"What the hell is happening to me..."
I knew exactly what was happening; it wasn't my first time experiencing this. It was the phenomenon of exhaustion after draining one's mana capacity to the absolute limit. It's a horrific sensation that's hard to put into words.
Chest pain, shortness of breath, every muscle turning debilitatingly weak. Even though I'd been through this many times before, I still felt like I was going to die. It's that much horrible to describe by words.
But why?
I hadn't used any magic at all. The very first thing I did when I started struggling to breathe was to take off every magic circle on my body and throw away any magic items I had equipped.
Yet it did absolutely nothing. My mana kept being siphoned away until I collapsed face-first in an alley, looking no different from a junkie.
Powerless, weak, and can't even stare up at the sky as it slowly faded to a reddish-orange.
The sun is going down. I soon no longer had any supernatural means of recovering my mana back fast.
And at this rate...
"Hah... Am I seriously going to die like this...?"
For some reason, this time I didn't even have the mental capacity to think or despair. Maybe because I was too delirious, or maybe because...
"Don't touch me!"
Suddenly, an image flashed before my eyes. A girl in a state of sheer panic and absolute terror.
I snapped awake.
Even though I was still exhausted, even though every single cell in my body was screaming at me to just stay down, I stood up. I knew where I needed to go. And without a second thought, I forced my legs to move and ran.
...
"Hah... Huff... Is this the place?"
About ten minutes, maybe more, I really wasn't sure since my mind wasn't exactly clear. Somewhere in the slums, I had arrived at a deep, dark, and thoroughly moldy alleyway.
It was hard to believe a place like this existed in a beautiful and majestic city like Millishion. It was dilapidated, crawling with thugs, and packed with makeshift houses cobbled together from whatever garbage people could find.
But what was even weirder was that the alley I stepped into felt completely different from the rest of the district.
The most distinct thing was the smell. It wasn't the stench of dead rats or open sewers. On the contrary, it exuded a bizarrely indescribable fragrance. It was like a sweet, soothing perfume that made me think I was in a luxury spa, or a love song that anyone who heard would remember for a lifetime without even knowing its name.
That alone made it suspicious as hell. Normally, I wouldn't step half a foot into a place like this.
But unfortunately, this was definitely the place calling out to me.
On the way here, the mana drain had stopped. Catching the last remaining rays of sunlight, I managed to recover just enough to move comfortably again. As my head cleared, I began to piece together the cause of what had just happened.
Was it Larry?
Comparing this to when I first summoned that Night Panther, the similarities were glaring. Back then, my mana was also uncontrollably drained. However, unlike last time, this drain had pushed way past every limit.
It didn't feel like a simple tantrum.
And then there were the images and sounds I'd experienced. Even though I couldn't see clearly, I definitely recognized the person in that vision: it was Shierra, the timid mage girl I'd spent most of today with. She was being attacked by some group of people.
And she was utterly desperate.
This was an SOS signal, no doubt about it, and it was originating from this weird-smelling alley.
"What should I do..."
Call for backup? The problem was that running from here to my group or Paul's would take way too long. Even sprinting at full speed, it would take half an hour to an hour to get help. If someone needed saving, they needed it right fucking now.
So that wasn't an option.
But charging blindly into an unknown location was practically suicide. Aside from swordplay, Calina had also taught me how to assess a situation and formulate a battle plan. In this scenario, I needed information to figure out exactly who I was up against.
"Who's this kid?"
"Hey! Who the hell are you? A lost boy looking for his mommy?"
Surprisingly, not just one, but two walking sources of information suddenly appeared. They were two middle-aged men: one skinny, one fat. The fat one was shorter than the skinny one. Basically, a stark contrast.
Their faces were completely different too. The fat guy was deathly pale, like he had powdered his face, sporting two massive hoop earrings. The skinny guy had heavy black eyeliner, black lipstick, and even piercings straight through his nose.
Strangely enough, their outfits matched perfectly. They both wore black, skin-tight leather suits that covered them from neck to toe... I think if I try to describe it any further, my eyes will literally rot, so just picture the kind of gear people in the BDSM community usually wear. The only problem was that things I absolutely did not want to see were painfully prominent through the fabric, making the whole getup nauseatingly repulsive.
In other words, two massive perverts.
"I come in peace." I raised both hands, squeezing my eyes shut so I wouldn't have to look directly at them. "I just want to ask a few questions, if you guys don't mind."
"Ask? I do mind, you idiot!" A deep voice boomed—the fat guy, I assumed. "Where the hell do you think you are, punk? Say the password or piss off before I kill you."
A password? Was this an entrance to some sort of syndicate? Well, there was my first piece of information, even if it wasn't particularly helpful.
"Hey, he's carrying a sword. You think he's with those bitches from earlier?" This was a high-pitched voice, likely the skinny guy chiming in.
"Makes sense. Hey you, are you with that lot from before!?"
Bloodlust. It was obvious they were going to attack if I didn't give a proper answer.
But I shouldn't lie, at least not when the situation is this critical. Better to cut straight to the chase.
"You mean two girls, a guy, and a cat, right?" I guessed.
"That's them!" the high voice shrieked.
"Then yeah, I know them, but..."
"Then you just walked right into your own grave! Hayah!"
"Eat mace, you bastard!"
Before I could even clarify that I wasn't an 'accomplice,' the two charged at me with clear murderous intent. However, with their abysmal speed and lack of presence-concealment, even with my eyes closed, I could easily sidestep and dodge the two strikes whistling past me.
"Huh?"
"You dodged our 'Twin Gemini Mace' atttack—"
Thud!*
Before the fat guy (probably) could even finish his sentence, I smashed the pommel of my sword into his face. Followed by a smack!* from my elbow straight into the other guy.
"Gah!"
"Guh!"
And just like that, they were out cold.
"Not again."
Crap, I needed to keep them conscious to interrogate them, right? How the hell am I supposed to ask questions when they're both knocked out? I accidentally used a bit too much force again...
Part of it was because my masters at the Necross Fortress taught me that holding back is an insult to your opponent. The other part was that I was terrified that if I let my guard down even a little, I'd lose my life. This isn't a peaceful world, after all. The only scenario where I don't use 120% of my strength is during a friendly spar.
Honestly, I couldn't gauge how strong or weak these guys were at first. But considering I laid them out flat with a single tap, they didn't seem all that tough. You could say they were even weaker than the average knights I'd dealt with over the past few days.
I guess I shouldn't expect too much from a bunch of street-level thugs. Especially perverted thugs.
"But something's not right."
If Larry was with them, weaklings like these shouldn't have been able to give that damn cat any trouble. Even shrunk down like Shinichi, it was still a Conan packed with the Professor's gadgets. In other words, it was still formidable; one scratch might not be enough for these guys, but two would be overkill.
Therefore, after tying up the two perverts and tossing them into a corner, I maintained my caution, drawing Ken's sword and venturing deeper into that bizarre alley.
This place was seriously bad news.
As I went deeper, the sun fully disappeared. A place with absolutely no sunlight reaching it should have been pitch black, but that wasn't exactly the case. I could see quite clearly thanks to a mystical purple hue glowing faintly overhead.
They were glass flowers, artificial, incredibly intricate, and they were glowing.
They must be some sort of illuminating magic items. But finding them in a slum was thoroughly bizarre. Even if they were just basic lighting tools, magic items were still expensive commodities.
Furthermore, the surrounding space had completely transformed. Before I knew it, the alley had turned into a corridor. The walls on both sides were solidly built, periodically broken up by metal doors that looked exactly like solitary confinement cells. There was nothing inherently wrong with them until I reached a room with grotesque sounds echoing from within.
"What the hell is going on in here?"
I stopped in my tracks, pressed my ear against the door, and listened. Screams, shouts, rhythmic slapping noises, and moans—all blending together into a bizarre cacophony. But upon a second's thought, I instantly realized exactly what the hell it was.
Holy shit, they were having sex. And hardcore BDSM at that.
Thinking back, the guys outside definitely dressed the part for that 'community.' Fascinatingly, I never thought people in this world would have those kinds of fetishes. Truly an eye-opening experience.
I wouldn't normally want to interrupt anyone's 'fun times', I'm not a voyeur fan you know? But I had people to save, so I was forced to push the door open.
It was a bedroom(?) of standard size. The first things that hit my eyes were a metal cage, a bed with incomprehensible contraptions, and... um... blood.
Inside was a woman—I think. She was as massive and fat as a bear, maybe as trice in size of a bear to be precise, with a shaved head. Butt naked, obviously. Next to her was an average-sized man, also wearing absolutely nothing.
I have zero desire to describe what was happening in that room. I will let it to your imagination for this one.
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" The fat hag suddenly spotted me, her lust-filled eyes flashing with a grotesque amusement. "Ooh, a new toy? Wanna join in, little boy?"
"No thanks, I'll pass." I immediately scrambled backward. "I just took a wrong turn."
"What a shame." She blew a kiss at me. Ew. "If you change your mind, I'm always ready to entertain."
"Right, right. Goodbye."
"Save... me..."
Huh?
But just as I was about to leave, I caught a faint, groaning plea coming from the other person in the room. Only then did I take a closer look and realize it was someone I'd met. That battered and bruised man was definitely Halrad, the guy who had accompanied Shierra and Vierra earlier. And the poor bastard was clearly out of his mind. He kept screaming, continuously 'moving' in a frenzied delirium.
This was turning out to be more troublesome than I thought.
So I stepped back into that grotesque room.
"Ah, hey miss..."
"Analona." That 'miss' replied with a wide grin. "You can call me Anal. Did the little boy change his mind and want to play?"
"Miss Analona, my apologies, but I'll have to decline." Like hell I was going to call her by that bizarre nickname. "I'm Atur. That guy over there is an acquaintance of mine, so would you mind letting him go?"
"Not a chance," she replied with a disturbingly cheerful smile. "If you want him, try forcing me by violence. I love that sort of thing."
"I suppose I'll have to, then."
I sighed and drew my sword. A real sword, mind you, not the thing currently being trampled on belonging to that poor guy. Looked pitiful as hell.
"Ehehe!" Analona stood up, now looking like a walking mountain. She slapped both hands against her massive belly. "Come and get it!"
Without another word, I instantly dashed forward and swung Ken's longsword right at Analona's gut.
With a body like that, carving a few holes into her probably wouldn't hit any vital organs or cause life-threatening injuries, probably. Even though I had to fight, killing was always a last resort. I'd rather knock my opponents out. But with a target like this, beating her until she was terrified of dying was probably the better option.
That way, I could extract more information.
Clang!*
"Huh?"
But by some miraculous means, my sword was blocked. Not by another blade or any weapon. It was by that massive belly itself. It was as hard as rock. No, even harder than rock! What the hell was this!?
"Ehehe... Little boy is still way too weak for me." A demonic smile spread across Analona's face, stretching from one ear to the other. "If the little boy can't be on top, then you'll just have to be on the bottom for me!"
I think I've landed myself in some colossally deep shit.
"Wait a minute, let's talk this out—"
I couldn't even finish my sentence before Analona charged at me like a giant steel wrecking ball, violently driving me backward and slamming me into the wall.
With my Blood Tribe Battle Aura currently active, I wouldn't suffer injuries or broken bones that easily. But that didn't mean the wall behind me would hold up.
Crash!*
It shattered to pieces, and I was forced back another few meters, hitting another wall, which also exploded. The pushing force grew stronger and stronger until I was violently slammed into the ground by her colossal body.
A sickening crack echoed. Ribs, pelvis, even my arms and legs—shattered.
"Ehehe. Squished the little one. So funny, hehe." Analona clumsily rolled off, leaving behind my broken, mangled body.
Normally, something like this was a literal death sentence, but right before the pain could knock me unconscious, the magic circles all over my body flared up.
Instant Heal!
The pain vanished instantly, but the price I had to pay was a massive chunk of mana just so I wouldn't die in such a pathetic way.
And this was a perfect opening.
"Huh?"
Squwelch!*
My sword pierced straight into Analona's neck right as she was trying to sit up.
And exactly as expected, it did absolutely nothing.
"Oh my! Little one is quite tough too! You've got real talent for being on the bottom."
"Like hell! I'll only bottom for a sweaty, muscular woman with a redhead!"
Instantly, I channeled all my strength into my right leg, using the momentum to jump forward with another powerful swing. It was my full power, yet Analona didn't budge an inch. No matter how much force I put behind the sword, it couldn't pierce through that colossal layer of battle aura.
"Ehehe. Just so you know, I'm no ordinary woman." Analona clutched her belly and laughed.
"You don't say? You look like a walking lump of lard." I clicked my tongue, immediately jumping back a few paces to maintain a safe distance.
"Nice dirty talk, but that only works in bed, sweetheart. Otherwise, you just sound like some vulgar commoner throwing insults." She licked her lips. "But so the little sweetheart isn't too surprised, I'll introduce myself. I am Analona, the North Saint of a Thousand Pounds, one of the close subordinates of the almighty Lord Velma. And since you made it this far, you must've killed those two idiot guards, huh?"
Setting aside the fact that I had no idea who the hell Velma was. What I said earlier was definitely an insult, not dirty talk. Absolutely not.
And holy shit, a North Saint? No wonder she was terrifyingly strong.
Please don't be mistaken into thinking I could easily defeat someone with this title just because of that 'Cleaner' guy I'd pummeled in prison. Part of the reason for that was because he couldn't utilize his Path. Plus, back then, I was at full health and stamina.
Now, my mana was severely limited, my body was exhausted, and my enemy was using her Path this effectively. If I wasn't careful, I could easily get my ass handed to me. No joke.
But since the opponent had declared her name, to show proper martial spirit, I had to introduce myself in return.
"I am Atur Greyrat, a North Saint who serves absolutely no one. And those two guys are still alive, I just tied them up outside."
"Oho, a North Saint." Analona slapped her belly, making a loud thwacking sound. "No wonder you're so sturdy, sweetheart. But no title huh?"
I have a whole bunch. But they're all ridiculous nonsense, so I absolutely refuse to say them out loud. "No."
"Then do you want a cool one? Lord Velma can give the little boy a lovely title. He would love to have you in his harem. We can have some hardcore orgies together!"
"I'll pass." I raised a hand to decline. "And who is this Lord Velma anyway? Your boss?"
"The love of my life. Ah... just thinking of him gets me all wet."
Disgusting. She actually wetted herself.
What did I do to end up stuck in a den full of these repulsive freaks? And how the hell did Vierra's group get tangled up with them? If a mere subordinate is already a North Saint, the leader definitely isn't some small fry.
If that's the case, I have to do something to end this fight as quickly as possible.
But how the hell—
"Whatever! I originally wanted to play around with the little boy for a bit, but now I just want Lord Velma!" Analona stood up straight before curling back into a ball just like before. "Die, North Saint Atur!"
Then she rolled at me, exactly like before, but even faster. I never expected such a simple skill like launching your own body to be this effective. It was all thanks to that damn colossal weight.
Wait, huh? Colossal weight?
At that moment, I suddenly realized how to counter an opponent like this. An absurdly simple answer.
"Quagmire."
"Huh—Eek!"
And just like that, Analona slid straight into the swamp I created. She was quickly sucked down to her waist in the blink of an eye.
However, this didn't mean I had won. Analona still possessed a body impervious to blades.
"Damn it! Let me go, you little brat—Ah! What the hell is this!? It's too dark!"
So I threw my coat over the head of the body stuck in the mud. Water magic, plus a bit of physical strength, to secure it around her face.
"Shh, shh, quiet now. Go to sleep."
Naturally, the North Saint of a Thousand Pounds struggled violently. But gradually, after just three or four minutes, that massive body went limp.
"Phew..."
I let out an exhausted sigh. After undoing Quagmire, Analona was still stuck half-buried in the ground. This was probably the best way to keep her contained for now.
Now, I dragged my feet back to the room where Halrad was.
He was battered and broken, no different from how I looked a moment ago. If I did nothing, he would surely die, so even though I hardly had any mana left, I was forced to cast healing magic just to stabilize him.
Naturally, Halrad wasn't conscious enough to give me any information. And by now, it was too late to turn back. With no other options, I sighed and continued stepping deeper into that eerie corridor.
Regardless of whatever the hell was waiting for me ahead, I will get my cat back.