I've heard that Demon Cult spies are terrified of Holy Light. The stronger their corruption, the more the light burns them."
Kaito's eyes locked on Faelion's, watching every twitch and flicker. His words were calm, but every muscle in his body was coiled, ready for the explosion he knew was coming.
"Hah! Ridiculous!" Elder Faelion's face twisted with anger. His voice shook with rage as he slammed his staff into the ground. "You dare question the character of a high-ranking priest of the Holy Light? That's an insult to me and the church!"
A system prompt rang in Kaito's ears:
Elder Faelion's favorability has dropped again.
Another message followed immediately after:
Mission Update: Elder Faelion is becoming extremely agitated. His reaction is highly suspicious. Continue pressing him.
Kaito let out a small breath of relief. The system had confirmed it Faelion truly was a Demon Cult spy. Until now, no matter how sharp Kaito's instincts had been, there was always that gnawing doubt. If he had wrongly accused a loyal priest of the Holy Light, the consequences would have been disastrous. His reputation in the Solaris Kingdom would have collapsed, and jail time might not have been avoidable. But now, the truth was laid bare.
Kaito straightened his back, eyes narrowing. "There's a saying where I come from: the innocent are innocent. Elder Faelion, if you really have nothing to hide, one Holy Light spell will prove it!" His voice rose, echoing in the church. "But look at you… trembling, shouting. Could it be that I guessed right? Are you really a spy of the Demon Cult?"
His final roar cut through the silence. Another system prompt chimed.
Elder Faelion's favorability has dropped to Hatred. His name has turned red!
The moment the bright red nameplate appeared, Elder Faelion's eyes glowed with madness. He began chanting, dark energy curling around him like smoke.
Kaito moved instantly. He slashed with his Solstice Blade in a quick arc, then triggered Wind veil Steps, darting back eight yards in a blink. He wanted to pull Faelion closer to the other high-ranking priests of the Holy Church, hoping they might intervene if they saw something unusual.
But when the numbers appeared, Kaito's face darkened.
-1!
Only a single point of damage.
Kaito had expected resistance, but not like this. His blade had barely scratched the fanatic's robes. It wasn't even a wound just forced chip damage from the system. The level difference was simply too overwhelming.
Above Faelion's head, the glowing text shifted.
Demon Fanatic (Silver Boss)
Level: 45
And that was all Kaito could see. Everything else stats, skills, resistances was hidden.
"Damn it…" he muttered.
A sudden crack split the air. BANG! A bolt of black lightning shot down from the ceiling, slamming straight into Kaito's head.
A system warning flashed.
Status: Paralyzed. Duration: 1 second.
-7664!
Kaito's health bar plummeted instantly, dropping far below the critical 100 mark. His face turned grim. Just one strike had nearly killed him outright, and the paralysis left him frozen in place.
As soon as the effect ended, Faelion didn't hesitate. With a sneer, he raised his staff and unleashed a simple follow-up attack. It didn't need to be flashy. At his level, even a basic strike was lethal to Kaito.
Darkness swallowed Kaito's vision.
When he opened his eyes again, he was standing at the resurrection point outside the Church of Light.
He immediately checked his equipment. A wave of relief washed over him none of his gear had dropped. His plan had worked. He had already asked his second uncle to station a Genesis thief nearby, just in case Faelion managed to loot something. But fate had smiled on him this time. Everything was still intact.
And then, another notification popped up.
Death Penalty Check: Abyssal energy detected. Penalty negated.
Kaito blinked in surprise, then let out a quiet laugh. It was thanks to the Purification Jade Pendant. Because Faelion's attack was powered by Abyssal energy, the pendant had absorbed the corruption and prevented any weakness or debuff that usually followed death. No stat loss, no durability penalty, nothing.
He clenched his fists, his expression darkening. "So, it's true. Elder Faelion really is one of the Demon Cult's infiltrators."
Though he had been killed in an instant, Kaito had achieved exactly what he wanted, confirmation. And now, he also understood just how dangerous the enemy was.