Chapter 67

Late at night.

From one of the tents that had fallen silent after the commotion, two shadows silently slipped out.

The shadows crossed the embankment and quietly began walking through the grass of the blood-sucking plants.

After advancing to a certain distance, they suddenly stopped, and one of the shadows activated the magic technique <Wind Perception>.

The twin siblings of the Cuihua clan, confirming there were no pursuers, nodded to each other without a word and then summoned the wind with <Wind Speed Formation>.

With the wind at their backs, Tapa and Tari dashed across the embankment bathed in starlight and quickly reached their destination.

Approaching the log cabin where light was leaking out, Tari gently shook the hanging bell without making it ring.

A slight vibration without a sound was produced.

This was a signal that only the species with feathers on their heads could understand.

After a while, the sound of the door latch being removed echoed.

The twins, who entered as if pushing their way in, walked to the reception area after confirming that only one person was inside.

Then they threw the blue fragment they were holding at the person who had let them in.

"... What's going on, Rishi?"

"... Why did you do such a thing?"

The fragment of the magic crystal stone was something the twins had found and secretly picked up on the riverbank after the commotion earlier in the day.

In response to the brothers' questions, which accused him of being the one who had invited the evil spirits of the red water, the youngest, who managed the outpost, exhaled softly and replied.

"Oh, what a rare item. Unfortunately, I can't buy it with just this."

"... Don't play dumb. That riverbank is always under our watch."

"... No one else could have placed this without being noticed."

Under the piercing gazes of Tapa and Tari, Rishi shrugged his shoulders dramatically.

Then, without a hint of remorse, he readily admitted to the crime.

"This was quite expensive. I was hoping for a good harvest, but nothing?"

"... You've changed."

"... You're willing to kill people so easily."

"No, no, it's just a warning. Well, it might end up being a sad incident, but if they die in battle, it's what adventurers hope for, right?"

The twins, peering into their younger brother's eyes, were convinced that these were his true words.

At the same time, they felt deep sorrow at the precarious light in his eyes.

Nodding to each other, the twins spoke their words of farewell to their blood-related kin.

"... I won't cooperate any further."

"... If something like this happens again, I'll take it to the Temple of Justice."

"Is that fine? Even if you go against the head of the family?"

"... I've already abandoned the name of the Shensui family."

"... Do as you please. We are just Tapa and Tari now."

The twins turned on their heels, silently pulled the door, and disappeared into the night.

After their presence had completely vanished, Rishi, still holding the fragment of the rain crystal stone, slammed his fist onto the counter.

Rishi was a former Red Iron-class adventurer.

Admiring his talented brothers and aspiring to follow the same path, he came to this border town a few years ago.

But the hopeful young man was met with the sad reality of his own limitations.

The magic technique Rishi was granted was only the branch of <Wind Conceal>, which allowed him to hide his presence from monsters.

However, the quick-witted young man took on the role of scout and surprise attacker, eventually leading the party.

But that changed when he came to this blood-flowing river.

As his companions gradually grew stronger through battles with dangerous monsters, Rishi's wind spirit tree showed no signs of change.

He repeatedly prayed for the level of the <Wind Conceal> branch to increase, but no other branch skills emerged, and eventually, the single lower branch reached its limit at the seventh level.

This marked the end of Rishi's adventuring career.

A hidden adventurer with no other abilities was of no use.

When the young man, who had trusted his companions, was told this, he retired from adventuring in deep despair.

Fortunately, his friendly personality allowed him to start his career as an adventurer bureau staff member smoothly.

The young Cuihua clan member, who was promoted steadily, eventually took up a position at the outpost of the hunting ground by the blood-flowing river, where he had been betrayed.

There, Rishi learned that his former companions, who had rushed ahead relying on their talents, had vanished without a trace.

The endless emptiness of the fate of the young men who had rushed ahead relying on their talents left Rishi feeling hollow.

He also felt intense anger at their easy abandonment of what he had so desperately sought.

After seeing many young adventurers come to this blood-flowing river and hastily graduate, Rishi reached a conclusion.

The more talented a person, the more likely they are to be溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺溺