Descendant of Sloth
Chapter 67: A Scared Demi-Human

Chapter 67: A Scared Demi-Human

The bald man’s body slumped to the ground with a dull *thud*, his unconscious body lay down lifelessly against the cold pavement.

"Sir!!!" the other man cried out, his voice cracking with panic.

The woman remained frozen in place, her vivid eyes wide as she stared at me in disbelief, as if struggling to process what had just happened.

I raised my head slightly, my gaze settling on the remaining man. "Let her go and save some trouble for yourself and for me as well "

"Who the fuck are you? And you what did you just do!?!!" His body trembled slightly, his breath uneven. He had seen what I could do—felt the pressure of the force I had just exerted. Yet, instead of backing down, he clenched his teeth, his pride outweighing his fear.

"Just took down a bad guy." I said, casually.

"You motherfucker!!" he roared, his aura flaring around him as he charged toward me.

I didn’t move from my place and nor did I flinch. I tilted my heads up, meeting his eye in a serious glare without any expression as he approached me.

A stillness lingered in the air, a fun silence that made everything feel almost surreal. The city remained alive behind us, neon lights flickering, people laughing, chattering, lost in their own little worlds.

Then—

*THUD.*

A heavy, resounding impact echoed through the alley that made everyone stop at their place and look around to make sense of a voice they just heard.

They couldn’t find or see anything unusual nearby, their conversations briefly interrupted.

"Hey, I think something fell. Did you hear that?"

"Not really."

"What was that?"

"Who knows?"

"What if a car crashed or something."

"Na, people would’ve formed a crowd over it already."

"Leave it, someone must have dropped their stuff from the building."

"Yeah, nevermind. So I was saying..."

And just like that, they resumed their lives, the moment already forgotten.

I let out a long sighh, scratching the back of my head as I looked down at the two unconscious bodies sprawled on the ground.

"Did I use too much strength?" I muttered to myself, tilting my head slightly. "I should control it a little bit."

Fighting had become so natural that I hardly noticed how much force I put into my attacks. My previous battles had been against stronger opponents, ones who could take a hit without crumpling like this. But these guys?

I exhaled again, shoving my hands back into my pockets.

Guess I’m still not used to casual fights...and I should mind myself. Oh well. Whatever.

The demi-human clutched her hand on chest, her delicate fingers trembling slightly as she gulped. Her skin had a soft green hue, and in the dim light of the alley, her eyes shimmered with uncertainty

She looked at me—cautious, unsure if she should be relieved or terrified.

"T-Thank you..." she whispered, barely above a breath. Her voice was soft, gentle—almost fragile.

I exhaled slowly, shaking off the lingering tension in my muscles. "You’re free now. Go back home. Goodnight."

Turning on my heel, I began walking away, my boots crunching softly against the snowy ground. The night was alive with distant chatter, the occasional honk of a passing vehicle, and the neon glow of the city casting long shadows against the walls.

I had taken two steps before I stopped. Something felt...off.

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw her still standing there, unmoving. Her hands were clenched near her chest, her expression unreadable.

I frowned. "What is it? Go away, before they wake up and take you somewhere you don’t want to go."

She hesitated before speaking, her voice even quieter than before. "...I don’t have a place to go."

I turned fully to face her, my brows knitting together. "What?"

Her fingers tightened around the fabric of her pants as she lowered her head slightly. "I... don’t know where to go."

That made me pause.

"Huh?" My expression went blank for a moment. "...How does that even work?"

She swallowed hard, her throat bobbing. "I don’t know..."

A long, drawn-out sigh escaped my lips. This was becoming troublesome.

"What do you know, then?" I muttered under my breath, making sure she didn’t hear that one, rubbing the bridge of my nose.

She didn’t answer right away. Her body language was tense, her shoulders slightly hunched as if she was afraid I might strike her at any moment. The bruises on her arms, barely visible in the dim alley light, told me that fear wasn’t without reason.

I exhaled again, this time softer. "So... where were they taking you?"

She flinched at the question. Her lips pressed together, and she cast her gaze downward. The way she hesitated told me she knew something—but either she wasn’t ready to say it, or she was too afraid to.

I tilted my head. "Don’t worry. I’m not with them."

Her grip on her dress loosened slightly. "I know..." she murmured.

But then, almost as if the words slipped out before she could stop them, she added, "But... something tells me... you’re terrifying."

A faint breeze rolled through the alley, rustling the loose strands of her hair. I studied her carefully, my expression unreadable.

"Oh?" My voice was quiet, my eyes locking onto hers.

She tensed under my gaze.

The way she looked at me—it wasn’t the same fear she had for those men. No, this was different. A deep, instinctual wariness. Like prey recognizing that the predator before them wasn’t just another threat, but something far worse.

"Esther!!"

Hina’s voice rang through the dimly lit alley, breaking the tense silence. The sound of hurried footsteps echoed behind me, and I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

Serina and Hina came into view, their eyes darting around the alley as they approached. The neon lights from the street flickered, casting shifting shadows over their faces.

"What are you doing here?" Serina asked, her brows furrowing. "We were waiting for you."

Before I could answer, her gaze landed on the demi-human woman standing next to me.