Family heirloom, then turned into a demon girl

Chapter 301 Mission: 02-2 The Undead

The argument continued in the audience hall of [Salamanda], and neither discussion nor information exchange could proceed smoothly. This matter was unknown to Kuon Asuka and Leticia.

Leaving behind the few people who were busy playing ghost hunting, they quickly immersed themselves in the festive atmosphere and began to stroll around the streets. They were hungry and bought some snacks on the street. Seeing a stray elf, Asuka once again left Leticia behind and ran off alone.

The good news for Fei Niao was that after some effort, she successfully caught the pale yellow glowing elf wearing a pointed hat, but at this time Leticia had been completely left behind by her.

This wonderful little creature, which could only speak a few simple words, quickly forgave the bird for chasing it when the bird gave it some food, and climbed onto the bird's head with a giggle.

"So we're finally friends. My name is Kuon Asuka, can you pronounce it?"

The elf tried several times before finally succeeding in pronouncing the standard word "Flying Bird". The bird happily grabbed it from above its head and held it in its hands, then asked face to face: "Great! So what's your name?"

"Rattenfanger!"

It was a German word, and Asuka, who had never left Japan, didn't understand what it meant. But she vaguely felt that the word wasn't "cute" enough and didn't look like a name.

"Is that really your name?" she asked again.

"No~together!"

"The name of the community? What about your own name?"

The elf widened his eyes, tilted his head and looked at Fei Niao, and stopped talking.

In other words, this little creature had no individual identifying name; the only way to refer to it as a group was as "Rat Catchers." Asuka remembered that Leticia had said when she first saw it that this little creature was a "group spirit" and rarely acted alone, so it probably didn't need an individual name.

But if that's the case, why are you alone?

Confused, Fei Niao wanted to give it a name of its own, but was met with strong opposition from the bird, who shook his head and shouted.

There was nothing she could do, so she could only continue wandering around with the nameless elf, and before she knew it, they arrived at a handicraft exhibition held in a cave.

Since the cave was such an enclosed space, most of the exhibits had their own lighting capabilities. Examples included candlesticks, crystal chandeliers, and stained glass that used light from specific directions to create a more vibrant effect. However, all of these exhibits were overwhelmed by the presence of a massive figure deep within the cave. A single glance would reveal that this figure was completely different from the other artifacts.

A red steel giant that can easily crush everything around it as long as it moves.

"What a massive statue!" Asuka exclaimed involuntarily. However, the massive, imposing figure was only the first impression. In fact, the light from the other exhibits made it easy to see the exquisite detail of the statue. The golden patterns were abstracted into scattered rays of sunlight, creating a delicate beauty yet an overwhelming power.

The elf happily jumped down from the bird's hand and stood on the sign in front of the giant. He pointed at the name on it and shouted, "Ratcatcher!"

This is what its community has produced.

"It's really awesome."

Asuka didn't hold back on his praise: "It looks like your joint team might just win the championship."

Such an exhibition is also a kind of gift game, and in the end a champion will be born under complex rules.

Asuka grabbed the elf again, stood up and turned around, but accidentally bumped into someone behind him and fell to the ground in an instant. "Ouch!"

She cried out softly in pain, opened her eyes, and quickly looked for the elf beside her. She was relieved to see that it was holding her hair and not falling down.

"I'm so sorry, I got too close." In front of Fei Niao, the person she bumped into stood there motionless, saying calmly, "Are you okay?"

In the dim light of the cave, Fei Niao couldn't quite make out the man's features. All he could tell was that he was a young man, dressed in black and wearing a top hat. His skin was so pale it looked un-human. He lowered his head, pulling the brim of his hat over his face, seemingly unwilling to meet anyone's gaze.

Although the man was dressed appropriately and spoke politely, not taking the initiative to help the woman who had been bumped into him was already ungentlemanly. However, this was merely a matter of etiquette, not an obligation, and his actions alone were impeccable, so Asuka didn't say anything.

"……Who are you?"

Asuka stood up, adjusted her dress, and asked.

"Just an ordinary guy," the man replied calmly. He raised his head slightly, looking at the steel giant "Dean" created by the Rat Catcher, and suddenly said something completely unrelated: "I smell the scent of jealousy here."

"what?"

"It's just a boring complaint, don't pay attention to it."

The man let out a gloomy laugh, and along with the laughter, a cold wind blew from the depths of the cave. The man took a step forward and stood in front of the flying bird.

For a moment, Fei Niao felt the chilly wind chill her hands and feet, and her body stiffened, but the feeling quickly faded. The man turned around and said with a half-smile, "But my nose seems as sensitive as ever."

The cave was shaking. Fei Niao looked up in surprise to see the rocks falling. He immediately looked at the other panicked visitors and issued a serious, irresistible order:

"Don't panic! Everyone evacuate in order!"

After this command, the crowd that was originally screaming in fear and pushing each other suddenly quieted down, formed into neat queues, and walked towards the exit quickly and orderly.

Only Asuka and the mysterious man were unaffected.

But this man...why wasn't he affected by Fei Niao's orders? Fei Niao looked at him with doubt, and after hesitating for a moment, he decided to leave as soon as possible and trotted at the back of the team.

Facing the darkness deep within the cave, the man remained calm and stood there, his expression unchanged. He spoke towards the source of the vibration and said, "Are you going to kill me here?"

"Who are you?" A deep male voice echoed in the cave. "No—what are you?"

"Just an ordinary person." The man insisted on this answer: "An ordinary person who has been looking for death."

After a pause, he asked again: "So, are you coming to kill me?"

No answer came from the cave, and the vibrations died down.

(End of this chapter)