13-The Feared Rampaging Demon

"Shit!"

"Isn't that the new recruit? The fuck are you doing taking in a psychopath into the guild just because it's a girl with a pretty face?"

"Damn you! You were looking at her lustfully every time!"

"Shut it, you guys! Let's get out of here now. It doesn't look like she'll let us off just because we're in the same guild. Is she even really just a Thief?"

It was a guild war between two low-level guilds for the Skulyndy cave. It was actually an arranged event as the guild masters of both guilds have already reached an agreement. So now it's just like they're doing a joint training of some sort. Well, that was the plan.

Not far from were the officers of Gamers are, there was a rampaging demon razing havoc. Well, not really a literal demon but an uncontrollable female Thief who's indiscriminately attacking everyone in her vicinity. 

She's actually also a member of the guild but it's not stopping her from attacking them. It would have been better if she's just attacking or leaving everyone half-dead. But, no. If they were lucky then yes they would be left half-dead or on the brink of death, for most of the victims, however, it's far worse.

"Did someone tick her off or something?" The guild master of Gamers asked his guildmates as they tried to desperately get away from the demon. 

"I-I don't think so… F-From what I heard she just started acting like a lunatic the moment we got here..." 

"Oi, Frodo! What the hell is going on here?!" The very angry guild master of Harui confronted the trio. "We had a deal!"

"Fuck it, man! If you want to keep your life just get out of here first!" 

"Ha! After you took the payment now you want to break it off?"

"Do you think that's actually important right now!? There's a lunatic in the loose out there!" Guild Master Frodo was now shouting in urgency. Every second counts after all. Who knows when that demon will set her eyes on them? 

"Well, do something about it! Isn't she part of your guild?"

"You think I didn't already try that!?"

"Obviously not! You look perfectly fine to me. Did you actually let your member become bait so you can escape?"

"Who cares about some weaktards? I can just recruit some more. My life's more important, so fuck off before she notices us!" 

"Hey~ Master~ Where are you going?~" The so-called demon called out playfully. 

Everyone snapped their heads in her direction. She was still a couple of meters away, but the fear in their eyes couldn't be masked. 

There they were, grown respectable men ranked among the Top 100 adventurers in their respective classes, and yet just a sentence from this newbie Thief was already enough to make their knees buckle. 

"You're not actually thinking of leaving when the fun's just started, are you?" 

She was walking toward them slowly, dragging the body of one of her victims as she did. She was so covered in blood that one couldn't even guess what was the color of her clothes. The worst part of her appearance was that she was actually grinning like crazy. As if she was enjoying all of these.

The atmosphere was so intense. Everyone wanted to get as far away from her as they could, but they were also scared of moving. They just know that she'll be much faster to react. 

"S-Stop it! That's enough!"

An unknown lanky man suddenly appeared, gaining everyone's attention. Although it was obvious that he too was very much scared of her, he still took up the courage to try and stop her. Not that anyone thinks he can actually.

He is also a young Thief from Gamers guild who entered at the same time as her. And it's because of that that he developed some strange attachment. He doesn't know why she started acting like this, all he knows is that he needs to do something before it turns into something she won't be able to turn back from.

"Newbie! What do you think you're doing? Do you want to die?" 

Even for someone who used his guild members as baits to save himself, Frodo still couldn't help himself but to show concern for the male Thief. What does he even think he can do by trying to stop her, anyway? But apparently that's the last goodwill he could ever do.

In an instant, without anyone even sensing it, a dagger was thrown straight to Frodo's forehead. And just like that, Gamer's Vice Guild Master was promoted.

The moment Frodo's body hit the ground, everyone desperately sprinted from the area. Frodo was from the Orc race, who were known to possess the toughest skins even among all the races in the continent. And yet she easily penetrated his skull with a mere dagger? And from such distance? If they stayed even just a second longer, they'll just be sitting ducks.

So, everyone left... everyone except the young male Thief.

Whether it was because he couldn't move or because of something else, no one knows. But one thing's certain is that he successfully had a hand in saving some lives... although it looks like at a cost of his own.

"Aahhh~ My preys got away~" The disappointment was obvious in her voice, but she didn't look like she's going after them. Instead, she let go of the body she was still holding all this time and went to retrieve her dagger from her latest victim.

The young Thief was trembling as he followed her movement with his eyes and held on to his pair of Katars while in a fighting stance. If he's going to die anyway, he'll do so while fighting.

"Hmm~ I remember you... you were that Thief who looked like he'd pass out when he was told to introduce himself."

At her words, he remembered the day he officially entered the guild although he quickly pushed it at the back of his mind. Under normal circumstances, he would feel very embarrassed. But now's not the time for idle thoughts when his life might just end at any second.

"Isn't it ironic how that stuttering twerp was the only one who has the courage to actually try and stop me?" 

She sounded amused and for a moment there he thought that he might get an opening, although he had to quickly hold that thought when he saw her start licking on the dagger she just pulled out from Frodo. 

Even someone like him would squirm at the sight of that.

"Zhia! How many times do I have to tell you not to do that! You don't know what diseases these bastards have!"

A very angry man suddenly appeared out of nowhere and was straight on glaring at her. But instead of getting upset, the demon put away her dagger and just looked guilty as if caught doing something she shouldn't. 

"And what are you doing here? Didn't I already tell you you can't participate on guild wars?" The unknown man continued nagging at her. "You can't sneak in one just because you're bored!"

"I can't help it if the guild requires the new recruits to participate in a guild war." She pouted, somehow feeling hurt for being wrongfully accused. "Ask him! He's also a new recruite like me."

"Huh? And who are you?"

The male Thief was really confused by this new development. So many questions running on his head. For a crazy psychopath getting all defensive in front of someone just because of a few words should mean that this someone could actually be more dangerous than her, right?

"He's Poochie." 

The young man was taken aback by what she called him. Could it be that she doesn't know what his name is and is just giving him a nickname instead? But why that?

"Huh? Your name is Poochie? Is that actually your name?" The unknown man looked at the young Thief suspiciously.

"N-No! I'm- "

"Actually his name is something that sounds like pervert. But his my new dog so I'll call him Poochie."

"Tha- ! What…"

Finally getting an idea of what was happening, the unknown man sighed and shook his head.

"Zhia, I'm happy that you made a friend. But even if you are, you can't just call him names like that."

"You call your Guild Master names all the time…"

"That's different. It's not calling names if they're actually facts."

Who are these lunatics!?

"Besides, I'm sure you guys hadn't known each other long enough that you can call him that." The unknown man sighed again before turning to the young Thief. "You. What's your name?"

"M-My name is Nero."

"Nero, huh? Based on your weapon of choice, I'm guessing that you're also a Thief."

"Y-Yes."

"Well, I was wondering why Zhia let you be. So you were her friend."

"..."

"I still don't trust you, but if Zhia's fine with you then whatever. Things will be easier for me this way anyway."