Cursed Bloodline: Awakened a Hidden Class in a Game World-Chapter 52: Alley beating

"Yes, only the two of us. Now can you cash it in? We are pretty late to where we need to be," Zane said. His voice sounded like orders to her twisted mind. She nodded and immediately packed all the crystals into a tray.

"Give me a minute," she said and rushed into the back.

"She does whatever you say, master. She would make a good vampire. Even without your authority, you could control her," Grey said.

"Please don’t. I just get Lucy who watches over me like a hawk, and at least she doesn’t do it crazily. I don’t wanna get in tandem with someone that’s like this lady," Zane said.

The lady walked outside with the same tray and a bag of coins on it. She placed it down. "The boss crystal is hard to find, and so he was able to go for five gold coins. As for the smaller goblin coins, they racked up one silver coin each.

As for those that belong to hobgoblins, they give one silver per crystal," she explained everything and then handed the pouch to him.

Zane took the pouch, weighed it in his hands, then turned away to leave.

"I’ll be seeing you soon," she said in a seductive voice.

"I guess she is hoping that you come tomorrow, master," Grey said.

Zane was about to agree with Grey when he recalled something, so he turned around. "I’ll see you tomorrow then."

Her eyes widened when she heard those words, a smile spreading from ear to ear.

"Adventurer, please come," she said. Zane turned without hesitation and stood in front of her.

"I have something to tell you," she said.

[Hidden Quest activated. Do you wish to accept or refuse?]

The system brought out a quest screen, and he was shocked and happy. He had a feeling that he had seen something like this before, where an NPC tells him something unexpected and he reacts to it, only to get a quest.

"I accept the quest," Zane said, then looked back at her.

"Uhm, I happen to know that some chosen are trying to harm you. They ought to attack you tonight, so please be careful," she said.

’This is information, not a quest. Well, surviving is the quest. And I have the feeling she was the one that put them up to it.

But when I responded to her, it made her guilty or something. Tsk. I guess that’s some free food and a good beating. Should I kill them when I find them?’ he wondered.

[Beat up the men to complete quest.]

’Beat them up, so I can’t kill them. But I guess beating close to death works fine as well,’ he thought.

"Thank you, I’m glad you told me. That would help me a lot," Zane said. He waved at her and walked away, then he stopped and looked at her. "What’s your name?" he asked.

"Uhm, my name is Ari," she said with a smile on her face and her cheeks rosy.

"Alright, see you sometime else, Ari."

[Ari’s favorability with you has risen by a hundred, reaching obsession level.]

[She will do whatever you say as long as you make her feel some sort of reward after.]

[You have unlocked favorability.]

Zane looked at his screen with a smile. He walked out of the building and placed the coins into his inventory.

They hadn’t gone a few steps and he already sensed the people watching him, at least five of them.

"Grey, let’s take the alley," Zane said and made his turn into an alley. Grey followed without question. A few minutes went by, and then they were surrounded from front and back.

Two figures in front of them and three behind. Each of them had on some cheap ceramic mask.

One of them walked forward. "Sorry for running into you this way. You see, someone I know needs you all alive, and I can’t say no to her," he said, pulling out his sword, a plain, simple steel sword.

"So let’s not make this hard for ourselves. Come with us, you with the long hair, and everything will be fine," he said.

"Master, should I handle this?" Grey asked.

"No, I get itchy for children when night comes, so I’ll handle this," Zane said. Grey nodded and moved to the side.

"Did you come here to talk or take me? Make up your mind. Or do you want to take me to bed, cornering me in an alley like some helpless damsel?" Zane said.

Leon frowned from behind the mask, a single NPC was talking to him carelessly. He gritted his teeth. "Take that back and you might walk out of here alive," Leon barked in anger.

"Stop being a dog and stop barking," Zane said with a smile.

"Screw you. Guys, get him," Leon roared. Four of them charged in at the same time, swords in hand. Zane looked at them and saw their levels, the highest among them was level eight.

The first sword swung down fast. Zane dodged to the side, grabbed the man’s hand, and launched a kick into his gut, sending him flying.

Zane’s level showed above his head, and immediately it stunned everyone. They stepped back.

Leon looked at the level and was shocked as well, but he gritted his teeth. He wanted that date with Ari, and he was willing to do anything to get it.

"Don’t back down, guys. There are five of us and two of them. They are also NPCs; they don’t have bloodlines like us, so let’s take them down," he roared.

His level showed, he was the only person with a level nine. Leon’s boots scraped against the dirt as he dashed forward, his steel sword flashing under the dim alley light. His eyes were locked on Zane like a predator. The other four fanned out, trying to cut off any chance of escape.

Zane didn’t move from where he stood. He rolled his shoulders and tilted his head slightly, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

Leon swung first, an overhead slash meant to split Zane’s skull. Zane took a single step forward instead of back, letting the blade whistle past his ear, the wind grazing his cheek. Before Leon could recover, Zane’s fist shot out like a piston, burying itself into Leon’s ribs.

The impact forced the air out of Leon’s lungs in a wheeze, but Zane wasn’t done. He grabbed the man’s collar and yanked him forward, smashing his forehead against Leon’s mask. The ceramic shattered, revealing blood running down the side of his face.

The moment Leon staggered back, two more rushed in from behind. Zane didn’t turn, he kicked backward with perfect precision, his heel slamming into the kneecap of the one closest. A sharp crack echoed, followed by a scream as the man collapsed, clutching his leg.

The second attacker swung low at Zane’s side, aiming to carve into his waist. Zane caught the blade mid-swing with his bare hand, the steel grinding against his skin but failing to cut deep. His other hand snatched the man’s wrist, twisting sharply until the sword clattered to the ground.

Zane shoved him back into the alley wall, driving a knee into his stomach so hard that the man vomited instantly.

One of the others tried to take advantage of the opening, lunging from Zane’s left with a thrust aimed at his heart. Zane’s head turned slightly, eyes narrowing. He sidestepped, letting the blade pass harmlessly, then clamped his hand on the attacker’s arm. With a sudden jerk, he pulled the man forward and delivered a brutal elbow to his jaw. Teeth flew, and the man hit the ground like a sack of grain.

Leon, red-faced and furious, charged again, swinging wildly in a rage. Zane ducked under the slash, stepped inside his guard, and hooked Leon’s ankle with his foot, tripping him forward. Before Leon could fall, Zane’s fist smashed into his gut again, followed by an uppercut that snapped his head back.

Grey stood at the side, arms crossed, watching like it was a stage play. "Master, you’re going too easy on them," he commented lazily.

Zane grabbed Leon by the back of the head and slammed his face into the alley wall, the impact sending cracks through the brick. "Easy? This is me being polite," Zane said, voice calm.

The last standing attacker tried to back away, fear flooding his eyes, but Zane was already there. One hand gripped his throat, lifting him off the ground. "Quest says beat you up, so I’ll leave you breathing." His fist drove into the man’s stomach once... twice... thrice, each blow making his body jerk violently.

When Zane finally dropped him, the man curled up on the floor gasping.

Leon tried to crawl away, but Zane stepped on his back, pressing him into the dirt. "Next time someone tells you to come after me," Zane leaned down so his mouth was near Leon’s ear, "tell them you like your bones unbroken."

He straightened, shaking the blood from his knuckles, and glanced at Grey. "Alright, I’m done."

Grey smirked. "Polite, indeed, master."

"Well yeah, if I went easy, they would have been in a worse state," Zane said.

"Then they would hate to see you serious," Grey added.