They Thought I Was Prey

I slowed my pace slightly and turned my head in a casual motion, pretending to glance at the stalls. That's when I noticed him: an unfamiliar man near a fruit stand, face tilted as if browsing, but giving quick glances toward me at regular intervals.

I turned back like nothing happened and kept walking, heading straight out of town.

Yeah, no doubt about it. I'm being followed.

But why?

Did my lovely uncle finally realize I'm not six feet under and send someone to clean up the mess?

Or is this something else entirely? Something I unknowingly triggered?

Either way, I'll get answers once I catch him.

Sure, I could play it safe and head back to the inn, pretend I didn't notice.

But I don't like unknowns hanging over my head. Better to flip the table and catch him off guard.

From what I observed, the man doesn't appear to be a mage. His steps lack the subtle rhythm of someone trained in combat. Still, assumptions are dangerous. Especially in unfamiliar territory.

And if this is a trap, I'd rather spring it on my terms.

If they've been following me, they've probably mapped out my routine already. That means at least one guy is already present at my destination, and possibly another stationed near the inn in case I double back. Classic pincer move. If they're smart, they'll cover my exits too.

Which makes this the perfect chance to test a few things.

I head out like usual, taking the same route I use for slime hunting. Nothing suspicious so far. As I reach the edge of the forest, just as I expected, a man steps out into the clearing ahead.

I pause.

No other presence nearby, at least none that I can sense. Just this one, and the one who followed me earlier. Probably ready to act the moment I try to escape.

So only two? This should be manageable.

"You're finally here, brat," the guy up front says, grinning as he walks closer.

His confidence is annoying.

Let's play along.

I let fear show on my face, let my steps falter just a little. My eyes widen, a fake tremble slipping into my voice.

"Y-you want to kidnap me?"

He smirks, clearly enjoying the display. "Heh… not bad. Looks like you're not as dumb as you look. That fear in your eyes? Perfect. You'll make a fine slave."

Slave, huh?

So this isn't about my uncle after all. Figures. Just a bunch of low-tier thugs from some back-alley trafficking ring, trying to make a quick score.

Even better.

No messy politics.

No family drama.

Just some dirtbags I don't have to hold back on.

"Don't waste time!" the guy in the back snapped.

"Tch. Chill. He's just a damn rat. Where's he gonna go?" the front one scoffed and kept walking toward me, way too confident.

He grabbed my arm, already reaching with the other like he was about to tie me up or something.

And then, I looked up at him.

No tears.

No begging.

Just a slow, crooked smile.

He froze.

That tiny flicker of "Wait, what?" hit his face. And that's when it was over.

Shhhhhk.

A pitch-black blade shimmered into existence right in front of him.

Before his brain could even process it, it sliced clean through his arm.

"GAHHHHHHH!"

He stumbled back, staring in horror at his right hand, which was now on the ground, twitching in a pool of blood.

He screamed, stumbling, cursing. But not for long.

Shink.

The blade sliced clean through his neck. His head hit the ground a moment before his body dropped, crumpling like a broken doll.

Slime Sword.

Not exactly Shadow-level theatrics—no flaming cloak whipping through the air—but hey, I can at least make it hold shape for a minute now. Straight like a proper sword. That's progress, right?

Low mana, sure.

But enough to make it deadly for a few seconds.

I turned slowly.

The second guy—the one who had been tailing me earlier—was still frozen, mouth half-open, trying to process the fact his buddy just got deleted in under five seconds.

His expression shifted from confusion to full-blown horror when our eyes met.

I gave him the brightest, most out-of-place smile I could muster.

"Believe it," I said, channeling my inner Naruto.

"F-Fuck! M-Monster!" he choked out.

Smart move. He bolted. Didn't even try fighting.

Smarter move?

Too bad he wasn't fast enough.

Thwip.

I flung a kunai. It spun once in the air before sinking straight into his thigh with a nasty thunk.

"AaaAAAGGHH!!!"

He dropped hard, flailing and gripping his leg like it would somehow fix the damage. I didn't rush. Just walked over, slow and steady. Let the moment marinate a bit.

He tried to crawl away, dragging himself like a busted puppet. The panic on his face was priceless—eyes wide, mouth twitching, breathing all over the place.

"P-Please—please let me go!" he stammered. "I wasn't really part of this! I just followed them! I didn't know what they were planning, I swear!"

I crouched down beside him, rested an elbow on my knee, and tilted my head like I was actually thinking about it.

"Ohhh, you just followed them, huh?" I repeated, like I was talking to a clueless toddler.

He nodded fast, desperate. "Y-Yeah! Exactly! I didn't touch anyone! I was just supposed to watch!"

I gave him a long look. Let the silence stretch a bit.

Then I smiled.

Not the kind of smile you give when you're being nice.

Nope. One of those smiles.

"Well then," I said, voice calm and low. "Let's make sure they follow you next."

***********

Other World for travel