Unholy Player-Chapter 73: Fools

"Wait... what do you mean the threat is handled?" Malthor shot up from his chair.

"The threat... You mean the Rank 2 Spark?" He asked, eyes wide. Even he couldn’t believe the logic behind his own question.

Adyr observed the priest’s reaction, then calmly reached for his bag. To make his words more convincing, he pulled out the Hollow Mimic and held it up.

"Yes. This is the one responsible for the children’s memory loss." He paused for a moment, then added, "Honestly, it’s a harmless spark by nature. The kids were just unlucky."

Priest Malthor stared at the creature—its radiant, rainbow-colored feathers gleaming in the light. His eyes widened even further as he stumbled back, nearly losing his balance.

"This... this is a Rank 2 Spark? And you’re calling it harmless?"

The idea that something which had thrown an entire village into chaos and made soldiers wet themselves in fear could be labeled harmless left him stunned.

"Anyway, it’s dealt with. Let’s go," Adyr said, returning the Spark to his bag and heading for the door.

"See you later, Priest Malthor. Take care," Vesha added, following after him.

They left behind only silence, along with the priest, eyes still wide, questioning whether anything he’d just witnessed had truly happened.

—

"After this, you know your name will spread across the kingdom, right?" Vesha said cheerfully, reins in hand, as she guided the wagon forward.

The village where they’d fought the wolves had been remote—word had taken time to travel. But this one was close, and by morning, the story of a tall outsider capturing a Rank 2 Spark would be on everyone’s lips.

"It’s fine. This way’s better," Adyr replied, eyes closed, leaning back against the seat.

He had originally intended to keep a low profile, gather information, and move quietly through the world. But recent events had forced his pace to quicken.

Now, if his identity as a practitioner became public, at least it might help him build a network. And that could be crucial before the sparks in his possession starved to death.

"Do you know anywhere else a Spark might appear?" He asked.

Today had been more than profitable. Including what he’d spent on stat upgrades, Adyr had collected just over fifty crystals. If he could come across a few more cases like this, gathering similar loot each time, he might finally have enough to subdue one of the sparks.

Vesha thought for a moment before speaking. "There are always rumors circulating among the citizens. Most are just empty talk, but a few might be worth checking out."

"I see. Can you find one tomorrow? I need more crystals," Adyr said plainly, making his intent clear.

"Of course," Vesha replied, her voice bright with eagerness.

Every life they saved—every village freed from its lingering troubles—brought her a quiet sense of peace. And playing even a small part in that mattered deeply to her.

When they returned, Adyr once again refused Vesha’s offer to stay at her mansion and headed back to the inn. After a good dinner and some small talk with his newly made acquaintances—gathering general information—he went up to his room and logged out.

—

After leaving the playroom, Adyr didn’t linger. He returned to his room and powered on his computer. Dozens of new threads had appeared. Skimming through a few, he noticed that other players had started capturing their first sparks—and some had even reached their first evolution.

"Looks like no one among them is ordinary," Adyr muttered.

Surviving this long in the game wasn’t something average players could manage. Clearly, those still active were skilled—and had risen with that skill. Adyr had the advantage of having lived two lives, but if he didn’t give it his all, he could still end up falling behind the ones born with talent.

He checked his merit points, including the ones earned from translating Chinese. The total had now reached 215, pushing him back to the top of the rankings, surpassing even what he’d earned from Latin.

He opened a new thread and typed up a few surface-level insights. Below that, he added a hidden section—accessible only to the research department—where he uploaded more detailed information. It focused on the Velari people, their kingdom, and spark classifications. He was careful to share only what wouldn’t compromise his personal edge, but still enough to earn solid merit.

While the information still held value, he needed to sell as much of it as he could. Once others started sharing their own findings, the value would nosedive.

"These should earn me another hundred merits, maybe more," he muttered, reading over his entry one final time.

He also browsed the item trade section but found nothing brought over from the other world. What he really needed were energy crystals—they’d be extremely useful.

Replacing a few throwing knives he’d lost during the last hunt, he added them to his inventory along with two flash bombs. This time, he also included two smoke bombs and two sound bombs. There was no telling when or where they might come in handy.

Afterward, he shut the computer down, changed his clothes, and left the room.

As the elevator doors opened, he saw Selina waiting for him again.

She wore a fitted black tracksuit that covered her from neck to ankle, her dark purple hair pulled into a ponytail. She looked like any young woman heading out for her regular workout, but her expression was far from calm.

The worry in her eyes came from what she was about to share. Apparently, Adyr’s mother and her team were still stuck in the safe house secured for them by the STF, and the backup squad sent to help had gotten caught in open conflict.

It seemed the one called "Cannibal" wasn’t just another gang leader. He was one of the region’s Overlords, commanding dozens of first-generation mutants under his control.

"Thank you for informing me," Adyr said with a smile, then walked past her without pause.

As Selina watched his silhouette fade into the distance, she couldn’t help but notice the changes in him. She had grown used to the aura of mystery he carried—how he moved, how he spoke—but now, she was beginning to pick up on the smaller, more unsettling details. He had even grown a few centimeters, now standing at her height. Subtle, but undeniable. He was getting stronger. Every day.

"Those fools," she murmured, the annoyance clear in her voice.

The ones who had endangered his mother’s life didn’t know it yet, but they were nothing more than whetstones, used to sharpen the claws of the monster that would soon be hunting them.

She had nearly felt sympathy for them. If anything happened to his mother, what awaited them wouldn’t be just a cruel twist of fate. She was certain it would be a ruin.