Someone said something along the lines of:
'The greatest luxury is giving!'
In that sense, Ali Hassan was one of the most extravagant people. Ali Hassan, who grew up in the slums, used to visit the slums whenever he had time after his awakening. 'Wahaha! I'm here again! You bastards!'
He didn't go empty-handed though. Every time he went, he brought a truckload full of bread. He squirmed at the beggars who looked up to him, sprinkling bread all over the place on the top of the truck. 'Hey, do you see! That's how rich I am! Eat this, you bastards! Uh-huh!'
Good deeds? For noblesse oblige? He's never learned such difficult words. He just wanted to brag. Yes, that's why he started doing it. Even if he flexed a few trucks, it didn't compare to the amount of money the hunter was making in the dungeon. But no matter how much he boasted, there was one thing Ali Hassan would never do.
Give them food, but not money.
'If we do that, they'll just fight each other. Rumors will come and other local thugs will flock here.'
So he gave just enough to keep a stomach from being hungry in the nick of time. Just so that tomorrow's hunger will not be as scary as this evening. Ali Hassan, who knew the psychology of the slums better than anyone, knew the line of deprivation very well.
So why?
One day, the number of people in the slums began to dwindle. There was more and more bread left each day. By the time Ali Hassan found out, many of the beggars were already missing.
"...I didn't know if they had really gone missing, or if it was just a bunch of unlucky beasts roaming the backstreets."
"But I think I've found out why."
Slice!
"Kagh!"
Ali Hassan, who was explaining through Ryo Singh's interpretation, swallowed hard and looked forward. In front of him, a group of strapped dragonfolk lay face down in the mud. They were found by Beru in the back alleys of the slums.
Suho spoke, stomping on their skulls with his foot, looking down at them with a cold gaze. "I'll ask. Who are you?"
"Grrrrrrr."
Reptile-like eyes gazed at Suho with a smug expression. It looks like a mixture of a lizard and a human. Large Star Pieces were implanted in their bodies. He didn't have to bother to answer them, but his name was already in his sight.
[Variant No. 13]
[Variant No. 13]
"Since you are 13, you can talk. And it also means the experiment became an ongoing project."
"Tsk." Antares, who was riding on his shoulders at Suho's words, clicked his tongue in disapproval. Seeing them made it even clearer.
[The Beast Monarch, the King of Beasts, frowns as he recalls the humans who became werewolves who fed upon Grey's blood.]
"Yes. It's a similar situation to back then."
Grip.
Suho tightened his grip on the mutants' heads, and questioned them. "Ryo Singh, translate. Are you with the Foreign Religion?"
"Gurrrrr I don't know!"
"Where have you been arresting people?"
"I don't know! We don't know anything!"
They snarled with venomous expressions, and blue blood flowed from their eyes. Iron, a former priest of the Foreign Religion, and Greed, a former high priest, recognized it and advised Suho.
[They are already firmly possessed by the Star Piece.]
[If their mind is contaminated to this extent, there is no choice but to kill them.]
Suho nodded and interrupted the useless conversation. "Got it. Then I'll directly ask your soul."
Slice!
Without hesitation, Suho smashed their skulls and immediately extracted their shadows and turned them into soldiers. "Guide me to your home base."
* * *
The dragonfolk, who had become Shadow Soldiers, obediently led Suho to their hideout.
"Kubera Guild?" Ali Hassan, who was following Suho behind, had opened his eyes wide upon recognizing the place.
"Do you know this place?"
"I just know the name. It's a small guild of about 10 people." According to Ali Hassan's explanation, there are a total of 17 guilds operating in Imphal. With the exception of the Imphal Guild, the only medium-sized guild among them, the rest of the guilds were all small guilds with only about 10 members. Of course, it was not possible to gauge the strength of a guild simply by the number of guild members.
Like the Woojin Guild led by Suho, the Guildmaster has overwhelming skills that no one else can match. There were also a handful of elite guilds where individual guild members were as good as a single party. But even with all the incidents, there was no chance that Suho would be overwhelmed.
Bang!
Without even bothering to open the door, he smashed the wall and went inside.
"Who's there!"
"...."
While the mutants inside were startled and ready for battle, Suho's eyes went elsewhere.
"...Oh my God."
Ali Hassan slumped to the ground, his legs giving out.
A prison– No, a chicken coop. Along the cramped prisons, barred with flimsy iron bars, squalid beggars crouched alongside each other. And in their bodies were Star Pieces that seem to have been forcibly implanted on...
Kieeee!
The moment he witnessed them being trapped in a laboratory and their skin mutating like reptiles.
Thump.
One emotion vanished from within Suho.
"Harmakan."
[Yes, my lord.]
"Kill."
Wowahh!
[Harmakan has activated 'Instant Dungeon'.]
Harmakan immediately exterminated the hunters of the Kubera Guild and turned them into experience for Suho. He looked at Suho, checked on the condition of the detainees, and reported back to his lord.
[Fortunately, the majority of them haven't had the Star Pieces transplanted properly as of yet, there might be a possibility for me to recover them.]
"That's good." But Suho's stern expression showed no signs of fading. Ali Hassan said that the number of people held here was too small compared to those who disappeared from the ghetto. "I'm sure the same will be true for other small guilds! Our Imphal Guild is a medium-sized guild, but the rest of the smaller guilds have long since fallen under the umbrella of the Asura Guild."
"We don't have much time." Liu Zhigang's eyes, which had been silently watching all this devastation, were quietly glowing. Perhaps the reason why the current situation is so unpleasant is because it reminds him of his past life.
At least there was some romanticism back then when competition between guilds was fierce, but the premise was that all of humanity would work together to fight against the magic beasts.
But now...
"It's disgusting. Humans experimenting on their kind and turning them into magic beasts. It would be unthinkable in the past." Liu Zhigang drew his sword.
* * *
BANG!
"Who are you?"
"Liu– Liu Zhigang?!" The hunters of Imphal's other small guild, the Lama Guild, were shocked to see the face of the rogue who suddenly burst into the office.
"I'll ask. Are you with the Foreign Religion?"
"...What's that?"
"You're late in answering. Would the loss of one of your arms speed up your answer?"
Rumble.
"!!!"
"AH, it's really Liu Zhigang!"
Seeing Liu Zhigang draw two blades, the hunters of the Lama Guild involuntarily looked into each other's eyes, and then began to flee in several directions at the same time. Behind them, however, was a long tail that resembled a lizard. Seeing this, Liu Zhigang nodded.
"A leg is better than an arm."
Flash! Slice!
Ahh!!
"My, my legs...!"
Without hesitation, the sword slashed both legs of the fleeing hunters. Blood gushed out. Blue blood. These ones were no longer human. Liu Zhigang left the screaming people on the floor, and ran after the hunters who had fled in the opposite direction.
* * *
Unlike Liu Zhigang, who showed his ruthless hand, Esil was relatively gentlemanly.
Knock knock.
"Excuse me. Is this the Chandra Guild?"
The demons were a race that could understand and communicate with them, and it was no different in India. Of course, simply being able to speak the language did not guarantee a smooth conversation. The door opened, and a hunter appeared, scanning Esil from top and bottom with a wary look.
"Yes, that's right. What have you come for?"
"Are you aware of the kidnappings of beggars around here?"
"...Why are you suddenly being so disrespectful?" (1)
"That necklace."
Gooooooo!
As everyone now knows, the main ingredient in Stardust is demonic blood. Seeing the Stardust necklace around the hunters' necks, Esil's whole body exuded the majesty of a demon noble.
"Take off the necklace for yourself. If you don't, I'll judge you as part of the Foreign Religion."
"...Foreign Religion?"
"Or would you like to be called an Itarim's bastard?"
Smirk.
The moment the word 'Foreign Religion' jumped out of Esil, the hunters' eyes were already tainted with a fierce aura. Their reptilian pupils appeared.
"Who the hell are you!?!"
Esil nodded seeing that the rest of the hunters rushed at her, so she revealed her bloodlust as well.
"I guess I can kill you all then."
Slice! Slash! Slice!
If Liu Zhigang was a ruthless swordmaster, then Esil was a demon, and not just any demon, but a demon of the purest lineage.
"AHHK–"
"SA– SAVE ME—!"
Slash! Slash! Slice! Stab!
Esil slew all those who resisted, and handed over their bodies to the Shadow Soldiers who followed her.
"Send them to Suho." She turned her head and sighed softly, looking at the secret space hidden in the corner of their hideout. "...And tell Harmakan that there are people who have been experimented on here, as well. ASAP."
* * *
Swift and fast. How long did it take for Suho to rob all the small guilds operating in Imphal and wipe out all the hunters who had become part of the Foreign Religion? Half a day was enough. In the process, he ruthlessly killed those who resisted, and after that, he turned them into Shadow Soldiers and found hidden hideouts one after another. He succeeded in rescuing all the people who were trapped there and being experimented on.
Harmakhan's role here was crucial. Fortunately, most of the people who were still being tested were able to remove the Star Pieces from their bodies without difficulty. Harmakan explained why it was possible.
[In the first place, I assume the experiment itself is a process of adapting one's body to the hemolysis and Star Pieces, and once the adaptation is complete, the results will come whether it succeeds or fails.]
And once the results were in, there was no need to lock them up any longer.
[If you fail, you'll become a demon without any reason, just like Mutant No. 8 when you first discovered them, and you'll be abandoned outside the city.]
"And if you succeed, will you be like these guys here?"
!!!
Was it because they made too much noise while trying to rescue people? Before they knew it, Suho found himself surrounded by countless members of the Dragonfolk.
"Where are all these guys hiding?" Liu Zhigang and Esil muttered as they drew their weapons, and Suho glared forward, his eyes flashing. Isn't it obvious?
A place where those who have successfully been implanted a Star Piece feel the most comfortable.
"In the Void."
Apparently there is a Void Gate somewhere in this city.
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1: Esil dropped her formal speech tone (존댓말, jondaemal) to an informal one (반말, banmal)
As for some extra info: the Kubera name refers to Kubera the god of wealth, and the god-king of the semi-divine yashkas in Hinduism. The Lama name likely refers to the Dalai Lama title from tibetan buddhism. And Chandra is the name of the Moon god in hindu.