It did not take Kael long to reach the alley again. The same old junkyard stood quiet in the night, and he found the clothes exactly where he had hidden them. He had bought a school bag on the way, and he packed everything inside before boarding a bus toward Renji's place.
"I hope he fixed that door he blasted open trying to kill me," Kael muttered to himself. "He will be shocked when I pull out his gun from my inventory. I will tell him how things went down in the dungeon. He might even laugh. He hated those guys anyway, and they were planning to kill him."
But his thoughts stopped halfway.
Renji's door was open.
The darkness around the riverbank made the scene even more eerie. Light from inside Renji's boat spilled out in a sharp line across the quiet water. Anyone could tell from far away that the door was wide open.
Kael's alertness spiked immediately. This was not Renji's style. Not after opening fire on Kael some hours ago. Renji would have sealed his door with five locks and a chair.
Kael sharpened his hearing. He listened for a heartbeat inside the boat… but there was nothing. Only the night sounds of the riverbank. The water moved lazily. The soft breeze brushing the metal. And frogs singing like they were rehearsing for prom night in the bushes.
He scanned the entire area before stepping quietly into the boat.
Then he froze.
Renji lay on the floor in a pool of blood.
Kael's chest tightened. A sharp ache hit him, but anger quickly followed.
"Oh no… damn it," he whispered. "I should have known. I should have been smarter. Those bastards would come for him… and I left him alone. This is on me. I'm sorry, my friend."
He knelt beside the body and checked more closely. Renji had not died quickly. His fingers were broken. His arms had deep cuts. There were marks everywhere, signs of deliberate torture. A slow, cruel death.
Kael rose slowly, fists clenched so tight his knuckles whitened.
"I will make them pay," he said in a low voice.
He no longer bothered dropping the clothes as planned. Burying Renji would only attract attention, and he could not risk exposing himself.
"Forgive me," he whispered to the corpse. "Our journey ends here… but your identity will live through me."
He splashed gasoline across the boat and lit it. The fire caught fast, eating through the old wood. Flames reflected in Kael's eyes as he turned to leave.
But a car pulled up nearby, and Kael instantly hid in the shadows.
Mr Takeda stepped out.
The man froze the moment he saw the burning boat, then staggered forward until he reached the edge. His knees collapsed to the ground.
"No… Renji…" Takeda whispered, voice cracking. "I should have warned you. I should have told you to leave town immediately. That bastard… that B rank mage. Even after the chief warned him, he still came."
Takeda clenched his jaw and rose to his feet.
"I will not let this go," he said, fury shaking his voice. He turned and rushed back to his car before speeding off.
Kael dashed out of the alley and waved down the first cab he saw.
"Follow that car," he said sharply.
The cab driver nodded and stepped on the gas.
Mr. Takeda parked in front of a rundown motel. Kael paid the cab driver and slipped out, keeping his hood low as he followed him in.
Inside, the air smelled of cheap perfume, sweat and old cigarettes. Prostitutes leaned on walls like salesgirls waiting for customers, and hunters filled the place with loud laughs and crude jokes. It was obvious this was their playground.
Kael kept a steady pace behind Takeda, giving himself enough distance. Before he could take another step, a woman with heavy makeup slid up beside him. She placed her hand on his shoulder and traced a slow line down his chest.
"What a nice slim guy," she whispered with a lazy smile. "I know you will be thick below. Come have fun with me. I will even give you a discount. If you perform well, I might let you go for free."
[Ding]
[Stealth mode is active]
Kael smiled lightly. "Right on time," he muttered. He activated it instantly, vanishing from her senses.
The woman hissed under her breath. "Coward hunters. Why come here if you don't want fun?" She rolled her eyes and moved on, already scouting her next fantasy.
Kael ignored her and tailed Takeda deeper into the building. The older man finally reached his destination. The door to a large room was wide open, and the noises coming out told Kael everything. It sounded like an orgy mixed with a drinking competition.
Takeda stepped inside.
"Roku," he said with a low but angry voice.
Kael stayed outside the door, hidden by stealth, yet he heard every word as if they were speaking beside him.
Roku, the B rank mage and brother of the A rank hunter Kael killed in the dungeon, sat comfortably on a couch while a prostitute rode him like he was a carnival attraction. His lackeys lounged around, almost drunk on pleasure and arrogance.
Kael's fingers twitched. He wanted to end them right there. Renji's death was still burning in his heart.
"Why did you do it?" Mr. Takeda asked, stepping closer. "The chief warned you. He told you to wait. Now everyone will know Tiger Claws killed him. It will make lower rank hunters avoid us. Just because you are strong does not give you the right to kill the weak. This is our world, not a dungeon. Everything you do here will be—"
His words cut short as his feet left the ground. He grabbed at his throat, gasping. Roku's eyes didn't even fully open.
"You are brave today, Takeda," Roku said lazily. "Running your dirty mouth because you think being the chief's little dog protects you. Do you really dare raise your voice at me? I can end your miserable life right now, and nothing will happen."
Takeda struggled as the invisible force tightened.
"I killed that bastard," Roku continued with a satisfied smile. "And I will kill him again if he comes back to life. What amazed me was how he swore he didn't kill my brother and said whoever did it would come for me. Well, I am waiting. Let the monster come out of the dungeon and face me."
He released Takeda, who fell like a dropped bag of sand. The old man coughed, holding his chest, his breath sharp and painful.
"You are lucky I respect the chief," Roku said. "If not, I would have snapped your neck for talking too much."
Kael's anger reached its peak.
[Ding]
[You are not allowed to kill any human without authorization. Failure to comply will stop your heart.]
Kael froze. His jaw clenched. His veins pulsed with rage.
"What the hell?" he growled silently. "First you push me to kill hunters I don't know, and now you hold me back from killing the one who murdered the old Kael? Are you stupid?"
Frustration hit him like a punch. He stormed out of the motel, his stealth fading without him noticing. He didn't look back at Takeda. He didn't care who saw him. His mind was boiling.
High above the street, on top of a tall building where any normal human would tremble to stand, two figures watched him.
"Is he the one?" a female voice asked. Her hair moved like living snakes, each one hissing quietly.
"Yes," the crouched figure beside her answered. He dressed like a ninja, mask and all.
"He looks weak," the Medusa-like woman said. "So breakable. I cannot sense any strong mana from him. How did he do it?"
"He poisoned their water," the ninja replied. "Then waited for the right moment and killed them. Clean and fast. But he is still weak."
"Then he is not worth my time." She waved her hand. "Find me another A rank vessel. The air here is suffocating."
A small portal opened, and the two stepped inside. The portal closed behind them.
Just a second later, Kael turned around and looked straight at the rooftop they just left. His instincts screamed that someone had been watching him, but no one was there.
He shook it off, flagged down a cab and climbed in.
Unseen, behind a broken pillar near the motel, one of Roku's lackeys peeked out with a twisted smile. He had seen Kael, full and clear.
And the grin on his face kept growing as he slipped back inside.