Chapter 8:

The Western Labyrinth, one of the outer regions of Nighthaven.

Objectively speaking, this wasn’t exactly an ideal place to live.

Perhaps it was because countless construction companies and corporations had recklessly shoved their way in and started building without any real planning.

This resulted in an absurdly complicated structure with overly long vertical layouts, making the area extremely vulnerable to various forms of terrorist activity.

Eventually, following a massive bioterror attack by an unidentified group, Nighthaven had no choice but to tacitly withdraw from the area.

Thus, the Western Labyrinth became a haven for those pushed out of the fierce competition in the mainstream world—or for those who, for various reasons, couldn’t reveal their true identities. It had become part of the city’s underworld.

Most of the abandoned buildings, stripped of owners, were turned into strongholds for criminal organizations. Those that weren’t chosen were occupied by the homeless or smaller factions.

For outsiders, even finding a place to stay was an ordeal.

To make matters worse, most of the residents here were beastfolk factions who found fists far more persuasive than laws.

Compared to the outside, where corporations and police barely maintained order, this place was closer to lawlessness.

If you didn’t have a strong backer, you could be robbed of everything and end up enslaved, with no place to voice your grievances.

However, circumstances and conditions always depend on the perspective.

If your appearance stood out too much, if you had troublesome powers you couldn’t afford to reveal, or if you were an illegal resident with no identification to speak of…

From my standpoint—someone forced into the underworld for reasons like these—the Western Labyrinth’s environment was more of a blessing than a curse.

There were no CCTVs, meaning I could use my abilities secretly without fear of being caught. I could teach bad people a lesson, and no one would come after me.

And beastfolk, despite their rough ways, had surprisingly refined tastes, so the food here was generally better.

It was like a puzzle piece perfectly fitting its place—the Western Labyrinth was naturally a place suited for me.

—

“Hehe, found some clean cardboard. If I spread this on the floor, it won’t be as cold, right?”

With the cardboard I had picked up from the street, I returned to the hideout I had chosen recently.

My hideout was an office in a high-rise building.

Though spacious, it had clearly been abandoned for quite some time, with discarded desks and trash scattered around.

Of course, I hadn’t paid for it. I had just stumbled across it while wandering nearby.

The place was shrouded in shadows, as sunlight couldn’t reach it due to the surrounding buildings.

There was no electricity, no running water, and no heating.

To top it off, there was no elevator, so you had to climb a long flight of stairs to get there.

Even the homeless and small-time groups seemed to consider it a lost cause.

But these limitations didn’t particularly bother me.

I had no use for electricity, could wrap myself in fabric to keep warm, and could fly up the stairs using telekinesis.

Compared to curling up like a shrimp on a rooftop to sleep, this was a significantly better environment.

The local inns always felt unsafe, like I might be targeted at any moment, so I could never sleep soundly.

—

“Let’s make a hole here, secure it with the wires… Done!”

I carefully placed the large piece of cardboard on the floor, pulling out some wires from underneath and securing it tightly.

Then I piled several thick fabrics I had scavenged from a dump site onto the cardboard.

Finally, my makeshift bed was complete—a bed I didn’t need to use fabric as a sleeping bag for.

For someone like me, with no knack for crafts, it was surprisingly decent.

Maybe my desperate longing for a bed had fueled my creativity.

“…It’s hard.”

Of course, sitting down cautiously, it wasn’t particularly soft.

It was still a vast improvement over the cold, hard stone floor, but it felt stiff enough that I imagined I’d wake up with aches all over.

“Well, given my materials are just cardboard and scraps of fabric, this is the best I can do. Where on earth am I supposed to find soft materials here?”

Clean items were scarce, and anything soft was expensive.

Clean and soft? That practically didn’t exist here.

Unless I ventured out of the underworld and raided a furniture store, making a cozy bed was unrealistic.

“…If I had just a little more money.”

I sighed and deliberated.

Up until now, I’d only carried out thefts once or twice a day at most.

That was usually enough to earn me enough money for food.

After all, I’d eventually have to leave Nighthaven once it stabilized, and leaving the underworld meant abandoning all possessions.

So I had neither the reason nor the will to save up much money.

But… just this once, I wanted a decent bed.

How happy would I be to wake up in a soft bed, my body sinking into its plushness?

To curl up under blankets, eating chips and sandwiches, how blissful would that be!

“…Alright, let’s just focus on getting a bed. That’s all I need, nothing else.”

Resolving myself firmly, I glanced out the window.

Beyond the window, uncomfortably close, was another building.

The setting sun beyond the horizon reflected crimson across its glass.

Night was falling soon.

I telekinetically pulled a nearby piece of fabric toward me.

The white cloth wrapped smoothly around me, as if it were used to this. Without hesitation, I jumped out the window.

My body, hurtling downward, glided like a feather thanks to telekinesis.

As I descended, Nighthaven’s dark alleys came into view.

Tonight, I’ll target just five people.

My predatory gaze sparkled more than usual.

Is winter coming?

The night air in Nighthaven felt quite cold.

It felt much chillier compared to when I had first reincarnated here.

While I might tolerate it during the day, walking around in light clothing at night felt uncomfortable.

“Maybe I should attach a heat pack to the inside of this fabric later.”

I hated the cold more than the heat, so I figured I’d need to prepare thoroughly once winter arrived.

Crack!

“Urk!”

But anyway, that wasn’t important right now.

This was the fifth day since I’d resolved to get myself a bed.

The process has gone smoothly so far.

There were plenty of shady folks doing bad things in the back alleys here, enough that meeting my daily target of five was never difficult.

I’d swoop down onto the scene, hit them, rob them, and take off.

Then I’d repeat the process, over and over.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

No one had been able to withstand my telekinetic flick attack yet.

This was easier than pie.

“Though, I don’t plan to fight anyone who can counter it.”

Thwack.

A telekinetic flick struck a man’s head like a bolt of lightning.

The man, who had been threatening a woman, crumpled to the ground without resistance.

Strangely, he had been wearing a motorcycle helmet.

But my telekinetic flick was a technique that could strike through even a tiny gap over the crown of the head.

A helmet didn’t prevent him from being knocked out.

With the situation resolved, I naturally approached the unconscious man and rummaged through his belongings.

I found a wallet—remarkably clean and expensive-looking.

“Is this leather? I could probably sell this to Greg.”

It was easily the fanciest wallet I had seen in these alleys.

Most wallets around here were either rags or made of questionable, low-grade leather.

This one was clearly real leather, or at least something close to it.

If I sold it, it’d definitely bring me closer to my dream of owning a bed!

“…No, better not. It might leave a trail. Let’s just take the cash and leave the wallet.”

I recalled a past incident where I was chased by a vampire over a ring I’d taken.

Sure, the chances of getting caught over just a wallet were slim, but small risks often lead to big problems. I decided to play it safe.

Stuffing the cash into my pocket, I noticed the woman I’d saved had disappeared.

This happened often.

About half of those I helped expressed gratitude, but the other half bolted while I was preoccupied.

I didn’t mind.

Whether they thanked me or not, my main concern was the wallets on the ground.

Time to move.

I prepared to leave the scene quickly, wary of attracting unnecessary attention.

But just then, I heard someone approaching the alley at an astonishing speed.

“Where is it?! Where are you, ghost?!”

Thud! Thud! Thud-thud! Whoosh!

“…!”

“There you are! Finally, finallyyyy!”

A man with soaking wet blond hair emerged from beyond the alley.

His hair, flattened by water, clung to his scalp, with suds visible on his crown.

The wet bathrobe draped over his body made it clear he had just been bathing.

“What… is he? A pervert?”

Startled by the bizarre sight, I could only blink in confusion.

The soaked man pointed a finger at me and shouted.

“You’re real! I’ve been searching for you, ghost!”

“….”

Why, though?

I instinctively stepped back, bewildered.

A man wandering the alleys in such cold weather, dressed like that—his eccentricity was overwhelming, and I wanted nothing to do with him.

“An original character? No… If my memory is correct, there wasn’t anyone like him.”

If such a unique person had appeared in the original story, I would have remembered.

In other words, he was just a random weirdo.

This wasn’t a situation where conversation was an option.

“I just want to talk—wait, stop running away!”

No thanks. Why would I? Ignoring his plea, I turned and bolted down the alley.

Since my running speed was nothing special, I used telekinesis to propel my feet, rapidly accelerating.

Within two breaths, I had turned a corner and plunged into a deeper alley.

“Please, don’t follow me.”

I earnestly hoped the man wouldn’t chase after me.

It wasn’t just that I didn’t want to attack someone who hadn’t done anything wrong.

But no matter how I looked at it, avoiding a weirdo wandering around back alleys in nothing but a bathrobe seemed like the best decision.

After all, wise people avoid unnecessary fights.

Not that I’m calling myself particularly wise or anything!

“Ah… she’s gone.”

Victor, a bounty hunter and fixer with foam still clinging to his hair, scratched his head awkwardly as he watched the “ghost” disappear in an instant.

What were the odds that word of the ghost would reach him in the middle of a relaxing bath?

That was why he’d rushed out in a panic, now left standing there in nothing but his bathrobe, with no equipment at all.

A gun… Well, he hadn’t planned on using one against the ghost.

But at the very least, he should’ve brought his grappling gun for mobility.

Could he even keep up with the ghost like this? He let out a sigh.

“Mr. Victor, your trademark spiked hair is gone. Without it, you look much greasier than usual.”

“Oh, assistant. Sorry about that. I asked you to act as bait, and now I’ve gone and lost her.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t difficult or anything.”

Behind him, a tall, lanky woman approached and spoke up.

She was Victor’s assistant.

Her role was to play the part of a victim being attacked by a man, to lure the ghost closer.

As an expert in disguise capable of altering her face and body shape, impersonating others came as naturally to her as breathing.

“Where’s the apprentice?”

“He’s over there, lying on the ground. Seems like the motorcycle helmet didn’t help much.”

“That guy was the apprentice? That ghost must be even stronger than the rumors say.”

Victor glanced at the apprentice sprawled on the ground with the helmet still on, shaking his head and pressing a hand to his forehead.

Despite his current state, the apprentice was a promising talent he had poached from an elite mercenary guild.

He was one of the strongest of the rookies, someone whose future seemed incredibly bright—and yet, the ghost had knocked him out in a single blow.

Victor mentally adjusted his estimation of the ghost’s strength, raising it a notch. Then, he turned to his assistant.

“Sigh, assistant, got any ideas? I’d hate to just give up here. She’s probably going to vanish completely after tonight.”

“There is… one option.”

“Oh, I knew you’d have something up your sleeve, my brilliant assistant!”

Victor and his assistant began whispering to each other in the alley, hatching a plan.

Several dozen minutes later, in a completely different alley far away, they encountered the ghost again.

“There you are! Ghost, let’s have a conversation!”

“…!!”

The sudden reappearance of the blond weirdo, whom she thought she had left behind, startled the ghost.

Eyes wide, she bolted deeper into the alley without hesitation.

Victor, showing no intention of letting her escape, immediately took off in pursuit.

Thus began an unexpected nighttime chase.

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