Chapter 15: The Ninja and the Young Fox

Hani looked utterly bewildered, clearly not understanding why Vinigo was regarding her with such an expression. She glanced around, checked her own hands and boots, but nothing seemed amiss. So, with a carefree shake of her head, she simply followed behind Vinigo without a hint of concern.

Vinigo suppressed a laugh and strode toward the Moon Temple. Before he even reached the entrance, he spotted five or six well-armed men and women loitering near the doorway.

They weren’t all human—there were elves, half-orcs, and dwarves among them.

“A standard ‘Might and Magic VII’ party, isn’t it? Half-orc warrior, dwarf priest, elf mage, human ranger…” Vinigo smiled faintly but did not approach.

That must be the group hired by the Sun Temple, he thought. Judging by appearances, their strength was not inferior to the Merak squad.

“Brother Young Fox, should we join forces with them?” Hani asked.

“No need. They wouldn’t value my abilities anyway,” Vinigo chuckled, turning away from the Moon Temple’s gates.

Seeing the two leave, the four-person party exchanged contemptuous glances. They clearly didn’t take Vinigo seriously.

With his expertise in creature appraisal, the ranger immediately judged Vinigo to be at best a level-six rogue, and his gear looked mediocre. Such strength was nothing to worry about.

Vinigo, likewise, did not pay this team much mind. He didn’t underestimate them, but he certainly placed little weight on their presence.

To challenge the entire Moon Temple, this squad must average above level twenty, with versatile abilities, seamless coordination, and ample combat experience.

Those folks, daring to make a move, were certainly not weak. Yet in Vinigo’s experience, they focused too much on raw damage; they were unlikely to achieve the same feats as the Merak squad.

How long they’d survive would be up to fate.

After a while, more scattered teams arrived, though most were not as formidable as the four-person party.

With greater numbers, their courage seemed to swell, and soon they began advancing into the Moon Temple.

“Brother Young Fox, are we going in?” Hani asked quietly.

“No. In such chaos, your mind magic would be hard to use,” Vinigo explained. “And my skills aren’t suited to a frontal assault. Instead…”

He glanced at the dagger in his hand, a thought striking him.

He’d gained quite a bit of experience recently… By his reckoning, he must have already surpassed the level-five barrier.

Character reset—reconstruction began anew.

Vinigo dismissed his character, reverting to the form of an ordinary human. He drew Hani to sit with him on the rocky shore at the island’s edge, content to watch the unfolding drama.

The four-person squad was first to storm the Moon Temple. The moon cultists, evidently prepared, immediately responded with flashes of magical light as the intruders burst in. Two clouds of deadly poison rushed to meet them.

“Tsk, such feeble clouds of death,” Vinigo scoffed.

The death cloud was an early-level dark magic attack spell. Compared to elemental attacks or the flames of light, the death cloud was potent and could ricochet, devastating in tight spaces—arguably the most practical offensive spell at lower levels.

But for the moon cultists to cast such a weak version of the strongest early attack spell… Vinigo couldn’t help but feel disdain.

Too weak—pitifully so.

The half-orc warrior and dwarf priest raised their shields without hesitation, bracing themselves against the poisonous attack. The elf mage promptly hurled a blazing white sphere, which exploded into five shards of ice, triggering a chain reaction that shattered into even more frost.

An ice burst? And not a low-level one either. Vinigo gauged the elf mage’s power by the devastation wrought by the ice shards.

Quite impressive. Elf mages tended to have solid magical skills and speed, though their endurance was lacking and they were easily injured. In this group, however, the half-orc warrior and dwarf priest provided solid protection, indicating that this team’s combat prowess was not to be underestimated.

“It’s about time,” Vinigo murmured, rising to his feet. Through the Mirror of Self, he could see his character construction cooldown had shortened.

It seemed he had indeed “leveled up.” In that case…

Red headband, breastplate, longsword—he was fully equipped.

Character selected, analysis complete… Reconstruction began. Level nine, Kress Arbein, complete!

Arbein-style sword technique—Clawstrike Thunder Slash!

Vinigo leaped forward, swinging his sword in a blur. A flash of lightning shot through the air, striking at the Moon Temple’s gate. When it hit, a bolt of lightning crashed down from the sky, blossoming into a magnificent blue flower.

Clawstrike Thunder Slash consumed more energy, but its power was formidable and its multiple points of impact made it especially effective against heavily armored foes.

At a single stroke, several moon cultists fell.

Now, everyone took notice of this young man in his new garb. Even the four-person party, who had previously scorned him, couldn’t help but grow solemn.

What a fearsome sword technique! To unleash such power at this range, as if wielding magic! Even the elf mage might not manage such force.

Vinigo advanced with a mysterious air, Hani following behind, struggling not to laugh as she surveyed the surroundings.

“And you are…?” the human ranger from the four-person party inquired.

“There’s no need to introduce myself to the likes of you,” Vinigo replied coolly. “Our goals are the same: to destroy this Moon Temple. So, let’s divide the work.”

“You speak first,” the ranger said.

“The Sunlight Priest is surely watching us. Do more, earn more—it’s only fair,” Vinigo said languidly. “The Moon Priest is strongest and best guarded. I’ll join your team of four to take him on. The others should split into two groups, each drawing the defenders to the left and right, and make for the two underground storerooms to claim the spoils.”

“We have no objections,” said the ranger.

The others agreed as well; it didn’t sound like a difficult task, and though the loot in the storerooms was a gamble, it was worth a shot.

Vinigo recalled that the Moon Temple had nothing of special interest to him, except for the Moon Priest’s cloak.

That cloak boasted considerable defensive properties and could enhance the power of dark magic. Its practical value far surpassed that of the other spoils.

Vinigo was determined to claim it.

“Shall I take the lead?” Vinigo asked. The four-person party hesitated briefly and shook their heads, sending the half-orc warrior to the front.

Vinigo did not press the matter. He knew the team feared he might rush ahead and defeat the Moonlight Priest—the Moon Temple’s high priest—claiming the cloak for himself. In truth, Vinigo knew that while Clawstrike Thunder Slash was powerful, it consumed significant resources, and he did not intend to use it recklessly.

Along the way, he relied on basic sword techniques and the Swallow’s Double Kick to dispatch foes. Hani, following behind, used only one divine spell: Pacify Hostility.

Those affected by Pacify Hostility would not attack Vinigo or Hani, but since the four-person party were not considered “allies” by Hani, they still had to rely on their own swords and spells to overcome enemies.

Thus, Vinigo advanced with ease, while the four-person party pressed forward against a barrage of poison clouds, frost arrows, and biting swarms.

They soon became battered and bruised, with the dwarf priest all but abandoning offense and defense to focus entirely on healing himself and his teammates.

By contrast, Vinigo periodically unleashed a Demonic Sword, finishing off enemies who had grievously wounded the four-person party, or used the Swallow’s Double Kick to send assailants flying.

He rarely used Clawstrike Thunder Slash, as it depleted his mercury stores—and using it here would be wasteful.

Against knights in full plate, however, Clawstrike Thunder Slash was a peerless finishing move.

“Foolish mortals, how dare you defile the glory of the moonlit night! Prepare to die!” came an enraged roar from the depths of the Moon Temple. A terrifying Dragon’s Breath spell surged forth.

It was not true dragonfire, but its destructive power rivaled any dragon’s—it was the most concentrated offensive spell in dark magic; within ten feet, everything was annihilated.

Such force was far beyond the death clouds the moon cultists had wielded. Vinigo did not hesitate: he stepped back, pulling Hani with him.

Thus, the half-orc warrior and dwarf priest, who had rushed ahead, were blasted away and knocked unconscious.

The elf mage was momentarily stunned, but quickly retrieved a scroll from her pack and recited the incantation.

Greater Heal? A rare, high-level scroll that could heal the entire team.

“Now’s our chance!” Vinigo narrowed his eyes. He surmised that the Moonlight Priest’s attention would be drawn to the elf mage’s use of Greater Heal.

In that moment… Vinigo whispered to Hani, “Enslave the nearest moon cultist.”

Hani complied. Her mind magic was formidable—though the success rate of the Enslave spell was generally low, against an ordinary moon cultist she was more than likely to prevail.

In this, Vinigo had every confidence.