Bloodbound Codex: I Grow Stronger in Secret

The Guildmaster asked and Bella stood there with her mouth open, her eyes wide.

’T-That means I was right. B-But assassins? Why would anyone want to kill Atlas? I have to know more about this...’

She slowly shook her head and turned to him. ”Guildmaster, there were two Human travellers who entered the guild just a moment ago. They asked for registration and...for someone specific.”

He narrowed his eyes. ”Asked for someone specific? Who?”

Bella paused for a moment. ”It’s Atlas Crosswood. The same one who had been clearing Hollow-Class Ruins continuously for the past few days.”

The Guildmaster looked at her for a moment before turning back toward the door. ”That explorer? If it’s that one, you don’t have to worry. When he first entered this Guild he had already sensed me — an S-rank — and at that point he was around C-rank.”

Bella frowned at his words. ”What are you trying to say, Guildmaster?”

”I am saying that man is utterly ridiculous.” He spoke without turning around. ”Two days later, after clearing two Hollow-Rank Ruins, I sensed him again. He was already past B-rank.”

Bella went still as the meaning of that settled on her. Her eyes widened slowly.

The Guildmaster — Harleks — exited the room without another word.

As he walked through the corridor outside he thought to himself. ’That hatred inside that Explorer...it was so much it could swallow even the greatest criminals. I don’t think those two assassins are coming back.’

He went up toward his personal office.

- - -

Morning arrived.

Atlas was already moving toward the Guild.

He had planned everything the night before. He walked with a clear direction and a clear purpose. Today he was going for another Abyss-Rank Ruin.

He entered the Guild and went directly to the floating monitors where the ruins were listed. He looked through the Abyss-Rank ones without bothering to check what had happened to previous parties. He selected one and the document appeared beneath the screen. Atlas took it and walked to the counter.

Bella was standing there.

”This is the ruin I will be taking on today.”

Bella looked at the rank on the document. Her eyes moved upward for just a moment before she pulled them back and nodded, remembering what the Guildmaster had told her last night.

”You can do that, but we will need you to go through a reassessment first. If you are not confirmed at A-rank you are not allowed anywhere near Abyss-Rank ruins.”

Atlas smiled behind his mask and nodded.

After the formalities the reassessment was done. When Atlas came out of the chamber Bella looked at the results and went completely still.

[ Physical Output: 3000 ]

[ Spirit Density: A-Rank ]

[ Flow Stability: MAX ]

[ Control: MAX ]

[ Reserve Pressure: Cannot be measured ]

Control and Flow Stability both at MAX was something she had never seen come out of that machine before. But the Reserve Pressure reading was the part that stopped her entirely. Cannot be measured meant his Spirit reserves had gone past what the assessment machine was built to handle. Those machines were calibrated to measure up to peak A-rank. His reserves had gone beyond that entirely. S-rank assessments were only done in the central part of the continent and this branch didn’t have equipment for that to begin with.

Atlas didn’t want to hide his strength anymore as he was going to leave after this ruin anyway, so he showed what could be counted as 80% of his full strength.

Bella signed the document and handed him the permit without saying anything. Atlas took it and walked out of the Guild.

The moment he stepped outside he sensed them.

Both of them. Somewhere nearby, invisible to the naked eye, waiting.

He turned and looked directly at the direction where they were positioned for just a moment. Then he turned right and walked toward the route to the Abyss-Rank Ruin.

’Heh. Come then, you damn bastards. You wanted to lure me? I will lure myself right to you.’

The rage that had been sitting in him since the night before was still there. Cold and compressed. Controlled enough that no one around him on the street would sense anything at all. Only someone at a significantly higher rank could pick it up.

Behind him, invisible and watching his back, Feras turned to Levin.

”Do you think he sensed us? He looked directly at this direction.”

Levin narrowed his eyes. He had been thinking the same thing. ”Could be. He is A-rank officially now. And you heard it through the hidden relic right? I knew the Guild would be too stupid to notice an extra relic planted inside the Amber Locket.”

Feras nodded but his expression stayed careful. ”But if we follow him knowing he may have sensed us — even while we are using the Martial Cleaver’s special concealment — don’t you think there is a chance we are the ones walking into his trap?”

”And that Scythe in his hand, it’s releasing an Ominous aura around it...” Feras spoke again with his eyes narrowed.

Levin nodded slowly. Then grinned anyway. ”That’s also right. But do you really think one A-rank can take two peak A-ranks? Even if he is abnormal?”

Feras was quiet for a moment. Then he nodded and followed after Atlas without another word.

Atlas heard all of it.

What he was doing was not a Trait. The Codex had not given it to him. He had worked it out himself after using the Condor’s Locket back in Ormolio. That relic had created a sound barrier using Spirit, and that had made him think about the reverse of it. If Spirit could block sound from reaching someone, then applying Spirit inward — not to the ear itself but to the brain neurons that processed what the ear picked up — should make the hearing sharper than anything external concealment could account for.

He did not specifically know about Brain neurons or something, he had just felt that the senses were all connected to the brain inside so he used that connection to trigger this and finally learn it.

He had tried it and... It had worked.

The limitation was time. He could only hold it for around five minutes before it became too much to maintain. But five minutes was more than enough.

He had heard every word those two had just said.

Atlas kept walking toward the Abyss-Rank Ruin at the same pace he had started with.

- - -

After about twenty minutes Atlas was near the massive Abyss-Rank ruin he had picked up from the Guild’s Ruin List.

He took another look at the permit in his hand -

[ Ruin Rank: Abyss-Rank ]

[Objective: Clear the Ruin fully, retrieve the Relic and check out with the reward and examine the Relic]

[Difficulty: Highest difficult Abyss-Rank ruin ever recorded in Lumivale]

[Reward: Five Hundred Gold]

[Previous reports: All Explorers missing and never came back]

Atlas looked at the reward and previous reports part, he didn’t have any lack of money, it was the opposite instead, he had so much money that he feared he could even have the chance to spend them.

As for the missing part? He knew it was because of the Difficulty but he was looking forward to it because he wanted to get an A-rank trait and finally activate that Bloodline.

But that could wait because...

Atlas turned behind and spoke ”Would you care to show yourselves now? You know it as well that I had sensed you from the beginning right?”

And then the two emerged, they now wore their Assasin clothes, mask and hood, Josh spoke who was pretending to be Feras ”You have got good sight...Now it’s time for you to die.”

He didn’t wait for any dramatic words or display before acting, he moved as a blur and the Fight had began as Mullark also moved.

And Atlas...He grinned behind his mask as the grip in his Scythe tightened.

- - -

[A/N: Finally the action begins, the next two Chapters will be uploaded at once so you guys can enjoy the fight to the fullest!

Please don’t forget the GT, PS and...the Gifts guys, These really motivated me to write the chaps with all my focus!!

And also Thanks for sticking with the story this far, the real twist and turns are about to begin!]