"So this is the house? Quite spacious I would say." Argus mutters to himself as he stares at the plain house in front of him.
The house was just one floor with a thin metal cover for the outside. It had a small marble pillar next to it's door and argus knew very well what that was. A tunic totem.
" I am surprised that broke guy had this. Atleast I won't have to worry about spies now."
With steps that showed a uncaring pride and confidence, Argus entered the house. Inside he saw four rooms- a kitchen, a bedroom with a king size bed, a bathroom with a shower and a living room with a... A Damn Computer!
"How in a Leviathan's a** is there a computer here? Aren't they banned past the f–..."
Argus controlled himself, drowning his inner gamer back to the depths of his mind as he calmly put down the child in his hand.
"Forget everything I just said." He said to the kid. Acting as if he didn't just use 'that' language in front of a toddler.
The Boy( yup. Argus asked in sign language) nods with a innocent expression and quickly hops his way onto the couch.
Argus sighs. Feeling as if he had barely avoided a bullet and decides to approach the computer. His inner gamer screaming at him to just lunge on it but it might just be a trap, he thought this to himself.
Slowly and surely he arrived in front of it, his gaze locked on the monitor and the keyboard which seemed to be in the local language of the empire.
He looks around, trying to find any traps or sensors hidden next to the Computer. He found nothing and ultimately, lost to the child within and jumped onto the chair.
"I wonder if it also has gam-... NOOO!" He yells in frustration. His dreams and hopes shattered by the undeniable presence of the greatest enemy.. the 'password'.
He grits his teeth in frustration, grinding them like a shaving machine until he almost wanted to bash the tin can in front of him to pieces. However his thoughts were quickly interrupted.
The sound of something vibrating echoed throughout the room, it was stomach. With a regretful expression, Argus remembers his starving stomach and tried to bring out his coin pouch.
Suddenly he felt shivers go down his spine. His wallet was missing, gone from his pocket.
Argus panicked and begins locking around, looking everywhere until the memories of his recent fight came to his mind.
He imagined his wallet being flung out during his beyblade like attack. The terror seized his heart as he sprinted for the market again, running like a madman.
His ran and ran, his feet nimble like leopards as he cut through the streets with the speed of a arrow. Soon arriving at his destination where no stood a crowd of people.
They were the Hooligans that he saw before coming to the underground. Each moving around with the agility of a rabbit, looting everything they saw from the corpses.
Argus dashes in, his scroll ready to be unleashed as he shifted his vision to each corner with terrific speed. Only then did he see it- his pouch, hung on a broken board of a ruined shop.
He locked onto the pouch like a eagle, forgetting about everything around him as he pushed himself forward in relief filled lunge. But somebody else has also locked onto his money.
Argus saw a blur, a black blur that vanished as fast as it arrived. With a speed that was far surpassed his own, the blur took the pouch and disappeared into the shadows with the money.
Argus screams internally, his rage at its peak from watching all his funds be stolen right in front of his eyes. He looks around in rage trying to find the assailant again.
Then he saw it, the familiar black blur appearing from the shadows far away on the street as it jumped out and ran.
Argus gave chase, running at his top speed and even using some of his recently earned JP from his way to the city to buy a new skill just to speed up.
[ Skill acquired ]
[ Skill name: Hands of the law(active)]
[Skill price: 40 JP]
[ Activation cost: 3 mana points per minute]
[Effect : +40% agility when chasing]
"GIMME BACK MY MONEY YOU BASTARD!!" Argus roars as he sprints through the streets of the underground market, jumping over both people and obstacles, chasing after the black blur.
He ran like maniac. So focused that he starts drooling and begins sweating buckets at the same time, his eyes locked onto the thief.
Through the market and the alleys. Argus ran and ran until he finally saw a hope, the path has ended and now the blur was struck on all sides between him and 3 brick walls.
With calm and calculated steps, Argus walks forward. Slowly analysing the figure in front of him which was a-
"A crow? With four wings!?!" He gasped in confusion.
On the other side, the crow was slowly backing away with each step Argus took. It was exhausted and soon it hit the wall, completely powerless as it could only watch Argus come closer.
Argus looked for a opportunity, refusing to give his opponent any bit of leeway for escape as he quickly scanned the surroundings.
Then he jumped. His scroll in his hands as he dashes towards the crow and struck down to swat it away.
Bang
Something hit Argus in the gut and sent him flying, making him crash into the wall with extreme force that made his bones creak.
He was embedded in the wall, struck in dent made from the impact. Blood was coming out of his head, his vision was blurry but he could still make out the attacker's shape.
It was a hand, a slim femine hand of dark skin tone with nails that seemed sharper than daggers. It was coming out of the shadows, almost as if using them to move around.
"You shouldn't have done that. Look much you frightened my little billy."
The person to whom the hand belongs to also came out, appearing just like her pet, from the darkness of the shadows that suit her dark skin.
She looked like a plain female adventurer/hunter. A jacket and elastic pants alongside pitch black boots and a small necklace of green beads in her hands.
She walked forward, her feet as silent as a assassin's as she crouches in front of the crow. Then she tilted her hand and the crow climbed up to her shoulder. A proper evidence of it being trained.
"Now then billy. Let's leave shal–"
"You aren't.. going. anywhere." Argus coldly stated. His hands clutching onto the Scroll as he pushed himself out of the indent and fell to feet.
He wipes away the blood flowing from his head, his vision slowly returning normal while streched his limbs for fighting. Then without a moment to hesitate, he used-
"Trial: Hastened verdict"
The scales appear but not golden chains, the golden cloak appears but time didn't stop. Argus walks forward, the scroll turning into his hammer as spirit of judgement arrives.
The black tonned girl slowly begins backing away, her mind completely in shambles at the sudden appearance of everything in front of her.
"Hastened verdict activated: 100% chance of milestone 1, 10% chance of milestone 2.. Shall I proceed?" The spirit asked Argus in its mechanical voice.
Argus raises his hand and gestures to proceed and the scales immediately move as if waiting for his command.
Glowing in dazzling light, the spirit opens her mouth,"Milestone 1 reached.... Milestone 2 reached."
Then the scales and the spirit disappeared, leaving behind only Argus who now stood there armoured to the brim with his golden attire and his signature hammer weapon.
The lady turns, trying to flee into the shadows but.
"NOT SO FAST-", Argus swirls the hammer like a boomrang, "Eat this."
The hammer flew and soon reached the girl, barely giving her the time dodge as she had to raise her bead necklace to block. The hit connected, throwing her off her footing but she had managed to deflect it last second.
However Argus wasn't one to stop there as he dashes forward, his golden armor making clanging noises as it's heavy steps made the earth cave in. He quickly arrives in front of the girl and threw a fist.
The girl ducked but the strike was already at her throat and she was slammed into the wall just like she did to Argus. Her mind shook from the impact, pain pulsing through her body but she endured through.
' Just what monster did i provoke!? If I get hit another time. then I am as good as dead' she quickly thought in her mind, her body moving through sheer instinct as she dodges another punch.
The girl quickly scans her surroundings and dashed for a nearby pillar. The shadows were only hope at escape and she wasn't going to just stand there and fight a losing battle.
Big mistake. Because-
Slam. She hits a invisible wall and bounces back as if having hit a trampoline.
"Nobody. Escapes. TheJudge." Argus coldly declared, winding his fist back as he said to prepare for a ending hit.
With that said, he slams his fist into her. She was mid-air, unable to move and with no foothold so it was unavoidable strike. Then with a quick motion, Argus follows up with a elbow, planting her into the stony floor.
He then walks forward and crouches in front of her, only to turn to her crow which was bravely diving towards him.
Argus prepares to punch again, ready to end the crow as well but. What happened next wasn't something he expected as the crow practically hit the ground in front of him and looked like as it was begging.
It made some noises which Argus didn't understand and slides the pouch to the front while shaking like a vibrator. It's feathers were filled with sweat and it's body paralysed in fear.
Watching the pleading bird, Argus felt bad but he knew mercy would get him nowhere. So he picks up the pouch, counted every coin and then looked at the crow which didn't dare move.
'* internal sigh* I always had a soft spot for animals.' he laments himself but couldn't bring himself to hurt the bird.
He lightly grabs it, brought it to his face and pointed to the girl before saying "I will spare you two. But you will coming with me."
The crow nods frantically as it jumped and landed on Argus's shoulder without question. Then Argus gave the girl some makeshift bandaging to the head then proceeds to hoist her onto his shoulder and leaves for his new house.
"Am i playing some catching game? I won't even have the bedroom to myself at this rate." He mummers to himself, leaving the crow to confusion about what he meant.