Knox slowly opened his eyes.
A faint light leaked through the cracked ceiling. Dust drifted lazily in the air, glowing under the morning sun. His body felt slightly heavy, the dull reminder that last night's battle wasn't a dream.
He stretched his arms, joints clicking softly.
"Morning already, huh…"
He sat up, rubbing the back of his neck.
Knox stood, rolling his shoulders as he walked toward the broken window. Outside, the Neutral Zone looked the same as yesterday — chaotic, dirty, dangerous. People moving with cautious eyes, hands always ready to reach for a weapon or run for their lives.
He checked his inventory — bread, jerky, a few silver coins, various weapons, and most importantly… a notebook.
He pulled it out.
"Alright, Knox Aznable — time to make a plan."
He wrote three simple lines:
1. Grow Stronger
2. Earn Money
3. Main Story
"In this kind of place, the fastest way to make money is hunting criminals…"
He paused, tapping his pen.
"…and writing a novel as side income doesn't sound bad either."
After all, he now had Perfect Memory. He could write countless great stories, from multiple worlds. And with Music Mastery… if needed, he could even perform.
"But first—breakfast."
He took a bite of dry bread — and nearly gagged.
"Oof. Right. I should improve my Cooking Mastery before I die from this kind of food. Even John Wick could use this bread as a weapon."
A sudden loud noise echoed outside — hurried footsteps, panicked voices.
Knox didn't need to eavesdrop to know what they were talking about.
"—White Devil—"
"—a monster kid—"
"—burned the whole hideout—"
"A demon with white hair and red eyes—!"
Knox stared blankly at the air for a moment.
"White Devil?…Burned the whole hideout?...Already? That was fast."
A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Well, reputation is also one of my goals. The faster my reputation spread, the faster they will hear about me."
There are two major factions in this world, the Dark Alliance and the Holy Federation. Each has its own academy — Kizen for the Alliance and Efnel for the Federation.
"My targets are members of the Dark Alliance… or more specifically, Leader of Dark Alliance, Nefthis Archbold."
Also, known as the Witch of Death. The strongest necromancer, and of the strongest beings to exist. She already lived for more than three hundred years. Her signature ability is Time magic.
"In so many fanfics, the protagonist gets scouted by her and brought straight into Kizen. If I can attract her attention too, that would be the quickest way to reach the center of this world's plot."
"But that means I need strength—real strength. The stronger I become, the faster my name spreads. And while I'm at it, I can still work on my writing. If I make a breakthrough as a novelist here, that fame could help my name travel even faster… straight into her radar."
Lost in thought, Knox absentmindedly chewed on his bread, barely noticing the taste.
After finishing his bread, Knox summoned a small stream of water to wash himself off before preparing to set out. He took out his katana from his inventory, and draped a hooded robe over himself.
"Now, time to make my debut as Bounty Hunter. First, I need information. You can't hunt what you don't know. There should be a lot of information about criminals."
"The best place to start was obvious. In every world, criminals and rumors flocked to the same kind of place—a tavern. Cheap drinks, loose lips, and a crowd full of people who shouldn't be trusted. Of course, there are also other sources, such as 'Thieves Guild' and 'Vengeance'. Both groups played their parts in the main story as well."
"The problem is, which one do I choose?"
Knox leaned back slightly, his gaze distant.
"Maybe I should try my luck. Who knows? I might meet both if I go to the tavern."
After finishing his bread, Knox started walking toward the tavern. Before long, he arrived at its door. Without any hesitation, he stepped inside and made his way straight to the counter.
Because of his stature, Knox immediately drew attention, some curious, some cautious. But, before he arrived at the counter, a bald, tall man, block his way.
"Hey, look what we have here! A brat who just walked in without a care! Hoo, just one look at your face and I feel like I can fetch a lot of money!"
The bald man's loud voice drew more attentions.
But, suddenly, Knox moved his hand and covered his eyes.
"What are you doing? Are you scared? The bald man sneered.
"Heh, of course you are. What? You got lost? Are you looking for you mommy? Maybe she's already dead somewhere, hahaha!"
The bald man burst into laughter with mocking tones.
"No, you misunderstood me, baldy." Knox said camly.
"The reason I covered my eyes is because your head is so shiny!"
Pfft!!!
Knox's answer made a lot of people there laugh. Some even spilled their drinks.
Hearing that, the bald man's face twitched, a vein bulging faintly near his temple. The room's mood shifted—the attention now shifted at him instead.
"You bastard!"
The bald man yelled and run toward Knox. He grabbed a wooden chair, and swung it at Knox.
With just one step, Knox dodged his swing.
"Oya? Baldy, why are you so angry? Oh, is that time of the month for you? Or maybe, are you mad because what I said?"
Knox easily dodged another swing, he even had enough time to mock the bald man.
"Looks like there is another misunderstanding." Knox said casually.
"What I just said to you wasn't an insult. It was a compliment!"
Knox leapt lightly, evading another attack, stepped on the man's head, and and landed gracefully on a nearby table.
"You should be happy," Knox smirked. "Because your head shines brighter than your future! Even a priest's holy magic can't outshine yours!"
Pfft!
Hahahahaha!
Knox's remark once again sent the tavern into laughter—this time even louder than before.
Not only did Knox's remark draw more laughter, it flushed the bald man's face crimson, like a boiling volcano.
"Enough, you damned brat! I will kill you now, and send you to your mother!"
The bald man roared and grabbed a mace from his waist. His sudden move stirred the crowd, some grew nervous, some cheered him on, while others prepared to intervene.
Of course, Knox still paid attention to his surroundings. Especially, the people who looked like wanted to intervene and help him.
"That reaction… the only people who would make that kind of move are people with authority, for example, 'Vengeance'. Of course, there are some other possibilities as well."
"Die!!!"
The shout snapped Knox back to reality, reminding him of the situation he was in.
With a calm movement, Knox sidestepped the bald man's attack and drove his knee into the bald man's face. Knox' counterattack made the bald man's head jerk back slightly. But, before his head even had the chance to bounce back, Knox grabbed the bald man's head, and slammed it straight into the floor, embedding it into the wooden floor.
Knox simple yet powerful counterattack left the people around him with their mouths wide open, staring at the scene in disbelief. Those who had bet on the bald man were even more speechless, already regretting their decision.
""Pheew~ that was dangerous!"
Knox smiled faintly, wiping away imaginary sweat with a lazy motion.
"Good thing I'm cute and handsome enough to survive, huh?"
No, you should've said you're strong enough to survive!
The thought echoed among a few people watching, though none dared to voice it out loud.
"Oh no! I just made a mess and broke the floor!"
Knox grabbed his head dramatically as he said that. Then, he casually walked over to the bald man's body, rummaged through his pockets, and pulled out some money.
"Lucky! I found some money on the floor! Excuse me mister with mustache over there, you are the owner of this tavern, right? I'm sorry for the mess. Here, here~ from what I've learned, when you make a mistake, you should apologize and offer some compensation!"
From what I've learned, people don't just rummage through some guy's pocket on the floor and used it like it's their own money!
The tavern went silent, not a single soul dared make a sound. Knox had left them utterly speechless.