By the time Lister's team reached the core district of the Lai Barony, the fight had already begun.
Over forty ghost-eyed giants had been lured from the central ruins, but they hadn't strayed far—just outside the perimeter. If pulled too far, they'd retreat back to their guarding zone.
BOOM!
CRACK!
From within the ruins, a thunderous clash shook the ground.
At the center of it all, Karina, clad in blazing red armor, was locked in brutal melee with the ghost-eyed chieftain.
Hovering nearby was Lius, the mind mage, constantly repositioning while casting healing spells and aura enhancements on Karina.
"Hold up," Lister said, stopping Lawson and Simmons from charging forward.
"They're still evenly matched. If we join the fray now, we'll risk getting swarmed."
He turned, eyes gleaming.
"Let's clear the outer giants first—and take care of the puppetmaster while we're at it."
The real reason?
Lister wasn't about to let anyone else walk away with that much EXP.
Forty elite monsters meant a mountain of experience points—and Lister had zero intention of sharing more than he had to.
Lawson gave him a short nod. "Fine by me."
The three turned and headed toward the scattered giants still being baited by a small puppet troupe—controlled by the puppeteer Ont.
"Baron Merrick?" Ont called, feigning surprise as the trio approached.
"I've drawn their attention. Please assist quickly!"
His tone was calm—but the flash of alarm in his eyes betrayed him.
They all wanted each other dead, but on paper, they were allies.
Lister was an official bounty hunter, contracted by the state to purge the ghost-eyed threat.
Ont was acting as "support" for Quent, the supposed rightful heir of the Lai territory.
They had to maintain appearances. For now.
But words were irrelevant.
Without answering, Lister moved like lightning.
CLANG!
His blade flashed through the first wave of giants, slicing across multiple targets in a single motion.
Beside him, Lawson slammed his staff into the ground with a resounding thud.
A low chant echoed. The ground rippled. A moment later—vines erupted from the soil, thick and writhing, locking the giants in place.
Damage dealt: -915 (Bleeding: -19/sec)
Lawson's Verdant Binding had caught nearly all of them.
Simmons charged in next, using his shield to knock giants off balance, while Lister moved like a ghost—stalking from one to the next, striking surgically.
His blade never missed its mark.
Critical hit: 2,771 damage.
You have slain a ghost-eyed giant.
Gained 6,631 EXP.
You have slain a ghost-eyed giant.
Gained 5,612 EXP.
But Simmons noticed something strange.
Every time he was about to land the final blow, Lister would appear out of nowhere—his blade flashing just milliseconds ahead, stealing the kill.
The first few times, Simmons said nothing.
We're on the same side, right?
But then Lister started getting dangerously close—one strike even passed within inches of Simmons' head.
"Lord Lister, what exactly are you doing?" Simmons finally snapped.
Lawson, standing at a distance, was equally puzzled.
He had assumed Lister was just aggressive. But now…
It was like he had an obsession with landing the final blow.
Worse, every slash he made was impossibly fast—and deadly.
Even mid-tier giants were dropping in just two hits.
And this was the same man who, barely half a month ago, was still a Tier 2 novice?
Father might've been right…
Maybe Lister really is more talented than me…
"Ah—sorry. I just couldn't help myself," Lister said, grinning as he sheathed his blade.
"You should take a break. You'll need your strength for the boss fight."
Simmons glared, but said nothing.
Lister turned back toward the battlefield.
The vines still held most of the giants in place, and those who resisted were distracted by Ont's puppets.
Time to finish the harvest.
Like a specter, he weaved through the battlefield, blade dancing with lethal grace.
Slash. Slash. Slash.
Each blow targeted the giants' single eye—their weak spot—and one by one, they fell like crops under a scythe.
EXP gained: 7,516
Current EXP: 251,422
Level Up: [Blade Mastery Lv12 → Lv14]
Bonus: +70% damage to blade skills
His mind surged with new insights—fighting patterns, reflexes, breathing rhythms—all reinforcing his growth.
At last, his blade mastery had caught up with his Mel Breath Technique.
Then came the system notification:
"Your overall combat rating has increased."
[Rank E → Rank D]
Level 26. Two maxed passive skills. Rank D.
He grinned. That'll do.
"Lord Lister," Ont called out as he approached.
"Lady Karina is engaging the boss. May I ask you to assist her—huh?"
He paused mid-sentence, eyes locking on someone behind Lister.
Lawson.
The recognition was instant. His face turned pale.
As a follower of Duke Will II, Ont knew the political landscape well—especially when it came to the noble houses.
He recognized Lawson at once:
Heir to House Connor.
And suddenly, he hesitated.
Karina's original orders were clear: kill Lister after the giants were dealt with.
But Lawson? That was dangerous. Killing him would start a war.
I don't have the authority to make that call…
As Ont stood frozen, vines began to crawl silently toward his feet.
Lawson nodded subtly at Lister.
Go.
The vines exploded upward, binding Ont in place. His frail, caster's body had no hope of resisting.
Blood splattered. The damage ticked.
"W-Wait! I'm a loyal retainer of Duke Wil—"
SHING.
A flash of silver crossed his vision.
Then… nothing.
His headless body slumped to the floor. He stared—somehow—at his own decapitated corpse.
They didn't flinch.
They weren't worried about the Duke.
The seven noble families and the crown had long been playing in the shadows.
And Ont?
He just played the wrong card.