Crossing Souls

Part 9 Reno5

It had been three months since Reno had been able to venture outside again.

On this chilly morning, as he tried to recall the events, he was overwhelmed by a splitting headache. He could only remember falling into an icy crevasse, yet he couldn't recollect what he had encountered or how he had managed to return.

Although he had narrowly escaped death, he had gained nothing and had lost all his treasure-hunting gear, along with depleting his savings. He had transitioned from an adventurer to a destitute debtor.

In this world, few things were more daunting than poverty.

Furrowing his brow, he donned his coat and left the basement. He couldn't afford to lie idle; he needed to explore potential opportunities at the Hunter's Guild.

As he made his way through the dimly lit stairwell, he suddenly spotted someone standing in the doorway above.

The person turned at the sound of Reno's footsteps, cast a sidelong glance at him, then took his foot off the wall and smirked, exhaling a cloud of blue smoke.

"Reno, where are you off to so early in the morning?" he asked.

"Tiger, I need to make some money now. Please give me a few days, and I'll repay this debt," Reno replied.

"Repay a debt? In your eyes, am I just a debt-collecting thug, Reno?" Tiger said with a sneer. "Well, since you brought it up, I might as well take what's owed to me."

Saying this, Tiger spat on the ground, extinguished his cigarette on the stained wall, and then swayed his corpulent body down the stairs, squinting and intentionally sniffing with his frostbitten red nose.

"But why don't I smell any money? All I can smell is the stench of poverty. I'm curious, how could someone as destitute as you have won Vivi's affection? Enough for her to seek out the guild leader for your sake!" Tiger taunted.

Reno was taken aback. During his recovery, Vivi had frequently visited, but she had never mentioned anything.

No wonder the guild hadn't come to demand repayment recently.

Assuming Reno was aware of the situation, Tiger snorted and continued in a sinister tone, "I wonder if you used Vivi's money for your medical expenses too? Admirable, truly admirable. You're just like your old man, living off someone else's earnings!"

"You...!" Reno growled, seizing Tiger's neck with his left hand and raising his right fist.

Tiger, pinned against the wall, blinked in surprise and then suddenly chuckled. "Oh, getting angry, are we? Did I hit a nerve? How many times did your old man publicly beat your mom for money? Isn't that what you're doing now, using Vivi's money? What's the difference between you and him? You're just like him!"

Reno was almost blinded by rage. Despite his raised fist, he couldn't bring himself to strike.

Suddenly, Tiger sidestepped like an eel, wriggling free from Reno's grip, then delivered a fierce kick to Reno's chest.

Already weakened, Reno collapsed like a marionette with its strings cut, convulsing in the corner, unable to stop.

Tiger shook his head, clapping in satisfaction as he squatted down. "Reno, you're just an ordinary treasure hunter. Enough of this. Don't take it to heart. To be honest, it's not shameful to live off others, but you've chosen a costly meal. The guild leader's daughter. Tsk tsk. Are you worthy? The guild leader said as long as you stop pestering Vivi, the debt is forgiven. The guild can even find you a job. How is that not better than being a treasure hunter? I came here today to give you fair warning. Don't bring this upon yourself. Otherwise, hmph."

With that, Tiger left, muttering under his breath.

Reno struggled to his feet, staggering into the public restroom. He retched incessantly into the toilet but couldn't expel anything except tears, leaving his face and clothes smeared with mucus.

Later, he stood by the sink, staring at his distorted reflection in the mirror, shedding tears of shame once more. A gust of cold wind swept into the restroom, causing the dim light to flicker. In the mirror, the shadows on his face grew deeper and then lighter, gradually morphing into his father's immensely loathsome face.

He shuddered and took two steps back, feeling as if molten iron, wrought with agony, had been poured over his heart. With a deep growl, he was about to charge forward when a voice appeared in his ear.

"Since you hate him so much, why did you only cut your own face back then, instead of his throat?"

Reno was struck as if a bucket of ice-cld water had been poured over him, freezing him in place. This was a secret he had never shared with anyone.

Terrified, he turned around, but there was no one behind him, and the cubicle was empty.

The voice persisted, unmistakably his own.

"Do you think cutting your face means you're no longer your father's son? How absurd!"

"Who's there? Show yourself!" Reno shouted hoarsely, spinning around, swinging his arms in anger.

His shadow on the wall also swung its arms.

"You know Tiger was right. You and your old man are the same, both living off others! That's why you couldn't bring yourself to strike, and why Tiger managed to catch you off guard, isn't it?"

"No! That's not true! Shut up, shut up!" Reno exclaimed, turning and dodging, as though avoiding another version of himself. But a nagging thought suddenly emerged. Trembling, he asked, "And then... what?"

"And then? Then you can take Tiger's place. You'll usurp his position, his wealth! You'll earn the guild leader's approval. Are you still afraid you're not worthy of Vivi?"

"But, but that's not right. Tiger takes care of his mother too."

"Ha! Your own mother is dead, and you care about someone else's mother? Look at this world, everyone's scrambling against each other. If you want to survive, to rise above, you have to be ruthless. Understand!"

"I'm human, I'm human! I'm not an animal!"

Reno couldn't bear to listen any longer. He let out a heart-wrenching howl, like a hunted beast, and charged into the swirling snowstorm.