Spiders

Under the cover of night, two figures rushed into the alley, followed by a rapid series of clashing metal sounds.

"Clang, clang..."

"Pff!"

Dina stood there with a soft sword in hand, her expression grim. A thread of blood slowly slid down the blade and dripped onto the ground.

She stared at the figure ahead, her voice icy:

"Were you the ones stealing other people's vitality, refining it into potions, and then selling them to the noblewomen in the city at exorbitant prices?"

She had been investigating the "Vampire Mummy Case" for some time. Although she had received no support from her colleagues, her tireless investigation had revealed that the ones stealing vitality were not a single person, but an organized, premeditated gang.

They disguised themselves as "Vampires," killed people to steal their vitality, and then refined it into Purity Potions that could preserve one's youthful appearance and even restore one's youth.

They made enormous profits from it.

Today, she had finally obtained news that someone would secretly trade potions here. She had nearly lost her target because she did not have a ticket to the opera house.

Fortunately,

After narrowly avoiding disaster, she had finally caught up with them.

"Ugh..." The figure clutched his injured arm, his face pale.

"I don't know what you're talking about!"

"You don't know?" Dina snorted coldly.

"You're not going to talk? I have plenty of ways to make you speak."

Before her voice had even faded, she had already charged forward with her sword.

Dina had tempered her body for years. Her charge was like that of a lithe female leopard, while the soft sword in her hand was the fangs of a hunting beast. Once she attacked, her strikes were exceptionally fierce.

Sword light flashed across the alley. Her opponent was forced to retreat again and again, dodging frantically, yet blood still sprayed from his body from time to time.

The difference in strength between the two was clear.

"Whoosh!"

Just as she was about to bring down her opponent, two curved arcs of light suddenly appeared and slashed toward Dina's waist and abdomen.

"Clang..."

Dina swung her sword to intercept them and retreated rapidly, a look of surprise appearing on her face.

"What is this?"

"Heh heh..." The figure lowered his head and chuckled.

Then he suddenly yanked both hands apart, tearing his coat to pieces and revealing the horrifying scene beneath.

Shadows shifted across his back. He had two more pairs of arms than an ordinary person. All six arms stretched outward, making him look like a bizarre, unnerving humanoid spider.

Each of his six arms held a dagger. He was not only bizarre, but dangerous as well.

"Monster!"

Dina's face paled. She instinctively took a step back as an ancient rumor surfaced in her mind.

"You're a believer of Elise!"

"How dare you!" At the mention of "Elise," the freak suddenly flew into a rage. His eyes instantly turned blood-red, and the fury surging within him directly destroyed his reason.

"You dare blaspheme the divine! Die!"

"Whoosh!"

Accompanied by his furious roar, six flashes of cold light stabbed toward Dina, as swift as a torrential rainstorm.

However, they came quickly and were repelled just as quickly.

The strength of a peak Knight Squire rivaled that of a ferocious beast. Dina, fighting with all her might, was even more terrifying.

The six-armed monster was bizarre and horrifying, but his strength was only that of an ordinary Knight Squire. His extra pair of arms made him troublesome to deal with, but they could not possibly erase the gap between them.

"You're nothing special."

After forcing her opponent back, Dina relaxed slightly.

"Looks like the Spider Goddess didn't grant you her blessing."

The Spider Goddess Elise was an evil god from legend, a monster who had attempted to steal the authority of the true gods and was cursed as a result. It was said that she had the body of a spider and a human head.

Descriptions of her mostly emphasized her cruelty and bloodlust, especially her love of stealing other people's vitality.

"Heh heh..."

The monster slowly pushed himself up from the ground, then looked up and grinned.

"I alone naturally wouldn't be enough, but... what if I added them?"

His voice fell.

Dina's expression changed drastically.

"Whoosh!"

"Whoosh, whoosh!"

Three figures successively dropped from above, surrounding Dina completely.

Each had two arms growing from its back. With all six hands pressed against the ground, they hissed like spiders, and as their abdomens rose and fell, strands of web shot out.

The webs intertwined into a net, instantly covering the entire alley.

This is bad!

Dina tightened her grip on her sword.

*

*

*

"Make way!"

"Sorry, make way!"

"..."

After leaving the opera house, Karl found the crowd in front still packed tightly together.

He tapped his cane lightly and charged straight through. Relying on sheer brute force, he forcibly carved out a path.

After leaving the crowd, he straightened his slightly disheveled clothes. He did not leave immediately, but went straight to the theater's rear entrance.

"Creak..."

Not long afterward, the rear door opened, and Jenny emerged before removing her makeup or changing out of her performance clothes.

The two had agreed to meet here after the concert ended.

"Karl."

Jenny gave Karl a sweet smile and spoke in a bright voice.

"I saw you onstage."

"Your performance was quite good." Karl praised her.

"I think your voice was even more beautiful than the lead singer's. If I were choosing, I would definitely choose you as the lead singer."

"Don't joke around." Jenny shook her head with a smile.

"You don't know how terrified I was back then. My legs were almost unable to support me. I was already satisfied that I managed to hold on."

"I was telling the truth." Karl extended an invitation.

"Would you like to go back together?"

"According to the one-and-only error-free version!"

"This..." Jenny glanced back and hesitated.

The singing troupe was about to hold a gathering, but if she could spend some time alone with the Baron, she could refuse to attend.

Before Jenny could answer, Karl continued, "As it happens, I found a house today. I'll be moving there in the next few days."

"Being able to see you perform on a proper stage before I leave counts as one of my wishes fulfilled."

"You're leaving?" Jenny's face paled.

"Why?"

"Is there something wrong with our place? You can tell us, and we can change it. We can even negotiate the rent again."

"No." Karl waved his hand.

"I just want to move somewhere else."

"..." Jenny's expression stiffened, and her lips trembled.

"Is that so?"

"I'm very happy that I was able to live with all of you. These days will be beautiful memories in my life." Karl smiled.

"But people must eventually part ways. As the proverb says, the only constant in life is change. Once I've finished arranging the new house, you're welcome to come and visit."

"...All right." Jenny clenched her hands, lowered her head, and spoke in a muffled voice.

"The singing troupe still has a gathering later, so I won't go with you. Be careful... be careful on the way."

"A gathering?" Karl nodded.

"All right, then. Enjoy yourselves. I'll be leaving first."

With that, he bowed slightly, turned around, and left.

Jenny watched Karl's back disappear into the darkness. Only after she could no longer see him did she collapse onto the ground, tears silently falling from her eyes.

"Jenny."

Percy from the singing troupe had appeared behind her at some point. Seeing this, he sighed softly.

"We'll meet many people in our lives, but perhaps only a god and a lover can accompany us to the end. Even our parents and children will eventually leave us."

He continued,

"Parting is the norm."

"Sniff..." Jenny sobbed quietly.

She understood that principle, but whenever she thought of Karl drifting away from her life, perhaps never appearing again, she could not stop feeling heartbroken—so heartbroken it felt as though her heart were being torn apart.

"Don't cry." Percy stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder.

"I'll tell you some good news. Your performance today attracted the attention of an important person. It may turn out to be an even better opportunity."

How could Karl not understand Jenny's feelings?

However, he had no intention of taking their relationship any further. Since there was still time, he had simply cut it off directly and put an end to her hopes.

His decision to move was partly because he wanted a more spacious place, but that was also one of the reasons.

"Hm?"

As he passed through a small alley, Karl's expression shifted slightly, and he instinctively stopped.

Then he turned and walked toward the dark alley.

"Tap..."

"Forget it!"

At the alley entrance, he shook his head and stopped.

Although Signo City was much safer than Black City, it still harbored terrifying organizations such as the Fire Thieves. Absolute safety could not be guaranteed.

It was better to avoid trouble when possible.

With that thought, he turned around and was about to leave.

"Whoosh!"

Suddenly,

A flash of cold light swept past.

Karl instinctively lowered his head and dodged the thrown dagger, only to see a dark figure pounce after it.