He approached me with slow steps, then stopped in front of me, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint, somewhat strange smile as he stared at my face for a few moments. "I saw what you did to that ugly man… I liked your style." He said it in a calm tone before slipping his hands into his pockets and continuing, "So I'm going to make you an offer… How about joining our gang?"
I looked at him coldly, my expression unchanged, and said, "I don't care… and I don't want to join you."
His smile widened slightly, as if my answer hadn't surprised him at all, then he said, "This kind of offer isn't made twice… and of course, the offer is just for you."
His eyes shifted toward Zoe and Miro, then he moved slowly toward Zoe and reached out toward her hair. Just before his fingers touched her hair, I grabbed his wrist firmly. I moved quietly closer until I was right in front of him and whispered in a low voice, "Back off."
I tightened my grip on his hand without taking my eyes off his, while Zoe clung to the hem of Miro's clothes, and Miro's eyes widened slightly without a word.
A few seconds passed before I loosened my grip. He looked at his hand for a moment, then took a step back and said with a faint smile: "You've got a strong grip."
Then he turned and started to walk away, waving his hand without looking back and saying, "If you ever change your mind… the offer still stands. You're welcome anytime."
I muttered to myself: Who is this man? He seems suspicious and strange.
I approached the iron gate and reached out toward it, then gave it a light push, and it opened easily before me. I furrowed my brow, thinking to myself: A door shouldn't open that easily.
We went inside, and the place was nearly crowded. Voices rose from all sides—overlapping laughter, deals being struck, and the clinking of glasses—while groups sat around tables, splitting the money and chatting loudly. Brown and colorful clothes
I whispered to myself: The system has absorbed my two beasts… but I don't know how I can bring them out again.
Suddenly, a heavyset man noticed me and quickly approached us. His eyes lingered on our bloodstained clothes, then shifted between me, Zoe, and Miro. He began rubbing his hands together and said hesitantly:
"D-Did you hunt something? No… I don't mean to make fun of you, but you look like you've faced several monsters."
Miro looked at him and said with a hint of pride:
"Yes, we hunted monsters… and they were very dangerous."
I lowered my head slightly and muttered under my breath:
"The System…"
I whispered to myself: I'll try commanding the System to summon the monsters.
Then I murmured quietly:
"Summon."
The next moment, the bodies of the two monsters appeared on the ground in front of me.
Suddenly, one of the men sitting at a table spoke up, staring at the corpse with wide eyes: "What?! The Mountain Chief?!"
In an instant, the voices around us fell silent, and whispers began to spread among those present.
"That young man hunted down the Mountain Chief?!"
I raised my eyebrows slightly as I watched their expressions change. The heavyset man stared at the monster's corpse without blinking, while beads of sweat slowly trickled down his forehead, his eyes fixed as if trying to process what he was seeing.
I whispered to myself: Was this beast really that dangerous?
On the other side, the heavyset man narrowed his eyes as he stared at the corpses lying before him, then swallowed hard and muttered under his breath: "Who is this young man…?"
His face darkened further as he looked back at the beast's torn body.
"I underestimated him earlier… and worse still, the mountain chieftain was killed so brutally. His body is completely torn apart…"
He swallowed quickly before replying, "Don't worry, sir… your reward will be substantial."
Then he raised his hand and waved to his men, saying, "Come on… take the bodies."
The hunters' eyes never left us.
I watched them coldly for a few moments before saying in a low voice, "What's with them? Why are they looking at us like that? Was this beast that important?"
The heavyset man replied without taking his eyes off the corpse: "Yes… that beast killed many."
He paused for a moment, then continued in a heavier tone: "No one could find it. It would appear suddenly and then vanish, and it targeted only the weak. It had a keen sense of smell that easily identified its prey, then pounced on them without warning… That's why no one was able to kill it."
Silence reigned for a few moments, then he muttered as he stared at the body lying before him:
"But… how was he able to kill it that way?"
One of the employees approached, carrying a large sum of money—nearly fifty thousand. He handed it to the heavyset man, who took it quickly, then stepped toward me with a nervous smile and said:
"Here you go, sir… and don't hesitate to bring in any other monsters you hunt."
I gave him a fleeting glance before ignoring him completely, then turned to Zoe and Miro and said calmly:
"Let's go."
On the other side, that same blond-haired man, who had previously stood in front of the iron gate, was watching us silently from behind the gathered men.
He was calmly chewing on a cedar twig, while half his face was hidden beneath a leather hat. His eyes seemed fixed on us, unblinking.
Then the corners of his lips slowly turned up, forming a mysterious smile that stirred an uneasy feeling.
A few minutes later,
on the city street,
the place was almost quiet. It was around 7:30, and lights hung from the poles on either side of the road—but these weren't ordinary lamps; they were small spheres made of a magical substance that emitted a soft glow, illuminating the streets with a warm light.
Beneath our feet stretched the road, paved with stones engraved with strange symbols.
I walked in complete silence, while a cool breeze swept through the alleys, gently ruffling the hair that fell across my face.
Behind me, Zoe and Miro were eagerly counting the money, and the sound of coins jingling between their fingers mingled with their conversation.
Miro said, looking at the amount:
"I'm starving…"
Zoe replied quickly:
"Me too."
"What about you, Siraj? Aren't you hungry?"
I didn't answer her.
I was lost in my thoughts, walking in silence with my eyes fixed ahead without really focusing. I wasn't even hearing their conversation anymore, until I felt a hand gently shake my shoulder…
"Siraj?"
I blinked a few times and turned to her.
"Huh?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly and said, "Are you hungry or not?"
I sighed as I ran my hand through my hair. "Ah… sorry, I was spacing out."
I paused for a moment before continuing:
"Yeah, I'm starving too. Let's find something to eat first, and then we'll find a place to spend the night."
Miro suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Right! I forgot… where are we going to sleep tonight?"
I paused for a moment.
In the past, I used to sleep in whatever alley I could find, but today… I want somewhere comfortable.
I looked at her and said:
"All right, all right… you win."
Suddenly, a transparent notification appeared in front of me.
[System]
[New Notification]
[Warning: Only 5:25 hours and minutes remain until the time limit expires.]
[Remaining Tasks: 1]
[If the task is not completed, a penalty will be imposed.]
I stared at the notification for a few seconds before smiling sarcastically.
"Don't make me laugh…"
I narrowed my eyes slightly.
"You're going to impose a penalty? As if I'd believe that."