Chapter 292 (Patreon)

Kana had never once mistaken their calm for carelessness. From the moment they stepped out of that ancient temple, she had known better. Still, knowing and understanding were two very different things. Even prepared, even alert, she had expected something—some slight delay, some fraction of hesitation she could exploit.

There was none.

For a fleeting, almost absurd instant, a stray thought crossed her mind. Is it because it’s still morning? As if time itself might dull the edge of a quite unique class like her. The idea dissolved the moment her blade struck steel.

Reality answered her instead.

Her attack, meant for the man wrapped in chains, crashed against the tank’s massive shield, the force of it reverberating up her arm. The switch had been seamless, unnatural in its precision. One moment Jio, the man with chains stood there, the next he was gone, replaced by Tip, their tank as if space itself had bent to accommodate him.

A skill. It had to be. But what unsettled Kana was not the defense. It was what followed. They didn’t merely block her. They answered as if they had already simulated these kinds of situations many times.

Jio’s chains had already lashed out, coiling around Shai with brutal efficiency, dragging the massive feline to the ground as if she weighed nothing. At the same time, Prime, the man with the bluish tattoo—quiet, composed, and far more dangerous than he appeared—had already formed that strange orb and sent it hurtling toward Leo without hesitation.

Kana felt it again, the quiet hum of her [High Awareness], sharpening her perception, peeling back the surface of things. The orb wasn’t just another attack. It consumed. It erased. Even before it reached its target, it distorted the space around it.

That was when it became clear. Prime was the most dangerous of the three men. Relief came in a sharp breath when Suri’s barrier flickered into existence, intercepting the orb just in time. It held, but only barely, the thin blue light straining under the pressure as if it might shatter at any moment.

The quick exchanges were all the proof Kana needed. These men were not ordinary. They were used to this kind of battle. The kind where every second mattered. Where hesitation meant death. Their movements carried that certainty—these types of people who walked on a rope between life and death.

Kana adjusted midair, her thoughts already racing ahead of her body.

Her gaze flicked toward Mica. No words passed between them. It was supposedly their first time yet Kana knew. She knew Mica would understand her command.

Mica changed immediately, her trajectory changing as if pulled by the same invisible thread guiding Kana. She drove forward, her fist aimed straight for Tip’s exposed back. At the same time, Kana’s hand moved to her hip, fingers closing around a dagger.

She threw it in one smooth motion then another.

The first dagger cut through the air toward Prime, fast and quick, forcing him to react. The second followed without pause, angled toward Jio, splitting their attention, dividing their defenses.

Tip felt Mica’s strike before he saw it. The impact drove into his back with enough force to force a grunt from him, his stance faltering just slightly as blood seeped past his lips. It wasn’t enough to bring him down, but it was enough to create an opening. The slight delay they needed.

Tip saw the dagger aimed at Prime.  Prime moved, but his body couldn’t keep up. His strength wasn't speed, not like Kana’s. Not like Mica’s.

Tip made his decision instantly. Another flicker.

Kana had expected it but expectation didn’t mean certainty. For a fraction of a second, even she couldn’t tell who would take the hit.

Then the world settled.

Prime, the man with a bluish tattoo suddenly stood before her. His eyes widened, the calm finally breaking as Kana’s blade descended toward him in a clean, decisive arc.

And then—

He let go. His staff slipped from his fingers, falling uselessly to the ground. Both of his hands rose slowly, palms open.

Surrender.

He dropped to his knees. Kana’s blade stopped just short of his neck, the edge hovering there, close enough to end it in an instant.

Time seemed to pause. Then, behind her, a sharp flash of blue light cut through the stillness.

Kana didn’t need to turn to know. Jio, the man with metal chains wrapped around his body, was surprisingly able to react and intercepted the dagger meant for him, his chains moved just enough to block it. However, his body stiffened, muscles locking as arcs of electricity crawled across him, his form darkening as Suri’s [Lightning Bolt] surged through him.

The smell of scorched metal and flesh lingered faintly in the air.

Tip saw everything.

Prime, the man with the bluish tattoo kneeling while Jio, the man with chains, body was burnt until it fell to the ground. Slowly, the massive man lowered himself to one knee. Not out of weakness or out of fear.

But out of recognition. He hated to admit it but they were one sidedly defeated by young people, younger than his nephews.

Kana stood at the center of it, her blade still poised.

“Let’s tie them up.”

….

Kana stood still for a moment, letting the aftermath settle, though the tension in the air refused to fade. It clung to the space like a lingering storm, quiet but far from over.

Mica’s voice broke through first, steady but edged with caution. “Kana, I think it’s dangerous to enter ourselves.”

Shai prowled nearby, slow and probably intentional, circling the three tied up kneeling men like a predator deciding whether to end a hunt or simply enjoy it a little longer. A low growl rumbled from her chest every few steps, enough to make even men like them flinch, if only slightly. It was faint, but Kana noticed. 

Leo stepped forward, shield still raised with a missing part, his stance firm despite the earlier close call. “I agree with Mica,” he said, his tone more serious than usual. “Their attacks… they’re not something we can take lightly.”

Kana drew in a slow breath, her chest rising as she let the air sit there for a moment before exhaling. “Yes,” she murmured, almost to herself. “And it’s still morning.”

It sounded strange, even to her own ears, but the thought carried weight. If this was how she fought in the morning what would happen if it was nighttime? 

She gave a small nod, more to her own thoughts than to them. “I agree,” she said more clearly this time. “They’re more dangerous than I expected.”

Better, too. She estimated the three men were around lvl 15-20. If she was the same level as her…

The realization lingered.

Kana replayed the clash in her mind, every movement, every reaction. One mistake. That was all it would have taken. A single misstep, a fraction of a second too slow, and someone would have died. Leo, Shai, Mica or Suri.

Her gaze flicked briefly to the side.

Boris would have made a difference here.

The thought came uninvited but stayed. In situations like this, where raw force and presence mattered, he would have been useful. Reliable in a way that filled gaps others couldn’t. They should have brought him.

Kana exhaled quietly, letting that thought pass. Regret wouldn’t help now.

She straightened slightly, her voice firm as she spoke. “Suri, secure the perimeter. Use your illusions. I don’t want anyone slipping in or out unnoticed.” She paused for a brief moment before adding, “And try to contact Boris, he must go here immediately..”

Her voice carried enough that even the three kneeling men could hear.

Suri nodded, though her expression shifted into something mildly annoyed. “We might have to give up on Boris,” she said. “He’s probably still asleep, and it’s… complicated.”

Kana glanced at her. “Complicated?”

Suri let out a small sigh, shaking her head. “That little lizard of his, Thorne. It looks like it developed some kind of skill that disrupts or erases my illusions. Every time I try to send something his way, it just… disappears.”

Kana blinked once, then let out a quiet chuckle. “I guess the lizard really doesn’t like you.”

Suri frowned slightly at that, though she didn’t deny it.

Kana tilted her head. “How about getting help from the officials?”

Suri’s expression brightened almost immediately, a small, satisfied smile forming on her lips. “That part is already handled,” she said. “I sent a message to the officials earlier. Back in the central district.”

Suri crossed her arms, clearly pleased with herself. “If there’s a reward involved, I’m not taking any chances,” she added lightly.

Then her gaze shifted back toward the temple, her tone sharpening just a little.

“They should already be on their way.”

……

A few moments later, a bird—crow descended from above, its wings slicing cleanly through the silence before folding inward mid-flight. Feathers twisted, bones reshaped, and in the span of a single breath, the creature became a man. Artin landed lightly on his feet, as if the transformation itself weighed nothing at all.

Without wasting a moment, he stepped forward and fastened heavy metallic chains around the three kneeling men. The moment the metal clicked into place, Kana could feel it, even without focusing. Whatever abilities they had been using, whatever strange skills allowed them to twist positions and conjure impossible attacks, were now sealed beneath something far more absolute.

Artin studied them briefly, his expression shifting into something thoughtful. “The first two,” he said, glancing at Tip and Jio, “are well-known. Smuggling, killing, very hard to catch.” His gaze lingered, then shifted to the third. “But him…”

He paused, eyes narrowing slightly at Prime, the man with a bluish tattoo on his face.

“That’s Sir Prime of House Holte. A noble from the port city. His father holds a viscount title.” There was a faint edge to his voice now, something closer to suspicion than curiosity. “So why is he here?”

Kana shook her head slightly. “I don’t know. They are not talking,” she admitted. “He was already with them when they left that temple.” Her gaze flicked toward Prime, who remained kneeling, far quieter now than before. “And he’s quite dangerous.”

Artin let out a short laugh, not dismissive, but acknowledging. “Of course he is,” he said. “The Holte House itself.” His eyes swept briefly over the group, checking for injuries, for signs of something worse. “Still… you’re all standing. That’s what matters.”

Kana followed his glance instinctively, her attention settling on Shai.

The large feline had resumed her pacing, her movements slower now, more controlled. The earlier strain from the chains was gone, her body already recovering as if the damage had never truly settled in.

“Looks like Shai’s already recovered,” Kana noted quietly.

Mica straightened slightly, pride evident in the way she lifted her chin. “Of course,” she said, her tone carrying a quiet confidence. “She’s tougher than she looks. And she heals fast.”

Kana gave a small nod, though her thoughts lingered for just a moment longer. Even that brief exchange with Jio, the one with the chain had been enough to remind her how quickly things could turn.

All of a sudden dozens of armored boots striking the ground in unison.

Kana turned as the knights arrived, their presence filling the space with a different kind of weight. Two dozen of them, clad in full plate, capes shifting slightly with their movement, weapons at their sides. They moved with discipline, forming ranks before Artin without a word, their silence as precise as their steps.

They waited.

Artin stepped forward slightly, his voice carrying clearly. “We have reason to believe this temple,” he said, gesturing faintly toward the structure behind them, “is the source of the mad substance spreading across the kingdom.”

His tone hardened.

“These three are not ordinary criminals. They are stronger than most of you. Do not underestimate them. There might be more of them  beyond this temple.” His gaze swept across the line of knights. “Follow my commands. No exceptions.”

The response came in perfect unison. A salute.

Kana watched them for a moment, noting the difference. This wasn’t a scattered response like what they had faced before. A force meant to overwhelm through coordination rather than individual strength.

Artin turned back to them, his expression easing slightly. “You’ve done enough,” he said. “Leave the rest to us. You can head back.”

Suri frowned almost immediately, her priorities aligning with perfect clarity. “My reward will be given, right?”

Artin blinked once, then laughed, the tension in his shoulders loosening. “Of course,” he said. “We’ll conduct a full raid, gather proof, and process everything properly.” He gestured lightly toward the captured men. “Judging by the amount of substance they’re carrying, we’re in the right place.”

That was all Suri needed.

Her expression brightened instantly. “Good,” she said, already turning away. “Let’s go. I need a bath.”

Kana shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips despite everything. As they began to leave, her thoughts drifted, quieter now.

Is this… enough? Will this count as a successful quest for Famelessness?

Post note:Looks like Flowel will survive?

Sixth chap of the week!Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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