''He probably said it in a way we couldn't hear, right?" Verda, too, overcame her short-term shock and offered a logical explanation.
It was always necessary for item holders to activate their skills by saying the names of the skills, and it was not unusual for skilled fighters to conceal the skill names within their speech in order to mislead their opponents while they were engaged in combat.
''Or maybe it's a property of his title. If that's the case, he's certainly not an ordinary person, as I thought. 'Master of All'—I wonder what that means," Aurora added, intrigued by the flashy title.
Up until this point, the only people they were aware of who were able to use skills without first chanting the name of the skill were those with a D-Rank or higher, and this was because of the innate skill slot that they gained as a result of their rank.
And if Raydon's title was something that provided him with an additional innate skill slot, or even more incredible, if it was something that allowed him to use his skills without chanting the names of those skills, then it was an ability that had the potential to give one incredible advantage in combat.
''That's also a possibility," Nysora agreed, finding it plausible. She continued, her gaze fixed in the direction Raydon had vanished. ''Regardless, he's still at level 1. We must find him before something happens."
The battle maids' primary responsibility had always been to provide support for their young masters, and they were prepared to lay down their lives for their charges if necessary. Even though they did not yet consider Raydon to be their young master, the family had assigned them a duty, and success was the only option available to them.
''What a headache," Feline sighed, her pink pupils contracting as she focused on the distance. ''I will track him down."
Raising her palm, Feline activated her investigative skill, "Pollen Tracer."
Instantaneously, Feline's palm became filled with a swarm of countless yellow pollen particles, each resembling minuscule dust particles. With a controlled exhale, she released the pollen into the air, delicately guiding its trajectory toward the precise location she had fixed her gaze upon.
Under the influence of this weak but effective blow, all the pollen was suddenly propelled forward with incredible speed, swiftly soaring beyond their line of sight. In the meantime, a few pollen grains floated down and landed on the ground close by. Within a few milliseconds, each one of them bloomed into a beautiful rose that was a vibrant shade of pink.
In the space of just a few seconds, thousands of these pink roses adorned the landscape for miles ahead, serving as a marker for the path that the flying pollen had taken.
"I found him... But..." As Feline observed the surroundings of the rose-laden areas with her senses attuned to the information conveyed by the blooming flowers, she went from being serious to look surprised. Despite successfully locating Raydon, her discovery left her bewildered rather than elated.
"What happened? Is he already dead?" Nysora inquired urgently, her concern evident.
"No, he's alive," Feline responded, her voice still tinged with disbelief. "But you won't believe it."
"What is it, then?"
"It's unbelievable," Feline muttered again, struggling to find the words to convey her shock. "It hasn't even been half a minute since he used his skill to disappear, but he's already more than 500 meters away."
"What? What kind of skill is that? Could he have a blue-grade item?" Nysora and the others contemplated in awe, unable to contain their astonishment at what they heard.
Raydon's rapid distance covered in such a short time was far beyond the capabilities of a mere green-grade movement-type skill.
"Well, I don't know the specifics of his item, but it's likely to be a high mana-consuming skill," Nysora reasoned, taking a deep breath to calm her nerves. "He might exhaust his mana soon, so if we hurry, we can reach him before anything happens."
The others nodded, accepting Nysora's logical explanation, and prepared to set off swiftly. However, Feline's next words brought them to a halt once more.
"Girls, I believe we need to formulate a new plan because contrary to what Nysora mentioned, I don't think his mana will deplete anytime soon."
"What do you mean?" Nysora squinted her eyes, a perplexed frown forming on her face. It seemed implausible for someone at Raydon's level to possess the mana reserves necessary to sustain such a powerful skill for an extended period.
"Because he's not using his previous skill at the moment; he's just running," Feline replied, her voice trembling with disbelief. "I can't say for certain if it's another movement-type skill, but the agility he's displaying is ridiculous."
Feline recalled witnessing his recent use of the shadow passage skill. Her observations led her to the conclusion that it must be some kind of teleportation. Because of this, even though she could not see him through her roses, she was able to make out very clearly that he was not making use of that particular skill at this very moment. Instead, she could sense that Raydon was relying solely on his extraordinary speed, sprinting with incredible velocity.
Nysora, determined to understand their chances of catching up to Raydon, inquired further. "What are our chances of catching him at our full speed?"
She could not fathom how Raydon could move so quickly, but she had complete faith in Feline's investigative skills, so she did not bother to inquire as to whether or not Feline was correct or if she was making a mistake.
Feline's response was disheartening. "At the moment, he appears to be even faster than you. I don't know how long he can sustain this speed, but it seems to be increasing rather than diminishing."
As they attempted to understand the mystery that Raydon's extraordinary power presented, silence descended once more over the group. None could fathom how a mere level 1 item holder could possess such astonishing speed.