Jack Harper paused. "There's no village in that direction. Is it a demon or an Awakened Being?"
Though he'd only been in this mission world for seven or eight days, he'd picked up a few secrets. Demons tended to infiltrate human settlements, while Awakened Beings—once human themselves—often lived in isolation for various reasons.
But Flora replied, "It's a demon. Let's go check."
With that, she darted into the forest. Jack Harper quickly followed.
Deep in the woods, there were indeed demons—five of them, not just one. And the reason they had gathered was obvious: hunting humans.
Yet their target didn't seem like someone who could be easily overpowered. That much was clear from the blood-soaked wounds on two of the demons.
"Hehehe… Little mouse, come out. Your traps are useless now. Let us feast on your liver."
Though injured, the demons didn't believe their prey could escape. The lead demon cackled as the group spread out into a formation, closing in on a large tree. The scent of blood alone was enough to reveal the target's hiding place.
Just as they approached the tree, a sharp whoosh rang out. Seven or eight sharpened branches shot down like javelins. Three demons were hit. One unlucky demon had a branch pierce through its left eye and into its brain. It collapsed, convulsing violently. Though not dead yet, it was beyond saving.
"Damn it!" The previously smug demon circled the trunk, only to find a bloodstained shirt and a vine trigger mechanism. Footprints led deeper into the forest. "We're going after him!"
But just as they started to move, the dying demon suddenly let out a final cry: "He's in the tree!"—and died.
The remaining four demons turned in unison. A sigh came from above. A figure leapt down from the branches, holding a sharpened wooden staff.
It was the human they'd been hunting.
He had successfully tricked the demons, but fate had betrayed him. One of his own traps had revealed his location in the final moments of a dying demon's struggle. Now, caught off guard, he was likely doomed.
But just as despair set in, a voice rang out from the forest. A young male voice said, "Leave these to me."
Then came a massive blue arc of energy.
Thwack-thwack!
In an instant, the four demons that had hunted him all day were sliced in half.
Flora stepped out of the woods, watching Jack Harper finish off the demons ahead of her. She gave him a look of mild exasperation—he was always eager to steal kills.
Then she turned to the boy who had been hunted.
He looked no older than sixteen, possibly even younger than Jack Harper's apparent age. Black hair, black eyes, strange clothing. But the strangest thing was what he said upon seeing Jack Harper:
"You're a Samsara Adventurer!"
"Hi, I'm Elliot Gray."
"I'm a newcomer from the Dark Oath side."
"But we were abandoned. My teammates scattered, and I've been chased by demons ever since."
"What? How do I know you're a Samsara Adventurer? That battle axe you're holding is Sorrow of the Shadow, right? Especially that metal ram skull embedded in the hilt—it's identical to Frostmourne. It even glows blue and radiates cold. There's no way you're a native of this world."
"Right. They told me your mission is to kill all of us. But you saved me. So even if you kill me now, I won't complain. It's still better than being eaten alive by demons."
Jack Harper rubbed his temples, staring at the skinny boy who called himself Elliot Gray.
He'd planned to keep a low profile, yet one glance and this kid had figured him out. At that moment, Jack Harper felt incredibly stupid.
Still, his evaluation of this enemy rookie was quite high.
After all, being chased by five demons built like martial artists, surviving for a full day, and even killing one with a trap? That was far beyond what an average person could do. Even a special forces soldier or international mercenary might not manage it.
And through their conversation, Jack Harper learned that Elliot wasn't some battle-hardened fighter or elite assassin—just a student who loved reading.
That made it even more impressive.
All the traps Elliot had used were things he'd read about in books and figured out on the fly within a single day.
Jack Harper blinked, suddenly recalling something one of his old teachers had said:
"In this world, you'll eventually meet one or two geniuses who make you question your own worth. To live happily, you'll have to forget they exist. Otherwise, you might as well go jump off a cliff."
Clearly, Elliot Gray was one of those geniuses.
Fortunately, this was the Samsara Space—where anything was possible and everyone walked their own path. Jack Harper, who had already found his direction, didn't need to envy a newcomer just starting out.
"Hello, rookie. As you've guessed, I'm your team's designated enemy. You can call me… hmm… Rime."
Jack Harper had been about to give his real name, but then remembered how the veterans in his first mission world all used code names. He didn't fully understand why, but it seemed to be a widely accepted practice among Samsara Adventurers, so he improvised.
"According to the mission, I'm supposed to eliminate all members of your adventurer squad. But I don't need to kill you—because by the rules, rookies aren't considered part of the squad. Only if you survive your first mission will you shed the 'rookie' label and be called an adventurer. And only after joining a team or forming your own to take on mission worlds will you be considered a veteran. So, in short, you're not my target."
When Jack Harper explained this, Elliot thought for a moment, then nodded.
"So the Samsara Space treats the first mission as a trial—an evaluation for rookies. Veterans assess which newcomers have potential, and rookies assess the veterans. That way, teams form more organically, avoiding forced groupings that lead to internal conflict. But the veterans deliberately hide this fact, creating the illusion that everyone's in it together, so rookies don't act recklessly and mess up the storyline. It's a smart system."
Jack Harper sighed, once again embarrassed by his own intelligence.
He'd only figured this out days after completing his first mission world. Elliot had grasped it instantly and even deduced the implications.
Jack Harper thought again: if this kid survived in the Samsara Space, he might become terrifyingly strong.
But other people's futures weren't Jack Harper's concern. His real problem was surviving the curse of Styxian Vengeance.
So he continued, "So by the rules, I don't have to kill you. But to make sure you're not a spy sent by the other side, I have every reason to kill you. Even though you showed me your Samsara Book, I don't know if there's a way to fake its effects. So I propose a deal: if you give me enough intel, I'll help you survive this mission. But if I catch you lying, I'll kill you."
"No problem. Ask away."
"First, tell me about the Dark Oath members you've met. You're smart—you know what I'm looking for. Then share what you know about this world. I'll compare it with my own intel, so be careful."
"Alright. From what I've seen, there are five veteran members of Dark Oath…"
Talking to a smart person is both easy and difficult. Easy because they know what you want and skip the fluff. Difficult because you can't tell how much of what they say is true or false. And a smart person who tells only the truth is even scarier—because they can use pure truth to mislead you toward their own goals.
Regardless, Jack Harper learned things he hadn't known—from the world's main storyline and history to glimpses of its future. Thankfully, Elliot Gray was a voracious reader, not just of academic texts but also comics and light novels. Jack Harper's fear that he might be a narrow-minded bookworm proved unfounded.
"So the protagonist Clare has already headed toward the Western Abyss territory and will soon meet 'Western Loli.' Meanwhile, the Dark Oath squad is sending people to connect with the Noodle Abyss. Looks like they're betting the Samsara Book will issue a mission involving conflict in the 'Northern War.'" Jack Harper summarized the intel.
Elliot Gray nodded. "Exactly. Mission worlds based on movies, TV, comics, or novels always have peaks and valleys. The climax is where all the intense conflict converges—and the core of danger. I don't know the purpose of the Samsara Space, but it's safe to assume it wants to push us into peril. So if you understand the story, predicting the mission isn't hard."
"And then the 'Northern War' breaks out, and Flora gets sliced in half from head to toe by that 'Silver-Eyed Lion King'? What kind of twisted manga author came up with that? Flora's such a good person—how could she die so horribly?" Jack Harper asked in disbelief.
Elliot Gray shrugged. "Actually, it gets much worse. The author of this manga is a sadist. He delights in brutally killing off characters and tormenting readers. My favorite, Sister Teresa, was decapitated after losing an arm. Around the Northern War, dozens of stunningly beautiful Claymore warriors die in grotesque ways. The popular cold-hearted 'Silver-Eyed Lion King' gets hacked to pieces. The dashing 'Northern Horse' Illyse is dismembered and eaten alive by a horde of female zombies. The icy beauties of the 'Black Twins' get their heads swatted off like flies. And the tragic couple 'Western Loli' and her husband are sliced into ribbons right after their wedding. Basically, the more popular the character, the more horrific their death."
Just as Jack Harper began to doubt the truth of this, his Samsara Book suddenly activated.
It displayed:
World:Claymore (Manga Version) (Medieval Fantasy / Light Magic) Challenge Level: Upper Silver Tier
Mission:
Survive for 60 days.Reward: 1,000 Survival PointsProtect the Claymore warriors in Piet Town during the "Northern War."Failure Conditions:No.47 Clare dies or AwakensFewer than 7 warriors (excluding Clare) survive; Awakened Beings count as deadReward: 3,000 Survival PointsBonus: 300 points per additional surviving warriorPenalty for Failure: 15,000 Survival Points deducted from Adventurer
At the same time, Elliot Gray said, "Ah, my mission just popped up too."
Jack Harper asked, "What's your mission?"
Elliot replied, "Just as we guessed—protect the 'Silver-Eyed Lion King' Rigaldo and his Awakened Being army during their southward march. If Rigaldo dies or fewer than ten members of his army survive, the mission fails. But here's something interesting: the penalty says '30,000 Survival Points deducted from Adventurer,' yet my status still labels me as a 'Rookie.' I wonder if the penalty actually applies to me?"
"So it's conflicting, yet not mutually exclusive. That's what a competitive mission looks like?" Jack Harper mused, unaware that the same information could spark different insights in different minds.
"Perfect. Our bait has taken the hook," said a wild-haired Alchemist, snapping his fingers.
At that moment, the Dark Oath squad wasn't fully assembled. The bearded leader in ancient garb and the golden-armored youth known as Goldflash were absent. Only Lady of the Night and the bespectacled girl Elise were present.
Hearing the Alchemist's words, Lady of the Night asked skeptically, "You're that confident we've caught him?"
The Alchemist smiled. "It's just pattern recognition. In competitive mission worlds, it's rare but not unheard of for the Samsara Book to delay issuing missions. If you analyze the cases, there's only one reason: one side's members are completely unfamiliar with the mission world. I don't know how the Samsara Book verifies this, but I do know that the person we're targeting hasn't read the Claymore manga or watched the anime. So the mission had to wait until he learned the relevant information—ensuring fairness. Of course, if he never learns it, the mission will still be issued before the Northern War begins. That just means he wasn't capable of surviving."
Lady of the Night pressed further. "How do you know he got the info from our bait? Couldn't he have learned it from a native of this world?"
The Alchemist scoffed. "Impossible. We've been monitoring all the Claymores destined to join the Northern War. Since the Organization 'Staff' hasn't even begun preparing for the mission, if he knows the future, he must've met our bait. Otherwise, how could he know what's coming? Now we know he's a rookie and has made contact with our bait. The rest is up to you, Lady of the Night. Whether you reel him in or not is your job."
"Hmph. I don't need your concern."
Lady of the Night turned away, closed her eyes, and meditated briefly. Then she said, "Found him. Bait No.7—the skinny boy is with the target. The target looks young, sixteen or seventeen… Damn it, he's holding the axe Brandon Caswell commissioned from your teacher. Disgusting. He even stole Brandon Caswell's favorite death steed. They're discussing how to deal with us… Hmph. I've decided, Alchemist—when he falls into our trap, I'll handle him personally."
"That won't do, Lady of the Night. We agreed—"
She cut him off, her voice cold and vicious. "I don't want any reward. I just want his life."
"Then it's fine." The Alchemist shrugged, smiling indifferently.
Elise suddenly spoke. "Alchemist Brother, this world is huge. How can you be sure that out of ten rookies, one would run into the person who killed Brandon Caswell's brother so quickly?"
The Alchemist smiled. "It's just one of the Samsara Space's unwritten rules. Our entry points into mission worlds are random, but not without logic. The location must allow us to quickly engage with the storyline—ensuring the mission unfolds. Since we guessed the mission would place the target on the Claymore side, he must've been dropped somewhere advantageous. Most likely, near a Claymore who would participate in the Northern War. Otherwise, if the war starts and he hasn't earned their trust, how could he complete the mission?"
Seeing Elise nod, the Alchemist continued, "And if he didn't meet a Claymore, then what? That's why I believe his drop point must be near Piet Town, where the Northern War will occur. That way, even if he doesn't meet a Claymore, he can still prepare. Based on this, and knowing which Claymores will join the war, plus intel from our information network on their patrol zones, we narrowed it down. Only two zones fit: No.8 Windcutter Flora and No.13 Undine. And since we can track their movements, all that's left is to bait our ten rookies and cast the line. Now we wait for a bite."
Elise asked again, "Will the rookie lure the guy who killed Brandon Caswell's brother back?"
The Alchemist smiled. "It's not deception. The intel we gave the rookie is all true. So the target will definitely come. He just doesn't know his every move is under our control. In the end, he'll walk right into our trap."
Meanwhile, Jack Harper had just finished his discussion with Elliot Gray and was deep in thought.
According to Elliot's account, the so-called "Northern War" was nothing more than a tragic clash between two groups of sacrificial pawns.
In the story, the Northern Abyss "Silver King" Illyse, for reasons still unknown, decided to challenge the Southern Abyssal Queen Lucienne. To prevent interference from the Organization "Staff" and the Western Abyss Livru, he sent all thirty of his Awakened Beings southward in two groups—east and west—as bait.
He secretly took Priscilla and circled around to the south.
The Organization, upon discovering the southbound Awakened Beings, dispatched twenty-four Claymores to block their exit at Piet Town.
But the real goal was to use the Awakened Beings to eliminate rebellious Claymores. The Claymores had no chance of winning.
In the end, thanks to Clare's explosive semi-Awakening, they managed to kill Rigaldo, the Awakened general. But only seven Claymores survived by faking their deaths.
Later, the eastern group of Awakened Beings was wiped out in minutes by the "Black Twins" prepared by the Organization.
Now that Jack Harper knew the plot, his problems had doubled.
On one side, the Dark Oath squad—armed with two Upper Silver veterans—was watching his every move.
On the other, a boss-level Upper Silver Awakened Being was leading thirty Silver and Bronze-tier subordinates toward Piet Town.
And Jack Harper's mission was to find a sliver of hope between these two forces.
Not easy.
He could guess the Dark Oath squad's strategy: help the Awakened Beings massacre the Claymores in Piet Town, then escort enough survivors through the Western Abyss. If "Western Loli" tried to block them, they'd either negotiate or distract her with intel about "Northern Horse's" real plan.
But what could Jack Harper do to break the deadlock?
Waiting for the Northern War to begin and fighting head-on was suicide.
He'd be crushed—not by four hands, but four hundred bear paws.
The Claymores' combat strength wasn't promising either. Fewer than half had experience fighting Awakened Beings. Only three were top-ranked: No.6 Phantom Miria, No.8 Windcutter Flora, and No.9 Spiral Sword Jean. Aside from the strongest, Miria, the others were no match for the Silver-Eyed Lion King—he could kill them in a single strike.
Of course, if the protagonist Clare went into semi-Awakening, she'd become incredibly powerful. But semi-Awakening teeters on the edge of full Awakening, and Jack Harper wasn't about to stake his future on her protagonist halo.