Chapter 65: Ch 65: Human-Shaped Monster
’What does Rin know about my struggles? How dare he tell me not to seek revenge when those bastards are the reason I suffered so much in my last life.’
Just looking at the faces of the ENC executives filled Albus with rage. He wanted to crush them under his feet and make sure they wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye.
"Albus, are you alright?"
Amelia’s soft touch brought him back to his senses and Albus tried to give her a smile in return.
"I’m more than fine.. In fact, I am itching to blow off some steam by fighting these monsters. I will be counting on you to patch me up afterwards."
Albus smiled at Amelia but she did not smile back. Instead, her gaze was unfocused.
"Hey, what do you think about Rin? Does something about him feel unsettling to you as well? It’s almost as if he could see right through me."
Albus felt the same way.
Rin’s gaze pierced Albus. And his timing for speaking up was perfect. It almost felt like Rin knew what was going on inside Albus’s mind.
"That man...might be hiding too many secrets. It almost feels like he’s omnipotent. I wonder if it’s related to his ability..."
"Hmm. Having someone like him by our side does make me feel better. I feel like I can get out of any situation as long as I follow his lead."
Albus hated to admit it, but he was beginning to feel the same way. He was whose name came up a lot during his last life, but most of it was related to the ranked #1 hunter, Shelly.
Unfortunately, Albus did not recall much about Rin so he could not make any comments. But it did make him wonder if things would have been different had he gone to Rin’s sanctuary in his past life.
But the past had already happened. There was no way to change it.
’Let’s wait and see a little longer what these executives will do. Sooner or later, they will show their true colors to me. And once they are exposed, I will take care of them publicly.’
For now, Albus would observe the situation and if needed, he would gain power. But honestly, he would rather live a laid-back life where he was told what to do instead of actively planning what to do.
"Good luck out there."
Amelia looked thoughtful before she waved and walked away.
Even she was different from how he remembered her. She had been an aloof doctor helping everyone until she died. She never complained or smiled much in the past and her eyes always had a lifeless look.
Things could not be much different now. Not only were her eyes lively, but she had also cried once she had time to process what happened. Her eyes even looked lively.
He was lost in thought but his instincts were working fine. Albus suddenly stepped aside and he blinked as he watched blood splatter across his face.
A dead mutant rat was stuck to the tree trunk right beside him. The blood on Albus’s face came from its injury.
"Tsk, I missed."
’Well, speaking of change...’
Shelly walked toward the tree and pulled out her blood-soaked knife.
"I will make sure to adjust my aim better next time."
Her muttering made Albus shiver and the look in her eyes made him want to run away. There was no innocence left in her. The only thing he could see in her eyes was her need for bloodshed.
"Shelly, maybe you should be a little more careful with your weapon-"
The girl gave Albus a look that made him feel foolish. But surely Shelly would not attack him outright?
"Do I know you? Think carefully before you answer me."
Albus opened his mouth to confirm that they knew each other, but he immediately closed his mouth. His instincts were telling him to pretend not to know Shelly.
Her knife shone with blood before she turned back and went hunting for more monsters. His hand went to his throat and Albus’s knees suddenly gave out.
"I-It was terrifying. I felt like I was about to die. Why does she feel so terrifying now? Was she acting before? What about in my last life?"
Unfortunately, Albus did not have answers. But he knew one thing- he would not be able to use Shelly as he intended to. She was far too loose a cannon.
’But maybe I can use Rin instead...’
Shelly’s crazy eyes flashed in his mind and Albus decided to give up on that as well. He needed to make different plans if he wanted to survive this craziness.
__________
’Ah, this feels good. But if only these monsters could turn into those pests surrounding Rin. Maybe I should ’slip up’ and cause an accident. I can make an excuse and get rid of them.’
Shelly sliced through another monster while daydreaming. The more she cleaned up, the better her moves became.
[You have gained +1 experience. Please collect 1,000 from this event to gain one additional stat.]
Those notifications filled her screen but since they were a distraction, she pushed them aside and concentrated on killing.
She pretended that these monsters were Reina, Teressa and even Albus. That made her movements even smoother.
"Hey, watch it! Do you want to get me killed?"
Teressa yelled from the other side where she got grazed by Shelly’s knife. It was a pity she was being protected by a shield. Shelly would love to slide her knife across that soft throat.
Unfortunately, Teressa’s buff was speeding things up. The people she was buffing were killing monsters at a decent rate and the faster these monsters died, the sooner Shelly would be able to return to Rin’s side.
’Hmm, I shall let Teressa live for a little longer. Maybe I can stage an accident for her after this task is done.’
There were more than a few ways to make someone disappear during these times.
Shelly continued to kill and hum to herself. Those who saw her fight started to see her true self- she was not a human but a human-shaped monster enjoying this slaughter. Her humming made this scene even scarier and people shivered.
"Hmm~Hmmm~ Hehehehe, let’s take care of this mess and head back to Rin. I am sure he missed me just as much as I missed him."
People shivered as they watched her fight. They collectively decided that Shelly was not someone they could mess with.