A few days passed after that.
A small rumor began to circulate through the Graverock Block.
That a man in a black mask, concealing his face, roamed the alleys every night, cleaning up the trash.
What baffled people was that he didn't seem to be after money, nor did he appear to be trying to claim territory.
But one thing was certain: the number of criminals in the Graverock Block had dropped drastically.
Low-ranking members of the Black Ring vanished one by one, only to be found dumped somewhere the following morning.
Most were not killed.
Instead, with broken bones or ripped-out ACUs, they were merely dumped unconscious in front of junkyards or abandoned warehouses.
Kael paid no mind to such rumors.
Right now, what mattered was procuring as many ACUs as possible just in case.
Most were of terrible quality.
Cheap implants, illegal modifications, and unmaintained circuitry.
Every single one bore traces of overload from Overclocking.
Still, they were usable, so he had to be satisfied with just that.
..
..
That day was no different; he had just wrapped up his work.
Kael took off his black mask and slipped it inside his pocket.
Brushing the dust off his coat, he stepped out of the alley and headed toward a familiar building.
Last Round.
The worn-out sign was still flickering, but it felt a little different from a few days ago.
Kael climbed the stairs and opened the door on the fourth floor.
Chime.
As the bell rang, Mira looked up from behind the bar.
"You're here?"
She greeted him as if it had become second nature by now.
Kael naturally took his usual seat as well.
"The usual."
Mira raised an eyebrow and pushed back.
"This is a bar, not a restaurant."
"I know."
"It's a place that sells alcohol."
"I know that too."
"Then why do you order food the moment you walk in every single time?"
Kael's reply was simple.
"Because it's good."
She finally let out a sigh.
"You really are an odd customer."
"I hear that often."
"I bet you do."
Mira turned toward the kitchen.
"Get one ready!"
A very faint reply seemed to come from inside.
Mira wiped a glass and mumbled.
"Still, I guess it's a good thing we didn't close down."
Kael turned his gaze toward her.
"Why?"
"Because we got really lucky."
Mira looked around the bar as if she still couldn't believe it.
"Just a few days ago, this place was on the verge of going under, but then a huge corporation like Seraph Industry bought the building out of nowhere."
"Really?"
When Kael spoke nonchalantly, Mira eyed his reaction with dissatisfaction.
"Besides, all the tangled debts were settled, overdue bills were strangely forgiven, and the rent was dropped ridiculously low. Even the terms are great. They told us to maintain operations as usual for now."
"That worked out well."
"It did. So well that it's downright suspicious."
Mira narrowed her eyes.
"Do you know something?"
Kael picked up his glass of water.
"Nothing."
"...."
Kael casually averted his gaze while drinking water, but Mira did not press him further.
A moment later, the food was set down in front of Kael.
Today it wasn't stew.
Meat seared crispy on the outside, vegetables stir-fried in a savory sauce, accompanied by thinly sliced bread on the side.
A subtle aroma of spices drifted up.
When Kael emptied the plate in an instant, Mira watched him with a strangely satisfied expression.
"Looks like you enjoyed this one too?"
Kael nodded.
"It's delicious."
"You say that so seriously."
"It's important to be grateful for each and every thing like this."
"Yeah, yeah. I get that food is important in your life now."
Kael stared at the empty plate before asking.
"Could I perhaps see the person who made the food?"
Mira seemed to hesitate for a moment, then finally raised her voice toward the kitchen.
"Nia! Come out here for a second!"
From the kitchen doorway, someone poked just their face out slightly.
Yellow hair and perked fox ears.
"...!"
Seeing her appearance, Kael's eyes wavered slightly.
A beastkin.
Because this was the first time he learned that beastkin existed in this world too.
There had been beastkin in Kael's original world as well.
The wolf tribes of the western jungle or the leopard warriors of the southern plains.
Like the white fox priest he had met on the northern snowfields....
Even during the war against the Demon King's Army, he had encountered various beastkin races.
But this was the first time since coming to Magiterra.
Since the magic system of this world, the way cities operated, and even the appearance of humans were different,
he had never expected there to be beastkin here as well.
When the girl at the kitchen doorway locked eyes with Kael, she quickly cast her gaze downward.
Then, she stepped out very slowly.
She appeared to be around the same age as Kael.
Her yellow hair fell past her shoulders, and the fox ears atop her head stood upright with tension.
Keeping her head bowed in silence, she approached Mira's side.
Feeling shy, she clutched the hem of her apron tightly with her fingertips.
Mira gently introduced her.
"Let me introduce her. This is Nia Goldentail."
Mira patted Nia lightly on the shoulder.
"She's very shy. Doesn't talk much either."
At that, Nia lowered her head even further.
"Thanks for the meal."
At his words, Nia's ears twitched.
Kael pointed to the empty plate and complimented her cooking.
"It was delicious."
"...."
Nia did not reply, merely bowing her head very slightly.
Then, glancing once at Mira, she scurried back into the kitchen.
Seeing Kael gaze in that direction for a moment, Mira crossed her arms and asked him,
"Why are you so surprised?"
Kael turned his gaze away.
"Because there's a beastkin."
"What? Is this your first time seeing a beastkin?"
"In this world."
"...In this world?"
When Kael lifted his water glass and averted his eyes again, Mira didn't bother to press him on it.
***
The night grew deep.
Kael stood atop a building's roof, his face concealed behind a black mask as usual.
He looked down from the edge of the roof.
The alleys, the backs of warehouses, and the spots where street stalls had packed up all shared something in common.
They were narrow pathways frequently traversed by Black Ring gang members.
Having roamed around for several days, he had mapped out their general movements.
The bastards were simple.
Tracing the lines connecting drugs and money naturally revealed their hideouts and deal locations.
Kael silently traversed the rooftops.
In doing so, he naturally felt an odd sense of dissonance from not having an enhanced body.
In the past, he would have cleared several buildings in a single breath, but....
Still, this was a body tempered through time spent on the battlefield.
Just because he lacked magic didn't mean his body was completely useless.
Kael leapt onto the next rooftop.
Someone in the alley below looked up, but Kael had already melted behind the shadows.
It was then.
His gaze halted on a certain alley.
He spotted a familiar color.
Yellow hair and perked fox ears.
Nia Goldentail.
She was the fox beastkin girl he had seen earlier today at the Last Round.
She was pushing a wheelchair carrying a young boy.
He looked to be around ten years old. He had yellow hair like Nia's, though slightly paler in shade. Small fox ears sat atop his head, and a thin blanket was draped over his lap.
All things considered, he appeared to be her younger brother.
The problem was the guys surrounding them.
Four unsavory thugs.
No, judging by the shadow deeper in the alley, was there one more?
That made five in total.
Kael's eyes flashed as he assessed the situation in an instant.
Two in front.
One by the left wall.
One blocking the wheelchair from behind.
One watching from deeper inside the alley.
At best, they all seemed to only have ordinary Cyberware auxiliary devices.
Overall, the threat level was low.
Yet for Nia and the boy in the wheelchair, it was undoubtedly dangerous enough.
A man below spoke up.
"So, can't you understand plain speech?"
He was blocking the front of the wheelchair.
"I'm telling you, it's dangerous roaming around at night like this. We're offering to walk you home, aren't we?"
With her head lowered, Nia gripped the wheelchair handles tightly.
Her ears were pinned back flat, showing how startled she was by the unexpected confrontation.
"I-I'm fine..."
Her voice was so small it was barely audible.
"What do you mean you're fine?"
Another guy chuckled.
"The oppas are offering to help, so what's your problem?"
The boy in the wheelchair bit his lip, then shouted.
"Don't come near Noona."
At those words, the men burst out laughing.
"Look at that. The squirt's got quite a temper."
"Can't even stand up, yet he acts tough."
Having grasped the entire situation, Kael watched no longer.
He dropped down from the roof's edge.
Before the target could even look up, Kael's elbow slammed into the nape of his neck.
Thud.
Without even making a sound, the man crumpled to the ground.
Kael caught the falling body and eased it down against the alley wall.
Alerted by the strange noise, the other four belatedly turned around.
"What the?"
When Kael offered no response, one of them spat out a curse.
"Who the hell is that bastard?"
When the guy on the left lunged first, Kael grabbed his wrist and twisted it.
Crack.
He wrenched the opponent's arm behind his back and drove him into the ground with a knee to the spine.
Another guy drew a knife and charged.
Ducking to dodge the blade, Kael swept the opponent's ankle.
The moment the man's posture broke, Kael drove his palm upward into the man's jaw.
Smack.
The man's eyes rolled back as he toppled backward.
The remaining guy's pupils shook with terror.
"Y-You're him, aren't you?"
A voice trembling with terror.
"The one who's been roaming around every night lately..."
Kael closed the distance in silence and subdued him in a flash.
..
..
Nia stood frozen, clutching the wheelchair handles.
The boy was also staring wide-eyed at Kael.
Without approaching them, Kael checked the condition of the fallen thugs' ACUs as usual.
One Tier 1.
Pulling out a small cutting tool, he swiftly extracted only the necessary parts, wrapped the devices in cloth, and slipped them into his pocket.
It was then.
"Hyung?"
When the boy in the wheelchair spoke, Kael's movements froze for an instant.
"It's you, right, Hyung?"
The boy's eyes were sparkling.
"The rumored Hero who's appeared recently!"
Hero.
A word that made no sense whatsoever in this situation.
Flustered, Nia grasped the boy's shoulders.
"Rio..."
Despite her attempt to stop him, the boy didn't hold back.
"The one wearing a black mask, punishing bad guys, and saving people—that's you, right?"
Kael fell silent for a moment before denying the boy's claim.
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are!"
"I'm not."
"Then why are you wearing a mask?"
Kael answered instantly.
"To cover my face."
"Then you really are a Hero!"
"...?"
The boy's face grew even brighter, while Nia was at a complete loss.
She looked at Kael, then back at the boy.
"Rio, hush now..."
Yet her voice was far too small.
Rio grabbed the wheelchair armrests and leaned forward.
"I-I'm your fan, Hyung!"
Kael looked at him in silence, but Rio kept pouring out his words without a pause.
"Could you please come to our house and talk with me just once?"
Nia's ears shot straight up.
With a face on the verge of tears, she shook her head.
"Rio... you shouldn't do that... We mustn't trouble him..."
"Just once! Just for a little bit!"
Without answering, Kael was just about to turn and leave.
Just then.
Thump.
A dull thud echoed as something hit the ground.
Stopping in his tracks, Kael turned around to see that Rio had fallen from the wheelchair.
Even sprawled on the ground, he was still looking up at Kael.
His legs below the knees didn't seem to move properly.
Startled, Nia crouched down.
"Rio!"
She frantically tried to help her brother up, but Rio propped himself on the ground with his arms and raised his head toward Kael.
"Hyung..."
His breath was slightly ragged, yet his eyes shone brightly.
"Just once, please."
Bowing her head, Nia spoke in a trembling voice.
"I-I'm so sorry... I'll take him away right now..."
Kael watched the scene in silence.
After a long pause, he let out a very short breath.
"Hah."
It was a sigh bordering on resignation.
Walking back toward them, Kael stopped in front of Rio, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"Is your house close by?"
At his question, Rio's face lit up.
"Yes!"
Nia spoke softly.
"I-it's really alright. We couldn't possibly impose..."
Kael looked at her.
"I asked if it's close."
Nia parted her lips hesitantly, then gave a tiny nod.
"...It is close."
"Then lead the way."
Kael gently lifted Rio and placed him back into the wheelchair.
At that, Rio looked up at Kael with a deeply moved expression.
"A true Hero after all..."
"I'm not."
"You're only denying it because of your secret identity, right?"
"I told you I'm not."
"So cool..."
Kael looked up at the sky for a moment and sighed.
Wondering just how on earth he had developed such a soft heart.