Chapter 13 – Visiting The First Boss

In the darkness of the night, a shadowy figure stood, its dark cloak billowing in the wind. That figure, amidst the ruins, looked like a sinister being, but it was just Lucan.

Lucan stood in front of the door, pondering what to do, considering the strategies he could use. He wasn't the most powerful person in that place, but he knew how to play his cards… literally. He knew how to make the most of his knowledge and try to improvise, but he knew that just having luck wouldn't mean much compared to having power. He also discovered how to gain power quickly and effectively… by killing bosses. If he killed the bosses he encountered and prepared well, he would get better equipment. After obtaining the Midnight Cloak, he thought that nearby there might be a monster that could give him something as good as the cloak… the asylum boss.

At that moment, the monster that nearly killed him could be his gold mine and the chance to gain the power to survive longer in this place, the Haunted City of Greed. He knew that the closer he got to the castle, the worse the level of the monsters would be. They would be stronger and smarter, so he didn't plan to go too far… at least not yet. But if he wanted to walk confidently in this area, he needed power. Lucan barely managed to fight one monster, and he defeated a boss purely by luck and improvisation. To progress well, he needed better equipment. He needed a good amulet, a ring, a bracelet, gloves, boots, weapons, and other items to strengthen him.

An invocation? That's aiming too high…

With such equipment, Lucan could better balance his level. Although the Deviant world was public knowledge, most information was secret and exclusive to noble people and other Deviants. The deep knowledge of it was secret to outsiders; no one understood much about the logic of that world. No one knew when someone's Inner God might awaken or what the requirements were for it to happen. The world of Deviants was, besides being secret, controlled by the kingdom. Even the cards were controlled, as was their circulation. They couldn't let powerful items fall into the wrong hands. Not every Deviant was a good person, and crime existed everywhere. They even controlled who would enter the Oblique World to prevent smuggling and to strengthen criminal and terrorist organizations. That’s why the kingdom controlled most of the claimed golden Bonfires' locations. Of course, each House had its own Bonfire, but the royal family held the Central Bonfire in the center of their capital. They managed most Deviant-related affairs and acted neutrally when House factions disagreed. The royal family, through its army, conducted expeditions in Corrupted Regions to obtain powerful cards to strengthen themselves further and survive uprisings, should they ever occur. They were not just powerful by titles; they truly had power.

If he wanted to return home, he needed to find more people from the expedition. If he gathered the lost ones, he knew they could at least try to go home. Lucan didn't have much hope while living with Clyde, but he knew that girl was different. With that girl leading the soldiers he could find, his chances of survival would increase. The more people in the group, the better it would be to face stronger monsters. Besides, he knew the expedition members also had better equipment; all he needed to do was find these people and help them reunite. Perhaps they were already gathered somewhere.

My plan is simple. I need to check the places around this city. These are the less dangerous areas, and I still have high chances of dying. But at least I know I can try to fight and run. The creatures I saw near the castle area… I would be easily killed. But if I take care of the weaker ones around here, I can both strengthen myself and find someone. If other soldiers were teleported to the city, they would be far from that castle. Just like the girl, they would be on the outskirts. After I have enough strength to hide better and advance more territory… I'll find a way to go to that silo and make sure to put up a sign that there are survivors. Maybe that girl knows some specific code for this. Or perhaps she knows where more survivors are and doesn't trust me… that's why I need to prove my worth and find someone or do something useful. I can't just count on her returning.

Stopping at the door, Lucan phased through with his intangibility and conjured his hammer. The floor was marked with bloodstains and scattered clothes. He also noticed a partially eaten, crushed hand.

"Hello, Clyde…" Lucan whispered to the hand.

The blood trail stretched toward the labyrinth of corridors.

Looks like the monster dragged its meal home, but I don't need to go that far…

Surveying his surroundings, he noticed several doors and pathways they had bypassed in their haste.

We only explored the left side of this floor. There's more to this place, like the path leading to that chapel.

Taking a few steps forward, he saw a locked grated door to his right, which led directly to the monster's lair.

All I need to do is get into that lair and follow my plan. This will be my second boss, and I could get better cards.

Lucan peeked inside and partially phased through the door. Suddenly, he was overwhelmed by a feeling.

Right in the middle of the blood, bones, hay, filth, and wood… lay the area boss, sleeping.

Holy shit! It's defenseless.

Hammer in hand, Lucan silently crept behind the creature. He raised the hammer, ready to smash its head with all his might.

Before he could strike, something caught his eye—parts of Clyde's body, gnawed and scattered on the ground. But what really grabbed his attention was…

A leather bag! Clyde’s bag. It's intact?

The bag lay on the ground, its strap torn, but Lucan knew he could fix it. It was right in front of the monster, at the corridor's intersection.

Damn it!

Lucan weighed his options. At that moment, he was behind the monster in a protected area, near the wall leading to the exit. But just ahead was an opportunity to grab something potentially helpful. He knew he couldn’t kill the boss in one blow; his plan was risky, but he was tempted. Seeing the bag so close, he decided to go for it.

Making minimal noise, he crouched and moved slowly, skirting around the monster. Always mindful of the bones underfoot, he inched closer to the bag. Once he reached the corridor, he struggled to contain his excitement. He wanted to see what was inside the bag.

As he grabbed it, something fell out with a clatter.

The monster’s eyes shot open and locked onto Lucan.

Quickly, Lucan picked up the fallen item—a knife.

“Damn it!”

The monster roared:

‘ROOOOAR!’

Lucan bolted, taking the same route he had with Clyde. Running as fast as he could, his steps felt lighter. He wasn’t sure if it was because of his outfit, but his body seemed stronger somehow.

The monster chased, closing in rapidly. Lucan rounded a corner.

As the monster turned, it took a hammer blow to the face, smashing into the wall in confusion.

“Goodbye, my friend.”

Lucan phased through the wall, emerging on the other side, stepping in Clyde's blood in the corridor. He sprinted to the exit and phased through the door, running outside.

“Holy crap,” he laughed nervously, his legs trembling.

Running away, he distanced himself while the monster roamed the labyrinthine corridors, confused and searching for him. Lucan kept moving as much as he could through the garden until he sat down on the ground.

His plan had been to gauge the monster's strength by striking it and then fleeing. However, he was worried that the creature might destroy the grated door to its lair, giving it easy access to the exit. Therefore, he needed to lure it into a distant corridor before disappearing through a wall.

If I had done that in the lair, it could have broken through the grated door and gotten easy access to the exit whenever it wanted. That would have ruined my escape plan and everything else. In the end, this was the best alternative… and I even got a bag.

Lucan had no intention of defeating the monster in a straight-up fight. Instead, he planned to be a… sneaky rat. His strategy was to monitor the monster every day until it slept. Once it fell asleep, he would sneak up from behind, hit it on the head with his hammer, and run away.

It doesn’t matter how many days it takes; I’ll kill that thing bit by bit.