I Received System to Become Dragonborn-Chapter 1293: Asking Questions

Erend smiled faintly at the threatening looks surrounding him.

The group had gradually led him away from the busy harbor streets, deeper into a narrow alley between tall warehouses.

The noise of the port faded behind the thick wooden walls, leaving the passage quiet and empty.

No wandering dockworkers. No curious merchants. No witnesses from what was about to happen.

In truth, that suited Erend perfectly.

This made things easier for him.

The thugs probably believed they had successfully isolated their prey. But from Erend’s perspective, the situation was reversed.

Now no one would see what he was about to do.

One of the rough-looking men stepped forward and crossed his arms.

"So," the thug said with a smirk, "you new to this island?"

"Yes," Erend answered calmly. "And I wanted to ask something... discreet."

Several of the men raised their eyebrows.

"It would be helpful if you could provide some information for me," Erend added.

For a brief moment, silence hung in the alley.

Then the thugs burst into laughter.

One large man with thick shoulders—clearly the leader—stepped forward and looked Erend up and down.

"You want information?" he said with a crooked grin. "Then you’d better start by paying us some coins."

Erend simply shook his head.

"I don’t have any coin."

The laughter stopped.

The men stared at him as if he were insane.

One thug snorted. "Then what are you doing here?"

Another man glanced at Erend’s healthy build and grinned darkly.

"This guy looks strong. We could sell his organs."

A different thug chuckled. "Or give him to the cult. They’re always looking for sacrifices for their gods."

Erend’s eyes shifted toward the man who said that.

His instincts sharpened immediately.

A cult.

Those groups often gathered around dark rituals or corrupted power. Exactly the kind of thing connected to the missing Creation he was investigating.

"Coming here was definitely a good choice," Erend thought. Normal citizens won’t be willing to tell this kind of information, or have any of that with their normal lives. But this thug...

The large thug leader waved his hand impatiently.

"Whatever we do with him later, the first step is grabbing him," he said.

The men around Erend moved.

One of them stepped forward and seized Erend’s arm tightly.

"Don’t resist," the man said with a grin. "Makes it easier for everyone. Otherwise we’ll have to beat you first."

Erend smirked.

Then his hand moved.

In a blur motion, he twisted free from the grip and slapped the man across the face.

The impact dropped the thug instantly. He collapsed unconscious before his body even hit the ground.

Before the others could react, Erend moved again.

His strikes were quick and precise. Each blow landed with controlled force that was just enough to knock them out without killing them.

Within seconds, bodies dropped across the alley floor.

Silence returned there.

The thug leader stood frozen, staring at the scene in shock.

This wasn’t normal human strength.

Erend calmly turned toward him.

"You should probably stay still," he said casually. "Otherwise I’ll have to knock you out too."

The man swallowed hard.

At that moment, he understood something very clearly.

The stranger in front of him was not someone he could afford to provoke.

"Alright," the thug muttered nervously. "Let’s... l-let’s talk."

Erend walked a few steps across the alley and casually sat down on a wooden barrel that stood beside the warehouse wall.

His posture was relaxed, as if nothing unusual had just happened even though right now round them, several unconscious bodies lay scattered across the ground.

The thug leader remained standing where he was with a stiff and uneasy attitude, carefully avoiding looking at his fallen companions, lest he would end up like them.

Erend rested one arm on his knee and looked at the man calmly.

"Let’s not waste time," he said. "Tell me about the cult."

The thug leader nodded quickly. He clearly had no intention of angering Erend again.

"The cult here worships something called the Sunken Anchor," the man began. "Their territory is located at the southernmost part of the island."

He hesitated briefly before continuing.

"They believe it’s some kind of god. People say it lies somewhere beneath the sea cliffs there."

Erend listened without interrupting.

"The cult performs sacrifices to make their god happy," the man added quietly. "Mostly outsiders, travelers... sometimes criminals."

His expression tightened slightly.

"Nobody on this island wants to get close to that place. The people who live here avoid that entire region."

Erend frowned slightly.

"Sunken Anchor..."

In his mind, the name immediately triggered suspicion.

"That must be one of the sites," he thought.

He leaned forward slightly.

"Are there soldiers or law enforcement from the kingdom here?" he asked. "And if yes, what do they do about the cult?"

The thug leader gave a dry laugh.

"The kingdom’s soldiers have been stationed on this island ever since it was colonized a long time ago," he explained. "But they don’t interfere with the cult at all."

Erend’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Some people even believe the kingdom created the cult in the first place," the man added carefully.

Erend nodded slowly.

That explanation actually made perfect sense.

"A disguised guarding force," he thought.

If the kingdom wanted to protect the site without attracting suspicion, allowing rumors of a dangerous cult would keep most people away from the area.

He continued calmly.

"Are there any individuals I should pay attention to on this island?" Erend asked.

The thug leader thought for a moment.

"There’s a group of swordsmen," he said finally. "They are very strong fighters with high-level cultivation. They hold powerful positions in the island’s government."

Erend nodded in understanding.

Then he stood up from the barrel.

"Alright, man. For the last time, I just wanted to say that our conversation never happened," he said.

The thug leader nodded repeatedly immediately.

"Never," he replied.

Erend gives him a smile that looks dangerous for the man. Then he walked out of the alley. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The man finally let out his knees buckled. He gulped a mouthful of saliva after Erend truly gone from his sight.

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