After that, Kaito went for his martial arts training. Once he finished an hour of practice, he continued with basic sword techniques and the Wind Veil Steps. Together, the training lasted a total of four hours. Afterward, he took a shower, returned to the RV, stepped into his gaming cabin, and logged back into Glory.
As soon as he materialized back in South Glade Town, a message popped up from his second uncle that He had already found the small accounts Kaito had asked for.
Kaito quickly sent a reply, telling him to send those small accounts directly to the Forging Life Guild. A moment later, another message arrived.
Nina is leading them toward the Forging Life Guild.
Seeing this, Kaito gave a small nod and immediately made his way to the Forging Life guild at top speed.
Before entering, however, he paused. To avoid being recognized, he unequipped his blades and slipped the Mask of Nocturnis over his face. His appearance shifted instantly into one of the random passerby identities he had used before. Satisfied, he walked calmly inside.
The Forging Life Guild was bustling with activity. Players haggled over equipment, guild lifestyle players received stacks of materials for forging, and independent forgers chatted among themselves while some renting the forging rooms at the reception. Kaito ignored the noise and quietly chose a seat in the corner of the waiting area, sitting still as if he were just another ordinary customer.
From there, he sent a message to Nina, instructing her to bring the group directly inside.
A few minutes later, Nina entered, leading seven or eight players behind her. They followed her closely as they stepped into the guild hall looking around curiously.
Because the place was crowded and Kaito had already transformed into his passerby disguise, none of them recognized him. He remained seated quietly in the corner, observing them.
Then, with a subtle motion, Kaito activated the mask's ability. His expression shifted again and again as he copied the appearances of the eight players Nina had brought. One by one, their faces were stored in the Mask of Nocturnis, secured as new disguises only he could access.
When he was done, he sent Nina another message. "Pay them their money and supervise them as they delete their accounts."
Nina blinked, visibly confused. "Huh? I didn't do anything," she muttered.
But Kaito repeated his instructions firmly. Reluctantly, she nodded and carried out the task.
The group of eight players also looked puzzled at first, but once Nina explained that all they had to do was delete their current accounts, to receive 200 credits each, they agreed without complaint.
"Where else could you find such a good deal?" one of them said, grinning. "Thank you, boss. Remember to call us again if you have more work like this."
One by one, their bodies dissolved into white light as they deleted their accounts. Unlike normal logouts, which left avatars fading out gradually, account deletion erased them instantly, their figures scattering into particles that dissipated in the air.
The sight drew the attention of nearby players. Curious gazes turned towards their group, whispers passing through the crowd. Why were these players deleting their accounts so suddenly? What was happening here?
Nina, however, followed Kaito's earlier instruction perfectly. She had already distanced herself from the group before the commotion began, acting as though she had nothing to do with them. Blending into the crowd, she watched quietly from the side.
As the last figure faded away, the guild hall slowly returned to its usual rhythm. Players shook their heads, muttered among themselves, then went back to their business.
Kaito then removed his disguise, letting the mask restore his usual face. He walked over to Nina calmly.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "Brother Kaito, when did you get here? I was sure you weren't inside when I first came in."
Her curiosity had been piqued even more by his strange instructions. The more bizarre the matter, the more confidential it clearly was.
Kaito gave her a faint smile. "I just got a prop. I needed their faces for it."
As he spoke, his features shifted rapidly, transforming into the appearances of the eight players he had copied. In a matter of seconds, he had cycled through every one of them before reverting back to himself.
Nina's eyes went wide. Now she understood what Kaito had really wanted. A piece of equipment like this was far from ordinary. Even the strongest guilds would consider themselves lucky if they obtained something like the Mask of Nocturnis. Such rare props often required ten or fifteen days of continuous effort to acquire. In some cases, it could take a guild an entire year.
And yet, here Kaito stood before her, using it with ease.
Because she had been following him in dungeon runs, she knew roughly what he had been doing. He spent his time either forging or fighting. She had never seen him attempt to farm rare props or chase after hidden quests. She couldn't even imagine when he had gotten his hands on such an item.
Still, there was no denying it. With this mask, Kaito could become almost untouchable. Unless someone had the rare ability to track a soul directly, no one would be able to deal with him.
Kaito's expression hardened slightly. "Keep this matter confidential. And don't cooperate with those eight people in the future. When I become famous, they might suddenly remember this moment, and it could cause trouble."
Nina nodded quickly. She understood. The mask was too valuable, and the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
…
After making sure most of his matters were handled, Kaito realized there was still one last thing left before leaving for Astralis City. He had yet to claim his reward from Viscount Elrick for completing the quest Shadows in the Mist the mission to uncover the spy of the Demon cult in South Glade Town.
Back then, after their battle with Elder Faelion, he had been pressed for time. He needed to log out quickly and hunt the tiger monster before his session ended. Because of that rush, he had completely forgotten to return to Viscount Elrick for the reward.
Now, before heading to Astralis, he decided it was best to settle this unfinished matter.
Kaito then made his way through the streets of South Glade and soon arrived at Viscount Elrick's mansion. Guards in polished armor saluted as he walked past other players, and directly entered the great doors which were opened to admit him. Inside the hall, he found Viscount Elrick seated in his usual place, a composed figure radiating authority.
"My Lord Viscount." Kaito stepped forward and performed a noble salute. Though it seemed like an unnecessary courtesy, he knew better. These small gestures often helped build closer ties with important NPCs.
The Viscount's face brightened when he saw him. "Raen, my strong warrior," he said warmly. "Thank you so much this time. If it weren't for you, I would never have discovered that spies of the Demon Cult had infiltrated even the church."
Though Elrick's expression carried relief, there was also a trace of worry in his eyes. Still, he waved his hand and continued. "By the way, here is your well-earned reward. I hope you will continue to work hard and contribute to the kingdom."
A system prompt appeared immediately in Kaito's vision:
[System Notification]
You have completed the mission: Shadows in the Mist.
Rewards: Temple Badge, 1500 EXP, 50 Silver Coins, 50 Honor Points, and Guardian's Aegis.
"A silver necklace?" Kaito was startled. This quest was incredibly difficult, so the bonus had to be substantial. But since the quest reward already included a Temple Badge, Kaito didn't hold out much hope, considering bronze equipment would be good enough.
To his surprise, it turned out to be a Level 20 Silver Necklace, with incredibly impressive stats!
Then Another prompt followed right after,
[System Notification]
You are already at Level 20. No further experience points can be added. All excess EXP has been transferred into the Experience Pool.
Experience Pool: 1500 / 50,000.
Kaito's eyes narrowed slightly. His experience pool capacity had expanded significantly after Level 10, from 10,000 to 50,000. Then he directly ignored it knowing that it will be fine after he teleported to the Astralis city, once again turning his attention to the stats of the necklace.