Wine glasses fell and shattered on the floor, while some customers rushed to the corners of the restaurant to take cover. Whispers rose among them, and one of them said in a trembling voice, "Those are… the witch's followers." Another sighed, then whispered fearfully: "You mean that witch?" He replied immediately: "Yes… keep your voice down, or they'll hear you." They were drenched in sweat.
My eyes widened as I stood up calmly. It's the same man… the one I met in front of the Beast Organization, the one who made that ridiculous offer to me. But who is this man accompanying him? He looks mentally unstable. What do they want in a restaurant like this?
Miro grabbed the hem of my shirt and said, "It's that man."
I replied calmly, "I know."
The first man approached the restaurant manager, then held his massive sword to his neck. His lips moved slowly as he said, "As usual… Hurry up, or you'll find out what happens." Then he pushed the blade closer to the manager's neck, leaving the manager no choice but to quickly issue orders to the staff.
On the other side, the plate fell from the waitress's hands and shattered on the floor, while she stumbled backward in terror. The deranged man was advancing toward her with calm steps, while she crawled backward, repeating in a trembling voice, "Get away… get away… Stay away..." But she couldn't escape, and he cornered her.
He leaned toward her slowly, placing his fingertips on her cheek, his breath mingling with hers. Then he lowered his hand slightly as he whispered, "I've missed you."
His hand moved to her neck, then he undid the first button of her dress, saying, "Didn't you miss me?" Tears streamed from her eyes, and her sobs mingled with her crying as she trembled with fear.
He undid the second button, exposing part of her chest, as he drew closer to her. He stuck out his tongue in a slow, snake-like motion, then slid his hand further down until it reached her thigh, and said in a provocative tone, "How about we start here?"
The girl screamed, trembling with fear, repeating in a broken voice, "Please… get away from me… get away from me!"
I could see everything happening right in front of me. My features tensed, and the veins in my body began to bulge as my blood pressure rose. I fixed my gaze on him, never blinking once.
His hand stopped, his eyes widened, and his body trembled, then he said, "That aura…"
The hair on the back of his neck stood on end, and his entire body tensed. Then he turned his head toward me very slowly, his eyes wide and rimmed with distinct red veins.
In a single second, he vanished from where he stood. I didn't see or sense him until he placed his hand on my shoulder from behind. He leaned close to my ear—his breath smelled like sour milk—and then whispered:
"Hello, ladies' man."
My features contorted more and more, while my blood pressure shot up alarmingly. I didn't move much; I just waved my arm.
My fist slammed into his jaw with such force that blood spattered and his jawbone shattered. He immediately stumbled backward in quick succession, cupping his jaw as blood gushed out.
I turned toward him slowly and said, "Get away."
My eyes and eyebrows were twitching, and veins were bulging all over my body.
Right then, his jaw began to reform in a terrifying way. His eyes widened as he looked at me, and then his face took on an expression of surprise and awe.
He said in a voice tinged with obvious madness, "That aura… . And that look..."
Then he smiled broadly: "Amazing… insanely amazing."
I whispered to myself as I stared at him: "Who is this man? What's going on?" A moment ago he'd lost his jaw, but what now? It was as if nothing had happened to him. This was definitely another monster.
My features froze, then I told myself, trying to control my anxiety: "Don't panic."
At that moment, the man I'd met earlier—he was carrying a bag packed to the brim—noticed me. He muttered to himself: "It's the same boy I met earlier, but what's he doing here?"
The corner of his mouth turned down, and he said, "Could it really be him who did this to Orfen?"
The corner of Orfen's mouth turned up in a strange smile, and he said in a low voice, "Do you want me to show you something even more exciting?"
I placed my hand on the dagger hanging behind my waist as I cautiously took a step back.
Suddenly, a terrifying aura began to gather around Orfen, until the chairs and tables around him began to rise off the ground and move violently. His hair danced with the pressure of the energy surrounding him, and I felt the weight of that power fill the room.
I whispered to myself, "What an aura… What have I gotten myself into?"
But in the next second, a massive sword plummeted down and pierced the restaurant floor between us. Then Orphen's aura began to gradually subside, while silence reigned for a few moments.
The man I'd met earlier approached with quiet steps, then placed his hand on the hilt of the sword stuck in the ground. He remained silent for a few moments before slowly turning toward me.
His features were calm, though he looked a little pale. He looked at me for a moment, then said in a low voice:
"I haven't seen you in a while… O Hero of the Mountain…"