Mad Hatter's Guide to Clearing The Game
Chapter 91: Ch89. Pain as a teacher (13) - Claws and blades

Chapter 91: Ch89. Pain as a teacher (13) - Claws and blades

The Black Market never slept.

As Mara led Diego deeper into its winding alleys, the ever-present hum of bartering voices and flickering neon signs gave the underground city an almost surreal atmosphere. Diego stayed close to her, his brown eyes darting to the many stalls packed with strange artifacts, weapons, and trinkets, some pulsing with ominous energy.

"First thing’s first," Mara said, nudging his shoulder. "You need real food before we do anything else. You look like you’re surviving on whatever scraps Miles lets you get away with."

"He means well." Diego gave a half-hearted chuckle. "And the [NRPs] are nutritious, you know?" He pouted.

"Yeah, well, ’meaning well’ doesn’t mean jack if you pass out mid-fight. Come on." She offered Diego her hand. "I’ll show you the real taste of the Black Market, and then you’ll have some actual good stories to tell Miles when he comes back."

She pulled him by his hand as soon as he grabbed hers, toward a section of the Market where the scent of sizzling meat and spiced broth filled the air. Among the many food stalls, Mara stopped at one where an orcish-looking vendor grilled skewers of some unidentifiable beast. Diego eyed the meat warily before asking.

"Ahn... Mara... The sir behind the counter, he’s..."

"Not a player, yes." Mara answered in his ear. "But he’s also not an NPC, if that’s what you’re thinking, now come on, grab one."

"Eat. If it tries to eat you back, you’re free to punch me." He grabbed a skewer as soon as Mara handed him a stick.

Diego took a tentative bite, and his eyes widened immediately.

"This... is delicious!"

"Told you." Mara grinned.

They ate in relative silence, under the curious look of the orcish cook, clearly curious as to what the new client thought of his food, while Diego savored every bite, and Mara watched the shifting crowd, her mind still half on what had happened earlier.

Miles was gone. Off to some hellscape to get stronger, but at what cost?

She wanted to trust that he would come back, but something in the way he left did not sit right with her.

Diego finally leaned back, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

"Alright. That was better than I expected. So, now what-"

A sudden commotion cut through the ambient noise of the Market. A murmur rippled through the crowd, growing louder as people rushed away from the same direction, their faces pale with alarm.

"What’s going on?" Mara immediately stepped forward, catching a passing merchant by the arm.

"Some crazy red-haired girl is tearing through the place! She’s fighting anyone who gets too close!" The man barely spared her a glance, breathless.

"Oh, for fuck’s sake..." Mara’s stomach twisted.

"Wait, red-haired-" Diego blinked.

"Sarissa!" Mara confirmed, cutting him mid-sentence and already moving. "Shit... At least you got something to eat."

Diego did not hesitate to follow as they weaved through the scattering crowd, pushing past stunned onlookers and confused merchants. The deeper they went, the more obvious the destruction became.

Crates were overturned, stalls reduced to splinters, people nursing bruises as they scrambled away.

Then, through the shifting mass of bodies, Mara caught sight of her.

And lost sight of Diego, but what she was doing... It was beyond anything Mara had seen.

Enough to catch her attention to the destruction that ensued.

Sarissa stood at the center of the chaos, crimson curled hair whipping around her like a wildfire in motion. Her body was taut, coiled like a predator mid-hunt. Around her stood three massive, black werewolves, their fur bristling, fangs bared. Their hulking forms towered over her, but if Sarissa felt any fear, it didn’t show.

She grinned, a sharp, wicked thing, and launched herself at them.

But what caught Mara’s attention the most, was how there was fire on the soles of her boots.

Blood-red fire, acting like it was propelling her forward with insane speed.

The first werewolf lunged, claws aiming for her throat. Sarissa ducked low, pivoting mid-motion, and drove her blade into its exposed side. A yelp tore from its throat as she twisted the weapon before yanking it free, blood spraying across the cobbled ground.

The second one was faster. It raked its claws toward her back, but she rolled, narrowly avoiding the blow before coming up with a brutal upward slash. The creature howled, staggering as fresh wounds painted its fur red.

The third hesitated, its ears flattening, which Sarissa clearly thought as a mistake from her attacker.

She moved like lightning, the fire on her soles drawing red arcs in the air as she closed the distance in a heartbeat. She feinted left, forcing the werewolf to turn, before delivering a punishing kick to its knee. As it buckled, she brought her sword down in an arc, cutting deep into its shoulder.

Three enemies, and she was winning.

"Damn. She’s enjoying this." Mara let out a low whistle.

"That’s... kind of terrifying." Diego muttered, reappearing right by her side.

"Welcome to Sarissa Andreadis, in her natural habitat... Absolute carnage." Mara smirked.

But even as she said it, something gnawed at her. Sarissa wasn’t just fighting. She was pushing herself, losing herself in the battle. This wasn’t just another skirmish.

This was something else.

And that made Mara uneasy.

"Stay back, kid. Let’s see how this plays out. If she needs help, we step in. If not... We might just figure out what’s making her tick." She placed a hand on Diego’s shoulder.

Diego nodded, but Mara could see the tension in his posture. He wasn’t used to watching from the sidelines. Then again, neither was she.

They stood still as the fight raged on, waiting for the moment when the tide would shift.

And it did.

"Mara..." Diego tugged at her sleeve.

He looked around after healing all the wounded he could find, and in the shadows of a broken tent, he saw it.

A cloaked person with red, glowing eyes, looking exactly to where he was.

No.

Looking at where Sarissa was.

But Mara was not paying attention, so Diego turned around to run after the cloaked figure.

Or so he thought, because as soon as he stepped forward, he felt Mara’s hand on her shoulder.

"No." She shook her head. "I saw it too, and whoever that person might be, he’s not from around here, and means no good at all."

"But-"

Mara brought a finger to her lips, cutting Diego mid-sentence as she summoned an item from her inventory. In the blink of an eye, a small black orb materialized from a whirlwind of white sparks, and she immediately shouted so loud that everyone around her heard it amidst the chaos.

"LIGHT!"

She threw the orb to the ground, and it shattered upon the immediate impact.

Right after that, she turned around and covered Diego with her coat, and everything was enveloped in blinding light.