How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

Chapter 134: Pelia's Ghost Blade (3)

Pelia’s Ghost Blade.

The reason this dagger is nicknamed the ghost blade is because its blade exists while also not existing.

Normally, only the hilt remains, but the blade appears once certain conditions are met and someone touches it.

The manifested blade has an opaque and hazy form. As the wielder wishes, it can exist or not exist.

For example, if it clashed with another sword, the Ghost Blade could pass through the opponent’s blade to strike the enemy.

In other words, it was impossible to block the Ghost Blade with a blade.

You had to evade it with your body. Before Pelia’s infamy as the Ghost Blade spread across the continent, meeting them usually meant certain death for characters.

Since I couldn’t inform my character of the information I knew.

‘A lot of the named characters died too.’

So after playing the game for a while, if I heard Pelia had appeared, I would deliberately send useless characters.

To gather that information and more easily deal with them later. Even so, they were an overwhelmingly powerful foe.

They wielded two daggers, one in each hand, and would swap them between hands like a trick mid-combat.

It was not easy to deal with their ferocious dual dagger attacks.

‘…But why is this here?’

No, it could be here. There’s a possibility it wasn’t originally Pelia’s.

It wasn’t something brought by Valien. I know him.

It could have been seized, or sold somewhere, or auctioned off since even just the hilt looks incredibly valuable.

Perhaps he was unaware of the dagger’s abilities.

‘The Ghost Sword can only be used by one who has killed over 100 people.’

After defeating Pelia in the game and obtaining the daggers, I couldn’t always use them right away.

It was a fact I discovered through experimenting and researching forums.

Ines’s prophecy suddenly came to mind. If the place where Valien obtained this was here…..

It painted a picture of me encountering the devil worshippers.

The timing was coincidental. For whatever reason, if they had raided this place, then this is the place foretold in the prophecy.

The possibility was quite high. Which meant I had to quickly leave this place.

‘In the vicinity…’

I immediately expanded my Winds perception. I surveyed the area around the Duke’s mansion with Winds. There were no suspicious movements.

However, it was too soon to be relieved. We had to quickly gather our things and leave.

“Wow, wow, crazy. There’s so much money…”

Aron was marveling at the contents of the vault until he noticed the dagger’s hilt and became puzzled.

“But why is this here?”

He seemed about to reach out and touch it out of curiosity.

“Don’t touch it.”

I quickly stopped him. If someone who hasn’t killed 100 people possesses the dagger, they become afflicted with madness.

I know this well from experience.

It starts with mild madness at first. Then over time, they become completely insane.

Until killing 100 people, they are consumed by an urge to kill, suddenly stabbing anyone in front of them.

And even after killing 100 people, their sanity doesn’t return.

I experienced this firsthand when carrying it, and based on what I know of Valien from the game, it likely wouldn’t be a big issue for him…..

But there’s no need to unnecessarily take even small risks.

“Is, is it dangerous?”

“It could be for you.”

“Do you know what this is, Brother?”

“No. But it certainly looks dangerous.”

Only those who have already killed over 100 people can use it while retaining their original mindset.

I grasped the dagger’s hilt. A chilling, eerie energy swirled around my fingertips.

Mana was reacting to it. In an instant, a hazy, billowing shape like condensed mist rose up, forming the blade.

Aron was startled.

“Wh-what is this…?”

There was no time for detailed explanations. It was also strange that I knew about this.

Just in case, I quickly tried to purify it, but the Ghost Blade showed no meaningful changes.

“For now, we move quickly. We have no time.”

Sensing the gravity in my tone, Aron promptly hardened his expression. I swiftly gathered the contents of the vault into a bag.

I didn’t forget to purify them. Money, jewels, and accessories that have passed through others’ hands are usually tainted.

“We’re leaving. Follow me.”

I enveloped our bodies with Winds. Originally, I had planned to have Aron escape alone as well, but we were pressed for time.

There was another concern in my mind. Would this action be meaningful after the prophecy was given?

Perhaps by moving so hastily, we might actually encounter the devil worshippers.

But then again, maybe I could avoid it since I was aware of the possibility. In any case, there was no other choice.

There was also another possibility.

What if it wasn’t us, but Osten and Mary outside the city who encountered them?

‘At least there are no signs of them in the immediate vicinity.’

According to my Winds perception, escaping wasn’t difficult.

I matched Aron’s top speed and swiftly ran to where the rest of our group was waiting.

***

Contrary to my worries, there were no issues here. Mary was reading a book, and Osten was tinkering with something as usual.

Despite our hurried return, Osten greeted Aron and me with a bright expression, making our rush seem unnecessarily dramatic.

“Oh! Boss! You’re back already?”

Should I consider this fortunate?

Was I really able to avoid the situation because I had heard the prophecy? Still, it was too soon to be relieved.

What should I do?

I had two choices: leave this place immediately, or proceed as planned. There was no definitive answer.

There was a chance of encountering the devil worshippers either way.

This prophecy… it doesn’t seem like hearing it only brings good things. It feels like my thoughts are trapped by it.

‘Well, it’s still better than not knowing, I suppose.’

Knowing is better than not knowing. At least I can mentally prepare myself in some way.

Let’s think calmly.

If the prophecy is something I’ll face no matter what choice I make, there’s no need to hold back.

Moving at night could unnecessarily expose us to their eyes.

Even Greek and Roman myths show that struggling to avoid a prophecy often leads to fulfilling it, don’t they?

They called it a self-fulfilling prophecy. Proceeding as originally planned seemed better.

“Brother, is something wrong? We returned so quickly.”

Aron, sensing the situation, cautiously asked.

Given the circumstances, even for someone as oblivious as him, it was natural to sense the gravity after I showed such signs. I shook my head.

“Not yet.”

“Will something happen soon?”

“For now, let’s observe.”

I had already decided to stay here. We’ll proceed as scheduled. I set down the bag and took out its contents.

Piles of gold and jewels spilled out. The sheer amount startled Osten and Mary. It must be more wealth than they had ever seen before.

“I’ll take half. The rest of you three can split it. Later on, I’ll handle fencing it and return it to you as cash.”

“Y-you’re giving us half?”

Osten stammered.

“Yes. Of course, the promised wages are separate.”

“Huh?”

My companions’ eyes simultaneously widened.

While traveling together, we had discussed their wages. I had promised to treat them as top-tier mercenaries.

Even then, they were greatly surprised. Compared to their current abilities, it was an exorbitant amount.

But to me, it didn’t feel expensive at all.

It’s difficult to find people you can truly trust. Even if you somehow find them, you have to manage them well.

I experienced this in the game, and also learned it from my godfather, Duke Harvan Brusek.

“It’s only natural. This is separate income.”

Osten looked at me with a dazed expression, unsure if he was pleased or surprised.

“Why? Are you dissatisfied?”

“Huh? Dissatisfied? No way. Not at all.”

Osten, who had been briefly dumbfounded, put on a serious expression and continued. It seemed he was worried I might change my mind.

Well, even if the three of them split it, it was still a considerable amount. We had robbed a duke’s vault, after all.

However, Aron and Mary had ambiguous expressions. Aron scratched the back of his head.

“Brother, even splitting half between the three of us is too much.”

“It’s fine. You guys were part of it too.”

“But if you think about it, it was only possible because you helped…”

Mary chimed in from the side.

“Actually… I didn’t really do anything.”

Aron and Mary simultaneously looked to me for a reaction. What she said wasn’t wrong. Especially as the person involved, Mary would certainly feel that way.

But in my opinion, Mary’s role in maintaining Aron’s mental stability was enough.

If I think of it as nurturing them for the future, it’s not a waste.

Besides, even if I had the money now, there’s nowhere for me to spend it. Basic necessities are all I need.

‘I shouldn’t be stingy about this.’

My life is the top priority.

Once the threat of the devils and their followers is gone, there will be plenty of ways for me to make money.

Hmm. Now that I think about it, Mary has often been conscious of my reactions too.

I had tried to instill some confidence in her before, so it would be good to reaffirm it now.

“Mary, I told you before that I’m not just keeping you around because of Aron.”

I was well aware of why she was so conscious of my reactions. She wasn’t immediately useful.

“If you really weren’t needed, I would have sent you to school using money.”

“……”

“Do you remember how I often asked about the books you were reading?”

“Yes.”

“It was to gauge your talents. You’re an intelligent girl. It seems you’ll become capable in a different way from Aron and Osten.”

This wasn’t a lie. While not a genius, she was quite bright.

Even in the game when she was an enemy, she served decently as an above-average staff officer.

As someone who wouldn’t betray me, she was a talented person I needed.

I also liked her studious nature of always having a book by her side. Despite being the youngest of the three, she was the most mature.

Perhaps her difficult childhood had made Mary grow up faster.

Hmm. Or maybe not?

Compared to Osten and Aron, it could just be a difference in personality.

In any case, my words caused Mary’s eyes to become slightly teary. I wasn’t the type to speak empty words to my companions.

“Boss, does that mean… Aron and I aren’t intelligent?”

What is this now…..

Suddenly, Osten butted in and made a fuss. It was ridiculous, coming from the eldest of them.

“Huff…”

I let out a deep sigh. It was a prime example of being less mature than Mary.

“That’s not what I meant. I said you’ll become intelligent in different ways.”

“Ah, yes! Of course. I misunderstood.”

Seeming to read the exasperation in my gaze, Osten hastily cleared his throat. As if realizing his mistake, he gazed off into the distance.

Ignoring Osten, I turned my attention to Aron.

“Just as you all have seen me, I’m not one to speak empty words. Trust your sister, and trust yourself. This is a fair reward and investment.”

“Yes, Brother.”

Aron nodded firmly.

“In any case, it will be difficult to spend money right away in this city. We would certainly draw attention. I’ll distribute it in the next city. Then, feel free to spend as you wish.”

“Yes!”

With the changed atmosphere, my companions’ faces swelled with anticipation. Osten asked,

“Where are we heading next?”

“To Veurtan. It’s a larger city than here, so there will be plenty to see.”

And that night.

I didn’t sleep at all as I kept watch over the vicinity. It wasn’t a dull time. Rather, there was a lot of tension.

Still, I couldn’t just idly remain, so I practiced using Pelia’s Ghost Blade.

Now that it belonged to me and not Pelia, should I just call it the Ghost Blade?

‘It’s trickier than I thought.’

From the start, I couldn’t wield it as easily as Pelia did.

The Ghost Blade reacted to my mana, but not immediately. The reaction speed for the blade to manifest was also inconsistent.

It seemed to be because I was still a novice. Pelia in the game had handled it freely.

The more I used it, the reaction speed gradually became faster and more consistent.

‘It will take time to become familiar with it.’

In the midst of this, I also thought of another way I could use it.

Not something I could use every time, but as an unexpected weapon, it would suffice as an ace up my sleeve.

And so the dawn passed.

Whether today was the day of the prophecy or not, until morning arrived, there were no signs of the devil worshippers.

***

“Damn it, they really aren’t showing up at all.”

“That’s just how it is. It took a year to find them last time too. Did you think Devil’s Blood would be that easy to come across?”

“The detector isn’t malfunctioning, is it?”

“Lord Kaihon gave it to us. Are you doubting him now?”

“No. I was just wondering, that’s all. Are you doubting this ever-faithful Mori?”

Pelia sighed. He was used to this situation by now. Not that they didn’t find it pathetic.

‘Oh great Father of Darkness… why are there so many fools among your followers?’

He inwardly called out to the Father of Darkness. It was a thought that could seem disrespectful, but he couldn’t help it.

Because it was the truth. Mori sighed while looking at the map.

“In any case, it’s not here either. Where do we go now?”

“To Veurtan. It’s larger there, so the chances will be higher.”

Author's Thoughts

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