Chapter 49 - For The Better

Ghouls were agile and fast. They could travel long distances within a few minutes!

Of course, this was under the premise that no sorcerers or Anomalies were chasing his tail.

Honza examined him but found nothing. He didn't carry a plastic bag and his hand was empty.

As though reading his mind, Zarakhtul grabbed something from his back jeans pocket.

In his right hand was a maroon ruby. It looked like it just soaked in blood

"This is a Gem Storage, the book's in here." He informed him.

It wasn't a surprise for someone like him to carry this but Honza didn't believe his words. Noticing his look, Zarakhtul poured in his spiritual energy.

The red ruby let out a faint, blood glow and a book jolted upwards akin to two slices of bread finished cooking in a toaster. Zarakhtul caught the book with his other hand.

"See?"

At this moment, Honza nodded. He didn't ask why an old man like him would buy something like LNs.

"You have trust issues, don't you know that?"

By then, Zarakhtul put his back into the gem and put it in his back pocket.

"Have you seen the urban legend in this city?" Zarakhtul abruptly asked after he put the gemstone.

"Yes, I'm aware."

If not, the person either lived in a cave or a coma! The so-called "urban legend" appeared almost every day, before the sun disappeared from the horizon.

"I got some clues as to where they come from and it's from a skyscraper which is located in the middle of the city. I try to locate who summoned these creatures but all attempts are to no avail."

Everyone knew that the urban legends were creatures whose bodies were made out of lightning, making them close to mythical beings out of a fantasy world.

He continued, "I want to figure out who it is as a way of passing time. Whoever summons them is not a simple man. Have you realized that the urban legend isn't on schedule?"

Honza shortly pondered, "I didn't notice."

He was fighting to the death with an Anomaly sorcerer after all.

Out of habit, Honza analyzed Zarakhtul's words, and brows gradually sunk, "are you saying that the increase of Anomaly cases is because of this?"

"More or less, when I first came to my senses. I saw these creatures and wondered what their purpose was. At the time due to me being weak, I didn't have the time to probe much further but now, I believe I understand their goal."

Talking about his past for a short moment was enough to erase his smile. At the end of his words, he looked up and saw a four-legged creature pass as it leaped to another building.

It didn't notice his existence and he was somewhat relieved as he exuded a mouthful of breath silently.

"To protect the city from Anomalies?..." Honza speculated and Zarakhtul confirmed him.

He then retracted his gaze to Honza.

"I don't know why Anomalies locked their sights on this city but I'm intending to figure it out," Zarakhtul told him his current intention and Honza briefly paused.

"... Why? I thought you're going to massacre a bunch of people for food."

Zarakhtul forced out a dry smile.

"I'm not a mindless beast and for the record, I would choose criminals. Of course, that depends on the situation, right now I need to recover my strength as soon as possible.

I am honestly lucky that you got a vision saying that I play a role to balance the world. I somehow understand what role I have."

"A role that always has a bad end." Honza blurted out and Zarakhtul didn't seem to be mad.

"I appreciate the reminder. Another thing, I'm curious if your existence here in the city means that it is equivalent to protecting the world, if so. Does that mean the city currently balances it? And the subsequent event would lead to either world's doom or peace?",

"An interesting theory." Honza neither approved his words to be true nor continued the topic.

He chuckled, "is it? One could come up after careful and simple analysis. Perhaps I'm better at being a detective."

Just as Zarakhtul said that. Honza recalled his meet with that strange person and repeated his words silently.

He said he needs my help to balance the city, is it because to counter the abnormal Anomalies appearance? Should that be the case, someone already did it. Is there another reason?

After the Mabashi Shrine accident, I got a vision to visit this city, and not long after, I met Zarakhtul. Perhaps the latter's past is complicated than I imagined.

As his thoughts raced, he constantly connected one idea to another. Causing many thoughts to surface in his mind resulting in him being lost in a sea of thoughts.

Realizing it would only waste his time instead of finding an answer, he looked at Zarakhtul and said, "I'll go home."

Zarakhtul nodded as he averted his gaze from him to the corpses, "what should I do with these corpses? Aren't you afraid the sorcerers are going to track you down via divination and other means?"

"Don't worry, when they knock on my door. I would have already fled. Though I don't know about you."

As Zarakhtul was on the scene, those company dogs could track him down. Therefore, with a sigh and heavy heart.

He clasped his hand and closed his eyes. Seemingly mumbling some kind of chant.

He took out five needles and spread them out.

The needles stabbed on the ground and from above, they looked like forming a star.

Shortly thereafter, a circle was mysteriously drawn on the ground. A star with a circle, or rather a magic circle, was formed on the ground with Zarakhtul in the middle.

It let out a bright glow before slowly disappearing.

He erased any traces here. If they didn't use powerful tracking techniques, it was almost impossible to track who did these.

"Letting an old man do the work. You don't have a basic sense of respect, huh?"

"Who said that you had to erase the traces?" Honza asked and Zarakhtul fell in a daze as he didn't expect Honza's words.

He felt betrayed and humiliated but only last quite short.

He gently shook his head so as to snap back to reality.

He raised his hand and the needles came into life as they approached him. They stopped between his fingers and put them into his pocket.

Suddenly, Zarakhtul had the strong urge to hit Honza. His scalp was tingling as he felt a mysterious force trying to control him.

He endured it with great difficulty as he firmed his clenched hands.

Fortunately, it lasted shortly. Had it lasted longer, it was certain Zarakhtul going to use his current full strength to kill Honza!

Shot Honza with a curious and wary look, Honza noticed it and said, "it's a vision."

Upon receiving a vision, it would often hypnotize and force people to what the vision told Honza.

If Honza got a vision to cause a war that swept the entire world, those near him would be planted with a psychological cue to cause a war without knowing.

"Zarakhtul, hit me unconscious and absorb my spiritual to a critical point. I just have a vision of what I should do next."

As a race that blessed a power which to balance the world. They often get a vision of the things that might balance the world.

Yes, in a way, he agreed to Zarakhtul's request to reach his peak for this purpose. Should that not be the case, he might be killed by Honza.

The former didn't pursue justice but he wasn't kind enough to let a powerful but in a weakened state, ghoul roamed the streets.

Accepting Zarakhtul's request can also allow Honza to monitor him.

Zarakhtul was aware of all of the above.

"Sure." He nodded and with no hesitation. He hit Honza's neck. His eyes rolled back and his body collapsed with knees first and then his body. He fell with a light thud.

"I think I hit him too hard."