Chapter 13.
I’m Single
“Chwi, chwiik! Y-you human! I won’t let this slide…!”
[‘Yotum’ is obsessed.]
[‘Kang’ is obsessed.]
[‘Dorianka’ is obsessi—…]
Even trolls have names.
I had no idea.
Grinning at the sweet taste of experience points, I tightened my grip on my sword. One, two, three, raccoon… Not many left now.
I glanced back. Claretta was nearly done stopping the bleeding.
Snap.
Oh, great. I had intended to finish off the rest cleanly, but my sword suddenly broke. Maybe I was too rough with it? I did try to control my strength, but I must have forgotten that this was just a cadet-issued weapon.
“Miss Claretta, I’ll be borrowing your shield for a moment.”
“Huh? But that thing’s heavy…?”
Clang.
Despite Claretta’s concerns, I lifted it with ease. Ignoring their stunned expressions, I moved in to finish the job.
But the trolls were gone.
They must have escaped while I was grabbing the shield.
A shame—but I’d already gathered enough experience points, so I decided to let it go.
“At least there were no casualties.”
Claretta only suffered minor injuries, so that was a relief.
In the end, being strong is all that matters.
“You lowly punk… What are you?”
“…Huh?”
“No, I mean, you…”
Claretta trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.
I knew what she wanted to say, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Her pride wouldn’t allow it.
Ignoring her, I walked toward the scattered troll corpses.
The rest of the group had completely relaxed, slumping to the ground in exhaustion.
Move your asses, idiots. There’s work to do.
Rip.
Crunch!
I took the initiative and focused on collecting the loot.
I knew exactly what to dismantle and where to cut—flawlessly slicing through the remains.
This wasn’t my first rodeo.
“Yuto, why are you so skilled at this?”
“I could do it with my eyes closed.”
“…Whoa. What the hell?”
After watching me pull off a few tricks, the others burst into applause.
“……”
Only Claretta wasn’t smiling.
I ignored her.
I didn’t care what kind of crazy ideas were brewing in her head.
In fact, this was perfect.
[’Claretta Barriette’s obsession intensifies.]
.
.
.
[Experience points are surging.]
In short—
She couldn’t live without me now.
That’s just the fate of an aggro tank.
She would always need me, whether she liked it or not.
***
“F Squad, You’re First Place.”
Instructor Geoffrey scanned the mountain of loot before him, a confident smile tugging at his lips.
“Incredible. Just four of you managed to take down the troll chieftain? And your loot count is leagues ahead of the rest…”
Praise poured in without restraint. But even as he spoke, a flicker of doubt surfaced in his expression.
“To think you only suffered minor injuries against opponents like these… What exactly happened in your squad?”
All eyes turned to F Squad.
Yet, none of the four members stepped forward to answer. Instead, they all cast subtle glances at a single young man, whose face remained completely unbothered.
Yuto.
Claretta let out a quiet, shaky breath as she stared at him. The thoughts crowding her mind threatened to burst free. Too many unanswered questions had piled up.
‘That useless punk… Why is he this strong?’
Yuto was strong.
She had seen it firsthand, even through her hazy, fading consciousness—his cold, precise swordplay. It was different.
The wall she had felt when facing Laura Freeze in sparring… That was a peak she could see. A summit that seemed just barely within reach.
But Yuto?
His skill was something else entirely. It was a depth.
A bottomless abyss.
And worst of all—his occasional hesitation made it seem like he was… holding back.
‘Wait… Is he hiding his true strength?’
From the very beginning, he had brought along only the artifacts he needed. That alone proved he was a man with a plan.
Would it really be surprising if he were hiding something far greater?
A strange, burning ember ignited deep in her chest. A mixture of frustration and something hotter—something scratchy and uncomfortable.
Then, rage surged through her veins, clenching her fists tight.
…Who was really the weak one here?
‘Isn’t it me?’
What was the point of drawing aggro? She could barely last against a troll. If it weren’t for Yuto, she would’ve been dead—just another pathetic corpse on the battlefield.
Humiliation seared behind her eyes. Claretta bit down hard on her lip, furious at her own powerlessness.
‘Yuto.’
She needed him.
At this rate, no matter where she went, her fate would be the same—dying a meaningless, pathetic death.
‘I’m seriously screwed.’
Claretta’s gaze drifted toward Yuto.
For a fleeting moment, she almost reached out—almost grasped the hem of his clothes.
But instead, she whispered under her breath, so softly that no one could hear—
“…Damn it…”
Yet the heat inside her refused to fade.
***
Lying in my dormitory bed,
I enjoyed a cheat ability that was rarely available.
.
.
[Experience points are increasing.]
[Experience points are increasing.]
[Experience points are increasing.]
[Experience points are increasing.]
.
.
Gaining levels just by lying around?
That’s a freaking jackpot.
I glanced out the window at the setting sun and pushed myself up.
“It’s about time to go.”
Today was a rest day. A legal holiday, meaning I had the freedom to spend my time however I wanted.
My growth rate wasn’t bad, so I considered taking the day off. But anticipating unforeseen variables, I decided to stay productive.
“Regret is the last thing I need.”
I grabbed my gray-toned Enforcer’s coat, a black-market longsword, and a rugged gas mask.
All necessary for today.
This plan was large-scale enough to justify the effort. There was no such thing as being too cautious.
With that in mind, I mentally reviewed the current state of the Empire.
「5th District of the Beatrice Empire.」
The 5th District was a prime example of a class-based society.
The 1st District housed the high nobility.
The 2nd District belonged to the upper-middle class.
Each sector was strictly divided based on status and privilege—that was how the Empire functioned.
And my destination today? The 4th District.
Below the densely populated 3rd District of commoners… lay the 4th District.
A simple numerical divide, yet an immeasurable gap. Something impossible to explain with logic alone.
It was crawling with all kinds of scum━━
To put it plainly.
Frankly, the Empire had already turned its back on the 4th District.
Not because they chose to ignore it.
But because they couldn’t handle it.
It had rotted beyond repair.
That’s why the ‘Underworld’ operated by its own set of rules, separate from Imperial law.
「The Boss Law」
A law named after the strongest—
Because in the Underworld, the boss is both ruler and law.
Sure, their regime was totalitarian. But that didn’t mean they were pests that needed extermination.
If anything, they were no worse than the corrupt imperial officials embezzling government funds or the so-called ‘Enforcers’ indulging in rape, looting, and all sorts of depravity.
The Underworld had its own rules for survival.
I had no intention of dictating how they should live.
But today—
I planned to tear their nest apart.
For world peace?
Don’t make me laugh.
This was purely for my own gain.
To raise a loyal dog.
***
Clang. Clang. Clang.
“Hoo… Huu… Haa!…”
A broad-shouldered man was intensely lifting weights.
His name was “Boss”.
Once a mere foot soldier in a band of thieves, he had climbed his way to the top—now the ruler of countless criminal syndicates.
“Boss, it’s time for the weekly meeting.”
“Huh? Already? How many times do we have to do this every week? I told you, just leave it to the underlings.”
“That’s not an option.”
“Damn it, Brody. Your stubbornness is gonna bite you in the ass someday.”
“I appreciate the advice. Now, please get ready. There’s a lot on the agenda today.”
“Ugh… what a pain…”
Thunk.
Creeeak.
Suddenly, the door swung open.
This was a private chamber, restricted to everyone except Brody, his right-hand man.
Yet—
“…Huh. Who the hell are you?”
Boss spat on the ground in annoyance.
An assassination attempt from a rival faction? That was his first thought.
But instead of a seasoned killer, a slender young man stood at the entrance.
“…Wait. You came alone?”
“Yes. I’m single.”
“…What the fuck are you on about, dumbass?”
The young man wasn’t lying—there was no sign of anyone else.
More than that, Boss’s eyes landed on the military-issued longsword strapped to the stranger’s waist.
A sharp grin stretched across his face as he pointed at it.
“…You’re not Enforcer squad, are you? No way. Are you seriously here for a fast-track promotion? Buddy, you’re about to get fast-tracked straight to the afterlife.”
The young man said nothing.
Instead, he silently scanned the room.
His gas mask obscured his expression, but there wasn’t a single trace of fear or hesitation.
“Shit… How the hell did you get up here? You know how many men I’ve got downstairs, right?
You’re one weird little freak.”
“I put them to sleep. Used some pretty strong sedatives.”
Tap. Tap.
The young man tapped his gas mask with his index finger.
‘Oh? So that’s why he’s wearing that thing?’
Boss took a closer look at his attire.
If his entire strategy relied on knockout gas, this kid didn’t stand a chance.
‘Idiot. He doesn’t even know my ability.’
Ssshh.
“…Huh? What the hell?”
Boss’s smirk froze.
The young man removed his gas mask.
And then—he started walking forward.
“I won’t be using the gas.”
“…What?”
“I already know it won’t work on you.”
“…You little shit.”
How did he know?
Boss had gone to great lengths to keep his ace ability a secret.
Yet, this fresh-faced rookie stood there, looking at him like he already had him figured out.
He was Enforcer Squad, sure.
A rookie at best.
And yet, he radiated the aura of a veteran killer.
‘Who the hell is this kid…?’