Chapter 10

Chapter 4. Take My Hand – Part 2

The guy made me extremely uncomfortable.

For a moment, it felt like something in my head snapped.

And then.

Whoosh!

My body shot forward like a spring.

I had entered a state of instant acceleration using the 3rd Class Haste spell.

“Huh?”

I heard Ched's flustered voice.

Ched, who had lost track of my movements, was frantically looking around.

But I was already quietly standing behind him.

Without any hesitation, I aimed at the back of his head and cast the 1st Class Magic Missile spell.

It was the most basic spell, but also the fastest and easiest to use.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

“Ugh! Cough! Gasp!”

Ched groaned as he received the Magic Missile spheres without any defense, right on the back of his head.

At the same time, his body wobbled, and he lost his balance.

Swish!

I immediately drew the sword I had been carrying for self-defense.

When the opponent is in a state where they can't fight back, sword skills are sometimes more effective than spells that take a bit of time to cast.

Just because I'm a mage doesn't mean I always have to use magic. That's just being overly stubborn about the rules.

Crack!

I grabbed Ched's hair and placed the blade of the sword at his throat.

Swoosh!

I mercilessly slashed it horizontally.

“Gasp. Gasp. Gasp...”

Ched struggled, spitting out blood, unable to even form words.

“Use this to light your way to the afterlife.”

I cast a Fireball and, lifting Ched's trembling mouth, pushed the burning fireball into his mouth.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Ched's head turned into a giant burning mass and soon burned brightly.

His breath was cut off.

When Ched died, my level instantly jumped up by 3.

When dealing with the 'minions' of the organization, the experience gained was minimal, but it seemed that capturing a leader like him was worth it.

“Eek, the boss is dead!”

“Everyone, run!”

As Ched lost his life, his subordinates, having lost their fighting spirit, began to flee.

However, I had already placed soldiers at the mine's exits and entrances.

And I had already completed a preliminary exploration of the secret passages that inevitably accompanied such mines.

So, I had already placed troops there as well.

They couldn't escape.

The only choice was whether they would die quickly or slowly.

Ched's organization was not just a criminal group but a vicious one.

Since they committed murders and kidnappings for slave trading, there was no need to capture them alive.

The situation in the underground mine was quickly resolved.

After eliminating all of Ched's remaining members and capturing all the buyers who had come for illegal transactions as prisoners,

a system message notification appeared.

'Saving up quests and then completing them all at once really pays off. This is the art of quest management! Completing them all at once to directly pull out a small golden key!'

This would ensure that I wouldn't have to worry about the loyalty of the citizens for a while.

With the production bonus from the golden key, I could rest easy for a month.

During the cleanup,

I examined the people who had been trapped in the underground mine.

Originally, I had planned to go out into the city to inspect and look for promising talents.

But it turned out that quite a few people were captured and imprisoned in the mine.

I thought I might find some good talent here too. After all, talent can be found anywhere.

However, disappointingly, most of them were ordinary people.

Just level 1 with basic stats.

On the other hand, it made sense.

Given their level, they would have been easily captured by criminals and trapped here.

As I watched the people, who were explaining their situations and being escorted by the security forces to return to their families,

“...”

I noticed a girl who was standing still in the prison, staring at me blankly.

In fact, I had felt her gaze since entering the mine.

She had been continuously examining me with a curious expression.

Was it curiosity? Or was there a reason?

I naturally scanned her information.

'Wow, despite her young age, her perseverance has already reached S-rank, which means she has an extremely strong ability to endure pain and trials. A promising talent! What a find!'

I was interested in Lena's tenacious perseverance.

Not only that, but I also paid attention to her general tendencies.

Unlike special tendencies that are not easily recognized, general tendencies indicate one's usual aspirations. They are conscious.

The fact that a young girl is interested in challenges and growth means she is always ready for new stimuli or training.

She is just trapped here due to her current situation.

'A promising talent. Definitely a promising talent!'

I couldn't help but smile, thinking I had found hidden talent.

However, to avoid any misunderstanding—since my smile could be misinterpreted in countless ways—I approached her slowly and calmly.

Fortunately, she seemed more curious than wary. She then spoke first.

“Are you the lord...?”

“Yes. I am Jared, the lord of Crevia. What's your name?”

I already knew her name through my Insight but pretended not to know to avoid revealing my abilities.

“Lena, Jizel, Ellis.”

The moment she said her full name,

a memory flashed through my mind, and I felt a chill down my spine.

Lena is a common name in the world of this game.

But there is only one Lena Jizel Ellis.

Lena of the Wall of Lament.

The woman who will stand at the forefront of the Demon King's army in the great battle ten years from now.

The main antagonist who will first challenge the protagonist in the main story!

She was right here.

'If you stand in the position of an extra, you can connect fates in such a way!'

I realized.

From the perspective of an extra, and before the main story begins,

you can discover characters who will later become significant figures in the main story.

Lena of the Wall of Lament.

The strongest tank who could withstand the attacks of hundreds of players with a smile, never backing down.

The fortress she guarded was said to be impenetrable, making her an excellent defender for the Demon King's army.

But now, she is just a pitiful girl trapped in an underground mine.

There must have been a turning point in her life over the next ten years.

Most likely, it involved the Demon King's temptation or the schemes of demons hiding in the human world.

If that's the case, she is still beyond their reach now.

If she had been recruited or influenced by demons,

there would have been a clear indication in her status window, which I had already checked.

One of the named characters of the future is right here!

I wanted to talk to Lena immediately.

But looking at her pale face and chapped lips, it seemed she hadn't had proper food and water for a long time.

Moreover, she didn't seem to have a place to go, as she didn't try to leave like the others.

I immediately gave an order to Laxis.

“Laxis, prepare some bread and water for Lena. If possible, some meat soup as well.”

“Yes, I have some left over from before, so I'll bring it right away. It should still be warm.”

“Thank you.”

He faithfully followed the order.

I took Lena's hand and said,

“Why don't you lean back a bit? I'll check you over first. Just hold my hand tightly.”

Her hand, hardened from long suffering, felt like the bark of an old tree.

“Ah.”

I heard a trembling voice from Lena as she held my hand.

I stroked her head to reassure her and carefully cast the Heal spell.

Although my mana was not abundant, it was sufficient for a 1st Class Heal.

“Can you see the white light? As it naturally seeps into your body, your stamina will increase. Can you feel the warm energy?”

“Yes, I can feel it. Thank you so much. I never dreamed that a lord would show interest in an orphan like me.”

Lena's eyes welled up with tears.

Her old, worn clothes, the stale smell from her body, and her matted hair all indicated that she hadn't been cared for in a long time.

I asked gently,

“Where were you? Do you have a place to return to?”

“I was in an orphanage. But... I don't want to go back. The director sold me to the mine.”

“What?”

I was shocked.

Due to frequent wars, there were many orphans in the Nas continent, and there were more orphanages than expected.

Orphanages receive various forms of support and operate relatively smoothly. They also receive considerable donations from philanthropists.

But selling a child from an orphanage to a mine?

That was something that could only happen if the director was completely blinded by money!

“I have nowhere to go. I need to find a way to survive. It's okay. I only have my body, so if I work hard, I'll be fine!”

Lena answered brightly, hiding her dark mood.

In such a dire situation, a person's general tendencies usually shift towards survival, resentment, or anger.

After all, the director of the orphanage she trusted had sold her to a mine where slave trading took place.

But Lena was different.

‘This might be for the best. I should take her in and prevent the Demon King's influence from reaching her. This way, I can prepare for the great battle and have a promising talent as my vassal instead of the Demon King’s.’

I made a quick decision.

To me, who was looking for talent to cultivate, Lena seemed like a perfect 'seedling.'

I didn't want to let her go.