Amber revealed in Zeke's inn room that she had realized he was the Masked Panther.
Zeke wasn't surprised or particularly bothered by her discovery, considering he had deliberately made his disguise easy to recognize.
Unaware that Zeke had saved her and the others for the sake of her connections rather than out of chivalry, Amber attempted to appeal to his so-called "heroic nature."
However, Zeke had long since abandoned that sense of romanticism.
It was only after the Immortal System presented him with an unexpected quest that his perspective on Green Springs' troubles began to change.
Put simply, the rewards offered upon its successful completion were enticing to someone who sought a rapid increase in strength and status.
Acquiring Elemental Flame Affinity would certainly satisfy his appetite for power.
Such a rare trait would increase his power and understanding of fire magic tenfold. Elemental affinities were generally blessings inherited through prestigious mage bloodlines, such as the Zeals.
On the other hand, the Angelic Flute was Zeke's sole reason for infiltrating the Martial Alliance in the first place.
Needless to say, his status within the Hidden Cave would skyrocket if he managed to obtain this divine artifact.
However, the risks were just as great, if not greater, reaffirming the caution he and Haruto had expressed regarding the town's dire situation.
Carefully weighing the risks against the rewards, Zeke found that the scales still tipped toward danger.
'This isn't a wise move in the slightest. Yet, if I want to escape from under the thumbs of others... I must push the envelope at all costs.'
He reflected on the experiences of his past life.
Obsessed with never again reliving the trauma of being a mere puppet on a string, Zeke made his decision despite his apprehension.
Arriving on the second story of an abandoned constable building, Zeke and Amber positioned themselves just outside the perimeter of the enemy's last known location.
There was no turning back now.
Zeke peered toward a steep, crowded slope of shanty houses that seemed ready to topple over one another.
Throughout the maze of cheap, iron-sheeted shacks, there was no life to be found. Only trash, rubble, and shattered fragments littered the elevated, claustrophobic pathways.
"You're sure this is the right place?"
Squinting, Amber peeked outside over Zeke's head, towering over someone who barely reached her chin.
"Who's to say? All I'm certain of is that this is where my tracking technique lost its connection."
With a torn black cloth draped over his golden eyes, Zeke studied the foreboding sight before checking his status.
[Status Window]
Mana: 4,312 / 6,330
Qi: 12,111 / 15,250
Sword Force: N/A
Power Level: 78,536
Health: 38,000 / 38,000
Keeping one eye open while closing the other, Zeke activated his technique, Mind's Eye.
He meticulously scanned the surrounding area from a distance while Amber continued questioning and pestering him, much to his dismay.
"Well, what are we waiting for?"
"Patience, Lady Amber. I know you're a hothead, but even you should realize that every sign here screams trap."
"I know... I'm not an idiot," she hissed.
"I wonder about that sometimes," Zeke mumbled.
"What was that, brat?"
"..."
"Well...?"
BOOM!
A deafening explosion suddenly erupted from the suspected hideout.
The shockwave swept across the district, knocking Amber off balance. Before she could stumble, Zeke grabbed her wrist and kept the red-and-peach-haired young woman upright.
"Brace yourself," he remarked dryly.
A massive, booming blaze rocketed high into the atmosphere, engulfing much of the surrounding area and obliterating the shacks caught near its epicenter.
Burning debris scattered through the air before crashing back to earth.
"Hmph! Don't you think it's a little late for that?"
Amber pulled away from Zeke and regained her balance, watching the spectacle unfold with a mixture of shock and amazement.
"Hey, don't say I didn't try."
Zeke shrugged, casually brushing off the nearby explosion as though it were an everyday occurrence.
After all, he had a hand in it.
Eventually, the violent tremors subsided, and the deafening roar faded, leaving behind a landscape of smoldering wreckage.
"I assume this was your handiwork?"
Amber asked, gradually catching on.
Zeke activated Mind's Eye once more, examining the distant wreckage through the thick clouds of smoke.
Among the ruins, he spotted a scorched arm protruding from the debris.
Unfazed, Zeke already knew whose corpse lay unceremoniously buried beneath the destruction.
Adept in Taoism and necromancy, he had utilized the blood arts from his past life to reanimate a corpse known as a jiangshi.
Before sneaking out under the cover of night with Amber, he had sent his creation ahead.
Limited in both motor functions and independent thought, the jiangshi served a different purpose.
Zeke had used it to test the muddy waters, deliberately triggering the first layer of hidden traps.
Dividing his attention, Zeke opened his previously closed left eye.
From the rear of the building, he heard the clamor of heavy footsteps rushing through its interior.
'So it begins...'
Zeke grumbled inwardly, lamenting his lack of backup.
Unfortunately, he couldn't risk asking Haruto for assistance, given their conflicting interests.
Amber, meanwhile, had outright refused to involve Julep or Miz.
In fact, she would have stormed into the enemy's territory alone if Zeke hadn't insisted on accompanying her in exchange for information regarding their target's last known whereabouts.
"Lady Amber, do you recall what we discussed before leaving the inn?"
"Of course."
"Good. Then act accordingly and follow my lead."
Zeke spoke calmly, knowing there was little time to explain their ever-changing circumstances.
"About time!"
Amber reached toward her waistband and withdrew her personalized, moth-embroidered wand.
With a nimble flick of her wrist, she traced a magical array while chanting the spell that would mark the beginning of their journey into enemy territory.
"Hidden Veil."
A swarm of gentle light enveloped the pair like fairy dust.
Seconds later, the particles drifted away.
Zeke and Amber's figures vanished along with them.
Almost immediately afterward, the approaching threat smashed through the walls of what had once been the executive office.
Four creatures emerged from the darkness, unleashing ghastly wails that echoed throughout the ruined building.
Their protruding, glowing red eyes scanned the room in bewildered rage.
As they approached the lingering firelight seeping through the damaged windows, their previously obscured features became increasingly apparent.
Long wisps of muddy black hair draped across their slanted backs and slumped shoulders.
Their elongated, misshapen limbs resembled those of humans, although their greyish skin and unnatural proportions suggested something far more disturbing.
Even while prowling on all fours, the creatures stood nearly five feet tall.
Their sharp claws scraped against the floor with every menacing step.
One abruptly lifted its head and fixed its demonic gaze upon the window.
Its canine snout protruded above a pair of disturbingly human-shaped lips, foam gathering around its mouth.
Outside the same building, Zeke and Amber had moved onto the narrow ledge of the second-story window.
They remained close, cautiously observing the creatures inside.
One of the monstrosities approached.
Its snout extended toward the opening as it began sniffing the smoke-filled air.
'What the hell is this... thing supposed to be?!'
Amber watched nervously, careful not to move a muscle.
The creature was so close that she could feel the dreadful heat of its breath.
Both their figures remained concealed, thanks to the spell she had cast.
However, because they shared the enchantment, Zeke could still see Amber clearly.
He noticed how the disturbing creature was making her increasingly uncomfortable, almost as though it were staring directly into her soul.
WHISTLE!
A high-pitched sound suddenly rang out from the office's shattered doorway.
The creature swiftly withdrew its attention from the invisible Amber and turned toward the new arrival.
All four pairs of glowing red eyes lowered as the creatures gathered around a figure cloaked in darkness.
"Blast it! Where did they disappear to?!"
A man's frustrated voice echoed through the room.
He then muttered something in an unfamiliar tongue to one of the creatures under his control.
Meanwhile, Zeke momentarily channeled his Qi through his eyes.
The darkened room gradually became more visible.
However, there was a drawback.
Because he had yet to reach the customary Stage 4 threshold, maintaining this technique consumed Qi at a much higher rate than usual.
Taking advantage of the brief enhancement, Zeke locked his Scout ability onto the man commanding the monstrosities.
[Scout]
Alias: Jeffery Robe
Mana: 5,808 / 8,888
Qi: N/A
Sword Force: N/A
Power Level: 26,423
Health: 28,999 / 29,000
Title: 3rd Circle (Beast Tamer)
The red Qi flowing through Zeke's golden eyes gradually dissipated.
As his enhanced sight faded, the mage's figure once again became obscured by darkness.
'This is one of the two mages who helped their comrade escape my initial pursuit...'
Zeke recalled briefly identifying their names with his Scout ability during their previous encounter.
However, something else had caught his attention.
Felix's vitality had been unusually high.
And now, Jeffery's statistics revealed a similar irregularity.
Despite advancing quickly to a Second Circle, Zeke was still a beginner when it came to the intricacies of the mage class.
Even so, he knew enough to recognize that the vitality displayed by the Hell Hound's subordinates greatly exceeded the normal measurements of Third- and Fourth-Circle mages.
'Interesting...'
Setting the observation aside for the moment, Zeke raised two fingers toward Amber.
She turned toward him, her peach-colored eyes widening slightly.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied herself.
For a brief moment, her thoughts returned to the suffering endured by the people of Green Springs.
The image of an elderly woman begging for mercy while being hounded by the Hell Hound's grunts resurfaced in her mind.
Amber's expression hardened.
Her outrage reignited, restoring the resolve that had brought her here in the first place.
She gave Zeke a thumbs-up while tightly gripping her wand with her other hand.
Then she began whispering under her breath.
Grasping the window frame, Amber shifted her position on the narrow ledge.
With her back no longer pressed against the exterior wall, she swung fiercely around the corner and aimed her wand into the room.
"Blooming Flame!"
The crimson wand pointed directly toward the floor beneath Jeffery and his four creatures.
"What—"
Before Jeffery could finish speaking, the darkened floor became carpeted in molten heat.
In the next instant, flames erupted violently from beneath them.
The inferno devoured the entire second story before blasting through the surrounding walls and ceiling.
A massive bloom of mana-infused fire rose from the destruction, spreading outward like the petals of a daylily.
Moments later, the brilliant flames dispersed into the wind without a trace.
As the smoke began to clear, an eardrum-rattling wail emerged from the ashes.
The screech gradually faded.
Then came a sinister chuckle.
"Not bad, little lady! But you're far too wet behind the ears if you think I wasn't prepared for a counterattack!"
Jeffery cackled in delight.
One of his four beasts had sacrificed itself, wrapping its lanky body around him to absorb the devastating flames.
Rising to his feet, Jeffery casually discarded the creature's blackened husk without a trace of concern.
The remaining three monstrosities crouched beside him, ready to pounce.
Each had suffered a fair amount of damage, but their ferocity hadn't wavered.
Jeffery casually walked across the charred floor before stopping near the exposed edge of the ruined second story.
Looking down, he spotted the young woman responsible for the attack.
Amber had been caught near the edge of her own blast but had managed to propel herself safely onto the concrete surface below.
However, casting another spell had disrupted the concealment granted by Hidden Veil.
Her figure was now plainly visible.
She glared upward at Jeffery, whose mocking grin could be seen beneath the hood of his black silk robe.
"Flaming Step!"
Amber completed her chant.
A gentle blaze enveloped her white heels.
Stomping against the ground, she launched herself into the night sky.
Just as she began to descend, Amber extended one porcelain leg beneath her.
An intricate red magical circle materialized under her foot, acting as a temporary foothold.
She pushed off the circle and propelled herself high above Jeffery's head, repeating this sequence.
Without wasting another moment on idle chatter, Amber made a break for the southern end of Green Springs.
Jeffery was momentarily taken aback.
Then he barked an order.
"After her! And make sure you bring her back alive, if possible!"
The three hybrid beasts immediately lunged into pursuit, bouncing from rooftop to rooftop after the fleeing mage.
'Let's see how far you can run...'
Jeffery thought, standing alone beneath the moonlight.
Suddenly, he sensed a surge of killing intent approaching from behind.
"Do you take me for a weak fool?!"
Jeffery shouted.
He activated the summoning spell he had prepared beforehand. A familiar monstrosity emerged from beneath his shadow, its body taking shape amid a flash of red light.
The creature intercepted the approaching attacker, driving its sharp claws straight through the intruder's torso.
Yet, unexpectedly, the attack failed to halt its momentum.
The impaled figure continued forward.
Its arms wrapped around the creature's back, locking together in a bone-breaking bear hug.
The monstrosity howled and struggled frantically to break free.
But its efforts were in vain.
COUGH!
A substantial amount of blood splattered across the blackened second-story floor.
"Nice to finally meet you face-to-face."
Zeke smirked.
His lightning-infused hand had pierced Jeffery's liver, the pointed strike of Lightning Lance penetrating deep into the mage's body.
Blood spilled from Jeffery's mouth.
He stared in bewilderment at the masked boy who had somehow appeared directly in front of him.
Twisting his neck, Jeffery glanced over his shoulder.
Only then did he realize that the attacker restraining his beast was nothing more than a reanimated corpse.
Zeke withdrew his hand from the mage's body.
Jeffery collapsed onto the charred floor, his expression twisted in disbelief and agony.
"Now, how about you tell me everything you know, and I may let you live?"
Zeke loomed over him.
"Forget it! I'd rather bite my tongue clean off than submit to a little louse like yourself!"
Jeffery scowled, spitting blood between his words.
"Commendable. However, I'm afraid you never had a choice in the matter."
Zeke spoke ominously as he gradually reached toward the fallen mage.
"W-Wait! What are you trying to do?!"
Jeffery's defiance faltered.
For the first time, he seemed to recognize the cold nature concealed behind the boy's golden eyes.
"Soul Search."
Zeke activated the technique.
His hand phased directly through Jeffery's chest.