I flew alone on my wing golem toward the rebel stronghold, Tanbahimba. I made it close to my destination just as the refined magic stones powering the golem were depleted. After landing, I walked a short distance and soon saw the rebel base. The city was surrounded by a sturdy wall, just like Kisowa, with menacing cannon ports jutting out from the top.

I expanded my Deva's Eye and carefully surveyed the surroundings.

'The security isn't as tight as I thought.'

-It would appear so. However, there are guards stationed here and there with mana rifles. How will you proceed, Tower Master?

'I have a way.'

I extended my right arm.

<Water Veil>

Moisture shimmered and gathered from the air, forming a large, mirror-like veil that concealed me. From the front, I was completely invisible.

'Let's go, Ea.'

-Yes, Tower Master.

After another thorough scan with my Deva's Eye, I made my way toward the section of the wall with the loosest security. I suppressed my presence as much as possible, moving without a sound. Up close, the cannons jutting from the wall were incredibly intimidating. They were placed irregularly, but it felt as if they knew I was coming and were aimed right at me. I broke into a cold sweat imagining a cannonball flying from one of those ports at any moment.

'Click.'

Just then, a guard stopped and stared directly in my direction. I froze in alarm.

He was too shocked to speak.

I held my breath and waited, perfectly still. Time seemed to stretch on forever. The man, who had been looking around the area including where I stood, eventually resumed his patrol route.

'Phew.'

Being an assassin really isn't for me. It's too hard on the heart.

After that nerve-wracking ordeal, I finally reached the wall. I dismissed the Water Veil and looked up.

'It's higher than I thought.'

I wanted to just leap over it with Devastar or Leap Boots, but that might make a loud noise. As a backup, I activated simple magic circles based on the Rune of Adhesion on my hands and feet and began to climb. Activating and deactivating the circles in rhythm, I ascended smoothly, using my leg strength to propel me upward.

'Are we clear?'

-Yes. It is clear.

While the guards were walking in the other direction, I quickly vaulted over the wall and entered the encampment.

'Infiltration successful, for now.'

I let out a sigh of relief and took a map from my pocket. It was an intelligence map of the stronghold that the regular army possessed. The estimated location of the prison holding regular army personnel was marked on it. My objective was to hide in the base and, when Hong Yeon's forces arrived, draw the rebels' attention and create chaos. But since I'd arrived early, I decided to tackle another mission. Freeing the prisoners would also help the main operation.

'This is north, so… it's this way.'

Suppressing my presence, I moved toward the location marked on the map. Beyond a wall, two armed soldiers were chatting as they walked by. I activated my core translator and listened in.

"Did you hear? They say White Wing assassinated Julian."

"Heh heh! Those regular army bastards must be scared shitless!"

I watched the chuckling soldiers pass by for a moment before quickly dashing to the building on the opposite side.

-Tower Master. You are 300 meters from the location on the map.

'Okay.'

Perhaps because it was dawn, there was no one around. I cut swiftly through the narrow alleys and reached the target area without difficulty. It was a two-story building that looked like an ordinary restaurant. But beneath it lay a large underground prison extending four floors down. As if to prove the point, two guards armed with mana rifles stood watch—a level of security I hadn't seen anywhere else.

I held out my palm.

<Wind Fort>

A gust of wind wrapped around each man's head, muffling their cries as I applied pressure to their carotid arteries, knocking them both unconscious. I then silently rushed over, dragged the two fallen men into a less visible spot inside the building, and continued my search.

'Found it!'

Inside the building, I discovered an iron door that seemed to lead underground. Since the prison was conveniently located right in the center of the base, I decided to draw the rebels' attention from here. I began the prep work, discreetly placing fourth-order magic circles in hidden locations where they wouldn't be discovered by hunters.

'Alright, let's go.'

-Be careful, Tower Master.

I picked the lock with the key I had taken from the two guards and went inside. Stairs leading down to the basement came into view. I descended, pushing my Deva's Eye to its maximum.

-Tower Master. I am detecting multiple life signs in the basement.

'What about the guards?'

-There are. But with so many people, it will be difficult to distinguish them.

'It's fine. Now that I'm this far in, I can raise all the hell I want.'

I descended the stairs, deliberately making my footsteps loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Huh? Wh-who's there?!"

As I reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into the corridor, the guard ahead of me jumped in fright and aimed his gun. "How did you…?!"

With a smile, I pointed upward.

'Thwip!'

A Rapid Arrow shot down from the ceiling, knocking the guard out in an instant. Other guards nearby scrambled out, aiming their rifles.

"Don't move! Hands up!"

"Whatever you say." I stood still and obediently raised both my arms. But even though I'd done exactly as they'd asked, the guards' expressions didn't soften. If anything, they were trembling in fear.

<Spin Guide Arrow>

They had every reason to be. Behind me, a magic circle had materialized, and with it, a cluster of brilliantly glowing blue arrows.

-Targets designated. Commencing fire.

Ea fired the arrows. A few dull thuds of breaking bone later, every guard was on the floor, bleeding.

'This prison is bigger than I thought.'

I glanced around and saw that both sides of the corridor were lined with cells. The prisoners trapped behind the bars rushed forward, their eyes wide.

"Wh-who are you? Are you with the regular army?"

"Please, get me out of here! I'll pay you anything!"

"I have a child!"

The prison instantly erupted into a clamor. I asked Ea.

'Is she here?'

-It seems she is not.

Most of the people trapped here weren't criminals, but rather Tanzanian regular soldiers or civilian hostages. Rescuing them wouldn't be a problem, but it would be troublesome if they scattered for the exit and became uncontrollable.

I left word that I would check the lower floors first and pressed on.

The other floors were much the same. The guards waiting on each level charged at me, only to be brushed aside.

Second floor cleared. Third floor cleared.

'The most dangerous prisoners are usually on the lowest level. I bet it's the same this time.'

-I would hope so.

I descended to the final, fourth floor.

Compared to the other levels, there were fewer people imprisoned here. Dried bloodstains were spattered about, and torture instruments hung on the walls. Some cells were being used not as prisons, but as torture chambers.

And only a single guard was protecting this place.

As if he had been waiting for my arrival, he was slouched in a wooden chair, trying to look intimidating.

"I haven't seen you before," the man said. "To enter Tanbahimba alone… you've got some nerve. You must be that much-rumored rank-3 hunter from Korea."

"That's me."

"Your timing was decent, attacking when our guard was down, but…" He waved a radio. "I've already reported the intrusion to my superiors. All rebel forces are converging on this location."

"Ah."

"Of course, you're probably thinking you'll defeat me, break out Black Wing, and escape, right? Sorry, but that's impossible, too. Black Wing can no longer use 'that ability.' We made sure to break it, very thoroughly."

"What a shame."

"And most importantly…" He rose from his chair and grabbed the hunting device that had been leaning against the wall. "You'll never be able to defeat me, the rank-5 Abdul Mohaded—!"

'CRACK!'

I launched myself forward with Devastar, slamming the head of the guy spouting third-rate villain lines into the wall. A tremor ran through the underground prison. Abdul's head smashed through the wall and got stuck there. His hips twitched convulsively before going limp. Ugh, I was going to let him finish, but I just couldn't stand it.

After taking down the guy named Abdul something, I turned my head.

In a cell, a woman was hanging with both arms bound in chains. She had a different feel from the Tanzanians I had seen so far. Her skin tone and features made her look as if she were of mixed heritage.

-Tower Master. This is her.

I nodded and approached.

"Who…"

Her eyes opened, and her words trailed off. She didn't look to be in good shape. The marks of torture were everywhere.

"I'm Kim Yusin, a hunter dispatched from the Alliance forces. Please step back for a moment."

I lifted my right foot, channeled Devastar, and touched it to the prison bars. A black wave exploded, and the bars crumpled and shattered like matchsticks. I then entered the cell and released the restraints binding her arms.

'Thud.'

As soon as the restraints were off, she collapsed weakly.

This was Samia. One of only two certified rank-3 hunters in Tanzania, known by the moniker Black Wing.

"You must be thirsty."

To help her wounds recover as well, I took out a bottle of Red Elixir and offered it to her. She didn't refuse, gulping it down. Soon, some life returned to her hazy eyes.

"I hope what that guard said earlier wasn't true."

Her ability was Teleport. It was one of the world's most famous Unique Abilities, allowing her to instantly move to a desired location. However, even with the same ability, the detailed effects, characteristics, and tendencies varied completely from person to person. According to Karim, who had once assisted her, Samia's specialty was teleporting multiple people and conveying objects over long distances.

"…What's the plan?" she asked.

"After I rescue you from this prison, you bring my comrades here."

If Hong Yeon descended right into the middle of Tanbahimba, the tide of battle would turn, no questions asked.

"Sorry, but I'd advise you not to have such high expectations of me." She took off the helmet with its strange wires. "This is a device that scrambles a person's brain with special frequencies."

"…Ah."

I'd heard of it. A device sometimes used to nullify the Unique Abilities of hunters who had committed heinous crimes. I'd also heard that some research labs had tried putting it on non-combat ability users to induce a mutation in their powers, but instead of a new ability, they just ended up as imbeciles.

"I don't know how my ability might have changed." She placed the empty potion bottle on her palm. Then, with a tense expression, she used Teleport.

The empty bottle vanished, reappearing at the other end of the corridor with a clatter.

"…Hmph." Her expression darkened. Was something wrong?

I watched quietly as she used Teleport several more times. For five minutes, she diagnosed her condition.

"I'm finished," she concluded. "My teleportation range for objects has been drastically reduced. The distance I can move my own body has increased, but with this output, simultaneous teleportation with others is impossible."

Her voice was filled with despair.

"Worst of all, I've lost my legs. I can't feel a thing."

At those words, my own heart sank. A weakened ability output, and on top of that, paralysis in her lower body from the aftereffects of torture.

She squeezed her eyes shut and spoke in a voice laced with frustration.

"My life as a hunter is now over."

* * *

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