Chapter 86 – Finishing The Preparations.

“Quick, I saw him run through here!”

“After him, don’t let that bastard escape!”

A thunder of footsteps echoed through the dimly lit corridor. The thick walls, marred with scratches, belonged to the local E-rank dungeon. Inside, a group of six men were chasing a hoodlum who had dared to steal from adventurers. After more than a week of this cat-and-mouse chase, they had finally cornered him, and today, they were determined to catch this menace once and for all.

“…”

“I don’t see him… Are you sure he went this way?”

The leader of the group, a broad-shouldered man with small bear-like ears, barked at his companions, his breath heavy from the chase. The corridor funneled into what seemed like a dead-end chamber, the only light coming from the faint glow of dungeon crystals embedded in the walls. His axe gleamed under the eerie blue light as he scanned the area, his patience wearing thin.

“I swear, I saw him!”

One of the younger adventurers spoke up, panting heavily as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

“He went this way. He couldn’t have just vanished!”

The chamber they found themselves in was closed off, with four large columns placed in the center. It was dimly lit – an area designed as a trap. If anyone moved too close to the center, a mechanism would trigger, sealing the entrance behind them. Monsters from the dungeon would then be funneled in through hidden compartments above and below. It was a danger the group hoped to avoid.

“Could he be hiding behind one of those pillars?”

“Are you stupid? Look at the width of them. No grown man in armor could fit behind those.”

The leader, maddened by his companions’ bickering, took a deep breath, his sharp ears twitching as he listened intently. The corridor was deathly silent, save for the quiet hum of dungeon magic coursing through the walls. No footsteps, no shuffling. It was as if the hoodlum had disappeared into thin air.

“Unless this guy’s some kind of master at hiding, there’s no reason to assume he’s still here… And if he was that skilled, he wouldn’t need to hide from us in the first place.”

The leader scratched his chin, scanning the room while listening to one of his men talk. There were no signs of anyone having been there, nor any indication that someone was hiding behind the pillars. His men spread out, moving to the left and right to check behind them, but still, they found no one. It crossed his mind that a high-level skill might be in play, but if that were the case, the person using it could easily kill them all before they even realized what was happening. Only high-level assassins could blend so perfectly into the shadows, and someone of that caliber wouldn’t bother robbing low-level adventurers.

“You’re right, no point in wasting any more time here.”

He signaled his men to back away, their irritation clear. They had been chasing the same elusive target for days, only to be tricked time and time again. The perpetrator wore armor similar to dungeon monsters from the lesser F-rank dungeon. Everyone knew that it was a disguise to avoid detection but each time he managed to somehow evade their pursuits. With nothing left here for them they decided to retreat back to the dungeon’s entrance, eager to regroup and plan their next move. Little did they know, their elusive target was right under their noses the entire time.

Rusty, cloaked in shadows, had been using his Basic Elemental Meld ability to blend seamlessly into the chamber’s dark crevices. There wasn’t much shadow to work with, so he had reduced his form to just a helmet, but luckily, his pursuers were focused on the pillars in the center of the room, ignoring the dark corners where he could hide.

‘That was close. If they’d stayed a few moments longer, my mana would’ve run out… I think, this might be a good time to stop before they catch me…’

Rusty thought, switching his loadout to return to his Albert form for now. He wasn’t sure if his pursuers were still waiting for him outside, so it was safer to use his official disguise. Everyone was searching for someone resembling a living armor, and thanks to his system, he could switch between various armored forms to keep hiding.

‘But will it be enough?’

Three days had passed since the auction announcement, and he had less than two days to gather everything. The sum his guide had instructed him to collect was almost in his inventory, and with all the loot from his recent robberies, he just needed to sell it off to reach his goal. It was good news, but Rusty had lived long enough not to be fooled by temporary victories. Just like in the past, there were always factors beyond his control. He knew better than to celebrate before succeeding in his mission to save Gleam.

‘What’s my current level at…’

Name:	Rusty
Classification:	Twilight Iron Armor [ E ] L7
Type:	Magical/Inorganic
Hit Points [ HP ]	253/253
Magic Points [MP]	32/210
Special Points [SP]	50/50
Strength	99 [ E ]
Agility	73 [ E ]
Dexterity	72 [ E ]
Constitution	103 [ E+ ]
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