This smuggler is giving me some eerie vibes, not that its such rare sight in the slums I suppose.

But maybe uncle was right on the spot, did someone of his own faction attack his nephew?

"You can drop down your smile, Mr smuggler. Even those guys waiting in the corridor, I'm here under uncle's request.

Just imagine if he'd really decide to investigate into this, obviously he didn't want to create a ruckus for a single plebeian and sent only me.

But if I were to disappear like that…"

Well I gave it to his imagination to conclude what I really meant.

I'm kinda bluffing here, as I doubt uncle would really move his ass.

Not because he doesn't want to but for the very reason that he tasked me with this.

There must be an internal conflict going on in his own faction.

Although he does know some information, if not he wouldn't have some guards following him around.

However this guy here is clearly just an underling.

He does execute the orders, but he doesn't know the reason behind this very directives. Otherwise he wouldn't come here just to check, even more he shouldn't be a plebeian himself.

To put it simply, he doesn't have the power to take on really important decisions.

Either way he needs to go and inform his superior

or he needs some time to charge a [tool] and communicate with him.

He can't really stop me, since if his boss decides to let me go, it would have been already too late.

"Whatever, I'm going. Don't even try to tail me, got it?"

What? I've already rolled the dice, I might as well go till the end with this.

"Fuck! We're going back. You! You better hope I don't see you another time"

Isn't this guy trying a bit too hard?

Doesn't he get it that even if I'm not a fighting type of ranker, I still remain one.

Saying this I took out of my space my nano-laser gun.

I clearly am not one of the best gunners, but at this distance I just need to pull the trigger to kill him in one clean shot.

It was a 0,5 metres long, with the shape of a bulky black shotgun. It had two blue stripes coming from its front sight to the trigger.

I had added an automatic fore-end, and for the ammunitions I just had to concentrate my

nano-energy.

It was both an advantage and disadvantage, as I could reload really fast. But at the same time would get tired as the fight would continue.

Well anyway I pointed it straight at him, as I could see its complexion stiff frozen.

"I may as well be a non combat type of ranker, but I guarantee you that I am fully capable to create a multitude of holes in this body of yours."

Well I know, I'm kinda bluffing again as I am no killer. But I had to do it, a ranker insulted by a plebeian, it would have been one of the greatest smacks on my reputation.

Just like this I went past him, following the trail detected by the tracking [tool].

I just hope to have made the right impression on this thug, so that he won't send some shady figures behind my ass.

This tracks are leading me on some hunting grounds, the evergreen plains.

I'm really doubting if continue this troublesome thing right now.

I mean, I'm clearly not prepared to fight beasts, and I won't ever be.

I don't have neither the constitution nor the necessary [tool]s.

But it would be as bad to not accomplish this little mission I have been assigned.

As I probably would have to pay a good portion of the real value of this cube uncle gave me, to retain it.

Mostly I wouldn't get to trade with his favourable prices anymore.

"Damn it!"

Whatever, if it leads me too far off from the shuttle stop I'll come back.

As the little black stick I bathed in the liquids started to tell me the near vicinity of the target, I leaned on the ground, crawling ahead.

I may as well look silly right now, but the pungent odour of blood was alarming my senses.

The little area in front of me was clearly the aftermath of battle. But massacre would describe it better.

The culprit was probably the one munching over the pile of corpses near him, or whatever this thing was.

A humanoid figure stood there munching on a canine type of beast, I could barely identify its form as the conditions of the body were terrible.

It's skin was crimson red, it had a very elongated head, no eyes or nose, sharp triangular teeth that were vigorously tearing the flesh of the beast.

Circling around its neck there was a rainbow coloured line, it like a small collar.

It had a relatively skinny physique, rending visible his dense musculature.

He strangely had numerous tendrils protruding from his right forearm, they were inserted into the body of the beast, seemingly draining it of their fluids.

Unfortunately for me, the [tool] was saying that this very thing was my target.

Fuck! Really? I would never go near such creature voluntarily.

I'm out of here, he may be as well a strange alien species, they are not that rare.

Perhaps it could talk too, but seeing its bloodied appearance my instincts were overlapping such logic.

I slowly started to crawl my way out of this place, but I suddenly heard a sound.

"Crunch!"

Another figure, a few metres behind my position stepped on something, making this noise.

The creature stopped munching, and as his hind legs started to glow blue, he rushed towards our position.

Fuck this bastard smuggler, he clearly send one of his guards to tail behind me.

He must have used quite a good [tool] too, since I couldn't notice anyone tailing me.

Well I think I don't have any chance, thing thing is too fast for me to aim at it with my shotgun.

I abandoned every thought of running away, and just sit on the ground, waiting for it to come to me.

"Huh? AAAHHHH!"

This thug didn't think the same apparently, as he started to run towards the stop.

It might be that he wanted to reveal the smuggler what he saw.

Thinking about it, why didn't the smuggler just do like I did, track the traces left in the room with a [tool].

Was he waiting for his superiors to tell him what to do?

Is this bigger than what I initially thought?

"NO! Please spare me! I didn't do anything to you! AHHHHH!"

As I was thinking about it, at the sight that was undergoing before my eyes I was about to piss myself on the spot.

The thing had clearly got on the thug covered in black clothes. The scared criminal on a reflex activated a nano-shield.

It was probably from a [tool], but clearly not of the best quality.

Then the creature repeatedly hit on the shield with its spiked tail, that was giving off a blue aura.

Not long after the shield broke, and the creature quickly grabbed the thug by the neck.

Its physical strength must be pretty high, as he suspended in mid air its foe.

Soon after it unwrapped all of its tendrils like things coiled around its forearm, they headed towards the thug.

With a swift action of its tail, the creature lacerated the clothes, giving free access for the tendrils to reach the criminal's skin.

They suddenly attached to it, madly contorting in circles, they seemed happy about it.

As more minutes passed, the complexion of the thug started to worsen bit by bit.

He got clearly skinnier, from his olive colour he became of a sickly pale white.

I think the creature was slowly draining him of his fluids, I already noticed it doing this on the dead canine beast.

Seeing it doing the deed on an alive target was even worse.

"You smelt of us. But why only now? We left the apartment yesterday..."

"Were you monitoring our movements… I'll inform Master about this. I will let the other one for my master too..."

A fairly creepy voice could be heard, relatively raspy and distorted, almost as if it wasn't coming from just one individual, but more.

The creature seemed to be murmuring on its own, Earlier it had an ecstatic expression, but now started to look a little puzzled and lost in his thoughts.

Then should I consider it a sentient being?

More 'he' than 'it', I suppose…

He spoke about a master too. Maybe I could communicate better with him.

Anyway, as far as I know this thing should be connected with Xeno in some ways right?

Hoping that their connection isn't the creature's stomach.

Suddenly another creature with a simile shape approached us, they had almost the same height, around 1.80 metres.

But this one was completely black, it had no tendrils and its tail was smaller, it didn't seem to function as a combat limb.

As I saw them starting to stare at each other, I thought that they were undergoing a telepathic conversation.

Maybe they didn't want me to hear their conversation.

Hopefully this meant that they weren't going to make a meal out of me.

Soon after the red creature dropped the thug's corpse, which became as thin as a twig, and started to munch on its dried flesh.

At the same time the black one headed over the pile of corpses, and started to feast on a random one.

I wanted to ask them if they knew something about this niece uncle tasked me to investigate on.

But I didn't want to bother them during their meal, it would be rather rude right?

Even more if they could eat me with just a thought.

I could try to retaliate and take one with me, even knowing that the chances were slim.

However I believe this as my last chance.

As the red one finished his quick meal, I mustered up my courage and talked to him.

"Excuse me sir, I was sent here by master Luce to look for one of his lost nieces.

He is very worried about a certain Xeno, may you know about him?"

Hah! I did it, I talked to him finally, I hope he isn't as hostile as he seems to.

Now that I said what I wanted too, I felt like becoming a bit more lucid.

Looking better at the creature, on its upper torso he had two little protuberances.

Huh!? It can't be, those that means that it was a 'she' all along?

But I called her 'Sir'… Fuck! She won't eat me only for this right?