In a dimly lit, spacious room filled with cozy white beds, the persistent patter of rain against the glass window, with curtains drawn, set an eerie backdrop. Purplish lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the room where two individuals, dressed expensively yet in medieval attires, seemed like the parents of the little blind kid, who was deeply immersed in his coloring book. These individuals stood, each packing their respective belongings in a well-made briefcase and handbag, exchanging furtive yet pitiful glances.
Before long, one of the parents—seemingly the female—glanced toward the blind kid, Izel, engrossed in a particular activity on the soft and comfy bed. “Are you sure about this, Raven?”
“We’ve discussed it,” Raven whispered back, urgency lacing his voice, “It’s for the best.”
As another thunderous rumble echoed outside, Karen paced the room, her heart pounding as she sat down beside Izel. “Sweetie, Mommy, and Daddy have to go out for a little while. Why don’t you stay here and finish your beautiful drawing?”
Izel, his eyes closed, slowly opened his unfocused yet sharp golden eyes, looking up, questioning, “Where are you going, Mother?”
“Somewhere sacred and distant,” Karen replied, forcing a smile even though the kid couldn’t see. It was for the better. After all, it was now or never, or else… Her hands trembled as she proceeded to pack her belongings and zip them up, while Raven grabbed a couple of bags. “We’ll be back soon.”
Raven moved toward the door, trying to mask the sound of his heavy breathing. “Take care of yourself, Izel. Be a good boy.”
Izel’s white brow furrowed, sensing something was amiss according to the strange bodily responses he could sense using his [Sound Reading], but he didn’t know what. “Can I come with you?”
Karen, who had tried her best to stop caring about the cursed child she had given birth to, hesitated once again, perhaps prompted by maternal instinct. Her heart pounded, her voice shaky. “Not this time, darling,” she said, her words trailing off as she couldn’t help but retract her steps toward her son, who had just stood up on his feet. Squatting to his height, she brightened and said, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes, “All I can tell you is that it’ll be better than before… if you’re on your ‘own’ now!”
Raven barely spared a glance at the child he was leaving behind as he opened the door, rain intensifying as he stepped outside. He lingered momentarily, his golden eyes meeting Izel’s dull gaze one final time before donning his bamboo hat, while his wife donned a well-made cloak.
As Karen’s boots touched the doorstep, Izel’s gentle voice cut through the silence.
“Mommy, Daddy, you forgot your umbrellas!”
Karen and Raven froze, their hearts sinking as they bit their lower lips in disgrace and embarrassment. Despite being labeled cursed, Izel remained a kind and carefree child. Overwhelmed with regret, they could not bring themselves to turn, only Karen managing to glance back to see Izel holding out two colorful umbrellas.
“Thank you, sweetie,” Karen said, accepting the umbrellas and pulling Izel into a tight hug. “We’re sorry, Izel, for bringing you into such a terrible world and era like this.”
With that, Karen and Raven stepped out into the storm, closing the door softly behind them. They stood outside for a moment, the rain poured down the umbrellas as the chilly breeze wafted, trying to gather themselves. The guilt, embarrassment, disgrace, and regret gnawed at them, but they knew they had to do this for his future.
As the door closed behind them, Izel felt the steps of his parents getting drowned out in the relentless downpour. A sinking feeling settled in his stomach as he navigated his way up the bed to the window, quickly pulling away the curtains. He concentrated on his [Sound Reading]—echolocation. Yet, he wasn’t fast enough as the rumble of thunder collided with the earth, the sound of his parent’s footsteps fading into the darkest of night. Unable to see how his parents clutched onto the umbrellas he gave them, he wondered why they had to leave. Was it because he was called a cursed child? Or was it something else? As a very frail child with slow growth and limitations, he couldn’t answer such questions all by himself. All he could do was hope they would come back soon.
Outside, the relentless downpour continued, each raindrop mirroring Izel’s growing sense of abandonment settling stone to the beginning of his loneliness amidst the darkness.
… Mother… Father
Don’t leave… me.
“I’m scared.” Tension began to grip the boy’s heart.
— — — — —
Foggy memories flooded his mind, memories he seemed to have forgotten, as his [Sound Reading] honed in on the Border Hunters. They appeared to be mostly, or at best, ‘S-Rank’ before him. Their bodies, their aura, and even their bodily responses were well-developed and imposing. Unlike other High-Hunters like Velkist Cambomir or Anastasia Dunaleff, who held considerable positions in the ‘Eliliuam Continental ranks’, these hunters didn’t carry much weight. However, to the unknown blind teen, who possessed nothing beyond balanced muscles and lacked an intimidating aura, they were proud of their lean, muscular bodies and strong presence.
“Bring that bastard out!”
One of the border Hunters, seemingly the leader, commanded as his face convulsed with anger for no apparent reason.
“What an asshole, pulling tricks on Miss Sirin!”
From the moment they laid eyes on the unfamiliar blind teen, an inexplicable fury coursed through them. Thoughts of dragging him out and teaching him a lesson consumed their minds.
“It would be better to just follow along—”
“Unless you wouldn’t mind us using force to drag you out—”
The Border Hunters grabbed the teen’s arms and exerted force, yet despite their efforts, the teen remained unmoved.
“Hik—!”
“Huh—?!”
Veins popped out of the foreheads and arms of the Border Hunter as they applied both their physical strength and the interface’s strength, enough to drag him out, but they still couldn’t move the man. It was then, they realized that something was wrong.
“Hmm—?”
“What? You bastard!”
The teen, with a serene smile, spoke for the first time.
“… Can you let go of my hand now?”
It was a very soft and respectful question, which, by the way, sounded strangely clear. Despite having a hint of respect and politeness behind those words, the Border Hunters felt goosebumps rising up their spines. Their whole bodies stiffened, and their hair stood up. Their instinct whispered that they had to stop there. It was dangerous to proceed any further. However, their pride did not allow them to retreat like this.
“What nonsense are you spouting?” one of them snapped, clearly agitated by the calm response.
“I suppose we have to use force!”
The Border Hunters raised their mana, attempting to bring down the teen in front of them. However, no matter their efforts, the teen’s body remained unmoved. It felt as though some gravitational force was holding him in place. Despite his androgynous, slender physique, with only well-balanced muscles, unlike their lean, firm ones, his body seemed as though it were made of iron. Could the teen’s strength exceed [50]? At that moment, the Border Hunter felt a sense of crisis and attempted to retract their hand from the teen. Just then, a delicate, feminine hand with quite flexible fingers, infused with an eerie purplish-darkish [Flame], loomed over quite unexpectedly.
“Keuk!”
“Kurkhyuk!”
The Border Hunters who had laid hands on the teen suddenly collapsed, emitting agonized screams. Their eyes rolled back, and white foam bubbled from their mouths. Unable to comprehend what had transpired, the remaining Hunters summoned their swords, rifles, and pistols, and raised their guard. All they witnessed was a blur of swiftly moving fingers, each imbued with a flame-like essence, touching the forehead of every Hunter. Though still breathing and alive, they slumped into unconsciousness. Yet, they couldn’t help but shout in confusion—.
“What have you done?!”
“Do you want to die?!”
At that moment, the teen raised his body, picking up his cardigan high collar cloak. He gently placed them on Jane’s body, who wasn’t wearing a single thread.
“I-Izel, don’t kill them!” Jane hardly spoke out, wrapping her arms around the teen’s body from behind. She hugged him, seeking a response. Exhausted, she could hardly muster the energy for proper conversation. In all honesty, she knew Izel wouldn’t mindlessly kill them; his earlier actions proved it. ‘Come to think of it…’ she briefly pondered. From the memories she saw in his mind as she tried to relieve his accumulated trauma, depression, despair, and grief, she remembered him using that ability before. Particularly three times. One was against a monstrosity she couldn’t fathom, how and where it originated from, and how the blind teen found such an existence that wasn’t meant to be born. ‘Focal point, is it?’ she recalled the name the blind teen gave the technique. She might not fully understand how it works like he does, but—.
She knew it wasn’t taxing on his mana and the [flame] energy he condoned. He was able to disrupt blood flow in a specific part of the brain, incapacitating them without killing them but causing them to forget certain details of their memories. In other words, it was a skill with a flaw, a basic strategy when dealing with weaklings, without feeling grief for unknowingly slaying them.
‘Hah, it was a skill that suited him quite well.’
Inwardly concluded, Jane, possessing astute judgment of the situation, should have persuaded the Hunters and the owner of the Red Heaven Tower to exercise patience for a proper resolution. However, Jane didn’t even attempt to do so, for they had barged in without so much as a knock, displaying a blatant disregard for her dignity as a lady and a former influential Ranker. Thus, she feigned ignorance of the situation.
“…”
Nodding as if he shared Jane’s sentiments, Izel spoke again.
“I’ll be departing in three hours. I’ll be quiet until then, so kindly don’t disturb me.”
His voice was calm, low, yet distinctly audible, akin to a tranquil autumn stream, yet laden with the weight of thorns aimed at their very souls. Indeed, the Border Hunters and Sirin Milia felt as if countless thorns lay in wait, poised to strike depending on their response.
“…!”
“…!”
“…!”
Their bodies trembled under the overbearing pressure, cold sweat breaking out on their palms. It was the first time they’d felt this way since facing Mattis Dean Karl, the Head Hunter of the [Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency] of the [Entertainment Section]. However, now it was a fragile blind teen looking down on them, exerting such pressure.
Meanwhile, Izel wasn’t in a good mood. His longed-for rest had been interrupted just when his mind was beginning to free itself from the accumulated traumas, depressions, regrets, and grief. Indeed, his once partially stable mind was now clouded again by murky distant memories of his parents, slowly veering back.
After seven hours of therapy sessions with Jane Austen, delving into the depths of his frail and cracked mind, he finally found inner peace. Despite facing seven raids in just as many days, each fraught with unfathomable dangers that a blind teen shouldn’t have survived, he barely scraped through each time. Along the way, he acquired what he lacked: friends he could trust with his back to in his time of need, a clear goal, and a vision to strive for. Upon his return to Eliluam, he obtained a new ‘Hunter ID of B-rank’ and exacted revenge on Velkist Cambomir, amassing wealth in Lupin by selling items from the Fortress. Never mind the unexpected skills bestowed upon him by the ‘Moderator’ on the magical train, after discovering the involvement of the [Cascade] Guild with acolytes and hidden Hunters in the [First District]. Also…
‘I had a fake identity,’ he briefly pondered, reflecting on his journey since his invitation to the Fortress of Dungeons. Though it had been just 27 days in an alternative world and four on Eliluam, he was grateful to finally glimpse light after enduring 31 days of overwhelming darkness. If an average blind teen had gone crazy without being able to endure it, he wouldn’t have slain the Dealer in the B-rank Raid. But after spending time with such a heavy burden in darkness, Izel was unable to endure it any longer. After all, before he was a hunter, he was human and would forever be. Or at least that was what he hoped…
Izel himself was unaware, but his body odor, once familiar to Jane, had intensified. Was it due to her succubus nature or her former status as a Ranker? Why was Mable, the ex-hunter, the only one who seemed unaffected? She knew Izel visited the [Entertainment section] not for the mainstream ‘goodies’ but for his mental well-being. Could it be because she had given birth or because of her self-control and hunter’s tolerance?
In truth, after Izel’s departure to his apartment upstairs, Mable, for a brief moment, felt hot and coquettish, although she couldn’t pinpoint the cause. At the time, she thought perhaps it was because she missed her ex-husband or hadn’t had intercourse in a while. It was no wonder Anastasia Dunaleff had a higher self-tolerance and resistance and was quite used to Velkist’s unique body odor, so she was somewhat immune.
All in all, the former faint body scent of the blind teen had skyrocketed to great heights, so the more intense his feelings and sensual mood, the stronger the body odor, and the more the woman fell into a frenzy. However, ‘each’ and ‘every’ woman had their ‘own’ fair share of resistance and tolerance. So, the reason the scent stirred Jane’s senses and mood was that she felt the same about him and had intercourse with him numerous times before for therapy purposes, so her body was more attuned to his scent, unlike other men.
To think he was just about to clock twenty years of age this year, yet, the thought that he had carried that accumulated trauma just a while longer in pitch-black darkness, just before he entered the Fortress again after seven days, intensified his emotions and mood when Jane stirred up her succubus powers to delve deeper into his psyche. Caught in the moment as If starstruck, he gripped her harder, making him covet her for a whole seven hours without thinking. It was kind of like a reward for his unwavering strong fortitude, desire, undying energy, and stamina, making Jane Austen utterly exhausted and quite mentally weakened at the moment. Indeed, now, she couldn’t even think of any other man other than Izel.
As Izel gestured for them to quickly vacate the room, the leader of the Border Hunters, with shoulder-length grey hair and seemingly in his early thirties, bellowed harshly, “What nonsense are you spouting after doing this to my comrades? Can’t you restore them to their normal state?”
“Of course, in a day or two, they’ll regain consciousness, but I can’t assure you they’ll forget a few details about today. So don’t bother me and step out.”
As usual, the focal point, triggered by a certain wavelength distorting amidst the thousand frequencies and waves emitted by the human body, resided primarily in the brain before branching out to every part of the body. Experienced Hunters or those in higher ranks within the ‘Eliluam Continental ranks’ had natural ways to shield these flaws. Unfortunately, these S-ranked Border Hunters might have been stronger than him on Eliluam Standard, but they weren’t overwhelming if he fought all out. Despite harboring no killing intent towards him, Izel deemed that aimlessly killing them, without even realizing they were already dead, was quite unsettling when other options were available. So, losing a few details forever was quite a great feat. But still… It was better to at least settle whatever issues with words.
“Forget a few details?” he repeated, the leader’s voice grew sharper with each word as his anger boiled over. “Do you even know who you’re dealing with? Do you think you’ll walk away unscathed after crossing paths with the Border Hunters of the [Entertainment Section]?”
“Huh, Entertainment Section’s Border Hunter?” Izel tilted his head, his curiosity piqued. It was the first time he’d heard of the [Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency] being stationed here of all places. Sure, he knew it could exist, given the Agency’s presence in all Sections within the [First District], but the actuality of it caught him off guard. If that were the case, there was a high likelihood that this section’s Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency, which the hunter before him seemed so proud of, was indeed in cahoots with this establishment. Yet, even if they were formidable, it didn’t faze him. He wasn’t the same as he was 27 days ago, no longer just a lowly F-rank Hunter, dismissed as a blind underachiever and slow learner. Sure, those labels still clung to him, and likely always would, but his perseverance had finally paid off. With Izel’s nonchalant demeanor, as if he were brushing off the significance of the Entertainment Section’s Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency, the leader snapped—.
“How dare you ignore me! I don’t know what kind of trick you used, but it won’t work for me!” The leader swung his sword, infused with mana, and leaped toward him. Seeing the demeanor of their leader, the other Border Hunters followed suit.
“…”
‘Hmm, here we go again,’ He sighed stressfully, realizing the situation was escalating once again. He never wanted things to come to this. In truth, he preferred peace over conflict, especially when he had just found a moment of relief. However, he knew they wouldn’t accept surrender or excuses.
Closing his eyes, he focused on his Sound Reading and other senses. The mana slowly danced around his body, deepening and stirring. With a sudden burst of determination, he infused his palms with a [strength] of 52, veins popping out as he thrust them forward. And then…
[‘Hellflame (?)’ has been activated.]
His palm gleamed with an oily sheen as sparks flared, melding into a searing, purplish-dark sphere that enveloped his arms through the principles of [Mana coating]. Despite the constant efficiency, achievable through the skill [Grandmaster of Mana] augmenting the 2% proficiency of [Hellflame], its potency remained unwavering.
W-WO-WOO-WOOM!
Sirin Milia’s face was contorted with suspicion as her C-rank hunter went amok, drawn to the eerie humming sound emanating from the mysterious skill. She couldn’t comprehend what the skill was or what sinister purpose it might serve at this dangerous moment. Indeed, was this blind teen not thinking of facing the Border Hunters of the [Entertainment section], did he? At least, that was her thought until—.
W-WO-WOO-WOOM!
The blind teen sneered as the sizzling, fist-sized, somewhat unstable flame howled, surging forth from his grasp despite its flaws. The flame gleamed and blazed with intensity, casting a brilliant light through the dimly lit room admired by red neon lights as the Border Hunters drew closer, poised to deal a lethal blow to the blind hunter.
“Heuk—!”
“Keukek! Damn it—!”
“Ugh! What the hell—?”
“Keukek—!”
The Border Hunters, hairbreadth away from ending the arrogant blind teen, like bees swarming toward a flower, grabbed their chests and fell. They threw themselves on the floor, clutching their chests with agonizing expressions etched on their faces. Some had their faces already turned black as a pot.
“Hiick!”
As the blinding light dimmed, Sirin Milia covered her mouth with both hands at the unbelievable sight in terror as her C-ranked mind replayed the earlier endeavor multiple times in a stupor. ‘A high-hunter!’ she briefly thought. If by the overwhelming speed, he moved amidst the blinding light from the eerie flame to slightly touch their chests with his palm one by one before an S-ranked Hunter could briefly acknowledge it, it was clear that he by all means, had reached a rank where he could rank in the 1500s in the ‘continental rank’. Alas, as an ex-C-rank Hunter, she could only see blurred figures of the blind teen’s multiple movement frames. It was a special skill of hers.
Of course, a Ranker like Jane Austen seemed to observe everything unfolding before her slightly opened eyes yet chose to ignore it as if it were inconsequential. With not many influential Rankers like her in the [Entertainment Section] who reached the level to fully grasp the blind teen’s new endeavors, who would be able to compete and put a stop to this teen? Although Sirin Milia wasn’t able to go beyond her limit of C-rank, she knew danger when she saw one. As far as she knew, even Mattis Dean Karl, the Head Hunter of the [Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency], had not reached that rank.
‘Is there such a High-Hunter of this caliber in the Entertainment Section?’ Sirin questioned inwardly as she gulped. Notably, Izel was remarkably handsome now, unlike before. It was hard to believe that a young blind man who was extremely weak and averagely handsome before could possess such an appearance in a matter of months and still be unknown in the [First District]. Her eyes shook anxiously because she knew from experience that there would be constant storms brewing around a person who suddenly stood out like this.
“Kukeuk—!”
“Sa, save me—!”
“Argh—!”
The Border Hunters writhed atop the dark rug, their faces contorted in agony, veins pulsing as if on the verge of bursting.
“…!”
Sirin Milia quickly realized that she had to do something, or else something terrible was about to happen.
“Hi-High… Hunter! How arrogant of me not to recognize such a great person! Please forgive them,” she exclaimed, her voice trembling with urgency.
“…”
‘W-what?’ Izel was aghast, feeling misunderstood as a high-hunter, despite having registered as a B-rank Hunter at the Bureau just yesterday. However, he chose not to correct her mistaken evaluation, knowing it was only a matter of time before he truly became one. So, he played along, his closed, unfocused eyes slightly opening as he responded, “Forgive?”
“Yes! These people were rude without realizing a precious person had arrived.” Her gaze shifted to Jane Austen, lying on the bed, who continued to ignore them. Recognizing her emotional misstep, she added, “I also disregard Jane’s pride as a lady and an ex-Ranker, so we were supposed to be dealt with, but… I apologize for my misdeed. I’ll take care of everything during your stay. How about forgiving them and blaming me instead?”
Sirin Milia sank to her knees, begging for mercy from both Hunters. One of her greatest strengths as an ex-C-ranked Hunter was her keen eyes. Upon barging into the room, she had initially believed she needed to take care of Izel, the pathetically weak blind teen. However, upon realizing that Izel wasn’t who she thought he was, she immediately changed her attitude, attempting to make amends for her earlier rudeness to her high hooker. What the teen had become wasn’t something anyone could just become.
Izel glanced at Sirin Milia with inquiry. Would she have knelt at his feet if she had known he was still as weak as ever? At that moment, a delicate brown-skinned hand touched Izel’s chest.
“…”
As he turned his head, he found Jane Austen draped in a white bedsheet, mustering some strength to get up, gazing at him with sultry eyes. “Please forgive Big Sis Sirin for me. She’s not a bad person,” she said, a cunning smile forming on her cherry-red lips. “What matters is that she understands her mistakes and seems to be learning from them.”
Even without Jane’s request, he had no intention of causing more trouble. He still yearned for rest. In a few hours, he’d move on from this place, but not for the time being, so he nodded to Jane’s plea as his hands returned to normal.
At that moment, Jane’s three sets of illusionary, colorful eyes lit up, their hue deepening. Her mana stirred and pressurized the air as she gently waved her hand. Though it might seem ordinary, she transferred pain relief and alleviating mana, mixed with hints of her succubus powers, to the agonizing Border Hunters. Those hunters lying on the floor widened their eyes and took a deep breath, the pain suddenly disappearing.
It was a testament to Jane Austen’s influential Ranker abilities.
Izel let out a deep breath, closing his eyes before turning to them. “Three hours. That’s all I’m asking. I hope you all won’t disturb me. Tell that to your leader.”
At the blind teen’s stressful yet weighty words, the Border Hunters looked at him with terrified expressions but didn’t say anything. After all, it was only a matter of time before the Border Hunters already had a keen feeling that Izel was a different being from them. It wasn’t just his [speed] and [strength] stats that were far stronger than theirs. The blind teen in front of them was something different. Like rabbits standing in front of an alpha wolf, there was something about him that stood out. Of course, the rabbits were the Border Hunters themselves.
When Jane healed them, they ran away cowardly, leaving only Sirin Milia behind, which made Jane Austen chuckle lightly at their unexpected reactions. Her fist clenched as she knew that now she was standing not only in front of the already overwhelming Blind High-Hunter but also a Ranker. It was as though an even more overwhelming pressure was pressing down on her body, compelling her to kowtow. Sirin Milia asked cautiously, her complexion pale, careful of her tone, body language, and speech.
“Then, what should I do? If you need anything, just tell me,” she offered, her voice trembling slightly.
“As I’ve said countless times, don’t disturb me for three hours,” Izel replied calmly.
“Will that be all?” she asked, her voice shaky as the pressure in the room dimly lit by red neon lights.
“Yes,” Izel nodded casually, “That’s all.”
“Okay. If you need more hookers, please let me know. There are many prettier girls beside Junior Sister Jane Austen in the [Red Heaven Tower],” she said hesitantly.
At that moment, Jane felt her anger rising. How dare the owner say such a thing in front of Izel? Her sweet little Izel. Her mana surged, filling the room with pressure. She wanted to smack the owner’s butt and demand an apology. But before she could act, Izel intervened.
“No, that’s no need. I’m quite satisfied with her,” he said firmly.
“…”
Jane’s eyes widened in shock as the blind teen spoke, a coy expression etching itself onto her face. Her heart, once clogged, now found relief as her pressurizing mana calmed like a tranquil sea after a storm. Sirin Milia, beading with cold sweat, let out a sigh of relief.
Honestly, it’s not that all the other hookers or Joytoys in the Red Heaven Tower are ugly or not worth much. It’s just that his feelings for the succubus were too strong. Plus, only Jane Austen could fully take his mind off his burdens. However, Jane Austen never believed he would ‘actually’ say it. So, her mind, otherwise occupied with doubts of the blind teen, was relieved.
She knew that she couldn’t monopolize this blind teen who covets her so tenaciously, even if they share the same romantic feelings. After all, the more one became stronger, influential, and accrued more honor and wealth as one ascended in the Continental ranks, the more one’s inner greed also soared, seeking more. So, it was a norm of Eliluam. Having been there herself once upon a time, she knew all too well how humans can be. But… Izel did say he was satisfied with her, indicating he was a man who would settle for one woman. Indeed, a lady isn’t just an object to satisfy his momentary desires and mental needs but a human with feelings. So, she was quite glad… Her thoughts trailed off as the teen’s scent emanating from Izel was too strong for her to continue any complicated thoughts.
THUD!
After Jane Austen ushered the Owner out of the room, she gently closed the door. Sirin Milia exhaled deeply, wiping the sweat from her brow with a napkin. “Phew,” she muttered, before briskly making her way back to her office.
— — — — —
Many rumors swirled in the [Entertainment Section] within three hours of the incident. Some whispered of a blind Hunter sweeping through, clearing out all the hookers and joytoys, while others spoke of a powerful High-Hunter descending upon the [Red Heaven Tower], voluntarily shutting down its business. Despite the speculation, the establishment remained closed, its main door sealed tight without explanation.
It wasn’t until four hours, instead of three hours, that Jane’s services were opened again.
Jane Austen delicately combed Izel’s noodle-like hair, her eyes brimming with mature affectionate emotions as she meticulously rolled his white-silver locks in plastic rollers. After ensuring his perfect curls were properly tended to, she carefully dressed him, adorning him in his cloak, innerwear, and slim-fitted trousers after dry cleaning them. Even his [Cloud boots] received a thorough cleansing, emitting a new scent and gleaming quite neat, fitting snugly perfectly into his body. As Jane wiped Izel’s chest, now cloaked, with hands filled with deep affection, her bat wings flapped slowly. She cautiously inquired, “Izel, where will you be heading next?”
“I’ll be taking [Dirty Jobs] before attempting to raid [Subterranean Labyrinth] for the first time,” Izel stated.
“Is that so?” Jane Austen, seemingly with an idea in mind, suggested, “Why don’t you visit my [Dirty Jobs Audition bar]?”
“I guess,” replied Izel calmly, eliciting a bright smile from Jane. It was one of the last goals he had to achieve on Eliluam before returning to the Fortress: accepting Dirty Jobs and Labyrinths, perhaps even challenging a high-ranking hunter to ascend the continental ranks. Having acquired his ‘Hunter ID’, Jane didn’t bother asking, having glimpsed it in his memories. But there was something else that piqued her interest more.
“Ah, I almost forgot, my dear Izel,” she said with quite a sadistic smile and eyes narrowed eerily.
“What… might that be?” Izel remarked, feeling a strange sense of familiarity in the words, sending goosebumps racing across his body as he tensed up.
“Your bills!” Jane’s sadistic and creepy grin widened. She knew he had just gotten rich, but she also knew how much he owed for her therapy sessions.
“H-how m-much i-is it t-totally?” Tears welled in his eyes, fearing his hard-earned wealth was about to vanish. Indeed, ten hours of private sessions with highly influential ex-ranker and high-ranked Succubus in the [Entertainment section]—no one needed to tell him how much such an expensive meeting, that anyone would kill for, would undoubtedly cost a fortune. However, Izel managed to smile, hoping to hear that there were at least a few million lupins left in his account.
“The total is,” she said, her creepy and sadistic smile suggesting she enjoyed the blind teen’s fake reaction, “¢20,000,000 lupins, plus the loan I previously lent you. Do you want me to give you the full details?”
“…”
At this point, Izel’s mind had finally reached its breaking point. Though he appeared to stand stoically, internally, he felt as though his life force had been drained, leaving him hollow. ‘Ha, no wonder,’ he fleetingly thought, ‘she’s a succubus.’ He had understood the cost would be high, but never imagined it could be this staggering. It was too much; his newly healed mind couldn’t process such overwhelming shock.
“Izel, are you okay?”
“…”
Just who would be okay in this situation? Izel’s tumultuous thoughts cried in seclusion.
— — — — —
After regaining consciousness, Izel collected a receipt for his payment while his Hunter’s kit vibrated.
BEEP!
As tendrils of mana enveloped the orb as it floated to the front of him…
[The Red Heaven Tower has deducted ¢20,000,000 Lupins from your main account.]
[Current balance: 5,499,999 Lupins.]
… the familiar monotone voice droned on about the new changes in his account, leaving Izel still aghast. He gulped, torn between the urge to slump his shoulders and kick cans on the rain-soaked street. However, wearing the bamboo hat he received from Jane Austen, Izel glanced at her for a moment, then pecked her cheek romantically, whispering, “Thank you,” before turning and departing the Red Heaven Tower. A sturdy, middle-aged Border Hunter, accompanied by his subordinates, awaited him.
“Can we talk for a moment?”
The middle-aged Border Hunter, evidently the head of the Entertainment section’s Metropolitan Border Hunter Agency, approached Izel as he tucked the receipt into his pocket. The blind teen’s mind churned with turmoil as he lamented the squandering of his hard-earned cash.
—