chapter 121 the bait

As the countdown in his vision continued to tick down, Frost Eye's panic was replaced with cold calculation.

30:00 → 29:45 → 29:30…

Sophie had Search Radar on him. He had 30 minutes before his location would be revealed, and if he didn't leave the safe zone before then, he'd lose an entire level.

It was a trap—one he had no intention of walking into.

But rather than running or fighting head-on, an idea sparked in his mind—one that made his lips curl into a slow, predatory smirk.

"Wait… K is still hunting Dark Solution, isn't he?"

His fingers twitched with anticipation.

K had been relentlessly slaughtering Dark Solution members, convinced that they were responsible for his brother's death. The man was a walking storm of vengeance, cutting down anyone in that guild without a second thought.

But there was one crucial, beautiful detail that K still didn't know.

Frost Eye was the one who killed his brother.

The realization sent a dark thrill through him. K was a tool. A weapon. A blade Frost Eye could turn against Sophie and Dark Solution.

"Perfect. I won't just escape—I'll cause absolute chaos before I go."

Frost Eye's fingers drummed lightly against his thigh as he crouched in the shadows of Viles Town. His mind raced through possibilities, analyzing every move with cold precision. The system notification still hovered in the corner of his vision—Sophie's Search Radar was active, and in 30 minutes, his location would be revealed. If he didn't leave the safe zone by then, he'd be punished with a level loss.

But running wasn't an option. Neither was hiding. He needed a distraction, something to throw Sophie off his scent—and he had the perfect tool for it: K.

K wasn't just any NPC—he was obsessed with hunting down Dark Solution members, convinced that they were responsible for his brother's death. His hatred made him reckless, aggressive, and easy to manipulate. If Frost Eye played this right, he could make K do his dirty work for him, creating enough chaos to cover his escape.

All he had to do was fool K into thinking he had found a real Dark Solution member nearby.

Frost Eye's breath was steady, his heartbeat calm as he moved through the dimly lit streets of Viles Town's east side. His mind was already ten steps ahead, weaving a plan that would shift the focus away from himself and onto a different target.

Sophie had activated Search Radar, meaning in 30 minutes, his exact location would be revealed, and for the next six hours, his movements would be tracked. Staying hidden was impossible. Running wasn't an option either—Sophie wasn't the type to give up easily, and if she was willing to burn 20 gold for this, it meant she was dead serious about tracking him down.

He needed a distraction. A big one. Something that would consume Sophie's attention and keep her occupied long enough for him to escape.

That's when his eyes flickered toward a familiar NPC patrolling nearby—K.

K was a vengeful NPC, obsessed with hunting down Dark Solution members because he believed they had killed his brother. He had been programmed with a blind fury, attacking any Dark Solution player he encountered without question. And the best part?

K wasn't smart.

He didn't investigate. He didn't think critically. He saw proof, and he reacted with violence. If Frost Eye could trick K into thinking a Dark Solution member had been lurking nearby, the NPC would immediately go into hunting mode, causing a massive commotion that would drag Sophie into unnecessary chaos.

A smirk tugged at the corner of Frost Eye's lips. This was perfect.

Choosing the Right Bait

Frost Eye opened his inventory, his eyes scanning over the various loot items he had collected from previous kills. He needed something that would absolutely convince K that a Dark Solution member had been here.

His fingers hovered over a small, black-and-silver insignia—the Dark Solution Guild Emblem.

It was a common loot item, something any player in the guild would carry. Normally, it was worthless, only serving as a cosmetic identifier, but right now?

It was everything he needed.

If K found this emblem on the ground, he would assume that a Dark Solution member had just been here and was likely still in the area. His programming would take over, pushing him into an aggressive hunting state, making him scan the surroundings for any sign of the supposed enemy.

But simply dropping the emblem wasn't enough.

Frost Eye needed to make the scene believable. If K found the emblem too easily, he might hesitate. If it was too well hidden, he might walk right past it. It had to be in just the right place—somewhere that felt natural for a Dark Solution player to have dropped it in a hurry.

Placing the Emblem – The Art of Deception

Frost Eye's eyes darted around, scanning the environment for the perfect location.

The east side of Viles Town was known as a crime-ridden area, filled with low-level assassins, thieves, and shady NPC merchants. It wasn't unusual for Dark Solution members to lurk here, dealing in stolen goods and underground trades.

That meant if K found a clue here, he wouldn't question it.

His gaze locked onto a narrow alleyway, wedged between two abandoned merchant stalls. The area was dimly lit, the stone ground covered in dirt, scattered coins, and old bloodstains from past NPC fights. The walls were cracked, and a broken wooden crate lay nearby, suggesting someone had moved through in a hurry.

This was perfect.

With a flick of his wrist, Frost Eye let the Dark Solution Guild Emblem slip from his fingers.

The small insignia landed on the ground, half-buried in loose dirt, as if it had been dropped carelessly by someone in a rush to escape.

To K, this would look exactly like a Dark Solution member had been here, possibly fleeing after a failed deal or ambush. The subtle placement made it feel authentic, not staged. If it had been placed too obviously, K might have suspected a trap. If it had been hidden too well, he might have missed it entirely.

But here, in this exact position, it would catch his eye just enough to trigger his aggressive response.

Selling the Illusion – Making It Look Real

But Frost Eye wasn't done yet. Just dropping the emblem wouldn't be enough.

K needed to believe that Dark Solution had actually been here recently.

That meant adding subtle details to make the area look recently disturbed.

He scanned his inventory again, pulling out a cloth rag he had looted from an NPC merchant earlier. He dabbed it into the dried bloodstains on the ground, smearing a fresh bloody handprint onto the stone wall nearby.

The message it sent was clear:

Someone was injured here recently.

Someone left in a hurry.

Someone made a mistake and dropped their guild emblem.

Next, he reached into his coin pouch and scattered a few copper coins near the emblem, as if someone had been too rushed to notice they had dropped money in their escape.

Finally, he kicked over the broken wooden crate, letting it fall with a loud thud. The impact sent a small dust cloud into the air, making it look like there had been movement in the last few minutes.

Everything was set.

To anyone walking by, it would seem like a fight or chase had just happened here. To K, it would be undeniable proof that a Dark Solution member had been in this very spot moments ago.

And once K found the clue, his NPC programming would take over, sending him into a rage-filled hunt for the imaginary enemy.

Frost Eye's lips curled into a satisfied smirk.

Now all that was left… was to bring K's attention to it.