Chapter 144: The Intruder
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 144: The Intruder
"Not bad."
Muen followed the waiter into the room and gave it a casual once-over.
A slightly cloying, sweet fragrance drifted through the air.
Even for the Lower District, this inn was considered luxurious. The quilts and sheets on the bed were clearly made of high-grade silk. Pink gauze cascaded from the canopy, pooling around the edges of the bed like a maiden’s wedding dress, imbued with a hazy, ethereal beauty.
Even the floor was covered in a soft, pure wool carpet—evidently designed to make it easier for couples staying here to "expand their battlefield."
However, the red candles, leather whips, and "Rich Lady’s Pleasure Balls" displayed on one wall were a bit of an eyesore.
Muen’s eyelid twitched. He dismissed the waiter—who seemed inexplicably nervous—and took a lap around the room before entering the bathroom.
Inside, his eyes twitched again at the sight of a bathtub that was clearly oversized, positioned directly across from a massive floor-to-ceiling mirror.
As expected of a luxury couple’s suite. The more money people have, the more eccentric their tastes.
Muen didn't dwell on it, though. Even if it was a couple’s suite, for a "single dog" like him, it just meant a bigger bed and a more spacious tub.
Wasn't that better? He could toss and turn however he liked at night.
With that thought, Muen stripped down and sank blissfully into the hot water.
"Ah... that’s the stuff."
Muen couldn't help but let out a groan of pure satisfaction.
After a long day of accumulated exhaustion, what could be more physically and mentally pleasing than a hot bath? Especially when lounging in a double-sized tub this large.
Resting his head back, Muen lay there, feeling his fatigue gradually wash away while he contemplated his plans for tomorrow.
Actually, his task for tomorrow was simple: prepare the "Ancient Dragon Heart Blood" that Teacher Mela had mentioned.
He had been in such a rush to make his appointment earlier that he hadn't paid much attention, but thinking back on it now, that "Ancient Dragon Heart Blood" seemed like something incredibly extraordinary.
"If I remember correctly, that stuff is a forbidden item."
Ever since the giant dragons collectively migrated to Dragon Island, hidden deep within the ocean, anything related to dragons had become increasingly rare on the continent. Even a literal "scale or half-claw" could fetch an astronomical price.
Consequently, almost anything dragon-related had long been banned from public sale.
For instance, the "Evil Dragon Blood" that had appeared before—just a single drop added to a potion could push its price over a hundred thousand.
One had to realize that most so-called "Evil Dragons" were actually just sub-dragon species. They were only called "Evil Dragons" because their bloodlines were impure and tainted by various elemental attributes.
They were worlds apart from a true Ancient Dragon.
And since Teacher Mela specifically requested Ancient Dragon Heart Blood, it absolutely had to come from a real one.
Muen felt a headache coming on.
With the Duke’s Estate’s connections, procuring such a forbidden item wouldn't be too difficult, but it would certainly take time.
Yet Teacher Mela seemed to be in quite a hurry.
"So, I guess I’ll have to try my luck at the Black Market?"
Come to think of it, the Black Market should have reopened by now. And speaking of the Black Market...
"It seems I have a rather significant debt to settle there."
*
As his body relaxed, a wave of drowsiness gradually washed over him.
The soundproofing of this couple’s suite seemed excellent; Muen couldn't hear any potentially annoying noises from the neighboring rooms.
However, in his half-asleep state, his senses—sharpened significantly by the tempering of the Mercury Well—seemed to catch the faint sound of a door opening.
...Room service?
Wait, room service? What room service?
He hadn't called for any. Besides, this was a couple’s suite. Who would dare interrupt guests in a place like this mid-stay? They’d be asking for a beating.
Muen snapped awake, a jolt of adrenaline surging through him.
He held his breath, listening intently to the sounds outside the bathroom.
It was deathly silent.
But it was precisely that silence that made his heart sink.
He was certain he hadn't imagined it. If someone could completely evade his perception, their strength was definitely not to be trifled with.
Who was it?
A cultist of an Evil God? Or perhaps those thugs he’d offended during the day?
Muen leaned toward the former.
After all, those freaks had been eyeing him for more than a day or two. It wouldn't be surprising if they tried to ambush him at night.
Muen reached out and deactivated the light from the magical instruments in the bathroom, preventing anyone outside from pinpointing his location via his shadow.
Then, he rose silently, dressed quickly, and equipped his spatial containers.
However, Muen didn't immediately draw his two short blades. The pure white, gold-inlaid blades were far too conspicuous in the dark.
Fortunately, his eyes were gradually adjusting to the gloom.
He crept to the bathroom door and eased it open just a crack.
With a single glance, he knew there was a second person in the room.
The pink gauze curtains around the bed, which had been tied back, were now completely unfurled. They swayed gently in the breeze blowing in from the window, looking like a maiden’s fluttering skirt.
Muen’s gaze darkened.
Knowing the intruder was there but being unable to pinpoint their exact location confirmed his suspicions.
Common thugs who only knew how to extort people didn't have this kind of skill!
Those damned evil cultists were like lingering ghosts. How did they know his whereabouts? Had they been keeping a constant watch on the Academy gates?
Muen didn't have time to overthink it. He slowly opened the bathroom door and stepped into the room.
In that moment, as a chilly draft brushed against his spine, he felt like prey in a hunting ground. And the hunter was hiding in the shadows, baring their teeth in a silent sneer.
You want to treat me like a little lamb? Careful you don't break your teeth.
Muen moved stealthily, feeling his way along the wall.
There weren't many places to hide in the room. He kept his back to the wall to prevent a sneak attack, his eyes scanning every dark corner as he shifted positions.
The sofa, the curtains, even behind the vases...
Nothing.
It was as if they had vanished into thin air. The only sound Muen could hear in the entire room was his own breathing.
Finally... only the most conspicuous object in the room remained: the large bed, its interior hidden by the swaying pink gauze.
Is this... a provocation?
Muen let out a cold, silent laugh. He wasn't the same person he had been a month ago. Whatever this cultist’s goal was, if they underestimated him...
He’d grind them into the floor.
Muen suppressed his presence and slowly approached. At the same time, he reached behind his back, drawing a portion of a hilt from his spatial container.
He crouched low, like a leopard about to pounce on its prey, coiled and ready. With his free hand, he slowly reached out to pull back the gauze curtain.
As the light fabric drifted aside, he caught a glimpse of a hazy dark figure shifting on the bed before it suddenly lunged toward him.
A chill shot up his spine. Without a moment’s hesitation, Muen drew his blade.
The pure white blade vibrated slightly, as if nullifying some unseen influence.
Immediately after, a sharp flash of light—like a brilliant lunar arc in the dark night—slashed downward.
"Eh?"
A sound of surprised confusion echoed in the silent room.
The dark figure seemed to have encountered something it couldn't comprehend.
Yet, the figure didn't stop. Instead, it charged straight into the blade’s path like a moth to a flame, seemingly destined to be incinerated.
But the moment that brilliant blade-light illuminated the figure’s face, it jerked violently to the side.
It was like a racing car going two hundred miles per hour being forced into a sharp turn to avoid an old lady crossing the road.
Muen instantly lost his balance.
And in that exact moment, the figure’s fair, slender hand grabbed Muen by his untidy collar.
A twist of the body.
The world spun.
In an instant, the figure had pinned Muen to the bed and sat firmly atop him.
The movement was so practiced it felt as if it had been rehearsed a thousand times.
A familiar floral scent filled his nose.
The figure leaned down, revealing a dignified face in the dim light—one that was currently flushed crimson with excitement.
"Long time no see, Young Master~"