The familiar, damp air of the upper catacombs felt different to Greem now
Thinner, less charged with the negative energy of the Skull Temple. There, he had felt the meditation technique several times more efficient than usual, a boost that could not be explained by his talent grade increase alone. The catacombs, and the presence of a wyvern in its depth, increased the concentration of shadow elemental particles. It was a paradise for shadow elemental acolytes like him.
He moved with the silent, predatory grace the Dusk Hound breathing technique had etched into his muscles, the chest of magical beast cores a light burden on his back. His mind was already in Lunia, calculating the profits to be made at the Dark Market.
Then, the sounds of battle reached him—not the crude clashes of murlocs, but the sharp ring of steel on steel and guttural chants. He slowed, melting into the shadows of a rocky outcrop and peering down into a larger cavern.
The scene was both a complication and a gift.
Vanessa was there, at the center of the fray. But she was not the same warrior who had fallen to a mere [Icicle], a month ago. Her movements were sharper, more economical. She wielded her greatsword with a newfound ferocity, and when a murloc shaman hurled a bolt of corrosive water, her skin flashed a dull, stony grey. The spell splashed harmlessly against her. Her swordsmanship was decent too. She had progressed too.
[Vanessa Tyrien - Lv. 6 Acolyte - Body Refinement Path]
[Spell Detected: Rock Skin]
She had mastered the spell. His advice, and likely the defeat, had borne some fruit..
And then he saw Emma. Captain Emma Carlister, her green hair a vivid streak in the gloom, was a whirlwind of motion. She moved with a speed and power that dwarfed even Vanessa's, her longsword a silver blur as she effortlessly parried the bone-tipped spears of two murloc brutes. Her aura was a palpable force, a controlled storm of life energy.
[Emma Carlister - Lv. 8 Knight]
She had grown stronger, too. Greem felt no envy, only a cold, analytical satisfaction. She was a useful measure of his own progress.
'Vanessa must have swordsmanship proficiency around 40 points...Despite her progress, she is too rough, relying too much on her overwhelming strength. Emma is more refined, but less physically strong, likely due to the lack of magical regents'
The other knights were disciplined, but they were outnumbered and being pressed hard by a pack of murlocs led by two shamans whose spells were disrupting their formations. It was a stalemate tipping towards a bloody defeat.
This was the perfect opportunity. A chance to stage his return, reinforce his cover, and earn goodwill all at once.
He didn't rush in. He assessed. He waited for the moment when one shaman, distracted by Emma's relentless assault, began channeling a larger spell. Greem nocked a bolt into his crossbow, the metal already tinged with the familiar void-like energy.
[Ombre Curse]
He exhaled, a slow Dusk Hound breath, and fired.
The bolt took the shaman in the shoulder. There was no explosive impact, only a silent, draining effect. The murloc's chant died in its throat as its body went rigid, then crumpled, its vitality savagely leeched away.
[Experience gained for defeating Murloc Shaman (Lv. 3). 12 EXP gained.]
The sudden death of their spellcaster caused a ripple of confusion through the murlocs. Emma capitalized instantly, cutting down one of the brutes she was engaged with. Her head snapped up, her knight-sharpened senses pinpointing the origin of the bolt.
Greem stepped out of the shadows.
He looked the part of a survivor who had been through hell. His clothes were torn and stained, his face smudged with dirt and grime. He allowed a mask of exhausted relief to settle on his features. The numerous spars he went through in the previous month had covered his body in fresh wounds too, deep reminders of his relentless training regime that allowed his disciples to grow so much stronger in such a short timeframe.
"Vanessa! Captain Emma!" he called out, his voice hoarse.
Vanessa's head whipped around, her stony face breaking into a look of sheer astonishment. "Greem?! By the gods!"
Emma dispatched her remaining opponent with a final, clean strike and stared, her expression a mixture of shock and dawning relief. "You're alive."
He didn't wait for questions. He raised his crossbow again, his movements swift and precise. "We can talk later. Let's clear this filth first"
With the murlocs' magical support gone and their lines broken by Greem's sudden, deadly flanking attack, the tide turned completely. Between Emma's overwhelming power, Vanessa's unbreakable defense, and Greem's cursed bolts picking off key targets from the shadows, the remaining murlocs were swiftly routed.
As the last creature fell, an expectant silence fell over the cavern, broken only by the heavy breathing of the knights.
Emma walked over to him, her assessing gaze sweeping over him, noting the new hardness in his eyes, the way he held himself—like a soldier, not a scholar.
"You fought well," she said, her voice softer than he'd ever heard it. "Your form... it's improved. Drastically."
"The only way to survive in the dark is to get sharper," Greem replied, meeting her gaze. It wasn't a lie.
Vanessa clapped a heavy hand on his shoulder, a genuine, rare smile on her face. "You have no idea how good it is to see you, kid. We thought you were dead. I couldn't let the one who saved me die in such an unworthy place"
"We need to get you back to the city", Emma stated, her captain's tone returning. "You need rest, and you have a debriefing with the Watch. Your family will be overjoyed."
As they began to move out, Emma fell into step beside him. "When you've recovered," she said, her voice low, "we should resume your training. You've clearly got a talent for this. It would be a waste to let it rust"
Greem nodded, a plan solidifying in his mind. "I'd like that, Captain."
He was back. He had a perfect alibi for his month-long absence, he had reinforced his value to the Town Watch, and he had a mission to execute right under their noses. The game was indeed advancing, and he held more pieces than anyone knew.
Discovery of a sect, which he should not know of in theory. The Black Widow Association would buy his information at a high price, and the Town Watch would too. It would explain the latest disappearances in the vacinity.
Vanessa's eyes wandered back and forth, and nodded. It seems like she understood Willem was nearby. Only, unlike him, his presence would break both their covers. With the monsters dead, it would take a while before any danger would be here. Greem nodded, as if to make her understand he was safe and alive.
Sighing in relief, she went with the flow.
Greem was back.