Chapter 14
Chapter 14
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Azantu (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Heinz shared his suspicions but emphasized that he wasn't entirely certain. Still, Diana's face drained of color as she listened.
"Th-they're the 'Barcolac' gang that controls this district. But why... We paid our tribute on time."
Even as she said it, deep down, Diana believed Heinz was right.
She had learned something growing up in this city.
"This city... is ruled by vampires."
"Vampires?"
Of course, it wasn't common knowledge.
Most citizens—and even most members of the gangs that ran the streets—had no idea.
Knowing the truth would only bring danger, which was why Diana had kept it to herself until now.
"Most gangs, including Barcolac, serve under the vampires. They manage the citizens on their orders."
The reason Diana knew was simple.
She had an extraordinarily keen sense of smell.
Keen enough to border on a supernatural ability.
'I was so careful, avoiding places thick with the stench of blood on purpose!'
It wasn't just physical odors. She could detect the scent wafting from dangerous places or the souls of perilous people.
Thanks to that ability, she and Aaron had always been cautious. But this time, it seemed they'd fallen into their clutches.
"Then we're in a pretty dangerous spot right now. Has this happened before?"
"...A few times in the past. The scent of people who vanished after failing to pay tribute... it came from those who reeked of blood."
When she was younger and didn't fully understand her ability, she'd just thought they were scary people.
The local gangsters who held sway in the organization groveled before them.
But as she grew older, her mind matured, and she saw and heard more. Eventually, Diana realized the truth.
"This city is their farm. The order they maintain is just to keep their food supply from spoiling."
Pay your tribute on time, and you're safe. Even in the back alleys, there were no drugs circulating.
If you could pay, you could get treatment for illnesses.
"Never thought about leaving for another city somehow?"
"At first, I tried to force my way out, even if it was reckless. But..."
Some people had left the city before. But Diana knew none of them had truly reached another city.
"The next day, I'd see the gang members carrying the exact items those people had taken with them. You might think they were just similar, but I could tell."
She could identify the original owners by their scent.
And what had happened to them went without saying.
From then on, she gave up on leaving the city. She moved their hideout to paths vampires avoided, steered clear of danger, and lived carefully.
"They let us roam free inside the city since they can take us anytime, but the moment we try to escape, they slaughter us..."
Heinz organized his thoughts and grimaced.
"Let's move for now. I don't know why they targeted Aaron despite the tribute, but if it's true, we don't have much time. Do you know where their base is?"
"Yes! I do. But... Uncle, are you going to help too?"
Diana bit her lip and looked up at Heinz.
Now that he knew everything, he must realize how dangerous it was.
He wasn't even a local, so slipping out of the city would be no issue for him.
But Heinz grinned and ruffled her hair.
There was nothing in this world that frightened him.
"I told you, right? Now that I know, I can't just look the other way. I'm an expert at screwing over bad guys. Just trust this 'big bro'!"
Heinz put extra emphasis on "big bro."
At twenty years old, it was a sensitive topic for him.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A small village reduced to nothing but ashes.
Amid the ruins, nothing remained intact.
"Hmm, the air reeks of black magic. What the hell happened here?"
The pale-faced man blocked the drifting ash from approaching him and circled the village, examining the scant remnants.
Places that must have once held buildings, faint traces of battle on the ground.
"This... corpses? Burned in a pile?"
He found a spot that looked like where the bodies had been incinerated.
Most had scattered as ash, leaving no trace, but that was no obstacle for the man.
'No signs of any power besides black magic used in the entire village, clear evidence of a clash involving undead, yet they burned the bodies and left?'
His initial thought upon inspecting the traces was internal strife among the Oath of Reverse Heaven.
Their possessions were tempting enough to spark greed.
"No idea. Whatever happened, it's a shame."
He'd been preparing to seize the Fragment of the Immortal King once it had ripened properly, but it had already vanished without a trace.
"I don't know who beat me to it, but I'll catch them soon enough. You can't hide something like that easily."
The man turned his gaze to where the final traces led.
The undead had moved into the eastern forest.
'Convenient direction too. Is luck on my side?'
After a brief survey of the village, the man's body dissolved into bats and scattered toward the eastern woods.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I headed to the Barcolac base with Diana.
We had to rescue Aaron before he was handed over to the vampires.
Heinz alone couldn't stand against vampires—unlike Hans, perhaps.
'Regular gang members should be manageable, though.'
With my enhanced body from awakening, constant training, and the power of Super Recovery, I could handle ordinary thugs.
To sync Karma Shop physical enhancements to my avatar required resummoning.
'No time for that now. Can't even get Hans's help right away.'
Three days remained until I could use the teleportation circle again.
Heinz had to handle this with his own power.
I glanced at Diana, who led the way.
Her hands trembled with worry for her brother as she hurried, but she used her nose to pick paths clear of people.
We couldn't risk exposing our movements when we didn't know what lay ahead.
'A kid that young fighting desperately to protect her family... I can't just bail now.'
Diana had lived for her brother so far, making that responsibility her driving force.
A fragile hope in life she'd guarded fiercely despite the crushing weight of reality.
And now, that hope was on the verge of shattering.
'Yeah, I've got nothing major to lose, so I'll do what I can. Feels like [Mission: Help the unfortunate girl find her brother.] Reward... random, maybe.'
To me, this was a kind of quest.
And Korean gamers never abandon quests midway.
As I steeled myself, Diana suddenly stopped ahead, sniffing the air.
"Ah! I can smell Aaron now. He's definitely at the Barcolac base."
"That confirms it. Too bad my suspicions were right, but good news he's still there and not handed to the vampires yet."
I followed Diana as she started running again, preparing for combat.
"Uncle... can we really save Aaron?"
Diana whispered anxiously.
I couldn't see her face, just the back of her head, but it probably wasn't good.
"Yeah, I'll get him out quick. Just trust me."
Rescuing him wouldn't solve everything, truthfully.
In fact, that's when the real trouble would begin.
The city was under vampire control, and these kidnappers were mere underlings.
'I'll worry about that later. Extinguish the immediate fire first!'
As dusk fell, we reached the Barcolac base.
A small two-story building deep in the alley.
'No sentries.'
Made sense—why guard against each other when all back-alley gangs served the vampires?
"Any idea how many are inside?"
"Sniff sniff... about fifteen? It's their base, but more like an office. They usually scatter across the district."
I nodded at Diana's answer as she closed her eyes and sniffed.
Fifteen was doable.
"I'll go in, grab Aaron, and come out. You wait back here."
"...I know it's shameless, but please, Uncle."
Diana knew she'd just get in the way, so she bit her lip hard, bowed her head, and retreated.
'Alright, time to go in.'
I had a rough plan and some preparations.
All that remained was skill and a bit of luck afterward.
'And lately, my luck's been at its peak!'
I quietly opened the door and entered.
The first floor was like a bar—surprisingly clean for a back-alley gang base.
'I pictured a mess with smoke everywhere, drunks gambling and causing chaos.'
They probably kept it tidy for the occasional vampire visitors.
Still, not entirely off—some were gathered in one corner drinking and gambling.
"What? Who's this?"
"Hey, you there. Come over nice and easy."
They spotted me, whispered among themselves, and beckoned.
I walked over obediently.
"Hey? Ain't this the guy from earlier?"
"What? You know him?"
One was the burly thug who'd taken my "donation" on the street earlier.
"What brings you here, pal? Tribute not enough earlier?"
I smiled softly at the chuckling brute as he rose and approached.
"Oh? Smiling? You little shi—gurk!"
I whipped out my dagger and plunged it into his nape, yanking it free and charging the others before they reacted.
"Wh-what the hell!"
"You know whose turf this is?! Kill him!"
My body moved swiftly while Clear Mirror Still Water kept my mind calm, responding to their movements.
One hand stabbed a dagger into the temple of a rising foe; the other drew the sword from my waist.
A black magic sword used by the necromancer's minions—not familiar, but necessary now.
'Can't hit vitals reliably yet, so aim for debilitating wounds!'
I slashed a leg. He blocked with his arm, but Toughness kept the cut shallow.
Super Recovery healed it fast anyway.
"Ngh, this bastard's blade won't—"
He stabbed my gut, but I wore Earth-made anti-slash armor underneath.
I ignored the pain via Mind Hub and slit the throat of the one who'd paused to strike me.
Crash—!
Bottles and furniture shattered; the interior turned chaotic.
I stayed composed, disabling them one by one.
Crack!
A club-wielding thug aimed for my head from behind, but the magic tool's mana barrier mitigated it.
"Ngh, what the hell are you, with magic tools and—gah!"
The tool's effect wasn't infinite, so I prioritized protecting vitals.
I downed one and slashed his leg.
Stabbed another; ignored a backstab and counterattacked.
Stab—
The blade stuck. I snatched a hand axe from a fallen foe and swung sideways.
Blocked an incoming knife with one arm.
Limbs shredded.
The magic tool expired; blood from a split brow obscured my vision.
Then the foe before me glanced behind.
Eye contact with someone.
Another targeting my head.
I ducked, grabbed a dropped weapon, and swung back.
"Aaagh!"
The rear attacker crumpled clutching his ankle, but the fight wasn't over.
Without Toughness and Super Recovery, I'd have been immobile long ago.
No fear of death, no battle thrill—just mechanical calculations, trading blows to fell enemies.
One, two, three...
...and the last.
"Augh..."
"Urk, what the hell are you..."
By the end, my surroundings were littered with sprawled thugs, including those who'd come down from upstairs at the commotion.
"Hoo... no runners?"
As the fight dragged on and I looked on the verge of collapse, blood-soaked, they must've thought they could take me with a push.
Once momentum broke, some tried fleeing, but too late.
Most I'd targeted legs first, crippling mobility; I focused on potential escapees and swept them all.
I even used my last-resort magic tool, limited by uses...
But without it, some might've slipped away.
"Hoo, haa."
After the battle, I stood catching my breath.
Blood had stopped; wounds slowly healed. But I was so drenched it didn't show.
"Hey, where's the boy you grabbed today?"
"Ugh, what're you—aaargh!"
I dug into the wound of the fool trying nonsense.
"Basement! In the basement!"
"Should've said that first. No key needed?"
"It's hanging on the door! Please, no more!"
After a few more questions, I stood and surveyed the room.
Wrecked interior, twitching survivors, lifeless corpses.
I picked up a weapon again.
For my scenario to play out, no living enemies could remain here.
"W-wait! Mercy! I—gk."
I began confirming kills one by one.
Mind Hub dulled the bad feeling, but these were irredeemable scum anyway. I moved mechanically.
"Can't go like this; the kid'll faint."
Spotting bottles and water jugs in a corner, I headed there.
First, I poured liquor over my head and body to wash the blood.
'Booze beats blood stench.'
Blood mostly gone, I doused my head with a bucket of water.
'Good enough now.'
Clothes were rags with stains, but way better than before.
Then I approached the basement door.