As soon as Raven finished explaining his unique ability known as Gluttony, another question immediately sprang to Carlos's mind. Just as Carlos began to speak, Raven cut him off.
Carlos: Gluttony… it really is a double-edged sword kind of ability, but what about—
Raven: Sheeeesh. I already told you, I'll answer every question running through your mind, so there's no need to ask. I already know exactly what you're about to say.
"Without a doubt, your next question is about why creatures like these exist in such large numbers in this forest, and also how I knew about their presence. I'll explain everything.
As for those monsters—you might think they're Chimera, but you're mistaken. The Chimera you know from ancient legends don't actually exist in our current era, at least not anymore.
The creatures you saw are nothing more than the results of Dreer's failed experiments. That sorcerer experimented on humans, trying to create an army of such monsters, but he failed in every single attempt. The failures were divided into two categories: useful and useless. The ones deemed useful are the monsters you encountered in the mountains. The complete failures—the useless ones—were discarded in this forest to be rid of them.
You could say they were failed attempts at creating mutants with traits of beings humans considered living disasters. Every single one of those monsters is a failure. They are nothing more than humans who got stuck midway through the developmental stages of Dreer's experiments. Their bodies couldn't adapt to true Chimera cells, and they ended up as grotesque creatures—neither true Chimera nor human anymore.
To put it simply, the only true Chimera on this continent is me. Those monsters no longer exist here. I alone am the mutant who carries their genes and possesses the ability to become one of them.
As for how I knew about their presence, even I wasn't aware of it that night. I had a dream calling out to me, urging me to come to this forest. So I resolved to see what it meant. But the moment I entered the forest, I encountered some of those failed experiments. That's when I immediately understood why I had come. From that moment on, my sole purpose became to eradicate them. I took it upon myself to release them from the nightmare they were living.
With that, I believe I've answered your questions, Carlos."
Carlos's face showed clear signs of satisfaction. Raven's explanation had fully satisfied his curiosity and put his heart at ease. However, it seemed Carlos still had one more question.
Carlos: Alright. Your answers were perfect, but there's something I need to know. You can consider it more of a reproach than a question. Why didn't you tell us? We could have helped if you'd told us beforehand. What you did doesn't reflect being a member of the Shadow Warriors at all. You could have at least informed us.
Carlos was right. Raven's actions had been extremely selfish and unjustified. Raven knew this, but he answered:
"Despite the truth in your words, I truly apologize for this behavior. But this matter had to be resolved by me alone. If I had told you, you would have insisted on coming with me. As I said, this was a personal matter, and I had to handle it myself. I never saw those creatures as monsters. I could have ended up just like them. They felt more like comrades—people who shared pain and suffering with me. Freeing them from that pain was a duty I had to fulfill."
At that moment, Ryan stepped in.
Ryan: Enough, enough. Everything ended well in the end, so let's forget about it and continue on our way. I don't want to sleep out in the open again.
With Ryan's words, the discussion ended, and they resumed their journey back.
After several hours of walking, the city walls began to appear on the horizon.
Ryan: Ah, finally. We're almost there.
By then, it was already evening, and there wasn't much time left before sunset. The team hurried toward the city gate before it closed.
Less than five minutes later, they were standing before the gate, where the guards were waiting.
Gate Guard: Hold it, boys. You need to pay the entry fee to enter the city. Huh—wait a moment. Aren't you the kids from before? Well, since this isn't your first time visiting the city, I'll give you a discount.
Strangely enough, despite the guard mentioning a discount, Ryan showed no reaction. Exhaustion gnawed at his bones, leaving him without energy to speak. The guard continued:
Gate Guard: Since there are three of you, I'll only take two silver coins instead of three.
Carlos: Alright, thank you for your consideration. Here are the two silver coins.
The guard took the coins and allowed the team to enter the city.
However, something strange caught the guard's attention. He spoke to the other guard beside him:
Guard 2: Hey, don't you think they look extremely exhausted? Their clothes are dirty, and that kid with the strange-colored hair—gray or green? His clothes are badly torn. Were they attacked by monsters?
Meanwhile, the team split up once again, as usual.
Carlos went to book a room at a nearby inn for the night, while Raven and Ryan went to a shop to buy supplies.
Ryan reached the shop, pushed the door open, and entered. He was clearly exhausted, evident from his appearance. Surprisingly, it was the same shop where Ryan had bought his clothes and armor yesterday.
The moment Ryan saw the shop owner's face, he shouted at the top of his lungs, and the shop owner responded in kind.
Ryan: Why are you here, you old hag?!
Shop Owner: Haaaah?! Watch your mouth, you rude brat! This shop is mine. And what brings you back here again?
Even though they had met only once, the relationship between Ryan and the shop owner was anything but normal.
To the merchant, Ryan was an annoying customer whose presence brought nothing but bad luck.
In Ryan's eyes, she was nothing more than a stingy, deceitful old hag.
Raven (clicking his tongue): Let's go. Seems we picked the wrong place. This old hag doesn't deserve a customer like me.
Shop Owner: Haaah? A customer? You don't qualify! No merchant would ever deal with a leech like you. Be grateful I even sold you clothes last time, tch!
Ryan's response was utterly shameless. He grabbed Raven and left the shop, wandering through the city's stores. In the end, he returned to the same woman's shop. This time, he calmly opened the door and greeted her.
Ryan: Hello. I'm back again.
Shop Owner: Hah?! Back already? Hahaha! Let me guess—all the other merchants kicked you out, didn't they? Hahaha!
The woman laughed crazily, mocking Ryan as if he were her mortal enemy. But she quickly regained composure.
Shop Owner: Tch. Are you saying every merchant in the city refused to sell to you?
Raven stepped in:
Raven: Not exactly, but Ryan's stubbornness was the reason—
Ryan: Tch. Stop. They just can't tell the difference between a premium customer and a worthless one. Yet they dare call themselves merchants.
Shop Owner: So? What brings you back to my shop?
Ryan looked slightly awkward:
Ryan: Well… I'm not saying you're an excellent merchant, but you're still better than every other merchant here. And your goods aren't bad either.
Shop Owner: Hah?! What do you mean by "aren't bad"?!
Although Ryan's words were misunderstood, his phrasing gave off a strong impression. He refused to directly admit her shop was the best.
Raven intervened to end the argument:
Raven: Alright, auntie. As you can see, my friend and I just need a few items, then we'll leave. Please don't take Ryan's words seriously.
Shop Owner: Fine. Tell me, polite young man—what do you want from my shop? And don't you need new clothes? Yours are completely worn out.
Raven: Ah… I'll think about that after we buy what we need.
Ryan and Raven obtained what they came for. Though Ryan wasn't happy with the price, the quality of the products was far better than other shops.
Once finished, they headed for the door.
Raven: Thank you for your consideration, auntie.
Just before stepping out, the woman called:
Shop Owner: Wait—hold on! You two!
They turned slightly.
Shop Owner: Yes, wait here for a moment. I have something to give you.
She pointed at Raven.
Shop Owner: You. Wait.
They complied. She quickly went to a separate room behind the shop and returned about a minute later, holding something in her hand.
She tossed it toward Raven.
Raven: What—what is this?
Shop Owner: Tch. Some clothes. Put them on.
Ryan looked suspicious:
Ryan: What's wrong with you? Why are you doing this? Are you trying to scam us?
Shop Owner: That's what you get, rude brat. Who said I wanted to sell you this? It's just a gift for your friend. He needs new clothes. These are a gift from me to him—what business is it of yours?
While Ryan argued, Raven had already changed into the new clothes. It was one of the rare moments Raven looked genuinely happy.
Seeing Raven smile, Ryan no longer had the right to argue. He backed down immediately.
Ryan: Fine. I'm leaving. Goodbye.
He left, carrying his purchased items.
Shop Owner: Don't ever come back. I don't want to see you again.
Raven observed and fully realized how bad their relationship was. He thanked the woman and left after Ryan.
Raven: Thank you very much for this valuable gift, auntie. Goodbye.
And with that, Raven hurried to catch up with Ryan.
End of Chapter