Chapter 17: The dream of a ghoul
Pah!
Pah!
Pah!
Steady footsteps echoed through the dark alleyway as the drunkard finally realized he wasn’t alone.
"Wh... who’s that...?"
"Maria... is that... hic... you?" the drunkard slurred, squinting his eyes in an attempt to see.
But his vision was already fading.
Everything before him was nothing but a blur.
"What the..."
"I thought it was her."
A familiar voice rang out before the figure finally stepped into view.
Bama looked at the drunkard with obvious annoyance.
Of course, after finally changing into his new outfit, he had immediately gone out in search of the Crimson-Eyed Maiden.
Along the way, he had heard all the rumors spreading throughout the city.
He merely sneered.
What do those narrow-minded fools know?
He hadn’t failed.
It was only a small setback.
With this new style of clothing, he was certain he would win her heart.
Soon enough...
She would be his.
Bama confidently walked into the slightly brighter part of the alley, allowing even this drunk bastard the privilege of witnessing his greatness.
---
Meanwhile, hidden within the darkness, Ronan gritted his teeth so hard they would have shattered if he were still a mortal.
It’s this bastard again...
Seriously?
What more do you want from me?
He hadn’t spoken to him.
He hadn’t shown the slightest bit of interest.
He had even run away.
Shouldn’t that have made it obvious he wanted nothing to do with him?
At this point, Ronan couldn’t understand how the Duke had managed to raise a son with such a low IQ.
Ronan immediately realized he had been followed.
The disappointment on Bama’s face made it obvious.
And Ronan was right.
While he had been sneaking around searching for prey...
Someone else had been doing exactly the same thing.
Only...
That person had been stalking him.
Seeing Ronan enter the alley, Bama had been overjoyed.
Yet after arriving...
All he found was a drunkard.
The greater his expectations had been...
The greater his disappointment became.
Was it really this difficult to find such a beautiful maiden?
No matter where she went, she should naturally become the center of attention.
Bama sighed.
He still couldn’t fully understand her.
The fact that someone so breathtaking could hide herself so completely only proved that he still had much to learn.
Meanwhile...
His own handsomeness remained exposed for everyone to admire.
"Should I wear a mask?" Bama muttered seriously, genuinely weighing the option.
If Ronan could hear that thought...
He would have vomited.
Bama?
Handsome?
Not even close.
As Bama stepped into the light, Ronan felt his skin crawl.
Before, Bama had at least looked like a proper noble with an air of superiority.
Now...
He looked no different from a beggar.
The transformation was so drastic that Ronan had to look twice just to confirm this was the same person.
It was a horrifying sight.
Thankfully...
He wasn’t forced to endure it for long.
Because something else happened.
The drunkard finally lost the last bit of strength in his body and collapsed onto the ground.
Meanwhile, Bama smiled to himself.
Even though the maiden wasn’t here...
She was still teaching him how to become a better man.
How to be more humble.
More mysterious.
More elegant.
How extraordinary must she truly be?
Swish!
A sharp sound tore through the air.
Ronan’s eyes widened.
An arrow shot out of the darkness, heading straight toward the muttering Bama.
Judging by the force behind it, the attacker was at least a Three-Star Transcendent.
As a Five-Star Transcendent Ghoul, Ronan noticed it instantly.
He could easily react.
He could even save Bama if he wanted.
But would he?
"Nah..."
"Never."
Ronan shook his head without the slightest hesitation.
He had no idea why Bama was being attacked or who had fired the arrow.
But...
He fully supported it.
Yes!
Kill this weird noble!
As the arrow drew closer and closer to Bama, Ronan became increasingly excited.
A smile slowly spread across his face.
At that moment, he couldn’t help but remember one of his grandfather’s teachings.
"A healthy turtle lives a long life because it minds its own business."
"Listen, Ronan. As long as you mind your own business and don’t interfere, even if something happens right above your head, you’ll live a long life."
— Grandpa Cedric
The words came from a man who had lived to the ripe old age of one hundred and one.
Naturally...
Ronan believed every single one of them.
But...
Man proposes.
Fate laughs.
Just as the arrow came within a meter of Bama...
A transparent barrier suddenly appeared around him.
Bang!
The arrow struck the barrier before falling harmlessly to the ground.
Only then did Bama realize someone had tried to assassinate him.
"Enemy attack!"
Bama cried out in alarm as he turned around.
The moment he caught sight of the fallen arrow, his breath caught in his throat.
This arrow...
It was anything but ordinary.
Its tip glowed faintly in the darkness—a clear sign that it had been coated in poison.
And not just any poison.
A poison designed to make every passing moment until death an eternity of agony.
Hidden in the darkness, Ronan’s mouth slowly fell open.
No...
"No freaking way..."
His eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
What the actual hell?
Just moments ago, he had been imagining his future as a Ghoul Lord.
He would finally be able to speak.
Gather information.
Grow stronger.
Then, one day, stand above everyone while countless beauties surrounded him.
He had been...
This close.
This close to beginning that dream.
If Bama had been killed...
Wouldn’t that have been wonderful?
That would have been one body down, and counting the drunkard lying a few meters away, that made two bodies tonight.
Then tomorrow, he could simply find three more, perform the ritual, and evolve into a Ghoul Lord.
It would have been as easy as catching two fish while sitting back and watching.
But that damned barrier had ruined everything.
Ronan felt his dream drifting farther and farther away as his tiny heart pounded wildly inside his chest.
He nearly had a heart attack.
But just as Ronan was lamenting his bad luck, a murderous intent suddenly filled the alleyway.
He only caught sight of a purple blur flashing past.
As it turned out...
The attacker wasn’t finished yet.
A sword thrust shot straight toward Bama.
Ronan could have sworn this attack would succeed.
The barrier should have disappeared after blocking the arrow...
Right?
The dream that had nearly slipped away suddenly seemed alive once again.
Ronan grinned, eagerly waiting for blood to splatter across the alley.
But his hopes were instantly crushed.
The barrier didn’t disappear.
Instead, it blocked the sword as well.
A brilliant light burst from it, illuminating the entire alleyway and sending a signal straight to Bama’s bodyguard, Selak.
At that moment, Selak was stationed near the city’s portal, helping with its defenses.
After all, following humanity’s assault on the Abyss, the situation had become increasingly tense.
Everyone knew the Abyss wouldn’t simply let such an attack go unanswered.
The humans were already preparing for the inevitable counterattack.
Now that the signal had been activated, Selak was already rushing toward them.
And he wasn’t the only one.
The city guards had just finished changing patrols.
They would notice the signal almost immediately.
In fact...
Not just the guards.
Half the city would probably see it.
The light was simply too dazzling.
And the person who suffered the most because of it...
Was Ronan.
He slowly closed his eyes in despair as two lonely tears rolled down his cheeks.
His dreams...
Had been completely shattered.
Both Bama and the assassin simultaneously turned toward the figure clinging to the wall with the tips of his toes.
"M-Maiden...?"
Bama called out in surprise, instantly forgetting about the assassin.
"Just kill me now..."
"No... seriously, just kill me now..."
Ronan cried miserably in his heart.