I barely came up with a reasonable method of action once I was done dealing with the swarm, which took more than strictly necessary as I continued to rip their broken shells even as I dealt with the last few monsters.

Technically, that part was not necessary to sell my story, but I didn't want to waste the opportunity to bring a lot of forging material back to the guild. While I didn't need them for my experiments anymore with my new setup, there was no harm in having them.

I could still use them to run experiments at night. More importantly, they would give me a convenient excuse to explain any sudden development I might achieve.

Of course, bringing all of it out meant that I couldn't hide what happened from Eleanor, but luckily, that was not a good strategy in the first place. Most of the details, I had no problems revealing. The only tricky part was to explain how I managed to deal with five people with Rare skills, led by one with an Epic skill.

Ironically, the shells — both intact and fragmented — came in handy when delivering my story. A little story of arrogance, and how they started fighting about who would get what I had collected. So, they only sent one to kill me while the others continued to argue.

Then, a shield attack broke one of the vials while we fought, triggering a swarm. Their unfamiliarity with the swarm allowed me to pick them off one by one.

It was a good story. I even had the evidence … in the form of a half-filled vial.

Naturally, I kept some for myself. The moment I was sure that the swarm wouldn't spill upstairs, I rushed down to the third floor, hiding one of the swords and two and a half vials there. And, while I was there, I even forged myself a sixth fake one just to keep the evidence complete.

Unfortunately, whatever they had used to communicate was a single-use device, and the enchantment was gone, leaving only an ordinary ring behind.

"A good story, but it needs one last touch to be believable," I muttered even as I pulled my new sword, using it to kill the straggling monsters, mana dancing around the blade.

[Stalwart Guard (Uncommon) 79 - 100]

[Perk Options — Stout Defense / Determined Swing]

I completed the progression, because a skill at the limit, alongside a Perk, would make the story of taking them down more convincing. Not to mention, as an added benefit, the exciting life-and-death struggle against the six enemies while being trapped in a swarm was exactly the kind of thing that might push me to my limits.

As for the perks, I picked Stout Defense. While the idea of having another attack perk was not exactly unappealing, my experience with Fleeting Step had changed my mind. The auxiliary abilities were certainly useful as well.

Stout Defense was a complicated thing, almost the reverse of Fleeting Step, which focused on enhancing mobility. My new perk seemed like it would allow me to stand against blows that would have otherwise sent me flying. However, it was just a feeling, as it was difficult to test it without an enemy.

Monsters would have made a good sparring partner to test it, but only if I was wearing my anti-corrosive set. Otherwise, their mandibles would just cut through my shield. Truthfully, even with an anti-corrosive set, it would be troublesome to practice. However, I still wanted to.

The special abilities were too convenient to be ignored.

"I was lucky those idiots didn't have their skills any higher," I said. None of them even used any special attacks, which made it likely that they hadn't brought their new skills up to twenty-five.

A stupid enemy was a beautiful gift.

"A lot of work," I grumbled as I walked to finish the last step, which was collecting the broken glass from the vial. Extra supporting evidence wouldn't hurt.

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Once that was done, I finally stepped through the gate, pulling a cart that was filled to the brim with shells behind me. The only reason it didn't collapse was the few modifications I had added. The good thing was that there weren't a lot of monsters around the gate.

It was weird, as with the delay, it was already nighttime, which meant the hunting operations should have ceased. Of course, while the dungeons weren't affected by the day-night cycle — at least, to my knowledge — with the current number of operators, it didn't make sense to work in multiple shifts.

And, for the current setup, a certain number of teams working at the same time was critical, or the monsters started to group together, making the process cumbersome.

So, the sudden decreased density was troubling. I didn't abandon the cart, but I was ready to do so in case of trouble. Fleeting Step gave me the confidence to retreat, but not enough to feel safe.

The realization hit when I arrived at the fortress that was defending the dungeon entrance, only to find a scarred mess. The walls were still in place, but I could recognize the deep marks in the stone.

"Halt," the guard shouted.

I removed my helmet. "It's me, Arthur," I shouted, giving the fake name I used, which I was willing to admit was an homage to the famous King Arthur.

"Wow, you're alive," the guard responded. "Impressive achievement. Especially with all the load."

"Well, I got locked in a swarm. I had been fighting for hours," I replied. Together with the signs of insect bites on the walls, I was starting to get a good idea of what had happened. The door opened, and I walked in.

Was I feeling a bit tense? Certainly. But, I still entered for one reason. If my assassins could control the fort, they wouldn't have bothered to set sentries at each gate.

I was trying to find the best way to grill him, when a familiar figure burst in, but her exhaustion was clear. "De — Arthur. You're alive!" she gasped, her relief clear.

"Yes, but it was a close call. I have a lot to tell —" I started, only for another familiar figure to walk from the mist. This time, one that was not as welcome.

Thomas.

The slight delay in his step was one of the two things he showed when he saw me, which would have already been enough for me to guess. But, his gaze lingering on the sword, with an obvious tint of recognition, was even more clear.

Not that I needed anything to be suspicious. The words of my attackers had already revealed that they were there to assassinate a guild leader and not a blacksmith. That had surprised me when I first heard it, but seeing the state of the fort, I had a good idea of what had happened.

They triggered an artificial monster wave. It was nowhere near enough to destroy the fort, but it probably killed most of the hunters, especially if they were caught unawares.

It was a transparent ploy, which was why I said nothing. Eleanor was not stupid, and there was no chance she wasn't suspecting Thomas. And, she was more direct than me. The fact that he was alive meant that we couldn't touch him.

"So, this is your friend that's … brave enough to set a guild in this godforsaken town," Thomas said, with clear distaste toward either my apparent age — I looked in my late forties with the bushy beard and the few silver, bleached hair mixing with the black — or the fact that his assassination plot had failed.

Eleanor's expression twisted in anger for a moment before it smoothed. "I don't see how that's any of your business, Sir Thomas," she replied, managing to keep her tone mostly smooth, then she turned to me. "It's good that you're alive. Follow me."

"Wait a second, Eleanor. I want to hear it as well. I want to know how you failed in such a spectacular manner. I still need to report it to the family, along with the disappearance of the steward."

"The latter is not my problem, Thomas. You have already questioned all the guards under your Charisma, and they confirmed that he left. I can't be responsible for the security of any visitor," she said, then smirked. "Especially since someone had taken all the family guards for a more important mission. Maybe you should explain that to the family head."

Thomas didn't look happy with the accusation. "Maybe I should interrogate him as well, just in case," he said, and a familiar pressure landed on me. Charisma.

I hated it, but I was happy to note that, compared to the last time, it was much weaker. Previously, I wasn't the target, yet I froze helplessly. This time, despite being the focus, it was just all of my instincts shouting at me to obey and kneel.

Being on a higher level helped significantly. Charisma was incredibly useful, but as a tool for subjugation, its effectiveness dropped significantly.

Admittedly, it was far from something easy to ignore. It was still a primal sensation, begging me to kneel just to avoid the feeling. If I tried to fight against him, it would be an incredibly difficult thing. It was why people with Charisma were treasured and feared in equal measures.

Yet, a chuckle escaped my mouth. I couldn't help it. The fear effect felt too familiar.

It was a weaker version of what I felt whenever I tried to fly.

Thomas immediately pulled his Charisma at my reaction, his expression showing abject terror. At the same time, his two guards stepped forward, like they wanted to defend him, while Eleanor stood in front of me.

"I'll report your failure to the family again, Eleanor. You can't rely on hired help," Thomas said as he turned and left, the two guards followed, keeping themselves between me and Thomas.

I watched them, not making a move.

Wondering what the hell had just happened.