Side Story – First Experience (6)

The city’s back alleys contained countless entrances.

However, Teo still retained memories from his time living in these alleys, so finding the entrance where he’d parted ways with Rena earlier wasn’t particularly difficult.

“This should be the place.”

Teo was about to rush straight into the alley when

-Click.

He stopped abruptly.

“…Is it really okay to go in alone?”

Getting caught up in unnecessary trouble would be a headache.

As he hesitated due to slight unease, Teo recalled Rena who was likely rampaging inside.

“Well, noona probably took care of any troublemakers already. Shouldn’t be an issue.”

To catch up with noona who’d gone deep inside… He needed to move quickly.

-Tap tap tap!

Teo began sprinting rapidly into the back alley.

Having successfully reached the inner area without incident, Teo slowed his pace just in case.

‘Still should stay alert.’

This was a lawless back alley where anything could happen – that’s just what these places were.

-Thud, thud.

As he slowly walked deeper in, Teo began hearing voices.

“She’s completely broken, isn’t she?”

“Haaang… Good… Ugh-he…”

“Right. Well we all did her at least twice – enough to drive anyone crazy.”

‘That sound… Could it be?’

Recognizing the nature of the moans, Teo grimaced in disgust.

“Fucking bastards?”

They were openly having sex in a back alley where anyone could walk by.

Then a disturbing possibility surfaced in Teo’s mind.

“Wait. Could this be… forced?”

Judging from their conversation, there was a strong possibility of rape.

Still, Teo didn’t immediately rush to help the woman.

‘First assess the situation calmly.’

Recklessly charging in could get him killed – that was reality.

Teo carefully approached the source of the sounds without being detected.

‘…Didn’t we separate around here?’

He couldn’t imagine Rena just passing by such a scene.

Tilting his head in confusion, Teo peeked around the corner.

“Last one coming in!”

“Ugh… Haaak… Ngggooook♡”

There, just as he’d feared, a woman was pinned beneath a hulking man while screaming.

‘Ugh… Just as I thought.’

The grotesque scene made Teo feel like vomiting.

The torn clothes scattered around and multiple men restraining the woman made it clear this wasn’t consensual.

‘There’s more of them than I thought. Can I take them all?’

As Teo debated whether to help or slip away quietly,

“…Huh?”

When he saw the unconscious woman’s face, Teo froze completely.

Her face was smeared with sticky white fluid and saliva.

Even so, Teo recognized her instantly. He couldn’t afford not to.

This woman was his benefactor, teacher, and newly found family.

“Noo… na…?”

Rena was being raped by organization members.

A dumbfounded sound escaped Teo’s gaping mouth.

“Th-that’s impossible…”

Boiling rage erupted alongside countless questions flooding his mind.

‘Why would noona be overpowered by these bastards…?’

She could handle street thugs with a finger. Teo had never seen – nor even imagined – Rena being violated like this.

Was there some hidden powerhouse among them?

Someone that strong in a back alley?

Or had she been poisoned?

“Dammit!”

Teo violently shook his head to clear the distracting thoughts.

‘Get a grip.’

Saving noona immediately was the priority. He had to stop these trash from violating her further.

“…I can do this. I have to.”

After muttering encouragement several times, Teo drew his wooden sword and charged out blindly.

He swung at the back of the nearest organization member’s head.

“Die!”

-Crunch!

“Gahk!”

“Wh-what?”

“Stop that bastard!”

-Crack!

“Gghk!”

The leader’s shoe sole pressed down on Teo’s head against the ground.

“Haa… Annoying little shit.”

“Damm… it…”

He couldn’t fall here. If he did, noona would…

Teo tried desperately to rise, but his exhausted limbs refused to move.

‘If only I were stronger… Had just a bit more experience…’

His surprise attacks and mana-enhanced strikes had been effective.

He’d successfully knocked down 3-4 members.

But that was his limit.

When members who could use mana stepped in, Teo was overwhelmed by numbers.

With his limited experience, he couldn’t overcome this.

“We’ll spare your life. But we’re taking this bitch.”

The leader yanked up Rena’s hair from where she lay collapsed.

Her golden hair had lost its luster, matted with semen, and more still dripped from her mouth.

Rena remained unconscious, eyes rolled back from the trauma of the rape.

‘You bastards… What horrible things did you do to noona?’

-Grind.

Teo gritted his teeth hard at Rena’s pitiful state.

He wanted to slaughter these trash immediately.

“Look at this guy? We spare his life and he glares like he wants to kill me?”

The leader smirked at Teo’s murderous gaze.

“Judging by your reaction, she’s family? Too young to be your parents… Siblings then.”

“Take… your hands… off…!”

Teo reached out painfully to reclaim Rena, but

“Haha, no way.”

The leader tauntingly pulled her away, separating them.

“We’ll put this woman to good use instead of you. Don’t even think about coming to rescue her half-assedly. Next time we won’t be so merciful.”

The leader pointed at a nearby member.

“You there. Take care of her.”

“Yes sir!”

-Whoosh!

The member effortlessly slung Rena over his shoulder.

“Let’s head back now.”

The leader and members began leaving Teo behind.

‘I have to save Teacher… Noona…’

As his vision darkened, Teo raised a trembling hand.

“St…op…”

But the figures of the members and Rena only grew more distant.

“Ah…”

-Thud.

Finally unable to endure, Teo lost consciousness.

**

Raven City contained various districts – shopping areas for citizens, academies for students, guilds for adventurers.

And naturally, districts catering to human desire and pleasure too.

Under gaudy lights, women in suggestive outfits seduced men on streets, while inside buildings, people entangled for money and pleasure.

The pleasure district. It shone brightly within the dark city as night deepened.

“Yaaawn… Not many customers today.”

A man guarding the entrance of a large building stretched loudly.

The building behind him stood taller and more ornately decorated than its neighbors.

It was a high-class brothel managed by one of the city’s crime organizations.

The guard beside him looked incredulous at the yawning.

“Oh please, quit complaining. No customers means easier work for us.”

“Just bored. Guarding a brothel where we can’t even sample the goods – just suck our thumbs all day.”

“Then go enjoy yourself after shift.”

“I want the prettier ones but they’re all so expensive. Should’ve worked procurement instead. This place is comfortable but boring and pays shit.”

“Hah… True enough.”

As the guards lamented their boring jobs,

-Rustle.

“Huh?”

One guard tilted his head curiously.

“What? See a ghost?”

“Thought I saw the bushes behind you move. Maybe my eyes?”

“Bushes?”

The guard turned to scrutinize the shrubbery.

But only cricket chirps could be heard – nothing seemed amiss.

“Seems fine? Probably just a rat. Making a fuss over nothing.”

“Guess so? Thought someone might be trying to sneak through.”

“Scary thought. Don’t you know we’d be the ones suffering if that happened? Just pick which brothel to visit later.”

“Hmm. That’s another dilemma…”

The guards quickly lost interest in the bushes and resumed chatting.

Meanwhile, eyes watched them intently from within the foliage.

After holding his breath, the figure confirmed the guards’ lowered vigilance and began moving again.

-Swish.

The silhouette carefully moved to the building’s rear and scanned the area.

Confirming no one was present, the figure emerged from the bushes.

At that moment.

-Whoosh!

A strong gust blew back the black cloak covering the figure’s face.

The face revealed belonged to a young man with navy hair, appearing barely past adolescence.

This figure sneaking behind a high-class brothel in dark cloak –

Was none other than Teo.

“…Wind’s strong today.”

Teo quickly pulled up his hood and approached the building wall.

“Let’s make this the final check.”

Muttering quietly, Teo began swiftly scaling the building wall.

His movements were practiced and efficient, clearly not his first time.

Reaching the fifth floor quickly, Teo gripped the window bars and peered inside.

The room was mansion-sized. A large bed dominated the center where a blonde woman sat curled up.

True to the brothel setting, her translucent outfit revealed everything.

Notably, shackles around her ankles chained her to the bed, preventing escape.

“…”

Teo bit his lower lip hard seeing this.

The imprisoned woman was exactly who he needed to save.

Because it was Rena.