Find the Golden Compass (2)

"This the place?"

It was the location Braust had pointed us toward. An Abandoned Factory that looked like it hadn't seen a living soul in years. Could those bastards really be holed up somewhere like this?

"Mmm~ Something smells delicious again."

The White Dragon sniffed at the air, his tail swishing happily back and forth. He wasn't wrong. A mouthwatering aroma had begun to spread through the area around us.

Betran's handiwork, huh?

He'd probably laid a food trap to keep anyone from getting near the factory.

Figured as much. That's why I brought this.

An item that completely blocked the sense of smell.

Honestly, they weren't designed for blocking the smell of food. Most people who went looking for Nose Plugs wanted them to shut out stenches.

Yeah. Can't smell a thing. The moment I put them on, even the faint food aroma that had been reaching me vanished completely.

"Hey. Get over here."

"Huh? No way!"

"I said get over here."

I jammed a pair onto the White Dragon's snout as well. He immediately slumped into a dejected sulk—probably because he couldn't smell the delicious food anymore.

Alright. Time to head inside.

After confirming my body had gone invisible, I walked slowly toward the Abandoned Factory. That White Dragon brat was still trailing behind me with a gloomy look on his face, but at least he seemed to grasp the situation well enough to follow with some caution.

Let's see here.

I eased the factory door open. The rusted hinges let out a creak that carried farther than I would have liked.

Crap.

I tensed, wondering if I'd been caught already—but luckily, the factory appeared empty.

Where'd they go?

For a second I thought we might have the wrong place. Then I saw the fire: still burning, still warm. Someone had been here just moments ago. I circled the spots where people would have gathered, and residual body heat lingered in the air without a doubt.

I was still looking around when a faint sound reached me from somewhere nearby.

Rustle. Rustle.

Something was moving. I was still invisible, but I signaled the White Dragon to stay alert just in case, then moved slowly toward the noise.

Deeper inside the factory, three of them were talking—everyone except their boss.

"We're almost there, huh?"

"Yeah. Only one item left, right?"

"That's right. Once we get our hands on that, we're done."

I couldn't tell what they were after. I kept listening.

"But is it really worth that much?"

"Of course it is. The way the world's changed, getting stronger is everything. Strength rules all."

"Yeah, fair enough. That's why we follow the boss."

I still didn't know what they were hunting, but all three of them clearly believed that strength was everything. Whatever item they were after, it was probably something that would make them even stronger.

"Betran. Come to think of it—did you take care of the elves?"

"Obviously. Those fools probably killed each other fighting amongst themselves."

"Puhaha. You've got a sick hobby, you know that? Why not just kill them yourself?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

"Hahaha! That's so you."

Rox threw his head back and roared with laughter. Was that really so funny? Making comrades turn on each other could inflict far worse suffering than simply killing them outright.

"Arin. Where'd the boss go?"

"Said he had some business elsewhere."

"That so? Then I guess we can kick back for a while?"

With that, Betran headed for a nearby chair, about to sit down.

And then—

"Huh? What's this?"

"What's what?"

"Who ate this?"

"Ate what?"

Betran had discovered that the dish he'd prepared on the table was gone. He scanned the area quickly—but there was no one around. It was enough to make you think a ghost had done it. Food sitting perfectly fine on a plate, just… vanished.

"Huh? What's that?"

Rox had spotted something. He pointed. Something white—not quite a snake, not quite a lizard—was fluttering through the air.

That White Dragon brat!

He'd somehow pulled off the Nose Plugs, gotten lured in by the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠smell, and eaten the dish. Now he was completely exposed.

"What the hell is that?"

"Yeah, what? A monster?"

"Kinda doesn't look like a monster, though?"

The silver lining was that the White Dragon still looked so weak they hadn't registered him as a threat. Even so, Rox wasn't about to just leave him be. He started moving.

Rox, his body now steel, strode toward the White Dragon and raised a fist to smash him. I had no idea what the brat had eaten, but he was swaying like he was drunk. His level was still low. If that attack landed, it could kill him on the spot.

Tch.

I'd been planning to eavesdrop a little longer and gather more intel, but if I stood by, the White Dragon would die. I closed the distance fast and swung my knife.

Clang!

"What the hell?! Who's there?!"

Rox looked stunned—something had blocked his attack from empty air. He started swinging wildly in every direction, hoping that if he just kept throwing punches, he'd hit whoever it was.

"You son of a bitch! Arin! Use that thing, now!"

"Got it."

At Rox's shout, Arin pulled something from her inventory and hurled it to the floor.

Boom!

Whatever Arin had thrown, it had the power to dispel states like Invisibility. My form began to materialize.

Whatever. Doesn't matter.

No point hiding anymore. I wasn't planning on letting these bastards walk away anyway.

"Huh?! You!"

Rox recognized me. We'd fought in Gopchang Alley—of course he would. The others seemed to remember me too.

"Ha. You actually came looking for us? You've got a death wish. We let you live last time because a gate opened, you know."

Rox remembered our previous fight. Did he actually think they'd let me go? He approached me slowly, activating a skill.

Both of his hands morphed into ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠blades, and he brought them down on me.

"You think you let me live?"

I blocked his descending blades with my shield, then drove my knife straight at his throat.

"Ghk!"

His entire body was steel, so the blade didn't pierce through—but the impact to his neck was still massive. Rox tumbled backward.

"Still think you let me live?"

I stood over the fallen Rox and hammered my knife into him, over and over. Clang! Clang! Clang! Steel rang against steel. Because his body had transformed, the attacks didn't leave any real wounds. But they still dealt enough damage. Agonized screams echoed through the factory.

"AAAAAGH! Betran! Arin! Help me!"

At that, Betran fumbled something out and started eating. Chomp. Chomp. The moment he finished, his body began to convulse violently.

Crunch! Crunch!

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Sounds like bones shattering filled the air. Betran's body slowly shifted from human into something else. In an instant, he'd become a beast covered head to toe in thick fur, and the eyes that locked onto me were those of a wild monster.

Huh. What the hell is that.

So Betran wasn't limited to just mind-controlling dishes. He'd turned ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into a fairly imposing monster, but I wasn't particularly concerned. I'd already gotten a read on their level from fighting Rox. Betran would be about the same.

"Go play with him."

That's why I summoned the Grim Reaper. I could have handled Betran myself, but why bother? The summoned Grim Reaper approached him slowly, massive scythe in hand. The transformed Betran swung his fists in a rapid flurry—but this was the Grim Reaper. Attacks like that wouldn't land.

Slash!

The Grim Reaper cut Betran down in a single stroke.

And then, a moment later—

Betran died on the spot. Killing a person left a slightly uneasy feeling—but these were the kind of bastards who'd do who-knows-what if I left them alive.

"You just stay unconscious for now."

One of them was still left. I brought my sword down hard on Rox's head, knocking him out cold, then walked slowly toward Arin.

"Tch. Useless idiots. Can't even handle one guy."

Arin looked at the dead Betran and the unconscious Rox with an expression of sheer disbelief, then pulled something from her clothes.

Huh? That's—

A Return Scroll.

I lunged to stop her, but she'd already used it. She vanished in an instant.

She got away…

I stared at the empty space where Arin had been, then turned to wake Rox and squeeze some information out of him. That's when a voice cut through the air.

The boss who'd gone out had come back. He took one look at his fallen subordinates and glared at me, his face twisted with rage.

Finish this fast. End it before he uses his ability.

Braust had told me about this man's power. If that ability activated, even with a countermeasure, it would be a hard fight. If I could end it before then, I had to. I used his rage against him, darting into his guard to drive my knife home.

But of course it wouldn't be that easy. Kurun saw me coming and activated his ability.

The air split with a sharp whoosh.