Chapter 33 : Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Tello Intelligence Department (1)

Demon Tracking.

Though it wasn’t a particularly popular task within the Intelligence Department, my superior, Nofen, seemed to genuinely enjoy it.

“When that damned barrier breaks and the demons come pouring out, what do you think will happen?! The Empire, the other races—everyone will have to join forces to fight the demons, no exceptions!”

Nofen was never particularly calm, but he seemed especially thrilled when talking about demons.

“So how do you track demons? Does Tello have some kind of secret method?”

“Nope, not really! Just my own way!”

“…?”

“I’ve got a tune that lets me track demons! It’s called [Demon’s Trace]!”

Nofen’s cheerful words caught me off guard.

In this world, people often considered it taboo to reveal their tunes.

“Is it… okay to just say that?”

“Well, it’s not exactly a secret in Tello, so it’s fine!”

[Demon’s Trace].

It was a tune solely dedicated to tracking the traces of demons, not particularly valued among gamers due to its singular purpose.

However, its acquisition difficulty was low, making it a widely known tune.

‘So Nofen must be from the Third Autonomous Region.’

[Demon’s Trace] was a tune found in Dmong, where the Third Autonomous Region was located.

Since it wasn’t something the Adjak family possessed, it was hard to pinpoint when Nofen had acquired it.

Still, given the insular nature of the autonomous regions, it was highly likely that Nofen hailed from the Third Autonomous Region.

For now, I pretended not to notice my guess about Nofen’s origins.

There was a specific way to use [Demon’s Trace]…

“Here’s how it works—it’s not like I can just track demonic energy out of nowhere!”

Nofen continued his explanation with great enthusiasm.

[Demon’s Trace] could be activated on objects touched by demons, demonic beasts, or their body parts, allowing the user to trace the lingering demonic energy and locate the owner in real time.

It came with limitations, but as long as those were overcome, the tune could track its target indefinitely as long as they were alive.

It was the perfect tune for tracking demons operating outside the Dome.

“Maybe I’m getting too excited… It’s just that having someone as interested in demons as my junior…”

As I pondered ways to utilize the tune, Nofen, who had been chattering excitedly, suddenly grew glum.

But part of a junior’s role is to keep their superior in good spirits.

“No, not at all. I think it’s a vital skill for Tello.”

“Hehe.”

“So, do the field agents bring you items imbued with demonic traces?”

“Yup, that’s right, but they’re mostly too focused on the Empire, so it’s rare…”

Was Nofen someone who wasn’t well-respected around here?

Considering he was from the prestigious Third Autonomous Region, it was somewhat surprising.

Perhaps because he didn’t engage in field operations and only handled intelligence, he wasn’t given the recognition he deserved.

“Are you currently tracking any demons?”

“Not at the moment… We’ve got some items with demonic energy, but most of them are from demonic beasts. Demons and beasts have a different scent, you know.”

Tracking demonic beasts had its own significance, but it paled in comparison to tracking demons.

What I was curious about was what the demons roaming outside the Dome were plotting.

That’s when I made a suggestion to Nofen.

“What if I went out to find items imbued with demonic traces? So you can track and analyze them.”

Those who possessed a tune had its information imprinted in their minds.

Nofen must have known that [Demon’s Trace] wasn’t just for tracking demonic energy but could also analyze the owner of the trace.

However, when I brought up an ability he hadn’t mentioned, Nofen looked momentarily flustered.

“How did you know it can analyze traces?”

“Just a guess. It seems like too good a tune to be limited to just tracking.”

“As expected of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony’s top ranker… You’re sharp…”

Nofen soon agreed, confirming that [Demon’s Trace] indeed had the ability to analyze demons.

However, he added that the tune’s rank—its level—was still too low to use that function.

“Man, you’re really something… A genius?”

It seemed Nofen’s opinion of me was rising in real time.

That was good news for me.

I’d much rather be out exploring the world than stuck in a factory with him, writing up lists of textile shipments, especially if he didn’t fully trust me.

“Hmm, still, as your superior, sending my junior on such a dangerous task feels a bit…”

“It’s fine. I’m not the one tracking demons, and the more demons you track, the higher your tune’s rank will climb.”

I swear it wasn’t because I wanted to avoid textile factory work.

It was about each of us doing what we’re best at.

“I’ll definitely bring some back.”

With that, I drove the point home, and Nofen nodded reluctantly, as if he had no choice.

“It seems Tello’s higher-ups had a reason for assigning someone like Polarin to me. I was wondering why they’d pair me with the top ranker of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony…”

Despite my background as the top ranker of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, I’d been assigned as Nofen’s junior instead of joining the field agents, who were supposedly more recognized within the organization.

It was a puzzling assignment, but Nofen didn’t question the higher-ups’ decision at all.

In fact, he seemed utterly convinced that Agamben, Tello’s leader, could never make a mistake.

‘Just who is this Agamben?’

I had a lot of questions, but they weren’t problems I could solve right now.

I gave Nofen a quick farewell and started moving.

* * *

The Empire was wary of the growing power of the Adjak Autonomous Region, which followed its own independent path.

As a result, they restricted the movement of its citizens.

However, knowing that excessive suppression could lead to rebellion, they granted freedom of movement to certain descendants.

The Adjak Autonomous Region selected “hero candidates” and allocated movement rights to them.

“Hero candidates” were those who passed the final trial of the Coming-of-Age Ceremony, earning recognition for their potential. Not only did they receive movement rights, but they were also seen as the future leaders of the autonomous region.

The somewhat grandiose title of “hero candidate” was supposedly given with the hope that they would one day become heroes like Adjak.

Nowadays, though, the Coming-of-Age Ceremony for selecting hero candidates had become a tool for political struggles to seize control within the autonomous region.

Nevertheless, hero candidates still commanded the respect of many in the autonomous region.

While the title didn’t come with specific duties or responsibilities, it carried the weight of being the hope of the region.

I intended to live up to that hope, to follow in Adjak’s footsteps and eliminate the demons as he wished.

‘The question is, where should I start…?’

But my first destination was decided more easily than I’d expected.

“It’s a mission, sure, but when you get the chance, visit home! I’ve been stuck here ever since I finished my Coming-of-Age Ceremony. It took over three years to finally get a vacation…”

“Three years without a break?”

“Hahaha… Anyway! Go when you can. Of course, keep the mission in mind! If you spot an unfamiliar demonic beast, stay alert! There might be demons nearby!”

I decided to accept Nofen’s kindness.

I didn’t know much about what kind of organization Tello was, but I felt I’d gotten a decent sense of who Nofen was.

“I’ll be back with results.”

Nofen grinned widely and waved enthusiastically.

Tello’s headquarters was located in Raveno, outside the Adjak Autonomous Region.

Among the autonomous regions, it was closest to the Third Autonomous Region, Dmong.

That thought reminded me of what Soler had said before she left.

- If you ever come to Dmong for a mission, stop by. My father will always welcome you.

She’d even added that I could join the Black Veil if I wanted.

Of course, I had no intention of joining the Black Veil, but stopping by Dmong for a bit didn’t sound like a bad idea.

Soler’s father was one of the most influential figures in the autonomous region.

Unless someone was an outlier like one of the Twelve Swords of Adjak, few would dare cross the leader of Dmong.

Moreover, since Nofen seemed to be from Dmong, I might be able to learn more about my superior by asking around.

Stopping by there before heading home didn’t seem like a bad plan.

With my decision made, I started running toward Dmong.

* * *

On the way to Dmong.

I decided to take care of a few demonic beast habitats.

While keeping the mission in mind, I checked for new demonic beasts, but they weren’t much different from the ones I’d seen during the Coming-of-Age Ceremony.

‘No need to be disappointed. Think of it as a chance to gain more combat experience.’

Whoosh!

A pure white aura shot from the tip of my sword, cleaving a Grade 8 demonic beast, Beshi, in two.

The slash, fueled by white mana, was less about cutting and more about crushing the beast.

It wasn’t the aura used by knights.

It was closer to recklessly channeling an abundance of mana and swinging it.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

It might have looked crude, but there was a clear reason for doing it this way.

When I received the first stage of the Heart Engraving, the consciousness of the previous Lord flowed into my mind.

That consciousness taught me how to strengthen the Dragon Heart.

By expending mana faster than it could replenish, I could completely drain the Dragon Heart.

As it worked to recover the lost mana, the Dragon Heart’s activity would surge, increasing both the quantity and purity of my mana.

The more the Dragon Heart’s capacity grew, the harder it became to fully deplete my mana, but to keep progressing, I had to find a way.

I could now easily handle Grade 7 and 8 demonic beasts, but I unleashed my mana with full force again.

Using the vast reserves of mana bestowed upon me without holding back.

The small, raccoon-like demonic beasts, the Beshi pack, couldn’t withstand my attack and collapsed to the ground.

“Phew…”

Every time I maximized my firepower to hunt demonic beasts, an overwhelming sense of exhaustion washed over me.

Perhaps it was due to the sheer volume of mana the Dragon Heart held.

Intentionally burning through mana was more taxing than the combat itself.

But the effort of depleting my mana paid off immediately.

After catching my breath and checking my refilled Dragon Heart, I could feel that the mana’s density had increased compared to before.

Against enemies of a similar level, I’d be able to overpower them with stronger mana output.

And there was another advancement achieved in the process.

I raised my right hand and focused power into my palm.

Mana flowed from my heart and gathered in my right hand.

Soon, a white light began to rise from my palm.

Mana emission.

The mark of a Third-Rank.

A few days later, I arrived in Dmong.

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