u/DontImplantThechip

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

He doesn't even do anything, just lets the goblins get away.

"M-mister? Isn't that bad? What if a bunch of them come after us later."

"Why are you still stuttering, Dorothy? You spoke normally with that Grandma… don't tell me you find a goblin scarier than her... As for letting them go, well, letting them go was intentional, it's more XP—cough... I mean, it's easier to let them all come straight at us and eliminate them, rather than having one that got lost always popping up out of nowhere…"

Dorothy, holding hands with Sharon behind him, looked a bit thoughtful and replied, "Well, let's just stay here and wait then, this path doesn't seem viable but, you must have your reasons..."

Anyway, I need XP, after what happened I realized I was way too weak, what's the point of being able to bend metal bars, but not being able to handle a mini-boss like Stoneface, and now that I think about it, he is worse than the old lady, even though she is the Boss. Well, every game has that one mob that gives you a harder time than the boss itself anyway. Now that the goblins saw me, they will inform the others and come get us, since they think we're easy prey, at least I hope so.

They passed through the entrance and waited inside as Crow shut the metal gate.

"Crow, I think this is going to be a huge problem, what if a goblin comes, how am I going to defend them? They wouldn't be able to run away—"

"The girl can burn them easily, right Dorothy?"

"I don't like burning others."

"Goblins aren't people, they are an abomination that infests this world, much like cockroaches, if you see one, you eliminate it, unless you want to get kidnapped by them of course—"

“I-I will burn, I will burn them…”

He didn't even answer; just kept walking straight and left them right there, as he passed through the alley, it was kind of dark, because it was roughly late afternoon, but he could make out the basics; he saw a sewer hatch that was sealed.

I get it. Since I saw them up here, and they went down that hallway, I imagine this sewer hatch must lead to the nest; the authorities probably opted to block it in order to prevent them from spreading until the "cleanup" crew arrives. Either way, I'll just leave it as it is, since they must be coming from a single entrance they broke open, assuming almost all of them are sealed off, of course.

Crow followed the blood trail left by the goblin eating an arm.

Man, I hate these things, seriously. Normally you’d let the hero deal with them, but it's free XP for me. Not to mention this is the best route to get where I want, and I definitely won't run into anyone there. At most, on the other side after crossing another potential metal gate, I'll probably find more bandits. This whole place is looking like a quarantine zone. I'd better hurry before the inquisitors show up and decide to purify us before the goblins... What was that noise? On the roof of the building? Doesn't seem like anyone's there, man that's sketchy. Anyway, that was actually a quick walk, I thought this area was bigger. No doubt they came through this hole in the wall. Maybe they dug from over there and came through the sewers? I don't know, I'm thinking too much and doing too little, better get moving.

He stepped through the hole in the wall—

BAM!

“keekekekek” The goblins cackled as they slammed a frying pan into his face, his only response was kicking the table they used for elevation.

Thud.

“It’s leveling time...” Crow stomped on the goblin’s neck on the floor.

Crack.

Honestly, I'm tired of all this killing, I don't know when I got used to doing this, man, I'm going to form my party and vanish off the map, seriously. I want to see Alice try to find me and put me back to work again while I’ll be chilling in some far away place.

“Kekekekekek” Cackled a goblin with a human arm in its mouth.

Tired or not, these things need to be exterminated from this world.

Crack.

He went around killing every single one he found on the ground floor of that building, until he found a hole in the floor from which a goblin emerged, he kicked the goblin in the head, snapping its neck.

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

[Level Up 13 > 14]

[Hand to Hand Combat Level Up 7 > 8]

I don't usually kick, is that why my hand to hand combat leveled up? But leveling hand to hand by kicking is kind of weird... well, whatever.

He caught the scent of something burning.

Seriously? Dorothy!? But no goblins got past me, what is going on? I should head back, but first, I'm going to knock this giant cabinet into the hole. The Hero can sort it out later if anything happens; right now, I need to make sure the girl survives, since she's totally OP and only died in the story for plot reasons.

Crow tipped the cabinet over and rushed back to where he started. He didn't find anyone except Dorothy, who was wreathed in flames, and he saw a lot of blood on the ground.

"What happened? I haven't even been gone a minute."

"M-mister..." The flames died down, and she collapsed to the floor.  “2 men dropped down here from the roof, and attacked us..." She planted both hands on the ground and tried to push herself up, but she was too weak. "Sharon fought them, but she couldn't even see a thing. So she told everyone to run and hide, and said she was going to do the same thing that was done to us at the mine entrance."

Man, you've gotta be kidding me. No, this can't be real, haha... less than 1 minute.

"S-so, she started swinging, her attacks passing just above us in all directions. That caused these nearby buildings to collapse around us, and, well, the fire... I didn't have any other choice, cough, cough..."

The inquisitors aren't going to come alone. The city must have noticed this by now; it looks like a terrorist attack. SWAT will be here soon, we'd better get out of here.

“M-mister!?”

"We don't have time for you to walk. The kids are gone, you're the only 1 left. It doesn't even make sense, was this some kind of kidnapping?"

He said this while carrying her in his arms across the area. As the buildings were slowly consumed by the flames, tilting and falling diagonally because of the lateral cuts at their bases, he quickly crossed to the other side, jumping over the parts that weren't on fire. When he reached the metal gate isolating the area, he saw the other 3 kids.

"You guys are here... that's a relief. Where's Sharon? She was forced to fight—can you describe what happened?" He finished speaking as he set Dorothy down and went to open the gate.

The taller boy spoke up. "The taller, skinnier man said it was a surprise to find her here, so weak and completely blind, and that it would make his plan easier. He was wearing a mask, and he had his hand on his throat with a faint purple light glowing from it."

WHAT? Plan? Someone wanted to kidnap her? If it's someone from the Stoneface gang… I just want to leave, but somehow problems keep popping up everywhere. I'll go to the Mercenary Guild, pay those guys to escort the kids back to the Snow Raven Realm, and then I'll go rescue the "damsel in distress."

After opening the gate and stepping through, he closed it behind the kids as they passed. Just as he turned around, he heard a voice.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here... someone decided to breach the quarantine zone... and on top of that, the whole place is burning to the ground... Man, what do you think, James? This guy looks pretty guilty to me. How about you?"

"He is guilty, Truman. What else would he be?"

"You heard my partner. Hands where I can see 'em; the cavalry's almost here."

It's all or nothing. I'll have to force my way through, but I'll avoid killing them since they're just innocent guards.

Crow slowly turned around and kept walking straight toward them as he spoke. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding. I'm just leaving, alright? Don't try to stop me."

"Well, well! It's all a misunderstanding, is it? So he's innocent... Yeah, James, looks like today's a 'nightstick to the back' kind of day," he said, drawing his baton.

"I don't like beating people, Truman, but this town forces my hand every single day. I've had it..." He drew his nightstick as well.

Officer James swung a blow at Crow, who dodged the first hit and blocked the second.

This guy is strong...

The other guard didn't wait around and jumped in too. Crow dodged, sticking close to Truman, forcing James to hold back his strike so he wouldn't hit his partner.

"Surrender, please. If you give up now, your prison sentence will be lighter..." said James, looking like he didn't really want to be doing this.

Crow barely dodged another blow as he replied, "I'm innocent, man... I'm gonna have to put you guys to sleep. Sorry..."

"Put us to sleep? HAHA! Look at this guy, James! He's insane! We're the ones who put thugs to sleep every day!" Meanwhile, Truman threw another strike that caught Crow right on the side of his left arm, landing with a loud, heavy smack against his flesh.

Dude, if these guys are this strong, how is the city still such a mess?

Crow feigned a broken left arm. When James stepped in to deliver a final blow to knock him out, Crow pulled Truman right into the path of the hit at the last second.

Whack!

"TRUMAN!? I-I'm sorry, ah man..."

Truman went to sleep.

Crow looked at James and said, "James, you seem like a nice guy, so here's the deal; take your partner and get out of here. I won a 2 on 1, so imagine a 1 on 1. You really wanna keep going with this? If I were guilty, I would've pulled my sword and ended all of this already."

James hesitated, deep in thought, then said, "I can't just turn a blind eye... so I'm calling for backup... just wait here, ok?" He picked up his partner and backed out of the alley.

"Yeah, James... go call for backup..."

"M-mister... it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you seem unlucky... j-just trouble after trouble ever since I met you..."

He looked back. "Yeah, story of my life. That's how it is out here, it's a concrete jungle."

Crow turned around and kept walking with the kids following behind him. As he stepped out of the alley, he spotted the shop the merchant from earlier had mentioned, located right near the mercenary guild. He turned around, slipped his hand into his pocket, and said, "Alright, here's the plan. Take this watch, Dorothy, I'm putting you in charge. Go inside, find the short guy, tell him it's time to pay back what he owes for the help on the road, and show him this. Tell him to get a wagon to escort you all out of here. Mention that I'm hiring some mercenaries for protection so the wagon can make it back, and that he can claim a reward upon return. Once you reach the kingdom, mention my name and say you have orders to present yourself to the queen. That should clear everything up, since she can view memories. Sure, it'll take some time, and if things don't line up, she might not even be there, but it's enough to keep you safe until things settle down."

"M-mister, I-I think... it's better if you do this yourself. I'm scared to go in there and be food in that kingdom."

"Sorry, but I have to rescue Sharon. Whatever happened back there is my responsibility too. Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine." He handed her the watch and watched the kids head toward the shop on the right. Once they were clear, he crossed the street and walked toward the mercenary guild.

Think positive... whoever kidnapped her was only interested in her, otherwise they would have taken the kids too. That makes me think it isn't Stoneface. None of his allies could pull off kidnapping her, even with her in a vulnerable state. Besides, he would have just killed her... or at least that's what he said. Unless he's trying to make me suffer? But the guy is way too heavy, there's no way it could have been him on the roof at that moment—”

“Are you going to keep staring at the door or are you going in? You walking wardrobe.”

Crow gave a slight shake of his head and glanced sideways at her; she was probably a martial artist. He didn't even bother replying and just walked inside.

A walking wardrobe? Well, given her size, I guess it makes sense she’d see me as one.

The interior of the building was surprisingly upscale. It had the layout of a classic adventurer's guild, but with a distinctly professional, almost corporate atmosphere. There were no rowdy tables scattered around with people loudly chatting or drinking. Instead, well-dressed individuals walked briskly with documents in hand, while others sat quietly on sofas waiting their turn.

Different. Very different. It reminds me more of a private military company... I'll check with the receptionist over there and see how their mercenary contracts work.

Approaching the main counter, he saw 3 receptionists. He walked up to the 1 on the far left, as her line was empty.

"Hello, welcome to the Guild. I don't believe I've seen you around before. I assume you're looking to sign up for work, correct?" she asked after giving him a quick once-over.

"Actually, no. I have some business to attend to, and I need an escort for a few acquaintances traveling to another city. What are your rates for a relatively strong party? Also, do you offer confidentiality clauses? There is, well... a noble involved."

Which isn't a lie...

"I understand, that's quite common. Not a problem," she replied smoothly. "Would this be a multi-day escort, or just a simple border crossing? A warzone? Please fill out this form so we can assign the most suitable team from our available roster."

"Er... sorry, but I can't read this language."

"I see, no problem. What country are you from, sir? I notice you speak the Universal Language fluently, but you aren't familiar with its script... Are you... um, able to read any of the other major languages? Oh, how rude of me, my apologies! Let me bring out the alternative forms in the other primary languages. If you happen to be illiterate, please don't worry, it's quite common. I could summon a Paladin officer to witness the contract and ensure you aren't taken advantage of due to your illitera—"

"It's fine, just hand me the alternative documents," he interrupted.

Man, I get the feeling she just tried to insult me...

Taking the paperwork, he glanced at one of the sheets and—

Whoooaaaa, the mercenaries here... Rank A, Rank S... this roster is stacked!? No, wait, hold on, how am I reading this? Japanese? WHAT? This reminds me of that watch brand named after a Japanese guy I received from the merchant... I really want to ask what they call this language here, but if I do, I'll have to admit I can read it... which would be way too weird. Let's just bluff a little and see what kind of information I can fish out of her.

He picked up the Japanese document. Even though he wasn't completely fluent, he understood enough to get by. "I see," he said calmly. "If you had a document in this language, I'm not sure why you didn't just give it to me in the first place..."

"My deepest apologies. I didn't realize you could read Imperial. It isn't widely used in this country nowadays..."

Imperial, huh... Did one of the other transmigrators found an empire? Well, better for me, I guess. At least there's one written language I can kind of understand. It's weird, though, they speak English here and call it the “Universal Language,” but there's no English alphabet. Instead, they use that other script which, while cool, is completely incomprehensible to me. Looks almost like Arabic.

He didn't even need to think twice. "This group here works. How much for a standard escort? Just until near the Snow Raven Realm—"

SHING!

SHING!

A few mercenaries passing by him instantly drew their swords. The toughest among them chimed in, his hand moving suspiciously, as if he desperately wanted to punch someone,"Just to clear something up... did you mention the realm of that tyrannical little mage who killed—cough... who's currently at war with our country?"

Why do I feel like I've been through this exact same thing before?

The guy yearning for a fight approached Crow with his dubious moving hand. “Speak, don’t tell me you are mute… or are you frozen because of fear?” He put his normal hand on Crow’s shoulder.

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

He doesn't even do anything, just lets the goblins get away.

"M-mister? Isn't that bad? What if a bunch of them come after us later."

"Why are you still stuttering, Dorothy? You spoke normally with that Grandma… don't tell me you find a goblin scarier than her... As for letting them go, well, letting them go was intentional, it's more XP—cough... I mean, it's easier to let them all come straight at us and eliminate them, rather than having one that got lost always popping up out of nowhere…"

Dorothy, holding hands with Sharon behind him, looked a bit thoughtful and replied, "Well, let's just stay here and wait then, this path doesn't seem viable but, you must have your reasons..."

Anyway, I need XP, after what happened I realized I was way too weak, what's the point of being able to bend metal bars, but not being able to handle a mini-boss like Stoneface, and now that I think about it, he is worse than the old lady, even though she is the Boss. Well, every game has that one mob that gives you a harder time than the boss itself anyway. Now that the goblins saw me, they will inform the others and come get us, since they think we're easy prey, at least I hope so.

They passed through the entrance and waited inside as Crow shut the metal gate.

"Crow, I think this is going to be a huge problem, what if a goblin comes, how am I going to defend them? They wouldn't be able to run away—"

"The girl can burn them easily, right Dorothy?"

"I don't like burning others."

"Goblins aren't people, they are an abomination that infests this world, much like cockroaches, if you see one, you eliminate it, unless you want to get kidnapped by them of course—"

“I-I will burn, I will burn them…”

He didn't even answer; just kept walking straight and left them right there, as he passed through the alley, it was kind of dark, because it was roughly late afternoon, but he could make out the basics; he saw a sewer hatch that was sealed.

I get it. Since I saw them up here, and they went down that hallway, I imagine this sewer hatch must lead to the nest; the authorities probably opted to block it in order to prevent them from spreading until the "cleanup" crew arrives. Either way, I'll just leave it as it is, since they must be coming from a single entrance they broke open, assuming almost all of them are sealed off, of course.

Crow followed the blood trail left by the goblin eating an arm.

Man, I hate these things, seriously. Normally you’d let the hero deal with them, but it's free XP for me. Not to mention this is the best route to get where I want, and I definitely won't run into anyone there. At most, on the other side after crossing another potential metal gate, I'll probably find more bandits. This whole place is looking like a quarantine zone. I'd better hurry before the inquisitors show up and decide to purify us before the goblins... What was that noise? On the roof of the building? Doesn't seem like anyone's there, man that's sketchy. Anyway, that was actually a quick walk, I thought this area was bigger. No doubt they came through this hole in the wall. Maybe they dug from over there and came through the sewers? I don't know, I'm thinking too much and doing too little, better get moving.

He stepped through the hole in the wall—

BAM!

“keekekekek” The goblins cackled as they slammed a frying pan into his face, his only response was kicking the table they used for elevation.

Thud.

“It’s leveling time...” Crow stomped on the goblin’s neck on the floor.

Crack.

Honestly, I'm tired of all this killing, I don't know when I got used to doing this, man, I'm going to form my party and vanish off the map, seriously. I want to see Alice try to find me and put me back to work again while I’ll be chilling in some far away place.

“Kekekekekek” Cackled a goblin with a human arm in its mouth.

Tired or not, these things need to be exterminated from this world.

Crack.

He went around killing every single one he found on the ground floor of that building, until he found a hole in the floor from which a goblin emerged, he kicked the goblin in the head, snapping its neck.

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

[Level Up 13 > 14]

[Hand to Hand Combat Level Up 7 > 8]

I don't usually kick, is that why my hand to hand combat leveled up? But leveling hand to hand by kicking is kind of weird... well, whatever.

He caught the scent of something burning.

Seriously? Dorothy!? But no goblins got past me, what is going on? I should head back, but first, I'm going to knock this giant cabinet into the hole. The Hero can sort it out later if anything happens; right now, I need to make sure the girl survives, since she's totally OP and only died in the story for plot reasons.

Crow tipped the cabinet over and rushed back to where he started. He didn't find anyone except Dorothy, who was wreathed in flames, and he saw a lot of blood on the ground.

"What happened? I haven't even been gone a minute."

"M-mister..." The flames died down, and she collapsed to the floor.  “2 men dropped down here from the roof, and attacked us..." She planted both hands on the ground and tried to push herself up, but she was too weak. "Sharon fought them, but she couldn't even see a thing. So she told everyone to run and hide, and said she was going to do the same thing that was done to us at the mine entrance."

Man, you've gotta be kidding me. No, this can't be real, haha... less than 1 minute.

"S-so, she started swinging, her attacks passing just above us in all directions. That caused these nearby buildings to collapse around us, and, well, the fire... I didn't have any other choice, cough, cough..."

The inquisitors aren't going to come alone. The city must have noticed this by now; it looks like a terrorist attack. SWAT will be here soon, we'd better get out of here.

“M-mister!?”

"We don't have time for you to walk. The kids are gone, you're the only 1 left. It doesn't even make sense, was this some kind of kidnapping?"

He said this while carrying her in his arms across the area. As the buildings were slowly consumed by the flames, tilting and falling diagonally because of the lateral cuts at their bases, he quickly crossed to the other side, jumping over the parts that weren't on fire. When he reached the metal gate isolating the area, he saw the other 3 kids.

"You guys are here... that's a relief. Where's Sharon? She was forced to fight—can you describe what happened?" He finished speaking as he set Dorothy down and went to open the gate.

The taller boy spoke up. "The taller, skinnier man said it was a surprise to find her here, so weak and completely blind, and that it would make his plan easier. He was wearing a mask, and he had his hand on his throat with a faint purple light glowing from it."

WHAT? Plan? Someone wanted to kidnap her? If it's someone from the Stoneface gang… I just want to leave, but somehow problems keep popping up everywhere. I'll go to the Mercenary Guild, pay those guys to escort the kids back to the Snow Raven Realm, and then I'll go rescue the "damsel in distress."

After opening the gate and stepping through, he closed it behind the kids as they passed. Just as he turned around, he heard a voice.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here... someone decided to breach the quarantine zone... and on top of that, the whole place is burning to the ground... Man, what do you think, James? This guy looks pretty guilty to me. How about you?"

"He is guilty, Truman. What else would he be?"

"You heard my partner. Hands where I can see 'em; the cavalry's almost here."

It's all or nothing. I'll have to force my way through, but I'll avoid killing them since they're just innocent guards.

Crow slowly turned around and kept walking straight toward them as he spoke. "Look, this is all a big misunderstanding. I'm just leaving, alright? Don't try to stop me."

"Well, well! It's all a misunderstanding, is it? So he's innocent... Yeah, James, looks like today's a 'nightstick to the back' kind of day," he said, drawing his baton.

"I don't like beating people, Truman, but this town forces my hand every single day. I've had it..." He drew his nightstick as well.

Officer James swung a blow at Crow, who dodged the first hit and blocked the second.

This guy is strong...

The other guard didn't wait around and jumped in too. Crow dodged, sticking close to Truman, forcing James to hold back his strike so he wouldn't hit his partner.

"Surrender, please. If you give up now, your prison sentence will be lighter..." said James, looking like he didn't really want to be doing this.

Crow barely dodged another blow as he replied, "I'm innocent, man... I'm gonna have to put you guys to sleep. Sorry..."

"Put us to sleep? HAHA! Look at this guy, James! He's insane! We're the ones who put thugs to sleep every day!" Meanwhile, Truman threw another strike that caught Crow right on the side of his left arm, landing with a loud, heavy smack against his flesh.

Dude, if these guys are this strong, how is the city still such a mess?

Crow feigned a broken left arm. When James stepped in to deliver a final blow to knock him out, Crow pulled Truman right into the path of the hit at the last second.

Whack!

"TRUMAN!? I-I'm sorry, ah man..."

Truman went to sleep.

Crow looked at James and said, "James, you seem like a nice guy, so here's the deal; take your partner and get out of here. I won a 2 on 1, so imagine a 1 on 1. You really wanna keep going with this? If I were guilty, I would've pulled my sword and ended all of this already."

James hesitated, deep in thought, then said, "I can't just turn a blind eye... so I'm calling for backup... just wait here, ok?" He picked up his partner and backed out of the alley.

"Yeah, James... go call for backup..."

"M-mister... it's not that I don't trust you, it's just that you seem unlucky... j-just trouble after trouble ever since I met you..."

He looked back. "Yeah, story of my life. That's how it is out here, it's a concrete jungle."

Crow turned around and kept walking with the kids following behind him. As he stepped out of the alley, he spotted the shop the merchant from earlier had mentioned, located right near the mercenary guild. He turned around, slipped his hand into his pocket, and said, "Alright, here's the plan. Take this watch, Dorothy, I'm putting you in charge. Go inside, find the short guy, tell him it's time to pay back what he owes for the help on the road, and show him this. Tell him to get a wagon to escort you all out of here. Mention that I'm hiring some mercenaries for protection so the wagon can make it back, and that he can claim a reward upon return. Once you reach the kingdom, mention my name and say you have orders to present yourself to the queen. That should clear everything up, since she can view memories. Sure, it'll take some time, and if things don't line up, she might not even be there, but it's enough to keep you safe until things settle down."

"M-mister, I-I think... it's better if you do this yourself. I'm scared to go in there and be food in that kingdom."

"Sorry, but I have to rescue Sharon. Whatever happened back there is my responsibility too. Don't worry, everything's gonna be fine." He handed her the watch and watched the kids head toward the shop on the right. Once they were clear, he crossed the street and walked toward the mercenary guild.

Think positive... whoever kidnapped her was only interested in her, otherwise they would have taken the kids too. That makes me think it isn't Stoneface. None of his allies could pull off kidnapping her, even with her in a vulnerable state. Besides, he would have just killed her... or at least that's what he said. Unless he's trying to make me suffer? But the guy is way too heavy, there's no way it could have been him on the roof at that moment—”

“Are you going to keep staring at the door or are you going in? You walking wardrobe.”

Crow gave a slight shake of his head and glanced sideways at her; she was probably a martial artist. He didn't even bother replying and just walked inside.

A walking wardrobe? Well, given her size, I guess it makes sense she’d see me as one.

The interior of the building was surprisingly upscale. It had the layout of a classic adventurer's guild, but with a distinctly professional, almost corporate atmosphere. There were no rowdy tables scattered around with people loudly chatting or drinking. Instead, well-dressed individuals walked briskly with documents in hand, while others sat quietly on sofas waiting their turn.

Different. Very different. It reminds me more of a private military company... I'll check with the receptionist over there and see how their mercenary contracts work.

Approaching the main counter, he saw 3 receptionists. He walked up to the 1 on the far left, as her line was empty.

"Hello, welcome to the Guild. I don't believe I've seen you around before. I assume you're looking to sign up for work, correct?" she asked after giving him a quick once-over.

"Actually, no. I have some business to attend to, and I need an escort for a few acquaintances traveling to another city. What are your rates for a relatively strong party? Also, do you offer confidentiality clauses? There is, well... a noble involved."

Which isn't a lie...

"I understand, that's quite common. Not a problem," she replied smoothly. "Would this be a multi-day escort, or just a simple border crossing? A warzone? Please fill out this form so we can assign the most suitable team from our available roster."

"Er... sorry, but I can't read this language."

"I see, no problem. What country are you from, sir? I notice you speak the Universal Language fluently, but you aren't familiar with its script... Are you... um, able to read any of the other major languages? Oh, how rude of me, my apologies! Let me bring out the alternative forms in the other primary languages. If you happen to be illiterate, please don't worry, it's quite common. I could summon a Paladin officer to witness the contract and ensure you aren't taken advantage of due to your illitera—"

"It's fine, just hand me the alternative documents," he interrupted.

Man, I get the feeling she just tried to insult me...

Taking the paperwork, he glanced at one of the sheets and—

Whoooaaaa, the mercenaries here... Rank A, Rank S... this roster is stacked!? No, wait, hold on, how am I reading this? Japanese? WHAT? This reminds me of that watch brand named after a Japanese guy I received from the merchant... I really want to ask what they call this language here, but if I do, I'll have to admit I can read it... which would be way too weird. Let's just bluff a little and see what kind of information I can fish out of her.

He picked up the Japanese document. Even though he wasn't completely fluent, he understood enough to get by. "I see," he said calmly. "If you had a document in this language, I'm not sure why you didn't just give it to me in the first place..."

"My deepest apologies. I didn't realize you could read Imperial. It isn't widely used in this country nowadays..."

Imperial, huh... Did one of the other transmigrators found an empire? Well, better for me, I guess. At least there's one written language I can kind of understand. It's weird, though, they speak English here and call it the “Universal Language,” but there's no English alphabet. Instead, they use that other script which, while cool, is completely incomprehensible to me. Looks almost like Arabic.

He didn't even need to think twice. "This group here works. How much for a standard escort? Just until near the Snow Raven Realm—"

SHING!

SHING!

A few mercenaries passing by him instantly drew their swords. The toughest among them chimed in, his hand moving suspiciously, as if he desperately wanted to punch someone,"Just to clear something up... did you mention the realm of that tyrannical little mage who killed—cough... who's currently at war with our country?"

Why do I feel like I've been through this exact same thing before?

The guy yearning for a fight approached Crow with his dubious moving hand. “Speak, don’t tell me you are mute… or are you frozen because of fear?” He put his normal hand on Crow’s shoulder.

(Next)

First of all, I will probably never use VGen again. Not because of the system itself, the system is good. The thing is, I paid two artists who didn't deliver on time. For the first one, I waited 3 months, only for them to tell me that because of university, they wouldn't have time to finish it. I was like: Ok, it happens.

Sadly, the artist had a stream, and I really liked her art, so you know what happens when someone likes the art and has access to a stream showing it... I would go there and watch it. Then someone in chat asked her about her current jobs, and she started talking bad about me, saying that I didn't pay her enough... I will not state her name here. The price I selected was the highest one with the commercial rights option there on VGen, so yeah, I just paid the exact price she asked for. Of course, I didn't tell her that I had seen the stream; I just waited patiently. And yeah, she eventually said she couldn't deliver on time and apologized, because she knew I had been waiting for months to receive it. At least she refunded me, the only things I suffered were the bad talk about how much I paid and the 5-month delay to my launch.

The second time, I paid another artist on VGen. He asked me to release the funds early. I told him the story about the previous artist, how I waited 3 months for nothing, and asked if we could just do it the normal way. He said ok. The thing is... he didn't do it either. 2 months went by and I didn't even receive the sketch he promised me. I DM'd him, he left me on read, and after 50 days, he just completely forgot about me LOL. This second artist's work was simpler and cost $80, so I thought he could easily do it on time. The first one was a little more complex and cost $300.

Third time... No, I didn't use VGen again. I took a leap of faith with a guy on Instagram. He said he had a lot of work and it would take 6 months. I thought, "This is the guy, I can feel it." And yes! After 2 months, he sent the sketch (YES!), and now I just need to wait 4 more months for the colored version. This one was $700. The funny part about my experience is that the guy without an intermediary to protect me is the one who actually delivered...

So, my tip for you artists is this: don't accept jobs that you won't actually finish. As authors, we have planned launches. Because of these delays, I literally had to push my book launch back by a whole year.

Sorry for the rant, but take this as a tip. Also, some artists have a set price, but the moment they find out I'm an author looking for a book cover, the price suddenly jacks up by around 100%, the last one was an 80%+ increase. And no, it wasn’t the commercial use fee on VGen since that was already included; they claimed it was for complexity (no problem) even after I had already selected their highest-tier option that already included that, but I at least wanted to receive the art... End of the rant.

Is there another good platform to hire artists? For my next novel, I'm looking for quality artwork with a reliable 3-month turnaround and fair pricing, because VGen... yeah, not again.

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

Crow was about to charge forward and strike, but a piece of the burning ceiling fell right in front of him. He swerved, losing his balance, and the angry Grandma showed no mercy.

Slash!

Clash!

"Grandma, you look tired. Did you forget your nap time?" Crow smirked a little after saying this.

“YOU! Y-YOU! AAARRG!” The angry Grandma’s face turned red, then she charged straight at Crow, while he mocked her and quickly glanced up at the ceiling.

“Why are you mad? It’s only a joke…”

[Level Up]

[One-Liner Level 1 -> 2]

SLASH!

Crack!

This is bad. How can a pipe only take 2 hits? I needed more time... Or maybe not?

The ceiling, which had already been slowly cracking apart, caved in right on top of them this time, or so it seemed. But Crow had already been paying attention to it and managed to leap away, landing right on the burning patch of the floor nearby that they had both been avoiding.

Ok, maybe that wasn't a good idea...

He turned his head to look at the old woman, but the debris had fallen right on top of her, and the floor began to split apart as well. Looking through one of the small cracks in the ground, you could see it was burning down below, a forge broken into several pieces, looking as if it had been blown up.

This doesn't make sense. I remember them talking about black powder, which I assume is gunpowder, and an explosion, but that was all the way on the other side. Although during the fight with her here, I might not have noticed new explosions. It must be some kind of chain reaction. Whatever the case, I'll take advantage while this grandma—

“[Heal]” she whispered from underneath all the debris.

Yeah, looks like she survived. Well, if her subordinates apparently survived stuff falling on their heads, she, with her CON stat sky-high, probably would too. Whatever, I'm getting outta here. Yeah, she'll be the Hero's problem, so I think it's best to leave it as it is.

She stood up from the debris, but the fire was making it hard for the magic to heal her, and the sharp debris falling on top of her didn't help either. Crow stared down at her from above, and as he turned to leave, he saw a giant man approaching from the right path. The 1 Sharon and the group went through was the middle 1, the 1 that was "created" by brute force. Crow passed right by the guy and said nothing, just ran. In the meantime, the man drew his sword, his expression showing nothing at all. "You did this?"

Crow didn't answer. The brute had swung his sword in the meantime, which was useless because it was easily dodged. The man turned to go after Crow but heard a voice in the background saying, "S-stoneface... my boy... help me..."

He fell into despair upon turning and seeing only Grandma's eyes under a pile of burning metal and wood that had fallen from the completely destroyed ceiling. He ran to help her, but whenever he removed the debris off her, more fell, and she whispered again.

“Stoneface... Leave. I wasted almost all my mana... You can’t see it from there, but I lost my legs. I was using all my mana just to keep myself alive. In a few more minutes... I’ll be dead... Just—”

"No, you can’t die Mama. The Hero couldn't kill you, what are some tons of metal and wood? Fire can’t hurt you, you’ll live, just wait a moment I—"

While on the floor level, only her eyes visible, and 1 of her arms outside that, she said while holding his hand, "Quiet, what I will… tell you is… important, you need…"

A piece of metal fell on his head; he didn't even move. "Mama?"

He continued tearing the debris off her, but the ceiling came crashing down entirely on top of him.

Crow was almost outside the place, running as best he could while the ceiling was collapsing and the floor sinking down at least two stories. Jumping and doing his best to avoid falling and being buried alive, he saw several bodies from the group along the way.

It seems Stoneface gave up on the manpower since he saw them fleeing, and just killed them... well, I tried my best, better not think too much about it. I hope at least a few survived. Where is Sharon? No, she wouldn't be able to kill him right now, but the same goes for him, so he probably noticed the place collapsing and went after his grandma, ignoring her.

Approaching some sort of mining tunnel, he saw a light in the distance and heard a faint, distant voice in the background. “Nooooooooooooo! I will kill yooooouu!”

Finally, I am outside this place, or not? Nevertheless that was close, I almost died. Now what will happen… the gang invasion quest is no more, maybe the Hero will be weaker now? Whatever.

He exited the place and it was some sort of abandoned mine. In the background, he could see a few silhouettes of people, there were approximately 4 of them, and there were mining carts with coal, and some types of metals and rocks inside them, he couldn't identify exactly what they were.

Did she survive? Why didn't I get XP? Wow, to think I am considering people, despite being criminals, as XP. The world really corrupts people, since I got here... no, after the "upgrade" and "loyalty" potion, it seems like a bit of my humanity diminished... well, there's no use crying over spilled milk. From today on, I will strive to only kill the abominable monsters that exist in this world, and besides specific villains and bandits, try my hardest not to kill civilians, before I become a monster myself.

As Crow walked slowly towards the entrance reflecting in vain, he felt a presence when passing near a fork that led to another area of the mine, which he intended to ignore, but looking at the ground he saw a trail of blood and several pieces of stone, and some crumbled ones painted in dark red.

"You took a while... Crow..."

This... can’t be.

He saw several bodies cut in half at the height between the chest and the belly button, the very people he had rescued. He approached the dark part of the fork; Sharon was there, with about 5 bodies split in half near her.

[CONGRATULATIONS!]

[Passive Skill Acquired]

[Mental Fortitude Level 1]

"Crow... say something, since I... can't see... he hit me head-on, right... it was only 2 strikes... 1 at eye level, and another at stomach level... well, at least at my stomach... say something... why aren't you saying anything?"

This... isn’t real.

He almost threw up seeing the carnage, bodies everywhere, then he put his hand over his mouth and tried to swallow the nausea. “Sharon, I'm going to get this body off you, and... I'm going to check the situation...”

"Be quick... because I'm not feeling... my legs."

Man, this is too heavy for my mind...

He took half of the woman's body off Sharon. Since it was dark and hard to see well, he couldn’t be certain she was whole, especially with the pool of blood near her. He shook his head and said, “I'm going to get you out of here, I should have guessed... you were in a weak state before, I didn't calculate this right, this is my fault... again, I thought the plan was perfect.”

After that, he took off his coat and placed it around her stomach, tying it to stop the blood from flowing out, and as he ran his hands behind her back, he noticed that her spine bones felt all wrong. "Did he throw you here?"

"Honestly... I don't remember, but probably yes... I am… almost losing consciousness."

Crow took her in his arms and lifted her, carrying her similarly to the well-known princess carry, after bandaging her in an improvised way. "Don't worry Sharon, from what I saw, the cut was deep, but I believe your life is not at risk, of course I’ll take you to a cleric. What happened to the rest, is the girl okay? Did she die? And the kids?"

"They... well, I took the strike to the eyes first, so I didn't see, but he just did 2 or 3 area strikes, and ran away because of the collapsing noises, those strikes that... killed most of them. Honestly... it's a joke that I was severely injured by them... but, I was low on strength, a lot happened while—"

She passed out. Great, simply amazing, she didn't even drink anything to heal herself... those people up ahead, I hope they aren't guards, the situation is already not good.

When he left the area and could see better, he heard a female voice saying, “I knew it! I told you guys he wouldn't die so easily.” It was Dorothy.

Crow looked around and only saw children; when one of them approached, it hit him.

I see, the strikes were above their height, to think they survived because of that, at least the children. Looking closely, Sharon is the only adult who survived, how is that possible?

“E-er, big brother... what will happen now? What do we do?” A boy asked.

He looked around, seeing only 4 children including Dorothy. The blow passed right over the kids because of their height, killing all the others, except for Sharon, who survived because she was high level.

“Let's leave this mining area... head back to town, and I will, well... I'm going to talk to a merchant I know and hire a transport with mercenaries for you guys, in case you want to go to the kingdom where I'm living... But it's your choice, and in the meantime, I'll look for a cleric for her.” He finished speaking, looking down at the unconscious Sharon in his arms.

Dorothy approached and said, “Well, now that Grandma is gone, I don't even have to think twice, I already know chaos is going to take over this city, since now the other gang, um... I think their name was something like The Skinnies.”

I knew it! To think I guessed that gang's name from a joke one of the thugs made, and it really was The Skinnies, haha. No, I have to get out of here soon, before bigger problems arise.

“Come on, whoever wants to leave with me, just follow me, it is too early for children to make their own decisions, but life is unfair.”

After speaking, he just kept walking straight, and Dorothy and the other children followed him. Passing a bit further ahead, he saw a small crater on the ground.

Looks like this is the part of the ceiling that had fallen and buried the others, yeah, that was a close call. True, I almost forgot, the Hero at this moment must be at the raid, I wonder if there will be a reset? I sincerely hope not, if all of this is in vain it is tough, and it is not like it could be any better than it was, more stealthy than I was for a Warrior, impossible, although the Hero was way too smart, he probably wouldn’t try again in the same place... or would he? Anyway, another crater here, strange that there are no guards.

He kept going straight until he almost left the mine area, where it was already flatter and a simpler part of the town was beginning, a bit simpler than the ruined, falling-apart place where he had accidentally managed to infiltrate the base of that Grandma's gang.

“M-mister?” Dorothy, visibly nervous, asked. “I know you helped us get out of there... where we were slaves. Without a doubt, Mister is a good person, but, don’t be mad, I-I just want to know, why did you do all this?”

Crow, leaving the mine area, replied, “How can you tell if someone is telling the truth? I'm going to say something that sounds absurd, but at least to you it will make sense. I know a little bit of what's going to happen in the future, and if I left you there, well, you’d end up dying early. I know your potential and I need you for my plans. Don't worry, I'll guarantee your safety. Of course, you can just walk away and go your own way, but then I can't guarantee your safety, and you know what this world is like.”

“I see. Well, knowing the future doesn't sound that absurd; mages can do unbelievable things to most people, after all... well, I’ll go with you... not because I'm grateful or anything... okay, I'll trust you. I'm under your care, for now.”

What…? Man. Well, whatever, fire mage added to the party. Now there are 2 of us. I need more people who would follow me when running away from Alice. Well, I think that... no, that guy is a no-go. If it worked out... man, what a situation. I was practically close to getting 1 mage, 1 marksman, and me on the front line as a tank warrior. It would have been perfect. No, I'll forget about that guy, he's too unstable anyway. Maybe it's for the best. Though Sha-sha... she actually seemed really interested. I need to find out if she would join the party, but in a way that if Alice checks her memories, she won't find out about my plans... well, I'll leave that for later, after all—

“M-mister?” Dorothy gently tugged at a piece of the fabric of his shirt sleeve, right near his wrist.

“What is it?”

“I'm hungry.”

“Alright, as soon as we get there and find a cleric, I'll buy some food.”

It didn't take long before they were inside a neighborhood of the town. Crow asked a few people to find out where a cleric was, and he learned about a place with a moon symbol where people with healing powers could be found. For every question he asked someone, Dorothy asked him another. He, being very patient, answered her every time. After a while, he arrived at the location and went to talk to the receptionist, who, after explaining a few things, told them to go right in after seeing that it might be an emergency due to the injuries on the woman in his arms.

Crow followed her, and all the children stayed in the reception area waiting for him.

“11 silver coins. You can leave her there on the bed, and the cleric on duty will begin the treatment.”

After Crow paid and laid Sharon on the bed, the cleric arrived. She was quite short, with red hair.

“Hello. Since I can see the situation is bad, and I can tell she has a severe blade wound on her abdomen because of the red stain, as well as her eyes... well, I won't ask too many questions about that. But keep in mind that if you guys are from one of the gangs in this city... The paladins are at the back door, okay? Don’t try anything funny... So, I'll go ahead and use healing magic on her right now.” The cleric placed her hands on Sharon's belly, and a silver light shone forth as she began the healing. Sharon didn't react; she remained unconscious.

Crow analyzed the place in the meantime and noticed there were only 2 doors: 1 in the back and the main entrance he had come through.

I hope this doesn't cause trouble, because at some point this cleric is going to realize that Sharon is a vampire, and the inquisitors will be here soon. I don't know how much time is left, or if they'll arrive earlier or later. Since she was seen injured by so many people with a blade wound, there are too many witnesses... this could go very wrong. But there's no choice… If she doesn't get treated here, she might die. I'm not going to risk her life.

The cleric managed to close Sharon's stomach, but a scar remained there. “I can't remove the scar, but with advanced healing magic you could do it easily. I'll examine her other injuries. I'll leave the eyes for last since they aren't the most severe right now. She seems to have lost a lot of blood; even after I spent so much mana on the healing, she's still unconscious.”

Crow looked to the side, and then back at the woman who had just thrown the rags that previously covered Sharon's belly into the trash next to the bed, but he didn't say anything. He turned, looked through the door's glass, and checked if everything was alright in the reception area, seeing that the children were still waiting there.

Alright, so far so good... I'll just wait for her to finish healing what she can, and as soon as Sharon is out of danger, I'm getting out of here, getting some food for these kids, and heading to the merchant I met on the trip to this town... yeah, sounds like a good plan. If everything goes smoothly, that's what I'll do.

He turned back toward the cleric, who had removed Sharon's cloak and lifted her dress underneath it. But at least she had another thin layer of white clothing underneath, covering her body so she wasn’t exposed.

WHAT?

“Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were married. I need to check if she has other injuries besides what was visible from afar... well, seems like she doesn't. I'll heal her eyes now. Normally I wouldn't be able to heal someone this fast... she seems to have a very high regeneration rate... anyway.”

A short while later, when the woman was healing Sharon's back, the door behind him opened.

“M-mister?” Dorothy once again ruining Crow's precious silence.

“What is it this time?”

“U-um... j-just to make sure I am not seeing things… are they your friends? Haha…” she asked, pointing to the window of the door behind them.

What's with that confused look on her face? I'd better check the window.

He walked over and looked through the door’s window to check who she was talking about.

Oh no. You’ve got to be kidding me...

(Next)

https://preview.redd.it/9ukpwrgihggh1.png?width=797&format=png&auto=webp&s=562718ad0c9e00e5588b5794022087be8c286a94

https://preview.redd.it/y0bpnqxkhggh1.png?width=793&format=png&auto=webp&s=11f41da841a43b8f806bac9f8d4f4526ae64383d

Author... if this is you, sorry for the meme... (But I really think it's very strange, so I reported it.)

Edit: The cover copycat is the second one. The first is the legit author.

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

Seeing the old man’s reaction, the girl looked where he was looking and went pale too.

Crow didn't turn, nor did he even think twice before saying, “Just tell me one thing... you weren’t in a labyrinth... were you?”

The female voice replied, “How did you know? Well, whatever... we can talk about that later, because things are bad, really bad.”

He went to the last cell and forced the bars open just enough for the rest of the people to get out, then replied, “Well, I’ve finished what I came here to do. There were a few other things, but nothing worth the hassle. Let’s go, Sharon.”

Some of the captives started whispering among themselves, “T-this can’t be… It’s worse than I thought. Instead of becoming slave labor for the other gang, we’re going to end up as food for someone outside...”

Sharon, who had a playful expression, lost her smile. “Ow, rude! I would never do this to someone my partner made a point of setting free.”

The girl, who had been quiet, glanced back and forth between Crow and the intimidating vampire. Leaning slightly back and to the left, she asked Crow, or at least, that’s what it seemed like. “P-partner? Well, I guess that explains how you managed to bend the bars...”

He looked at the girl and replied, “Yeah, something like that. Let’s focus on getting out of here.” Then he looked at Sharon and said, “Right, let’s just leave before things get any more out of hand. The exit is near the labyrinth... lead the way.”

Sharon opened her mouth, paused, and closed it without saying a word. Then she opened it again and said, “I’ll tell you later... there are too many people around.”

He answered her as he walked away, heading toward the back of the line of people. “Alright, let’s go.”

“Crow, that’s not the right way.”

“I know, but while you take the front, I’ll stay in the back, and the weak stay in the middle. Go ahead, we’ll follow.” He looked around and continued, making sure everyone could hear him now. “Got it, everyone? Nobody is going to turn into food. But if you want to play it safe, you can stay here and be slaves until you die. I don’t care. I’m no hero, just someone who had the chance to do the right thing and decided to do it.”

Half of them stayed behind, whispering among themselves. One voice, however, came through clearly to Crow from the back of the crowd: “Keep it down... they can’t hear us. But yeah, without a doubt, they are the Queen’s pawns, looking for food for her immortal army.”

Looks like having meatshields for the future quest is unavoidable. It’s a shame, but everyone has free will. If they want to march straight to their deaths even after being given a way out, well... so be it. I’ll focus on the ones who actually want to live. After all, it costs me nothing to get them out of here.

The line of people kept moving. A few others stayed behind after seeing their friends do the same, making a total of 33 extra people who would normally have died in the Hero's quest to invade this underground place.

“Um… Mister?”

Crow looked down to his side. “Speak.”

“So… not that I don’t believe you… but just out of curiosity… you don’t work for the Queen, right?”

Sadly yeah… but if I say this, when Alice looks through my memories, I’ll be cooked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh… OH! Ah, sorry for raising my voice again… but no one’s getting eaten, right?”

Still walking down the hallway, Crow looked around briefly before answering. “Yeah, but not under these circumstances—”

“So they were right… Sorry, I-I mean… I’ll trust you! It’s just… a little surprising. The stories we heard are really bad. Something like, if we don’t do the right thing, the Queen’s pawns—AH, I’m not saying you’re a pawn! It’s just…”

“Yeah, I’m a pawn; any other questions?”

She placed her finger on her cheek and asked, “At least we’ll have something to eat over there, right? I can tell you’re being honest, I know because I can sense when someone lies.”

After all that talk, they reached the labyrinth. As it turned out, it had been blasted straight through in a single line.

Looks like she got tired of trying to navigate through it. Man, I wish the game had given me that option.

The girl tilted her head slightly to the side. “Mister?”

“To be honest, I only plan on taking you with me. Most of the others probably wouldn’t do so well out there—”

BAAM!

“Mister!!”

Crow slammed heavily into the left wall of the labyrinth. Out of the pitch-black passage on the right, only a clenched fist remained suspended in the air. Slowly bringing their hand down, the person said, “Well, well... so there really was a man built like a small fridge... rather small, as it turns out.”

Still dazed from the massive blow to the face, Crow, trapped in the wall, raised his eyes. Everything was blurred from the hit, but he saw a figure waiting in the dark corridor on the other side.

It was all too good to be true. So close to the exit... Well, doesn't matter. Guess I have to fight now, since reasoning with her is out of the question.

The big grandma stepped out of the corridor, passing close to the girl. What little light shone on the young girl vanished under the shadow of the grandma’s hand as it reached toward her.

The old man who had fainted earlier, perhaps having heard what Crow said, took an unexpected stand. “Stay away from her! Leave us in pe—” He shouted as he shoved the girl aside, getting grabbed by the neck in her place.

The grandma made a pained face as she spoke, “There was food every day, water every day, a hole in the ground, a floor to sleep on, and a roof to stay dry... and this is how you pay me back? By treating me like a monster? Fine, I’ll act like a monster then, just for now, if that’s what you want.”

A very faint sound was heard right after she spoke.

Snap...

She dropped the dead old man. As he fell, his snapped neck left his head flopping around like a bobblehead. What a psycho grandma.

The girl, who had been pushed aside by the old man, was now close to Crow. She slowly backed toward him without taking her eyes off the grandma, whispering: “M-mister, what do we do now!? S-she will kill us...”

Crow, his vision finally clearing, pulled himself out of the wall still feeling dazed, and answered her. “I'm gonna try to buy some time here. Look, we weren't that far from the others, and I had already considered this possibility. So, once an opening comes up, you just get out of here. Follow the rest of them, but don't tell them to come back. Just use your fire magic and blow this whole place up behind you. I'll—”

“How rude, whispering right in front of me? And why are you trembling, Dorothy? Grandma is starting to get hurt... Didn't you like how I treated you? I loved you, my little girl, I gave you the best quarters. While the others had to use the hole in plain sight, you could use it in private, same for the bath. Your food was the best; it just wasn't as good as it used to be, because you were always so fond of burning things and trying to escape... Ah, Dorothy, Grandma is hurt. This time, instead of an injured leg, maybe having no legs at all will be better. That way you won't pull any more foolish escape attempts—”

“Shut up, gran—old hag! Loved? Don't make me laugh! I'm sick of your manipulation. I might not know much about the real world because I was locked away, but I know enough. I'm getting out of here whether you like it or not... I am free!” The girl ended her speech by summoning fire from her hands.

A vein popped on Grandma's forehead, and the sound of her fist clenching tightly was clearly audible. “So that's how it's gonna be, huh...? Very well. This base was done for anyway, I don't know how your little friends managed to blow up half of it... but since that's the case, time for a cleanup. I can simply start all over again... But you, Dorothy… I will be correcting you for the next few years…”

The girl hurled a fireball at the crazy grandma. “NEVER!”

Crow remained silent during their back-and-forth, analyzing the angry Grandma's stats alongside his own to get a grasp on the situation and figure out his next move.

***

[Status]

Name: Iolanda Mendes.

Level: 23

Title: The Big Grandma.

Class: Cleric.

Situation: Almost exploding from anger.

Stats:

STR 65

DEX 35

CON 70

INT 44

WIS 47

***

[Learned Skills]

A good grandma always knows how to hide dark secrets - Others can’t see your secrets.

Missing.

Missing.

Missing…

[Passive Skills]

Missing.

Missing…

***

He had checked his own stats earlier, while the angry grandma was rambling about his friends blowing up half the base, likely during the explosion right when he was hiding in her office.

***

[Status]

Name: Crow (former name error)

Level: 13 (+1)

Title: The Spared One / Heavy Hand

Class: Soul Devourer / Grim Reaper

Situation: Pensive and Surprised.

STR 52 (+2)

DEX 35 (+1)

CON 62 (+3)

INT 23 (+1)

WIS 27

***

[Learned Skills]

Hand to Hand Combat level 7 (+1)

Swordsmanship level 3 (+2)

Persuasion level 4 (+1)

Grim Reaper Manifestation level 2 (+1)

One-liner level 2 (+1)

…

***

Without a doubt, I've gotten stronger since the last time I checked my stats. However, as things stand, my only choice is to fight and try to keep this battle away from the group. After all, Stoneface might be on his way, and Sharon needs to be there to fight him, or else the casualty count could skyrocket. It's sad, but if worst comes to worst, I have to make sure that at least the girl survives. She is now part of my plan, taking Tuesday's place, because I need to build my own “Hero’s Party” if I ever want to escape from Alice's hands safely...

The Big Grandma approached Crow and spun her massive cleaver. It seemed like her old machete was no longer usable. The girl moved to the opposite hallway to put more distance between herself and the old woman while Crow stayed on the front line. The group from earlier was already far off, far enough to have missed what happened, especially since the old woman had been so quiet. In the end, only the old man, who was trailing behind due to his age, Crow, who was maintaining a safe distance to cover their rear, and the girl with him were close enough to be involved, good for him, probably.

SLASH.

CLASH!

Crow drew his Zweihänder and blocked the attack.

This is problematic. By a hair, I managed to defend without catching my sword on the wall. This space isn't big enough, and the Claymore can only take a few more hits against this monstrous strength of hers. What now? Think, Crow, think...

“Hm, looks like you really are strong. Guess Billy was telling the truth after all. Well, a bit too late to know that now, poor thing. If he holds out, I’ll give him another chance.” She spoke, smoothing down a bit of her short, gray hair.

This is bad, but at least she’s out of the way. If I can lure her a bit more to my side, it might be possible to bring down this already wrecked section. Well, as long as it doesn't collapse on top of me, I should get out of this alive. My best bet is to stick with the Claymore and try to finish this quickly, and have the girl set everything on fire before she runs. Tuesday will be trapped unless he finds the other way out. Well, if he's on the other side where the explosion hit, he either already ran off, or he's dead...

“What's the matter? Cat got your tongue? I was going to ask who sent you, but well, it doesn't matter anymore—” She cut herself off with another attack as Crow switched to the Claymore.

He ducked and swung upward, aiming for the old woman's wrists. Taking advantage of her strike piercing the pillar behind him, he shouted, “Dorothy! Set fire to everything and run! I’ll handle this!”

Slash.

“[Fireball!], [Fireball!] I’m running, not because I like taking orders, okay? I’m doing this because I want to be free!” She pulled back a bit further, taking advantage of the old woman getting out of the way. After moving a little more while casting spells backward, she began channeling a spell that was hard to identify. There was nothing visible besides the expanding fire, which she launched at the ceiling, setting it ablaze.

It's all or nothing now. Small pieces of the ceiling are already falling. Well, since it's made of some kind of sturdy wood, I assume we were already close to the entrance of this base.

“I don't like killing elderly women with a sword, so I'm going to make you an offer,” he said as his blade slashed and stopped halfway through her wrist, the one holding the massive cleaver.

“Kill me? Bwahahaha!” She grabbed him by the neck and threw him away, his Claymore still stuck in her wrist. She yanked it out and said, “[Heal].” And the wound closed completely.

This is going to be harder than I thought. If this keeps up and the ceiling collapses, the chances of her surviving and me dying are high, since she can simply heal herself enough to crawl out of here barely alive.

The old woman closed in, giving him bare seconds, just enough time to push himself up and try drawing his Zweihänder, only to realize there was no room for side swings with it.

When I get out of this, and I will get out of this, I need to expand my options in combat...

SLASH!

His arm took a grazing cut. He tried to use his sword to block, but it caught on the side of the passage. With the ceiling collapsing all around him, the place now looked like a goblin cave in flames.

He grabbed a piece of pipe from the side of the passage, which started leaking water as he ripped it out. “I really didn't want to beat up elderly women, but you didn't leave me a choice...”

“I'm going to make mincemeat out of you and throw you in a pot to feed the dogs. Let's see you repeat what you're saying then.”

A distant sound of a fireball, followed by the faint, muffled screams of men and women.

Oh, perfect. What’s going on over there?

The old woman's face turned into a growing smirk. “Looks like Stoneface has arrived. Did you think you could just waltz in, destroy everything, and walk away scot-free? Do you know who I am? Nobody in this town even dares to look my way, let alone run their mouth, but you... how could you... Prepare to die, little boy.”

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

The grandma spun around, resting a hand on her chin. “Built like a small fridge, eh? Looks like you’re still confused from the punch my youngest gave you yesterday... Speaking of my little boy, where is Stoneface?”

1 of the 2 men who brought Billy in replied, “Mama, Stoneface left to get more Engines in the town.”

“Hm… Right, where was I before… Yes, I remember—”

A faint tremor shook the floor, snapping everyone’s eyes to the main door.

An explosion… It’s probably Sharon or Tuesday that psychopath, to think after such a stealth walk, I was too close… Just my luck.

Billy darted his eyes around anxiously, then said, “Mama... It’s true... The small-fridge guy is probably there, in the black powder area. You sensed the explosion… right? I-I can be useful, he is dangerous and I can go first, If I’m going to die anyway, please, let me compensate you, Mama, for everything you did for me…”

“Hm, you don’t need to be dramatic, I was not going to kill you… now.” She approached him and said, “[Heal]”

She gave a nod to the two men flanking Billy. They hauled him up, and as Grandma left the room, they followed close behind, dragging him along.

“Mama… I can walk there alone… haha, no need to carry me like—”

“You reap what you sow, Billy… don’t sow a quicker death by talking. You’re pushing my patience to the limit...”

Billy didn’t say another word, leaving behind only a foul-smelling trail of drops on the floor as he was dragged away.

Looks like this is the last time I’ll hear anything about Billy... Well, this explosion ended up working in my favor, but time is running out. I’ll wait until they get a bit further away, then I’m out of here to rescue the girl. Honestly, I wanted to help everyone; I abhor slavery, but I don’t know if I can pull it off. From what I saw earlier in those factory-like cells, what were there? Probably over a 100 people... Well, one step at a time. Let’s see how it goes.

After the main door was shut and big Grandma’s heavy footsteps could no longer be heard, Crow waited a little longer and stepped out of the wardrobe.

Right, this time it’s actually happening. There’s no way another problem pops up to stop me from going through this door, right? Better not talk too much about it, wouldn’t want to raise any flags... Well, looks like the coast is clear through the keyhole. But it’d be a shame to move on with just that. This office has to have something in it, there's no way it doesn't. I’ll quickly check her desk.

He carefully scanned the stuff on the desk, found nothing useful, and moved on to check the drawers, keeping an ear out for any sounds that might mean someone was approaching the room again.

Nothing useful... Let me check this other one. Locked. Nothing a little brute force can't fix... There. A wooden desk with protection like this makes no sense. Well, I guess her gang members wouldn't risk opening it even if it wasn't locked... Either way, I can't read a single word on this paper. Looks like I'm illiterate in this new world. Although, I did understand a few things back there, so is this a new language? Well, I'm taking it with me, just in case there's something useful written here.

After slipping the papers into an inside pocket of his coat, Crow moved to leave. There was practically nothing useful there besides grandma-style clothes and basic office supplies. Only the text might hold some value, like plans or something similar.

It would be pretty hilarious if this turned out to be a cake recipe... for real.

Crow didn't spend much more time there. He checked through the keyhole once again to see if anyone was coming, and after confirming through both sight and sound that the coast was clear, he moved to open the door; well, it was locked, but nothing his STR couldn't handle, and then he made his way toward the secluded section of the underground base.

Without a doubt, it’s here. If I wanted to hide something priceless where no one could take it from me, it would definitely be somewhere out of easy reach. And given how corrupt her subordinates are, there’s no better spot than somewhere you have to pass right through her main room to get to, where anyone stepping inside without her around would already be risking treason.

The hallway wasn't very long, and there were no side paths. Reaching the end, he saw a steel door similar to the one at the place where he was interrogated, and the thugs were talking about something related to pizza.

I'm here. I’ve never seen this room before, but without a doubt, this is where the girl is being held. Other parts of this place are made of various materials, but here... I don't know what material this is, but it's definitely way more fire-resistant since it's still standing. Then again, even if the girl escaped, that old woman is resistant to fire, and her class is Cleric, so she could just buff herself and heal her wounds. There wouldn't be much a fragile mage could do to beat her.

He turned the wheel on the room's armored door and stepped inside. The space was poorly lit, with only a light coming from the back where a strange mechanism stood, glowing material being tossed inside it. As he drew closer, he realized it was a set of bars; a cell just like the others, except the entire area was encased in some kind of metal. Up on the ceiling, a small vent allowed the smoke to drift upward.

“Come to bother me again? Just get it over with...” It was a little girl's voice.

Yeah, the voice sounds similar. It's her. While I was outside, it wasn't possible to hear the burning sound from here, but even so, it's better to be safe and not use the sword; cutting metal isn't as easy as bending it.

He didn't wait long and approached the bars. "Yeah, I will get it over with..." He placed his hands on the bars and tried to push them apart, but he couldn't move them.

Maybe I thought of myself as too strong because of how easy the last few days were... Well, how do I get her out of there? My Claymore is already ruined, and the Zweihänder, if it doesn't cut through, will make a huge noise without a doubt. Come to think of it, I'm not even using my enhancement skill, no, it's more like a type of aura. When did I use it, only in the tournament? And since there's no one besides the girl nearby, they won't sense the presence... yeah, it's worth a try.

“O-over with?! I was only joking! Don’t do this, I will work! Say something please…” The little girl stopped what she was doing and leaned against the metal wall at the back of the cell with her palms flat on it, as if she were looking at the boogeyman.

How do I use aura again? Better check.

[Status...]

[...]

Let's see..

[Grim Reaper Manifestation – Channel a fragment of your class's true power, wrapping yourself in an aura of dread and surging physical might. Consumes mana continuously; as duration increases, your power and mana drain scale up exponentially. Over-extending your mana pool will force an immediate, involuntary deactivation and temporary penalties. If pushed past your limits while maintaining a frail existence, it could result in permanent penalties.]

Hm, that doesn't answer my question. Well, if I remember correctly, just by focusing on using the maximum possible strength and thinking about the skill, it worked somehow.

“Is this a new method of torture? Why aren't you saying anything...”

Crow stopped thinking for a moment and said, “Relax, I was just deep in thought... Soon you won't have to suffer here anymore.”

Grim Reaper Manifestation…

He realized that she was scared, and that his skill increased the fear of anyone nearby, so he replied to calm her down. "I came to rescue you, you don't need to be afraid."

She sat back on her legs and closed her eyes, and slowly, a few tears could be seen streaming down her face.

For real? Well, to be honest, this skill generates a stronger aura of fear than the passive skill, and it's dark in here, so... it makes sense for a little girl to act like that, I think. What a situation... I don’t know what to say, I’m not good with words.

The girl, still with her eyes closed, continued. “At least... make it quick.”

He didn’t think too much; he needed to say something, hesitating could cause more problems, just like as happened before with Tuesday. “I know it's hard to trust me, but... if I wanted to hurt you, wouldn’t it make more sense for me to have the key to this cell instead of trying to force it open?”

With his stats boosted thanks to the skill, Crow managed to bend the bars, wide enough for him to pass by it; the situation finally seemed to be heading in a favorable direction.

“I-I know what you want… Y-you are from the other gang, the old—cough, the Grandma lost the war, and now you want to loot everything here, and me too! I don’t want to be a slave anymore, so please, just… let me run away…” Tears began to drop faster.

Oh, c’mon. I’m not a villain... Ah, I’m working under Alice... so maybe I am? And it’s not because I want to... Nevertheless, I’m not the ‘villain’ here. I’ll just brush it off and ignore it

He bent down and broke the chain around her feet. Her leg wasn’t in good shape, so he picked up the crybaby and slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

“I-I knew it…”

Ha….

He looked to the side and saw 2 bowls on the floor, similar to the 1 he had at his old home, the cat’s food bowl. And on the other side, a small hole in the ground.

Yeah, I can understand why the girl was like that before she died... This is a tough world.

He walked out of the cell with her, and after opening the door, he spoke again. “Well, I accidentally ended up here... and found you, so I decided to rescue you. There’s no way to prove that with words, so I’ll start with actions… by getting you out of here, and that’s that.”

She didn't say a single word, and as he walked back into Grandma’s office, reality set in...

And now? What do I do? I don’t remember how to leave… Right, right. I just need to find someone to ask “nicely” where the exit from this base is, yeah, that is a good plan.

“I-I can walk, my leg isn’t great at the moment, b-but I can walk.”

He put her down. The girl was covered in something that looked like charcoal and smelled a bit bad, poor thing.

Alright, it's quiet outside. Maybe because of the explosion, most of them went over there? Perhaps I can try going through the main area and free the people. Even if I get detected, as long as I can capture one guy and force him to lead me to the exit, everything will go smoothly. I think I'm going to do that.

Crow looked back at the girl and said, “Maybe we’ll need to run; can you do that?”

“Probably… I think.”

He walked up to the main door of big Grandma’s office and checked through the keyhole to make sure no one was really there. So he tried to open the door, but it was locked. “Of course...” He placed his other hand on the handle, forced it down, and slammed his shoulder against the door, shoving it open.

He looked back and motioned for the girl to follow. She stepped closer and whispered as she reached him, “I-I don’t know if trying to escape is a good idea… You’re strong, but you don’t know her. She can kill someone with her bare hands! Oops… sorry for raising my voice, w-what if she comes back? I don’t know... I think she would kill us.”

“Nah, I’d win against her... with difficulty, of course. And I didn't come alone. I’m trying to go in quietly because I’m trying to rescue the others, so don't worry, it's not because I can't win if we're found out.”

After speaking, he kept going down the empty hallway, this time taking the route he had previously avoided once he realized everything was quiet and deserted. After a brief walk, he reached the area where he had seen the prisoners being held, only this time, he was on the ground floor, right on the same level as the captives.

As Crow walked past the first cell on the right, an old man stared at him and said, “Psst, hey, you... I’ve never seen you around here, and what are you doing with her? Isn't she the main Engine? Are you from another gang? Ah, sorry for all the questions... please open this up, if you can. It doesn't matter if you're from another gang, just... just get us out of here. We can help in a fight... yes... yes we can help. If you let us out, we'll help you, so it's a win-win for you, right? Right? Guys?”

He didn't even answer; he just stepped up to the thinner bars and bent them aside. They were much more fragile compared to the ones holding the girl.

The old man continued, “What… er, thanks?” He left the cell, and the others did too. Then Crow moved to the next cell and did the same thing.

[Buddy, let’s leave this place. It isn’t worth it. You didn’t see what happened when we got separated, but I found a guy who was almost as strong as you. We’re wasting time…]

Relax, I know what I am doing here… Just to make sure, the guy is named “Stoneface?”

[How did you know? He left right when I sensed the guy, but he was way too strong... said something about picking up more Engines. That was a while ago, so he's probably almost here.]

He's definitely strong, but remember, I didn’t come here alone, once I find Sharon, we can easily fight them all.

“Er… mister, can you say something? I’m getting anxious…” the girl said, staring at him as he bent the bars apart with his bare hands.

Crow glanced to the side and said, “I know it’s a tense situation, but focus on getting out; we’ll be clear of this place soon. There’s no one patrolling this area since the explosion on the other side, so we’re relatively good for now. I swore they’d take a few hostages, but it looks like they didn’t grab anyone from here.”

He looked to the side and asked, “Does anyone here know where the exit is?”

The old man replied, “Well, if you, who just got here from the outside, don’t know... what chance do we have, when we haven't seen it in years?”

As Crow looked at the captives, a voice spoke from behind him, “I know where it is.”

The old man, staring past Crow, slowly raised his eyes and passed out, collapsing onto the prisoner behind him.

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

Crow ran until he found a corridor that opened into a wide chamber, heat rolling off it before he even cleared the open doorway. Then he looked at the room; there were no hostages tied to posts or bodies on the ground. He could see 3 men hauling crates between anvils, sweat cutting clean lines through the soot on their faces, and 1 older guy barking measurements at someone outside his sight.

Crow slowed at the threshold.

Huh? I’m sure I didn't just have a hallucination... So why?

He looked at the room again, everything supposedly fine with a working forge, nothing burning that shouldn’t be, nobody screaming, and definitely no hostages being used as meat shields.

This is strange… after the gunshot everything is just fine; this doesn’t make sense. It’s a little loud here because of the forges, but are those guys deaf? Hammers can’t drown out a gunshot. Either way, maybe running here too fast was a mistake; it almost got me caught. Let’s just be stealthier again… if they didn’t hear that, better for me anyway.

He backed out before anyone turned around, boots finding the one dry patch of stone in a floor slick with quench water.

Where is Sharon? Just when her stealth skills would be perfect… don’t tell me she is lost in the labyrinth puzzle… for real?

He kept to the wall after that, moving along the corner and using the objects to cover his passage. A little further down, a side passage branched off near a stack of crates. For some reason, nobody had bothered to light that hallway well, good for Crow, it seems.

Holy… To be honest, maybe I would be a good rogue…

DUNNNN!

A man came out in front of Crow too fast, like a jump scare. “Was that a rat? I’ll pretend I didn’t see any dirt here, then I don’t have to clean it… hehe. Leaving it to the newbie is the right thing to do… yes, yes. Oh, I’m talking to the floor again; I need to stop doing this… Mama’s gonna think I’m going crazy after that day…” After muttering to himself, the guy glanced back over his shoulder before ducking past a support beam and disappearing toward wherever the passage led.

Crow flattened himself into the gap between two crates at the exact moment of the jump scare, and waited there.

Maybe I was wrong… being stealthier is too hard for me, that was a close one—

He heard some voices close to him. “Billy, maybe we should stop fencing items.” The voice was young and tired. “Mama’s angry with you. Didn’t you hear? She’s asking you to go talk to her… Remember… just don’t say my name to her… please.”

“I heard, I heard you, OK?” responded the guy who was probably Billy. “I just need a little more money OK? You know how I roll, we’re smooth. The ones I picked are from the… you know, haha it’s a cakewalk picking bags from them OK?”

“Right… I can fence those for you again Billy. But let’s make sure this is the last time we fence our own gang’s loot. Er… Okay? I don’t want to be butchered by Mama, and I want 20% more of the cut this time... you know… for the risks and all…”

Someone is going to turn into XP, it seems.

After a brief pause.

The Billy guy sighed and said, “Okay, this will be the last time... let’s roll.”

Something changed hands, a soft clink of metal, a leather strap creaking as it passed from one grip to another.

There they are, my things.

Crow didn’t need to see it to know what it was. He recognized the sound of his swords, and the rest of his things.

The two split off, Billy shuffling back the way he came almost closing the distance to where Crow was, muttering something. “Now I will be known as Master Billy, hehe. After I go to another city… I will be a boss after this jackpot.”

Right… I don’t remember a boss named Billy, so… yeah.

The other one, the one with Crow’s things, looked around nervously. After making sure no one had seen him, he headed to an isolated area that was almost outside the main forge complex.

Splash…

A low sound near Crow, but it didn’t come from him.

Just my luck, wait a cat?

“Yo, rat! I know you’re posted up back there. Step out, nice and quiet. If you chirp to anyone about what you just heard… you’re done for. Your run with the crew is over, fam.” After not receiving a response, Billy approached the crates and said, “Found you rat… Cat?”

From behind a cloth on the crates, a voice said, “It’s sleep time.”

“What—” Billy started, but before he could finish, Crow slammed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. Crow forced him behind the crates, out of sight of anyone passing near the place, putting him to sleep as he whispered, “Shhhhh, it will be over soon...”

Billy fell asleep under makeshift cloth blankets on a bed of crates.

Where is the other guy? Found him; a bit further away, but I can make it on time.

Crow advanced toward the guy, but further down the hallway, two men were walking in their direction, chatting. Before they could notice him, he glued himself behind the man, moving like the guy’s shadow.

When the 2 guys get close, I will launch a surprise attack on all 3... Maybe that is the best way…

As they drew nearer, one of the two men glanced over and gave a casual wave. In perfect sync, the guy waved back. Right behind him, Crow mirrored the exact same gesture, keeping his body completely hidden. The two men didn't notice a thing, just nodding and then the 2 guys turned to their right into the cross corridor.

To think the walk I had seen on Baki would actually work... Maybe I will try to train stealth until I gain some skills.

After a brief time walking, the guy stopped at a door near the end, checked both directions once badly, and let himself in without any problem; the place was very silent after all. Crow was still moving like the guy’s shadow, perhaps trying to gain some skill moving that way, and entered at the exact same time. When the man turned to close the door behind him, he didn’t find it; there was only Crow’s face. The surprise made him jump 2 steps back. He fell after slipping on a bottle on the ground, dropping all his items.

Crow eased the door shut behind him without saying a word. The click of the latch sounded enormous in that quiet room.

“W-wait, I can explain this.” The guy scrambled backward on his palms, eyes wide with some fear after the surprise. “Tell Mama I was only trying to make sure Billy really was the one behind... I-I am innocent, those items are the proof for Mama, see!? I have proof that Billy was fencing items, I would never—"

Crow closed the distance and hit him once, still without saying a word; only the fist spoke.

The man's head snapped sideways, hitting the floor. “P-please, I would never betray Mama’s gang—”

Crow hit him again as he said, “Go to sleep already, I don’t have time to waste here.” His tone was the same someone uses to ask for the salt.

Third punch, and the guy fell asleep.

Infiltration successful. What must I do now? Right, right. Pick up my items, then go rescue the NPC—no, the girl. Afterwards, I will rescue the rest of the innocent people here, and find Sharon… Please don’t be in that labyrinth… I really don’t remember how to solve that.

Crow crouched, grabbing the ring first and sliding it back onto his finger.

[Dude… never do this again… er, please?]

Yeah, yeah, now be quiet, I need to think.

He collected the rest of his belongings shortly after. Sadly, his Claymore was nearly broken; only his Zweihänder remained in perfect condition, as he hadn’t used it that much. Finally, he picked up his coin purse, the same one he had looted from the bandits in the dark alley upon arriving in the city.

When he looked at the room, he found a sofa sitting against the far wall, one of its legs shorter than the others, propped up with a scrap of wood. Crow hooked an arm under the unconscious man and dropped him onto it, arranging him there, slouched, head tipped back, mouth open.

Maybe this will solve the problem if someone finds him… nah, I need something more…

Crow looked around the room, then found a magazine sitting on the small table beside the sofa. He picked it up and glanced at the cover; it was something about crossbow maintenance, badly printed. Then, he laid it open over the man’s face.

There you are... Sleeping on the job; how professional.

After leaving the guy alone sleeping, he kept moving to the other side of the room and opened an odd door there.

I think I remember this place. Maybe I can find the secret corridor that leads there.

Crow stood in the center of an empty room that looked like a storeroom waiting to be used.

Yeah, this is the empty room that has the secret passage speedrunners used, I remember looking at the game forums to see what the other players did, because I almost dropped the game because of the labyrinth. So yeah, it’s definitely here, but... it doesn't look like there's any way through. I'd better check. I know it’s one floor down, so it's gotta be in the floor for sure...

He started searching the floor for any slightly different areas, trying to find some kind of mechanism.

Maybe this isn’t the right one... No, I’m already here, so I might as well make this worth it. Wait, this brick here is scratched, let me see… no, nothing. Wait a moment… for real? Haha, so this is how it is hm? Let’s take them all out.

Crow began removing the bricks that were slightly out of place, only to realize they were actually attached to a hidden hatch. After lifting it, a faint light became visible, revealing a small metal ladder leading to the floor below. Once he slipped through the opening, he simply reached up, pulled the brick-covered hatch closed behind him, and descended the rest of the way.

Right, I’m close now. If things keep going like this, then it’ll be easy. Ha… I just raised a flag, hm? Better not think that way again, if I can help it.

After climbing down the ladder, he looked around and could see that a passage led back into the main chamber from a different angle, the area resembling a prison that he had seen earlier. He had decided not to descend the stairs back then because there were too many guards, but now, he had just returned to that place, but without being seen.

Right, makes sense, makes sense. So this route is the hidden part for the rogue playthrough, and the other one was the hack and slash style. I just need to go a little further here.

2 guards stood at the far archway, spaced a short distance apart, spears resting against their shoulders. They weren’t particularly alert to their surroundings; however, too much was on the table for Crow to just risk it here.

Straight through would work. Probably. But with that distance between them… one would for sure scream for backup, and then every guard in this place would converge on a room full of hostages, turning them into meat shields or worse, and everything I’d done up to this point would be in vain. The problem is... I don’t have stealth skills to get past them without raising the alarm; if only I had something like temporary invisibility. What do I do now? Think, Crow, think…

He looked to the sides and then upwards, tracking a line of thick iron pipes that ran along the wall. They clearly came straight from the forges, radiating a mysterious heat as they vented into the dark above. The pipeline followed the wall past the archway and disappeared through a gap in the stone, an opening cut just wide enough for a person, assuming they didn't mind the heat.

Crow tested the nearest bracket with a tug. It held.

He climbed, keeping his weight over the bolts instead of the pipe itself, and moved along the wall crouched, trying his best not to make a sound with his boots, until the 2 guards below shrank into shapes he didn't have to think about anymore.

Just a little more…

“Hey… did you hear that, Jones?” said a guy below Crow.

After a yawn, the other responded, “Heard what?”

“Hm, forget it. Maybe it’s a rat; we need to clean this place.”

“Nah, we are not paid for that; why would we clean it?”

“Not us, I mean someone else…”

“So why didn’t you say it before?”

“Oh no, not you too Jones…”

“Not me, what?”

“Forget it…”

After crossing over the guards from above, Crow found a gap, and after a quick check to make sure the place was clear, he dropped through, landing in an empty room.

Seems like the hidden boss’s office, and luckily she isn’t here, so I can just take that door ahead and finally leave this place for good. Oh, right, after picking up Sharon, but where is she, anyway?

When Crow was walking to the door, he heard some heavy footsteps.

Just my luck.

He didn’t wait, moved to the first big wardrobe in the office and entered.

Maybe I picked the wrong wardrobe, judging by the heavy footsteps… It's probably the hidden boss, “Mama.” If she comes to this wardrobe to get clothes, then I am cooked. She is too strong for me to deal with without wasting too much time. I was almost there without being caught… I’ll try entering another one—

“Where is Billy?” The voice belonged to someone old.

Yeah… No time to try another one.

“Mama... Billy, he is... er... I think he is running from you—”

SLAP!

Whooa, that must hurt.

“Didn't I teach you to use honorifics?”

“S-sorry Mama... I-I—cough… will go and bring Billy—”

“No. He will be here soon.”

Heavy footsteps from one side of the room to the other, stopping just as they neared the door. Through a small crack in the wardrobe, Crow could see a bit of the outside. The woman was nearly 2 meters tall and was holding a massive machete.

“Hm, I feel like someone is listening to us…”

“Mama… No one is crazy enough to be eavesdropping on yo—Mama, here in the private office.”

Did she realize? How?

Heavy footsteps close to where Crow was.

“Hm, seems like I will need a new machete after this…”

She opened the wardrobe and moved something inside. “Hm, maybe not this one, let me see the next—”

The main door opened. “Mama, here is Billy as ordered.”

THUD!

They threw the man to the floor, and he wasted no time. “Mama, this is a setup, I would never betray the gang for money...”

She raised her free hand. “Billy, I gave you a good position… I forgave every single mistake… and you just couldn’t do a simple thing, which is to obey… You know what I do to those who don’t obey, right…” she said while leaving the wardrobe behind and approaching Billy.

“It’s a SETUP! MAMA! THAT'S RIGHT, WE WERE INFILTRATED BY SOMEONE—”

In a flash, she pressed her massive machete against his throat and said, “Quiet... You think I will just let you off because of this? I already know you are trying to recruit traitors. You think you can be a boss? You are too weak, little boss junior. A grandma could kill you bare-handed if she wanted, little boy...”

“It’s… it’s true Mama… we don’t have time for this; we need to go elsewhere! We were infiltrated by—”

SLASH!

“AARRRGGH! Mama STOP! I-I am telling the truth… a guy built like a small fridge knocked me around…”

She pulled the machete slightly away from his throat. “Hm.”

Seems like the party will start soon…

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

Crow ran until he found a corridor that opened into a wide chamber, heat rolling off it before he even cleared the open doorway. Then he looked at the room; there were no hostages tied to posts or bodies on the ground. He could see 3 men hauling crates between anvils, sweat cutting clean lines through the soot on their faces, and 1 older guy barking measurements at someone outside his sight.

Crow slowed at the threshold.

Huh? I’m sure I didn't just have a hallucination... So why?

He looked at the room again, everything supposedly fine with a working forge, nothing burning that shouldn’t be, nobody screaming, and definitely no hostages being used as meat shields.

This is strange… after the gunshot everything is just fine; this doesn’t make sense. It’s a little loud here because of the forges, but are those guys deaf? Hammers can’t drown out a gunshot. Either way, maybe running here too fast was a mistake; it almost got me caught. Let’s just be stealthier again… if they didn’t hear that, better for me anyway.

He backed out before anyone turned around, boots finding the one dry patch of stone in a floor slick with quench water.

Where is Sharon? Just when her stealth skills would be perfect… don’t tell me she is lost in the labyrinth puzzle… for real?

He kept to the wall after that, moving along the corner and using the objects to cover his passage. A little further down, a side passage branched off near a stack of crates. For some reason, nobody had bothered to light that hallway well, good for Crow, it seems.

Holy… To be honest, maybe I would be a good rogue…

DUNNNN!

A man came out in front of Crow too fast, like a jump scare. “Was that a rat? I’ll pretend I didn’t see any dirt here, then I don’t have to clean it… hehe. Leaving it to the newbie is the right thing to do… yes, yes. Oh, I’m talking to the floor again; I need to stop doing this… Mama’s gonna think I’m going crazy after that day…” After muttering to himself, the guy glanced back over his shoulder before ducking past a support beam and disappearing toward wherever the passage led.

Crow flattened himself into the gap between two crates at the exact moment of the jump scare, and waited there.

Maybe I was wrong… being stealthier is too hard for me, that was a close one—

He heard some voices close to him. “Billy, maybe we should stop fencing items.” The voice was young and tired. “Mama’s angry with you. Didn’t you hear? She’s asking you to go talk to her… Remember… just don’t say my name to her… please.”

“I heard, I heard you, OK?” responded the guy who was probably Billy. “I just need a little more money OK? You know how I roll, we’re smooth. The ones I picked are from the… you know, haha it’s a cakewalk picking bags from them OK?”

“Right… I can fence those for you again Billy. But let’s make sure this is the last time we fence our own gang’s loot. Er… Okay? I don’t want to be butchered by Mama, and I want 20% more of the cut this time... you know… for the risks and all…”

Someone is going to turn into XP, it seems.

After a brief pause.

The Billy guy sighed and said, “Okay, this will be the last time... let’s roll.”

Something changed hands, a soft clink of metal, a leather strap creaking as it passed from one grip to another.

There they are, my things.

Crow didn’t need to see it to know what it was. He recognized the sound of his swords, and the rest of his things.

The two split off, Billy shuffling back the way he came almost closing the distance to where Crow was, muttering something. “Now I will be known as Master Billy, hehe. After I go to another city… I will be a boss after this jackpot.”

Right… I don’t remember a boss named Billy, so… yeah.

The other one, the one with Crow’s things, looked around nervously. After making sure no one had seen him, he headed to an isolated area that was almost outside the main forge complex.

Splash…

A low sound near Crow, but it didn’t come from him.

Just my luck, wait a cat?

“Yo, rat! I know you’re posted up back there. Step out, nice and quiet. If you chirp to anyone about what you just heard… you’re done for. Your run with the crew is over, fam.” After not receiving a response, Billy approached the crates and said, “Found you rat… Cat?”

From behind a cloth on the crates, a voice said, “It’s sleep time.”

“What—” Billy started, but before he could finish, Crow slammed a hand over his mouth, cutting him off. Crow forced him behind the crates, out of sight of anyone passing near the place, putting him to sleep as he whispered, “Shhhhh, it will be over soon...”

Billy fell asleep under makeshift cloth blankets on a bed of crates.

Where is the other guy? Found him; a bit further away, but I can make it on time.

Crow advanced toward the guy, but further down the hallway, 2 men were walking in their direction, chatting. Before they could notice him, he glued himself behind the man, moving like the guy’s shadow.

When the 2 guys get close, I will launch a surprise attack on all 3... Maybe that is the best way…

As they drew nearer, one of the 2 men glanced over and gave a casual wave. In perfect sync, the guy waved back. Right behind him, Crow mirrored the exact same gesture, keeping his body completely hidden. The 2 men didn't notice a thing, just nodding and then the 2 guys turned to their right into the cross corridor.

To think the walk I had seen on Baki would actually work... Maybe I will try to train stealth until I gain some skills.

After a brief time walking, the guy stopped at a door near the end, checked both directions once badly, and let himself in without any problem; the place was very silent after all. Crow was still moving like the guy’s shadow, perhaps trying to gain some skill moving that way, and entered at the exact same time. When the man turned to close the door behind him, he didn’t find it; there was only Crow’s face. The surprise made him jump 2 steps back. He fell after slipping on a bottle on the ground, dropping all his items.

Crow eased the door shut behind him without saying a word. The click of the latch sounded enormous in that quiet room.

“W-wait, I can explain this.” The guy scrambled backward on his palms, eyes wide with some fear after the surprise. “Tell Mama I was only trying to make sure Billy really was the one behind... I-I am innocent, those items are the proof for Mama, see!? I have proof that Billy was fencing items, I would never—"

Crow closed the distance and hit him once, still without saying a word; only the fist spoke.

The man's head snapped sideways, hitting the floor. “P-please, I would never betray Mama’s gang—”

Crow hit him again as he said, “Go to sleep already, I don’t have time to waste here.” His tone was the same someone uses to ask for the salt.

Third punch, and the guy fell asleep.

Infiltration successful. What must I do now? Right, right. Pick up my items, then go rescue the NPC—no, the girl. Afterwards, I will rescue the rest of the innocent people here, and find Sharon… Please don’t be in that labyrinth… I really don’t remember how to solve that.

Crow crouched, grabbing the ring first and sliding it back onto his finger.

[Dude… never do this again… er, please?]

Yeah, yeah, now be quiet, I need to think.

He collected the rest of his belongings shortly after. Sadly, his Claymore was nearly broken; only his Zweihänder remained in perfect condition, as he hadn’t used it that much. Finally, he picked up his coin purse, the same one he had looted from the bandits in the dark alley upon arriving in the city.

When he looked at the room, he found a sofa sitting against the far wall, one of its legs shorter than the others, propped up with a scrap of wood. Crow hooked an arm under the unconscious man and dropped him onto it, arranging him there, slouched, head tipped back, mouth open.

Maybe this will solve the problem if someone finds him… nah, I need something more…

Crow looked around the room, then found a magazine sitting on the small table beside the sofa. He picked it up and glanced at the cover; it was something about crossbow maintenance, badly printed. Then, he laid it open over the man’s face.

There you are... Sleeping on the job; how professional.

After leaving the guy alone sleeping, he kept moving to the other side of the room and opened an odd door there.

I think I remember this place. Maybe I can find the secret corridor that leads there.

Crow stood in the center of an empty room that looked like a storeroom waiting to be used.

Yeah, this is the empty room that has the secret passage speedrunners used, I remember looking at the game forums to see what the other players did, because I almost dropped the game because of the labyrinth. So yeah, it’s definitely here, but... it doesn't look like there's any way through. I'd better check. I know it’s one floor down, so it's gotta be in the floor for sure...

He started searching the floor for any slightly different areas, trying to find some kind of mechanism.

Maybe this isn’t the right one... No, I’m already here, so I might as well make this worth it. Wait, this brick here is scratched, let me see… no, nothing. Wait a moment… for real? Haha, so this is how it is hm? Let’s take them all out.

Crow began removing the bricks that were slightly out of place, only to realize they were actually attached to a hidden hatch. After lifting it, a faint light became visible, revealing a small metal ladder leading to the floor below. Once he slipped through the opening, he simply reached up, pulled the brick-covered hatch closed behind him, and descended the rest of the way.

Right, I’m close now. If things keep going like this, then it’ll be easy. Ha… I just raised a flag, hm? Better not think that way again, if I can help it.

After climbing down the ladder, he looked around and could see that a passage led back into the main chamber from a different angle, the area resembling a prison that he had seen earlier. He had decided not to descend the stairs back then because there were too many guards, but now, he had just returned to that place, but without being seen.

Right, makes sense, makes sense. So this route is the hidden part for the rogue playthrough, and the other one was the hack and slash style. I just need to go a little further here.

2 guards stood at the far archway, spaced a short distance apart, spears resting against their shoulders. They weren’t particularly alert to their surroundings; however, too much was on the table for Crow to just risk it here.

Straight through would work. Probably. But with that distance between them… one would for sure scream for backup, and then every guard in this place would converge on a room full of hostages, turning them into meat shields or worse, and everything I’d done up to this point would be in vain. The problem is... I don’t have stealth skills to get past them without raising the alarm; if only I had something like temporary invisibility. What do I do now? Think, Crow, think…

He looked to the sides and then upwards, tracking a line of thick iron pipes that ran along the wall. They clearly came straight from the forges, radiating a mysterious heat as they vented into the dark above. The pipeline followed the wall past the archway and disappeared through a gap in the stone, an opening cut just wide enough for a person, assuming they didn't mind the heat.

Crow tested the nearest bracket with a tug. It held.

He climbed, keeping his weight over the bolts instead of the pipe itself, and moved along the wall crouched, trying his best not to make a sound with his boots, until the 2 guards below shrank into shapes he didn't have to think about anymore.

Just a little more…

“Hey… did you hear that, Jones?” said a guy below Crow.

After a yawn, the other responded, “Heard what?”

“Hm, forget it. Maybe it’s a rat; we need to clean this place.”

“Nah, we are not paid for that; why would we clean it?”

“Not us, I mean someone else…”

“So why didn’t you say it before?”

“Oh no, not you too Jones…”

“Not me, what?”

“Forget it…”

After crossing over the guards from above, Crow found a gap, and after a quick check to make sure the place was clear, he dropped through, landing in an empty room.

Seems like the hidden boss’s office, and luckily she isn’t here, so I can just take that door ahead and finally leave this place for good. Oh, right, after picking up Sharon, but where is she, anyway?

When Crow was walking to the door, he heard some heavy footsteps.

Just my luck.

He didn’t wait, moved to the first big wardrobe in the office and entered.

Maybe I picked the wrong wardrobe, judging by the heavy footsteps… It's probably the hidden boss, “Mama.” If she comes to this wardrobe to get clothes, then I am cooked. She is too strong for me to deal with without wasting too much time. I was almost there without being caught… I’ll try entering another one—

“Where is Billy?” The voice belonged to someone old.

Yeah… No time to try another one.

“Mama... Billy, he is... er... I think he is running from you—”

SLAP!

Whooa, that must hurt.

“Didn't I teach you to use honorifics?”

“S-sorry Mama... I-I—cough… will go and bring Billy—”

“No. He will be here soon.”

Heavy footsteps from one side of the room to the other, stopping just as they neared the door. Through a small crack in the wardrobe, Crow could see a bit of the outside. The woman was nearly 2 meters tall and was holding a massive machete.

“Hm, I feel like someone is listening to us…”

“Mama… No one is crazy enough to be eavesdropping on yo—Mama, here in the private office.”

Did she realize? How?

Heavy footsteps close to where Crow was.

“Hm, seems like I will need a new machete after this…”

She opened the wardrobe and moved something inside. “Hm, maybe not this one, let me see the next—”

The main door opened. “Mama, here is Billy as ordered.”

THUD!

They threw the man to the floor, and he wasted no time. “Mama, this is a setup, I would never betray the gang for money...”

She raised her free hand. “Billy, I gave you a good position… I forgave every single mistake… and you just couldn’t do a simple thing, which is to obey… You know what I do to those who don’t obey, right…” she said while leaving the wardrobe behind and approaching Billy.

“It’s a SETUP! MAMA! THAT'S RIGHT, WE WERE INFILTRATED BY SOMEONE—”

In a flash, she pressed her massive machete against his throat and said, “Quiet... You think I will just let you off because of this? I already know you are trying to recruit traitors. You think you can be a boss? You are too weak, little boss junior. A grandma could kill you bare-handed if she wanted, little boy...”

“It’s… it’s true Mama… we don’t have time for this; we need to go elsewhere! We were infiltrated by—”

SLASH!

“AARRRGGH! Mama STOP! I-I am telling the truth… a guy built like a small fridge knocked me around…”

She pulled the machete slightly away from his throat. “Hm.”

Seems like the party will start soon…

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

CRACK!

THUD!

The floor gave under both of them after the blast ate them up; they dropped through it together, falling through timber and stone, into a wall of dust and heat that swallowed everything. Crow hit the lower level and rolled a little, then stopped. His ears were screaming. Something above him was still settling, almost making him sneeze, small pieces of the ceiling raining down in the dark and falling onto his head.

Crow was lying on his back on the cold stone; it looked like some kind of hidden facility down there, and he couldn’t hear Tuesday anymore; the explosion had split them up. The tavern lights above trembled through the hole they’d made, throwing just enough light to confirm the obvious, crafted walls and a finished floor oddly similar to an underground bunker.

Through the hole left by the explosion, he caught sight of a figure in the dim light from above. “Crow, what happened? Well… I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. Should I come down too? I’m sensing a bit of mana… I think someone’s heading your way.”

To be honest, I think I can handle this alone, but it’s better if she is close to me for both our sakes, so I can make sure she is safe. If things go wrong, and the poison on her body gets worse, at least because we are close, we can just escape together. Yeah; wait, now that I am looking at this place... A hidden facility in the underground of a gang hideout, when the Hero’s main quest of invasion is active… this is probably the one that the little girl they call “Furnace” is confined in... Normally I would say that I need to confirm a little more, but in this city, there are only 3 underground facilities, and all of them are too different from one another, so I am sure; this is the one she is in. I remember it because it’s the one with that “blessed” labyrinth puzzle. Ah… “good memories.”

Footsteps. Two pairs, metal on the soles, coming from the left.

Sharon was making some type of signal with her arms; it was almost like a person lost on an island waving as a plane passed by. He didn’t understand a thing.

Right… I need to solve this first.

Crow gestured with his hand to Sharon, motioning for her to follow, and pressed his index finger to his lips to signal silence. Then he closed his eyes, let his breathing go shallow, and let his body settle against the stone floor. His elbow still ached from the fall. His head was at the wrong angle. He didn’t adjust.

This’ll be fun…

The steps stopped.

“What was that noise?” First voice, rough, irritated.

“The bar floor.” Second voice, younger. “Finally gave. There’s one down here.”

“Alive?”

A pause. Torch heat near his face.

“Breathing.”

“How’d he get here?”

“He fell. Obviously.” A beat. “Unless you think he found the stairs.”

“If he found the entrance... that’s a big problem.”

That wasn’t the plan, but… never mind. I'll just have to change the order of things now. If they take the bait... if they fall for it, I can skip the labyrinth puzzle, it will be almost a speedrun.

Crow kept still.

“Kill him now,” said the rough voice. “While he’s quiet.”

Or not…

A pause.

“If he’s here… then he found the stairs... but that hole up there… I don’t know; my head is hurting.” The younger voice, patient. “Nobody was supposed to know the base was underground here. If we kill him without knowing how he got here, Mama is gonna kill us for wasting the opportunity to get information.” Then he muttered something. “Definitely not because Mama said I would receive a gift if I captured someone for her…” After saying this, he looked at some drawings he had.

“You’re an idiot,” responded the rough voice. “But it makes sense… I think.”

“No, you are.” He looked at the drawings again. “If there’s someone else upstairs, killing this one will solve nothing; remember Mama’s instruction book...” He moved to the next drawing. “Now it’s… yes, yes. Let’s take him to the interrogation room, wait for him to wake up, and ask properly.”

The rough voice went quiet for a moment, then nodded frenetically. “Properly.” His tone gave off the feeling of a secret code.

The younger one put the drawings in his pocket again, then responded, “Properly… finally, heh... I always wanted to USE IT! Oh, sorry, I forgot he was sleeping…”

What am I hearing? This almost feels like a comedy.

Three hands grabbed his coat and hauled him up. His arms got dragged across the stone, boots scraping the floor.

Thanks guys, I’m definitely a professional at being kidnapped now... at least I can skip the puzzle, all thanks to this duo.

[CONGRATULATIONS! Passive skill acquired: Victim of Kidnapping level 1]

No comments…

He kept the body loose and his breathing slow while they walked him.

One corridor, right turn, another longer corridor, a few steps down. No, never mind, I just need to be there, then I leave after asking “nicely” for the exit…

1 minute later.

“This guy is too heavy, what has he been eating?” said the younger one.

The other responded, sweating. “Maybe it’s because of the swords. If we fence them, we can make good coin.”

The air is a little different now, less dusty and warmer than before… I can smell something like heated metal. Jackpot… To think I would find the secret forge so soon, thanks to this duo… Hm, now that I think about it, I don’t need to go there. It’s a good place to loot for some crossbows, but I don’t use that type of weapon. I need to help the abducted escape, so I will try to be stealthier. I remember this quest; if you don’t bring the Rogue when doing this side quest with the Hero, they kill some innocents, the game doesn’t show what happens, but I can imagine what they do, probably use them as meat shields, so I need to be extra careful and make them feel like things are working well.

Another corridor down, Crow continued to be dragged straight; the torchlight becoming more consistent now and voices somewhere deeper in the background of people working in forges.

A distant tired voice said, “Did you see Billy? Mama is mad and wants to ‘talk’ to him because it’s already been more than 11 times just this month…”

If I am not wrong, she stays in this hidden facility, or should I say factory? It is full of forges to make crossbows, so this must be the place. I remember her staying here until midgame, when she becomes a teen and burns the place to the ground before escaping. In the game she was a hidden character that could be hired in the future by the Hero. At this point in time she must be a child… Yeah, I can rescue the other NPCs too... No, this is real life now. They aren’t NPCs anymore. After that I will leave this place… Tuesday, you… It’s a shame, but you don’t want to join the party anyway, so I’ll just give up on you...

A short time later, they found the door and the younger guy knocked on the frame. “It’s me… Jimmy, and it’s Pizza time.”

The door was opened. “How much time do you need?” he asked, dragging a still-breathing body from inside that room.

“It will be fast, tell Juice that the bottle was compromised; I think this guy fell from up there and found our base—”

“WHAT? And you just casually tell me that you need to conduct an interrogation… a pizza, when our base is compromised? ARE YOU DUMB? Mama will kill you!”

“Relax, it’s only this guy that fell from the bar—cough—bottle, and we’ll find everything out. Just tell the other one to stay at the door; we’ll handle this,” said the younger one again. His partner was quiet, cracking his knuckles.

“You… ugh, never mind. After the brick that fell on your head… never mind… just… never mind,” said the guy, now carrying the person on his shoulder like a trash bag. Then he put his free hand on the shoulder of the other guy who was cracking his knuckles, and said, “Why do you always let this guy talk?”

The guy stopped cracking his knuckles. “Pff… He didn’t say anything wrong this time. Why so much hate?”

“Never mind, I forgot you were there too when it happened…” He took his hand off the guy’s shoulder. “To think you guys almost had things falling on your heads twice while checking the bottle entrance… definitely luck isn’t on your side.”

“Luck? What does it have to do with this?”

“Never mind…” said the guy, walking away in a hurry.

What am I listening to? It’s almost a soap opera...

The duo approached the center of the room with Crow “unconscious” on their arms.

They dropped him in a chair. He let himself slump sideways, keeping up the unconscious act. Rope at his wrists, more at his ankles. Then the search, hands going through every pocket and fold.

“This ring,” the younger voice said. “Enchanted, looks like.”

“Take it to the weapons depot or something like that...”

I didn’t want to make it easy for them to take my stuff. However, if I try something now, it will be bad. There are at least 3 guys at the door; I need to make sure there aren't too many people here. If they find out I’m a problem and spread the word, then the abducted person will probably die—

“And this in the boot?”

“Everything. Leave nothing on him… heh”

The ring came off his finger.

He didn’t react.

Footsteps toward the door, then it shut.

11 seconds of silence. Then a sound that settled it, heavy metal sliding on a rail; it sounded like a lock built for a door that doesn’t open from the inside.

After delivering Crow’s things to a guy, the older one said, “Billy will take them there for us.”

Right… now only 2 there outside the door.

The younger one replied, “Great, but Billy lost my things the other day; maybe it’s not a good idea to trust him with more things…”

“Are you dumb? Billy is slow like us, but he’ll definitely find the items he lost. He found half of my things that he lost the other day; he just needs time.”

“Huh? Maybe you’re right… The old man said we were unlucky when we told him about the bottle… but, like you said, Billy found half of your things, which proves that we are lucky after all, because the other day, I do remember someone saying that Billy lost all their things.”

I am… almost feeling pity for those guys. No, they are the worst in this city, enslaving people and much more.

A moment of silence from the goofballs. Then the punch came without warning, straight to the jaw. His head went with it. He let it.

This…

Another one, to the ribs. He exhaled through his nose and held still.

Seriously?

“Wake up,” the rough voice of the older one said.

A pause. Another hit, more weight behind it this time, lateral, across the jaw.

I knew it… but… this is too much.

“What’s wrong with this guy’s face?” the rough voice muttered. “It feels like I’m hitting stone.”

Crow opened his eyes.

The voice belonged to a broad man with a red face and knuckles that were already slightly swollen.

Crow looked at him. “It’s the level gap.”

The man blinked. “What do you mean? Are you crazy? Level ga—gapy?”

Crow stood up.

The ropes at his wrists went first, then the ones at his ankles like they were old paper. The broad man was still processing the fact that the person tied to the chair had simply gotten up when Crow picked up the chair by the backrest and corrected the guy’s posture with it.

The younger one, looking at his friend sleeping on the floor, said, “This doesn’t make sense. How are you so strong?”

“I already told you, it’s the level gap.”

“Levil, cap?”

Short sound; then he went to sleep too.

He stood in the center of the room looking at the two on the floor. Breathing once, he ran his hand along the side of his jaw and tested it.

Nice. The worst part was the labyrinth, and I just skipped it thanks to those clueless guys, now only 1 is outside the door; seems like he didn’t hear what happened; better for me.

Crow approached the smaller and younger guy he had hit more gently and softly, lifting him up with one hand. Then, with the other, he slapped him. “Wake up, gatekeeper, you need to get this open for me… or else.”

For some reason, that line feels a little embarrassing… Never mind, I don’t have time to think about it.

The gatekeeper woke up. “huh? HUH? Wait, you are—”

Slap!

“Quiet... I’ll put you close to the door, you know the rest…” Crow said with one finger to his lips and the classic make a sound and you die face.

The locked door was built from heavy metal, reinforced like the entrance to an old bunker.

“I-I will… say the code ok… can you promise me you are letting me live?”

“No, now say it.”

Crow dropped the man to the floor, spun him around with a shove to the shoulder, then grabbed the back of his neck to hoist him up, forcing him against the door before whispering, “Say it now…”

“G-guys… we have a problem… open the door hurry! We need—”

Crow closed his hand a little tighter around the guy’s neck.

“I-I mean, I need some help with this fellow here, he just don’t… doesn’t want to talk, the pizza is late.”

The door made some sounds, then it opened.

“What—”

BAAAM!

Now the 3 of them were sleeping. Crow had slammed the guy’s head into the other one… brutal, really, and stepped outside the room.

The corridor was empty.

Right. I just need to find where the weapons depot is, and that Jimmy? No, Billy? I don’t remember, but the guy who took my things. And, of course, rescue the girl they call “furnace” from this place. Tuesday… maybe I’ll just give up on him.

He looked at the dark corridor ahead. Torches spaced too far apart. Work sounds somewhere deep inside it. The forge running steady underneath everything.

Seems like no one noticed; better for me. I knew this was probably their base, close to that other gang area, but below a bar? That was news. In the game, you go a long way underground through the sewers to deal with... no, I don’t have time to think about this.

He started walking toward the sound of the forges, trying not to make any sound.

To think getting to the center would be this easy... Now, I just need to find the main furnace where the girl is, help these people, and somehow recruit her. The Hero is already too strong; if he gets new allies, I’m cooked. Besides, in the original timeline, she died in the kingdom after they found out she literally roasted the people from here during her escape... So, saving her might actually be a good thing. Well... no time to overthink this, let’s just do it…

Somewhere deep inside this hidden facility…

BANG!

Crow started to run toward the forge.

Yeah… of course the guy would use his gun here. Now I need to be fast before the girl gets into danger; no, wrong phrase. Before she roasts someone innocent by accident.

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

CRACK!

THUD!

The floor gave under both of them after the blast ate them up; they dropped through it together, falling through timber and stone, into a wall of dust and heat that swallowed everything. Crow hit the lower level and rolled a little, then stopped. His ears were screaming. Something above him was still settling, almost making him sneeze, small pieces of the ceiling raining down in the dark and falling onto his head.

Crow was lying on his back on the cold stone; it looked like some kind of hidden facility down there, and he couldn’t hear Tuesday anymore; the explosion had split them up. The tavern lights above trembled through the hole they’d made, throwing just enough light to confirm the obvious, crafted walls and a finished floor oddly similar to an underground bunker.

Through the hole left by the explosion, he caught sight of a figure in the dim light from above. “Crow, what happened? Well… I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. Should I come down too? I’m sensing a bit of mana… I think someone’s heading your way.”

To be honest, I think I can handle this alone, but it’s better if she is close to me for both our sakes, so I can make sure she is safe. If things go wrong, and the poison on her body gets worse, at least because we are close, we can just escape together. Yeah; wait, now that I am looking at this place... A hidden facility in the underground of a gang hideout, when the Hero’s main quest of invasion is active… this is probably the one that the little girl they call “Furnace” is confined in... Normally I would say that I need to confirm a little more, but in this city, there are only 3 underground facilities, and all of them are too different from one another, so I am sure; this is the one she is in. I remember it because it’s the one with that “blessed” labyrinth puzzle. Ah… “good memories.”

Footsteps. Two pairs, metal on the soles, coming from the left.

Sharon was making some type of signal with her arms; it was almost like a person lost on an island waving as a plane passed by. He didn’t understand a thing.

Right… I need to solve this first.

Crow gestured with his hand to Sharon, motioning for her to follow, and pressed his index finger to his lips to signal silence. Then he closed his eyes, let his breathing go shallow, and let his body settle against the stone floor. His elbow still ached from the fall. His head was at the wrong angle. He didn’t adjust.

This’ll be fun…

The steps stopped.

“What was that noise?” First voice, rough, irritated.

“The bar floor.” Second voice, younger. “Finally gave. There’s one down here.”

“Alive?”

A pause. Torch heat near his face.

“Breathing.”

“How’d he get here?”

“He fell. Obviously.” A beat. “Unless you think he found the stairs.”

“If he found the entrance... that’s a big problem.”

That wasn’t the plan, but… never mind. I'll just have to change the order of things now. If they take the bait... if they fall for it, I can skip the labyrinth puzzle, it will be almost a speedrun.

Crow kept still.

“Kill him now,” said the rough voice. “While he’s quiet.”

Or not…

A pause.

“If he’s here… then he found the stairs... but that hole up there… I don’t know; my head is hurting.” The younger voice, patient. “Nobody was supposed to know the base was underground here. If we kill him without knowing how he got here, Mama is gonna kill us for wasting the opportunity to get information.” Then he muttered something. “Definitely not because Mama said I would receive a gift if I captured someone for her…” After saying this, he looked at some drawings he had.

“You’re an idiot,” responded the rough voice. “But it makes sense… I think.”

“No, you are.” He looked at the drawings again. “If there’s someone else upstairs, killing this one will solve nothing; remember Mama’s instruction book...” He moved to the next drawing. “Now it’s… yes, yes. Let’s take him to the interrogation room, wait for him to wake up, and ask properly.”

The rough voice went quiet for a moment, then nodded frenetically. “Properly.” His tone gave off the feeling of a secret code.

The younger one put the drawings in his pocket again, then responded, “Properly… finally, heh... I always wanted to USE IT! Oh, sorry, I forgot he was sleeping…”

What am I hearing? This almost feels like a comedy.

Three hands grabbed his coat and hauled him up. His arms got dragged across the stone, boots scraping the floor.

Thanks guys, I’m definitely a professional at being kidnapped now... at least I can skip the puzzle, all thanks to this duo.

[CONGRATULATIONS! Passive skill acquired: Victim of Kidnapping level 1]

No comments…

He kept the body loose and his breathing slow while they walked him.

One corridor, right turn, another longer corridor, a few steps down. No, never mind, I just need to be there, then I leave after asking “nicely” for the exit…

1 minute later.

“This guy is too heavy, what has he been eating?” said the younger one.

The other responded, sweating. “Maybe it’s because of the swords. If we fence them, we can make good coin.”

The air is a little different now, less dusty and warmer than before… I can smell something like heated metal. Jackpot… To think I would find the secret forge so soon, thanks to this duo… Hm, now that I think about it, I don’t need to go there. It’s a good place to loot for some crossbows, but I don’t use that type of weapon. I need to help the abducted escape, so I will try to be stealthier. I remember this quest; if you don’t bring the Rogue when doing this side quest with the Hero, they kill some innocents, the game doesn’t show what happens, but I can imagine what they do, probably use them as meat shields, so I need to be extra careful and make them feel like things are working well.

Another corridor down, Crow continued to be dragged straight; the torchlight becoming more consistent now and voices somewhere deeper in the background of people working in forges.

A distant tired voice said, “Did you see Billy? Mama is mad and wants to ‘talk’ to him because it’s already been more than 11 times just this month…”

If I am not wrong, she stays in this hidden facility, or should I say factory? It is full of forges to make crossbows, so this must be the place. I remember her staying here until midgame, when she becomes a teen and burns the place to the ground before escaping. In the game she was a hidden character that could be hired in the future by the Hero. At this point in time she must be a child… Yeah, I can rescue the other NPCs too... No, this is real life now. They aren’t NPCs anymore. After that I will leave this place… Tuesday, you… It’s a shame, but you don’t want to join the party anyway, so I’ll just give up on you...

A short time later, they found the door and the younger guy knocked on the frame. “It’s me… Jimmy, and it’s Pizza time.”

The door was opened. “How much time do you need?” he asked, dragging a still-breathing body from inside that room.

“It will be fast, tell Juice that the bottle was compromised; I think this guy fell from up there and found our base—”

“WHAT? And you just casually tell me that you need to conduct an interrogation… a pizza, when our base is compromised? ARE YOU DUMB? Mama will kill you!”

“Relax, it’s only this guy that fell from the bar—cough—bottle, and we’ll find everything out. Just tell the other one to stay at the door; we’ll handle this,” said the younger one again. His partner was quiet, cracking his knuckles.

“You… ugh, never mind. After the brick that fell on your head… never mind… just… never mind,” said the guy, now carrying the person on his shoulder like a trash bag. Then he put his free hand on the shoulder of the other guy who was cracking his knuckles, and said, “Why do you always let this guy talk?”

The guy stopped cracking his knuckles. “Pff… He didn’t say anything wrong this time. Why so much hate?”

“Never mind, I forgot you were there too when it happened…” He took his hand off the guy’s shoulder. “To think you guys almost had things falling on your heads twice while checking the bottle entrance… definitely luck isn’t on your side.”

“Luck? What does it have to do with this?”

“Never mind…” said the guy, walking away in a hurry.

What am I listening to? It’s almost a soap opera...

The duo approached the center of the room with Crow “unconscious” on their arms.

They dropped him in a chair. He let himself slump sideways, keeping up the unconscious act. Rope at his wrists, more at his ankles. Then the search, hands going through every pocket and fold.

“This ring,” the younger voice said. “Enchanted, looks like.”

“Take it to the weapons depot or something like that...”

I didn’t want to make it easy for them to take my stuff. However, if I try something now, it will be bad. There are at least 3 guys at the door; I need to make sure there aren't too many people here. If they find out I’m a problem and spread the word, then the abducted person will probably die—

“And this in the boot?”

“Everything. Leave nothing on him… heh”

The ring came off his finger.

He didn’t react.

Footsteps toward the door, then it shut.

11 seconds of silence. Then a sound that settled it, heavy metal sliding on a rail; it sounded like a lock built for a door that doesn’t open from the inside.

After delivering Crow’s things to a guy, the older one said, “Billy will take them there for us.”

Right… now only 2 there outside the door.

The younger one replied, “Great, but Billy lost my things the other day; maybe it’s not a good idea to trust him with more things…”

“Are you dumb? Billy is slow like us, but he’ll definitely find the items he lost. He found half of my things that he lost the other day; he just needs time.”

“Huh? Maybe you’re right… The old man said we were unlucky when we told him about the bottle… but, like you said, Billy found half of your things, which proves that we are lucky after all, because the other day, I do remember someone saying that Billy lost all their things.”

I am… almost feeling pity for those guys. No, they are the worst in this city, enslaving people and much more.

A moment of silence from the goofballs. Then the punch came without warning, straight to the jaw. His head went with it. He let it.

This…

Another one, to the ribs. He exhaled through his nose and held still.

Seriously?

“Wake up,” the rough voice of the older one said.

A pause. Another hit, more weight behind it this time, lateral, across the jaw.

I knew it… but… this is too much.

“What’s wrong with this guy’s face?” the rough voice muttered. “It feels like I’m hitting stone.”

Crow opened his eyes.

The voice belonged to a broad man with a red face and knuckles that were already slightly swollen.

Crow looked at him. “It’s the level gap.”

The man blinked. “What do you mean? Are you crazy? Level ga—gapy?”

Crow stood up.

The ropes at his wrists went first, then the ones at his ankles like they were old paper. The broad man was still processing the fact that the person tied to the chair had simply gotten up when Crow picked up the chair by the backrest and corrected the guy’s posture with it.

The younger one, looking at his friend sleeping on the floor, said, “This doesn’t make sense. How are you so strong?”

“I already told you, it’s the level gap.”

“Levil, cap?”

Short sound; then he went to sleep too.

He stood in the center of the room looking at the two on the floor. Breathing once, he ran his hand along the side of his jaw and tested it.

Nice. The worst part was the labyrinth, and I just skipped it thanks to those clueless guys, now only 1 is outside the door; seems like he didn’t hear what happened; better for me.

Crow approached the smaller and younger guy he had hit more gently and softly, lifting him up with one hand. Then, with the other, he slapped him. “Wake up, gatekeeper, you need to get this open for me… or else.”

For some reason, that line feels a little embarrassing… Never mind, I don’t have time to think about it.

The gatekeeper woke up. “huh? HUH? Wait, you are—”

Slap!

“Quiet... I’ll put you close to the door, you know the rest…” Crow said with one finger to his lips and the classic make a sound and you die face.

The locked door was built from heavy metal, reinforced like the entrance to an old bunker.

“I-I will… say the code ok… can you promise me you are letting me live?”

“No, now say it.”

Crow dropped the man to the floor, spun him around with a shove to the shoulder, then grabbed the back of his neck to hoist him up, forcing him against the door before whispering, “Say it now…”

“G-guys… we have a problem… open the door hurry! We need—”

Crow closed his hand a little tighter around the guy’s neck.

“I-I mean, I need some help with this fellow here, he just don’t… doesn’t want to talk, the pizza is late.”

The door made some sounds, then it opened.

“What—”

BAAAM!

Now the 3 of them were sleeping. Crow had slammed the guy’s head into the other one… brutal, really, and stepped outside the room.

The corridor was empty.

Right. I just need to find where the weapons depot is, and that Jimmy? No, Billy? I don’t remember, but the guy who took my things. And, of course, rescue the girl they call “furnace” from this place. Tuesday… maybe I’ll just give up on him.

He looked at the dark corridor ahead. Torches spaced too far apart. Work sounds somewhere deep inside it. The forge running steady underneath everything.

Seems like no one noticed; better for me. I knew this was probably their base, close to that other gang area, but below a bar? That was news. In the game, you go a long way underground through the sewers to deal with... no, I don’t have time to think about this.

He started walking toward the sound of the forges, trying not to make any sound.

To think getting to the center would be this easy... Now, I just need to find the main furnace where the girl is, help these people, and somehow recruit her. The Hero is already too strong; if he gets new allies, I’m cooked. Besides, in the original timeline, she died in the kingdom after they found out she literally roasted the people from here during her escape... So, saving her might actually be a good thing. Well... no time to overthink this, let’s just do it…

Somewhere deep inside this hidden facility…

BANG!

Crow started to run toward the forge.

Yeah… of course the guy would use his gun here. Now I need to be fast before the girl gets into danger; no, wrong phrase. Before she roasts someone innocent by accident.

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

“Gonna skinny you”… this is… I almost laughed out loud, this is bad. Maintain a straight face, maintain it, it’s not even that funny…

Crow exhaled through his nose, annoyed, struggling not to laugh. He’d had about 4 hours of sleep and probably lost half his blood volume. “Yeah... it’s party time.”

Then raised his hand, palm up, and beckoned with a repetitive curl of his fingers. “Come on then, all of you. Let’s make this fast.”

The biggest man put his knife flat on the bar.

TUNK*.*

“You. Talk too much.” He approached Crow a little, then continued. “You’re asking to die, forastero.”

Crow raised his hand toward the bartender without looking away from the crowd. “Another bottle.”

The bartender sighed again, longer this time, and threw it.

Crow caught it.

The men moved forward half a step.

Crow raised both bottles, one at each side.

The thinnest one, who’d said he was gonna “skinny” Crow approached him fast, baring his teeth. “Then come, hero!”

CRACK.

The bottle exploded against his head. He dropped to the wooden floor instantly. Guess his “skinny” time was up.

Crow took one step forward.

One guy in the background shouted, “You picked the wrong tavern, fool!” The man who was drinking stood up and came straight in, knife high…

CRACK.

The bottle caught his wrist, the knife spun away, clattered somewhere.

Another guy tried the left side in the meantime. “I’ve got you—”

THUD.

Crow’s elbow drove into his sternum and the man sat down hard, all his air gone at once and he vomited something colorful.

Another thin guy lunged quickly from behind.

SHING.

The blade grazed Crow’s ear, close enough to feel the air.

“Almost,” Crow said, turning his head without hurrying. “You guys really need to eat more, and drink less—”

The thin one who’d tried to backstab him took a few steps back, looking at his friends and nodding to the ones still standing; then, he charged. “Die forastero!”

Crow kicked the chair.

BAM.

It caught the thin man in the knee, and he stumbled, swearing something.

The two guys that were still standing looked at each other, and whispered something.

Crow tapped what was left of the bottle against his palm. “You were so enthusiastic thirty seconds ago…”

One of them swallowed. “You’re not... normal.”

“So you guys are the normal ones?” Crow shrugged. “Maybe you guys need some manual head fixing.”

The thinnest man woke up and forced himself back to his feet, rage overriding whatever sense he’d had to begin with. “I-I am done playing! You coward, you caught me off guard! Now I’ll truly SKINNY YOU!” He pulled another knife from his pocket along with a vial of purple liquid, coating the blade in one swift motion. Then, he drew a second flask—this one wrapped in cloth to hide its color—and downed it.

“Just to confirm…” Crow said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Your gang is named… The Skinn—”

The man charged with everything he had.

Crow raised the broken bottle. “Jackpot.”

CRACK.

A few minutes later, Sharon came down the stairs rubbing her eyes. “Crow...” She looked around the room. “...what is this? It’s worse than last night.”

He was holding a big guy by the collar, the last member of the gang still conscious. The man stared at her, but the moment she yawned and revealed her fangs, he passed out, dangling limply in his grip.

Crow looked at her and sighed. “Yeah, somehow things ended this way...”

THUD*.*

The man hit the floor.

Sharon stared at the landscape of dazed bodies. “...You genuinely cannot go five minutes without starting something.”

Crow made a doubtful expression. “What are you talking about?” He pointed at the bartender and continued. “They started it.”

“I didn’t start anything,” the bartender said.

Sharon pressed her hand to her face. “Fine, let’s go before anyone else wakes up.”

Crow turned back to the bartender, now with an empty expression. “Hold on. You owe me some information, remember?”

The bartender froze. “Okay, okay. Look, before the whole thing, about that guy, right… I already knew. He’s been hitting locations all over the city. Right now he’s hunting a rival gang, the Sons of Grandma. In the east quarter, probably.” He pointed in the wrong direction.

NOOOOOO! Sons of Grandma??? Are you kidding me… Calm down… yeah, it’s fine, I don’t want to see that hidden boss… right… right, I just need to find the guy and leave… yeah, let’s just leave the hidden scenario to the hero, it’s not worth it.

Sharon glanced at Crow, his expression completely blank, and she gave him a small signal with her head, pointing to the door.

“Wait, we need to look into that…” he said, turning his gaze toward the bartender again. “I think you need to do something in the back… no?”

The guy didn’t respond; he just headed out the back door.

Crow took a chair from one of the tables that survived the party. “Come here, I’m going to check you…”

Sharon took a few steps closer to him, but she didn’t sit; for some reason, she stood in front of him. “Right… I forgot about that, but I am better now, make it quick…”

He stared at her for a while.

***

[Status]

Name: Sharon Von Hollowfar

Condition: Sleepy and… something.

Level: 99 probably.

***

What? Why does she have the same surname as the Queen? Hey sage, why is the condition saying something instead of the problem, and why is her level “99 probably?” Are you kidding me now? I don’t have time for games.

[Too many questions, son. You looked both girls in the face and still don’t know why they have the same surname? Are you blind? And you think I can see the outside world easily? Most of the time I just feel the mana, bro, I am trapped, remember? How would I know her condition, or what she has inside of her? Give me a break...]

Look who’s talking back now. You said I looked both of them in the face and still didn’t get it, but then you just said you can’t even see out here, and I’m the one who’s blind? Right… maybe I’ll just sell you to someone. Yeah, that sounds much better.

[Whoooaaa, take it easy, I said only the truth… I can’t tell what she has, but her mana is draining slowly, I can feel something strange in her core, maybe she ate lavender or something like that, I don’t know, just leave this place soon and she will be fine, her mana is more stable now… I think she’s poisoned; and about the girls’ faces… I do know them, but that’s a long story, better left for another time.]

Sharon tilted a little to the side and covered her chest with her arms in an X position again, her face becoming reddish. “W-why are you s-staring so much without saying a word…”

“Sharon… did you, er… eat something strange? Apparently your mana is being drained because of something you ate… maybe?”

Still in her X pose, she responded, “No, the only thing I ate was you—cough… no, I don’t remember eating… anything strange.” She averted her eyes and stepped back.

He stood up from his chair and started walking straight in her direction.

Sharon tensed as she inclined backwards. “W-what?”

Crow walked right past her; as he reached the door, he said, “Let’s go. It will be better if we find that guy and leave before you feel worse.”

If it works out… one more person to help against the Hero would be a game changer; the Hero is too strong and will only become stronger; better safe than sorry.

“Berthold,” Sharon said automatically, already moving behind him. “I’ll try to contact him so we can meet near the clock tower and leave together...”

This girl…

They stepped out of the tavern into the back alley and stopped.

Crow didn’t need to think much before saying, “Sharon... enough talk about splitting up. I don’t know; let’s just forget about that guy, Bartolu, or whatever his name is, and go together. We already know a bit about what’s happening in this city; if we recruit the troublemaker, it’ll already be worth it; with your condition, let’s take the safer way.”

Sharon looked at him. “I understand. However, while you were asleep, a teleportation spell was used to send a letter to our room at the tavern. Since the magic was directed at me, and Berthold doesn’t possess that kind of ability, it means he has already found the information guild and gathered the information he was looking for. So, if you don’t find this troublemaker, I can just get that information from Berthold and we can all go together. We still have one day before the Inquisitors arrive in the city.”

Crow approached her and walked past, stopping a few paces ahead before speaking. “Sharon, you might think I’m paranoid, but I’ve survived this long by avoiding unnecessary risks. Honestly, if I were in your shoes, I wouldn’t do this. But I’ll admit… if it goes well, your plan would settle everything in just a few hours. So, let’s do this: if something goes wrong, just stick to what we agreed on before, alright?”

Sharon nodded with a faint, confident smile. “Fair enough, Crow. I’ll see you at the clock tower then. Don’t be late.”

She turned on her heel and headed in the opposite direction.

Why was she so insistent on going there... She’s weakened, poisoned, and still decided to split up. The guys here aren’t that good, so I can handle my side easily, but Sharon... she was acting strange, like the poison was making her lose her mind or something. I need to head to that place fast, recruit the hidden character, and get back to her. Yeah, this is the only way… To be honest, I can feel this is gonna be bad, but I didn’t have much choice. She said the clock tower, but I don’t remember her saying where she would find that Bartolu guy. If she actually finds him, at least she won’t be alone if things go wrong. Never mind, I just have to trust her and do my part for now… Like I would do that.

Sharon was almost leaving the dark alley when… “C-Crow??? What are you doing?”

“Change of plans… I am not a genius, but I am not that dumb either, if I leave you here, you might die today, remember all the fights in this city… this place… something is very wrong here, and you are not in good shap—”

“O-ok, ok, you can r-release your hand now…” she said, looking at the floor, her hood hiding her face.

The way she is talking… yeah, I was right… she is really in bad shape.

Crow released her hand. “Let’s go together, if the guy isn’t in this tavern, I will go with you, and we’ll leave this place, better safe than sorry.”

Crow continued down the path, Sharon following right next to him. After leaving the alley near the tavern where the lunatics had tried to “skinny” him, they entered the territory of their rival gang. Things felt a little different in this new area. Maybe it was just the atmosphere, the vibes?

This brings back old memories… Yeah, I don’t need to think about it, this is the right place… the guy did a good job… Or should I say a bad job?

He stopped at the end of the alley, almost reaching another main street, in front of the destination. “Sharon, stay here. I will enter the tavern and confirm the situation; if the guy really is there, being alone will be easier. If things go wrong and he escapes, just try to stop him. I will try to convince him that we aren’t his enemies.”

She was silent for a moment. “Fine, I will wait here.”

Crow approached the ruined tavern. The place was riddled with holes and nearly falling apart, with countless stone fragments scattered across the floor. The swinging doors were partially destroyed; he pushed the left one, as the right was already off its hinges. That wasn’t all that lay on the floor, though; inside there were bodies and blood everywhere.

Crow saw one guy in the bar.

No, it’s not the guy I’m looking for, he’s too different, and where is the bulky figure? It’s not a butterfly effect, right? And the hidden character is one of the dead ones on the ground…

He addressed the man in the chair, who was nursing a drink. “Did you do all this? Some moderation is good, you know.”

Seated there was the masked man. Broad shoulders, some hide clothes torn and stained with blood. He looked like someone waiting for something. A bottle in his hand, dripping wine onto the red-stained floor.

The man took a bit too long to turn, clearly aiming for a dramatic effect.  “No. I was only here when it happened... Tuesdays are always like this.”

Oooooh, really? This guy is nuts. He’s covered in blood, but it’s obvious it isn’t his…

The masked man calmly set the bottle on the bar’s edge.

Crow stepped over a piece of broken chair and kept his eyes on the guy. The mask covered everything above the jaw. The jaw itself didn’t give much away either. “You’re the one tearing this city apart, right?”

“Tearing apart.” The masked man turned the phrase over. “Generous of you.”

Maybe it’s the right guy, how he is too different... maybe because it’s not a game anymore.

“I have a proposal.”

The masked man was quiet for a moment. Then: “What kind of proposal walks into a room full of bodies and decides now is the best time?”

“The kind that can’t wait when the inquisitors roll in tomorrow.”

Silence.

The masked man turned fully. Crow felt the weight of the look even through the mask.

“You’re not from here, are you?” the man asked.

“No.”

“Then how do you know about the inquisitors?”

Crow didn’t answer fast enough.

The masked man stood up. He wasn’t tall in any remarkable way. He just occupied the room differently when he was on his feet. The broken furniture near him was giving some vibes.

“Who sent you?” he asked while adjusting his mask.

“Nobody you know.”

“Then maybe I don’t need to hear about the proposal.”

Crow recognized the tone wasn’t exactly anger; the guy was definitely putting on a little pressure, probably to check if he’d step back.

But Crow didn’t. “You can ignore me…” Crow said while taking a step forward. “But ignoring the inquisitors is a bad idea, they will come here tomorrow. And the offer is really good. What do you think? New job, some allies, maybe it’ll help you out.”

The masked man touched the edge of his mask with two fingers, adjusted the angle slightly. “Fine. Talk.”

The man moved his coat a little, and a revolver was visible there.

Crow didn’t wait. “Didn’t know there were revolvers in this place.”

The man twitched and stopped walking. Something shifted in his posture, a tremor, brief and controlled. “Then you’re with them… Whoever I’m hunting used one of these on me before. You’re going to tell me more about it...”

The first shot cracked through the room.

Crow deflected it off the flat of his Claymore in a short, tight movement, already moving forward. The second came faster; he cut through the air and stepped inside the angle, and the two of them were suddenly too close for comfortable shooting. The bodies on the floor shook with each step, the old wood vibrating under the impacts as they moved through the wreckage.

The fight dragged on. Gunshots and steel, the revolver loud enough in the enclosed space to leave a ringing in both their ears. The Tuesday guy moved coldly and methodically, every shot and every step. Crow worked the angles with circular footwork and blade deflections; the guy was too fast for him; regardless, he kept closing the distance every time a chance opened up.

“.357,” Crow said between movements. “End of the world, apparently. Things just got worse.”

The man’s composure cracked.

“YOU! Y-you know the caliber. You know the name. WHO MADE IT. WHO WAS IT THAT ATTACKED ME!?”

Crow almost laughed. “Easy. It’s a long story, but I’m not involved with those people.” He said it while blocking a strike that would’ve taken his ear off.

CRACK.

The walls shed small pieces with each .357 round that missed and found stone instead.

This… will be fun.

The masked guy was reloading. Crow took the chance to look at his Claymore.

Thankfully, this was made with one of the strongest materials… and it’s like this now, almost breaking...

Crow got a grip on the wrist when the masked man extended his arm to fire. He wrenched the revolver away, and kicked him, then stepped back to remove the bullets. “You’re the one we came looking for—”

Maybe I kicked him too hard?

Crow ignored it and said, “What is your name?”

The man hit the bar on his way down, splitting it clean through the middle, and landed on the other side still conscious. “Hahahaha—cough, cough—HAHAHAHA. Like I’d remember. After what happened to me.” He said it with just enough doubt in his voice to make it unclear whether he was joking.

The laugh that came out of him sounded too wrong, like a madman’s.

Crow stepped around the debris and crouched near him. “Fine. I’ll call you Tuesday then.”

The man’s left hand came out of his coat pocket.

Something small and cylindrical hit the floor between them.

Crow looked at it.

“That’s not what I think it is, right? Tuesday.”

The man opened his left hand. A pin was in it.

“...” Crow’s expression was almost blank; this time he couldn’t maintain his poker face. “Oh come on—”

BOOM!

(Next)

Author's note: Thanks for reading, guys! If you spot any grammar errors, just let me know in the comments. I revised this a lot, but a few minor typos might have slipped through the revisions haha, so my bad if I missed anything!

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

The grandma made the gesture of silence while smiling a little, then continued to drag the guy’s half-dead body deeper into the dark alley.

Oh… this is worse than what I expected; it’s too hard to put into words everything that I am seeing here...

The guards moved in tight clusters nearby; they passed in front of the grandma and didn’t see her, or maybe they just ignored her, who knows. The people kept close to the walls, just minding their own business and ignoring what she was doing in that alley too.

This city isn’t like the one I remember from the game; it’s too different, someone must have shaped it this way; probably someone who came before me and kept building things like that pocket watch, then the butterfly effect took place, and here we are. Must be it.

He tucked the pocket watch deeper into his coat, while the grandma vanished in the alley ahead of him.

Sharon pulled the cloak tighter around her face. “It’s better if we take this alley,” she said. “Less patrol coverage over there.”

You must be kidding me! Didn’t you just see that grandma over there?

Sharon just kept moving towards the alley, leaving the principal road behind.

Yeah, it’s adventure time…

He followed her.

Whatever; what could go wrong, anyway? We can just fight our way out… yeah, yeah, ha… I don’t remember the time frame precisely, but if I’m not wrong, the Hero was there on the frontier in what? A week, roughly? So we have some time before a reset, or should I say regression, but only if he goes there. So, I must do everything as if there won’t be a reset, just to be sure, pro gamers don’t die twice in the same place... most of the time.

A figure moved fast through the alley ahead; he was cloaked with his head down, and clipped the wall in front of him on the way past because the alley was so narrow.

I didn’t perceive him at all… a rogue skill?

Something small and rectangular hit the cobblestones.

“Hey, you dropped—” Crow tried to say.

The figure stopped and retrieved the dark blue object; it was flat, with the size and shape of a small book, and the person turned just enough for their voice to reach him as they whispered, “You don’t belong in this world.”

Then they ran and rounded the corner.

Crow went after them immediately. The corner opened to a crossing, which was empty in every direction, and he stood there for a moment.

“Crow.” Sharon appeared beside him. “You look rattled.”

“We’ve been made.” He kept his eyes on the crossing. “But… they probably won’t report it.”

“Then they’re not a threat right now.” She gestured toward the far end of the alley. “Let’s move before someone else finds it too, and decides to do otherwise.”

They stepped out and followed the alley path almost to the end.

I always thought being in another world would be easy, but every single time something too crazy happens…

Smack. Smack. Smack.

Yeah… of course it’s a fight, of course.

Two guards, a wall, and a man on the ground between them who had stopped fighting back some time ago… Probably a very normal Tuesday.

“Please.” His voice came out weak and ruined as his face. “I-I only... I only did it to feed my daughter—”

CRACK.

The smaller guard’s boot connected with the man’s skull, final and decisive. The man didn’t move again.

What? Did I just see…

The larger guard straightened. “Lucky the inquisitors are already on their way.”

The smaller one wiped his boot on the dead man’s coat. “If the terrorist and that other problem don’t slow down, these cockroaches’ll flood the city from their hole, and public order won’t last two days before they arrive.”

They walked away without looking at Crow or Sharon.

Crow looked at the man on the ground, then ahead.

This is… why the city is like this. This type of thing only happens if the Hero ignores his journey’s quests for too long in the game… but this doesn’t make sense, because he is invading the Snow Raven Realm right now, and that is a main quest. Is it some type of butterfly effect caused by the transmigrators? And this girl… she looks paler than before. Something is definitely—

Sharon spoke first to break the silence, her voice tone above a whisper. “W-we should split up because we don’t have much time before the inquisitors reach the city; we need to move faster. You take the east quarter, I’ll cover the tavern two streets over to scout for information, ok?”

OOOOH Yeah, of course, I can already “see” where this is going…

Every instinct Crow had about death flags fired all at once. “I don’t like that plan; we could be ambushed that way more easily,” he muttered.

“Why not? I’m one of the strongest in our kingdom.” She took a step back. “The real problem arrives the day after tomorrow, not today. It’d be better to find information about this kingdom. Whoever finds that guy you mentioned first will signal the other; light something high up, like that tower.” She pointed to one visible above the roofline. “We meet there after the signal. Yes, we can use that for our signal.” She turned, crossed her arms, and nodded to the wall.

He frowned. “It’s not ideal—”

“We don’t have time for the ideal; the Inquisitors are not to be taken lightly… They are strong, so we need to do everything we can before tomorrow night.”

He stopped and said it bluntly. “Sorry, but no. This is a very, very bad plan. Something seems wrong with you, Sharon; you’ve looked sick since we entered this city. I don’t know...” He looked at the tower, then back at her. “Sharon, I can see your left hand shaking. Let’s go to the tavern together. Maybe you need to rest, and then we’ll see what to do next.”

She looked at him, hiding her left hand inside the cloak. “Fine… Let’s go together to the tavern.”

A few seconds of walking through the dark alley they reached another one; some time passed after that.

SMACK!

THUD!

Crow closed his eyes briefly.

AGAIN? This place is a circus, it’s unbelievable.

In the alley ahead barely twenty meters, three men had a fourth pinned against the wall. The one against the wall had already given up standing on his own; the other three were taking turns making sure he stayed down.

One of them spat. “You paid? I don’t remember any payment. So you didn’t pay.”

Their friends laughed; one of them said, “Makes sense, buddy. If he’d paid, why wouldn’t we remember?” He approached the men on the ground. “So… you need to pay it aga—pay it now!”

The smallest of the three spotted Crow first, then Sharon, and grinned. “Look at that. A pretty little goth girl. Wearing almost all black, must be one, right? She looks cute enough, or at least her chin does, but I think I need to get a better look at the face behind that hood—”

Crow’s hand went to the hilt of the Claymore on his back, ignoring his Zweihänder.

The tallest one’s eyes tracked the movement. “Whoaaa, didn’t even let my pal finish talking? Think this alley’s yours?” He drew a short sword, assuming a fighting stance. “Big blade for a little space, friend.”

Crow looked at the walls on either side. The alley was too cramped; standing shoulder-to-shoulder, he and Sharon took up almost every inch of the passage. There were maybe three centimeters of clearance between them and the rough stone walls. “Can’t draw it here,” he muttered. “Have to go hands.”

The three looked at each other. “BUAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!” They laughed so hard one of them bent double.

“You heard him. Says the alley’s too small,” the big guy said while wiping a tear from his eye, his friends still laughing, and he continued, “bring out the little knives—” The laughter cut off abruptly as the first man perceived what had happened to his jaw. “—argh, STH—STHTOP!”

The other two got it about a second too late.

SMACK. CRACK, SMASH.

Crow straightened up and looked at what was in front of him.

“...I think this one’s dead. Sorry about your friend,” he said to the one still running, dropping the collar of the likely dead guy.

Those guys, they are too weak.

Sharon hadn’t moved; she stood there in that alley with her head slightly down, her hair falling forward, both arms wrapped around herself like those Asian ghost girls from horror movies.

Crow glanced at her. “Sharon, how are you feeling? Maybe you are suffering from some type of barrier magic, tell me.”

Sharon’s grip on her own arm tightened until the knuckles went white. “I-I… we need to leave, Crow… I don’t feel well, I don’t know,” she said with an exhausted voice.

Crow approached her. “We are almost there. Let’s pick a room and see what’s going on. I have an item that can give us a rough idea of the state of things, but using it right now after a lot of strange encounters is probably not a good idea.”

“Right…” She pressed forward in the alley, and he didn’t ask anything, just followed her out.

She doesn’t look good; I can tell she is weaker now. Maybe it’s a barrier, like what Alice mentioned about the palace... but something that debuffs non-humans instead. If that’s the case, we need to leave fast. Maybe this will just be a “failed” information-gathering mission, but it’s too strange. A barrier doing this to her? She is too strong for that... I will confirm what is happening in the tavern. For now, we’d better leave this dark alley.

After leaving the alley, the tavern at the end of the street looked like it had been assembled from the discarded pieces of three different taverns (and probably was), all of which had been bad to begin with.

“This looks like a thieves guild. Maybe the information we need is really here, but let’s pick a room and examine you first, Sharon. We can leave the information gathering for later,” Crow said.

“Yes…” she said, her voice more exhausted than before. Then they entered without thinking much about it.

CRASH!

An elderly man across the room brought a bottle down on the head of a dwarf while biting his lip, his face all red with fury.

“UUUUGHHH!”

The dwarf, swaying from the blow to his head, managed to punch the elderly man, knocking him out instantly.

“That was a good one… I would have gone down instantly,” Crow said, watching the legs of the dwarf twitch. “Dwarven punches are dangerous, man. It is just… a critical hit every single time.” He sidestepped a chair and moved toward the bar, still watching the party.

The bartender looked him over with a bored expression, almost like a man who had seen too many types of people and found them all equally tedious. “Seems like a funny guy arrived. We do not sell fruit juice here, forastero.” Then he turned back to the glasses.

CRASH.

“Funny,” Crow said, “You seem to prefer the clientele in the back.”

The bartender turned around again. “Watch your mouth, forastero; this room is full of dangerous people. My advice… get lost; right now, you have no respect here, and we do not know you.”

Wait, was that an old game reference? Here in Last Days of Men, was it Foras… foras what? Whatever, I need to focus.

Crow looked at Sharon; she stood behind him with an expression that, in the alley, had been bad, and now it was three times worse. Something was very wrong with her, and had been since they entered the city at least, and he couldn’t figure out what.

He looked back at the bartender. “Fine, I wanted to ask you something, but we can talk later.” He set coins on the bar, the ones he had lifted from the pouches of one of the dead bandits in the alley. “The board says this is the nightly rate, right?”

The bartender counted. “One extra. For you specifically, forastero.”

AAAAAH!

A scream rang out from behind them. Crow just ignored it and exhaled, placing one more coin onto the stack. “Fine, as long as the room’s better than this floor.” He pocketed the rest.

I’ll see what’s wrong with Sharon in the meantime, And because I need that information in the morning… I’ll just leave it like this, for now…

“Our guests are always satisfied,” the bartender said pleasantly.

Crow turned for the stairs, and Sharon followed him. On the upper landing, passing the closed doors, Crow stopped because of the ambient music.

Squeak, Thud, THUMP, something falling, someone apparently losing an argument with a piece of furniture, to put it lightly, and not say anything else.

“...Again?” he muttered. Their room was the last one. He opened the door, Sharon following him inside and closing it behind them. Crow stood near the bed, eyeing the poor quality of the place, before turning to say something about the state of the building—

Before he could get a word out, Sharon hurled herself at him.

Flop.

He was on his back on the bed with her full weight on top of him. She was face down, her hair covering her face, resting against his neck.

“What—”

“I-I think I am… poisoned.” Her voice came out barely above a whisper. “I-I need it now… please… can I have… your blood?”

From the next room: CLATTER. THUMP. SQUEAK.

“PUT THE KNIFE DOWN,” someone shouted through the floor below.

What is wrong with this place.

Sharon lifted her face, revealing eyes that had gone a shade darker, the crimson deeper. The careful composure she had before was entirely gone, and her fangs were showing.

“Please, it’s an emergency,” she said, “I… I’m thirsty and weak. I can’t—I-I’m losing control.” She pushed herself up slightly, settling onto his lap with her legs tucked neatly under her. Her small hands were shaking as she held onto his arms, but they were too big for her to really get a grip around them properly. She just clung to him with her head down, looking small and totally out of it.

Seriously…

“Go ahead,” he said, turning his head to the side to expose his neck.

She didn’t hesitate. Sharon pulled herself closer, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body against his to get a better grip. He felt the sharp sting of her fangs sinking in, a sudden jolt that made his breath hitch.

“...Just don’t kill me accidentally… ok?” he muttered, his voice already getting heavy. “I need to keep enough blood for tomorrow...”

She didn’t answer, just held him tighter. It was freezing outside, between the lightheadedness and the warmth of her body, his eyes grew heavy. He stopped fighting the exhaustion and let himself drift off in that heat before she had even finished.

Some time later…

CLATTER. BANG. THUMP.

Oh, come on.

Crow opened his eyes to the same ceiling and the same noise and a mood that could be charitably described as murderous. Sharon was still sleeping next to him. He sat up, checked the room, looked at the floor, and then carefully pulled the blanket back up over her before standing and slipping out into the corridor without making a sound.

Downstairs, the bartender spotted him from the ground floor. “Told you our service was high quality.”

Crow descended the stairs with a smile that was obviously annoyed and a visible vein pulsing at his temple. “Incredible,” he said, “Absolutely incredible... Ha…”

The bartender leaned on the bar. “So, just the one night, or did you have something you needed?”

Crow sat on the stool. “I’m looking for the man who’s been terrorizing this city—”

The room went quiet. It had been noisy a moment before, chairs scraping, cups clinking, a low roar in the room. Now every sound dropped out at once.

Boots scraped behind him and a voice said, “Say that again, I didn’t quite hear you; but think carefully before you do, because, forastero, te voy a hacer picadillo if you say something wrong.”

Crow kept looking at the bartender.

The dude spat out again, “Detrás de ti, imbécil! Can’t hear me?”

Crow answered the voice behind him without turning. “I have some business to solve with that guy; is there a problem?”

The men behind him exchanged a look he couldn’t see, but could feel.

One of them exhaled. “Good. If you were his friend, you’d already be dead. You and your goth chick upstairs.”

Crow stood and turned. “Last twenty-four hours have been really something,” he said to the bartender. “Hey… lend me a bottle.”

The bartender sighed and lobbed one over the heads of the crowd, and Crow caught it.

CRACK.

The man staggered, both hands on his head.

Crow smirked a little. “Did you like that? Oh no, little skinny thug junior, gonna cry?”

Silence…

SHING. SHING. SHING.

Every knife in the room came out simultaneously. The bartender was the only one who didn’t draw one.

The thinnest man in the group stepped forward, running his thumb along the flat of his blade. “Whoaaa, so you want to make fun of a skinny? It’s party time now… I gonna SKINNY YOU!”

(Next)

(Chap 1) (Previous) (Next)

"You do realize you're about at least five times stronger than me, right?" Crow said, "If something happens, I'm not the one they should be worried about."

"Yes." She glanced back, just a flicker of red eyes under the hood. "But they don't know that. And if they come for you, I get to handle it while they're looking the wrong way."

The logic almost warms me. Faking being a weak noble girl, while I am the bait... the stronger one hidden, it is a very good plan, she has stealth abilities too, and she single-handedly bought time against the Hero in that fight, that feat alone was too much, the thing is...

"So I'm the decoy," he said.

"You're the guard." She faced forward again. "Try to look like you're protecting me and not the other way around."

"Right..." He fell into step beside her, adjusting his posture to something that might pass for a vigilant knight. "And if someone asks why the noblewoman is walking?"

"Then she doesn't answer." Sharon pulled the hood a little lower. "Nobles don't explain themselves to strangers on the road."

Crow considered that. "That's actually better than my horse excuse."

"You had a horse excuse?"

"I was working on one, like you didn't think about it and just walked..."

"Don't."

Crow didn't answer that one. Ahead, the trees were thinning, grey light bleeding through the branches.

They walked without speaking, the undergrowth thinning until the trees pulled apart and gave way to scrub grass, and the scrub grass gave way to the road, old mud and neglect had taken most of it back, but the wheel ruts still ran deep in the wet clay.

Finally a normal forest, normal air, normal ground, normal everything, I almost forgot what was normal.

Crow looked at the tree line on reflex.

"Hey." A man's voice, carrying. "I saw you two right there, come out of the forest! Nobody comes out from there, who are you?"

A man leaned against a wagon with his arms crossed, he was a middle-aged man, built broad through the shoulders, a sword at his hip that had accumulated a fine layer of rust along the guard. Behind him, scattered around a campfire and several other wagons, four more men had stopped eating to watch.

Crow looked at them.

Then at the man.

"That's not really your business," he said pleasantly. "Don't you think it's rude to interrogate people in the middle of a road? Especially armed ones?"

The man's face went red. "Are you calling us bandits? We're an escort, we're camped here so the merchant can rest, I can't explain the details, but—"

"You can't share your details," Crow said, "but apparently we have to share ours. Very generous of you, old man."

The man shoved off the wagon. Three strides closed the distance.

Smack.

His knuckle met Crow's cheek and stopped there on his face. Crow's expression didn't change.

"Is that it?" Crow almost laughed when he said that.

Smack.

The man hit the ground.

"Self-defense," Crow said, to nobody in particular. "He swung first."

The camp erupted. Bowls dropped, boots scraped clay, and four men came from different directions with the confident expressions on their faces; it was obvious that they were used to solving problems this way.

Crow sighed.

"Genuinely," he said, ducking under the first swing, "what kind of honest escort doesn't just let two people walk past?" He redirected a second punch by the wrist, let the man's momentum carry him past. "This is embarrassing for everyone."

Still holding his bowl, one of the heavier men peeled off toward Sharon.

"I know your type," he called back at Crow, grinning. "Big mouth, hides behind the girl when things get real—"

He reached for her.

"AAARRGHH! SHE'S INSANE!"

The scream cut through the camp noise. Crow looked over. The man's hand sat in a dark puddle on the ground, separate from the man. The man himself knelt staring at it.

A tent flap opened.

The figure that ducked through had to duck, because he stood roughly two meters tall, built like something that had eaten a blacksmith and kept growing. He looked at the scene, five men in various states of collapse, one screaming on his knees, Sharon standing with her cloak still perfectly settled, and shook his head slowly.

"Pathetic," he said, "Can't even rob two people... I will make things easier for you… your money or your life."

Crow smiled.

"See?" He drew the Zweihänder from his back and held it one-handed. "I knew you guys were bandits."

Three cuts. Five counts. The spacing between them barely enough for a breath.

[Level up]

Crow wiped the blade on the nearest man's coat and looked up at the giant still standing by the tent. He checked the giant’s status—read the Intelligence score—and muffled a laugh, struggling to keep it under control.

***

[Status]

Level: 5

Name: Thomas

Title: The Bully

Class: Warrior

Strength: 23

Intelligence: 6

Agility: 11

Constitution: 40

***

The giant's jaw tightened. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." Crow waved it off. "Just looking at your face."

"I'll kill you." The giant rolled his neck, the pop audible from three meters. "I’ll take everything you have. And the girl comes with me."

He looked at Sharon when he said it.

Crow put his hand over his face.

Then he started laughing, but after a few seconds, he stopped completely.

A silence.

"...Are you serious?" he said, "You can see your friends on the ground. In pieces. You're looking at that and what you decided to say was…" He shook his head. "There are limits to low intelligence, man. There really are—"

The giant swung. A two-handed sword, fast for his size, aimed clean at Crow's neck.

SHLINK.

Crow caught it bare-handed against the flat, held it, the edge a centimeter from his throat, and tilted his head.

"—Didn't anyone ever teach you to wait until someone's finished talking?"

He pulled the blade forward, twisted, and released it upward in one smooth motion. The sword turned end over end against the sky.

The giant looked up.

Then he dropped to his knees.

"Please…" His voice had shed its threat entirely, tears running down his face in genuine tracks. "I didn't know. I'm sorry. Please!"

Crow stared at him. Then at Sharon.

She looked back.

Crow was silent for a second. "Give me everything you're carrying." A brief pause. "And I'll let you live."

He did. Crow bagged everything into a dimensional pouch Sharon had and tied the man's wrists with cord from the camp supplies.

"Hey, wait." The giant pulled at the rope. "You said you'd let me go."

"You're not dead, are you?"

"I'm tied up!"

"Yes, and not dead." Crow pocketed the pouch. "I'm not seeing the problem."

Sharon had already moved to the wagons. She pulled back the canvas on the second one and went still.

"...help..." The voice from inside came low and exhausted. "Please… get me out of here..."

A short, round man, covered in bruises from several days ago, blinked up at them from the wagon bed. They helped him out, found water and dried meat from the camp stores, and sat him on a crate until color returned to his face.

"Thank you." He held the cup with both hands. "Those men took me at the crossroads. I’m a merchant, and I was heading to the city.” A pause. “They killed my escorts, and took others from the road… brought them to the city, but I don’t know why."

And there it is. The “merchant event.”

"Why isn't the kingdom intervening?" Crow asked.

The man set his cup down carefully. "Something large is happening inside the city. The guard has pulled back from low-priority threats to focus on a single individual, the others are preparing for war and a lot of things are happening." He looked uncomfortable. "Whoever they're watching, they consider everything else secondary."

Crow kept his expression still, but something turned over behind his eyes.

The troublemaker, I remember that quest. Right on schedule.

The merchant reached into his coat and pressed a small object into Crow's hand. "Take this as a gift, it's a luxury item, a new release from the city. Please take it, for helping me."

A pocket watch. Dark casing, brass fittings, gears visible through a small glass face on the back. Far too precise for what this world was supposed to be capable of. He turned it over. Engraved on the inside of the case, small and neat.

Matsushita. Japanese name.

He kept his face still.

Someone came here before me and built things. An inventor, probably. I know about electricity and a lot of modern things, but I can’t bring them to this world, because I know about them, but not how to make and use them. Definitely, it’s an inventor. This is… out of hand; this isn’t The Last Days of Men RPG that I know anymore.

“Thanks for helping me, if you guys are going to the city, if it’s not that much… can I ask for escorting me to—”

Sharon didn’t waste time. “—Yes, we can do it for you.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much my lady.”

Crow didn’t say anything, and they climbed into the back of the wagon, pulled the curtain closed, and the wheels started turning after the horse was liberated from the cord tying it to the tree.

Modern technology… better think about this later; I need to do something more important now.

The wagon rocked in the ruts.

Crow leaned back against the side panel, watching Sharon from the corner of his eye. Something had been sitting wrong with her since the camp. He let the silence breathe for a moment, then spoke to her. "While we have time," he said, keeping his voice low, "there's something you should know about this mission, that just came to mind."

She glanced at him sideways. "Go ahead."

"The man causing trouble in the city…" He paused, with a thoughtful expression. "I know who he is… probably, more like I know what kind of person he is. Long story short, we can try to recruit him; it will be a good thing for us."

Sharon's expression didn't change, but her eyes sharpened fractionally.

She was sitting next to him in the carriage. Crow looked away from her, rested his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped, and said, "I don’t remember everything, but I know he suffered a severe head injury, because of it he lost the capacity for empathy and things like that... but he’s a good fighter; we can recruit him."

Sharon was quiet for a moment.

If we have this guy… things will become easier. I remember that when this was a game, his side quest was hard to finish because the guy was too tough, and you needed to win against him twice, because the first time he just ran away easily.

She finally spoke, "You're saying he can be recruited, but it seems like he is a liability too hard to control."

"I'm saying he doesn't have to be." Crow looked at the pocket watch in his hand, and turned it over once. "Someone with that kind of power… someone who's been rattling an entire city, pulling the guard off every other threat, making the inquisitors reroute… that's not someone you put down if you can avoid it. That's someone you need on your side before the wrong people find him first."

"Makes sense, but that wasn’t the order we received from the Queen," she said.

Crow slipped the watch into his coat again. "We're going to the city anyway. Finding him before the inquisitors do is a plus for us. Gathering some information is good, but Alice will understand us adding a new ally while we're here."

[Persuasion level 1 is active]

Oh no, not this panel again…

Sharon looked at the curtain, to be more precise, she looked at nothing. Then, she spoke again. "You know where he'll be… right?"

"Burning down places of criminal organizations, trying to find the guy who almost killed him," Crow said, "Probably."

Silence…

"Then we find him while looking for information." She settled back against the wood. "And you explain the rest on the way."

He yawned and said, “Well, I'm a bit tired, I'm going to take a quick nap here, and when we arrive just wake me up, or if there's a fight, as for the details, well, that's basically it. I know he's hunting a gang or something like that, we just need to look for a place commonly used by many people in the area with the highest criminality.”

Crow closed his eyes.

Sharon approached him a little and said, “Crow, don’t sleep now, we are almost there. Didn’t you sleep a lot at the palace?”

“Yeah… it is more of a mental fatigue…”

The wagon rocked, his breathing slowed a little more.

He was asleep before Sharon finished the thought she'd been deciding whether or not to say.

Some time later…

Fsssh!

The curtain flew open abruptly, letting in weak late afternoon sunlight and air warmer than that of Alice’s kingdom.

"Well, well, what do we have here..." A guard's voice. "Just a couple and some goods… it seems you were telling the truth after all, merchant.”

Crow snored. His head had migrated at some point to Sharon's thighs, and he lay there completely inert, breathing slow and even, entirely unaware of the border inspection two feet away.

Sharon sat perfectly still.

The guard pulled the curtain shut. "Tch… move through."

The merchant replied, “Thank you, officer, have a good afternoon.” Then the wagon rolled.

Sharon looked down at the top of Crow's head.

She didn't move him.

"Crow." She touched his shoulder. Then less gently. "Crow. We're here."

He didn't move.

She bent closer and, very quietly, directly into his ear whispered, "Crow, fight, there's a fight."

He sat straight up and buried his face directly into her chest.

"Huh?" He blinked, still half-asleep. "...Maybe that was a dream."

THUD.

"Everything alright back there?" the merchant called.

"Fine, everything is fine..." Sharon said toward the curtain.

Crow peeled himself off the floor of the wagon.

“…Where's the fight?”

She said nothing, just looked away from him; her face had gone from white to pink.

Ah, so she is now playing jokes… great.

The wagon stopped, and the merchant called to them inside, “We’re here! Thanks for the escort. If you guys ever need anything, I work at the Onyx Company, right in front of Bricks and Many Things.”

Bricks and Mini... Many Things... It’s almost the name of that corrupt company from my previous world. Luckily, they lost, even with the police's help, I was a kid back then; better just to forget that, now I am here, and I need to make sure this world doesn’t end. Right, Bricks and Many Things... in front of it, I’ll try to remember it in case I need the merchant’s help in the future.

Sharon stood up “Thanks for the ride,” she said, and moved toward the curtain at the back of the wagon. She grabbed the cloth and said quietly, “Let’s go, Crow… how long are you going to stay lying there?” Then she left the wagon.

AHH, I remembered just now, I completely forgot about that bandit tied to the tree, but oh well, it doesn't matter, someone will find him eventually and who knows, maybe he'll actually reflect on his life of crime. Right, I’m thinking too much. Let’s just do the things I must do.

He stood up and, after thanking the merchant, he left as well. They were near the city center, where a lot of tough-looking fellas and dangerous-looking girls were everywhere; a grandma was dragging a skinny guy, who looked half-dead, into an alley.

Is this really the Hero's city? I remember it vividly; this is not what it was supposed to be. I know that a powerful gang leader here is a grandma, but seeing one actually doing this kind of thing on the street is just too much.

The grandma looked up after wiping her forehead with a bloodied hand, and they made eye contact.

Huh?

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