In the room, a bald man held a unique spear in his hand, fresh blood dripping from its tip. His casual clothes were splattered with crimson spots.
It was none other than Mr. Shepard. Eliot De Shepard was his real name, but everyone simply called him Shepard—for his incredible feats in the clan, for making its name known.
He looked dazed.
And on the round table lay a corpse. Its mouth was crushed beyond recognition, the skull half-exposed, the abdomen torn open with its insides spilled out.
'This'
His heartbeat quickened. The world seemed to tilt, and his stomach rose to his throat.
Just then, Selpe stepped forward, pushed him behind her, and stood as a shield.
Like always, she protected Ibaan—the weak one.
'Huh??'
It was hard for him to act that way. He didn't like it. But he couldn't do anything besides playing the role of Ibaan. Now, he had to accept this person—it was the only route left to cleanse the corruption by…
'Uhhh! Don't think about Him… just don't.'
He had never seen anyone this brutal before! His heart pounded faster. Shon—now Ibaan—didn't underestimate him. He had already learned not to underestimate anyone.
Mr. Shepard stared at them, and they stared back.
Each second passed with growing tension, his fear increasing as if Shepard might tear them apart any moment.
To his surprise, Shepard made the spear vanish into thin air—along with the corpse. He then walked to the corner, grabbed a chair, sat down, pulled out his tobacco, and lit it up.
"Don't worry," he said casually, smoke curling from his lips. "The mission's already complete. That man was the target. He came by himself… just to get killed."
He paused, flicking the ash from the end of his tobacco. The thick smoke replaced the sharp stench of blood.
"Anyway," he continued, "you're getting another mission. I've sent the advance payment to your account, Miss Selpe. The job's simple—form a gang and rule the city."
'Huh?'
Selpe frowned. "Is there any reason? And… what shall we name it?"
She was always straightforward during meetings with Mr. Shepard. Never asked useless questions. Of course, that was different from home.
'She completely changes outside… really like a hero. Confident. I like that.'
Shepard threw his tobacco on the porch, stood up, and sighed. "Let's first get some food at the café. We'll discuss it there."
He always said talking without eating had no fun.
'Strange!' Ibaan thought after recalling the nature and behaviour of Mr. Shepard
Selpe pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Alright."
'It's beneficial to form a gang... it'll help defend against the Attainers. But wait, could it be that the Attainers are expanding their territory? No… they don't have smaller branches. I'll plan everything tonight.'
He sighed silently.
With that, they left Shepard's house and headed for the famous café.
As they reached, the café shone under lantern light, flowers hanging around, and soft music playing. Chairs were neatly arranged outside. A board read:
"ہمارا گا تا ہوا ریستوراں"
He read it from Ibaan's memories and translated it
"Our Singing Restaurant!"
It was one of the most hyped and popular spots in Sri City.
A waiter arrived with a polite smile. "What would you all like to order?"
Mr. Shepard spoke first. "Chicken تکا!"
Chicken Tikka was a famous dish in the State of Heaven.
Selpe followed calmly. "I'll go for a milkshake."
Selpe had always avoided eating street or restaurant food, preferring to cook for herself. Still, she often treated herself to milkshakes, cold drinks, or snacks from outside.
'She even restricted me—no Ibaan from it... Damn it, I'm really in the mood for that Tikka…'
"Same," Ibaan said, still thinking about the Tikka he was craving.
Ibaan—actually Shon from his world—had always loved street food. Now, in this world, the two of them were complete opposites, yet bound by fate. He really didn't have a choice.
The waiter nodded and left.
Mr. Shepard coughed lightly. "So, I guess I'll start. The reason behind the mission… I can't tell you now. It's too early. But you'll need to form a gang of up to ten members. Not a big one—it'll be hard to handle too many. Think of it more like an organization than a street gang. You'll get weekly income once it's formed—and it'll be a decent amount."
'That's… interesting,' Ibaan thought, smiling. "That's a good idea."
Selpe smiled back. "If you say so, it really is."
Shepard chuckled. "But beware of the Attainers. Don't ever cross paths with them—or you'll be erased from existence. Everyone will forget you ever existed. We already have problems with them."
The name alone wiped the smile from their faces.
'The Attainers… right.' Ibaan reapeted the name in his thought.
Selpe seemed to ignore the warning as if she knew something that they didn't, however she asked, "What should we name the gang?"
"That's your choice," Shepard said simply.
Just then, the waiter returned with their order—a tray carrying two slender milkshake glasses and a skewer of roasted chicken.
As Selpe lifted her drink, she asked, "But you once said there's an organization backing you, giving you missions. I want to know about it."
He smiled faintly, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and muttered, "Alright. But I can only tell you the surface. It's an organization called The Bloodlust. I don't know who controls it, but there are… unknown creatures involved. Just like your clan's curse. I get orders from high-rankers—the ones who deal with those creatures directly."
'Huh?! The author never mentioned this in the book! Unknown creatures controlling them? What is this Bloodlust? Surely not the Attainers… are they enemies?'
"Bloodlust…" The word itself sounded cursed.
'Like that our ancestor, ancient vampire from my world—the Nemesis of Angels.
...
I have to learn about them. They could be a threat to me… no, to the world itself.'
While Shon was lost in thought, Selpe frowned. "Unknown creatures?"
"Yes," Shepard said flatly. "That's all I know. I work for the money. That's the courtesy of life."
Selpe nodded slowly. "Right…"
...
As Selpe and Shon finished their drinks, they stood up. Mr. Shepard was still chewing his chicken.
"We'll be leaving," Selpe said. "I'll inform you once the gang's formed."
"Mhm," Shepard mumbled, still chewing. "Okay."
They left the café and walked through the glowing streets.
While passing under flickering lights, Ibaan turned to Selpe. "Hey, Selp… why are you always different outside the house? You always say, 'You won't understand.' Come on, tell me already."
She looked at him, a little annoyed. Her hair swayed in the wind as she narrowed her eyes, as if holding something deep.
Then, she smiled faintly. "You won't understand."
'See! I knew it!'
She had always been like this. Even though the world saw them as a couple, it seemed they weren't really that close. Sometimes, it felt like she was doing it on purpose.
Ibaan sighed, looking away. "You always say that."
She chuckled softly. "Alright, I'll tell you… but not now."
***
Later that night, Ibaan lay awake, staring at the ceiling.
'Who was that target? He must've been someone important. Bloodlust wouldn't order a random kill. They aren't that senseless… there's purpose behind it. I'll have to find out—but how?
Mr. Shepard clearly respects Selpe, not me. Must be because Ibaan was weak, no reputation. I'll have to change that. Build ties with Shepard. Through him, I can learn more about Bloodlust.
The gang… it'll help me with that.
Alright, I'll plan everything tomorrow…'
He turned his head, watching Selpe sleep beside him—her back turned, breathing steady.