Half an hour later, the shady cloaked man, flanked by two bodyguards, entered the yard of the Aeshma Familia Manor. Upon entering, there was Enoch and another man who had the appearance of a banker, though I couldn't recall his name.
Gita was still sleeping heavily behind me, her quiet snores indicating she wouldn't wake up anytime soon. I glanced back at the manor below and noticed that the group was heading inside the building.
My newly acquired heat vision couldn't penetrate the walls, so there was no way to determine how many of Aeshma's children were inside. Even if there were 300 of them, to my knowledge, none were above level 3—except for Enoch, perhaps.
Still, I activated my Hastur's Cloak ability, and the golden ethereal light began sparkling around my figure. I wasn't willing to risk anything further, despite my regeneration. I still hadn't figured out its limits.
With one final look at Gita, I descended between the houses that led toward the main street where the manor was located. Landing on the cold stone road, I noticed an old man standing outside his house, staring at me in confusion.
"Good day, kid. What are you doing out here? Don't you know these streets aren't for good youngsters like you?" Despite his age, the old man seemed well enough to speak fluently.
He wore ragged clothes, just like any other regular slum inhabitant. He brushed his gray beard before taking a good look at me. The moment he saw my cat-like eyes, he froze, staring at me in disbelief.
"Old man, you'd better go inside if you don't want to get yourself killed. That fancy place over there is about to become a bloodbath. If you're smart, just go." His breath caught for a moment as he continued to stare at me.
Not a second had passed before the old man decided to start running away as fast as his old age would allow. When I was sure he was far enough, I returned to my previous mission: to rip and tear until it was done.
I was still confused about why I could switch my eyes to resemble those of a snake or a cat. Racial abilities were still unknown to me. I guessed that I was given that option purely for cosmetic purposes.
Still, I couldn't complain since they were quite cool-looking. Even though most people would think of me as a monster or a hybrid, the snake eyes were useful in intimidation tactics.
As I walked by the dark houses, the sunset finally became visible. From the corner of one house, I could see the green yard with the pretty manor inside it. The guards looked like any other generic RPG guards: basic armor, basic spears, and some basic swords.
The important men I'd seen before were inside, and since I wanted to do this the loud way, there was no other option but to purge everyone in sight. With calm, quiet movements, I approached the gate where two guards stood.
"Hey, this area is the private property of Aeshma Familia! Get away from here before you get yourself stabbed, kid," the older guard commanded. Years of experience were evident in his tone.
As I remained silent, the two guards exchanged confused glances, probably thinking I was mentally unstable. A few moments passed before they nodded at each other and opened the gate.
They approached me with their spears ready, amusement and mockery in their voices.
"Looks like you'll be a nice experiment for Aeshma. Your looks could come in handy for his breeding program. What do you say, Brad?" the older guard asked his friend.
"He'll undoubtedly be pleased with this one's looks. The Amazons demand better breeding stock, and this one will just be it! Now, kid, come inside before you get hurt," the younger guard said, reaching out to grab my arm.
As his hand was inches away from mine, an invisible force slammed him onto the ground, killing him instantly. The ground cracked from the impact, and the guard's skull shattered into bony pieces.
The next moment, I dodged the spear aimed at my eyes. The older guard, instead of panicking, aimed for my head. His experience was evident in his calm demeanor, his dead eyes proof of many deaths during his life.
SLAM
I sent him flying into the air. He soared for a moment before falling onto the spiked fence surrounding the manor. Blood spurted from his mouth as the sharp, rusty spikes tore through his body.
Noticing their two comrades dying like mere flies, the other guards panicked and alerted the entire familia. Cries echoed around the manor as the familia prepared for battle. Amidst the chaos, I walked into the yard, killing everyone in my sight.
"WHAT IS THIS MONSTER?!!! GAHHHH!!!" another guard screamed as he was sent flying like a piece of paper. His head exploded upon impact with the stone path around the manor.
Eventually, the guards recognized my strength, and that's when the adventurers of the Aeshma Familia began to emerge. Along with the guards, the adventurers of the Aeshma Familia surrounded me in a circle.
There were various races of higher-level people: Amazonesses, humans, beastkin, and a few male elves who were likely participating in Aeshma's breeding program. Multiple arrows were shot my way, only to be blocked by my cloak.
Fire, storm, and other types of magic bombarded me for a minute or more until only a cloud of smoke covered my surroundings. For a moment, there was silence—a brief calm before the storm.
As I waited for the smoke to clear, I heard a chorus of voices speculating about my fate. They questioned whether I was alive, if their combined attack had worked, and other similar concerns.
Their courage and pride were soon shattered when the smoke revealed me patiently standing in the middle of the battlefield. Corpses, still fresh, marked the mortality of the battle.
As the smoke cleared, I made one heavy push forward, sending the unfortunate ones standing in front of me flying backward. Some died from hitting their heads on the walls, while others were left dazed, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
I spent the next few minutes killing the large group of Aeshma Familia members, occasionally destroying parts of the manor. All of this happened very quickly, and yet, it was puzzling why Enoch hadn't come out.
With everyone outside killed, I destroyed the heavy double doors of the manor and made my way inside.