Chapter 330
Chapter 330
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 330
Chapter Title: Those Martial Artist Punks
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"Bro... thank you, really, really thank you... I haven't been able to eat properly lately. It's been so long since I ate until I was full..."
Lina, who had wolfed down her meal without leaving a single crumb behind, conveyed her gratitude in a voice choked with emotion. This kid... she really must have been starving all this time.
How hungry do you have to be to devour all that?
Looking at Lina somehow reminded me of my past self.
"Yeah. Glad you ate well."
"It was so delicious. Thank you."
"Kid..."
So yeah, I kind of wanted to look after her a little.
What with seeing her grandma die right before my eyes. Once you've witnessed something like that, your resolve can't help but waver.
—Fucking heretic bastards.
If it weren't for those bastards, Lina's grandma never would've turned into a ghoul. I've been basically cut off from my mom and dad my whole life, so I know all too well the pain of being separated from family.
Hell, Lina's basically my little sister now.
"Anyway, Lina. I need your help with something."
Those bastards who swiped my condolence money.
I'm dead certain they're heretics too. Nobody but heretics would pull off something that vicious.
Come to think of it, every major problem boils down to heretics causing shit. The world would be better off if we wiped every last one of these goddamn fuckers out ASAP.
"Work...?"
"Yeah."
I couldn't just go stabbing based on Lina's word alone.
I needed solid proof that heretics stole my money.
And that's exactly what I planned to dig up starting now.
"The bastard who took your money. We gotta track him down."
"Ah... but bro. I don't really know where that guy is..."
"Figured as much. That's why we're searching together. You know his face, right?"
No way she'd know where those scumbags hole up. Plan was to find him with her help, then squeeze him for intel during interrogation. I didn't know the guy's face, so I absolutely needed Lina.
"Yeah... I know him. He's ripped me off more than once or twice... He's pretty notorious around the slums. But is this really okay? Because of me..."
"Has nothing to do with you."
What the hell was this kid on about?
This wasn't about Lina at all.
"It was money I gave you."
My problem.
"They took money I gave you."
I had to get it back.
"So it's my problem too. Lina, remember how we earned that cash? Killing heretics and ghouls. Risking our necks for relics, then putting down that evil giant—only after all that did we score it."
Crushing Everlasting Life was our legit achievement, our rep. It's a cornerstone of the life I've built.
That punk desecrated our souls by snatching it all in one go.
That's... straight-up horrific.
I couldn't fathom a 'person' desecrating someone's soul, dignity, and core like that.
Had to be some hellspawn demon with jagged horns and blood-red skin. This was gonna be a real challenge.
From here on, my enemies were true fiends.
Fiends—beings so deep in evil no god or saint could save 'em. Human in shape, but not human. That's who I was up against.
But.
I, Great Demon Kim Katt, never back down.
They'll pay dearly.
"That bastard desecrated every ounce of our effort. Our souls, our lives—in one fucking shot. It's way beyond just stolen cash."
"I-is that so...?"
"Yeah. Might be a bit deep for a kid like you. Don't sweat understanding it."
Took me ages to wrap my head around this mindset. If the chance comes, I'd love to school Lina on Fusion Confucianism doctrine.
Anyway, keeping it simple for her:
"Point is, we take back what's ours and make 'em pay. Revenge, basically. Got it?"
"Yeah... that makes sense... Revenge... So what do I do, bro?"
Lina's happy post-meal glow faded back to gloom.
She looked more pitiful by the second.
"Nothing major. I don't know his face, so just tag along and point him out when you spot him. Might take a few days."
"A few... days?"
She gawked when I specified.
Well, she was an F-rank adventurer who couldn't even afford scraps without gigs.
Of course, I'd cover daily wages till we nailed him. Work expense... and 5 silvers wouldn't cut it.
"Yeah. Meals and pay during. One meal a day like just now, 3 coppers wage."
"M-meals and wages?!"
"But we find him, no excuses."
"Got it!"
She lit up at the money talk.
Quitting pickpocketing must've left her broke. Or maybe she was losing even more cash?
Her emaciated frame screamed starving kids from Haiti or Ethiopia.
Bet she was younger than Elise.
"We'll find him for sure."
Had to track the guy who took my condolence money and wring him out.
"No two ways about it."
Once proven he stole my dough, game on. Dare pull that shit on the Heavenly Demon? Truth outs, you're all corpses.
Walking dead from now on.
"Yeah. I'll give it my all...!"
Her steely vibe rang true—no lies there.
"Alright, up we go."
Paid up, headed out with Lina. Still midday. Prime time to kick off.
Iron horns get yanked while hot, so slums it was.
"Start now?"
"Now?"
"Yeah. No big..."
...Deal.
Lisha and Karin could wait. They'd get why I was busy.
Might cross paths with Lisha combing the slums anyway.
"...Nothing else on my plate. Don't worry—full pay."
"N-no, that's not it."
"Then we're good."
Off to the slums with Lina.
Half-hiding behind me, she scanned faces like a hawk. I strolled slow, letting her hunt.
How long?
Not forever.
If she bumped into him every few days, it'd happen soon. Slums were vast, but steady grinding would pay off.
Navigated the twisty alleys.
Core slums: all dusty ochre hues. Half-caved buildings, half-broke folks... Even after we smashed Everlasting Life to bits, zilch changed.
Heroics mean jack if hearts don't shift at the root.
Everlasting Life or not, these lives stayed the same. Other scum would just fill the gap.
"Ah, bro..."
"What."
Hand to hilt at her call.
"..."
A few stares our way—mostly me and Lina. Her pals?
"Your buddies?"
"N-no... Just more thugs. Probably wondering what I'm doing with you."
"Yeah?"
Lina was a known face here.
Basically their gofer, so teaming with a swarthy barbarian swordsman? Eyebrow-raiser.
"..."
Not our guy—pass.
No point kicking hornet nests and tipping off the target. They backed off when I blanked 'em.
Lucky no dumb scraps.
"Any luck?"
"Bump into him every few days usually... Just time, I think."
"Roger."
Patrolled slums with her till dusk settled. No dice, as expected.
Tomorrow it'd be.
"Lina, wrap it here."
"..."
Halted, fished coin pouch from pocket, handed her three coppers.
Hold up—this was the haul from extorting my first guild recruit earlier.
"Yours. Day's wage."
"...Thanks, bro."
"Save it. Tomorrow morn, that eatery we hit? Front of it. Late and you're toast—be punctual."
"Yes. Dead on time."
Her face brightened pocketing the coins. One last tip.
"And... avoid crashing there if you can. Money hits, bunk at cheap inns outside slums. One copper a night. Don't crawl back and lose it all?"
"...Yeah. Will do. No worries. Bye, bro."
She beamed a polite bow.
"Polite one. Early tomorrow."
Split with Lina, cleared the slums. Toyed with swinging by Lisha's but too late—straight to dorm.
Winia'd bitch if tardy.
—Paat!
Blasted off ground, sprinting. Sun half-down, should squeak in.
—Takatakatak!
Ran forever, enhanced stamina unfazed. Hit dorm district—familiar... chests. Silhouettes approaching: Claudy and Winia.
Where they been?
"Claudi! Winia!"
Cheery holler—they piped up.
"Katt?"
"Darky? Beat us out but perfect timing?"
"Tell me about it."
Closed in, merged. Claudy snaked her arm through mine, grinning.
"Hehehe, Katt. Really... Yesterday you begged me to stop, but you didn't even pretend to hear. Know how wrecked I was?"
"Sorry. But you told me not to stop even if you begged."
"I figured your usual... pace. No clue you'd go that feral."
Pout city—had to grovel. Words said one thing, but that extra-sweet tone? She loved it.
"You fucking darky prick. Dare handle me like that?"
Winia latched the other arm.
"Swear I nearly blacked out. Who fucks that savage?"
"Sorry, Winia. Blame the drug. But zoom out—your fault?"
"Fair."
Boob-sandwiched arms melted the day's grind away.
"Katt, that pauldron?"
Claudi clocked it quick.
"Knew you'd notice. Snagged it today."
"Hehe, fits like a glove. Total warrior vibe. Shoulda grabbed one ages ago."
"Heh, right? My bad."
Winia chimed in.
"Yeah, darky. Loot haul sold off today?"
"Everything but ours."
Paused, freed Winia's arm, dug out the nest-core bounty pouch: 19 silvers total.
Passed it over.
"Ooh, score?"
"19 silvers. Gear sales covered the pauldron."
"Good boy, our darky. Slipped out while sis and I snoozed?"
"Yup."
"Attaboy."
She tucked the pouch into her cleavage like it was nothing. What?! That slots in?! My head! Lemme park my head therrrre!
Gawking, she re-armed.
Chit-chatted to dorm door. Keyed in.
Day done.
Early bird for Lina tomorrow.