My Charity System made me too OP-Chapter 167 - 10th Floor III

With a flicker of movement, Roselia was the first to act. One moment she was standing still, the next she was behind the closest thug, her claws slicing through his throat like paper. Blood sprayed into the air as his body collapsed.

Roman followed immediately, unsheathing his sword in a single, fluid motion. His blade gleamed under the neon lights before carving a deep gash through another man’s torso, splitting him open from shoulder to waist.

Naval and Liliana didn’t hesitate either. The moment two of the enemies lunged toward them, their hands moved in a blur. A gust of wind erupted from Naval’s palm, launching one man into a nearby wall with a sickening crunch. Liliana, in contrast, was precise—her dagger found the soft spot between the ribs, puncturing a lung with surgical efficiency.

Millim simply smirked. The last two men turned to her, their faces contorted in fear. "D-Demon…!" one of them gasped.

Millim raised her hand, and in an instant, a crimson mist burst from her fingers. The air thickened with the scent of iron as their bodies withered away, drained of every drop of blood.

The battle was over in seconds. The onlookers stared in stunned silence before breaking into applause. Some were amused, others impressed, but most were simply entertained by the bloodshed.

Leon cracked his neck, sighing. "If this is what we have to deal with every time we walk down the street, this city is going to be a pain in the ass."

Roselia wiped the blood from her claws. "At least we made an impression."

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Millim smirked. "And sent a message. We aren’t prey."

Leon turned away from the pile of corpses. "Let’s find an inn. I have a feeling this is just the beginning."

The moment Leon’s group left the scene, the gathered crowd slowly dispersed, returning to their own business as if nothing had happened. Corpses littering the streets were a common sight in Sin City. No one bothered to clean them up; scavengers and desperate low-rank adventurers would soon strip them of valuables, leaving only bones behind.

As they walked deeper into the city, the neon signs flickered erratically, casting strange shadows along the dirty streets. The smell of blood and cheap alcohol filled the air, mixed with the distant scent of burning incense from makeshift shrines—tributes to forgotten gods that no one truly believed in.

They passed by a row of inns, each one more rundown than the last. The first one they entered reeked of mold and death, and the receptionist—a lanky man with hollow eyes—gave them a grin that screamed ’robbery waiting to happen.’ They left immediately.

The second place was slightly better, but before they could even ask for rooms, they noticed a corpse slumped over the counter, and the innkeeper was too busy looting the body to even acknowledge them.

By the third try, Leon was already regretting coming here.

Finally, they stumbled upon a building that looked relatively intact—The Black Lotus Inn. The sign was barely holding onto the wall, swaying slightly in the wind, but the building itself was well-maintained compared to the rest.

Naval exhaled. "This one looks decent enough. Let’s check it out."

Pushing open the doors, they were met with a dimly lit interior, the smell of old wood and alcohol replacing the usual stench of decay. The common area was filled with adventurers, mercenaries, and criminals, all nursing drinks or speaking in hushed tones. A few glanced at them but quickly lost interest—after all, they had already proven they weren’t easy targets.

A tall, sharp-eyed woman stood behind the counter, cleaning a glass with practiced ease. Her long, silver hair cascaded down her back, and her piercing golden eyes sized them up the moment they entered. She didn’t look intimidated, nor did she seem particularly impressed.

"Newcomers?" she asked, her voice calm but laced with an edge that warned against trouble.

Leon nodded. "We need rooms."

She placed the glass down and leaned forward. "You paying with coin or favors?"

Roman frowned. "Favors?"

The woman smirked. "This is Sin City, sweetheart. Everything has a price, and sometimes coin isn’t enough."

Leon pulled out a pouch and tossed it onto the counter. The woman caught it effortlessly, weighing it in her palm before nodding in approval.

"You’re smarter than most. That’ll get you three rooms for a week." Enjoy exclusive adventures from novelbuddy

Leon raised an eyebrow. "And if we want more time?"

She chuckled. "Then you either pay more or work for it. Welcome to Sin City."

After handling the arrangements, the group finally settled into their rooms. They weren’t luxurious by any means, but they were clean, and most importantly, secure. Each had reinforced locks and soundproof walls—essentials in a city where assassination was a nightly occurrence.

As they sat around a table in one of the rooms, Liliana leaned back with a sigh. "So, what’s the plan? We need to start searching for the Alchemy King’s trail, but this city is a mess. Finding information won’t be easy."

Leon nodded. "We’ll split up tomorrow. Gather intel however we can. But be careful—this place isn’t like the other floors. There are no rules here, and if we slip up, no one will save us."

Roselia smirked. "Good. I was getting bored. A little chaos might make things interesting."

Millim grinned, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Then let’s have some fun, shall we?"

Leon leaned back, staring at the ceiling as a smirk tugged at his lips. "Sin City, huh? Let’s see what secrets you’re hiding."

Tomorrow, their hunt for the Alchemy King would begin. But in a city where treachery was the norm and survival was never guaranteed, one thing was certain—this was only the beginning.

"So, how do we find this Alchemy King? Last time, you guys stumbled upon it easily, but now, I don’t think that’s the case," Milim said as she looked at Leon.

Leon met her gaze and shrugged. "Last time was pure luck, but that luck also gave us this," he said, pointing at his Alchemy Legacy—a book. "It’s now empty, but it’s also a lead."

He sighed, flipping through the blank pages. "I’ve already claimed the legacy, so now, this book is just a normal legacy book. But the fact that it remains means it’s a clue to finding the next part."

Milim frowned. "Problem is, you don’t know how to use this blank book, right?"

Leon nodded. "Exactly."

Milim snatched the book from his hands, inspecting it closely. "Then let’s figure it out."