Chapter 43: Sought After, Part 3

Once trapped between buildings, I had no other choice but to look for a place to hide. Fighting head-on was out of the question. Aside from the strength gap, I could hardly control my breath. Running through the Underworld at full throttle certainly drained me more than any exams or simulation could've.

I lifted my gaze, focusing on my way out of this mess as I said, "That's it."

Then I mustered all of my strength and sprang, barely clutching the rusted ladder I had been eyeing with my hand. As I felt a sharp throb in my side, I let out a groan through my clenched teeth. The adrenaline coursing through my veins had made most of the pain bearable up to this point, but I knew it would be tough just to stand when I woke up in the morning. If I make it out of here alive, that is.

 The shortest of the trio marched into the alley with a yell, "Where the hell is he?!"

By the time the voices of my pursuers came out, I already pulled myself into the shadows above.

"M-maybe he just left..." speculated his goon. 

"Shaddap!" shot back the ringleader as he kicked one of the dumpsters. The metallic clash rang in my ears, accompanied by yet another one of his growls. "Look under every dumpster in this place! I don't want a single corner where that filthy thief could have hidden unchecked!"

You're the filthy one here, I thought. 

"I-I'll go ahead and see if he's in the tunnel," one of them excused himself as he lunged into the darkness.

"What are you staring at?" asked the bearded midget, looking into the other goon's eyes. He was the guy with cheap metal covering a chunk of his face. The dwarf's nose wrinkled as he took in a deep breath of the stench oozing out of the dumpster, and barked, "Just do something already!" 

"S-sure," he agreed, beginning his inspection. 

My lips crept upward, but I knew I had to remain silent, so I held in the chuckle I was about to let out. I had to keep my raspy breath under control and wait for everything to be over.

As he crawled back from the tunnel, the mouthy one yelled, "There was no one in there!"

"I-I'm sorry!" stuttered the ruffian with the most augmentations as he crouched behind a dumpster, looking for someone who wasn't there. "He was so fast we couldn't even keep up with him."

"Yeah, I'm sorry too..." said the other one, staring at his own feet instead of meeting the dwarf's glare.

"Damn it! Just get a cheap pair of augmented legs and start being useful to me already, freaks," the shorter one spat out, almost ripping his beard off in frustration. 

He punched one of them, knocking him down. It was clear why he had metal on his face now...

"I-I am—"

"Keep an out eye for someone wearing a jacket with the hood over his head," spat out the ringleader, uninterested in his goon's apology. "He's gotta be lurking somewhere."

That only made me click my tongue. Those three will definitely be on the lookout for me now, which was bound to make my journey through the Underworld more difficult, as yet another threat loomed over me.

Once they were gone, I descended the ladder. 

"'Someone wearing a jacket with the hood over his head,'" I repeated, reaching toward my pocket. 

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Thank you for saying that out loud, you midget. I appreciate the sentiment. Now I knew what to do.

Not only that, but many people must've witnessed my escapade. I'm sure I left a good impression on many merchants as I passed by... Who am I kidding? Rumors spread faster than the truth. It was actually rather amusing. Even if they discovered my corpse in a dumpster, they'd still be able to sleep peacefully at night, and yet, none of them will stop talking about the hooded guy who caused a mess in the Underworld.

And as if to confirm that wasn't just my imagination, I could already hear some whispers regarding the incident as I walked by. 

With hesitation, I made my way to one of the many stalls this hellhole had to offer.

After throwing one of the cloaks there on my shoulders, I slammed the money I had prepared in advance on the counter. I then started twitching my shoulders, trying to determine whether the cloak would restrict any of my movements or not. 

It was quite loose and reached all the way down to my ankles, but most importantly, it resembled the ones most people wore around these parts. It was a pity it didn't have a hood, but it should still be more than adequate for the job. My appearance shouldn't draw any attention from now on.

Of course, I could have simply thrown away my jacket, but if possible, I'd prefer not to go around the Underworld with my entire face exposed.

"H-hey," the merchant protested, startled by my sudden actions. "You can't just—"

"I paid for it," I shut him down as I finally began to understand how things worked around here.

Buying a cloak should've been the first thing I did when I arrived here. I suppose there are some things you can learn only through painful experiences.

One of the people around me stood out in particular, which was a bad thing around these parts. He, too, wore a loose cloak, but it was the square object he held that caught my eye. It was clothed, with only the hanger poking out of the top for him to grasp. 

A country bumpkin, I thought, hardened by my recent encounters. Let's hope that nothing happens to him while his guard's down. Protecting yourself while carrying such a large object will undoubtedly be difficult.

I send him my regards and went by, erasing his existence from my memory. I was preoccupied with other issues at the moment. 

For a while, I lurked out through the stalls, mingling with the crowd on the lookout for my pursuers. I couldn't let my guard down for even a second, or I'd have to endure even more agony than before.

My stomach throbbed as I inhaled deeper than usual, but I tried to ignore it. I knew that if I slept, the pain would eventually go away. It always does. 

Then I realized I was unconsciously tapping my pockets. Thankfully, everything was in place. I could still feel the artifact's constant weight burdening me, which was quite unpleasant. 

And, given my current attire, I'm confident any thieves would be discouraged from approaching me.

Once I was certain no one was looking for me in my immediate vicinity, and by switching my direction countless times to shake off any potential stalkers, I delved closer to a strange stall, isolated from the rest. 

I dim bulb shone above a jumble of haphazardly organized objects of all kinds, but its appearance wasn't important.

I am going to get receive my reward for all of this trouble I've been through.

That was the only thought lingering in my mind.

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