After that, the two of them lived together for many more years.
After Ren gave her the ring, her heart finally opened.
She was no longer just someone who listened to stories, but Ren's companion.
As for Ren, he wasn't truly indulging in leisure.
He had almost used up all the summoning scrolls for his familiars, and those scrolls were gathering intelligence outside.
One set of information was about players, the other about dragons.
But neither of those pieces of information came in.
Instead, a report about the Eight Fingers appeared.
"Eight Fingers? What is this?" Keno picked up the intelligence and checked it.
Her expression slowly changed from casual to serious.
The origin of the Eight Fingers was simple.
It was an organization founded by those who worshipped the Demon God (Evil Deities) of Pleasure.
Because it dealt in slavery, addictive drugs, and entertainment venues, it immediately attracted some idle rich and powerful nobles.
With startup funds, the Eight Fingers quickly grew and spread to other cities.
Due to their expansion, the common people suffered.
Kidnappings, robberies, and luring incidents happened often in the villages.
Many lands were used to grow addictive plants, squeezing out space for food production.
Gradually, the kingdom itself was being eaten away.
It was because of the Eight Fingers that the young kingdom began to decay so rapidly.
Their belief was simple: human pleasure came above all else.
Causing suffering to the body and taking from others was of no importance.
Soon, Keno threw away the intelligence.
The familiars recording the intelligence had faithfully documented everything they discovered.
Even the experiments those nobles tried on girls were recorded in detail.
Keno felt disgusted.
She wanted to kill those nobles immediately, without hesitation.
"Let me see." Ren picked up the intelligence.
Soon, his brow furrowed.
In this world, he and Keno shared a deep bond and had slowly become part of it.
He was just as disgusted by this matter.
"Ren."
"Keno."
They called each other's names in unison, then laughed.
They laughed at their own tacit understanding, their minds in sync.
Without hesitation, the two left to head toward the kingdom.
Fortunately, the Eight Fingers were still in their early development stage.
Unlike in the main story where they were already deeply rooted, now it would be very easy to uproot them.
Ren also thought of another plan.
By the time they returned to the kingdom, people had gradually forgotten them.
Humans seemed unwilling to let other races have lasting heroic reputations.
Of course, the two didn't care about fame.
In a bustling street of the kingdom, a new entertainment district had formed.
Nobles came and went.
Those leaving looked like sages, seemingly fully satisfied.
At the back door, a long sack had been discarded like trash.
"Disposable." Although it was out of place, Ren thought of this instinctively.
Keno also realized what was inside and quickly opened it. As expected, it was a woman, barely clothed. The sight was not arousing; instead, it made one gasp in horror.
Ren frowned deeply. At first, he had thought the nobles would show some restraint. After all, the Eight Fingers had only just begun, but he hadn't expected the beginning to feel like the end—so cruel and chilling.
Keno immediately used healing magic. The spell worked quickly, gradually restoring the woman's back, lower body, abdomen, face, and chest to health.
All of this was witnessed by a man coming out the back door. He hurried forward, shouting, "What are you doing? She's mine!"
The girl's body shivered instinctively. Although her injuries were healed, her mental trauma could not be mended so quickly.
The man wore a triumphant smile, never expecting that the discarded trash could be reused. He had assumed the woman had already earned enough money for them, but now he saw she could earn even more. He reached out toward the girl on the ground.
"Crystal Spike, Enhanced Version."
Keno immediately used the enhanced magic, piercing the man through and through.
The bloody scene terrified another man who was accompanying him, but he quickly recovered. After all, working in the Eight Fingers meant he had seen all kinds of horrors.
This was not Keno's first time killing a human, but it was her first time killing without hatred. Her red eyes were icy, always ready to strike again.
The girl Keno supported trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face. She was just a village girl. A woman had told her that the city offered opportunities to earn big money, which could help support her village.
The woman fed her and clothed her, making her lower her guard. She followed the woman to the city, only to experience a period worse than hell.
So when Keno killed the man, the girl felt a strange relief, which soon turned to worry. She had already risked her life once and did not want Keno, such a beautiful young girl, to go through the same ordeal.
"You're finished. Do you even know who you killed? Don't think just knowing magic makes you special. Here, there are plenty like me."
The man tried to bluff, knowing he couldn't panic. He had to make the others hesitate, so he exaggerated the power of the Eight Fingers.
"Are they inside?"
Keno did not impulsively continue killing. She was probing for information. After years with Ren, she was no damsel. With Ren's guidance, she could handle things on her own.
"Of course. The people inside aren't someone you can mess with. If you know what's good for you, leave now." The man spoke while slowly backing away.
"A bit clever, but not much." Ren silently judged the man.
"Magic Crystal Spike."
Ren used his magic and pierced the man who had tried to escape.
The commotion here didn't attract the people inside. The door was thick, and everyone inside was too busy indulging in pleasure to notice anything else.
"You… you…"
Keno was about to break in, but when she heard the girl's weak voice, she quickly knelt down and said, "It's okay. Everything's okay now."
"Y… you… all… run… they're… very strong." The girl spoke one word at a time, clearly because her mouth had suffered serious injuries. Even so, she tried her best to express her thoughts.
"We're stronger than they are. Leave this to us." Keno took out a long robe and gently covered the girl's once-beautiful skin that had only just recovered. She gave her a reassuring smile.
"H-he…" The girl still couldn't believe it. After all, her world used to be a simple village.
Once she was kidnapped, her life became nothing but beds and torture devices. In her eyes, no one could be stronger than those demons.
"Sleep for a while. When you wake up, everything will be fine." Ren understood what she was thinking and used a low‑level magic scroll to put her to sleep.
"Ren, leave this to me. I'm going to make these scum pay." Keno gritted her teeth, her anger already on the verge of exploding.
"Alright. I'll take this child to rest first. Also, the familiars will lead you straight to their hideout." Ren took a blanket out of his spatial bag, wrapped the sleeping girl in it, and then left with her.
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