After about ten minutes, the old man came down from the second floor, holding a set of brown clothing. In a low voice, he said, "This is the smallest size I've got. None of the others would fit you."
"Thank you, my dear neighbor." Glen took the clothes. He knew that with the old guy's height and build, it'd be hard to find something that fit him perfectly. Something was better than nothing.
He gave a little bow, then pulled the door shut and left.
The old man kept watching Glen's retreating figure until the figure disappeared, then let out a long sigh. "Annoying brat…"
…
With the clothes in hand, Glen practically jogged home. He heated some water, rushed into the washroom, filled the tub, then stripped off the outfit that had been making him miserable and sank into the warm water.
He had no idea where the water came from—no water bills, and it never ran out. He remembered that most towns had something like a utilities bureau, but he had no clue if Bayek did.
Then again, nothing about this town made sense, so unlimited water wasn't surprising… Glen's thoughts wandered as he soaked, growing more curious about the place.
After a nice, thorough scrub, Glen felt instantly refreshed. The clothes the old man gave him were a bit big, as expected, but wearable.
He tidied up the washroom, lit an oil lamp, and sat in the living room, turning over the day's events in his mind. It had been a roller coaster—basically one disaster after another. He just hoped tomorrow would go smoother.
No phones, no entertainment, and not much to do at night, so Glen turned in early, planning to wake up with the sun.
At first, sleep didn't come easily—going to bed too early left him too wired. Luckily, he eventually drifted off.
Rustle…
A noise outside reached Glen's ears even in his sleep. His sleep was light, and he soon opened his eyes.
Quietly pulling back the covers, he got out of bed. He remembered a similar sound on his first night after transmigrating; no idea what it'd been.
Maybe another Abu‑type monster? The original owner lived here this whole time without trouble—must've been one lucky duck… Glen's thoughts ran wild as he crept to the window.
Peering through the crack, he scanned the street. Darkness wasn't a problem for him; he saw everything below clearly.
Without even trying, he spotted the source of the sound.
It was an extremely thin, elongated creature—more like a serpent if you ignored its limbs. Pale white all over, with a rounded head, it was carefully rummaging around in his yard.
What the heck is that now? Glen's headache deepened. He was getting fed up with the sheer absurdity of this place.
The thing had probably been hanging around for a while. Since the original owner had been fine, it likely wouldn't attack residents. So Glen decided he didn't need to bother with it… After a brief pause, he went back to bed.
True to form, the night passed without danger, and Glen slept soundly until sunrise.
That day, he still planned to hunt. Yesterday's mess had annoyed him, but it wasn't enough to discourage him.
This time, no surprises—the hunt went smoothly. He and the beast bagged eleven black boars plus a moose‑like creature. A real bounty.
He picked one at random, killed it, rigged a wooden sled to drag it out of the woods, and left the rest in the trap under the beast's watch.
Hauling the sled wasn't hard for Glen, but it felt undignified.
If I didn't think the beast would freak people out, I wouldn't be doing this… he grumbled, though his pace didn't slow.
Not knowing if he could even sell the game, he figured it'd be best to reach Doud early, so he could at least get home before full dark.
…
Meanwhile, Bob and the two brutes had just arrived in Doud not long ago. Yesterday's scare had kept them from running nonstop on the dark roads, so they'd holed up in a hidden cave overnight.
That also meant they'd missed the two girls who'd come after them.
After a night of nerves, they set off at sunrise, hurrying back into town.
They kept a low profile, avoiding anything that'd draw attention, just weaving through streets until they reached the mouth of a gloomy alley.
This place was crawling with petty thugs and beggars—clearly, law enforcement rarely, if ever, came here.
Lots of spots like this in town, easy to slip away if authorities showed up.
The trio moved through the alley with practiced ease. Up ahead was a noisy room, its clamor audible from outside, guarded by two burly men standing at attention.
Seeing the newcomers, the guards gave no resistance—they clearly knew who they were and let them pass.
Inside, the room was packed with drinkers, loudly swapping crude stories. Their behavior matched their rough looks.
Bob and his crew attracted little notice.
"We're back. Inform Lord Glas," one of the brutes said to a small‑mustached man standing in the corner.
The man scanned them, nodded, and went into a back room.
A few minutes later, he came out. "The master will see you."
At that, the three tensed up, racking their brains for how to explain themselves and avoid punishment.
But it was inevitable. When they faced the powerfully built figure standing by the fireplace, all their rehearsed excuses fell apart.
"So, you saw a monster and abandoned your target, fleeing back here like stray dogs?"
The deep voice cut off their panicked explanations. All three fell silent, trembling.
The figure turned, revealing a terrifying face—red eyes, protruding fangs like a green‑skinned orc from monster tales. Except this world had no orcs, and he wasn't one.
Even though they'd seen Glas before, the shock was as fresh as the first time.
"Please, hear us out, Lord Glas! I've never seen a monster like that—it was horrifying, stronger than a lion! If we hadn't run, we'd all be dead!"
"All I know is, you botched everything." Glas's voice was calm. He gave a slight nod to the brutes standing by.
Obeying the signal, they hauled Bob and his crew out. Standard procedure for failure: one finger as payment. If they weren't shorthanded, the penalty would've been a hundred times worse.
Glas ignored their pleas.
"How much life energy do you still owe me?" he suddenly asked, voice cryptic.
At that moment, the room should've been empty besides him.
"The more, the better, my faithful friend. You've already tasted power, haven't you? Find more young lives, sacrifice them to me. When I fully awaken, I'll raise you to the highest heights."
A hoarse voice echoed in the room, answering Glas.