A Commander’s Gambit (1)

“This is the most recent map of the nest.”

Looking at the map of the Igra nest that Radugan had brought, I began to formulate an infiltration plan.

I gathered the members who were in relatively good health and assigned them positions based on their combat tendencies.

Those with large builds were given thick armor to act as tankers; those who knew how to use a bow were made snipers; the nimble ones were assigned to ambush and assassination squads; and the fast ones were sent out as reconnaissance units.

“If all personnel are out, they might counter-attack the city, so can Mashak and a few others remain in Bahalgras? The rest of you, please wear these ghillie suits with Tegen and head towards the forest.”

The entire unit was being deployed according to my single command.
It felt strange, like I was playing a game of chess.

“Will one sniper unit be enough?”

“It’s enough since they only need to keep the light towers in check. We’re not engaging in an all-out battle anyway.”

“Understood. I’ll relay it as is.”

For some reason, Radugan was following my words to the letter.
He would occasionally stare at me as if to pierce through me, but he followed the instructions without a word.

“But sending archers into a forest…!”

“Just shut up and do as you’re told.”

The Maha who occasionally tried to interfere were dealt with by Radugan.
Though their gazes were still untrusting of me, it seemed they didn’t want to get into a verbal spat with the ill-tempered black mane chief.
Indeed, a troublesome enemy makes for a convenient ally.

They said that Radugan, despite his appearance, was one of the tribe chiefs with a strong voice in the Varg council, called the ‘Maha.’
He had even been close to ascending to the position of Valta once.

‘…But, why is he suddenly listening to me?’

I glanced at the man who was seriously reading the scribble-like operation map I had drawn.
Seeing as he still glared fiercely whenever our eyes met, it didn’t seem like he had taken a particular liking to me.

‘Is he just watching to see what I’m up to, since I’m a Destroyer who stepped up and started making a fuss?’

“The tactical map is quite plausible.”

Fortunately, Radugan was the type to strictly separate public and private matters.
Though his gaze was still like he was looking at an insect, he asked me about the operation in detail.

“What’s the reason for deploying the main forces in the forest instead of on the plains?”

“Their advantages are a wide field of vision and flight, but in a forest, those become disadvantages.”

Flying monsters are at a disadvantage in a forest.
Their large wings get caught in the dense branches, and the thick undergrowth makes it difficult to secure their advantageous field of vision.

“That’s probably why they joined hands with the Nemea. To burn the forest with the Nemea’s flaming manes and create a favorable plain to fight on.”

But according to the Nemea I met in prison, the nearby clans of their kind were wiped out, so a few of them are no cause for concern.
The only ones left are the Hyena tribe.

[Hyena Tribe: A neutral beast-kin race. They avoid fighting, stay out of the way, and then dispose of the corpses for food.]

As I was quietly looking at the detailed explanation recorded in the monster encyclopedia, a good idea suddenly came to me.

‘Legacyth Chronicle’ had a system called ‘Alliance.’
When an alliance is formed, you are recognized as an ‘ally’ even if you are not in the same party or guild.

It was a system to clearly distinguish friend from foe during a chaotic battle, and it made you immune to the radar and detection skills of your allies.
If you were in a hostile state, it would ignore the way the opponent was targeted in red, like on an infrared camera.

But, since he said the Igra, Nemea, and Hyena tribes were in an alliance…

“You said you had a Hyena tribe member as a prisoner, right? Can I see them for a moment?”

At my request, the Sura brought the tightly bound Hyena.
He had a gaunt face, as if he had been tortured quite a bit.

I scanned him, and then tried casting a skill.

“Stigma Theory.”

[Using the <Stigma Theory> skill. Searching for a target to stigmatize.]

[There is a target nearby on which the <Stigma Theory> skill can be cast. (Target Name: Nameless Hyena Tribe Member)]

[List of skills that can be plundered with <Stigma Theory>]

[Corpse Scavenger: Can detect high-value artifacts through walls.]

[Ice Fang: ‘Ice Attribute’ is granted to basic attacks. (※ Attribute can be changed when a special item is applied.)]

[Kinship: Hyena tribe passive skill. Recognized as a ‘Neutral Monster’ by beast-kin until the first strike. Maintains <Undetectable> state if it does not attack first.
(※Undetectable: The caster’s ‘perception range’ is significantly reduced. Ignores all detection-related skills, and breath, footstep, and speech sounds are greatly reduced.)]

‘…Ah. So this is why that Hyena tribe member suddenly caught my eye.’
‘He was using the undetectable passive when I was with Karvan, and then he revealed himself when I was alone. It was a planned crime from the beginning.’
I was about to glare resentfully at the Hyena tied to the chair, but then I snapped my fingers.

[Awakener ‘Shinbi’ has summoned <Leviathan>.]

“Do you wish to kill him? There is no need to dirty your hands. I will do it!”

“No, I’m not trying to kill him.”

I waved off Tegen, who was about to step forward immediately, and then poked the Hyena’s shoulder with the tip of my spear.
He must have thought it was a threat to make him reveal the garrison’s location, because he didn’t even scream and just glared at me as if he wanted to kill me.

‘Good for me if you’re not noisy, you bastard.’
Not to be outdone, I put more force into the handle and smeared his blood on it.
The purple tip of the Leviathan was stained red with the oozing blood.

[<Stigma Theory> skill memory slot has reached its maximum. Please delete at least one of the possessed plunder targets before adding a new target.]

‘That’s right. I can have up to five plunder targets.’

The names of the monsters I had cast ‘Stigma Theory’ on in the past appeared in a list, asking me which one I wanted to delete.

[List of plundered targets with <Stigma Theory>: Inperona, Boltrak, Skollcat, Remboid, Karvan Baharga]

‘Maybe?’
I thought, and stealthily pressed ‘Karvan Baharga.’
It wouldn’t be deleted right away anyway, it would ask me two or three times if I really wanted to delete it.
It was out of curiosity.

[The currently plundered target <Karvan Baharga> cannot be released due to a higher-priority skill.]

[Please remove the <Imprinting> status effect first, then retrieve the skill.]

‘…What?’
I was momentarily flustered, wondering what that meant, but since there was no time to ponder, I quickly scanned the list.

Excluding Karvan’s slot, which was blocked in gray as ‘Cannot be released,’ there were four slots.

[Removing the skill related to the plunder target <Skollcat>.]

After thinking for a moment, I deleted the boss monster ‘Skollcat.’
Unlike other monsters, boss mobs only respawn in their own temples, so they are not difficult to plunder.
If I really needed it, I could just go and find it again later.

[The activation condition for the skill <Stigma Theory> has been met. Your stigma is now engraved on the target.]

[The <Nameless Hyena Tribe Member> is currently under the effect of your <Stigma Theory> skill.]

‘Done!’
Fortunately, he must have been a monster of no consequence, because there seemed to be no strange special conditions like with Karvan.

“Uh, ah, excuse me. Shinbi-nim…”

‘That man was the strange one from the beginning.’
I clicked my tongue and was satisfyingly scanning the skill list of the newly plundered Hyena, when Tegen cautiously called me.

“Yeah, what is it?”

“Uh, that, that is…”

Tegen’s expression was very strange.
He looked at me, restless, as if he had just witnessed a terrible sin being committed right in front of him.

Wondering why, I suddenly remembered the days of torment I had gone through for trying to clip the Nemea’s claws in prison.
If that man found out that I had laid hands on a prisoner without permission again, he might be displeased.

“That’s right. Can you keep this a secret from Karvan?”

“…What secret.”

As I was speaking with my index finger to my lips, I froze at the voice from behind me.

“That my mate, has imprinted on another male?”

“V-Valta! If you move around like that, the poison will spread faster!”

While Tegen and the other Sura were shouting, Karvan’s bright yellow eyes, with his head tilted, were fixed solely on me.

Then, shlick, his eyes moved and he looked down at the Hyena tied to the chair.
To be precise, at the cherry blossom pattern left on the shoulder I had pierced.

When a Plunderer casts ‘Stigma Theory,’ a skill pattern symbolizing them is left on the stigmatized area.
Mine was a pink cherry blossom shape, and of course, it was also engraved on Karvan’s neck.

“This pattern, did you make it by biting me?”

He had asked me not long after I came to Bahalgras.

“Yeah. It means my skill is in effect.”
“Is it like an imprint vein.”
“Um, it’s similar if you say so, should I give you a bandage? Do you want to cover it?”

After that, he would keep touching his neck as if it bothered him, so I felt awkward and offered him a scarf or even makeup, but Karvan would show off the stigma pattern as if to make a point.

I had thought it was to make me feel guilty for what I had done.

“On him.”

My blood ran cold as I met his fiercely shining eyes.

“…Did you, engrave, your imprint?”