paranoianovel Chapter 94: An Unlucky Operation, The Fishing Plan
Chapter 94: An Unlucky Operation, The Fishing Plan
Chapter 94 - 94: An Unlucky Operation, The Fishing PlanIn the outermost ring of the Central Residential District sat a two-courtyard home.
The building was an intriguing blend of Byzantine and European architectural styles. Though the house itself wasn't large, it boasted a surprisingly spacious courtyard.
The entire place exuded a certain refined elegance—well, it would have, if not for the wild overgrowth of weeds in the yard and the thick layer of moss clinging to the base of the surrounding walls. Clearly, this estate had been abandoned for some time.
In the Imperial Capital, such a stylish residence would once have been well beyond the reach of commoners. These were noble homes—exclusive domains of the upper class.
Well, that was before the Bloody Emperor took the throne.
In the wide-open courtyard—
"Raaagh!" A hoarse, guttural roar echoed out, though the voice lacked any real strength.
The source? An ogre.
Standing about two and a half meters tall, it was on the shorter side for its kind. At present, it was tied tightly to a heavy stone chair. Its massive head thrashed left and right, but its bulky body didn't move an inch, save for the occasional involuntary twitch.
It was a strange sight—an ogre seemingly paralyzed except for its head.
A clear sign it had suffered some kind of serious trauma. Likely something that disrupted its nervous system without actually killing it.
"Dropped again. And all that yelling's bound to attract attention eventually..."
Lyle stepped out from behind the ogre, letting out a small sigh. In his gloved hands, he held two bloody bones roughly the size of fists.
They were cervical vertebrae—clearly torn straight from the ogre's neck.
Severe damage to the spinal cord. The ogre's innate regenerative abilities were impressive, but not enough to restore full motor function. The injury wouldn't kill it, but it would keep it paralyzed—only its head still functioning.
Plop!
Lyle tossed the two vertebrae casually onto the ground near a waiting creature.
A black-furred little hellhound eagerly snapped up the bones in one bite.
"Don't gobble them down so fast," Lyle muttered. "Next round isn't for another five days."
The little Barghest gave a happy yip, tail wagging as it crunched on the bone. Meanwhile, Lyle retrieved a filthy rag from the ground and stuffed it back into the ogre's mouth. The roaring cut off instantly.
Thanks to the ogre's high-speed regeneration, Lyle had to harvest its spine about every five days to keep it immobilized. A gruesome routine—but an effective one.
He glanced at the Barghest again. The creature had grown noticeably since they left E-Rantel a month ago. When they departed, the pup's head barely reached his knee. Now, it was up past his kneecap.
Eighty centimeters long, packed with muscle, and finally giving off that distinct aura of danger unique to monsters.
Yup, he was thriving.
Lyle had left E-Rantel on July 18th. Now, it was August 20th—middle of the Fire Month. Over a month had passed since he'd arrived in the Baharuth Empire.
And things... were not going well.
The noble house of Rockbruise had already exiled Leinas after her disfigurement and curse. That alone caused quite a stir in the Empire.
Lyle's original plan was to use the Adventurer Guild's intelligence network to locate her.
But—
Even the Guild had no clue where she'd gone. Ever since her exile, she'd vanished like a ghost.
He'd followed every lead he could find—chasing down rumors,
"Hmph."
The cloaked figure snorted. "Well, the feeling's mutual."
She shot another glare at the Barghest, who bared its teeth even more aggressively.
Lyle's mouth twitched.
That kind of combative personality... back on Earth, they'd slap a label on her and call it "oppositional defiant disorder."
As the mysterious visitor stepped closer, she finally tossed off the black cloak.
A woman with long, twin-tailed violet hair and a frosty expression stood before him. The most striking feature?
Her pointed ears.
She wasn't human.
A half-elf.
Her name was Imina.