<So they came to investigate the monster corpses, uh?>
Reidar watched the group from his hiding spot.
They spread out, studying the Skitterlord remains. One crouched beside a partially vaporized corpse, running his fingers through the ash. Another studied the ground, following the scorch marks and impact craters left by the battle.
"These were killed recently," one said. "Not long ago, to be correct. The ashes are very hot."
"Fire damage. Lightning burns. Stone impacts." Another War Hound straightened, brushing ash from his gloves. "Multiple attack types. This wasn't monsters fighting each other."
"Did Humans do this?"
"It has to be," he said, gesturing to the evidence. "Look at the tracks—organized positioning, ranged attacks from elevated positions. This was clearly coordinated."
As the War Hounds circled the area to piece together what had happened, Reidar watched them work, feeling impressed despite himself. It was clear they were competent and experienced—not just thugs playing soldier, but people who knew how to read a battlefield.
One of them stood at the center of the carnage with his arms crossed, his presence commanding attention from the others.
"Should we track them?" the woman with the axes asked.
The scarred man thought about this. "Check for direction first. I want to know which way they went."
Seraphine's breath caught. That was the War Hounds' leader: Judas Venn.
He was tall. Broad-shouldered. His armor was better quality than his subordinates', and he carried himself with the confidence of someone who'd never lost a fight.
But there was something problematic about him.
—[Judas Venn—Level 160]—
The tag floated above the man's head. Level 160.
Seraphine's stomach dropped when she saw Level 160, considering Venn had been 108 the last time her scouts had seen him, meaning he'd gained over 52 levels in the span of a week.
It seemed impossible and insane, yet it was precisely what they themselves had been doing, so she turned to Reidar, her mouth opening to speak, to ask him how that was possible, to show him who Venn was, and to ask for an explanation for how this could be happening.
The words died on her throat.
Reidar wasn't looking at Venn; his eyes were fixed on something—or rather, someone else — his face cold, not with anger or fear, but with an empty, chilling expression like he was staring at a ghost he thought was dead. Seraphine followed his gaze.
A hooded figure stood apart from the War Hounds. Silent. Still.
His face was hidden under a hood, and he didn't utter a single word; he didn't speak, and he didn't move.
He just watched the others examine the battlefield with an unsettling calm. As Seraphine saw the hooded figure, she got goosebumps. Unlike the others, he wore no armor, only a simple black coat that fell to his knees and some normal clothes.
He remained at the edge of the War Hounds' formation, keeping a safe distance while the rest of the group searched through the wreckage.
Standing straight yet relaxed, like a predator watching its prey from the trees, he didn't move, even as Venn's soldiers poked at the dead monsters. He just watched with crude interest.
His head would tilt slightly every few seconds, as if he were listening to something that normal hearing couldn't detect or going over information that only he could see through his System interface.
No matter why he was here, it was clear that he was on a whole different level than the brutes he was with. He clearly wanted to keep that difference clear to whoever could see it.
Then he moved forward as if he owned the place.
The War Hounds parted away as he passed, creating space around him like he carried his own gravity. It wasn't just power; it was control, the kind that didn't need to be announced.
Seraphine studied the man's tag, her breath catching. If Reidar was this fixated on him, there had to be a reason—something far beyond the obvious threat.
The system's name tag appeared above the stranger's head.
The world tilted.
—[Aaron Abstuln—Level 297]—
Her mind went blank as the numbers refused to make sense: Level 297, higher than anything she'd ever seen or anything that should naturally exist on Earth despite the apocalypse. And despite Reidar.
It was human.
Seraphine's hand shot to her mouth, cutting off the gasp before it could escape her. She turned to Reidar, with eyes that were wide with shock and a growing fear.
At the same time, Reidar watched Aaron. His face was calm, but his eyes held something else. Something dangerous glinted in his gaze. It wasn't rage, but cold calculation.
Reidar was measuring the man below, sizing up a threat, as if he were a monster. She had already seen that look on Reidar's face. He was figuring out how to handle him, studying the way he moved, the confidence in his posture, and the casual authority in his voice.
Down below, Aaron kept talking to Judas, completely unaware of the two figures watching him from above.
Judas turned to look at Aaron. "What do you think? Same group as before?"
The hooded man stopped beside Judas. He remained silent for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the carnage. When he spoke, his voice carried a flat, dispassionate quality.
"Different tactics. Same underlying signature." He gestured toward the most damaged corpse. "Summoned creatures. The claw patterns match previous encounters. Someone in this group commands an army, and I think I know who that person is. If he is here, we are going to have trouble."
Reidar felt his jaw tighten. His fingers curled against the stone beneath his palm.
"Is it this Reidar?"
"I think it's likely."
Aaron kept assessing the situation. "The monsters are too high-level for someone not belonging to the church to be able to kill them. If it wasn't someone from the church, it must have been Reidar. I think he is carrying weaker party members. This is a power-leveling operation." He tilted his head slightly.
Aaron remained silent.
"That bastard… He is already this strong?"
Judas turned to Aaron.
"Can you track them?" Judas asked.
"Given time."