As Raven woke up, she found herself in an alien place. The room was clean and the lack of grime or smelliness was strange for her. She then remembered that at some point she passed out during the last night's celebration. But now she found a common situation for her.
What now?
She progressed through the first floor of the dungeon and pushed forward to the second level, but, it had been some days since she had been in this city and she still hadn't progressed at all in her quest for power. She wasn't in this city to make friends or have adventures, she had that spine stuck at her side.
'I need to get at least to level 2 before meeting that bastard again if I want to have a chance at beating him' She remembered the hero who humiliated her, getting defeated in one hit was too much for her pride, if at least she had been able to put up a fight and still lose she would just avoid him, but... 'I can't leave things hanging in the air' Her thoughts then shifted to her secondary goal 'And maybe I can find him here too' The bastard who left them, her father.
She got up from the bed and stretched, her body was feeling great.
"『Status Open』"
Name: Raven
Race: Beastman (Cat Clan)
Level: 1
Class: Clown
Strength: 3
Endurance: 8
Agility: 4
Dexterity: 4
Intellect: 8
Luck: 11
Skills
*Masquerade lvl 1
*Emergency Illusion (Passive)
*Fire Butterfly Swarm lvl 1
*Footwork lvl 3
*Daggers lvl 3
Achievements
Act of Mercy
Raven stared at her status screen, feeling a mix of satisfaction and frustration. While her stats had improved, she was still stuck at level 1, and it gnawed at her pride. It felt like she was inching forward when she needed to be sprinting. The increase in her footwork skill was a small consolation, a reminder that every fight was a learning experience, even if progress felt slow.
"How did that damned dwarf got to level 2!?" She shouted annoyed.
As she got out of her room, the maids saluted her, they probably were about to start cleaning the rooms, she returned the salute somewhat feeling weird, she wasn't used to seeing maids, and this was somewhat uncomfortable for her. This is the kind of place where decent people frequented, she was just a scoundrel and felt so out of place.
As she got down to the first floor she didn't see any of her yesterday companions, but that was to be expected, the world didn't revolve around her, and thus took her leave from that tavern. At least she made some progress in the dungeon and now she needed to press forward. She moved toward the dungeon again. Or that was her intention. A voice called to her.
It wasn't a friendly voice, you could even say it was one of those ghosts of the past. Raven froze, her ears twitching instinctively as the voice cut through the morning air. It was low, gruff, and very familiar. Her heart tightened, and she turned slowly, eyes narrowing as she scanned the crowded street.
There, leaning against a stone wall, was a figure that made her blood run cold... a tall, broad-shouldered man with a scar running across his face, his armor scratched and worn but still bearing the crest of the mercenary company she had once been a part of. A three-headed raven, a sign that once rallied her, but now was a scar in her soul.
"Raven" he said, his voice dripping with a mix of surprise and something darker, something that hinted at unfinished business. "Didn't think I'd see your sorry excuse of a face around this place"
She clenched her fists, forcing herself to keep her cool "Gerald" she spat his name like poison. Memories of her last days with the company flashed in her mind... how the kingdom betrayed them, the massive fight that erupted back at the camp, the mutiny, it all happened because Gerald ratted them with the rest telling that they were planning on quit "I didn't think you'd survive that night, what a shame"
He smirked, pushing off the wall and swaggering toward her, his eyes roaming over her as if weighing her worth "You know me... always land on my feet, unlike some others who… let's just say, don't make the cut" He was a towering human, and one of the worst human beings in existence known by Raven.
The cat girl reached for her dagger.
Gerald laughed, a harsh sound that made Raven feel like an idiot "Oh, I'm not here for grudges. I just thought it was funny seeing you crawl like a worm to this place"
Raven's eyes flared with anger, but she kept her voice steady "What do you want, Gerald? I don't have time for your games"
He shrugged, feigning indifference, but his eyes were locked on her, assessing every movement she made, he knew how to get under her skin "Just wanted to see if you were still breathing, you know, I kept hearing since a few days ago about a certain punk who didn't knew her place. Word around town is you've been asking about a certain hero, one that likes to knock cocky idiots just like you on their backsides. You're not thinking of picking a fight with him again, are you?" Just a glance at her face and he knew her answer then he exploded on with laughter "This is precious, you are always picking the worst fights you can imagine"
Raven's grip on her dagger tightened, her knuckles turning white. Gerald's mocking laughter echoed in her ears, grating like nails on a chalkboard. Every word he spoke was a reminder of her failures, her humiliations. But she wouldn't let him get the satisfaction of seeing her break.
"Say what you want, Gerald," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "I'd rather pick a fight with someone out of my league than spend my life licking the boots of others like you"
"That is the fire, that's exactly it" He said clapping "That's why the captain chose to pick you up from that orphanage, you are no more than an idiot that has an eternal death wish, but you are amusing, we always loved to bet if you would come back alive, and I believe people keep doing it even behind your back"
"Gerald! Stop playing with that street rat and let's go!" A somber girl called him, she looked like a servant of the mages.
The man just touched the shoulder of the bandit cat and smiled wholesomely, but his intention was sick.
"Raven, I wish you suffer as much as you can before you kick the bucket" Then depparted laughing.
Raven stood frozen, watching Gerald swagger away with the girl. The weight of his words pressed against her chest like a vise. She wanted to scream, to tear him apart right there on the street, but she forced herself to remain still, she wouldn't risk getting put in prison again, in this crowded place full of stronger people than her.
The people around her continued their daily routines, oblivious to the turmoil that raged within her. She was just another figure in the crowd, a nobody. The cat girl took a deep breath and forced her feet to move. She wouldn't let Gerald's venomous words take root in her mind. She had bigger things to worry about, and wasting time fuming over that scumbag wasn't going to get her anywhere.
'Now that I know he is here, I'm gonna cut his tongue once I get strong enough' She said to herself as she kept moving towards the dungeon, now that it came to this, it was do or die, strengthening her resolve she kept moving to face death once again.