"Yo, who the hell's making a ruckus on my turf? Don't you know I'm trying to sleep here? I'm in a really bad mood right now!"
A woman stepped out, chains clinking all over her body. She wore the same kind of yellow martial arts uniform as that brawler Galina from before—but with a rugged leather coat draped over her shoulders this time.
It was clear she didn't recognize Ryuji right away, likely because she was too busy toying with a dagger as she walked out. When she finally looked up at him and Rosh with that scornful, dismissive gaze—
She froze mid-step.
"Yo! Long time no see!"
Ryuji immediately raised a hand in greeting. He still had a pretty favorable impression of this female brawler. After all, they'd once discussed sleeping together—albeit with her asking him to pay. That kind of relationship was, well... intimate in its own chaotic way.
But the woman—who called herself Lightning Wolf—didn't look nearly as happy to see him.
Her eye twitched.
She might've just been a small-time boss on this street, but even in the slums, reputation was everything. If Ryuji blurted out that she once offered to sleep with him for ten gold coins... her authority would be shot to hell.
So, she stormed over to him, shrugging off the leather coat and tossing it to one of her lackeys, then grabbed Ryuji by the collar and yanked him forward.
"Yo your ass! What the hell are you doing making trouble on my turf?"
She already figured out that the two corpses weren't her subordinates, but bodies turning up on her street would definitely draw the attention of the city guards.
And when that happened? She'd be the first they came looking for. That's why she'd rushed out to give Ryuji a piece of her mind.
"Hey, I was the one who got attacked," Ryuji explained, gesturing toward the bodies. "They tried to rob me. I was just defending myself."
The woman—Lightning Wolf—snorted.
"Yeah? Tell that to the guards!"
Guards didn't care about "self-defense." All they saw was a couple of corpses on her street, and that meant trouble for her—legit or not.
"So...?" Ryuji tilted his head, smiling innocently.
The look on his face made her regret ever saying those cursed words about "ten gold coins." Sure, she needed money—but if that little incident ever got out, she'd lose all face.
Still, there was no way she was footing the bill to bribe the guards.
Gritting her teeth, she growled, "Ten gold. That's what it'll take for me to make this go away."
Ten gold coins.
Hearing that, Ryuji's smile only deepened. It was a smile so smug, so gleeful, that it immediately made the woman's expression darken.
She hoisted him off the ground by the collar.
Even though she wasn't very tall—only a head or two taller than Rosh, maybe—she had the presence of someone much larger.
From the side, Rosh quietly raised her staff again, a soft magical glow gathering at its tip, ready to blast Lightning Wolf at a moment's notice.
"It's just ten gold," Ryuji said casually, still grinning. "Not a big deal."
As soon as he said he was willing to pay, the woman dropped him back to the ground. She eyed his face, then punched him in the chest with a disgruntled growl.
"What the hell is with that expression!?"
"Come on, don't sweat the details," Ryuji chuckled. "Since I'm paying for your sake, why don't you answer two little questions for me?"
He rubbed his chin as he looked at her—noting how little fabric actually made up her martial arts outfit—and asked politely.
She snorted and crossed her arms under her ample chest, refusing to meet his teasing gaze.
"Fine. What do you want to know?"
Ryuji tilted his head.
"First question: what's your name?"
"Chobung. They call me Lightning Wolf. Got a problem with that?"
She raised an eyebrow defiantly, lips twitching with irritation.
"If you're planning revenge or something, just come at me head-on."
Her dislike for Ryuji wasn't just about him causing trouble every time they met. It was also—
Because he was good-looking.
Whenever she felt his gaze on her, her skin tingled, like it was crawling with electricity. It made her irritated and anxious all at once.
"Chobung, huh? Okay. Second question."
Ryuji suddenly leaned in close, his breath brushing against her ear.
"Is your body fluid poisonous?"
Ryuji froze, confused.
But then she laughed coldly and answered:
"Of course it is. I might not have the deadliest venom, but I can numb your nerves just fine. My blood won't kill you—but I can make you sit there and watch yourself lose control, bit by bit, until you're just a helpless little meat puppet. I'll make you feel every second of your body being torn apart."
As she spoke, she licked her finger and then pressed it against Ryuji's arm.
A strange sensation immediately followed.
Not pain. Not heat. Just... numbness.Like the deadened sensation that came from prolonged blood loss or frostbite.
Ryuji's mind flashed to a certain terrifying possibility. And just then, Chobung went on.
"So yeah. It's not lethal, if that's what you're asking. I'm not one of those lunatics trying to push their poison to the limit. Most of us stick to toxins the body can handle. We're all in this for the money. Not like that psycho you rescued, who wants to reach some kind of 'poison zenith.' As long as you don't piss me off or break the rules, you'll be fine."
She rolled her eyes and held out her hand.
"Now cough it up."
She figured she could still walk away with a bit of extra cash after bribing the guards—no way she was going easy on him.
Then—
She stared blankly at the twenty gold coins in her palm.
Her eyes widened.
She remembered that conversation with Ryuji. The one about the price.
"You're..."
"I just want to see if your poison really works," Ryuji said with a sly smile. "So tonight, come by my place…"
His hand slid naturally from her waist toward her hip.
Right before he touched that soft, springy curve—
Chobung's fist slammed into his chest, sending him sprawling to the ground.
"Go to hell!"
She yelled, her face burning red, and stormed off in a flustered rage.
Rosh, who had silently watched the whole thing unfold, walked over to Ryuji and squatted beside him.
She stared down at his smug, smiling face and muttered with a deadpan expression,
"You really are a pervert, big bro."
~~~~~~~
Bonus chapter every 200 PS.