Arthur's eyes fell on Claire, who carried John Hans's corpse, wrapped in a rough blue cloth they'd found in the hut.
Together, they walked back to Leslie's bar to collect their payment.
"I need to keep getting stronger to even think about revenge," Arthur thought, his mind racing with possibilities. "I'll need a more powerful summons for that, or wait, wasn't there something about Anima? It could make Claire stronger too."
Without wasting any time, he opened Claire's status window:
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Anima: 12 / 5000
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
"What, only 12?" His excitement faded into a frown.
Noticing, Claire glanced at him, her expression calm as ever she asked,
"Is something wrong, Master?"
"No, nothing." Arthur shook his head and kept walking, hiding his disappointment.
"It seems like Claire will need to face opponents at her level to increase her Anima," he thought.
When they reached Stefan Street, the scene looked completely different from last night.
The eerie, silent darkness had vanished, replaced by the lively daytime bustle. Children played along the pathways, couples strolled by, and people busied themselves with shopping.
The street was lined with malls and advertisements, a stark contrast to its ghostly, dangerous look at night.
Anyone unaware of Stefan Street's history might find it hard to believe it was the same place.
Well for Arthur he already knew it, So he continued to the bar without a second thought.
Finally reaching the bar, a frown formed on his face.
The bar was closed.
Contrasting to last time, when only one bar glowed with light, this one was shut tight while the surrounding bars were alive with activity.
"Master, what now?" Claire asked quietly.
Arthur scanned the area, hoping to spot a hidden entrance, as there often was in places like these. Finding nothing, his face fell as he turned to Claire.
"Looks like we might have to come ba—"
"You're back already?" A familiar voice interrupted him, full of surprise.
"Leslie?"
Arthur's gaze shifted to the figure emerging from the alley: Leslie, cigarette smoke curling around her as she stepped forward.
"Follow me," she said, nodding toward a hidden doorway in the alleyways. "The bar's back entrance is always open for… work-related matters."
"Okay," Arthur replied.
With Claire close behind, they entered through a shabby tin door. The interior mirrored the bar's rough look but was even more rundown. Inside, the bartender stood waiting, cleaning the wine glasses, his expression shifting to a frown the moment he saw Arthur.
"You're back already?" he asked, his tone laced with suspicion.
Ignoring the question, Arthur motioned for Claire to keep the wrapped body of John Hans on the table.
The bartender's face flushed with anger, veins tightening in his neck. "You bastard…"
"Let it go, Kema." Leslie's voice cut through, her hand tapping the table as she fixed the bartender with an intense look. "Examine the body first."
She turned her attention back to Arthur, her gaze sharp and curious. "But really… how did you complete the mission in just a few hours? I figured it'd take at least a week. Bounty hunting like this usually means spending days just tracking down the target," She paused, studying him.
"So, what kind of talent do you have?"
Arthur remained unfazed as he replied, "I just got lucky."
"..."
Leslie paused, giving him a long, appraising look, before she turned to the bartender. "Alright, Kema, is the body confirmed?"
Kema nodded, a wary look crossing his face. "Yes. Killed by a strong Aura punch, but this is definitely John Hans."
"Good," Leslie said, redirecting her attention back to Arthur. "Would you like your reward now?"
Arthur gave a silent nod.
"It'll be 4600 W after deducting the 15% processing fee. If you want the payment through other methods, there'll be additional fees."
"Other methods?"
"Borrowed-name bank accounts, bonds, stocks… some people ask for complex laundering setups."
"No, cash is fine," Arthur replied flatly.
"Alright. Since you're this capable, it'd be alright to continue working with you." Leslie shifted her gaze to the files she was holding.
"I am okay if you arrange other work for me now."
"No, that's not happening. Go back for now." She shook her head.
"Because we need to hand this over to Noel Tech and figure out what the scavengers are up to." She stood up, glancing at him with a hint of calculation. "And—"
But before she could complete it, Arthur cut in. "Still too early for you to trust me?"
"It seems we're on the same wavelength," Leslie remarked, a slight smirk crossing her face. "I guess you could say we still need more time to get to know each other, just like in dating."
Arthur's expression remained stoic. 'I don't think that's the reason though,' he thought as he stood.
"I'll visit again soon, then," he said before he and Claire exited the bar.
"Alright, see you next time," Leslie called after him, watching as he disappeared through the tin entrance.
Once the door clicked shut, she turned back, her face thoughtful. "Hmm."
"Hey, Leslie."
"Hm?" She looked up to see the bartender approaching, holding a tablet.
"Take a look at what I found on Wallen City's network," he said, showing her the footage playing on his screen.
The video displayed Claire, efficiently and ruthlessly eliminating a group of ten thugs within seconds.
Leslie's brows knitted. "Why would she kill those thugs so openly, drawing unnecessary attention?"
The bartender shook his head. "Not sure, but those ten were tied to Malwa's circle. Now he's hired a guild to hunt Claire down."
His gaze sharpened as he added, "I warned you about those two, they are capable no exceptional, maybe, but they're bound to bring us more trouble."