Yearning to Become a Stronger One

Deep night, a narrow alley, a burly man.

Just putting those words together gives off a gay vibe, but unfortunately Jack only felt sheer terror right now.

After returning from the dungeon, he immediately wanted to flee, but instead ran into Sackman's acquaintance, who saw something was off, and then—

Here he was now.

"Where are the others?" Sackman stood there with a face full of thick muscle, already radiating overwhelming pressure.

Everyone here was sharp; some things didn't need to be said aloud—a single glance at someone's expression told the story.

And from Jack's face, he saw fear and evasion, which meant the people who followed him into the dungeon weren't in good shape.

"Boss, I was just about to report to you," Jack forced himself to say. "It's just that I just resurrected and got scared by the dungeon monsters, so my memory's a bit fuzzy right now, so—"

"Bullshit. I checked the Resurrection Room records. You never died."

Sackman snorted dismissively. "What exactly are you hiding from me? Where are the others?"

"Where are they!" the other burly men roared in unison, making Jack tremble uncontrollably.

"D-dead, they're dead."

"No shit, I figured they died in the dungeon. But now? Where are they after resurrection?"

Jack hesitated, then finally said, "They're still in the dungeon."

"Huh? They went back in after resurrecting? That's not like them. Wait—you mean—"

Sackman suddenly caught on.

"They didn't resurrect!?"

Jack nodded with difficulty.

A pair of massive hands grabbed him by the throat, lifting him like a chicken. His vision was filled with Sackman's blazing fury!

"Talk. Tell me everything you know!"

Sackman really wanted to just strangle Jack to death.

This old bastard had volunteered to lead the exploration of the dungeon, swearing up and down he'd bring back huge gains, and now?

Everyone was dead, and this old geezer still had the nerve to be alive!?

And he didn't believe it—didn't believe those people were dead. Exploring a dungeon meant carrying enough Teleportation Crystals; that was an ironclad rule every adventurer followed. No one would deliberately skip it, especially not his comrades—they all valued their lives!

"I-I-I-I—" Jack stammered incoherently.

"What are you, a clucking hen!" Sackman slapped Jack across the face with a sharp crack, knocking out his front teeth.

He shoved Jack into the hands of another burly man. "You interrogate him. I want the results fast."

"Hehe, I love interrogations," the burly man said with a leering grin, a smile that looked more terrifying to Jack than a billion murderers.

Jack wanted to talk, but, but—

Who would believe that the dungeon's Gargoyle had suddenly gained intelligence and snatched their Teleportation Crystals before killing them!

And on top of that, Jack had taken part in the killing, even ended up as a slave to the monster. If that got out, he'd probably be executed on the spot as a traitor colluding with monsters.

Jack's teeth chattered nonstop. How he wished someone would come save him now, even if it was—

A flash of the Gargoyle (played by Gong Qiying) crossed his mind.

If I could have power like that, I wouldn't have to be threatened by scum like Sackman anymore. No more living by others' moods, no more sweet-talking to fool people.

Damn it, I want to be strong too.

Damn it.

"Stop."

A cool, clear voice came from the alley entrance. Sackman turned his head impatiently and muttered, "What's with people meddling in the dead of night? Got a death wish?"

He looked, and then froze.

He had never seen such a beautiful young woman.

Look at those sparkling big eyes, like precious sapphires. Her silky black hair fluttered in the wind, perfectly matching her black-and-red travel outfit, making anyone want to compliment her taste.

But one thing ruined the overall beauty—the sword strapped to her back.

Calling it a sword was an understatement. It was huge, heavy, thick, and crude—practically an Iron Ball. It was hard to imagine how her slender arms could swing it. That giant sword was taller and bigger than she was.

Sackman figured even a single hit from that giant sword would seriously injure him. If the girl wasn't bluffing...

"She's a tough nut."

He clicked his tongue. "Mind your own business. This guy got several of our brothers lost. We need to get the truth out of him."

Then he added, "We have permission from the guards. What about you? It's curfew. You don't want me reporting you to the guards, do you?"

No one wanted trouble with the guards. Sackman was confident he could scare the girl off.

"Oh? Permission from the guards? I wasn't aware of that," another silver figure appeared. "Surely a lowly guard wouldn't dare deceive me, right? That's impossible. You must be lying."

Sackman only had to glance at who it was, and he was already too terrified to speak.

"S-S-Sally!"

The newcomer was none other than the third young master of the Bede Family, Sally!

Why was he here of all places?

"Friend, could you do me a favor?" Sally said to the girl beside him. "Help me catch these criminals, and I'll treat you to a feast afterward."

"Okay."

The girl pulled out her greatsword in one smooth motion, each movement stirring the air. The iron-like blade struck the ground with a hum, like the God of Death tolling a funeral bell.

"Are you going to kill them, friend?" Sally said helplessly. "It doesn't sound good if word gets out that a hero killed people."

"Oh."

With a sharp clang, the girl drove her greatsword into the stone-paved ground and squared up barehanded in a fighting stance.

Cold sweat trickled down Sackman's forehead. He waved his hands frantically. "Misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding—we were just—"

"Spare me the chatter."

Before anyone could react, the girl had already moved in front of him and threw a casual uppercut.

Sackman's consciousness went blank from there.

"So strong."

Jack knelt to the side, eyes wide as he watched the one-sided beatdown.

The girl cleaned up Sackman and his crew like sweeping away trash. Sally let out a light whistle. "I'll call the guards to clean this up. Let's go, time for that feast."

"Okay."

Still with that flat tone, the girl casually picked up her greatsword and followed Sally's lead.

Neither of them spared him another glance.

Clink.

A potion bottle rolled to a stop at Jack's feet. Sally waved at him before disappearing down the street with the girl.

"I met a benefactor."

Jack stared blankly at the potion, only snapping out of it after a long moment.

"Does this mean I don't have to run anymore?"