The Devil’s Cage

The tides of malicious intents were like thorns stinging his back.

Kieran tip-toed and retreated swiftly.

A moment later, black smoke was sprayed out from the shadow beside the door.

The assassulting stench spread across the area in an instant, bring down the attendant who led the way and bodyguards around. Everyone crumbled down to the ground after inhaling the black smoke.

Kieran quickly covered his nose and mouth, drawing further away from the smoke.

[Toxin: Constitution has passed the authentication, no debuff occurred…]

Battlelog notifications kept piling up in Kieran’s vision, but his gaze was locked at the shadow beside the door.

Souu!

Under Kieran’s gaze, a short, small figure with a heavier stench dashed out from the shadow with extreme speed. It was giving out a sharp squeak while dashing towards Kieran with its sharp claws, aiming for Kieran’s throat.

Kieran easily dodged the attack with a slight tilt of his head and backed up a step.

Bang!

Kieran also launched a kick at that creature that hurled towards him.

The powerful force infused in Kieran’s kick sent the creature flying like a firing cannon ball, crashing back hard on the wall beside the door.

After a couple of twitch, the creature has no more signs of life.

Though, Kieran held his force back when he kicked, so the creature’s body was kept intact.

It had the shape of a monkey, with a monkey’s look but didn’t have any fur on it. The flesh and blood were covered with a translucent and slightly turbid membrane. Its teeth and claws were sharp like blades and black like coal.

The obvious vile stench was coming from its body.

”What is this?!”

Lander came out of the house and saw the creature beside the wall. When the stench assaulted his nose, he instinctively took two steps back but still started to wobble.

”Get a doctor, some mint oil and clean water!”

Kieran went up to Lander, but he had already passed out. Kieran brought Lander away from the creature’s body and told the butler that came forth.

The Lander’s family doctor arrived before Kieran after a mere two minutes.

After a quick check up on Lander, the doctor cleaned him up with clean water and rubbed mint oil over his body before giving him some kind of medicine to drink.

Kieran couldn’t comment on the doctor’s skill. No doubt he was professional, unlike Kieran who had relied on Musou level [Medicine and Medicinal Knowledge]’s [Master of Poison] to guess out the general components of the toxic fumes and had come up with corresponding measures.

After around five minutes, Lander woke up.

”What is that?”

Lander looked at the creature’s body with a shocked expression after swiftly regaining his conscious.

”Some kind of monster.” Kieran replied vaguely.

Not because Kieran wouldn’t tell Lander, but he didn’t know what it was as well.

”Did it cause the slaughter at the gold rush camp?”

Lander related the creature to the incident; he turned to Kieran, staring him with flashing eyes.

”No. That’s another kind of monster!”

Kieran shrugged and replied after ignoring the pressure from Lander’s gaze.

”Meaning… Harold was facing these kind of monsters all the time?”

Lander took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, yet Kieran still could sense his anxiousness and worry.

”If you don’t mind, we can continue the conversation in the study room. This place… let’s leave it to the doctor! He is much more of an expert than you and me!” Kieran said.

The doctor who was busy giving care to other fainted ones replied with a smile.

However, Kieran took a glance with the corner of his eyes at the fainted eavesdropper.

The moment the creature appeared, the eavesdropper was knocked out by the stench and hasn’t woke up till now.

Kieran was certain he wasn’t faking it, the shock on his face was too obvious.

Other than that, during the commotion, Kieran tried stepping the eavesdropper’s finger, but he still didn’t wake up nor did he turn into a Night monster.

The eavesdropper was not a Night monster nor he knew about this attack!

Kieran was sure of his conclusion, but because of his certainty, new doubts filled his heart.

Why would the monkey-like creature attack him?

The creature’s target from the beginning was Kieran all along.

The confident sharp senses towards malicious and killing intents never failed him.

”From my appearance at the tavern to being located by Lander, there are some other forces that had me under their radar? In addition, they confirmed that I would arrive at Lander’ house, so they sent a killing monster to ambush me here, just to… stop me from telling Lander where Herbert and his students were?!”

”No! That’s not right. It should be the person or Night monster behind the eavesdropper, not Lander!”

Kieran followed tightly behind Lander, while analyzing the reason for the attack; it was not too hard to figure out.

From the dungeon [Ancient City Foreign Matter] to [Primordial Invasion], those people or Night monsters who had beef with Kieran and wanted him dead were a handful. After excluding them, his clues led him to the point about Herbert’s location that he claimed he knew.

”The attacker didn’t know it was a lie that I made up because they themselves haven’t located Herbert! Otherwise, they wouldn’t send out a killer! Though different from the eavesdropper, the ones behind this have quite the confidence in locating Herbert and the others. All they need is time…”

”Wait! The attacker might not have any confidence in locating Herbert, but it was to stall the eavesdropper’s actions! Both of them were competing? Or enemies?” Kieran wondered about the newly formed question.

Why would the attacker behind the creature want to stall the eavesdropper?

Kieran was sure the attacker was plotting some malicious scheme, but he couldn’t know more for now.

It wasn’t as simple as Herbert being placed on the wanted list.

Someone needed to be held responsible for the slaughter at the gold rush camp, and Herbert coincidentally appeared there and had a grudge with the Night races. Everything unfolded according to the flow.

”I need to hurry up!” Kieran thought in his heart.

He had no idea what the attacker was plotting, but one thing was for sure, it would be nothing but malicious deeds. There was a high chance that Herbert was or would be involved in the scheme.

Therefore, when Lander opened the study room door for him, he took big strides and entered.

”When can the food and medicines that I requested be delivered to me?” Kieran asked straightforwardly.

”Immediately! Though I need to know what happened first. Why would such a monster appear at my doorstep? Fret not, the study room has gone through special reinforcements. It is absolutely safe!” Lander asked eagerly after closing the door.

However, Kieran shook his head at the eager questions.

He had denied the fact that Lander claimed the study was absolutely safe.

At least, from what he observed, such special reinforcements couldn’t really prevent the Night race from eavesdropping, but it was what he needed that time.

”I promised Herbert to keep it a secret! So when you see Harold, you can ask him yourself!”

Kieran said.

Translator’s Thoughts

Dess Dess

New race has entered the coliseum.