The Bookkeeper-Chapter 77: The Forest

Raiden moved with deliberate precision through the forest, pressing himself against the thick trunks as he sought concealment in the shadows. A single misstep would give him away.

However, he focused most of his mana into his lower body and right hand. Drawing measured breaths, he moved like a predator poised to exploit the smallest vulnerability in its quarry.

The instant he spotted his chance, he took it, exploding into motion and crossing sixty meters in under a second, the displaced air swirling in his wake.

He buried his right fist deep into his opponent’s heart, striking before they could even turn to face him. Raiden let out a measured breath and smiled grimly as warm blood speckled his cheeks in the biting cold.

"You damn goblin..."

[ALERT]

[+5XP]

[CURRENT STATUS: NUMBER 7: LEVEL- 75/100 XP.

MANA CONTROL: 100

DRAGON MANA POOL: 925/ 5000

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 305

STAMINA: 300

DRAGON AURA: 115

SKILL PROFICIENCY: ACTIVE 2

—Swordsmanship: 90%

—Euphoria: 65%

FAMILIAR TRUST: 102%

—Linked Familiar: WHITE DRAGON

CONTRACTS: ACTIVE 5.

—Name: [ASH]

—Bond Type: Sealed Pact.

—Name: [LEVI]

—Bond Type: Binding Oath.

—Name: [FREYA]

—Bond Type: Binding Oath.

—Name: [SPEED]

—Bond Type: Binding Oath.

—Name: [SOUL]

—Bond Type: Devotion Pact.

NEW ABILITIES:

—Soul of Dragon: 30%

—Heart of Dragon: 30%

—Invisibility

—Gaze Beyond

—Soul Condemn

—Others Locked.]

Raiden looked down at the fallen goblin with a satisfied smile before turning away, stripping off his white shirt as he walked. The key hanging from his necklace felt ice-cold against his bare chest while he cleaned the blood from his skin. The shirt was ruined, regardless, so he had no use for it now.

In a brief moment, Raiden’s eyes began darting around in confusion—he was lost. It had been just over a week since his birthday, and he had spent that time training and strengthening himself with mana to gain experience points and advance in rank. Hunting goblins proved to be the most efficient method, earning him 5 experience points for every five kills.

Driven by greed, he had somehow managed to slaughter every goblin he could find in the forest within four days. Today, while tracking the fifth goblin needed to complete his point threshold, he had wandered deep into unfamiliar territory without keeping track of his path.

He let out a sigh and tossed his shirt to the ground, tucked his hands into his pockets, and began walking forward without hesitation. He just had to look for the white slimes—perhaps that might indicate how close he was to home.

It didn’t take long into his walk before he found himself lost in thought. It had been quite a while longer than he had initially anticipated, and both Leo and Levi were due to return from their mission.

Leo—Raiden could understand the possibility that he was still held captive, but Levi? The shadow of Noor? His invisibility had been flawless, so were the Dawnbringers truly powerful enough to see through the invisible?

These thoughts had become his constant burden, casting shadows over his own troubles.

As his mind wandered, his danger detection kicked in, and his head instinctively tilted to the left. He didn’t spare a second before turning invisible, remaining perfectly motionless in his current position.

He could sense the figure approaching him, even through his invisibility. Whether it was a fluke or not, he remained calm with his fists tightly clenched, ready to strike the moment he was discovered.

The assassins of FIRMO were said to be out of power, so whoever this was would most likely be a Dawnbringer.

His breathing was shallow as he watched the reddish heat signature of the approaching figure, slowly infusing concentrated mana into his hand—enough to end everything with a single strike if things escalated.

The moment the figure came within reach, he watched as it slowed its pace as if it could see him. His heart rate began climbing as he adjusted his body, taking a proper fighting stance.

However, the figure paused at a distance from him. "Bookkeeper?" the figure called out in a confused tone.

Raiden stepped back, bewildered by how effortlessly they had detected him. But who were they? Friend or enemy? Their aura seemed peaceful, and his danger instincts weren’t screaming as they would if this person meant harm. ƒreewebɳovel.com

"I didn’t know you could turn invisible—it’s me, Alex," he said with genuine concern.

Raiden squinted his eyes slightly. He had heard the name Alex before, but couldn’t quite recall who it was. For a moment, he contemplated whether to turn visible, but since he was already spotted, there was no point in remaining invisible.

The moment he deactivated it, he saw a gentleman with gray hair in a black suit, his yellow aura radiating with quiet dignity as the number six gleamed on his yellow crest. He wore a soft smile as he regarded Raiden, who met his gaze with a confused expression.

Raiden narrowed his eyes as he studied him. The man looked familiar, but he couldn’t quite grasp where he had seen him before.

"You obviously don’t recall... that’s understandable," he said, his smile turning sheepish. "I was the Dawnbringer who spoke with you during your ceremony last week."

Raiden’s expression softened in recognition. He could remember him now, but Alex still wasn’t in the clear as far as he was concerned. Though he had claimed not to be an enemy, Raiden couldn’t bring himself to trust a rival.

"What do you want?" he asked, his tone flat and dry.

Alex smiled slightly and gestured behind him. "By the way, your mansion is this way."

Raiden met his gentle eyes with a flat, uninterested stare. Alex knew immediately that Raiden wasn’t in the mood for games and needed a real answer.

He exhaled slowly. "Listen to my proposal. If you don’t like it, you’re free to end me right here."

Raiden’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, caught off guard by the dramatic offer.

What’s this guy up to?—he thought

"That’s how crucial this is to me," he said, his face betraying nothing.

Raiden remained silent for a moment. He didn’t sense anything deceptive about Alex, and considering this was the second time he had approached him for a peaceful conversation, it seemed he genuinely had something worthwhile to say. Perhaps he could even learn something about Leo and Levi’s whereabouts.

He let out a sigh and began walking in the direction Alex had gestured toward earlier. Without missing a beat, Alex followed.

"How did you see me?" Raiden tilted his head slightly toward Alex as leaves brushed against his bare torso.

Alex pointed back toward where Raiden had abandoned his clothing. "When I saw the goblin’s corpse and the blood staining those clothes, I realized someone had to be close."

"I channeled mana into my eyes and swept the surroundings," he continued. "That’s how I spotted you."

Raiden let out a derisive sound. Now he knew the extent of the Dawnbringers’ abilities—if Levi had been captured, this technique was likely the reason.