How to Survive as a Genius Spy in the Game

Chapter 23: First Mission (6)

While riding in the carriage, I had a nightmare. It was nothing out of the ordinary.

But the content was different.

Usually, it was just a dream where I struggled under the grip of weak scissors or couldnt remember anything.

But today, in my dream, I slit the throat of a beggar with a dagger.

Again and again.

The solid sensation of the dagger in my palm and the resistance felt at my fingertips when I sliced the throat were vivid.

Despite knowing it was a dream, I couldnt wake up or stop my actions.

In the midst of that repetitive moment, the beggar I had killed suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I was startled and opened my eyes abruptly.

I thought it had passed without any real impact, but seeing that I had such a dream indicated otherwise.

I was still myself.

Even though I might be influenced by this body, it would be impossible to simply brush it off as if nothing happened.

But I have changed.

Emotionally, I didnt feel disturbed when I was awake apart from the nightmares.

The unconscious part of me had an influence, but it seemed to mix in with my body.

Phew.

I let out a deep breath. Despite having the nightmare, I felt a little relieved.

Im still me.

I was worried that my personality had changed involuntarily when I entered the game.

I wondered if I had always been this kind of person.

Well, I had to accept it in order to survive, but it didnt make me feel good.

However, today, by saving Orhen and having the nightmare, I felt reassured that I was still myself.

Lets go back to sleep.

Although my eyelids felt heavy and tired, I felt a slight reluctance due to the nightmares.

I looked around.

Denif was snoring with his mouth open. On the other hand, Orhen was groaning with a grimace on his forehead.

Seeing Orhen made me feel somewhat comforted.

I thought to myself, Im not the only one. In fact, even from the perspective of this world, Denif was the strange one.

After committing his first murder, he could sleep while snoring. He truly resembled a future imperial terrorist.

I put aside my contemplation and closed my eyes. I focused on the flow of magic power within my body.

It was because I felt a sense of calm when I concentrated on the Moonlight Technique.

The jolting of the carriage, Denifs snoring, and Orhens groans faded away.

Internal meditation.

Amidst my drowsiness, I saw a crescent moon. It had the shape of a fingernail but emitted a bright light.

But there was something around the moon.

What is that?

Upon closer inspection, I realized it was Winds. Faint mountain winds instantly grew in size and turned into a gust.

An angry gale was raging around the moon.

For a moment, I was taken aback by this phenomenon, but I regained my composure. There was nothing unusual about the Moonlight Technique.

Why did this gust suddenly appear?

It could be because I experienced real combat. Or it could be due to inner turmoil.

There was a slight unease in my mind regarding my own actions.

For some reason, I felt that those winds were related to the latter. Whether it was Devils Blood or the original Carlyn.

But I had no intention of changing myself.

I am who I am.

Even if the same thing were to happen again, I would save Orhen. In fact, I became even more determined.

However, I needed to calm my mind.

I was tense during my first real battle, and immediately after completing the mission, I had a nightmare. I needed to be different in the future.

I needed to get used to it. I couldnt keep the events of today in my heart.

Amidst the cold sensation within me, I groped for the incident from earlier.

The clear sensation of the dagger and the resistance felt at my fingertips were vivid.

In Valhll, where devil worshippers run rampant and turn a 13-year-old child into a spy.

It would be painful and difficult, but I needed to adapt.

With that thought, the raging gale gradually subsided and seeped into the crescent moon.

Was it the harmony of my heart?

The inner crescent moon rose slightly and increased in size.

And I realized that I had reached the second stage of the Moonlight Technique.

* * *

Marhan returned to the mansion and found himself lost in thought after giving the duke a brief report.

With the report submitted, those responsible for planning the mission would face consequences.

Even though it wasnt intentional, they had to take responsibility.

Even if the manipulation came from spies in other factions, the fact that he failed to notice it was a burden.

Jose Demit was being held captive in the basement, and he turned out to be more tight-lipped than expected.

And the fact that he had undergone resistance training during interrogation meant he was of a certain caliber.

It seemed that the interrogation would require some time. Of course, the chances of the captured spy surviving were extremely slim.

Usually, instead of enduring prolonged suffering, they would trade information for a swift death.

Thinking back, he was quite an impressive individual.

At the end of his thoughts, Carlyn came to mind. The child had astutely deduced Demits true identity during the mission.

That was truly astonishing.

The moment Marhan decided to intervene, Demit charged forward, and although Marhan rushed as quickly as possible, it was already too late.

When he was regretting the short moment of hesitation, Carlyn acted.

He took the blow from the sword meant for Orhen and swung his own sword. He also shouted at Denif, who was targeting him from behind, to stop.

In that moment, Marhan felt a mix of relief and admiration.

The child had seen through the true identity of their target.

Marhan, with his years of experience and knowledge of targets, acknowledged that Carlyn had no prior information.

Of course, there were grounds for judgment.

The immediate understanding of the childrens true identities, their consistent composure, the sudden change in atmosphere

But for a 13-year-old child experiencing their first real mission to make such a judgment was truly remarkable.

When he heard the general situation, Marhan was even more amazed.

He thought we intentionally planned it.

While he already knew Carlyn was exceptional, this level of proficiency surpassed his expectations. Marhan found himself unknowingly nodding in approval.

Marhan was confident that the dukes favor toward Carlyn would only increase.

Rescuing Orhen was one thing, but Carlyns exceptional abilities were truly remarkable.

A smile formed on Marhans lips.

* * *

Hey, guys.

While the three of us were gathered, working on a detailed mission report, Denif spoke up.

Sorry, I think it was my fault.

What are you suddenly talking about?

It was after the mission was over, and we had returned to the castle, finished with a brief report, and even managed to get some sleep.

I wondered why Denif would bring this up all of a sudden.

I hesitated a bit when I had to kill those scumbags. Thats why things turned out like this.

He hesitated? Denif?

When I looked puzzled, Denif scratched his nose.

If I had killed them right away, we could have disposed of them quietly. But I hesitated a bit at first, and thats when the guy next to me woke up.

Ah, so thats what happened.

I could vaguely understand what he meant. Denif continued speaking.

If I had dealt with them quickly, I could have caught that guy, Demit, quietly as well. And you wouldnt have been hit by the sword.

Well, both I and Orhen took some time. Then we heard a scream, so Denif must have gone through something similar to us.

It seemed that even Denif, the imperial terrorist, wasnt flawless when he was a rookie.

As someone who knew Denif in the game, it felt like a new realization.

I nodded.

Its not your fault. We were in a similar situation.

Really?

Yeah. And well, even if we had disposed of them quietly, theres no guarantee that the guy wouldnt have woken up.

Thatsright?

Denif nodded.

On the contrary, he could have pretended to be asleep and ambushed us, and one of us could have died. Anyway, things turned out fine.

Denifs expression became more relaxed after my words. On the other hand, Orhens face seemed slightly tense.

I wondered why and thought that perhaps it was because she had received help from me during the assassination process.

Hmm. If I wrote it exactly like that in the report, Orhens evaluation might not turn out so well.

It was also problematic to discuss it here with Denif present.

But what about Orhen? If I write that you helped, wont she have to go on another mission alone?

While I was thinking about it, Denif brought up the topic.

It seemed that the two of them had talked while I was still asleep. Since they were already close, it made things easier.

Well, it did make things more convenient.

Lets just say that we both handled the two of them together. I didnt completely take over for you. I just helped you calm down.

Is that okay?

Orhen glanced at me for no apparent reason.

I nodded.

Whats the problem? Do you think you wont be able to do it next time?

No.

Orhen firmly nodded in agreement. When we fought Demit, she performed well.

I smiled.

Then its settled. Theres no need for unnecessary self-blame among siblings.

Orhen agreed with my words, nodding.

Yeah. I knew that if I couldnt do it, my sibling would get hurt.

As Orhen said that, she looked straight into my eyes.

It seemed that the help I provided had also influenced the other side. I was a bit worried, but it was a good thing.

Alright then. Lets finish writing and get some more rest.

Marhan gave us a two-day break. But in reality, it only applied to Orhen.

I still needed to focus on recovering from my injuries, and Denifs arm was more deeply cut than expected.

While I was almost finished writing the report, I suddenly remembered something I needed to talk to Duke about.

I added one more line at the end of the report.

While riding the carriage back, I continued to practice the Moonlight Technique and reached 2-star.

* * *

The duke came to the mansion five days after I reported to Marhan.

During that time, I heard from Marhan and Lena that the duke was concerned about us.

He even sent a handwritten letter apologizing for the hardships and expressing his remorse.

It was a bit surprising. I never expected him to send such a letter.

In that moment, my favorable impression of the duke increased slightly.

I had always felt that he might be a genuinely good person.

Anyway, the duke distributed items to us, each carrying his apologies.

Orhen received a necklace that aids in magic, Denif got a sword, and I received a wind stone.

I was slightly disappointed that I only received a stone, but the duke said it was an extremely valuable item imbued with the power of winds.

I did feel a heightened sensitivity to winds, so it seemed to be true.

After sending Denif and Orhen off, the duke gave me additional gifts. When I opened a small chest, I found what appeared to be elixirs.

Are these elixirs?

Yes.

Why only for me?

Didnt you save Orhens life? Its only right to reward my godchild for saving the other godchilds life.

The duke chuckled and added.

And my disciple reached 2-star as well.

I was momentarily taken aback by his unexpected words. In any case, it was good to have at least one reward confirmed.

I felt fortunate to be under the dukes guidance. Even if he had existed in the modern world, he would have become a true leader.

Thank you.

But remember, you should take them after your injuries have healed. Let me know when the time comes.

Yes.

After that, Ill proceed with passing down the Moonlight Technique.

Thats right. It was what I had been looking forward to.

After reaching the second level of the Moonlight Technique, I would be able to learn the combat aspect of it.

On one hand, I felt a sense of pride. I was faster than the duke. Despite not having regained my optimal condition.

In any case, I should focus on recovering from my injuries in the future.

Oh, speaking of which.

I felt like I knew why the duke gave me the wind stone.

Perhaps it meant to train my mystic abilities while recovering from my injuries.

In the past, I had contemplated betraying the duke, but it was a completely wrong thought.

He treated me well, and the rewards were good. I wouldnt go anywhere else. I would continue to absorb everything I could here.