The air was warm, the sky a brilliant blue, and the gentle breeze that swept across the small hill was refreshing. Haru lay on the grass, his body finally at ease after weeks of constant action. He had no immediate rush to return to Crown City after using the waypoint, despite having a schedule to keep. For once, he allowed himself to simply enjoy the moment.

The hill overlooked the road that meandered through one of the more rural areas. Things here moved at a slower pace. It felt like the kind of place where time didn’t push forward with the same urgency as everywhere else. In the past, Haru rarely got to experience such times as anytime the heroes had down time, he had been forced to run errands for them.

Haru sat cross-legged on the small hill, holding a mana stone in hand. He had stopped by a small town earlier, where he’d purchased as many mana stones as possible from one of the adventurer branches. It had cost him a pretty penny, but to complete his magic circuit, it was worth it.

His fingers gently squeezed the stone and a rush of mana entered his body. Taking a deep breath, he focused, guiding the mana through his body. The process was delicate—pushing the energy through his circuits, reinforcing and expanding them with each passing second. It was an expensive method, no doubt, but incredibly efficient if you knew what you were doing.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the mana began to force open the final parts of his magic circuit. Every pulse felt like a small victory, inching him closer to completion. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, but Haru remained calm, steady. Half of the work had already been completed from Becker's challenge and all that remained was to connect the two sides.

Then, after what felt like an snail's pace, something clicked.

Haru's eyes snapped open, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Finally!" he exclaimed.

In that instant, his senses sharpened. The world around him shifted as if it had come into clearer focus. The air felt fresher, the colors around him more vivid, and it was as though he could feel the very essence of the earth beneath him. His body seemed to breathe in sync with the magic flowing through his veins. He could hear the rustling of leaves in the distance and the faintest movement of the grass around him. This was mana sensitivity. Magic sensitivity, mana sensitivity, and aura sensitivity, it all came down to the range and scope of your own influence of what you could sense. Magic sensitivity expanded pass what regular mana sensitivity could do while aura sensitivity dealt with inwards senses and was used primarily by warriors.

"Ah, finally, I felt naked without it." He flexed his hands, watching as tiny arcs of mana flickered at his fingertips. "It's nice to be able to use mana again," he muttered to himself, feeling the power hum through him.

He could sense the magic in the air, the faint fluctuations of energy around him, something only a fully opened magic circuit could allow. But instead of immediately testing it, Haru leaned back with a satisfied sigh, allowing himself to enjoy the moment.

He stretched out his arms and let out a satisfying yawn. "It sure is great having money."

He proceeded to take out a water bag he had bought and used it as a temporary head rest. With a satisfied smile, he closed his eyes. "I'll just close my eyes for a bit…" he murmured, using the cool grass as his bed and the warmth of the sun as his blanket.

…

Elsewhere, not far from where Haru was resting, a small convoy made its way down the road. A carriage draped in a black tarp moved steadily, guarded by a formidable group of men clad in adventurer gear. Their presence alone was enough to deter most bandits. No one in their right mind would attack such a heavily guarded transport, especially one flying the insignia of the Merchant Union.

Leading the convoy was a man with long, flowing hair. He scanned the road ahead. His face was calm, but there was an air of vigilance about him.

Suddenly, the man raised an arm and the convoy stopped. In front of them stood two figures, cloaked and masked, appearing directly in their path.

One of the guards stepped forward, his voice firm. "Clear the road. We’re a registered mercenary group contracted with the Merchant Union for transport. Any attack on us will be seen as an attack on the Union itself. I suggest you move unless you want to make an enemy of the entire Union."

The two figures said nothing, ignoring the guard’s warning. Instead, they whispered amongst themselves. The larger of the two turned to the smaller figure and asked, “You ready?”

The smaller one nodded, her voice calm. “Always.”

Before the guards could react, she bolted forward, her twin daggers gleaming as they caught the sunlight. In the blink of an eye, two guards collapsed, their throats slit cleanly. The rest of the convoy scrambled, drawing their weapons and shouting orders.

However, before she could continue, she was immediately halted by the long hair man who dismounted his mount in one swift motion. Her twin blades met his swords and sparks flew. She furrowed her brow, exerting pressure but could not make any headway. She quickly backed up.

"Careful," she said. "He's strong."

The man at the back nodded. "I'll handle him. Free the captives."

She gave a swift nod, and they split off as they charged. The masked man swung his sword at the long-haired opponent, their blades clashing and locking. To an observer, they seemed frozen, though the air between them crackled with intensity. High-level warriors often assessed each other's strength the moment their weapons met; both recognized they were evenly matched.

The masked man tilted his head. "Why would someone of your skill play guard for the Merchant Union's dirty work?"

The long-haired man smirked slightly and spoke in a low raspy voice. "My job isn't to act as a guard for simple merchandise. I'm here to lure out the saboteurs who've been troubling the higher-ups. Isn't that right, Becker Zoller, guild leader of Crown City's adventuring guild?"

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Becker's eyes widened beneath his mask. Realization struck—this was a trap, and they had been expected. If someone of this caliber was here, they were prepared for both of them.

"It's a trap! Fall back!" he shouted, but his warning came too late.

Tanna had already slipped past, racing toward the carriage holding the supposed captives. She deftly took down several guards before reaching the carriage door. Inside, shadows cloaked everything, but she could make out a bound and gagged woman. She had violet hair and looked to be a Yxlier though she missed one of the key characteristics of one, her wings.

"Don't worry, I'll get you out," Tanna whispered, preparing to destroy the bars which held them.

The captive shook her head frantically, muffled sounds escaping her gag.

A chill ran down Tanna's spine. Something was wrong.

"Get back!" Becker's voice rang out.

From the depths of the carriage, a blade shot toward her head. Instinct took over; she leaned back just in time as the weapon sliced through the space she'd occupied.

The ground beneath her trembled. Jagged rocks burst upward, aiming to entrap her. Tanna darted and weaved, her movements a blur, until she landed safely some distance away. Panting, heart pounding, she watched as two figures emerged from the carriage.

"Tsk... They weren't kidding about this being a tough job," a tall, lanky man drawled, stepping into the light. Beside him stood a light brown-haired woman clad in light blue robes, gripping an ornate staff topped with a glowing yellow crystal. She shot him an exasperated look. "I told you to wait until she was inside. You just can't stick to a plan, can you?" He shrugged casually with a laugh. "Patience isn't my strong suit."

Tanna's eyes narrowed as she caught her breath. "Who are you people?"

The woman offered a cold smile. "Just professionals hired to deal with nuisances like you."

The man's gaze darkened, bloodlust flickering in his eyes. "I wonder what you taste like," he sneered.

A heavy silence hung between them. Tanna tightened her grip on her daggers, calculating her next move.

Meanwhile, Haru stirred, groggy. The distant clamor had reached him. Rolling over, he grumbled, "Dammit, who's making all that noise?"

Half asleep, he stared to the distance where the the source of the commotion was. There, he could barely make out some figures.

"A robbery?" he muttered. If that was the case, he didn't have to worry as it didn't have much to do with him. However, just as he was about to lay back down, he suddenly had a thought. What would happen if the robbers chose to run in his direction. There was ample space in all directions and the chance they chose his specific direction to flee was small but not zero. On the off chance that they did run towards him he would undoubtedly be drawn into whatever was going on.

Haru sighed. He had to make sure.

He focused in on one of them and used [World Knowledge]

> World knowledge Lv3

> Igor Rufflair Description: A seasoned Merchant Union Adjudicator. Tasked with arbitrating disputes, his true purpose is to ensure the Merchant Union's interests are upheld. Potential: A Equipment: High-grade enchanted sword, High-grade reinforced light armor Mastery: Blade Mastery, Aura control, Mana Awareness Rank: VI+

Haru squinted somewhat suspiciously.

He then turned back to himself and activated [World Knowledge]

> Haru Rex Age: {Unknown} Description: An Otherworlder summoned to this world by the royals of Crown Almighty. His current objectives seem to include the creation of his own kingdom and has shown strong disdain for the other human kingdoms. Potential: {Unknown} Equipment: Rare-grade reinforced cloth armor( Wyvern Breath) Unique Skill: World Knowledge, Minus Strength Rank: {Unknown}

He was an Otherworlder which meant the limitations of [World Knowledge] couldn't see anything past what it already could establish about Haru since he first came here. However, his skills for one reason or another, was able to be shown and was one of the few things that proved immensely useful to determine how and what the other skills the other Summoned had and how to use them fully.

"Examine," he intoned. Something was off. He was looking for something beyond the surface level information he was getting.

> Haru Rex … Condition: No curses, afflictions, or external manipulations detected.

Skipping the irrelevant information, he could not see anything which could be affecting him. However, if that's the case, he couldn't help but question, "Since when was it so easy to run into powerhouses?"

First it was Tanna, then it was king Aldric, now here, at some random area in the country side. These were among the strongest people in all of Kladin and was a level unattainable by most. Tanna and the king Aldric were one thing but this just seemed too coincidental and he was starting to suspect someone had put something on him without him knowing.

Haru turned back to the individuals fighting.

He turned to the first pair who blades clashed in an even stalemate. "Those two look evenly match." He then turned to the others. " The other is dodging the attacks of a sword user and a mage. It's an entire group of high level rankers. I guess it really is just a coincidence," he sighed. "Well, since I'm already awake, I might as well see if I can benefit from this."

What was that saying. When life throws you lemons…

He finally turned his attention and used [World knowledge] on the others.

> Becker Zoller (Alias) Description: Guild Leader for the Adventurers Guild of the Crown Almighty Branch. He wears an artifact to conceal his true name and race. He holds a deep secret he will not let others know easily. Potential: A Equipment: High-grade Forged Metals blade, High-grade reinforced light armor Mastery: Blade Mastery, Aura control, Mana Awareness, Magical Sensitivity Rank: VI+

"…"

Haru turned to the others.

> Viva Loslir (Alias) Description: A powerful mage working as a Freelancer for the Merchant Union … Rank: V

> Cain Vernant Description: A powerful warrior working as a Freelancer for the Merchant Union … Rank: VI

> Tanna Lin Description: Receptionist for the Adventurers Guild of the Crown Almighty Branch. She is proficient in the use of dual blades and utilizes aura. Once a high-ranking adventurer, she was once known for her exceptional combat skills and strategic mind. … Rank: VI

"…WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TWO DOING HERE?!"