Chapter 236: Fredo Village (5)

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• Adventurer GrimV

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10:56 p.m.

Vivian was inside her room sitting at the edge of a bed and staring mindlessly at the window which showcased the quiet village lights under the dark and cloudy night sky.

The window had its curtains parted to the side and was closed. It was a casement type, featuring two doors or panels standing vertically and could be opened by pulling each panel separately. And on the window glass, there were droplets of water because it rained earlier.

She wore nothing but a sleeping robe which was provided by the Temple. Its sash was loosely tied on her waist, causing it to showcase an ample view of her chest down to her upper stomach. One side of her face and body reflected the dim yellow light of a lamp on top of a nightstand while the rest was covered in darkness.

That was really embarrassing…

I didn't expect them to have that kind of reaction…

Aside from trying to understand the politics, I was just trying to make sure that no one would really bother to investigate the incident at the Mobius Mountains…

A thought flashed inside her head.

Would the Holy Kingdom respond…?

Respond to that Aristocrat Noblewoman's letter…?

And if they did…

Would the Inquisitor or anyone they send share the same sentiment as the officials here…?

In addition to that…

Even if they couldn't figure out that I'm the culprit…

How would that affect my standing as an Inquisitor…?

I mean…

If I were to be honest, I really couldn't give a damn about this Holy Crusade despite all that talk about Grade Jobs…

I only joined because of the incident of overhunting I faced at the Adventurer's Guild…

Moreover, all young White Cloaks are expected to participate in the Holy Crusade…

Furthermore, the Division I really wanted to join was the Exploratory Division so that I could go to the Pagan Lands and overhunt…

She shook her head.

But still…

The idea of being labeled as an incompetent idiot by such lowly creatures...

Distressing…

She stood up and fixed her robe before walking towards the window but didn't open it.

Her room was on the second floor and her eyes landed on the quiet and empty pavement and street separated by a two-story wall that surrounded the Temple of Priests building she was at.

Who are they to judge me…?

I am perfection itself…

And they are nothing but food…

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak!

Her eyes transformed into their demon form and she swept her gaze around.

Looks safe…

She closed her eyes and strained her ears as she tried to catch any sound or noise.

Nothing but the noise of nocturnal insects and animals from the distance…

She opened her eyes, turned around and headed for the nightstand where she took out her pocket watch.

11:01 p.m.

I think enough time has already passed…

And plus, it's been days since I last ate a human…

Not to mention, eating live prey tastes so much better…

Thanks to her deal with the personnel of the Third Inner Stanza Border Checkpoint, she was able to confirm that the most delicious part of eating a blue-colored nervous system is when it's still alive.

Once the food dies, each second that passes, the taste would start to deteriorate…

She untied her robe and let it fall to the floor as she went over to the cabinet, opened it and took out a box before returning to the bed.

Inside the box were some extra clothes that she bought earlier when she was window-shopping -- a black hooded cloak, a one-piece semi-loose black dress, a pair of black sandals, and a piece of black cloth to tie around her head and cover her mouth.

She began wearing them.

The Temple would provide us, guests, extra clothes…

But for what I'm going to do tonight, it's better to be safe than sorry…

Once she was done, she went over to her window once again and opened it.

One more time…

She swept her gaze around and strained her ears for the second time.

Yeah…

I think it's safe…

I just hope that my neighbors in the next room are sleeping or have no intention of coming to my room to peek at me…

She placed her foot on the window sill.

Hopefully, I can score a family of three…

Wooom!

She turned into a blur as she jumped out and disappeared under the veil of the night.

***

Inside a rundown and quiet tavern.

There were only a handful of patrons present at the establishment, each busy with their own world. However, all patrons, including the staff, had the air of a seasoned fighter around them.

Gabriela was still wearing the attire she wore the whole day -- a set of leather armor with a red cape and a belt pouch around her waist -- and was sitting on a chair in front of a bar.

In front of her was a half-empty mug of beer and one last piece of skewered meat along with barbecue sticks.

The barkeep was lazily sitting down on the corner behind the bar scribbling on a piece of paper and there was a man sitting beside her holding a mug.

"So what are you going to do?" the man beside her asked in Marbleamean.

She grabbed her mug and took a sip before putting it down.

"Whatever traces that a Demon was there were completely wiped out," she replied in Marbleamean without looking at him.

"That's assuming that there was a Demon to begin with. Or are you really buying the story of that little Aristocratic Noble? And now that I think about it, I've heard some rumors that the Baron and Viscount plan to announce a wedding engagement at the upcoming Feugo Festival."

She turned to him.

The man was in his early 40s with red hair and had the typical tanned skin of Marbleameans. And although he was neither handsome nor ugly, he had a roguish but sophisticated look. He was only dressed in a white shirt, pants and a pair of boots, but just like the rest of the people inside the tavern, he had the air of a seasoned fighter around him.

The tavern that they were currently at, although rundown, was an inclusive one where only seasoned fighters gathered and was located in a somewhat dangerous neighborhood. To the average or common people, even if they were brave enough to come to the neighborhood, they would be blocked at the tavern's entrance. To the aspiring and upcoming fighters, they would have to be tested first before they could enter. And to the local officials who would come to grace the place with their presence once in a while, although no one would dare to stop them, the patrons and staff had a script on what to do whenever they visited.

"Old man Ramirez and his group might not be as powerful and influential compared to the local and legal organizations. But in the crime world, they were a formidable force to be reckoned with."

"Then either the local Lords got tired of them and wanted to replace them or perhaps an old enemy from Ramirez's past came to settle a score. You mentioned that none of the other settlements were attacked?"

Gabriela mused for a moment before finally speaking.

"The Baron's granddaughter seems to have a relationship with one of Ramirez's grandsons."

A smile appeared on the man's face and he took a sip from his drink.

"Ah, the plot thickens, an emotionally-motivated crime. You gotta love those."

Gabriela didn't say anything as she picked up her last remaining skewered meat and took a bite.

"As a Mercenary who's at the top of his game, my advice is to drop this case before it's too late. There's too much politics and emotions involved. You will only end up dead no matter the outcome."

She continued to not say anything as she picked up her mug and took a sip.

The man leaned in a little bit closer and placed his hand on her thigh.

"It's been a while. Want to go somewhere else and fuck each other's brains out until the sun rises like last time? I'll pay for the damages as usual," he said with a seductive smile as he expertly massaged her thigh with his fingertips.

Gabriela finished the rest of her drink and then placed a few coins on top of the bar before getting up.

"I'm not in the mood right now."

And before she could hear the man's response, she already made her way to the exit.

***

Vivian's brows knitted together as she walked down an empty street and stared at the buildings.

What the hell…?!

I never thought this would be a problem…!

All of the buildings' infrastructure had medieval aesthetics but were built for the hot weather of the Marbleam Kingdom so there were many balconies and open-air taverns or shops where people could sit and chat outside if the weather was sunny. However, due to it being the rainy season, all windows were closed.

And even if I were to break in through the windows, most of them are made of wood…

There would be a lot of noise…

I could go to a richer neighborhood where the windows would be made of glass…

But there would be a lot of guards patrolling…

Fuck me…

She then noticed three blue-colored nervous systems from a distance on the side of a street.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak.

Her left eye reverted back to its human form.

There were three men at the side of a street near a lamppost. One was dressed in a Guard's attire and standing, while the other two were wearing civilian clothing and sitting down on a crate with a bottle of wine on their hands.

Vooom!

Vivian used her full speed to turn to a narrow alley sandwiched between a shop and a house.

I must avoid Guards or anyone who works or is related to the local authorities…

She scrunched her nose.

What's the smell…?

Smells like a pissing area…

Disgusting…

She fixed her bandana.

This useless bandana isn't masking the smell at all…

She forced herself to ignore the smell and quicken her search for the exit of the narrow alley.

Now that I think about it…

Where am I going to eat the food once I find one…?

It's not like I can just eat them on the street…

She shook her head.

I need to think positive…

I'm already here…

If I ever encounter someone, chances are…

They're near an open establishment…

Or I could bring their body to a dark corner…

Maybe I should try that street where there's a brothel...?

She shook her head mentally.

Given that it's a brothel, there would be a lot of customers standing outside or nearby...

***

Gabriela was making her way through a dimly lit narrow alley.

Normally, she would use the streets to traverse throughout the village. But at the moment, she just wanted to go home right away so she decided to take some shortcuts.

She exited the alley and found herself on a street but she quickly entered another dimly lit alley. Compared to the alley from earlier, this one was a little wider, enough for two people to pass through together side-by-side, but was longer.

She had already walked about a quarter of the alley when a hooded figure about 5'4-tall donned in an all-black attire appeared at the end, causing her to stop in her tracks. And coincidentally, the hooded figure also stopped.

As a seasoned Platinum II Rank Adventurer herself -- her Physical Force was Rainbow Steel-Spirit Steel and her Magic Force was Rainbow Steel --- Gabriela encountered so many people who would try to size her up regardless of whether it was for good or bad reasons. And at the moment, she could tell that the hooded figure was sizing her up and her years of experience were giving her warning signs by making the hairs on her neck and body stand up.

In fact, she could even sense what felt like a faint bloodlust coming from the hooded figure. She described it that way because it didn't feel like the typical bloodlust. There was something else, a feeling where she only felt from demons and demon-kins that she faced in the past.

A smile appeared on her face.

"You people are already on the move? Seems like I really stumbled upon something big," she said in Marbleamean.

The hooded figure didn't say anything and began walking forward.

Gabriela's mind went on overdrive and a thousand scenarios ran inside her head before she finally made a decision. In the end, she decided to walk forward as well but readied a few things just in case.

When the distance between them was just a few meters away, she was surprised to find out that the hooded figure was a woman. Due to the limited light present in the alley and the attire of the figure, she wasn't able to tell immediately. However, she still couldn't make up the face because the top was cloaked by the hood and the lower half was covered with some sort of bandana.

And when the distance between them was now a few feet away, the hooded figure suddenly moved to the right, catching Gabriela off guard for a moment, but she remained calm and moved to the right as well.

They were already side-by-side and about to pass each other when the hooded figure made the first move. A green water-like aura appeared on her left hand as she reached out for Gabriela's arm.

Crack!

Already expecting for any attack, Gabriela crushed a small ball that was as large as an eyeball on her left hand before closing her eyes and holding it out in front of the hooded figure.

Bliiing!

A blinding white light burst out of her hand.

Chu-psssh!

But before Gabriela could make her next move, the hooded figure reached out for her hand to cover the light and a green mist exploded.

Chud!

Gabriela fell down on her knees like a ragged doll. If not for the fact that the hooded figure was holding her hand which felt like an unmovable steel, she would've already fallen to the ground with her face kissing the dirty street.

"Zon-What zon-the zon-fuck zon-was zon-that?" the hooded figure said in Zonian and then shook her head and blinked her eyes a few times. "Zon-Seems zon-to zon-only zon-affect zon-my zon-other zon-eye."

Although Gabriela was completely incapacitated, she was still aware of her surroundings and heard her attacker's accent. And based on what her ears were telling her, it sounded like a native from the Luxen Kingdom.

And of course, it was none other than Vivian.

"Zon-There, zon-it's zon-gone," Vivian said after casting a spell that Gabriela wasn't aware of and then returning her gaze to her. "Zon-So zon-what zon-other zon-magic zon-tricks zon-can zon-you zon-do?"

Although there were Physical Force, Magic Force and Lore Magic in this world which allows living beings to reach unfathomable heights, they were still made of flesh. And with the right combination of chemicals, they can still be affected.

One example was the Flash-Bomb that Gabriela just used which blinds or disrupts the vision of anyone who looks at it. There were only two ways to cure it. The first one is to wait for a minute until the effect vanishes. Meanwhile, the other is to use the Light Affinity's [Cleanse] spell, the Bard's Class Magic Spell [Ballad], and the Chaos and Lesser Chaos Affinities' transformation spells.

[Cleanse].

Crack!

Gabriela cast a spell and a green light enveloped her body, curing her from her weakened state, which was quickly followed by a breaking sound of a Magic Item. And without letting a second go to waste, she immediately activated another spell and took out another bomb.

[Wind Storm].

Woooh! Woooh! Woooh! Woooh! Woooh! Woooh! Woooh!

A 10-meter-incantation circle appeared above them and strong winds immediately began to gather underneath it with green-colored wind blades slicing everything that was within its path.

Vivian raised her head and marveled at the spell.

"Zon-Is zon-this zon-a zon-spell zon-beyond zon-the zon-High-Tier zon-of zon-the zon-Wind zon-Affinity zon-or zon-Lore zon-Magic?"

Due to the gap in their Magic Force, she wasn't affected by the spell at all. The wind blades would simply disperse upon contact as if they struck an impenetrable wall while the strong winds were no different from a soft breeze.

Psssh!

"Zon-Motherfucker!" she cursed as purple smoke exploded on her face. This time around, it was a Gas-Bomb that causes the eyes of the target or targets to water and burn as if they were struck with pepper spray. It also has a weakening affect, but only normal or average beings would be affected by it.

While still holding Gabriela's hand, she tightened her grip, almost crushing it, and then pulled her closer before throwing out a skill.

[Explosive Fist].

Booom!

An invisible force with a sphere of a meter caused more than half of Gabriela's body to explode into a mist of blood, leaving only the feet up to the knees. And everything, including Vivian, was painted in red, and the [Wind Storm] spell abruptly vanished.

[Greater Origin Transformation].

Blaaak.

The effects of the Gas-Bomb on Vivian's eyes vanished and she wiped off the tears on her eyes.

[Explosive Leg].

Booom!

She finished off the remaining pieces of Gabriela's corpse.

Spit!

She pulled her bandana down and spat on the crater formed by her skill.

"Zon-You zon-stupid zon-bitch!"

Wooom!

And then disappearing into a blur.

Although the [Wind Storm] didn't affect her, the same can't be said about their surroundings and it would only be a matter of time before people would come to check out what happened.

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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

By the way, I’ve posted this chapter at WebNovel, Royal Road and Patreon. However, the main is P-a-t-r-e-o-n (Immortal_Shades) because I want to post pictures and videos there without any restrictions.

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Chapter end