Money. That was the sole reason Rent plunged himself into a mission that anyone else would find absolutely disgusting.
The Eastern District was the gathering place for merchants, as well as the entrance to the eastern gate of Lumeria. On the outskirts of this district, right next to the city's white walls, lay an underground waterway slightly concealed by garden stones.
This was the location of Rent and Kaen's first mission.
The stone walls inside the tunnel were damp and mossy. Murky water flowed sluggishly down the middle, carrying all sorts of trash from Lumerian civilization. The only source of light came from a single magic crystal lamp—borrowed from the Guild—hanging at Rent's waist, swaying and casting eerie shadows against the walls.
"I picked the wrong mission," Rent muttered, his voice echoing faintly. He was wearing knee-high rubber boots provided by the Guild (which were slightly too big), holding a dull burlap sack in his right hand and a wooden stick in his left.
"Stop complaining, Mr. Mirror," Kaensista's cheerful voice chimed from behind. The girl walked casually as if she were on a catwalk, even though her legs were also wrapped in ugly rubber boots. "Look on the bright side. The air here is... warm?"
"That's toxic gas. This place is a reservoir for garbage fumes," Rent replied flatly.
"Master! Targets spotted at 12 o'clock!" Moro suddenly yelled, floating down from the ceiling. "Visual analysis: Fat Mammals! Threat level: Zero!"
Rent aimed his crystal lamp forward.
In a dry corner of the waterway, a group of about five rats clustered together. But they weren't like the skinny, agile sewer rats from his world. The rats in this world were... round. They were only about 6 cm tall, but their bodies were almost 6 cm wide as well. They looked like lazy, gray, furry meatballs.
"So. These are the rats the Guild asked for. Whatever." Rent approached them.
The rats didn't even run. They merely squeaked softly as Rent scooped them up one by one with his stick, tossing them into the sack.
Plop. Plop. Plop.
"Three... Four... Five," Rent counted. "Good. Easy, efficient, and fast. Just how I like it."
"Don't celebrate just yet, Master!" Moro spun in a panic. "My radar is detecting an anomaly! There's one massive signal approaching from the side pipe! Its speed is unnatural!"
Scratch! Scratch! Scratch! The sound of claws scraping against stone echoed rapidly. Not from the front, but from the side.
"Look out!" Kaen shouted.
A black shadow darted out from the pipe crevice. Rent reflexively jumped back, but the creature was faster. It didn't bite; instead, it... headbutted.
Thud! The creature's head slammed hard into Rent's shin.
"Argh! Dammit!" Rent winced, nearly dropping his sack. "What the hell just hit me?"
He pointed the lamp downward. There, standing on its two hind legs and squeaking fiercely, was a rat. But this one was different. It was nearly 20 cm tall. Tiny muscles bulged beneath its pitch-black fur. Its eyes glowed a fiery red. And the most annoying part: The rat had taken up a boxing stance.
"What the..." Rent's eyes widened slightly. "A boxing rat?"
"That's an Alpha Rat!" Moro screamed hysterically. "It's Level 2! Be careful, Master, its attacks inflict the 'Annoyed' and 'Shin Pain' status effects!"
"Shut up, you furball!" Rent snapped.
The Boss Rat squeaked again, then darted forward in a high-speed zig-zag. Rent tried to swat it with his stick, but the rat leaped onto the wall, bounced off, and—Thud!—headbutted Rent right in the waist.
"You little bastard!" Rent cursed. "Get over here!"
A ridiculous chase ensued in the dark tunnel. Rent ran after the rat, his stick swinging through empty air again and again. The rat nimbly slipped between Rent's legs, taunting him.
Suddenly, the jumbo rat spun around. It didn't try to headbutt Rent again. Instead... it pivoted toward the only other person present: Kaen. The rat quickly scurried between Rent's legs and dashed straight for Kaen, who was still facing away, ready to ram into her wide-open back.
Rent watched the rat charge toward the purple-haired girl. "Dammit. That little bastard switched targets in the blink of an eye," Rent muttered, panting as he caught his breath.
Right at that moment, Kaen finally looked back. Only her head turned, glancing casually over her shoulder. Her purple eyes looked so calm, almost bored, as she watched a rat monster the size of a dog rushing ferociously toward her.
The girl stood still at the end of the tunnel, holding no weapons. Her right hand gracefully brushed her purple hair behind her ear, exposing her slender neck.
Seeing a seemingly helpless new prey, the Boss Rat squeaked fiercely. It didn't hit the brakes; instead, it leaped viciously, aiming a lethal headbutt straight at Kaen's back.
"Get out of there, idiot!" Rent shouted from a distance.
However, Kaen didn't back down. The corners of her lips curled up, forming an arrogant smirk.
Just as the drooling snout was a hand's span away from her, Kaen moved. She sprang into the air, performing a backward somersault—a straddle backflip. It wasn't an ordinary jump; her movement was so light and airy, as if gravity had refused to touch her for a brief moment.
And in that exact second, time seemed to slow down for Rent.
The magic crystal light from his waist shone sharply upward, framing Kaensista's silhouette in the air. Right at the apex of her jump, Kaen's body was in a perfectly inverted position. Her head pointed down, while her legs spread wide, splitting the air.
That was when the laws of physics worked with absolute honesty.
Her short skirt, having lost its support, fell and flipped toward her stomach like an inverted flower petal. It unveiled the 'Absolute Territory' that had been hidden all this time.
Rent's eyes, usually as flat as a board, widened to their absolute maximum. In the darkness of that tunnel... he saw it.
Not bare skin. Nor normal underwear. Rather, a piece of tight black fabric. It was a pair of black spats (safety shorts) wrapping around Kaen's hips and upper thighs with absolutely perfect curves. For some reason, in Rent's eyes, that tight black fabric radiated an erotic aura far more seductive than if the girl had worn nothing at all.
One second that felt like an eternity.
"Black..." Rent muttered subconsciously, gulping.
Then, time resumed its normal pace.
Still in the air, Kaen pulled one leg back, converting the spinning momentum into a deadly execution. Her right leg, encased in a rubber boot, swung down from above like a guillotine. A brutal axe kick.
BUGH!
The heel of the boot struck perfectly against the skull of the Boss Rat, which was still suspended in mid-air.
Squeak—!
The sound was instantly cut off. The rat's body slammed into the stone floor with a sickening sound of cracking bones. The animal convulsed once, then lay completely motionless with its tongue lolling out.
Kaensista landed smoothly on both feet. Simultaneously, her skirt fell back down to cover her pale thighs, hiding the black mystery from sight once more.
Silence. Only the sound of dripping sewer water and Rent's heavy panting (whether from running or something else entirely) could be heard.
Kaen stood tall, patting imaginary dust off her skirt as if she had just stepped on a cockroach rather than crushing a monster's head.
"Hah. Just an ordinary rat," Kaen said casually. She then turned to Rent, raising an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"
Rent snapped out of his daze. His deadpan expression cracked slightly, and for some reason, the tips of his ears felt hot.
"I... I was just watching you kick that rat," Rent denied quickly, turning his face toward a wall that suddenly seemed incredibly interesting.
Seeing Rent suddenly look away made Kaen blink in confusion, before a mischievous smile slowly crept onto her lips.
"Oh, really?" Kaen chuckled softly, walking closer and picking up the unconscious rat by its tail. "Are you that mesmerized by me? O, dear partner of mine?"
Rent didn't answer, remaining with his back to Kaen.
"Or..." Kaen paused, standing right behind Rent's back. She leaned her body slightly forward. "You saw something, didn't you? Something interesting when I jumped."
Her mouth drew near, right next to Rent's right ear. "I'm wearing... black. You like it, don't you? Mr. Kaenda~" Kaen whispered in a husky voice.
Instantly, Rent slapped his own cheek. Smack! Then, he slowly turned his head with a deadpan face and one very red cheek.
"Black is a good color."
Kaen smiled triumphantly. "Of cour—"
"But there are a lot of mosquitoes down here," Rent cut in. "At least these mosquitoes won't swarm your exposed belly."
Kaen's smile froze. She looked down at her own stomach, her navel exposed. "Huh? What about it?"
Rent sighed. "Because you've been eating too much. Good thing they don't have an appetite for excess fat."
Instantly, Kaen's previously pale face flushed a bright red. A faint vein of annoyance popped on her temple—a mix of sheer anger and embarrassment.
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?! ARE YOU SAYING I'M GETTING FAT?! YOU PERVERTED BRAIN!!"
"You're the one showing it off, and you're the one getting mad. Weirdo. Anyway, let's go before we run out of time and evening hits." Rent walked away casually, leaving Kaen standing frozen in place.
"YOU QUACK DOCTOR!!" Kaen screamed from behind.
Beneath it all, a faint, triumphant smile was etched on Rent's face. "The random medical method. Works like a charm," he muttered in satisfaction.
Moro floated closer to Rent's face, staring at his master suspiciously. "Master? Why did the Lady back there suddenly get angry?"
"Shut up, Moro. She's poisoned by the gas, so she's gone a bit crazy," Rent hissed as he roughly opened his burlap sack. "Get in the sack. We're going home. I need a seven-flower cleansing bath."
Rent tied the mouth of the sack tightly, then let out a sigh of relief. Finally, this filthy mission was over. 60 coins (minus half) were right before his eyes.
He stepped forward, his boots splashing in the seemingly calm puddle in the middle of the tunnel. He calmly exited the dark and smelly passage, while Kaen trailed behind, still clutching her own stomach and muttering angrily.
"Fat... fat... ugh! Damn you, Rent! You just wait!"
Rent let out a small snort. "Hmph... weird girl."