As soon as Amir stepped out of the shop, he felt it—someone was watching him. A sharp irritation flared within him as he realized how poorly these stalkers were hiding.
"They're practically breathing down my neck," Amir muttered, annoyed. He couldn't even enjoy his food in peace.
His thoughts darkened as he considered the situation. 'This could be a problem. There might be more than one, and I have no idea how strong they are,' he mused, letting out a frustrated sigh.
Taking another bite of his crêpe, Amir decided to play it cool. He had no way of identifying his newfound stalkers yet, so he might as well continue with his day.
He visited various magic shops, gathering supplies for his upcoming battles with magic beasts. Then, he spent hours in the library, poring over books about the empire and its magical creatures, realizing how lacking his knowledge was. As the day wore on, he eventually made his way to a restaurant where he devoured several large steaks with ravenous hunger.
Meanwhile, on top of a nearby building, two figures in dark cloaks observed Amir closely.
"Hey, Ivy, you sure this kid's not a noble?" the first one asked, her voice uncertain. "The boss won't like us messing with that lot."
Ivy pulled down her hood and turned to her companion. "No way he's a noble," she said confidently. "He doesn't act like those arrogant asses. At best, he's the son of a wealthy merchant."
The other woman, Alysia, frowned, still uneasy. "I don't know, Ivy. This kid rubs me the wrong way. Maybe we should leave him alone, just to be safe."
Ivy rolled her eyes, impatience seeping into her voice. "Don't be ridiculous, Alysia! We need to grab him now, before he meets up with his family. What if they have mercenaries? We'd lose out on our biggest payday in weeks."
Alysia lowered her head, reluctantly agreeing. She knew Ivy was right; they might not get another chance.
Ivy, feeling proud of her find, thought of the praise she would receive from the boss. She could even move up the ranks—and maybe pocket some extra cash for herself. "Don't worry," she said, a sly smile on her lips. "As long as we do it like always, we'll be fine. They never see it coming."
By midday, Amir felt satisfied after finishing his steaks. His appetite had been low in the past, used to eating scraps, but ever since unlocking his mana circuit, he found himself hungrier as the day went on.
'It's about time I deal with them,' Amir thought, finally deciding to confront his stalkers. Though they hadn't made a move, he hadn't let his guard down for a second, silently observing his surroundings.
Leaving the restaurant, he headed toward the south of the city, the same way he had entered. After a brief conversation with the guards at the exit, he secured his pass, ensuring he wouldn't have to pay to re-enter.
The forest beyond was dense, teeming with vibrant, colorful flowers. Compared to the forest near his village, this one felt immense, as if he were lost in an ocean of green.
As he walked deeper into the forest, Amir stopped, scanning his surroundings with sharp eyes. 'So, they followed me out here,' he noted, sensing their presence. They must be confident enough to fight off a few magic beasts.
Still unable to pinpoint their exact location, Amir didn't like the idea of being ambushed. 'This seems like the perfect time to try it out.'
Suddenly, he bolted in the opposite direction, running at full speed until he could no longer sense his watchers. Finding the largest tree nearby, he dashed behind it—and vanished.
Moments later, the two cloaked figures appeared at the spot where Amir had disappeared.
"Shit! Did he know we were watching him the whole time?" Ivy cursed, glaring at the empty space. "Aren't these cloaks supposed to camouflage us? Goddammit!"
Alysia, equally frustrated, asked, "Ivy, what should we do? We didn't know he had a teleport scroll."
Ivy, upset at wasting her entire day, clenched her fists but quickly regained her composure. "I put a silent tracking enchantment on him earlier. We can still find him. This isn't over yet."
Alysia's face lit up with admiration. "That's amazing, Ivy! I wish I could make enchantments. We'll catch him before he gets away next time," she said with a laugh.
"Oh, I see. You thought I ran away?" Amir's voice suddenly rang out, sending chills down their spines. "Now, what would make you ladies think I'd leave two girls all alone in the forest?"
The two women froze in terror, and Alysia collapsed to the ground in shock. Ivy, reacting quickly, pulled out a dagger and lunged at Amir. But before she could get close, Amir's foot connected with her stomach, sending her crashing into a tree.
With a swift movement, Amir slashed Alysia's Achilles tendon with his sword, rendering her legs useless. A blood-curdling scream echoed through the forest.
"My legs… yo-you cut my legs!" Alysia shrieked, writhing in pain as tears streamed down her face.
Amir, unfazed, pulled out a rope he had bought earlier and used it to bind Ivy to the tree. He then dragged Alysia's body across the ground, positioning her in front of Ivy before casually sitting on her like a chair.
"So, I know you're both in a lot of pain, but I'd really appreciate it if one of you lovely ladies could tell me why you've been following me," Amir said with a chilling smile.
Ivy, her vision blurred from the pain, struggled to comprehend how a mere child could possess such power. She coughed violently, her stomach churning from the force of the kick.
"Hey, I need you to focus, Ivy," Amir said, his tone deadly serious. "Your friend doesn't look too good, and my patience is wearing thin."
The calmness in Amir's voice terrified Ivy even more. "I... I'm sorry for attacking you," she stammered, her voice pleading. "We never planned on hurting you, I swear."
Amir, unconvinced by her words, tilted his head, impressed by how quickly she tried to turn into a helpless little doll, as if she hadn't just attempted to kill him. Without hesitation, he drove the dagger deep into Alysia's leg.
"AHHHHH!!! NO, NO, please make it stop! I'm begging you!" Alysia wailed, the pain intensifying as the dagger hit bone. Her eyes became bloodshot as she desperately tried to drag herself away, but her body refused to move.
"You piece of shit! Stop it!" Ivy screamed, unable to watch her friend suffer any longer. She turned her head away, her heart pounding in fear.
Amir could see the terror in their eyes, and a twisted smile crept onto his face. This was exactly what he wanted. Pulling the dagger out of Alysia's leg, blood gushed out, staining the ground and running down to Ivy's feet. The sight pushed Ivy to the brink of mental collapse.
"Listen, all I really want to know is why you were following me," Amir said, his voice low and menacing.
'She must've been targeting me from the moment she spoke with me earlier today,' Amir thought, piecing it together. Thinking back, it was strange how she insisted on knowing my name.'
He considered the best way to get the information he needed, deciding that torture might be the only way to make her talk. She doesn't seem too affected by the idea of this other girl dying. Maybe torturing her directly will be more effective.
"Maybe you'll tell me what I need to know if I strip the skin from your bones," Amir suggested, his voice cold as ice.
The terror that washed over Ivy was palpable, reminiscent of the fear she felt when the boss got angry and lashed out at underlings who failed missions.
"WAIT, PLEASE!" Ivy cried, desperation in her voice. "We only wanted to take you back to the boss so we could ransom you back to your family for money. Believe me, I beg you!"
Amir watched her closely, detecting no lies but remaining unimpressed. He believed she at least wanted to rob him. 'If people are going to keep attacking me, maybe this rich-kid facade isn't worth it,' he thought, irritation flickering in his mind. I can't be bothered with watching my back 24/7.
Just then, Amir sensed something approaching. He quickly stood up, using his newly acquired technique to conceal his presence, before bolting in the opposite direction.
Moments later, a large wolf, standing over five feet tall with gray fur tipped with blue, emerged from the trees. It bared its teeth in a low growl, its eyes locked onto Alysia.
Seeing the massive Dire Wolf approaching, Ivy's mind broke under the weight of sheer terror. She knew she was about to be eaten alive. Glancing down at Alysia, who had passed out from the pain, Ivy's fear turned to utter despair as the beast came closer.
"No, no, no… this can't be it. Not like this. Not like this!" she whimpered, tears streaming down her face. She struggled to free herself, but the ropes held fast. Unable to move, she felt warm liquid running down her leg.
Looking down she saw Alysia passed out from the pain and the dire wolf getting closer.
"No No No this can't be it, not like this no not like this!"
Ivy tried her best to get away, but she was still tied to the tree making he effort useless.
She couldn't even squirm as she was tied so tightly to the tree. Before long she started to piss herself and cry as the beast got closer.
"No please no I don't want to die noo please."
The dire wolf lept straight for the unconscious alysia and landed beside her and started devouring her arm taking a large chonk out of it making blood spray staining the ground.
Alysia woke up due to the immense pain barely focusing her eyes before letting out a deafening scream of pain.
The dire wolf then took a bit out of her leg and swallowed it whole.
"NOOOOOO! Get away from me you fucking mutt noo stay away." she cried in absolute terror
She used as much strength as she could muster to pull her body forward to escape, clawing at the ground trying to pull herself away from the wolf.
The beast found its prey running away enticing and wanted to play with it more.
It allowed her to keep dragging herself away before walking up to her and taking a bit of her body.
Ivy felt sick to her stomach having to watch Alysia slowly be toyed with and eaten and the terror of knowing she would be next left her in a state of deep fear and woe.
The dire wolf felt satisfied in playing with its meal and now was going to enjoy it in full glory.
Before the wolf could take another bite a dark crescent blade of wind came flying towards it quickly hitting it body and ripping it in half before it could move out the way.
'Guess it was a general class if it came by itself.'
His internal monologue was interrupted by the sound of muffled sobs. Amir turned his attention to Ivy, who was crying—partly in relief that she wouldn't be torn apart by the wolf, and partly in terror because now, something far more dangerous stood before her.
"Please, mister," Ivy begged, forcing a shaky smile. "I'll do anything you want. Just don't kill me."
Amir's gaze shifted to the half-dead girl on the ground, then back to Ivy, who was tied to the tree. He approached her, eyes cold and calculating.
"Anything, huh?" Amir's voice was calm, almost casual. "But what could you possibly offer that's worth my trouble?"
Ivy's breath hitched, panic setting in as she scrambled for a way to save herself. "If you kill me, they'll come after you."
Amir's expression darkened. "Who's 'they'?"
She swallowed hard, sensing the seriousness in his tone. "The Saint Hood gang. They run the entire underworld of this city. And I'm related to one of their captains. If I die, they'll hunt you down. You won't stand a chance."
Amir paused, considering her words. The last thing he needed was more complications.
"Well, shit," he thought, frustration flickering in his eyes. "This just got a lot more complicated."