We are now in the golden era of hunters.
Across the capital of Sylvean, dungeons and relics defined power, and countless adventurers rose and fell chasing glory. Among these rising stars stood one man who despite his odd reputation outshone them all.
His name was Hiro Ludin, the Lazy Trickster.This is the tale of how that man somehow became the leader of the top-ranked clan Blazing Dawn and the party that shook the capital.
[Chapter 10 Begins]
After the duel, we all headed back to the restaurant to discuss our plan moving forward. The crowd still whispered about what had happened.Some said I used forbidden magic. Others claimed I had summoned a doppelgänger.
If only they knew it was just my pet slime doing the heavy lifting.
---
Billy Gane POV
I was born in a small town in the rural areas.Since I was a child, everyone said I was gifted born to become a hunter.
I defeated every other kid in duels before I even turned ten. By the time I was twelve, I could beat the adults too.
That was when I left home to begin my hunter career.I gathered a few newbies like myself, formed a small party, and we started clearing dungeons and ruins together.
We thought we were strong.
I thought I was the strongest.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped seeing my teammates as equals.
They slowed me down.
They made mistakes.
They relied on me too much.
So I left them.Because I thought they were too weak.
And now… I'm the one kneeling in front of another man someone who made me realize how foolish I was.
The Lazy Trickster…
That name had always sounded ridiculous to me. But now, all I could think was He's on a completely different level.
Back to Hiro Ludin
"Hey, Billy."
I walked toward him. He was still on his knees, probably still in shock about how fast the fight ended.
He didn't look at me.
"If I remember correctly," I said, tilting my head, "you quit your party because the others weren't as strong as you, right?"
He looked up at me, eyes wide. "What? How… How do you know that?"
I smirked. Because that's literally your backstory, you fool. But of course, I couldn't say that out loud.
"Just a hunch," I replied instead. "You left because you were strong and they were weak. But let me ask you something."
He blinked. "What?"
"I'm the strongest in my crew too. But did I ever leave them behind?" I asked quietly.
Billy said nothing. The silence stretched between us.
"Well," I continued, "it's not like they'd even let me leave in the first place. I tried once, you know. They tracked me down, dragged me back, and scolded me for days."
I gave a small laugh. "So yeah, I get it. That feeling when you think you're too strong and everyone else feels too weak. But in the end, that's not strength, Billy. That's selfishness."
Billy lowered his head, fists trembling.
---
Billy's Thoughts
He was right.
Even though I didn't want to admit it, every word he said pierced deeper than any blade could.
The Silent Lament…
That was the name of their party a team already being praised as one of the strongest in the capital. And yet, this man… this lazy-looking Trickster still put up with his companions without arrogance.
What kind of person is he?
The Lazy Trickster no one can tell what goes through his head. He's like a monster wearing a man's face. You can't predict what he'll do next.
---
Hiro Ludin POV
"Hey, System," I said in my mind, glancing at Billy's sword that was still buried in the ground, its crimson glow flickering faintly. "That flame sword of his looks loaded with mana."
> [Indeed. You can absorb the mana from it and feed the slime if you want.]
"Really?" I whispered, surprised. "You're serious?"
> [Yes. But don't make it obvious, genius.]
"Got it," I said under my breath.
I walked over to where the sword was stuck in the ground. Everyone else was busy discussing the Frostfang Den raid plan, so no one paid attention.
I nudged the blade with my foot, kicking it slightly upward. As it spun in the air, I caught it with one hand and in the same motion, placed my other hand over it.
My slime slithered silently from my sleeve, wrapping around my palm and spreading over the blade like a second skin.
> [Beginning Mana Drain.]
A faint hum filled the air. Suddenly, a burst of fire erupted from the sword, swirling violently around me like a fiery storm.
To everyone else, it looked as if I was testing the weapon's power. But in reality, the slime was devouring every drop of mana within the blade.
The flames danced wildly, then vanished all at once sucked dry into nothingness.
I stared at the now dim sword and grinned. "Nice meal, huh?"
> [The slime is satisfied. Mana absorption complete.]
[Mana: +210 Recovered. Slime has gained 'Flame Resistance (Low)'.]
Perfect.
I turned back to Billy, who was staring at me with wide, trembling eyes.
"Your sword is a good one," I said casually, tossing it back toward him. "An artifact, right? You better treat it well."
He caught it shakily. "Th-This is impossible," he muttered. "It can't be true. You you drained the limiter of the Flame Sword… You drew out its full power in an instant That's not possible!"
"You're a monster!" Billy shouted.
I raised an eyebrow. "What did you say? Sorry, didn't hear you. Bit noisy in here."
Truth was, I was still focusing on making sure he didn't notice what I'd done. The slime finished cleaning the last traces of mana residue, and I slipped my hand into my pocket like nothing happened.
As the group discussed the next step of our Frostfang Den expedition, Billy kept glancing at me every now and then a mix of confusion, respect, and fear in his eyes.
He'd probably be up all night trying to figure out what just happened. But that was fine.
Because that's the fun part of being me.
The Lazy Trickster. The man no one could ever predict.