Peter choked on his own saliva the moment he saw me appear in front of him.
"Y-you... didn’t you just go inside like ten seconds ago?"
"Yeah," I replied flatly, then continued. "It took longer than I thought. Your boys were scattered across both floors, so cleaning them up was more of a hassle than I expected."
I watched as Peter’s face shifted from initial exhilaration to sudden despair.
I was telling the truth. There were only seven thugs inside, and their strength was nothing remarkable, probably just like the ones I’d fought by the city gate. Had they stayed on the same floor, it would have taken me even less time to get rid of them.
And during that moment, I truly realized just how monstrous I’d become.
A thug I’d once needed to be careful around, the kind I would have feared in my old life, was now no different than an ant I could simply trample.
’If this is the power I get from just possessing a B-Rank physique, I can’t even imagine what I’d be like at S-Rank. Would I be a demigod-like? Hah. Looks like my childhood dream of becoming as strong as Goku was just around the corner after all...’
I soon continued in a nonchalant tone, "I know I said I’d give you a minute to think it over, but I’m afraid I’m gonna take back that. I don’t really have time to wait. So here’s the deal; tell me where your boss is right now, or I’ll start breaking the rest of your fingers."
"What?" Peter’s eyes widened in horror.
Even now, he was still silently enduring the pain of his broken right hand. Tears welled in his eyes at the thought of his left hand being next. He couldn’t afford to lose any more fingers, not when it hurt as hell!
Yet, he knew that if he spilled information about his boss, there’d be no place left for him in the gang. He’d have to change his identity and disappear, move far away, because once they found out, his body would be floating in the river for everyone to see.
But on the other hand, if he kept his mouth shut, the devil standing in front of him looked like he was ready to start the torture to force the answer out of his mouth.
"Please... spare my life!"
Peter suddenly dropped to his knees, pleading.
I was caught off guard by his abrupt action. Strangely, the first thing that crossed my mind was, ’Aren’t you just making those broken fingers of yours worse by groveling like that?’
"Why are you kneeling? Get up and tell me where your boss is." I demanded.
When he didn’t budge, my eyebrows knitted together in irritation.
"Are you trying to annoy me?" I said in a colder tone.
Peter flinched like a whipped dog. Slowly, he lifted his head, speaking through clenched teeth, "I-I just need to tell you where my boss is... right?"
I stared at him for a second, then let out a chuckle.
"I changed my mind. Get up. You’re taking me to him now. And don’t even try thinking about doing anything stupid. One lie, one trick, and you’ll end up like your men inside. Or worse."
"Y-you killed my men?" Peter was in shock. In his mind, he began counting time. How long was he even in the house? Ten seconds? Twenty? And all of my men... wiped out? How the hell is he this strong? Does coming back from the dead usually give you such overwhelming power like that? What the hell is even he, right now? An undead? Or a human?
So many questions bombarded his mind that he felt his head might explode.
That alone was enough to get Peter racing back to his feet. He shot up from the ground, wiping sweat from his brow and no longer daring to drag things out.
"If I take you to my boss... you’ll spare me, right?" he asked carefully.
He exhaled like he’d been holding his breath for a decade. "This way," he said, gesturing hurriedly.
I was about to follow when a thought made me pause.
"Y-yes?" Peter turned stiffly, looking like a frightened lamb about to be slaughtered.
"First, tell me where he’s staying."
He nodded quickly. "He usually stays at the Carnivore Bar on Mowa Street. I was supposed to report back there after retrieving the map from your place."
"A map?" I repeated, puzzledly.
Peter nodded again, his tone noticeably more respectful now. "Yes, a map. That’s why my lord, uh, Alduin Sadis, targeted you. He believes you stole something important from him."
I didn’t comment on the sudden shift in his attitude. Instead, I focused on what he’d just said.
’A map? I don’t remember anything in the original Aiden’s memories about taking a map...’ I tried to jog my memories for a hint, but quickly abandoned the idea after realizing it might take too long.
’Forget it. I’ll just ask Alduin directly when I meet him.’
’I didn’t expect he’d choose the same place his gang uses to accept requests from outsiders. Bold move. Is he that confident the place won’t get raided by the Knights or the Church? He must be backed by a secret supporter or have an insider on the inside, that’s the only way he’d be this confident. Well, whatever the reason, it works out for me. The bar’s not far from my current position, and with my present agility, hopping across rooftops like a cat wouldn’t be a problem. I could probably get there in a few minutes.’
Before Peter could even react, I grabbed him by the collar and carried him up. With my current strength, his weight felt like nothing more than a feather.
"W-Wait! What are you—"
I slammed my feet into the ground, bending my knees to exert force, and launched us into the sky like a rocket.
Peter was screaming like his life was on the line, and honestly, I couldn’t blame him. If our roles were reversed, I’d probably be howling just as loud.
His scream trailed behind us as we soared into the sky.
I landed perfectly on a rooftop. I pressed my hoodie lower to prevent it from being blown away by the wind.
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"AAAHHHHHHH—!" Peter let out another scream as his broken right hand landed first on the ground.
Without bothering to stop to check on him, I started pulling him roughly like a sack of potatoes, dragging him across the rooftops toward Mowa Street.
Less than five minutes later, I found myself crouched atop a rooftop, looking down at the chaotic scene unfolding below.
Crowds of men and women filled every inch of space, moving like a restless tide. Women stood in rows along the sidewalks, their clothes barely covering anything.
This was Mowa Street, a small part of West Borough’s infamous red-light district. A place where day and night blurred together, and the streets never truly slept.
As I took it all in, a wave of frustration washed over me. "If I had one complaint about my current state, it’s that I can’t freely switch these damn enhanced senses on and off. I’m stuck with no control over what I smell or hear, and right now, that’s pure torture."
The place was bloody noisy and absolutely reeked!
Worst part? I could hear exactly what was happening behind those walls.
Every moan, groan, and creaking bedframe resonated in my ears crystal clear. It’s like I’m currently having an ASMR of people having sex with earphones.
Then there was the flood of scents that kept drifting to my nose. Perfume, sweat, smoke... and what the hell is that smell? It’s reminiscent of something I usually catch after I finish jerking off to my favorite actress... wait a sec...
"Damn, those horny rabbits! Don’t they have anything better to do than have sex while the sun is still up? Couldn’t they be more considerate of a virgin like me?!"
"I’M SO FRIGGING JEALOUS!"
"Ha..." I exhaled, feeling thirsty all of a sudden.
The noise and visuals hit me like a one-two punch, and as a normal guy, there was no way I could stay completely unfazed.
Hurriedly, I tore my gaze away from the women and turned my head to the side, spotting Peter.
His eyes had rolled back, leaving only the whites visible, and foam dribbled from his lips. His condition can be described as miserable. Yet, I felt no sympathy for him, knowing he was probably one of the scummiest among the scum. He’d likely committed countless crimes; let this be his first punishment.
Watching his ugly face, with snot and tears smeared all over, actually did a solid job of killing my desire.
Just like that, I regained my focus, shaking off the distractions once and for all.
I shifted my focus back to the street, scanning the chaotic scene until my gaze landed on a building marked by a glaring sign:
In front of the entrance stood four Radhanians, their towering figures and bulk intimidating everyone around. The first two scanned the perimeter with hawk-like vigilance, while the other two paused every visitor entering the bar, conducting routine inspections.
I frowned deeply at the sight. It wasn’t the hulking Radhanians that worried me; it was the overwhelming crowd.
It was just an unproven assumption, but considering I was going after the boss of a well-known gang, it was safe to say he had to be strong enough to hold that position.
Sure, the gang’s second-in-command, Peter, had turned out to be surprisingly weak, but that didn’t mean I could afford to underestimate the leader just because his subordinates were lacking.
If a fight broke out between us, the fallout could be disastrous for everyone nearby.
Most of the people here were far from innocent, but who was I to judge? The last thing I wanted was to create chaos that could lead to more unnecessary casualties.
’With my strength, tearing down this building would be easy. But if I did that, it’d draw way more attention than I needed. Besides the Church, I’d also have to worry about the Magic Association, the Guild, and the Knights...’
After a moment of contemplation, I decided that sneaking into the bar was a better approach than going in through brute force.
’Luckily, I hadn’t killed Peter... not that I had the guts to do it in the first place.’ Even for his underlings, I had only beaten them.
"Hey, wake up," I said, slapping Peter’s cheek without a second thought.
I made sure to control my strength, ensuring that my strike didn’t turn his head into a pile of mush. I watched as his eyelids fluttered open, revealing confusion as they adjusted to the bright blue sky.
"Has the nightmare finally ended? That demon won’t show up in front of me again, right?" he mumbled groggily, still disoriented.
That’s when I decided to show my face in front of him.