The smell of damp earth and rot lingered in the strange wooden house. Shadows crept across the walls, whispering like dark mist.
A man stood there, naked. His frame was thin, frail, his back hunched like someone long past his prime.
His face was half-shrouded by darkness, but the sharp curve of his lips stretched into a terrifying grin—one that spoke of hunger far deeper than flesh.
His breath rasped in the silence, uneven, as if he hadn't spoken in years.
At his feet, a woman lay sprawled, stripped bare. Her chest rose and fell faintly, her consciousness still adrift.
Her long hair clung damp to her skin, her wrists bound by glowing restraints.
When her eyes fluttered open, the fog of confusion burned away with sudden horror.
"Wh—what… Sir?! Why?" Her voice broke. She tried to move, but her body wouldn't respond. The glowing bindings tightened, burning into her wrists and ankles.
The man's laugh bubbled up from his throat, jagged and broken. "Finally awake…" He dragged the word, savoring it like a predator licking its lips. His hollow eyes gleamed in the dark.
She trembled, heart hammering in her chest. "Stay… stay away!"
But he only crawled forward on his hands and knees, like a beast pretending at humanity.
Every inch closer made the air colder, heavier. He leaned down, the stench of his breath mixing with the rotting odor in the room, and whispered in her ear:
"You'll be perfect…"
And then—her scream tore through the night.
His hands gripped her, forcing her down as he invaded her. Her body writhed under him, but the restraints glowed brighter, draining her strength.
She felt it—her magic, her very essence, being ripped away as if siphoned by a hungry void.
Her nails dug into the floor until they cracked, but the sound of her struggles was drowned out by his maniacal laughter.
Her skin grew pale, her breath shallow. Wrinkles carved into her once youthful face, strands of hair losing their luster and turning gray.
With every thrust, he drank her vitality, until the girl's eyes dulled, and she was no more than a husk—an empty shell of the woman she had been.
And as her last spark of life vanished, his frail body began to change. His bent spine straightened. Wrinkles smoothed out. His flesh tightened, regrew. Golden hair spilled down to his shoulders, and his eyes burned bright blue, filled with manic delight.
Standing tall, handsome, and vibrant as a man in his prime, he threw his head back and let out a thunderous, echoing laugh.
"HAHAHAHA! Youth… beauty… strength… ALL MINE!"
The laughter carried out through the cracks of the decrepit house, echoing into the night like a curse.
---
Meanwhile, at the guild hall…
The sun shone warm through the stained glass windows, the morning crowd bustling with adventurers shouting over one another about quests, loot, and last night's victories.
At the front job board, Shiki stood silently, his red scarf draped loosely over his shoulder, black jacket fitted sharp to his form.
His golden eyes scanned the parchment notices pinned to the board with lazy disinterest.
At his side, Ai clung tightly to his arm, pressing against him with a mischievous smile that refused to fade.
Her black hair was tied up in its usual messy ponytail, the dagger straps at her thighs jingling lightly as she leaned into him.
She tipped her chin up, lips curling. "Shiki… you're ignoring me again."
Shiki didn't look down, but the faint tug of amusement at his mouth betrayed him. "I'm reading."
"You've been 'reading' the same notice for five minutes." She pouted, pressing her soft cheek against his shoulder. "You're just trying to act cool."
"Maybe I am," Shiki said smoothly, reaching up to pat her head.
Ai flushed and turned her face away, though her grip on his arm only tightened.
Since that night—the "reward" she'd received—her heart still hadn't calmed whenever she was near him.
The memory of his lips on her neck, his hands teasingly grazing her body, refused to fade. Every little touch now sent a jolt through her chest.
Shiki's eyes drifted lazily across the board until one particular parchment made his brow twitch.
---
[NOTICE: WOMEN OF AGES 7–25 HAVE GONE MISSING FROM ROADS AND SMALL VILLAGES. SUSPECTED SMUGGLERS OR ILLEGAL GROUPS. REWARD: 60,000 GOLD.]
---
He plucked it off the board without hesitation.
Ai tilted her head, still pressed against him. "What is it?"
"Missing girls," Shiki said simply. His voice lost its usual drawl, now edged with something colder. "Between seven and twenty-five."
Ai's expression darkened. "That's… awful." She bit her lip. "Do you think it's smugglers?"
"Maybe." Shiki folded the paper neatly, sliding it into his belt. "Or something worse."
She shivered at the chill in his tone. Shiki wasn't one to get riled easily, but the way his golden eyes narrowed now sent a quiet warning to anyone near enough to see it.
Without another word, he turned from the board and strode toward the guild counter. Ai trotted quickly beside him, still hooked on his arm.
Behind the counter stood Salene, the ever-alluring guild mistress. Her scarlet hair fell in waves around her shoulders, her fitted dark top straining against her generous curves. She looked up from her parchment work, her violet eyes gleaming as she spotted Shiki approaching.
"Well, well," Salene purred, setting aside her quill and resting her chin in her palm. "If it isn't our number one."
Shiki dropped the notice onto the counter. "This case."
Her eyes flicked down at the parchment, then back up at him. A sly smile touched her lips. "Of course you'd choose that one."
Ai shifted, narrowing her eyes at Salene's tone. She didn't like the way the red-haired woman's gaze lingered on Shiki, lingering too long, too bold.
"Don't give me that look," Salene chuckled, reaching for the parchment. "This is your first job…"
Her voice lowered, a rare seriousness in her tone. "Shiki, entire caravans have disappeared. Whole villages have reported their daughters missing. If this is smugglers, they're very well hidden. If it's something else…"
Shiki leaned on the counter, his gaze never wavering. "Doesn't matter what it is. I'll handle it."
The casual certainty in his voice made Ai's chest tighten with pride—and something else, something warm that fluttered low in her stomach.
Salene arched a brow, lips curving. "Confident as ever. That's why everyone knows your name."
"Not confidence," Shiki corrected, straightening. "It's fact."
The hall quieted for a brief moment, as if the guild itself absorbed his words. Adventurers passing by glanced, whispering softly: Shiki… God-Class. The title carried weight, and everyone knew what it meant.
Salene smirked, though there was respect in her eyes now. "Very well. This case is yours. I'll see to it the records are updated."
Shiki gave a curt nod and turned away, Ai tugging along beside him.
But as they walked toward the exit, Salene leaned against the counter, watching him with a smile that was equal parts admiration and curiosity.
What are you really, Shiki? she thought. God-Class… or something beyond even that?
---
END OF CHAPTER : 35 : THE DISAPPEARING GIRL!
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