Chapter 2: Neutrum Hideout
Brook started running as fast as he could without making any noise. The god he was tied to reminded him that the concealment skill doesn't work to beheaders like him. He passed through the thick forest before he finally had somewhere to plan.
The beheaders are a group of people sponsored by two gods who wished to oppose the Neutrum Allegiance and maintain status quo. They have a tracking skill that marks somebody who's from the alliance, once you're targeted, escape is almost impossible. The only way to get out of a beheader's senses is to fight the avatar that he sent and kill it. They don't usually hunt their preys with their body, instead they have avatars specially created by the two gods.
Brook's god never mentioned any name as of the moment, and he's basically running on thin ice. The beheader was near, as the mission interface appeared on his screen.
New Mission: Kill the beheader.
The beheaders have been opposing the Neutrum Allegiance since the start of the reintegration to Earth. Not only do they hunt Neutrum sponsors, they also kill whatever gets in their way, human or not.
Kill this beheader and reap rewards from the gods.
Clang.
The beheader used his claws to attack Brooke, meanwhile, he parried with his sword.
-3!
Brooke had two class skills, namely Forward Charge and Triple Strike. Forward Charge stunned the enemy for a second, while rendering him unable to use any skills, and Triple Strike deals consecutive damage, and the last strike would deal twice the amount.
Forward Charge!
Brooke dashed quickly to the hooded man. The beheader was stunned for a second, simultaneously, he casted Triple Strike.
Triple Strike!
-7!
-6!
-15!
After dealing consecutive damage, the beheader leapt back and fixed his stance. He dashed forward and used a curse to Brooke, who's speed dwindled down. He struggled to swing his sword for defense as the killer slashed him twice with his pointed claws.
-6!
-9!
Their struggle went on for eight more minutes when suddenly, Brook's skills cooled down and activated the two skills again.
Forward Charge! Triple Strike!
-7!
-7!
-13!
The beheader had 5 HP left after Brook dealt damage with his skills. Throughout the fight, he took about two or three hits from the beheader while the beheader had several cuts open on his body.
"What is your problem?" Asked loudly by Brook. "Why do you kill the Neutrums?"
"You lot are blind to believe your own gods," he said with angst as Brooke continued to approach him with caution. "It's not peace that you want, it's control."
"What do you mean?" probed Brook.
"Idiot!"
The beheader leapt high to his side, doding my stab. I chased him for a couple of minutes before finally succeeding to get rid of the avatar.
--- You have slain the beheader. You received 432 EXP. The Neutrum Allegiance favorability towards you +2.
"What did he mean by that?" I asked myself while recuperating my wounds with potions. The scratch marks on his arm and body were gone, healed by the salve he drank.
Brooke unsheathed his sword and walked through the oak tree somewhere in the forest, enchanted by magic. He entered a room only for Neutrums. The high-ceiling and large pillars supporting the building still amazed him, as the beauty of Greek architecture encaptured his heart.
"Why are you such a mess?" The blonde girl said. She had blue eyes, and a petite figure with a height of 165 centimeters.
"A beheader marked me," Brooke explained. "Damn, tired."
"Here, have some of my coffee," she offered the cup she was holding.
"No, thanks. Pearl, I have something I wanted to discuss."
Brooke explained what happened to him and the said the exact words the beheader had told him. Pearl's reaction was filled with worry throughout the exchange, but her faced turned into disbelief when I told her about the control that the Neutrum gods wanted.
"I think there's nothing to worry for now, but do stay cautious when dealing with gods," she advised. "They're manipulative as hell."
"Will do."
"I'll go tell Steven about this. For now, stay vigilant and do not expose your identity even to your close friends. Got it?"
He nodded in response.
Pearl left the hideout and Brooke was left all alone. Before going out to repair his damaged armor, he accessed the interface to check his skills.
"System!"
Personal Traits:
1. Cunning – you are skilled in the ways of manipulation. Having this trait would allow you to have higher chances of deception and evasion.
2. Calm – you don't get pressured whenever you're in a tough situation. Less chances of being charmed and decision-making ability is heightened.
Other traits are currently locked.
Class Skills:
1. Forward Charge [Active] – you dash to the enemy, leaving him stunned for a second.
2. Triple Strike [Acttive] – deal consecutive damage to the enemy wherein your third attack would be doubled in damage.
Sponsor Skills:
1. Concealment [Neutrum, passive] – identity would be hidden from others. You can choose what you want others to see. You're not easily noticed by others.
Sponsor skills would open after your class upgrade.
"Concealment is really meant for me," Brook muttered under his breath.
He went outside the hideout the next day and was teleported to the nearest city of the Malums. The infrastractures here didn't differ much from the Bonums, the only difference is that red banners were raised here while on the other side, blue banners were raised.
The smithy was near to the Guilds' Lobby, a building meant for guilders and humans who are applying for guilds. Khan's smithy was a humble looking one, it had a medium-sized space packed with anvils and furnaces.
"Hey," Brooke said to the young man, who he assumed to be the mastersmith's apprentice. "Can you fix my armor?"
"Do you have a change of clothes available?"
"Yes, and please tell Mr. Khan that I'll be personally meeting with him later."
He removed his armor, revealing his well-developed body. He had a fine physique, cultivated from working out back then and now, from fighting. He had a tall height, somewhere around 190 cm.
The armor was given to the apprentice, and Brook went outside.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone