Despite their sorry looks and the devastating state of the residential houses, these men still rejoiced. For people like them, they rarely faced disasters. But when they do, they will be helpless.
Even though they have abilities, they aren’t as strong as the Challengers. These magic were used only in their everyday lives. And it’s not enough to defend themselves against such monsters.
While they were rejoicing, Axel was at the side, panicking. The [Stealth] ability just wore out. This was the first time that he exerted himself. Using his abilities one after another drained him of his strength.
He collapsed on the ground with a loud thud, heaving in exhaustion. His heart is beating against his chest.
He only conjured that wind blade according to how he saw the owner use it. But he did not expect this ability to be strong enough to kill the creature.
Axel’s lips widened in a smile. He killed a Tower monster. Just him. Just by his strength. He stared down at his hands and giggled.
A few minutes later, people from the Challenger’s Association arrived with the fire department and the ambulance.
A black car parked in front of the truck, and two people came out. They wore a black suit with shiny black shoes and black gloves.
One of them has slightly long black hair that he tied around his neck. He has sharp eyebrows and a scary atmosphere that makes people flinched.
“Did you make the report? ”
The nearby people can feel the intense aura of his ability and subsconsciously flinched. They all shake his head.
“Where is the monster? ”
“T – That, while we were attacking it, a Challenger came and killed it in one strike.”
The man’s eyes narrowed. “A Challenger? ”
“Y, yes. We could not see who it was, and when we checked, he was already gone. T - they were here, I think. They used a wind - type ability that sliced the monster into five different parts.”
“And none of you saw the Challenger’s face, is that correct? ”
They all nodded. His partner stepped forward. Unlike him, his partner has softer features, and he has a mild atmosphere.
“It’s okay. It’s not like it’s not every day the citizens were saved by Challengers who happened to stop by in the area. In any case, we are curious about one thing. Where did this monster come from? ”
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"Actually, sirs, we are also baffled ourselves. I am running my business at that restaurant as usual.” The middle aged man pointed to the entrance of a run down restaurant with broken windows and doors.
“We were operating normally until one man in a gray trenchcoat came in and ordered fish soup. The reason we are baffled by his appearance is because of the amount of blood in his gray trenchcoat. It drenched his pants as well. One of my staff members reported his appearance, and we are all worried. So I approached him and asked if he needed an ambulance. He did not answer. But he started to shake violently.”
“Then his appearance started to change. His skin started to bloat and change to a purplish color. His eyeballs exploded, and his stomach too, spilling his insides in the restaurant. All the customers were horrified, and they all came out, panicking. We came out too and contacted your hotline directly. A few moments later, that man destroyed the entrance of my restaurant in that horrible monster form.” This restaurant manager is passionate. Not only was his narration full of emotions, he also raised and swung his hands like a dedicated speaker.
The two officers from the Challenger’s Association pondered for a second. Then the long haired man took out his phone and showed him a picture.
“Does he look like this? ”
“Aahhh!! ”The restaurant manager screamed in surprise. Realizing he had just shouted, he covered his mouth and nodded vigorously.
“That man in a trenchcoat — does anyone of you recognize him? ”
They all shook his head. “No, that was the first time we saw him.”
“Understood. I will request that a military team be dispatched to your area. A restorer will also come and fix the damages. But for now, please come with the ambulance and have your vitals checked in the nearby hospital.”
“Ah, oh, yes. Thank you.”
The people understood what needed to be done and left with the medic. The two officers stared at the remnants of the monster, sliced into five pieces. The long haired man crouched down to take a closer look.
“Hm, this is a Level 1 monster. Any Challengers that have attacked the first floor can take this on.”
His partner agreed. “But this one is a weird case. In just two weeks, we have received reports of humans turning into Level 1 monsters and causing havoc. Gabriel, what do you think? ”
The long haired man, named Gabriel, stood up and shook his head. “Not sure. Throughout the ten years of history of the Tower, this is the first time it happened. The dungeon sweepers also confirmed that there is no monster in their data that can transform humans into their own kind.”
“Since they confirmed, that only means one thing. This is the work of a human.” Cyril concluded.
“What makes you think humans are capable of this? ”
“Because people awaken abilities every day, and not all of them will register with the Challenger’s Association because they are not interested in attacking the Tower.”
Gabriel sighed. “Cyril, you better give this to the identification department.”
Gabriel tossed Cyril a black wallet. It has the driver’s license of the said man who transformed into a Level 1 monster.
“We can let the Monster department clean up this mess. Let’s go.”
As they left, Axel was still sitting in the alley, hidden deeply by the dumpster at his side. He’s no longer heaving, and strength is finally coming back to his arms and legs.
Since he stayed still without moving, they were not able to detect his presence. And he was able to hear their conversation.
A human turning into a monster? This is the first time he has heard of it.