Hill

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Hill (希尔)
Gender	Female
Affiliation	Marcus's adventuring party; later an official permanent member of Zeliel's party 42 400 403
Occupation/Role	Assassin; scout, trap specialist, and ambush combatant
Status	Active 496
First Appearance	41

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Mid-rank / intermediate assassin	41	Introduced as an intermediate assassin; had already mastered Battle Qi.
Advanced-stage intermediate assassin	301	Her Shadow Battle Qi could manipulate a throwing knife, increase her speed and strength, and conceal her body in dim light. Her progress was ahead of the party's other intermediate professionals.

Background / History

Hill grew up in a village as the daughter of a hunter and a fur-mender. Her childhood was stable despite her family's modest means, until the merchant Banisi's actions led to tragedy for her family, including her mother's death. Hill later adopted the belief that wealth and power do not place anyone beyond death, and became an assassin. 400

She first joined Marcus's party for the White-Haired Goblin extermination commission, presenting herself as a mid-rank assassin. Her stealth, scouting, hidden weapons, and Battle Qi made her an immediate asset despite Zeliel's initial wariness toward assassins. 41 42

After operating independently in Bloodfang Town, Hill obtained a map to ancient ruins from the safe of a wealthy human trafficker she had killed. She sought out Zeliel and invited him to assemble an adventuring party to explore the site rather than attempt it alone. 278 297 298

Hill initially expected the group to separate once the ruin expedition ended, as she was accustomed to transactional partnerships within the assassin world. Instead, Zeliel asked her to remain in a permanent party, recognizing both her abilities and the trust built among the team. She accepted. 400 403

Appearance

Hill is a tall, fair-skinned woman with gentle features, defined red lips, and long dark-chestnut hair. She usually conceals herself beneath a loose black hooded cloak over fitted leather armor. 41 297 421

• Long legs clad in leather trousers and high-heeled leather boots. 41 297
• Her cloak and leather armor are fitted with straps and concealed weapon slots. 43 421
• Her upgraded black cloak suppresses her presence and gives her a more secretive appearance. 421

Personality

Hill is outwardly relaxed, elegant, and teasing, often speaking in a lazy tone even during dangerous situations. She enjoys making Zeliel flustered, but can become serious and direct when discussing a mission or a threat. 41 43 297

As an assassin, she is pragmatic and ruthless in combat. She believes hesitation makes a killer's hand shake, and she acts quickly when she judges violence necessary. However, her targets are not indiscriminate: she killed the merchant whose safe held the ruin map because he trafficked people. 49 298

Though highly private and used to working alone, Hill gradually becomes attached to her companions. She values their trust, agrees to join the permanent party, shields Zeliel from a blast, and stands guard during his advancement. 323 400 496

Abilities & Skills

Shadow Battle Qi

Hill possesses a special Shadow Battle Qi suited to assassination. It shares some traits with wind-attribute Battle Qi, but is more focused on concealment and sudden movement. 301

• Increases her speed and physical strength when fully activated. 301
• Diminishes her presence; in dim environments, she can become nearly invisible. 301 319
• Can support precise weapon control, including holding a throwing knife aloft along a controlled trajectory. 301
• Allows explosive midair acceleration and later a true Double Jump by creating a foothold in the air. 314 424
• Can concentrate into a single piercing strike capable of breaking a lich's Mana Barrier or penetrating an Earthbrute Bear's hide. 338 372

Assassination and Close-Quarters Combat

Hill specializes in stealth attacks, PvP, and rapidly exploiting an opponent's openings.

• Subdued the opposing assassin Richie before he could detect her approach, then killed him when Drake's party chose to fight. 50
• Killed an intermediate swordsman in direct combat by using a brief opening to thrust a Battle Qi-enhanced dagger through his throat. 51
• Ambushed the Thorn Behemoth beneath its vine armor, severely opening its exposed belly before escaping its counterattack. 322
• Wounded the Decayed Lich from behind, creating the opening Zeliel used to kill it. 338
• Can be forced into a disadvantage in frontal contests against overwhelmingly strong opponents or large, heavily armored monsters. 324 353 390

Mobility and Acrobatics

Hill trains extensively in balance, flexibility, climbing, and silent movement.

• Can leap through trees, climb walls, and land without making a sound. 43 297 338
• Practices demanding one-foot balance and flexibility exercises as part of her basic assassin training. 331
• Used Double Jump to rise above a diving Griffin Beast and behead it in midair. 424
• Dislikes riding mounts because they make her conspicuous and reduce the advantages of her profession. 333

Perception, Tracking, and Scouting

Hill's senses are unusually sharp, allowing her to act as the party's forward scout.

• Detected six hidden pursuers before the rest of the party noticed them. 49
• Located high-grade magical plants by scent. 318
• Identified an unnatural section of cliff face that concealed a sealed passage. 479
• Could read changes in wind, sound, and energy flow to roughly locate the Frost-Crowned Mother Ray before it attacked. 472

Trap Detection and Ruin Exploration

Hill's assassin training makes her especially valuable in trap-filled ruins.

• Detects and triggers hidden mechanisms safely with stone balls and other probes. 359 376
• Examines treasure chests and their surroundings for traps before the party opens them. 370
• Gathered extensive intelligence on the Third-Floor Ruins, including its trap types and treasure-chest rankings. 365
• Uses specialized tools to detect pressure mechanisms, hidden traps, and moving gears. 366

Equipment / Weapons / Items

• Twin daggers and shortswords — Her primary close-combat weapons; her Battle Qi turns them into lethal piercing tools. 43 372 421
• Throwing knives and concealed thrown weapons — Includes lightweight blades and triangular knives with blood grooves. 43 366
• Garrote wire and retractable sleeve blades — Concealed beneath her cloak for close-range kills. 43
• Spring-loaded chain blades — Can pierce a target and pull it back through a mechanism. 366
• Alchemical bombs — Compact explosives powerful enough to create large smoke clouds or inflict heavy damage. 46 366
• Trap tools — Pressure probes, revealing potions, a mechanical earpiece, pulling threads, stone balls, and precision pliers. 366
• Upgraded cloak and leather armor — Dark equipment designed to improve protection while restraining her presence. 421

Relationships

• Zeliel — Teammate and fellow expedition leader. Hill recruited him for the ruins expedition, developed mutual trust with him, and ultimately accepted his request to remain in the permanent party. Zeliel repeatedly treats her injuries, while Hill protects and watches over him. 297 394 400 496
• Marcus — Party leader and frontline protector. Hill follows his battlefield command while providing scouting, ambushes, and trap expertise. 43 372
• Gray — Teammate who coordinates with Hill during ambushes and often teases her or Zeliel. 322 335 496
• Vales — Teammate and ranged-combat partner. Hill's scouting and flanking complement his covering fire. 43 472
• Banisi — Wealthy merchant whose actions devastated Hill's family and shaped her worldview on wealth, power, and death. 400

Story Role / Major Arcs

Blackstone Town Missions

Hill joined Marcus's team for the White-Haired Goblin commission, serving as its advance scout and opening the battle with a high-speed assault through the Goblin ranks. 42 43 46

When Drake's party attempted to blackmail the group, Hill seized their assassin Richie first, killed him after the confrontation escalated, and eliminated two rangers. She later killed an intermediate swordsman during the ensuing ambush. 50 51

Bloodfang Town and the Ruin Map

While away from the party, Hill operated in Bloodfang Town and learned of Zeliel's conflict with the Wenmill family. Her curiosity about him contributed to her decision to seek him out for an expedition. 276 277 297

She revealed the ruin map acquired from a slain human trafficker, leading the group to form an expedition into the ancient ruins. 278 298

Ancient Ruins Expedition

Hill became the party's principal scout and trap specialist throughout the second- and third-floor ruins. Her information gathering, detection tools, climbing ability, and Shadow Battle Qi repeatedly allowed the group to navigate dangers other adventurers suffered from. 359 365 366 382

During the Black Knight battle, Hill stepped into the frontal fight to protect Gray despite the disadvantage to an assassin. The Black Knight shattered her twin swords and critically wounded her with a wind blade, but Zeliel saved her with potions and healing magic. 390 393 394

After the expedition, Hill agreed to formally remain with the team rather than return to solitary assassination work. 400 403

Later Adventures

Hill's enhanced movement allowed her to defeat a Griffin Beast through Double Jump and an aerial ambush. 424

She was injured by fire-element erosion while fighting the Lava Tyrant; Zeliel treated her, then used a Scar Removal Spell on the scar left by the Black Knight's attack. 441 442

While Zeliel advanced at Windbridge Town, Hill chose to guard him through his vulnerable breakthrough and entered his room to remain by his side. 496

Notable Quotes

“Anyone can be killed, and anyone can die.” — Hill 400

“If it's necessary... I will.” — Hill, on whether she would sacrifice herself for the team 384

Trivia

• Hill was nineteen and expected to reach the high-level intermediate assassin stage within a few months. 458
• Her room is notably messy despite her precise and disciplined combat style. 331
• She prefers carrying her equipment directly on her body rather than spending hundreds of gold coins on a storage bag. 366