Chapter 7

Sam was in the car with Himeno. Although he appeared calm as he looked out the window, inside he was anything but. His heart kept pounding and pounding. Sam didn't know why.

Was he too excited to finally level up, or was he afraid of the freaks of nature, his own species' natural predators? Despite his preparation, he couldn't contain these emotions.

'That old man really didn't teach me a thing about dealing with this.'

Sam was snapped out of this thought when his spine tingled. He could tell that there was a group of devils nearby. No, they weren't entirely devils, but they emitted a devilish aura. Sam could distinguish the difference because he had faced two devils before.

"Let's stop here," he called.

"Why?" Himeno said.

"I have a bad feeling." He pointed at a 10-story building that seemed abandoned and hadn't been repainted for years.

"This building is scheduled for demolition," she pressed the brakes. "Sounds like a good hideout."

"Alright." Hanging his katana at his waist, he nodded as they got out of the car.

Sam and Himeno entered the building. Sam pointed to the left, earning a suspicious side-eye from Himeno. However, when they followed the path he indicated, they found themselves in a room. It was filled with people who had pitch-black eyes, bloody makeup around their faces, and sharp fangs protruding from their mouths. They wore clown outfits and had eerie smiles.

"Are you psychic?" Himeno asked.

"No." Sam shook his head. "I had a hunch. It happens sometimes, and most times I'm right." He then looked at the clown-like people.

"They aren't devils, yet they have been transformed by a devil's power. They are no longer human." Himeno reached for her phone and began typing. Sam glanced at her phone and saw she was sending a message to headquarters.

"Sempai, why are you doing this?" He asked quietly.

She whispered, "We don't want to alert them with sound. Furthermore, if they're here, then there's a high chance..."

"I know that." Sam smiled. "But you forget that every time you press a button, a loud sound is released. It's a freaking Nokia phone. Speaking out loud would attract less attention than using it."

Some of the possessed clowns noticed their direction. Four of them started approaching.

"Well," she shrugged. "We can handle a few. Just make sure you don't get too involved."

"Yeah." He sighed.

Sam unsheathed his sword, lowered his stance as he shifted his weight to his right leg, and held the sword with both hands, readying himself for action.

Himeno extended her hand and clenched her fist, and at that moment, a head was crushed.

As for Sam, when a possessed clown reached out toward him, he stepped back and swung, severing the arm. Then, stepping forward, he swung the blade again, slicing through the neck.

[+60 XP]

Sam's eyes widened. Everything happened quickly yet seemed to unfold in slow motion. 'So it's this easy.' He then looked at the headless corpse. He felt no regret or disgust.

If he was thankful for anything, it was his weak sense of smell. One possessed clown was already leaping at him. Sam sidestepped and slashed, turning his attacker into a lifeless body.

At the same time, Himeno dealt with the others.

"Not bad, you have a talent. But be careful not to get hit by them."

"Huh? Why?"

"Based on my experience, getting hit by a possessed isn't good. They might be poisonous or emit laughing gas. They might even transform you into one of them. But if you do get hit, don't feel bad. You always had the potential to be a clown."

"Ha. Ha. Ha," Sam forced a hollow laugh. "I'm flattered, especially coming from the circus ringmaster."

"You brat."

"Whatever. We've stirred them up," Sam said as more approaching figures came from all directions.

"Stay close to me. Don't go ahead on your own."

"I'll do what I do best." Sam glanced at a wave of approaching figures. They numbered five. More waves followed. Being faster and stronger than before, he dashed toward them. When one leaped at him, he sidestepped and cut through its body. He avoided stabbing, knowing that getting his weapon stuck inside a body, even for a second, would be dangerous.

'Training is coming in handy.'

[+88 XP]

[+50]

[Ding, you leveled up]

[+2 AP. +1 SP]

[+...XP]

[Ding, you leveled up again]

[+2 AP +1 SP]

'Shit. More are coming.'

Suddenly, more possessed clowns were converging on him. There were about 30 or 40 of them.

He knew that despite all his preparation, he couldn't defeat that many. They were untrained, but they were fearless and relentless.

Sam activated his Wind Footwork, feeling a gust of wind around him as he ran horizontally across the wall. Once he reached a height of 5 meters, he impaled his sword in the wall and used it as support.

'Those Strength points are coming in handy,' he thought as he looked down. The way the clowns were trying to jump at him was almost comical. They resembled people dancing at a party.

Sam turned his head. Himeno was positioned at a higher spot. She had an easier time as her ethereal hand was taking care of everything.

Deciding it was a good time to check his stats, he opened them.

[Level 5

AP: 4

SP: 2]

Nice. He could acquire or upgrade two skills. As for the four points, he could become faster, stronger, or wiser.

'This will bring me closer to getting the ranged skills I desire,' he thought to himself.

Then, the tingling sensation struck again. His stomach almost hurt.

"Well, well. Who's entered my circus?"

As he turned, a towering figure, 8 meters tall, appeared. It was a clown with a bloody grin and a red nose, floating belly-down as it approached.

"Sam, this is the Clown Devil. A high-ranking devil. Hide." Himeno screamed. "Hide until backup arrives."

"Oh, come on. The show has just begun." The clown opened its arms. "Let the fun begin." It then locked its gaze on Sam, extending its hand to catch him.

"You know, I actually agree," Sam replied, feeling that slashing with his sword would likely have no effect. He retracted his sword and sprinted through a wall. The Clown Devil swiped with its hand, sending Sam hurtling across the hall until he collided with the ground.

[-40 HP]

"Shit." Sam rolled along the ground and fled. 'I need to find a place to hide.'

"Tehehehe!" the clown cackled. "Oh, you want to play hide and seek. But what about your friend here?"