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I immediately turned around and ran as the black figure raised its boney finger in my direction.
"I'lL kiLL yOU LikrU!! LIKrU!! LIkRU!! likRU!!!!!" The figure shouts the name of professor Likru towards me.
Its voice was ghastly, deep and it was like someone had a really bad sore throat, as if it was crudely remade.
As I was running, there were two artificials at the end of the tunnel with about twenty-six more behind them. The two artificial had spears and charged at him.
As if by instinct, I dropped my stance and gripped my long knife in a reverse grip as I charge at them. I remembered the training with that easy-to-bribe captain back in Bellken.
The artificials attacked at the same time, thrusting their spear at my chest. I met the first one with my long knife before the spear stabbed me then I twisted my body to go in between the artificials while also dodging the spear on his left.
The spear on my only left a shallow cut on me, during that, I gripped the knife normally and stabbed the neck of the artificial on my right.
I decided to forget about the artificial on the left as I made a mad dash towards the twenty-six artificials.
Before the artificials blocked off the tunnel, I turned right and dodged the twenty-five attacks from the artificials, however, the last one managed to slash my back slightly.
'Arghhhh, if only I was faster!!!' I screamed internally at myself as I become slightly faster.
Looking back, the silo-like structure begins to burst out with a goopy black substance that seemed to be chasing me.
My death perception said that it will kill me without question so to make sure, I looked at my long knife. It looked like a normal knife but it had a very faint color of pure black with occasionally faint white light in between like stars. "Those things huh?" Finally, I spoke my first words ever since I arrived here.
Three artificials met my way with their swords this time.
"Tch." I clicked his tongue.
I remembered a moment in my training once again. ""If you had only a knife and your opponents had swords, you would be in a quite disadvantageous position so use your natural agility to hit first.""
I dashed to the side before the two swords could slash me. The last one had its sword raised ready to slash but was interrupted with a knife to its neck.
I smoothly grabbed its short sword and then threw my knife into my left hand and this sword in my right.
The two other artificials joined the other artificials in chasing me.
Another artificial tried to slash me with its shortsword which I parried with my knife before slashing it with both of his weapons killing it. I have become somewhat ambidextrous after a bit of training with the twin-blade though I wasn't proficient with it so I had an easier time using both.
I soon reached the tunnel with an exit sign on it. Thankfully there were no artificials and only a small button on the side that roughly reads: "For Emergencies. Shutdown Will Occur After 3 Minutes"
Without hesitation, I smashed the button with my fist. Looking up as I pass the gate, it stopped going probably because of how old this factory was. I panicked as the artificials and black goop were approaching and about to pass.
An ear-piercing sound of metal scraping metal resounded and the two artificials I fought earlier were crushed by a rusty but thick iron gate.
There was a heavy silence in the area with the only sound that can be heard was my heavy panting and beating heart. Soon the thick iron gate was surrounded by the same thing that covered my knife.
I soon concluded that he was safe after seeing the wall which looked like space.
Grabbing a health potion in my adventurer pack, I drank about 1/4 of the small bottle which regenerated my cuts before deciding to find an exit.
The structure where I left was similar to a bunker-like structure which led to that abandoned artificial factory. I decided to go back to the sewer and check if the black thing was still there. As I passed the broken artificials, I found that the hole I fell in was blocked by the same wall that covered the metal gate.
I looked beyond the barrier and saw all of the artificials walking in a sea of black goop which covered their feet. The black figure was silent ordering the artificials with weird gestures.
I decided to wait for the sun to go up while observing them, I thought about the motivation and abilities of that voice that spoke to him at Bellken.
Why couldn't it do more?
Why can't it fight this goop itself instead of relying on others?
And more questions along those lines.
I also entertained the idea of it being the reason for my reincarnation. Hours passed and the inner walls became open to the public. I take off my mask before leaving the sewer.
Many people with formal clothing looked at me funny and some with suspicion but I learned a skill after years of being alone to dispel such suspicions. I walked normally acting like I had actual business here. Soon those people seemed to be convinced by my pretend and brushed off their suspicion after concluding that I was probably an adventurer that had some business with the government or something.
Easily returning to the inn I found the three women already at a table.
"Himura? What's with those clothes?" Freya questioned.
"Been shopping, I only have like 2 sets of clothes," I responded with the same expressionless face. Freya and Alice in response looked at me with suspicion.
It was weird for someone especially a swordsman to wear such light clothing even if said swordsman always takes the rear position.
As if figuring out something Astoria stood up and spoke. "Of course, our cowardly swordsman picked light clothes and not actual armor." Astoria teases.
I seized the opportunity and responded. "Oh shaddup frontline archer, you wear heavy armor even though you use a bow"
"Then do you wanna trade?" She questioned.
"No thanks, probably too heavy for me. I'll get changed real quick." I immediately responded as I quickly headed upstairs, thankfully none of them noticed the cuts in my clothes.
I wore my usual clothing of a dark long-sleeved polo shirt and jacket with also my old shoes.
*****
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Our party returned to the adventurers guild in the late afternoon more exhausted. As always the quest we took on somehow goes wrong again.
"Why is every quest this party has taken on had a 100% chance of somehow going wrong?!" I complained loudly while drinking. Alice nods agreeing with me and Freya laughs with a troublesome face as if she knew something. Himura already left to go somewhere leaving us again.
"Hey, that guy is off somewhere again," I commented.
"Where do you think he's gone?" Freya then questioned.
"I don't know, I noticed that he left last night so I assume that he'd gone to a brothel" I added. Alice then responds to that. "Oh, you guys noticed as well?"
"Yep."
"Yeah." Freya and I responded as we smiled mischievously. "He really thinks, he could be slick with it," I commented and the two women nod in agreement.
"Hachu!" Himura sneezes as he was walking.
'''But what is he doing now?'''
We questioned in our minds. For us, it felt like Himura was leaving us behind though the feeling was faint.
*****
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I went to the same shop where I bought the black outfit and mask to repair the minor damages to the outfit.
As it was being repaired, I looked at the weapons displayed and bought a cheap bow, about fifty arrows, and a dagger which I put in my left shin.
I then rushed to the inner walls of Kliyer, going to the same sewer, and waited for the night as I observed the black goop. This time I brought my katana along with my bow and arrow, dagger, and a long knife.
Night has fallen and I finally made a move.
Grabbing the bow and arrow, I tried to aim but the arrow sways sideways forcing me to correct my aim. I decided to finally give up and put the bow horizontally instead, resting the arrow at the bow.
I estimated the distance to an artificial that wasn't moving before firing but of course, I missed and as the arrow hits the ground, the black goop quickly dodges it.
I checked the arrow and saw the same infusion as my other weapons.
"So those things are a hive mind of sorts or that thing is a single giant being," I said to myself.
Recalling the fight in Bellken, I remembered the time when he managed to slash the black core. It started to disintegrate the core and in reaction, the black goop split itself to avoid being disintegrated completely.
"Fighting this much goop will be a death wish, my slashes will do little damage" I imagined my death in great detail.
For this night, I decided to kill the artificials. Aiming at the same artificial I fired once again missing about 27 arrows before getting infuriated.
"How the hell does Astoria do this?" In my mind, I thought of getting help from his party but I shook my head once again.
'No, I've been a leech to them by being in their party, I should solve this alone.' I foolishly thought.
This reason was the reason I was always distant from them and also the reason I live alone back in my world.
Independence was my rule in life no matter how hard or foolish it was doing it alone.
As I drew my bow again but I felt someone staring at him and it was close.
I quickly transitioned from miserable and sad to becoming alert. Quickly reacting, I drew my katana and slashed in the direction where the stare was.
"Hah!" A middle-aged man screamed.
I stopped my katana next to his neck and looked at him surprised. The only light came from the abandoned factory so it was hard to see the middle-aged man's face but it was clear.
It was the same face that he saw in that pamphlet given to him by the artificial gatekeeper.
"Y-your Professor Likru?" I said surprised.