Chapter 80: Outsider’s Pawn

As I was leaving the building, something interesting was going down...

And it wasn’t just the fact that Fisk eliminated Maddy.

I felt presences—multiple presences far stronger than even Fisk, there were multiple of them in the building.

Admittedly, it made me uncomfortable—I knew I was getting stronger, but if I had to fight any of them... I...

My shoulders rose, my eyes widened, and the MANA surrounding my body further rose to perfectly mirror a human being.

Right as I was nearing the exit, a particular old man walked past me.

He had blond hair and faint facial hair—he seemed to lack self-care, yet nonetheless I could tell that he was by far stronger than anyone else in the building.

A long black-coat with a neck tattoo that almost reached his face—a dragon with eyes that stretched across its entire body.

"Kairo the Disaster Hunter?—right?" someone voiced.

"Yes." He sounded raspy. "Angelo is waiting for you upstairs."

Then he coughed, and replied to the summon, "I’ll wait until that thing leaves first—I can tell he’s coming here, right?"

Surely, he isn’t talking about me?—right?!

My shoulders rose further in discomfort—the shit is his problem?!

"Umm... I don’t know what you’re talking about but I take it you’ll come on your own whenever—right?"

I left.

Then softly, I whispered to myself:

"No thank you."

Is there some reason a bunch of monsters are gathering here today?—surely, it isn’t over some serial killer running rampant, right?

Whatever the case, I have a bad feeling over this.

A little while longer passed...

I was scouting around, looking for someone tasteful to have for dinner.

Was it a good idea to hunt so early again?—or should I wait longer first?

I did notice something...

Strong Players were in every fuckin’ corner!! And they seemed to be looking for something—is it me?—are they looking for something unusual... like me?!

My MANA was frankly getting drained by this—I wouldn’t allow my body to return to its default state, I felt compelled to keep strong MANA all over my body in order to retain its liveliness.

"Kairo the Disaster Hunter..." I mumbled to myself.

Disaster... as in, the same as Black Death?—the wanted poster in that town?

So, there are many entities classified as a "Natural Disaster" and he’s... a hunter of them?

His MANA was so calm and cold—it strangely reminded me of my own, except his wasn’t that way in a sadistic sense.

Something really is odd today...

As city lights kept hitting my eyes, I raised my palm over my eyes to block the lights—and then stood in front of me a strange peculiar man.

"It’s me," he whispered while out of breath.

"Fisk?" I immediately let out.

A few hours had passed since I saw him earlier—I honestly didn’t think he’d show his face in front of me for a good while.

Perhaps, until I started hunting again and got him properly into trouble.

"It seems you won," he said as he closed his eyes.

"I did?"

"You made me overextend—that would’ve been fine, but I underestimated one person and I guess that wasn’t something allowed with him."

A lot of people were around us—and he spoke from a good few steps away from me.

Had my eyes run through them.

"So, what’s next?" I didn’t know what to say—I won, just like that?—where’s the promised battle of wits...

I was... strangely disappointed.

Then his tone... it switched...

"Stop wasting your time in some small city—the world is much larger than this insignificant echo-chamber of a place."

His facial expression suddenly switched to melancholy as his eyes ran towards the ground...

"But I guess I have no right to tell you that... I spent over a decade here as well."

He peeped back at me.

"Even if you won indirectly because of my own slip, I will reward you for this—and cut off your crimes here and now, you will no longer be sought out by anyone."

His tone further got more serious...

"If you fuck it up after this then I won’t be able to help you—you have something much stronger than even me going after you, and he’s someone that would kill you as soon as he got the slightest hint that you’re the System Killer."

Tsk!! Why is he saying all of that in public?! Does he have no awareness?!

He instantly noticed my worry...

"I don’t have any time—this is where we’ll have to bid each other farewell until you escape the Orphan City."

Orphan City? Didn’t Ku call it that as well?

"I see..." my voice wasn’t exactly subscribed to his little burst—is he serious?—is he seriously out... just like that?!

Abruptly, his body began... just foaming out of its mouth?!

He kneeled down...

"Ah... ahhh...!!"

Looked around—expression of deep confusion.

Then as chills ran down my spine, I felt a sudden burst of MANA somewhere in the sky.

Rapid, merciless, and primal—cold and depraved MANA unlike any I’ve seen before.

What the fuck is going on?!

Is this... the said person that is stronger than even Fisk?

Whatever the case...

I returned home.

And then patiently awaited.

Strangely, the door opened right away while my body was surrounded by MANA—I found it odd how it had no trouble with that, but did after a little outing outside the walls.

I really... do have a bad feeling about tonight.

Silently, I sat on my chair as I awaited for something to happen.

I glanced at my cat... Beoximus.

And voiced a line in his stead:

"Waiting for something to happen?"

Then answered my own question:

"Don’t push your luck, cat."

It remained seated as it glared into my soul—emptily, yet somehow it wasn’t terrified of me?—because I had my warmth now?

I stood up and went up to it...

Then I petted it—without a problem.

"Fisk... did you really fuck up so bad that you handed me my victory for free?!—without me having to work for it?!"

My tone got deader...

I was irritated.

"Tsk... you fucked up and you expect me to sit idly knowing that?!"

Without much force, I punched the wall.

"Piece of shit clown."