Taming the Protagonist

Volume 3

Chapter 18 : Fierce Madness

Although she had made bold statements to the commoners she considered under her protection, Miss Hitana soon fell into a very huge predicament.

She got lost.

“Hiss...”

The tall and slender girl with both hands in her jacket pockets looked at the gloomy roads extending in all directions and sucked in a breath of cold air.

“Forgot to ask them which way to go to that guy’s lair... what to do now?”

Directly grabbing people to ask for directions was something Hitana often did, but after one time when asking for directions revealed her intentions, causing the target villain to run away on the spot... as long as it involved a dangerous target, she rarely asked passersby directly.

Looking at the intricately complex streets of the lower city, like a three-dimensional maze, Hitana scratched her head and sighed: “Forget it, let's try. It's better than having no clue at all.”

The formless wind representing the world’s breath flowed in all directions, exploring the correct path for Hitana.

As everyone knew, this generation’s Head of Wind was somewhat, um... special.

The combat-type specialization made Hitana invincible in fleeting fights, and that extremely unique intuition was further enhanced, but as a price... the true “job” of the Head of Wind instead became completely non-existent.

That ability to easily gain insight into the world did not exist in Hitana.

A Head of Wind who could get lost—if previous Heads of Wind knew, who knew what kind of expressions they would show.

Hitana, who rarely used this power for detection, seemed somewhat rusty.

At this moment, she was still thinking she should have gotten something from that black turtle earlier, otherwise she could have just followed the scent all the way and wouldn't have to go through all this trouble.

“As long as I find a transcendent with a not-low rank, this should be fine, right.”

Defeating villains ≈ defeating the powerhouses of this area; this was the formula Hitana had derived from her journey.

Only powerful guys could oppress the masses, so just defeating the powerful guys would do.

And if that powerful guy didn't directly oppress the masses, but sat by and watched villains oppress the masses while having the ability to stop it... unless he was just passing through on a journey like herself, he was definitely not a good thing either, just clean him up along the way!

Although Miss Wolf’s logic was simple and crude, it mostly worked; so far, there had been no exceptions.

“...Really few transcendents seem to be basically piled up above.”

Hitana, with eyes half-closed, muttered in a low voice, trying her best to spread her perception...

Her use of the Head of Wind in combat was becoming more and more perfect, but in terms of detection, it was extremely awkwardly unpracticed.

After about half a minute, the girl suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze bright as snow.

“Asking for a beating! Two sneaky guys!”

The Head of Wind captured the aura of two third-tier transcendents.

Transcendents of this rank could completely dominate the lower city.

Regardless of anything else... go check on them first.

Hitana pulled up her dark red hood, hands in pockets, her figure’s afterimage lingering due to extreme speed, then dissipating like an illusion.

Just a light tap of her toes on the ground, and her tall and slender figure soared into the sky.

If it were before, this action would have been like daytime thunder, inevitably stomping a pit into the ground, but now it was as light and agile as if she had wings, free and easy.

Leaving Ansel, Hitana finally saw her many shortcomings.

This made her both happy about Ansel’s silent care, and distressed about this meticulous care that left her needing to do nothing.

Without deliberately invoking anything, the seemingly soft body of the future Beast King, while erupting with surging power every moment, was also developing towards an increasingly perfect, instinct-like extreme coordination.

Hitana shuttled between the complex buildings of the lower city, leaving only faint afterimages of that dark red long coat.

“Mm... here?”

Not long after, Hitana landed lightly on the roof of a dilapidated inn.

She squatted carelessly with legs apart, arms resting on her legs.

The girl rubbed her chin, quite puzzled: “The villain boss cannot possibly live here, but third-tier transcendents... also should not live here.”

Hitana liked to beat those bastards who toyed with and oppressed commoners until they knelt and begged for mercy, but it didn't mean she liked to catch people to do this kind of thing together.

As long as the other party wasn't a long-term resident here, an implicit accomplice who clearly had the ability to stop it but indulged the evil deeds, she wouldn't force others to realize the justice she wanted.

But the current situation was somewhat strange.

Two third-tier transcendents shrinking sneakily in a dilapidated inn... according to her knowledge of transcendents... this was not something those guys, who would absolutely not wrong themselves as long as conditions allowed, would do.

Thinking of this, she sat down cross-legged, held her breath slightly, and the power of the Head of Wind spread silently and formlessly.

“Hmph, even used a soundproofing barrier?” Hitana raised her eyebrows, extremely confident.

“Sure enough, there is some secret, but I am Ansel’s Head of Wind. This kind of small matter, hmph hmph hmph...”

At the same time—

“Mibaita is clearly still walking around outside... Bone Knife, that human head, is it really his?”

In the room, the two New World members who came with a mission had a dispute.

“I have said it many times, that is absolutely real!” The short man who brought back Mibaita’s head said impatiently, “This was given to me by the vice president of the Executioner.”

“Just based on this point? You are sure?”

“Then why do you not go prove that the living Mibaita is real?”

Bone Knife said very irritably: “Why would he need to deliberately give us a fake human head? If it were a trap, we would have died long ago!”

“What if he is fishing for big fish? Wanting to use us...”

“Then after such a long time, he should have discovered what he should have discovered long ago. Damn it! Fire Red Eagle, how can you do things being so timid like this!”

Then Hitana listened to them quarrel for nearly five minutes, listening until she was amazed, thinking how people with such big contradictions could get together to cooperate.

If they came from some organization or force, then this organization was too funny.

Continuing to listen for a few more minutes, when Hitana was getting a bit impatient and prepared to leave to continue looking for Black Crocodile, one of them suddenly said:

“Alright, stop quarreling, let us both calm down, now is not the time to quarrel... before the competition starts, we must dispose of Black Crocodile first.”

...Hm?

Hitana, who was just about to stand up, moved her ears and immediately squatted down again.

“He should be in the mining area outside the city now... do we act at this time?”

“Fighting in the lower city will inevitably affect commoners, but no need to act now, wait until the day before the competition starts.”

Eh, unexpectedly fellow travelers?

Hitana didn't expect that this pair of Unhappy and No-Brain seemed to be like her, seemingly wanting to get rid of Black Crocodile.

Regardless of what interesting reasons it was out of, as long as it wasn't to replace the other party or do something more vicious, Hitana didn't care what the other party was punishing the villain for—as long as the bad guy died, it was a good thing!

However, she didn't think of rashly joining the other party either, only planning to follow them to find Black Crocodile, and then directly take that guy down.

Then, the girl heard the two people below say again:

“Besides Black Crocodile, Butcher and Varied Snake are also to be disposed of together, right.”

“Right, thanks to Fenrir, we no longer need to act on Varied Snake. Black Crocodile and Butcher, one for you and one for me.”

This Butcher, Hitana, is also remembered.

Listening to those commoners in the lower city, this guy was also a brutal character controlling the lower city.

Actually thinking of wiping them out in one pot...

The girl revealed a thoughtful expression.

She was no longer that reckless and planless calamity of the past, and did not get excited because of meeting such “kind” people.

Instead, she was wondering, what exactly did these two people intend to do?

She always felt it wasn't a good thing...

“Once the three leaders controlling most of the lower city’s forces die, the lower city will fall into huge chaos. Plus now is the time when Strife Fortress is most mixed with dragons and snakes... our people can be arranged to come in more conveniently afterwards. Don't screw it up, Fire Red Eagle.”

“...I would not make mistakes on this kind of thing. Then who goes to deal with Black Crocodile, who goes to deal with the Butcher?”

“Those two are both unrated guys, it is the same whoever is responsible. The key is that they must die silently... Those people in the upper city basically do not care about the lower city’s affairs. As long as these bastard things die silently, this bunch of hyenas in the lower city will cover up the corpse's stench themselves in order to fight for the corpses.” Bone Knife said indifferently.

“......” Fire Red Eagle was silent for a moment, then suddenly sighed, “But in this process, without the control of those three, the various forces of the lower city fighting chaotically... the commoners’ days ahead will be very difficult.”

“Wait until our people come in, everything will be better.”

Bone Knife held a cigarette in his mouth, saying lightly: “There always have to be sacrifices, it is only temporary. Do not hesitate because of this kind of thing.”

“...I know, for the New World.”

“Mm, for the New World.”

Standing on the roof, Hitana took several deep breaths before forcibly holding back the urge to punch through the ceiling and press those two guys on the ground to beat them until they fainted.

“New World... New World.”

Hitana sneered.

She had long experienced the “sacrifices” that this Revolutionary Army calling itself [New World] could make.

The scene of Wendigo forcing her to submit and commit suicide by killing the illusion of her friend was still before her eyes.

This vicious and despicable method, Hitana would never forget in her life.

That sneaky Wendigo, she would even more ruthlessly catch him and beat him until he was no longer in human shape, only leaving one breath counting!

“‘There always have to be sacrifices, it is only temporary’... hmph, words sound better than anyone else’s.”

A cold light flashed in the wolf’s dark red eyes: “It is not you who are suffering, of course you do not care.”

The New World wanted to take advantage of the time when Strife Fortress was most mixed with dragons and snakes to plunge the lower city into chaos, so as to insert their manpower... but the price was to let the commoners of the lower city live in deep water and scorching fire of disorderly chaotic battles between various gangs fighting for power and profit.

Really useless trash!

Saying something about overthrowing the Empire, in the end still relying on this kind of trick to sneakily insert some manpower, and even sacrificing commoners... didn't even have the courage to directly kill their way into a territory city’s City Lord mansion, yet wanted to kill the Emperor?

Compared to Ansel, they weren't even fur!

Pah! Where were they worthy to compare with Ansel!

After wildly cursing the New World in her heart, Hitana’s mood was much better. She looked up above, murmuring softly:

“The mining area outside the city...”

With a rough direction, plus the Head of Wind’s perception, finding it wouldn't be difficult.

“Dispose of them silently, without attracting the upper city’s attention?”

The corners of Hitana’s mouth gradually rose, sharp canine teeth emitting a palpitating edge.

She had a good idea.

This Strife Fortress might indeed be different from other places; there were quite a few powerful guys.

Wanting to settle the bastard things here would take a long time.

But so what, isn't fighting fighting anywhere?

Isn't fighting fighting with anyone?

“Right now, what I lack least is time.”

The wolf murmured excitedly, hunting desire flickering in her eyes.

Black Crocodile gulped down a large mouthful of alcohol, sitting at the highest point watching the laborers mining crystals below, and suddenly spat out a mouthful of saliva mixed with liquor downwards.

Saliva and liquor sprinkled down, the stone wall touched was rapidly corroded, fizzing with white smoke, while the laborers unfortunately touched screamed and fell to the ground, soon losing their breath.

This robust middle-aged man laughed loudly watching the laborers dying miserably, but after laughing for not long, the smile was lost from his face again.

“Boring...”

He rested his chin on one hand, took another sip of alcohol, and sighed annoyedly.

The current job was really too boring.

Black Crocodile actually didn't care whether that bunch of ants below were dead or alive, even less did he care what emotions they had towards him.

Even mining this kind of thing didn't need to be handed to them originally—how could the efficiency of mortals be compared with alchemical machines and professional sorcerers?

Driving this group of worthless guys here to mine was just to give their living that little bit of meaning.

“Using that psycho Mibaita’s original words, it should be... if they loaf around idly before my eyes every day doing nothing, I might not be able to resist killing them all... burp.”

Black Crocodile lazily let out a burp.

He felt Mibaita wasn't wrong either.

As transcendents, they had to brave death, why should you bunch of things he can pinch to death at will live so peacefully?

It was just that the job Mibaita gave him was really too boring, letting him play the evil ghost to torture commoners, then letting Mibaita himself bestow favors on people to gain gratitude or something... wasn't this just like playing house?

The man couldn't quite understand why Mibaita could play so tirelessly.

When he first dominated and tortured these commoners, he also played quite happily, but got tired of it before long.

Doing some evil things now was more or less just to maintain the persona.

He even occasionally gave commoners some favors in private.

Seeing that expression mixed with fear and surprise on their faces instead made Black Crocodile feel more pleasant.

Clearly he oppressed them until they couldn't breathe, but just by letting a little favor leak from between his fingers, they would be grateful to the point of speechlessness; indeed extremely interesting.

Black Crocodile gulped down another half bottle of alcohol.

Originally planned to spit some more corrosive liquid down, thought about it, but still didn't do so.

He had seen enough of the miserable appearance and howling of these laborers corroded by acid; the terrified expressions shown by other laborers because of that scene also had no novelty... Black Crocodile just felt bored. He was even thinking whether he should learn from that guy Mibaita and try being a “good person”.

“I can't figure out why he plays so happily, but since he can play for so long... it should be quite interesting.”

The oppressor known for brutality and viciousness in the lower city muttered to himself like this, but then muttered irritably: “But that guy Mibaita will not agree. I have become a good person... what does he do?”

Black Crocodile stood up.

“Sigh, better let him change someone to do this job. No fun at all after getting tired of playing.”

His robust body emitted a terrifying sense of power that mortals had to revere.

His height, approaching three meters, was like an iron tower.

Even without using means like spitting acid, just standing there, Black Crocodile could make the laborers below tremble with fear.

Transcendent power allowed a boundary like a heavenly abyss to be drawn between him and that group of mortals desperately mining crystals in the tunnels.

Black Crocodiles sometimes also couldn't figure out this bunch of guys, why didn't they run?

But he also never thought carefully about it.

Who would be full enough to bother thinking carefully about what those mortals, who might not see tomorrow’s sun at any time, were actually thinking?

“Go to Dream Island. Probably have to queue when the competition starts, better enjoy early.”

Black Crocodile, who could no longer find much fun from mortals, planned to have some direct and simple man’s happiness.

Then, a dark red shadow suddenly appeared before his eyes.

Yes, just suddenly, without warning, without any perception... a tall woman wearing a dark red long coat appeared out of thin air in front of him, so abruptly that Black Crocodile didn't react at all.

“Third tier... the strongest nearby huh.” Black Crocodile heard this woman mutter a sentence, then heard her say again:

“Are you that black... black turtle?”

Black Crocodile, who only reacted at this time, subconsciously replied: “Who are you?”

“Do not answer a question with a question.” The woman said quite dissatisfiedly, “I am asking you, are you that black whatever thing!”

This unkind appearance made Black Crocodile grin: “Looks like you are here to pick a fight, little chick, I just happen to—”

Boom!

Half of Black Crocodile’s body was stuffed into the ground, crushed stones splashing, the earth rumbling.

A red-black beast arm protruded from behind Hitana’s shoulder.

The huge and hideous beast claw, like pinching a little chick, pinched Black Crocodile whose figure was extremely robust, like a monster, and slowly pulled him out of the ground.

“Looking at your appearance.”

Hitana with arms crossed over her chest looked at Black Crocodile who was dripping with blood, looking blank, seemingly not knowing what happened at all, and nodded: “Even if not that black ghost, not a good thing either.”

She tilted her head slightly, looking at the attendant beside who was completely stupefied: “Hey, is he Black Crocodile?”

“......”

Seeing the guard not speaking,

Hitana frowned, and another red-black beast arm condensed out of thin air behind her left shoulder, slowly clenching the beast claw, issuing a silent friendly inquiry.

“Yes, yes!”

This attendant woke up as if from a dream, shouting: “He is Black Crocodile, he is Black Crocodile!”

“Oh, then found the right one.”

“You exactly—”

Boom!

The beast claw clutching Black Crocodile pressed him into the ground again, then pulled out, pressed into the ground, pulled out again, like an old farmer hoeing the land, chugging along plowing the earth.

Only compared to the subtle sound when plowing mud land, the sound of the solid earth being smashed into pits abruptly time and again was slightly louder.

After repeating this about thirty or forty times, Hitana still maintained the posture of arms crossed over her chest.

The beast claw dragged Black Crocodile, whose entire facial bone had shattered into a ball and was somewhat no longer in human shape, to her front.

She tilted her head: “Not dead yet right?”

Black Crocodile looked like he was breathing out more than breathing in, as if already gone.

So Hitana lifted him high again, preparing to press him into the ground hard—

“Not... yet...”

Mr. Black Crocodile, clenched by the beast claw, emitted an extremely weak voice with incomparable difficulty.

“Say earlier if you are not dead.” Hitana twitched her mouth. “It would be troublesome if you accidentally killed yourself... Hey, you, have a communication magic crystal with you right?”

“With... him... there...”

Black Crocodile, who could almost no longer speak, directed his gaze crookedly towards that attendant.

So Hitana’s gaze also slowly moved over.

The pale-faced attendant was so scared he almost fell sitting on the ground.

His legs shaking, he tremblingly took out the communication magic crystal, handing it to Hitana with extreme shivers.

“You... the communication... you wanted...”

“Do not give it to me first, contact the highest level person this guy can contact, now, immediately.”

Hitana said lazily.

The attendant could only contact the person Hitana pointed to in fear.

In the process of waiting for the other party to answer, he had never felt time was so long.

“Hello? Black Crocodile? What is the matter?”

When a voice came from the communication magic crystal, his legs finally went soft, and he sat directly on the ground.

Hitana glanced at the attendant with disdain, then used the condensed red-black air swirl to grab the communication magic crystal, bringing it to her mouth:

“Black Crocodile... Black Crocodile? You exactly—”

“Listen, I do not know who you are, nor do I know how much power you have in this city.”

The wolf half-narrowed her eyes. In the careless tone, there was a hair-raising fierce aura.

“Now, your people below are gone. Who is the last one left? Pig killer? Forget it, it doesn't matter, anyway I will resolve them all.”

“You just need to know one thing—find a few transcendents who do practical work and care about commoners to come down and manage things, then this matter ends here.”

“If you still want to send things like this trash.”

Hitana squeezed Black Crocodile casually, making him emit a miserable scream of pain.

She paused, saying in a very peaceful tone: “Then I will sweep them out again.”

“Finally, if you time and again, do not know how to correct...”

Crack.

The girl put the communication magic crystal covered with cracks in her hand to her mouth, saying softly.

“Then I will come find you directly. I like doing this kind of crisp settlement the most.”

Without waiting for words to come from the other end of the communication magic crystal, she casually crushed it.

“Mm... next only to those who are left.”

Miss Wolf stretched lazily and beautifully, turning her head to glance at the attendant: “Do you know the way? Find that But... But...”

“I know! Know!”

The extremely discerning Mr. Attendant, as if afraid Hitana would open her mouth and eat him in the next second, nodded hurriedly: “I can take you to find him!”

“Fine, then set off, strive to finish within half an hour.”

Saying so, Hitana nodded with satisfaction.

Then, she stood at the edge, peering into the bottomless mine shaft.

The laborers all looked up at her.

Filthy, exhausted, aged, drained of strength... all kinds of suffering wantonly entangled them, extracting their life and value.

Hitana also saw quite a few miners lying there, lifeless, the hideous and disgusting corrosion wounds on their bodies nauseating.

She slowly moved her gaze from the laborers’ faces, landing on Black Crocodile’s face.

“Do you know you deserve to die?” The girl asked like this.

But without waiting for Black Crocodile to answer, she shook her head on her own and said:

“You definitely do not know, so it is really great, you bastard beast.”

On the wolf beast’s face, a tyrannical and brilliant smile emerged:

“Thinking that you do not even understand why you die, I feel good enough to chew two more big flatbreads.”

Squelch!

The strong man in the red-black beast claw was directly crushed into a cloud of blood mist.

Black Crocodile indeed didn't know why he died. He didn't even react to his situation at all, thinking he was still dreaming.

Before he died, the only thought was—

This is fucking not fun at all.