Ch.55Shift

As the distance shortened, the scent of human blood grew stronger.

After running for a while, we arrived at the front of the castle.

Human presence could be felt from inside.

Judging by how they weren’t even hiding their footsteps, they probably didn’t know we were here.

“Let’s go in…!”

I entered the castle interior with the children.

Frowning, I carefully surveyed the surroundings.

The open space wasn’t ideal for hiding.

Human footprints stretched across the long corridor.

Footprints heading toward the stairs along the corridor.

The footprints told us that the human had gone upstairs.

“Are you planning to kill them right away…?”

“No.”

I shook my head at Aurel’s question.

Rather than killing them immediately, it would be better to turn them into a subordinate or threaten them for information.

How did they enter these Underground Ruins?

By chance like us? Or did they find another entrance?

“Let’s go…!”

I moved quickly with the children.

Our movements were careful, not making even the slightest sound.

Aurel, Hwang-gu, and I tiptoed up the stairs.

Rustle-!

After climbing the stairs, I activated my Mystic Eye while holding my breath.

Half the world turned blue.

Countless pieces of information flooded my mind through the activated Mystic Eye.

I pushed aside unnecessary information and peeked out into the corridor.

There, I spotted the back of a rather large human.

[Thief]

Level: 20

Race: Human

HP: 100%

Mana: 100%

Emotional state: Calm, Excited, Angry, Composed.

Anger and composure, calmness and excitement.

Two opposing types of emotions were active simultaneously.

It meant this human called Thief was constantly using an emotion control skill.

Judging by his gait, he hadn’t noticed our approach yet.

I began to consider my options.

Should I pounce? If I could succeed with a surprise attack, I could subdue him without taking damage.

I silently signaled to Aurel and Hwang-gu.

Hwang-gu transformed into a soft form.

Aurel nodded in understanding.

Both children seemed to have caught my intention.

Quick-witted children. They would follow my lead unconditionally.

I took a deep breath and examined the corridor.

There might be traps set by the human.

But contrary to my concerns, I couldn’t detect any traps in the corridor.

If there were no traps, there was no need to hesitate.

The distance was straight. The target was alone.

He hadn’t even noticed our approach yet.

This meant our surprise attack would surely succeed.

I reached out my hand to Aurel.

It was to get back the Bone Sword I had given her, but Aurel didn’t return it.

Thud-

“…?”

What landed on my hand was Aurel’s soft face.

I had extended my hand for the Bone Sword, so why was her face there?

I twitched my eyebrows and gestured toward the Bone Sword she was holding.

“Oh…”

She gasped and quickly handed over the Bone Sword.

She must have misunderstood my action.

All preparations were complete.

Now it was time to launch the surprise attack.

I tensed my legs and pointed the Bone Sword at the human.

And right now.

I kicked off the ground and rushed forward.

Pitter-patter-!

After I started, Aurel and Hwang-gu followed a beat later.

I moved my shadow and spread wings behind my back.

Whoosh-!

As my widely spread wings flapped, my body began to accelerate.

Like riding a rough wind, my body stretched forward and reached the human.

At that moment, the human flinched and turned around.

He seemed to have noticed my approach belatedly, but my sword was already aimed at his shoulder.

Since I didn’t intend to kill him, I didn’t aim for his heart or head.

Just as my sword was about to pierce the human’s shoulder.

Clang-!

The trajectory of my sword was distorted by an alien force.

It felt as if it had been blocked by something solid.

At that moment, my eyes met with the human user, Thief, in mid-air.

He looked quite surprised.

But I was equally surprised.

I was shocked that my surprise attack had been blocked, but more than that, I was surprised by his face.

It was strangely familiar.

While I was staring at his face in surprise, Aurel and Hwang-gu’s attacks followed.

“Hiyah!”

“Heeyah!”

With short battle cries, Aurel and Hwang-gu’s fists flew quickly.

I frowned and prepared for the next attack.

I didn’t know how he had deflected my attack, but if he used the same power again, Aurel and Hwang-gu would be in danger.

So, just as I was about to move to protect the children.

“Ugh…!”

Thief backed away with a terrified expression.

As if he couldn’t use that mysterious power again.

I looked closely at Thief’s face.

I wasn’t sure at first, but now I could be certain.

In Aborix’s memory, he was the human user who had been turned from a vampire user to a human using a Race Change Ticket.

That was Thief.

“Keep attacking!”

I shouted to Aurel and Hwang-gu as I swung my sword.

He was someone who had used a cash item that others couldn’t even obtain.

If I could capture him, I could discover tremendous secrets.

“You, crazy vampire bastards…!”

Swoosh-!

As I swung the Bone Sword widely, shadows spread broadly.

At that moment, Thief drew a sword from his back.

He barely blocked my attack while rolling on the floor to avoid Aurel and Hwang-gu’s attacks.

“You…!”

I continued to press him.

He was quite good at close combat for a human, but as Aurel and Hwang-gu’s coordinated attacks continued, his movements quickly collapsed.

“Hnngh…!”

Clang-!

Sword clashed against sword.

Thief desperately tried to shake off my sword by putting strength into his arm, but due to Hwang-gu’s following scratch attack, he had no choice but to roll on the floor.

In that moment when his posture collapsed.

I seized the opportunity and drove a long sword wound into Thief’s back.

Slash-!

The scent of blood spread thickly.

A fountain of red blood splattered on the white stone floor.

I reached out toward Thief.

He was a user who had used cash items that no one else could obtain.

He might have some hidden trick up his sleeve.

To capture him securely, I needed to use all the power I had.

“Come forth!”

After my command, children began to emerge from the shadows.

As pale white girls began to poke their heads out of the shadows, Thief screamed with a pale face.

“H-Hwaaaaah!”

“Grab him!”

The white girls rushed toward Thief as they emerged from the shadows.

The children clung to Thief’s arms and legs.

Shadows that rose from beneath his feet pierced Thief’s body, causing him to lose balance and fall.

“Ugh…!”

His face was pale, but his eyes were still alive.

He must have a hidden trick.

I quickly approached Thief and swung my sword.

Slash-!

“Aaaaargh!”

With the first strike, I cut off his arm.

Blood poured from the severed area, but the blood flowing to the floor was all absorbed by the shadows.

Slash-!

With the second attack, I cut off his leg.

Again, Thief screamed.

But despite losing his leg and arm, his eyes hadn’t lost their light.

I frowned and said to Thief.

“I have something to ask you.”

“Ugh, ugh…”

Thief turned his head and kept his mouth shut in response to my question.

He wasn’t cooperative even though he was in a life-threatening situation.

Of course, I had a way to deal with this.

“How did you get the cash item?”

Before turning him into a subordinate.

I ask one last question.

But as expected, no answer came.

Just as I sighed and began to cover his body with shadows.

“Ha…”

Thief suddenly let out a long sigh.

Then, he opened his mouth and muttered in a small voice.

“I’ll use it…”

Crackle-!

Blue lightning suddenly rose from Thief’s body with a crackling sound.

As I stepped back in surprise.

Boom-!

With a massive lightning bolt that fell from the ceiling, Thief’s body instantly disappeared.

“Gasp…”

“Gasp…!”

The children who had surrounded Thief sat down on the floor with surprised expressions.

Despite the massive lightning striking the floor, the children were unharmed.

What on earth had happened?

All that remained on the floor was the blood that had flowed from Thief’s body and his severed arm and leg.

His body was nowhere to be seen.

***

Boom-!

Thief fell from the sky with blue lightning.

He couldn’t bring back his severed arm and leg, but those weren’t important to him.

As long as he was alive, he could heal all wounds.

“Damn it…”

Thief cursed and thought.

He had been careless.

Going alone to explore a newly created area was a mistake.

He had thought it was an empty space. He thought it would be a good hunting ground that he could use alone.

He never imagined there would be other users besides himself.

“Ha…”

Thief let out a deep sigh.

But regret always comes too late.

Thief’s gaze swept through the empty space.

[2,900 Cash]

A small transparent window floating in the bottom right.

Checking his remaining balance, he sighed again.

How much effort had he put in to collect that amount?

A number that was invisible to others.

It was a power granted by the god that only he could use.

Thief could use this power to access the Cash Shop.

He didn’t know since when.

Just, at some point, Thief gained the ability to convert credits to cash.

The Cash Shop that naturally opened when he had cash was a bonus.

He could purchase various items that weren’t allowed to others from there.

The blue light he had just used was also a type of cash item.

[Space-Time Emergency Escape Device]

When used, it teleports the user to a designated location.

The user becomes invincible during this time.

Price: 15,000 Cash

Thief groaned as he looked at the description of the item he had used.

It was a cheap price for saving his life, but it was still a shame.

Thief purchased an item with his remaining cash balance.

[Ancient Blood Ampule]

A potion made by refining the blood of an ancient species.

When used, it heals all wounds.

Price: 500 Cash

As he purchased the item, a small glass ampule fell into Thief’s mouth.

Crunch-