novelbin Chapter 919 915
Chapter 919 915
2-in-1 Chapter
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Bessie did not stop walking and continued to subtly guide him...Well, she was as subtle as Killua wanting to steal his treat, so not very.
"What are you offering me in return?" Bessie asked, looking at Ron with expectant eyes. In the dim light of the second layer, the faint glow from the Abyss's bioluminescent moss reflected in her pupils, making her gaze look almost hungry.
The wind that seeped up from the deeper strata carried a damp, metallic chill, and the stone beneath their feet was slick with a thin layer of condensation, as if the entire place were perspiring.
Ron shook his head.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "And what does that mean?"
Ron glanced at Bessie. "It means there's no need to give anything. I could tell from the start—you were never being chased by Ripperbird. You were faking it. You pretended to be in danger to trick me. Your real goal was to get a reward through deceit.
So tell me—why would I give you anything?"
As he spoke, his gaze drifted briefly over the surroundings.
This section of the second layer was a natural basin carved into the rock, ringed by jagged outcrops. Sparse, pale fungi clung to the walls, emitting a weak blue light.
The terrain formed several blind spots, perfect for ambush predators.
The air smelled faintly of rust, damp soil, and something sour that came from decomposing organic matter. For most Delvers, it was the kind of place they would mark on a map as a danger zone and avoid on subsequent expeditions.
Bessie's expression darkened. "So you really don't intend to give me anything?"
"That's right."
"Fine. Just don't regret it."
As she spoke, Bessie stepped back a few paces, heels scraping against the gritty stone. Her posture loosened in a way that did not match someone who felt cornered.
Clap! Clap!
She clapped her hands twice, and immediately, figures emerged from the corners of the area.
Ron recognized them.
Ripperbirds.
They slid out of the shadows of the rock crevices, long limbs folding and unfolding with ominous silence.
Their bodies were thin and distorted, skin a sickly gray that almost blended with the stone. Their heads were elongated, faces half-covered by bone-like plates, with exposed mouths that split too wide and rows of fine, needle-like teeth.
A faint, hoarse rasp came from their throats every time they exhaled, as though their lungs were not meant to function in this layer's air. Filmy, translucent membranes hung from their arms and backs, not quite wings, but useful for gliding down vertical shafts and narrow gaps.
That was something he hadn't expected.
"You said you were being chased by Ripperbirds, yet you brought me to a place where real Ripperbirds are hiding. Bessie, as a human being, are you truly fine with cooperating with monsters like these?"
In Ron's understanding of the Abyss's second layer, Ripperbirds sat near the top of the local food chain for mid-sized predators. They fed primarily on warm-blooded creatures with higher brain activity, drawn to fear and panic as much as to scent and sound.
Smaller scavengers followed in their wake, feeding on whatever scraps were left.
The fact that Ripperbirds gathered here, in a place where terrain already favored ambush, meant this basin had become a stable hunting ground.
To Delvers, that turned a simple path into something more like a natural trap.
"Fine with it?" Bessie laughed. "Why wouldn't I be? I just want to survive. Is that wrong? You refused to give me anything. Why should I owe you anything now?"
Ron's eyes shifted toward the approaching Ripperbirds. They moved in a loose semicircle, spreading out to block retreat, their clawed feet gripping the wet rock without slipping.
Individually, their physical strength outmatched ordinary adult Delvers. In groups, they overwhelmed parties through coordinated harassment—some stalked the flanks while others pressed from the front. For a normal expedition team that had already spent a day descending, this would have been enough to ensure total annihilation.
"If I had given you a reward, would you still have had them attack me?"
Bessie's smile widened. "Of course I would've. Like you said—my lie was easy to spot. It's just that in the heat of the moment, people don't pay attention to small details. But once it's over, they'll realize something wasn't right. Letting them live increases my risk."
Ron nodded slightly. "I see."
To him, this sort of logic was familiar. On Kukuroo Mountain, the idea of eliminating future threats before they had a chance to grow was treated as common sense. Loose ends created variables, and variables shortened a killer's lifespan.
Bessie's choice was not unusual; only her skill was lacking, and her courage depended entirely on borrowed fangs.
Seeing that Ron's expression didn't change, Bessie's smile faltered.
"You're not afraid?"
"Ripperbirds eat people in the cruelest way. They don't kill first—they devour you alive, making you suffer endless terror and pain. I'm giving you one more chance. Give me what I want, and I'll kill you first—then feed you to them."
As she spoke, the Ripperbirds reacted to her tone. Their breaths grew more ragged, and their heads tilted as if focusing on Ron alone. They were sensitive to shifts in emotional state, drawn to rising fear like sharks to blood.
On other expeditions, once one person broke and ran, the Ripperbirds would use that as the signal to swarm, dragging the party down one by one.
Ron wasn't afraid. But hearing those words, he did have a question.
"If you're so sure I'm going to die, why do you even care about a reward? Everything on me would become yours anyway. Or… do you want what's outside me too?"
Bessie didn't answer.
"That's not something you need to worry about. Right now, I just need one answer—are you going to give me something or not? Make your decision. I can wait, but the Ripperbirds won't."
By now, the Ripperbirds had drawn much closer to Ron. Their claws scratched lightly against the stone, emitting a faint, repetitive noise. From above, several more shapes clung upside down to the overhanging rocks, acting as reserves that could drop down if prey tried to break through in a single direction.
The second layer's ecosystem made efficient use of vertical space; predators that could not dominate the ground used walls and ceilings instead.
There were dozens of them.
These creatures from the second layer of the Abyss were extremely powerful and aggressive. Their bodies were light, but their muscles were dense and packed with elastic power; once they latched onto a target, tearing free often cost more flesh than most could afford to lose.
Bessie didn't believe Ron had any chance of survival. In her mind, she had already divided his possessions: gear, rations, artifacts, any information he might have carried. The Ripperbirds would strip the flesh; she would strip everything else.
"No answer? Then it ends here."
Ron replied calmly, "I was just curious. It doesn't matter."
He tilted his head.
"Akame."
The next moment, Akame appeared at Ron's side. Her presence did not disturb the air or the water drops clinging to the nearby stone. To creatures like the Ripperbirds, who relied heavily on sound, scent, and fluctuations of emotions, she was a blank space that their senses slid around.
"Kill them all."
Ron gave the order.
In an instant, Akame lunged forward—faster than any of the Ripperbirds.
The creatures couldn't even see her. At most, they seemed to sense something faint, a passing disturbance in the killing intent that now filled the basin, but that wasn't nearly enough.
To Ron, watching from where he stood, Akame's trajectory traced out a simple, clean pattern. She moved in arcs that connected vital points, avoiding unnecessary motions, the way a trained assassin conserved movement in tight corridors.
Puchi!
Puchi!
Puchi!
Suddenly, wounds opened up across the bodies of the Ripperbirds.
Bessie included.
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