An Apparition Or A Prank

DING!

[3rd Skill Devour Successful]

"Hm?"

The screen appeared before him again, this time larger.

[Skill Acquired: Eidetic Mapping (Unique) Level 1]

[Description: Allows the user to instantly memorize and recall maps in perfect detail. Grants the ability to project oneself mentally into the mapped locations, providing a bird's-eye view or ground-level simulation of the terrain for a limited duration.]

[Duration: 15 minutes.]

[Cooldown: 2 hours.]

"Eidetic Mapping, huh?"

He lowered his gaze to the bottle in his hands, his brow furrowed.

Then it dawned on him.

"The Queen."

The screen vanished almost immediately, and Ryuen stood still, processing the new information.

He could feel a faint pulse of energy coursing through his veins.

It was as though the blood he drank had already begun merging with his own.

The skill itself was fascinating enough.

He glanced at the map the Queen had attached to the bottle.

As soon as his eyes scanned it, he felt an odd pull inside him.

He quickly shut his eyes out of instinct, and the map became clearer in his mind—not as ordinary lines on paper, but as if it was actually there.

He saw a clear view of the palace from above, as though he were hovering over it.

The large land it occupied and the multiple paths leading to different parts of the forest became vivid.

The oak trees lined up around the palace were even more noticeable from this vantage point.

There were more than fifteen if his guess was right.

His gaze then moved to the palace gates.

He followed the path they had taken to the dungeon and was taken aback by how unrecognizable the place was.

A deserted land had now been turned into a farm, with crops growing and even trees planted.

"In such a short span of time," he mumbled, impressed.

The transformation was remarkable, but it left him slightly uneasy.

From what he knew about animals, they were territorial creatures.

Though the beasts in the dungeon were dead, he doubted they would rest peacefully knowing their land was being intruded upon.

His gaze shifted again, this time to another part of the city—a sector that surprised even him.

At the city's center stood a large temple, nearly the size of the palace.

Unlike the palace, it lacked a sprawling garden, but its sheer scale made up for it.

Gargoyle statues perched atop its roof, and a strange symbol resembling an eye was made at the center.

He stared at it for quite some time before catching a glimpse of a statue nearby.

In an attempt to move his gaze fully, the vision suddenly ended.

The image, however, stayed imprinted in his mind like a permanent marker.

"Photographic memory too!"

Ryuen exclaimed, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

But he quickly composed himself and exhaled deeply.

"So this is what she left me," he mumbled, glancing again at the map.

"Why did she include the name Masked Crusader? I doubt she even knew that was my name. So why?"

Before he could think too deeply, a chill ran down his spine.

The energy from the blood still lingered in his body instead of fading like the other two skills.

But there was something... off.

The timing was suspicious.

The Queen had asked him to examine the map and bottle at a precise moment when no one would pay attention to him.

And she had died that same day.

He wouldn't dare return to the royal family to investigate—not unless he wanted to risk being labeled a murderer.

If he wanted answers, he would have to search the Queen's study.

Ryuen tucked the map and the empty bottle into his hair, the same way she did.

The items were impressively hidden within his white strands.

Even if someone patted his head, they wouldn't notice anything.

He took one last look at the note, heaved a sigh, and exited the room.

_____

It was already past 1 AM. The palace was already quiet, except for the soft sounds of birds and crickets.

Ryuen walked quickly, with his hands dipped into into his pockets.

He moved quickly, with long strides that were completely soundless.

It was a technique called Feather Walking.

The only thing an assassin needed to know and perfect before carrying out a job was silence and calculation.

Lack one, and you failed miserably.

For Ryuen, it wasn't just a skill; it was a behaviour permanently imprinted on him like ink on paper.

The funny part? He wasn't even trying to walk silently.

Not like he cared.

Anyone awake at such an hour would have their own explaining to do.

And if someone questioned him?

He'd easily turn the situation around, making them look like the one caught out of place without breaking a sweat.

As he approached the Queen's study, he paused.

The guards, who were supposed to stand watch, were asleep.

No surprise there.

But then, he heard the sound of low humming behind the closed doors.

His brow curved slightly.

'Could one of the princesses be inside? Maybe tidying up?'

It would work in his favor if it was Erina—she was the only one who ever showed any understanding.

Or maybe Althea, though she'd likely spend half the time mocking his race and calling him weak.

Aika was another possibility. If it was her, all he had to do was rile her up enough to make her spill everything he needed to know.

But that was stressful, and also useful at the same time.

Without wasting any time, he quietly pushed the door open and slipped inside.

He turned back and closed the door as silently as he had entered.

When he turned around, he froze.

Seated there was the Queen.

The same Queen he had seen lifeless in her coffin just hours ago.

She was alive.

She sat in the same clothes she had been wearing when he last saw her, but this time she didn't look pale.

She looked healthy, vibrant even.

Her legs were crossed, and a faint, knowing smile was plastered on her lips.

Ryuen's eyes narrowed.

He couldn't believe it.

The Queen tilted her head, her brown eyes glowing faintly.

Not from the reflection of the desk lamp, as he initially thought, but something else entirely.

"Surprised to see me?" she asked with a calm voice.

Ryuen clenched his fists. He had seen her body in the coffin.

He had devoured a skill—her skill, if he were to judge by how she was and acted.

"How...?"

Queen Akane's smile widened. "That's the wrong question, Ryuen."

She raised a hand, holding up a very familiar book.

One he could recognize anywhere.

His journal.

"The right question is, why am I still here? And how did I get this?"

Ryuen's eyes darted to the journal in her hand as she opened it, flipping through its pages.

Her fingers brushed over his carefully written notes before she stopped on one particular page and raised a printed photograph.

"How do you know about this?" he demanded immediately.

Cutting her off before she could lift the picture fully to her eyes.

The Queen responded with a soft chuckle.

"Oh, Ryuen, you underestimate how much I know," she said.

Her gaze dropped to the photograph.

And almost immediately her expression softened, and a warm smile appeared on her lips.

"Your sister is truly beautiful. I was doubtful when she told me about you."

Ryuen froze.

"My sister…"

The words slipped from his lips in a whisper, his shock growing more.

His sister had been missing for years, vanishing without a trace.

The last time he saw was when she was boarding a… train.....to Shibuya.

The memory flashed in his mind, and his eyes widened in realization, but the Queen didn't allow him time to dwell on it.

"I know about what you did in the past, before teaching that is.""

"And I know why they sent you here."

Ryuen's blood ran cold.

"They?"