Scum

Hello Readers! My sincerest apologies for missing yesterday's upload. Life threw some unavoidable curveballs my way, and I didn't want to serve you a half-baked chapter. To make amends, I've crafted this one twice as long as my usual offerings.

I noticed some of you were taken aback by the sudden spike in Ryota's death count in the previous chapter. To provide more clarity, I've added some context to the beginning of that chapter. I'd be grateful if you could take a moment to revisit the initial section for a better understanding.

No more excuses—let's dive into this chapter! I hope you enjoy the extended read. Your support means the world to me.

Happy reading!

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"I need a new plan."

'I have accumulated a decent amount of fighting experience with Elsa. I had a good time with her, minus the whole gut-slashing thing. However, I hit my first roadblock. Phase two consistently ends in my swift demise. Her base stats overshadow mine, and the moment she gets semi-serious, I find myself badly injured, leading to a gruesome death. Rinse and repeat.'

"Ryota, come and sit down over here," Emilia calls out to me and points to a bench near a small fountain.

"Huh? Emilia, I'm fine now. It's okay." I try to show her I'm fine, but she insists otherwise.

"No. You looked exhausted a second earlier. Let's take a break," Emilia insisted with a gentle yet determined tone.

"But what about your insignia?"

"Forget about that for now. We're only resting for about 5 minutes or so anyway," she said as she grabbed my hand, leading me to a bench.

'She's too kind. Doing all of this for a stranger even when she's in a bind herself. This is one of her strengths but also a massive weakness.' A wry smile played on my lips as I let her guide me to the bench.

'This is fine too, I guess. I need some time to think of what I'm going to try next.'

Emilia sat down on the bench and patted the space next to her.

"Sit."

I complied, sitting down next to her, stealing glances at her from the corner of my eye.

"What are you looking at?" Emilia noticed my gaze and looked at me curiously.

"I was just wondering how no one has taken advantage of your kindness yet," I said with a wry smile.

"Huh? Take advantage of me?" Emilia looked at me in confusion.

Puck flew out of my palm and back onto Emilia's shoulder.

"It's okay! That's what I'm for! Lia is pretty naive, so I have to look out for her. Whoever tries to exploit Lia will have to answer to these paws!" Puck threw a few punches into the air.

A small smile appeared on my face as I closed my eyes and let out a long sigh.

'Maybe I really did need a break…'

Emilia looked over at Ryota's relaxed expression as a small smile rose on her face too.

I relax my body but my mind goes into full overdrive.

'Okay, time for a breather to figure out my next move. Going head-to-head with Elsa taught me a lot. She has the habit of playing around with her opponent at the beginning of a fight. I can now handle that but there's a snag. When she gets semi-serious, the difference in our basic physical abilities becomes a hurdle. I can't bridge that gap with skill.' I mull over in my thoughts.

'Dominion is this crazy versatile skill with god-tier potential. The catch? Controlling it is like trying to tame a hurricane, especially in the heat of battle. To manipulate anything in my domain demands serious concentration and a rock-solid understanding of what I'm aiming for. Also, as noted from my experiments, directly influencing people within my domain isn't simple. There's this weird repulsion thing going on when I try to influence them directly. But, I'm thinking I can push past that if I get a better grip on this skill. So, it all boils down to control, huh? System, any bright ideas?'

[ To gain better control over your skills, there are three paths to follow. First, leveling up increases your overall mastery slowly. Second, invest skill points in specific skills for targeted improvement. Lastly, regular practice, though gradual, contributes to a steady enhancement in your proficiency over time ]

'Huh? Skill points? What are those?' I ask in confusion.

[ When your level advances by increments of five, you earn a skill point. Utilize these points to enhance the level of your preferred skills. Keep in mind that certain skills demand both a skill point and a heightened comprehension of the skill for leveling up ]

'This is all new to me... skill points, huh? So, while I'm at it, what's the deal with leveling up? Do I just, you know, defeat stuff and it happens?'

[ Leveling up extends beyond mere combat. The system evaluates your progress only when you push yourself beyond your limits during battles. Genuine effort is the key. While it's possible to gain levels by defeating weaker foes, the process is painstakingly slow due to the minuscule essence garnered from such encounters. The true path to leveling up lies in facing formidable opponents and emerging victorious. In the intricate tapestry of the universe, every living being harbors an essence that sustains their existence. When a being is vanquished, this essence disperses into the atmosphere. The system allows the processing and absorption of this essence by the user, constituting a level up. The system only rewards those who transcend their limits and diligently work towards their own growth ]

'Whoa. So it's not just a matter of taking down foes. I think I'm starting to catch on. Honestly, I prefer it this way. Fighting those weaker than you for strength sounds boring as hell.'

'It all boils down to leveling up, huh? Let's roll with that.'

A smirk plays on my lips as I reopen my eyes.

"Well, that was a good breather, Emil-" I halt, shifting my gaze to my side.

There she was, dozing off with her head tilted to the side, a hint of drool escaping from the corner of her lips.

"Pfft..." I stifle my laughter, not wanting to disturb her peaceful nap.

'Can't believe she nodded off that fast. System, how long since I closed my eyes?' I inquire.

[ Approximately 6 minutes, 46 seconds, and 789 milliseconds ]

'Fell asleep in record time, huh? Must've been exhausted…' I muse, eyeing her drool-laden face.

'Geez, she looks kind of adorable. The perpetually serious Emilia, knocked out and drooling—it's quite the spectacle. Wait, didn't I have something...?' I slip my hand into my back pocket and retrieve the item within.

It's an old flip phone. I open it up and press the contacts.

'Mom, Dad, and Delivery service... That's a bit bleak, Subaru. Well, I guess you had your reasons...' Subaru's past memories flash in my mind, and a tight expression crosses my face.

I shake my head to dispel the thoughts and open the camera app.

Aiming it at Emilia, I snap a photo.

'Heh. I'll keep this and give her a hard time about it later. I'm never letting her live this down.'

A smile plays on my lips as I glance at Emilia's picture on the phone, but it fades in the next moment.

'Oh, right... she won't remember any of this, will she? I forgot...' A wry smile tugs at my expression.

'Only I'll carry this memory... only me...' I turn to her again.

Extending my hand, I reach for her cheek and gently tug on her soft, puffed-up skin.

"Fwehh…shtaap…" She protests in her sleep.

"Mnn…" She opens her eyes drowsily.

Stretching her arms out, she yawns, then glances to the side, locking eyes with mine.

"Ah…" She lets out a small noise.

A smug smirk plays on my face as I gaze at her with my chin in my hands.

"Good morning, sleepyhead…" I whisper.

"Y-You…" Her face reddens as she looks away.

'Aww… look at her little elf ears. They're turning bright red. How cute…'

"F-Forget what you just saw!" She stutters, looking back at me. Attempting a serious expression, she fails miserably and ends up resembling a cute, angry gremlin.

"Ahahahaha! Emilia, you should've seen your face! You were drooling and everything!" I laugh, pointing at her.

"B-Be quiet! I don't wish to hear it!" She covers her ears with her hands and looks away in a huff.

'Ah, the tsundere came out again.'

"Hehe. I wonder what others will say when they hear about this?" I say smugly.

"Y-You wouldn't! I-It's not like anyone will believe you anyway!" She points at me.

"Oh yeah? Then what's this, I wonder?" I lift the phone and display the saved picture.

Emilia looks at the phone with confusion, but her eyes widen immediately upon seeing the picture.

"W-What! What is this?! Is that me!?" She exclaims, disbelief written all over her face.

'Well, at least I managed to share this memory with someone else. Even if they're bound to forget it...' A bitter smile creeps onto my face.

"Behold! The power of science!" I declare dramatically.

Emilia's eyes widen once again as she points at the phone.

"No way! You have a Metia?" She asks with a surprised voice.

'A Metia? What's that?' I raise an eyebrow in surprise.

'No way. Do they really have something similar to phones in this world?'

"Do you know what this is, Emilia?" I shake the phone in my hand as I ask her.

"It's one of those Metia things that have been getting popular recently, right? I'm surprised that you own one. Apparently, they're super expensive and rare…" She says, putting a finger on her chin.

'So they really do have something similar to phones in this world…'

"A-Anyway, Ryota! Can you get rid of the 'little me' in that Metia?" Emilia pleads, looking at me with begging eyes.

"Hm? Sure." I shrug as I close the flip phone shut.

"There. It's gone." I flip the phone back open and show her the inactive display.

Emilia looks at the phone and then breathes a sigh of relief.

'Heh. Sucker…' I think to myself.

"Emilia, I had a few questions that I wanted to ask," I say as I lean back on the bench.

"Questions? Okay, I don't mind." Emilia looks over at me curiously.

"Are there any monsters in this world? Like, you know, enemies of humanity and stuff?"

'It's okay if I sound suspicious. It's all going to reset anyway…'

"Monsters? Are you talking about Demon Beasts? Are you telling me you're not aware of Demon Beasts? Ryota…" Emilia looks over at me with concern.

'Well, I guess she would be concerned. A clueless guy who doesn't know his left from right would only get a bad ending.'

"Don't worry about that, Emilia. They weren't a huge part of my life, so I just kind of forgot them," I try to reassure her.

"Hm? Well, I guess that makes sense. Demon Beasts are monsters that sustain themselves entirely on mana. They are generally stronger than the regular fauna and can sometimes even use magical abilities. They are a blight on the world." Emilia's voice darkens as she describes them.

'Demon Beasts, huh? Sounds like the perfect opportunity for a little leveling adventure.' A smirk plays on my face, envisioning myself battling colossal monsters.

"Where are they usually found?" I inquire.

"They tend to steer clear of major human settlements because people actively hunt them. You'll mostly find them in the wild. The nearest spot to Costuul would be either the forests around Arlam Village or somewhere near Flugel's Tree," Emilia explains.

'Wild, huh? I may have to leave the city then…'

[ That will not be advisable. I will recommend that you do not spend much time between loops if you wish to reset again. According to my calculations on your Authority's source structure, there's a slight chance of the Authority resetting your 'save point' if too much time elapses between loops. ]

'What? Tch… Demon Beasts are off the table then…' I click my tongue.

'That leaves only one option. I didn't want to resort to this, but I have no choice…' I glance over at Emilia.

"Puck, mind stepping out for a second?" I call out.

Puck lazily peeks his head out from Emilia's hair and eyes me.

"Yaaawn… What's up?" He asks me.

"I have a request. Can you whip up some ice daggers for me?" I repeat the same plea to Puck, a line I've used countless times in previous loops. After some back-and-forth, Puck reluctantly conjures a pair of daggers. Each iteration's daggers have their nuances, but I don't mind if the weight distribution stays consistent.

I examine the ice daggers and stash them in my inventory with a grin.

Once again, Emilia appears astonished at the vanishing daggers, but I cut in before she can voice her surprise.

"Welp. This has become a habit, huh? I sometimes just take off to the slums without saying a thing, but that always leaves a bad taste in my mouth." I rise from the bench, stretching my arms. Glancing back at her, I offer a smile.

"Emilia, I'll find your insignia, so stay safe and don't get hurt. See ya!" I crouch on the ground as my eyes glow crimson.

The ground slightly shatters beneath me as I leap into the air, landing gracefully on top of a nearby rooftop.

"Ryota!" Emilia, as always, calls out, but I maintain my full-speed run, avoiding any questions about my destination.

'My running form has improved. I can move with minimal wasted movements, extracting more speed from my agility attribute. Thanks, Elsa!' I reminisce about a loop where Elsa, slightly annoyed by my erratic movements, gave me pointers mid-battle.

'What's the point of teaching me if you're gonna kill me anyway?" A chuckle escapes my lips.

'I guess I should head in the Guild's direction. Strong adventurers should generally roam around the Guild's vicinity…' I set off towards the Guild.

After about 15 minutes, the Guild comes into view. Spotting a tall building nearby, I make my way to the top.

"Man, this city sure is massive…" I mutter, gazing at the sprawling urban landscape before me.

I stretch my arms to the sides, taking in a deep breath.

'I feel free. So many new people. So many different paths to take. A world of infinite choices…'

"I wonder what kind of people I'll meet. What choices will I make in this world? What kinds of bonds I'll forge? This is all so… new." A grateful smile graces my face.

"Thank you, Goddess. For everything you've given me. I swear on my name that I will repay this debt one day…" I close my eyes, envisioning the mysterious Goddess residing in that infinite void she calls 'The Nexus.'

The next moment I open my eyes, my previous sunlight-golden eyes have transformed into a mesmerizing array of colors.

Thin ethereal threads, each of a different hue, spread out around me.

'Woah… It looks even more beautiful than usual. Being high up makes more threads visible, and they crisscross and intersect so elegantly…' I admire the sight before me for a solid minute.

'System, filter out all of the threads except those denoting malice.' I command.

[ Understood ]

All the colorful threads before me grow slightly transparent, except for those of a different, darker hue that catch my attention.

"Ugh…" Dark and putrid threads that instinctively make me feel disgusted.

I glance around, and a few threads in the corner of my vision catch my eye.

They pulse slightly, and the color on them darkens with each passing second.

'I guess I'll go with that one…' I decide, leaping off the building and tracing the dark, bunched-up threads.

After a few minutes of pursuit, I find myself near the direction of the slums.

I track the threads with my eyes and notice them leading into a dark alley.

"It's always a damn alley. Does this world have something against alleys or what?" I sigh, running to the top of the rooftops and standing on a building where I can observe the scene inside the alley.

I spot six burly men clad in armor within the alley. They seem to be engaged in a conversation, so I perk up my ears to eavesdrop.

"So then, the idiot jumped behind me and tried to take it! Can you believe it?!" One of the men says, erupting in laughter.

"No way! He looked like he had a good head on his shoulders, but I guess money can make anyone mad! What did you do with him?" One of the shorter men asked.

"What did I do? I threw him down on the ground and broke every single bone in his damn bo-" The man gets interrupted by one of the bigger ones.

"Shut up! Donny has already checked the area, so we should be clear. Let's get started already! I've been pent up for over a week over here!" The huge man yells, his spit flying around.

"Hah? Boss, you haven't gone at it for a week? Did you become a monk or something? Gahahahaha!" One of the other men laughs, and the rest join in the laughter.

"What did you just say? Hoh? It seems I have been lax on you bastards…" The huge man's voice deepens as he glares at the guy who made the previous remark.

Everyone goes silent as the man hurriedly bows his head.

"I-I'm sorry, Boss. It won't happen again," he stammers.

"You better make sure it won't. I'll forgive you this time since I'm in a good mood. You're not getting off scot-free though. Because of this, you're going to go last," the huge man declares.

"Y-Yes, boss…" He quickly nods his head.

"Good… now let's see what we're working with here…" The huge guy reaches off to the side and pulls on something I can't quite make out yet.

I hear a muffled scream as the man pulls someone off from the side and throws them into the middle of them. The moment I see the figure, my eyes widen.

"Well, what do we have here? Hah? She seems half-decent, I guess. Where did you bastards pick her up from?" The man asks.

"She worked in one of the restaurants, nearby. The security nowadays was pretty tough, so we couldn't get someone better, boss…" A lanky-looking man replies.

"Haah… bunch of useless pieces of crap. Well, she will do for now… I go first and Donny goes second. He got the most horns out of all of you, after all…" The huge man fiddles with his belt as a vulgar smile appears on his face.

The woman, gagged and tied up on the ground, wears a horrified expression as she tries to scream, producing only muffled sounds.

"Hehehe… It will all feel good in a second, so settle down, woman…" The man grabs her by the hair, pinning her down.

'Scum…' I stand up, my cold eyes fixed on the scene. I jump from the rooftop and land at the entrance of the alley.

"Hehehe… settle dow-huh?" The man pauses, catching sight of me at the alley's entrance.

I walk in slowly, maintaining a neutral expression as I observe them.

"Tch…it's just some scrawny kid. I thought the knights found us!" The man clicks his tongue, eyeing me.

"What the hell do you want, kid? Got lost or something? Normally, I would tell you to get lost somewhere, but now that you've seen this…" A dirty grin stretches across his face.

"I can't really let you go now. Catch my drift? Hey Gid! Take care of him!" The man yells behind him.

"You got it, boss…" A man smoking something similar to a cigarette comes forward and approaches me slowly.

He stands in front of me, looks me up and down, and takes a huge puff of his smoke.

Then, he faces me and blows all the smoke in my face.

'Idiot…' I use Dominion to block all the smoke from reaching me and redirect it backward towards the rest of the crowd behind him.

The men inhale the redirected smoke and start coughing.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Gid?! Put that thing out before I smash your skull?!" The huge guy yells at him.

"W-What the…S-Sorry, boss! I don't know what happ-Gha?!" The man is thrown back with a grunt, collapsing to the ground, holding his stomach in pain.

The men all turn their heads at the sound and see the man writhing in pain. Then, their collective gaze shifts toward me.

"You've done it now, kid…" The big guy says.

"F-Fuck…" The man on the ground gets back up, looking at me with rage.

"Oh? So you're still conscious after that hit…" I raise my brow at the man, a grin spreading across my face.

"Perfect. You all will do nicely…" I extend my hands, and the ice daggers materialize in them.

'Time for a massacre…' I unconsciously lick my lips.