Absolute Cheater-Chapter 146: Fiend II

Serena gasped as she looked down at herself, realizing her body was completely concealed within the thin veil of blood magic.

"Invisibility?" she whispered.

Asher nodded. "It won’t last forever, but it should be enough to keep you hidden while we leave."

The ground beneath them trembled slightly.

"They’re coming," Asher muttered, sensing powerful presences approaching at high speed. "S-rank or higher… maybe more than one."

Serena clenched her fists. "Should we run?"

"No," Asher said firmly. "That’ll make us look guilty. Stay quiet and let me handle this."

Within seconds, multiple figures landed at the scene.

A tall man in jet-black armor, his aura crackling with overwhelming energy, stepped forward. His sharp golden eyes scanned the area, locking onto Lloyd’s mutilated corpse.

Behind him, three other adventurers arrived—each one radiating immense strength.

The armored man narrowed his eyes. "Who killed him?"

Asher met his gaze without flinching.

"He attacked me first," Asher said calmly. "I defended myself."

Silence filled the air.

The man’s aura surged dangerously, but Asher didn’t waver.

"...Is that so?" the armored man finally said. His expression was unreadable as he took a step closer.

"Tell me everything," he demanded.

Asher remained calm under the intense scrutiny of the armored man. He could feel the weight of the powerful adventurers behind him, their sharp gazes analyzing every detail of the situation.

"He was preying on villages, killing and consuming people to strengthen himself," Asher stated plainly. "I tracked him here, fought him, and won."

The armored man, still unreadable, knelt beside Lloyd’s mutilated corpse. He placed a gloved hand over the body, a faint surge of mana flickering as he examined the remains.

One of the other adventurers—a woman with piercing blue eyes and a long spear strapped to her back—spoke up.

"You’re saying you took him down alone?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes," Asher answered without hesitation.

She frowned but didn’t press further. Instead, the armored man finally rose to his full height and stared down at Asher.

"If what you’re saying is true," he said, "then you’ve done us a favor. Lloyd was an A-rank adventurer, but he was a monster in disguise."

The tension in the air didn’t fade. Though his words were neutral, Asher could tell the man was still assessing him—measuring his strength, searching for any deception.

Another adventurer, a burly man with twin axes, scoffed. "Kid, do you have any idea what kind of mess you’ve made?"

"Mess?" Asher raised an eyebrow.

"Lloyd wasn’t just some rogue killer," the man growled. "He was part of a faction. A powerful one. People are going to come looking for him."

Asher’s eyes narrowed slightly. He had suspected Lloyd wasn’t working alone, but this confirmed it.

"And let me guess," Asher said smoothly, "this faction won’t care that he was slaughtering innocent people?"

The burly man gritted his teeth, while the woman with the spear sighed. "Unfortunately, power speaks louder than morality. Lloyd was a valuable asset to them. His death will raise questions."

The armored man finally spoke again. "What’s your name?"

"Asher."

The man studied him for a long moment, then gave a slow nod.

"You’d best be careful, Asher," he said. "Because whether you realize it or not… you’ve just made some powerful enemies."

Asher didn’t flinch. Instead, he smirked.

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"Let them come," he said.

The air between them grew heavy with unspoken tension. The armored man studied Asher for another moment before turning to his companions.

"We take the body back," he ordered. "We report what happened. But we don’t interfere any further."

The burly man scowled. "You’re just gonna let this brat walk away?"

The armored man’s gaze didn’t waver. "Lloyd was a threat to everyone, not just civilians. If we punish someone for taking down a monster, what message does that send?"

The blue-eyed woman sighed. "I don’t disagree, but this is going to put a target on his back. The faction Lloyd was part of… they don’t take losses lightly."

Asher crossed his arms. "I can handle it."

The burly man scoffed but didn’t argue further. Instead, he turned and helped lift Lloyd’s corpse. The armored man gave Asher one last look before motioning for his team to move out.

As they left, Serena finally dropped her invisibility veil and stepped forward.

"That… was tense," she muttered.

Asher’s expression remained calm, but his mind was already analyzing the situation.

Lloyd was part of something bigger.

A faction strong enough to protect an A-rank adventurer, even after he was exposed as a killer. That meant there were people behind the scenes, powerful enough to manipulate the system.

And now… they would come looking for him.

"Should we leave the city?" Serena asked.

Asher shook his head. "No. Running away would make us look weak. We continue as planned."

Serena bit her lip. "And if they come for us?"

Asher’s red eyes gleamed.

"Then we make sure they regret it"

"Besides, I am not weak, and I can even use my full power in this world now. Perhaps that teleportation happened for a good cause," he mumbled as he looked ahead. "Now I can use my full power without worrying about someone spying on me or trying to kill me."

A smirk formed on his lips.

"I’m going to enjoy my cheats here fully."

The city remained eerily silent as Asher and Serena left the scene. The cold night air carried the distant murmurs of adventurers discussing the recent battle. Word would spread soon—an unknown adventurer had killed Lloyd, a high-ranking menace.

Serena walked beside Asher, occasionally glancing at him. "So… what’s next?"

Asher remained silent for a moment before speaking. "We need to prepare."

Serena frowned. "For what?"

Asher’s gaze turned sharp. "Lloyd wasn’t just some rogue killer. If what they said is true, he belonged to a faction—one powerful enough to back an A-rank adventurer despite his crimes. They won’t just let this go."

Serena sighed, rubbing her temples. "So, you’re saying we’re going to be hunted now?"

"Most likely," Asher admitted. "But that just means they’ll come to us."

A chill ran down Serena’s spine at the way he said it—not with fear, but anticipation.

She had traveled with Asher long enough to know one thing—he thrived in battle.

"Before they find us, we should investigate," Asher continued. "If Lloyd was just a pawn, then we need to figure out who the real players are."

Serena crossed her arms. "And where do we start?"

Asher glanced at the slip of paper the old man had given him earlier—the one containing an address.

"We start here."

*****

The address led them to an inconspicuous building in the heart of Pallax City’s slums. From the outside, it looked abandoned—cracked walls, broken windows, and a faint scent of rot lingering in the air.

Serena wrinkled her nose. "Are you sure this is the right place?"

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Asher nodded and pushed the door open. The hinges creaked, and dust swirled around them as they stepped inside. The room was dimly lit, but Asher’s sharp vision picked up something unusual—the ground had been disturbed.

"Someone was here recently," he muttered, kneeling to inspect the marks on the floor.

Serena crouched beside him. "Looks like something was dragged…"

Asher traced his fingers along the markings before noticing a faint, almost imperceptible seam in the floor.

"A hidden compartment," he muttered.

With a swift motion, he pressed against the floorboards, and a section of the ground gave way, revealing a hidden passage leading underground. A cold, stale breeze drifted up from below.

Serena swallowed. "Do we go in?"

Asher didn’t hesitate. "We’re already here."

With that, they descended into the darkness, unaware of the secrets that awaited them.

Asher and Serena descended cautiously, the air growing colder with each step. The passage was narrow, lined with damp stone walls that bore deep claw-like scratches. The scent of decay thickened the deeper they went.

Serena shivered. "I don’t like this."

Asher remained silent but kept his scythe ready. His instincts screamed danger. Whatever was hidden down here was something unnatural.

At the bottom of the stairs, the passage opened into a large underground chamber, dimly illuminated by eerie blue crystals embedded in the walls. The sight before them made Serena gasp.

Rows of cages lined the chamber, each filled with shackled humans—men, women, and even children, their bodies frail, their eyes hollow. Many bore deep scars, fresh wounds, or signs of experimentation.

Serena clenched her fists. "What the hell is this…?"

Asher narrowed his eyes. "A harvesting ground."

A deep, chilling voice echoed from the darkness.

"You’re smarter than you look."

A tall, gaunt figure stepped into the dim light. His skin was pale and stretched tight over his bones, his black robes adorned with symbols of ancient, forbidden magic. Dark energy radiated from him like a storm.

Serena tensed. "Who are you?"

The man smirked, his eyes gleaming with twisted amusement. "I am Valak, overseer of this facility. And you… have made a grave mistake coming here."

Asher’s grip on his scythe tightened. "You’re the one behind Lloyd’s rampage, aren’t you?"

Valak chuckled. "Lloyd? Oh, he was just one of many. A mere hound set loose to gather resources. But you… you have proven far more valuable."

Asher’s eyes flashed. "What do you mean?"