"Thank you." As Charles finished speaking, James nodded slightly, indicating he was ready to leave. His movements were calm but carried a sense of purpose, his mind already turning to his next steps.
But before he could depart, Charles quickly spoke up, his voice filled with urgency and flattery. "Master, are you sure you don't want the claws and furs from these armored rats? If you'd rather not bother with them, we can handle it for you. It'll only take a moment." His eyes flickered toward the alien corpses sprawled on the ground, clearly trying to curry favor.
James paused, a spark of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "Armored Rat? So that's what they're called. How are they related to the Strange Rats?" He scratched his chin, intrigued by the connection.
"Yes, yes, Master!" Charles, eager to please, replied quickly. "The Armored Rat is an advanced species, just like the Giant Rat. Both are part of the Strange Rat family."
"I see," James mused aloud. The thought struck him that perhaps he too had evolved, much like these creatures, now part of an advanced race himself, a scarecrow warrior. He smiled at the irony.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, he added, "You can keep them. I don't need any of it." He could feel a lingering sense of guilt from taking the blood crystal earlier, even though he had saved their lives. Accepting more from them felt unnecessary.
Charles's face lit up with relief. "Thank you so much, Master." He quickly ordered the mercenary girl to clean up the battlefield, but there was something else on his mind. His voice lowered to a near whisper as he cautiously asked, "Are you heading to find Hyena and his group now?"
James's expression darkened, his voice chilling as he replied, "Yes. There's a debt to settle with them. Why do you ask?" A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes, making Charles instinctively shiver.
"N-no reason, Master. I wouldn't dare question you." Charles waved his hands frantically, trying to calm the situation. He leaned in closer, his voice dropping further. "It's just... the Hyena siblings may only be top G-rank mercenaries, but they're very close to the branch president of the Mercenary Association. Here in this giant cave, the president rules like a king. No one dares cross him. You might want to reconsider if you plan on dealing with the Hyenas."
James's gaze turned to Charles, scrutinizing him for a moment. There was a sharpness in his eyes, and with a slight smirk, he said, "You're no simple man yourself, are you?"
Charles's face broke into a nervous grin, beads of sweat forming on his brow. "Me? Not at all, Master! I'm just a humble businessman, nothing more. I only hear things from others, that's all."
Still grinning, Charles turned to the mercenary girl beside him, taking a backpack from her and holding it out toward James. "I noticed you didn't bring any food or water. Even though you're a high-level master, it's not good to neglect these things. And that girl with you; she can't go without sustenance. I had some provisions prepared. Please, take them."
James hesitated for a moment, then took the backpack. He glanced at the unconscious girl slung over his shoulder and gave a small, appreciative smile. "Thank you. I hadn't thought of that."
He himself wasn't bothered by hunger, but the girl was a different story entirely. Charles had a sharp eye for detail.
"My name is Charles. If you finish your business and find yourself in need, come to the mercenary camp ahead. I have a favor to ask of you, Master. Of course, I'll have the reward prepared in advance," Charles said, his tone slightly more formal now.
James nodded, his expression calm. "I'll consider it. But I don't need money."
"Understood, Master." Charles bowed slightly. "I'll take my leave then and not disturb you any longer."
With that, Charles and the mercenary girl hurriedly left the scene, disappearing into the shadows.
James watched them go, a faint smile on his lips. "What a clever man," he muttered to himself, amused by Charles's shrewdness. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the blood crystal he had taken from Charles earlier. Without hesitation, he began to absorb its energy.
"The host devours the primary Life force crystal and gains 431 points of storable Life force. Please choose to devour or store."
James's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as the system prompt echoed in his mind. "Store it, of course," he whispered, a wave of relief washing over him. It was as though the universe had thrown him a lifeline just when he needed it most, he had been worrying about how to heal his injuries, and now, this crystal had arrived just in time.
As he watched the Life force accumulate, he couldn't help but try using it to mend his wounds. But to his frustration, even with the boost from the Life force, it would still take 6 or 7 hours for his injuries to fully heal.
Seeing the stored Life force drain bit by bit, a grimace of pain crossed his face. "This isn't what I expected," he muttered. He had imagined that if he could instantly heal his injuries with stored Life force, he could keep himself nearly invincible as long as he had enough blood crystals on hand. But reality, it seemed, wasn't that simple.
"Still, it's only fair," he conceded to himself. After all, such power needed limits.
His eyes, now glowing with a cold red light, sharpened with renewed focus. He clenched his fists, determination hardening his expression. "Time to settle that score," he whispered, his voice carrying the weight of his impending vengeance.
"Brother..." Hailey glanced uneasily at the drugged mercenaries lying on the ground, her voice filled with hesitation. "This... doesn't feel right. Maybe we shouldn't kill them?"
"What do you know!" Harvey snapped, his voice harsh. "They've seen us. Do you really think we can let them crawl back to camp and report me? Use your head."
Hailey bit her lower lip, clearly torn, but she didn't dare argue. Silently, she stepped toward the unconscious mercenaries, her footsteps hesitant as she approached the nearest one. Kneeling beside the man, she drew a dagger from her belt, its blade gleaming ominously in the dim light.
Her hand trembled as she held the blade against the mercenary's neck. The man was still sound asleep, oblivious to his impending fate. Hailey's eyes flickered with doubt. For a brief moment, she seemed frozen, but then she steeled herself, gritting her teeth. With a swift, brutal motion, she cut his throat.
One by one, she moved to the next mercenary, and the next, her face becoming more rigid with each kill. Blood stained the ground beneath her, pooling around the bodies, but Hailey's expression hardened with each act. As she stood up, her face splattered with blood, Harvey, watching from the side, nodded approvingly.
"That's my good sister," Harvey said, his voice filled with pride. "Remember, the president himself said we could make as much noise as we want. The more chaos we create, the better."
"Yeah," Hailey responded, wiping the blood from her face with a grim smile. She didn't care much about the president's plans or his twisted desires. All that mattered was her brother. As long as Harvey survived this madness, she would be content.
Yet, deep down, a dark thought gnawed at her. Could someone as reckless as her brother really survive in a place like this, teeming with powerful mercenaries and hidden dangers? A shadow crossed her eyes, but she quickly buried her doubt, masking it with determination.
"Why are you just standing there? Let's move." Harvey's voice cut through her thoughts. He was holding his nose, clearly disgusted by the bloody scene they were leaving behind.
"Coming," she said, forcing a smile and quickly catching up with him.
Meanwhile, in the shadows nearby, James had been silently observing everything. He stepped out from his hiding place, his eyes cold as he surveyed the blood-soaked ground. Without a word, he extended his hand and began absorbing the Life force from the fallen mercenaries. As the energy flowed into him, he glanced toward the departing siblings, a sneer curling on his lips.
"What a pair of lunatics," he muttered under his breath.
Thanks to the information Charles had provided, James had tracked Harvey and his sister here. He had witnessed the ruthless way Hailey had cut down the mercenaries without hesitation. His fingers clenched, and with a thought, a large sickle materialized in his hand, its blade glinting ominously. He was just about to charge after them when something tugged at his attention. He turned his head to check on the girl he carried on his back.
"Awake?" he asked softly, noticing Laura stirring and rubbing her swollen eyes.
"Ugh, your voice is so annoying," Laura grumbled, her face scrunching up in displeasure. "I just woke up, and your voice is already hurting my ears."
James's expression darkened, his patience thinning. "I can always just leave you here, you know."
Suddenly realizing her situation, Laura's eyes widened. "Wait, wait! You tied me to your back?!" Her voice was a mix of shock and disbelief.
"You've been asleep for two days," James replied with a sigh, barely containing his irritation. "What was I supposed to do? Leave you behind?"
"You... you idiot!" Laura stammered, her face flushing with embarrassment. "You could've just carried me! Or tied me up somewhere else. I'm a girl, after all. You could've at least; Ouch!" Her rant was abruptly cut off when James, having had enough, loosened the ropes holding her, causing her to tumble to the ground.
"Couldn't you at least warn me?" she protested, rubbing her sore backside. "Next time, let me know before you drop me! Do you even have a brain?"
James tapped his forehead and replied flatly, "Nope. Made of straw, remember? No brain."
"You!" Laura gritted her teeth, glaring at him. Just as she was about to fire back with another insult, James cut her off.
"Enough with the nonsense," he said firmly, gesturing in the direction Harvey and his sister had gone. "I need you to sense the wind and tell me what's ahead."
Laura, momentarily thrown off by his serious tone, focused herself. She closed her eyes and felt the currents of air swirling around her. After a moment, she opened her eyes, her expression shifting into a mischievous grin.
"Found them?" James asked, a knowing smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Laura nodded, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Do you want to handle them, or should I?" she asked, clearly eager for action.
James looked at her, amusement dancing in his eyes as he saw the dangerous glint in hers. "What do you think?" he said with a smirk. "You've got something to settle, right? Go get back what's yours."
Laura tilted her head, her smile growing even more wicked. "Exactly what I was thinking."