MFM | Chapter 1.3

With that height and build, he couldn’t be a mutant. Yet the thief was incredibly swift. Even Gabriel, who was confident in his stamina, found it increasingly difficult to chase him.9050449aa32b8b9849bb

His breath came out in gasps. The street, once filled with brightly lit shops, had become dim.68fc231dfc57b1a6d6da

The buildings were old, and from the depths of the dark alley, white smoke rose. Laughter and high-pitched screams spread like layers of lard in a puddle. The smell of leather and pungent chemicals brushed his nose. The thick scent of potions and the cheap alcohol from broken bottles as well.3490934133a4f0f13126

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Gabriel realized he had entered the slum in the southeast district. But he couldn’t stop the chase. After turning around a half-collapsed brick wall twice, he followed the thief into an alley.f30501df986659dcccb4

The thief had vanished. As if he had evaporated from the spot.168c6dd509562791808c

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Instead, on the alley floor, there was only the bag with its handle cut off. Gabriel knelt down, hugged the bag, and searched inside. Disinfectant, scalpel, scissors, bone saw, notebook, rubber gloves, and…f13ab3f70d7c18d2faa6

“Found it.”50a4cbbd214c8502922e

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Gabriel pulled out the pay envelope and checked it. One, two, three… It was undoubtedly 10 pounds. Nothing was missing, and none of it had been swapped for counterfeit bills.7ec15035013e4a6de747

Confirming that, a relieved sigh escaped him. Gabriel put the pay envelope inside his coat and took out something else from it.80c87200780a38ae6a3c

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It was a gun.481d09e954e62c81212a

“Move.”015ca3891b13315e098b

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Gabriel aimed the gun at the silhouette at the entrance of the alley and warned. The woman, wearing a hat and a mask, had her long hair tied in a single braid. Her height and solid build revealed that she was an Omega.878f9237d27a4ad2991a

So he couldn’t let his guard down just because the opponent was a woman. Whether male or female, Alpha or Omega, mutants were incomparably stronger than Betas. Even now, after countless generations of mutants had passed, the difference was clear. The fact that the opponent hadn’t even drawn a gun yet was probably because she underestimated Gabriel.a7f00b52f848c4f05755

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“Gabriel Valentin.”50c1aadca1907d0a236d

A cold voice flowed from the opponent. It seemed like the voice was altered, mixed with a metallic sound.d2d93e6de98e2ef73454

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“Where is Dr. Valentin’s research journal?”94acad19bb3e1637c624

It was a title for his father he hadn’t heard in a long time. Gabriel looked at her expressionlessly.f9b3e0a38abf74a5207d

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“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”20c3af2e4773378c9726

The woman’s gaze grew colder.dfbf62cfb4158354f0ee

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“Do you think you can get away by pretending not to know?”73e68453934ec6366a94

Gabriel gripped the gun aimed at the woman tightly. Sweat was dampening his palm inside the glove.7fee3df56f70292d68ad

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“I have nothing left of my father’s legacy. I sold the house and the villa, all of it.”b064ac9ff0e09f651317

“But there must be something in the Absen Bank vault.”4696edaaa55e4ba12480

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That was a fact widely spread through articles. Dr. Valentin, who left the world early, had a secret vault, and the only person who could open it was his sole heir, his only son. There were many rumors and speculations about the vault’s contents. Gabriel replied tensely.8197a4bfff056e2ddf77

“There’s nothing you want in there.”5df79d06687eb0d5cd59

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“Really?”a1bfcbc7fc48f355bd1b

The woman asked coldly.ae7c563889bf94022ea3

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“It’s a pity you’re lying until the end.”23f52ac5485e8703914c

He saw her hand move to her waist. Gabriel immediately pulled the trigger. Bang, the ear-splitting noise was followed by blood spurting from the woman’s leg.a97e14af8d8351e4a90c

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Gabriel immediately tucked the bag under his arm and started running towards the back of the alley. As he pushed off the ground strongly, the hem of his thin coat fluttered and scattered. Bang, a threatening sound brushed past his leg. He heard the sound of limping footsteps following him.a644a6668e2183076546

Gabriel ran without stopping, quickly scanning his surroundings. He needed to find a path where he could shake off his pursuer. Just because the opponent was shot didn’t mean he could let his guard down. She was an Omega.e5cbbe173e77d37852f7

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Sure enough, he heard the sound of someone jumping over a wall and a gunshot simultaneously. The heel of his shoe shattered a brick as he lifted it from the ground.1e36eb740a8c8acc8cbf

At the end of the crumbling wall, the woman jumped to the ground. She cursed, seemingly in pain from bearing the impact on one leg.89c5a26d9a34c146b30c

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The brief hesitation was an opportunity for Gabriel. He changed direction, picked up speed, and desperately racked his brain. A place to escape, a place suitable for shaking off the opponent…e0b9a081c1a4310b6cb0

As he thought about that and turned the corner of the alley, what appeared before him was a large manhole. As was typical in the slum, the manhole cover was partially removed. The surrounding warning signs and chains had long been defaced with graffiti.1d97d877fc3a5ecda8e1

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“It’s safe there.”7f2777055fa78836d89b

A strong impulse pulled Gabriel. He opened the cover and jumped inside. Clinging to the metal ladder, he closed the manhole cover.22c3c8ab4ec85cd3ea72

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A few seconds later, the uneven footsteps passed over the manhole.8e01488fce0443d3d8ab

Gabriel hurriedly climbed down the ladder. He needed to get as far away as possible before the woman, realizing something was amiss, returned. The extreme tension made him feel nauseous, and his head throbbed.a5085009727ca5880aea

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The stench and complete darkness consumed his vision. Even the slum at night was dark enough, but this place was pure darkness itself. He couldn’t discern what lay beyond a hand’s breadth.cfd72f68fb88ecf9aa19

At some point, he felt the sticky, soft ground supporting his shoes. Having completely descended the ladder, Gabriel fumbled inside his coat and struck a match.bf70c3d7d7a7a9bda915

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The thinly burning flame faintly illuminated the surroundings. Gabriel guessed that the sewer’s height was about three times his own. He also noted that the water wasn’t flowing and the place was empty.629780b3ff1372dbc3d9

Yet the surface was excessively damp, likely due to moisture seeping through the gaps in the aging sewer pipes.68bad5db90098bae546c

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What other reason could there be?88057c494d5041d0aa41

“Young master, there’s a monster living under this city. So don’t step on the manholes carelessly. Got it?”af2de455cedbd4112928

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Gabriel recalled a story he had heard long ago. It was an old, worn-out urban legend. Made to scare careless children.e6237b1cdf39fb0eb55e

“They said if you cross over a manhole three times, the monster will grab your ankle and drag you away. They also said the monster likes children who scream well.”05b940c0be32058c3841

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It was a ridiculous tale. For the safety of the city’s residents, and because of the monetary value of monsters, there couldn’t be any living in the sewers. What did the royal family and the church of Arkham always emphasize?4917a64789fbdfaa674c

“Under the breath of the goddess Anat, the city is safe.”c490e3f73e5736315618

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The areas where chapels were located would be under the goddess’s protection. This was also why the capital, Sumnerus, continued to expand, the city grew, and the state religion spread.89c8cf2a6f974df8012e

Gabriel stared intently at the flame before him. Monsters dislike light and fire. The match had almost burned to the end. Lighting a new match, Gabriel hurried forward.1293318eaec659b125fc

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Ignoring the stench that pierced his nose, he walked for about ten minutes. The matchbox was nearly empty, so Gabriel focused solely on finding a ladder to exit. Then, from beyond the darkness, he heard a faint sound of water.0b41c7bb29526d2c6a6d

“Is that side a used sewer?”dd699163ae682d8d3103

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Gabriel listened closely to the sound. As he cautiously stepped forward, the sound grew louder. No, upon closer listening, it wasn’t the sound of flowing water. It was the sound of something sticky rubbing against the ground.cea9f067a9429d33bc28

It wasn’t the sound of a person stepping on mud. Something larger and with a broader surface was approaching this place. Wetting the dry pipes with sticky mucus, extending its soft, massive body towards Gabriel.1cdf6f96f2a767a25d74

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Come to think of it, why hadn’t he heard any sounds until now?9a30eda3fb0c5b280543

Gabriel hadn’t encountered anything. No rats brushing against his ankles, no stray cats or dogs, no vagrants or gangs. In this sewer, the only living things were himself and that thing opposite him.770c55122bce9d10d99d

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A sharp chill swept over him. Unlike the autumn breeze, a creepy sensation passed through his body. An ominous intuition warned Gabriel.a20e88293283b7948b99

He had to run.6c0c86c117e062440ff0

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The moment he thought that, something tough and damp licked Gabriel’s wrist. His stiff fingers dropped the match. In an instant, darkness engulfed everything.2139cd8bb675db87c265

Gabriel recalled the story he had heard as a child once more.924d6a5c3543c42e94c1

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“They say ordinary people like us can’t endure when we encounter a monster and go insane.”9f713932bfc943ef9861

Indeed, it was like that.ee2f142dcabec276278e

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“They say you can’t even run away, so you can only pray for a quick death.”0fbf5c68a5e7bdaf80f5

But he couldn’t die here.15bb9f05f98e0c89e5f1

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Gabriel breathed heavily. Or inhaled. He couldn’t even tell where his erratic breathing was lingering. The fear that seemed to stop his breath swallowed Gabriel in an instant. His strangled reason whispered to him with difficulty.ebc055732d0f29a89a67

“Hyperventilation.”63835cdbdc2ddc258673

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Gabriel repeated to himself. This is nothing. It’s just a common symptom. Just cover your nose and mouth with your hand and breathe slowly. But his hand wouldn’t move. Since the sticky contact brushed past his wrist, his frozen mind was being gouged out.1ac0af3c407bbe37184f

His memory was a mess, and his throat tightened. He heard the sound of rain. Damp droplets wet his cheeks and flowed down. His whole body, soaked, was chilled to the bone by the west wind. His grip hurt. Probably because he was holding the reins too tightly.9c1529035e5bdd1aae3f

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The horse, with its mane flying, ran backward. The rain intensified. The mansion built of white stone, at its entrance…60b065e691f4114cfd91

“Young master.”3334e853b4432f4ffca9

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This is a hallucination.cc3493d820940c5d8186

Gabriel desperately bit his tongue. The afterimages that had been mocking him in his mind became slightly blurred. It was then that his stiff fingers twitched.2addb938e6f3bb01ee78

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Gabriel forced his arm to move, glaring into the darkness. He knew best what muscles and joints were in his fingers and elbows. He studied them every day and dissected them every day. Unless his skull was crushed, there was no reason he couldn’t move his intact hand as he wished.6ef8573ebdfe8b56d779

His hand touched the gun. With his thumb, Gabriel cocked the gun and pulled the trigger towards the front.453a695efd683ae12dcd

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Bang!787ec1f7484c929eca56

Splat, a viscous liquid splattered on his face. Suddenly released from the pressure that had been weighing him down, Gabriel couldn’t withstand the recoil of the gun and fell backward.5b1fb490c3b53c79674f

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A dull shock was felt from his back hitting the ground. Gabriel curled up and struck a match. He had to light a fire quickly. A fire that monsters dislike. Just as the flame was about to flicker to life with a few urgent gestures.0e0e537457f7a1da2009

“Ugh…!”81b5f00802420f41f80f

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Something slimy and heavy pressed against Gabriel’s nose and mouth. It seemed to be trying to suffocate him, crushing his ribs as it covered him. A disgusting liquid flowed into his mouth.dbb909727c9fb4d3cf2f

Gabriel shook his head and struggled, resisting. He repeatedly pulled the trigger with his finger. But the gun only made a few meaningless shots and was spent. There was no change in the pressure covering him.f39d75c676b3de2723a9

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Gabriel threw the gun away and clawed and tore at what was before his eyes. I won’t die, I won’t die. I’ll kill it. A sound close to a howl was half swallowed and half spilled out. It was as if he had become a beast.f1d7571f9b4909895e21

Despite his efforts, his mind gradually clouded. The hand he had stretched out with all his might fell limply to the side. His vision blurred and flickered.37c02dc594c3a1692199

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