Hacking the Game Didn't Go as Intended
CHAPTER 194: The Misfits – Into the Den of Strangers

The sun dipped low, casting long shadows of the men who surrounded Daisuke, their grins stretching wide with ill intent. They loomed over him like wolves cornering a lost puppy.

At the front stood a particularly smug midget—leader of the pack—who had taken the liberty of climbing onto a wooden stool to gain some semblance of height. Arms folded, chest puffed, he grinned like a villain in a bad stage play.

“Well, well, well! Lookie here, boys!” he barked, tilting his head back theatrically. “A lil’ baby fresh from his mama’s teat has come to take our job!”

His lackeys cackled, their faces plastered with equally sinister grins.

To his right, a burly man built like an ogre cracked his knuckles, the sound akin to boulders grinding together. “Tch, what’s a brat like you doin’ here? This ain’t a playground.”

Another man, lanky and mean-eyed, smirked. “Hey, maybe the noble that hired us wanted a mascot. Y’know, a cute little baby to wave at visitors.”

More laughter followed, particularly from the background lackeys, but Daisuke remained unimpressed. He sighed, rubbing his temples. “Are you all done?”

The men’s amusement dimmed slightly.

The midget sneered. “Listen, runt. This job? Our job. You? Just some dumb kid who should take his diaper-wearin’ ass back to the guild.”

Ogre-man cracked his knuckles again for emphasis. “Hand over half your pay, and maybe we’ll let you stick around as our water boy.”

Daisuke yawned. “No thanks.”

The air shifted.

The midget’s left eye twitched. “What was that?”

Daisuke crossed his arms. “I said, no thanks. You guys look like the kind of idiots who’d trip over their own swords, so I’m not too worried about working alongside you. As for paying you off?” He deadpanned. “I’d rather set my money on fire and warm my hands over it.”

A thick vein bulged on the midget’s forehead. Ogre-man’s grin dropped. The others exchanged glances, their expressions darkening.

“Alright, that’s it!” the midget snapped. “You little shit! Beat his ass!”

Ogre-man lunged.

He barely made it two steps before Daisuke’s elbow drove into his gut.

“Guhh—!”

His entire frame bent inward like a folding screen, his eyes rolling back as he collapsed like a felled tree.

The remaining men gawked as the hulk foamed at the mouth.

“Eh—?!”

The midget barely had time to react before Daisuke grabbed his face and lifted him effortlessly off the stool.

“This is getting annoying,” he muttered, looking genuinely exhausted.

Panic flickered in the men’s eyes.

“S-Screw this!” one man stammered, then everyone began activating their respective skills.

But it was too late.

Daisuke’s free hand shot forward, firing off a barrage of magic missiles. The projectiles zipped through the air and detonated in their faces upon impact.

“GYAAAAHHH!!”

Each of the goons was blasted backward, crashing into walls, barrels, and each other. They rolled around on the cobblestone, flailing and howling in pain.

The midget, still clutched by the face, saw his comrades in a heap of misery and decided it was time for survival tactics. “[Titan Shell]!”

A shimmering cocoon of energy wrapped around him. Inside, he cackled triumphantly. “You little bastard! You can’t touch me now!”

Daisuke blinked. Then, without hesitation, he pulled out the Lipanthyer’s Fang and casually sliced through the barrier like wet parchment.

The midget’s laughter cut off.

Daisuke smirked down at him, eyes burning like a devil fresh out of hell. “Did you really think you’d escape your share of the beating?”

What followed was a symphony of pain: a fist to the gut. A boot to the ribs. A backhand so brutal that several teeth gracefully skidded across the cobblestones like tiny shooting stars.

The other men, still writhing in agony, watched with comical horror as their leader was reduced to a trembling, toothless mess. Then Daisuke crouched down and pulled out a healing potion.

[Large HP Recovery Potion]

[A potion brewed by combining Celestia flowers, Vitaberries, Bloomwhisper Herbs, and Tranquiloak Sap. Its restorative potency varies depending on the concentration grade.

Item Effect: Replenishes 4,500 health

Cooldown: 20 Seconds]

The men flinched. Was he going to waterboard the poor guy with it?!

But Daisuke simply poured it over the midget’s battered form and watched in annoyance as his wounds began knitting back together. Jeez,to think I’d have to use my first large HP potion on this degenerate. “There. All fixed.” He stood, cracking his neck. “Now, let’s try this again—know your place.”

The men exchanged terrified glances. Then, as if possessed, they dramatically flung themselves forward, skidding across the cobblestone and landing in a perfect row of prostration.

But this wasn’t ordinary groveling. No, this was an advanced, high-tier apology form: foreheads plastered against the ground. Hands clasped behind their backs, knees unbent.

They trembled as they chanted in unison:

“F-Forgive us, Big Brother!! We were blind!”

Daisuke arched a brow. “…Huh?”

The midget—now with a few regenerated teeth—lifted his head, eyes glistening with devotion. “Please, allow us the honor of servin’ you! Do you need water? Food? A bath? We can carry you! We will even tuck you in at night!”

Another man, batting thick eyelashes, clasped his hands. “We’ll do all the work! You can just relax at the fountain while we toil in your name!”

A bead of sweat trailed down Daisuke’s temple. “…What the hell is wrong with you guys?”

***

While Daisuke sat relaxed on the back of the prostrate Ogre-man, the midget stood on his stool nearby, dutifully holding up a platter of fruit. Meanwhile, another man maintained a small orb of fire, casting a warm glow over the area.

Daisuke casually plucked a grape from the bunch, tossing it into his mouth with a tranquil air. “So, what can you fellas tell me about this place? You all agree it’s a pretty sketchy gig, right?”

The midget nodded. “Right. But in the week we’ve been here, we ain’t learned much more than what you’ve probably already figured out.”

“Huh?” Daisuke raised an eyebrow.

The Ogre-man grunted in agreement. “We ain’t allowed to go beyond the main courtyard.”

Daisuke’s heel dug into the bastard’s side. “Hey, chairs don’t talk!”

“S-Sorry, Big Brother.”

Daisuke heeled him again, just for emphasis.

The human lantern, his expression passive, added, “For the most part, things have been quiet. Except for the wind spirit that likes to mess with us now and then.”

“Wind spirit?” Daisuke’s frown deepened.

“That’s what we been callin’ it,” the midget clarified. “But it’s really just a person wearin’ a thick cloak. They’ve been sneakin’ around this place for a while, but the fact they keep comin’ back means they probably ain’t found whatever they’re lookin’ for yet.”

“Any idea what they could be after?” Daisuke asked.

“No idea,” the Ogre-man grunted.

Daisuke’s heel dug into his side again. “What did I just say, shit-for-brains!”

“Ghaa—!”

“Maybe the senior guards watchin’ the innermost parts o’ the manor might have a clue,” the midget argued. “But we’re just here guardin’ the front gates and the courtyard.”

Daisuke cupped his chin contemplatively. Yeah, I highly doubt the senior guards are just gonna spill their guts willy-nilly if I asked them about this whole situation. Guess I’ll just play it cool for now.

Already formulating a plan in his mind, he decided to bide his time for a few hours, letting boredom and fatigue work their way into the ranks of the guards. Once their vigilance began to wane, he’d use his Shadow Veil skill to slip past them and gather more information.

It was clear that the aristocrats behind the estate had spared no expense on the security, which made Daisuke skeptical. This couldn’t just be about protection. There was something they were desperate to conceal, something tied to the city’s deteriorating state. He was willing to bet it was deeply entangled in the web of corruption that had a stranglehold on the capital.

That settles it, he thought, his frown deepening. I’ll figure this out once everyone starts nodding off and getting sloppy.

***

A lone figure concealed beneath a familiar charcoal-gray cloak vaulted effortlessly over the towering estate wall. As she descended, a subtle gust of wind softened her landing, her hood fluttering with the motion.

Moonlight traced the contours of her silky skin, eyes alight with steely resolve. Determination etched itself into the delicate furrow of her brows—tonight, she would succeed. Tonight, her long-awaited goal would finally be realized.

However, the moment her feet graced the courtyard’s stone path, she felt it—something was wrong. The garden that was usually still and silent was alive with a tension that curled around her like an invisible noose. Shadows shifted between the hedges and then—moonlight glinted off steel.

A trap.

Her pulse slammed against her ribs as the first alarm rang out, shattering the night’s fragile peace. Mana lanterns flared to life, bobbing through the darkness like fireflies, illuminating a dozen figures lying in wait.

“He’s here!”

“Surround him!”