[Title: Seriously, how am I supposed to stop a Face Thief from infiltrating?]
Content: Watching this just makes me want to say, “What the hell is going on?”
I’ve been at this for 3 hours now, and it’s just pure crap.
-: It’s your fault.
-[Author]: Haha, what do you mean?
What did I do wrong? Please enlighten me.
I want to know what I did.
-: When you realize it’s just crap,
You should just accept it and move on.
But you tried to overcome it, right?
-[Author]: Oh.
-: Seriously, do you really dare to achieve something in this game?
Trying to avoid crap storylines?
You’re the one who’s taking a loss here.
-: Every time I come here,
I feel like people here really understand the game well.
-: Developer: Feel free to complain here.
User: Yes sir.
Developer: Get angry here.
User: Yes sir.
Developer: Here, flail in powerlessness and despair.
User: Yes sir.
-: But aren’t those high-intelligence gamers who understand the game,
The ones who taste it, know it’s crap, and escape before getting infected?
-: That’s right.
-: We don’t need those kinds of players.
We need players like you, who bang your head against the wall, wasting your time and emotions.
-[Author]: Shit.
-[Author]: Seriously, can’t break through this?
I want to break it out of sheer pride.
-: Determine a rallying cry.
Decide on an item that can verify identity.
Be as cautious as possible.
Yet, he managed to feed you poison and create an opportunity to steal your face.
With real-time copying of face, voice, and abilities.
How do you stop this?
This guy is literally James Bond.
Somehow, he pulls it off anyway.
-: James Bond, scratching his ass at home, freaks out. Hahahaha…
-: “Director, that’s impossible.” Hahahahaha…
-: Stop arguing with the game and just send in the special ops team already.
Even so, you’ve still given us a chance to defeat the boss in battle.
-[Author]: Dammit.
***
The Face Thief.
His infiltration was perfect.
Rishe.
It was embarrassing given how he had momentarily failed because of the sabre imagery embedded in the stolen sword.
As someone might say, his infiltration skipped steps, yielding nothing but perfect results.
Shaking off the sabre’s imagery, he returned to Brienne’s appearance and went back to Guse Manor where the special operations team was located.
He broke through their defenses, infiltrated their midst, and extracted information.
He learned that Towah, at Drey’s request, periodically met with Rishe to teach him swordsmanship.
Having identified the precise schedule and timing, he approached Rishe, fed him poisoned food, and rendered him defenseless.
In Rishe’s place, he attended Towah’s meeting and got the opportunity to steal her sword.
This absurd infiltration was made possible by the master assassin’s skills combined with the face-changing ability of the body without a face.
If anyone asked the Face Thief “How?” he had his answer ready.
“I just did it.”
This absurdity couldn’t be explained or understood, and therefore couldn’t be detected, much less countered.
Thus, his infiltration should have been flawless and its conclusion fittingly so.
But then, why?
It was detected and the Face Thief now faced irrefutably the worst scenario.
Because of Rishe.
“How…”
The Face Thief naturally questioned how all of this was possible.
Rishe responded to the Face Thief’s question with a calm expression.
“I just did it.”
His calm face seemed to say just that.
The absurdity the Face Thief represented was now eclipsed by something greater.
***
▷ Fate 74: Face Thief – has been deactivated.
Special rewards have been granted accordingly.
***
The ill-timed experience of empathy bestowed upon the Face Thief deep emotional turmoil instead of insight.
‘You irritating son of a bitch…!’
The gentle demeanor of the ‘Rishe’ he mimicked crumbled as he glared at him with deep loathing.
He wanted to tear the person who had ruined everything to shreds right here and now.
‘No, calm down.’
Still, he was a master assassin who had climbed to the master rank.
Even in this situation, he maintained perfect control over himself and observed the situation.
This was the backyard of Guse Manor.
The enemy’s main stronghold.
There, the Special Ops Team Leader Towah was watching intently with sharp eyes, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword at her waist.
The confrontation had already begun. Any action from one side would instantly start a battle.
‘No unusual sounds around. This isn’t an ambush. It’s just a detection. In other words, aside from the team leader and this freak, there’s no one else here.’
The team leader was a knight at the middle rank of the 7th tier.
As for the freak, though his exact ability was unclear, his skill level was stuck at the lower rank of the 6th tier.
It was possible.
He was confident that, with determination, he could take them both on at the same time and take their lives.
‘However, it would take quite a bit of time, and in the process, it would cause a great commotion.’
This was deep within the enemy’s camp. If the battle started, the enemy reinforcements would arrive soon.
‘By that time, escaping would be too late.’
He already knew the best option.
‘Even if I decided to flee, they couldn’t stop me.’
‘There’s certainly no way for them to chase me.’
‘It’s a pity I can’t steal the team leader’s sword—’
‘But it’s fine. No need to rush. As long as I have the body without a face, time is on my side. After all, this world lies in the palm of my hand.’
The Face Thief made a show of reaching for the sword at his waist.
At that, both Towah and Rishe backed away to increase the distance.
This made it easier to prepare for the fight, while conversely making it harder to capture him if he ran.
Just as the Face Thief intended.
Thus, his face…
Just as the thief was about to make his getaway, blurring everything into confusion—
—You无知 insect! How long do you plan to mimic others?!
Rishe summoned—
No, Rishe drew forth a gray-white Fire Spirit.
It shouted toward the Face Thief.
—Right now, I wish to bring a mirror to show you your own wretched face!!!
—A creature like you who doesn’t know your place and attempts to imitate the sun, only to end up burning in your own flames—how foolish!!!
—It’s time to wake up from this delusion!!!
—Be content with crawling on the ground, showing gratitude for your lowly existence!!!
—You clown that knows no other talent but to put on masks!!!
—Try wearing the most pitiful mask you possess—the mask of your true self!!!
The预备 Demon, whose revered entity had been falsely represented, poured forth curses in a fit of rage.
…
Repeated shocks had already cracked the Face Thief’s pride, now further battered.
His face flushed red, his eyes bloodshot as if drenched in blood.
The image of Saber Strikes, which he had barely shaken off, began to invade his emotions once again, seeking to consume him.
‘Calm down!!!’
The Face Thief berated himself internally.
He must not fall for their provocation.
His path to victory wasn’t mutual destruction with them—it was to escape.
The longer they worried about his existence, the longer they would remain in perpetual unease.
He cannot ruin this because of fleeting pride and emotion. He must hold onto the decision made in his moments of clarity.
Run. Now.
His rational mind screamed.
—Hmph. You pathetic wretch.
Just then, another voice rang out.
Rishe summoned another spirit—
A girl spirit with short azure hair.
She looked at the Face Thief with genuine disdain.
—You probably tried to imitate Rishe’s sword but were overtaken by its imagery. How could an absolute ability like mimicry ever belong to someone so undeserving? Go ahead, revel in that power now. In the final moments, it will be that very ability that kills you.
“AAAAAAAGH!!! You insignificant fools!! I’ll kill you all!!!”
The预备 Demon.
The Saliungeui.
Through the mockery from the two spirits, who were experts in breaking people’s confidence, the Face Thief’s mind was completely twisted.
He brandished his sword and charged.
Towah stood in his way.
The battle began.
“Knight Towah! I’ll support you!”
Rishe immediately summoned his mana and questioned Danchealion.
‘Danchealion! Why did you provoke that guy all of a sudden!?’
—I was wondering what would a bug like him do in such a situation! Likely, he was about to flee! His abilities are like that of a bug—people always notice him more when he’s invisible!
‘So, you provoked him to prevent his escape? For the best results?’
—Controlling a foolish bug like that on the palm of our hand is but a trivial matter!
‘Ahh… you really sounded like a demon just now.’
Rishe admired Danchealion purely.
—What! This is not a praise! No… wait! Jeez! I’m not a filthy demon!
‘Alright, enough of the demon talk. Now, from a non-demon’s perspective, how do we deal with that guy?’
Over the past few days,
Towah had genuinely trained Rishe in swordsmanship to lure out the Face Thief, most of which was in the form of sparring.
Towah, who had recently ascended from the early to the middle ranks of the 7th tier, was overwhelmingly skilled.
Rishe had never once managed to gain the upper hand against her in their duels.
“Ugh…!”
Even Towah, such a formidable commander, was struggling against the Face Thief.
—Indeed, he is a complicated adversary.
Clanar, who had been watching with crossed arms, said,
—The power of the late stage of the 7th tier and the ability to handle multiple sword techniques simultaneously. There’s no way someone like Towah could handle him.
‘That means he’s more than I can handle too.’
—In normal circumstances, that would be true. But don’t you have my sword? If you add its enhancement ability, your blade can certainly reach him.
“…”
Rishe looked down at his hand, his expression turning serious.
—What is it? Surely, not—
Step-on technique while in the enhanced state.
The technique only Rishe could perform at full strength, fully unleashing his potential.
And Rishe had just used the secret chant to bring out the sword’s enhancement, overloading himself in the process. If he tried the technique now, not only would it lack precision and completion, but the ensuing side effects would be severe.
—Then instead of trying to handle things on your own, you should call for backup first. The fact that you two can’t handle this guy together hasn’t changed. I should’ve reminded you earlier, but only thought of it now. Damn.
‘Ah, you don’t need to worry about that.’
—What’s there not to worry about? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of some nonsense like capturing him with your own power?
‘No, the backup has already been summoned. I sent a signal to Magnus who was waiting nearby.’
—What? When exactly—…
‘When I said I’d cover you just now. While pretending to be focused on covering you, I was actually calling for backup.’
Right on cue, Magnus appeared from the rear yard, assessed the scene, drew his sword, and immediately charged toward the Face Thief.
“No way, how could he arrive so fast…!”
He was surprised by the quicker-than-expected support.
For a moment, his breathing and swordplay faltered.
They didn’t let the opportunity slip through.
From relentlessly pressing Towah with his superior and unconventional sword skills, the Face Thief suddenly found himself on the defensive.
—…What the hell is this guy.
Clanar looked at Rishe with a baffled mutter.
***
Rishe immediately joined in the offensive.
He used a sandstorm to guard them while carefully observing the battle.
‘Damn it, his level is disgustingly high.’
His expression twisted.
The speed. The power.
The mana imbued in every move of the sword.
The battle between swordsmen of the 7th tier was, in truth, one step above Rishe’s level.
It took place within a dimension.
There was no way anyone could intervene.
While it would be ideal to leave the close combat to the two of them and support from a distance to resolve the situation—
“Really a monstrous guy.”
But the Face Thief mercilessly dashed Rishe’s expectations.
Towah’s and Magnus’ swords pressed the Face Thief relentlessly from both sides.
The seamless coordination between the two masters was akin to a single entity.
Even so, the Face Thief wasn’t easily drawn into their teamwork.
Whenever their coordination began to gain momentum, the Face Thief would unfailingly shift his swordsmanship, cutting off their flow.
As their coordination continued, the Face Thief’s interference grew ever more cunning.
He began stealing Towah’s and Magnus’ swords, disrupting their flow with them.
Though backed into a corner, he was slowly regaining his momentum.
Even while being attacked by the two.
“Kruuh—”
“Monster…!”
A momentary deadlock.
Amidst it, grunts escaped from Towah and Magnus.
Rishe realized instinctively that this would inevitably turn into a war of attrition.
When reinforcements arrived and the Face Thief was completely suppressed, someone among them would undoubtedly fall.
They needed a decisive blow.
A decisive blow to break through the Face Thief’s unreasonable defensive abilities.
Just then, Rishe’s pupils dilated.
His senses had detected an opening in the Face Thief’s defense.
‘Now!’
Rishe set aside all thoughts and summoned all his strength.
Thump!
His mana surged, pushing him past his limits.
Step.
Step.
Rishe closed the distance with the Face Thief in sync with the enhancement’s acceleration.
And as all preparations were completed—
“Step aside, both of you!!!”
Towah and Magnus immediately moved out of the way, clearing a path between Rishe and the Face Thief.
Rishe’s body tore through the wind, racing down that path.
The full force of “Soul Stealing Strike” unfurled.
As Rishe closed the distance in an instant and swung his sword, the crucial moment had arrived.
“Cough!”
Blood spewed from his mouth.
At the very moment he tried to imbue his sword with power, his limit had been reached.
“Ugh…!”
The Face Thief grabbed Rishe by the neck and kicked him away.
Rishe’s figure soared through the air.
Magnus and Towah quickly rushed forward to catch him.
The Face Thief inspected the hand that had grabbed Rishe’s neck and smiled.
‘Dull.’
Rishe’s attack had failed.
And then—
“Rishe, are you alright?!”
“Cough…!”
Rishe was hemorrhaging blood from every orifice on his face.
Severe symptoms of overload.
The biggest threat was eliminated.
“HahahaHAHAHA!!!”
The Face Thief gazed at a wounded Rishe in Towah’s arms and burst into maniacal laughter.
It wasn’t mere schadenfreude over his enemy’s suffering.
Right now, he was experiencing an intoxicating thrill.
The enhancement ability that had empowered Rishe’s previous attack— the Face Thief had successfully stolen it, along with the other mysterious powers.
The memory of being overwhelmed when he had stolen Rishe’s sword surfaced.
But the Face Thief, now guided by instinct rather than reason, was fully engulfed by this all-powerful sensation. He willingly accepted everything that came with it.
“Aaaahhh…”
The Face Thief fell into ecstasy.
His power surged.
It surged and surged and surged…
“…?!”
The Face Thief’s expression suddenly shifted as he realized something was wrong.
Just as he was about to regain presence of mind and take action—
Drip.
Hot liquid, like boiling water, began to flow from his eyes.
It followed from his ears—
Then from his nose—
Then from his mouth—
“…???”
He didn’t understand why blood was pouring from every orifice on his face.
Something was wrong.
He looked at Rishe, trying to grasp the cause.
Rishe—who was dying just as he was because of the side effects of this power—
“Huh?”
Rishe inexplicably rose to his feet, calm and composed, even as blood streamed from his face.
His expression was one of complete tranquility.
***
< Fate 74: Face Thief - Deactivated >
< Accordingly, a reward has been granted. >
< … >
< … >
< … >
< Experience has been automatically distributed. >
< Rishe >
< Level 60(58) > 59 >
< Abnormal status has been cured. >
< Abnormal status: Overload(Severe) >
***
Rishe scratched the back of his head as he stared at the Face Thief.
“Anyway, that’s how it turned out.”
It looked like he had muttered those words.
He soon straightened his posture, as if nothing had happened, and the dried blood trails on his face were overwritten by fresh ones.
He quietly said to Towah and Magnus,
“Let’s finish it before he regains consciousness.”
Towah and Magnus, still in shock, didn’t respond.
